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Like many, many people, I occasionally find myself attacked by the munchies late at night. The other day, while I was staring at the open insides of my pantry, I paused. There’s an urban legend that says that eating before you sleep will cause weight gain. Is that really true?Trolling the internet for concrete scientific answers initially lead to some definite confusion. One study claims that late night eating leads to greater weight gain, while another claims that late night eating will not lead to increased weight gain.Digging deeper into these studies, I found that there was a combination of habits that determine whether late night eating would lead to weight gain. Particularly important was what you eat late night, and what you’ve had throughout the day.If you’ve eaten well throughout the day, and are having a planned healthy snack, it may not be an issue. What is more likely to cause weight gain, is the spontaneous “so what’s in the pantry?” decisions, especially if you then don’t control the quality and quantity of what you’re eating.Conclusion: To limit weight issues from late night snacking, you have to either quit late night snacking, or plan for a healthy late night snack to be part of your daily food intake quota. Which of these two options you choose will depend on your personality type and frequency of late night snacking.Suggestions for quitting late night snacking include:1) Brush your teeth right after dinner2) Get your mind off food. Go for a walk, take up a night-time hobby, do anything on a to-do list (there's always something!).3) Drink water instead of eating. It’s often been said that people often unconsciously confuse hunger with thirst.Suggestions for controlling late night snacking:1) Keep a healthy late night snack accessible. The late night snack can be an opportunity to consume fresh (i.e. raw) fruits and vegetables. If there is any truth to the increased-absorption-at-night-theory, it’s better that the body absorb nutrients rather than empty calories.2) Rid your home of foods that you’re prone to binging on late at night and restock with healthier alternatives.3) Instead of eating, drink. In addition to rehydrating your body, fluids such as caffeine-free herbal tea or a cup of skim milk provide a great way to feel full without consuming too many calories.Neera Siva is a health enthusiast, mom, patent attorney and writer, in no particular order. She and her family live in Santa Clara County. Check out her website at healthierbites.com, or follow her on twitter @neera_avis.

To call Enrique Martinez a tough guy is an understatement. Few have climbed from where he once was—the barrios of Mexico City, where he was literally a homeless street urchin—to a bright, comfortable, RE/MAX Realty Partners office in Morgan Hill, where he now enjoys a successful real estate career.

I would like to make a rebuttal to some of the comments made the Gilroy city street engineer regarding the projects along Santa Teresa and Luchessa. He says the city doesn't have control over the schedule for the projects being executed by developers. I ask, why not? The developers have to file a building permit with a completion date. I think that was a non-legitimate answer.

Aviation enthusiasts looking to catch a glimpse of some vintage airplanes will be pleased to know they can find some right here in the South Valley at the Wings of History Air Museum.

As the saying goes, “If it looks too good to be true, it usually isn’t.”

I have always been truly amazed at the tenacity and patience of wildflowers. Seeds sit on hot bone-dry ground year after desiccating year, all the while remaining viable, waiting for the right moment. “No, not this spring,” says the seed. “I'll never be able to sprout, create a flower, and most important, produce mature seeds on that paltry rainfall. I think I'll wait.”

Whether you’re eating 3,000 calories a day or 1,500, it’s hard not to snack periodically throughout. However, too many people tend to make poor choices when it comes to snacking, selecting foods that are high in calories, sugar and void of key nutrients. Here are some healthy, tasty snack options that won’t bust your waistline and will hold you over until it’s time for the main meal.

TheatreWorks Silicon Valley does it again with its regional premiere of Edmond Rostand’s Cyrano, translated by Michael Hollinger and adapted by Hollinger and Aaron Posner. There are a number of versions about this character since 1897 and this offering by TheatreWorks brings a fresh look at this romantic, swirling, swashbuckling, poignant character.

I walk around Las Animas Park twice every day. On the morning of March 25, I noticed at the baseball field there were 11 city workers working most of the day where the adult softball league plays. I walked once again in the afternoon and the same amount of people were still there but were just standing around and watching one guy who was truly working. Is it necessary for 11 city workers to work practically all day on one field? I would like to know if our taxpayer money is going toward these 11 workers standing around all day supposedly working on the same baseball field. Does the softball league make that much revenue in order to reimburse for these city workers wasting a whole day fixing this field? I certainly hope it was not my taxpayer money being wasted. If it was my taxpayer money, I am sure the taxpayers of Gilroy would like to be informed how much this cost. I would appreciate you looking into this matter as soon as possible. 

There should probably be a parade on Tuesday, April 19 in Gilroy. After all, it’s National Garlic Day and we are, of course, the Garlic Capital of the World.