Sleep is an important component to our having healthy bodies. We all know that. We realize that we function better when we have had ample sleep, when we don't feel the need to pump our bodies full of sugar and caffeine just to keep our eyelids open. But did you know that lack of sleep is a big challenge to our weight loss success?
Researchers are pretty much convinced that the facts that we are getting less sleep and weighing more are related and not merely coincidence. According to a study reported in 2008 there are direct associations between sleep loss and an increased risk of both obesity and diabetes.
Maybe sleeping in isn't such a bad thing after all!
Whether your lack of sleep is because you are trying to fit more into a day that doesn't get any longer (I used to say if I could just give up eating & sleeping maybe I could get it all done--ha!) or you have a sleep disorder like insomnia or sleep apnea, or maybe because you wake up a lot because you are peri-menopausal your body is not getting the restorative benefits it needs from sleep. Notice the word "rest" within "restorative"...while we sleep our body rests and allows it to maintain health and wellness and to heal itself.
Sleep apnea is one of the major causes of lack of sleep. As women, we are more apt to experience sleep apnea after menopause. Interestingly that is also a time when many women gain weight. Sleep apnea appears to be much more widespread than anyone previously thought--many people with the disorder actually are undiagnosed.
Changing your sleep pattern by staying up late or getting up early affects your natural circadian rhythm. Our hormones rise and fall in rhythms throughout the day and night and key hormones Melatonin, cortisol and testosterone are time-based. By shifting our schedules we interrupt our natural hormone balance and that can cause weight gain.
Tomorrow I'll go into more about how lack of sleep negatively impacts our blood sugar and can make us hungrier!
Until then, have a great day and get a good night's sleep!
Showing posts with label diabetes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label diabetes. Show all posts
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Natinal Nutrition Month: Healthy Drink Choices for Weight Loss Success
In honor of National Nutrition Month, yesterday we talked about ways to drop 15 pounds in a year by cutting empty calories out of our diet pretty painlessly.
You may be wondering what you should drink instead that won't be filled with those empty calories.
I've said it before, but the absolute best thing to drink is good, clean, pure water. It is truly the only liquid the human body needs (as opposed to what we want!) We can live quite a long time without food...it turns out most of us could actually live for a couple of weeks without food--even though we sometimes feel like we are going to die without it after just a few hours. But water? Although there are reports of some people living through earthquakes and such and surviving for a week without water, most people will die after just 3 days without water.
I filter my water, which saves me money over buying bottled water and I don't use a lot of plastic bottles that way either. If you still can't drink enough water, add just a splash of 100% fruit juice to your glass of water. I start my day with lemon juice in water...I love the taste and find it refreshing and energizing. Keep in mind that all fruit juice (even 100% juice) contains sugars. Choosing 100% fruit juice ensures that there is no ADDED sugar, but fruit itself has natural sugar in the form of fructose. This is easier for your body to absorb, but if you want to lose weight successfully you want to be aware of all the sugars you are ingesting. Have most of the fruit you take in be in the form of food...so you also get all the fiber (which helps you feel full) and other good stuff that fruits have to offer!
Tea is another good choice because it is mostly water. Your risk of having a heart attack may be reduced by as much as 11% if you drink 3 or more cups of tea every day. Green tea may be better for us than black, but the most important thing about drinking tea is to take it without sugar or milk, especially without milk. The beneficial element found in tea is called "catechins" (pronounced cat-ih-kins) and these are made less active when combined with the proteins found in milk.
And coffee (black) is not the evil thing that we had heard about in the past for most of us. In fact, a cup or two may also have some health benefits including reducing your chances of developing colon cancer, Parkinson's disease and type 2 diabetes.
If you are used to drinking soda, you may want to wean yourself away from it...especially if your drink choice has been loaded with caffeine. Otherwise you may suffer from withdrawal, including headaches, fatigue or the jitters. Replace one serving at a time with water to help flush out your system. Don't rely on diet drinks--they may not have calories but they have their own set of problems and can actually hinder successful weight loss!
You may be wondering what you should drink instead that won't be filled with those empty calories.
I've said it before, but the absolute best thing to drink is good, clean, pure water. It is truly the only liquid the human body needs (as opposed to what we want!) We can live quite a long time without food...it turns out most of us could actually live for a couple of weeks without food--even though we sometimes feel like we are going to die without it after just a few hours. But water? Although there are reports of some people living through earthquakes and such and surviving for a week without water, most people will die after just 3 days without water.
I filter my water, which saves me money over buying bottled water and I don't use a lot of plastic bottles that way either. If you still can't drink enough water, add just a splash of 100% fruit juice to your glass of water. I start my day with lemon juice in water...I love the taste and find it refreshing and energizing. Keep in mind that all fruit juice (even 100% juice) contains sugars. Choosing 100% fruit juice ensures that there is no ADDED sugar, but fruit itself has natural sugar in the form of fructose. This is easier for your body to absorb, but if you want to lose weight successfully you want to be aware of all the sugars you are ingesting. Have most of the fruit you take in be in the form of food...so you also get all the fiber (which helps you feel full) and other good stuff that fruits have to offer!
Tea is another good choice because it is mostly water. Your risk of having a heart attack may be reduced by as much as 11% if you drink 3 or more cups of tea every day. Green tea may be better for us than black, but the most important thing about drinking tea is to take it without sugar or milk, especially without milk. The beneficial element found in tea is called "catechins" (pronounced cat-ih-kins) and these are made less active when combined with the proteins found in milk.
And coffee (black) is not the evil thing that we had heard about in the past for most of us. In fact, a cup or two may also have some health benefits including reducing your chances of developing colon cancer, Parkinson's disease and type 2 diabetes.
If you are used to drinking soda, you may want to wean yourself away from it...especially if your drink choice has been loaded with caffeine. Otherwise you may suffer from withdrawal, including headaches, fatigue or the jitters. Replace one serving at a time with water to help flush out your system. Don't rely on diet drinks--they may not have calories but they have their own set of problems and can actually hinder successful weight loss!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
National Nutrition Month: Ahh Sugar, Sugar
March is National Nutrition Month and so it is a good time to revisit a nemesis those of us who are overweight or have struggled with our weight: sugar. Specifically, liquid sugar.
One of the easiest ways to lose weight permanently, naturally and safely is to reduce the amount of sugar we consume...and one of the easiest ways to do that is to forgo soft drinks.
I'm not in favor of saying you should "never" eat or drink something but sodas are best put on a list of items we extremely rarely ingest.
A single can of soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar!!! But sodas aren't the only culprit. We may think a high-energy drink or sports drink would be better for us...or iced tea, fruit juice or lemonade...but we'd most likely be wrong. Quick flip that can or bottle over and see what makes the list of ingredients. If it reads high fructose corn syrup, sugar, or other sugars and/or syrups it is pretty much the same--sugar that adds unneeded calories to our bodies.
While you are looking at that ingredient list, take a look at the number of servings in that can/bottle. You may be surprised to find that single can/bottle is actually more than a "single serving"...that is just one of the ways that manufacturers get away with misleading the consumer into thinking they are taking in fewer calories, less sugar/fat/etc.
When I was a kid we sometimes were traveling to countries where drinking the water was not safe and therefore we drank sodas. Fortunately, we don't have that problem much in the USA, and if your tap water is bad either temporarily or long-term, it is usually possible to get excellent water locally--a quick drive to the grocery store.
Still, in the USA, 47 gallons of soda per person was consumed in 2008. Some of us aren't doing our share...so that means most people are probably drinking more than 50 gallons of the stuff a year. That would be about a gallon of soda a week per person! With sugar consumption like that it should be no surprise we are a nation of overweight people with attention problems!
If you drink just one soda a day at roughly 150 calories per soda, that is a total of 54,750 calories of pure sugar. And a pound is equal to about 3500 calories. That means by eliminating just that one soda from your diet every day you could theoretically lose 15.64 pounds in a year--without changing any other habit!
But if the fact that soda has no nutritional value and only serves to make us fat isn't enough, it also increases our risk for diabetes and heart disease. So focus on loving yourself enough to be healthy and reduce the amount of sugar you drink this month...and start a trend you can live with...and have weight loss success with!
One of the easiest ways to lose weight permanently, naturally and safely is to reduce the amount of sugar we consume...and one of the easiest ways to do that is to forgo soft drinks.
I'm not in favor of saying you should "never" eat or drink something but sodas are best put on a list of items we extremely rarely ingest.
A single can of soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar!!! But sodas aren't the only culprit. We may think a high-energy drink or sports drink would be better for us...or iced tea, fruit juice or lemonade...but we'd most likely be wrong. Quick flip that can or bottle over and see what makes the list of ingredients. If it reads high fructose corn syrup, sugar, or other sugars and/or syrups it is pretty much the same--sugar that adds unneeded calories to our bodies.
While you are looking at that ingredient list, take a look at the number of servings in that can/bottle. You may be surprised to find that single can/bottle is actually more than a "single serving"...that is just one of the ways that manufacturers get away with misleading the consumer into thinking they are taking in fewer calories, less sugar/fat/etc.
When I was a kid we sometimes were traveling to countries where drinking the water was not safe and therefore we drank sodas. Fortunately, we don't have that problem much in the USA, and if your tap water is bad either temporarily or long-term, it is usually possible to get excellent water locally--a quick drive to the grocery store.
Still, in the USA, 47 gallons of soda per person was consumed in 2008. Some of us aren't doing our share...so that means most people are probably drinking more than 50 gallons of the stuff a year. That would be about a gallon of soda a week per person! With sugar consumption like that it should be no surprise we are a nation of overweight people with attention problems!
If you drink just one soda a day at roughly 150 calories per soda, that is a total of 54,750 calories of pure sugar. And a pound is equal to about 3500 calories. That means by eliminating just that one soda from your diet every day you could theoretically lose 15.64 pounds in a year--without changing any other habit!
But if the fact that soda has no nutritional value and only serves to make us fat isn't enough, it also increases our risk for diabetes and heart disease. So focus on loving yourself enough to be healthy and reduce the amount of sugar you drink this month...and start a trend you can live with...and have weight loss success with!
Friday, December 4, 2009
The Best Holiday Gift: Your Family
During this week I've written about what I feel...what I KNOW...is the best gift you can give your family this holiday season. Of course that gift is YOU...a healthy, happy, energetic, slender you.
Just being alive for your family is a big gift...and by being a weight loss success story you will live longer, save money, and have lots more fun. Well, there is another aspect to this gift that is HUGE--by achieving your weight loss goals you are giving your family and friends the gift of themselves, too!
You see, you set an example. Especially for your kids...but if you have other family members or friends who are struggling with their weight, you set an example for them as well.
Kids model their parents behavior...they want to be like Mom or Dad...and no matter what words you say about the importance of eating right and moving your body, if you are a couch potato and eat junk food, they are going to DO what you DO...and they will BE what you ARE.
Diabetes rates are rising...type 2 diabetes used to be called adult onset diabetes. Sadly, this disease is rising so much and is now so prevalent they don't call it that any more.
Type 2 diabetes is mostly a condition of habit. The good news is that the disease is preventable and reversible. Think of losing weight as a cure for diabetes!
By teaching your kids good eating and exercise habits young you will be giving them a chance for living a full and happy life.
Start with small steps...don't try to make huge changes all at once. Small, consistent steps lead to long term permanent results. It isn't about being on a diet...this is a lifestyle...as comedian Sherri Shepherd said recently about her weight loss (she had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and has lost weight and looks great) "It is not so much about a diet. It is about making healthy choices in my life and learning not to beat myself up when I do slip."
You have to decide that you are worth being healthy...I know your family thinks you are! Then take small steps to achieve weight loss...and stick with those choices. By making small changes in your life you will reach your goal and you will give your family (and yourself) the best gift possible--a healthy, energetic, slender, you...and that is truly a gift of love that will last for years and years!
Just being alive for your family is a big gift...and by being a weight loss success story you will live longer, save money, and have lots more fun. Well, there is another aspect to this gift that is HUGE--by achieving your weight loss goals you are giving your family and friends the gift of themselves, too!
You see, you set an example. Especially for your kids...but if you have other family members or friends who are struggling with their weight, you set an example for them as well.
Kids model their parents behavior...they want to be like Mom or Dad...and no matter what words you say about the importance of eating right and moving your body, if you are a couch potato and eat junk food, they are going to DO what you DO...and they will BE what you ARE.
Diabetes rates are rising...type 2 diabetes used to be called adult onset diabetes. Sadly, this disease is rising so much and is now so prevalent they don't call it that any more.
Type 2 diabetes is mostly a condition of habit. The good news is that the disease is preventable and reversible. Think of losing weight as a cure for diabetes!
By teaching your kids good eating and exercise habits young you will be giving them a chance for living a full and happy life.
Start with small steps...don't try to make huge changes all at once. Small, consistent steps lead to long term permanent results. It isn't about being on a diet...this is a lifestyle...as comedian Sherri Shepherd said recently about her weight loss (she had been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and has lost weight and looks great) "It is not so much about a diet. It is about making healthy choices in my life and learning not to beat myself up when I do slip."
You have to decide that you are worth being healthy...I know your family thinks you are! Then take small steps to achieve weight loss...and stick with those choices. By making small changes in your life you will reach your goal and you will give your family (and yourself) the best gift possible--a healthy, energetic, slender, you...and that is truly a gift of love that will last for years and years!
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