Why You Need Your ZZZ's

Everyone should aim for 7.5 or 8.0 hours of sleep at night, but millions of us don't get enough--and chronic sleep deprivation is one of the worse things that can affect us, damaging everything from our immune systems to making us injure ourselves.

 

In fact, sleep deprivation can actually make us GAIN weight, because it affects ghrelin, leptin and cortisol--all hormones that regulate appetite.

March 3-10, 2013 is National Sleep Awareness Week, so it is a good time to look at the things that can keep us tossing and turning.  Once we know exactly what the problem is we can, hopefully, do something about it.

 

·         Stress: Things like mind-chatter, impending deadlines and other events can make us toss and turn. Here’s where it is a cause, though; we awaken tired, anxious, irritable, depressed and lacking mental clarity—which means decreased or non-existent--coping mechanisms, adding to our ever-increasing stress load.

·         Pain: “If we consistently do not get enough rest it opens us up to the daily aches and pains we feel, as well as more serious injury,” said Michael Gazeleh, DC.  Guess what?  That pain keeps us awake.

·         Illness: The constant stress of sleep deprivation can trigger chronic and degenerative illnesses, but you also want to explore reasons for  not being able to stay asleep: “That might be caused by something like pain or even hunger,” said Dr. Peter Bongiorno, ND, Lac. “Hunger might either mean that there’s a problem with the liver or simply that the patient needs to eat a little more before bed.”

·         “The bedroom isn’t dark enough. Melatonin is the body’s natural substance that’s produced at night, and a decreased level results in lower immunity, increased risk of infection. “Even the slightest light can cause a decrease in melatonin  levels,” says Dr. Bongiorno ND, Lac

·         Pets.  I’m not passing judgment; in fact, I freely admit that I love sleeping with pets; to me, they’re like warm furry pillows.  However, the Mayo Clinic conducted a study finding that more than half of its patients seeking consultations at their sleep clinic were pet owners complaining of nightly sleep disturbances, caused by things like cover-hogging, kicking, growling, meowing, or even scratching.

 

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It's March--How Are You Doing With Your Wellness Goals?

We all do it, me included.  We make all these great promises:  To lose those last 5 pounds; learn to control our sugar cravings (By the way, I'll admit that I had a chocolate-dipped cookie today). We promise to exercise more, sleep better, spend time each day for meditation--the list goes on and on.

Then when it's just about this time of year, we forget about those resolutions--but we panic because Memorial Day, the unofficial start to summer, is just around the corner and we need to lose our winter weight--and fast.

You can still make 2013 your healthiest year ever, though. It just takes a little knowledge and a few easy fixes.

Remember that everything feeds us, not just what's on our plates.  We're also fed by things like rest and recreation, career, relationships, and more.  Our lives need to be in balance or we'll always be, well, sick and hungry.
But here are 5 things that can derail your wellness goals that you can do something about right now:

NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP: A study by the Archives of Internal Medicine gave 153 people the rhino virus (common cold) by nose drop. It was found that those studied who got at least seven hours of sleep per night were 300% less likely to catch a cold. So here's the bottom-line: Sleep deprivation leads to exhaustion which can lead to chronic illnesses and injury. It also affects our weight, since sleep has a direct connection to 3 hormones that control appetite.
SKIPPING BREAKFAST: Breakfast breaks the overnight fast and will start your metabolism. If you skip breakfast, or any other meal, your body will think it is starving and will go into protection mode by lowering your metabolism. That means you could actually gain weight by not eating a meal and you’ll probably overeat at the next one, since your body will insist on making up those lost calories.
NOT PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION TO THE TOXINS HIDDEN IN FOODS: For instance, those processed meats, like bacon, hot dogs, and sausage, have sodium nitrate, which have been linked to heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Diet soda and artificial sweeteners can lead to prolonged exposure to aspartame, a neurotoxic chemical additive in these products that can result in nerve cell damage, dizziness, and headaches. Those mass-produced snacks, like crackers and cookies, usually use hydrogenated oils are used to lengthen the shelf life and are also associated with diabetes and heart disease.
TRYING TO FIGHT, RATHER THAN LEARN, ABOUT YOUR CRAVINGS: Cravings can give us brilliant information about our bodies. For instance, did you know that a sugar craving is often your body’s cry for energy? Deconstruct it—is that your body’s way of telling you to slow down, or engage in some stress reduction, or to relax and sleep a little more?? By the way, once you figure out what it’s telling you, the cravings will be eliminated—and the weight will start releasing.

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Want to learn how to control your cravings?  Sign up for my class, "3 Secrets to Kicking Those Sugar Cravings to the Curb in 30 Days" at: http://www.irenefross.com/3-secrets-to-kicking-those-sugar-cravings-to-the-curb-in-30-day 

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NOT EXERCISING ENOUGH: Anyone remember the episode of the television show "Everybody Loves Raymond" when Raymond becomes thrilled with the sudden, dramatic increase in his sex life--until he finds an exercise class flyer--featuring the photo of a very handsome instructor--on his wife's table. He thinks the instructor is the reason for her sudden interest but, when he confronts her, she says: "Has it ever occurred to you that I'm just feeling much better about myself these days?"

Exercise makes us feel better physically and mentally. It fights fatigue by carrying oxygen and nutrients to the cells and helps detoxify the body, by getting rid of toxins, accumulated wastes and poisons. It also improves our mood by releasing those natural, feel-good substances, endorphins which, in turn, also help us handle stress and sleep better.

ABOUT IRENE:

Irene Ross, CHHC, AADP is an integrative nutrition and holistic health coach, speaker and writer. 

She is author of the e-book, Sugar’s Sour Story, and of the forthcoming book, 25 Ways to Fire Up Your Day:Increase Energy, Get More Done in Less Time, Balance Your Life.

Her website is: www.irenefross.com..

Six Ways to STILL Get Into Summer Shape

It's almost July 4th.  If you're still despairing over those last few winter pounds that you can seem to lose no matter what, never fear. 

These few simple things should help you finally break free!

• Try to stay with natural foods as much as possible. Here’s the problem with those overly processed “convenience” foods—they can be very high in sodium, which can make you bloat.  They often have chemicals and hormones—which can wreak havoc on your system (i.e., metabolism.)

One of the great things about summer is the abundance of fresh fruits, vegetables and herbs.  Fill up on them!  And, remember, the more colorful your plate the better, because each color includes a different set of phytonutrients--and those are the things that help keep us healthy.

• Never, ever skip a meal:  Here's what will happen if you do:  Your body will think it's starving and will try to protect you by lowering your metabolism.  You'll also probably overeat at your next week to make up for those lost calories.  The end result will be no weight loss--and possibly even a weight gain. 

You'll probably also become tired.  Let's face it--we don't exactly make the best food choices when we're tired and stressed.

• Cravings:  Every craving tells you something about your body, and a sugar craving is just it's way of asking for energy.  If you want to know more about sugar cravings, opt-in for my free mini e-book, Sugar's Sour Story.  You can find the opt-in box on the home page of my website, or you can click here.www.irenefross.com.
• Sleep:  Never underestimate the importance of this.  Experts say we should get about 7.5 hours a night.  Sleep has a direct effect on three hormones that regulate weight and appetite.  The first is that it increases cortisol, the "fight or flight" hormone that is often held responsible for expanding waistlines.  It's good in moderation--but too much creates unrelenting stress.  Ghrelin is an appetite increaser and you want to keep it low--but sleep deprivation causes an increase in this substance.  Leptin is something you want--it suppresses appetite and moderates energy--but lack of sleep lowers it.

Naturopathic physician Dr. Kathia Roberts explained the connection between sleep and that all-important exercising.

“It’s a negative cycle,” explains Dr. Kathia Roberts, Ph.D., ND, D.PHYT.  “Some of my patients tell me they can’t sleep without exercising but then, again, they’re too tired to exercise."

Other things to keep in mind:

• Superfoods: Some foods have very high nutrient values and they're called superfoods.  They include things like greens, berries and even chocolate--yes, you heard right, but just be sure it's dark and contains over 70 percent cacao.  Want a yummy, healthy snack?  Combine two superfoods--yogurt and pumpkin.  Both are superfoods--I like Greek yogurt because of its smooth, creamy texture--and make sure the pumpkin is 100 percent pure, not the pie filling!
• Water:  Our bodies are made up of about 65-70 percent water and, while we can survive a month without food, we can only go for a week without water.  It transports nutrients and removes toxins.  For more information on water, see: http://irenefross.com/blog/2012/06/10-great-reasons-to-drink-more-water
• Self-care:  Don't underestimate the importance of a good massage, relaxation or recreation.  You'll feel better, become less stressed and able to focus more intently--and you'll eat a lot better too!

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