Sleep Can Aid Weight Loss
If you want to find a way to lose weight faster, and you think there is nothing new under the sun, then what I'm about to tell you will really make you nod off.
According to Dr Kenneth Goodrick at Baylor University, a good night's sleep is a vital ingredient for weight loss.
He believes that lack of sleep robs people of the energy they need to exercise and sets up a vicious low-energy cycle that sabotages your weight loss programme. Often when energy reserves are low, people turn to high-fat and high-sugar laden foods or caffeinated drinks for energy pick-me-ups…all of which interfere with weight loss efforts. Some may drink 10 to 15 caffeinated beverages a day, which has a adverse effect on sleep quality. It's a double whammy.
This is not the only fascinating connection between sleep and weight gain. Researchers have found there are two hormones involved. Leptin, a hormone that suppresses appetite, and grehlin, which increases food intake and is thought to play a role in long-term regulation of body weight. Sleep deprivation lowers the levels of leptin and raises levels of grehlin. This is thought to be the reason why obese people suffering with sleep apnea often put on weight faster than others.
Goodrick says, "Sleep is a time for the brain, the body, and all the hormones to get regulated and restore themselves to the baseline values for the next day. If you have caffeine, or inadequate sleep, you don't have a chance for all of those restorative processes to get finished. So you're ending not quite fit, or metabolically where you should be".
What is a good night's sleep? Participants in a US study who got less than 4 hours of sleep each night were 73 percent more likely to be obese than those who sleep between 7 and 9 hours a night, the recommended amount. Those who slept only 5 hours each night were 50 percent more likely to be overweight, and those who slept 6 hours a night were 23 percent more likely to be overweight.
It's official, for good health we all need to wake up and get a good night's sleep.
Kim Beardsmore is a weight loss consultant whose business operates across 60 countries. Tons of recipes, articles, resources, free newsletter and more to help you lose weight and keep it off forever. Estimate your healthy body weight or receive a free weight loss consultation at http://www.weight-loss-health.com.au
Getting The Best From Your Body
The body automatically functions, and we automatically take it for granted! We expect our body to keep going and not complain, however much we abuse it. But it does complain, with headaches, backache, indigestion, colds, skin rashes: just a few of the minor warnings. Whether you are running a home business, major corporation or a family if you relate to these 'mild' complaints you just may need to pay attention to protect your most important asset: your health, your ability to think clearly and your emotional strength.
Without paying attention to keeping yourself well, you may slip into more serious warnings of 'self-abuse' and progress to serious conditions like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. A few simple changes can make all the difference to the long-term health of your body, the clarity of your thinking, the strength of your emotional well-being and the long-term viability of your self-propelled business!
Food is fuel
What you eat and drink provides your body with the fuel to carry out all the physical and mental activities that get you through each day, including breathing and blinking! Some foods, such as fruit and vegetables, provide excellent fuel, with lots of beneficial nutrients. Other foods provide the body with poor quality fuel laced with undesirable chemicals, such as over-processed junk foods. What percentage of your current diet is providing fuel-efficient, nutrient-rich food? Find out by keeping a diary over the following week - jot down everything you eat and drink and then analyze your fuel source. The better your fuel source, the longer your life expectancy…
…So improve your choice
Choose meals and snacks that are kind to the body, i.e. naturally-produced and chemical free. Fresh (preferably seasonal) fruit, vegetables and salads retain their nutritional content - they are 'living' foods. Avoid foods that have been over-processed, stored for too long or stored in contact with metal or cling-film. You could class these as 'dead' foods, with little to offer nutritionally. Variety is also vital, helping you obtain the broad range of nutrients your body needs.
Less is more
Eating large meals puts a great strain on the digestive tract. Choose smaller, more frequent meals, which help keep your fuel tank topped-up throughout the day. And never forget that the more you eat, the more your body has to either burn off or store as fat. So eat to live - don't live to eat!
Give your stomach a fair chance
Slow down and enjoy your food. Chewing is essential - you have teeth for a reason - to assist the digestive process. Eating food quickly, or while stressed, disrupts digestion and the absorption of nutrients. The 'how' and when' of eating is just as important as 'what' you eat.
Life-giving water
Nature's nectar. Your body is 70% water and it needs to be daily replenished with a fresh supply to ensure that body cells are hydrated and energized. Ideally, we need to consume two litres of water every day.
Get active!
You need just enough activity to keep all your moving parts in good working order, lean and strong. Too much exercise uses up resources needed for normal growth, repair and maintenance, and creates premature wear and tear on the joints and ligaments.
So how much exercise are we talking about?
Enjoy a good brisk walk in the fresh air everyday - or even every second day - swing your arms, hold your head high, fill your lungs and lengthen your strike. Or, consider purchasing a home fitness video. There are plenty to choose from, just make sure it incorporates a good stretching regime to avoid pulling or straining any muscles. The same applies to any team sports or gym work - warm-up first. The message is, yes, you need to use your body to prevent it from 'getting rusty'.
Relax!
Proper 'quality time' should not be confused with time spent watching endless television, or playing games on the computer. Energetic computer games and emotionally-charged TV soaps activate the release of 'fight-or-flight' stress chemicals - hardly a form of relaxation. Switch the TV off and take time-out once or twice a day for between 15-30 minute to rest your thoughts, and your body, completely. Sit or lie comfortably, close your eyes, breathe deeply and slowly, perhaps listen to restful music, and drift into your mind's theatre of beautiful landscapes and memories. No interruptions, no demanding family or friends, just you and your attention focused on health, happiness and abundance…that's quality time!
Sleep
We all need 6-8 hours quality sleep every night. Get to bed before midnight and start the day early and alert after a restful, refreshing sleep.
Love makes everything workable For complete harmony of mind, body and spirit, the final ingredient needed is a huge helping of love. Surround yourself with people you love and who love you!
(c) Kim Beardsmore
Kim Beardsmore is a weight loss consultant whose business operates across 60 countries. This world renowned, medically approved program will give you results you'll love and all the support you need! Estimate your healthy body weight, tons of recipes, articles, free ezine and more at http://weight-loss-health.com.au
Lower Your Risk of Breast Cancer
We hear it all the time…lose weight for your health. Few people however, realize the extent to which this is critical to their physical well-being and ultimately their life expectancy.
In January 2003, the Journal of the American Medical Association featured a study finding that obesity appears to lessen life expectancy, especially among young adults. The researchers compared Body-Mass Index (BMI) to longevity and found a correlation between premature death and higher BMIs. For example, a 20-year-old white male, 5'10" weighing 288 pounds with a BMI of greater than 40 was estimated to lose 13 years of his life as a result of obesity.
Jamie McManus, M.D., F.A.A.F.P. and author of "Your Personal Guide to Wellness" notes that while this study referenced extreme levels of obesity, there are still millions of overweight people in developed countries with a life expectancy rate that is three to five years less than their healthy-weight counterparts. She also estimates that there are 600,000 obesity related deaths each year in America.
Just how does obesity shorten our lifespan? The answer to this question is complex, yet there is a clear link between obesity and the development of cancer. An extensive study conducted by the American Cancer Institute involving 750,000 people showed that obesity significantly increased the risk of cancer developing in the following organs: breast, colon, ovaries, uterus, pancreas, kidneys and gallbladder.
Michael Thun, MD, vice-president of epidemiology and surveillance research for the American Cancer Society (ACS) says one reason obesity may raise cancer risk is because fat cells produce a form of estrogen called estradiol that promotes rapid division of cells, increasing chances of a random genetic error while cells are replicating, which can lead to cancer. In addition, fat centered around the abdomen may increase insulin and insulin-like growth factors in the blood, which may increase cancer risk.
"Women who are obese after menopause have a 50% higher relative risk of breast cancer," notes Thun, "and obese men have a 40% higher relative risk of colon cancer…. Gallbladder and endometrial cancer risks are five times higher for obese individuals".
There is evidence that cancer rates in developed countries are increasing at 5 to 15 times faster than developing countries. A major contributor to this alarming reality has proven to be diet. In populations where the diet consists mostly of fresh fruit and vegetables and whole grains – in contrast to the typical Western diet of fatty meats, refined flours, oils and sugars – the risk of cancer is much lower.
The interaction of diet and the development of cancer is an active field of research and Dr David Heber, M.D., Ph.D. and author of "What Color is Your Diet", says "It appears that diet has its most significant effects after the cancer has already formed, acting to inhibit or stimulate the growth of that cancer". At the risk of oversimplifying a complex set of interactions, the typical Western diet that leads to obesity may actually act to stimulate the growth of cancer cells.
It is never too late to improve your health through healthful eating and adopting a more health-giving lifestyle. Here are simple steps to follow which can make an immediate improvement to your health and vitality.
1. Check your Body Mass Index (BMI) to determine if weight has become health risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60% of Americans are overweight, defined as having a BMI (a ratio of height to weight) over 25. Of those, nearly half (27%) qualify as obese, with a body mass index of 30 or more. In 1980, just 15% of Americans were considered obese. You can check your BMI at the website below.
2. Match your diet to your body's requirements. If you eat and drink more calories than your body requires you will put on weight. Learn to control calories and portion sizes, make recipes leaner, and eat infrequently from fast food restaurants. Also learn how to snack with healthful choices.
3. Color your diet with a large variety of colorful, cancer-fighting fruit and vegetables. There are seven different color ranges of both fruit and vegetables and by choosing between 5 to 9 daily serves from a wide range of fruit and vegetables, we are extending our consumption of cancer (and other disease) fighting nutrients.
4. Eat lean protein with every meal. Protein provides a powerful signal to the brain providing a longer sense of fullness. The right source of protein is essential to controlling your hunger with fewer calories and necessary to maintain your lean muscle mass. Choices of protein should be flavored soy shakes with fruit; the white meat of chicken and turkey, seafood such as shrimps, prawns scallops and lobster and ocean fish or vegetarians may prefer soy based meat substitutes.
5. Rev up your metabolism with activity. If you want to enjoy a lifetime of well-being, exercise is a key ingredient. Colleen Doyle, MS, RD, director of nutrition and physical activity for the American Cancer Society (ACS), says adults should do something for 30 minutes each day that takes as much effort as a brisk walk. Children should be active for an hour each day. We are more likely to develop habits around things we enjoy, so seek activities which you enjoy doing. It is also helpful to build physical activity into your daily routine: use the stairs instead of the escalator or lift at work, park your car in the parking bay furthest from the super marketing and don't use the remote control to change TV channels.
6. Get support to ensure you develop a healthful eating plan and reach your goal weight. Whilst a small percentage of people possess the discipline to lose weight, many obese people have developed strong thoughts and habits concerning the food they eat. In order to establish new habits, most people respond well to some form of consistent encouragement and coaching. A study, "Effects of Internet Behavioral Counseling on Weight Loss in Adults at Risk of Type 2 Diabetes" shows that participants who had the support of weight loss coaching lost more weight than those who didn't. The study concluded that the support of a weight loss coach can significantly improve weight loss results.
Being overweight or obese has been identified next to smoking, as the most preventable major risk to developing cancer. Even small weight losses have been shown to have beneficial health effects. So it's never to late to start and you can never be too young or too old to be concerned about your health and do something about achieving a more healthy weight.
(c)Kim Beardsmore
Kim Beardsmore M.B.A. (H.R.M.), B.Sc. (Biochemistry) is an independent Herbalife distributor, weight loss coach and creator of the online weight loss & fitness magazine Weight Loss Health. For a free weight loss consultation, newsletter and resources to help you lose weight and keep it off forever, visit http://weight-loss-health.com.au Online Herbalife store at http://weightlosshealth.herbalcoach.com Herbalife home business opportunity http://free2liv.com