ReceiveHealing.com

If you eat healthy and still gain weight, the problem may be a lack of sleep.

An estimated 50-70 million Americans are suffering mentally and physically from a lack of sleep (1). Though eating habits obviously play a role in weight gain, studies have shown that there is a definite relationship between a lack of sleep and weight gain.

Various hormones released during your sleep regulate your weight and appetite.

Leptin, released during sleep, is the hormone which tells your body that it is full and doesn’t need more food. The lower the levels of leptin in your body, the more of the hormone ghrelin is released to increase your hunger (2). The growth hormone is also released during sleep; while this hormone causes growth in children, it controls muscle mass and fat level in adults (1).

A University of Chicago research found definite relationship between too little sleep and increased appetite/weight gain. The people in the study who slept only 4 hours a night had leptin levels decrease by 18 percent. This caused the ghrelin levels, which stimulate appetite, to increase by 28 percent (2). These results should be motivational in getting a good night’s sleep. Many of us just stay so busy that sleep is the easiest thing to cut back on.

If stress is causing your lack of sleep, not putting into action a plan to deal with stress will only add to your weight problems.

Stress increases your levels of adrenaline and cortisol, mobilizing the body’s sugar supply, for the purpose of quick thinking and action in emergency situations. If you live in a frequent or continual state of stress, the excess cortisol will make your body think that it is in need of more and more energy supply for a “fight or flight” response that is not physically taking place Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Reading Level: Leisurely

Most people admit to being tired and exhausted the majority of the time. Many suffer from restless sleep for a variety of reasons and would do anything for a good night’s sleep!

I recently read an article, it may have been by Dr. Mercola, that said most Americans actually exist in a continual state of jet-lag due to throwing off their internal clocks by not making a habit of a dusk to dawn sleep pattern. The article below quoted in Dr. Mercola’s newsletter says that “Americans now get about 25 percent less sleep than they did a century ago.” In addition to health problems such as weight gain, depression, high blood sugar, increased cancer risk, and brain damage, it said “an estimated 71,000 people are injured in fall-asleep crashes each year.”

In this quote from Dr. Mercola’s newsletter, there are 10 steps for achieving deep sleep.

Below the quote is a link to his full newsletter. Once there, look for 2 other links. After the 10 steps to deep sleep quoted in his newsletter, there is a link to a Reader’s Digest Article with 14 more steps for a good night’s sleep. However, Dr. Mercola has made his own list of 33 Secrets for a Good Night’s Sleep and you will see it at the end of his comment section. These are all good, practical tips, some of which we had already implemented in our household, and some we are going to begin tonight!

1. Sprinkle just-washed sheets and pillowcases with lavender water, and then iron them before making your bed. The scent is proven to promote relaxation.

2. Hide your clock, so that its glow won’t disturb you and make sure there is no light coming from other sources including your windows as this will seriously impair your body’s ability to produce melatonin.

3. Choose the right pillow — neck pillows, which resemble a rectangle with a depression in the middle, can enhance the quality of your sleep and reduce neck pain. Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Reading Level: Leisurely

You can significantly improve your overall health and nutrition for only a few dollars a day by incorporating super foods into your diet.

Superfoods (or super foods) are foods that are so rich in nutrients that they can treat or prevent disease. One can incorporate the natural forms into your daily meal plans or obtain the benefits of a wide variety that would be virtually impossible to eat by using one of the many new superfood supplements available. The following data and suggestions are excerpts from an article by Dr. David J.Foreman, Herbal Pharmacist, author of the monthly newsletter for the Vitamin Shoppe chain of stores. See the footnote below for a link to the complete article.(1)

According to Dr. Foreman’s research, most experts are now recommending 9 servings per day of fruits and vegetables.(1)

Few of us ever achieve that level on a daily basis. In addition, there are certain “superfoods” which have vastly higher amounts of beneficial phytonutrients and phytochemicals than the average fruit or vegetables one typcially eats. You should try to incorporate natural forms of these foods into your diet as much as possible, but also seriously consider a superfood supplement, as some superfoods are either not easy to fix or not tasty to the average person.

You can enjoy common health benefits from superfoods such as:

-Increased Energy
-Balancing of Your pH
-Strengthening Your Immune System
-Detoxifying Your Body
-Good Source of Fiber
-Nutrients More Easily Digested and Absorbed

Dr. Foreman personally saw major changes in his overall health after using a superfood supplement, including increased energy, better sleep, more effective digestion, clearer skin, and improved vision.

Here are some ways superfoods treat or prevent disease: Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Reading Level: Leisurely

The results of a new study showed that people in their 30′s and 40′s with a lack of sleep were more likely to develop early buildup of plaque in the heart’s arteries.

This study is the first of its kind, linking the duration of a person’s sleep to the risk of coronary artery disease. CT scans were done to measure the calcification levels in the arteries. Other known risk factors for heart disease were also taken into consideration, such as sleep apnea, cholesterol, blood pressure, body weight, and depression.

The study was done at the University of Chicago’ Department of Health Studies for 5 years on 495 healthy people between 35 and 47 who did not have artery disease.

Various sleep levels less than 7 hours a night all showed corresponding increased risk.

Of those who slept at least 7 hours, only 6% developed calcification in the heart’s arteries. Those who slept between 5 and 7 hours increased in calcification to 11%. People who consistently slept less than 5 hours a night showed an alarming 27% increase in calcification and the risk levels of coronary artery disease.

Increasing your sleep is as important in lowering your risk as lowering your blood pressure.

Only 1 extra hour of sleep a night had an amazing effect of lowering one’s risk of coronary artery disease the same amount as when one lowers his blood pressure by 16.5 points. (1)

Read more on healing from a good night’s sleep and how to sleep well:

Achieving Deep Sleep

Healing as Near as Your Pillow

Sleep Disruption and Re-Setting Your Biological Clock

Weight Loss Through A Good Night’s Sleep

(1) Study published in Dec. 24, 2008 issue of the Journal of American Medical Association.

Reading Level: Leisurely

Insomnia affects multiple areas of one’s life, such as health, weight gain, anxiety levels, relationships, memory, and work proficiency.

A Forbes.com posted an article today on 14 possible causes of insomnia. By identifying possible causes, you can make the necessary lifestyle changes or talk with your physician. Here are excerpts on the possible causes. Please use the link below to read the full article.

Depression And Anxiety - It’s estimated that 40 percent to 50 percent of people with insomnia also have depression or an anxiety disorder. Research shows the connection is present in children, too.

Environment – Some of us are more sensitive to noise. It’s also believed to be better to have a cool rather than warm bedroom. The cooling off effect you experience after drinking warm milk or taking a warm bath helps you feel sleepy.

Marital Strife – Research has shown that married people tend to have fewer sleep problems than those who are divorced. Studies show happily married women had fewer troubles falling asleep, staying asleep, fewer early morning awakenings and more restful sleep.

Being With Baby - A University study shows that parents’ sleep and their satisfaction with the infant’s nighttime behavior was worse when the infants spent any part of the night with parents versus those who slept apart.

Medication - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), antidepressants cause insomnia, talk to your doctor about your prescriptions. Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Reading Level: Leisurely

Your weight gain can be caused by a lack of sleep.

An estimated 50-70 million Americans are suffering mentally and physically from a lack of sleep (1). Though eating habits obviously play a role in weight gain, studies have shown that there is a definite relationship between a lack of sleep and weight gain.

Various hormones released during your sleep regulate your weight and appetite.

Leptin, released during sleep, is the hormone which tells your body that it is full and doesn’t need more food. The lower the levels of leptin in your body, the more of the hormone ghrelin is released to increase your hunger (2). The growth hormone is also released during sleep; while this hormone causes growth in children, it controls muscle mass and fat level in adults (1).

A University of Chicago research found definite relationship between too little sleep and increased appetite/weight gain. The people in the study who slept only 4 hours a night had leptin levels decrease by 18 percent. This caused the ghrelin levels, which stimulate appetite, to increase by 28 percent (2). These results should be motivational in getting a good night’s sleep. Many of us just stay so busy that sleep is the easiest thing to cut back on.

If stress is causing your lack of sleep, not putting into action a plan to deal with stress will only add to your weight problems.

Stress increases your levels of adrenaline and cortisol, mobilizing the body’s sugar supply, for the purpose of quick thinking and action in emergency situations. If you live in a frequent or continual state of stress, Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Reading Level: Leisurely

I read a fascinating article last month by Dr. Joseph Mercola on sleep disruption. He described how our bodies were designed for dusk to dawn sleep and that the development of electric lights has thrown off our biological clocks, causing many people to live in a state of permanent jet lag.

He then gives several tips on re-setting your biological clock for effective sleep patterns. These tips not only address the times we choose to sleep but various light sources that affect us which we may not normally think of.

Here is a quote from Dr. Mercola’s newsletter on permanent jetlag. A link to the full article is at the end of the post:

This is a CRUCIAL part of health maintenance that many overlook. They are insensitive to the fact that electrical lighting is a relatively recent innovation and less than a century ago this simply was not available. This modern convenience has sabotaged the health of a large percentage of the population for not paying close attention to how to make adjustments for this modern-day convenience. Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »

Reading Level: Leisurely

Most people admit to being tired and exhausted the majority of the time. Many suffer from restless sleep for a variety of reasons and would do anything for a good night’s sleep!

I recently read an article, it may have been by Dr. Mercola, that said most Americans actually exist in a continual state of jet-lag due to throwing off their internal clocks by not making a habit of a dusk to dawn sleep pattern. The article below quoted in Dr. Mercola’s newsletter says that “Americans now get about 25 percent less sleep than they did a century ago.” In addition to health problems such as weight gain, depression, high blood sugar, increased cancer risk, and brain damage, it said “an estimated 71,000 people are injured in fall-asleep crashes each year.”

In this quote from Dr. Mercola’s newsletter, there are 10 steps for achieving deep sleep.

Below the quote is a link to his full newsletter. Once there, look for 2 other links. After the 10 steps to deep sleep quoted in his newsletter, there is a link to a Reader’s Digest Article with 14 more steps for a good night’s sleep. However, Dr. Mercola has made his own list of 33 Secrets for a Good Night’s Sleep and you will see it at the end of his comment section. These are all good, practical tips, some of which we had already implemented in our household, and some we are going to begin tonight!

1. Sprinkle just-washed sheets and pillowcases with lavender water, and then iron them before making your bed. The scent is proven to promote relaxation. Immerse Yourself in the Full Healing Contemplation Here »