Posts

Go away Ghrelin, I love Leptin!

Lose weight while you are sleeping?

 What a concept! Look out fitness and weight loss supplement industry, because there is a new weight-loss sheriff in town!

 SLEEP!

Studies are now showing that you can lose weight by how much you sleep and the quality of your sleep and that it has a strong affect on your appetite. There are two hormones produced in our body that are rarely discussed in the health industry- ghrelin and leptin. They both work hand in hand to control feelings of hunger and fullness.

What are these two hormones?

Ghrelin is produced in the gut and it stimulates your appetite, meaning, it makes you want to eat more food. Leptin is produced in the fat cells and send s a signal to our brain when you are full. That is why I created the mantra:

Go away Ghrelin, I love Leptin™!

 So how are they connected to sleep?

When you don’t get enough number of sleep hours, it drives the leptin down, which means you don’t feel very satisfied after your meals. Lack of sleep also stimulates ghrelin release, which means your appetite goes up so you want to eat more food. Not the best for your health and waist-slimming efforts.

This explains why people over eat after a poor night’s sleep—never satisfied with their meals, which sabotages their efforts to lose that muffin top!

One study from Stanford University of California found that those who slept less than eight hours a night had lower levels of leptin and higher levels of ghrelin, AND sure enough—higher levels of body fat! Those who slept the fewest hours each night weighed the most!

OK – let’s make SLEEP a priority to a healthier and happier new you!

Here are 5 easy-to-implement tips to getting more sleep:

 1. Eat healthful meals regularly- 3 meals per day and a snack. Stabilizing your blood sugar and optimal protein ingestion will help with you from waking up in the middle of the night.

Not sure what types of food to eat?

Sign up for my free Do’s and Don’ts Gut Restore Checklist on the right!

 2. Turn off all overhead lights, television, computers, and electrical gadgets by 9:00 pm and take a nice relaxing bath with a few drops of lavender oil.

 3. To keep your mind from thinking about your next day tasks and responsibilities while lying in bed, write them down in your journal and it will free your brain from ruminating.

 4. Use an eye mask and ear plugs, these are my most important sleeping aids!

 5. Keep animals out of your bed, we love them but love your sleep more!

 Sleep is one of my best strategies to living young and strong!

 Be~Well,

Signature2

/by

SLEEP ALL NIGHT WITH PHOSPHATIDYLSERINE

Everyday stress can stay with you, especially at night. Sometimes you can toss and turn for hours without getting a good night’s rest, and it is so important to get a good 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.

I like to use Phosphatidylserine as a sleeping aid (PS) because it is safe and nonaddictive. Phosphatidylserine is a lipid found in our body’s cell membranes that also helps to reduce cortisol levels in the body. As you are probably aware, high levels of cortisol enter the body during times of extreme emotional, mental or physical stress; it is what gives you that, “fight or flight” response. The phosphatidylserine produced naturally within our bodies helps balance out those cortisol levels, which can store unwanted fat and breakdown lean muscle within the body.

Taking a Phosphatidylserine supplement before bed can help your body balance out the cortisol levels that may have been caused by high blood sugar, creating a stress reaction in your body that can keep you up all night. The supplement helps rid your body of those reactions so you can get a peaceful nights rest.

I would recommend taking the supplement about 30 minutes before bedtime to make sure that the body has had time to break it down. Take one 100mg pill before you increase to higher dosages. Make sure to talk to your doctor about starting the supplement for insomnia or any other nighttime troubles that may be keeping you up. It is important to know exactly what the problem is before you start treating it. Phosphatidylserine, however, should give you the full night’s rest that you deserve. Sleep well!

References:

http://www.allstarhealth.com/blog/products-and-ingredients/phosphatidylserine-supplements-reduce-cortisol-levels/

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FKA/is_9_67/ai_n14932830/

/by