Poor eating habits are the obvious and overwhelming cause of diabetes. Now researchers are saying that lack of sleep can lead to the blood disorder.
This past spring, researchers found that people who get less than six hours of sleep each night are more likely to develop impaired fasting glucose, or pre-diabetes.
A more recent study of five men and six women varied their sleep time for 14-day periods. The subjects averaged 40 years old. And while they were all a little overweight, they were otherwise healthy. The participants stayed in a lab where their sleep, activity, diet, and blood chemistry were monitored.
If you are like most people out there trying to lose weight, chances are you aren’t doing at least a few of these five weight loss strategies on a regular basis. Check your behaviors against this list and let me know how you measure up!
1. Dieting at Night – The key to weight loss is eating, believe it or not. You need to fuel your body with healthy food during the day, starting with breakfast and have a lighter dinner; then let the dieting begin right when you are winding down. I usually tell my clients to focus on “protein and produce” at dinner. Swap your salad at lunch for a tuna wrap (choose either light mayo or cheese not both) and have an entree salad at dinner.
2. Controlling Alcohol Intake – This is probably the #1 behavior I see with clients who are trying to lose weight when they first come in. They say they drink 1-2 times a week, but then their food journal shows 2 glasses of wine.
We all need sleep. It is essential for both your physical and mental health. If you do not get enough sleep you will crave more calories, think more slowly, have trouble with memory, and even experience psychotic symptoms in cases of long-term sleep deprivation.
When you are dieting, getting ample sleep is essential. If your body does not have enough energy, it will tell you that it wants more calories to help keep it going. If you are tired, it is more difficult to fight off temptations, keep a positive frame of mind, and motivate yourself to exercise.
Here is just one more reason to roll out your yoga mat and breathe deep: A new study conducted at Ohio State University shows that employees who engage in yoga at work experience less stress and better sleeping patterns than those who don’t. The results which were reported in the most recent edition of the journal Health Education & Behavior had study participants perform just 20 minutes of yoga and meditation at their work desks and take part of one-hour weekly group meetings during their lunch breaks for six weeks.
The study illustrates a few key points about the mindfulness that a yoga and meditation practice can cultivate and the benefits of physical activity.
I will not even bother telling you what time it is as I type this. It’s way, way too late. Once again, I’ve done what I swore I wouldn’t – stayed up past my bedtime. It’s a bad habit I have, true, but that’s not the only reason I should break it. Plain and simple, your body needs rest. And, no, five hours a night won’t cut it. Recent studies have linked sleep and diabetes and proven that not enough good quality sleep impairs your insulin productions, increases cortisol (the stress hormone) and decreases growth hormone – not an optimal blend if you are trying to lose weight or gain muscle.
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