Mom Needs A Break! Tips, Ideas, Help….For Those Hard Working Moms!

We all know that exercise that can help you lose weight and get more energy, but what about helping you sleep?  Studies have shown that people, particularly women, who regularly exercise during the day, sleep longer and better at night.  So, before you reach for the sleeping pills why not try going for a run, taking a trip to the gym, or signing up for a yoga class. 
 

Many people have trouble sleeping because they are overly stressed.  The worst part about this is that sleep deprivation can increase your cortisol levels, which makes you feel more stressed.  It can also make you irritable and less able to deal with stressful situations.  This is why most insomniacs have increased levels of stress hormones.  While exercise makes these hormones rise initially, after several hours the levels fall.  These hormones levels actually become lower than before you exercised and lower than they would be if you hadn’t worked out.  Regular exercise can end the vicious sleep-stress cycle once and for all.
 

Most insomniacs simply can’t clear their mind of their problems when they lay down to bed.  The stresses of the day run repeatedly through their minds instead of relaxing.  Exercise can be a time to escape the stressors around you and figure out solutions to your problems.  If you figured out what to do about your latest work crisis during your morning run, you don’t have to stress over it at bedtime.  This leaves your brain free to sleep. 
 

Exercising also makes you need sleep more.  The more you work your muscles, the more they need to regenerate through sleep.  While you may think this just going to make you more tired when you can’t sleep, it will probably actually help you have a deeper, more restful sleep.  Even if you can’t sleep more, you’ll sleep better and be more rested and energized in the morning.
 

An important part of using exercise to cure insomnia is timing.  As I already mentioned, exercise produces chemicals in your brain that make you feel more awake and energized.  This is why it’s not a good idea to exercise before bedtime, but how close is too close?  It is generally recommended that you exercise more than four hours before you sleep; however, you may find you need a longer rest period.  If you find you’re not sleepy, start pushing your exercise earlier gradually till you find a good time.  Obviously, the best time to exercise is in the morning, and this will make you feel more energized all day long.
   

If you absolutely can’t exercise during the day, there are things you can do at night instead (or in addition) to help you get to sleep.  Studies have shown that exercises as simple as stretching can help improve insomnia symptoms.  You can try doing stretches or yoga closer to bedtime to help you relax.  You can find books or join a class to learn specific positions and more to promote relaxation and sleep.
  

While exercise helps you sleep more, it has other wonderful benefits.  Exercise helps you lose weight, feel great, and have more energy during the day (and so will sleep).  Before you try supplements, pills, or other crazy sleep solutions, try working out first.  It will cure your insomnia along with some great positive side effects.

We’ve all been told that cutting calories will help us lose weight; however, where your calories come from matters almost as much as how many you get.  While low fat has always been toted as the best way to go, there are many other types of food that are helpful in losing weight as well.
 

Fresh, unprocessed foods
If you think about it, our bodies were designed to eat natural foods.  Our digestive systems have evolved over many years; preservatives and artificial chemicals have existed for a comparatively short amount of time.  The foods our bodies digest and use most efficiently are natural and unprocessed.  This is why you should try eating fresh foods as much possible.  It is also recommended that many of these foods be eaten raw because it preserves the healthy active enzymes in fruits and vegetables.
 

Dairy
Incorporating low fat dairy products into your diet helps you lose weight faster than just cutting calories.  A good way to get enough dairy is through yogurt.  Not only do they usually come in portioned controlled cups; yogurt also contains good bacteria that helps improve your overall health.
 

Low sugar 
When you eat sugar, your body’s response is to immediately release insulin to lower your blood sugar levels.  With high-sugar foods, your body can overreact to glucose levels and produce too much insulin.  This lowers your blood sugar; making you hungry again much sooner than low sugar foods.  Instead of sugary snacks, choose foods higher in protein and fiber.  These foods absorb more slowly, making you feel full longer.
 

Spicy foods
When we eat foods that are really spicy, we tend to eat less.  Some studies suggest that appetite suppression is due to capsaicin, a chemical found in many spicy foods.  Others attribute this effect to strong flavour of these foods being less palatable. 
 

While cutting calories and getting appropriate amounts of exercise are both important, incorporating some of these foods into your diet may just give you the boost you need to finally shed those extra pounds.
 

Here’s to a happy and healthy New Year!

Cheers!

Kerry

For years, we’ve been told that to lose weight, you should have a low calorie, low fat diet.  Low-fat foods have been proclaimed to help prevent problems from heart disease to cancer.  The truth is: little research can be cited to support these facts.  The key isn’t to eat less fats, it’s to eat good fats.  But how do we know which fats are bad and which are good?  Here’s the skinny on the different types of fats.
 

Good Fats
 

Monounsaturated Fats 

These are the best fats for you.  Replacing saturated fats with monounsaturated fats has been shown to lower bad cholesterol without lowering good cholesterol.  You can find these helpful fats in most nuts, canola, olive, and sesame oil, and in avocados.
 

Polyunsaturated Fats 

These fats are still unsaturated, but not as good for you as monounsaturated fats.  While they have been shown to lower bad cholesterol, they also tend to lower good cholesterol at the same time.  These fats can be found in mayonnaise, walnuts, corn and soybean oil, and in salad dressings.
 

Omega 3 Fatty Acids 

These are a special type of polyunsaturated fat found in high fat fish and other nuts.  They not only have anti-inflammatory effects; they have also been shown to lower triglyceride levels and help prevent you from dying of a heart attack.
 

Bad Fats
 

Trans Fats 

These fats, also known as hydrogenated fats, are man made fats.  These were created to prolong shelf life of some foods. When looking for foods low in Trans fat, be sure to check the ingredients list, not just proclamations on the box.  When something says it has “no trans fat” that actually means it has less that .4 grams. 
 

Saturated Fats

Even though they are natural fats, saturated fats have been linked to higher levels of bad cholesterol and certain types of cancer.  Foods that contain saturated fat include: high fat meat and poultry, milk products, cheese and some oils.  Check labels; companies are required to tell you how much saturated fat is in a product.
 

Fats aren’t all bad; they make food taste better, have a better texture, and can help us absorb certain vitamins.  So when you’re trying to cut fat out of your diet, be sure to be selective.  Choosing the right fats will not only help you lose weight, it can prevent certain diseases and cancers.

Let’s beat those bad fats!

Keep Smiling!

Kerry