The power of sleep for weight loss

Sleeping the pounds off

In the quest for weight loss, we often focus on diets and/or hitting the gym, overlooking a crucial element: sleep.

That's right, sleep it's one of the six “plates” we need to keep up in the air and spinning for optimal health. The quality and quantity of your slumber can be a game-changer in your mission to shed those extra pounds.

To understand the intricate relationship between sleep and metabolism, it's essential to grasp the basics of how your body manages the energy it receives. Think of your metabolism as a finely-tuned symphony. Just as there are many instruments required to play in harmony to make beautiful music, your body is composed of numerous biochemical processes that occur within us, all of which need to play their part.

It can be broken down into two main phases—catabolism (the breakdown of molecules for energy) and anabolism (the synthesis of molecules for growth and repair). These two phases need to work in perfect harmony for your body to function optimally.

Hormones are like the conductor to this metabolic symphony, particularly those related to appetite and metabolism. Among these hormones, two stars stand out: leptin and ghrelin. Leptin signals to your brain you've had enough to eat, while ghrelin stimulates your appetite. When your sleep patterns are out of sync, these hormonal signals can go haywire, impacting your ability to maintain a healthy weight. Remember the movie, “Gremlins”? That's ghrelin gone haywire, turning that symphony into a horror movie.

The influence of sleep on metabolism has been extensively researched, and the results are clear— a lack of sleep disrupts your hormones. Sleep deprivation leads to an increase in ghrelin production, which makes you feel hungrier and crave those things you'd likely not choose under normal circumstances. There’s also a decrease in leptin levels, making it harder to feel full. This hormonal imbalance often results in sleep-deprived individuals not just consuming more food, but foods that are nutrient poor, usually processed carbohydrates and high not-so-good-fat foods, which can contribute to weight gain.

As well, even when you do manage to make healthier choices, a sleep-deprived body cannot properly process the food you're giving it.

A study published in the journal Sleep highlighted the significant impact of sleep deprivation. It showed participants who slept only four hours per night for two consecutive nights experienced a 24% increase in ghrelin and a 26% decrease in leptin levels, making them more prone to overeating. Chronic sleep deprivation has been closely associated with a higher body mass index (BMI) and an increased risk of obesity.

Insulin, another critical hormone in the metabolic process, plays a pivotal role in regulating blood sugar levels. When you don't get enough sleep, your body's sensitivity to insulin diminishes. This means your cells become less effective at absorbing glucose for energy, leading to higher blood sugar levels. Elevated blood sugar levels can, in turn, promote fat storage, also make it more challenging to lose weight.

A study published in Diabetes Care provided insight into how even a week of insufficient sleep can lead to reduced insulin sensitivity. In that study, young, healthy adults who slept only four to five hours per night experienced a 25% to 30% reduction in insulin sensitivity, a level of impairment similar to individuals with diabetes.

Beyond hormonal disruption, sleep deprivation can also affect your energy levels as well as your ability to engage in physical activity. When you're tired, you're less likely to exercise. And even if you do manage to work out, your performance may suffer. This lack of physical activity can lead to muscle loss, which can further hinder your weight loss efforts.

Research published in the Annals of Internal Medicine emphasized the importance of sleep in physical activity and weight loss. The study found that individuals who were sleep-deprived (receiving 5.5 hours of sleep) lost less body fat compared to those who received 8.5 hours of sleep, even when both groups consumed the same number of calories.

While the quantity of sleep is undoubtedly important, so is the quality. Within the realm of sleep, there is one particular phase that holds a special key to regulating appetite and metabolism—rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.

REM sleep is where most dreams occur, and it plays a crucial role in the balance of appetite-regulating hormones. Disruptions in REM sleep can lead to an imbalance in these hormones, which can contribute to weight gain.

To ensure you get adequate REM sleep, it's crucial to incorporate good sleep hygiene practices into your daily routine.

1. Aim for seven to nine hours of sleep each night. Try waking up without an alarm and when you feel rested, that's the number of hours your body needs.

2. Create a sleep-conducive environment. Keep your bedroom dark, quiet and a few degrees cooler than the rest of the house.

3. Establish a regular sleep schedule. Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, even on weekends, helps regulate your body's internal clock.

4. Limit caffeine and alcohol. Avoid both late in the day as they can interfere with your sleep patterns.

5. Manage stress. Try meditation, deep breathing and yoga. A warm bath can calm your mind before bedtime.

6. Mindful eating. A small whole food snack including protein an hour or so before bed is beneficial, processed, packaged and sugary foods, not so much.

To learn more about sleep and how all of the six “plates” affect weight loss, watch Tania's free video

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

Coffee is not your best energy source

A cup o' joe not best to go

Building a healthy body is like building a house

Foundation for good health

Most people are aware they need to make better food choices, but so many more have no idea the role and effect sleep, stress and filling nutritional gaps has on whether or not you achieve your goals.

There's a lot more to achieving your health and weight loss goals than what you put on your plate and how often you get up and move your body. Don't get me wrong, intentionally moving your body every day will allow you to keep moving and be comfortable doing it. And of course, nutrition is important. After all, food is the foundation to creating health.

But like building a house, or anything for that matter, the foundation is a good place to start, and it takes a lot more things added on before the project is complete.

I literally had a conversation with someone at the gym yesterday about this very thing. One of the regulars, I'll call him Bob, commented he recently gained a bit of weight. His pants felt the same-ish but he was wondering how he'd be able to tell if the scale bump was an increase in muscle mass or just weight.

Now, those of you who know me and have followed for years, know that I do not advocate using the scale as your only measuring tool. The question I often ask a clients is, “How would you measure your success if you didn't have a scale?”

I do this because building health is so much more that weight loss alone. In fact, the only way you will get to your optimal weight is when you get to your optimal health. An unhealthy body, a body full of inflammation, holds onto the weight.

Building a healthy body is just like building a house. Start with your foundation and then make sure you're addressing all six components of health so you can build on that foundation and end up with a rock solid structure you can not only live in, but feel great in as well.

The six components, or six “plates”, as I talk about with my clients and, as I shared with Bob, are nutrition, exercise, water, sleep, stress, supplements. Picture the juggler at the circus with the long poles and plates spinning atop each one. He starts them one by one, paying attention to the balance of each one as he goes.

Even after they're all up and spinning, if one plate starts to wobble, the juggler needs to adjust his stance and get under the wobbly one to make sure it doesn't come crashing down, right? It's the same with your health. Turns out Bob's sleep, stress, and nutrition plates were no longer up and spinning, hence the bloat.

I would say most people are aware they need to make better food choices, get in some daily exercise and drink more water. But so many more have no idea the importance and impact good quality sleep, managing stress and filling nutritional gaps has on overall health and weight. If only half your plates are up and spinning, you're only halfway in the construction phase, making it impossible to achieve your goals and create that healthy structure you're looking for.

Sleep is something people of all ages struggle with. Without good quality, restorative sleep, your body is not able to properly metabolize the food you're putting in. Lack of sleep stimulates the body to release cortisol, which in turn causes fat storage, which creates internal stress and inflammation. Inflammation is the root cause of all disease, so clearly this is a path you don't want to go down.

Stress—the other “S” word—also increases cortisol, inhibits sleep, raises anxiety, makes it difficult to concentrate and focus, affects mood, and can even contribute to physical pain, slow healing, and suppress immune function.

Supplements are gap fillers. We all have gaps. Can we get all the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients from our food? It's possible sure, but highly unlikely. Because we're not perfect people. You may be able to get a full nutrient profile on your plate every single meal for a week or so, but it's not realistic to think you're going to do it 24-7, 365 days a year. I know I don't, so I make sure I fill the gaps where necessary. Like putting that insulation in the walls on a new build. Could you live in a house without insulation? You could. Would it be very comfortable when winter hits? Probably not.

In order to know where you are in the construction of your healthy body, ask yourself, “How many plates do I have in the air?”

Great job if you've been able to get all six up and keep them up! But if you. Need some help to get them up, and keep them up while eating the foods you love over the holidays, email [email protected] for info on Thrive the Holidays group coach, starting Nov. 1.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.

Nutrition is an important part of your health

Food is medicine

“Let food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food.”

That is a quote made famous by an ancient Greek physician many consider to be the father of modern medicine, Hippocrates.

The News Medical Life Sciences website breaks it down, showing part of the Hippocratic oath doctors take upon entering their medical career states, “I will attend to my own health, well-being and abilities in order to provide care of the highest standard.”

It not only makes sense because of course you can't pour from an empty cup. I can say that as personally I've felt much more confident with a doctor's recommendations when he or she appears healthy, strong and has a vibrant energy.

You might be surprised to know that there is, in fact, a prescription for creating a healthy, strong energetic body and mind. Unfortunately, it's not normally included alongside the prescriptions you fill at the pharmacy.

To be fair, most allopathic doctors and health professionals are trained almost exclusively in medicine and have almost no training with food. I've coached several doctors, nurses and even specialists and they've all told me nutrition and food is not something they spend a lot of time on.

Depending on the institution, doctors receive anywhere from one to four hours of nutrition education in their entire medical schooling.

Now, before I start getting hate mail, let me say I'm not against doctors. I am privileged to know a lot of very good doctors who, if I were to break my arm, I'd count on to set it properly. But for all the lifestyle and metabolic diseases like diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, Parkinson’s, dementia, Alzheimer's, cancer, etc., running rampant through our country and around the world, there really needs to be a prescription for food and lifestyle to go along with whatever pharmaceutical perscription you also walk away with.

More than 90% of all prescriptions are written with the intent that they be taken for life. That stat actually came from a seminar I attended several years ago. Yet metabolic and lifestyle diseases keep climbing. Why is that?

Prescription medications do not cure conditions, they help mitigate symptoms. They help you to (hopefully) feel better while you're taking them, without actually getting to the root of the problem.

For example, taking cholesterol medication for a period of time and then stopping, without first making food and lifestyle changes, won't bring those numbers down. By the way, I don't advocate stopping any prescription medications without first talking to your doctor, discussing your plan and having them monitor you.

Getting back to Hippocrates' quote, his statement has never run more true than right now. As a population here in North America, more than any other time in history, we are currently the unhealthiest we have ever been. That includes adults and children.

Statistics Canada 2021 data showed 55% of adults aged 18 to 79 used at least one prescription medication in the preceding month and 52% of those aged 60 to 72 took three medications or more. It also says,“...medications constitute one of the major health spending categories in Canada....Spending on prescription medication accounted for 13% of total national health expenditures in 2019.”

Shocking isn't it? Especially since the Oxford Academic published a chapter titled, “Reversing chronic diseases using lifestyle medicine”. The abstract for the chapter states, “The diseases that have been shown to be reversible include even severe coronary heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, hyperlipidemia and early-stage prostate cancer.”

We know that with obesity comes high blood pressure and cholesterol, with diabetes comes insulin resistance and hormonal issues etc., and those are directly related to unstable blood sugar.

Using food to create hormonal balance and stabilize blood sugar literally puts your body into homeostasis, the scientific word for balance. Metabolism is turned on, stored fat is released, muscle is protected, sugar cravings decrease, energy increases, sleep is better, immune function is better, moods are better, hormonal issues are less prevalent and you'll find yourself being more productive more often. It's not rocket science, but it is based on science.

Blood sugar stabilization is very much based in science and it is literally the way we were designed to function. Learning to eat the foods you love in right combinations, portions and right frequency throughout the day, allows you to put some balance back in your body and take back control of your health, and your life.

You won't have to count calories, give up carbs or go on a crazy diet either. In fact, most of my clients say they're eating more than they ever thought they would and losing weight too.

The bottom line is if you're not using food as medicine, your medicine will soon become your food.

To learn more about blood sugar stabilization, watch Tania's FREE 15 mins video.

For delicious recipes that balance blood sugar, check out Tania's FIT Recipe Box.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.