Total Body Diet For Dummies. Retelny Victoria Shanta

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СКАЧАТЬ better sleep, a study in Food & Nutrition Research points out that the health benefits of diet-driven melatonin boosts seem not to be the product of any single food or nutrients present in the diet. So these food are not sure-fire sleep-aids. Still, it can’t hurt to get more nutrient-dense plant foods, as well as a few doses of lowfat dairy every day!

       Recognizing the power of catnaps

      You get drowsy in the afternoon and nod off for 20 minutes. Is that beneficial? Yes! Naps can recharge your brain, boost your energy, and make you more alert for the rest of the day. Many cultures plan for naps on a daily basis, but in the United States, the hustle and bustle of life gets in the way of regular naps. Sleep deprivation can lead to major health issues like weight gain, high blood sugar, high blood pressure, and mood disorders like depression.

      Whether snoozing during the day is planned or spontaneous, brief catnaps of 10 to 20 minutes can be good for your health, according to sleep science experts. The value of an afternoon nap can mean the difference between performing well at work or not, or between being happy or sad.

      

Plan a short nap in your day, if you can. According to the journal Sleep, a brief respite of sleep – 10 minutes – appeared to be the best for improved alertness and brain power. Longer naps of 30 minutes or more create groggy, sluggish feelings afterward.

       Relishing your bedtime routine

      You’ve had a long day at work, at school, or with the kids, and you deserve a good night’s sleep. Some of the best ways to ensure a good night’s sleep is to have a regular routine at night. If you have an established routine, you’ll be more apt to stick with it and get better shuteye, too.

      

Here are tricks and tips for getting a sound night’s sleep:

      ✔ Establish a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning.

      ✔ Keep your bedroom temperature cool. For most people, about 67 degrees is ideal for sleep.

      ✔ Take a warm bath or shower before you go to bed. As you cool down, the drop in body temperature will make you feel sleepy.

      ✔ Make your bedroom soothing and tranquil. Choose comfortable bedding, low lighting, and soothing music.

      ✔ Make sure the bed is just for sleeping and sex. Limit television watching or using your smartphone or computer in bed because the light from these devices stimulates your brain, making it harder to sleep.

      Sleep hygiene is not the shower you take before bed – it’s the habits you put in place before bed, such as avoiding bright lights in the bedroom, using ear plugs or a sound conditioner, listening to soothing music before bed, and positioning the clock away from direct view so that it doesn’t distract you from getting to sleep. Practice good sleep hygiene, and your body will thank you for it.

       Identifying the importance of a good night’s sleep

      Your lifestyle greatly affects your sleep quality and patterns. What you eat, what you drink, and how physically active you are play a big role in how well you rest. Here are some lifestyle changes that you can make in your Total Body Diet that can help you sleep better, too:

      ✔ Avoid caffeinated foods and beverages at least four hours before bed. Caffeine is a stimulant, and it can make it harder to fall asleep. Go for decaffeinated coffee, or have herbal tea, which is naturally caffeine-free. Skip the chocolate cake or brownie (or have less) – the caffeine may affect your shuteye.

      ✔ Limit alcoholic beverages close to bedtime. Alcohol may make you drowsy at first, but it may cause you to wake up during the night, especially the second half of the night, when you’re in rapid eye movement (REM) sleep – the restorative, dream phase. The more you drink, the greater the disruptions, according to sleep experts. Limit your nightcap to one standard drink (12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1½ ounces of liquor), if you want one, and have it at least a few hours before bed.

      

Alcohol is one of the most commonly used over-the-counter sleep aids, according to a review in the journal Alcohol. However, it does the contrary: It disrupts sleep, causing insomnia, daytime sleepiness, and snoring or sleep apnea (a start-stop breathing pattern during sleep), leading to many other health problems. If you’re dependent on alcohol to fall asleep, this could be a red flag to stop or evaluate whether you have a drinking problem. Seek professional help from your healthcare provider or an addiction specialist.

      ✔ Work out earlier in the day. Taking an evening boxing class or lacing up your running shoes at dusk may be tempting, but it can leave you feeling wired and then you may find it hard to unwind and get to sleep. Swap this more intense exercise in the evening for more relaxing activities like yoga nidra, which is a conscious deep sleep. There are many yoga nidra workshops and free downloadable audios available online.

      ✔ Eat lighter at night. If you eat a large, high-calorie, fatty meal in the evening, you’re bound to have a harder time getting to sleep and staying there – you may wake up with heartburn or may toss and turn due to a full stomach.

      Here are some smaller meal ideas for the evening:

      • A 3-ounce piece of grilled fish, 1 cup of broccoli, and ½ cup of cooked brown rice

      • 1 cup of tofu stir-fried with 1 cup of mixed veggies and ½ cup of cooked brown rice

      • 2 cups of mixed greens salad with a 3-ounce sliced baked chicken breast and ½ cup of cooked whole wheat couscous

      • 2 slices (or 2 ounces) of turkey breast, ½ medium avocado, and 1 cup mixed greens in a 6-inch whole-grain wrap

      For nighttime snacks, try the following:

      • 1 cup of plain lowfat Greek yogurt with 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed and a 1 teaspoon drizzle of honey

      • A piece of whole-grain toast with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter and a handful of grapes

      • ½ cup of cottage cheese spread on a large rice cake and 1 small apple

      • Two slices of turkey breast rolled up with two thin slices of cucumber and ½ slice of provolone cheese in each slice

      Chapter 2

      What Is the Total Body Diet?

       In This Chapter

      ▶ Grasping the core principles of the Total Body Diet

      ▶ Qualifying your calories for better or for worse

      ▶ Uncovering simple ways to move

      ▶ Assembling your support team

      ▶ Identifying your areas for change

      Everyone follows a diet, a way of eating that is part of everyday life. Some diets support a healthy life and allow us to be active, happy, and productive, while others are fads, or short-time fixes that typically restrict a certain food group (think low-carb diets) or are extreme (think very low-calorie СКАЧАТЬ