A Healthy One...

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Understanding the Sleep-Diet Connection

The sleep-diet connection is regular fodder for diet books and magazine articles. Maybe you have even heard about the sleep diet, which suggests you can lose weight while you catch your ZZZs.

And it’s true, sort of.

“It’s not so much that if you sleep, you will lose weight, but if you are sleep-deprived, meaning that you are not getting enough minutes of sleep or good quality sleep, your metabolism will not function properly,” explains Michael Breus, PhD, author of Beauty Sleepand the clinical director of the sleep division for Arrowhead Health in Glendale, Ariz.

On average, we need about 7.5 hours of quality sleep per night, he says. “If you are getting this already, another half hour will not help you lose 10 pounds, but if you are a five-hour sleeper and start to sleep for seven hours a night, you will start dropping weight.”

Exactly how lack of sleep affects our ability to lose weight has a lot to do with our nightly hormones, explains Breus.

The two hormones that are key in this process are ghrelin and leptin. “Ghrelin is the ‘go’ hormone that tells you when to eat, and when you are sleep-deprived, you have more ghrelin,” Breus says. “Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating, and when you are sleep deprived, you have less leptin.”

More ghrelin plus less leptin equals weight gain.

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How Tired Is Too Tired?

Do you feel like you're always tired? Are you having trouble staying awake during prime time sitcoms? Most of us know what it's like to be tired, especially when we have a cold, flu, or some other viral infection. But when you suffer from a constant lack of energy and ongoing fatigue, it may be time to check with your doctor.

Fatigue is a lingering tiredness that is constant and limiting. With fatigue, you have unexplained, persistent, and relapsing exhaustion. It's similar to how you feel when you have the flu or have missed a lot of sleep. If you have chronic fatigue, you may wake in the morning feeling as though you've not slept. Or you may be unable to function at work or be productive at home. You may be too exhausted even to manage your daily affairs.

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Causes of Fatigue and Sleepiness and How to Fight Them:

Fatigue Cause No. 1: Not Enough Sleep

It may seem obvious but you could be getting too little sleep. That can negatively affect your concentration and health. Adults should get seven to eight hours every night.

Fix: Make sleep a priority and keep a regular schedule. Ban laptops, cell phones, and televisions from your bedroom. Still having trouble? Seek help from a doctor. You may have a sleep disorder.

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Fatigue Cause No. 2: Sleep Apnea

Some people think they're sleeping enough, but sleep apnea gets in the way. It briefly stops your breathing throughout the night. Each interruption wakes you for a moment, but you may not be aware of it. The result: you’re sleep-deprived despite spending eight hours in bed.

Fix: Lose weight if you're overweight, quit smoking, and sleep with a CPAP device to help keep airway passages open at night.

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Fatigue Cause No. 3: Not Enough Fuel

Eating too little causes fatigue, but eating the wrong foods can also be a problem. Eating a balanced diet helps keep your blood sugar in a normal range and prevents that sluggish feeling when your blood sugar drops.

Fix: Always eat breakfast and try to include protein and complex carbs in every meal. For example, eat eggs with whole-grain toast. Also eat meals and snacks throughout the day for sustained energy.

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Fatigue Cause No. 4: Anemia

Anemia is one of the leading causes of fatigue in women. Menstrual blood loss can cause an iron deficiency, putting women at risk. Red blood cells (shown here) are needed because they carry oxygen to your tissues and organs.

Fix: For anemia caused by an iron deficiency, taking iron supplements and eating iron-rich foods, such as lean meat, liver, shellfish, beans, and enriched cereal, can help.

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Fatigue Cause No. 5: Depression

You may think of depression as an emotional disorder, but it contributes to many physical symptoms as well. Fatigue, headaches, and loss of appetite are among the most common symptoms. If you feel tired and "down" for more than a couple of weeks, see your doctor.

Fix: Depression responds well to psychotherapy and/or medication.

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Fatigue Cause No. 6: Hypothyroidism


The thyroid is a small gland at the base of your neck. It controls your metabolism, the speed at which your body converts fuel into energy. When the gland is underactive and the metabolism functions too slowly, you may feel sluggish and put on weight.

Fix: If a blood test confirms your thyroid hormones are low, synthetic hormones can bring you up to speed.

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Simple ways to reduce your calorie intake


Going to the gym every morning might not be possible for all of us. And those guilt provoked three days/weekend works out is what you try to fit into your busy schedules.

But how helpful are they and more over how loyal are you to them? So if your lifestyle forces you to cheat on your exercise routine, here’s what you can do to keep your weight under control. We tell you five simple ways to reduce your calorie intake to keep yourself healthy.


Drink water before your meal
Half a glass of water before your meal will fill you up. This way the chances of overeating reduce drastically. This way, you will also reduce the chances of feeling stuffed post the meal.


Switch to skimmed milk
Replace your regular packet milk to a low calorie skimmed milk. Add the healthier milk to your morning cup of java. Another option for you is goat milk as it is tastier and healthier than the regular high-on-cream milk.


Eat slowly
The elders tell you to chew your food for a specific number of times before you swallow it. The trick is that, when you chew your food well, it aids the body in the digestion process. Your body understands the food well and you land up eating almost half of what you would normally eat. Ideally, one should spend a minimum of 20 minutes over each meal.


Select smaller portions
When eating out eat only half the portion of what has been served to you. Share the meal with your partner. Outside foods normally come in large portions and added ingredients like soda and Ajinomoto make the food difficult to digest. So, the next time you go to a deli split your serving with your partner.


Resist the calorific food
When you next visit a subway avoid adding mayonnaise, cheese to the sub. Initially, the flavour might be difficult to adjust but eventually you would get used to it. Replace the mayo with mustard. Bread is an integral part of our diet these days, switch to a lighter bread that will cut down upto 100 calories at least.



It is always best to carry your own lunch and eat wholesome home cooked food. Eat as many vegetables as you can and also make sure that you add a lot of colour to your platter. When craving for sweets, avoid chocolates or other desserts, binge on fruits or yogurts to satisfy the craving. If you follow these few tips while eating, your calorie count will steadily come under control and you will never have to feel guilty about missing your workout!

Simple ways to reduce your calorie intake - Yahoo! News Maktoob