PREVENT THE PUDGE CHALLENGE

Commandment #10: YOU NEED AT LEAST 8 HOURS OF UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP PER NIGHT

Most people know that adequate sleep is necessary for optimal health however; most do not realize that inadequate sleep can cause weight gain. Research shows that the number of hours an individual sleeps influences their risk of obesity. Sleep deprivation can be a vicious cycle – eventually it will sabotage your waistline and your health!

Studies have shown that sleep deprivation is linked to obesity. Sleep deprivation can influence two appetite hormones – leptin and ghrelin.
1. Leptin, is a hormone that is produced in the fat cells. Its main function is to signal the brain to reduce appetite and burn more calories.
2. Ghrelin, is a hormone released by the stomach that increases hunger, slows metabolism and decreases the body’s ability to burn fat.

Sleep deprivation can be a vicious cycle with your health and your waistline. It starts off with making poor dietary choices when you are low in energy, like going for some sort of comfort food (like cookies, sweets, or potato chips, etc.) just to try to stay awake. Those that are sleep deprived eat more possibly due to the decreased levels of leptin. The brain responds thinking it’s a sign of starvation and the body slows down its metabolism (burning fewer calories) as a result makes it easier to pack on the pounds or difficult to lose weight.

Obesity Can Also CAUSE Lack of Sleep
There is another connection between obesity and sleep deprivation – obstructive sleep apnea, or sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition where an individual’s airway becomes obstructed, often by a large amount of fat tissue in the neck. The result is a cutoff in airflow, causing one to wake up numerous times throughout the night. Obesity is thus a major contributing factor for sleep apnea, and is often listed as one of its main causes.
For those that are not getting sound quality sleep per night, start by getting a good’s night rest with a few tips from the Cleveland Clinic’s Sleep Disorder Center.
• Establish a routine with going to bed and waking up around the same time – even on the weekends.
• Make sleep a priority
• Exercise is great to add to your daily routine. Exercise can help boost your energy but be sure to exercise earlier in the day or 4 hour before you go to bed so you are not too stimulated.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine as it can interfere with sleep. Especially with alcohol, make you feel sluggish the next day.
• Keep the bedroom free from distractions, such as watching TV, cell phone, lap top, home work, emailing, etc.
• Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing trouble with sleep apnea, insomnia or other sleep disorders. If untreated overtime can affect your overall health.

Resources:
How to Get A Better Nights Rest

Sleep Disorder Center

Recipe: Citrus Salmon with Cannelli Beans

Servings: 1/Serving Size: 1
Weight Watcher pts; 7/Pts plus: 8

Calories: 345/protein: 27 g/ carbs: 24 g/ fiber: 7 g

Ingredients:

3-4 ounces broiled Wild caught Atlantic salmon 1/2 c cannellini beans – boiled & drained (canned, rinse well) 1/4 c chopped Italian parsley 1 tsp olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh squeezed orange juice
1 tsp orange zest (preferably organic)
1 Tbsp green onion, finely chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method:
In a small bowl combine, beans, parsley, olive oil, 1 Tbsp orange juice, green onions; mix well. Transfer to serving plate.
Top the broiled salmon on bean/parsley salad. Top salmon with garlic, orange zest and remaining orange juice. Add salt and pepper to taste if you like, serve with orange wedges for more flavor.

Nutritional Analysis: 345 calories/protein: 27 g/ carbs: 24 g/ fiber: 7 g/ sugars: 5 g/ total fat: 15 g/ saturated fat: 3 g/ monounsaturated fat: 7 g/ polyunsaturated fat: 4 g/cholesterol: 53 mg/ sodium: 295 mg
% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet for adults: vitamin k: 348%/ vitamin C: 75%/selenium: 56%/B12: 40%/ folate: 40%/ B3: 39%/ phosphorus: 38%/ B6: 35%/ B1: 27%/ B1: 32%/ manganese: 27%/ magnesium: 21% /iron: 19%/pantothenic acid: 16%/ copper: 16% B2: 12%/ calcium: 11%/zinc: 9%/ chromium: 2%