Sleep Deprived? It may be contributing to belly fat

Written by Erin Chamerlik, Nutrition Educator, MS, MT(ASCP)

Nearly half the U.S. adult population suffers from poor quality sleep at night and one third of all adults are sleeping less than six hours per night. This lack of restful sleep is affecting more than just daily activities.

Sleep drives energy, focus, and sense of well-being and when sleep quality is poor, sixty-seven percent of people also report that their health is poor.

The lack of adequate sleep (about seven to nine hours is needed per night) impacts hormone function and blood sugar metabolism. Hormones drive many aspects of our lives: how we sleep, how we feel, energy levels, mood, drive, muscle tone, and fat.

Shortchange Sleep, Increase Appetite and Cortisol

Even one night of poor sleep results in a cascade of problems the next day.

•   Insulin resistance - impaired ability to use insulin, leading to higher blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance is linked to an increased risk of obesity and diabetes.

•   Increased cravings for sugar

•   Increased appetite

Chronic partial sleep loss may increase the risk of obesity and weight gain.

This web of problems also includes an increase in cortisol levels. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone. The four biggest causes of belly fat are eating a poor diet with sugar and processed carbohydrates, stress, lack of adequate restful sleep and lack of physical activity.

Three Keys to Help Increase Energy, Improve Sleep and Reduce Belly Fat

Do you battle unwanted belly fat, have listless libido or regularly experience trouble getting a good night's sleep? 

Would you love to sharpen your mind and increase your energy and vitality?

Balance Hormones

If you are over age 25 it is very likely that with each passing year your levels of DHEA hormone are steadily decreasing at the rate of about 2% per year.   As this hormone declines more and more signs of aging appear.

DHEA is a precursor or base building block from which hormone molecules are made by the body. Recent findings show that higher DHEA levels are associated with deeper REM sleep thus allowing sounder sleep at night. 

People with lower levels of DHEA have more belly fat, sleep poorly, and have a higher risk of getting cancer.  DHEA is a base for estrogen, testosterone, and 50 other hormones.

I began using Twist 25 DHEA cream topically several years ago in my early 50s. At that time I had been having a difficult time sleeping, with many nights lying awake for hours.  Two weeks after beginning Twist 25 I slept straight through the night, and that continued to be the pattern. DHEA had kicked in and things were coming into balance. I was waking up refreshed and my energy increased.

Improve Sleep

As hormones are balanced, consider additional ways to improve the quality of sleep. Be sure that the room you sleep in is completely dark. Remove electronics, get room-darkening blinds, and even cover the light from your smoke detector with black tape. If you cannot achieve total darkness, use a sleep mask.

Avoid screens (tv, computer, tablet, phone) an hour before bed. Turn down the lights and read a book or listen to music.

Avoid alcohol, starchy snacks and heavy meals before bed.

Use aromatherapy. Essential oils increase feelings of relaxation. Lavender oil and cedarwood essential oil are favorite calming oils to use at bedtime. Essential oils can be diffused or applied topically.  Apply a drop of oil to the back of the neck, on forehead or on each wrist.

Supplements can help. Take 400mg of the relaxing mineral, magnesium glycinate, at bedtime (or more if needed). Herbs like passion flower can also be beneficial.

Eat Nutrient Dense Foods

A poor diet is stressful to the body. Eat a REAL Food Diet:

Image courtesy of tiramisustudio at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

  

   ▪    Focus on nutrient-dense, natural whole foods (vegetables, fruits, wild  caught fish, free range meats and eggs, seeds and nuts).

   ▪    Increase your intake of healthy saturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids from good sources like fish, avocado, nuts, seeds, Grass-fed butter, unrefined coconut oil, Mac Nut Oil, Avocado Oil, and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

   ▪    Include high-fiber foods like vegetables, flax seed, chia seeds, berries, avocado, nuts and other seeds.

   ▪    Avoid nutritional deficiencies by complementing a nutrient-dense eating plan with quality supplementation (Vitamin D3, Probiotics, Omega-3 Fish Oil, Magnesium).

   ▪    Drink plenty of water in between meals, but not during the meal as this dilutes much needed stomach acid.

Simply cutting calories and exercising more will not help reduce belly fat that is related to hormonal imbalance, stress, poor sleep and poor diet. Follow the steps outlined above and you will begin to reclaim your health, energy, vitality and zest for life.

References

(1)     Leproult R, Van Cauter E. Role of sleep and sleep loss inhormonal release and metabolism. Endocr Dev. 2010;17:11-21. doi: 10.1159/000262524. Epub 2009 Nov 24. Review. PubMed PMID: 19955752; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3065172.

(2)     Donga E, van Dijk M, van Dijk JG, Biermasz NR, Lammers GJ, van Kralingen KW, Corssmit EP, Romijn JA. A single night of partial sleepdeprivation induces insulin resistance in multiple metabolic pathways inhealthy subjects. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Jun;95(6):2963-8. doi: 10.1210/jc.2009-2430. Epub 2010 Apr 6. PubMed PMID: 20371664.

(3)     McNeil J, Doucet É, Chaput JP. Inadequate sleep as a contributor to obesity and type2 diabetes. Can J Diabetes. 2013 Apr;37(2):103-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jcjd.2013.02.060. Epub 2013 Apr 23. PubMed PMID: 24070800.

(4)    Knutson, Kristen L. Impact of sleep and sleep losson glucose homeostasis and appetite regulation. Sleep Med Clin. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2008 Jun 1.
Published in final edited form as: Sleep Med Clin. 2007 Jun; 2(2): 187–197. doi:  10.1016/j.jsmc.2007.03.004  PMCID: PMC2084401. NIHMSID: NIHMS27337

(5)    Friess E, Trachsel L, Guldner J, Schier T, Steiger A, Holsboer F. DHEAadministration increases rapid eye movement sleep and EEG power in the sigmafrequency range. Am J Physiol. 1995 Jan;268(1 Pt 1):E107-13. PubMed PMID: 7840167.

Erin Chamerlik - GetBetter Wellness

Erin Chamerlik is the founder of Get Better Wellness, Inc., a wellness-focused health and nutrition education company located in the Nashville area. Learn how you can reach optimal health through a whole food eating plan that integrates ancient wisdom with an innovative, science-based approach to health and wellness.

Erin extends her message through weekly podcasts, public workshops, social media (Twitter, FaceBook, Pinterest and Instagram) and she blogs at  GetBetterWellness.com

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How to Stop Feeling So Washed Out

Do you keep waiting for a day where you feel energized and ready to go, but it never seems to arrive? Feeling washed out isn't any fun, but it happens to the best of us. One thing's for sure: You shouldn't resign yourself to a life of feeling perpetually under the weather. That tired, achy, worn-out feeling can be traded in for one that's energized, enthusiastic and ready for anything. After visiting the doctor to rule out any underlying medical conditions, start implementing the following changes in your life. Before you know it, you'll be the happiest, most energetic possible version of yourself.

Start by Taking Care of Yourself
Without taking care of yourself, you can't hope to overcome that feeling of being washed out all the time. Make sure that the following areas are adequately addressed while you explore other natural remedies:

Exercise - How much exercise do you really get? People often overestimate how active they actually are. To get a more accurate idea, try using an activity-tracking device. Even if you're on the go most of the time, you can probably benefit from devoting about 30 minutes per day to some form of exercise. It doesn't matter if it's just a walk around the block or high-intensity cardio. The point is to get out there and get moving! Endorphins and other feel-good brain chemicals will help strip away that washed-out feeling.

Diet - As overused as the phrase may be, you really are what you eat. Try to avoid overly processed, high-calorie foods as much as possible. Opt instead for fresh fruits and veggies, whole grains, lean meats and other healthy fare. Swap sugary sodas for icy cold water, and consider switching to several small meals per day instead of three larger ones.

Sleep - Like most people, you probably don't get anywhere near enough sleep. Try going to bed an hour earlier to get a little more shuteye. Do it even if it means leaving the dishes unwashed or other chores unfinished. Your mental health is more important than keeping your home immaculate.

Sunshine and Fresh Air - Most of us spend the majority of our time indoors. Nothing can snap you out of a funk quite like being out in the sun, and fresh air helps you feel energized and ready for anything. Whether it's warm or cold out, make a point of getting out into the sun on a regular basis. Even a few five-minute breaks here and there are sure to do a world of good. Sunshine on your skin allows you to make Vitamin D-3. Vitamin D-3 is a provitamin in much the same way DHEA is a pro-hormone; and both are made and processed in the skin.

Replenish Your Body's Stores of DHEA
If you're over the age of 30 or so and feel perpetually washed out and out of it, there's a very good chance that you have insufficient levels of DHEA. Our bodies make less and less DHEA every year after age 25, and without this important prohormone, we’re left feeling washed out, blah…no energy or vitality.

The adrenal prohormone DHEA is often touted as the "youth hormone," and it acts as a building block for more than 50 hormones in the body. As levels of DHEA drop, it reduces the body's ability to produce many hormones, and hormones play a major part in helping us feel healthy and happy. By maintaining and replenishing your body's DHEA level, you may be able to kick that washed-out feeling to the curb once and for all.

At Health2Go, we’re proud to make and sell Twist 25 DHEA cream, the top quality pharmaceutical grade bioidentical DHEA cream that has been tested rigorously for 25 years. Just rub in a squirt or two of Twist 25 cream to thin skin each morning to start improving energy levels, sense of well-being and mood, and say good riddance to that nasty, washed-out feeling for good.