There was a commercial in the early 2000’s advertising a supplement that would enable a person to lose weight while they slept. Now this ran counterintuitive to the messages being spewed by mass media at the time that begged people to get themselves down to the gym and run like their lives depended on it. On top of intense exercise that should occur at least 3 times a week the recommended diet included low fat and low cholesterol. (See blog post on this topic at: https://www.neogenesisnutrition.com/the-low-fat-cholesterol-free-post/)
This new supplement taking the industry by storm was only the first of many products promising weight loss while we slept. Do nothing to your diet! Skip the gym! Just sleep away the pounds! This had to be a joke, right? Yes, the products are gimmicks and fall in to the category of fad dieting. However, the ideology behind this new trend is accurate. We need sleep to reset our rhythms.
Between 1896 and 1918 three scientists – Patrick, Gilbert and Szymanski developed the idea that humans have an internal 24-hour clock that governs their bodies. The Circadian Rhythm, as it became known as, has an endogenous, free-running period of 24 hours and can be altered by exposure to external stimuli such as lights and temperature. Throughout history, humans have lived primarily by the rhythms of our bodies as guided by the sun patterns. When the sun went down our bodies naturally wanted to go dormant. When the sun rose in the morning we woke refreshed and ready for the day. We used to sleep, on average, 9-10 hours a night. However, as electricity and technology took a greater hold on our lives we started staying up later and ignoring our natural cues. Now we sleep 5-6 hours a night. What happened? Our sleep time decreased and our disease levels increased. See the correlation? We need more sleep.
On top of staying up extra hours to play games or chat on the computer, we also started working nights. Studies show that those who work nights are more likely to develop obesity-related diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Working the night shift does not support the body’s natural rhythms and should not be a long-term situation. Those who find themselves working late night shifts tend to be those who will turn to quick-fix foods to keep them going. Those types of foods tend to be higher in bad fats and significantly higher in sugar as well.
The foods we also choose to consume can have a positive or a negative effect on our circadian rhythms. Those individuals who eat a high fat diet tend to have altered circadian rhythms. Now wait! Before you make a comment about how I advocate for a high fat diet in place of a high carbohydrate diet, let me justify this comment with the type of fats are also essential. Fats can help to stabilize blood sugars for those who have insulin resistance or diabetes since fats don’t trigger an insulin response in the body.
The other hormone that is a major player in the circadian rhythm is cortisol. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone. When we are stressed – high cortisol levels – we have a more difficult time sleeping. So to lower the cortisol levels consume a balanced meal for dinner. Think of vegetables and fruits as carbohydrates, good quality fats like grass-fed butter, olive oil, and avocados, and lean clean protein sources such as fish, grass-fed beef, bison or organic chicken. By eating meals that are balanced, you avoid a high insulin-spike, a slower drop in blood glucose and a more stable level of cortisol throughout the night and a lower peak in the morning.
Ready to start taking steps toward a more healthy you? Contact me and let’s set up an appointment to get you sleeping better, longer and eating better. Who or what do you have to live for?
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