20 Tips to Ensure You Get Enough Sleep

 Health, Healthy Choices, Wellness  No Responses »
Jul 132014
 

We all need a good night’s sleep, but it’s not uncommon to struggle with getting one. It’s estimated that one in three people will suffer from insomnia at some point in their lives. Most of us will experience short-term insomnia, which is caused by stress or a short-term disruption in sleep patterns, like travel, a sick child, noisy neighbors or excitement about an upcoming event.

Long-term insomnia, which is defined as continuously broken sleep patterns lasting more than four weeks, can be a sign of clinical depression or another serious medical condition that you should discuss with your doctor.

Insomnia can manifest either through an inability to fall asleep or the inability to stay sleep through the night. Either way, normal healthy sleep patterns are altered and this has a measurable effect on health. It’s important to correct any short-term sleep disruptions as soon as possible to prevent permanent sleep pattern alterations or long-term deterioration of health.

In a previous article, we looked at the health impacts of not getting enough good quality sleep. In this article, I’ll look at what you can do to ensure you get the sleep your body needs to heal, repair, restore and grow.

Environment and Routine

Get in a routine. Just as bedtime routines are important for children, research shows that establishing a consistent bedtime routine can also help adults transition to sleep more smoothly. Going to bed at the same time every night and doing something relaxing before bed to help you release stress can help your body prepare for sleep.

Track Your Sleep Cycles. In the previous article on sleep, we saw that a typical sleep cycle is 90-110 minutes, though 90 minutes is considered a reliable number. Research shows that we awaken more refreshed and energized if we sleep in complete 90 minute cycles. In other words, if our actual sleep time is 6 hours, 7 ½ hours or 9 hours. What makes it tricky is you have to allow for time to fall asleep and if you wake up in the middle of the night for any reason such as to go to the bathroom, you won’t know if you were mid-cycle. But people have shared with me that after a couple weeks of tracking their sleep time, they have landed on the right number for them and they often awaken feeling more refreshed after 6 or 7 ½ hours than they did when they slept for 8 hours or some other amount of time that isn’t an even 90 minute multiple.

Create a comfy space. Keep your bed and your bedroom for activities that belong there: sex and sleeping. Don’t watch TV or eat snacks in bed. Create a comfortable, soothing bedroom escape with cozy blankets, soft sheets and a comfortable mattress. If your mattress is lacking, consider a memory foam mattress topper. It’s an inexpensive way to make a less than top-notch mattress incredibly comfortable and inviting.

No TV or work. Don’t watch TV, especially violent TV crime shows or the news, before you go to sleep (in bed or anywhere else). Doing this will put your mind into an agitated state and disrupt the pineal gland, which will make it harder to fall asleep. Also put away any work at least an hour or two before bed so your mind is not still thinking about work-related challenges or trying to solve problems as you head into bed.

Listen and read. Listening to relaxing music such as nature sounds, new age or soft classical music can help, as can reading something spiritual or an uncomplicated book. (My mom is an avid reader and often tackles challenging reads, but keeps a few light romance novels by her bed and reads a chapter or two of those before sleeping because they don’t stimulate her as she is trying to wind down.)

Release stress. Journal, meditate or do deep breathing before bed; if you are holding onto any tense or anxious thoughts, sleep will be difficult. Some people also find progressive muscle relaxation therapy to be helpful. (This involves lying down and tensing each muscle group for eight seconds as you inhale and then slowly relaxing the same muscle group for eight seconds as you exhale slowly and release all tightness and tension. You can hit every muscle head to toe, or pick four major areas of face, neck/shoulder/arms, abdomen and chest, and finally buttocks, legs and feet.) Some readers have told me that they struggle with meditation because they fall asleep, but this is the perfect opportunity to use your meditation techniques to help bring about sleep.

Take a bath. Build a warm bath with Epsom salts, sea salts and/or baking soda into your routine. If you dislike baths, take a hot shower or a sauna instead. When you are wound up or stressed, get a professional massage or ask your partner to give you one to relax. Use essential oils (many have medicinal purposes and some even target insomnia) or other fragrances that calm you.

Cool down and warm up. Pay attention to room temperatures and keep yours below 70 degrees. In cooler months, consider wearing socks to bed. Feet have the poorest circulation and will feel the cold first. One study showed wearing socks to bed can reduce waking at night.

Block out light. Sleep in complete darkness and/or wear an eye mask. Sleeping in as close to total darkness as possible is important because darkness increases the production of melatonin. Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland that regulates the body’s sleep cycle. It’s believed to help people fall asleep more quickly and to sleep more soundly. Studies show that if you are exposed to light while sleeping, your melatonin level will not rise high enough to do its necessary work. Even a night-light can cause disruption. New research ties sleep disruption due to even small amounts of light resulting in increased cancer rates as well.

No more liquids. If you wake up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and you struggle to return to sleep afterward, be sure to empty your bladder before bedtime and avoid liquids for 90 minutes before bedtime to reduce the likelihood of waking to urinate.

Don’t just lie there. And lastly, if you’re tried these techniques and you still struggle with falling asleep, don’t stare at the clock and stress about what time it is! Get up and out of bed and do something to relax you: read, listen to music, clean something, tackle a project and go back to bed when you feel more relaxed, tired and ready try again.

Diet, Supplements and Exercise

Try magnesium. When I experienced sleep disruptions from hormonal imbalances many years ago, I read about magnesium as a potential solution. Magnesium and calcium need to be eaten/taken together in balance and many of us are calcium heavy and magnesium deficient, which can disrupt sleep. (In fact, new studies say 99% of Americans are magnesium deficient, a topic to be covered in a separate article.)

I bought magnesium and found it let me sleep continuously through the night. I have since recommended it to many people who have reported great success. At the time, I bought whatever I could find at the store. Now more research has been done and one doctor has achieved amazing results using a specific form of magnesium known as magnesium chloride.

Dr. W. Davis, an author and cardiologist practicing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, reported that “sleep was induced rapidly, was uninterrupted, and that waking tiredness disappeared in 99% of the patients. In addition, anxiety and tension diminished during the day” after supplementation with magnesium chloride.

Get an adrenal function test. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism published a study connecting insomnia to adrenal stress. Your doctor should test your adrenal function if sleep is an unresolved concern. Similarly, hormonal balance can disrupt sleep patterns, so women in perimenopause or around menopause should get a hormone panel done to rule out imbalances as causes of sleep disruptors.

Identify food sensitivities. As we noted in the article on food additives, food additives, chemicals, artificial dyes and flavorings can affect sleep patterns. Many people have food sensitivities or allergies they are unaware of. Poor digestion, impaired liver detoxification and food sensitivities can keep you from a good night’s rest by causing gas, gastrointestinal distress, excess congestion, apnea, and other symptoms.

Eliminate food sensitivities. The most common food sensitivities that affect sleep are corn, wheat, dairy, caffeinated products and sugar. If you have never tried an elimination diet, you might consider one. These diets involve removing a questionable food from your diet for a week or two and then introducing it back in and seeing how your body reacts. Another option is to have a food allergy test. While you may not be allergic to a food, many of us are sensitive to it and never know it. If you are sensitive to corn or gluten or dairy, for example, eliminating or reducing these foods will help you sleep better; if you can’t eliminate them, try taking a digestive enzyme before meals.

Eat sleep-inducing foods. Eating a balanced diet with healthy fats, protein and fiber will help keep your digestive system balanced. Chlorophyll-rich foods like leafy greens and microalgaes like chlorella and spirulina are not only healthy, they are sleep inducing. Sugars, spices and stimulants will have the opposite effect.

Don’t eat before bed. Avoid eating immediately before bed, especially grains or sugars, as they raise blood sugar, and later when it crashes, you may wake up and find it difficult to return to sleep. Because digestion takes a lot of effort, avoid eating any big heavy meals later in the evening as well. Leave at least a couple hours between your last meal and bedtime.

Avoid caffeine after noontime. Caffeine isn’t metabolized well and even an afternoon cup of coffee, tea or some chocolate can disrupt nighttime sleep patterns if you are sensitive. Alcohol can also disrupt sleep patterns as we mentioned in the previous chapter; while it helps you relax and fall asleep, it often results in nocturnal awakenings that disrupt deep sleep cycles where healing occurs.

Avoid prescription medications where possible. Many have side effects that can disrupt sleep. Rather than treating the symptom, work with your doctor on changing the diet and lifestyle habits that can help get at the underlying cause.

Try melatonin. I mentioned melatonin earlier as controlling sleep schedules. Melatonin, or its precursors L-trytophan or 5-htp, may be helpful as a supplement if other underlying causes are ruled out. (Tryptophan has to be combined with carbohydrates in order to reach the brain but can be consumed through things like turkey or received as a prescription from your doctor. 5-htp seems to be more effective in those who have underlying depression as well as a sleep concern.) But consider melatonin a short term solution as you work on uncovering the true cause.

Get some exercise. Exercise has been shown to be one of the most effective means of combating insomnia, so if you struggle to sleep at night, be sure you get out and get active for at least 30 minutes during the day. A Stanford University study showed that after 16 weeks of moderate exercise, participants fell asleep 15 minutes earlier and slept 45 minutes longer than they had before.

I hope there are some easy changes on this list that you can try making to help bring about sleep with greater ease. If you suffer from bigger sleep troubles, work with your doctor to discover the cause and the best relief. Whatever you do, don’t ignore your sleep troubles, as sleep deprivation over time will prevent your body from performing its necessary healing functions and will subtract years and quality from your life.

To your wellness and health: your true wealth!

Inger

Author: Inger Pols is the Editor of the New England Health Advisory and Author/Creator, Finally Make It Happen, the proven process to get what you want. Get a free special report on The Truth About Sugar: It’s Not All Equal at www.IngerPols.com

Photo Source: Microsoft Clip Art

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How Sleep Deprivation Affects Health

 Health  No Responses »
Jun 292014
 

We are a sleep-deprived nation. A recent study revealed that 70 million Americans do not get adequate sleep.  Experts say we need seven to nine hours a night consistently, but many of us get about five to seven. Furthermore, while our bodies were made to recover from one interrupted night’s sleep, studies now show that less than optimal sleep for a few nights in a row can change your sleep pattern, weaken your immune system and lead to an increased likelihood of weight gain, Type 2 diabetes, heart conditions, loss of long-term memory and more. Even one off night can increase your blood sugar levels and impair your sensitivity to insulin.

Sleep is directly linked to many mental processing functions including maintaining a positive mood (and managing irritability, anxiety, anger and depression), brain activity, learning, memory, concentration and our ability to handle stress. Many experts now say sleep is as important to your health and wellness long-term as a healthy diet and exercise.

Let’s look at what happens in a typical night of sleep.

Sleep Cycles and REM
Our bodies know whether we are awake or asleep through nerve signaling chemicals called neurotransmitters, which act on nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain. Some neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and norepinephrine, are produced in the brainstem, where the brain and the spinal cord connect. These keep parts of the brain active while we are awake. Other neurons located in the base of the brain appear to turn off the signals that keep us awake. A chemical known as adenosine is now shown to build up in our bodies and cause drowsiness; it then breaks down while we sleep. Healthy functioning of these neurons is required for normal sleep cycles.

There are five phases of sleep: They are known as sleep cycles 1,2,3,4 and REM (or rapid eye movement.) We pass through all five, building up from 1 to REM and then begin the cycle all over again. We spend about 50% of our total sleep time in stage 2, about 20% in REM and the remaining 30% spread out across the other sleep cycles. (Infants spend 50% of their sleep in REM.)

Stage 1 sleep is very light sleep, where we drift in and out, our eyes move slowly, our muscle activity slows down and we can be awakened easily. We may make sudden muscle contractions in this stage or remember visual image fragments. In Stage 2, eye movement stops and brain waves become slower. Stage 3 brings in very slow waves, known as delta waves, as well as some smaller faster waves. In stage 4, we are almost exclusively in a delta wave phase.

Stages 3 and 4 are considered to be deep sleep and it’s hard to awaken someone from those stages; those awakened don’t adjust immediately. It takes a few minutes for them to stop feeling groggy and disoriented. In this phase, kids may experience night terrors or bedwetting and adults and kids both may sleepwalk.

After stages 3 and 4 deep sleep, we enter REM during which, true to its name, our eyes move rapidly in many directions. Our muscles become temporarily paralyzed and our breathing becomes irregular and more rapid and shallow. During REM, we dream.

Each sleep cycle takes 90-110 minutes on average, with our first REM cycle typically occurring 70-90 minutes after we fall asleep. During the first cycle, the REM period is relatively short, with longer periods of deep sleep. But as we progress through the night, REM cycles get longer and deep sleep cycles become shorter. By the time we awaken in the morning, most of our time is spent in sleep stages 1, 2 and REM.

Caffeine, diet pills and other stimulants can cause insomnia, or an inability to fall asleep. Alcohol can help you fall asleep, but keeps you in lighter stages of sleep and limits deep sleep and REM. Antidepressants can suppress REM sleep cycles. Heavy smokers often stay in lighter sleep stages and have less REM sleep. They may also wake after three to four hours due to nicotine withdrawal. Temperature changes disrupt REM as well.

Research shows that if we miss one normal REM heavy sleep cycle, the next time we sleep, we will go quickly into REM and stay there longer, to make up for lost sleep. But after a couple nights of disrupted sleep in a row, our bodies will no longer compensate and drop into REM. They will simply adapt to the new sleep cycle, shifting the sleep balance away from the healing and restorative deep and REM sleep cycles.

Spending less time in the healing deep sleep cycles affects your immune system, as your body cannot repair, restore and rebalance as it is meant to with less time in deep and REM sleep. Research also shows a number of interesting connections between health and insufficient sleep, including metabolic function and cardiovascular disease.

Sleep and the Connection to Health
In one study, after only three nights of deep and REM sleep suppression, participants became less sensitive to insulin; they required more insulin to dispose of similar amounts of glucose, but the body did not compensate by increasing insulin levels. They had reduced glucose tolerance and an increased likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes. The study equated the decrease in insulin sensitivity to gaining 20 to 30 pounds.

Recently, a groundbreaking study showed that the body’s metabolic functions could be disrupted by only one night of inadequate sleep. In this study, participants were examined after a normal eight-hour night of sleep and also after a night of only four hours of sleep. The study revealed that “Insulin sensitivity is not fixed in healthy subjects, but depends on the duration of sleep in the preceding night,” according to Dr. Esther Donga, of the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands and lead author of the study.

Another study monitored participants after two nights of regular sleep and then five nights of sleep restriction. After five nights of only getting four hours of sleep, the results indicated a statistically significant decrease in the heart rate variability, which can result in cardiological and non-cardiological diseases, according to Siobhan Banks of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

A recent study of insomniacs showed that sleep deprivation also increased the risk of hypertension. Those who slept for less than five hours had a 500% higher risk for hypertension than those who slept for six hours or more. Insomniacs with sleep cycles of five to six hours a night had a 350% higher risk of hypertension than normal sleepers.

Another study revealed that four nights of REM sleep deprivation reduced cell proliferation in the part of the forebrain that is responsible for long-term memory.

And a 16-year study revealed that women who slept for five hours a night were 32% more likely to gain weight (defined as an increase of 33 pounds or more) and 15% more likely to become obese versus women who slept for seven hours.  Six-hour-a-night sleepers fared a little better, with a 12% increase in major weight.

If you struggle with falling asleep or sleeping through the night (many people say they are able to fall asleep but then wake up at 2am and find themselves unable to fall back asleep again): Try magnesium.

When I experienced sleep disruptions from hormonal imbalances a few years ago, I read about magnesium as a potential solution. (If you are going through perimenopause, magnesium may become your new best friend!) Magnesium and calcium need to be eaten/taken together in balance, typically a 1:1 ratio, but  many of us are calcium heavy and magnesium deficient, which can disrupt sleep.

In fact, new studies say 99% of Americans are magnesium deficient, a topic I covered in a separate article. This isn’t surprising considering how dairy-heavy our diet is and how many people take calcium supplements to support bone health. Even if you take a calcium/magnesium combo, it is likely that you aren’t shifting the ratio, just your total intake.

If calcium and magnesium are 1:1 in the supplement, you’re likely still imbalanced; you just added more of each to the mix. But many are heavier on calcium than they are on magnesium, increasing the existing imbalance even further. Getting them into balance at whatever level you are at is the key, which means more magnesium for most of us.

I bought magnesium and took the standard dosage and found it let me sleep continuously through the night. I have since recommended it to many people who have reported great success. At the time, I bought whatever I could find at the store, which was elemental magnesium from Doctor’s Best. I still take it as does my son who has suffered from migraines.

Now more research has been done on magnesium and one doctor has achieved amazing results using a specific form of magnesium known as magnesium chloride. Dr. W. Davis, an author and cardiologist practicing in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, reported that “sleep was induced rapidly, was uninterrupted, and that waking tiredness disappeared in 99% of the patients. In addition, anxiety and tension diminished during the day” after supplementation with magnesium chloride.

Some women I know prefer liquid magnesium, which you rub on your body and allow to be absorbed into your skin, over taking pills. But while different people take different forms, most all report improvement in sleep quality when taking magnesium. So if you are struggling with restful sleep through the night, it is definitely worth a try.

Even though our busy lives tempt us to put off sleep in favor of getting more things done, if you want to live a longer, healthier life, make a good night’s sleep a priority: you’ll have more energy—and feel better—tackling your tasks the next day. Adequate deep restful sleep ensures the body can heal and repair and perform the many functions required for good health: making sleep a priority is one of the best things you can do to stay (or become) fit and healthy.

To your wellness and health: your true wealth!

I-Signature.jpg

Inger

Author: Inger Pols is the Editor of the New England Health Advisory and Author/Creator, Finally Make It Happen, the proven process to get what you want. Get a free special report on The Truth About Sugar: It’s Not All Equal and a free copy of Inger’s bestselling ebook at www.IngerPols.com/freegifts

Photo Source: courtesy of imagerymajestic / Free Digital Photos

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Resolve To Get A Good Night’s Sleep And Stay Healthy This New Year

 Fitness/Exercise, Health, Wellness  No Responses »
Dec 312013
 

We are a sleep-deprived nation. A recent study revealed that 70 million Americans do not get adequate sleep.  Experts say we need seven to nine hours a night consistently, but many of us get about five to seven. Furthermore, while our bodies were made to recover from one interrupted night’s sleep, studies now show that less than optimal sleep for a few nights in a row can change your sleep pattern, weaken your immune system and lead to an increased likelihood of weight gain, Type 2 diabetes, heart conditions, loss of long-term memory and more. Even one off night can increase your blood sugar levels and impair your sensitivity to insulin.

Sleep is directly linked to many mental processing functions including maintaining a positive mood (and managing irritability, anxiety, anger and depression), brain activity, learning, memory, concentration and our ability to handle stress. Many experts now say sleep is as important to your health and wellness long-term as a healthy diet and exercise.

Let’s look at what happens in a typical night of sleep.

Sleep Cycles and REM

Our bodies know whether we are awake or asleep through nerve signaling chemicals called neurotransmitters, which act on nerve cells, or neurons, in the brain. Some neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and norepinephrine, are produced in the brainstem, where the brain and the spinal cord connect. These keep parts of the brain active while we are awake. Other neurons located in the base of the brain appear to turn off the signals that keep us awake. A chemical known as adenosine is now shown to build up in our bodies and cause drowsiness; it then breaks down while we sleep. Healthy functioning of these neurons is required for normal sleep cycles.

There are five phases of sleep: They are known as sleep cycles 1,2,3,4 and REM (or rapid eye movement.) We pass through all five, building up from 1 to REM and then begin the cycle all over again. We spend about 50% of our total sleep time in stage 2, about 20% in REM and the remaining 30% spread out across the other sleep cycles. (Infants spend 50% of their sleep in REM.)

Stage 1 sleep is very light sleep, where we drift in and out, our eyes move slowly, our muscle activity slows down and we can be awakened easily. We may make sudden muscle contractions in this stage or remember visual image fragments. In Stage 2, eye movement stops and brain waves become slower. Stage 3 brings in very slow waves, known as delta waves, as well as some smaller faster waves. In stage 4, we are almost exclusively in a delta wave phase.

Stages 3 and 4 are considered to be deep sleep and it’s hard to awaken someone from those stages; those awakened don’t adjust immediately. It takes a few minutes for them to stop feeling groggy and disoriented. In this phase, kids may experience night terrors or bedwetting and adults and kids both may sleepwalk.

After stages 3 and 4 deep sleep, we enter REM during which, true to its name, our eyes move rapidly in many directions. Our muscles become temporarily paralyzed and our breathing becomes irregular and more rapid and shallow. During REM, we dream.

Each sleep cycle takes 90-110 minutes on average, with our first REM cycle typically occurring 70-90 minutes after we fall asleep. During the first cycle, the REM period is relatively short, with longer periods of deep sleep. But as we progress through the night, REM cycles get longer and deep sleep cycles become shorter. By the time we awaken in the morning, most of our time is spent in sleep stages 1, 2 and REM.

Caffeine, diet pills and other stimulants can cause insomnia, or an inability to fall asleep. Alcohol can help you fall asleep, but keeps you in lighter stages of sleep and limits deep sleep and REM. Antidepressants can suppress REM sleep cycles. Heavy smokers often stay in lighter sleep stages and have less REM sleep. They may also wake after three to four hours due to nicotine withdrawal. Temperature changes disrupt REM as well.

Research shows that if we miss one normal REM heavy sleep cycle, the next time we sleep, we will go quickly into REM and stay there longer, to make up for lost sleep. But after a couple nights of disrupted sleep in a row, our bodies will no longer compensate and drop into REM. They will simply adapt to the new sleep cycle, shifting the sleep balance away from the healing and restorative deep and REM sleep cycles.

Spending less time in the healing deep sleep cycles affects your immune system, as your body cannot repair, restore and rebalance as it is meant to with less time in deep and REM sleep. Research also shows a number of interesting connections between health and insufficient sleep, including metabolic function and cardiovascular disease.

Sleep and the Connection to Health

In one study, after only three nights of deep and REM sleep suppression, participants became less sensitive to insulin; they required more insulin to dispose of similar amounts of glucose, but the body did not compensate by increasing insulin levels. They had reduced glucose tolerance and an increased likelihood of developing Type 2 diabetes. The study equated the decrease in insulin sensitivity to gaining 20 to 30 pounds.

Recently, a groundbreaking study showed that the body’s metabolic functions could be disrupted by only one night of inadequate sleep. In this study, participants were examined after a normal eight-hour night of sleep and also after a night of only four hours of sleep. The study revealed that “Insulin sensitivity is not fixed in healthy subjects, but depends on the duration of sleep in the preceding night,” according to Dr. Esther Donga, of the Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands and lead author of the study.

Another study monitored participants after two nights of regular sleep and then five nights of sleep restriction. After five nights of only getting four hours of sleep, the results indicated a statistically significant decrease in the heart rate variability, which can result in cardiological and non-cardiological diseases, according to Siobhan Banks of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

A recent study of insomniacs showed that sleep deprivation also increased the risk of hypertension. Those who slept for less than five hours had a 500% higher risk for hypertension than those who slept for six hours or more. Insomniacs with sleep cycles of five to six hours a night had a 350% higher risk of hypertension than normal sleepers.

Another study revealed that four nights of REM sleep deprivation reduced cell proliferation in the part of the forebrain that is responsible for long-term memory.

And a 16-year study revealed that women who slept for five hours a night were 32% more likely to gain weight (defined as an increase of 33 pounds or more) and 15% more likely to become obese versus women who slept for seven hours.  Six-hour-a-night sleepers fared a little better, with a 12% increase in major weight.

Even though our busy lives tempt us to put off sleep in favor of getting more things done, if you want to live a longer, healthier life, make a good night’s sleep a priority–you’ll have more energy–and feel better–tackling your tasks the next day.

To your wellness and health: your true wealth!
I-Signature.jpg
Inger

Author: Inger Pols is the Editor of the New England Health Advisory and Author/Creator, Finally Make It Happen, the proven process to get what you want. Get a free special report on The Truth About Sugar: It’s Not All Equal and a free copy of Inger’s bestselling ebook at www.IngerPols.com/freegifts

Photo Source: Microsoft Clip Art

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Why When You Eat Matters More Than What You Eat

 Diet, Wellness  No Responses »
Dec 312013
 

Many cultures have arranged their work days around digestion and its link to time and the position of the sun. The Latin term for our midsection is solar plexus, which means gathering place for the sun. According to Marc David, former nutrition expert at Canyon Ranch, we digest and assimilate better — and burn more calories — the more efficiently we harness the warmth of the sun.

We are meant to be outside in sunshine and to time our eating to the position of the sun in the sky. The fact that most of us now avoid the sun and stay inside (or block its absorption with sunscreen) means that we are not harnessing our peak metabolic power because we are not in rhythm with our world anymore.

While we sleep, our body temperature drops. As soon as we awaken, body temperature begins to increase. Your metabolism is waking up as you do and now it’s time to take on our tasks for the day. Interestingly enough, your body temperature would still increase as the day goes on even if you stayed in bed all day because we are naturally programmed to align with the sun’s rhythm. As your body “heats up,” this is a good time to eat because you are stoking your body’s fuel burning furnace.

Called breakfast because it means we are breaking the fast of the night’s slumber, eating in the morning, especially eating some protein, is critical to setting the pace and regulation of our metabolism for the rest of the day. Eating carbohydrates such as bagels and donuts will result in a sugar rush and crash that will cause us to eat more later on.

As will calling a cup of coffee breakfast!

While coffee is not bad in and of itself, it does chemically mimic your body’s stress response and can lead to abdominal weight gain. If you skip breakfast, your body enters into a survival response due to lack of food and raises cortisol levels, add in anxiety or stress which also increases cortisol, and then throw in caffeine, which mimics the stress response and raises cortisol as well, and your cortisol levels have now skyrocketed. This will suppress your digestion and metabolism and ultimately lead to weight gain, as well as numerous other health and metabolic impacts.

So if you do enjoy a cup or two of coffee, be sure to eat some protein along with it and take the time to sit down and eat in order to relax and reduce the stress response in your body. Grabbing a coffee on the run and drinking it in your car will feed the body’s stress response and increase your tendency to gain weight.

Now back to the sun. As the morning progresses, body temperatures will continue to rise and then will peak around noon. In fact, our body temperature is so closely aligned with the sun that it will peak at the exact moment that the sun reaches its highest point in the sky! As we reach our metabolic peak for the day, that is when our digestive force is strongest and our ability to burn calories and absorb nutrients is highest. Eating the largest meal between 12-1:30 is the ideal time to maximize digestion, enhance nutrient absorption and minimize excess calorie storage as fat.

From 2-5 pm, our body temperature dips. This is when many cultures take a siesta and slow down because our natural body rhythm slows, so why fight it? Instead of embracing this natural body rhythm, we tend to resist it and turn to caffeine or sugar instead. Some slow down between 2 and 5 is normal, natural and to be expected but extreme crashes are not. So if you are crashing mid-afternoon, you’ll want to re-examine what you are eating at lunch.

In our society, we can’t always take a nap, but there are things we can do to align with our natural body rhythms. First, make sure that your midday meal has high-quality protein and fiber to slow down the digestive process. This ensures you won’t spike your blood sugar levels, burn through your lunch and then crash between 2 and 5. Next, studies show that one or two 15-20 minute rest periods during the afternoon will improve your energy, mood, performance and even cognitive function.

You don’t need to go to sleep: simply take some quiet time to rest meditate or just be still. Close your office door, go sit on a bench outside or sit in your car and just take 15-20 minutes to recharge. If you take these mini breaks (which you are entitled to in most every workplace but most of us never do), you will be in alignment with your body’s natural rhythm and you will also find you don’t need that caffeine or sugar pick me up after all.

From 4-6 your body temperature will rise and energy will pick up again until around 9pm when it will begin to drop. We have probably all heard that it is best not to eat anything 4 hours before bed. We also know that when we eat a big heavy meal in the evening, we feel sluggish and tired but despite our fatigue, we don’t sleep as well as we should.

Not a surprise since the body must direct all its energy to digestion instead of detoxification, healing and repair and regular body maintenance. A main reason for this is because we cannot fall asleep soundly unless our body temperature is dropping. Eating a meal raises your body temperature so eating within a few hours of sleeping will not only interfere with sleep, it can also result in weight gain.

One study looked at the timing of calorie intake and its effect on weight in support of this. The study allowed people to eat 2000 calories a day but they had to eat them all in one meal. First, the participants ate 2000 calories all at breakfast. Every person in the study either lost weight or maintained their weight.

Then the same group ate 2000 calories all at once at dinnertime. Every single person in the study gained weight. So even though they consumed the same 2000 calories, when they ate them made a significant difference in how their bodies responded.

Another study limited more calories severely, spreading out 1400 calories throughout the day among two groups of women. The first group ate 700 calories at breakfast, 500 calories at lunch and 200 calories at dinner. The second group ate 200 calories at breakfast, 500 at lunch and 700 at dinner.  Both groups had 500 calories at lunch, but one at their biggest meal at breakfast, the other at dinner.

The women who ate most of their calories at breakfast lost 2 1/2 times as much weight and more than 4 1/2 more inches from their waists than than the women who ate more at dinner. The bigger breakfast eaters also had higher HDL or good cholesterol, lower LDL cholesterol, better insulin sensitivity (lower blood sugar) and said they felt less hungry and more satisfied than the group that ate less in the morning and more at dinner.

I’m probably not the first person to tell you that breakfast is important and that it’s better to eat your heartiest meal mid-day. But now you know that your metabolism is tied to the sun and that our bodies are designed to follow its natural rhythms.

Breaking these rhythms interferes with many biological functions. While our workdays and stressful lives may not naturally align with the sun, the more you can alter and adjust your rhythms to realign with it, the healthier and leaner you will become — and remain — over time.

To your wellness and health: your true wealth!

Author: Inger Pols is the Editor of the New England Health Advisory and Author/Creator, Finally Make It Happen, the proven process to get what you want. Get a free special report on The Truth About Sugar: It’s Not All Equal at www.nehealthadvisory.com

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