FAT LOSS TIP 6/20

“Why sleep affects fat loss and how you can get better sleep.”

Sleep affects all aspects of your health and function.  But did you know it affects weight loss? 

"One of the more interesting ideas that has been smoldering and is now gaining momentum is the appreciation of the fact that sleep and sleep disruption do remarkable things to the body -- including possibly influencing our weight," says David Rapoport, MD, associate professor and director of the Sleep Medicine Program at the New York University School of Medicine in New York City.

While doctors have long known that many hormones are affected by sleep, Rapoport says it wasn't until recently that appetite entered the picture. What brought it into focus, he says, was research on the hormones leptin and ghrelin. First, doctors say that both can influence our appetite. And studies show that production of both may be influenced by how much or how little we sleep.

In fact, have you ever experienced a sleepless night followed by a day when no matter what you ate you never felt full or satisfied? If so, then you have experienced the workings of leptin and ghrelin.” ( http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/lose-weight-while-sleeping ) 

Tips for falling asleep and getting better sleep:

1.      Avoid all forms of caffiene past 12pm.

2.      Do not exercise past 6 pm, this raises hormone levels in your body that keep you awake.

3.      No TV one hour before bed.  Shown to overactivate the brain.

4.      Read or listen to calming music one hour before bed.

5.      Take ZMA (a supplement we’ll discuss in our next tip)

Next time we’ll discuss what supplment you can take to help induce deeper sleep and allow for faster recovery from workouts!

Dr. Bryan Dingsor is the owner of Watertown Chiropractic P.C. in Watertown, SD.  He specializes in the treatment of many musculoskeletal conditions and weight loss.  For an appointment, please call 605-882-2304 Today.