Tag Archives: #health

Not enough sleep? Weight gain will become a problem.

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You hear it all the time: If you don’t get enough sleep, you will gain weight. When I think about it, it doesn’t totally make sense because you aren’t sleeping, so you are being more active, right? Then I think about those days after I work a night shift, when I am getting things done in a haze, my brain is not fully functioning, and thinks happen a little bit slower, I feel miserable, and when I have a chance to stop and rest, I take it…so I begin to understand a bit more the whole weight gain portion.

sleep and weight gainWhy exactly does sleep make me gain weight?

When you do not get enough sleep, you are feeling tired and energy levels are low, leading to the use of caffeine and/or sugar to boost your energy levels to help you get through the day, which leads to energy crashes later in the day.  For those of you who exercise in the afternoon, it usually means that it doesn’t happen, because your energy is zapped. And if you are a morning exerciser, you tend to feel to exhausted to get to your workout; a lack of energy leads to a lack of drive.  And when you become dependent upon stimulants to get through the day, it can become a cycle, as sometimes you can overdo it with the caffeine and then have trouble shutting it down, even if you do have time to sleep. When you are tired and sluggish, you also tend to be more lazy; you don’t shop for healthy foods and/or cook for yourself, so you tend to eat what is available and easy.  None of these things are particularly good for your waistline.

There are two main hormones that regulate your eating cycle: ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is the hormone that tells you when you are hungry and you should eat, and it is at much higher levels when you are sleep deprived. Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating because you are full, and unfortunately it is in lower levels when you are without sleep. A lack of exercise, high ghrelin, and low leptin levels is basically the trifecta for weight gain.

Add on top of that, your body is not functioning optimally with a lack of sleep, so it’s not just your brain that feels fuzzy, so do the cells in your metabolism, so they aren’t working at their best either. It’s not as if one night with a lack of sleep is going to make you gain 15lbs immediately, but when it becomes a cycle of sleeping less than 7-8 hours per night, and we are frequently reaching for comfort foods, eating more than we normally do, skipping on our exercise, and relying on stimulants to get through the day, it’s not healthy, and you will gain weight.

What can I do?

Cut back on the stimulants and don’t have any after 12pm, and start making a bedtime routine (essentially set a bedtime for yourself) to try to break the cycle.  Also, forcing yourself to get some exercise, even though you already feel exhausted, even if it is just a long walk, really will exhaust your body….in a good way!  It will help to relax your muscles when you are done, and get your brain ready to shut down and get a better sleep/rest. Also try to avoid heavy meals and alcohol right before bed, it can make you have troubled sleep and increase the risk of heartburn. Also, maybe a soothing lavender bath/shower before bed, to help calm your system and ready yourself for sleep.

Once you start sleeping regularly, you will feel a boost in energy, be more efficient, and be healthier.  You can get into a health and wellness cycle by getting regular exercise, and eating healthier, which will lead to a really easy drop in weight…all by making one lifestyle change!

If you DO get 7-8 hours of sleep at night but it is troubled sleep or you always still feel exhausted in the morning you should see your Healthcare Practitioner (HCP) because you may have Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) or another process going on that requires a sleep study or more in-depth review.

Try to set a routine, and breaking the habit of caffeine can be miserable (I used to be a complete caffeine addict and have sleeping issues, so I KNOW how hard this is) but it is so worth it to be able to cut the cord and feel yourself without relying on caffeine and starting to be healthy again.  It seems impossible sometimes, but, I promise, it isn’t!

Yours in Good Health

B

Sodium: Is how much you ingest bad?

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For years and years and years HCPs have been telling you to cut out sodium as much as you can from your diet, and I feel like it is everywhere that people know they shouldn’t eat too much sodium, but, why?  And some ways to make sure you aren’t being duped into eating more sodium than you have intended!

SaltmillWhy is too much sodium bad?

Sodium is necessary for your body to thrive because it helps with a lot of the body processes like muscle contraction and relaxation (like with one of the most important muscles: our hearts), so it helps with blood pressure and also functions in our brains. But too much sodium can lead to a body retaining too much water, increase our blood pressure (due to the extra fluid retention related to the sodium), but this puts you at a higher risk for heart attacks and strokes.  For something that is a pretty attainable, lowering your sodium intake, it’s a great way to he healthy and protect your heart.

Where is sodium lurking?

If you are healthy with no medical issues, you can take in up to 2300mg of sodium per day (that’s about a teaspoon of salt) but if you have chronic kidney disease, heart disease, high blood pressure, or are over 50 years old, the suggested daily amount of sodium is 1500mg (which is not very much at all).  Sodium is in almost everything, and if it is pre-made or pre-packaged, the sodium content is usually unbelievably high!  So, if you are on (or should be on) a sodium restricted diet, there are some things you should skip or use sparingly:

- Pre-made foods from stores ( both fresh AND frozen, unless they are labelled as low sodium, but read the labels to be sure)

- Canned foods (even veggies/beans are loaded with sodium as a preservative; I have been buying dry beans and giving them a super soak, much healthier and no sodium added!)

- Condiments (including various spices!)

- Processed meats

- Fast foods

- Processed snack foods (potato chips, cheese curls, etc.)

- Cheeses

- Soups (even low sodium still has a lot of sodium, so I tend to make my own and not add any salt!)

And remember that fresh foods like fruits and veggies naturally have sodium in them, so even though you might think that you are not eating any extra sodium, you might be. Plus, always read the labels to be sure how much sodium is present in various foods! Many different beverages, including some bottled waters have sodium in them, so your best bet at sticking to a low sodium diet, is to reach for foods labelled as “low sodium”, reading package labels, shy away from beverages other than water, and don’t add any salt to your foods when you are cooking!  Plus, half the battle is being aware of how much sodium you should be taking in, and making an effort to stick to it.

And, if you do splurge, make sure to drink a lot of water, and get some exercise to help flush that extra sodium out of your system.

Yours in Good Health

B

An alternative sweetener and a yummy fruit?

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This may sound a little too good to be true, and not everyone will be a fan, but there is a fruit that is grown locally in Peru that is full of nutrients, and can be eaten as a fruit, then when dried, used as a sweetener.

What is this fruit?

The fruit is called lucuma (or a lucma at times.)  It’s full name is the Pouteria lucuma, and is primarily grown in Peru and Chile as they need to grow in altitudes between 1,000-2,400 meters, and in warmer weather.  They can sometimes be called “eggfruits” because the flesh of the fruit is the consistency of a hard-boiled egg, but don’t let that turn you off from trying it, because the flavor has been described as everything from caramel to maple, sweet potato to pumpkin. I know, not what you normally expect from a fruit, and due to the consistency (I am a very tactile eater) I don’t want to jump right in with a spoon, but it is quite tasty added to smoothies, and in ice cream (on its own as a flavor or when mixed with vanilla.) Yum! And besides its unique flavor, it is full of vitamins and nutrients: calcium, Vitamin A (beta carotene), Vitamin B3, iron, and zinc. And as an added bonus?  It has fiber and antioxidants in it!

lucumaHow is it used as a sweetener?

When the flesh of the lucuma fruit is dried, then ground into a powder, it still contains all of those vitamins and nutrients, and because of the inherent fruit sweetness (fructose), it is still sweet when dried and ground.  It is a low glycemic index food, which means it adds the sweetness, but it does not have a huge impact on your bodies insulin levels (with a surge up then crash like sugar.) It is a different kind of sweet than straight sugar cane sugar, so it cane take some getting used to, but I quite enjoy the different flavor that it has, and if you are looking to cut out sugar from your diet but still have some sweet in your life, it is a great option!  And it is an option for diabetics too.  And you can use it in anything that you would normally sweeten: smoothies, ice cream, coffee/tea, and when baking!

These fruits can be hard to find outside of Peruvian/South American specialty stores, but if you are lucky enough to find one, give it a try.  And, you can find lucuma powder at any health food store and many organic stores.  Try it and let me know what you think!

Yours in Good Health

B

A Happy and Healthy New Year!

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I hear a LOT of chatter about “my diet starts tomorrow!”, “I think I’m going to go gluten-free to lose some weight”, and my favorite “Just signed up for a new gym, so I know I’m going to go every day, and 2013 will be my year.” I appreciate all of the gusto, and that people decide to make a change, with a definitive date in mind (i.e. New Years day), and I REALLY want everyone to be successful, so why don’t we make a resolution we can stick to?  Perhaps, being healthier in 2013! There are so many things you can do to be healthier without making ridiculous requests of yourself that you know you won’t be able to keep.

How do I go about being healthier?

-Make a commitment to exercise: Try something new, something different, and something you aren’t committing to for a whole year! So don’t spend a ton of money at a gym, maybe get a pack of passes to a yoga and/or Pilates studio? Pole dancing? Spinning? Boot camp? Pick your poison; try something new, and stick to a two to three month commitment.  There’s no need to be married to it, if you like it, stick with it, if you don’t, you are not out a ton of money and you will find something new, but you are trying something new exercising, and you’re excited about it, which means you’re more apt to do it.  Paying a ton of money and signing a years contract to a gym does not mean you will actually be going there to run on that hamster wheel…right?

-Take the time for nutrition: Make a food journal, if you feel that you need to step up your diet and eat healthier, and figure out where your calories are coming from.  Don’t cheat yourself, but write down everything (including beverages) that you ingest during the day, and try to find ways to make it healthier, or cut calories.  Do you snack on candy at work? Bring trail mix (full of fiber, some sweetness from dried fruits, and protein from nuts) which will keep you satiated longer than candy and you will feel better, or just bring some protein in the form of nuts, yogurt, jerky, etc. if you bring your own snacks that you enjoy and are healthy, it will cut down on the amount of mindless snacking, that can add up in calories! Plus making your own food, you have more control over the ingredients and the amount of fats/sugars added, so your nutrition is literally in your own hands.

-Try to decrease refined sugars: It is difficult and definitely a commitment, but I am not a huge fan of people quitting things cold turkey, as it were. Watch the foods you are eating, and read nutrition labels, and try to cut out anything with extra sugars added and cut down on how much you add to your morning coffee (for example), or breakfast cereal.  Try Coconut palm sugar or agave, something that is not a chemical, with a low glycemic index that still makes your sweet tooth feel satiated!

-Commit to eat out LESS: Eating out or getting take out foods a lot, not only will cost a lot, but there are hidden fat and calories in take out food, that you wouldn’t add yourself.  If you don’t cook, maybe grab a friend and take a cooking class?  Or just teach yourself, as long as you make a commitment to learn to cook, you can do it…even if not burning toast is a feat for you, give yourself a pat on the back for getting it done! Some food items that seem like you have to buy them because they would be hard to make, are so easy to make and more delicious when you make them yourself, like: hummus and pita chips, salads, soups, etc..  So simple, and you can cut fat, calories, and extra sodium! I made a tomato basil bisque with 1/4 of the fat and calories that you would normally get at a restaurant- so easy, fast, and yumbos!

 

Easy, yummy, good for you, and cost friendly!

Easy, yummy, good for you, and cost friendly!

-Try not to obsess about numbers: I am the opposite of most people and I don’t even own a scale.  I judge my weight based off of how I look and feel in clothes.  I roughly know what I weigh, but I am never certain until I go for a check up and I get weighed! But, if you are someone who weighs themselves a few tips: don’t do it daily (especially for women, hormones can really mess with that number), but weigh yourself at the same time weekly (this will give you a better average), and don’t be so obsessed with ONE number that you want to weigh.  Just be healthy, and exercise, and your weigh will come down to what it should be; if you starve yourself or workout like bonkers to hit a certain number, once you hit it, you will most likely won’t stay there: you set yourself up for failure.

Truly making a commitment to yourself and bettering your health is the first decision that you make, from there on, it is so easy to stick to it: buy healthy foods (buy groceries primarily from the outer aisles of the store), stock up on healthy snacks and keep them around (if you have easy access to healthy foods you are more apt to eat them), and try some new exercises, grab a buddy and go! The only person that can impeded your commitment to a healthier you IS you, so make that decision, go for it fully, and take charge over your own body.  It will feel good to be healthy, and starting off with healthy choices makes you feel good and will lead to a chain reaction of healthy choices.  So here’s to 2013 and a healthier version of you!!!

Yours in Good Health

B

Vision Loss: We are all at a higher risk than we think…..

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I have had some questions lately related to eye damage from sun, and reflections from ice/snow, and people wondering if that can damage your eyes?  YES! Sun glare is a huge danger for our eyes, which is why it is really important to protect them, but there are also some everyday risks that I don’t think most people are aware of that can cause visual damage.  If you are a skier/snowboarder, sailor, hiker….anything outdoorsy, where you might be at risk for sun glare, I want to tell you about the sunglasses that you NEED to protect those peepers (and why they are superior).  And if you are at risk, for other reasons (perhaps due to your work environment) some tips on how to prevent eye damage and protect your eyes at work.

How does vision work?

The eye is a very fascinating organ, and it always amazes me how it works.  There is the cornea, which is the protective covering over the front of the eye (which is clear and gooey), then there is the lens, which helps to focus light rays towards the retina (the first real filter).  The big black center of the eye is the pupil, and that determines how much light is allowed into the eye at one time (gets bigger and smaller depending on a lot of things, but usually the amount of light present is a huge factor).  There is the Iris that surrounds the pupil, and that is the colored part of our eyes (that’s what makes the men swoon, ladies, always the iris!)  At the very back of your eyeball is a nerve tissue called the retina, and that is what senses light, and sends impulses (through a nerve called the optic nerve) directly to your brain. There is a small part of the retina, called the macula, which helps us to see fine details, through having super light sensitivity (this can be difficult in bright sunlight without the proper protection). All of these areas of the eye, work together to make our vision what it is.  Any damage to any one part of your eyes (or the part of you brain that sense your optic nerves), can drastically change your vision.  So, protecting our eyes is really crucial.

What damages eyes?

Most people know about UV-A and UV-B, but did you know about how much damage can be caused by UV-C and Blue light? Ultraviolet light (UV-A, UV-B, and UV-C which are denoted in nanometers, or nm) cannot be seen by the human eye, but they will definitely cause visual damage, over time, with exposure.  UV-C (180-290 nm) is the lowest range of Ultraviolet light (on the light spectrum) and excessive, repeated exposure to it, causes damage to our cornea and lens, and is usually present in sparks or any source of created electricity (visualizing direct bright light).  Repeated exposure to UV-B (280-315 nm) (which is found in nature and indoors as well) can cause damage to the lens and create something called “welders eye” (AKA snow blindness, flash blindness, corneal burns); when you are exposed to high levels of UV light, and it can occur hours after exposure, you feel like your eyes are burning or itching with sand in them and they become quite uncomfortable and watery. UV-A (315-380 nm) which is the highest wavelength (which is found out in nature from the sun) can also cause snow blindness (“welders eye”) with excessive and repeated exposure.  Now, Blue light (380-500 nm), which is present in sunlight, as well as in offices from some lighting and computer screens, causes direct damage to the retina. Many sunglasses do not have full UV-A, UV-B, UV-C, and Blue light protection, which puts you at risk, without even knowing it.  But, you might have a clue; are you still squinting in sunlight behind your sunglasses? That most likely means they are ineffective and not totally protecting you, but I know a fix for that problem. And, at work, if you have to work at a computer all day, which many people do, what are you going to do, be the cool guy in the office and wear shades all day long? No, we can find some workarounds for that too.

How can I protect my eyes?

Outdoors: Well, for starters, you can always have sunglasses on your eyes when you are out in light.  But not just any sunglasses, you need to have a sunglasses that, let’s be honest, look really cool, fit optimally, and actually protect your eyes. There is one new brand out there that actually covers all the aforementioned criteria, along with some other really amazing features: Alue Optics.  A lot of companies create a really basic product for the lowest possible cost, slap on their brand name and charge a premium for their glasses, and you are really getting an inferior product that doesn’t protect your eyes at all (or minimally) from UV-A and/or UV-B exposure.  Honestly, that was something I never really paid attention to; I bought whatever looked cool from Prada (or whatever other brand du jour) and called it a day, but what I have realized now that I am starting to pay attention to my body and the reactions it has, that when I am out in the snow or out on the ocean (or even just driving with snow on the ground) when it is sunny and there is glare, my sunglasses, that I paid quite a premium for, are not at all helpful and I’m still squinting behind them to try to cut the glare…and it doesn’t work. That means my eyes are being damaged AND I can’t visualize anything well, which is really an all around fail.

Alue Optics is a company that was started by a mother and son duo looking to create the ultimate sunglasses, made for people who are active outdoors, whether on the water, running, hiking, being active or taking pictures in the sun, and need to be able to actually visualize what they are doing/snapping pics of…and look good at all the same time. They have created sunglasses that are made for visual acuity (being able to see well what you need to see: the protection from the sunlight and glare allows for the macula to be able to detect fine detail, thus you have better visualization to take pictures, see further, etc.) and comfort using optimal quality glass lenses, giving 100% UV-A, UV-B, & UV-C protection, along with 100% Blue light protection up to 410nm and 93% up to 480nm, which is a statement that almost no other companies can make! Your eyes are basically protected from 180nm to 800nm, and that’s no joke, and the lenses have been extensively tested to prove that. The lenses are made up of five layers of which three are: a polarizing film (a film that helps to filter the lights concentrated reflections that lead to glare), a hydrophobic coating (to prevent smudges and dirt from ruining your vision while being active), and an anti-reflective coating (to prevent glares reflection).  Plus, the designs of the glasses are über cool, and are made to be comfortable (no pinching at the nose or uncomfortable above your ears) because they are made with spring hinges, and made of the finest quality frames from Italy and Japan.  These sunglasses hit everything on my list: look rad on, protect my eyes, and I can see with such amazing clarity?  Any of you who are active outdoors (or even drive in the snow/intense sun) need to get some Alue Optic shades.

Indoors: When you are exposed to UV indoors from your job because you work with welding, intense fire, or other high intensity electricity that you need to stare at, you should always wear protective eye gear with UV-A, UV-B, UV-C, and Blue light protection.  Now, if you work in an office, computer screen glare is not such an easy fix, but there are things we can do to protect our peepers: look away or take a quick “eye break” every 5 minutes (in that you look away from the screen for a few seconds), or close your eyes for 5-10 seconds when you are doing a lot of data input or computer work to give your eyes a small break. It is best to have your computer screen 16″-30″ from your eyes (not too close and not straining), and ensure your font is big enough so you aren’t straining to see what you are typing.  Whenever your office gets heavy sunlight (if you are lucky enough to have a window), use blinds or move your computer screen to prevent glare from the sun on your screen from reflecting directly into your eyes, and try keep your screen clean from dust and fingerprints, because they can add to glare and cause you to strain to see what is on your screen.  Finally, adjust the contrast/brightness of your screen to decrease the amount of eye strain and glare, everyone has a sweet spot based on the lighting available in your office, so adjust your screen to work with what you have and makes you most comfortable.

So, while I am sure you all were hoping I would tell you that you just had to quit your computer jobs to save your overall optical healthy, not so (sorry); just alter your environment to make the least amount of strain as possible and try to get some natural light when you can to give your eyes a break, plus don’t go home after staring at a computer all day and stare at a computer again all night! Give your eyes a break: read a book.

And, for those of you who are in search of the chupacabra of sunglasses, that are made with the most optimal materials from around the world, protect your eyes, and look AMAZINGLY cool, Alue Optics has given me a promo code for you guys to get 25% off your order. When you find the pair of shades that works best for you, enter the code: nursebridgid at checkout and you can thank me later while seeing the world more clearly without glare….and with healthy, fresh eyes! Go check them out, and I know that you will understand why they are such a superior product, I promise your eyes will be happy and healthy!

Yours in Good Health

B