Everyday Habits That Can Gain You Weights

Have you wondered why it is so fast to gain kilos on your weight and so difficult to manage it? It is probably because of some dietary habit and lifestyle choices. Though we use to do it every day but we are unaware of the impact it is having that practice on our metabolism. That is why it is important to know and find out what we need to be careful of in order to avoid unwanted weight gain.

 1.  Insufficient Sleep. It is required to have at least 7-8 hours of sleep every day. And if you have been losing or not having enough sleep, chances are you will gain so much weight. Why? This will happen because person who lacks the right hours of sleep tend to feel hungrier even if they have already eaten the full meal. The appetite in your body is regulated by a hormone called the cortisol which is produced during sleep. So, if you don’t have enough sleep, the system gets imbalanced and leads you to feel hungry and crave for more foods.

2. Alcohol Intake. This happen to a lot of men after having a hard day’s work, they usually go to a local pub and drink. Although it lowers down the stress level for a certain period, but unaware of the effect of alcohol consumption which adds to the calories being consumed. So, if there’s no need to drink alcohol try to avoid it. 

3.  Not eating breakfast. Though it is considered the most important meal of the day, still many of us failed to do so for many reasons. It is also important to eat breakfast after having a good night sleep to get some fuel and energy for the body. And if you have nothing to fill into your stomach, your metabolism is thrown out of gear and any food that you eat later on has the possibility to add to your weight. That is why, as soon as you get out of your bed make it a habit and never forget to eat nutritious breakfast. 

4. Not monitoring how much we eat. This really true especially when there is an occasion wherein there are lots of foods served. Don’t just stop eating only when you feel full.Overeating will cause severe indigestion which can result to weight gain. Therefore, eat only several small meals throughout the day than having one large meal.

 5. No exercise. It is really important to move your body for a while. It is one way of burning out the excess calories that our body accumulates. Having this as a daily routine will end up us looking good, healthy and feeling confident.

Lack of Sleep May Get You Fatter

Sleep is one of the most important activities that our body needs. Sleepless nights don’t just mess up your mood during the next day but it also has effect of your body. Sleep deficiency can cause many people to pack extra pounds. There are several reasons why lack of sleep can lead to weight gain, says Michael Breus a sleep disorder specialist. He said that when we get too little shut-eye, our metabolism slows down to conserve energy. That slowdown will trigger the release of the hormone called cortisol which is responsible for the increase in appetite. Our mind thinks that we need more energy that is why it asks for more food. When we are lack of sleep it also causes our body to release more ghrelin, another kind of hormone that signals hunger and less leptin, the hormone that tells the stomach that it’s full. When that’s happen, the body wants more food and lacks the sensitivity to know when to stop eating. Another contributing factor for weight gain is that the body burns the most calories during REM sleep, the restful phase of sleep, therefore when we have less time in sleep it means less time in REM.
Therefore, we should try to get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep a night. If you have trouble sleeping, you follow the following steps: Stick to a nightly routine, exercise during the day, banish worries, and keep pre-bedtime activities relaxing.

Foods That Can Help You Sleep

Worried about falling asleep tonight? Take a look of the foods that you eat, it might be the cause of not getting enough sleep. Eating the right foods before going to bed may help fall asleep and even improve the quality of your sleep. Have a try of these foods before going to bed in order to get enough sleep. Just a reminder that it is important not to eat two hours before bedtime this is to give your body enough time to properly digest the food.
Almonds
Almonds contain magnesium which promotes both sleep and muscle relaxation. It has an added benefit of supplying proteins that can help in maintaining the stability of blood sugar level while sleeping. It also promotes sleep by switching you from your alert adrenaline cycle to your rest and digest cycle. Try this as your bedtime snack.
Tea
Drinking tea like chamomile tea and green tea is a safe sleep aid because it contains theanine which helps promote sleep. But be sure it is a decaf green tea.
Banana

It is considered as the most powerful fruit because of the benefits it offers to our body. It has an excellent source of magnesium and potassium which help relax the overstressed muscles. It also contains tryptophan which converts to serotonin and melatonin, the brain’s key calming hormones. Have a banana before going to bed and experience a good night sleep.

Dairy
Dairies like yogurt, milk and cheese do contain tryptophan, but aside from that it also have a surprising sleep inducing nutrient. It contains calcium which is effective in stress reduction and stabilization of nerve fibers and that includes those in the brain. Eating your favorite yogurt before bed also help you stop worrying about the weird thing that happened during the day.
Oatmeal

It is rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon and potassium which are known to support sleep. But go easy on the sweeteners because too much sugar before bed can have an anti-calming effect. Instead, try topping with fruit like banana.

Hard-Cooked Egg

We usually eat this during breakfast, but it can be also a good bedtime snack because of its high protein content so you can not only fall asleep but stay asleep.

Six Reasons Why We Need To Sleep

As a healthy rule, a person needs to sleep at least 8 hours a day. Unfortunately, the first thing that we do is trying to finish what we have started and we forgot that it’s already time to SLEEP. Sleep can sometimes feel like a luxury, but it is one “indulge” you can’t afford to skip. Why need to sleep? Below are some of the important reasons that we should take into consideration every time we lack of sleep.

1. Better Brainpower

Oftentimes, we only have six hours or less of sleep or in the same way staying awake for up to 48 hours straight. Keeping that schedule for a period of two weeks and you’ll impair your reaction time, thought processing and memory. In other words, our ability to drive a car, to think quickly on the job, the ability to remember names and events, the efficiency to our job will go down and drain if we lack sleep. So why risk ourselves? Get enough sleep and importantly go for the required hours and you will be a very effective person in everything that you think and do.

2. Stronger Immunity

If you practice the eight hours sleep per night your body will be stronger to catch up infection such as colds and fever.
3. Slimmer Figure

Women who sleep five or less hours a night are one third more likely to gain at least 33 pounds over the next 16 years compare to those who get seven to eight hours of sleep. It is because a person will produce more of the appetite promoting hormone ghrelin and less of the satiety producing hormone leptin when his low on sleep.

4. Less Disease

 
Of course when a person gets enough sleep he has a strong immune system that will fight against sickness as compare to people who sleeps for an average of five hours or fewer of sleep weakens the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels, which may double the risk for type 2 diabetes, according to Diabetes Care. And people who sleep five or fewer hours a night are 50 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure than are those who get more than six, possibly due to their elevated levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which strain the heart, the journal Sleep reports.

5. Healthier Hair

You can probably notice that when sleep few hours over time, your strands become brittle and thin. That’s because sleep deprivation can cause your body to churn out cortisol (a stress hormone that interferes with cell functioning, wreaking havoc on your hair even to your health as it may lead to chronic pain, depression, cognitive issues and heart problems). But if you get enough sleep as required, you’ll reap the benefits of growth hormones at their peak because the neurochemicals build new cells and repair damages ones including those in hair follicles.

6. Younger-looking Skin

Having a good night sleep, your skin goes into repair mode. Blood flow increases and with it, skin’s oxygen supply; amino acids also kick into action, producing collagen, which helps fight lines. But you can obtain the benefits only if you’re sleeping enough—the seven to eight hours ideal. And you’ll look so gorgeous, and when somebody will ask, what have you done? Your easy answer: Nothing—but sleep in!

10 Tips For Better Sleep

Adults need eight full hours of sleep and teens need nine hours and 15 minutes says John Shepard, Jr. M.D. However the average person only gets seven hours and 25 minutes of sleep per night.

You don't have to count sheep in order to sleep, by following the 10 tips for better sleep you can have a restful sleep during the night. Just try one or two or a combination until you have enough and quality sleep to feel alert and rested during the night.

1. Stick to a schedule and don't sleep late on weekends. Don't sleep late on Saturday and Sunday you'll get a Sunday night insomia. Instead, go to bed and get up at the same time every day. Don't rely on the alarm clock to wake you up when you get enough sleep.

2. Don't eat or drink a lot before bedtime. Eat only light dinner two hours before sleeping. And also do not drink too much liquid before sleeping you'll wake up repeatedly in the night to go to the bathroom. Don't eat spicy or fatty foods. These foods will cause heartburn. Avoid eating midnight snacks. Don't drink alcohol near bedtime. It will cause you to snore or develop sleep apnea.

3. Avoid caffeine and nicotine. They will keep you awake because of the additive stimulants present in these food and cigarette.

4. Exercise. For a better sleep, the best time to exercise is in the afternoon. It enhances the deep and refreshing stage of sleep.

5. A slightly cool room is ideal for sleeping. Try to sleep in warmer night clothes and wear socks if your room is cold. Use also blankets. If it's hot at night wear light night clothes and sleep under a single sheet.

6. Sleep only at night. Daytime naps steal hours from nighttime slumber. Limit daytime sleep up to 20 minutes. if you work in the nights, keep window curtains closed so that you will not be bothered by the rays of the sunlight. If you have a day job and sleep at night, leave the window curtains open and let the sun's light wake you up.

7. Keep it quiet. silence is more conducive to sleep. Turn off the radio and tv. You can use earplugs to mask sound that you cannot control such as a snoring partner, busy street, vehicles blowing horns, etc.

8. Make your bed. Make sure you have a comfortable bed that offers a good night sleep. Go to bed when your tired and turn out the lights. do not agonize about falling asleep, stress will only prevent from sleeping.

9. soak and sack out. Taking a hot shower or bath before bed helps bring on sleep because they can relax the tense muscles.

10. Don't rely on sleeping pills. Check with your doctor before taking any medicine for sleeping.