sleep well

How Much Sleep Do You Need?

Sleep Cycles & Stages, Lack of Sleep, and How to Get the Hours You Need

When you’re scrambling to meet the countless demands of your day, cutting back on sleep might seem like the only answer. Who can afford to spend so much time sleeping, anyway? The truth is you can’t afford not to. Even minimal sleep loss takes a toll on your mood, energy, and ability to handle stress. By understanding your nightly sleep needs and what you can do to bounce back from chronic sleep loss, you can finally get on a healthy sleep schedule.

The power of sleep

             Many of us try to sleep as little as possible. There are so many things that seem more interesting or important than getting a few more hours of sleep, but just as exercise and nutrition are essential for optimal health and happiness, so is sleep. The quality of your sleep directly affects the quality of your waking life, including your mental sharpness, productivity, emotional balance, creativity, physical vitality, and even your weight. No other activity delivers so many benefits with so little effort!

Understanding sleep

               Sleep isn’t exactly a time when your body and brain shut off. While you rest, your brain stays busy, overseeing a wide variety of biological maintenance that keeps your body running in top condition, preparing you for the day ahead. Without enough hours of restorative sleep, you won’t be able to work, learn, create, and communicate at a level even close to your true potential. Regularly skimp on “service” and you’re headed for a major mental and physical breakdown.

The good news is that you don't have to choose between health and productivity. As you start getting the sleep you need, your energy and efficiency will go up. In fact, you're likely to find that you actually get more done during the day than when you were skimping on shuteye.

Myths and Facts about Sleep

Myth 1: Getting just one hour less sleep per night won’t affect your daytime functioning. You may not be noticeably sleepy during the day, but losing even one hour of sleep can affect your ability to think properly and respond quickly. It also compromises your cardiovascular health, energy balance, and ability to fight infections.
Myth 2: Your body adjusts quickly to different sleep schedules. Most people can reset their biological clock, but only by appropriately timed cues—and even then, by one–two hours per day at best. Consequently, it can take more than a week to adjust after traveling across several time zones or switching to the night shift.
Myth 3: Extra sleep at night can cure you of problems with excessive daytime fatigue. The quantity of sleep you get is important, sure, but it's the quality of your sleep that you really have to pay attention to. Some people sleep eight or nine hours a night but don’t feel well rested when they wake up because the quality of their sleep is poor.
Myth 4: You can make up for lost sleep during the week by sleeping more on the weekends. Although this sleeping pattern will help relieve part of a sleep debt, it will not completely make up for the lack of sleep. Furthermore, sleeping later on the weekends can affect your sleep-wake cycle so that it is much harder to go to sleep at the right time on Sunday nights and get up early on Monday mornings.
Adapted from: Your Guide to Healthy Sleep (PDF) The National Institutes of Health

How many hours of sleep do you need?

               According to the National Institutes of Health, the average adult sleeps less than seven hours per night. In today’s fast-paced society, six or seven hours of sleep may sound pretty good. In reality, though, it’s a recipe for chronic sleep deprivation.

There is a big difference between the amount of sleep you can get by on and the amount you need to function optimally. Just because you're able to operate on seven hours of sleep doesn't mean you wouldn't feel a lot better and get more done if you spent an extra hour or two in bed.

While sleep requirements vary slightly from person to person, most healthy adults need between seven and a half to nine hours of sleep per night to function at their best. Children and teens need even more (see Average Sleep Needs table below). And despite the notion that our sleep needs decrease with age, older people still need at least seven and a half to eight hours of sleep. Since older adults often have trouble sleeping this long at night, daytime naps can help fill in the gap.

The best way to figure out if you're meeting your sleep needs is to evaluate how you feel as you go about your day. If you're logging enough hours, you'll feel energetic and alert all day long, from the moment you wake up until your regular bedtime.

Sleep needs and peak performance

              There is a big difference between the amount of sleep you can get by on and the amount you need to function optimally. Just because you’re able to operate on seven hours of sleep doesn’t mean you wouldn’t feel a lot better and get more done if you spent an extra hour or two in bed. The best way to figure out if you’re meeting your sleep needs is to evaluate how you feel as you go about your day. If you’re logging enough hours, you’ll feel energetic and alert all day long, from the moment you wake up until your regular bedtime.

Think six hours of sleep is enough?

             Think again. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco discovered that some people have a gene that enables them to do well on six hours of sleep a night. This gene, however, is very rare, appearing in less than 3% of the population. For the other 97% of us, six hours doesn’t come close to cutting it.

How to Sleep Better

Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

 

             How you feel during your waking hours hinges greatly on how well you sleep. Similarly, the cure for sleep difficulties can often be found in your daily routine. Your sleep schedule, bedtime habits, and day-to-day lifestyle choices can make an enormous difference to the quality of your nightly rest. The following tips will help you optimize your sleep so you can be productive, mentally sharp, emotionally balanced, and full of energy all day long.

The secret to getting good sleep every night

            Well-planned strategies are essential to deep, restorative sleep you can count on, night after night. By learning to avoid common enemies of sleep and trying out a variety of healthy sleep-promoting techniques, you can discover your personal prescription to a good night’s rest.
              The key, or secret, is to experiment. What works for some might not work as well for others. It’s important to find the sleep strategies that work best for you.
             The first step to improving the quality of your rest is finding out how much sleep you need. How much sleep is enough? While sleep requirements vary slightly from person to person, most healthy adults need at least eight hours of sleep each night to function at their best.

How to sleep better tip 1: Keep a regular sleep schedule

            Getting in sync with your body’s natural sleep-wake cycle—your circadian rhythm—is one of the most important strategies for achieving good sleep. If you keep a regular sleep schedule, going to bed and getting up at the same time each day, you will feel much more refreshed and energized than if you sleep the same number of hours at different times. This holds true even if you alter your sleep schedule by only an hour or two. Consistency is vitally important.

• Set a regular bedtime. Go to bed at the same time every night. Choose a time when you normally feel tired, so that you don’t toss and turn. Try not to break this routine on weekends when it may be tempting to stay up late. If you want to change your bedtime, help your body adjust by making the change in small daily increments, such as 15 minutes earlier or later each day.
• Wake up at the same time every day. If you’re getting enough sleep, you should wake up naturally without an alarm. If you need an alarm clock to wake up on time, you may need to set an earlier bedtime. As with your bedtime, try to maintain your regular wake-time even on weekends.
• Nap to make up for lost sleep. If you need to make up for a few lost hours, opt for a daytime nap rather than sleeping late. This strategy allows you to pay off your sleep debt without disturbing your natural sleep-wake rhythm, which often backfires in insomnia and throws you off for days.
• Be smart about napping. While taking a nap can be a great way to recharge, especially for older adults, it can make insomnia worse. If insomnia is a problem for you, consider eliminating napping. If you must nap, do it in the early afternoon, and limit it to thirty minutes.
• Fight after-dinner drowsiness. If you find yourself getting sleepy way before your bedtime, get off the couch and do something mildly stimulating to avoid falling asleep, such as washing the dishes, calling a friend, or getting clothes ready for the next day. If you give in to the drowsiness, you may wake up later in the night and have trouble getting back to sleep.

Discovering your optimal sleep schedule

          Find a period of time (a week or two should do) when you are free to experiment with different sleep and wake times. Go to bed at the same time every night and allow yourself to sleep until you wake up naturally. No alarm clocks! If you’re sleep deprived, it may take a few weeks to fully recover. But as you go to bed and get up at the same time, you’ll eventually land on the natural sleep schedule that works best for you.

How to sleep better tip 2: Naturally regulate your sleep-wake cycle

             Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone controlled by light exposure that helps regulate your sleep-wake cycle. Melatonin production is controlled by light exposure. Your brain should secrete more in the evening, when it’s dark, to make you sleepy, and less during the day when it’s light and you want to stay awake and alert. However, many aspects of modern life can disrupt your body’s natural production of melatonin and with it your sleep-wake cycle.
           Spending long days in an office away from natural light, for example, can impact your daytime wakefulness and make your brain sleepy. Then bright lights at night—especially from hours spent in front of the TV or computer screen—can suppress your body’s production of melatonin and make it harder to sleep. However, there are ways for you to naturally regulate your sleep-wake cycle, boost your body’s production of melatonin, and keep your brain on a healthy schedule.

Increase light exposure during the day

• Remove your sunglasses in the morning and let light onto your face.
• Spend more time outside during daylight. Try to take your work breaks outside in sunlight, exercise outside, or walk your dog during the day instead of at night.
• Let as much light into your home/workspace as possible. Keep curtains and blinds open during the day, and try to move your desk closer to the window.
• If necessary, use a light therapy box. A light therapy box can simulate sunshine and can be especially useful during short winter days when there’s limited daylight.

Boost melatonin production at night

• Turn off your television and computer. Many people use the television to fall asleep or relax at the end of the day, and this is a mistake. Not only does the light suppress melatonin production, but television can actually stimulate the mind, rather than relaxing it. Try listening to music or audio books instead, or practicing relaxation exercises. If your favorite TV show is on late at night, record it for viewing earlier in the day.
• Don’t read from a backlit device at night (such as an iPad). If you use a portable electronic device to read, use an eReader that is not backlit, i.e. one that requires an additional light source such as a bedside lamp.
• Change your bright light bulbs. Avoid bright lights before bed, use low-wattage bulbs instead.
• When it’s time to sleep, make sure the room is dark. The darker it is, the better you’ll sleep. Cover electrical displays, use heavy curtains or shades to block light from windows, or try a sleep mask to cover your eyes.
• Use a flashlight to go to the bathroom at night. If you wake up during the night to use the bathroom—as long as it’s safe to do so—keep the light to a minimum so it will be easier to go back to sleep.

How to sleep better tip 3: Create a relaxing bedtime routine

If you make a consistent effort to relax and unwind before bed, you will sleep easier and more deeply. A peaceful bedtime routine sends a powerful signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down and let go of the day’s stresses.

Make your bedroom more sleep friendly

• Keep noise down. If you can’t avoid or eliminate noise from barking dogs, loud neighbors, city traffic, or other people in your household, try masking it with a fan, recordings of soothing sounds, or white noise. You can buy a special sound machine or generate your own white noise by setting your radio between stations. Earplugs may also help.
• Keep your room cool. The temperature of your bedroom also affects sleep. Most people sleep best in a slightly cool room (around 65° F or 18° C) with adequate ventilation. A bedroom that is too hot or too cold can interfere with quality sleep.
• Make sure your bed is comfortable. You should have enough room to stretch and turn comfortably. If you often wake up with a sore back or an aching neck, you may need to invest in a new mattress or a try a different pillow. Experiment with different levels of mattress firmness, foam or egg crate toppers, and pillows that provide more or less support.

Reserve your bed for sleeping and sex

             If you associate your bed with events like work or errands, it will be harder to wind down at night. Use your bed only for sleep and sex. That way, when you go to bed, your body gets a powerful cue: it’s time to either nod off or be romantic.

Relaxing bedtime rituals to try

• Read a book or magazine by a soft light
• Take a warm bath
• Listen to soft music
• Do some easy stretches
• Wind down with a favorite hobby
• Listen to books on tape
• Make simple preparations for the next day

How to sleep better tip 4: Eat right and get regular exercise

Your daytime eating and exercise habits play a role in how well you sleep. It’s particularly important to watch what you put in your body in the hours leading up to your bedtime.

• Stay away from big meals at night. Try to make dinnertime earlier in the evening, and avoid heavy, rich foods within two hours of bed. Fatty foods take a lot of work for your stomach to digest and may keep you up. Also be cautious when it comes to spicy or acidic foods in the evening, as they can cause stomach trouble and heartburn.
• Avoid alcohol before bed. Many people think that a nightcap before bed will help them sleep, but it's counterintuitive. While it may make you fall asleep faster, alcohol reduces your sleep quality, waking you up later in the night. To avoid this effect, stay away from alcohol in the hours before bed.
• Cut down on caffeine. You might be surprised to know that caffeine can cause sleep problems up to ten to twelve hours after drinking it! Consider eliminating caffeine after lunch or cutting back your overall intake.
• Avoid drinking too many liquids in the evening. Drinking lots of water, juice, tea, or other fluids may result in frequent bathroom trips throughout the night. Caffeinated drinks, which act as diuretics, only make things worse.
• Quit smoking. Smoking causes sleep troubles in numerous ways. Nicotine is a stimulant, which disrupts sleep, plus smokers experience nicotine withdrawal as the night progresses, making it hard to sleep.

If you’re hungry at bedtime

            For some people, a light snack before bed can help promote sleep. When you pair tryptophan-containing foods with carbohydrates, it may help calm the brain and allow you to sleep better. For others, eating before bed can lead to indigestion and make sleeping more difficult. Experiment with your food habits to determine your optimum evening meals and snacks.
If you need a bedtime snack, try:

• Half a turkey sandwich
• A small bowl of whole-grain, low-sugar cereal
• Granola with low-fat milk or yogurt
• A banana

           You’ll also sleep more deeply if you exercise regularly. You don’t have to be a star athlete to reap the benefits—as little as 20 to 30 minutes of daily activity helps. And you don’t need to do all 30 minutes in one session. You can break it up into five minutes here, 10 minutes there, and still get the benefits. Try a brisk walk, a bicycle ride, or even gardening or housework.
Some people prefer to schedule exercise in the morning or early afternoon as exercising too late in the day can stimulate the body, raising its temperature. Even if you prefer not to exercise vigorously at night, don’t feel glued to the couch, though. Relaxing exercises such as yoga or gentle stretching can help promote sleep.

How to sleep better tip 5: Get anxiety and stress in check

               Do you find yourself unable to sleep or waking up night after night? Residual stress, worry, and anger from your day can make it very difficult to sleep well. When you wake up or can’t get to sleep, take note of what seems to be the recurring theme. That will help you figure out what you need to do to get your stress and anger under control during the day.
If you can’t stop yourself from worrying, especially about things outside your control, you need to learn how to manage your thoughts. For example, you can learn to evaluate your worries to see if they’re truly realistic and replace irrational fears with more productive thoughts. Even counting sheep is more productive than worrying at bedtime.
If the stress of managing work, family, or school is keeping you awake, you may need help with stress management. By learning how to manage your time effectively, handle stress in a productive way, and maintain a calm, positive outlook, you’ll be able to sleep better at night.

Relaxation techniques for better sleep

            Relaxation is beneficial for everyone, but especially for those struggling with sleep. Practicing relaxation techniques before bed is a great way to wind down, calm the mind, and prepare for sleep. Some simple relaxation techniques include:

• Deep breathing. Close your eyes, and try taking deep, slow breaths, making each breath even deeper than the last.
• Progressive muscle relaxation. Starting with your toes, tense all the muscles as tightly as you can, then completely relax. Work your way up from your feet to the top of your head.
• Visualizing a peaceful, restful place. Close your eyes and imagine a place or activity that is calming and peaceful for you. Concentrate on how relaxed this place or activity makes you feel.

How to sleep better tip 6: Ways to get back to sleep

            It’s normal to wake briefly during the night. In fact, a good sleeper won’t even remember it. But if you’re waking up during the night and having trouble falling back asleep, the following tips may help.

• Stay out of your head. The key to getting back to sleep is continuing to cue your body for sleep, so remain in bed in a relaxed position. Hard as it may be, try not to stress over the fact that you’re awake or your inability to fall asleep again, because that very stress and anxiety encourages your body to stay awake. A good way to stay out of your head is to focus on the feelings and sensations in your body.
• Make relaxation your goal, not sleep. If you find it hard to fall back asleep, try a relaxation technique such as visualization, deep breathing, or meditation, which can be done without even getting out of bed. Remind yourself that although they’re not a replacement for sleep, rest and relaxation still help rejuvenate your body.
• Do a quiet, non-stimulating activity. If you’ve been awake for more than 15 minutes, try getting out of bed and doing a quiet, non-stimulating activity, such as reading a book. Keep the lights dim so as not to cue your body clock that it’s time to wake up. Also avoid screens of any kind—computers, TV, cell phones, iPads—as the type of light they emit is stimulating to the brain. A light snack or herbal tea might help relax you, but be careful not to eat so much that your body begins to expect a meal at that time of the day.
• Postpone worrying and brainstorming. If you wake during the night feeling anxious about something, make a brief note of it on paper and postpone worrying about it until the next day when you are fresh and it will be easier to resolve. Similarly, if a brainstorm or great idea is keeping you awake, make a note of it on paper and fall back to sleep knowing you’ll be much more productive and creative after a good night’s rest.

How to sleep better tip 7: Cope with shift work sleep disorder

             A disrupted sleep schedule caused by working nights or irregular shifts can lead to sleepiness in the work place, affect your mood, energy, and concentration, and increase your risk of accidents, injuries, and work-related mistakes. Shift workers tend to suffer from two problems: sleeping at home during the day and staying awake at work during the night. To avoid or limit these problems:

• Limit the number of night or irregular shifts you work in a row to prevent sleep deprivation from mounting up. If that’s not possible, avoid rotating shifts frequently so you can maintain the same sleep schedule.
• Avoid a long commute that reduces sleep time. Also, the more time you spend traveling home in daylight, the more awake you’ll become and the harder you’ll find it to get to sleep.
• Drink caffeinated drinks early in your shift, but avoid them close to bedtime.
• Take frequent breaks and use them to move around as much as possible—take a walk, stretch, or even exercise if possible.
• Adjust your sleep-wake schedule and your body’s natural production of melatonin. Expose yourself to bright light when you wake up at night, use bright lamps or daylight-simulation bulbs in your workplace, and then wear dark glasses on your journey home to block out sunlight and encourage sleepiness.
• Eliminate noise and light from your bedroom during the day. Use blackout curtains or a sleep mask, turn off the phone, and use ear plugs or a soothing sound machine to block out daytime noise.
• Make sleep a priority at the weekends or on your nonworking days so you can pay off your sleep debt.

How to sleep better tip 8: Know when to see a sleep doctor

             If you’ve tried the tips above and are still struggling with sleep problems, you may have a sleep disorder that requires professional treatment. Consider scheduling a visit with a sleep doctor if, despite your best efforts at self–help, you are still troubled by any of the following symptoms:

• Persistent daytime sleepiness or fatigue
• Loud snoring accompanied by pauses in breathing
• Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• Unrefreshing sleep
• Frequent morning headaches
• Crawling sensations in your legs or arms at night
• Inability to move while falling asleep or waking up
• Physically acting out dreams during sleep
• Falling asleep at inappropriate times

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benefits of jogging

7 Benefits of Jogging That You Didn’t Know

            The benefits of jogging just keep on piling up. Jogging is one of the oldest and most popular forms of aerobic exercise. Fads come and go, but jogging has withstood some of the trendiest exercise crazes that have come thru the years. There are many health benefits of jogging which is why it has remained so popular. As always, consult a physician first before embarking on any exercise program. When you do take it up, start slowly. Take brisk walks at first and slowly introduce jogging spurts as you build your endurance. They say the ideal form is to land on the ball of the heel and you should push with your toes. A sign of good form is if you feel like you are gliding, with hardly any pressure or weight on your feet. Purchase the proper running clothes, but be especially particular with running shoes. They should be a half size bigger than your actual size, to give your toes wiggle room. Also, make up your mind if jogging on a treadmill or outdoors suits you better. Treadmill jogging is great because rain or shine, you get to do the activity.

           Jogging outdoors on the other hand keeps you in touch with outside action. You can also determine if you are a morning or afternoon jogger so you can plan and make time for the exercise. The benefits of jogging in the morning are that you are fresh, well-rested, and if you run on an empty stomach, could burn more fat. Afternoon jogs on the other hand can help you blow-off steam and accumulated stress from the day. Here are seven major reasons that you should take up jogging.

Jogging has many disease prevention advantages. Here are just a few jogging benefits:

1. Jogging Helps Prevent Hypertension and Heart Disease

             Aerobic fitness is linked to a better quality of life. The benefit of jogging is that it can reduce your risk of developing a host of diseases. Among these is heart disease since your cardiovascular system since gets a great workout with this exercise. Jogging helps to keep high blood pressure at bay. One mechanism it activates is the lowering of LDL or the “bad cholesterol” in your blood as you do vigorous exercise such as jogging. Known as the “silent killer”, hypertension can have long term effects on your body that could lead to life threatening conditions such as hemorrhaging, atherosclerosis and aneurysms if it is unchecked.

2. Jogging Helps Prevent Some Cancers

              Researchers strongly agree that jogging is helpful in the prevention of some cancers. This is achieved by the better oxygenation of the entire body while we are jogging. Cells that do not get adequate supplies of oxygen have been known to mutate more vigorously, often turning malignant. Jogging increases the supply of oxygen to all parts of the body, helping prevent some cancers.

3. Jogging Helps Keep Infectious Diseases at Bay

             Jogging also strengthens the immune system remarkably well. There is strong evidence that aerobic exercise helps promote the stimulation of macrophages or bacteria fighting cells and lymphocytes that fight infections thru the immune system. Having these cells circulate systemically helps boost our over-all immunity to stave off several infectious diseases, such as the common cold and flu which are viral diseases, and some bacterial infections.

4. Jogging Wages War with Diabetes

            Jogging also helps control and prevents diabetes. A sedentary lifestyle and being overweight has been shown to directly increase your risk of developing diabetes. Adopting jogging and a healthy lifestyle can prevent you from acquiring this debilitating condition.

Jogging also has other beneficial effects besides physical well being. It also promotes our mental and psychological conditions.

5. Improved Mental Fitness

            Jogging also benefits our mental health. Being in shape gives us a better sense of confidence and self esteem. You are also able to improve your over-all demeanor since jogging helps release the feel-good hormones called endorphins. These are chemicals released into the body that causes you to have an upbeat mood. This is what is commonly referred to as the runners high. Exercise like jogging will keep you feeling better and happy the whole day.

6. Combat Stress with Jogging

            Jogging is very helpful when it comes to fighting stress. It helps put you in a more peaceful state of mind and helps promote an upbeat attitude. Jogging or running on a treadmill can give immediate tension release by helping the release of brain chemicals that have a calming effect on our emotions. These chemical are norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine. Exercise has been shown to affect at the cellular level by reversing some of the adverse effects of stress that are aging related. Jogging and the repeated pounding of your feet on the treadmill or pavement helps give us that peaceful state that allows us to shut out the world and just be alone with our thoughts. This can be a very soothing feeling, shutting out stressors while we are immersed in the joy of running. It also affords us the solitude to sort out some of our daily concerns with less distraction.

7. Jogging Helps you Lose Weight and Reduces Body Fat Levels

           The benefits of jogging for women and men is that it almost has no equal with regards to weight regulation. It is estimated that you will burn roughly around 150 calories for every mile that you go jogging. Doing this religiously would increase the number of calories you lose in the long run. This is one of the benefits of jogging everyday. There is also the afterburn effect as you will still be burning additional calories for the next 48 hours after your last run. This is also one of the most efficient ways to lose weight and get into shape. You will be able to achieve your fitness goals faster than if you did other cardiovascular exercises such as walking. Jogging is your answer to losing those extra pounds that just stubbornly won’t come off. Since it is weight bearing, it allows you to burn a larger number of calories per session. Bear in mind a little math; one pound of fat is equal to 3,500 calories, which simply means you have to torch 3,500 calories to lose one pound of fat. Jogging will help you reach that goal faster.

          So whether you plan to hit the treadmill or the pavement, give jogging a try. It is a time tested exercise that has reaped health benefits for millions of people for several generations now.

Bottom line…

Jogging is awesome!

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drink smoothies

21 Reasons to Consume Healthy Smoothies

         Why do so many people consume healthy smoothies on a regular basis? I have my own reasons, but thought it would be fun and helpful for others to collect all of the more popular reasons into one spot. Initially, I planned on covering the top 10 reasons, but once I got going I realized 10 wouldn’t do justice to healthy smoothies.

            While many of the reasons below are associated with a particular health benefit, several others made the list. After reading this I think you’ll be convinced that developing the habit of making healthy smoothies on a daily basis is an excellent investment of your time and money.

The 21 Reasons to Consume Healthy Smoothies

1. Get your daily allowance of fruits and vegetables. Consuming the daily recommendations of fruits and vegetables can be a challenge. Blending a couple of servings of each into a smoothie helps ensure you meet your body’s daily nutritional needs.
2. Quick and easy. Making your own nutrient dense smoothie doesn’t take as long as preparing most meals, giving you more time for others things. Taking a smoothie with you is an additional convenient option.
3. Kids like smoothies. Getting your kids to eat healthy foods is not always easy. Fortunately, most kids love the taste of a creamy smoothie naturally sweetened by fruit or a good sweetener like honey, maple syrup, or stevia. You can even hide veggies in your kid’s smoothies that they would never eat on their own. For more info on kid friendly smoothies, see how to make smoothies your kids will love.
4. Easier weight loss. There are a number of weight loss programs that promote replacing a meal with a liquid drink. Provide your body with all the vitamins and minerals it needs via smoothies, cut out the weight gaining crap from your diet, and watch the pounds melt away. Lose weight easier than before and slim down the healthy way with diet smoothies.
5. Improved digestion. Nobody I know wants to experience constipation or indigestion. Let your blender “chew” your food and ease the burden on your digestive system while you simultaneously consume plenty of dietary fiber to ensure excellent digestion.
6. Delicious. Yes, eating healthy and tasting great can go hand in hand. With so many recipes to choose from, finding one or more pleasing to your palate is a breeze.
7. Detox. We’re exposed to and bombarded by thousands of man-made chemicals in today’s world, which leaves our body begging to detoxify. Give your digestive system a break while adding detoxifying ingredients like dandelion greens and kale into your smoothies to aid your body’s detoxification processes.
8. Build muscle and improve athletic performance. Provide your body with the nutrients it needs to excel during athletic competition, and recover and rebuild after working out. It’s easier for your body to absorb and assimilate the nutrients in a smoothie as opposed to a meal.
9. Reach your own personal health goals. Tailor your smoothies to meet your desired health goals.
10. Beauty. Think radiant skin, hair, and nails. Supply your body with the vitamins and minerals it requires to grow healthier hair and make your skin glow.
11. Healthy eating education. By learning what constitutes a healthy smoothie, you’ll also educate yourself on what comprises a healthy diet. This will allow you to make better decisions when the blender isn’t around. You’ll be more confident in your food choices.
12. Strengthen your immune system. Getting sick is no fun. Reduce the number of times you get sick (if at all) and lesson the severity by empowering your immune system.
13. Deeper sleep. Improving your health by consuming healthy smoothies almost always results in better sleep at night.
14. Meal flexibility. You can consume a smoothie at any meal, not just breakfast. No time for lunch, grab or make a quick smoothie.
15. Healthy ingredients galore. The number of healthy ingredients available for smoothies is practically limitless. After your basic fruits and vegetables, you can add an array of the various spices, herbs, superfoods, and other health foods. The possibilities and combinations are endless.
16. Energy. Supply your body with the right fuel for more energy in the short and long term.
17. Empowerment. Take control of your health through simple and delicious healthy smoothies.
18. Reduce cravings. We all crave sweets and unhealthy foods from time to time. Reduce those cravings, or better yet, replace what you would normally splurge on with a healthy alternative.
19. Brain boost. Give your brain all the vitamins and nutrients it needs to improve your mental clarity, focus, and memory. Say goodbye to brain fog.
20. Happiness. Experience a renewed sense of calm and well-being that good health leads to. Be in a good mood all the time.
21. Fun! Many people including myself find creating smoothies to be rather enjoyable. You can think of yourself as a modern day alchemist mixing and matching various smoothie ingredients.

           As you are now aware, routinely consuming healthy smoothies is beneficial for a number of reasons. This habit has personally helped me tremendously on my own journey to better health. What benefits have you experienced from healthy smoothie consumption?

This list is not exhaustive. If there are any reasons you consume smoothies that aren’t included above, I’d love to hear them in the comments below.

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drink juice

Health Benefits of Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Juices

        Juices are the perfect fast food for today's eat-on-the-run lifestyle. They contain all the goodness of the whole product in a condensed form. For example, a pound of carrots can be a significant source of calcium and protein, but those ten carrots may be more than your willing to eat at a single meal. Juicing concentrates that one pound into a single glass of easy to drink juice. These nutrients are quickly assimilated since the body does not have to separate out of the fiber.

        Don't be afraid to experiment with different combinations of juices, just let your taste buds be your guide. Vegetable juices that taste "strong" such as spinach and beet, are high in compounds that should be consumed in small quantities. Dilute these with milder tasting juices such as carrot, celery, or apple juice.

         Fiber is extremely important to the human body, and your diet should contain at least 30 grams of dietary fiber a day. This is easily accomplished by substituting whole grains for refined cereals and flour, legumes for red meat, fruits for sweet desserts, and adding salads on a daily basis. Fruit and vegetable juices should not be used as a substitute for whole produce, but as supplements to them.

       Not only are fruit and vegetable juices your best convenience foods, they provide thousands of substances, some of which have well-known functions, and some whose roles in the human body are not yet understood or recognized. Current wisdom recognizes three roles that fruit and vegetables play in the human body:

Fruits and vegetables provide nutrients essential for growth and renewal
Fruits and some vegetables contain substantial amounts of carbohydrates which supply most of the energy we use to live and perform work.

Fruits and vegetables contain generous amounts of vitamins. Vitamins regulate metabolism and help in the conversion of the fats and carbohydrates into energy.

Fruits and vegetables contain minerals that are necessary for the nerve and muscle function and are the building material for some body tissue.

Fruits and vegetables have a protective effect
Fruits and vegetables can protect the body from such major diseases as cancer and heart disease. Some are high in substances called anti-oxidants, such as beta carotene, Vitamins C and E and selenium, which are nutrients that protect cell membranes from the damage of free radicals. Some are rich in other anti-cancer compounds, such as indoles. This is especially true of the cruciferous family to which the cabbage belongs.

Fruits and vegetables have  a medicinal effect
         Fruits and vegetables can be your best non-prescription drugs. For example, blueberries are an effective anti-diarrheal agent, and ginger is as effective as well-promoted motion-sickness drug, and new studies show that it also relieves nausea and stomach discomfort caused by pregnancy.

          Fresh juices are a perfect food supplement. They are far more potent than the isolated nutrients found in vitamin pills. Nutrients influence each other and, therefore, they should not be separated. Part of this influence is a synergistic effect among nutrients, which means that nutrients combined naturally in foods work together more effectively than when they are separated as a single supplement. Remember, juices provide not only the nutrients well-known functions, but also nutrients with roles that are not yet understood or recognized.

For centuries plants have been used for their medicinal effects. In a maxim often quoted, our father of medicine, Hippocrates, said that we should let food be our medicine. However, we do not advocate that juice should be a substitute for medical care, but rather a valuable way to complement it.

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benefits of yogurt

What's tasty, easy, and has lots of health benefits? Yogurt!

            Have you noticed that the yogurt section of most grocery stores has practically taken over the dairy aisle? It’s getting harder to find more traditional dairy foods, such as cottage cheese and sour cream, amid the sea of yogurt options. But it only makes sense that a food with as many health benefits as yogurt be given prime real estate in the supermarket.

           And just what are the health benefits of yogurt?

First off, let us not forget that yogurt comes from milk. So yogurt eaters will get a dose of animal protein (about 9 grams per 6-ounce serving), plus several other nutrients found in dairy foods, like calcium, vitamin B-2, vitamin B-12, potassium, and magnesium.

         But one of the words we're hearing more and more of regarding yogurt is "probiotics." Probiotics are "friendly bacteria" that are naturally present in the digestive system. Live strains of these "good bacteria" are also found in many yogurt products. While more research needs to be done, there's some evidence that some strains of probiotics can help boost the immune system and promote a healthy digestive tract.

           Probiotics made news recently when a class action lawsuit was filed against the Dannon Co. over marketing for its Activia and DanActive products, in which the company uses trademarked probiotic strains. Activia is a yogurt marketed as being "clinically proven to help regulate the digestive system when eaten daily for two weeks," while DanActive is a drink marketed as being "clinically proven to help strengthen the body's defense systems," according to company web sites.

The lawsuit, filed by a California law firm, alleges that Dannon engaged in a "massively deceptive" advertising campaign about those products' "clinically" and "scientifically" proven health benefits not available in other yogurts. But Dannon is challenging the suit. "The scientifically substantiated benefits of Dannon’s products are confirmed not only by the scientific journals that have reviewed and published the findings, but also by the millions of highly satisfied consumers who enjoy Dannon’s products," the company says in a news release.

Regardless of this dispute, the health benefits of yogurt are so impressive that many health-conscious people make it a daily habit. And each year, more and more research is published adding insight into the health benefits from eating yogurt.

Here are six possible health benefits to having some yogurt each day:

Benefit No. 1: Yogurt With Active Cultures May Help the Gut

While more study is needed, there's some evidence that yogurt with active cultures may help certain gastrointestinal conditions, including:

• Lactose intolerance
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Colon cancer
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• H. pylori infection

That's what researchers from the Jean Mayer U.S. Department of Agriculture Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University concluded in a review article. The benefits are thought to be due to:

• Changes in the microflora of the gut
• The time food takes to go through the bowel.
• Enhancement of the body's immune system (more on this below).

In another recent study, the type of diarrhea that some people get after taking antibiotics was found to be reduced when the study participants drank a drink containing three particular probiotics (L. casei, L. bulgaricus, and S. thermophilus).

Benefit No. 2: Some Probiotic Strains May Boost the Immune System

While much also remains to be learned about probiotics and the immune system, recent studies suggest that certain probiotic strains offer some benefits:

• One review article suggests probiotics may help with inflammatory bowel disease by changing the intestinal microflora and lessening the immune system response that can worsen the disease.
• Another study indicated probiotics may enhance resistance to and recovery from infection. In research on elderly people, researchers found that the duration of all illnesses was significantly lower in a group that consumed a certain probiotic found in fermented milk. They reported a possible 20% reduction in the length of winter infections (including gastrointestinal and respiratory infections).
• Yogurt containing two probiotics, lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, was found to improve the success of drug therapy (using four specific medications) on 138 people with persistent H. pylori infections, according to a recent Taiwanese study. H. pylori is a bacterium that can cause infection in the stomach and upper part of the small intestine. It can lead to ulcers and can increase the risk of developing stomach cancer as well.

Benefit No. 3: Yogurt With Active Cultures May Discourage Vaginal Infections

Candida or "yeast" vaginal infections are a common problem for women with diabetes. In a small study, seven diabetic women with chronic candidal vaginitis consumed 6 ounces of frozen aspartame-sweetened yogurt per day (with or without active cultures).
Even though most of the women had poor blood sugar control throughout the study, the vaginal pH (measure of acidity or basicity) of the group eating yogurt with active cultures dropped from 6.0 to 4.0 (normal pH is 4.0-4.5). These women also reported a decrease in candida infections. The women eating the yogurt without active cultures remained at pH 6.0.

Benefit No. 4: Yogurt May Help Prevent Osteoporosis

"Adequate nutrition plays a major role in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis, and the micronutrients of greatest importance are calcium and vitamin D," says Jeri Nieves, PhD, MS, director of bone density testing at New York’s Helen Hayes Hospital.
Calcium has been shown to have beneficial effects on bone mass in people of all ages, although the results are not always consistent, says Nieves, also an assistant professor of clinical epidemiology at Columbia University.
"The combination of calcium and vitamin D has a clear skeletal benefit, provided the dose of vitamin D is sufficiently high," she adds.
And what qualifies as "sufficiently high?"
Currently, 400 IU per day is considered an adequate intake of vitamin D for people ages 51-70, Nieves says. (Look for the Daily Value amount listed on food labels.) But more may be better.
"This amount is likely to be sufficient for most young adults for skeletal health, although many would argue that for overall health, more than the 400 IU may be required, even at these younger ages," Nieves said in an email interview.
Nieves believes that older people specifically can benefit from more vitamin D.
Many dairy products, including some yogurts, are made with added vitamin D. Find out which brands have added vitamin D by checking out the table below, and by reading labels when you shop.

Benefit No. 5: Yogurt May Reduce the Risk of High Blood Pressure

One study, which followed more than 5,000 university graduates in Spain for about two years, found a link between dairy intake and risk of high blood pressure.
"We observed a 50% reduction in the risk of developing high blood pressure among people eating 2-3 servings of low-fat dairy a day (or more), compared with those without any intake," Alvaro Alonso, MD, PhD, a researcher in the department of epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, says in an email interview.
Although most of the low-fat dairy consumed by the study subjects was as milk, Alvaro believes low-fat yogurt would likely have the same effect. Dutch researchers recently reported that higher dairy consumption (mainly from milk and yogurt) was modestly linked to lower blood pressure in 2064 Dutch men and women ages 50 to 75.

Benefit No. 6: Yogurt May Help You Feel Fuller

A study from the University of Washington in Seattle tested hunger, fullness, and calories eaten at the next meal on 16 men and 16 women who had a 200-calorie snack. The snack was either:

• Semisolid yogurt containing pieces of peach and eaten with a spoon
• The same yogurt in drinkable form
• A peach-flavored dairy beverage
• Peach juice

Although those who had the yogurt snacks did not eat fewer calories at the next meal, both types of yogurt resulted in lower hunger ratings and higher fullness ratings than either of the other snacks.

10 Tips for Buying and Eating Yogurt

 

Here are 10 things to consider when buying and eating yogurt.

1. Decide Between Whole-Milk, Low-Fat, or Nonfat Yogurt

When buying yogurt, your first decision is whether you want regular-fat, low-fat, or fat-free. You probably have a favorite brand, with just the right texture or tang for your taste buds. If so, stick with it. But do check the label for sugar content. Some flavors and brands have more than others. And if you like a lower-fat yogurt, even better. There’s some question that while other components in dairy may be helpful to your health (calcium, vitamin D, probiotics, etc.), dairy fat may increase your risk of heart disease. Harvard University researchers recently analyzed data from the Nurses’ Health Study and concluded the data do suggest that a high intake of dairy fat is associated with a greater risk of ischemic heart disease in women.

2. Choose Your Sweetener The other decision is whether you want artificial sweeteners (which are used in most "light" yogurts) or whether you’re OK with most of the calories coming from sugar. If you are sensitive to aftertastes, you may want to avoid light yogurts. If you don't mind NutraSweet, there are lots of light yogurts to choose from, and all taste pretty good. 3. Look for Active Cultures and Probiotics To make sure your yogurt contains active cultures, check the label. Most brands will have a graphic that says "live and active cultures." If you want to know which specific active cultures your yogurt contains, look to the label again. Under the list of ingredients, many brands list the specific active cultures. And different cultures are thought to have different benefits. 4. Team Yogurt With Flaxseed Get in the habit of stirring in a tablespoon of ground flaxseed every time you reach for a yogurt. A tablespoon of ground flaxseed will add almost 3 grams of fiber and approximately 2 grams of healthy plant omega-3s, according to the product label on Premium Gold brand ground golden flaxseed. 5. Look for Vitamin D When enjoying calcium-rich yogurt, why not choose one that also boosts your intake of vitamin D? Some brands list 0% of the Daily Value for vitamin D; others have 20%. (See the table above.) 6. Make Yogurt Part of the Perfect Snack Make the perfect snack by pairing high-protein yogurt with a high-fiber food like fruit (fresh or frozen) and/or a high-fiber breakfast cereal. You can find many lower-sugar breakfast cereals with 4 or more grams of fiber per serving. 7. Whip Up a Creamier Smoothie With Yogurt Make your smoothie creamy and thick by adding yogurt instead of ice cream or frozen yogurt. Cup for cup, light and low-fat yogurt is higher in protein and calcium than light ice cream. It's also usually lower in fat, saturated fat, and calories. 8. Customize Your Yogurt If you want to create your own flavored yogurt, start with your favorite plain yogurt and stir in all sorts of foods and flavors. Here are a few ideas: Add chopped strawberries (1/4 cup) and 1/8 teaspoon of vanilla extract to 6 ounces of plain yogurt to make Strawberries and Cream Yogurt. Add canned crushed pineapple (1/8 cup) and a tablespoon of flaked or shredded coconut to 6 ounces of plain yogurt to make Pina Colada Yogurt. Add 1 tablespoon of cool espresso or extra-strong coffee and 1 tablespoon of chocolate syrup to 6 ounces of plain yogurt to make Mochaccino Yogurt. Add 1/4 cup chopped orange segments or mandarin oranges and 1 tablespoon reduced-sugar orange marmalade to 6 ounces of plain yogurt to make Orange Burst Yogurt. 9. Eat Yogurt at Work Buy some yogurt and keep it in the office refrigerator (don’t forget to put your name on it). On those days when you need a morning or afternoon snack, that yogurt will be ready for you. 10. Use Yogurt in Recipes Yogurt works as a substitute ingredient in all sorts of recipes. Plain yogurt can take the place of sour cream in a pinch (over baked potatoes or garnishing enchiladas). You can also substitute a complementary flavor of yogurt for some of the oil or butter called for in a muffin, brownie, or cake recipe. It can replace all of the fat called for in cake mixes, too.

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drink infused water

Infused Water: The Ultimate Detox and Weight Loss Secret

           One of my favorite weight loss topics to talk about is infused water! Studies have shown that drinking water naturally boosts your metabolism, and drinking fruit infused water for weight loss can be an easy way to increase your water intake. These simple infused water recipes are inexpensive, have almost zero calories, and taste great too!

          Also called detox water, fruit flavored water, or fruit infused water; infused water can generally be any combination of fruits, vegetables, and herbs immersed in cold water. While infused water has the benefit of being full of flavor, it also has no calories, making it a very powerful tool in your efforts to lose weight and gain better health. For a full one week detox plan, check out my Detox Diet Week post and give your weight loss a kick start.

I began making infused water back in April 2012 with my first flavored water post Day Spa Apple Cinnamon Water. That recipe turned out to be really popular, and went viral on Pinterest with over 2 million views within the first year. Since then, I have created a lot more infused water recipes, and written a book called Fruit Infusion: A Collection of Day Spa Inspired, Fruit Infused Waters.

You can make a serving of infused water in a single glass, or use an infusion pitcher to make a large batch. I like to keep a large pitcher of infused water in my refrigerator at all times.

My family loves the taste and I’ve found I can get them to drink a LOT more water when I have a pitcher already made up and available. You can refill your infused water pitcher several times without losing a lot of flavor, and the pitchers also look really nice on a kitchen table.

What Are The Benefits of Infused Water?

Besides tasting great and having zero calories, infused water has many additional health benefits, including:

• Improves your mood.
• Flushes toxins from your system.
• Fills you up so you don’t eat as much junk.
• Naturally helps your body release fat cells.
• Keeps food moving through your system.
• Keeps your organs healthy while you’re sweating.
• Reduces muscle fatigue while working out.
• Helps you recuperate faster from a workout.
• Keeps you from feeling groggy in the afternoon.

Top 5 Most Popular Infused Water Recipes

Everyone has their favorite fruit infused water ingredients, but some are more popular than others. Lemon, lime, strawberries, apples, and oranges and the most popular fruit ingredients, while cucumber, mint, basil, cinnamon, and ginger are the most popular vegetable ingredients.
Here is my list of the top 5 fruit infused water recipes:

#1 – Lemon Water with Mint

When it comes to popularity, the Lemon Water with Mint recipe is the undisputed king of them all. Also called Lemon Detox Water or Lemon Water, this recipe has the benefit of being really simple and tasty. Even though this recipe has only two ingredients, lemons and mint, the sweetness and sour from the lemons create a delicious flavor while also providing lots of Vitamin C and the mint adds a refreshing taste. Drinking lemon water for weight loss is a great idea that you can do cheaply and easily

#2 – Apple Cinnamon Water

This Day Spa Apple Cinnamon Water recipe has been my most popular personal recipe of all time. I originally wrote the Day Spa Apple Cinnamon Water recipe on a blog post back in April 2012, and it got picked up on Pinterest right away. Within 2 weeks I was getting 40,000 views a day on my website for this recipe! Also called Detox Apple Cinnamon Water, this recipe is delicious and has the benefit of being metabolism boosting.

#3 – Mango Ginger Water

Did you know Ginger and Mango both boost your metabolism? This Mango Ginger Water recipe has been at the top of the charts since it was first introduced. Along with boosting your metabolism ginger also is a natural pain reliever, from migraines to menstrual cramps ginger heals a lot of pain. It also helps reduce morning or motion sickness and banishes heart burn! It’s no wonder this recipe is so popular!

#4 – Tangerine and Strawberry Infused Water

This refreshing Tangerine and Strawberry Infused Water recipe contains fruits that are high in Vitamin C and are big metabolism boosters! Strawberries and tangerines one of my favorite combos, and both hot and cold this is a delicious drink. This year-round favorite will have you drinking more water quickly.

#5 – Lemon Cucumber Water

This is the classic day spa water recipe you’d find everywhere, and in the top 5 for good reason. Lemon Cucumber Water is the ultimate detox drink. It’s got the great taste, the health benefits of the cucumbers and lemons flush your system and help you feel better. Drinking cucumber water for weight loss is also very popular recently because it works well.

 

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