Good Night's Sleep

Top 10 Health Benefits of a Good Night's Sleep

Sleep, we all love it, especially when you wake up from a great night's sleep. In the past, sleep was often ignored by doctors and surrounded by myths, but now we are beginning to understand the importance of sleep to overall health and well-being. In fact, when people get less than 6 or 7 hours of sleep each night, their risk for developing diseases begins to increase.

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1. Sleep Keeps Your Heart Healthy

Heart attacks and strokes are more common during the early morning hours. This fact may be explained by the way sleep interacts with the blood vessels. Lack of sleep has been associated with worsening of blood pressure and cholesterol, all risk factors for heart disease and stroke. Your heart will be healthier if you get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night.

2. Sleep May Prevent Cancer

People working the late shift have a higher risk for breast and colon cancer. Researchers believe this link is caused by differing levels of melatonin in people who are exposed to light at night. Light exposure reduces the level of melatonin, a hormone that both makes us sleepy and is thought to protect against cancer. Melatonin appears to suppress the growth of tumors. Be sure that your bedroom is dark to help your body produce the melatonin it needs.

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3. Sleep Reduces Stress

When your body is sleep deficient, it goes into a state of stress. The body's functions are put on high alert which causes an increase in blood pressure and a production of stress hormones. Higher blood pressure increases your risk for heart attacks and strokes. The stress hormones also, unfortunately, make it harder for you to sleep. Learn relaxation techniques to counter the effects of stress. There are also stress reduction techniques for sleep.

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4. Sleep Reduces Inflammation

The increase in stress hormones raises the level of inflammation in your body, also creating more risk for heart-related conditions, as well as cancer and diabetes. Inflammation is thought to one of the causes of the deterioration of your body as you age.

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5. Sleep Makes You More Alert

Of course, a good night's sleep makes you feel energized and alert the next day. Being engaged and active not only feels great, it increases your chances for another good night's sleep. When you wake up feeling refreshed, use that energy to get out into the daylight, do active things, and be engaged in your world. You'll sleep better the next night and increase your daily energy level.

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6. Sleep Bolsters Your Memory

Researchers do not fully understand why we sleep and dream, but a process called memory consolidation occurs during sleep. While your body may be resting, your brain is busy processing your day, making connections between events, sensory input, feelings and memories. Your dreams and deep sleep are an important time for your brain to make memories and links. Getting more quality sleep will help you remember and process things better.

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7. Sleep May Help You Lose Weight

Researchers have also found that people who sleep less than seven hours per night are more likely to be overweight or obese. It is thought that the lack of sleep impacts the balance of hormones in the body that affect appetite. The hormones ghrelin and leptin, important for the regulation of appetite, have been found to be disrupted by lack of sleep. So if you are interested in controlling or losing weight, don't forget to pay attention to getting a good night's sleep.

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8. Naps Make You Smarter

Napping during the day is not only an effective and refreshing alternative to caffeine, it can also protect your health and make you more productive. A study of 24,000 Greek adults showed that people who napped several times a week had a lower risk for dying from heart disease. People who nap at work have much lower levels of stress. Napping also improves memory, cognitive function and mood.

9. Sleep May Reduce Your Risk for Depression

Sleep impacts many of the chemicals in your body, including serotonin. People with a deficiency in serotonin are more likely to suffer from depression. You can help to prevent depression by making sure you are getting the right amount of sleep, between 7 and 9 hours each night.

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10. Sleep Helps the Body Make Repairs

Sleep is a time for your body to repair damage caused by stress, ultraviolet rays and other harmful exposures. Your cells produce more protein while you are sleeping. These protein molecules form the building blocks for cells, allowing them to repair damage.

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Sources

_{Archives of Internal Medicine, 1 2003;163:205-209.}

_{Archives of Internal Medicine, 2. 2007;167(3):296-301.}

_{Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention. Vol. 13, 936-943, June 2004.}

_{The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. Vol. 89, No. 5 2119-2126.}

_{Public Library of Science. PLoS Medicine Vol. 1, No. 3, e68 doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0010068.}

_{Brigham and Women's Hospital Reducing Your Risk for Depression.}

_{NIH Senior Health Sleep and Aging.}

Bodybuilding TIPS - I

Bodybuilding TIPS -I

A good bodybuilding diet helps you to gain muscle mass fast and achieve the body of your dreams! An appropriate nutrition is the main component that will decide how successful you are in the bodybuilding program. Training and proper nutrition are the only successful combination; otherwise is like rowing against the current. You will get nowhere without a proper diet. Never associate a diet with starvation but with the food choices that you need to make every day.

Bodybuilding Diet

Typically, this is how long it takes to create a new habit, as well as this is how long it takes the body to get used to something. Every 14 days we are going to set a new goal. Each goal will build upon the success of the previous one. It is imperative that you use your determination in order to ensure the success of the program. By achieving each goal every two weeks you will end up with the diet that will yield the consistent fat loss/muscle gaining results that you are looking for.

Weight Training Nutrition - People who exercise have different requirements to sedentary people because the greater expenditure of energy usually requires a greater intake of food. The more you exercise the more you have to eat to sustain that level of activity to the point where some elite athletes such as Tour de France cyclists need to eat huge quantities of food to sustain their activity. Simple enough, and this also applies to casual exercisers, but it may not apply to you if weight loss is one of the reasons you took up weight training.

For breakfast, you would have oatmeal, an egg white omelet, and some whey protein. Three hours later, you would eat a chicken breast with a tablespoon of flax oil. The next two meals involve more whey protein, some fruit juice and more egg whites. Weight training is recommended in the afternoon, when your body has had sufficient time to absorb the carbohydrates you've eaten, which will allow for maximal exertion in the gym. The next 3 meals occur every 2 hours and involve lots of lean protein and complex carbohydrates. This is one of the best bodybuilding diet.

Bodybuilders should follow two days of lower calories and five days of high calories if they need to increase the muscle mass and five days of lower caloric intake with 2 days of high calories if they need to lose fat. The diet should be customized accordingly in order to support your higher level of physical activity.

6 egg whites, 1 yolk, 1 slice low fat cheese, 3oz oats, 1 banana, 1 cup of low fat milk, 1 scoop whey protein powder.

It should favor smaller and frequent feedings throughout the day instead of smaller ones. Every meal should have carbohydrates, protein and fat in the correct ratios: 40% carbs, 40% protein, 20 % good fats. The calories should be cycled to prevent the metabolism from getting used to a certain caloric level.

Sandwich with 4oz turkey breast, 2 slices whole wheat toast, 2 slices low fat cheese and tomato. 1 cup of low fat milk or a yogurt.

Rice is a staple of almost any mass gaining diet and for good reason. First, it's cheap. As many of you know who are trying to gain weight, eating 4000+ calories each day can get expensive! Rice is only pennies per serving so it makes for a great option for those trying to save money. Secondly, it's quick. You can either opt for minute rice (which isn't quite as good, but still a decent option), or pre-cook a big back of long-grain or brown-rice at the start of the week and dish it out for each of your meals.