Get more sleep - Lose more weight

Researchers are saying that if you want to lose weight, get more sleep. While it’s obvious that you aren’t as likely to eat while you’re sleeping, their reasoning is quite different: a chemical that is released while sleeping, leptin, signals when we are full. In addition, they think that a lack of proper sleep affects hormones that are responsible for burning off calories during the day.

The study that attempts to prove this hypothesis was conducted by the US National Institute of Mental Health and involved around 500 adults between the ages of 27 and 40. The researchers followed these volunteers and their sleeping habits over a period of 13 years and found their sleep hours reduced, but their weight increased.

The women in the study started off sleeping 7.7 hours, but by the end of the 13 years, they were only sleeping 7.3 hours on average. The men in the study went from sleeping 7.1 hours to 6.9 hours. The average weight gain was 5 pounds, with those sleeping less than six hours putting on the most weight.

The researchers felt that the weight gain was due to lack of sleep that tampered with the body’s natural chemicals and hormones. Low levels of leptin are thought to increase the urge to eat. Also, people who are not getting enough sleep tend to crave high fat, high carbohydrate foods.



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True Sex Foods and Aphrodesiacs

Most everyone has heard that certain foods can enhance one’s sex life. Usually these foods are sexual aphrodisiacs, such as oysters and champagne, though a new book, “Great Food, Great Sex: The Three Food Factors for Sexual Fitness” by Ballentine Books, takes a whole new approach to food and sex. The author, clinical psychologist Lynn Edlen-Nezin, Ph.D., takes the stance that certain nutrients are better for sex, because they increase blood flow and supply the body with antioxidants. Instead of eating foods as aphrodisiacs, she suggests eating well all of the time to ensure that your body is energetic, well lubricated and healthy.

An important item mentioned to increase sexual pleasure is Nitric oxide (NO). NO is released by the lining of the genitals when you become sexually aroused. This release of NO causes the blood vessels to expand and helps women become lubricated, while it helps men achieve an erection. Eating foods with arginine, an amino acid responsible for creating NO, can improve blood flow and cardiovascular health. The author calls foods high in arginine ‘Staminators’, because they help with prolonged arousal. For foods high in argininie, look to almonds, nuts, salmon, herring, cod and halibut.

Eating fish is not only good for arginine, but can also offer Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3’s are known to lower triglycerides, increase dopamine and improve cardiovascular health. All good things for the sexual libido. If you are vegetarian, try eggs with Omega-3’s.

Another important factor in a sex-healthy diet is antioxidants. Antioxidants keep your body and cells healthy by cleaning up free radicals and keeping your body free of oxidation. Antioxidant-rich foods include colorful foods, such as red peppers, garlic, broccoli, beets and berries. Eating a variety of organic fruits and vegetables can supply the body with antioxidants and keep you healthy, happy and sexual.

Another great food for great sex? Dark chocolate! It improves circulation, offers antioxidants and has been found to increase sexual function and desire.

Basically, for a better sex life: take care of your body, eat healthy and light, and exercise. Keeping your body functioning at a high level will improve your sex drive and send your energy soaring.

Here’s the shopping list:

Colorful Fruits
Colorful Vegetables
Lean Fish
Garlic
Dark Chocolate




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Supplemental Drinks and Too Faced Marketing

Marketers are having a field day with supplemental drinks and products. For instance, marketing by Too Faced Cosmetics is claiming, ‘Always on the lips…never on the hips’, for their new lip-gloss line that claims to suppress the appetite.

How is this possible? Well, whether it is possible or not is still to be determined, but the lip-gloss touts the same mix of ingredients and mineral supplements that are found in Coca-Cola’s energy fruit drinks, Fuze. They claim that the lip-gloss works because the skin on your lips is thin and allows you to ingest the supplements, giving you a metabolism boost.

How nice it would be if we could all just slather on some lip-gloss and go about our merry way, while burning calories. Unfortunately, nutrition experts don’t agree. Many feel that the only way the lip-gloss could possibly help you lose weight is by default of being a distraction, something to do other than eat.

Fuze, which only has 10 calories per serving, and Enviga, a Nestle and Coke drink product with only 5 calories per serving, are claiming that their drinks help participants burn more calories than those who drink a plain beverage. The question is, ‘What is a plain beverage?’ Does that mean plain, whole milk, plain Coca-Cola or plain high fructose fruit juice?

Their claim to fame is a study done on 31 slim people for three days, in which they drank three cans of Enviga each day. They claim the people who drank Enviga instead of a ‘plain’ beverage burned 106 more calories. The study doesn’t say what was eaten, what the plain beverage was or what the other stats to the study were.

Health experts say you’d have to drink about nine cans of the stuff to burn 100 calories. At $1.50 a can, it might be easier to take a walk around the block.





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Short naps Boost Memory

Taking a nap is refreshing. When I have a stressful decision to make, I always take a nap to clear my head and the decision seems to shine through easily upon waking. Researchers are suggesting that naps are good for more than clearing the head, but can also be used to boost memory.

The study was performed by the University of Dusseldorf and included volunteers who were given a set of words to remember and then given an hour break. Some of the students were able to sleep the entire time, while others were only allowed a six minute catnap. Those who only napped did surprisingly better on memory tests.

While many studies and tests have been done to determine the relationship between sleep and memory, many are still unconvinced that taking a nap as short as six minutes could have an effect on memory. Most health experts feel that memory is boosted after a lapse into deep sleep, which takes at least 20 minutes.

The researchers of the six minute study believe that the moment of falling asleep can trigger a memory process in the brain and believe that a brief nap is an effective memory enhancer.

New Scientist magazine reported the study findings, though many health experts are still unconvinced.




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Are Tart cherries Good For Obesity?

A recent study done on rats, not on humans, concluded that tart cherries may be responsible for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The researchers, from the University of Michigan, believe this is due to the fruit reducing inflammation.

The study was an unusual one – instead of giving the rats tart cherries, they fed 48 rats - half of which were already obese - a high fat, ‘American style’ diet mixed with whole tart cherry powder. The diets were monitored for 90 days and included 45 percent fat and 35 percent carbohydrates (For more information on carbs read- The Glycemic index).

They came to their conclusion on the basis that the rats who received the cherry tart powder did not gain weight as much as those who individuals did not receive the powder. They also reported that the rats eating tart cherry powder had reduced levels of triglycerides and cholesterol.

The University of Michigan researchers are currently talking about a clinical trial later this year with humans, to see if the effects are similar.