Tips to Improve Sleep

Most of us have times where it's difficult for us to fall asleep.  So, what can we do?  Here are some tips to help improve your sleep.

• Try having a cup of chamomile, lemongrass or mint tea to help provide relaxation and reduce anxiety
• Avoid alcohol before bedtime as it will result in fragmented sleep
• Avoid chocolate and caffeine
• No soda - well, no one should ever drink soda of any kind as it's a toxin to your body
• Avoid a big heavy protein meal as that will increase dopamine, which will excite your body
• Try having a meal consisting of foods with tryptophan like chickpeas, eggs, milk, banana, or oats. For example try some hummus, or have some nut butter on a slice of whole grain bread with a banana
• Include 1 non-alcoholic beer as the hops in it will raise GABA (Gamma- Aminobutyric Acid),which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter in your brain. Hops increases alpha brain waves (sleep waves)
• Try using essential oils like lavender, chamomile, ylang-ylang, marjoram, or lemon as these will work on your adrenals. You can find them here - http://mydoterra.com/heidimaher
• Have a dose of magnesium to provide a calming effect. Sources of magnesium are leafy greens, whole grains, nuts, seeds, avocado, seafood, and dark chocolate. Or, you can have a spoonful of a supplement Natural Calm in a glass of water.

Flax Seeds

By now you have probably heard about flax seeds, but did you know that they carry a lot of health benefits?  That's right!  They are also an easy addition to your meals.  You can simply sprinkle a spoonful over any meal to add a nutrient boost.  Here are some benefits:

Decreases Arteriosclerotic heart disease (ASHD)
Decreases Tumor Necrosis Factor (reduces the number of breast cancers & size of tumors)
Reduces Interleukin-1 which promotes angiogenesis (the development of new blood vessels)
Decreases cholesterol (up to 18%)
Decreases Triglycerides (36%)
Source of alpha linolenic acid - omega 3, lignans, soluble fiber 
Gives a fiber boost
Reduce inflammation
High in antioxidants

It's amazing what this little seed can do! It even has 15 times more lignans than those trendy chia seeds.  Lignans block the effects of estrogen that could potentially help reduce the risk of hormone-associated cancers (breast, uterine, ovarian, and prostate).  In addition, lignans may be linked to a lower risk of heart disease.

Here's how you can prepare them:
Purchase a bag of whole flax seeds. Either soak them for 6-8 hours, or grind them yourself.  Keep in mind that once you grind them you will want to use them quickly as their medicinal properties break down rather quickly.  That said, if you want to retain those medicinal properties do not cook them as they are heat sensitive. Then simply sprinkle them over salads, add to smoothies, or add a spoonful to any meal.

Strategies to Improve Blood Sugar

Since we work with Type 2 Diabetics we wanted to share some insight about some recent findings that could help manage your blood sugar after meals.  Research has shown that "high post-meal blood sugar has been associated with worse effects on cardiovascular health." And, higher blood sugar levels after meals, along with fluctuations in blood sugar could cause damage to the lining of your blood vessels. Ideally, you want your A1C (3-month average blood sugar) to be less than 7%, and your blood sugar should be under 180 mg/dL at most times - even after meals.  Here are some strategies that are showing to be beneficial.

1. Test Before and After Meals - This will help get a clear idea of the actual effect of the meal on your blood sugar. The difference between the two numbers shows how your meal effected your blood sugar levels.  This can be beneficial when you eat something you do not normally have to see how it effects your levels, or you can get an idea of how the foods you eat often come into play.

2. Try Testing at Varied Times After Meals - Because different meals can cause blood sugar to spike at different times after your meal it's smart to vary times you check.  For example, say you check right after eating a high carbohydrate or high fat meal the high fat meal may take longer to show your peak in blood sugar, so testing directly after that meal may not show a true reflection.

3. Eat Mixed Meals - When your meals are more balanced with foods like non-starchy vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains with a little healthy fat your blood sugar can improve. For example, instead of having a plate of spaghetti with tomato sauce, try reducing the pasta and then switching to a whole grain pasta, next add in some low-starch vegetables like summer squash, zucchini or spinach, and finally some lean protein with just a little sauce and your blood sugar will be more stable.

4.  Walk After Meals - Taking a short walk after meals could help bring down post-meal blood sugar. This has shown to be better than just taking one walk during the day.

5. Decrease Carbohydrates at Breakfast - Since your body is more insulin resistant in the morning due to an increase of stress hormones (growth hormone and cortisol), it would be helpful to consume lean proteins like low-fat Greek yogurt with chopped nuts, or an omelet with non-starchy vegetables. You could even try having a little chicken breast in a stir-fry.

6.  Eat High-Carbohydrate Foods Last - Studies have shown that the order of how you eat your foods within your meal can effect your blood sugar.  One strategy that seems to be helpful is to eat non-starchy vegetables first, then protein foods, and lastly high-carbohydrate foods like potatoes, corn, bread or pasta.  It's important to finish each part of the meal before moving on the next part. Doing this has shown to improve post-meal blood sugar and A1C.

Reference:  Health & Nutrition Letter, Tufts University, May 2017, VOL. 35, 6 Strategies for Better Blood Sugar After Meals (pp. 7).

Fat Loss

Let's be honest, there are a lot of weight loss plans out there - some more effective than others. We wanted to shed some light on our method so you can feel confident about following our plan.  At Ideal Weight Loss Center we focus on healthy eating, as well as healthy eating habits.  We not only teach you how to eat to lose weight, but we also teach you how to eat to maintain your weight. That said, our method encourages not just weight loss, but also fat loss.  That's why so many clients notice rather quickly that they are losing inches and that their clothing gets loose.  So, how do we do this?

Our plan is based on science and takes into account your body's chemistry, as well as its hormones.  Losing weight is a complex process, and is not simply about calories in versus calories out, but also looks at what those calories do and how they affect your body.  With that in mind, our plan is reduced in calories, carbohydrates, and fats and focuses on ensuring that you meet your minimum protein needs.  That's important because if you just cut calories across the board you may not be getting enough protein, and that's a problem because some of that weight you lost could be muscle.

There are a couple of reasons why we reduce carbohydrates.  The first reason is that the way our bodies are designed we always look to burn carbohydrates as our first source of fuel.  So, when we reduce carbohydrates you body will then look for an alternate source of fuel.  And since we're ensuring you're getting the minimum amount of protein, your body will utilize its fat stores. 

And, because you are losing fat and preserving your muscle most people notice the inches they have lost.  Pictured above are two fat models.  The one on the left is one pound of fat, and the one of the right is five pounds of fat.  When you follow our plan you can see how significant even one pound of fat loss is because it takes up quite a bit of space.  Now, can you imagine if you lost ten pounds of fat - wow!

21 Meals

We wanted to take a minute to talk about times when a meal or two takes you off track from your plan.  The feedback we've received from many clients is that they feel guilty believing that what they ate was "bad" and therefore they feel bad. But, wait just a second!  If all of the rest of the food you ate was healthy one small set back is not the end of world.  Try breaking it down like this - there are 21 meals in one week, so if you had 20 healthy meals and only 1 unhealthy meal overall your intake has more wins than losses.  Even if you had 3 meals off track the majority are still within your plan's guidelines. 

In addition, try to focus on what you are doing in terms of healthy eating.  Then, if there truly is an area that needs tweaking think about how you do things differently next time. Or, if you need some assistance that's where we come in and can give you realistic tips and strategies.

Socializing

Now that the weather is getting much nicer people tend to come out of hibernation to socialize.  While socializing is great, it can derail you from your healthy eating plan.  With that said, we wanted to provide you with a few tips to help you stay on track!

Don’t let your exercise routine slip:

We all have extra social commitments at this time of the year.  Find time before, during, or after the event to work in a workout. This is the number one thing that helps people prevent weight gain and is perfect for stress relief.

Control your mind:
Overeating at one meal or snack does not constitute a catastrophe or an excuse to keep overeating. When that happens simply get right back on track with the next meal.

Plan ahead:
Don’t go to parties hungry.  If you're in our weight loss phase try having a small snack like one of our protein foods or a small salad. And, if you're in Maintenance try having a yogurt, or some hummus with some vegetables, or even a handful of almonds, and a large glass of water before going to the party.

Be aware of “sneaky” calories:
A handful of nuts here, a few hard candies there, a cookie and a bite of a brownie add up to hundreds of calories.

Get enough sleep:
Being tired contributes to lack of control over food, and, studies have shown that less than 6 hours per night can increase a hormone in your stomach called “Ghrelin” which increases appetite and hunger — a major contributor to overeating.

Don’t station yourself next to the food:

If you're at a buffet simply take one serving of a few things to try (not everything at the table) and mingle. Try not to “hangout” by the food.

Include at least 5 fruits and vegetables in your diet every day:
This decreases the urge to eat too many sweets and snacks.

Keep portions in proportion:
Meat should be the size of your palm, starches about the size of a tennis ball, sweets the size of a small cookie, salty snacks one small handful — by ‘indulging’ in your favorite foods, but not overindulging you will not feel deprived but be able to keep your weight in check.