All this excitement for the upcoming festive season can be held responsible for eating away your sleep. And while you're eating away all that sleep deprivation, you'll be happy to know that eating certain food items can also help you cut down some extra inches, that too overnight!
How you ask? By providing you with some much needed, deep sleep.
Also read: Annoyed with burnt mouth? Here are 5 foolproof tips to heal it faster!
It has been proven as a strong possibility that lack of sleep could be the reason behind additional inches to the waistline. But now – to the sheer joy of people in love with the idea of lazing around in bed – spending more time right there can actually help tone you down!
A new research has revealed that 74 percent of dieters following a regular sleep routine were able to lose eight pounds with greater ease. Forza Supplements conducted the study on 1,000 people and found that seven to eight hours of sleep was the ideal best friend of the waistline.
The mysterious relationship between sleep and weight loss was explained by nutritionist and weight loss coach Pippa Campbell. "When we sleep we burn most of our fat, so if we don't sleep this can significantly affect weight loss," she said.
"Interrupted or impaired sleep can cause a pre-diabetic state, making you feel hungry even if you've already eaten, which can wreak havoc on your weight."
1.Pop some cherries
"Cherries have been found to contain small amounts of melatonin, the hormone that regulates our sleep cycles," said Cassandra Barns, a nutritionist.
"Although all cherries may contain some melatonin, tart 'Montmorency' cherries, in particular, have been found in a clinical trial to increase the body's melatonin levels and increase sleep time."
2. Say no to carbs before bed
"Starchy carbs and sugars will raise your blood sugar and delay sleep," warned Pippa.
"Later, when blood sugar drops too low, you may wake up and be unable to fall back asleep.
"However, if you are suffering from severe stress you may find that a pre-bedtime small protein or carb snack might help around 10 pm.
"In these instances, I advise my clients to eat some almond butter on a small rye or gluten-free cracker."
3. Alcohol is NOT the friend you should turn to
"Alcohol may help you to get to sleep but it will cause you to wake up throughout the night," said Dr Dr Marilyn Glenville, author of Natural Alternatives to Sugar.
"It will affect your blood sugar so it can cause a drop in the middle of the night, and then adrenaline will be released causing you to wake.
"Alcohol has a diuretic effect on the body so it can wake you to go to the toilet but also leave you very thirsty.
"It also stops the passage of tryptophan into your brain and it this amino acid which is converted into serotonin, the 'feel good' brain chemical."
4. Make Vitamin B your bff
"Eat foods rich in B vitamins, which have many health benefits, for example, vitamin B12 encourages healthy levels of melatonin, a hormone that supports healthy sleep," suggested Pippa.
Tuna, chicken breast and yoghurt abound in Vitamin B, and for added results, Vitamin D supplements work wonders too!
