Blog topic request: sleep and diet

Our friend Lena requested a blog topic: sleep and eating. She asked, "How does sleeping tie into what/how you eat? Is there really much of a connection?" Lena, I'm so glad you asked!

Yes! There most definitely is a connection between sleeping and what and how one eats. There has been a lot of recent research focused on sleep and diet/weight/nutrition with the ever expanding obesity epidemic.

What's the deal? There's lots of theories and ideas, let's discuss.

Scientifically speaking, hormones such as leptin, ghrelin, and cortisol can become out of whack with insufficient sleep. Leptin is the hormone playing a central role in fat metabolism; ghrelin is a hormone counterpart to leptin, which stimulates hunger -- increasing before meals and decreasing after meals; cortisol is a hormone commonly referred to as the "stress hormone", which helps the body use sugar (glucose) and fat for energy (metabolism). A lack of sleep triggers a wave of reactions in the body that begins with the hormones mentioned above. This results in the body waking up exhausted and craving fat and carbohydrates, says Dr. Joseph Koninck, director of the University of Ottawa's Sleep Research Laboratory. There is no doubt that the hormones which control appetite are effected by insufficient sleep [1]. So, sleep more!

Basic math would also lead any logical person to the conclusion of less hours awake leads to less hours of eating, and thus, less calories consumed. Makes sense, doesn't it?

Those staying up late to watch TV, catch up on emails, or surf the Internet are more often than not consuming high-calorie foods. When you eat late at night, Dr. Koninck suggests one's sleep is more fragmented due to the body's digestion process. Lack of deep sleep can also cause a drop in the "satiety hormone", leptin. This can cause excessive hunger the following day, even after eating. All the while, ghrelin, the "hunger hormone", is rising...setting one up to overeat [1].

Stanford University connected a lack of sleep to the rise in obesity back in 2004. Their 15-year study of 1,024 volunteers with sleep disorders found that individuals sleeping less than 4 hours a night were 73% more likely to be obese [1]. If you don't have time to sleep, you certainly don't have time to cook or eat properly, right?

Think YOU'RE getting enough sleep? Maybe not!

In 2006, University of Chicago researchers found that while adults may be in bed for 7.5 hours, the average woman slept for 6.7 hours, while men enjoyed a mere 6.1 hours of rest [1].

How much sleep does one need? Follow these steps to find out...

1. Set a bed time. Calculate back 7 1/2 hours from the time you need to get up to figure out what time that bedtime ought to be.

2. Go to bed 15 minutes earlier every day. Make note of what length of sleep leaves you feeling refreshed and awakening without the use of an alarm clock. This is your optimum length of sleep -- likely between 7 1/2 and 9 hours each night.

3. Keep a journal. Track when you go to bed, when you get up, any restless periods, when you ate and exercised before bed, whether or not you napped, and if so, for how long.

4. Keep on this schedule! Your body and waistline will thank you!

Key points to remember:
- exercise 30 minutes daily, but not within a few hours of your bedtime
- keep your bedroom a place for sleep and sexual activity only
- get into a pre-bed routine (i.e. bath, music, reading)
- DO NOT check email, watch TV, or play video games before bed -- it can leave you sleeping restlessly or unable to get to sleep
- cut out caffeine in the afternoon and evening hours
- DO NOT go to bed on a full stomach OR hungry
- use alcohol in moderation, and not as a sleep aid!

I have to say, I may ace this test. Mark and I climb into bed around 9:40 every night. My alarm goes off at 6:22 am, which is when I get up, so long as Lily has a restful sleep, too. Generally, I feel refreshed and ready for the day. While I still require one dose of caffeine and an alarm clock, I think we happily master the sleep routine.

What time is your bedtime? Are you often tired? What gets in your way of getting more sleep?

[1]. Beun, Chown, Julie. Dozing to diet: Sleep as a diet aid works, research shows. Canwest News Service. September 18, 2009.

Exercise won't make you thin.

I can recall sitting in an undergrad nutrition class (who I believe was taught by the yummiest of professors) and having it explained how much more effective controlling diet for weight loss was than increasing exercise alone. Because really, weight loss is just simple math. To lose one pound, you need to create a deficit of 3,500 calories which can be done through the diet, exercise, or ideally, a combination of the two. With exercise alone, an average-sized adult owes the gym 35 hours of moderate-to-intense exercise, or approximately 35 miles of walking/running. Now that's not exact science, but it gets the point across: exercise alone will probably lead to osteoarthritis before it gets you to your weight loss goal (half jokingly). Needless to say, that yummy professor solidified my thoughts on proper nutrition -- it's important stuff, especially in regards to weight loss.

So TIME put out this article on August 9th explaining why exercise won't make you thin. In addition to the information above, the article explains that some believe exercise to increase their appetite, causing them to eat more and negate the work of their exercise. Some exercisers just make poor decisions because they exercise, likely overestimating the calories they expend during exercise [1].

The article states that there are more than 45 million Americans who belong to a gym, up from 23 million in 1993. Of course, that doesn't mean that people actually GO to the gym (unfortunately a membership alone does not qualify you as physically active). A study performed by the Minnesota Heart Survey found that more people say they exercise than the number who actually do. The 20-year survey found that the number of individuals saying they exercise rose from 47% in 1980 to 57% in 2000 [1].

Until recently, exercise was deemed an integral part of weight loss, when in fact, its role is largely over-stated. Exercise does, however, play an essential role in fighting chronic disease and in particular, heart disease...as well as cancer and diabetes [1]. So it's not to say exercise isn't hugely important...just maybe not so for weight-loss endeavors.

A recent study lead by Dr. Timothy Church randomized 464 overweight, sedentary women into 4 groups. The groups were asked to workout with a trainer for 72 minutes, 136 minutes, and 194 minutes per week for six months, with the last group being a control group. The women were asked to change nothing diet-related and to fill out monthly medical-symptom questionnaires. The results? On average, all the women lost weight. The three groups meeting with the trainer for varying lengths of time did not lose significantly more weight than the control group, however. Some women in each of the four groups actually gained weight -- some more than 10 lbs! What happened? Some of the exercising women ate more because the worked out. Some "rewarded" hard work at the gym with an extra treat. Some moved less when they got home because they worked out [1].

Current 2007 recommendations for exercise put out by the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association include 60 to 90 minutes most days of the week for weight loss. That's quite a lot for the average Joe [1].

A quote from the article:
"According to calculations published in the journal Obesity Research by a Columbia University team in 2001, a pound of muscle burns approximately six calories a day in a resting body, compared with the two calories that a pound of fat burns. Which means that after you work out hard enough to convert, say, 10 lb. of fat to muscle — a major achievement — you would be able to eat only an extra 40 calories per day, about the amount in a teaspoon of butter, before beginning to gain weight. Good luck with that."

So today during my TWO hockey games (makes me tired just thinking about it!), I will opt for water in place of my G2 (Gatorade's low-sugar option). While even I was thinking, "It's just 100 calories...I'm burning WAY more than that"...I am reminded of otherwise. Thanks, TIME.

[1]. Cloud, John. Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin. TIME. August 9, 2009.

One RD's take on your failing diet...

Why does your diet fail? Lots of reasons, probably...

Reason 1: You follow the plan that worked for your friend.

There’s not ONE “right” diet…you have to do what works for YOU. Last year a study completed by the New England Journal of Medicine found that when compared, the Mediterranean diet, low-fat diets, and low-card diets all produced weight loss. Some say, "Pass the bread basket!" while others shout, "Give me the MEAT!" -- to each their own, and same goes with their diet.

Reason 2: You eat a small breakfast.

Check THIS out: one study including 94 women showed that eating a larger (610 calories!) breakfast produced more weight loss in women when compared with those consuming a smaller breakfast (290 calories!). How much of a difference, you ask? The big breakfast eaters lose an average of 40 pounds, while the nibblers lost a pathetic 10 pounds! For the record, I completely agree with this one! Bring on the breakfast - yum!

Reason 3: You’re clueless about calorie counting.

Yep, that’s right…they’re calling you out. Did you know that an additional 100 calories each day leads to a weight gain of 10+ pounds a year? That’s a glass of fat-free milk or slice of 2% cheese too much in a day. Ouch! Add on a can of regular pop for an afternoon caffeine jolt, and you can count on an excess 25 pounds a year. Eek! So, write down what you eat by keeping a food log. A 2008 study found that recording your intake can DOUBLE your weight-loss.

Reason 4: You skip meals.

Extending the time between standard meals by 4-5 hours to “save up” for a special occasion can cause you to consume substantially more. And, you’re more likely to choose less healthy options, too. What to do? Eat every 4 hours as to not set yourself up for disaster at your next meal.

Reason 5: You load up on superfoods.

Nuts, avocados, and dried fruits are healthy, right? Yep! But, those are superfoods that are extremely easy to over-indulge in. While they’re PACKED with nutrients, they’re also extremely calorically-dense – it doesn’t take much to get the benefit before you’ve gone over-board! Your body loves the healthy stuff, but losing weight boils down to consuming LESS calories than we need. The body doesn’t care whether the excess calories are coming from fruit or candy – excess calories will lead to excess pounds.

Reason 6: You’re canceling out the benefit of your workouts.

Workout to pig out? Not wise rationalization… unfortunately. We tend to under-estimate our intake while over-estimating the number burned during exercise (Psssst: DO NOT get duped into thinking the elliptical accurately measures the number of calories you burn!). To burn off that 1 slice of 2% cheese we talked about earlier, you would owe the treadmill another mile of running. And with that additional can a pop, an ANOTHER 1 ½-2 miles of running. Walking, biking, and other aerobics will cost you even more time working away. Reward hard work at the gym with something other than food. Manicures, anyone?

Reason 7: You watch what you eat Monday thru Friday only.

Splurges ought to be reasonable and the weekend need not bring your weight loss efforts to an entire 2-day hault. And if you go really over-board, you've undone the results of scheduled, predictable (and probably good!) eating patterns the work week brings. Plan your weekend and act accordingly. A weekend, every weekend, is not a right to binge! (Duly noted. I do love the weekends...)

Reason 8: You don't plan for stress.

Food is not a licensed therapist or source of entertainment -- it's fuel for our bodies. When you're having an emotional moment or a mental uprooting, think about the situation at hand and devise an appropriate means of dealing with the situation. The right response to stressful situations does not involve fast food, refrigerators, or ice cream. Stress happens...learn to cope without using food as an answer. It won't solve your problems, I assure you!

Ansel, Karen. 8 Reasons Your Diet Isn’t Working. Family Circle. August 2009.

Fit over fat?

I'd like to discuss the below excerpts from a Forbes article by Lacey Rose and Leah Hoffmann, as I strongly agree with the underlying health claims within.

"Joanne Ikeda, a nutritionist at the University of California at Berkeley, 'It's not about how we can help people lose weight; it's about how we can help them be healthier.' Despite popular diets' one-size-fits-all claims, she says there is not one single way to be healthy."

"Lean unfit people actually had a higher risk of death than the 'overfat' physically fit people," says Dr. Andrew Jackson, professor at the University of Houston and one of the study's authors."

In today's society we peg people as skinny (healthy) and overweight/fat (unhealthy), and this generalization is certainly incorrect in many, many instances. American's, as we well know, are under an immense amount of pressure to achieve and maintain a thin, attractive appearance...but health goes far beyond aesthetic preferences and social acceptance. While I took slight offense to my husband regarding my body as that of a "softball player" while out on a hike recently...I simply picked up my pace as if to say, "what's your point?!". And for the record, it's a hockey player's body, my dear.

I am not suggesting that 500-lb Smack-Jack is at a significantly lower risk of Metabolic Syndrome [1] because he swims laps five times a week...absolutely not. However, a shout-out goes out to all you adults who maintain a weight within or close to within BMI suggestive guidelines [2] while maintaining an active lifestyle (moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 30 consecutive minutes most days of the week). Lighten up about the scale already and rejoice in knowing your next workout, and every workout, is duly noted by each and every of the billions and trillions of cells involved in your overall health and well-being.

[1] Metabolic Syndrome is defined as a group of metabolic risk factors: central/abdominal obesity, dyslipidemia, insulin resistance, hypertension, prothrombotic state, and/or a pro-inflammatory state (source: American Heart Association).

[2] A BMI (body mass index) between 18.5 and 24.9 is classified as "normal", a BMI of 25 to 29.9 is classified as "overweight", and a BMI over 30 is classified as "obese". To find out your BMI, click here.