Sleep = Better Body Composition

Are you having trouble with changing body composition? Have you considered your sleeping patterns?

Recent research shows a strong link between weight and sleep. While the exact mechanism is not yet fully understood, researchers believe that how much you sleep and possibly the quality of your sleep may influence hormonal activity tied to your appetite. Recent studies show:

• Sleeping fewer than seven hours a night corresponded with a greater risk of weight gain and obesity, and the risk increased for every hour of lost sleep.

• Participants consumed more calories from snacks and carbohydrates after five and a half hours of sleep than after eight and a half hours.

• After the night of abbreviated sleep, adults consumed more than 500 extra calories (roughly 22 percent more) than they did after eight hours of sleep.

• In sleep-deprived individuals, energy intake—especially at night after dinner—was in excess of energy needed to maintain energy balance. Transitioning from an insufficient to adequate/recovery sleep schedule decreased energy intake, especially of fats and carbohydrates, and led to weight loss.

If you find yourself having trouble falling asleep or sleeping well, there are some nutrition deficiencies to consider:

• 1. Trouble falling asleep? Studies have shown that insomnia is one of the symptoms of magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is actually used as a natural muscle relaxant. Good natural sources are dark leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, beans and lentils.

• 2. Trouble staying asleep?  Studies have shown that potassium supplements may boost sleeping through the night, but good food sources are apricots, sweet potatoes, salmon, beans, leafy greens, avocados, baked potatoes, and to a lesser degree, bananas.

• 3. Feeling excessive fatigue during the day? While this could be the result of many factors, namely stress, research has found a relationship between excessive drowsiness during the day and vitamin D deficiency, according to a study published last year in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine. Good vitamin D sources: the sun's rays, but you can find the mineral in food sources such as swordfish, salmon, tuna, and fortified dairy products.

RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance):

Magnesium: 300-400mg/day

Potassium: 4.7g/day

Vitamin D: 600-4000IU/day (4000IU is current upper limit)

Most multivitamins contain around 100mg Magnesium, ~50-100mg potassium & 1000IU vitamin D. When deficient in a certain vitamin/mineral, it may be beneficial to supplement beyond a multivitamin to see improvements.

To increase these deficiencies with real food:

• Try adding in salmon 2-3 times per week
• Adding side salads to meals made of dark leafy greens, mushrooms, bell pepper
• Incorporating tacos with beans
• Having a high protein snack of tuna and whole grain crackers
• Adding sweet potatoes to your entrée