You Lift Like a Girl

With Thanksgiving behind us and Christmas fast approaching, I thought it suitable to discuss the "Turkey Makes You Sleepy" myth... Unless a microwave dinner is your idea of a Thanksgiving feast, you probably have had firsthand experience with the after-dinner fatigue that sets in after the meal. Why do you want a nap? To escape the dishes? Perhaps, but the meal itself plays a big part in the way you feel. * L-Tryptophan and the Turkey The turkey is often cited as the culprit in after-dinner lethargy, but the truth is that you could omit the bird altogether and still feel the effects of the feast. Turkey does contain L-tryptophan, an essential amino acid with a documented sleep inducing effect. L-tryptophan is used in the body to produce the B-vitamin, niacin. Tryptophan also can be metabolized into serotonin and melatonin, neurotransmitters that exert a calming effect and regulates sleep. However, L-tryptophan needs to be taken on an empty stomach and without any ot...

By Cristin Dillon, SELF magazine Snacks can be a make-it or break-it point in many people's weight loss plans so don't take them lightly--plan them, build them and enjoy them using some of these simple tips! Snacks should generally be thought of as small meals. If you take out something for a snack, you should ask yourself if you would eat that for a meal. For example, if you grab a bag of chips and a soda for an afternoon snack, ask yourself: Would you ever serve chips and soda for dinner?! The same goes for chocolate, animal crackers, coffee, muffins, pastries, candy and doughnuts. Snacks have a very important role in our diet because they bridge us between meals. Ideally you should not go longer than 4 hours or so without eating because at that point your body has to start working hard to keep your brain fueled and this can cause you to feel tired and distracted. Snacks put a little gas in the tank so that you can run efficiently until your next meal. Snacks should generally...

Carob : Better Than Chocolate Many people the world over love chocolate in all its various forms: chocolate candy, chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, etc. Often chocolate is associated with pleasure, happy times, and holidays. So how could anything be better than chocolate? Well, carob is better for you than chocolate in several ways. Chocolate packs more than just good times. Chocolate contains chemical substances from the same family as caffeine, which is found in coffee and tea. These chemicals are caffeine and theobromine. The main chemical substance in chocolate (theobromine) is exactly the same as caffeine except for one atom; and like caffeine, it also affects the body in serious ways. This family of chemical substances (which include caffeine and theobromine) can cause or contribute to imperfect balance, racing heart, insomnia and sleep disturbances, bedwetting, fatigue, obesity, dizziness, irritability, agitation, anxiety, acne, and more. Some diseases and health problems...

Ditch the crust and boost your veggie intake with these eggplant "pizzas"! Ingredients : 1 eggplant - 3 inches in diameter, peeled and cut into 4 half-inch thick slices 2 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 leaves fresh sweet basil (torn/chopped) 1 oz. tomatoes (sliced thin) 4 slices raw mushroom 4 oz. cooked chicken (shredded/chopped) 1/4 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese Directions : Preheat the oven or toaster oven to 425 degrees F. Brush both sides of the eggplant with EVOO and season with sea salt and pepper. Arrange on baking sheet and bake until browned and almost tender - 6 to 8 minutes, turning once. Place tomatoes, mushrooms, sweet basil and chicken on each eggplant slice and top with mozzarella. Bake until cheese melts (approx. 3 minutes). Serve hot. Nutrition : Calories in FOUR slices: 428 Fat: 23 g Carbs: 9 g Protein: 44 g Sugar: 3 g Fiber: 5 g Contributed by: SparkRecipes iPhone application

Action Plan For those who try to go without sleep by choice, don't cheat yourself of the rest that will help keep blood sugar regulation and hunger signals in balance. This is simply a matter of changing your nighttime habits. Instead of getting stuck on a movie late at night, try relaxing with a good cup of chamomile tea and a book or magazine. Commit to an hour earlier bedtime and slowly work your way to getting at least 7 or 8 hours of sleep. For others, stress reduction cannot only improve sleep; it may be absolutely necessary to re-establishing the ability to sleep. If you have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep: • Have a blood or saliva test to measure cortisol and DHEA levels. • See a mental health counselor or life coach. • Learn stress-reduction techniques like meditation and yoga. • Increase exercise during the day to help burn off those stress hormones. Avoid overtraining, however, as intense exercise can actually increase cortisol and contribute to the inabilit...

Introduction Over sixty percent of Americans will have trouble sleeping this year. And as most of you have experienced, stress is the principle reason why most people can’t sleep well or deeply. More troubling is the fact that research over the last few years has found a clear link between lack of sleep and being overweight. Some people choose to sleep less than they should, while others simply can’t fall asleep or stay asleep, which is where chronic stress comes into play. Not sleeping enough can start a dangerous cycle that disrupts the production of hunger hormones, disturbs glucose regulation, lowers resistance to colds and flu and alters your ability to regulate metabolism. Fortunately, lifestyle and dietary changes, coupled with smart supplementation, can bring you back in balance. The Stress-Sleep-Weight Gain Connection Do you stay up late trying to squeeze more productivity into your day? Or watch late night programming for some down time? While it was once thought to be...

The first step to successful fat loss is to set a goal. Your goal should follow the principles of SMART goal-setting (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Time-based). Once you have set your goal, then you need to look at your nutrition. Your diet should be individualized for you, to ensure that you get the results that you want in the time frame that you want them. Your diet should follow the principles of adequacy, balance, energy control, nutrient density, moderation, and variety. The last piece of the fat loss puzzle is exercise. Your exercise program should follow the FITT (Frequency, Intensity, Time and Type) and SOAP principles (Specificity, Overload, Adaptation, Progression); and include resistance training (2-4 times weekly), cardio (predominantly in the form of high intensity sessions), and flexibility (to aid your joints and muscles). As long as you are eating right for you and for fat loss, doing weights 2-4 times per week, doing cardio 3 or more times per week for ...