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Dotti's Newsletter |
September 22, 2007 |
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Issue #032 |
WelcomeToday we will be talking about sleep and how important it is to our health and weight loss Journey. Many of you who have followed my Journey know how much trouble I have getting enough sleep so this subject is near and dear to me. Let's get settled in our most comfy chair with our tall glass of refreshing water. Don't forget that beautiful SMILE ☺of yours. I love seeing smiling faces! 30 minutes of napping 3 days a week lowered the risk of dying from heart problems by 37%. ~Archives of Internal Medicine I knew there was a reason I liked napping! Really, all kidding aside, getting our sleep is very important to our health and to our weight loss journey. A United Kingdom-based study found that sleep affects appetite-controlling hormones. When you don't get enough sleep, the hormones fool your brain into thinking your body needs more food. Vivienne Parry, a British scientist, has written a book based on this research and claims long working hours and late nights are partially to blame for the current obesity crisis. She believes if you get an extra hour's sleep each night it could help you cut 100 calories from your daily food intake, which would result in a 10 pound weight loss in a year. In a study done where 68,183 women's body-weight and habitual sleep length were tracked over a 16-year period, it was found that those participants who were sleeping 5 hours or less each night gained more weight than those who slept 7 hours or more. The overall conclusion of the study was that women who slept at least 7 to 8 hours a night had the lowest risk of gaining weight in the future. Over the years Americans have cut their average sleep time by almost 2 hours. In 1960, adults slept an average of 8.5 hours a night. In 2002, adults were sleeping less than 7 hours a night. How did we get so busy? What happened to taking the time to get a good night's sleep? The reason why not getting enough sleep may lead to future weight gain is because sleep loss can increase hunger, which stimulates hormones and reduces key fat-burning hormones. In another study, researchers had subjects come into a hospital laboratory to sleep and eat breakfast and dinner. On one occasion they were limited to 4 hours of sleep for two consecutive nights. At another time, they were allowed up to 10 hours of sleep for two nights. The results of the study showed that people who had only 4 hours of sleep experienced altered circulating levels of the two hormones that regulate hunger: leptin and ghrelin. This caused an increase in their appetite and their desire for calorie-dense, high-carbohydrate foods. On top of that, there was a 28% increase in ghrelin, a hormone that triggers hunger. As hunger increased, their food preferences changed. After two nights of 4 hours sleep, the volunteers found foods such as candy, cookies and cake far more appealing. Their desire for high-carbohydrate, calorie-dense foods increased by 45%! In humans, circulating leptin and ghrelin hormones are altered when dieting and weight loss occurs. Both of these hormones signal appetite regulation centers in the brain. When you don't get enough sleep your body thinks there is a food shortage and activates the appetite centers in the brain. While you are sleeping hormones are being activated that regulate metabolism and burn fat. Below are some of the major hormones affected by sleep loss: Cortisol ~ This hormone is termed "the stress hormone" because it is secreted in higher levels during the body's response to stress. Cortisol has set rhythms in the body. Normally, it's present in the body at higher levels in the morning and it's at its lowest at night. Loss of sleep or disruption throws off the body's normal cycle. Cortisol levels are elevated the entire next day after a night of not enough sleep. Cortisol causes increased appetite for sweets and promotes fat storage. Leptin ~ from the Greek leptos, meaning thin, Leptin is a protein hormone with important effects in regulating bodyweight and metabolism. This hormone suppresses appetite and increases metabolic rate, and is thought to play a role in long-term regulation of bodyweight. Fat cells produces Leptin and tells the brain when the body does or doesn't need more food. When you don't get enough sleep your Leptin levels fall, which in turn tells your brain you are hungry. The low level of leptin caused by a lack of sleep has been associated with obesity. Leptin secretion causes an increase in appetite. Ghrelin ~ This hormone is produced largely in the stomach and is involved in the regulation of appetite. Ghrelin accelerates appetite. In humans, ghrelin increases hunger through its action on the brain's feeding centers. In a test done, humans injected with ghrelin report intense hunger, eating 30% more food than they would normally. Your ghrelin levels increase during the day when you don't get enough sleep, causing you to be hungrier. Ghrelin causes an increase in appetite and promotes fat storage. Growth Hormone (GH) ~ GH increases fat metabolism, diminishes fat storage and increases lean muscle. GH secretion follows a circadian rhythm and is released in small surges or pulses of six to 12 per day, the largest pulse secreted about 1 or 2 hours after the onset of deep sleep. When we don't get enough sleep, we end up sabotaging our body's capacity to burn fat and renew tissues. GH secretion causes reduced fat burning. Sleep plays an important role for proper development and maintenance of the brain and for the entire body. A shortened life span, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, along with weight gain, has been associated with not getting enough sleep. Deep sleep is needed for muscle recuperation. Studies have noted that it is important that we get 7 to 9 hours of sleep, depending on our need for sleep. In the survey on inadequate sleep as a risk factor for obesity, it was found that every additional hour of sleep after 7 hours was associated with a reduced likelihood of future weight gain. I have to tell you, after looking into this subject of sleep and how it relates to weight loss, I feel like a lot of my questions have been answered ~ Why am I so hungry? Why am I craving sweets and carbs? Why am I so tired during the day? Why am I losing weight so slowly? I am slowly trying to get on a regular sleep schedule but boy, it is hard. After learning everything we learned today I think I need to try a lot harder. It seems that sleep is an essential part of our healthy weight loss Journey. How many of you have trouble getting 7 or 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep? How many of you are craving more sweets or carbs than normal? Are you more fatigued during the day? How many of you are hungrier than normal? Well, now you know why! You need more sleep! How about we all get more sleep this week and reap the benefits. Have an awesome couple of weeks and remember to SMILE ☺that beautiful smile of yours all the time. You will cheer up all those you come in contact with, leaving you with a good feeling. It doesn't get any better than that. Take care until our next visit. ~~~University of Bristol Research 2006 Do you want some extra support during your Journey? Would you like to have a place you can call "home," where you can be yourself? Our Message Board is just the place. It's home to all our Zonie friends who share their Journey experiences and are always willing and ready to offer support, laughs, friendship and Within us is all that we've loved and touched. Before us is all that we dream of. Each chapter in life brings new awareness and new joy. Our lives are directed by the choices we make. Cherish your dreams and follow your passions, for they are the guiding spirit of your heart. It's only a matter of time before the storm gives way to the sun. "Enjoying Weight Loss" by Roberta Temes As many of you know, I use Dr. Roberta’s Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs as one of my "tools" on my lifelong Journey to a healthier me. They continue to be an irreplaceable part of my Journey back to goal. I am happy to see that the Hypnosis Network is continuing to offer Dr. Roberta’s Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs for $97. For anyone who is "hypnosis-friendly" (about 90% of the human population can derive some benefit from hypnosis) the money could not be better spent. If you are interested in learning more about Dr. Roberta’s Enjoying Weight Loss Hypnosis CDs you can read our review at http://www.dwlz.com/hypnosisreview.html. I would not recommend them if they hadn't of worked for me. Here is what the Hypnosis Network says:
Click Here to go directly to their site and find out more about the Hypnosis Network, and how you can order your CDs. Thank you to all of you who continue to be there for me and support me in my Journey to becoming a healthier me. Thank you for caring. Always remember, "If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got."
Here are some wonderful 100 calorie sweet snacks. ♦ Hard Candy, 4 pieces Here are some 100 calorie cookies when you just have to have a cookie! ♦ Chocolate Chip, 2 - 2" cookies Software You Can Use!
The Weight Commander is an awesome program for your Journey. I highly recommend it to all those who are on a Journey of their own. It is a wonderful program to track your progress on any weight loss program you are using. You can read My Review of the Weight Commander or go straight to the source and check out this great software by following this link to Weight Commander. He has many tips and ideas throughout his program which will help you to be successful on your Journey.
Makes 4 servings Another great 'side' dish. Divide into four servings (about 2/3 cup). ~~~Recipe Adapted from Change One by John Hastings Penny's Low Fat Desserts
Try some of Penny's awesome MUFFINS and COOKIES during their special: $5 off the purchase of 2 boxes of assorted muffins or cookies Ship the economical UPS ground shipping within 49 states!
Muffin Flavors: Zucchini, Orange-Cranberry, Apple Cinnamon, Cherry, Raspberry, Black Forest, Lemon Poppy, Blueberry, Banana, Strawberry-Banana. 2 Assortment Boxes are available. Cookie Flavors: Chocolate Chip, Mocha Chip, Mint Chip, Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Raisin, Pumpkin Raisin, Lemon, Macaroon, Maple Walnut. 2 Assortment Boxes are available. Essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6) are necessary to support the cardiovascular, reproductive, nervous, and immune systems. These fatty acids can help reduce cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease. They are very important for normal growth of the blood vessels and nerves and they help to lubricate the skin and other tissues. Oil Foods High in Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids
Oil Foods High in Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids Don't Think Of It As Weight Gain, Consider It Personal Growth According to experts, most of us will gain weight during the holidays. (I like to think of it not as weight gain, but as "personal growth.") The holiday noshing season starts when you scarf down that first miniature Butterfinger that "falls out" of your 10-year old's Halloween stash as you're shaking it all over the bed. And it doesn't stop until you've licked the red stripes off the last candy cane on the tree. Not that I've ever done this. Everywhere you turn, there's someone offering advice for sane holiday eating. There are nutritionists and supermodels who'll tell you to "drink lots of water before going to a party. This way, you'll fool your stomach into thinking it's full." I don't know about your stomach, but mine is smart enough to know the difference between tap water and a seven-course meal followed by chocolate cheesecake and a half-dozen gingerbread men. (I always have the gingerbread men because nutritionists also say that men have less fat than women.) Now, I'm not an expert or a supermodel, but I do know a thing or two about eating during the holidays. So, I've put together my own holiday diet. This plan is guaranteed - if you follow it tongue-in-cheek - to help you laugh off a few ounces, while toning your abdominal muscles. STEP 1: Aversion Therapy. Buy as many home and personal fragrances as you can afford in the following scents: vanilla, chocolate, cinnamon and pumpkin. Spray each of them several times throughout the day. When the aroma no longer makes you hungry, but instead makes you want to run screaming outside for some fresh air, you're ready for Step 2. STEP 2: The Fruitcake Patch. A lot of you have probably tried the nicotine patch to quit smoking. The fruitcake patch works in a similar fashion. Cut off a 1/2-inch slice of fruitcake, making sure to get as many of those green gelatinous things as possible. Now, cut off two 4-inch strips of duct tape and tape the fruitcake to your upper arm. Wear the fruitcake patch for seven consecutive days. Don't worry, it won't fall apart in the shower - it's fruitcake, after all. Never apply more than one patch at a time. The weight could throw you off balance. By day three, the sight of anything sweet should make you queasy. But the real benefit of the fruitcake patch shows up much later, when the unpleasant odor will cause your friends to rescind their offers to attend holiday parties. And if they're too polite to uninvite you, you'll find it almost impossible to find a holiday outfit that looks good with a hunk of duct-taped fruitcake sticking out of the sleeve. STEP 3: Balance Your Meals. If you've gotten all the way to a party even after following Steps 1 and 2, you need Step 3. You know how hard it is to balance a plate of goodies in one hand and a glass in the other, and still get any food into your mouth? Imagine how much more difficult this task becomes if you have one arm in a sling. So get yourself a nice sling and put it on your strongest arm. If you're talented enough to eat with one arm in a sling, try the advanced Step 3: Wear a straitjacket. In addition to keeping those extra pounds in check, you'll be the center of attention. If none of these tips works for you, do as I do during the holidays - hire a designated eater. Bon appetit! ~~~Leigh Anne Jasheway - Family Circle - Dec 1999 Pizza Fit'n Free
TO ORDER: www.PizzaFree.com Okay, here we go with some more food finds. Enjoy! Vitalicious - Vitamin-fortified, delicious, better-for-you baked goods
Try Vitalicious™ new exquisitely delicious Heart Healthy Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Flavored VitaBrownies With CoroWise™ brand Naturally Sourced Cholesterol Reducer™ plant sterols. These Heart Healthy Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Flavored VitaBrownies have 100 calories, 1.5 g fat, 6 g fiber,
A heart-healthy diet of 2,000 calories a day should contain no more than 67 grams of fat and 2,300 milligrams of sodium. Check these calories, fat & sodium numbers of some menu items from popular restaurants. Amazing how fast those numbers add up! Mexican Pizza, Taco Bell [550 cal/31 g fat/1,040 mg sodium]
You can lower the calories of your whole wheat bread sandwich by 380 calories? How you ask? Watch how easy it is to make a healthy sandwich and one with a lot less calories.. 220 calories - 2 slices whole wheat bread, 4 slices turkey (2 oz), lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard 600 calories - 2 slices of whole wheat bread, 10 slices turkey (5 oz), American cheese (1 oz), mayonnaise (1 tbsp), lettuce, tomato Baja Bob's Cocktail Mixes ~ Home of the Original Sugar-Free Margarita Mix
Try some Baja Bob's Sugar Free Cocktail Mixes today - What a great way to enjoy an occasional cocktail without any guilt! Enjoy and stay on your program! enter Code dotti10 when ordering and receive a 10% discount
Did you know...? There are 2,598,960 possible hands in Texas Hold 'Em. Despite being made famous by Dutch paintings and Spain's Don Quixote, windmills originated in Persia before the tenth century. George Clooney vowed never to remarry or have children, but Michelle Pfeiffer and Nicole Kidman each bet $10,000 that he'd be a father by age 40. On Clooney's fortieth birthday (May 6, 2001), the actresses conceded defeat and each sent a check. Clooney returned the money, betting double or nothing that he wouldn't have kids before turning 50. ~~~That's a Fact Jack! by Harry Bright and Jakob Anser Al's Essays on Weight Loss and Maintenance Al has written many in depth essays on Weight Loss and Maintenance and they are now available on the website! Al has also added links on his Essays Page to his other articles on DWLZ, so you can find all of them easier.
You can find Al's Essays on Weight Loss and Maintenance at: ♦ Pistachio's, in shells, 30 Buy your nuts in shells. Opening them takes time, so you won't eat as many. PurFoods Fitness
Have you ordered your DWLZ Cookbooks yet? These cookbooks are filled with recipes that are Zonies' favorites, dishes that are delicious but on program, with nutritional information listed. This is two books in one package: DWLZ Cookbooks Volumes One and Two. The recipes are easy to make and don't use hard-to-find items. They are together in one PDF file, viewable in your free Acrobat Reader (Version 5 and higher). These make wonderful gifts. All my updates can be found on the Message Board in the DWLZ Website News & Updates forum at:
US restaurant updates can be found at our Restaurants
TOC page at: Canadian restaurant updates can be found at our Canadian Restaurants TOC page at: "Today is the first day of the rest of your health." ~~~Jamba Juice Until our next visit, always keep in mind you are never alone on this Journey. We are all here with you, right beside you, rooting you on. Take care until next time...
"I cannot relive yesterday and tomorrow isn’t here yet, so I will just deal with today." ~Dotti If this newsletter was forwarded to you, you can sign up for it yourself at:
Dotti's Newsletter Subscription Page - http://www.dwlz.com/eletter.html Dotti's Weight Loss Zone
And please don't forget to come and visit DWLZ! If you are not already a regular visitor, it is time for you to come and make yourself at home at my web page, where you will find lots of tips on losing weight, and help in picking out good things to eat at your favorite restaurants, while still remaining on program. We have motivation, success stories, and much more. It is a lot like Disneyland: you'll have lots of fun, and you could never see it all in just one day! However, unlike Disneyland, Dotti's [ http://www.dwlz.com ] is open 24 hours a day, every day. Copyright © DWLZ, Inc. - 2007, all rights reserved. This document may be reproduced freely as long as it is always reproduced in its entirety, including this copyright message, and the disclaimer below, and as long as it is always distributed free of charge. Disclaimer - This newsletter is not meant to be a substitute for any professional advice, guidance, or counseling. We are not doctors. Any information contained in this email reflects our own opinions and experiences. It is not intended in any way to serve as or take the place of medical advice from a physician. |
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Dotti 
Weight Commander 
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