In today’s culture, being sleep-deprived is often worn like a badge of honor. We glorify productivity, forgetting the importance of rest. But rest isn’t wasted time - it’s one of the most important things you can do for your body, your mind, and your overall wellness.
Every system in the body relies on sleep to function at its best, including the nervous, hormonal, immune, digestive, and muscular systems. If we truly care about our health, sleep deserves to be at the top of the priority list. When we honor sleep, we support the systems that help us thrive.
It isn’t a luxury; it’s a biological necessity. We need to stop treating rest like a reward for productivity - instead of a prerequisite for it. Make a plan to get enough quality sleep, just like you might meal plan or schedule time to go to the gym.
Let’s look at some things to consider when prioritizing your sleep.
Remember
No amount of sleep hygiene will help if you don’t allow enough time for sleep! Research has shown that the average person needs seven to nine hours of sleep each night. This varies from person to person. Here is a way to figure out how much time is best for you.
Sleep researchers have noted that decreasing sleep time impacts reaction time and other mental functions. You can use “reaction time” to determine if the number of hours you sleep is ideal for your body.
Here’s how...
- Write down when you typically go to sleep and wake up.
- Do a little experiment for 3 days. Each morning at the same time after waking up, take the reaction time test from the following website https://www.humanbenchmark.com/tests/reactiontime
- Make a note of your score each day.
- On day 4, try moving your bedtime up by 30 minutes. Continue with that amount of sleep for 3 days, checking your reaction time each morning.
- Notice if your score is significantly different with more sleep. Pay attention to how you feel throughout the day. How is your energy level? Is your mental functioning better?
- After a few days, try moving your bedtime up another 30 minutes. Pay attention to your reaction times and how you feel.
- Repeat the steps in this experiment again until you find a bedtime that seems ideal for you based on your reaction times and how you feel.
- Ideally, you will wake up ready for the day without an alarm clock.
Exposure to Light
Research has shown that getting bright light in the morning is the most important habit in getting a good night’s sleep. The morning light helps reset your circadian rhythm, setting you up for a good night’s sleep. If you are in an area where natural morning light is scarce, try using a light machine in place of the sunshine. It won’t give you all the health benefits, but it is a good alternative when necessary.
Other factors involving light include minimizing screen use for three hours before bedtime. If you are going to be on a screen, blue light glasses and programs like F.lux can help reduce the blue light you are exposed to. Dimming the lights for a while before you go to bed can also be a good signal to your body. Once you are ready to get in bed, cover all artificial lights and limit the natural light from outside with room-darkening curtains. An eye mask can be a useful tool to keep things as dark as possible.
Movement
Moving your body throughout the day is another important aspect of getting adequate sleep. In addition to exercise, it is important not to be sedentary throughout the day. Being active during the day does not need to take a lot of extra time. Just take the stairs, use a standing desk, stretch for five minutes, park on the far side of the parking lot, etc.
Evening Eating
It’s important to pay attention to how you feel after having a heavy dinner or a snack before bed. While generally, it is beneficial to go to bed neither overly full nor hungry, your body is unique. Some people will sleep better with a lighter dinner, while some may find that a bedtime snack helps. Most people sleep better if their diet isn’t too low-carb or low-fat.
Dr. Kristen Allott recommends keeping a “lizard brain treat” by your bed at night, one that includes fat and a small carbohydrate. According to Allott, “A Lizard Brain Treat is a snack of sugar (a quick fuel) and protein (a longer-lasting fuel). You want the quick fuel to get to your brain almost immediately, which will start to reduce the adrenaline… Following this with protein extends the amount of time you’re in your responsive cortex brain, before needing to re-fuel.”
For ideas of what a lizard snack looks like, check out her website.
Caffeine and Alcohol Consumption
Having caffeine or alcohol can have a profound effect on sleep. Both of these interfere with your circadian rhythm. Limiting your coffee or soda, especially later in the day, will help you sleep better at night.
Stress
When we look at our stress levels, it makes sense that we would have trouble sleeping. Most of us run around all day without much of a break - or even time to breathe deeply. Learning some stress management techniques will help you handle stress and set you up for a good night’s sleep. Try deep breathing, meditation, yoga, or even getting together with friends to see if it helps you handle stress more effectively. If you are experiencing stress, check out the blog post "Dealing With Stress" for some ideas.
Room
Most people think about the atmosphere in their bedroom when they think of sleep hygiene, which is why I waited to talk about it until the end. We can not skip the other pieces and expect to sleep well. That said, the environment does play an important role in sleep quality.
- Get a comfortable bed
- Only use your bedroom for sleep and sex.
- Control the temperature (often a cool temperature is best).
- Keep the noise level minimal (unless it is a noise machine or fan that you enjoy sleeping by).
What can you do today to increase the quality of your sleep? Do you need to work on getting light in the morning or darkness at night? Do you need to work on your evening eating habits or keep a “lizard treat” by your bed? Let me know what you try and how it works for you!
Dr. Jamie
* Photo Credit: Becci Hethcoat Photography
Getting a good breakfast is so important for our health. In one study, women were divided into two groups. The first group had a large breakfast, a medium lunch, and a small dinner. The second ate a small breakfast, a medium lunch, and a large dinner.
The big breakfast group had greater reductions in fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and triglycerides. They lost more weight (and inches in the waist) while having lower hunger scores.
We can benefit from a healthy breakfast, too, but what does that look like, and how do you make it work in practice? When eating a big breakfast, it's best to focus on protein and fat, while keeping carbs to a minimum (if you have any at all).
Let’s look at some great breakfast options to support stable blood sugar and keep you full till lunch!
Practical Details
Eating too many carbs (and sugar) causes our blood sugar and insulin spike sharply, followed by a sharp drop a few hours later. The brain interprets this as danger - the body is flooded with cortisol, the amygdala is triggered, and you move out of the thinking part of your brain (prefrontal cortex). This results in cravings that are hard to resist.
So, an ideal breakfast will have about 25-30 grams of protein, a serving about the size of the palm of your hand. It will also have one serving of fat about the size of your thumb. If you do want some carbs, feel free to have some berries or non-starchy vegetables.
You can make breakfast ahead of time for the whole week. You could also choose simple recipes to make on the go, especially if you prep the ingredients the night before. Either way, your body will thank you for taking care of it and giving it what it needs to thrive.
Leftovers
While it may be unconventional, having leftovers is a good way to start the day. It’s easy and fast on a busy morning, and hopefully contains lots of nutrition. Most of the time, doubling a recipe doesn't take that much more effort. It is likely easier than making two different dishes and needing to clean up twice. So, planning to make enough for leftovers can be a great strategy.
Breakfast Cups
Ham and Egg Breakfast Cups are a favorite, simple, delicious breakfast idea that can be made ahead of time. Once you are familiar with this recipe, you can play with it, adding different meats and veggies to your liking. You can even make a few varieties at a time to accommodate family members' tastes or keep yourself from getting bored. Then, you can get creative with the toppings.
Smoothies
Breakfast Smoothies can be made quickly and easily eaten on the go. They are made from real food ingredients and can be tailored to meet each individual's taste. Smoothies are pretty forgiving, so you don't need to measure every ingredient perfectly. If you don't have a specific ingredient for a recipe, most of the time, substitutions work well. You can add a scoop of protein powder, and it will last you even longer. (Note: I would rather you have whole foods for your protein, but protein powder can be helpful in a pinch.)
Hash
Breakfast Hash recipes are extremely versatile and are easy to modify to anyone's taste. Just cook the starch, add flavor, and top it with an egg for some protein. You can easily use extra toppings like cilantro, avocado, or salsa. (My favorite combo is sweet potato, spinach, onions, and a Granny Smith apple.)
Yogurt
Full-fat, PLAIN yogurt topped with fruit and nuts is a simple, healthy breakfast if you tolerate dairy well. You might be surprised that it is not that hard to make your own yogurt. If dairy
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The human body is designed to run, lift, throw, and push things. Movements that functionally engage multiple muscle groups are more natural movements. Unfortunately, our modern society limits our need for this type of movement.
When we go to the gym to work out, we have access to machines that can be used for a "full-body" workout. However, many of these machines isolate muscle groups to strengthen them. Isolating specific muscles unnaturally may create imbalances that can cause pain and overuse injuries.
Cavemen never went to the gym, but they got plenty of exercise. Movement was incorporated into their lives because their survival depended on it. Hunting required fast, agile movements and endurance to outlast prey. Once secured, they had to carry it to the village and process it manually.
Our body is not intended to endure repetitive movements on workout equipment in a gym. Moving your body as a whole will provide a better, well-balanced workout that gives you better long-term results.
Let’s learn from cavemen and benefit from functional movement today.
How to Move More Like a Caveman
Years ago, a huge tree branch fell in my parents' yard. All my muscles were engaged while helping them clear the tree trunk and branches. When I lifted it over my head, it was a full-body functional movement. You may not have a tree to move, so here are some functional movements you can include in your life.
Upper Body
- Push - wall push-ups, regular push-ups, bench presses, or a pushing motion on a cable pulley machine.
- Pull - use a seated row machine, cable pulley machine, dumbbells, kettlebells, or an exercise band to do a pulling motion.
- Overhead press - use light dumbbells for an overhead press or a band. The cable pulley machine with the pulley in the lowest position can also get an upward press.
- Overhead pull - use the pull-down machine, a pulley machine, or a pull band to do a downward motion. Pull-ups are also great. If you can't do a pull-up, you can use a band or chair to hold some of your weight.
- Squat - bar on the shoulder for back squat, or dumbbells or kettlebells in hand.
- Deadlift - this is simply picking things up off the ground. Use a barbell, dumbbell, or kettlebell.
Practical Ideas
Movement doesn't have to be strenuous. It could be as simple as walking to the water fountain, standing up for a phone call, or stretching in your seat. It is easy to incorporate it into your daily life if you are intentional about it
- Playing with kids on the floor
- Hanging from monkey bars
- Carrying kids, laundry baskets (or kids in laundry baskets)
- Lifting things up on shelves and taking them down
- Chopping wood
- Rock climbing
These movements don't look like strength training exercises, but they totally count!
Remember the Fun
Another way to get more movement is to rediscover the movement you enjoyed as a kid. Did you like to climb trees as a kid? When the weather gets a little better, see if you can still do it, or try climbing to the top of a play structure with your kids? If you enjoyed playing sports, a class at the
Warrenville Park District might interest you.
Start small and listen to your body. Little things done consistently can help you build up your strength. If you need some direction, I would be glad to give you some at your next appointment.
Does the phrase “the food pyramid” remind you of the triangle on the school’s cafeteria wall, the one that encouraged eating a lot of grains while limiting red meat and fats? For many people, it does, but the food pyramid from the 90s was retired nearly fifteen years ago.
In its place came MyPlate, a simpler visual guide that encouraged filling half your plate with mostly vegetables and some fruit, the other half with mostly grains and some protein, and adding low‑fat dairy on the side.
Now, the USDA is shifting once again, introducing a new food pyramid that has stirred up some controversy. This updated model emphasizes greater intake of protein and healthy fats while limiting sugar, grains, and highly processed foods.
Let’s look at how my beliefs align - or diverge - from these evolving perspectives.
Vegetables & Fruits
Produce is one thing that is consistently valued across the years; everybody agrees it contains many of the vitamins you need to thrive. In the past, I have recommended that 3/4th of our plate consist of vegetables at both lunch and dinner. I still think that is a good goal to aim for. I like the way the later models have evolved to focus on more vegetables than fruit, because even though the sugar in fruit is natural, it can still impact your blood sugar.
The new pyramid even recognizes the nuance of the types of fruits, which aligns with my thinking. For instance, berries are very low in sugar. You can eat a bunch of without a huge impact on your blood sugar. However, mangos can have 24-30g of sugar in them, which is the equivalent of 5-7 teaspoons of sugar. Mangos are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, though. Being aware of this and enjoying high-sugar fruit in moderation may be the best choice.
I will add that eating protein and healthy fat alongside your fruit can help stabilize your blood sugar. So, pairing them with a handful of nuts or having them alongside your meal is a great way to enjoy them.
Protein
I am pleased that the new pyramid emphasizes protein, because every cell in our body contains protein. It is necessary to repair tissue, build muscle, regulate hormones, and promote immune function. Protein can also elevate your metabolic rate and help you feel full longer. Since the body does not store protein, it depends on our diet to provide adequate amounts.
The new food pyramid especially aligns with my perspective of getting your protein from a variety of sources, including red meat. For years, I have encouraged people to get their protein from eating the whole animal: nose to tail. This would include eating organ meat, which goes along with the USDA's principles but isn't specifically mentioned on the pyramid.
My biggest encouragement that is not covered in any of the previous models is to get the highest quality meat possible. This means understanding the tricky marketing. I know that everyone can not afford the highest quality; that’s okay. You will still get many of the benefits of eating meat.
Fat
I am also glad that the new guidelines encourage the consumption of healthy fats, including those from meat, eggs, and whole dairy.
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People know they must eat well, get adequate movement, refrain from smoking, and limit alcohol if they want to be healthy. Research is now showing that we can now add “connections” to our list of healthy habits! Connecting with others, connecting with yourself, and connecting with nature are commonly thought to impact your mental health, but you may be surprised to learn that they impact your physical health as well.
Consistency is the key to benefiting from these connections. Investing in these connections doesn’t have to take a lot of time or cost a lot of money. Little things add up over time. Start with what sounds easiest to you and build these practices from there. Once you see how they make you feel, you may embrace them more and more. And maybe those around you will come to pursue these things too.
Let's explore what these connections could look like in your life.
Connecting with Others
Author and researcher Brene Brown defines connection “as the energy that exists between people when they feel seen, heard, and valued; when they can give and receive without judgment; and when they derive sustenance and strength from the relationship.”
The American Association for the Advancement of Science published a study that found “a lack of social connection is a greater detriment to health than obesity, smoking, and high blood pressure.” It is linked to obesity levels, inflammation, and hypertension. But positive connections improve your immune system and lead to a 50% increased chance of longevity.
Ways to increase your chance for good connections...
- Make time for important people in your life.
- Invite friends to hang out with you on your patio.
- Go for a walk with a loved one.
- Show your affection through physical touch.
- Make room for laughter.
- Call a family member.
- Text an old friend.
- Go for a walk with someone fun.
- Do a favorite activity together (bowling, shopping, golfing, an escape room, etc.)
- Join a book club or sports team (pickleball, softball, volleyball, etc.)
- Be intentional about connecting around the dinner table a few times a week.
- Hang out in the evening with those you live with.
- Put your cell phone away when you are connecting with others in person. (Research has found that the presence of a cell phone interferes with connection.)
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