Sleep Well to Eat Well

Submitted By: Amy Sercel

Edited By: Marcia Bristow MS RD CSSD CD

It’s not unusual to feel like there isn’t enough time in the day to get everything done.  Like most people, you might find yourself rushing around to meet all of your responsibilities, and sometimes that might mean you don’t get to bed as early as you planned.  The average adult needs 7-8 hours of sleep each night, although this number varies based on the individual.  A good night’s sleep is crucial for a healthy lifestyle.  When you sleep, hormones are released that repair all of your body tissues, including your muscles, bones, and skin.  Sleep also gives your brain the chance to process and store memories.  Your immune system is also more active during sleep, allowing your body to fight off infections more easily.¹ Most noticeably, loss of sleep definitely impacts energy levels and mood the next day.  In addition, long-term sleep deprivation has also been associated with increased appetite, weight gain, and diabetes.²

While it might seem like people would burn more calories by staying awake longer, it turns out that the opposite is true.  Studies have shown that people who are sleep deprived tend to crave foods high in carbohydrates and fat, possibly because loss of sleep can make your body release more hormones that stimulate hunger.² Being tired can also lead to irritability, which in turn can cause cravings for certain energy-dense foods.  At the same time, being awake longer means that there are more opportunities to eat during the day.  One study found that people who slept less ate about 550 extra calories in the form of late-night snacks between 11 pm and 4 am.  On top of that, people who feel tired during the day are less likely to engage in physical activity, which further contributes to weight gain.  Luckily, returning to a regular sleep pattern has been shown to bring people back to their usual weight.³

At the same time, there is some thought that what you eat might influence how well you sleep.  You have probably heard that eating turkey makes people sleepy because it contains a lot of the amino acid tryptophan.  While you’d need to eat a lot of turkey to feel these effects right away, it’s possible that eating foods rich in tryptophan (soy products, eggs, spinach, fish, and pork⁴) could help you sleep better.⁵ On the other hand, there are some foods that might keep you awake.  One study found that people in China who had a higher fat intake at dinner were more likely to be sleep deprived.  Although the reason is unclear, these researchers found that people who ate more fat at breakfast were less likely to fall asleep during the day, suggesting that dietary fat might play a role in keeping people awake.⁶ 

The relationship between diet and sleep quality is still being researched.  Until more is known, the National Sleep Foundation has some tips for lifestyle changes you can make to help you sleep well:⁷

• Routinely keep a consistent sleep/wake schedule, even on the weekends.
• Keep your bedroom between 60 and 67ºF.
• Make sure your room is dark and quiet, so you won’t be woken up during the night.
• Spend the last hour before bed doing relaxing activities, like reading.  Avoiding bright lights from televisions, computer screens, and phones will also give your mind time to quiet down.
• If you’re in bed and can’t sleep, get up and move to a different room until you feel tired, then return to bed.

A good night’s sleep is an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, and getting the sleep you need is an important first step in reaching your health-related goals!

References:

1. What happens to your body while you’re asleep. Mail Online. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-90598/What-happens-body-youre-asleep.html. Published March 29, 2016. Accessed March 29, 2016.
2. Why Is Sleep Important? - NHLBI, NIH. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd/why. Accessed March 28, 2016.
3. Chaput J-P. Sleep patterns, diet quality and energy balance. Physiol Behav. 2014;134:86-91. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2013.09.006.
4. Foods highest in Tryptophan. http://nutritiondata.self.com/foods-000079000000000000000.html. Accessed March 28, 2016.
5. Peuhkuri K, Sihvola N, Korpela R. Diet promotes sleep duration and quality. Nutr Res. 2012;32(5):309-319. doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2012.03.009.
6. Cao Y, Taylor AW, Pan X, Adams R, Appleton S, Shi Z. Dinner fat intake and sleep duration and self-reported sleep parameters over five years: findings from the Jiangsu Nutrition Study of Chinese adults. Nutrition. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2016.02.012.
7. Healthy Sleep Tips. https://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-tools-tips/healthy-sleep-tips. Accessed March 28, 2016.

Overeating Out

Submitted By Amy Sercel

Edited By Marcia Bristow MS RDN CSSD CD

Everyone loves eating at restaurants!  Going out can be a fun way to relax at the end of a long week, catch up with friends, or celebrate a special event, and as a bonus you get to enjoy a delicious meal without having to wash any dishes afterwards.  It’s a win-win situation, right?  Unfortunately, regularly eating away from home has been shown to lead to weight gain in the long term.  Appealing menu descriptions, larger serving sizes, free drink refills, and the breadbasket that most restaurants provide as an appetizer all contribute to overindulging.  Add in the busy atmosphere that distracts you from noticing when you are full and you have the perfect environment for eating more than you planned.¹

A recent study by the United States Department of Agriculture found that each meal eaten away from home adds an extra 134 calories to your daily energy intake.  This means that eating out every weekday could add up to 670 calories per week!  Lunch contributes the most additional calories of any meal,² possibly because Americans tend to prepare themselves lighter lunches at home and consume a larger dinner.  Even snacks, however, can add up to 100 calories per day when eaten at restaurants instead of home. If the extra calorie content isn’t discouraging enough, foods eaten away from home tend to be higher in saturated fat and sodium and contain fewer vegetables, whole grains, fruits, and milk products, giving them a lower overall nutritional quality than the food you would make yourself.² 

When eating out, follow these simple strategies to make nutritious meal choices and keep yourself from overeating!

• Choose foods described as baked, grilled, or steamed – they’re likely to contain less fat and calories than foods that are fried. 
• Request substitutions: ask for a side salad instead of French fries, or order brown rice instead of white rice. 
• Skip the soda or alcohol and stick with water instead to save up to 300 calories!
• Tell your server you don’t want any bread or chips brought to the table. 
• Finally, don’t hesitate to ask for a half-sized plate instead of the full entrée, or to box up half of your entrée before it’s brought to the table. 

If you stay mindful of nutritious menu options and keep aware of the added calories that restaurant meals provide, it will be easier to keep yourself from overeating when you go out!

References:

1.  How Restaurant Eating Leads to Weight Gain. http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/restaurant-eating-leads-weight-gain-2903.html. Accessed March 18, 2016.

2.  Todd JE, Mancino L, Lin B-H. The Impact of Food Away From Home on Adult Diet Quality. United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service; 2010.

The Cost of Healthy Eating

Submitted by Amy Sercel

Edited by Marcia Bristow MS RDN CSSD CD

In today’s world, there is no better feeling than saving money.  No one wants to spend more than they have to, especially when buying food.  This can make grocery shopping challenging because it is not clear whether it costs more to buy nutrient-dense foods high in vitamins and minerals or energy-dense foods high in saturated fats and sugars.  A recent article published by a group of Harvard researchers helps clarify the confusion.  These researchers found that a meal-pattern containing lots of nutrient-dense foods cost about $1.50 more per day than one higher in energy-dense items.

The researchers studied food costs by food group, measuring the cost of protein, snacks, dairy, grains, and oils.  In the protein group, for example, researchers found that lean ground beef costs between $0.20 and $0.50 more per serving than high-fat ground beef, and chicken with the skin costs between $0.41 and $0.54 more per serving than skinless chicken.  Produce can cost up to $3.20 more per serving than packaged snack foods.  Nutrient-dense dairy and whole grains may have less of a drastic price difference.  Skim and low-fat milk may be the same price as whole milk, but could cost as much as $0.14 more per serving.  Whole-grain bread only costs about $0.02 more than white bread.  Margarine low in saturated fat will be about $0.02 more expensive than high-fat alternatives.

Although nutrient-dense foods can be a little more expensive, there are some ways to save money in the grocery store and still purchase healthy foods.  Compare costs based on a food’s unit price to ensure an even comparison between prices.  Frozen fruits and vegetables can cost less than fresh produce but still have the same vitamins, minerals, and great taste.  They also keep in the freezer for several months.  Make sure you use fresh foods before they spoil.  Eating nutrient-dense foods is an important part of healthy lifestyle, and there are always ways to add them to your diet without breaking the bank!

Fill Up with Protein!

 

Submitted by Amy Sercel

Edited by Marcia Bristow MS RDN CSSD CD

Whether you want to lose weight, have a busy schedule, or simply don’t enjoy snacking, nobody wants to feel unexpectedly hungry during the day.  A quick Google search will turn up many tips for staying full, such as eating fiber, choosing foods with a high water content, and using herbs and spices to flavor your meal.  Following these suggestions would lead to a healthy eating pattern and can contribute to feelings of fullness and satisfaction.  However, a study recently published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics confirmed that eating protein is the most important factor for staying full.  This may be because protein prevents your stomach from releasing hormones that signal hunger.

Different protein sources will have a varying impact on satiety.  In one study, people who received eggs for breakfast felt more full and ate less at lunch than people who ate cereal for breakfast, even though the two meals contained the same amount of protein and calories.  Eggs have a wider variety of amino acids, or the compounds that make up proteins, than cereal does, which may have contributed to the improved satisfaction from the meal.   

Researchers have also found that people stay full for the longest after consuming an “extremely high” protein meal in which 60% of calories came from protein, compared to the typical 15-20% of calories from protein in the average person’s meal.  People who ate a high-protein diet for several days in a row also noticed a long-term increase in satiety, suggesting that people will not develop a “tolerance” to the improved fullness associated with a high-protein meal pattern. All of this indicates that people who are trying to lose weight should consider increasing their protein intake, so they feel more full after each meal and are less tempted to snack or overeat throughout the day.

Unfortunately, it may not be practical to eat extremely high protein meals all the time without increasing calorie intake or missing out on other nutritious foods.  Additionally, diets high in red meat have been linked with colon cancer and heart disease, and excess protein intakes have been associated with kidney stones, osteoporosis, and kidney disease.  Most people need about 0.36 grams of protein per pound that they weigh each day.  If you do want to bump up your protein intake, you can try adding some seeds or nuts to your breakfast cereal or salad at lunch.  You could snack on a smoothie made with silken tofu or Greek yogurt.  Whole grains like farro and quinoa are also great sources of protein.  Including protein in your diet this way will ensure that you meet your nutritional needs and stay full all day!