Nutrition and Weight Loss Ideas

Have you ever equated the amount of sleep you get to how much you weigh? Is it possible that sleep could have some effect on whether you are gaining or losing weight?

Over the recent past, there have been many studies that indicate that it is true that your sleep patterns could have a lot to do with controlling your weight.

Especially in America. our culture is focused on productivity. Sleep is one of those things that gets in the way of getting our work done. Not only that, it tends to get in the way of just about every aspect of our lives — family, TV, the internet, staying caught up with your email. We have to do all these things — there just isn’t enough time for sleep.

So, how do we compensate for this lack of sleep — we load up with sugar, refined carbs, caffeine, and a variety of other stimulants. Now, the food industry is even coming out with these “energy drinks” that are nothing more than an enormous amount of sugar and caffeine disguised as something good for you.

We have become a nation of sugar and caffeine addicts. The consumption of these two items has increased dramatically (over 185 lbs of it per person each year) — and our collective weight has increased accordingly. And, we all know what sugar can do to your weight — and the consumption of caffeine right along with it is certainly no help.

Here are a few tips to help you get enough sleep … and also help you to control your weight …

1. Avoid substances that affect sleep, like caffeine, sugar, and alcohol.

2. Avoid any stimulating activities for 2 hours before bed such as watching TV, using the Internet, and answering emails.

3. Go to bed (preferably before 10 or 11 pm) and wake up at the same time every day.

4. Exercise daily for 30 minutes (but not 3 hours before bed, which can affect sleep)

5. Use your bed only for sleep and sex.

6. Keep your bedroom very dark or use eyeshades.

7. Block out sound if you have a noisy environment by using earplugs (the soft silicone ones work the best).

8. Make the room a comfortable temperature for sleep - not too hot or cold.

9. Take a hot bath at night for 20 minutes. Add 2 cups of Epsom salt and 10 drops of lavender essential oil to the bathwater.

10. Take 200 to 400 mg of magnesium citrate or glycinate before bed, which relaxes the nervous system and muscles.

11. Other supplements and herbs can be helpful in getting some shuteye, such as calcium, theanine (an amino acid from green tea), GABA, 5-HTP, melatonin, valerian, passionflower, and magnolia.

12. If you are still having trouble sleeping, get checked out for other problems that can interfere with sleep,
including food sensitivities, thyroid problems, menopause, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, heavy metal toxicity, and, of course, stress and depression.

It’s important to know that weight control isn’t always about food and exercise — although it is important. There is also this connection between your sleep habits and being able to control our weight.

So, get to bed early — sleep a good 7 or 8 hours every night — and your nutrition and weight loss program will see more success.

Have a great and healthy day. I’ll be back soon with some more nutrition and weight loss thoughts for you.

Shanti,

Ron
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Have you ever thought about the fact that stress could make you fat — and that relaxing can make you thin? Do you notice that when your life is stressful and hectic, you have a harder time losing weight?

Let’s think about what is going on with your body and your nutrition and weight loss program when you are stressed. When stress takes control your body is pushing out a variety of hormones that will slow your metabolism and make you more likely to store calories as fat — even if you’re eating less and exercising more.

Let’s face it — we are a nation of worriers. We spend way too much time fretting over things that are completely out of our control. We worry about things that haven’t happened yet — and may never happen. All that worrying can take a huge toll on your desires to keep your weight down.

Can we eliminate stress from our lives? Probably not — but there sure are plenty of ways to keep stress under control. If I could give you a really cool way to eliminate worry from your everyday life, I would be delighted to do that — and I would follow that advice myself — but I don’t have the answer to that.

However, I can give you some advice to control stress …

One thing you can do when you’re feeling something begin to stress you out — just stop for a minute — and take a few deep breaths. Nice and deep and slow. Inhale right down into your belly — then slowly exhale. Do this about three or four times and you’ll feel your body begin to relax. It’s magical.

I also have in my “bag of tricks” a neat product that I keep right here next to my computer. It’s called “Sunset” — it’s a liquid — and it has all these great herbs and herbal extracts that are designed to help support the nervous system and manage the effects of stress on your body. If you’d like some for yourself, just take down this ID#: 20369984 and then call 1-800-531-4877. Just tell them you’d like to order some Sunset and give them my ID#. You could also go to: http://www.lifeforce.net/20369984 and place your order online. Just follow the links for “Products” and fill out the forms. As you’ll see, this product isn’t available anywhere else.

Oh — and one last thing — one other good way to help you control stress is to get plenty of sleep. Try to get 7 or 8 hours every night.

So, I guess the words to leave you by are — “Chill Out!”

Have a great and relaxing day.

Here is some information about the nutritional supplements I add to my nutrition and weight loss program. These have helped me more than I would have ever imagined.

I urge you to click on the links below — it’s a fast and easy way to learn the benefits these products have for you!

Here are the page links — take a couple of minutes and check them out!:

— My Health Products – and - Testimonials — and - Uses for My Products.

Read through those pages and then contact me with your questions. I’m here to help you to achieve your nutrition and weight loss goals.

Not only can you find my contact information, you can also get a FREE 2-week supply of the flagship product, Body Balance, sent directly to your home. Take advantage of this limited-time offer — it’s on me, folks!

Have a great and healthy day. I’ll be back soon with some more nutrition and weight loss thoughts for you.

Shanti,

Ron
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Anyone who is following a good nutrition and weight loss program knows the value of using as much of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products as possible. With that as part of our lifestyle, we are most likely purchasing more fresh foods than we did in the past.

The question now is … How do you know how long the fresh food will last? What do those “Use by” and “Sell by” and “Expiration” dates mean? Let’s see if we can help to clarify some of this for you.

Best if used by (use by):

This is the date by which you should aim to use the product, but be advised that this date does not indicate when a food will spoil. Manufacturers voluntarily place this date on the packaging as a general guide. (Voluntarily means they don’t always do it!) Most foods are okay to consume for about two days after the use-by date but may be lacking in flavor or freshness. Of course, if you notice any signs of spoilage, such as an obvious odor or mold, play it safe and assume the food has perished.

Sell by:

This date is for vendors — not consumers. The sell-by date is meant to notify your grocer to pull the product off the shelf. While you shouldn’t purchase foods beyond their sell-by dates, as with use-by dates, foods past their sell-by dates are not necessarily spoiled. If the product has remained unopened and there aren’t any signs of spoilage, it may still be OK to eat.

Expiration:

Just as the word indicates, this is the date on which a food is expected to spoil. You should not consume or taste foods past this date. Eggs are one important exception — they can typically last an additional month past the expiration date as long as they’re kept properly refrigerated.

Hope this has helped to clear up any confusion about when to toss the food and when to keep it.

Here is some information about the nutritional supplements I add to my nutrition and weight loss program. These have helped me more than I would have ever imagined.

I urge you to click on the links below — it’s a fast and easy way to learn the benefits these products have for you!

Here are the page links — take a couple of minutes and check them out!:

— My Health Products – and - Testimonials — and - Uses for My Products.

Read through those pages and then contact me with your questions. I’m here to help you to achieve your nutrition and weight loss goals.

Not only can you find my contact information, you can also get a FREE 2-week supply of the flagship product, Body Balance, sent directly to your home. Take advantage of this limited-time offer — it’s on me, folks!

Have a great and healthy day. I’ll be back soon with some more nutrition and weight loss thoughts for you.

Shanti,

Ron
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