Another study has confirmed that sleep is a weight loss aid. I know what you're thinking. It's hard enough to find the time to make special meals and get to the gym, now I'm expected to work in naps?
No.
We SHOULDN'T be making special meals. We SHOULDN'T be going to the gym, and we SHOULDN'T have to take naps.
Our bodies are designed to work intuitively with our environment, and our environment provides everything that is essential for our bodies to thrive (physically and emotionally). Naturally, we are meant to feed on fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and meat. We have the musculature to run, jump, climb and swim. And we have an internal clock that winds up and slows down in communion with the sun. We need no special routine if we follow our natural instincts.
Its the unnatural rhythms of contemporary life that get in our way, and bring us to our current condition. And the sad truth is, we look at our lives today as "normal".
The study referenced above refers specifically to the timing of sleep- and suggests that people who go to bed earlier (before midnight), sleep longer, make better food choices, and weigh less.
What, I ask you, is the take home message here? Is it that we should all start visiting nap pods during our lunch hour, stop by the gym to run like a rat on a wheel, and then go home to our Nutri System frozen meal?
As we embrace the modern conveniences that continue to evolve in our own brave new world, I would encourage all of you to remember one important thing. We cannot manipulate nature.
The take home message here is this- give your body what it needs, and it will give you what you want from it.
Nutrition: We cannot burn calories when we don't have the necessary fuel. The fuel comes from whole foods, fresh, raw fruits and vegetables, unprocessed meats, fish, eggs, and dairy products that provide all the essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients your metabolism needs to work effectively. Processed foods, sugars, excess salt, preservatives and chemicals slow down metabolism and interfere with nutrient absorption.
Physical Activity: Just move on a daily basis. Find activities to use your muscles regularly. Many of us find we need a gym or fitness class to help in this department. But don't let that be your crutch. Add physical recreational activities to your free time as well.
Rest: Sleeping gives our physical and emotional bodies a restart. All of the damage we do to ourselves during the day is repaired, and we should wake fresh and ready to go. Try to follow your bodies natural sleep cycle, and get in bed before 11pm.
Weight loss is much more complicated than eat, play, rest. But if we start by getting back to the basics, we give our bodies a leg up on the process.
No.
We SHOULDN'T be making special meals. We SHOULDN'T be going to the gym, and we SHOULDN'T have to take naps.
Our bodies are designed to work intuitively with our environment, and our environment provides everything that is essential for our bodies to thrive (physically and emotionally). Naturally, we are meant to feed on fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and meat. We have the musculature to run, jump, climb and swim. And we have an internal clock that winds up and slows down in communion with the sun. We need no special routine if we follow our natural instincts.
Its the unnatural rhythms of contemporary life that get in our way, and bring us to our current condition. And the sad truth is, we look at our lives today as "normal".
The study referenced above refers specifically to the timing of sleep- and suggests that people who go to bed earlier (before midnight), sleep longer, make better food choices, and weigh less.
What, I ask you, is the take home message here? Is it that we should all start visiting nap pods during our lunch hour, stop by the gym to run like a rat on a wheel, and then go home to our Nutri System frozen meal?
As we embrace the modern conveniences that continue to evolve in our own brave new world, I would encourage all of you to remember one important thing. We cannot manipulate nature.
The take home message here is this- give your body what it needs, and it will give you what you want from it.
Nutrition: We cannot burn calories when we don't have the necessary fuel. The fuel comes from whole foods, fresh, raw fruits and vegetables, unprocessed meats, fish, eggs, and dairy products that provide all the essential vitamins, minerals and other nutrients your metabolism needs to work effectively. Processed foods, sugars, excess salt, preservatives and chemicals slow down metabolism and interfere with nutrient absorption.
Physical Activity: Just move on a daily basis. Find activities to use your muscles regularly. Many of us find we need a gym or fitness class to help in this department. But don't let that be your crutch. Add physical recreational activities to your free time as well.
Rest: Sleeping gives our physical and emotional bodies a restart. All of the damage we do to ourselves during the day is repaired, and we should wake fresh and ready to go. Try to follow your bodies natural sleep cycle, and get in bed before 11pm.
Weight loss is much more complicated than eat, play, rest. But if we start by getting back to the basics, we give our bodies a leg up on the process.
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