SLEEP More, WEIGH Less

Did you know that under-sleeping can lead to poor performance and impaired judgement and has also been linked to depression, obesity, diabetes and hypertension. A new study of 1,200 people showed that the average Australian adult gets less than seven hours sleep a night, below the seven to eight hours recommended by sleep experts.

A study by Columbia University, found people who slept four hours or less per night were 73% more likely to be overweight or obese. Also, people who habitually slept for five hours had 15% more ghrelin, a hormone which increases feelings of hunger, than those who slept for eight hours. Those who slept for less time were also found to have 15% less leptin, a hormone which suppresses appetite. "These differences are likely to increase appetite, and therefore contribute to obesity" Dr Taheri states. The subjects in the study also tended to eat more sweet and starchy foods when sleep was cut short.

While research continues, sleep still remains one of the body's most mysterious processes. We do know that sleep is absolutely necessary for survival and even occasional sleeping problems can make daily life feel more stressful or cause you to be less productive. Sleep loss also affects growth hormone secretion that is linked to obesity and impairs the body's ability to use insulin, which can lead to the onset of diabetes. It is paramount that we discover more about this activity where we spend a third of our lives - sleeping.

There are prescriptions and non-prescription drugs, herbs, remedies, technologies, etc that may help you get a good night's sleep. Some work for some and not for others.

Here are some tips you can try at home tonight. These tips are intended for the average adult, but not necessarily for children or persons experiencing medical problems:

• Imagining - Think of a hammock - you're up off the ground, wrapped in a cocoon of comfort, swaying gently in the open air. The sun is warm on your face and there's a cool breeze blowing you back and forth. This visualisation helps you "see" what the reward for sleeping will be, getting you more in the mood to sleep. Visualisation has proved helpful in developing the appropriate brain wave patterns for sleep.
• Magnesium - Has a calming effect on the nervous system. It is part of bones and cells, especially the smooth cells of arteries, and assists in the absorption of calcium and potassium. Over 300 enzymes in our body need magnesium to function properly. It is so important, that the brain stores a "safety supply" to have in the event of a drop in the magnesium reserves.
• Nutmeg - Grind fresh nutmeg and serve it with warm low fat milk and a touch of honey. Milk is naturally high in calcium and rich in tryptophan; together they can be a powerful tranquilizer (and very delicious).
• Hot foot baths - In the Eastern World, a hot foot bath is a traditional remedy; it draws blood from the brain to calm a racing mind. Try soaking your feet in a hot bath with a cupful of Epsom salts and a few drops of lavender essential oil, which will soothe you. Your feet absorb the magnesium from the Epsom salts and relax you further.
• Stomach rub - Soothes down the digestive system and helps bring about deeper relaxation. Lie on your back and place your hand on your belly button. Begin to make small circles in a clockwise direction as you gently glide your hand over your stomach. Let your circles gradually become bigger and bigger. When your circles reach the outside of your stomach, gradually reduce their size until you are back at your belly button again. Reverse the direction; repeat the whole series with your other hand and do this several times. Doing this with lavender oil can create an even more relaxing experience.
• Listening to an audio book - The brain works like a tape player - with one main auditory loop that processes words. If you fill that loop with an interesting book, there's no room for your own worrisome internal narrative. Especially helpful for those who have continuous thoughts running through their heads.
• Deep breathing - Take a deep breath in then slowly release out - focussing on your breathing causes your mind to get distracted from your worries and focussed on your breathing. Doing this for a few minutes can relax your mind and help you get a more peaceful sleep.
• Turn it off - Sleep experts suggest refraining from doing work, watching television, or being on the computer at least an hour before bed time. This allows your brain to start to 'wind down'.

Gangwisch. D, Malaspina. D, Boden-Albala. B, (2005) Inadequate Sleep as a Risk Factor for Obesity: Analyses of the NHANES I; COlumbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY.

Taheri. S, Lin. L, Austin. D, Young. T, Mignot. E, (2004) Short Sleep Duration is Associated with Reduced Leptin, Elevated Ghrelin, and Increased Body Mass Index. PLos Med 1(3): e62. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.0010062.

Major Fast Food Outlets Required to Disclose the Number of Calories in their Food by 2012.

Businesses with more than 200 outlets across Australia, or with 50 in Victoria, will have to display the amount of calories in their food under new Victorian State Government legislation by 2012.

As people order their Big Mac or bucket of crispy chicken, they will be able to see on the menu or on the display board how many kilojoules come with it. (Note: 1 calorie equals 4.2 kilojoules).

Victorian Premier John Brumby says his government is making it compulsory to display the details in a bid to cut down the rate of diabetes and obesity.

'The reason we are doing this is because we have a runaway epidemic in Victoria, right across Australia, particularly with diabetes,' Mr Brumby told reporters.

He said there are up to 270,000 Victorians with diabetes, with a further 20,000 becoming diabetic every year.

'This is a runaway train and we need to drag it back - the best way is by healthier eating and giving consumers information about their eating choices.' Mr Brumby said.

'Many people don't realise that if you eat a big hamburger, with a big coke and a big bag of chips that will be around half of your daily food intake.'

'Many people also don't realise the calories in a large Coke, almost 1,000kj or 20 teaspoonfuls of sugar.' Mr Brumby continued.

Health groups also support the move.

VicHealth Chief Executive Officer, Todd Harper said the plan was likely to be followed by other states.

'I have no doubt it will be popular initiative with consumers and hope that fast food outlets that fall under the threshold will voluntarily adopt it.' Mr Harper said.

'Until now, fast food companies have managed to keep kilojoule counters out of their displays but the time has come to put health first.'

Jane Martin, Senior Policy Adviser for the Obesity Policy Coalition, says clearer labelling on menus will help consumers 'sort the fat from fiction at a glance.'

'Many consumers would be surprised to find that some seemingly innocuous items such as frappes and smoothies contain one quarter of an adult's recommended daily energy intake,' Ms Martin said in a statement.

'To make matters worse many products with healthy sounding names are at the top of the worst offenders list.'

She says some of the highest kilojoule products have names such as Blueberry Blast, Garden Goodness and Green Tea Venti.

'While some of these products contain valuable nutrients, few people would realise that there's less than a 100 kilojoules difference between a Big Mac and the McDonald's Crispy Chicken Caesar Salad,' she said.

Story courtesy of Bigpond News.