Sleep-- Try These Foods
Lack of sleep can ruin a lot of things: our
mood, our patience, our focus and our sense of enjoyment in life. We've
all had those sleepless nights. But taking sleeping pills is usually a
problematic strategy, because they don't give you the same natural sleep
that strengthens you, and they can become quite addictive too. Better
to eat something that will help you fall into a relaxing, renewing, deep
sleep.
Here are five recommended foods to put you to sleep:
1.Frozen Bananas
Frozen bananas can be turned into a thick and tasty ice-cream. All you
need is the right technique of consistent mixing. The idea is to mix for
several minutes until the bananas turn into a creamy delight. Add a
handful of chopped peanuts for an extra tryptophan boost (a chemical
that is known to relieve tension and put you to sleep) and you have a
great combination. Not only will the potassium in the bananas help you
fall asleep faster, it can also prevent you waking up for no reason in
the middle of the night.
2. Low Fat Popcorn
Food -
The carbs in popcorn will help your body better utilize tryptophan. This
happens because the tryptophan is converted into serotonin, which is
responsible for putting you to sleep and waking you up every day. Since a
heavy meal about 2 hours before sleep can actually keep you awake at
times, a low-calorie popcorn bowl is a recommended treat for late night snacks. If you want to add some flavor, we suggest some curry powder or
garlic, instead of butter.
3. Halibut
The halibut fish comes with two great sleeping aids: tryptophan and
vitamin B6. It has a meaty, gentle texture - recommended for sea food
lovers.
3.Other foods rich in Tryptophan:
Chicken, Beef, soy, yogurt, bananas, peanuts and eggs.
4. Mango Shake-
Mangoes are packed with antioxidants, proteins, and vitamins and are also
a natural sweet that can help banish your sugar cravings.
To make a mango shake:
Cut up a fresh mango and put it in the blender. Add a scoop-full of ice,
a small scoop of low-fat Greek yogurt and just a little splash of milk
or water. To make it a little sweeter, you can add a bit of honey. And
if you don't like mangoes, the same can be done with strawberries in the
winter and watermelons in the summer.
5. Dried Cherries
A handful of dried cherries won't just provide you with a dose of carbs
and serotonin, it is also one of the better-known sources of melatonin -
a sleep-inducing hormone (also essential in preventing jet-lag). If
that's not enough for you, dried cherries are also packed with
antioxidants.