Food that improves sleep

There is a strong correlation between sleep quality and dietary pattern. High intake of confectionary and noodles was associated with poor sleep quality, whereas a high intake of fish and vegetables was associated with good sleep quality.

Pariksha Rao, Chief Nutrition Officer, and Co-Founder Lil’ Goodness and SCOOL Meal points out the importance of food quality and its impact of sleep, as evidenced by global Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index score.

Junk food contains high amounts of refined or simple carbohydrates which have a detrimental impact when compared to the total quantity of carbohydrate. Frequent consumption of energy drinks and sugar-sweetened beverages was associated with poor sleep quality. Other eating patterns like skipping breakfast and eating irregularly were strongly associated with poor sleep quality, she adds.
Rao lists down some food items that can improve sleep quality:
Protein rich foods with some carbohydrate

An amino acid called tryptophan plays a vital role in sleep quality. On the other hand carbohydrates make tryptophan more available to the brain, and that is why carbohydrate-heavy meals make us feel drowsy. Protein rich foods like milk and milk products, nuts etc. are the building blocks of tryptophan. So, the best bedtime snack is one that contains both a carbohydrate and protein, such as oats with milk, peanut butter on whole wheat toast, or cheese and vegetable crackers.
Omega-3 fatty acid rich food

Low levels of omega-3 fatty acids can lead to sleep problems in children. Salmon or other fatty fish are great source of omega-3 fatty acids and can be a great dinner. Other rich sources of omega 3 are eggs, poultry, walnuts, chia seeds, broad beans, cauliflower greens, brussel sprouts, broccoli, wild rice, berries, plant oils such as flax oil, soybean oil, and canola oil or fortified foods such as yogurt, milk, and soy beverages.
Several other foods have sleep-promoting properties, like:
Bananas: They contain tryptophan and are a good source of magnesium. Both of these properties may help you get a good night’s sleep.
Oatmeal: Similar to rice, oatmeal is high in carbs and has been reported to induce drowsiness when consumed before bed. Additionally, oats are a known source of melatonin.
Cottage cheese: Contains a significant amount of casein- a milk protein that is well known to sustain overnight muscle repair and growth when consumed before bed.
Dark Chocolate: Dark chocolates also contain serotonin, which has a calming effect on your mind and nerves and help you catch up with some valuable sleep. Unfortunately many children don’t have a taste for dark chocolate as it is low in sugar and has a little bitter taste. If one can build that taste, can be a perfect post dinner dessert. Don’t forget to motivate them to brush before bedtime in that case.
Cherries: They contain melatonin, a hormone that regulates our sleep cycle. Eating 10-12 cherries a day could help you get some good sleep.

On the other hand try and keep your children away from high sugar containing beverages, caffeinated beverages and junk food, especially in late evening hours. Good hydration is a must throughout the day. Avoid a lot of liquid intake after dinner to prevent frequent visits to the bathroom at night, that can disrupt the sleep.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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Early-morning, starch-rich meal improves glycemic control among type 2 diabetics

Type 2 diabetics inject themselves with insulin, a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into liver, muscle and fat cells, up to four times a day. But insulin injections are linked to weight gain and the loss of control of blood sugar levels. This triggers a vicious cycle of higher insulin doses, continuous weight gain, a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease and other complications.

A new Tel Aviv University study finds that a starch-rich breakfast consumed early in the morning coupled with a small dinner could replace insulin injections and other diabetes medications for many diabetics.

The traditional diabetic diet specifies six small meals spread throughout the day. But our research proposes shifting the starch-rich calories to the early hours of the day. This produces a glucose balance and improved glycemic control among type 2 diabetics. We believe that through this regimen it will be possible for diabetics to significantly reduce or even stop the injections of insulin, and most of antidiabetic medications, to achieve excellent control of glucose levels. 

Prof. Daniela Jakubowicz of TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Wolfson Medical Center's Diabetes Unit

Prof. Jakubowicz is the lead author of the study, the result of a collaboration with Prof. Julio Wainstein and Dr. Zohar Landau of Wolfson Medical Center's Diabetes Unit and Prof. Oren Froy and Dr. Shani Tsameret of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The research was published in Diabetes Care in December.

According to the new research, our metabolism and biological clock are optimized for eating in the morning and for fasting during the evening and night, when we are supposed to be asleep. "But the usual diet recommended for type 2 diabetes consists of several small meals evenly distributed throughout the day -- for example, three meals and three snacks daily, including a snack before going to sleep to prevent a drop in sugar levels during the night," Prof. Jakubowicz says.

But the '6M-diet,' as this is called, has not been effective for sugar control, so diabetics require additional medication and insulin. And insulin injections lead to weight gain, which further increases blood sugar levels," Prof. Jakubowicz adds.

The researchers studied 29 type 2 diabetes participants and compared a new "3M-diet," more in alignment with our biological clock, with a control group on the traditional 6M-diet. The experimental 3M-diet comprises a meal of bread, fruits and sweets in the early hours of the morning; a substantial lunch; and a small dinner specifically lacking starches, sweets and fruits.

The group on the traditional 6M-diet did not lose weight and did not experience any improvement of sugar levels, requiring an increase in medication and insulin doses. But the group on the 3M-diet not only lost weight but also experienced substantially improved sugar levels.

"Their need for diabetic medication, especially for insulin doses, dipped substantially. Some were even able to stop using insulin altogether," adds Prof. Jakubowicz. "In addition, the 3M-diet improved the expression of biological clock genes. This suggests that the 3M-diet is not only more effective in controlling diabetes. It may also prevent many other complications such as cardiovascular disease, aging and cancer, which are all regulated by the biological clock genes."

The upregulation of the biological clock gene expression in the 3M-diet might be the mechanism behind its success, as it enhances insulin secretion and improves sugar delivery into the muscles, creating a balanced daytime and nocturnal glucose metabolism. The researchers are now investigating the role certain proteins play in breakfast foods consumed by diabetics.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

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https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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Nutrition researcher shows how foods affect our hormones and health

Nutrition researcher and New York Times bestselling author Neal Barnard, MD, demonstrates how foods affect our hormones--and our health--in his new book, Your Body in Balance. Dr. Barnard shares the science behind how common conditions--like infertility, weight gain, menopausal symptoms, breast and prostate cancers, thyroid problems, and acne--are fueled by hormones that are hidden in or influenced by the foods we eat.

Imagine experiencing years of unexplained infertility until a simple diet change sets things right. Or suffering from endometriosis, debilitating menstrual cramps, polycystic ovary syndrome, diabetes, or even acne without ever realizing that the solution could be as simple as the food on your plate. Incredibly, most of the people who will benefit from this book do not even realize that a hormone imbalance may be contributing to or even causing their health problem."Dr. Neal Barnard, Nutrition researcher

Food and hormones play a powerful role in fertility and menopause, sex-hormone related cancers, balancing the thyroid, type 2 diabetes, and regulating metabolism. Out Feb. 4, Your Body in Balance shares stories of people who have overcome these health conditions and many others with simple diet changes.

One example is Air Force Iraq War veteran Katherine Lawrence of Fort Worth, Texas, who was facing infertility but now has three healthy children of her own. Lawrence's doctor diagnosed endometriosis and suggested a hysterectomy, a devastating diagnosis for a young woman planning a family. A change in diet resulted in a reduction in her condition to the point that she did not need surgery, a situation her doctor dubbed "a miracle."

"Dr. Barnard walks us through the most common and troublesome ailments which so many of us struggle with: hormone fluctuations, thyroid conditions, and mood disorders--with an eye towards research and solutions based in foods commonly available to us," says Mayim Bialik, neuroscientist and actor.

Boosting fiber in the diet is one strategy that Dr. Barnard recommends for creating healthy hormone balance. A study highlighted in the book illustrates that a higher-fiber, lower-fat diet brings a woman's hormones to a healthier level, which can bring a reduction in breast cancer risk and help women struggling with other hormone-related issues. Researchers found that women who changed the fat and fiber content of their meals under controlled conditions trimmed estradiol levels by 10 to 25 percent. Estrone was tamed to about the same degree, and testosterone was reduced, too.

The book provides step-by-step guidance for understanding what's at the root of many health issues as well as practical tips and 65 hormone-balancing recipes developed by cookbook author Lindsay Nixon.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
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Exercise hormone can delay onset of Alzheimer's:

Physical exercise can help counter the loss of memory caused by Alzheimer's as well as delay the onset of the most common type of dementia, according to a study.

 

Researchers at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), established a link between levels of irisin, a hormone produced by the body during exercise, and the development of the progressive disease, Xinhua news agency reported.

The tests, carried out on rats with Alzheimer's, showed low levels of irisin in the brains of Alzheimer's sufferers, and a reversal in memory loss when irisin levels were boosted through physical exercise. 

The study showed that "the levels of this hormone are in fact decreased in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's", said Sergio Ferreira, Professor at the UFRJ. 

In addition, the team showed that by boosting the levels of the hormone, "memory improves".

By showing that "irisin is an important mediator of the beneficial effects of exercise," the findings indicate the hormone can be "a novel agent capable of opposing synapse failure and memory impairment", said the study published in the journal Nature Medicine. 

The research also reinforces the importance of physical activity in preventing memory loss and brain diseases, including Alzheimer's, the report said.

Alzheimer's is a degenerative disease that erodes memory, eventually impairing language, reasoning and other mental functions.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement 

Consuming starch enriched food can replace insulin injections for diabetics

Consuming a starch-rich breakfast early in the morning followed by a light dinner could replace insulin injections and other medications used by many diabetic patients, says a recent study. People diagnosed by Type 2 diabetics usually inject themselves with insulin, a hormone that regulates the movement of sugar into liver, muscle and fat cells, up to four times a day.

But insulin injections are linked to weight gain and the loss of control of blood sugar levels. This triggers a vicious cycle of higher insulin doses, continuous weight gain, a higher incidence of cardiovascular disease and other complications.

According to the research, our metabolism and biological clock are optimised for eating in the morning and for fasting during the evening and night, when we are supposed to be asleep.  A Prof  said: "But the usual diet recommended for Type 2 diabetes consists of several small meals evenly distributed throughout the day. For example, three meals and three snacks daily are including a snack before going to sleep to prevent a drop in sugar levels during the night."

The research was published in the journal of Diabetes Care.

According to Prof., the traditional diabetic diet specifies six small meals spread throughout the day. "But our research proposes shifting the starch-rich calories to the early hours of the day. This produces a glucose balance and improved glycemic control among Type 2 diabetics."

Thus, explaining the reason behind this theory of diet, he said: "We believe that through this regimen, it will be possible for diabetics to significantly reduce or even stop the injections of insulin, and most of the anti-diabetic medications, to achieve excellent control of glucose levels."

The researchers studied 29 Type 2 diabetes participants and compared a new '3M-diet,' more in alignment with our biological clock, with a control group on the traditional 6M-diet. The experimental 3M-diet comprises a meal of bread, fruits, and sweets in the early hours of the morning; a substantial lunch; and a small dinner specifically lacking starches, sweets, and fruits.

The group on the traditional 6M-diet did not lose weight and did not experience any improvement of sugar levels, requiring an increase in medication and insulin doses. But the group on the 3M-diet not only lost weight but also experienced substantially improved sugar levels. Prof Jakubowicz is of the view: "In addition, the 3M-diet improved the expression of biological clock genes. This suggests that 3M-diet is not only more effective in controlling diabetes."

The upregulation of the biological clock gene expression in the 3M-diet might be the mechanism behind its success, as it enhances insulin secretion and improves sugar delivery into the muscles, creating a balanced daytime and nocturnal glucose metabolism.

this is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.     
https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement