Make Sleep a Priority

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Amerian culture does not value sleep.

Sleep is an important part of a healthful lifestyle. While you are sleeping, your immune system works to repair damage and clean up cellular messes in the organs. The nervous system mends while memories are being formed during dream time.

Research has shown that inadequate sleep puts you at risk for diabetes (and it’s complications), obesity, cardiovascular disease, and early death. Some studies have found that even one night of poor sleep (less than 6 hours of sleep) increases insulin resistance.

Poor sleep can increase levels of your appetite-stimulating hormone (ghrelin), stimulate the production of your stress hormone (cortisol) and decrease glucose tolerance. It is optimal to get 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. 

Tips to Improve Sleep:

  • Quiet time: Spend a half-hour with meditation, prayer, relaxing music or other quiet time prior to bedtime. 
  • Routine: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day (even the weekends).
  • Self-talk: Tell yourself, “I’ve done all I can for today. I will do the rest another day. Now it’s time to sleep.”
  • Sunshine: Sunshine promotes sleep by causing the body to produce melatonin (which helps the body with sleep).
  • Activity: Get in some physical movement during the day, so your body will be tired when it’s time to sleep.
  • Environment: Set up an environment conducive for sleep – have a comfortable bed, dark room comfortable temperature and quiet. 

Things to Avoid at Night: 

  • Vigorous exercise: Vigorous exercise revs you up. It can be good for the daytime, so you are bedtime. Stretching or yoga work better at night.
  • Intake: Avoid a large meal before bedtime, which can cause heartburn. Avoid drinking a large amount of liquid before bedtime, which can wake you up during the night to urinate.
  • Alcohol/Caffeine/Nicotine: Caffeine and nicotine are both stimulants. Alcohol keeps your body in a light stage of sleep and prevents deep sleep required for healing.
  • Technology: Technology will stimulate your brain and can make it difficult to fall asleep.

LN

Meal Planning Saves Time and Stress

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Meal planning and food prep are hands down some of the simplest ways to feed your family healthy, nourishing meals during the week. With busy schedules, it can be tough to make home-cooked meals each day of the week. 

Earlier this summer, we talked about ways to navigate the supermarket with ease. We’ve found that even small steps such as cutting vegetables or fruits ahead of time can save a tremendous amount of time during the week.

After you consider your budget, flavors, and the time you have to devote to cooking, here are some ideas on conquering meals throughout the week.

We will give some tips on meal planning breakfast, lunch and dinners. 

Breakfast

Mornings can be crazy and you need something nourishing and fast. 

If you like breakfast items like steel-cut oats or pancakes, preparing these beforehand can save a lot of time in the morning scramble. Oats and pancakes can be saved in a medium-sized container or portioned out and warmed up in the morning before heading out the door. 

Other fantastic breakfast ideas include:

  • Hard-boiled eggs
  • Breakfast bakes 
  • Mini frittatas
  • Toast with nut butter or smoked salmon and/or avocado
  • Fruit
  • Granola bars

Lunch

Keep lunches simple with 1 or 2 proteins such as chicken, tofu, beans, fish, lean beef, a grain such as quinoa, brown rice, pasta, corn, whole grain bread, and some fruit or veggies. 

We like to grill some chicken thighs, make a pot of beans, and roast different veggies such as turnips, carrots, and parsnips to throw into yummy lunch bowls. To make things even easier during the week– allow some extra time to put together 5 containers with your lunch combinations. All that is needed in the morning is to grab your lunch and go! 

*You can never go wrong with a sandwich: whole grain bread of choice, some cheese, turkey, roast beef, tofu, salmon, and/or veggies. Easy!

Dinner

If you can come up with 3 dinner ideas for the week, you are virtually set for 6 days of eating. This ensures variety but also the ability to just heat up food some nights – no cooking involved. Realize that meals can be simple – side of pasta, grilled zucchini, grilled chicken – or complex – turkey chili, lasagna, etc. You can even plan for a night of take-out or restaurant eating. 

As with any routine change, it takes practice and time to create a lifestyle habit. Start off small with a few prepped ingredients and build your way up to a week’s worth. You too can conquer meal planning and feed your family nourishing meals during the week. 

Pick a day to make all or some of your meals for the week. Carving out time early in the week (we like Sunday) and begin your food prep. You can make oatmeal and put individual portions in containers, roast off vegetables, cut up fruit for easy side dishes or snacking, put together veggie bags (cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery, peppers), make 1 or 2 of your dinners for the first half of the week, grill off proteins for lunches. 

Though preparation takes time, it makes the rest of your week so much easier as the work is already done and you can just enjoy the fruits of your labor. 

As the week goes by, you’ll have time to squeeze in extra food prep as needed, for the remainder of the week.

MU

Diabetes- Tips For Healthier Eating Before and After Events

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  1. Plan ahead. Have a general idea of what you will eat.
  2. Be proactive. Browse the Web for recipe makeovers and read diabetes magazines for modified recipes.
  3. Plan time fore exercise. Go out for a walk the day of a gathering or event.
  4. Avoid sitting or standing near the food at get-togethers or parties.
  5. Avoid fasting all day or skipping meals in order to save calories for a gathering.
  6. Never arrive hungry to an event. Take the edge off you hunger with a piece of fruit and low-fat cheese stick or a small handful of nuts.
  7. Eat only special foods. Stay away from common foods such as potato chips, crackers, fatty dips, bread, cheeses, etc., and other foods that are not carb or fat-smart.
  8. Wait about three hours after the meal before eating the dessert you brought.
  9. Avoid seconds. Eat slowly. Fill up on vegetables. 
  10.  Savor the music and the guests at the party rather than focusing on the food.
Posted by: SSG

Source: Diabetes & You magazine, Fall 2013