Monthly Archives: April 2016

General Health & Nutrition

The link between poor sleep and comfort eating – and what to do about it

It’s long been acknowledged that people turn to ‘comfort eating’ and ‘comfort food’ when they’re feeling down, so much so it’s seen as a natural thing to do in today’s world. But why does it happen? And is there any way we can prevent ourselves from falling into this trap? Well, if we look to scientific research we can find some answers.

Sleeping, as we all know, is how we fundamentally rest and recharge. As such, it plays a critical role in emotional regulation. If we suffer a pattern of disrupted sleep – or poor ‘sleep hygiene’ – our negative emotions are more likely to be amplified, ensuring emotional challenges (or even everyday life) can be more difficult than normal1. This leads us to crave sugar-laden and energy-dense foods; it’s a natural reaction – our brain is looking to rebalance the levels of serotonin and endorphins (the ‘happy’ hormones) in our bodies that sleep replenishes.

Tied into this is the fact sleep deprivation also causes an imbalance in two other significant hormones, leptin2 (which tells us we’ve eaten enough) and ghrelin3 (which drives appetite), ensuring we’re less likely to be satisfied after polishing off a decent meal and more likely to get cravings for those rich, sugary ‘bad’ foods.

Inevitably then, the long-term effect of disrupted sleep and emotional eating can be weight gain. Indeed, thorough research has been done in this area, concluding that the part of the brain that oversees ‘impulse modulation’ is impaired as a result of poor sleep, thus effectively sabotaging people’s will power, which puts the likes of healthy meal planning at risk or ensures it doesn’t happen at all: “Disrupted sleep patterns may impact food intake of both adults and children via impairment of executive functions”4.

In which case, if you’re looking to reduce those cravings and your level of emotional eating or you’re aiming to lose weight and adopt a better diet, then it’s important to consider your sleeping habits. How much sleep do you get each night? Do you sleep well? Do you feel tired more than you’d like to? Do you have sugary food cravings as well as experiencing poor sleep?

Fortunately, there are effective ways to combat bad sleep hygiene. For instance, you can employ different tactics, such as going to bed and getting up at the same time each day, not doing anything too stimulating (work, checking and replying to emails or heavy exercise) at least two hours before bed and ensuring your bedroom feels like a healthy, comfortable place of rest – make sure it’s dark when you go to bed, not too warm and, overall, a room genuinely dedicated to sleeping.

Additionally, you might consider supplements to improve sleep – vitamin-based or derived from natural ingredients – which operate by helping you relax or de-stress. The following supplements would all be suitable in this regard and are available through The Finchley Clinic. We certainly recommend all three of them:

•Lavender Formula – features herbs that together are traditionally used to help with stress and anxiety and may also aid sleep cycles; one dose before bedtime is advised

•Serotone – principally contains 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), an amino acid that’s the intermediate step between tryptophan and serotonin; it also contains co-factor B vitamins and zinc (note: care should be taken if you’ve been prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors or SSRIs)

•Balance for Nerves – a nutritional complex for nervous system health that comprises vitamins, amino acids and Magnesium to support the nervous system and promote a calm mind.

References:

1. Daniela T, Alessandro C, Giuseppe C, et al. (2010) Lack of sleep affects the evaluation of emotional stimuli. Brain Research Bulletin 82(1): 104–108
2. Tatone F, Dubois L, Ramsay T, et al (2012) Sex differences in the association between sleep duration, diet and body mass index: A birth cohort study. Journal of Sleep Research 21(4): 448–460
3. Burt J, Dube L, Thibault L, et al (2014) Sleep and eating in childhood: A potential behavioral mechanism underlying the relationship between poor sleep and obesity. Sleep Medicine Reviews 15(1): 71–75
4. Beebe DW, Fallone G, Godiwala N, et al. (2008) Feasibility and behavioral effects of an at-home multi-night sleep restriction protocol for adolescents. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 49(9): 915–923

General Health & Nutrition

Maca: the Peruvial herb supplement

Over the last few decades the Western world has finally woken up to maca’s widespread health-giving properties, which has led to the radish-like root plant’s establishment as a popular treatment for increasing energy and stamina and, especially, conditions related to women’s menopausal and menstrual health and sexual health in both sexes.

Maca has been cultivated in Peru for at least 3,000 years and so has a long history of appreciation for its medicinal qualities. Rich in the dietary minerals calcium and potassium (and including a low content of sodium), it also contains iron, iodine, copper, manganese and zinc, in addition to a number of fatty acids (such as linolenic, palmitic and oleic acids) and amino acids.

Relief for menopausal and menstrual symptoms

One of maca’s key benefits concerning menopausal and menstrual-related problems is helping with hormonal imbalance. In a 1998 article on the subject1, Peruvian-based cardiologist Hugo Malaspina MD stated that maca’s efficacy in readdressing hormonal balance is down to the fact that, as an alternative to hormone replacement therapy (HRT), maca doesn’t introduce new hormones from outside the body, but instead encourages the ovaries and other glands to produce the much needed hormones oestrogen and progesterone themselves.
“Maca regulates the organs of internal secretion, such as the pituitary, the adrenal glands, the pancreas, etc.” he said. “For this reason, I encourage women to start with maca before menopause. It seems to help the endocrine system to stay in balance”1.

Gabriel Cousense, MD, an internal medicine specialist in Arizona in the United States, has also claimed that whenever possible he preferred to use maca therapy over HRT because, in going about its work, as the latter reduces glands’ ability to produce hormones it effectively ages the body. Moreover, he has claimed that those menopausal patients to whom he prescribed the root plant as a supplement reported maca supplement benefits – a reduction if not an elimination of symptoms such as hot flushes and depression, as well as reporting less fatigue, greater energy and reduced susceptibility to stress1.

Improved male and female libido

As maca is very effective at normalising steroid hormones like testosterone, progesterone and oestrogen – and thus has the ability to forestall the hormonal changes of aging – for men this means it can restore a more active libido, leading to healthy and functional sexual activity. On this subject, US-based Garry F. Gordon, MD, then President of the International College of Advanced Longevity Medicine, suggested that as “society faces a huge problem of dropping sperm counts and sex hormone difficulties …maca furnishes a nontoxic solution [offering] men and women the chance for hormonal rejuvenation”1.

Other benefits

However, not all of maca’s benefits are hormonal-related. For instance, Dr Aguila Calderon, former Chief of the Department of Biological Sciences and Dean of the Faculty of Human Medicine at Lima’s National University of Federico Villarreal, has attested that it can be prescribed for conditions as removed from those mentioned above as osteoporosis and the treating of bone fractures in very elderly people. She attributes this to the fact that maca contains a good deal of easily absorb able calcium, as well magnesium and silica, aiding in the de calcification of bones in children and adults 1.

herb supplement

With its sundry benefits for a variety of different conditions then (it may also help boost people’s immune systems, improve mood and memory and support the adrenal glands), maca is widely available as a dietary supplement and can be purchased via The Finchley Clinic as 180 capsules and 90 capsules (both 500mg) and in powder form (100g).