How to balance blood sugar and lose weight

Are you looking for an effective way to balance your blood sugar and lose weight?

If so, you’ve come to the right place! As an award-winning nutritionist, I have a wealth of experience in helping my clients achieve their ideal weight and develop healthy habits.

Balancing your blood sugar is key to weight loss, as it helps to regulate your hunger and energy levels. When your blood sugar is balanced, you’ll be less likely to reach for sugary snacks and more likely to make healthier food choices. Do you want to know my top 5 tips for balancing your blood sugar and losing weight?

1. Eat a balanced diet – Eating a balanced diet is essential for keeping your blood sugar levels in check. Fill your plate with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Avoid processed and refined foods, and limit your intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates.

2. Exercise regularly – Exercise can help to regulate your blood sugar levels, as well as boost your metabolism and burn calories. Aim to get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week.

3. Drink plenty of water – Staying properly hydrated is important for keeping your blood sugar levels steady. Aim to drink at least 8 glasses of water each day.

4. Avoid stress – Stress can trigger the release of hormones that can raise your blood sugar levels. Find healthy ways to manage your stress, such as yoga, meditation, and deep breathing.

5. Get enough sleep – Lack of sleep can increase your hunger and cravings, making it harder to maintain a healthy weight. Aim for 7-9 hours of sleep each night.

By following these tips, you can help to balance your blood sugar levels and achieve your weight loss goals. Good luck!

How to Have Better Sleep?

There is very little worse than when you are exhausted, but your brain is still going a million miles an hour. All you want to do is sleep, but your body refuses to calm down. You lie in bed, eyes closed, and sleep just beyond reach.

Melatonin is a chemical in your body that is responsible for regulating your sleep cycles and making you sleep. Your pineal gland is responsible for producing that melatonin. Each night your body produces approximately 25mcg of melatonin to promote a peaceful and restful sleep. Studies have shown that this amount gradually decreases as we age, which may explain why toddlers and youth require more sleep at night than adults.

You can help regulate your sleep and promote more relaxed, restful sleep by helping your body produce melatonin when you need it. If you are having trouble sleeping, try a few of these tips before you turn to medication.

  1. Say “no” to electronic devices and gadgets:

The blue light produced by our phones, laptops, TVs, and tablets may be counteracting your body’s attempts to produce melatonin. Instead of checking your phone or social media accounts before going to bed, read, journal, or even color. These activities are much less stimulating than electronic devices, allowing your brain to start shutting down and encouraging your body to start producing melatonin for the night ahead.

  1. Drink chamomile tea:

Chamomile tea actually has melatonin in it. Drink a warm cup of it in the evening to help your body relax, de-stress, and prepare for restful sleep.

  1. Shower or take a relaxing bath:

Warm water relaxes tense muscles and refreshes your mind. According to research by Loughborough University in Leicester, the relaxing effect of taking a bath before going to bed helps increase the production of melatonin in your body. This is because taking baths and showers reduces the level of the stress hormone cortisol in your body, allowing your body to produce melatonin instead.

  1. Block all sources of light:

Pull all the curtains, shut all the blinds, turn off all the lights. Make your room completely dark. Even the smallest amount of light can disrupt your sleeping and melatonin production. Blocking out all the sources of light while sleeping will significantly boost the melatonin in your body, help regulate your sleeping patterns and promote deep sleep so that you wake you up happy and well rested.

  1. Focus on your diet:

Your diet plays a huge role in your body’s sleeping habits. Studies have shown that reducing or eliminating caffeine and processed foods has a hugely positive impact on your amount and quality of sleep. It is also helpful to avoid trying to sleep on a very empty or very full stomach; both can leave your body focused on processes other than sleep. A light snack or a warm cup of tea just before bed can help calm hunger pangs without overtaxing your body.  What are the best foods to help you sleep? – watch here

Reminder of the key hormones needed for sleep: Melatonin, Cortisol, Serotonin and impact on immune system

VITAL TIPs: Manage stress and support your adrenals.

HOW?

Ways to support your immune system with daily rituals that are easy to do.

  • Meditation
  • Journaling
  • Tapping – EFT at the end of the day to calm the mid and process anything you are still feeling
  • Cool dew on your feet at night or a cold shower on your feet
  • Cold water therapy
  • Supplements such as 5HTP, CBD, Magnesium glycinate – talk to me I can guide you.

Sleep is a 24-hour cycle, not just something that happens when you go to bed.

In the morning, your body makes cortisol to wake you up. In the evening it makes melatonin to make you sleepy

Hormonal factors that influence sleep can include making too much cortisol, making cortisol at the wrong times of day, and not making enough melatonin.

Serotonin also influences sleep. Essential oils can support serotonin. The best essential oils on the planet can be purchased here  Vetiver, lavender and roman chamomile are my favourite and I use them every night.

A healthy sleep cycle includes anchoring both cortisol and melatonin, so that you are awake and alert when you should be, and tired when you should be.

Sleep is when we repair cells – the heart of the immune system!

 

If you would like to learn more about my hormone tests get in touch. When we get to the root cause of why you are not sleeping – your life will change forever!

 

Yours in health and wellness,

Trish

How to Know if Your Blood Sugar is Stable?

What are the tell-tale signs that you need to work on your blood sugar?

Do you have trouble falling asleep and drag yourself out of bed in the morning?

are you gaining weight and you don’t know why?

do you feel drained and tired all the time?

do you crave ice cream or salty crisps in the middle of the day, late at night or immediately after your evening meal?

Do you find your sunglasses in the freezer and your car keys in the bathroom?

If you answer yes, it could be because of your blood sugar balance.

Maintaining your blood sugar is important for your overall health. A stable blood sugar level helps you maintain a healthy weight, reduces your risk of diabetes, regulates your glucose levels, and can help increase your physical activity.

Here are some noticeable signs that your blood sugar needs attention.

  1. You suffer from any sort of inflammation.

Your blood sugar often spikes in response to the excess release of cortisol by your body and excess cortisol can cause inflammation. Excess sugar equals inflammation. If you suffer from any kind of body inflammation, your blood sugar needs attention.

  1. Your skin is troubled.

Acne, rashes, eczema are all forms of inflammation. When your body suffers from an injury or illness, it tries to protect itself; the same is true when your diet is not healthy. If you consume a lot of sugar, your body will react in the form of inflammation. Acne and rashes are an inflammatory response to poor microbiome health, which is often a result of unstable blood sugar.

  1. You feel sluggish and tired all the time

Excess sugar releases cortisol in your body that can lead to increased fatigue. When your blood sugar is not stable, you may feel lazy and sluggish. If you are enjoying stable levels of energy and are not easily tired by physical activity, you have a healthy blood sugar level.

  1. You crave sugar all the time.

Insatiable sugar cravings are a sign of an unstable blood sugar level. Occasional cravings are normal; everyone feels like scarfing up a whole tub of ice cream at some point or another. But, if satisfying that initial craving keeps you consuming sugar, there is a good chance your blood sugar is not stable.

  1. You can’t lose weight no matter what you do.

When your blood sugar level is stable, it is a lot easier to lose weight and maintain a healthy weight. An unstable blood sugar level makes it impossible.

  1. You need to urinate frequently.

A well-functioning bladder is a sign that your blood sugar level is normal. People with unstable blood sugar levels often suffer from a weak bladder and may feel the need to urinate more frequently than normal.

  1. You can’t quench your thirst.

People with stable blood sugar levels can easily quench their thirst after drinking water. Many people who have unstable blood sugar levels feel thirsty all the time and are not able to quench their thirst even after drinking water.

  1. You experience brain fog.

Another symptom of unstable blood sugar is brain fog, when your brain suddenly becomes fatigued, and it becomes hard for you to focus or concentrate. Healthy blood sugar levels can help promote sharp and extended periods of focus.

How to balance your blood sugar?

  1. Eat three meals per day and make sure you have fat and protein at each meal.
  2. Avoid snacking between meals. Allow at least 4 hours between your meals.
  3. Drink plenty of water. At least 2 litres to help hydrate your blood.
  4. Restrict your time eating window to 12 – 14 hours. There will be a sweet spot so try various times and see what works for you. Don’t eat late at night.

If you are unsure and worried about these symptoms and are not getting the support you need from your doctor, book a call with me. I can test your blood sugar, thyroid and hormones.

Get the support you need.

My next 8-week Time to Nourish program starts on the 18th January. It is £750 and there is an early bird price of £625 so to book now email trish@trishtuckermay.com or book a call

 

6 ways to know if your hormones are out of whack

If you regularly feel like something is just not right with your body, that you are just not yourself, you may be suffering from a hormone imbalance. Here are a few signs and symptoms to help you determine if your hormones may be out of whack:

  1. You feel tired all the time.

Consistent fatigue may be the cause of an imbalance in our stress hormones that are produced when your body releases cortisol. Your body tends to release excessive cortisol in response to a bad or unhealthy diet, especially one with excessive daily consumption of sugar. This fatigue may even make you feel a little depressed and lethargic and cause brain fog or brain fatigue, a temporary condition in which your brain is simply exhausted and cannot perform the simplest task.

  1. You are unable to lose weight.

The stress hormone cortisol not only makes you feel tired but can also hinder your body’s ability to maintain or lose weight. Your hormones control your metabolism. An imbalance in your hormones can result in a slowed or inefficient metabolism. Furthermore, hormonal imbalances promote fat storage that can lead to weight gain.

  1. You suffer from insatiable cravings.

An increase in cortisol can cause you to have crazy and insatiable cravings for sugary foods. You may feel ravenous and get abnormally cranky if you are unable to satisfy those cravings.

  1. You feel as if you are on an emotional roller coaster.

When your hormones are out of whack, you may feel as if you are on an emotional roller coaster. One minute you are happy and having the time of your life and in the next, you may feel incredibly depressed. Hormonal imbalances can cause you to experience extreme, inexplicable highs and lows in your emotions.

  1. You have digestive problems.

Hormonal imbalances can also contribute to digestive problems like abdominal spasms, diarrhoea, constipation, bloating, excessive flatulence and burping, nausea and discomfort.

  1. You sweat excessively.

Your hormones can cause you to sweat excessively when they are out of whack. This is due to a swing of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, which are caused by hormonal imbalances in your body.

What to do if you are struggling with these symptoms?

The key to supporting your hormones is to focus on these key areas:

  1. Nourish – eating unprocessed wholefoods and avoiding too much sugar, alcohol and stimulants will help to reduce stress and calm your hormones
  2. Cleanse – think about all parts f your life. What you eat, absorb through your skin in personal care products and inhale in your environment.
  3. Restore balance by resting and getting excellent quality sleep
  4. Realign your body and mind with gentle exercise. Strengthening and stretching daily can help you digest better and bring harmony to the hormones.

If you would like to get your hormones tested book a call here  and be sure to check out the programs on my website

The 7 simplest ways to improve your gut health and support your hormones

How are you going with your September health goals?

I hosted a retreat day last Saturday. 10 ladies had fun juicing, fermenting, sprouting, eating delicious food, and learning about gut health and hormones.

The next retreat is scheduled for the 27th November in Wales.

After that I will be doing a mini series of talks in my kitchen here in Minchinhampton.

Keep up to date with announcements in the Thriving Gut health FB group here

At the end of the day, we all committed to doing three things to support our goals. Here is a summary of those new commitments.

This may seem like a simple list but if you did all of these, I guarantee you will feel less bloated. You will sleep better; have more energy and you will feel less stressed.

 What can you add?

  • Drink plenty of water?
  • Take little breaks during the day?
  • Deep breaths before your meal?
  • Chew food well?
  • Veggies for breakfast?
  • Diversity of vegetables on the plate?
  • Change shopping habits to include a bigger range of veg, herbs, seeds, fruit.

When you shop you are better off picking 2-3 of every type of veg rather than sticking with the basics you normally buy.

What can you add to your shopping list this week?

Buy at least:

  • Four green fruit and vegetables.
  • Two red fruit and vegetables.
  • Two yellow fruit and vegetables.
  • One orange fruit and vegetables.
  • One Purple fruit and vegetables.

One spice and one herb you have never tried. Choose a variety.  Choose one of every veg and fruit.  Think about all the colours of the rainbow. This is great preparation for the recipes that follow. Add in two types of nuts, preferably organic or in the shell. Add a new cold pressed virgin oil you have never used before.

Here is a list of foods that will support your gut health and hormones:

Protein

  • Chicken
  • Turkey
  • Game
  • Fresh fish
  • Eggs
  • Organic soy -if tolerated (milk, tofu, edamame beans, miso,tempeh, natto)
  • Grass fed Beef
  • Lamb
  • Pork
  • Venison
  • Veal
  • Liver

 Oils

For dressing:

  • Avocado
  • Flaxseed
  • Hemp
  • Walnut
  • Extra virgin olive
  • Sesame

For cooking:

  • Avocado
  • Coconut
  • Extra virgin olive (up to 180° only)
  • Goose/duck fat/lard
  • Butter

 Dairy alternatives

  • Almond milk (unsweetened)
  • Hazelnut milk (unsweetened)
  • Cashew milk (unsweetened)
  • Coconut milk (full fat)
  • Oat, hemp, rice milks (unsweetened)
  • Coconut oil (for butter)
  • Coconut yoghurt
  • Nutritional yeast flakes

(for cheese)

  • Organic soy milk and yoghurt

 Nuts & Seeds

  • Coconut
  • Almonds
  • Brazils
  • Hazelnuts
  • Cashews
  • Macademias
  • Walnuts
  • Pecans
  • Pine nuts
  • Nut butter (not peanut)
  • Sesame seeds
  • Sunflower seeds
  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Hemp seeds
  • Chia seeds
  • Flaxseeds (or linseeds)

 Fruits

All fruits, including:

  • Avocado
  • Apples
  • Apricots
  • Bananas
  • Berries
  • Cherries
  • Citrus
  • Cranberries
  • Kiwi
  • Nectarine
  • Orange
  • Peach
  • Pears
  • Pomegranate

Avoid dried fruits, fruit juice and other fruit products. Look for sulphur free dried fruits.

Grains & Pulses

  • Amaranth
  • Buckwheat
  • Millet
  • Gluten free oats
  • Quinoa
  • Rice (brown or wild)
  • Chickpeas, beans, or lentils
  • Hummus or other bean dips
  • Gluten free pasta (brown rice, chickpea)
  • Gluten free noodles (rice, soba/buckwheat, zero noodles)

Flours:

  • Almond
  • Coconut
  • Rice
  • Tapioca
  • Buckwheat.

 

It is easy to get stuck in habits of buying the same food.

What can you try this week?

In the 8-week gut healing hormone balancing program we cover this and so much more.

If you are struggling with your symptoms and want to get to the root cause – book a call here

Love Trish

The Benefits of Exercise for your Hormones

 

Exercise is the best gift you can give yourself for peri-menopause and beyond.

Consistent, regular exercise can change your life in ways you may not have considered.

Here are a few ways.

Benefit #1: It improves your self-esteem.

Exercising regularly or more than twice a week will make you feel better about yourself and naturally improve your self-esteem. It will make you feel like you have accomplished something and like you have done something amazing for yourself.

This feeling of accomplishment will make you believe in yourself more and you will become confident in other aspects of your life.

Benefit #2: It will make your skin glow.

If you battle with bad or dull skin, try adding exercise to your daily to-do list and make it a point to check it off.

Regular exercise can help relieve dullness and may help prevent the signs of early aging like wrinkles and fine lines.

Benefit #3: You will sleep better.

Regular exercise will reward you with a peaceful night of deep and quality sleep.

Exercising strengthens your body’s circadian rhythms, which keep you alert and awake during the day and make you feel sleepy at night. If you find it hard to sleep, try just fifteen minutes of exercise a day and notice the improvements.

Benefit #4: It helps control your weight.

Exercising on a regular basis helps you burn the calories that you have consumed throughout the day so that you can either lose or maintain your weight and build muscle tone.

Benefit #5: It improves your memory and brain health.

Exercising can improve your memory and the overall health of your brain. It can prevent brain fog, that sudden shut down of your brain that happens when you get tired and makes even the simplest and most routine tasks seem difficult and suddenly very confusing.

Exercise also stimulates the production of hormones, which aid in the repair and growth of your brain cells.

Benefit #6: It helps reduce chronic pains.

Regular exercise can help in reducing and possibly eliminating excruciating chronic pains. One of the most common causes of chronic pain is inactivity.

Your body is just like a machine; as long as it remains active, it will function well.

Several studies have also shown that regular exercise can increase your pain tolerance and decrease your body’s perception of pains and aches.

Benefit #7: It can help you feel happier.

Last but, not the least, regular exercise can help reduce or prevent feelings of anxiety and depression and make you feel happy again.

According to a study conducted by Oxford University, people who exercise regularly, even at a beginner level, are found to be more content and happier than those who fail to do so.

To feel even better, try increasing the intensity of your workouts slowly and feel more accomplished, healthy, and happy.

If you would like to learn more about 8 week gut healing, hormone balancing program click here

Yours in health and wellness,

Trish Tucker-May

How to Jump-start Your Weight Loss

Everyone wants to lose weight quickly, but there is no magic pill that can make you thin in a month. However, there are several ways that you can jump-start your weight loss by increasing your metabolism.

  1. Keep yourself hydrated:

This is the most basic and easiest way to jumpstart your weight loss. Drinking a lot of water and detoxifying herbal teas will help you flush all the harmful toxins from your body, boosting your metabolism by improving the efficiency of your thyroid functioning. Drink five glasses of water daily at the very least to keep your body at its best. Drinking a lot of water and herbal teas, especially first thing in the morning and before meals, will also curb your hunger and prevent you from binge eating.

  1. Get enough sleep:

Your diet, your workout, and all the water that you consume will go to waste if you fail to get enough quality sleep.

Good sleep help to keep your hormones and your mood balanced. If your hormones and your mood are balanced, then your body will function more efficiently and will keep all your unnecessary cravings at bay.

Make sure to give yourself a peaceful night of at least eight hours. This takes discipline. Turn off the screen, lower the lights, put your favourite oils into the diffuser and sleep all night long.

I run regular sleep trials using essential oils so if you want to trial this protocol let me know.

  1. Hot lemon water:

Drinking hot lemon water early in the morning before breakfast helps fire up your metabolism.  I love adding 1 drop of DoTERRA lemon or grapefruit oil to my water. It doesn’t have the same effect on the tooth enamel as the lemon juice and is a great support for the liver.

  1. Health shots:

Another way you can fire up your metabolism is by having a health shot of lemon, honey, ginger, and turmeric first thing in the morning. It might taste disgusting, but it has a dramatic impact on your metabolism.  I love a good strong ginger shot. Juice 1 whole lemon, a big chunk of ginger, 1 small piece of turmeric and a pinch of cayenne pepper.  This is a great way to fire up the digestion and keep unwanted seasonal threats away.

  1. Pre-workout hydration:

Drinking loads of water or green tea before a workout is an easy and efficient way to burn twice the amount of calories that you usually do.

  1. Cardio:

Exercises that keep your heartbeat up are another way to burn a lot more calories and jumpstart your weight loss. You can add exercises like planks, burpees, and jumping jacks to get your heart pumping.  If you hate the thought of burpees try a gentle run walk run for 20 minutes a day.

  1. Fidget:

Some studies have shown that people who have a habit of fidgeting or bouncing their knees can burn up to 500 more calories a day.

  1. Spice is the key:

Spicy food burns more calories during digestion because it can fire up your metabolism. Add a few more spicy foods, like hot peppers, to your diet. You can add jalapeno in almost any dish you like, even in your eggs. Spices also add a ton of flavor with little to no calories.

Cayenne pepper, cinnamon oil, cinnamon powder are all great ways to fire up the digestion.  Try dipping a toothpick into cinnamon oil and placing it in between your teeth when you have a craving.

  1. Graze throughout the day:

Another trick is to eat five or six small meals throughout the day instead of eating three large meals. If you keep eating small amounts, your body will be constantly functioning to break down that food into energy. Your body will learn to work more efficiently and will burn more calories.  Make sure small meals contain enough protein and good fats to help with hunger.

  1. Drink black coffee once a day:

Drinking pure black coffee at least once a day will boost the rate at which your body burns calories.

 

Losing weight is not meant to be an expeditious activity; your body does not function that way. Slow and gradual weight loss often requires a lifestyle change. If you are unsure where to start, reach out to me.

These tips should be practiced along with a healthy diet and exercise for best results.  They may be able to give your body that little extra boost it needs to power into weight loss mode.

If you would like to learn more about my 8 Weeks to Feeling Fabulous Program email trish@trishtuckermay.com

 

DoTERRA STUDY TRIAL

I am helping to run a study on dōTERRA essential oils in September and I can invite 10 people I know to the study group.

You might really enjoy this so I wanted to give you the chance to be involved.

There are 4 studies and you can choose one of them to participate in:

 

Digestive Support

Pain and Discomfort Help

Stress & Mood support

Sleep Support

 

You’ll get some free samples to try for 7 days and a thank you gift for completing.

Would you like to participate in one of these health topics?

Yours in health and wellness,

Trish Tucker May

How to Alkalize Your Body

Alkalizing your body simply means reducing its acidity, and you can do that by eating the right kind of foods.

There are a lot of benefits to alkalizing your body. An alkalized body often results in more nights of peaceful, deep sleep; an increase in energy; and a reduction in weight.

Alkalizing your body also promotes mental alertness, reduces candida growth, improves memory, generates healthier tissues, ensures proper functioning of your cells, supports a healthier heart, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases and muscle degeneration.

Alkalizing your body is a gift that you can give yourself.

Here are eight ways to do it.

  1. Not all acidic foods are bad.

This may seem counter-productive since you are trying to reduce acid levels in your body, but not all acidic foods are bad for you. Case in point: lemon.

Lemon may be an acidic food, but it helps to alkalize your body instead of harm it.

Add a few drops of lemon essential oil to a glass of water and drink it first thing in the morning. I recommend only DoTERRA certified pure therapeutic grade oils for this and can help you get started with the best oils for your health goals.

This will increase your body’s metabolism and help detoxify all the acids and toxins in your body.

  1. Devour the greens.

Another great way to alkalize your body is by adding green vegetables and fruits in your diet. Try a simple green salad with olive oil and sprinkle with some black pepper for seasoning.

  1. A for alkalizing. A for almonds.

Try adding unsalted and raw almonds to your diet as a snack. Almonds contain naturally occurring alkaline, magnesium, and calcium, which help your body to balance your body’s blood sugar and acidity.

  1. Don’t choose the cow.

Switch your milk to non-dairy, like almond milk or organic, NON GMO soy milk, because cow’s milk promotes more acid growth.

  1. Workout.

Exercise is vital to alkalizing your body. Even just fifteen minutes of exercise moves the acidic foods in your body to a position where it is easier to eliminate them from your body.

  1. Meditate.

Meditate daily in fresh air or invest in essential oils or a salt lamp.

Essential oils are known for purifying and cleansing your body. Investing in a Himalayan sea salt lamp will prove beneficial toward alkalizing your body because it will cleanse and purify it by producing negative ions and cancelling out the positive ions in your surroundings and in your body.

  1. Quit the meat.

Try to consume as little meat as possible. Better yet, start a completely plant-based diet. Meat tends to leave residual acid in your body even after it has been eliminated.  More plant based meals during the week will benefit your hormones and give you more energy.

  1. No more sugar. No more soda.

Cut out all alcohol, sweet drinks, carbonated drinks and sugar from your diet because they are nothing but empty calories. Choose water or green tea instead because they will detoxify your body from acidity.

An alkalized body is a balanced, happy body.

Try integrating a few of these into your daily routine and experience the difference of an alkalized body!

Have you been feeling overwhelmed with stress, worry and disturbed sleep?

You can ignore the root cause of the problem by drinking red wine. You can indulge in all the delicious home baked cakes made with love by your kids, but guess what?

The longer you ignore the root cause of your hormone hell, the worse the whispers will become. Ignore them long enough and your body will start to shout. You will end up at the menopause with severe headaches, brain fog, skin rashes and feeling ugly.

Your body does not like being ignored.  If you are not sleeping well your hormones will also be in havoc.   The more you worry, the less you digest and the more you will become accidentally overweight.

It’s a vicious cycle that wreaks havoc with hormones and digestion.  The two are closely linked and will also impact how you feel.  This makes you feel lousy about yourself and your life. You end up feeling unlovable and a long way from beautiful and sexy.

I work with ladies like this every day.

We work through the 7 foundations to healing from the inside out and we do that together.

They feel supported so they get the results.

Once we reach 40, we need to nourish ourselves in a different way.

If I could show you how to dissolve your hormones symptoms and reduce digestive stress in 8 weeks, would you join me?

If you would like to learn more about this ‘8 weeks to feeling fabulous’ program email me at trish@trishtuckermay.com

Yours in health and wellness,

Trish Tucker May

 

Foods to Help You Sleep

Woman sleeping
Sleep for health

Sleep 7 –9 hours a night is the recommendation to not just function, but to thrive in your life. You probably already know those nights that you barely get any sleep because:

#1: you couldn’t shut your mind

#2: had the list of to-dos running through it

#3: had to get work done

#4: your kids kept you up

So, you could hardly focus on anything. Because SLEEP – just didn’t happen!

 

A Harvard study claimed, “lack of adequate sleep can affect judgment, mood, ability to learn and retain information, and may increase the risk of serious accidents and injury.” The report also mentioned that sleep deprivation could lead to health problems and even early mortality. Wow! We need some sleep, like NOW!

If you’ve been wishing for just ONE night of sleep? What if you could have plenty of those nights? Wouldn’t that just be AMAZING?

Sleep has a huge impact on your hormones.

The vital sleep hormones are cortisol and melatonin

Sleep is a 24-hour cycle, not just something that happens when you go to bed. In the morning, your body makes cortisol to wake you up. In the evening it makes melatonin to make you sleepy. Hormonal factors that influence sleep can include making too much cortisol, making cortisol at the wrong times of day, and not making enough melatonin.

Serotonin also influences sleep

A healthy sleep cycle includes anchoring both cortisol and melatonin, so that you are awake and alert when you should be, and tired when you should be.

Sleep is when we repair cells – the heart of the immune system.

Reducing cortisol during the day and evening with diet, stress management and essential oils

Set a bedtime routine, including using essential oils to support the production of serotonin. Your wish may be answered right here! Adding blends of oils including roman chamomile, lavender and ylang ylang is a beautiful way to support a restful night sleep.

Try adding the following foods to your diet, especially if you find yourself tossing and turning at night, counting sheep to get a little shut eye.

Chamomile

Chamomile is commonly known as a mild tranquilizer or sleep inducer. It has calming effects that may decrease anxiety and initiate sleep.  Some chamomile tea can be a great idea before heading to bed to unwind, relax and de-stress. Roman chamomile essential oil in your diffuser or in the bath will help you de-stress and will also help with the production of serotonin.

Pistachios

Pistachios are not only tasty, but they are a jackpot for sleep. They are jampacked with magnesium, protein, and vitamin B6, which have a major role in inducing sleep. Consuming a healthy amount of pistachios before going to bed will knock you out like nothing else. You can eat them raw or add them to a glass of warm milk.  However, more than one ounce of pistachios will have a reverse effect on your body; eat in moderation to avoid exacerbating your sleep issues.

Kiwi

Kiwis contain serotonin, a brain chemical that helps regulate your sleep cycle. Many people actually take serotonin supplements to help with sleep, but wouldn’t you rather eat something that tastes delicious to get the same effect? Not only do kiwis contain serotonin, but they also may boost your sleep abilities due to their levels of vitamin C and carotenoids which reduce inflammation. When I feel that I may not be able to sleep at night, I eat 2 kiwi and they usually do the job.

Tart cherry juice

Tart cherry juice contains high levels of melatonin that regulate your internal clock and send signals for your body to get ready to sleep. Clients who drank tart cherry juice increased their sleep time by 90 minutes!

Bananas

This fruit is a powerhouse of magnesium and potassium, which serve as natural sleep aids for your body. If you are feeling wide awake late into the night, try a banana to get yourself to sleep. You can even whip yourself up a thick sugar-free banana smoothie before you go to bed. Bananas are high-glycaemic fruits, so try adding in some protein or good fat with your smoothie so sugar levels don’t skyrocket into the night. Some of my favourites are coconut oil or almond butter, but you get to pick!

Walnuts

Walnuts contain tryptophan, which helps produce melatonin and serotonin in the body and improve the quality of our sleep by regulating the sleep cycles. Walnuts contain their own source of melatonin, which may help you fall asleep faster.

Pumpkin seeds

A cup of roasted pumpkin seeds contains around 649 mg of magnesium, which is nearly double the daily recommendation of the National Health Institute. Magnesium supports deep, restorative sleep by maintaining healthy levels of GABA (a neurotransmitter that promotes sleep). Magnesium deficiencies are associated with heightened stress and anxiety, which of course lead to less sleep, so these pumpkin seeds have many benefits.

If you’ve been searching for the magical solution to get more sleep, no need to keep searching. Try to avoid the over-the-counter sleep aid and add these foods to your bedtime routine to get your body on the right path to sound sleep!

If you would like to try my best essential oils for sleep, email me here and I will be happy to send you the blissful night sleep blend. trish@trishtuckermay.com

Yours in health and wellness,

Trish

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