nutrition

Say goodbye to the winter blues – helpful tips!

14. February 2017 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

You are lacking motivation, you are constantly feeling tired and listless? Maybe you are suffering from a winter blues, like many people do. Due to the longer persisting darkness our body produces more of the sleeping hormone melatonin – which makes us tired.

Light: Soak up as much sunlight as possible. Even on a cloudy day a walk in fresh air or a ride on your bike helps becoming lively again.

Nutrition: Especially in the evening care for a light meal. A balanced nutrition rich in vitamins prevents from tiredness and concentration problems and strengthens the immune system at the same time. Fruits and vegetables (citrus fruits, broccoli, carrots, pepper etc.) as well as whole meal products contain important vitamins.

Water and tea: Lack of liquids lead to a decreased power of concentration, tiredness and listlessness. Drink at least 1.5 to 2 liters water per day. Especially on a cold day a cup of hot herbal tea has a very pleasant effect.

Exercise and sports: Exercise and sports fight tiredness, too. After a long walk or a moderate training, you will feel fit and active. Furthermore, movement in fresh air supports your immune system.

Warm and cold showers and sauna: Are you having troubles to get up in the morning? Try out warm and cold showers. This stimulates circulation. By the way, sauna has the same effect.

Sleep-wake-cycle: Care for a regular sleep-wake-cycle. In the evening, go to bed at the same time despite winter tiredness and get up at the same time in the morning.

Colors: The outside is all grey in grey? This surely might swing the mood. Try out colorful clothes, a touch of color in the furnishing or a bunch of beautiful flowers.

Positive attitude and conviviality: When you are in a bad mood or suffer under a winter blues a positive attitude might be helpful. Try to distract yourself with meeting some friends or spending a nice evening with your partner. Fun and leisure activities make the cold and dark months of winter brighter.

Receive further information in our sleep-healthy-guidebook “sleep yourself young, fit and successful”, free of cost.

Imagesource: @shutterstock

Do you know your biologically necessary sleep duration?

12. December 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

The sleep need of every human being is different. Only by meeting the individual perfect time you are able to physically and mentally take full potential of your sleep. Just pause one moment before starting to calculate your personal sleep need. Because, sleep duration is only one relevant factor of the overall assessment of sleeping quality. Of course an important one.

But, it makes a huge difference on HOW you are sleeping. Here, not only the sleep duration is an influencing factor but also our habits, our lifestyle. Especially how we are handling caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, our nutrition, exercise, relaxation and much more.

So, if you are not suffering under any noteworthy disturbances of falling asleep or sleeping through and if you don’t have to struggle with the problem of waking up too early you are able to calculate your actual sleep need per night. In sleep medicine and sleep psychology there is a simple rule concerning necessary sleep duration: when you are feeling tired and sleepy during the day you possibly got too few sleep the night(s) before. Then, try to go to bed earlier and introspect whether you are feeling more awake the following day. If so, you got very close to your biologically necessary amount of sleep.

But, of course there also is a more precise but also more elaborated procedure. When trying this out it is advisable that you’re advanced in sleep coaching, that you know the rules for healthy and restful sleep and also follow them. Take one step after the other.

According to your chronotype “owl” (night person), “lark” (morning person) or “hummingbird” (mixed type) you long since found out your ideal sleeping time. Arrange your sleeping time that you are able to sleep at least eight hours before you have to get up again.
Stick to your sleeping time and observe at what time you eventually are going to wake up by yourself or whether the alarm clock is waking you up.
In case your alarm clock woke you note how you are feeling. Still tired, halfway slept off or actually well rested and coming alive quicker than usual.
In case your alarm clock woke you and you still feel tired and struggle to get up, try to go to bed 30 minutes earlier.
In case you are feeling well rested and fit at the waking time chosen and after eight hours of sleep, try to go to bed 15 minutes later the following night. Closely introspect whether you still fell slept off the next morning. By shortening or extending your sleep by 15 minutes you will find out your personal sleep need approximately accurate.
Now, after having found out your actual necessary sleep duration you are able to calculate your sleep debt. Take the sleep duration needed and deduct the actual sleep duration. The remaining number is your current and personal sleep debt.

Receive further information in our sleep-healthy-guidebook “sleep yourself young, fit and successful”, free of cost.

Imagesource: @fotolia

What to do against lack of concentration due to lack of sleep

7. September 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

Does this sound familiar to you? Sometimes you are lacking concentration and you don’t really know why? Maybe you are lacking sleep. Now and then, every human being has a poor concentration. That’s completely normal. In case it occurs frequently you should get to the bottom. Besides lack of sleep, stress or unhealthy nutrition might be causes for lack of concentration. But, what actually is a poor concentration? Basically, it means that someone concerned is easily distracted by outer stimuli. In no time the thoughts wander and only after a short time they return to the original subject. The person concerned has a reduced ability to occupy with a certain task for a longer period of time.

Consult your physician when lack of concentration persists

Do you feel affected? Do you have the feeling of suffering under lack of concentration? If so, seek medical advice. First, your doctor is going to do an anamnesis, meaning he is dealing with your medical history. A physical examination is following. This ensures that the occurring lack of concentration is no sign of a major illness. If an iron deficiency or a malfunction of the thyroid is suspected a blood test is made.

Hints for treatment of lack of concentration: be proactive

After consulting a physician you can do something against your lack of concentration by yourself. The following hints are helpful when your problems only arise now and then:

Hint 1: Nourish yourself well balanced. Fruits, vegetables, nuts etc. should be part of your everyday’s diet. Only when your brain is sufficiently supplied with nutrients it is able to work at “full power”.
Hint 2: Drink sufficiently. Two liters of natural water or mineral water are advisable. If you like something “tastier” drink some herbal tea or a juice mixed with water. However, avoid drinking too much caffeine containing beverages.
Hint 3: Smoking is a further threat for your concentration. If not prescribed by your doctor, sedatives and stimulants are taboo.
Hint 4: Care for sufficient sleep, at least seven hours per night. It is advisable to care for a regular sleep-wake-cycle, too.
Hint 5: Breaks in everyday life are a good idea when you are feeling exhausted. Already short breaks of about 15 minutes support the regeneration of body and mind. During this time you recharge your batteries and are able to continue work with full power afterwards.
Hint 6: Try meditative breathing exercises. Sit in an upright position, put your feet on the ground. Lay down your hands on your thighs and take some deep breaths.
Hint 7: Place a fragrance lamp with essential oils at your working place. This effectively counteracts lack of concentration. Lavender, rosemary oil or citrus fragrances are very popular.

With these seven hints you are significantly preventing from lack of concentration. Their implementation is easy. Be initiative and from now on go through your life well focused. In future, unrest and forgetfulness belong to the past. Your mood will positively change, too!

Receive further information in our sleep-healthy-guidebook “sleep yourself young, fit and successful”, free of cost.

Imagesource: @istock

The sleeping drawbacks of a modern lifestyle

23. August 2016 von Redaktion 1 Comment

Health, sleep, nutrition and movement go hand in hand. A dream of a healthy, happy and long life can only come true when all these issues are taken into consideration. Our modern way of life, daily stress and hectic as well as the consistent feeling of being available all the time have unbalanced the rhythm of our lives.

Of course, this clearly has an effect on healthy sleep, too. Irregular sleeping times, late working hours, problems to fall asleep or to sleep through have an unbalancing impact on our sleeping behavior. Often people are unaware of the consequences of an unbalanced sleeping rhythm, sleep disturbances and daytime tiredness are not really taken serious, as Prof. Dr. Jürgen Zulley, German Academy of Health and Sleep (DAGS), states. People only start to think about sleep, its importance for our health and wellbeing when health issues arise, when sleep disturbances become chronical or when suffering under depressions or burnout.

Besides a balanced nutrition and sufficient exercise you should care for sufficient and healthy sleep. Sleep is essential for our health! On an average, in a year every human being spends 120 days sleeping! The more important it is to know the difference between “sleeping” and “sleeping healthy” – and what to do for a healthy sleep. “You are jeopardizing your health, wellbeing, performance and your joie de vivre when you are having a bad or too short sleep”, so sleeping expert Prof. Dr. med. h.c. Günther W. Amann-Jennson. The development of many civilization diseases like Alzheimer’s, diabetes, cancer, cardiovascular diseases is in the forefront.

Find here some useful hints of sleeping expert Prof. Dr. med. h.c. Günther W. Amann-Jennson for your healthy sleep.

Receive further information in our sleep-healthy-guidebook “sleep yourself young, fit and successful”, free of cost.

Misconceptions about sleep

22. August 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

Sleep is a very complex topic. Its mysteries are not completely solved yet. But, common sayings or well-meant old fashioned advice can be heard again and again. Often they turned out to be misconceptions. Get to know more about these:

Eight hours of sleep are the norm:
The sleep need of every individual is different since it is genetically caused. Some need more sleep, some less. But, not only sleep duration is important – sleeping quality is as well. Our lifestyle (use of caffeine, alcohol, nutrition, exercise, relaxation etc.) and personal habits have a huge impact on both.
After a night of few sleep you have to sleep longer the following night:
It’s impossible to pay back a huge sleep debt at once. An example: you had too few sleep two nights in a row. The next night, you surely won’t be able to sleep 14 or 16 hours. If you want to pay back your sleep debt, try to go to bed earlier than normally – and this for several nights.
Sports and exercise before going to bed make tired. You are going to sleep better:
Here, the time of day is playing an important role. Since physical exercise is activating your circulatory which makes falling asleep hard, doing sports early in the day is better than late in the evening. If your daily schedule is not compatible with this, sports in the early hours of the evening is ok. A comfortable walk is suitable and perfect at any time of the day.
You are tired after lunch because all the blood is needed for digestion:
A short power nap at lunch time is beneficial for your health in any case, but not because all of your blood is in your stomach. A power nap increases concentration and performance, the stress level Summed up, a power nap is refreshing, relaxing and supports a balanced psyche.
The only proper way for sleeping is to sleep through:
In times past it was common to sleep in two shifts. Only our modern way of living interfered with this habit.
Some people state that they are able to sleep at any place even on the floor:
Even if they are able to sleep on the floor, sleeping quality clearly suffers. A good sleeping quality is an essential precondition for healthy sleep.

Did you wonder whether counting sleep supports falling asleep – or is this a myth just as well? Learn here more about it.

Receive further information in our sleep-healthy-guidebook “sleep yourself young, fit and successful”, free of cost.

The effect of food quality on our sleep

15. July 2016 von Redaktion Leave a Comment

It is generally known that sleep is important for our health. But, not only sleep duration, sleeping quality is playing a significant role, too. About 40 % of the population complain of having a “non-restful sleep”, further 40 % already suffer under chronical sleep disturbances.

The causes for disturbances to fall asleep resp. to sleep through are manifold. Often, sleep disturbances are connected with stress in everyday life. Scientists of the Columbia University Medical Center, New York, have carried out a study about the connection of sleeping quality and nutrition.

The quality is decisive

The study proved assumed results from former studies. And it further revealed that certain foods like whole-meal-products and a high-fiber diet positively influence sleep. According to the scientists, a high-fiber diet enhances the actual time spent in deep sleep. On the other hand, deep sleep is impaired when eating a high percentage of saturated fats.

Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge emphasizes that the most important finding of the study is the fact that the quality of our food is influencing the quality of our sleep. A single day with increased fat-intake is enough to verifiably influence the sleeping parameter, so St-Onge.

In the course of the study, 26 normal-weight participants, average age 35 years, were examined. The participants spent five days in a sleeping laboratory, nine hours in bed per day. On an average, they slept for seven hours and 35 minutes per night. When a nutritionist selected the meals the participants were able to fall asleep faster. The meals chosen by the nutritionist based on fewer saturated fat-acids and more proteins than the meals the participants were allowed to choose themselves. When eating the given meals, the participants only needed 17 minutes to fall asleep, after consuming the personally chosen meals the participants needed 29 minutes longer to fall asleep, on an average.

Connection sports, nutrition and health

According to Dr. Nathaniel Watson, president of the “American Academy of Sleep Medicine”, the study proves the fact that nutrition and sleep belong to a healthy lifestyle. For an optimal health it is essential to eat healthy and to regularly exercise. Sleep disturbances can have a negative effect on our health and lead to high-blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes, for example. The finding that the quality of our food is influencing the quality of our sleep therefor has a big importance for our health, so Watson.

According to the study, nutritional recommendations might support improvement of sleep and sleeping quality of people suffering under sleep disturbances. But, further studies are necessary to clarify the connection of nutrition and sleep.

The results have been published in the “Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine”.

Receive further information in our sleep-healthy-guidebook “sleep yourself young, fit and successful”, free of cost.

image source: @deathtothestock