Sleep Away Fat
Many people in the ‘developed’ countries are overweight. It’s all to do with eating too much – too much sugar, too much refined foods, too many snacks, too much booze, too much everything.
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Some people, unfortunately, have ‘obesity genes’, that is, they have a genetic tendency to put on extra weight easily. However, you can beat this tendency.
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A study (published in Sleep Journal) tells us that you can come up trumps and overcome those obesity genes and lose weight by getting sufficient sleep!
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This study comprise 1,088 twin pair participants in the University of Washington Twin Registry. Each twin self-reported on height, weight and sleeping patterns which were then analyzed by the research team.
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Short Sleep: fewer than 7 hours per night Normal Sleep: 7 to 8.9 hours per night Long Sleep: 9 hours or more per night The research results are as below:
- Participants who had more sleep had a lower BMI as compared to those with less sleep per night
. - Those who slept more than 9 hours per night had the least weight gain
. - Those who slept between 7 to 9 hours per night experienced a weight loss (40% of the twins)
. - Those who slept little experienced an increase in their genetic risk of a higher BMI
. - 70% of the participants who slept fewer than 7 hours per night experienced an increase in weight.
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This research tells us that sleep is very important for health. Take care not to sleep in late as such an action has been linked to weight gain!
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And so…to bed to get a good night’s sleep….what a great way to stay slim and overcome obesity, even if you’re predisposed to it!
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It must be emphasized, too, that regular exercise also helps to beat the genetic tendency to gain weight.
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Make Smarter Health Choices.
Consciously. Deliberately. Actively.
© Helen Chow, ND
Information Source: http://www.journalsleep.org/ViewAbstract.aspx?pid=28504
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Do you have sufficient hours of sleep at night? Share with us below any challenges you face with regards to sleep and weight loss.
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