Author Archives: NurseBridgid

Laser Hair Removal: Does it work?

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I have been an avid waxer for years, and I truly did not believe in laser hair removal, as I knew people years ago who tried it, and it didn’t work for them at all, so I thought for quite a hefty price tag, if it didn’t work, I might else well stick with waxing! I have one friend that swears by laser hair removal, and I found a Living Social deal, and decided to go for it. I am halfway through treatments and it is one of the BEST decisions I have ever made in my life. That being said, there are a few things that you should know before going in for treatment.

What do I need to know?

The laser emits a wavelength of light that is absorbed into your hair shaft and down into the follicle (the base/root of the hair) and after repeated treatments (usually around 6) the hair follicle becomes so weak it can no longer grow hair or it just dies completely, and no longer makes hair.

Because the laser is attracted to darker hair, you will have better results if you have light skin and dark hair (meaning even if you have lighter skin tones but tan in the summer, you may want to skip the summer months when you are tan if you want optimal results.)

You will need to go for usually 6 treatments, that allows you to get each follicle in the phase of hair growth when the hair is actively growing (there are three stages of hair growth, and only one is active).

laser_hair_removal2

You should stop waxing or any other methods of hair removal (other than shaving) for around 6 weeks before you get your first treatment, and you should only shave between treatments, this allows for all of the hair follicles to grow, so that you have the best chance of treating each follicle with growth.

Between treatments, you really should exfoliate at least three times week, with a loofah and  an exfoliation scrub, to allow for the weaker hairs to break through the skin and prevent ingrown hairs. Plus, exfoliation helps to remove the hairs that are dead at the shaft.

No plucking between treatments! You want the laser to kill off the hairs, not you and your tweezers.

If you are getting laser hair treatment in a sensitive area (i.e. face, bikini, brazilian, etc),  you may want to get a cream with lidocaine in it to numb the skin before your treatment (apply 30 minutes before your first treatment.) But elsewhere, it doesn’t really hurt at all…just feels sometimes like a small snap with a thin rubber band (at the worst.)

Ask around before starting treatments at one place: just like anything else, the price may be indicative of the level of competence of the people administering the treatment and also  how good the laser is. There are newer lasers and older technology lasers that may not be as good. The salons/spas that offer these treatments are not FDA regulated, so ask how long they have been doing these treatments, their level of comfort, and expected results with their laser. I had my underarms done at one place, which I thought was good, and tried a different laser treatment center for my legs, and there is NO comparison.  My legs, obviously, cost more, but the laser was so much better and the technician is an MD that has been doing these treatments for years, so I had amazing results without any ingrown hairs, and needed less treatments!

Ask around, find out where has a good reputation, and gets good reviews from patients. If you feel uncomfortable, or they are trying to push you into extra treatments that you don’t need, then leave.  There are tons of medical spas/salons that you can go to that will offer you excellent Laser Hair Removal treatments.  I must say, for all of you in the Greater Boston Area, Landa Comsetic & Spa in Framingham is the BEST in the area, with great pricing and the staff all are very well-trained and they have the newest in laser technology (it is where I went for my legs and now basically every other place on my body!!)

It is an amazing experience to have complete hair removal and never have to think about shaving, waxing, plucking, etc again! If you’re thinking about doing it, I highly suggest it, but definitely do your homework on the place before you start treatments, and ensure that it will work for your hair color/skin tone!

Yours in Good Health

B

Some simple ways to treat calluses

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Calluses are pretty commonplace for any avid athlete or really anyone on the go, and they are not a huge health issue, but they can be quite unsightly and they can be uncomfortable sometimes. The good news is that there are ways to prevent them AND means to treat them at home, if you have them!

What are calluses?

They are the bodies defense against constant (or frequent) pressure and friction. The body tends to compact layers of skin cells on areas where there tends to be a lot of pressure/friction so that when it occurs, it is not painful or constantly causing damage (i.e. you will eventually stop getting blisters from a certain pair of shoes because you have either “broken in” your shoes OR your feet!) When they develop, they really are not painful, but they can occur after blisters have formed (which is uncomfortable) and healed. They can be skin toned, grayish/white, or darker in color and either flattened to your skin, just rougher patch of skin, or raised.  Some people are more prone to calluses due to a lack of cushioning between bones and skin tissue (especially in the feet). Regular calluses, are nothing to be worried about, but some people can get very a very rare type of cancer that mimics calluses, amelanotic melanoma, so if you have a sudden callus growth that seems irregular and has cropped up suddenly, it is best you get it checked out by your HCP. Also, if you get pain, swelling, a lot of heat/redness, or any draining (like pus) from the area,  along with a fever, especially if you have Diabetes.

CallusHow can I prevent them?

The best way to prevent calluses is wear shoes that fit, with socks with cushioning. As well, if you tend to get calluses on your hands from working with your hands, wearing properly cushioned and fitting work gloves can hep to prevent that friction and rubbing and prevent the formation of calluses. Also if you have any sort of foot abnormality (like flat feet, any toe amputations, bone protrusions, bunions, etc.) to begin with, you should be under the care of a podiatrist to help and put measures in place to prevent calluses or skin breakdown, like using orthotics or moleskin. Do not try to remove entire calluses by yourself, but you can try some at home treatments, to diminish them.

How can I treat them at home?

You can get medicated pads (usually medicated with salicylic acid that helps to dissolve the thickened skin) at your local pharmacy, and place around the callus to help and decrease pressure on the area.

Change your shoes or gloves that are causing the calluses, find something that fits better

Walk barefoot at home, so your feet can evenly distribute pressure and weight without pressure from shoes.  And leave your hands out of gloves as much as possible.

Soak the areas with warm water and Epsom Salts (or essential oils, or with tea bags) to soften the area, and then you can scrape the area with a pumice stone to work down the callus.  Complete removal can be painful, and you really shouldn’t scrape it off with a razor blade, as it increases the risk of infection and you run the risk of cutting too low.

Always moisturize the areas after soaking with emollient rich moisturizer such as coca butter, shea butter, or hemp seed oil.

If at home treatments are not working and they are causing you discomfort or you are not sure if it may be more than a callus, talk to your HCP and see if you may, in fact, have some other sort of issue and need further treatments. But try to make sure that shoes and gloves are well-fitting, along with maintaining proper hygiene and always use moisturizer!

Yours in Good Health

B

 

May Plank Challenge: Side Plank Addition

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I am so excited that so many of you decided to join me on the April (Squat) and May (Plank) Exercise Challenges, it is VERY challenging month, and since the end goal is a long period of planks per day, it would not only be beneficial to your body, in strengthening different muscles, but it will also break up the monotony of the exercise! I have encouraged  you all to do leg and arm lifts, along with alternating leg/arm lifts at the same time, which is great addition to the exercise and makes it a little more challenging, but adding the side planks will add a whole new level of strengthening and benefits!

Why Side Planks?

Side planks help to strengthen your core muscles, as we have been working on, but it adds a different dimension, and we can do beginner to more advanced side planks.  Side planks target your gluteal (butt) muscles, quads, hamstrings, and thigh (inner and outer muscles), along with those core abdominal and back muscles. This will really help to tone and strengthen those muscles that assist your abs and back, so you will have a much stronger body, which will lead to less back pain (unless you have a medical reason for it), improved posture, and you will feel better and stronger, which will improve your self-esteem!

How do I perform a Side Plank?

You can start either from a plank position, and turn to the side so that the side of your foot is on the floor, the other foot is directly stacked on top ankle to ankle, knee to knee, and your hips are directly in line with the floor. For the beginner, you can do this pose on your elbow (arm flat on the floor perpendicular to the shoulder).  More advanced, you can have your arm straight, with your hand placed flat on the floor, directly under your shoulder. From this position, you can get more advanced, keeping your core muscles engaged and tight, lift the top arm directly above your shoulder into the air, and also lift that top foot 6-9″ into the air.

 

Top: beginner side plankBottom: more advanced

Top: beginner side plank
Bottom: more advanced

 

Top: Advanced side plank with arm and leg lift

Top: Advanced side plank with arm and leg lift

I do suggest starting at a more beginners level and then advancing as you feel stronger, and as you can get hurt if you push yourself too hard and you do not have the proper body  positioning.  You don’t want to fall or topple over or overstrain muscles. Make sure to engage your core muscles, breathe through the exercises (holding your breath is never good, but especially when exercising!), and if it gets to the point that you do not feel like you can breathe, take a break! Yes we are all challenging and we have goals as a group BUT you need to listen to your body and do what feels right.  If you have pain (not just “this is new muscle I am working” type of pain but real pain), stop and take the day off, and if the pain comes back you may need to see your healthcare practitioner (HCP), if the pain goes away, maybe you pushed yourself too hard, and go to a more beginner position.

Keep planking your way to that beach body, we are almost halfway through a very difficult challenge: just focus on how strong we will be and how good we will look at the end!

Yours in Good Health

B

Are you a part of the Clean Plate Club?

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Growing up, I remember sitting at the kitchen table and staring at a plate of goulash, trying to mentally will it to go away….but my mother telling me I couldn’t leave the table without cleaning my plate because there were some children who didn’t have food. Ugh. I remember thinking, they wouldn’t want the goulash! But, when there were foods that I liked, I was in the “Clean Plate Club” in no time flat (I am a ridiculously fast eater for some reason.) But despite us not wanting to waste food, this may be a bad thing to teach children; it can cause some bad habits later on.

How can it be bad?

A few studies have been done recently to look at how often parents these days are actually pushing this “clean plate club” idea on kids, and the journal Adolescent found that 2/3rds of parents actually still push this idea on their adolescent and teenage children. When you encourage your children to eat based on how much you offer them, and teach them to eat ALL of the food, they learn to eat what is in front of them, and not to eat based on what their body is feeling and needing, or on satiety.  As portions seem to get bigger and bigger, and children are just eating what’s given to them, they are consuming more and more fat and calories than necessary.  They will consume more than their bodies need, and tend to gain weight over time. While they are growing quickly and hormones are changing, it doesn’t always take effect immediately, but it will lead to bad habits as an adult too. Also, the study (which looked at around 2200 children and 3500 parents) found that parents of overweight children, despite encouraging the clean plate club earlier on in life, started encouraging less food consumption (possibly under eat), while children that were skinnier were still being encouraged to eat large amounts (possibly overeat).  The Center for Disease Control has found that in the past 3 decades, childhood obesity has increased by 2 fold and adolescent obesity has tripled, and in 2010 alone 1/3 of all children were noted as obese.

healthy foodsIt is really important to teach portion sizes, but also healthy eating, and proper eating: fill your house with healthy foods and snacks, let them make the right choices.  If they choose to fill up on carrot sticks (even with peanut butter), great, it’s much better than potato chips! They can learn when they feel full on their own without parents hovering; sometimes pressuring them to eat more or less makes the situation worse, they can learn to eat on their own.  When they are growing, they will eat more because their bodies need the nutrition, and when it slows, so will their intake. As parents, we need to supply the healthy foods for them to eat, and to teach them to make the right choices.

So don’t push that clean plate club! Just push the healthy foods.  And sometimes having your child talk to their Healthcare Practitioner (HCP) or a nutritionist can help them to learn better food choices, if they are making poor choices on their own, and so they can also learn the long-term implications of poor eating habits. Regulate what they eat by making healthy food available, not by forcing, and you will have a better chance of them learning to eat healthy!

Yours in Good Health

B

May: Mental Health Awareness and Suicide Prevention Month

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May is mental health awareness and suicide prevention month; many people start to feel desperate with their depression symptoms around the first couple weeks of spring. Mostly because people think once the “winter blues” are over, and spring has sprung, they will start to feel better miraculously. When that doesn’t happen, the true feelings of depression can sink in: helplessness and thoughts of harming themselves (i.e. suicide) can become overwhelming. It can be hard to see the signs in people who are really close to you, but it is important to know the signs and see them in others, as over 1 million people attempt suicide annually.

depressionWhat are some signs of Depression/Suicide?

-Clinical Depression is usually emphasized by a loss of interest in life, sadness, disinterest in previously enjoyed hobbies, difficulty concentrating, trouble with eating and sleeping.

-Thinking about death a lot (verbalizing, drawing, or referring to death a lot)

-Feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness

-Making changes to wills, plans, or making statements about not being around much longer

-A sudden switch from someone being really deeply depressed and sad to very happy

-Calling people to say goodbye

-Previous suicide attempts (50% of those with prior attempts will try again and be successful)

Risk Factors:

-Previous suicide attempts

-Family violence

-Physical or sexual abuse history

-Firearms in the home

-Chronic illness or pain

-Mental illness history

-Substance abuse problem

What do you do if you think someone is at risk?

-Listen to them, and reassure them that you care about them, you are listening, and you care. If they say that they want to kill themselves, it is an emergency, call 911 (or emergency services where you live), do not leave them alone, and remove any firearms, knives, other weapons, or drugs and alcohol.

-If they are not actively threatening but you feel they are at risk, have them call a Suicide Hotline 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433) or 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255). And, assist them with finding a mental health professional and you can always start with your Healthcare Practitioner (HCP) to help with a referral.

Many times we missed the subtle signs and symptoms, especially when we are close to the victim. It has happened to me in my very own family, and right after it happened all you think about is “how did I miss the signs?? I spent so much time with them?” It’s important to remember that we all have comfort levels with people, and sometimes you are too close, it almost takes an outsider to see the situation for what it is; you are so used to the persons behaviors or traits, that it is not abnormal to you. And you might just think they are finally out of their funk when they become happy again; but really they have made a plan. It is important to not blame yourself, if someone you love takes his or her own life. It is not your fault, and the symptoms are very hard to see. What’s important is learning and seeing the symptoms in others and helping them.

Knowing when you see the symptoms, and what to do is important. So pay attention to the signs, and how you can help.

Yours in Good Health

B

May Plank Challenge: Join Me, Won’t You?

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For the month of May, as we are focusing on getting healthier, getting stronger, toning our bodies, and encouraging one another to accomplish our goals (especially when some of use really do NOT enjoy the exercises), we will look to the plank! And, no I am not talking about just laying various pieces of furniture and posting pictures via social media, I am talking about the real deal plank (AKA a hover.)

To perform a proper plank:

You should rest on your elbows, should length apart (your hands can come together at the center or go straight forward, but your forearms need to stay on the ground) and your toes should also be on the ground.  Keeping your entire core tight, and in a straight line, relaxing your head/neck so that you are looking straight down, you should hold this position. Plank view 1

Plank view 2

*If this position is too difficult or you are unable to hold it because of any medical/health conditions, you can hold this position on your hands (in push up position)

 

 

There are also some alterations that you can add in:

Leg Lifts: lift one leg at a time approximately 6 inches off the floor, hold for 5 seconds, then alternate with the other leg, all while holding your back, torso, and shoulders straight.

in the side view my leg is lifted a little high- only around 6" off the ground

in the side view my leg is lifted a little high- only around 6″ off the ground

 

 

leg height is better here

leg height is better here

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plank with arm lift

Plank with arm lift

Arm lifts: Lift one arms at a time to shoulder height, and hold for 5 seconds, then alternate with your other arm, and maintain that straight back, torso and shoulders. You can do these by themselves OR when you lift the opposite leg.

 

 

Plank with alternating leg/arm lift

Plank with alternating leg/arm lift

 

 

 

 

How are planks going to transform my body?

Planks work to strengthen the core muscles in your body (your abdominal and back muscles) directly. Then there are other muscles that help to stabilize you in this pose and they strengthen as well:  shoulder muscles, pectoralis (chest), quads (upper legs), gluteals (butt), sartorius (thigh), serratus anterior (side of chest), tensor fasciae latae (thigh/hip), and gastrocnemius (calves).

Increasing your ability to hold these plank positions will help to strengthen and tone those muscles, which will not only make you appear leaner in your core, but also tighten your legs and butt too! Because we are strengthening your muscles, you will be burning more calories, even at rest, so when you feel sore, that is your muscles strengthening, and your body burning fuel. So, feel the burn, and love the burn: it means you are making progress!

The Challenge (…if you choose to accept it):

And for those of you who did the April Squat Challenge, keep maintenance squats ranging from 50-100 5 days a week (if you are able physically and medically).  If you have any specific medical and/or physical limitations, you should speak with your personal healthcare provider before taking on a strenuous challenge.

Day 1: 1 minute

Day 2: 2 minutes

Day 3: 2.5 minutes

Day 4: 3 minutes

Day 5: 3.5 minutes

Day 6: 4 minutes

Day 7: REST DAY

Day 8: 5 minutes

Day 9: 5.5 minutes

Day 10: 6 minutes

Day 11: 6.5 minutes

Day 12: 7 minutes

Day 13: 7.5 minutes

Day 14: REST DAY

Day 15: 8 minutes

Day 16: 8.5 minutes

Day 17: 9 minutes

Day 18: 9.5 minutes

Day 19: 10 minutes

Day 20: 10.5 minutes

Day 21: REST DAY

Day 22: 11 minutes

Day 23: 12 minutes

Day 24: 13 minutes

Day 25: 14 minutes

Day 26: 15 minutes

Day 27: 16 minutes

Day 28: 17 minutes

Day 29: 18 minutes

Day 30: 19 minutes

Day 31: 20 minutes

This is a HARD challenge BUT you can split up the planks into any set of reps and times that works for you and your body (i.e. split up the 20 minutes into 2 sets of 10 minutes in the morning doing 2 minute reps, so 5 planks in the morning and at night and you hit your 20 minute goal.) You should be able start with reps of 30 seconds and be able to increase that pretty quickly, adding in the arm and leg lifts to make it more challenging and to improve your core strength.

So let’s do this and get healthy, fit, and ready for summer!! And don’t forget to join the Facebook Page for the May Plank Challenge, where you can ask questions, get support, and (for those that dare) post their pre/post challenge bodies!

Yours in Good Health,

B

The End of the April Squat Challenge!

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I must say, I appreciate all of those who joined me in the April Squat Challenge! It was a really successful challenge on MANY levels: I have met a bunch of great people from all over the world that have joined the challenge, we have supported one another throughout the process, given advice, gained muscle, and completed a common goal that I’m pretty sure none of us thought we could do.  300 squats in one day!

We all started at different levels of fitness, different ages, etc. and we all found ways to complete the challenge. Some of the Squatters did the challenge together, with weights, with babies, in bathrooms, airports, at Disney World, and basically just completing the challenges set forth each and every day whenever and wherever we could.  We were all honest if we were unable to complete the squats one day because of life circumstances, or being sore, or just losing motivation, and everyone really did a great job of motivating one another, and it was such a great sense of community, even though most of us performed the exercises on our own, at our own pace and time, we kept honest and hit the goals!

Not everyone was public about doing the challenge, so I had some friends that checked in via text, or email, and some people I just met because of the challenge that checked in via email, but many of those that took the challenge used our Facebook page forum (which will be changing monthly for new exercise challenges!)

So, we all had ups and downs doing the challenge, but it was overall, fun, which I consider a success, and I must say that my body did transform (my booty not as much as I was hoping for…but there’s only so much a girl can do but genetics always win!) Since I made my “pre” body the face of the challenge (to which I had no idea how many people would  join the challenge…and in essence see that picture) I figured it would only be right to show my pre/post and the success of building up to the 300 squats a day (which I did weighted with either 20, 30, or 40 lbs).

 

Day #1- April Squat Challenge

Day #1- April Squat Challenge

 

middle

middle

 

Final squat booty

Final squat booty

While I cannot say that my knees can take running hills AND all of these squats for an excessive amount of time, I am going to keep squats (and the many variations of squats) as a part of my regular routine to help to tighten my core, quads, glutes, and upper body musculature (because of the weights added).

A big THANK YOU to all who joined the challenge (either right out in the open or secretly) because I think we all helped each other to hold one another to the challenge and to be a part of this transformation! And I hope that we all keep squatting, and keep up the work with the monthly challenges, as best we can to get fit, be healthy, and support each other!

Yours in Good Health

B

 

Does eating yams increase fertility or rates of twins?

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Well, I heard one of the “housewives” on the Atlanta series make a statement that eating yams increases ones rate of conceiving twins, but I honestly did not think much of it….until I was sent numerous emails to from various readers asking about this one.  There is some research on the topic, but since it seems to be a hot topic with my readers, I wanted to just settle this one, once and for all.

yamsWhat is the deal?

There was a study in 2008 focusing on an African tribe that as rather high numbers of twins and multiple births in their village.  A main source of their diet is yams, and yams are said to effect certain female hormones, that may relate to a 1% higher rate of twins, but yams would need to be ingested in significant amounts to have even a minimal effect (think three times a day). So because the people of this tribe, who eat yams as a mainstay of their diet (due to a their environment), so the conclusion was made that the high yam diet was related to the multiple births by the women of the tribe. The research has not been validated (proved again), so  I am not convinced that eating yams will help you conceive twins.

The highest rate of multiples (or twins) are born to those that have a family history of twins, are older when attempting to get pregnant (the eggs can mutate and split causing twins), or the use of fertility drugs. There are also some rumors that immediately after stopping birth control, you are more likely to conceive twins, but that is not necessarily true; what IS true, is that your fertility is usually increased for that first month as your body is surging with hormones.

It’s a bummer for those of you who wanted to eat (or were already force feeding yourselves) yams in hopes of having two babies all at once, it’s not looking like that is the answer for you.  Your best bet is to find a man with a history of twins and see what sort of magic you two can create…unless you want a designer baby, in which they are genetically designed, which is quite pricey, but you can talk to your OBGYN about your options if this is something super important to you. I am being tongue in cheek, and not at all suggesting that you daddy shop for a man who has a history of twins! But unless you love those yams, you can chill on them and just eat a healthy well-balanced diet; there is no magical food that can increase your rate of twins.

I can’t believe that a fact from “the Real Housewives…” would ever be incorrect!! 😉 Just goes to show you that you shouldn’t believe everything you hear!

Yours in Good Health

B

Thoughts on the Marathon Monday Attack….I refuse to say Massacre

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It’s so hard to put into words the range of feelings that you have after such an event, which are the same feelings that the healthcare and emergency service workers from 9/11, Katrina, and Sandy must have all dealt with.  I honestly felt that nothing like this would ever happen in Boston, I know I was living in a dreamland, and even when I was running to the Emergency Department, hearing about victims, I didn’t really believe it. I kept telling myself that it was just drama….because until I left the hospital, and my family members were telling me what they heard on the news: I had no idea what was going on.  Just as all of you at home, watching the news, had no idea what was really happening in the hospitals.

I guess I needed to believe that there weren’t bombs, that it was just a transformer that blew, because it was easier to focus on what needed to be done. I have never been prouder of the emergency response crew in this city, and especially the staff at my hospital. In the face of a complete disaster and chaos, we had organization, and saved as many lives as we could. I cannot describe what I saw, because I just don’t want to relive the horror, but the images of not only victims but their family members and what they must be going through right now: the pain, the suffering, and the loss kept me awake all night last night. I also feel like I didn’t do enough, I don’t know if anyone feels like they did enough, especially in the face of being called a hero: we did our jobs, and we did our jobs well, but we couldn’t save everyone.

We all need to remember that this is also just the beginning, there will be Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD) from this event, and if you have lost a loved one, there are resources available at the local hospitals, police stations, and there will be outreach by the city. If you need to talk to someone immediately, the help hotline is available 800-427-3606.

If you would like to help, please donate blood and/or blood products, contact the American Red Cross.  And the Salvation Army is helping victims and their families, so any extra clothes, food, etc, please contact them and see how best you can help.

You can attack us, you can say the Red Sox suck, but all you do is make the city that I love, the city that is my home, grow stronger, bond together, and help each other to overcome this tragedy. It is so unfortunate that this had to happen on one of the best days that Bostonians love to celebrate, young and old alike, and I know there is so much sadness as fall out, but I truly am proud of EVERYONE that helped victims yesterday, we faced something that we never thought we would, and we were kept safe by the men and women in law enforcement.

I saw a war zone in Boston yesterday, but I have never felt safer because of the amazing people in this city. It was an attempted massacre; we said no.

Boston, you are my home.

Yours in Good Health

B

bosotn marathon

Not enough sleep? Weight gain will become a problem.

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You hear it all the time: If you don’t get enough sleep, you will gain weight. When I think about it, it doesn’t totally make sense because you aren’t sleeping, so you are being more active, right? Then I think about those days after I work a night shift, when I am getting things done in a haze, my brain is not fully functioning, and thinks happen a little bit slower, I feel miserable, and when I have a chance to stop and rest, I take it…so I begin to understand a bit more the whole weight gain portion.

sleep and weight gainWhy exactly does sleep make me gain weight?

When you do not get enough sleep, you are feeling tired and energy levels are low, leading to the use of caffeine and/or sugar to boost your energy levels to help you get through the day, which leads to energy crashes later in the day.  For those of you who exercise in the afternoon, it usually means that it doesn’t happen, because your energy is zapped. And if you are a morning exerciser, you tend to feel to exhausted to get to your workout; a lack of energy leads to a lack of drive.  And when you become dependent upon stimulants to get through the day, it can become a cycle, as sometimes you can overdo it with the caffeine and then have trouble shutting it down, even if you do have time to sleep. When you are tired and sluggish, you also tend to be more lazy; you don’t shop for healthy foods and/or cook for yourself, so you tend to eat what is available and easy.  None of these things are particularly good for your waistline.

There are two main hormones that regulate your eating cycle: ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin is the hormone that tells you when you are hungry and you should eat, and it is at much higher levels when you are sleep deprived. Leptin is the hormone that tells you to stop eating because you are full, and unfortunately it is in lower levels when you are without sleep. A lack of exercise, high ghrelin, and low leptin levels is basically the trifecta for weight gain.

Add on top of that, your body is not functioning optimally with a lack of sleep, so it’s not just your brain that feels fuzzy, so do the cells in your metabolism, so they aren’t working at their best either. It’s not as if one night with a lack of sleep is going to make you gain 15lbs immediately, but when it becomes a cycle of sleeping less than 7-8 hours per night, and we are frequently reaching for comfort foods, eating more than we normally do, skipping on our exercise, and relying on stimulants to get through the day, it’s not healthy, and you will gain weight.

What can I do?

Cut back on the stimulants and don’t have any after 12pm, and start making a bedtime routine (essentially set a bedtime for yourself) to try to break the cycle.  Also, forcing yourself to get some exercise, even though you already feel exhausted, even if it is just a long walk, really will exhaust your body….in a good way!  It will help to relax your muscles when you are done, and get your brain ready to shut down and get a better sleep/rest. Also try to avoid heavy meals and alcohol right before bed, it can make you have troubled sleep and increase the risk of heartburn. Also, maybe a soothing lavender bath/shower before bed, to help calm your system and ready yourself for sleep.

Once you start sleeping regularly, you will feel a boost in energy, be more efficient, and be healthier.  You can get into a health and wellness cycle by getting regular exercise, and eating healthier, which will lead to a really easy drop in weight…all by making one lifestyle change!

If you DO get 7-8 hours of sleep at night but it is troubled sleep or you always still feel exhausted in the morning you should see your Healthcare Practitioner (HCP) because you may have Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) or another process going on that requires a sleep study or more in-depth review.

Try to set a routine, and breaking the habit of caffeine can be miserable (I used to be a complete caffeine addict and have sleeping issues, so I KNOW how hard this is) but it is so worth it to be able to cut the cord and feel yourself without relying on caffeine and starting to be healthy again.  It seems impossible sometimes, but, I promise, it isn’t!

Yours in Good Health

B