Health and Fitness, March, 2019

[Harriet]

Twins', he says lights should be turned down before bedtime and mentions gadgets as a problem. There's a chapter near the end of the book called "iPads, Factory Whistles, and Nightcaps - What's Stopping You From Sleeping?", but I simply haven't gotten to it yet. The first section of that chapter is titled, "The Dark Side of Modern Light" and within the light section's iPad pages, I do see his interest in this study :

Compared to reading a printed book, reading on an iPad suppressed melatonin release by over 50 percent at night. Indeed, iPad reading delayed the rise of melatonin by up to three hours, relative to the natural rise in these same individuals when reading a printed book.

At another place regarding light, he said, "mood lighting should be the order of the evening". And he comments on the yellow tinted glasses I own but seldom wear, saying they do help filter out the harmful blue light that suppresses melatonin, but that you have to be a "committed individual" to keep at wearing them. I agree with that - it gets tedious to remember every night.

RunKitty here is a summary

Number 8 - Relax before bed. Don't over-schedule your day so that no time is left for unwinding. A relaxing activity, such as reading or listening to music, should be part of your bedtime ritual.

Number 9 - It is actually true that taking a hot bath before bed can help with insomnia. The drop in body temp after getting out of the bath may help you feel sleepy, and the bath can help you relax and slow down so you're more ready to sleep.

Number 10 - He says remember "Dark bedroom, cool bedroom, gadget-free bedroom". A TV, cell phone or computer in the bedroom can be a distraction and deprive you of needed sleep. Turn the clock face out of view so you don't worry about the time while trying to fall asleep.

Number 11 - Try to get out in natural sunlight for at least thirty minutes each day. If possible, wake up with the sun or use very bright lights in the morning. If you have trouble falling asleep, you should get an hour of exposure to morning sunlight and turn down the lights before bedtime.

Number 12 - don't lie in bed awake. If you find yourself still awake after staying in bed for more than 20 minutes, or if you are starting to feel anxious or worried, get up and do some relaxing activity until you feel sleepy. The anxiety of not being able to sleep can make it harder to fall asleep.

[Nancy]

I do the stat bike in front of the big window ib the living room. It sems to help. No tv in the bedroom. A half hour before bed I try to elimanate the chase sceen type tv & have mellow shows or music. I have done my 30 min. On stat bike.Mon.

[Ramblinrose]

I started a new to me eating plan which works well for my stomach issues and the foods I like to eat. Easy to follow..no sugar of any kind, no flour, no snacks. So far I am averaging .5lbs a day. I like the foods I can eat... cereal, fruit, veggies...including potatoes and corn every great once in a while...and meats.

Think this is something I can do and maintain. Have to do a graditude and food list for the next day each night.

I have a set bed time, have for years. I’m in bed by 9 and lights out by 10 unless I get to nvolv d with a book cause I usually read between 9-10. I try to keep the temps down n my room as cool as possible. But have to keep Sweetie in mind cause he gets cold easily. Summers are difficult cause we set our thermostat at 77.

I usually sleep with an eye mask cause I’m sensitive to light. I unplug my electric toothbrush cause it has an led light which bothers me. Sometimes I read my kindle, but I turn the backlight down. Every once in a while I will watch tv till ten if one of my favorite shows are on, but that usually is on Wednesday.

In the summers I am usually up before 6. My body clock likes to get up with the sun and go down when it gets dark. I’ve been like that my entire life.

[LadyMaverick]

RR - I'm thrilled you found a plan that feels good to your body.

i am reading the sleep habits with great interest. Very good advice.

Sorry this turned into a book. I'm upset and confused. It helps me to write things out so I can process my thoughts.

I left the doctor office confused about what food plan to follow. I told the doctor that I started doing Keto WOE on Feb 1st. He didn't say anything. UNTIL at the end of my appointment when I directly asked him what he thought about the Keto diet. He immediately told me it was not good and he did not recommend it AT ALL. He said to follow a plant-based diet with no meat. I asked if that was similar to Dr. Ormish diet and he got all happy that I knew about Dr Ormish. The doc offered to write me a prescription to take Dr. Ormish classes. He said insurance would pay for the training.

Hum.....Keto and Dr. Ormish WOE could not be more opposite. I left the doctor office confused. I want to be healthy but I also know the WOE that I do has to be sustainable. It has to be a lifestyle not a diet. I am not ready or willing to give up meat so that means a full Dr Ormish WOE would not fit me. When I was eating carbs my hunger did not have an off switch. I binge ate them. It was embarrassing to me to be so out of control with my eating. But I didn't want to say no to that WOE without checking it out more. I reviewed Dr. Ormish recommendations and it means giving up Avocados too. I quit reading. I am not going to return to high carbs and out of control binge eating. I'm not giving up Avocadoes.

Then I got to thinking. The doctor manipulated my gall bladder to make sure it felt okay and wasn't sore (it was fine). So my higher fat WOE doesn't appear to have bothered it. The doctor reviewed my lab results and commented that everything looked great. Hum.....I've been eating Keto for over a month and my labs look great. If eating this way is so bad wouldn't it show up on the lab numbers? I realize it has only been a few weeks but it seems there would be warning signs starting to show up if it was dangerous.

So now I'm confused. Eating Keto made my insane binge eating go away. Eating Keto gave me great energy and clear thinking. Eating Keto has resulted in great lab numbers. Eating Keto has resulted in about a 8 lb weight loss in a month. But the doctor says eating Keto is bad and not healthy.

I feel bad not following my doctor's advice. I like following "the rules". I could find another doctor but we are very limited on how many local doctors we have available.....he is the only doctor within 20 miles. I don't know what I'm going to do long term. While trying to figure it out I'm going to follow these guidelines......
** I am going to focus on eating about half of my food as raw. Basically, I'm going to eat a huge green salad with multiple vegetables every day.
** I'm going to eat some cooked vegetables almost every day. My preference is lower carb vegetables. I love cooked greens (mustard greens, turnip greens, spinach, etc). I love sauteed zucchini, tomatoes, okra, and summer squash, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, broccoli, etc.
** I eat organic a high percentage of the time. I strive for 100% organic but don't stress when it isn't available.
** I'm going to eat about 4 oz of meat a day. I'll think about reducing this but for now, it stays.
** I'm going to eat good fats until I'm not hungry. Olive, Olive oil, Eggs, Coconut Oil and Avocados are my go-to fat sources. I'm not going to binge eat fats. Their purpose is to keep me from feeling like eating the paint off the wall crazy hunger.
** I'm going to eat cooked Lentils or beans with a grain...brown rice, Quinoa and Amaranth. These types of carbs don't set off my binge eating.
** I am going to reduce my daily diet drink to the smallest cup they have. I know it isn't healthy but I absolutely love that it gives great joy each day to DH and myself for him to bring it to me. I drink plenty of healthy drinks each day. I am willing to take the chance that 8 oz of diet drink won't ruin my health. IMHO the joy it brings offsets the bad. That's my story and I'm sticking with it!

What I am NOT eating are -
** Sugars in its many forms.
** Flour in any form.
** Processed food

[Lynlee]

Harriet and others
From a whole different school of thought, and dealing with sleep deprivation -
-For those who are at a stage of being unable to sleep well, there is a skill they may be able to learn.
To rest in bed without worry or thoughts bombarding them to abstraction, to let body and mind rest, though they are awake, without the need to worry about that.
Learning that skill can be heaven sent if long enough sleep continues to evade them.
If worries and exasperation consume them then getting up is the answer and needed,
otherwise getting up and doing something because they are not sound asleep may be just another habit they are getting used to.
One of the most useful things I learned was to value degrees of sleep.
Being half asleep counts in a glass half full mindset.
If you would not welcome an invitation to move a wardrobe just at that moment of rest, maybe that attempt at lying down in attempt to sleep was helpful to body and mind in some way.

[RunKitty]

LadyM, that sounds like a good eating plan.
I've no experience with steroids, but don't they raise blood sugar?
Hope you will be feeling better soon.

[Ramblinrose]

Ladym...
I’m not doing keto either and I LOVE my new eating plan. Down 3.2 lbs since Friday. I must eat three big meals a day with no snacks. I can have fruit, cereal and some avacotoes. No sugar or flour either.

I read reviews and bought the book the Bright Line Eating by Susan Pierce Thompson PhD. Her specialty is the brain and how and why sugar and flour effects the brain and why it causes binging. Before she stared her career she was addicted to meth and later cocaine and was also obese at times.

This book is unlike any others that I have read and after I got it it was so interesting... due to all the scientific information but easy to understand, I read it cover to cover.

The program is based on many scientific experiments and studies done by many drs and scientists which I find very nteresting. I am not hungry and have no desire to binge.

You can find her book on Amazon if you’re interested. I met my first goal today. I didn’t like keto because I couldn’t have fruit and too much fats upset my stomach and the fact that I can eat some cold cereal in the mornings satisfies my crunching urges.

[Twins' Mom]

I've no experience with steroids, but don't they raise blood sugar?

Yes, this is true.

LadyM, I think doctors in general are slow to change their views on healthy eating plans and I do think you are justified in going with a different plan if you get demonstrable results. That includes blood work, energy, weight loss/maintenance and general health. I again mention Always Hungry as a plan that many doctors are coming around to - it allows carbs but only the ones that are "slow" and suggests that you add other carbs and gauge how you feel.

I've been adding spinach to my morning smoothie, since my soft diet hasn't always been healthy. The smoothie is the "Phase one" Always Hungry smoothie, with frozen berries, whole fat milk, protein powder and a dab of peanut butter. The spinach doesn't affect the taste and makes the purple a little darker perhaps.

[Nancy]

I did 30 min. On the stat bike this afternoon. Was off my normal routine today with hubby here.

[Ramblinrose]

Day 6: down .8lbs today...8000 steps yesterday

Stayed on my eating plan.

I am feeling so much better! Clear headed with much more energy. My mind is quiet; not searching for sugar and not focused on food. It’s a huge relief for me.