A Sleep Bonus, Dreaming In Color

Sleep more and you may lose weight. That especially holds true if you start participating in regular exercise. A large amount of the U.S. population is not sleeping sufficiently to ensure their health. Past scientific research has linked insufficient sleep with obesity. This recent study, from the March 2012 Proceedings Of The National Academy of Science shows what results when you don’t get the proper amount of sleep. Your hands end up in the pantry trying to quell those hunger thoughts during the early morning hours. Research participants were only putting in about 5 hours of shuteye a night. They ended up putting on nearly 2 pounds over a week. Lack of sleep may alter our circadian rhythm (our internal biological clock) and instigate a weight gain. Our genes may not be able to handle burning off calories as well late at night in comparison to daytime eats.

But It Tastes So Good

From March 2013, BMC Medicine published a study linking cardiovascular disease and cancer with processed meats such as deli lunch meats, sausage, bacon, hot dogs, pepperoni and any red meats. These delicious, easy and traditional meat packages are contaminated with chemicals that preserve the products. Some of the malicious ingredients are not even listed on the package labeling. The greater the amounts of processed meat in the diet the higher the death rate from these diseases. When these individuals choose white meat their risk of mortality was reduced compared to red meat. Renovating Your Mind advises if you consume these types of meats, try to reduce your intake and have at least two vegetables with the meal. The antioxidants and fiber from the vegetables may help to neutralize some of the negative effects of the processed protein.

Wine’s Polyphenols With The Biggest Star Being Resveratrol

More evidence that red wine may lead to slower aging because of one of its antioxidants known as resveratrol. March 2013 issue of Science reports that this antioxidant may play a significant role in a gene pathway that slows down time. Resveratrol is found in the skin of red grapes, peanuts and berries. Intense research is currently investigating a prescription medication that would have a similar effect. Foods and wines are a much better and safer choice.The thick-skinned muscadine grape has some of the highest amounts of resveratrol. It’s from my neck of the woods grown in the southeastern part of the U.S.

If you take a trip to Charleston, South Carolina, an excellent place to visit is the Irvin House Vineyards. They produce excellent muscadine wines. It’s a fun way to spend a day and increase the amounts of resveratrol coursing through your body. Cheers. If interested, I have enclosed the link below:

http://irvinhousevineyards.com

Categories: Food, Health

Tags: muscadine grape, processed meat, red wine, resveratrol, sleep