Losing weight by getting enough sleep

Losing Weight Your Goal?
Go To Bed!

Here's an excerpt from a recent article I read in the June issue of "Enjoying Everyday Life" (a Joyce Meyer monthly magazine) on losing weight while getting enough sleep. The article is adapted from a book called "The Seven Pillars of Health" by Dr. Don Colbert.

"A similar process takes place every night in your body. During those precious hours of sleep, your body shuts down its daytime activities and goes to work repairing and restoring itself. Your immune system recharges, major organs are restored, old cells are replaced with new ones, and your mind relaxes and organizes its thoughts so you can wake up in a healthy physical and mental state to begin a new day."

"...adequate sleep regulates the release of important hormones, such as the growth hormone. This hormone not only regulates growth in children, but also helps control fat in adults. When you don't sleep enough, its production is disrupted. Leptin is another hormone that is secreted during sleep and directly influences appetite and weight control. So lack of sleep may well be one of the causes for problems with weight control.

"Another very important benefit of sleep is that it boosts the immune system. It has been shown that people who sleep nine hours a night instead of seven have greater than normal "natural killer cell" activity. These killer cells destroy viruses, bacteria and cancer cells."

"Sleep also slows the aging process."

"How much sleep should you get? Adults need seven to nine hours each night without interruption. Most people find that eight hours is perfect. any less and you feel drowsy at some point during the day. Any more and you may feel unnaturally sluggish."

How's your sleep pattern? Are you getting enough rest?

If you need to be losing weight, start planning to get eight hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.

Of course I also recommend that you pick up a copy of "Real People Don't Diet" and start to permanently--and easily--change your eating habits. :-)