back: Sarah B, Cat, Jill, Dawn Marie, Sue; middle: Christine, Lupe, Lisa, Pamela, Sarah J; front: Cindy

Inspiring thoughts, ideas and information provided by women business owners.

The purpose of Keystone Women's Circle is to unite, support and promote women business owners. A keystone is the stone in an arch that binds all others in place. In a circle of stones, every stone is a keystone. We believe that together we can create a foundation, not of brick and mortar, but of relationships and mutual support, enabling all of us to prosper.


Thursday, July 29, 2010

Heavy slumber, lighter days...

This just in from The Center for Science in the Public Interest (Independently funded research you can trust...I love these people!)  cspinet.org

Sleep More, Eat Less

Wondering why you're so hungry?  Maybe it's because you're not getting enough sleep.

Researchers allowed 12 healthy, young, lean men to sleep for either four or eight hours in a laboratory. 
After one night of four hours of sleep, the men ate 22% more calories the next day than they did after eight hours.  They also reported being more hungry before breakfast and dinner.

In a separate study, scientists found that a single night with only four hours of sleep led to insulin resistance in nine healthy lean men and women in their 40s.  After the night of restricted sleep, the participants were less able to move blood sugar into their cells, which suggests that their bodies were at least temporarily resistant to insulin.  Insulin resistance can lead to heart disease, diabetes, and possibly breast cancer.

Other studies that limit adults' sleep find higher levels of gherlin, which makes people hungry, and lower levels of leptin, which makes people feel full, in their blood. Changes in gherlin, leptin, and insulin resistance may explain why studies find a higher risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure in people who get too little sleep.

What to do:  Get enough sleep.  Most adults need 7-8 hours a night, and school-aged children need at least 9 hours.  From the American Journal of Nutrition via Nutrition Action Health Letter

Just one more thing in favor of the exploding trend in separate bedrooms for even happily married young couples.  Women who sleep well are slimmer, happier, and thus (wouldn't you think, guys?) sexier!  That's all for tonight.  I'm off to dreamland!

Dawn-Marie, Artist in Wonderland at Theartofthehome.blogspot.com

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