Simple Steps #2: Sleeping Well

"Sleep is the best meditation."

Dalai Lama

Sleep is an essential element just like food, water and air. Deprive any rational human being of sleep for a couple of days and they lose the ability to reason, they begin to have tremors, memory becomes impaired and their concentration levels will drop rapidly. The immune system begins to deteriorate rapidly, emotions become erratic and impossible to control, and physical coordination begins to suffer. So why is it the we Americans don't treat sleep as an essential, almost sacred part of our lives?

So how can you improve your quality of sleep?

1) Go to bed at a regular time each night, even on weekends. Yes, I know, we all stay up later on weekends because we can sleep later. However, this sends a mixed message to your body. If you have sleep problems, this one can make a big difference.

2) Use your bedroom for sleep. It's a comfy place to watch tv, be on the computer, read a book or whatnot, but try to keep these activites out of your bedroom. Then once you retire, your body will be more likely to relax into sleep. Also, a dark, quiet bedroom is an environment very condusive to rest. If you don't fall asleep right away, rise and do something calm until you feel sleepy as laying there agonizing over lost sleep can make things even worse!

3) Don't eat a big meal or exercise right before you are going to bed. Whenever I workout too close to bedtime, I am too energized to sleep well. Also, a big meal right before sleep hits you with a double whammy: potential weight gain and it could also interfere with your sleep. Keep the meal light and free of heavy carbs.

4) Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol before bedtime. Caffeine and nicotine are both stimulants that can keep you wide awake. Alcohol, though technically a depressant, can also interfere with your sleep.

5) Exercise regularly. This will contribute to more restful, natural sleep.

6) Try dimming your house lights an hour before bedtime to ease your body and mind into the sleep time of your day. Turning the television off, if you watch at night, can also help you to relax.

So take a look at your sleep patterns. If you are getting what you need, then you are very fortunate. If not, try some of these hints to make your sleep better and increase your wellness. You'll feel stronger, smarter, and happier when you get the sleep you need on a regular basis.

Simple Steps #1: Breakfast

Lao Tzu, Chinese philosopher, said, "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." For many of us, better health and wellness might seem like a thousand mile trip we may even find ourselves lacking motivation to travel. But as with any journey, maps and friends along the way can help us to get oriented. So with that in mind this is the first in a series of simple steps you can take to embrace health and wellness. One habit at a time...

Step #1:Breakfast

This is an easy "fix" that can have huge impact on your wellness and weight management. If you are trying to lose weight, long-term studies have shown that eating a big breakfast means you will gain less weight (even if you actually eat more calories than someone who skipped breakfast!). If you are trying to gain weight, you have to realize you've been without food for 8 hours and your body is primed and ready to eat. Either scenario, you need breakfast to fuel your body and get you moving. People who skip breakfast are shown to be more inclined toward obesity. And if you have recently shed some extra pounds, your chances of keeping them off are much higher if you eat breakfast (study references available on request).

So what to eat? Balance complete is an excellent breakfast if you have limited time or don't want to mess with food prep. High fiber whole grain cereals are also ideal. Kashi makes some excellent frozen waffles that are mutigrain and are at the desirable end of the "convenience food" spectrum and are great if you must eat on the run. Also, eggs are the perfect breakfast food ad one of the most nutritionally perfect things you can eat (they got a bad rap years back on the cholesterol front, but keep reading). If your cholesterol is high, skip the yolks or use an egg substitute like "Egg Beaters." I like to use three eggs and keep one yolk for flavor, as I personally am not a huge fan of straight egg whites (all the fat in the yolk is what gives the flavor). Try salsa on your eggs, even some veggies in a big omelette with some ham. This takes a bit more work, but will give your day a great boost. And try to eat protein and carbs for breakfast, not just carbs, as the protein takes more work to digest and can help you to feel full for longer.

If you do cardio immediately upon rising, a snack like a banana will give you an energy boost without making you feel sick. If you lift weights first thing in the morning, fruit and whole grain toast are ideal to fuel your workout. Then enjoy a big breakfast when you finish, being sure to include quality protein to build muscle and carbs for energy. Having breakfast as your biggest meal of the day is a great strategy as you will love the energy and it makes more sense than having a huge meal right before you go to bed.

Enjoy breakfast!