Sleep and Appetite

I slept for sixteen hours last night (it was a heavily medicated sleep), and am far too groggy to be creative... so I found something very interesting to share that won't require me to use much of my 'right'-brain:

Sleep and Appetite
Leptin and Ghrelin

There are two importat hormones called 'leptin' and 'ghrelin' that regulate our feelings of appetite and fulness (our cravings and signals to stop eating). When grhelin increases, we feel the need to binge on food. When Leptin increases, we feel satiated.

When our sleep is restricted, leptin levels go down, whilst ghrelin levels go up. This fluctuation increases our appetites by 45%, and urges us to eat calorie-dense foods that are packed with sugar, carbohydrates and fat. If you are one of the many lucky lasses (or lads) with chronic insomnia, then you're likely to have consisently high ghrelin levels.... which beckon you to binge. Fortunately, Leptin can be manipulated through other measures.

Tips to Raise Leptin:

1. Seek help for insomnia (medicated sleep is better than no sleep).
2. Exercise!
3. Eat African mango seeds. African mango seeds have been proven to raise Leptin, as well as Adiponectin (a hormone that improves insulin sensitivity and increases weight loss). Although obscure, they can be purchased either online, or in most health food stores.
4. Don't eat after 7:00pm (at the least, don't gorge after seven).
5. Eat fiber-rich foods, which often signal that feeling of 'fullness.'
6. Eat around a schedule, as opposed to whenever you 'feel like' eating.

Now I'm very excited about African mango seeds.

Weight: 114 113 112 111 110 109 108 107 106105 104 103 102 101 100 99 98 97 96 95
Height: 5'4"