Takes Two to Tango — Men's fertility matters
19 Aug 2019
19 Aug 2019
It’s Monday morning, you slept horribly last night and now you’re running on empty. What happens next? You find yourself eating and eating and eating…..all day long. And eating what? Everything in sight…..especially sugary, salty and deep fried foods.
The truth is, the poor night’s sleep and the insatiable hunger are very much related, on a physiological scale. It’s not your fault! There is science to tell you that this isn’t just a random day of cravings.
The Hormones:
Leptin- “the satiety hormone”. Leptin is a hormone made by adipose cells (fat tissue) and cells of the small intestine. Leptin’s job is to tell your brain, specifically your hypothalamus, that you don’t need to eat. When we are tired, leptin levels DECREASE. This means that your brain isn’t getting the message that you don’t need to eat.
Grehlin- “the hunger hormone”. Grehlin is produced in the stomach and released by the stomach, small intestine, pancreas and brain. Grehlin is responsible for appetite stimulation and promotes fat storage. During times of sleep, levels of ghrelin DECREASE because the body is resting and not requiring much energy. However, if you’re not getting enough quality rest, grehlin release goes into overdrive and you end up CONSTANTLY feeling hungry.
When we haven’t slept long enough or well enough, our bodies go searching for a quick, easy source of energy. And there’s nothing easier or more accessible than carbohydrates. AND as a ‘double whammy’, carbs and fatty foods encourage the secretion of serotonin, our ‘happy hormone,’ so you find yourself feeling happier the more junk food that you eat…..until later that day, when hormone levels all come crashing down.
Cortisol- When you’re tired and still have to go about your busy day, more cortisol is released, to help keep you going. However, if cortisol is chronically elevated other problems arise – such as weight gain, chronic cravings and overeating, obesity, high blood pressure, low blood pressure (in cases of adrenal ‘burnout’), poor blood sugar regulation (elevated blood sugar levels, insulin resistance) and diabetes.
How to prevent the fatigue and overeating:
1. Establish a healthy bedtime routine and wind down time –
Think of babies and toddlers. These little ones require a nice long hour of quiet time, reading, a nice warm bath, rocking and singing. Then what happens? They sleep a blissful 10-12 hours! Every parent knows that this routine cannot be compromised. Now, because we are adults, we don’t require 10-12 hours of sleep, but the wind down time is just as important now as it was when we were babies.
Work on including the following sleep hygiene practices into your days and nights:
Adopt healthier eating habits –
Now, you’re already tired and overwhelmed so keep these changes very simple.
Having trouble figuring out where to start? Or maybe you’ve tried all of these things and you still can’t sleep or you still can’t stop the cravings? Book an appointment with one of our Naturopathic Doctors and get to the bottom of what’s holding you back.
*Please do not attempt to fast through the night if you suffer from serious blood sugar regulatory problems, such as Type I Diabetes.
Photo by Andrii Podilnyk on Unsplash
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19 Aug 2019
19 Aug 2019
19 Aug 2019
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