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Get a Healthy Night Sleep and Lose Weight
All of us have to accept that we have basic human needs we must meet or our body will not function in the way it is intended to work. Sleep is sometimes overlooked as one of these basic human needs because many of us can do with a few nights of less sleep. However, overtime your body will show the effects of sleep deprivation and your body will suffer for it. The consequences of losing sleep include mood changes, decreased immunity and memory function, and even weight gain.
 Many people do not realize that a side effect of sleep loss is weight gain. The other effects seem to make sense as they appear fairly quickly so you know they exist. However, weight gain does not happen right away, and it can take some time to notice you have gained weight if you are not watching out for it.
Scientist have recently theorized the hormones leptin and ghrelin may be to blame for the connection between lack of sleep and weight loss. Leptin signals the brain that you are full, while ghrelin tells the body it wants to eat. Although there are studies to support this theory, there are also studies suggesting the connection between these hormones, sleep, and weight gain are more complicated and vary from person to person.
When you are tired it is hard to find the energy to make it through the day. If you are desperate for a quick rush of energy, you are more likely to give into cravings for sugar and carbohydrates. These cravings throw off a balanced diet and make it difficult to keep weight off let alone lose weight. There is even some evidence to suggest that the body becomes glucose tolerant when you lose too much sleep so you continue to eat carbohydrates, but they are not effective in giving you the energy you need.
A final factor to consider is your decreased immune response when you do not get enough sleep. If you are spending your time sick, then you are not as likely to spend it exercising and eating healthfully making it difficult to maintain a weight loss.
Despite all this knowledge about sleep, sometimes actually getting a good night sleep is not all about just getting in bed and drifting off into a peaceful slumber. If you are one of the many Americans who have trouble falling or staying asleep, then some of the tips below may be of use to you.
Tips for a Better Night Sleep
- Exercise is a great way to ensure a good night sleep. Although be careful not to exercise too close to bed time because some people need some time to let their body calm down after exercising.
- Go to sleep and wake up at the same time each day. When you stick to a schedule, your body remembers when it is suppose to sleep.
- Avoid napping if at all possible because daytime sleep confuses the body, and you are less likely to be tired when bedtime comes along.
- Develop a bedtime routine and follow it every night before bed. This will tell your body it is time to sleep. You may need to give this a few days though.
- Avoid drinking caffeine too late in the day because for some people caffeine is far too stimulating. Depending on how you are affect by it, you may need to limit caffeine and only take it in earlier in the day.
Healthy Recipes  by Chef Noche
Swap Your Beef for Buffalo and Keep the Flavor but Lose the Fat
Buffalo is a meat often overlooked because many people choose to eat beef instead. However, the nutritional value of buffalo exceeds beef in some ways making it an excellent alternative to beef.
In comparison buffalo generally has less fat and calories than beef although its cholesterol content is similar. Buffalo tends to be more nutrient dense than beef meaning you need less of it to get the same amount of nutrients in beef. It is higher in protein, iron, B-12, and omega-3 fatty acids.
 Another factor to consider when deciding between buffalo and beef is how the meat is raised. Buffalo tends to graze freely on grasslands and finds its meals there. Cattle may be grass fed or grain fed, and it is more likely to be treated with antibiotics and hormones.
It should also be noted that buffalo in the United States may also be referred to as bison. American buffalo are not the same animals as the water buffalos of Asia and Africa, and are more closely related to the bison. It is for this reason that there has been a shift in the name so when you see bison, it refers to the American buffalo. This may be valuable when you are shopping for this type of meat.
It is because of buffalo meat's rich flavor and tender texture that you can choose to dress it up before you cook it, or keep the seasoning simple. This very simple recipe is great for bringing out the flavor of the buffalo meat. It also has a little lemon flavoring to celebrate the oncoming warm weather while you enjoy your meal:
Grilled Lemon Garlic Buffalo Steak
Ingredients:
6 ounce buffalo steak
1/8 teaspoon garlic salt
1/8 teaspoon lemon pepper
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
1. Mixed the garlic salt, lemon pepper, and oil together.
2. Rub the mixture onto the buffalo steak.
3. Bring the coals of the grill to a medium heat.
4. Grill steak to desired tenderness being careful to use tongs to turn it as piercing the steak will release the juices.
Nutritional Information:
234 Calories
Fats - 3 g
Cholesterol - 105 mg
Sodium - 92 mg
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