How to Boost Metabolism: What Sleep Does To Our Health

Are you satisfied with the amount of sleep you get every night? Five hours of sleep each night could be a pipe dream for new parents while others may need a full eight-plus hours of shut-eye just to function.

Sleep quality involves many issues, including how long it takes to fall asleep, how many times you wake up throughout the night, and how rested you feel when you wake up in the morning.

But did you know that while our awareness shuts down during sleep, our brain and body do not? Many processes work hard through the night since sleep provides major restoration to the body’s cells and tissues, helping them to recover from day-to-day wear and tear.

Insufficient sleep even increases our risk of developing medical conditions, including obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Lack of adequate sleep has even been associated with a shortened lifespan.

Obesity – the “other” epidemic

As mentioned, lack of sleep has long been linked to obesity. One study found that people who regularly slept fewer than six hours per night were much more likely to have excess body weight, while people who slept an average of eight hours per night had the lowest relative body fat of the study group.

From the International Journal of Endocrinology, we learn that sleep loss has a significant impact on metabolism. Laboratory studies clearly show that sleep deprivation can alter glucose metabolism and the hormones involved in regulating metabolism - decreased leptin levels and increased ghrelin and cortisol levels. Meaning - you’re more likely to hang on to fat.

To sum it up, a boost to metabolism can help you achieve weight loss, and weight loss can help you sleep better – and sleeping better can improve metabolism… and so on, and so on.

Sleep and Weight Loss

So, if you sleep more, you’ll weigh less? Not exactly.

It isn’t that sleeping more is the secret for how to lose weight, but rather that too little sleep impedes metabolism.

When "metabolically groggy," your brain and body don't respond properly to insulin and have trouble processing fats from your bloodstream. As a result, the body ends up storing the fat, a contributing cause of weight gain.

We need to do all we can with your lifestyle habits to support a full and uninterrupted night’s sleep.

Try these zzz-hacks for a better night’s sleep.

Shut down your digital world at least an hour before bedtime. That includes offing your computer, cell phone, and TV.
Use your bedroom for sleep, relaxation and release – not entertainment or work.
Create your own bedtime ritual and make it a repeatable habit every night.
Keep to a schedule, waking and going to bed at the same time every day.
Make your room dark as it cues the body to release the natural sleep hormone melatonin, while light suppresses it.
Avoid eating heavy meals close to bedtime. Avoid soda, tea, coffee and chocolate after 2 p.m., as caffeine stays with you for 5 to 6 hours.

If you need an evening snack, check out the Almased collection of shake and smoothie recipes for nutritional weight loss.

And while you’re at it, here are their best “diet secrets to help you sleep better” and lose weight.

Current research from the University of Edmonton in Canada shows that nutrient-rich Almased can have a positive impact on several metabolic factors that can boost metabolism and energy levels, and without stimulants.

In addition to feeling full and satisfied after drinking an Almased shake, the amino acid L-tryptophan in Almased helps the body make melatonin, which assists with the sleep cycle. It also helps in the production of serotonin, a chemical in the brain needed for relaxation and sleep.

Health and Nutrition – How to Improve Health

The Almased formula is low-glycemic high protein (LGHP) food-sourced nutrition from enzyme-rich, raw honey, and fermented with amino acids that come from both plants and live-cultured yogurt.

The low glycemic index of Almased helps you maintain a healthy blood sugar level after a meal.

One of the unique aspects of Almased is that it provides a complete amino acid profile containing an estimated 80 bioactive peptides.

How to improve health with an LGHP eating pattern

On a low-carbohydrate diet or low-glycemic diet, the body absorbs sugar more slowly, and, in response, the body releases insulin more moderately, supporting healthy blood sugar levels.

Recent science completed at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, and presented at international obesity conferences, showed the use of an LGHP diet can increase the basal metabolism rate, increase calorie burning, and modify how the body handles fat and carbohydrates.

The natural result is lost weight, lost fat, and lost inches - all while sleeping better and waking up energized and ready to start each day!

Eating real food that is as close as possible to the way nature made it is the essence of Almased’s nutrition message. Use Almased’s sample food list and meal recipes to better understand LGHP eating and to make better food choices.

The Almased Figure Plan

The Almased Figure Plan centers on the impact of natural good health and nutrition through meal replacement choice. The Plan ranges from rapid but safe weight loss to the least restrictive program you can do to get the results you want.

Almased developed the Figure Plan to help outfox a slow metabolism in four easy-to-do steps. You can drink one, two or three Almased shakes a day as a full meal replacement for weight loss.

When you’ve achieved your ideal weight, drink just one Almased shake daily, or as needed, for weight maintenance and general wellness.

Why would anyone not want this?

Look over some of these enticing shake and smoothie recipes that are actually guilt-free and excellent for fat-burning weight loss!

The Almased Figure Plan Plus is your guide to safe weight-loss and wellness. It’s packed with tools, tips, and all the help you need on your weight journey, whatever your goal.

Also, be sure to check out Almased's Success Stories for inspiration. Jan R. wrote that her weight was up, her energy was low, and her sleep was poor. Jan lost 54 pounds and 5 dress sizes with Almased - and kept it off.

After two years of successful weight management, Jan R. wrote:

“My energy is great, and I sleep more deeply and consistently.”

If it’s time to put your attention on health, weight loss, and peaceful dreams, look to improved nutrition first – with Almased!

Give Almased a try!

You can find Almased at Walgreens, CVS, Amazon, GNC, Swanson Health and Lucky Vitamin. To speak with a representative about how Almased can fit into your lifestyle, call toll-free 1-877-256-2733.