Health & Fitness

A simple bedroom makeover, starting with a comfortable bed, can help you sleep better and through the night.

Sometimes it takes more than being tired to fall asleep. Relaxation techniques can help you sleep more soundly, but don’t stop there. Creating the right atmosphere in your bedroom will also lead to better sleep.

The ultimate sleep setting starts with a comfortable bed — good pillows and a blanket or comforter make your bed more inviting. You also want to set the right mood to help you sleep.

The Root of Sleep Problems

People have trouble sleeping for many reasons. Barbara Phillips, MD, director of the University of Kentucky Good Samaritan Sleep Center in Lexington, speculates that sleep problems may have to do with human instinct and the need to survive.

"Difficulty sleeping is a normal reaction to stress and to an unhealthy or dangerous environment," Dr. Phillips says. This probably gave our ancestors a survival advantage when the greatest risk to their well-being was being attacked at night, whether by saber-toothed tigers or enemy tribes.

How does that affect your sleep today? "We are probably hardwired not to sleep as well when there are problems in our lives," says Phillips. "This may be part of the reason that insomnia is often associated with stress, depression, and anxiety." Being physically uncomfortable when trying to sleep can make it even harder.

How to Sleep Well: Creating Your Sleep Haven

The right sleep environment is essential to set the stage for better sleep. Give your bedroom a makeover with these tips:

• Set an appropriate noise level. Certain sounds may annoy you at night, while having your room too quiet can also affect your ability to sleep. White noise is purposeful noise — usually a steady, low-level background sound — that blocks out distracting sounds. Try running a fan at night or playing a CD of soothing sounds, like rain or ocean waves — whatever relaxes you.
• Check the temperature. It can be difficult to sleep in a room that’s too hot or too cold. The right temperature depends on your personal comfort level. Find out what makes you most comfortable in bed so that you don't wake up sweating or shivering.
• Make a comfortable bed. When you slip into bed at the end of a long day, it should feel welcoming, luxurious, and relaxing. Clean, soft sheets, blankets or a comforter, and pillows are a given. But also make sure that your mattress is in good shape and has the level of firmness you need.
• Turn out the lights. Exposure to plenty of sunlight during the day can help you sleep better at night, but you want your room as dark as possible while you sleep. Hang curtains or shades designed with a backing material that blocks outside lights and early morning sunlight, or consider sleeping with an eye mask.
• Limit bedroom activities. When you work, watch TV, or play on the computer in bed, it stimulates you and negatively affects your ability to sleep. Learning to associate your bedroom with only sleep and sex will help you fall asleep and sleep better when you’re in your bed.
• Give yourself some space. Partners, cats, and dogs can lay claim to space on your bed, snore, and generally disrupt your sleep. If your partner’s snoring interferes with your sleep, talk about solutions to get it under control. If you have pets, consider keeping them out of your bedroom at night.

Sleep is a necessity, and it should be restorative. It can also be enjoyable. Create a tranquil sleep environment so that you can sink into a deep, restful sleep easily each night.

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There are a lot of people who would give a lot to increase their metabolism. Having a high level of metabolism enables one to maintain burn fat and lose weight fast with the least amount of activity. Metabolism is the rate by which the body produces and consumes energy and calories to support life.

There are several factors that affect the metabolism of a person, such as the amount of muscle tissue, the frequency of the meals one consumes, genetics, stress levels, personal diet and activity levels. Metabolism slows done due to the following: loss of muscle because of not enough physical activity, the tendency of the body to cannibalize its own tissue because there is not enough food energy to sustain it, and the decrease of physical activity that comes naturally with old age.

Here are several ways to fire up one's metabolism:

1. Build up on lean, mean body mass. It is only natural that metabolism decreases along with age, but it is possible to counter the effects. The amount of muscle a person has is a very strong determinant in the ability to burn calories and shed fat. So it goes without saying that exercise is essential. Build strength and resistance by working out at least twice a week, preferably with weights. Do easy exercises in between workouts. Simple tasks such as walking the dog and using the stairs in place of the elevator can already take off calories. The key is to match the amount of eating to the amount of activity one has. Here are some guidelines in getting the right exercise:

For strength training

-Increase the amount of repetitions of a particular exercise.
-Add the level of resistance
-Utilize advance exercise techniques if possible

For cardiovascular training

-Insert intervals between exercises
-Perform cross-training and combine the exercises
-Add up on resistance and speed


2. Eat breakfast. A lot of people are ignoring the fact that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Surprisingly, the ones who eat breakfast are thinner than the ones who do not. Metabolism can slow down considerably if breakfast is taken during mid-morning or if one waits until the afternoon to eat.

3. Avoid sugar. Sugar enables the body to store fat. It is recommended that a person consumes food that helps sustain an even level of blood-sugar. Additionally, progressive execerise 2-3 times a week should be in order to stabilize blood sugar.

4. Eat spicy foods. Hot cuisine with peppers can increase metabolism.

5. Sleep more. According to research, it is riskier for people who do not get enough sleep to gain weight. Also, muscles are regenerated during the last couple of hours of slumber.

6. Increase water intake. Water flushes out toxins that are produced whenever the body burns fat. Majority of bodily functions involves water, and lack of water causes the body system's operations to decrease its speed, and produces unneeded stress as a result.

7. Eat smaller meals. It is advisable to consume 4 to 6 small meals that are timed 2 to 3 hours apart.

8. Never skip meals. People tend to skip meals in order to lose weight, which is a big mistake since it slows down metabolism.

9. Plan meals in detail. Always prepare the right amount of food to be consumed at the designated intervals. Do not commit the mistake of eating meals in sporadic patterns.

9. Ditch the stress! Stress, be it physical or emotional, triggers the release of a steroid called cortisol, which decreases metabolism. Also, people tend to eat excessively when stressed.

10. Guzzle up on green tea. It can be used as a substitute for coffee. Tea has the ability to stimulate metabolism, and unlike coffee, it has no undesirable side effects when too much is consumed.

11. Include more energy foods in the diet, such as fruits and vegetables, beans and whole grains.

Achieving the desired body weight is never impossible if one has the determination and patience needed to stabilize the metabolism level, which plays an important role in weight loss. A person needs to realize that eating right and working out is not just a passing fancy, but a way of life.

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The following is a list of the healthiest foods that
you can get.  This will help you get an idea as
to what foods are the best for your body.

Fruits

Apricots
Apricots contain Beta-carotene which helps to
prevent radical damage and also helps to protect
the eyes.  A single apricot contains 17 calories,
0 fat, and one gram of fiber.  You can eat them
dried or soft.

Mango
A medium sized mango packs 57 MG of vitamin C,
which is nearly your entire daily dose.  This
antioxidant will help prevent arthritis and also
boost your immune system.

Cantaloupe
Cantaloupes contain 117 GG of vitamin C, which is
almost twice the recommended dose.  Half a melon
contains 853 MG of potassium, which is nearly
twice as much as a banana, which helps to lower
blood pressure.  Half a melon contains 97 calories,
1 gram of fat, and 2 grams of fiber.

Tomato 
A tomato can help cut the risk of bladder, stomach,
and colon cancers in half if you eat one daily.
A tomaton contains 26 calories, 0 fat, and only
1 gram of fiber.

Vegetables

Onions
An onion can help to protect against cancer.  A
cup of onions offers 61 calories, 0 fat, and 3
grams of fiber.

Broccoli
Broccoli can help protect against breast cancer,
and it also contains a lot of vitamin C and beta-
carotene.  One cup of chopped broccoli contains
25 calories, 0 fat, and 3 grams of fiber.

Spinach
Spinach contains carotenoids that can help fend
off macular degeneration, which is a major cause
of blindness in older people.  One cup contains
7 calories, 0 fat, and 1 gram of fiber.

Grains, beans, and nuts

Peanuts
Peanuts and other nuts can lower your risk of
heart disease by 20 percent.  One ounce contains
166 calories, 14 grams of fat, and over 2 grams of
fiber.

Pinto beans
A half cut of pinto beans offers more than 25
percent of your daily folate requirement, which
protects you against heart disease.  Half a cup
contains 103 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 6 grams
of fiber.

Skim milk
Skim milk offers vitamin B2, which is important for
good vision and along with Vitamin A could improve
allergies.  You also get calcium and vitamin D as
well.  One cup contains 86 calories, o fat, and 0
fiber.

Seafood

Salmon
All cold water fish such as salmon, mackerel, and
tuna are excellent sources of omega 3 fatty acids,
which help to reduce the risk of cardiac disease.
A 3 ounce portion of salmon contains 127 calories,
4 grams of fat, and 0 fiber.

Crab
Crab is a great source of vitamin B12 and immunity
boosting zinc.  A 3 ounce serving of crab offers
84 calories, 1 gram of fat, and 0 fiber.

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