weight loss: the missing link

As strange as it may seem I get really fired-up when I read about health and fitness: recipe substitutions, weight loss stories, workout gear, etc. You name it - I love it. I realize that not everyone has this passion (I mean, there's a reason why I'm the one writing this blog and you are the one reading it), but I have stumbled upon a fun fact that should excite EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU. What if I told you that in addition to eating mindfully and daily workouts, sleep promotes weight loss!!
That's right, turning in earlier could mean smaller numbers on the scale. If that doesn't sound like the easiest weight loss technique, I sure hope you like spending hours on the elliptical. Research shows that sleep is a crucial ingredient in the recipe for weight loss

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jill-s-brown/sleep-the-missing-piece-t_b_814566.html

               
According to the Oct. 5, 2010 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, overweight adults on a low calorie diet lost 55 percent less body fat when the slept only 5.5 hours a night versus when they slept  8.5 hours a night.

...and while I'm at it let me just say, "I told you so". A diet high in fiber = smooth sailing (in more ways than one). We constantly hear about the metabolic benefits of fiber, but what about the benefit of longevity? It appears as though we may have stumbled upon the fountain of youth: FIBER. 


The article is written for a research audience, so it reads a bit dry, but the message is this: 
"By gender, men with the highest fiber intakes had a 23% reduction in the risk of dying, while women   had a 19% reduction compared to those eating the least amount of fiber. There were significant reductions in the risk of death from cardiovascular disease, infectious and respiratory diseases among both men and women, with the greatest benefit seen among those who consumed the largest amount of fiber. There was also a reduction in the risk of dying from cancer"
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703584804576144641980847926.html


Your Challenge:
- get at least 8 hours of sleep at least five (if not every) night this week. 
- monitor your daily FIBER intake. Women should be consuming 21-25 grams per day. 
(whole grains, legumes, veggies, and fruits)