STAFF REPORT
The gym and the kitchen are the two of the places where we can lose weight, build muscle and encourage an overall healthy lifestyle. But there is also a third place we can lose weight that may surprise you; in the bedroom.
1) Have a Protein Shake Before Bed
A Florida State University study says having a protein shake before bed may boost your metabolism. Researchers found that people who ate healthy snacks in the evening that included whey protein had a higher resting metabolic rate the next morning than when eating nothing. Also, protein is more thermogenic than carbohydrates or fat, meaning your body burns more calories digesting it.
-Health.com
2) Lower the Thermostat
Some new research from the National Institutes of Health also suggests that sleeping in a cool room could have some calorie-burning health benefits. Healthy men who spent a month sleeping in a cool (but not cold) 66-degree room increased their stores of metabolically active brown fat, says Dr. Francesco Celi, chair of Virginia Commonwealth University’s division of endocrinology and metabolism. “Brown fat” may not sound very desirable, but it actually helps your body burn calories and dispose of excess blood sugar, he explains.
-Time.com
3) Turn Off That Nightlight
Research is emerging that shows exposure to light during the night can impact your body’s internal clock, leading to metabolic changes and weight gain, according to a new study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology. Study subjects who slept in the darkest rooms were 21 percent less likely to be obese than those sleeping in the lightest rooms. The study showed that mice that were exposed to dim light during the night gained 50 percent more weight over an eight-week period than mice kept in complete darkness at night. They also had increased levels of glucose intolerance, a marker for pre-diabetes. The weight gain occurred even though the mice were fed the same amount of food and had similar activity levels, and the researchers believe the findings may hold true for humans as well.
-Mercola.com
4) Eject the Electronics
The more electronics we bring into the bedroom, the fatter we get. In a recent study 64% of parents reported that their child had access to one or more electronic entertainment and communication devices (EECDs) such as video games, computers, and smart phones in their bedroom. The results: “Access to and nighttime use of EECDs were associated with shortened sleep duration, excess body weight, poorer diet quality, and lower physical activity levels in a statistically significant manner.” (Pediatric Obesity journal) Researchers found that students with access to one electronic device were 1.47 times as likely to be overweight as kids with no devices in the bedroom. That increased to 2.57 times for kids with three devices. Eject the electronics!
-Health.com
