Friday, February 15, 2013

Reflexology, Sleep & Weight Loss



Here are four good reasons to get a good night’s sleep – every night – if you are trying to loose weight.
1. With too little sleep, exercising is usually the least appealing thing on your mind. Even if you find the motivation to exercise, you likely won’t perform at your best and will risk injuring yourself because of poor focus on what you are doing.
2. When you’re tired you tend to crave foods that will give you a quick boost in energy. These tend to be sugar or caffeine based, and the last thing your body needs when you’re trying to lose weight is sugar!
3. Inadequate sleep also interferes with the delicate balance of adrenal and thyroid hormones in the body. This imbalance includes an increase in ghrelin (a hormone that triggers hunger) and a reduction in leptin production (which tells your body to stop eating).
4. Most growth hormone secretions (which aid in fat-burning) occur during Phase 4 and REM sleep. These are the phases that are most disrupted by sleep deprivation.
When I work with clients who trying to loose weight we talk about their sleep habits. And, of course, we talk about the importance of getting adequate sleep on a regular basis. Reflexology sessions can encourage good and restful sleep by focusing on the central nervous system (CNS), adrenals, thyroid, diaphragm.