6 Foods For Sweet Dreams

6 Foods For Sweet Dreams

 Hello and welcome to my kitchen.  I’m Doreen Correia with today’s “Wellness Wednesday.”  Is not getting enough sleep causing havoc in your life?

It’s midnight and the TV is calling your name…you can’t sleep anyhow and what’s one more hour…right?

Turns out, it could mean the difference between a day of eating right or a day of eating, well let’s just everything in sight.  Get your PJ’s ready.

According to a recent study, 62% of adults who got an extra 96 minutes of sleep each night reported that their daytime junk food cravings decreased by a whopping 50%.  Why?  As it turns out, sleep deprivation can wreak havoc on your metabolism—particularly your appetite controlling hormones.

When you stay up at night, more energy is required later.  The next day your body overcompensates by releasing “hunger” hormones that send our appetite skyrocketing.  And if you’ve ever been in an early morning meeting stocked with doughnuts after a late night, you’ve probably discovered firsthand that your body isn’t hungry for the fruits in the bowl next to the doughnuts.

Focusing on sleep has a profound effect on a healthy lifestyle, providing a 32% increase in productivity and focus, and an energy boost for higher fitness performance.  Okay, so you agree to get more sleep…easier said than done for some.  What if you can’t sleep easily?  Sometimes the challenge of getting enough sleep is being able to wind down from a busy, stressful day and fall asleep quickly.  Here’s where fruits and vegetables come to the rescue!  For a quicker, restful night of pleasant dreams, skip counting sheep and count on these fruits and veggies to help you sleep.

Kale:Dairy products are well-known calcium-rich foods. But green leafy vegetables, such as kale, chard, and collards, also boast healthy doses of calcium. Research suggests that being calcium deficient may make it difficult to fall asleep. Load up on this trendy veggie before bed and your body will be thanking you in the morning. The easiest way to include it is to juice it up!

Dark Red Cherries: Cherries are one of the few natural sources of melatonin, a sleep-promoting hormone. Have a handful of this fruit an hour before bedtime. If fresh ones aren’t in season and frozen aren’t available, go for cherry juice. I read where a woman woke up at 4 am and was still tired, but couldn’t get back to sleep. She took a tablespoon of cherry juice and went right back to sleep after that. It can also help with gout and supports healthy joint function.

Celery:  The minerals and essential oils in celery juice have a calming effect on the nervous system, making it beneficial for insomniacs. Its high magnesium levels help people relax and drift into a soothing, restful sleep. Juice about one bunch of celery or add to a juice.

Tomatoes: Grown on the vine, tomatoes are a natural source of melatonin, a chemical produced by the body during sleep. Although it is recommended to get fresh sources, which you can eat raw or juiced, tomatoes can be found in sauces, tomato paste, and dried tomatoes as well. They are full of antioxidants, which are particularly helpful for your immune system.

Passion Fruit: One of my faves. It’s seasonal and hard to find.  Fortunately, I have a vine growing in my back yard.  If anxiety is what’s keeping you up, you’ll be passionate about passion fruit. Passion fruit contains several medicinal alkaloids, including the sedative compound “harman,” which has traditionally been used to treat anxiety, insomnia and restlessness.

Grapes: A 2005 study confirmed that grapes contain melatonin. This antioxidant hormone appears to effectively treat jet lag, delayed sleep phase syndrome and insomnia.  Food containing melatonin might enable deeper sleep with fewer disruptions.

I have one last Ninja Trick:

Add Celtic sea salt to an evening juice.  It helps promotes a deeper and longer sleep that is both restful and refreshing.

Now I’m going to whip up a

 Sweet Dreams Cocktail

Kale – 3-4 leaves

Celery- 3-4 stalks

Tomatoes – 2

Dash of Celtic sea salt

If you have enjoyed today’s video give it a thumb up, share, and come “Juice With Us.”

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Doreen Correia

Doreen Correia: Avid Juicer, Health Mentor, and Happy Mother of three adult children.Doreen’s Motto is Think, Feel, Do, Become!Empowered with her newfound sense of well-being and a desire to promote wellness through juicing she founded with her son Lionel Correia, Juice With Us. Doreen has passion for teaching, mentoring, and motivating people to live a healthier, more enriching life style. It has become her mission to share this approach to improve others’ entire wellbeing – mind, body, and spirit.

Latest posts by Doreen Correia (see all)

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