How Does Diabetes Affect Sleep?

Diabetes is a condition in which the body is unable to produce insulin properly. This causes excess levels of glucose in the blood. The most common types are type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Maintaining your blood sugars in a safe range may minimize the symptoms you experience. Short-term symptoms of high blood sugar can include frequent thirst or hunger, as well as frequent urination. Similarly, it isn’t uncommon for these symptoms to have an impact on the way you sleep. Here’s what the research has to say.

Why does diabetes affect sleep patterns?

In a 2012 study,  researchers examined how diabetes affects sleep and contributes to sleep disturbance. Sleep disturbance includes difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, or sleeping too much. The study found a clear relationship between sleep disturbance and diabetes. The researchers said that sleep deprivation is a significant risk factor for diabetes, which can sometimes be controlled. Having diabetes doesn’t necessarily mean that your sleep will be impacted. It’s more a matter of what symptoms of diabetes you experience and how you manage them.

Specific symptoms are more likely to cause issues when you’re trying to rest:

  • High blood sugar levels can cause frequent urination. If your blood sugar is high at night, you could get up frequently to use the bathroom.
  • When your body has extra glucose, it draws water from your tissues. This can make you feel dehydrated, prompting you to get up for regular glasses of water.
  • The symptoms of low blood sugar, such as shakiness, dizziness, and sweating, can affect your sleep.

Sleep disorders connected to diabetes

Tossing and turning all night is common in people with diabetes. Although this may result from common diabetes symptoms, a separate medical condition may be at the root. A few sleep disorders and other disorders that affect sleep are more common in people with diabetes.

Sleep apnea

Sleep apnea is the most common sleep disorder in people with diabetes. Sleep apnea occurs when your breathing repeatedly stops and starts throughout the night. In a 2009 study, researchers found that 86 percent of participants had sleep apnea in addition to diabetes. Of this group, 55 percent had it severe enough to need treatment.

Sleep apnea is more commonly found in people with type 2 diabetes. This is because people in this group often carry excess weight, which can constrict their air passages. Common symptoms include feeling tired during the day and snoring at night. You’re more at risk for sleep apnea if it runs in the family or if you’re obese. Maintaining a moderate weight for your body type may help relieve your symptoms. You can also wear a special mask (CPAP) during sleep to increase air pressure to your throat and allow you to breathe easier.

Restless leg syndrome (RLS)

Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is characterized by a constant urge to move your legs. It’s most common in the evening hours, making it harder to fall or stay asleep. RLS may occur due to an iron deficiency.

Risk factors for RLS include:

  • high blood glucose levels
  • kidney problems
  • thyroid disorders

If you think you have RLS, make an appointment with your doctor to review your symptoms. This is especially important if you have a history of anemia. Tobacco can also trigger RLS. If you’re a smoker, consider joining a smoking cessation program to work on quitting. Not to mention, you will have to quit smoking before weight loss surgery.

Insomnia

Insomnia is characterized by recurrent trouble falling and staying asleep. You’re more at risk for insomnia if you have high stress levels along with high glucose levels. Look into the reason why you can’t fall asleep, such as working in a high-stress job or experiencing challenging family issues. Seeking treatment with a medical professional may help you determine what’s triggering the problem.

How a lack of sleep can affect your diabetes

Experts associate a lack of sleep with an altered hormone balance that can affect food intake and weight. If you have diabetes, you face a challenging circle. It’s common to compensate for lack of sleep by eating an excessive amount of food to gain energy through calories. This can cause your blood sugar levels to rise and make it harder to achieve a decent amount of sleep. Then, you may find yourself in this same sleepless situation. A lack of sleep also increases your risk of obesity. Being obese can increase your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Tips for improving your quality of sleep

Follow these tips to get a better night’s rest.

1. Avoid electronic devices before turning in

Avoid using your cell phone or e-reader at night because the glow can wake you up. Switch to old-fashioned books to read before you sleep to quiet your mind and lessen the strain on your eyes.

2. Ditch alcohol before bedtime

Even if you feel like a glass of wine calms your body and makes you sleep, you likely won’t stay asleep for a full 8 hours after drinking around bedtime.

3. Remove distractions

If you receive text messages throughout the night, turn off your phone. Consider buying an alarm clock instead of using your cell phone’s alarm app. This may empower you to turn your phone off because you won’t need it for any reason throughout the night.

4. Create white noise

Although it might seem like a pleasant way to wake up, hearing the sound of birds chirping in the early morning can disrupt your sleeping patterns. The sounds of garbage collectors, street sweepers, and people leaving for early-morning jobs can also disrupt your sleep. If you’re a light sleeper, turning on a ceiling, desk, or central air fan can help remove these distracting noises.

5. Stay regimented in your sleeping patterns

Go to bed at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time each morning, including weekends. Your body will naturally start to get tired and automatically wake itself up.

6. Stay away from stimulants at night

Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages, exercising, and even doing simple work around the house at night. The only type of evening workout you should consider is a slow-paced yoga session that can prepare your body for sleep. Otherwise, you’ll speed up your blood flow, and it’ll take a while for your body to calm down.

7. Create an environment suited for sleep

A comfortable environment can go a long way in getting a good night’s sleep. If possible, consider investing in a new mattress. This can really improve your sleep, especially if it’s been a while since your last new mattress. Making sure your bedroom is at a comfortable temperature can also help you get a better night’s sleep. Cooler temperatures tend to be the best for good rest, so consider opening a window or using a fan while you sleep.

The takeaway

See your doctor if you have persistent sleep problems or if you believe your diabetes affects sleep patterns. If you don’t get treatment for continuously disrupted sleep, it can become difficult to conduct any daily activities.

In the short term, consider one or more lifestyle changes to improve the quality of your sleep. Even if you only make one small change, it has the potential to make a big difference. It typically takes about three weeks to start to form a habit, so it’s essential to keep at it every day.


This article was originally written by Jennifer Purdie on Healthline, and was Medically Reviewed by Lisa Hodgson, RDN, CDN, CDCES, FADCES — Updated on August 3, 2021

How Staying Up Late Affects Your Weight

Getting enough sleep each night is critical to your overall health and impacts many of your bodily functions—including your mood, mental clarity, immune system, and disease risk factor. Furthermore, sleep also plays a vital role in managing your weight as it influences your hormones and metabolism. 

Yet, not only can a lack of sleep lead to weight gain, but carrying around excess weight can cause sleep troubles – such as sleep apnea. Therefore, individuals who are not getting enough sleep are at risk of becoming obese, and once obese, those individuals will have a more difficult time getting quality sleep. 

Individuals who suffer from sleep deprivation can experience adverse side effects related to their health over time. When we talk about being sleep deprived, we refer to not going through enough REM and non-REM sleep cycles, which ultimately affects your ability to function at your optimal point throughout the day.

When you do not get enough sleep each night, your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, arthritis, an overactive thyroid, and obesity increases significantly. Many studies have shown sleep deprivation increases the risk of heart disease by nearly 50% and triples the risk of type 2 diabetes.

However, it is not just sleep deprivation that can lead to excess weight gain but also staying up late. Research studies have found that individuals who stayed up late were more likely to eat large dinners and use tobacco or alcohol products, ultimately putting them at a higher risk of developing health problems down the road. 

In individuals who stayed up late, the risk of developing heart disease increased by 58%, and the risk of developing diabetes increased by 121% compared to people who went to bed at a decent hour and woke up early.

The disruption to the body’s natural circadian rhythm affects its ability to heal and restore itself during sleep hours. Your circadian rhythm is the 24-hour sleep-wake cycle the body goes through to balance and carry out essential functions. The brain was developed to follow the circadian rhythm, otherwise known as the sleep-wake cycle, based on light, which is why the circadian rhythm is tied to night and day. 

When your sleep-wake cycle is regulated, the body will be able to cycle through the appropriate stages of REM and non-REM and thus restore your body and brain during sleep. On the contrary, when your circadian rhythm is thrown off by staying up late, your body is not able to heal and be restored at the most optimal level.

Our bodies are centered around this “master clock,” which during hours of light (day time) signals the body to feel alert to keep us active. Whereas at night, the master clock signals the body to produce melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep, and keeps producing melatonin to help us stay asleep throughout the night. 

Individuals who frequently disrupt their circadian rhythm due to staying up late are at an increased risk of developing sleep problems, such as insomnia or wakefulness throughout the night, as well as sleep apnea—which we know is exacerbated by obesity. 

If you suffer from obesity, it would be beneficial to develop better sleep-wake habits to promote a healthier lifestyle. Similarly, it is important for all individuals to stick to a consistent sleep-wake cycle regulated by day and night to improve their overall health. Although we understand that some individuals cannot adhere to the “normal” sleep-wake cycles regulated by light due to their job or travel, we encourage you to still set and follow a consistent sleep schedule to help regulate the body and promote restoration during sleep. 

5 Foods to Substitute for Better Health After Bariatric Surgery

It is not unusual to become overwhelmed and confused when sifting through the latest nutritional data to improve your health after bariatric surgery. However, when it comes to improving your diet, sometimes the little steps can make a big difference. Here are five foods that you can substitute for healthier options to improve your overall health and wellness, especially after weight loss surgery.

Whole Grains Over Processed White Foods

Although we recommend that patients limit their carb intake after weight loss surgery, we encourage you to opt for whole grains as the most nutrient-dense option. There is a long list of whole grains that you can swap out for the usual overly processed white foods. Start by subbing whole wheat flour for white flour in your baked goods. You can start small by only using half whole wheat and half all-purpose if you are unsure about the taste and texture. Using whole wheat flour will provide an added dose of fiber.

You can also use this same line of thought with your pasta. Most whole wheat or multigrain pasta contains high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. It will not take long before you become accustomed to the slightly nuttier flavor of whole wheat pasta varieties. Brown rice for white rice is another easy substitution that you can make for your diet and health after bariatric surgery.

Ground Turkey or Chicken Over Ground Beef

It is no secret that many Americans eat too much red meat. The good news is that there are many delicious and nutritious meals that you can use in place of beef for all of your go-to recipes. Using ground turkey or chicken in recipes that you would usually use beef will save you loads of calories and fat yet still give you the high protein content you need after weight loss surgery.

While you may still want to indulge in ground beef for your favorite burgers on the grill, subbing out these lower fat meats for recipes where they blend in with the other ingredients may not be as noticeable. For example, using ground turkey in your chili may not alter the taste as much once you add all the tomatoes, spices, and toppings.

Healthy Salt Over Regular Salt

Before you reach for the salt shaker, consider what too much sodium does to your body. Consuming too much salt will increase your risk of high blood pressure, leading to many health issues down the road. The good news is that the Boulder Salt Company offers a healthy alternative to regular table salt.

This healthy salt company prides itself in its innovative product that is low in sodium and alkaline. The product is also sugar-free with no added flavors or additives. Experimenting with new herbs and spices is another fun way to cut the salt from your diet while still retaining flavor in your food. 

Applesauce Over Oil

Savvy bakers have long known the secret of substituting applesauce for cooking oil in baked goods. Instead of going with the full amount of oil in your next recipe, try substituting half of the amount with applesauce. It is as simple as it sounds. Keeping some mini applesauce cups in your pantry is an excellent habit to get into so that you can lean on this instead of high-calorie baking oils.

Applesauce provides the needed moisture and texture that oil delivers for nearly any baked good. You will not even notice that you are missing the oil. Try this trick in cakes, brownies, muffins, and more. It is nearly fool-proof.

Low-Fat Dairy Over Full-Fat Dairy

Dairy products are another area that you can tweak to improve the quality of your diet and health after bariatric surgery. If you are still using full-fat milk, now is a good time to switch to a lower-fat option. If you cannot stomach skim milk, try compromising with 1% or 2% milk. Or try using a non-dairy milk option such as soy or almond milk—just be sure you are choosing the unsweetened varieties. If you insist on using full-fat dairy products, try using a smaller amount of your favorites. Or try using a cheese that is stronger in flavor. For example, a sharp cheddar will deliver a more powerful flavor than a mild white cheese, allowing you to use less cheese to achieve the same full taste.

These simple food substitutions can significantly affect the overall quality of your diet and health after bariatric surgery, ultimately helping you achieve your health and weight loss goals. 

Health is Not A Luxury: 3 Tips for a Healthier Mind and Body

Being healthy isn’t something reserved simply for those with a high bank balance. While you do have to invest in yourself, managing your weight, lowering stress levels, and treating your body well don’t have to take a toll on you, your work, or your family. In fact, some things, such as changing careers to lower your anxiety levels and learning how to cook at home, will positively impact everyone.

1. Focus on Nutrition

We live in a fast-moving world. Because of this, we often find that we don’t have the time to spend cooking each day. Unfortunately, this leads to prepackaged products and lengthy drive-through lines, both of which are a fast track to poor health. Because your diet largely influences your overall health, you have to commit to eating well. This might mean swapping sugary cereal for protein-packed eggs or spending a Sunday afternoon packing lunches for the next several days. An avocado burrito, chicken salad mason jar, or quinoa bowls are all easy-to-store alternatives to burgers and fries. Eating well is also a great way to give yourself the energy to get through the workday. 

A quick note here: Don’t try and justify drive-through salad as healthy. CNBC notes that at least one popular fast-food chain hides more calories in their salads than they do their most seemingly unhealthy menu items.

2. Practice Stress Management

An area that some people don’t even consider when it comes to their health is their employment situation. Unfortunately, a toxic workplace can make you gain weight, sleep too little, and even compromise your immune system. If you notice any of these issues, or if you simply don’t want to go to work each day, it might be time to pursue a new career. 

While this might sound like a stressful change in itself, you can go to school online while you continue to earn an income. And, chances are, there is a degree in the industry you wish to move into, whether it’s technology, criminal justice, healthcare, business, or education.

Remember, money isn’t everything, and there’s nothing wrong with taking a pay cut mid-career if it helps you meet your personal goals.

3. Move Your Body

If you’ve had bariatric surgery, you already know that exercise is crucial in helping you maintain your weight and muscle mass. But knowing the benefits and doing the work are two different things. Physical movement doesn’t have to come in the form of a regimented gym schedule. Even simple, play-like activities, such as swimming or throwing a frisbee with the kids, are excellent cardiovascular exercises that can improve your lung capacity, help you keep your weight down, improve your mood, and give you more energy. Strength training is also important, and lifting weights and working with resistance bands can help you stay flexible and tone your muscles. Talk to your healthcare provider about which types of exercises are safe in the days and weeks following bariatric surgery.

Tip: A leisurely hour-long walk five nights out of the week can help you burn enough calories to equate to a half-pound of fat loss.

Ultimately, everything you do matters, especially when you’re trying to lose weight and live a healthy life at home and on the job. From eating well to changing professional paths to reduce stress to exercising when you can, your actions are important. Small steps now can turn into significant progress. And, as the above illustrates, you don’t have to spend your life saving to enjoy the wealth of health you deserve.


This post was written by Julie Morris, Life and Career Coach, from juliemorris.org

6 Easy Ways to Detox at Home

A detox can help you feel refreshed, boost your energy, and reset your body as the summer months are upon us. And, luckily, detoxing at home can take many different forms. Here are some easy ways you can remove toxins from your body at home. 

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Steps to a Better Night’s Sleep for Better Health

Sleep is the foundation of nearly every aspect of your health, from your focus, your mood, your energy levels, and your correlation to diseases. So not only is it essential to get enough sleep each night, but it is also important to get good quality rest so your body can heal and repair itself. 

If you have a hard time falling asleep, you regularly wake up during the night, and you feel tired and restless throughout the day, you are likely not getting the high-quality sleep that your body needs for optimal health and wellness. Fortunately, getting better quality sleep may be as easy as improving your night-time habits.

Steps to a Better Night’s Sleep

Sleep Schedule for Better nights sleep

1. Stick to a Sleep Schedule

Inconsistent bedtimes can disrupt an individual’s circadian rhythm, which is the internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle every 24 hours. When our internal biological clocks are disrupted, we are more likely to experience poor quality sleep and, often, less sleep. Sticking to a consistent sleep schedule is essential to getting enough sleep each night and good quality sleep. Similarly, regular bedtimes have been found to improve memory, cognitive flexibility, mood, energy levels, and better weight management in adults. Therefore, we recommend sticking to a consistent sleep schedule each night, even on weekends, for more sleep and better quality sleep. 

Turn off Electronics for Better Sleep at night

2. Turn Off Electronics

We are all guilty of spending too much time lying in bed on our phones. But as you scroll through social media one last time before hitting the pillow, you may not realize that you are disrupting your sleep by looking at your electronics. For one, the blue light emitted from the screen suppresses melatonin production, a hormone that controls your sleep-wake cycle. When our bodies do not get enough melatonin, we can experience insomnia at night and tiredness during the day. 

Looking at electronic devices before bed also stimulates our brain, making it harder to fall asleep, and sometimes stay asleep. This negatively impacts the quality of sleep you get and the number of hours you clock each night. We recommend putting your phone or tablet away at least 30 minutes before going to bed. Instead, try picking up a book or doing a meditation practice to quiet the brain. 

Room Temperature for a more restful nights sleep

3. Keep Your Room Cool and Dark

There is nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night sweating or spending most of the night tossing and turning while kicking off the comforter. If you go to bed cold, then why are you waking up uncomfortably hot? 

At night, our body temperatures drop, and the heat leaves our bodies through our hands and feet to reduce our core temperature. If the room temperature is too warm, our internal body temperature can become disrupted, causing us to wake up and have poor quality sleep. The optimal room temperature is around 65°F. We recommend creating a cave-like feeling by closing the blinds, turning off all lights, and sleeping with a fan on. Also, change your bedding in the warmer months, so you avoid getting too hot at night. By creating a sleep oasis before going to bed, you are setting yourself up to have a good, restful night’s sleep.

avoid Fatty Foods before bed

4. Don’t Eat Fatty Foods Before Bed

Research points to a correlation between obesity and heartburn (reflux) due to the excess fat around the abdomen that creates pressure on the stomach. This pressure can cause the backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus that feels like an uncomfortable, burning sensation in the chest or throat.  

When we eat too close to bedtime, we can trigger and even exacerbate the symptoms of heartburn. Between the stomach and the esophagus, a muscular valve opens and closes when digesting food. When we do not allow enough time for our bodies to digest food, this valve can remain open, allowing digestive juices to flow back up into the esophagus and cause reflux. Similarly, when lying down, your body will have a more challenging time keeping food down, causing a backflow. 

Another side effect of eating too close to bedtime is indigestion that causes feelings of nausea and discomfort. Indigestion is typically caused by eating too much, too fast, or fatty, greasy foods. To avoid having feelings of discomfort when trying to fall asleep and throughout the night, we recommend avoiding eating a large and, especially, unhealthy snack/meal at least 2 hours before bed. 

Caffeine before bed can distrubt sleep

5. Create a Caffeine Curfew

Most of us consume caffeine for one reason, to keep us awake and feel more alert. Drinking coffee, tea, or even caffeinated soda late in the afternoon and evening may have adverse effects on your sleep. 

The effects of caffeine usually set in within 30 to 60 minutes of consumption and can last for 4 to 6 hours, depending on an individual’s metabolism. Caffeine blocks the adenosine receptors, which are chemicals produced in the brain that promote sleep. Normally, the longer we are awake, the more adenosine is built up. When we consume caffeine, these receptions are blocked, creating a feeling of alertness and awakeness.  Therefore, when caffeine is consumed too late in the day, our body and brain continue to be stimulated, making it harder to fall asleep when we are ready to “hit the hay.” So for the best night’s sleep, we encourage you to stick to decaffeinated beverages at least 5 hours before your bedtime. 

Exercise for better sleep

6. Get Enough Exercise During the Day

Studies have found that regular physical activity throughout the day can improve your sleep quality by promoting relaxation, reducing anxiety, and regulating your circadian rhythm. By engaging in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise several times a week, you can improve your sleep quality and the times it takes to fall asleep. 

Exercise also promotes weight loss, which lowers an individual’s risk of developing or worsening obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) symptoms. As discussed above, OSA negatively affects sleep quality and inhibits the body from getting a restful night’s sleep. 

Experts recommend individuals avoid engaging in high-intensity exercises too close to bedtime. This strenuous activity can stimulate the nervous system, making it more difficult to fall asleep. Instead, if you are exercising in the evenings, focus on low-intensity movements such as yoga, stretching, walking, biking, and swimming. 

How Sleep can Help You Achieve Optimal Health and Weight Loss

Getting a good night’s rest is an essential aspect of achieving overall wellness. Sleep is the time when your body can heal and repair itself and impacts many of your bodily functions, including your mood, mental clarity, immune system, weight, and overall health.

The Science of Sleep

While you sleep, your body cycles through four stages known as non-REM and REM sleep. REM stands for rapid eye movement and is the time at night when your eyes move around quickly yet don’t send any visual information to the brain. During non-REM sleep, your muscles will relax, your blood pressure and breathing will lower, and you have the deepest sleep. Non-REM is the period in which your body will repair itself, your immune system will be strengthened, and your tissue, bones, and muscle are strengthened.

About 90 minutes after falling asleep, you should enter REM sleep, where your brain will become more active, your breathing and heart rate will peak, and you will experience more intense dreams. REM is vital to stimulating your brain to help with learning and retaining information. The ability of the body to cycle through the stages of non-REM and REM sleep is vital for a restful night and overall health.

Sleep Quality vs. Quantity

Sleep is the foundation of nearly every aspect of your health, from your focus, your mood, your energy levels, and your correlation to diseases. So not only is it essential to get enough sleep each night, but it is also important to get good quality rest so your body can heal and repair itself.

If you have a hard time falling asleep, you regularly wake up during the night, and you feel tired and restless throughout the day, you are likely not getting the high-quality sleep that your body needs for optimal health and wellness. Quality sleep is achieved when your body cycles through the four stages of non-REM and REM sleep, as detailed above. The cycling through these stages allows your body to repair itself and fully achieve a good night’s rest.

Even if you get a solid 8 hours of sleep, if you still wake up feeling restless, your body is likely not reaching the deep sleep you need. Fortunately, getting better quality sleep may be as easy as improving your night-time habits that we will detail in next week’s blog.

 

How Sleep Impacts Your Health

Individuals who suffer from sleep deprivation can begin to experience adverse side effects related to their health over time. When we talk about being sleep deprived, we refer to not going through enough REM and non-REM sleep cycles, which ultimately affects your ability to function at your optimal point throughout the day.

When you do not get enough sleep each night, your risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, arthritis, an overactive thyroid, and obesity increases significantly. Many studies have found that sleep deprivation increases a patient’s risk of developing heart disease by nearly 50 percent and triples the risk of having type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes and Obesity

There are two types of hormones that affect our feelings of hunger and satiety; leptin and ghrelin. Sleep impacts these hormonal levels, therefore influencing our desire to eat and the ability to stop eating. This can lead to obesity over time. Similarly, a lack of sleep results in the release of insulin, and when there is too much insulin in the blood, you are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Heart Disease and High Blood Pressure

Not getting enough sleep increases a patient’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This is because when we sleep, our blood pressure drops. Therefore, when you don’t get enough sleep, your blood pressure stays elevated for more extended periods. When you have continued high blood pressure, you are at risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke.

Immunity

When we sleep at night, our body releases cytokines, a protein that aids in fighting off infections in the body. When you don’t get enough sleep at night, your cytokine production decreases, making your body vulnerable to infections and common colds. This can also mean that it will be harder for your body to fight off the infection, leaving you sick for longer than you would like.

 

How Sleep (Apnea) Impacts Your Weight

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a sleep disorder that results in breathing involuntary stopping for brief periods during sleep, with the most noticeable side effect being snoring. Although snoring may not seem like a critical concern, sleep apnea should be taken very seriously. OSA results from the airway being blocked (obstructed) and is more likely to occur in overweight and obese individuals.

Like the disease of obesity, sleep apnea heightens a patient’s risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer, arthritis, and an overactive thyroid. Sleep apnea also makes it harder for a patient to lose weight due to the poor sleep quality that impacts metabolic and endocrine functions. Patients who suffer from sleep apnea and are not getting a restful night’s sleep each night will often turn to sugary and high-carbohydrate foods in an attempt to stay awake. This only exacerbates their obesity and makes their sleep apnea problem worse, leading to a vicious cycle.

Significant weight loss lowers the risk and severity of a patient’s sleep apnea leading to improved diabetes management, decreased hunger and appetite, better hormonal function, and overall fewer health complications.

10 Bariatric Tips for a Healthy 4th of July Weekend

For most people, especially us southerners, July 4th is spent enjoying a long weekend filled with grilling out, drinking beer, soaking up the sun, and sharing laughs with family and friends. As glorious as this may sound, holidays can lead to anxious feelings for bariatric patients though, as they are typically surrounded by food. And we’re not talking broccoli and cauliflower.

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Tips to Stay Healthy When Working From Home

As coronavirus continues to spread across the country, many employees are working from home. Although there are advantages to not having to go into the office—like never having to get out of your jammies—there are some challenges that can arise. Here are our tips to stay healthy during your workday and to avoid boredom eating.

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How to Stay Healthy with the Coronavirus Outbreak

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning Americans about the spread of the coronavirus (officially called the Covid-19) in the U.S. So we wanted to take a pause from our regular blog conversations and address healthy living from a different angle. Today we are giving you all the tips you need to stay healthy during the potential spread of this serious disease.

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Sleep: Why It Is Good For Your Health

How often have you asked someone how they are doing and they respond by saying, “busy”? We live in a time when being busy is cool. Busy means making time for work, errands, family obligations, and of course binging on your favorite Netflix show. And oftentimes, what is sacrificed is your sleep and, in turn, your health. So if busy is cool, is bad health cool too?

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The Bariatric Patient’s Guide to a Healthy Christmas

We are halfway through December and as much as you may hate to admit it, you have probably slipped up a few times on your healthy eating and exercise regimen. But before you fall too far off the wagon, we want to give you some healthy tips for the reindeer (I mean remainder) of this holiday season.

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7 Simple Habits That Will Keep You Healthy

We all want to be healthier, but knowing how can be challenging. There is too much conflicting advice out there, and too many fads, miracle cures, and wellness trends to keep track of. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there is alot of health advice that simply boils down to “eat well and work out” without much focus on how to incorporate these things into a daily routine.

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Methods to Lowering Your Blood Sugar Levels and Controlling Diabetes

Dietary modifications may be the most direct and obvious way to keep your weight within healthy levels and help control your blood sugar. Yet, there are other techniques to supplement your journey along the way as well.

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How to Get Back on Track After Holiday Eating

Just like that, the holidays have come and gone. And if you are anything like the millions of other Americans, you probably put on a little weight as a result of all the glorious sweets and treats. On average, Americans will gain 1.3 pounds by the time January 1st rolls around and some will continue to pack on the weight into the new year.

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How to Earn Your Halloween Candy

Do you ever wonder how many calories you are consuming on Halloween with all the candy? Or how long you will have to workout to burn those calories you have just consumed? I have created a detailed infographic to show you just how many calories and carbs you are consuming with every sugary, chocolatey bite.

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5 Benefits of Making a Grocery List

Grocery shopping can seem like a chore, especially if you are buying for a family or even trying to eat healthier in a world of uncrustables and cookies. When I first began this grocery shopping blog series, I took you on an adventure through the grocery store and you may have spotted me looking at a little white piece of paper throughout our shopping trip—that was my shopping list.

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