Happy new year! We have officially been blasting emails for 2 years now. We want to thank each and every one of you for subscribing, following, hiring, and trusting the Optimal Wellness team to share what we have learned and love in the health, wellness, and yoga field.
Last months email talked a lot about a book called “The Circadian Code” by Dr. Satchin Panda. Since we have learned so much, we have decided that in this issue we wanted to refer back to the circadian lifestyle section and talk about some top choices you can make in 2023.
This Month’s Resources
TRE
What is it? Time Restricted Eating. WHEN you eat is just as important as WHAT you eat. The moment you put anything in your body, besides water, you have broken your fast and your eating window has begun.
TRE is not about counting calories; it is just about making you more disciplined about timing. The greatest results for weight loss come with eating with an 8- or 9-hour window. Most of your body’s fat burning happens 6 to 8 hours after finishing your last meal and increases dramatically after a full 12 hours of fasting.
Eating late at night is not only bad for metabolism, it also affects sleep. This habit interferes with both falling asleep and maintaining deep sleep.
Prioritize Sleep
Ideally, you should not be awake from the hours of 10:00 pm – 5:00 am. It only takes a few days of living out of balance to throw off our body’s well-regulated circadian clocks. Our bodies literally think we are in a different time zone when we eat and sleep at different times each day.
Every night adults should give themselves 8 consecutive hours of sleep opportunity. That includes getting into bed, settling down, and then falling asleep. You should also consider sleep debt, which is the difference between the amount of sleep you should be getting and the amount you actually get. People who consistently sleep too little are more likely to die earlier than those who get their full 7-8 hours of sleep each night. If you have a difficult time falling asleep at night, try and get light in your eyes first thing in the morning. Ideally sunlight, but artificial light works too. Other things you can do to get a better nights sleep include: waking up earlier, exercising, limiting blue light, stopping caffeine intake after 12 noon, turning down the temperature, lowering stress, stopping food intake 2 hours before bed, and turning the sound down (or up if you live in a busy place).
No matter how old you are, poor sleep leads to poor performance, which has both short- and long-term consequences. In the short term, after only one night of poor sleep, adults may experience brain fog and confused thinking the next day that affects their decision making, reaction time, and attention. When poor sleep becomes habitual, long-term consequences are more serious. We are more likely to develop anxiety, depression, and memory impairment. Sleep deprivation directly affects our hunger and satiety hormones, as well, making us more prone to overeat.
Movement
Physical activity is just as important as good nutrition and sleep when it comes to good health. Daily movement improves muscle mass, strength, bone health, motor coordination, metabolism, gut function, heart health, lung capacity, and even enhances how your brain functions. Exercise relaxes the brain, reducing depression and anxiety and increasing our ability to experience happiness. Move your body in a way that it becomes a habit, and you genuinely enjoy it! That can include: aerobic exercise, sports, yoga, weight lifting, hiking, martial arts, climbing, skiing, walking, etc. Moving is critical to keeping you calm and integral to productivity.
Exercise + TRE = Maximum Fat-Burning Potential
“The conventional wisdom is that you should eat before any physical activity.This is not always true. If you have fasted for 10 to 12 hours before your morning walk, run, or bike ride, you will likely tap into your stored body fat for energy during your exercise. If you start your morning activity before breaking your overnight fast, your muscles will spend more energy, using even more fat as the energy source, literally melting away even more body fat. And the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn throughout the day and the leaner and healthier you’ll be. While engaging in strenuous strength exercise or physically demanding sports such as rowing, soccer, Or basketball in the morning with an empty stomach may not be ideal for peak performance, a morning walk, moderate running, or road biking are tolerable physical activities before breakfast.”
Retreats
We have TWO upcoming retreats! April 21-23, 2023 Allison & Paisley are hosting a Wild Womxn’s Yoga Retreat. June 25-July 1, 2023 Allison & Andrew are hosting a Wellness Retreat in Costa Rica. Please reach out with any questions you have about these two offerings.
