Foods for better sleep….

Just like how essential exercise and a good diet is, sleep too is very important  for our health. But due to erratic and hectic schedules have started to interfere with sleep. It is very essential to sleep for 6-8 hours to unwind from a long day. Sleep deprivation can lead to weight gain and additional stress to the body keeping one tired all the time. Diabetes, heart disease and obesity are the diseases that can effect you.

Daily exercise can help one sleep well but the food you eat too matters. what you eat affects the quality of sleep. The key to better sleep is a relaxed system rather than a system that is awake.

A few pointers to eat to sleep well.

    * Eat dinner early. Try not eat after nine. Eat at least 2 hours before you go to bed.
    * Eat a light dinner. High fat meals and large servings of fried food can keep you awake because of the rumbling at night so also the gas production. Try to reduce the amount of fat in the cooking.
    * Reduce the amount of spices and other seasonings. Especially if you are suffering from heart burn.
    * Do not have sugar or sweets before dinner. They wake up your system.
    * Avoid “night caps” ie alcohol at night.
    * Do not have high protein or all carbohydrate (sugary/ starchy) foods. A high protein meal provides tyrosine which perks up the brain. All carbohydrate meals can hike your sugar levels and inhibit sleep.
    * Have a glass of warm milk at night as the calcium in it will help to produce melatonin into tryptophan which calms the brain.
    * Avoid all caffeine containing foods like coffee, tea, colas and chocolates.

Great snooze food include :

    * Dairy foods like paneer/ cottage cheese, cheese, milk and curd. Combine with bread and rice.
    * Whole grains
    * Vegetables
    * Pulses etc

Following these tips can rejuvenate you, hence eat right and sleep tight.



BDST: 1338 HRS, June 20, 2012
Edited by: Sharmina Islam, lifestyle Editor