Sleep

Do you feel like you will never get a good night’s sleep….ever again? You are not alone. In fact, insomnia is the most common sleep complaint and is one of the top reasons that Americans visit a health care provider. Insomnia consists of trouble falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, or feeling unrefreshed despite getting enough rest.

The causes of insomnia include stress, anxiety, depression, diseases, medications, sleep disorders, and poor sleep habits. While a visit to your health care provider is definitely a good idea, you should also determine whether your personal habits promote or prevent a good night’s sleep. Here are some general rules to follow for getting your zzzzs:

• Regular exercise promotes good sleep. This is one of the most important ways to promote continuous sleep. Moderate or vigorous exercise should be done no more than 3 hours before sleep, while relaxing exercise (such as yoga) can be done before bedtime. 
• Keep a regular sleep schedule. Go to bed and wake up around the same time every day of the week. 
• Don’t linger in bed. If you can’t fall asleep after 15-20 minutes of being in bed because your mind is racing or you are worrying about whether you will sleep, get up and go into a different darkened room. This is where you can do your worrying , read a book, or do any other non-stimulating activity. Stay there until you are sleepy. Return to bed. Repeat as needed. 
• Sleep only as much as you need to feel rested.
• Avoid naps.
• Get regular exposure to natural light, preferably in the late afternoon.
• Don’t watch TV, listen to the radio, read, or use electronic devices (computer, phone, etc) in bed. This causes you to associate the bed with wakefulness. Reserve the bed for the two S’s (sleep and sex).
• Avoid caffeine after lunch. In addition to the obvious culprits, don’t forget to steer clear of hidden sources of caffeine such as decaf coffee (it still has a little), tea, and chocolate. 
• No alcohol or cigarettes near bedtime. While alcohol can help you fall asleep, it disrupts your ability to stay asleep. Cigarettes are stimulating and disrupt all parts of the sleep cycle.
• Avoid large meals right before bedtime, but don’t go to bed hungry. 
• Establish a relaxing bedtime routine. This could include a warm bath or shower, massage, meditation, imagery, or quiet time. 
• Have a quiet, comfortable bedroom. Keep your room on the cooler side, turn off bright lights, and turn on white noise (like a fan) if it helps. 
• Hide the clock if you are a “clock-watcher.” 
• Discuss with your health care provider whether medications, herbal supplements, or other therapies may be appropriate for you. 

As with most other health issues, making sure that you are living your healthiest lifestyle is an absolute must. People who exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet, and keep stress levels low are the ones who sleep the best. Sweet dreams!

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TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Deadlifts
Since it was a busy day, I didn't find the time to get out on the trail, but I did spend about 45 mins in my gym doing standard and sumo deadlifts.

~Feelin' Alive!~

How Exercise Changes Your Brain To Be Better At Basically Everything

RECENT STUDIES HAVE REVEALED MORE COMPLEX AND NUANCED WAYS IN WHICH EXERCISE ACTIVATES AND AFFECTS THE BRAIN.

The brain is fundamentally a lazy piece of meat, according to neuroscientist Gregory Berns. But take the body attached to it on a brisk walk or jog and suddenly your meat-brain is lighting up like a Lite-Brite.

WHAT EXACTLY IS GOING ON IN THERE?
"When we exercise, blood pressure and blood flow increase everywhere in the body, including the brain," Justin Rhodes, associate professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign writes in Scientific American. "More blood means more energy and oxygen, which makes our brain perform better."

Research has long shown that the hippocampus, a squishy seahorse-shaped region found on both sides of the brain that's essential for learning and forming memories, becomes highly activated during exercise. But recent studies have revealed new, more complex and nuanced ways in which exercise activates and affects the brain.

read the full article here

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Heavy Bag and Jacksonville Forest Park Foraging
After taking care of business in the morning, I spent 30 mins on the heavy bag.  Afterward, a friend and I spent some time on the J-Ville Forest Park trails studying and foraging for mushrooms.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Key Rules for Cold-Weather Weight Loss

Lose weight even during the cold winter months by following these workout and diet tips

Winter weight gain often feels inevitable—the effects of overdoing it during an ever-growing holiday season. The colder, shorter days make it harder to get outdoors and easier to stay glued to the TV. It may seem easier to say bah humbug and decline every party invitation, instead staying tied to the treadmill.

The good news: The 10 pounds the average American is alleged to gain between Thanksgiving and New Years Day is only a myth. A National Institutes of Health study in 2000 tested this theory by measuring the weights of 195 volunteers before, during, and after the six-week holiday season. What they found was that the average weight gain was only about one pound. One pound!

read the full article here

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Jacksonville Forest Park Hike and a Pullup/Pushup Workout
Although I had several hours of mostly business related projects to take care of today, I still made time for a J-Ville Forest Park hike, followed by about 30 mins of pushup and suspension pullup supersets.

I slid 50 ft down a hill to check out these guys.  It was quite a scramble to get back up.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Snoring

Does snoring keep you (or your partner) from getting quality, restful sleep? Read on to learn more about snoring and what you can do to get your zzzzzs back.

Why do people snore?

During sleep, your tongue and throat muscles relax, which makes the walls of your throat narrow in and vibrate when you breathe. The result is the rough, rattling noise of snoring.

Snoring gets louder as the throat becomes more relaxed and narrow. In some cases, the walls of the throat completely collapse during sleep and you stop breathing. This is a serious medical condition called obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

What will happen to me if I snore?

Other than having an irritated bed partner, snoring on its own is not a serious problem. It is concerning, though, when you have periods of apnea (not breathing) because your body doesn’t get the oxygen it needs to function. This leaves you feeling very tired and increases your risk for heart attack and stroke!

When should I seek medical attention?

If you experience any of the following symptoms, you should talk to your doctor immediately about being tested for OSA.

• Excessive daytime sleepiness
• Morning headaches
• Recent weight gain
• Waking up in the morning feeling unrefreshed
• Waking up at night choking, gasping, or feeling confused
• Decreased concentration, attention span, and memory
• Another person observes that you stop breathing during sleep

If OSA is detected and treated early on, you have a much lower risk for serious health problems.

Treatment for OSA typically involves the use of CPAP (Continuous Positive Air Pressure). CPAP uses a mask or nosepiece that pushes room air into the throat to keep it from collapsing during sleep. Many sizes and styles of CPAP devices are available to help you sleep most comfortably.

What can I do to stop snoring? Men and older people snore the most. Unfortunately, you can’t change your gender and you can’t stop getting older! There is hope, though. Whether you have OSA or are just a regular snorer, here are some things you can do to decrease your snoring:

• Lose weight. Being overweight or obese is the #1 risk factor for snoring and OSA. Extra body weight (especially around the neck area) puts more pressure on the throat muscles, which makes them more collapsible during sleeping. Focus on slow, steady weight loss through a healthy diet and exercise.
• Try side-sleeping. Snoring is worse for back-sleepers. 
• Decrease inflammation in your nose and throat during allergy flare-ups or colds. Ask your pharmacist or provider for medication recommendations.
• Avoid alcohol and certain medications before bedtime. Alcohol, muscle relaxers, antihistamines, and sleeping pills make snoring worse. 
• Avoid large meals or snacks within 3 hours of bedtime.
• Discuss your snoring problem with your health care provider and/or dentist. A physical defect (such as enlarged tonsils or nasal polyps) may be causing you to snore. Surgery or special appliances for your mouth or nose may be recommended.

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TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Lower Table Rock Run
After far too much time in the car, on the computer and on the phone (not all at the same time), I needed to get out on the trail.  Lower Table Rock seemed to fit the bill perfectly for one of the better runs I've had in awhile.

~Feelin' Alive!~

TOPFIT Daily Activities Review

In addition to some much needed yard work this past week, I also made time for:

2 Table Rock runs
3 Jacksonville Forest Park hikes/runs (more hiking than running)
1 heavy bag workout
1 bench press workout
1 chinup workout
1 kettlebell workout

Did you meet your health and fitness goals this past week?

~No Challenge, No Change~

Make a plan to enjoy the holidays without weight gain

If you snitched one peanut butter cup out of a Halloween bag this weekend, you’ll need to walk an extra mile to burn it off. If you had a caramel apple to celebrate the season, you’ll need to walk about 2 miles to burn that off.
Halloween and the treat-filled holidays that follow it are good for the taste buds but can be bad for the waistline.

The trick to getting through to the new year without packing on a lot of pounds is planning, according to nutrition and fitness experts. Know that you’ll indulge once in a while; plan for that and stay on track with your workouts.
“Buckle up,” Steve Shewmake tells his clients at Onward Fitness in Richmond. “You can get through this.”
It’s not easy to resist the temptation of holiday goodies, Shewmake said. But partaking in everything that looks tasty can be disastrous.
“What I tell people is to pick out your 10 favorite things” to eat or drink this time of year, Shewmake said. Then, look up the calories in those. “That way, you’re not going in blind.”

read the full article here

TOPFIT says: If you need help staying on track during the holidays, I can help.  "Bringing Fitness to Your Life"...it's what I do.  www.topfitonline.com

TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Kettlebells
In addition to some active time with grandkids today, I also made time for a kettlebell workout of swings, snatches and clean & presses.  I even threw in some pushups at the end just for fun.

~Feelin' Alive!~

Comfort Foods Aren't as Comforting as You Think

We've all been there. A carton of ice cream after a bad breakup. A dish of homemade macaroni and cheese after a long week. A ring of crackers and a bottle of wine after a stressful day. Comfort foods. We all have them.

Often taught to us as children, after we were soothed with our favorite foods by parents, grandparents or caregivers, comfort eating can take on a complete life of its own. Often, they are used as an excuse to overdo the calories whenever life is not quite going according to plan.

So what if I told you to step away from that ice cream?

While many people seek out their own preferred comfort foods when they are in a negative mood, a new study published in the journal Health Psychology showed that comfort foods are no more effective at lifting your spirits than any other food - or in that case, no food at all.

Traci Mann, psychologist and head researcher at the University of Minnesota, conducted a series of four experiments. Participants first completed on introductory online questionnaire to indicate their comfort foods and a variety of comparison foods that were close but did not quite make the cut.

In the next stages, participants watched short videos composed of clips that were meant to elicit "feelings of anger, fear, anxiety and/or sadness." After the movie had finished, participants completed a short survey to indicate their mood. This was followed with either a helping of their identified comfort food (chocolate and sweets being by far the most popular), a non-comfort food (nuts, granola bar, etc.) or no food at all. This last group simply sat quietly for three minutes. Afterwards, all participants filled out the mood questionnaire for a second time.

The researchers found that participants' mood did improve over time. However, this improvement happened to the same extent no matter which type of food they ate, or whether they even ate any food at all. This finding held no matter how much food they consumed, nor how initially confident they were that their selected comfort food would be effective in lifting their spirits.

While this is just one study out of many that investigated the link between food and mood, the finding serves as a good reminder of the unwarranted power we often give to food. Undoubtedly, there is a big difference between watching an emotional film clip and the complexity of life stress that can form an individual's reality. But even though experimental situations cannot entirely mimic life stress, it is nevertheless a good reminder for any "emotional eater" to question their possible food crutches.

So, it seems you may not need to demolish that entire pint of double chocolate cookie dough ice cream after all. Rather than reaching straight for comfort food, take a little time to consider what emotions you are feeling. If you find you must indulge in a tempting food, keep portions under control and try not to use your emotions as an excuse to binge eat.

Just know that the feeling will pass - with our without the help of a Hershey's bar.

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TOPFIT Daily Activities --- Jacksonville Forest Park Hike
This afternoon I got out with a friend for a fairly relaxed foraging hike on the Jacksonville Forest Park trails.  We even found some edible mushrooms, plus located more places to find edibles in the spring and summer.

~Feelin' Alive!~