365 Ways #224–Eat to sleep

#224--Melatonin (produced by the pineal gland) is an important cancer fighter due to its role in unwanted cell division. Thus, waking up a lot during the night has more serious health consequences than making you tired the next day. And one of the most easily avoided reasons why sleep is disturbed is a drop in blood sugar levels. When this happens, cortisol is released to mobilize sugar from the liver into the bloodstream. Unfortunately, cortisol is also an awakening hormone, stirring you from sleep so that blood glycogen can be replenished. And while you think you woke up to go to the bathroom, the truth is something about your diet that day was out of balance. Look at the macronutrient profile of the meals you ate, paying particular attention to dinner. Commonly, too little protein and fat is the issue. But the half gallon of fat free ice cream you had for dessert may be suspect, too…