Another Secret to a Smaller Waistline

There has been a lot of speculation about the increasing rates of obesity over the last few decades.  Many of the causes of this phenomenon are well known, and I have covered them in past articles: the move from whole foods to more processed foods, a decrease in physical activity with the rise in technology, and the increasing intake of both regular and diet soda pop.  One factor that often gets overlooked in this equation is the importance of a good night's sleep.

Researchers in the UK (1) recently published the results of a survey of over 100,000 women covering a 10 year period.  They found that light exposure at night disrupted the normal circadian rhythm (day-night cycle), and led to increased body mass index, and increased waist circumference.

If you are trying to shed pounds by increasing exercise, then bravo!  Just don't exercise late in the evening.  Night should be a time for winding down, decreasing activity, and definitely minimizing exposure to light (no falling asleep with the TV on).  The infographic below is a handy reminder of what's known as good sleep hygiene.  Use it to optimize your sleep, and maintain a healthier body weight.

1.  McFadden E et al.  The Relationship Between Obesity and Exposure to Light at Night.  Am J Epidemiol. 2014;180(3):245-250.

More Good News for Coffee

By now, you've probably heard that coffee is not the no-no that natural health experts used to think it was.  True, if you drink a lot of it, it can have negative effects such as disrupting sleep, increasing anxiety, and over the long term, exhausting your adrenal reserves.  In fact, you may recall that researchers have even found the cut-off for how much is too much:  more than four cups (32 fluid ounces) per day increases the risk of death.

If you drink coffee in moderation, add to its benefits a decreased risk of metabolic syndrome and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).  This was reported in a new meta-analysis (a study of studies), though the mechanism of protection is not clear.

Metabolic syndrome is a spectrum of health problems associated with our modern poor diet and sedentary lifestyle habits, including at least 3 of the following 5 conditions:

• Fasting blood sugar (glucose) ≥100 mg/dL
• Blood pressure ≥130/85 mm Hg
• Triglycerides ≥150 mg/dL
• HDL-C ("good cholesterol") < 40 mg/dL in men or < 50 mg/dL in women
• Waist circumference ≥40 inches in men or ≥35 inches in women

Your liver is the major organ of detoxification, as well as the master of regulating nutrition and metabolism in the body.  NAFLD, as its name implies, refers to the accumulation of fat in the liver that impairs its function, caused by unhealthy diet rather than alcohol intake.

As always, be sure to consume that coffee in moderation, and minimize (or skip altogether) the milk and sugar.

Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2013;38(9):1038-1044.