Foods Affect your Sleep - Eat these Foods to Sleep Better
sleep, food, nutrition, tyramine
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The food you eat not only contributes to the quality of your weight and general health, but also on how well you sleep. Some foods help you sleep better. While others can make sleep difficult or even impossible.
Foods that improve sleep include fruits, green leafy vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, and mushrooms. Even spices such as dill, sage and basil help with sleep problems.
Drinking milk before bedtime, a common method to aid sleep, is actually effective. Milk actually contains tryptophan, which can be converted to serotonin, the hormone that controls sleep. Honey, turkey, egg whites and tuna also contain tryptophan, which are good night time snacks.
Alternatively, caffeine-rich food and beverages should be avoided right before going to bed. This includes coffee, tea, chocolate, cocoa, soft drinks and some medications. Some foods that are rich in tyramine can also affect sleep. Tyramine actually causes the release of a substance that stimulates the brain keeping you awake. This is found in bacon, cheese, sugar, ham or tomatoes.
Spicy foods, on the other hand, may cause gastrointestinal reflux or heartburn. While sweet or greasy foods can also cause indigestion and bloating. And though alcohol can make you sleepy, it actually upsets sleep patterns later in the night resulting to frequent waking in the night to urinate.
Even how much and when you eat affect sleep patterns. It is best to keep the last meal of the day light. Eating too much or heavy meals before sleeping may cause indigestion, heartburn and discomfort. It is recommended to start with a hearty breakfast, the main meal of the day around noon, and a light supper early in the evening.
You may also take vitamins and supplements to aid sleep. Calcium and magnesium helps induce sleep. Calcium-rich foods include milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, sardines, salmon, broccoli, tofu, egg, and calcium-fortified food. Magnesium ... read entire entry
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on 3/31/2008
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36.8
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Stick to these Basic Weight Training Techniques with most Exercises
workout routines
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Here are a few basic rules that apply to all exercises. These will differ sometimes depending on the exercises being performed, but for the most part, it is a good guide to follow this advice on positioning, breathing, equipment, and timing.
Spinal Alignment
Make sure your spine is straight at all times. This is especially important if you are lifting heavy. No matter what exercise you do, be sure to keep your spine straight throughout the entire range of motion. Your spine supports your entire body plus the weight you are lifting. It is under tremendous stress. If you curve your spine, you risk a sprain or even worse, a slipped disc. (The only exception would be the bench press where your back is slightly arched so as to work the pectorals more intensely. However, do note that your entire middle and upper back is supporting the weight in this case, so your spine is not at risk.) Some exercises – like deadlifts, squats, cleans, etc. – require very strict form and spinal alignment due to great risk of injury. Tip: A good practice is to hang for a minute or two from a chin-up bar after heavy lifting to decompress the spine.
Breathing
One of the most underrated and overlooked aspects of weight lifting. As a general rule, you should inhale deeply before you lift the weight, hold your breath as you lift it, and then exhale as you lower it. Always breathe through your nose and exhale from your mouth. Take deep breaths. Do not ever hold your breath throughout the entire motion. Incorrect breathing techniques can cause serious internal injuries. Of course, as you get more experienced in weight training, you might develop your own breathing technique. This is fine as long as it’s natural and comfortable for you.
Form vs. Poundage
While training, it is always tempting to “go heavy”. However, if your form is compromised because of the poundage, then don’t hesitate to decrease the weight. It is far better to do a lighter ... read entire entry
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on 3/8/2008
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9.1
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Gym Jargon Explained for the Newbies
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Reps, sets, supersets, drop sets, “running the rack”, what the hell do all these mean? As you venture into “the iron jungle” – more commonly known in layman’s terms as a gym – you’ll be hit with a flurry of gym jargon. Even on Beefing Up, you’ll find some, or most of these terms in my articles. As such, I’ve come up with a small glossary of sorts to help you better understand these tricky terms.
Dumbbells
Basically, it’s 2 weight plates joined by a very short bar (usually about 10 inches). You usually hold them in ONE hand.
Barbells
A long bar with weight plates at the end. You’d typically hold it with both hands.
EZ Curl Bars
These are barbells that are bent in such a way that it makes the grip with which you hold the barbell more natural for bicep curls. They take pressure away from the wrist and are great for bicep and tricep exercises.
(If you still have no clue as to what in the hell I’m talking about, I suggest you do a Google Image Search.)
Reps
Every complete movement is called a rep, or a repetition.
Sets
A consecutive number of reps is called a set.
So when someone says “do 3 sets of 6 reps of bicep curls”, take a weight, and curl it 6 times (6 reps). You’ll have completed one set. Rest for a while, and then pick up the weight and curl it another 6 times. This would be your second set. Do this whole routine again and you would have done 3 sets.
Supersets
For example, if you were to superset bicep curls and tricep extensions, you would do a set of curls, then while you are resting your biceps, you’d do a set of extensions. That would be 1 superset. So if I say “superset bicep curls and tricep extensions; 3 sets”, then you’d have to do a set of curls followed immediately by a set of extensions, then rest for a while before repeating this another two more times. You’d have done 3 supersets of bicep curls and tricep extens... read entire entry
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on 3/6/2008
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13.9
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A Guide for Working out at Home
home workouts, workout routines
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If you don't feel like throwing up the money for a gym membership. Or maybe just don't like working out in a public atmosphere, then you should follow this guide to getting in shape without the Bally Fitness membership.
This workout is to be done on four days. Each one should not take more than an hour. Take only 45 second rests between sets.
Days 1 & 4 will be training the upper body, while days 2 & 5 will be training the lower body. Days 3, 6 & 7 are rest days. Train your abs on Days 1, 2, 4 & 5. The same goes for cardio, except that you can do cardio as many times a week as you want; even every single day if you’re game. Of course, as you progress and get stronger and fitter, you can add more sets and/or more reps on your own.
Days 1 & 4: Upper Body
Warm up. (5 minutes)
Do some basic stretching. Side bends, hamstring stretches, etc.
Push-Ups.
This is great for your chest, shoulders and triceps. Make sure your chest grazes the floor and then push yourself all the way back up. Do 10 to 20 reps, 3 sets.
Inclined Push-Ups.
Support your hands on two chairs and do push-ups. This is great for the lower chest and also works the triceps more than normal push-ups do. Do 10 to 20 reps, 2 sets.
Declined Push-Ups.
This time, support your feet on a chair and do push-ups. This is great for your upper chest and also works your shoulders better than normal push-ups do. 10 to 20 reps, 2 sets.
Days 2 & 5: Lower Body
Warm up. (5 minutes)
Do some basic stretching. Side bends, hamstring stretches, etc.
Bodyweight Squats.
Squats are the best exercise for toning your butt, hips and thighs. Simply stand up; feet shoulder width apart, cross your hands in front of you, and squat all the way down and all the way back up. A tip: When you squat, keep your spine straight and look forward. Initiate the movement by dropping y... read entire entry
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on 3/3/2008
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9.2
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