Our sleep patterns can influence our eating behaviors and conversely what we eat can influence our ability to sleep. This relationship can be positive or can unfortunately be negative. Read on to find out what you can do to understand the role of nutrition and food for sleep.

The consequences of sleep deprivation

Not getting enough sleep or sleep disorders such as obstructive sleep apnea is one of the most common causes of fatigue.

According to the studies sleep deprivation causes a range of both short term and long term effects:

Short term sleep loss after a few nights can cause:

• Changes to appetite and hunger/fullness cues
• Glucose deregulation and carbohydrate cravings
• Higher blood pressure
• Reduced immune function making it more likely to catch a cold or flu
• Reduced cell regeneration of the hair and skin cells causing us to look tired
• Lower sex drive, headaches
• Reduced ability to focus and stay attentive
• Reduced mood: irritability, stress and impatience

Chronic sleep deprivation can:

• Increase the risk of diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and colorectal/breast cancer
• Premature aging of the hair, skin and reproductive system (less sperm count)
• Increased risk of depression and anxiety
• Attention deficit and memory loss
• Headaches and severe fatigue
• Significant safety issues eg. more likely to fall asleep driving

Food to sleep better

Wondering what the best food to sleep may be? Think about these do’s and don’ts when you are planning your eating for a good night’s rest.

Reduce large meals later in the day

Taking in lots of food and fluid before bed can cause indigestion and make it difficult to fall asleep, as well as cause you to wake up to urinate frequently at night.

Eat sufficient carbs and don’t go to bed underfed

If you are dieting or simply not eating enough due to restrictive eating patterns or an eating disorder, your sleep will be disturbed. There is also a research to support diets higher in carbohydrates tend to be better for improving sleep than low-carb, high-fat diets. Your brain runs on carbohydrates and your body needs sufficient calories to run effectively. When food and sufficient carbohydrate is not available it is common to be anxious, emotional and obsessive about food. It is also common find it hard to sleep peacefully (despite being tired). Seek help from an experienced Registered Nutritionist to create a food plan that achieves a good balance of nourishment for health, mental health and achievement of your personal best weight.

Eat whole foods

The same food good for overall physical health and mental health are also good for helping you with sleep. Research shows a diet rich in whole foods improves sleep.  Aim for a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, high-fibre whole grains and liquid vegetable oils low in saturated fat. A Mediterranean style diet appears to be good for sleep, especially for women.

Curb caffeine as the day goes on

Caffeine can stay in your system for as long as 8 hours. Decrease coffee, tea and other caffeine sources from lunch onward (or if you are a shift worker 8 hours before your shift ends and you will be headed to bed).

Watch alcohol intake

Despite alcohol initially making you sleepy, it can hinder entering into the deep restorative stages of sleep. Reduce your alcohol consumption and avoid it altogether during times of sleep difficulty.

Other factors that influence sleep

Outside of nutrition there are a wide range of sleep hygiene strategies that can help you get a good night’s sleep. These include:

• If possible go to bed and wake up at about the same time each day.
• Turn off smartphones, computers and television at least 30 minutes before going to bed (preferably more). Take the television out of your bedroom.
• Taking part in good physical activity (but note intense exercise right before bed can make it difficult to fall asleep).
• Give yourself enough time to truly unwind before bed. If you are struggling with depression or anxiety, it can be difficult to get enough quality or quantity of sleep. Work with a Registered Psychologist and your Physician to get the help you need.

Summing up the best food for sleep

As with many of the recommendations for good health and mental health, the best strategies for sleep are not found in a supplement bottle.  Afterall a supplement is just a supplement and can never make up for a poor diet.

Better sleep isn’t about eating one single sensationalized super-food (although there certainly is some positive research about milk, fatty fish, kiwi fruit and cherries)! Nutrition for better sleep starts by purchasing and cooking whole foods you can buy at the grocery store.

Emphasize high quality carbohydrate rich foods found in whole grains, fruits and veggies. Enjoy legumes, lean meats, fish and vegetable oil low in saturated fat.  Skip excess caffeine and alcohol. Do your body a favor and avoid going on restrictive diets. Honour your body’s hunger. While overeating at night won’t help you get a good nights sleep, going to be underfed or carb deprived will only worsen your ability to sleep effectively. If you are struggling to find the balance, reach out to us for help .

This is NOT an easy topic for most people, let alone someone who has unexplained infertility, is undergoing fertility treatments or has experienced loss along the way.

For some women, fertility can be a part of what makes us feel like we have succeeded as women, it’s a part of our womanhood. Even as young girls, many of us start to pretend we are moms, caring for our dolls as we see our moms care for our siblings.

Fertility challenges are not rare

I am not saying even women feels this and that is 100% cool; but for those of us who have dreamt of holding our baby for the first time, the desire to get pregnant is strong once you are ready to have a baby. You are desperate to try anything and everything that will increase your chances of getting pregnant and give you some sort of control. 15-30% of couples face unexplained fertility (that number is HUGE!).

Enough lead up… is there a relationship between fertility and diet

YES.. there is a ‘diet’ or style of eating that actually carries some solid weight when it comes increasing your chances of getting pregnant. The tried and true Mediterranean Diet. This diet has been around for decades; the Mediterranean’s seem to know what they are doing . It’s true, not only do you have to not drink for 9 months, there are a few studies that have found drinking more than 2 drinks a day may reduce your chances of getting pregnant. I say if there is any chance of reducing your chances, skip it!

The Mediterranean diet and fertility

I want to break this diet down into a few take away points to get you started and make it WAY simpler for you when you head to the grocery store.

#1 Make it Whole…Grains!
Research has linked choosing fiber rich grains while avoiding easy to digest grains (like pastries, white flour, sugary cereals, white rice) to reducing ovulatory infertility. These slower digesting carbohydrates help to manage blood sugar and insulin levels which can improve chances of fertility. This means, do not ditch the grains, but get your carb fix from barley, oats, quinoa, wild rice, and wheat bran instead of grabbing a white bagel or pastry.

#2 Colour your plate
Fruits and vegetables are superfoods because they contain ANTIOXIDANTS and the more variety in colour, the better. If there is one thing we know for sure, it is that we want to reduce oxidative stress in the body to improve fertility for both males and females. Sperm are also extremely sensitive to oxidative stress, so one thing I cannot emphasize enough is, men, your diet plays a major role in this as well! Okay, back to these antioxidants, what are the big ones we are looking for and where can we find them?

• Lycopene– this lovely antioxidant has been found in some research to help with sperm motility. Some everyday food sources that contain lycopene are tomatoes, grapefruit, watermelon and red bell peppers.
• Vitamin E, C and CoQ10– these warriors are packed together as they can sometimes act as a team. In general, these antioxidants have been found to improve rates of pregnancy and sperm quality. Vitamin E can be found in nuts or avocado, Vitamin C is in citrus, berries, red pepper and kale, and lastly CoQ10 in sardines, mackerel or spinach but a supplement is also a great option.
• Selenium– many of you who have already started your own research on foods for fertility have probably heard about Brazil nuts. Luckily, Brazil nuts aren’t the only option to get in selenium although they are loaded with it. It is also found in other nuts as well as oysters and many other fruits, veggies and whole grains in smaller amounts.

#3 Add in the Pulses (beans, lentils, spilt peas)
Plant based protein is a hot trend right now but one reason I love these guys so much is is that they reduce the risk of ovulatory infertility. One study even found that eating just 5% of your protein from pulses can reduce this risk by 50%!

#4 Make your dairy FULL Fat
A massive 8-year study found that women who consumed 2 of more servings of low-fat dairy products increased their risk of anovulatory infertility by 85% while including full fat dairy reduced infertility by 27%. These numbers are HUGE! Seriously, bring on the full fat yogurt and homo milk!

These 4 points are just to get you started, the tip of the iceberg if you will, but there is definitly a link between fertility and diet. I hope this at least gives you a better understanding of some of the research that is coming out and where to get yourself started on deciding what to eat on your fertility journey.

Human beings are cyclical beings, meaning that we are influenced by cycles such as our sleep cycles and we also are influenced by the seasons. Women of course are also influenced by their menstrual cycles.

The nights are now shorter and the day light hours are less. To support our natural cycles, we need to give our hormones the best chance of being in balance. If you embrace the changes that winter brings and support and nourish your body it can really help.

During the winter, some people suffer from SAD stands for Seasonal Affective Disorder which is known as ‘winter depression’. The reason that some people suffer is due to the lack of sunlight and this affects hormone production such as serotonin, the happy hormone and also our sleep hormones melatonin. Low levels of serotonin can lead to a disruption of circadian rhythms and restless sleep.

To tackle SAD syndrome

If you find that you are laughing less, have little or no pleasure in normal everyday activities, are feeling tired and sleeping more you may be suffering from Seasonal Affected Disorder. The good news is that there are things you can do to help you boost your mood.

So, with this in mind here are my 5 Must Haves for Winter:

1. Eat – meals packed with healthy wholesome foods will ensure you are eating the right nutrients in your diet to support hormone and neurotransmitter production such as serotonin and melatonin production. Try and include the examples below:

• Tryptophan foods provide the building blocks for serotonin and melatonin production. Good sources: turkey, chicken, whole grains, beans, rice, lentils, cottage cheese, bananas, eggs, almonds, walnuts and pumpkin seeds
• Magnesium supports your mood, energy balance and sleep. The body requires a lot of magnesium especially during times of stress and this pandemic is a stressful time. Good sources: green leafy vegetables, almonds, cashews, chia seeds, pumpkins seeds, sunflower seeds and wholegrains
• B Vitamins support brain health and mood and are involved in the metabolism of tryptophan to serotonin. Good sources: beef, pork, chicken, leafy greens, legumes, rice, nuts, eggs
• Garlic has antiviral qualities so is helping fight off viral infections as well with other antiviral foods such as ginger, cinnamon and turmeric. They all provide lots of flavour to your cooking but also help to support the immune system as the same time.
• Omega 3 fats are essential fats for brain, mood and hormonal health. Good sources: oily fish, nuts, seeds, avocados, extra virgin olive oil (3)

2. Exercise – Great way to boost your mood and get out to increase your exposure to natural light. When it’s colder it can be harder to get outside but even if you get out for 10 minutes and be active and exercise you will feel better for it! So, get outside every day to increase your exposure to natural light.

3. Sleep – You will benefit from shifting your bedtime routine so that you get more sleep during the winter months. With this in mind, it can be helpful to also bring forward your evening meal.

4. Vitamin D – Vital for energy, mood, sleep and immune function. Vitamin D is one of the most powerful nutrients for supporting the immune system and adequate levels of Vitamin D are being linked to better outcomes.

5. Light therapy – During the winter months consider a light box which mimics outdoor light.