Sleep and Foods that Promote Sleep

I think we all know all important sleep is. As soon as you don't get enough of it, you quickly realize its value. Sleep deprivation is actually a torturing technique, which I bet works very well!

Sleep for a New Mom

I feel like the first year with each of my babies I was sleep deprived. I couldn't cope or concentrate on many things. I felt moody and often felt like eating more. A couple hours sleep at a time felt like torture. All I could think about was the next nap I might be able to sneak in. I think that's why I value my sleep so much now.

The healing power of sleep

I love the feeling of waking up refreshed and clear headed. Ready to face the challenges of the new day head on. I don't regularly think about what amazing things have happened to my body between the time I put my head on my pillow and my alarm rang. The body is made to be able to heal itself. Check out this article on What Happens When You Sleep.

I have a real live example in my life right now. My dad is struggling with Eczema right now. He is itchy all night, which is affecting his sleep. He can't sleep because he's itchy but if he could sleep it would heal his eczema. (a twisted ugly circle).

My Kids

I try to get my kids in bed at the same time every night. Allowing them to stay up later isn't really helping them, but hurting them for the next day. Their little bodies run on full throttle all day, and they don't like stopping to recharge their batteries. They are both in the 5-12 year range where 9-11 hours a night is recommended. I'm happy to say that most days they are falling in that range. Winter seems easy since it's dark at 5:30, but as summer approaches the days are longer. They don't like to go to bed when the sun is still out. They are losing precious play hours.

Foods that Help you sleep (*Protective Diet allowed foods)

• Almonds
• Bananas *
• Chamomile Tea *
• Flax seeds
• Honey
• Milk and dairy products
• Potatoes *
• Turkey
• Whole Wheat Bread Products (*)

I find that I eat quite a few of the items on the list that promote or help you sleep. I have a pattern of drinking chamomile tea in the evening when I relax. I do sometimes add flax seeds to my morning oatmeal. Eating bananas and potatoes are almost a daily ritual. Plus, I include whole wheat bread products into my diet a couple times a week.

Sleep was one of the things I struggled with before I switched to eating healthier. I was resorting to taking Melatonin or PM drugs so I could relax and go to sleep. I no longer have to rely on anything to get a good night sleep.

Kale is the bomb!!

My first adventure with kale

It's a little embarrassing to admit that I had never purchased kale before the Summer of 2014. At first, I played it very safe. I made kale smoothies hiding it with sugar and frozen fruit. I got a little adventurous with kale chips, but then I read an article about kale being bad if you had thyroid problems. I was having my thyroid tested so I pretty much gave up kale. I decided that Spinach would be safer. After getting the results that my thyroid was normal and joining Protective Diet, I'm happy to report that I'm eating kale again.

Trying kale a second time

This time, I'm find that I like kale in different recipes. For example, I now eat and enjoy kale for breakfast. It makes for a quick and different breakfast when I need a change from oats. I always have cooked potatoes on hand. I heat up the potatoes in the oven while I shower. I then chop up my potatoes into little pieces and mix up my kale and Protective Diet Daily Dressing in a bowl. It's a warm tasty treat for a Michigan winter morning.

Keeping cooked potatoes always on hand

This is a trick I learned either in December or January. I cook up 5-6 potatoes at a time in my Instant Pot; then store them in my fridge. I'm able to add them to salads  to bulk them up or just have them handy for a snack. (I just eat them cold at my desk or on my commute home.) Potatoes are so economical to buy, easy to find at my local grocery stores and easy to add to my diet. Potatoes are often on sale, so I pick up the bag that is on sale that week. I've gone thru a lot of potatoes since the beginning of the year. I haven't kept track of the number of pounds, but I know it has been a lot.