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evels of vitamin D have been linked to an increased risk of | Sleep Away Those Kilos! developing type 2 diabetes. After following more than We all know about beauty rest, but do you know abou 5,000 people for five years, an Australian research team thinness slumber? Getting those zzzzs is another ound that those with lower-than-average vitamin D levels important piece of the weight loss puzzle. ad a 57 per cent increased risk of developing diabetes Your carbohydrate addiction may be more the resul compared to those within the recommended range.” of your sleeping patterns rather than your lack o Low levels of vitamin D are also known to nearly — willpower. Have you ever noticed that after a night with double the risk of cardiovascular disease if you already little sleep, you wake up ravenously hungry and want to ave diabetes.” Diabetics, who are deficient in vitamin devour everything in sight? Why? Because your lack o D and cannot process cholesterol normally, tend to have __ sleep actually triggers food cravings. cholesterol build up in their blood vessels, hence An expanding body of scientific evidence shows tha increasing the risk of heart attack and stroke. the less sleep you get, the more cravings you have; the Vitamin D also helps keep blood-sugar levels under more calories you eat, the more belly fat you have and control. With type 2 diabetes, the body can't efficiently the higher your BMI. use the insulin it produces to control One study found that sleep-deprived blood-sugar levels. Vitamin D plays a people eat more carbohydrates than role by increasing the release of their more well-rested compatriots. insulin. In one study, researchers Those with four hours of sleep were evaluated vitamin D levels and the more likely to choose candy, cakes and A ance of developing unbalanced An expanding cookies over fruit, vegetables and oalry ood-sugar metabolism. In this . Oren products. It was also found that their study, subjects were evaluated for body of scientific ability to process glucose (sugar) in ecru vitamin D evels and were evidence shows the blood hed Jpcnen some ollowed for seven years to determine cases, to the level of diabetics. e the effects on blood-sugar that the less sleep researchers looked at two hormones, metabolism. The Ss udy showed that you get, the more leptin and ghrelin, that are regulated the subjects with the highest vitamin . by sleep and influence proper D levels had a 40 per cent increase in cravings you have; appetite. Leptin lets the brain know supporting an optimal future the more calories when your stomach is full, and ghrelin sends the message o hunger. When ghrelin was measured in the group that slep’ for four hours a night, the ratio o! ghrelin jumped 71 per cen compared to when they were sleeping a full 10 hours. No wonder they felt hungry and craved simple carbohydrates: their hunger hormone was switched on. blood-sugar balance.” If you want to lose weight and keep it off, it is critical to check your vitamin D levels. The higher your vitamin D levels, the higher your leptin levels and the more your blood sugar will remain balanced. Vitamin D helps your body respond to the correct metabolic messages. High vitamin D levels increase your ability to lose weight, and losing Since the psychologica weight will increase your vitamin manifestations of fatigue, sleep D levels—all of which will reduce your risk of metabolic and hunger are similar, adults sometimes confuse them. syndrome, insulin resistance, diabetes and cardiovascular That's why people tend to eat when they're feeling really disease, not to mention most chronic illnesses. ired. Fatigue is often misinterpreted as hunger. While it is important for most people—especially the The Nurses’ Health Study followed more than 68,000 overweight, children and elderly—to take vitamin D women for 16 years, monitoring their weight, sleeping supplements, it is critically important to check your abits and diet. At the start of the study, all of the vitamin D levels. Taking a vitamin D supplement may women were healthy and none was obese. By the end of not get you into optimal range, which is where you want he study, women who slept five hours a night were 32 to be. It's optimal blood vitamin D levels that count. per cent more likely to experience major weight gain— The proper blood test is called 25-hydroxyvitamin D(25- defined as an increase of 33 pounds [14.85 kg] or OH vitamin D), which is included in the basic blood more—and 15 per cent more likely to become obese, work-up. In Australia, optimal levels should be 150-200 compared with women who slept seven hours. And nmol/L. In the USA, optimal levels should be between women who slept for six hours were 12 per cent more 70 and 100 ng/mL. Do not settle for less than optimal ikely to experience major weight gain and six per cent levels if your goal is the best health possible. more likely to become obese over the study period, you eat, the more belly fat you have and the higher your BMI. An expanding body of scientific evidence shows you get, the more cravings you have; you eat, the more belly fat you have and the higher your BMI. 20 * NEXUS JUNE - JULY 2011 that the less sleep the more calories www.nexusmagazine.com