HCG Diet portland

The Importance of Sleep on the HCG Diet for Weight Loss

October 30, 2018 By , , ,

HCG Diet PortlandWe have all heard that getting 8 hours of sleep is an ideal way to go!  In modern day, sleep is one area that I find people seriously lack.  In my medical practice, I like to educate my HCG Diet patients about the importance of sleep. In my eyes, sleep is just as important as nutrient rich food, water and exercise.  It is an area in my own personal life that I also need to make some improvements in.

Sleep provides us with a restored mind and body but also helps us to make better choices.  I notice that when people have proper sleep they have less cravings. I also have noticed a clinical correlation with my HCG Diet population on sleep and weight loss. Those that have a hard time sleeping or do not sleep enough will often times have less weight loss. I also find that when patients are tired, they make poor choices with food.

How Sleep can Impact Weight Loss on the HCG Diet 

Proper rest actually has a profound impact on our hormones. Hormones are chemical messengers that deliver messages all through the body.  When we our tired our insulin tends to be less regulated and out cortisol can be up due to the lack of sleep being a stress on the body.  We know that when insulin and cortisol are elevated, the body would prefer to store.

Recent research has also shown that sleeping less than 5 hours per night can impact your hormones called leptin and grhelin.  When leptin is low it stimulates hunger and when ghrelin is elevated it tells your body that you are full.

What happens here is that your lack of sleep is creating a tired body and the hormonal dysregulation is interrupting the weight loss on the HCG Diet protocol.

Decision Making with Food on the HCG Diet with Proper Sleep

We all know that a lack of sleep causes most people to choose quick, easy food options. Unfortunately, these options are not in line with the phase 2 HCG Diet.  If cortisol is elevated due to fatigue, this hormone can stimulate sugar cravings. Nobody wants sugar cravings on the HCG Diet!

Getting Sleep on the HCG Diet! 

When you get enough sleep your hormones will be functioning better and therefore, you will make better food choices.   Go to bed an hour earlier than you usually do and give yourself the opportunity to have better rest.  For those with trouble falling asleep, I love combinations of GABA and theanine.  Make sure you stay away from electronic devices for an hour before bedtime to allow your nervous system to unwind.  There are also lots of relaxation techniques and guided imagery meditations that can help relax the brain.

If you are prone to insomnia and nothings seems to help I would suggest an endocrinologist. I often see insomnia in menopausal patients and when hormones are optimized these women often sleep dramatically better. Sweet Dreams!

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