Best Weight Loss And Healthy Food

What you eat can affect the way you sleep, so in order to get a good night's rest, it is essential to choose foods that calm your mind and body rather than those that stimulate you. Certain types of foods naturally promote rest and relaxation, particularly those that contain tryptophan amino acid that the body uses to make serotonin, a neurotransmitter that slows down nerve activity in your brain.
Tryptophan

Since tryptophan is a precursor of other neurotransmitters in your brain, including serotonin and melatonin, eating foods rich in tryptophan will help you feel relaxed and sleepy. Foods such as turkey, hummus, lentils, and seaweed are naturally high tryptophan and also contain nutrients that provide a number of other health benefits. Also, bananas not only contain tryptophan, but also potassium and magnesium, which is a natural muscle relaxant. Fresh and dried cherries are also one of the only natural food sources of melatonin.

Carbohydrate

Foods rich in starch, high-glycemic carbohydrates may also promote better sleep, as they help to stimulate the release of insulin and tryptophan and cause sleep-inducing substances to enter the brain. According to a study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, carbohydrates are in the high end of the scale of the glycemic index, meaning they raise blood sugar levels quickly bodys, induce sleep when eaten at least four hours before bedtime. Foods such as Jasmine rice, potatoes, carrots, corn, puffed cereal, and honey are some healthy options from simple carbohydrates.

Calcium

Calcium helps the brain use the tryptophan to manufacture melatonin. Certain combinations, such as whole-grain cereal with milk, peanut butter sandwich, or crackers with cheese contain carbohydrates and calcium which work together to relax the mind and body. Calcium itself is very useful in helping you to sleep, as it is a natural muscle relaxant that can also help you manage your stress levels.

Timing

Eat a variety of foods to calm the nervous system and trigger responses to sleep-inducing hormone, helps you rest better at night. However, timing is everything, like eating a big meal or a late meal right before bedtime can actually have the opposite effect and make you wake up at night. It is best to eat these foods later in the day or at least one hour before bedtime since it takes about an hour for tryptophan from food sources to reach the brain.

Above all, it is important to avoid rich, heavy and high-fat foods within two hours of bedtime, because they require a lot of work to digest and can cause stomach problems and heartburn. It is also wise to avoid drinking too many fluids, including water, juice, tea or any other liquid, as this can result in frequent bathroom trips throughout the night. Caffeinated beverages, such as soda, coffee or caffeinated tea does not only act as a diuretic, but also will make you horny and make falling asleep that much more difficult.