🍎 Today’s Health Question ~ Will Stretching Before Bedtime Improve Sleep Quality?

Stretching into a Good Night’s Sleep

Among natural sleep remedies — from drinking chamomile tea to diffusing essential oils — stretching is often overlooked. But this simple act may help you fall asleep faster and improve the quality of your sleep.  Why does stretching have this effect on sleep? It’s likely a mix of things.

For one, getting in touch with your body by stretching helps to focus your attention on your breath and body, not the stressors of the day. This awareness of your body helps you develop mindfulness, which has been shownTrusted Source to help promote better sleep.

Stretching also offers potential physical benefits, helping to relieve muscle tension and prevent sleep-disrupting cramps. Just make sure to stick to gentle stretches — doing a big workout before bed can have the opposite effect.

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🍎 Today’s Health Question ~ Is Not Exercising as Bad for You as Smoking?

Smoking & Not Exercising are Both Equally Bad for Your Health

“We all know that staying active is key to a healthy lifestyle, but recent studies have shown just how important it is. “When compared with the lowest [athletic] performers, elite performance was associated with an 80 percent reduction in mortality risk,” reads a 2018 study published in the journal JAMA Network Open. “In addition, the adjusted mortality risk of reduced performance was comparable to, if not significantly greater than, traditional clinical risk factors, such as coronary artery disease, diabetes, and smoking.”

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Can Cutting Out Bread Cause Weight Loss?

The Answer: Yes, If Bread is a Big Part of Your Daily Diet

Weight loss is about changing your calorie equation, meaning the number of calories you take in must be less than the number of calories you burn. To lose 1 pound to 1 1/2 pounds a week, your calorie equation must create a negative balance of 500 calories to 750 calories a day. If you’re eating six to 10 slices of whole-wheat bread a day and cut them all out of your diet, then you stand to lose 1 pound to 1 1/2 pounds a week.

If you don’t eat that much bread to begin with, you may not lose much by going bread-free. . . . If you eat bread with every meal, such as an English muffin with breakfast, a large pita at lunch and a roll with dinner, it can save you nearly 400 calories a day, which, over the course of four weeks, can lead to a 3-pound weight loss.

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