Vital to your overall health is proper rest. Getting a good night’s sleep helps decrease stress, improve memory and energy; it aids detoxification, allows organs to regenerate, supports weight loss and more.
REM sleep is important because it is the restorative part of our sleep cycle. It’s recommended that adults get 7-9 hours of sleep each night, although that’s easier said then done in today’s high-paced world.
There is a section in my e-book on adopting healthy practices for sleeping better. I encourage you to download my e-book by clicking on the GET STARTED button and give a few of the ideas listed there a try. Also, check out my previously posted blog on Key Essential Oils for Sleep.
This blog will focus on nourishing foods that support serotonin and dopamine (neurotransmitters in the brain) to lend a helping hand for deeper sleep. Try some of these foods at supper time or 1 hour before bed:
- Potatoes – potatoes naturally boost serotonin and dopamine, enjoy at dinner time
- Banana – slice ½ banana on top of unsweetened almond or coconut milk-based yogurt – drizzle with honey (honey targets neurotransmitter in charge of wakefulness) and/or top ensemble with pecans or walnuts. Or eat a banana with almond butter.
- Cherries have melatonin in them. You can use cherries just like recommendation above.
- Eat a few dates with almonds, walnuts or pecans
- Drink organic herbal bedtime (caffeine free) tea such as Chamomile/Vanilla/Manuka Honey by Pukka, Lemon/Ginger/Manuka Honey by Pukka, Chamomile/Lavender Bedtime Tea by Yogi
Eat Tryptophan-rich foods, a precursor to melatonin and serotonin – These include turkey, chicken, lamb, veal, wild game, fish (salmon, halibut, cod, tuna), seeds/nuts (pumpkin, almonds, sunflower seeds, walnuts, cashews, pistachios), legumes (black beans), fruits (apples, bananas, blueberries, avocado), vegetables (spinach, mustard greens, asparagus, winter squash, green peas, kelp, broccoli, onions, tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower, mushrooms, cucumbers, potatoes), http://www. med-health.net/Foods-High-In-Tryptophan.html.
Happy ZZZzzzz’s 😊
