Cassie.Net

Why should you care about sleep? 💤

Your energy levels 🔋, immune function, appetite, and even your weight depend on it!

Did you know that technology 💻 affects it?

Exposure to blue light 📱 (that special light that screens emit) before you go to bed disrupts melatonin production which can interfere with sleep. 😔🛌

A no-brainer 🧠 solution to this late night technology dilemma would be to TURN. IT. OFF. 📵 But, as lovely as that sounds, I know it’s not feasible for everyone. That’s why I am excited 😆 to share with you the following three apps… that have seriously saved my sleep 😴!

The apps I personally use are:
1️⃣ F.lux (for my Mac)

2️⃣ Twilight (because I have an Android phone)

3️⃣ Sleep Cycle (on my phone—available for both iOS and android devices)

Here’s how I use them:
F.lux and Twilight are both free apps that make the color of your screen 🖥️ adapt to the time of day by filtering the blue light emitted by your device 📱💻 after sunset ☀️. You might be surprised that you don’t even notice these apps gradually changing your screen’s color, however, if you disable or pause it, you’ll be shocked at how bright 🔆 your screen gets!

Sleep Cycle tracks your movements to analyze your sleep patterns 🛌 and wakes you up ⏰ when you are in the lightest phase of sleep 💤. This is supposed to help you wake up feeling more rested (instead of being jolted out of bed 😵 when your alarm clock ⏰ goes off like too many of us do!)

These apps saved my sleep 😴 as a supplement to my existing bedtime regimen, which consisted of winding down a couple hours before bed🛏️, having a balanced bedtime snack 😋 a half hour before laying down, taking Sleep Redefined and keeping coffee☕, alcohol🍷, and exercise 🏋️ all as far away from bedtime as possible.

Oh cheat days🗓️.

We all want ‘em.
They satisfy our inner rebel.
They make us feel alive.

Cheat days depend on you👉, your tolerance, your underlying biochemistry and therefore, sensitivity level to sugar and/or carbohydrates, your willingness to change, and of course, your personal definition of “cheat day.”

Here are my 5 considerations for Cheat Days🗓️:

1️⃣. Change your mindset
If you’re feeling deprived, remind yourself that you get to make the calls and you get to eat 🍽️ whatever you want! For our clients, this might mean having that ice cream 🍦 they’ve been craving all summer long, only to find that it’s not even half as good as they played it up to be in their mind.😩

2️⃣ Self-Experiment with Cheat Days 🥼
Now, let me explain this one before you go out and binge on pizza 🍕 and ice cream🍨 and cookies🍪. If you can honestly say you don’t know how you’d handle a cheat day, then this may be a helpful exercise. Some of our clients have one bite and they’re back on the blood sugar roller coaster🎢 for a week or even a month, while others find that having a “sinful” bite🍴 every now and then reminds them that they are in control and can eat whatever they want… they just CHOOSE to eat real food because it makes them feel amazing.

3️⃣. Assess Your Goals
I think it’s important to step back and take a good, hard look👀 at what’s most important to you. Maybe the goal of weight loss that you initially set just isn’t as important as ordering a margarita or three at happy hour🕧 with your coworkers. On the other hand, if your goal is weight loss, then the fewer “cheats” you implement, the better.

4️⃣ . Re-Define your idea💭 of a Cheat Day
When I say, “whatever you want,” I’m not talking about going totally crazy and un-doing everything good you’ve done since your last cheat day. This messes with not only your brain🧠, but your metabolism, too. I don’t recommend having a strict list of “cans and cant’s” but I do encourage you to be empowered by your choices, knowing that you get to make the calls.

5️⃣. Get Honest with Yourself
Are you someone who has a single bite and goes off the deep end? How in control of your food choices are you feeling, in this very moment? It’s okay if you’re not ready yet. It can be frightening to try something new, especially something that just might work. As odd as it may sound, we see clients deliberately hold off on making healthy🥗 changes because they’re afraid of reaching the goals they so desperately want to achieve!

What are your thoughts💭 on “cheat days”? Let me know in the comments.

Good nutrition contributes to your overall health and can help you maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk for chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes and cancer. 👎

Simply making small changes to include healthy eating in your lifestyle can make a B I G difference. Nutrition information has never before been as accessible as it is today, but how do we keep it simple? 📝

• Every 🥘 meal and 🍎 snack should contain protein, fat and carbohydrate. Remember PFC every three hours.

• Eat real food. 🥗 The less processed the better. More fruits and veggies, yes please!

• Be consistent. Aim to eat PFC every 2-3 hours. This will keep your blood sugars balanced and your metabolism revved up all day long. 💥 This can be as simple as an apple, hard boiled egg, and two tablespoons of peanut butter.

• Don’t buy into fad diets. 🙅‍♀️ If it sounds too good to be true, then it usually is.

• Plan ahead and be prepared. ✅ Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time, so you don’t find yourself desperate and hungry 😋. When your blood sugar falls, it’s a natural response to reach for something unhealthy to raise it.