Contents
In the autumn-winter season, many people constantly want to sleep: getting up in the morning is unbearably difficult, it is unexpectedly difficult to get in shape during the day. We found out from a nutritionist how, by adjusting the menu, you can help yourself.
In autumn and winter, many of us constantly want to sleep. We asked Psychologies permanent expert, nutritionist Anna Belousova to tell us about how it is easier to wake up in the morning and feel energized throughout the day.
Why do we especially want to sleep in autumn and winter? Daylight hours are very short now. And at night, our body produces a special hormone melatonin. It regulates the frequency of sleep and is produced only in conditions of total darkness. That is why it is especially difficult for us to wake up when it is still dark outside. And yet, despite this, there are many ways to make the morning pleasant, and the day cheerful. Here are some of them.
Turn on the light
Saving on electricity in the morning is not a good idea. As soon as you get out of bed, turn on bright overhead lights in all rooms. This will instantly stop the production of the sleep hormone and you will feel more alert.
Take a deep breath
Essential oils have been successfully used in cosmetology and oriental medicine since time immemorial. Representing a special type of gas, they enter the body through the nose and directly affect the brain. Some essential oils have invigorating properties and can help us wake up. For example, citrus essences, especially sweet orange, increase the production of happy hormones and stimulate the brain. In addition, they protect the respiratory tract from viruses and bacteria. Just bring one of the invigorating essences up to your nose and take three deep breaths. “In the morning, the sense of smell is sharpened. Everything we breathe in goes directly here,” Anna Belousova points to her forehead. She also offers coffee aromatherapy to her patients, which is especially good if a person does not drink coffee. Put fresh grains in a jar with a tight lid. Add your choice of nutmeg, cinnamon stick, vanilla or clove florets. “It is important that the very appearance of this jar raises the mood,” the expert emphasizes. “It’s good to write on it a kind, encouraging or joking message to yourself.” To get out of bed, take a few deep breaths while bringing the invigorating mixture to your face. And feel like you don’t want to sleep anymore.
Read more:
- Sleep comes… while eating
Anna Belousova’s homemade pate
For breakfast, I cook homemade liver pate. Store bought ones are 60% fat, but mine is light and can keep in the fridge for two weeks. Mix chopped liver with breadcrumbs, chopped boiled carrots and a fresh apple. Grind them until smooth and bake in a pot for half an hour at a temperature of 100 degrees. To make the pate softer, I put the pot in a container of water.
Have a good breakfast
Porridge and a sandwich with liver pate are a great option for an “awakening” breakfast. Cereals (except rice and semolina), bread with bran and wholemeal flour, liver of birds, fish and animals contain a lot of vitamins B1, B2, B3 and B6. These substances help the nervous system to work as it should at a given time of day. That is, in the morning they invigorate, and in the evening they help to relax. Fruits and berries added to porridge prolong the feeling of satiety. “They are rich in fiber, which greatly complicates the work for the stomach,” explains Anna Belousova. “Thanks to them, you won’t even think about snacking until dinner time!” Especially good are red, orange and yellow fruits, vegetables and berries (sea buckthorn, citrus fruits, bell peppers…). They are rich in vitamin C and bioflavonoids. These substances stimulate the overall vitality and increase the ability of our body to resist the harmful effects of the environment.
“In order to truly wake up, you need to speed up the circulation of energy in the body,” Solange Dessimoulie, the founder of the aromatherapy brand Decléor, who has practiced qigong for many years, shares her experience. – First, stretch well and yawn widely, then stretch your feet with simple massage movements that your intuition will tell you. I do this every day (everything takes no more than a minute) and only then I go to the bathroom and the kitchen.
Read more:
- Live without (unnecessary) fatigue
Have an invigorating drink
Caffeine, theobromine, tannin are natural stimulants found in excess in tea, coffee, cocoa, and hot chocolate. The latter, by the way, is also rich in glucose, which invigorates in the morning (in the afternoon, on the contrary, it puts you to sleep). However, you should not drink these drinks on an empty stomach: they suppress appetite. And coffee, in addition to this, also acts aggressively on the stomach and can cause gastritis. The best option: before breakfast, drink a glass of water at room temperature to “turn on” the digestive system, and drink tea, coffee, chocolate or cocoa after a meal. When choosing a drink, there are a few things to consider. For example, milk reduces the absorption of caffeine, in addition, it itself has a calming effect. By adding it, you negate the invigorating abilities of the drink. And instant coffee contains very little caffeine and is unlikely to help you wake up, even if you make it strong and without a drop of milk.
Add a couple of drops
Ginseng, lemongrass, aralia, rosea rhodiola (also called golden root) are natural adaptogens that help those with chronic fatigue. These plants normalize the state of the nervous system and help with drowsiness, overwork and apathy. They can be used in the form of pharmacy tinctures or make decoctions on their own. Each of these plants affects the body in its own way. The instructions will help you determine what is right for you.
Read more:
- More sun: 3 ways to fight autumn depression
Eat dinner four hours before bed
A heavy late dinner is the key to morning sleepiness. Ideally, you should leave the table four hours before bedtime. Worst case, two. Cottage cheese, eggs, vegetables and fish are perfect for the evening. Bananas, berries, baked apples, marshmallows, marshmallows are good for dessert. These products do not require special stress on the digestive system. Mint, linden, chamomile, verbena tea relieve excitement and help to relax. Fried and sweet have a stimulating effect, so you should not eat them in the evening. If you have an appetite at night, choose low-fat dairy products at room temperature (milk, kefir, yogurt, curdled milk …). Their protein and fat are quickly and easily digested. Magnesium in their composition acts soothingly and helps to absorb calcium, which they also contain in excess. In the evening, this is especially true: our body loses calcium mainly at night.
Go to bed before midnight
It’s time to remember that the sleep hormone melatonin is produced in the dark. An hour before bed, turn off the TV and computer, dim the lights. Reading a magazine or a book, a warm bath, meditation – such evening activities calm the nervous system and help you sleep, which means starting the next day in a great mood.
Dinner is easy to make if your menu is balanced throughout the day. “It is useful to have a hearty breakfast and lunch,” says Anna Belousova. It’s good to have a bite to eat before you leave work. For example, a banana is great for an afternoon snack. Satiating, it increases the production of the joy hormones serotonin and endorphin, which become less in the afternoon.