The Weight Watchers Program sings the praises of a most helpful weapon against lack of nutrition; support systems. Weight Watchers Meetings offer their participants the opportunity to form support systems of people with similar goals. Though not everyone needs Weight Watchers for weight loss, their example can be used to assist with nutrition.
Consider speaking with a close friend or relative about joining together one or two meals per week. To keep from losing balance in your food budget, agree ahead of time on the “per person” or “per family” budget for these meals. (We have power in community!) When you host, ensure that you provide food (fresh, if possible) from each nutritional food group. Make sure to rotate the hosting responsibility regularly! Even one balanced meal per week can make a difference and the relationships you form will enhance your life.
Two areas of sleep are affected by sleep disturbance and difficulty: falling asleep and staying asleep. Falling asleep requires that our minds slow down enough to rest. Though REM sleep indicates a heightening of our brain’s activities, we must first calm ourselves enough to fall asleep in order to get there. One way to slow down the brain rests with the techniques of meditation. The next time you have trouble quieting your brain, try this breathing exercise.
The second issue with getting adequate sleep, staying asleep, can give us as much trouble as the first. Because many factors play in to this problem, we have to be aware of as many causes of untimely wake-ups. Those factors include room temperature, clothing, bed support, unquieted indigestion, medication, and noise level. Yet we have power in awareness. Notice when your clothes bother you in sleep – and don’t wear them again. If you suffer from indigestion, grab an extra TUMS or other aid right before bed. Avoid taking medications which raise alertness anywhere near bed, if possible. If your bed doesn’t offer enough support (we can’t all enjoy the Sleep Number bed!), try supplementing your support by using towels, clothing or other soft materials to support your knees, back and shoulders. And if you must fall asleep with noise, reduce the volume to the absolute minimum and even place electronics on a timer so they shut off automatically while you sleep.
