Longer Sleep (In Short Sleepers) Can Prevent Weight Gain

It is well known that both too little sleep, and too much sleep, are associated with obesity.  Reduced sleep in particular is a problem in modern society - I'm sure we can all attest to this!   The optimum amount of sleep is between 7-8 hours for adults.

A recent study led by my colleague Dr Chaput looked at people who habitually slept less than 6 hours per day, and divided them into two groups: those who increased their sleep to a healthier 7-8 hours per day, and those who kept their usual sleep habits.

At 6 years, they found that those who kept their short sleep patterns gained 2.4kg more fat mass than those who changed their habits to longer sleep.

So, for those of us who are certain that we can thrive on less than 6 hours of sleep - it may not be the best for our health in the long run.

Dr Sue Pedersen www.drsue.ca © 2013 

Follow me on Twitter for daily tips! @drsuepedersen

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Eating With Your Ears, Eyes, Mouth, and Hands

Think the soundtrack they play at Starbucks is random?  Think again.

It's an interesting concept called multisensory dining, and it's gaining momentum as research to support it continues to grow.

The principle of multisensory dining is that the enjoyment of food is not just affected by how it tastes, looks, and feels, but can even be affected by the sounds you hear when you are eating, and the texture and color of the dishes it's served up in.

Some interesting research findings can be read about here - for example, higher pitches of sound may emphasize sweeter flavors in food, and lower sounds may emphasize bitterness.  As previously blogged, music can also affect how much food we consume at a meal. 

Food may also taste different depending on what color of dish it's served in.  Color of plate can also affect how much we eat - having contrast between food color and plate color can help to keep portions under control (read more about this here).

The psychology behind eating patterns is fascinating, and there is still so much for us to learn!

Thanks to my friend Priti for the heads' up on this article.

Dr Sue Pedersen www.drsue.ca © 2013 

Follow me on Twitter for daily tips! @drsuepedersen

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