If you’re finding it hard to fall, and stay, asleep, it’s worth taking a look at your diet. What you eat and drink before bed can affect the quality of your sleep.

Some foods and drinks stimulate your body, while others are more likely to cause indigestion (heartburn) and general discomfort. This can make it difficult for you to drift off, and even cause you to wake up during the night. 

__Avoid these before bed for a better night’s sleep:
__
- alcoholic drinks
- caffeinated drinks and food – including tea, coffee, energy drinks, chocolate, some soft drinks and protein bars
- fatty and spicy foods
- large, heavy meals

Not consuming these for at least 4 hours before your bedtime (or at least 6 for caffeine) gives your body time to digest and process them before you try to sleep.


Woman sleeping in bed

Did you know there’s more to healthy eating than just choosing good food?

Some cooking methods, like deep-fat frying and pan frying, not only remove nutrients from your food but also increase how much fat is in your meals. 

__Try these healthier cooking techniques:__ 

__Baking__

It takes a bit more time, but baking can be a healthier way to cook as it requires little or no oil. You can bake most foods – including meat, fish and vegetables – either uncovered in a pan or dish, or wrapped in greaseproof paper or foil to help keep food moist.

__Roasting__

Roasting is a lot like baking but uses higher temperatures and foods are cooked uncovered in the oven. Again, you need little or no oil to cook food this way. It’s a good idea to use a rack inside a roasting pan, as this allows the natural fat in food to drip away while it’s cooking. 

__Steaming__

Steaming is a really easy cooking method that requires no extra oil or fat and is one of the best ways to maintain the nutrients, texture and taste of your food. It’s a great way to cook fish and vegetables – you can add even more flavour by seasoning the water you’re using to steam the food in. 

Other healthy methods of cooking include searing, sautéing, poaching, braising and boiling.

Three baked salmon fillets with lemon and spring onion on baking paper 

Did you know there’s more to healthy eating than just choosing good food? Find out how you can shake up how you cook for healthier meals.

100g of deep-fried chicken contains 12.8g of fat – 100g of roasted chicken (light meat only) contains 4.2g of fat.

12.8g

Shake up how you cook for healthier meals 

One small word can make a big difference in how you feel about yourself.

If you have low self-esteem, you might find yourself regularly agreeing to things that you don’t want to do (or don’t agree with). 

Putting others before yourself can hurt your self-esteem even more, and leave you feeling resentful, angry and low.

__So, why not try to stop saying ‘yes’ when you don’t mean it, and start saying ‘no’?__

It might feel difficult at first, but being assertive in this way will help you establish healthy boundaries with those around you – and give you more time to focus on what you actually want to do. 

And by respecting your own needs, you’ll start to build more self-respect, boosting self-esteem and confidence. 

Person with their palm out towards the camera to stop their photo being taken 

Low self-esteem makes you see yourself in a negative light. Find out how saying no more can help you boost your confidence and self-esteem.

This year, the International Women’s Day campaign theme is #ChooseToChallenge. The theme asks us all to call out gender bias and inequality.

#ChooseToChallenge

Try saying this to boost self-esteem

Waking up to a healthy breakfast can help you get the nutrients you need and give you energy for the day ahead. So, what should you eat for breakfast? Try fish.

Generally, it’s a good idea to include these 4 food groups in your breakfast to make sure you’re getting a healthy mix of carbohydrates, fibre and protein, plus a little bit of fat:

- wholegrains – wholegrain bread, rolls or bagels and wholegrain cereals
- lean protein – eggs, lean meat or fish and nuts
- low-fat dairy – milk, plain yoghurt and low-fat cheese
- fruit and vegetables – fresh or frozen, or in smoothies or juice (with no added sugar)

Experts recommend you eat at least 2 portions of fish a week because of its many health benefits, including being a good source of protein. 

You may think it’s too early in the day for fish, but it’s a popular breakfast option around the world. Try kedgeree (made with smoked haddock and rice), kippers (try with wholegrain toast) or smoked salmon on a wholegrain bagel.

Person pouring tea behind a slice of whole grain bread topped with fish and avocado

Start the day right by trying fish for breakfast. It's great on toast and is full of protein and omega-3.

Eating at least 2 portions of fish a week, including 1 of oily fish, helps keep your blood pressure at a healthy level, which reduces your risk of heart disease.

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One of the healthiest foods you can eat for breakfast

Getting into the habit of writing down how you’re feeling may help improve your mood and lower stress levels.

You don’t need to be a good writer to try journaling, which is less about writing about your day (as you might in a more traditional diary) and more about recording your emotions, feelings and reactions. It's a way to process them and help you reframe how you see things, possibly in a more positive light.

Journaling can also help you identify patterns of feelings and behaviour, as well as triggers that have a negative effect on your mood. 

But you don't have to focus solely on the negatives. Writing down the positive feelings and experiences you have throughout the day can help you savour and maximise the good moments and see the balance between positive and negative.

Doing this regularly, over time, can help you manage stress better and improve your general outlook and mood.

And if you're not a fan of pen and paper, why not try the Notes feature in [our app](https://livehealthily.com/app). It's a completely private space to write down whatever you want, whenever you want. Head over to the 'check in' section of the app to get started with Notes today. 

Person sat on a sofa with a notebook and pen

Getting into the habit of writing down how you’re feeling may help improve your mood and lower stress levels. Learn about the power of journaling. 

In a small study, people who wrote a to-do list at bedtime fell asleep faster than people who wrote about tasks they had completed.

Put pen to paper to reduce stress

Struggling to get into a workout routine? Timing might be the answer.

We get it. Life is busy, and it can feel like you don’t have time to exercise. So here’s some good news: it seems most of us have more free time than we think. A US study found almost all of the 32,000 participants said they had about 5 hours of free time a day. 

If you want to get into the habit of making time to exercise, picking the right time of day for your workout may help. And everybody’s different. While some people find it best to exercise at the start of the day, not everyone’s a morning person. 

Find it hard to get going in the mornings? Try exercising during your lunch break, heading to the park after work or taking a brisk walk before your dinner. You can experiment with different schedules until you find a time that works well for you. 

Hand and arm outstretched into the air

Getting into a regular workout routine can be difficult, but finding the right time to do it could be the answer. 

The average person can burn up to 200 calories by skipping for 15 minutes.

Find the right time to exercise

*Did you know that watching TV or checking your phone close to bedtime can affect your hormonal balance?*

Melatonin – the sleep hormone – is produced by the pineal gland in our brain at nighttime, when it's dark.

Artificial light from TV, phones and computer screens (also called blue light) can suppress the release of melatonin by the brain. Along with regulating our sleep-wake cycle, melatonin plays a role in controlling body temperature, glucose levels and blood pressure – so stopping melatonin production through artificial light may have a more negative impact than just a bad night’s sleep.

What should you do? Dim your lights early and switch off your devices 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.

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Dim the lights, and turn off your tech, to drift off more easily tonight. 

Studies suggest red light may stimulate melatonin production and improve sleep.

Lights out

*Paying more attention while we buy, cook and eat food might help us make healthier choices.*

We've all grabbed food on the go or eaten while reading emails, watching TV or helping with homework… but when it comes to eating, multitasking may not be a skill we want to master. It turns out that being unaware of what and how we’re eating could be contributing to obesity rates and other health problems.

So, how can we learn to eat more mindfully?

1. Start at the supermarket. Don’t go shopping hungry or without a list – you’ll be more likely to add less nutritious items to your shopping basket.

2. Eat when you’re hungry, but not ravenous – you’re less likely to really enjoy your food if all you can think about is getting something into your stomach.

3. Be aware. Take a moment to fully consider what you’re about to eat – and as you’re eating, think about the smells, flavours and textures of the food. Practise the same awareness when you’re preparing snacks or cooking a meal.

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Try these simple tips the next time you sit down for a meal to help you eat more mindfully. 

Research has shown that using a bigger bowl for ice cream, for example, resulted in a 31% increase in the amount eaten.

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Ways to eat more mindfully

If you’re finding it hard to fall, and stay, asleep, it’s worth taking a look at your diet. Avoid these foods and drinks before bed for better sleep.

A sleep cycle lasts 90 minutes on average, and each cycle happens 4 or 5 times a night, depending on how long you sleep for.
