Stuff to Read While You’re Pretending to Work: Sleep Quality, Supplement Confusion, and Nutrition Gurus

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I think I’ve got a pretty epic blog brewing for all of you that, if all goes to plan, should be posted by either tomorrow or early next week.  I still have a bit of tinkering to do with it, but I think it will be well worth the wait. And while I’ve never been one to toot my own horn (except for like once a week) it could very well win me a Pulitzer Prize for best piece of literature ever written.  Give or take.

Assuming, of course, I’m able perform a miracle and do so without spelling something wrong or use the word they’re when I meant their.  Or is it there?

Crap! I always get them confused.

Anyways, slight exaggerations notwithstanding, I plan on posting my latest installment on The (New) New Rules of Lifting for Women, and this time I’m going to delve into the topic of the scale and whether or not I feel it’s a good tool to use to judge progress.

So, stay tuned for that one.  In the meantime, here’s some other stuff to read.

Fascinating Facts About Sleep – TC Luoma

Thankfully I’ve never had any issues falling asleep, or staying asleep for that matter.  I know there are a lot of people out there who aren’t quite as lucky and are walking around like zombies day in and day completely sleep deprived.

Don’t believe me?  If any of these have happened to you within the past year, it’s a safe bet you’re not getting enough sleep:

1.  You showed up to work without any pants on.

2.  You kissed the toaster good-bye this morning and not your significant other.

3.  You brushed your teeth with foot cream and didn’t even bat an eye.

Unfortunately many people are just too wired before heading to bed, which makes falling asleep all the more challenging.  I for one have a set ritual:

– I try to turn off all screens an hour before bed.  Which means no tv and no checking emails.

– I cap off the night with a cup of mint hernal tea and some ZMA.

– Once it’s time for bed, I crawl into my Transformer PJs, turn on my fan (white noise), close all the shades and curtains, and read for a good 30 minutes.

It’s like my body knows the ritual, and by the time I turn my light off I’m asleep within a few minutes and dreaming about becoming BFFs with The Rock as we fight crime on the streets with our fire-breathing dragons.  Gotta love ZMA dreams!

But like I said, there are many people out there who don’t have this luxury.  There’s a real struggle for many out there to not only get to sleep, but stay asleep, which is going to have long-stemming ramifications on things like T-levels and just overall quality of life.

I felt this article by TC was a fascinating (hence the word in the title) look into the history of sleep.  Apparently, we’re doing it wrong….;o)

We’ve Solved 90% of Supplement Confusion – The Guys Over at Examine.com

With 17,000+ citations it’s a safe bet that both Sol Orwell and Kurtis Frank have looked underneath every rock and barked up every tree to provide what’s arguably the most complete database of supplement reviews on the web.

What works?  What doesn’t?  What makes you piss out your ass for three days?  Is Creatine worth taking?  What benefits does fish oil really provide?  And what the heck is Yohimbe?

All the answers are here, at your finger tips.

Well played, fellas.  Well played.

Cue slow clap here.

Opinion Stew – Dr. David Katz

Isn’t it funny (or more appropriately unfortunate) that anyone can be a nutrition guru?  Seemingly anyone who has an opinion – or happened to lose 20 lbs last month – is somehow an expert when it comes to nutrition.

It’s crazy.

To quote the good doc himself, “For now, anyone who shares opinions about nutrition or weight loudly and often enough — or cleverly enough — is embraced as an authority, with no one generally even asking what if any training they’ve had.”

In this awesome opinion piece, Dr. Katz speaks some well needed truth.

Did what you just read make your day? Ruin it? Either way, you should share it with your friends and/or comment below.

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Comments for This Entry

  • Steven Trolio

    Cannot thank you enough for sharing examine.com. That website is BRILLIANT! I've never seen so many references in one place, listed in a such a simple manner that the average person can actually understand the research. I might even skip the gym today to read up on some of the supps I've never heard of!

    April 25, 2013 at 1:02 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Steve Bergeron

    Awesome truth in Dr. Katz article: "...in the famous words of Bertrand Russell, "Fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser men so full of doubts." It is the least substantiated, most uninformed opinions about how to eat that will come at you with the greatest conviction. That's your first clue that something is awry, because true expertise always allows for doubt."

    April 25, 2013 at 2:38 pm | Reply to this comment

  • Jake Johnson

    Reading fiction before bed has completely solved my sleeping problems. If for some reason I have to be on the computer right before bed, I've installed a program called f.lux, which changes the color of your screen based on the time of day. It's been a life (sleep) saver. But most nights, a good novel + herbal tea = out like a light.

    April 27, 2013 at 1:22 pm | Reply to this comment

    • TonyGentilcore

      Yeah, I'm on par with you there. Reading non-fiction right before bed doesn't make sense to me because I can't remember anything anyways. Fiction fits the bill perfectly in this sense. Never head of that computer program before - thanks for sharing!!!!

      April 29, 2013 at 7:04 am | Reply to this comment

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