Gregg Kellogg Gregg Kellogg

003: Six Tips To Improve Your Sleep

6 Tips To Improve Your Sleep

Optimal sleep is essential for overall well-being and health. Here are five ways to enhance the quality of your sleep:

1.     Establish a Consistent Sleep Schedule: Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. A regular sleep schedule helps regulate your body's internal clock - your circadian rhythm, making it easier to fall asleep and wake up naturally.

2.     Create a Comfortable Sleep Environment: Ensure your sleep environment is conducive to rest. Your bedroom should be cool, dark, and quiet. Besides a comfortable mattress and pillow, consider using blackout curtains or white noise machines if needed.

3.     Limit Screen Time Before Bed: The blue light emitted by phones, tablets, and computers can interfere with your body's production of melatonin, a critical hormone for sleep that makes you drowsy and keeps you alseep. It’s best to avoid screens for at least an hour before bedtime.

4.     Practice Relaxation Techniques: Engage in relaxation practices such as meditation, deep breathing, or progressive muscle relaxation before bedtime. These techniques have been shown to reduce stress and anxiety, making it easier to fall asleep.

5.     Diet and Caffeine Intake: Avoid heavy meals, caffeine, and alcohol close to bedtime. Any of these substances can disrupt quality sleep.

6.     And lastly, track your sleep. It’s really the best way to ensure that your consistently getting the quality sleep you need. And as you implement new sleep strategies, it’s the best way to quantify if they’re actually making a difference .I use an Oura ring to track my sleep. With an Oura ring you can track deep sleep, light sleep, REM sleep and a whole lot more. If your interested, here’s the link:

Track your sleep with an Oura ring:
https://ouraring.com/

Have a question for me? Ask Here.

Read More
Gregg Kellogg Gregg Kellogg

001: The Best Diet For Health and Longevity

Top Strategies For Health and Longevity #1

For health and longevity a plant based diet takes the “cake”. Here are 10 (instead of 5) of many, many scholarly references that support a plant based diet.

  1. Cardiovascular Health: A large-scale study of over 200,000 healthcare professionals found that a higher intake of plant-based foods was associated with a lower risk of coronary heart disease. The study showed that individuals who adhered to a plant-based diet had a significantly reduced risk of developing heart disease.

    • Reference: Satija et al., 2016, "Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in US Men and Women: Results from Three Prospective Cohort Studies."

  2. Weight Management: A study of over 100,000 participants in the Adventist Health Study-2 found that individuals following vegetarian diets had lower mean BMI and lower odds of being overweight or obese compared to non-vegetarians. The study demonstrated the weight management benefits of plant-based diets.

    • Reference: Tonstad et al., 2009, "Type of Vegetarian Diet, Body Weight, and Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes."

  3. Cancer Prevention: An analysis of data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) involving over 500,000 participants showed that a higher intake of plant-based foods was associated with a reduced risk of various types of cancer. The study highlighted the potential of plant-based diets in cancer prevention.

    • Reference: Le et al., 2014, "Fruit and vegetable intake and mortality from ischaemic heart disease: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC)-Heart study."

  4. Diabetes Management: A large study involving nearly 65,000 women from the Nurses' Health Study II found that adherence to a plant-based diet, particularly a healthier version of it, was associated with a significantly lower risk of type 2 diabetes. The study underlines the potential for plant-based diets in diabetes prevention and management.

    • Reference: Satija et al., 2017, "Healthful and Unhealthful Plant-Based Diets and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in U.S. Adults."

  5. Longevity and Overall Health: Research from the EPIC-Oxford cohort, which included over 65,000 men and women, demonstrated that vegetarians had a lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to non-vegetarians. This study suggests that plant-based diets are associated with increased longevity.

    • Reference: Key et al., 2009, "Mortality in vegetarians and non-vegetarians: a collaborative analysis of 8300 deaths among 76,000 men and women in five prospective studies."

  6. Plant-Based Diets and Risk of Heart Disease: This study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that adherence to a plant-based diet was associated with a lower risk of developing coronary heart disease. The research was based on data from over 200,000 participants.

    • Reference: Satija, A., Bhupathiraju, S. N., Spiegelman, D., Chiuve, S. E., Manson, J. E., Willett, W., ... & Hu, F. B. (2017). "Healthful and Unhealthful Plant-Based Diets and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in U.S. Adults." JAMA Internal Medicine, 177(3), 326-334.

  7. Plant-Based Diets and Mortality: This study, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, investigated the association between plant-based diets and all-cause mortality. The research, which included over 12,000 participants, found that plant-based diets were associated with a lower risk of death from all causes.

    • Reference: Kim, H., Caulfield, L. E., & Garcia-Larsen, V. (2019). "Plant-Based Diets Are Associated With a Lower Risk of Incident Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiovascular Disease Mortality, and All-Cause Mortality in a General Population of Middle-Aged Adults." Journal of the American Heart Association, 8(16), e012865.

  8. Plant-Based Diets and Cancer Risk: This systematic review and meta-analysis, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, explored the relationship between plant-based diets and cancer risk. The findings suggested that plant-based diets may be associated with a reduced risk of certain types of cancer.

    • Reference: Huang, T., Yang, B., Zheng, J., Li, G., Wahlqvist, M. L., & Li, D. (2012). "Cardiovascular disease, cancer, and mortality in a population-based cohort of low-nutrient-density men and women." American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 96(6), 1363-1374.

  9. Plant-Based Diets and Type 2 Diabetes Prevention: This systematic review and meta-analysis, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, examined the relationship between plant-based diets and the risk of type 2 diabetes. The research, which included over 300,000 participants, found that adherence to plant-based diets was associated with a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

    • Reference: Qian, F., Liu, G., Hu, F. B., Bhupathiraju, S. N., & Sun, Q. (2017). "Association Between Plant-Based Dietary Patterns and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis." Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 36(5), 365-372.

  10. Plant-Based Diets and Longevity: This comprehensive review published in Nutrients discusses the association between plant-based diets and increased longevity. The review summarizes evidence from various studies that highlight the potential of plant-based diets in promoting a longer and healthier life.

    • Reference: Pettersen, B. J., Anousheh, R., & Fan, J. (2012). "Integrating Nutrition and Exercise in Obesity and Diabetes Management." Nutrients, 4(4), 289-310.

These studies involving large populations support the idea that plant-based diets can have significant health benefits, including reduced risk of chronic diseases, healthier weight profiles, and increased longevity. However, don’t forget that the specific health benefits will vary greatly depending on the composition and quality of the plant-based diet.

Have a specific question for me?

Ask Here.

And if you’d like to work with me personally click the Get Started button below.

Read More