I am getting a full on smack in the face reminder this week about how important sleep is. I have always been someone that needs a lot of sleep. Even as a kid I used to come home from kindergarten and take a nap.
When I was eating carbs I would sleep 10 hours a night. When I was pregnant I would sleep 10-11 hours a night plus naps. Most Carnivores report they sleep less hours than before yet end up feeling more rested. I feel that way as well but even as a Carnivore I still need 8 hours of sleep a night. (Don't even get me started on Chris who sleeps maybe 6 hours and is always super rested).
Anyway. My point is, if I don't get enough sleep for a period of time I get sick. Your body needs proper rest in order to stay healthy. Lack of sleep can cause weight loss stalls (or gains), it can cause increased blood sugar, it can cause so much illness and compound negative health issues. Lack of sleep also drastically increases my cravings and snacking habits.
Prioritizing sleep is so important for your health no matter what stage of life you are in. I definitely am being reminded of that this week. I am focusing on taking extra care of myself, resting my voice, and fueling my body with lots of good meat.
How is your sleep currently? How much sleep do you need in order to feel rested?
Yesterday we surprised the kids and brought home a puppy!! They have been begging for one for years and we felt like the time was right to bring one home.
Meet Angus 🐕 He's a Golden Retriever/King Charles Cavalier Spaniel mix. He's 11 weeks old and currently weighs about 8 pounds, he should be around 35 pounds fully grown. I know it will be an adjustment for a while as he gets potty trained etc but we are so excited. 😂 Wish us luck! 🤪
Cheese is good! I ate a block of chipotle oven baked cheese with lunch yesterday and it was divine. I love it, but know that it halts any progress I'm making, and will even trigger eating in excess to where I'll gain weight. It's sad but I have accepted it. If I eat it in small quantities with a meal, it's ok, but I really have to work to keep it in check.
What's your favorite cheese? How do you incorporate it? Do you see negative results when eating it?
Happy Sunday! Sharing a video today from our week, one of the highlights. This was Wednesday evening church, normally they have a more casual prayer meeting where someone plays the guitar, but they were doing some construction in the fellowship hall so they had their prayer meeting in the sanctuary. No one was there to play the piano so my my Grandma did it, she's been playing the piano in church for probably 80 years.
For context, she's 88, she had a really bad fall 5 years ago now and hit her head and ended up with a lot setbacks, similar to having a stroke. She has a lot of dementia like symptoms also (I am sure related to her Type 2 diabetes), she really can't read music anymore, and she has trouble seeing well, and she needs to wear hearing aids to hear but hates wearing them, so on this night she didn't want to wear them. My 93 (almost 94) year old grandpa takes care of both of them on their farm. Anyway, on this night she sat down on the piano and led worship as people called ...
Happy Friday!! I am going to get a 90 min massage today for my birthday (my first one this long). Very exciting for the relaxation and to have all the knots worked out of my sore muscles. The rest of the weekend we don't have many plans other than church and just hanging out at home with Angus.
How is your week going? Are you anticipating any temptations this weekend? Think through all your encounters this weekend and create a plan (and a back up plan) for how you are going to handle them to stick to your health goals!
What are your plans for the weekend?
Since I'm just starting tomorrow for the first time and I'm eating a bunch of sugar today because of course I'm starting tomorrow.... what are your top free tips for me so I can start successfully?
I've been dealing with a cold the past few days. It was pretty bad for a day or two, stuffy nose, cough and feeling drained. Two rough days and I'm almost back to 100 percent already. I can't remember the last time I was sick. Covid for sure in late 2020. Maybe a short sniffle cold every couple years since. Of course it's N=1 but I feel like the diet helps a lot. It doesn't mean we'll never get sick, but hopefully rare and quick when we do.
Do you find you're sick less often? Anyone get sick as soon as they stray?
