Weight Loss Surgery and a Servants Heart

by Bill Streetman | Dec 3, 2020 | Blog, Health

FORWARD: Barb G. Begy Lee, a Weight Loss Surgery friend from Canada, has been sharing her, now eight-year, WLS Journey with people from all walks of life. Barb made the following presentation at a bariatric surgery orientation. Read how she weaves the story of what she has learned about living the WLS Lifestyle with her pre-WLS dreams of living free of obesity and serving the less fortunate. Following her presentation Barb answers our questions and gives her best advice to all WLS patients, but especially ‘newbies.’ She presents a good picture of how a successful WLS patient approaches life and uses their tool. And now… Here is Barb Begy Lee.

By: Barb G. Begy Lee

A Servants Heart

Hello. My name is Barb and my Weight Loss Surgery journey started in late 2012. I was seeking my doctor’s advice about dealing with diabetes, nutrition, weight loss, and living a healthy lifestyle. I wanted to learn how to take care of my health – beginning with what I eat. The doctor’s staff handed me a book to read about diabetes. They simply said the best route for me was thru the bariatric clinic, regarding weight loss. I had no idea what that meant. It would take months for me to hear back from them. I asked to be referred to the Wharton Medical Clinic, which specializes in Weight & Diabetes management. I wanted to be educated and proactive while waiting for the bariatric clinic to contact me.

Eventually, I received mail from the bariatric clinic informing me of the process and steps that lead up to weight loss surgery. My reaction was ‘What? I don’t want surgery.’ Fear welled up in me. I was sure I wouldn’t go through with it, but my husband Jim and I decided to go to the bariatric orientation to learn if surgery might be an option to consider. Coming out of orientation I was thinking “No way,” but my husband came out thinking, “This is it!”

The WLS Process

A gastric bypass is a form of weight loss surgery. My surgeon would modify my stomach, which is the size of a football. It would be reduced to the size of a golf ball. This limits the amount of food I can put into my stomach. It limits my calorie intake. The surgeon also takes my small intestine, cuts it, and attaches it to my new small stomach. This creates a situation where most of the old stomach and small intestines are bypassed and not used anymore. With this ‘bypass,’ I would not be able to absorb all the calories and nutrients I consume. Malabsorption is the term for this. If I don’t eat and drink as directed, I could become vitamin and mineral deprived and or dehydrated. It is also possible to develop a hernia and or blood clots.

In escaping obesity I learned that my health issues, diabetes, sleep apnea, GERD, asthma, blood pressure, cholesterol, and arthritis could all disappear. I learned that surgery is not a quick fix weight loss plan. To avoid regaining lost weight and having poor health issues return, I would have to be careful in my dietary choices.

I decided to keep the door open and proceed one step at a time until I knew for sure what I was doing. It was possible to decline weight loss surgery right up to the moment of it happening. Scared, I looked and prayed for clarity in regards to my possibly having this surgery. I had a vision of what my life would look like if I did not have the surgery. I saw health issues worsening and me ending up in a wheelchair.

My Vision

For a long time, I had a passion in my heart to go on a mission trip to India. I wanted to help free young girls from human trafficking. I was looking at a possible trip that coming September. When pondering what life would look like if I had weight loss surgery, I saw myself much healthier, more energetic, and on the mission trip. In my visualization, I was able to get down on my knees to hug these girls. Something I did not have a hope and a prayer of doing at 328 lbs. I came to believe that I was meant to have the surgery. If it was not meant to be, then God would close that door to me.

Weight Loss Surgery will help you lve your life and serve others — Weight Loss Surgery helped Barb defeat obesity and live her life and serve others

The day of the surgery, as they pushed me down the hall to the operating room I said to myself, “You can still back out.” However, a real sense of peace had come over me, allowing me to relax and let go. The next thing I knew, they told me the surgery went well, and I thought “I guess it’s too late to back out now!”

Fulfilling my Dream

Since the surgery in January 2014, my non-scale victories included remembering that I had dimples when I smile. They had been hiding for over 25 years. I loved seeing that I actually do have a chin, neck, collar bone, hip bones, and ankles. I can cross my legs easily, and tackle stairs without using the rails.

So when the September trip to India came around, I went on the mission trip. The flight to India was my first in over 25 years that I didn’t need a seat belt extension to fit comfortably in my seat. I was physically active and walked many miles. I was able to meet many women and share hope and encourage them. When I walked up to a group of little girls, I was able to get down on my knees and hug them. My prayers were answered, my dream had come true! None of this would have been possible with my excess weight and health issues.

The Weight Loss Surgery Lifestyle

Diabetic meds are a thing of the past. I have been kicked out of the diabetic clinic and am no longer considered diabetic. I have more energy and my sleep apnea is a thing of the past. My blood pressure and cholesterol are both normal and totally under control. I also was pleasantly surprised to find that I no longer have Asthma. My seasonal allergies are almost non-existent.

I thank God, as having weight loss surgery was the best decision in my life next to Him. Currently, I take only vitamin and mineral supplements.

The hardest part of the weight loss surgery lifestyle isn’t losing the weight, it’s keeping it off.

Bariatric surgery is not a quick fix, it is not the easy way out, and it isn’t foolproof. Like any weight loss method, you have to live by the guidelines for it to be successful long-term. Yes, you will lose weight quickly at first and you won’t be hungry. The hunger will eventually return and it will take much hard work, diligence, and determination.

Weight Loss Surgery Success

I am going to share four critical things you need to do for success when you have weight loss surgery. Number 1: You need to get your protein, fiber, and liquids each day. Number 2: Be sure to get in all your vitamins and minerals. Try to stay within the target range of what has been recommended to you by your dietician. Meet your specific goals for calories and protein. Number 3: Keep a journal of your food to help keep you on target. It is easy to not be aware you have fallen off your regimen. Number 4: Get active with some form of exercise right away. Don’t procrastinate as I did. I kick myself daily for waiting almost a year post-op to get serious about exercise. Your muscles and skin will be saggier when you neglect to exercise.

I want to encourage you if you are connected with the Wharton Medical Clinic to stay connected. Dr. Wharton was an important part of my pre-surgical experience – and post-surgery, he is a wealth of bariatric knowledge and support. He is my ‘Go-To’ when I have questions or concerns. Tap into his wealth of knowledge, information, and extra support!

My Personal Weight Loss Journey

Before going to India, I had lost just over 100 lbs., in India, I lost 10 more. When I returned, I was approaching 10 months post-surgery and my weight loss came to a halt. For a few months, I basically stayed the same. Dr. Wharton advised me I may have reached the limit of my weight loss surgery. Typically you can lose 30% of your body weight and I had already lost 35% of mine. Weighing 215 lbs. frustrated me. I did not have this surgery to remain over 200 lbs. and still be classified as obese. I was not finished yet.

Pre weight loss surgery — Barb before weight loss and her healthy lifestyle

I decided to get more regimented. To get away from doing things ‘my way,’ I journaled in MyFitnessPal. Exercise became more consistent. I took in extra fluids and upped my protein intake. Consistency is important and I hadn’t been consistent, so I leveled it out. I began riding my exercise bike, using my Wii, I even pulled out my old Richard Simmons tapes.

It began to take a toll on my arthritis so I had to slow down a bit. I focused on walking. When I saw my doctor, my added diligence, extra fluids, and increased protein intake had enabled me to lose another few lbs. After much hard work, I am now in what is called Onederland (under 200 lbs.). I am less than 15 lbs. away from being out of the obese classification. I am on my own now meaning weight loss surgery is no longer my helper. Every pound lost now is a sweet victory for me. Today, even a 5 lbs. loss – which I have as my next goal – could take me many months or longer. I will get there and from there I’ll take it one step at a time.

weight loss surgery lifestyle for Barb — Barb after weight loss surgery

A Life-Long Journey

Once you lose the weight you will learn great, hard, and valuable lessons. When your weight loss ends, the real work begins. However, when the going gets tough, the tough get going. This is where a new lifelong journey starts.

Believe it or not, there are people who, after initial weight loss success, make foolish choices. These choices become bad habits, resulting in regaining weight and old health issues. Unfortunately, sometimes even worse than previous. There are some people who will have weight loss surgery a 2^nd time. This is something I will avoid at all costs. Thank you.

Questions and Answers with Barb

Q: What WLS procedure did you have and when?

A: The procedure I had is Gastric Bypass (RNY) in January of 2014.

Q: What hospital and surgeon?

A: St. Joseph’s Hospital in Hamilton, ON, by Dr. Hong.

Q: What were/are your numbers… HW… SW… CW… etc.?

A: My highest weight was 328 lbs. My weight 10 months after surgery was 188 lbs. (140 lbs. lost)

Q: What struggles did you face in your first year post-op?

A: One of the hardest things during the first year post-op for me was reprogramming my life-long habit of clearing my plate. As a result, I am still learning portion control. I still put too much food on my plate, even knowing that I can not eat that much. I’ve had to reprogram what a ‘normal’ portion is.

Q: What are your favorite foods now, and are there any that give you problems?

A: Favorite foods now include chicken, beef, peas, carrots, asparagus, blended cottage cheese with a bit of fruit. On the other hand, foods that give me a hard time are pork roast, eggs (most of the time), rice.

Q: Do you exercise or workout?

A: I am not currently exercising. About a year and a half ago I joined a gym, it was ok, and I did that for about a year. I just didn’t enjoy it. I have done aqua fit from time to time. It’s not bad, but since surgery, I am almost always cold and full of arthritis, so putting a swimsuit on in the winter doesn’t work well for me. I walk occasionally and I would like to find an exercise that I enjoy. Sadly, I have not yet found it. I am full of hope, I will find something that clicks.

Q: What are your favorite NSV’s?

A: Improved health factors are the greatest NSV since surgery. Examples include going from severe to mild sleep apnea, no longer having GERDS, no longer being diabetic, no longer asthmatic. Only needing to take vitamins and minerals. Some little milestones like finding out you actually have a neck, you can cross your legs, climb stairs with ease. Seeing dimples in your face when you had forgotten you even had them. In seeing these things come about – you find you are getting healthy. The icing on the cake is fitting into smaller clothes.

Q: What was the best advice you were given about your journey?

A: Be careful not to be tempted to eat things your medical team recommends you avoid. A person I know mentioned they were 2 years post-op and had allowed themselves to eat everything, and were now fighting weight regain of over 50 lbs.

Q: What advice do you have for others considering or currently living the WLS lifestyle?

A: The honeymoon phase will end and your appetite and cravings will return. Be prepared, it happens within a couple of years. If you haven’t dealt with what caused you to turn to food, you will likely turn to food again. This is what I have been going through. I am not completely sure what makes me turn to food. As a woman of faith, I turn to God and pray. I believe He is at work as I am maintaining and not gaining now. It is an ongoing battle. I am determined and persistent and firmly believe where there is a will there is a way.

Q: Any last things you would like to share with the WLSFA weight loss surgery community?

A: Besides my husband Jim, I would like to acknowledge and say a huge thank you to Dr. Sean Wharton and his team at the Wharton Medical Clinic. Dr. Wharton has been a crucial part of my success and a wealth of knowledge about bariatric health care. He also works closely with St. Joseph’s Hospital’s bariatric team. I will continue to visit Dr. Wharton for accountability and to have him keep me in check!

weight loss surgery life — Barb enjoying her post-obesity life with her husband Jim.

Most importantly I want to thank God who introduced me to the Wharton Medical Clinic through a dear friend. He painted the picture that made it clear to me to move forward and have the surgery. I saw myself on the mission trip to India, showing His love to the untouchables. All these things have changed and altered my life in such amazing ways!

I would love to share a photo of the women and girls we served – but for their safety, I cannot. They begged us to not share them via social media as these dear folks were victims of Human trafficking.

For information on future WLSFA events, follow this link: www.wlsfa.org

MORE: American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery: www.asmbs.org

Obesity and Covid-19

by Bill Streetman | Jun 6, 2020 | WLSFA Board Members

The Covid-19 epidemic is upon us. Every day brings new stories of people who have contracted the illness and those who have recovered, or sadly, perished from it. Civic leaders and medical professionals are scrambling to develop methods and means to fight the spread of the virus and to protect us from exposure. The impact of this pandemic is wide and deep, and has made significant changes across all aspects of our society.

The virus is highly transmittable, and although some people contract the virus asymptomatically, others suffer extreme complications, including death.

Health professionals say that as with other respiratory viral infections, the most vulnerable among us for serious and potentially life-threatening complications are the elderly and people with lung or heart disease or compromised health defenses. As coronavirus attacks the lungs and breathing mechanisms of the body, anybody with a pre-existing respiratory ailment would be vulnerable to the virus and likely to suffer more extreme complications if infected.

The obesity epidemic is also upon us. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (the CDC) estimates that 42% of all adults in the USA are obese. People with obesity often have comorbidities, including diminished lung capacity, inflammation, and diabetes.

When Epidemics Collide

What do you call the collision of two epidemics? I’m not sure there is a name for it but I am certain the outcome isn’t good – and leads us to this question:

Do obese Covid-19 patients have a higher rate of extreme complications, or even death, than the non-obese?

The data seems to indicate they do.

Obesity is a Major Complication

Data shows that obese Covid-19 patients have an increased risk of developing pneumonia and the need for invasive mechanical ventilation.

Obesity has been found to be the second strongest independent predictor of hospitalization (due to Covid-19 illness), after old age.

“Obesity is commonly associated with metabolic syndrome, which increases your risks for diabetes, hypertension, heart and blood vessel disease, and ultimately kidney disease.” Says Dr. David Nazarian, a Beverly Hills-based physician. “So, in a nutshell, a person who is obese can check off five of the risk factors that the CDC has placed as risks for more severe COVID-19 infections.”

The CDC has pinpointed “severe obesity” – those with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or more — as being one of the groups most “at risk for complications” when it comes to coronavirus.

“I suspect this [obesity] is America’s COVID Achilles heel and may cause higher morbidity and mortality rates than other regions [countries],” noted Dr. Jennifer Lighter, hospital epidemiologist at New York University’s Langone Health.

Now some experts believe obesity may explain why otherwise healthy young people are needing hospitalization and are dying from Covid-19.

Researchers have found that obesity is especially prevalent in the hospitalization of young people who contract the pathogen. An April 17 article published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report underscored that of 180 patients hospitalized from March 1 to March 30, the most prevalent underlying condition was obesity – a condition that afflicted more than half.

People under 60 years of age are generally considered at lower risk of developing severe COVID-19. Nonetheless, “In individuals less than 60 years old, they [obese people] were two to three times more likely to be admitted to the hospital or ICU, and for the morbidly obese, fatality is three times the rate than for non-obese COVID-infected individuals” noted Dr. Lighter.

Obesity can be an Issue in Treatment

According to the World Obesity Federation, “Persons with obesity who become ill and require intensive care present challenges for patient management as it is more difficult to intubate patients with obesity.” The Federation also adds, “It can be more challenging to obtain diagnostic imaging as there are weight limits on imaging machines, patients are more difficult to position and transport by nursing staff and, like pregnant patients in ICUs, they may not do well when prone. In general, health systems are already not well set up to manage patients with obesity.”

Dr Brunilda Nazario, lead medical director at WebMD, points out that obese patients are “difficult to intubate, and may need specialized equipment that may not be widely available. “Unfortunately, the vast majority of our health care system is not well equipped to manage the critical care of a patient with obesity,”

People suffering obesity often avoiding seeking medical care to avoid judgement of others or out of embarrassment or shame. However, it is the obese that should take extra precautions to prevent contracting the coronavirus, and they must seek appropriate medical care when needed.

“The stigma that people with obesity face is unjustified, this is a medical condition and should be viewed and addressed as one, especially within the health care system,” Dr. Nazario said. “Because the rates of obesity continue to climb in the U.S., and we don’t know when the pandemic will end, we need to address this simultaneously.”

Living in the World of Covid-19

Fortunately, the vast majority of us will not contract the virus – or if we do, it will be asymptomatic, or with minimal complications… a bad cold, a mild flu. We will however, be dealing with one form or another of disruption to our daily routines due to Covid-19.

The WLS lifestyle

It is almost impossible to overstate or fully grasp the impact that the coronavirus made to our daily lives. This disease has compelled monumental changes to virtually every aspect of our society – religious, entertainment, political, economic, educational, medical and social.

The typical WLS lifestyle frequently depends upon a system of planning and implementing daily routines such as food prep, structured meal times, scheduled exercise periods, and group support meetings. As these routines are an integral reason that obesity was overcome, their absence or disruption will increase the likelihood that the WLS patient will experience a disruption in lifestyle, resulting in setbacks.

Diet and Nutrition

While quarantine and sheltering-in-place have created a hardship for everybody, there are specific hardships that hit the WLS community differently than the general population. WLS patients must manage their nutrition in a specific manner which has a greater dependency on access to fresh food – both vegetables and proteins. This becomes difficult when sheltered in place. The result may be that the WLS patient is forced to turn to less nutritious sources of food such as canned or frozen, chemically infused and processed ‘foods’, that have:

more salt, sugar, and trans fats
more simple, less complex carbs
chemical additives
higher calories
less protein

WLS patients must find a way to maintain access to fresh foods – through delivery services, online ordering/drive up pick up, or other of the creative ways that grocers are finding to keep the flow of fresh foods safely accessible to the public.

Most WLS Patients take vitamin and mineral supplements. These nutrients are vitally important to the wellbeing of the WLS patient and must not be missed. Being sheltered in place makes a trip to the store to resupply vitamins difficult. Thankfully most of the vitamin manufacturers serving the WLS community provide online ordering and shipping of their products.

Support

It is said within the WLS community that “They operate on your stomach, not your head,” in reference to the significant role that our mental and emotional states play in both the onset of obesity and the effort to defeat it. Group support sessions are one of the most popular and utilized forms of therapy that help the WLS patient deal with the mental and emotional side of fighting obesity. In-person group meetings in the era of social isolation are not possible. The loss of a regular support group benefit will increase the likelihood that the WLS patient will experience a disruption in lifestyle, resulting in setbacks and may realize regain.

Support is so very important to the long-term success of the WLS patient. If local support groups are not available because of quarantine or rules against group meetings, there are many online options available that can provide this valuable service. These groups meet via Facebook, Goggle Hangout or Zoom. Most have a ‘mission’ or focus, such as being targeted at people who have had a specific procedure such as the sleeve, or gastric bypass… that are from certain hospital systems or regions of the country… that focus on addiction… that focus on mental health… etc. Look at many, find one or more you like and join!

Exercise

The two main calorie factors affecting weight loss and weight control are managing the calories taken in from food and drink – and the calories burned up through exercise and activity. We have discussed the challenges of eating well as we deal with Covid-19, well it is just as important to find a way to keep exercise and movement in our daily activities, even when gyms are closed and social distancing makes taking classes and group exercise impossible. Fortunately there are many options for getting exercise even while sheltered-in-place. Websites and YouTube videos of Zumba, yoga, aerobic, weight lifting, Tai Chi, stretching and virtually any other form of exercise expression are readily available. Find one that fits your likes and needs and join it with the same regularity and enthusiasm that you have attended your local gym classes. The web is also a great place to find options for exercising at home or in your own yard. Continuing to get exercise is probably the easiest Covid-19 challenge to overcome.

Thriving During Covid-19

Living during the Covid-19 pandemic certainly adds many challenges to the WLS lifestyle that many have utilized to master the symptoms of obesity and reclaim control over their lives. The common fear is that these challenges might cause us to revert to other lifestyles – like the lifestyle that exacerbated the symptoms of obesity in the first place.

Don’t fall for it.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. The secret to a WLS lifestyle hasn’t changed. Covid-19 or not… it is this:

Eat your protein first

Get daily exercise (body and mind)

Drink water and stay hydrated

Avoid sugar and simple carbs

And…

You know the list. It hasn’t changed, in… well, in forever. Times change. Circumstances morph. Conditions evolve. Situations develop. Just realize that the same WLS lifestyle we have been following and has lead us toward wellness, can be followed in any time, circumstance, condition or situation. You can find a way to make it work. Trust the plan.

The WLSFA and Weight Loss Surgery

It is clear that the presence of obesity creates a greater risk in an individual for contracting and suffering significant complications from (including death) the coronavirus. Weight Loss Surgery (WLS) is a tool that the obese can use to overcome the symptoms of their disease and decrease their risk of greater complications from Covid-19, should they become infected.

WLS is a useful, but not universally available tool for fighting obesity. It aids the patient in establishing new lifestyle practices and overcoming the symptoms of their obesity.

WLS is not universally available due to its high cost, and the fact that it is not typically covered by most health insurance policies. Therefore there are thousands of people who would benefit from WLS, if they had the means of paying for the procedure. In addition to overcoming obesity, they would also become more protected against contracting and suffering complications from Covid-19 as well as a whole host of other illnesses, ailments and diseases.

The WLSFA works to provide WLS grants to people who are referred to the surgery by their surgeon, but who do not have the means to pay for it, nor insurance that covers it. In these times of Covid-19, WLS may not only help save the life of the WLS patient, but also avoid Covid-19 complications.

It seems that “Saving Lives one Surgery at a Time”, can have a ripple effect of positive benefits.

Sources:

Obesity and Impaired Metabolic Health in Patients with Covid-19 | Nature Reviews Endocrinology | 4/29/2020 | https://www.nature.com/articles/s41574-020-0364-6

Obesity May Impact Mortality in Covid-19 Patients | George Washington University | April 27, 2020 |

https://medicalxpress.com/news/2020-040obesity-impact-mortality-covid-patients-html

Obesity and Covid-19: Theories and Blame Fill scientific Void | TCTMD.com | April 28, 2020 |

https://www.tctmd.com/news/obesity-and-covid-19-theories-and-blame-fill-scientific-void

Are America’s High Obesity Levels Leading to More Coronavirus Deaths? | Fox News | April 28, 2020 |

https://www.foxnews.com/health/is-americas-high-obesity-levels-leading-to-more-coronavirus-deaths

Sleep Quality and Weight Management

by Bill Streetman | Nov 20, 2019 | Health

Sleep Quality and its Impact on Weight Management, Quality of Life, and Wellness

Feel like you’re not getting enough sleep at night — and suffering as a result? It’s not just you. About a third of adults in the United States experience a chronic lack of sleep, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, getting less than seven hours of sleep each night on a regular basis.

While you might brush off a tough night of sleep here and there, insufficient sleep is a serious issue that can lead to a number of chronic health conditions over the long term. These include obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, and frequent mental distress.

And each day that you wake up short on sleep, you’re at a disadvantage both physically and mentally. You may struggle with cognitive issues such as concentration, memory, making decisions, and problem solving. You’re at a greater risk of getting sick, making poor food choices, and even getting into accidents.

Overall, life is better when you’re able to sleep well. You can face each day fresh, well rested, and ready take on challenges with energy and mental clarity. You can even reduce your risk of developing some serious health conditions.

Sleep Quality and Weight Management

Making sleep a priority can support a healthy lifestyle and help you make good choices when it comes to food and activity. Sleep can have an influence on self control, food choices, and even the hormones related to weight gain.

You might struggle with self control when you’re short on sleep, according to a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study found that when you’re sleep deprived, you’re more likely to snack late at night and eat snacks high in carbohydrates.

Additionally, a study published in Appetite found that when you sleep less than five hours each night, your nutrition really takes a nosedive. At that level of sleep deprivation, you’re more likely to consume more calories, less water, and more carbohydrates overall.

On top of struggling with food choices when you’re sleep deprived, you’ll likely feel short on energy. Think you’re going to make it to the gym when all you want to do is nap? It’s possible, but you may struggle to even show up, and if you do, you may have a hard time giving your workout your full effort.

Support Sleep and a Healthy Weight

Life can make healthy sleep feel impossible, but it isn’t. We all have our excuses, but anyone can make a commitment to improving sleep and with it, improving overall health and wellness.

Don’t let excuses get in the way of the sleep you need. We all deal with the demands of daily life, whether it’s work, family responsibilities, school, or other priorities. But your first priority is your health, because without your health, everything else suffers.

Block out time for sleep, and make it your top priority. Plan what time you need to get up in the morning and count backwards from there, giving yourself seven to nine hours of time to rest each night. Schedule life around sleep, not the other way around.

For some people, sleep struggles are more than a question of scheduling and priorities. If you have a sleep disorder, you may have a hard time getting the rest you need, even if you give yourself enough time. It’s essential to manage sleep disorders with treatment. Talk to your doctor about how your sleep disorder is affecting your life and health, and get suggestions for treatment that can alleviate the condition.

Stick to healthy sleep habits. Late night screen time, eating heavy meals before bed, even drinking alcohol late at night can negatively influence the quality and quantity of your sleep. Stick to a consistent sleep schedule and bedtime routine, and avoid the major pitfalls that can sabotage your healthy sleep.

Make sure your bedroom is healthy for sleep, with a mattress that offers appropriate support, and bedding that feels comfortable. Your bedroom should be a haven for relaxation, and kept clean, dark, quiet, cool, and comfortable.

Understand that if you’re dieting, some diets can have an effect on your sleep. Many popular diets restrict carbohydrates, such as paleo or low carb diets. These diets can cause temporary insomnia, because normally, carbohydrates can help you sleep easier. You might be fine just to push through the temporary insomnia for a few days as you settle in to your diet, but if it persists for several days, you may need to reintroduce carbs.

There are many ways to help yourself feel better, but without sleep, your efforts may be futile. Commit to healthy sleep for a healthier lifestyle and improved wellness. You can support healthy habits with healthy sleep, and improve your ability to feel good both physically and mentally.

Amy Highland is a sleep expert at SleepHelp.org. She loves taking naps during thunderstorms and cuddling up with a blanket, book, and cat.