As the creator of the 5:2 and Fast 800 diets, Dr Michael Mosley has become known as a healthy living guru with his straightforward advice and now he is encouraging people to take note of four simple ways to boost their bodies.
The former doctor turned TV presenter identifies four foods which he says can improve sleep and also have a knock-on effect in helping to lose weight. Several studies have shown that poor sleep can lead to weight gain with sufferers more likely to make bad food choices when tired, The Mirror reports, and lack of sleep also intensifies the hunger hormone ghrelin which is produced by the stomach.
Dr Mosley identifies foods to help aid sleep, which in turn can make healthier choices more likely the next day, and other food choices which can boost the body.
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In a blog post discussing sleep on his Fast 800 programme website, he said: "While a hot shower before you settle into bed, less screen time and a dark room will help, you may not realise food can help you sleep and what you eat may have the biggest influence on your quality night's rest. While your quality of sleep evidently has an impact on what you eat, the same applies vice versa.
"Both the food we eat and our eating habits can influence our sleep patterns and behaviours." He highlighted three foods likely to help people sleep better: "oily fish, nuts, seeds and green vegetables".
He wrote: "Oily fish is high in both omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin D, both of which have been recognised to increase levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin is later converted into melatonin, the sleep hormone.
"Nuts and seeds are high in magnesium. Magnesium, commonly referred to as the sleep mineral, helps to reduce adrenaline levels and relaxes the brain." He then recommended green vegetables, which help with the production of melatonin.
"Melatonin naturally occurs in broccoli, asparagus and cucumber so make sure you pack plenty of vegetables into your diet," he said. Referencing a 2019 study, Dr Mosley claimed that those who follow a Mediterranean diet, which includes these foods, enjoy better sleep.
In the study, one group followed the Mediterranean diet and one didn't. Those who did were twice as likely to have good sleep. In another recent post on his Fast 800 website, Dr Mosley told how a simple diet switch can really "make a difference"; such as, for instance, switching potatoes for non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, spinach, cauliflower and cucumbers and swapping to "lean protein" such as fish, turkey, chicken breast and tofu.
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