The recent revolutionary Hibernation Diet created by a British pharmacist and a nutrition expert caught my attention by making a powerful connection between poor sleep and obesity. It advocates incorporating mild resistance exercise and a healthy, balanced, and wholesome diet void of highly refined, processed foods such as white bread, pizza, burgers, chocolates, beer and sugar, and suggests taking a generous spoonful or two of honey at night, either as a warm drink, a smoothie or straight from the jar. This fascinating honey hibernation diet promises to help us sleep and lose weight at the same time by using our biology and working with our bodies, rather than against them ‘ “recovery biology”. A new approach to fat metabolism, it requires no straining from aerobics exercise, no wearing out on a treadmill and no pounding it out in the gym. Sounds too easy, too miraculous or too far-fetched to be believable?

The hibernation diet also goes on to explain how fructose in honey fuels the brain which is the most energy demanding organ, burning up to 20 times the fuel of any other cell in the body. We become exhausted after having to concentrate for a lengthy period. That’s why we often hear that mental exhaustion is worse than physical exhaustion. The brain required glucose for survival, however glucose occupies a huge amount of storage space and there is no capacity in the brain. And the liver is the only organ that can both store and release glucose into the circulation. This is why looking after your liver glycogen amount by ensuring that the liver and the brain are well provided for both in the day and at night is so critical. Any fall in blood glucose is detrimental for the brain. The adrenal glands to be activated and the adrenal hormones if overproduced can lead to conditions such as heart disease, osteoporosis, obesity, diabetes, poor immune function, depression and other distressing health problems.

Start slowly. Gradually build up to at least 30 minutes of activity, five or more times per week (or whatever your doctor recommends). If you don’t have a full 30 minutes, try two 15-minute sessions or three 10-minute sessions to meet your goal. Note your activities on a calendar or in a logbook. Write down the distance or length of time of your activity and how you feel after each session. If you miss a day, plan a make-up day or add 10-15 minutes to your next session. Join an exercise group, health club or YMCA. Many churches and senior centers offer exercise programs

Anxiety and stress cause heart problems and high blood pressure. But take heed, moderate regular exercise is a great stress reliever. Endorphins the feel good chemicals are released during exercise. Exercise can reduce the amount of insulin diabetics need. It can also reduce your risk of getting diabetes. Diabetes can lead to heart disease. Your heart is a muscle. The heart needs conditioning and strengthening just like any other muscle. Any kind of stress to the heart can impair its function. Aerobic exercise will lower your number of heartbeats per minute. This is good because as the heart is strengthened each heartbeat will push more blood. The heart becomes more efficient. Elite athletes have very low resting heart rates. Drink a cup of water before, during and after exercising (but check with the doctor, because some people need to limit their fluid intake).