A meal that improves sleep

Since the end of 2009 I've been eating a lot of dhal, and I think it improves my sleep, moods, energy levels, and helps with weight loss and maintenance.

If it is doing these things, it is probably due to it being a high-protein food (and low carb, thus balancing blood sugar levels), and perhaps also because of the spices included in it. Cinnamon, for example, is supposed to help balance blood sugar levels. Additionally, many of the spices have anti-inflammatory properties, according to Nicholas Perricone and his 'Perricone Prescription'.

If you prefer not to spend lots of time in the kitchen, I recommend tripling the recipe and eating the dhal over the following days. It goes very nicely with chapati bread (although the less of this the better from a PCOS perspective, really). Salad also works well with it.

And did I mention it's easy/quick to cook and delicious?!

Here's the recipe:

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Lentil dhal recipe


Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

* 1 cup (300g) red lentils, rinsed well
* 3cm fresh ginger, sliced
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 cinnamon stick
* 2 tbs (40g) butter
* 1 large onion, finely chopped
* 2 cloves garlic, crushed
* 2 tsp tumeric
* 1 tsp cumin
* 1/2 tsp garam masala
* 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
* 2 tbs lemon juice
* 1/2-1 tsp salt
* 1 tbs chopped coriander leaves
* naan bread or pappadums, to serve

Method

1. Place lentils, bay leaves, ginger and cinnamon in a large saucepan with 3 cups of cold water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring to prevent sticking for 10-12 minutes. Discard spices and set aside.
2. Heat the butter in a large frying pan over a medium high heat. Add the onion and cook for 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, tumeric, cumin, garam masala and chilli flakes and cook for a further minute or until fragrant. Stir in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt.
3. Add the lentils to the pan and mix well. Cook for a further 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat. Stir in coriander and serve hot with naan bread or pappadums.

~~Enjoy~~

The solution

In this post I’m going to describe the dietary changes I've made and supplements that I’ve been taking for the last 6 weeks. I’ll also mention a few extra things I do to maintain my health and sleep well.

The main reason for the dietary changes and supplements is to balance blood sugar levels (I will describe in another entry why this is important). Therefore, I have reduced my intake of refined carbohydrates (white bread, white rice, pasta etc) and sugar (including less fruit). I have also increased my intake of unrefined carbohydrates (wholemeal/grainy breads, brown rice, grains, nuts and pulses) and increased my intake of protein. If you know about the glycaemic index (GI), then it’s low GI foods I’m trying to include in my diet. (A low GI diet is actually recommended for all women with PCOS). Whereas before I would often have cereal for breakfast or honey on toast, these days I’m more likely to have eggs or scrambled tofu on wholemeal toast or a protein shake. I try to make sure that I’m getting some protein in every meal.

As for the supplements, some are for balancing blood sugar levels (like the glucolin tablets) but others are ones recommended for women with PCOS (like fish oil). At the moment, I’m not exactly sure which are the “key” ones – this is something I’ll work out in a few months, once I feel that my sleeping patterns have stabilised and its time to reduce the supplements.

Here is a list of supplements I take, and when:

On rising
2x women's balance

At breakfast
1x glucolin (take 1/2 hour before meal)
2x fish oil
1x evening primrose oil
1x stress & stamina formula
1x women's ultivite
1x calcium (best to take between meals)
1/2 teaspoon inositol
1/2 teaspoon acetyl-L-carnitine (expensive - so can take just 20mins before aerobic exercise)

At lunch
1x glucolin (take 1/2 hour before meal)
2x fish oil
1x calcium (best to take between meals)
1x evening primrose oil

At dinner
1x glucolin (take 1/2 hour before meal)
2x fish oil
1x evening primrose oil
1x calcium (best to take between meals)

~ Just a warning ~
I recommend speaking to a naturopath, or at least the person selling the supplements, before taking them. You want to be sure that what you're taking is appropriate for you.

I also do/have these things to stay healthy and relaxed:
· yoga (15 mins every morning, and weekly yoga classes)
· meditation and relaxation exercises
· deep breathing (or pranayama, to use the yoga term)
· regular aerobic exercise (but not too much! - and I try to finish with some yoga)
· acupuncture
· massages (unfortunately might have to cut back on these!)