Golden Slumbers

Hey, I actually got a good night’s sleep last night! Ya know how often that happens? Yeah, it’s a tragic rarity. But last night! Oh baby, I slept a straight eight and it was a thing of beauty.

The August/September issue of AARP has some good tips listed under the article World War ZZZ. (yes, I'm over 50 so I get the AARP mag – it's actually pretty cool)

Tired of staring at the ceiling and counting sheep? Keep evening snacks light, and eat no later than a half-hour before bed, recommends Alon Avidan, a professor of neurology and director of UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine Sleep Disorders Center. "This allows sufficient time for your body to digest the food and absorb the nutrients before you go to sleep," he says. (source)

He goes on to list 14 foods that are AOK before bed and 14 that are verboten. Now, if you’re like me – the Always on a Diet Queen – this is all hypothetical. As in, IF I was to eat after my evening repast, (and I never, ever would!), these are handy dandy facts to keep in mind.

Yes you cans:
Lentils, almonds, bananas, cereal and milk (they don’t specify whether Count Chocula or Cap’n Crunch are better or worse than oatmeal or Cream of Wheat though), cherries, crackers and cheese, green tea, hummus, lemon balm, peanut butter, pineapple, pumpkin seeds, walnuts and popcorn.

No fucking ways:
Grapefruit, celery, tomatoes, pizza, alcohol, black bean chili, dark chocolate (contains caffeine *sniff*), gumdrops (yech), tacos (yes but when there’s a taco truck on every corner what choice will we have? Their siren song is irresistible – rilly!), steak, soda, Dagwood sandwiches, broccoli, chips and salsa.

Go to the linkies to find out the whys and wherefores for each item.

I was near devastated, (no, HONEST and TRUES!) to read that black beans before bed are in No-No Land. I LOVE black beans – especially the way Oni makes ‘em. mmmmmmmmmmmm!

This dish could be a disaster if you eat it close to bedtime. The body has a hard time digesting beans, so stomach-rumbling gas pains will keep you from a good night's sleep, says Helen Rasmussen, a research nutritionist at Tufts University.

*sigh*

Also too, what the fuck is a Dagwood Sandwich? Never heard of that but isn't Dagwood a character in that ancient comicstrip, Blondie? On googly-gooing, I found that the sammich is a Heart Attack Special, chock full of salt and fat heavy meats and cheeses. Given that I don’t eat meat and generally steer well clear of dairy and bread, I think I’m safe on this one.

AARP then lists Top 15 Superfoods for People Over 50. These include:

Dark chocolate (YEA!), blueberries, apples, asparagus (more YEA action!), broccoli, butternut squash, coffee, fava beans (with rice and a glass of Chianti or no?), Greek yogurt, green kale, oatmeal, olive oil, pears, quinoa and salmon

As it turns out, I’m doing pretty damn well vis a vis the comestibles. Yea me. Now to look into other ways for me to get more of that gorgeous straight eight action.

Golden Slumbers – The Beatles