Click here to return to book details FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Email: publicity@regnery.com Phone: 202-216-0600 Sleep Deprivation Contributes to Metabolic Slowdown, Inhibiting Weight-Loss Nationally acclaimed nutritionist Pam Smith makes the connection between sleep and losing weight For many, dieting has become a way of life. For over twenty-two years, respected nutritionist Pam Smith has shown thousands how to go beyond our deeply cultural diet deceptions and myths to achieve permanent, healthy, weight-loss and abundant energy. "The focus on diet alone is what leads us to fail," she says in her innovative book, THE SMART WEIGH: The Simple, New 5-Point Plan for Losing Weight Forever — Without Losing Your Soul (LifeLine Press; 0-89526-181-2; $21.95). "We need to restructure the other integral components to maintaining a healthy lifestyle — specifically, our sleeping habits," she says. "A National Sleep Foundation survey found nearly two out of three Americans do not get the recommended eight hours of sleep. Sleep deprivation becomes a profound stress on your body, contributing to fat cell lockdown." "Just missing one night of restful sleep can cause a surge of stress hormones to circulate through your body, weakening your immune system and causing a metabolic slowdown," says Smith, best-selling author, nutritionist and sports consultant to, among others, the NBA's Shaquille O'Neal, the PGA's Larry Nelson, the Orlando Magic, and Walt Disney World. Her acronym SMART — Strategic eating, Movement, Air and water, Rest, and Treat yourself well — emphasizes that proper rest is a full 20% of her highly successful, seventeen-year-old Smart Weigh program. Sleep is a little known and often missed component in the weight-loss game, says Smith. "Studies indicate that a chronic lack of sleep may affect metabolic function as much as living a sedentary lifestyle." THE SMART WEIGH shares why: Sleep is the secret agent in the weight management game — especially after a binge — and why a three-minute nap will do even more good than a three-hour gym session Sleep allows the release of important hormones, such as human growth hormone, which is critical for vitality and metabolic burn Cheating sleep for even one night increases evening cortisol levels, which helps regulate blood sugar concentrations (which can lower immune responses and slow the body's fat-burning potential); even after one week's lack of sleep, there are striking alterations in metabolic and endocrine function Getting proper rest is crucial for the biological feedback loop between the body's use of energy, its need to re-supply it, and the brain's mechanism for maintaining the proper energy balance How less sleep equals more stress and less exercise which can led to an all out binge of cheese burritos at the local Tex Mex Cafe With proven suggestions that focus on getting a good night's sleep, Pam Smith also provides valuable real world solutions for dealing with time zone blues and dining-out tips for those who travel a lot, eat out and want to dine healthfully without compromising on sleep. Timely, comprehensive and thorough, THE SMART WEIGH shows how anyone can nourish their soul by making peace with their body, one night at a time. Click here to order from Amazon: Click here to return to book details