Sleep It Off The linchpin to weight loss

Weight loss is contingent on balanced hormones says Natasha Turner. We spoke with the Toronto-based naturopath and New York Times best-selling author who, in December, released her fourth book on hormone health, The Hormone Boost: How to Power Up Your 6 Essential Hormones for Strength, Energy and Weight Loss. The book’s plan includes diet, exercise and – the linchpin – sleep. “I tell people, ‘Focus on fixing your sleep first. Then nutrition. Then add in the exercise.’ ”

Here, tips for better sleep, the hormones it both influences and is influenced by, and how they help weight loss.

“People don’t realize that there’s a huge connection between your light exposure, your body temperature and your sleep, and your appetite and habits,” Turner says.

As an example, if you’re not reaching a deep sleep at night, growth hormone (GH) will not be released. Aside from missing out on what’s being hailed as a wonder anti-ager, why should we care? Low secretions of GH have been linked to abdominal obesity in post-menopausal women.

Another hormone, melatonin, helps promote that deep sleep by triggering and keeping our body slightly cool at night. Turner warns that warming up too much can in fact blunt melatonin and therefore block growth hormone. As can light, so keep your bedroom cool and dark.

From a weight loss perspective, melatonin has been shown to stimulate beige or “good” fat that burns, rather than stores calories. Turner says supplementing with melatonin is best done in lozenge or spray form. If you feel groggy in the morning, try a lower dose or take it earlier in the evening.

What you eat and when you eat it can also impact hormone balance and sleep. It may seem counterintuitive from a calories perspective, but Turner says to save starchy carbs for dinner as