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Today’s Health Upgrade
What to do after a bad night of sleep
9-minute abs
Is lab-grown meat coming soon?
Terrible Sleep? Have Coffee Second
A cup of coffee after a bad night of sleep might be the only thing that gets you out of bed. However, research in the British Journal of Nutrition suggests you might want to eat something before you revive your soul with caffeine.
In the study, researchers explored how coffee before breakfast impacts the rest of your day after a night of disrupted sleep.
Drinking black coffee before breakfast was linked to higher blood sugar responses (around 50% higher) at breakfast compared to eating breakfast before coffee.
This doesn't mean you can't start your day with coffee. The blood sugar changes only appeared after a night of disrupted sleep.
A higher blood sugar spike at breakfast is no reason to panic. Your body is well-tuned to deal with the occasional insulin spike (despite what you might hear on social media). But, if you struggle with hunger, high blood sugar spikes in the morning could increase cravings and hunger throughout the day.
While we wouldn’t dare get between you and your morning coffee, if you didn't sleep well, try eating a combination of protein, carbs, and fat before having your coffee. That way, you'll come back to life and limit the likelihood of overeating later in the day.
Note from Adam: We didn't intend to make this coffee week, but now you know the magical bean can power any workout, should be taken at least 9 hours before sleep (if you want better rest), and ideally follows breakfast after a rough night.
9-Minute Abs
It’s not exactly what they predicted in There’s Something About Mary, but shorter workouts are having a moment.
Research suggests 9 minutes of intense bodyweight training could improve heart health and leg strength.
The study examined a workout consisting of just 5 exercises. The participants alternated between 1 minute of high-intensity bodyweight movements and 1 minute of walking in place.
After six weeks (3 workouts per week), the volunteers improved their endurance, lower body power, and markers associated with cardiovascular health. Even more impressive? Compliance was 100 percent, meaning everyone was able to complete all the workouts. This is extremely rare in fitness studies, but a good sign that anyone can find time for a super short workout.
If you want to try the exact program, technically, you need 11 minutes (the plan included a 1-minute warmup and cool down). Here's what it looks like:
Warmup: 1-minute of walking
Exercise 1: burpees (60 seconds)
Walk in place for 1 minute
Exercise 2: high knees (60 seconds)
Walk in place for 1 minute
Exercise 3: split squat jumps (60 seconds)
Walk in place for 1 minute
Exercise 4 high knees (60 seconds)
Walk in place for 1 minute
Exercise 5: squat jumps (60 seconds)
Cool down: 1-minute of walking
What We’re Reading About: Lab-Grown Meat
The article: Lab-Grown Meat Is Supposed to Be Inevitable. Science Tells a Different Story
The future is an exciting place. But it’s easy to put dreams ahead of reality. That might be the case with lab-grown meat.
If you haven't heard about it, scientists are working on changing the way we create meat. The theory is simple: instead of killing millions of animals and stressing the environment, lab grown meat is made by extracting cells—such as stem, muscle, and fat cells — from animals and turning those cells into amazing tasting meat.
These cells need nutrients and time to grow. But, in theory, within a few weeks, ta-da!, you have food. And lots of it. Hypothetically, a few biopsies could provide meat for thousands or millions.
The headlines make it seem we’re close to seeing this on a larger scale. But, science suggests a long journey is just beginning. Either way, it’s fascinating to see what scientists are working, the barriers that exist, and waiting to see what comes next.
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