Has A Change in Your Sleep Pattern Kept You Up At Night

Posted on April 4, 2025 by Fill Your Plate

By Julie Murphree, Arizona Farm Bureau Director of Strategic Communications

I can tell my sleep pattern has changed. I’m waking up earlier in the morning despite going to sleep around the same time each evening. I am not liking this, but am discovering it’s not unusual as you age.

A recent study confirms this fact. The study revealed that aging messes with your sleep in some pretty sneaky ways. Each year, deep sleep takes a tiny hit, dropping by 0.13% to 0.14%, while light sleep creeps up by 0.18% to 0.23%—like a slow-motion swap you didn’t sign up for. The peripheral apnea-hypopnea index (pAHI) also shoots up as the years pile on, matching what earlier research has been shouting about. By 40, 10% of guys are wrestling with obstructive sleep apnea, while ladies hit that mark later, around 55—probably thanks to menopause crashing the party.

Here are some practical, no-nonsense tips for better sleep because who doesn’t want to catch some quality Zs?

  1. Stick to a Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day—even on weekends. Your body’s internal clock loves routine more than your grumpy cat does.
  2. Ditch the Screens: Cut off phones, tablets, and TVs at least an hour before bed. The blue light tricks your brain into thinking it’s still daytime, and doomscrolling X at 2 a.m. isn’t helping.
  3. Wind Down Right: Try something chill like reading a book (not a thriller), meditating, or sipping herbal tea. Skip the late-night espresso shots—caffeine’s a sleep thief.
  4. Set the Scene: Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool (around 60-67°F is ideal). Blackout curtains, earplugs, or a white noise machine can work wonders.
  5. Watch What You Eat: Avoid heavy meals, spicy food, or too much liquid right before bed. A growling stomach or midnight bathroom runs are not your friends.
  6. Move Your Body: Exercise during the day— even a brisk walk helps—but don’t turn into a gym rat at 10 p.m. Timing matters.
  7. Limit the Booze: A nightcap might knock you out, but it trashes your deep sleep later. Trade it for warm milk or just call it quits early.
  8. Nap Smart: If you’re a napper, keep it short (20-30 minutes) and before 3 p.m. Anything longer or later is basically stealing from your nighttime shut-eye.

I love a nap on the weekend and I don’t mind going beyond a 30-minute one. But if these tips ring true, I better dial back the long nap.

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Watch Out for Health Foods That Aren’t Healthy

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

 

We’ve all heard the phrase “Never judge a book by its cover,” meaning that you should never make a decision about something based on its appearance alone, rather than on what’s actually inside. Most people don’t associate this phrase with buying foods, but it’s very accurate, considering how some foods are marketed as healthy when they’re really not.

Nutrition Month

Registered dietician Courtney Smith says that there’s a lot of deception that lies in the packaging and marketing of certain food products, So, instead of trusting the front of packages, turn them over and look at the nutrition label and ingredient label to truly determine its healthfulness.

While it’s important to study the label of every food that you buy, Smith notes that some are widely known as health foods, but really aren’t.

Granola – While this seems like it’s a healthier cereal option, granola is actually filled with sugar, as it’s needed for making the clumps. The same can be said about granola bars. Many are sources of hidden added sugar.

Trail Mix – The intent behind trail mix is actually quite good, to be a mix of super high-calorie foods to provide nutrition on hikes or other strenuous activity (Hence the name!). The issue lies in that many premade trail mixes nowadays are full of sweetened nuts, sweetened dried fruit, and candy pieces.

Reduced-Fat Peanut Butter – When peanut butter says that it is reduced fat, that’s not always better. For one, you’re losing out on all of the heart-healthy fats that naturally occur in peanuts. Also, the fat that is removed has to be replaced with something to maintain consistency, and often it’s replaced with extra sugar.

Vitamin Boosting or Fat Burning Energy Drinks – While they say that they can do great things for your health, they really don’t. The fat-burning energy drinks don’t just magically burn fat on their own. Likewise, the energy drinks that say they’re full of vitamins don’t really give you much except for B vitamins.

There are just a few examples of foods that are not as healthy as they are portrayed to be. It’s important to look over the entire nutrition label to see what you’re really getting. For some helpful tips on how to understand nutrition labels, check out this article from Fill Your Plate!

 

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The Mediterranean Diet is Great for Our Health, and Arizona Produces it!

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

Arizona is a pretty cool state for lots of reasons. Our state has lots of national and state parks, historic landmarks, and some really amazing destinations such as the Grand Canyon, which is one of the 7 Wonders of the World.  But my personal favorite thing about Arizona is that we produce a wide variety of agriculture thanks to our unique growing climate.

On the topic of the vast variety of food products that we produce, did you know that Arizona agriculture actually produces all of the foods to support the Mediterranean diet? This diet has been deemed the healthiest diet plan to follow, as it focuses on eating lots of whole foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean meats, which provide all of the nutrients necessary for a healthy lifestyle.

In fact, a recent study found that adherence to the Med diet significantly reduces the risk of hypertension. Using a scale that measured how closely participants adhered to the Med diet, researchers found that for each point on the adherence scale, the risk of developing hypertension decreased by 7%. This is pretty impressive, considering that hypertension is the precursor to more serious health issues such as heart disease and strokes.

This is just one of the many health benefits of following the Med diet. There are so many others that we’ve written about on the Fill Your Plate blog, The blog is also full of Med diet snack and meal ideas and has lots of resources on finding fresh, local, Arizona-produced foods to fuel your Med diet journey!

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The 6 to 1 Grocery Shopping Method

Posted on March 24, 2025 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

 

Have you ever walked up to your fridge, opened the doors, and found only half a pickle, the little bit of leftovers from last night’s takeout, and about two ounces of milk left in the jug? While I’m no dietician or nutrition expert, I’d say that’s a pretty clear sign that it’s time for you to hit the grocery store for a re-stock! But sometimes grocery shopping isn’t always enjoyable, whether that be because of inflation and higher prices, the hassle of going out and actually doing the shopping, or having to decide what and how much to get.

Try the 6 to 1 food shopping method.

Luckily, there are different ways to approach grocery shopping to help save money and make the process smoother and easier. One method is called the 6 to 1 method, thought up by TV personality and chef Will Coleman.

The basics of the 6 to 1 method are listed below:

  • Only make 1 weekly trip to the store, or 2 if it’s for a big family.
  • Don’t go to the store with a predetermined list but do have meal ideas or inspiration in mind.
  • Buy the foods that sound good and that you actually want to eat.
  • Purchase 6 vegetables, 5 fruits, 4 proteins, 3 starches, 2 sauces, spreads, or seasonings, and 1 fun treat.

There are quite a few benefits to the 6 to 1 method.  The main benefit is that it takes into consideration 3 big factors when it comes to grocery shopping: Taste, price, and healthfulness. By having you buy only a certain amount of foods and having you only buy the foods that you’ll actually want to eat, you’ll be cutting down on overspending and food waste. Also, this approach to shopping and meal planning promotes eating all in moderation.

This is just one grocery shopping strategy that you can try out, other strategies work well too. The key is to find what works best for your budget, your family, your diet, and your schedule! Luckily, we have many more articles on Fill Your Plate about grocery shopping tips, and lots of healthy recipes!

 

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Tiny But Mighty Sunflower Seeds!

Posted on March 21, 2025 by Fill Your Plate

By Heide Kennedy, Arizona Farm Bureau Communications Intern

 

Photo by João Jesus: https://www.pexels.com/photo/brown-seeds-on-blue-ceramic-bowl-1080067/

Anytime my family went on a trip or went to livestock shows, we would always bring lots of bags of roasted sunflower seeds. I’m not sure how, but these quickly became one of my brother’s and my favorite snacks to take, and we were always divided on whether dill pickle, black pepper, or barbecue-flavored seeds were the best. All that aside however while they may be small, sunflower seeds are packed full of nutrition and offer lots of health benefits!

According to registered dietician-nutritionist Rhyan Geiger, sunflower seeds contain impressive macronutrients and micronutrients such as protein, fiber, unsaturated fats, vitamin E, iron, zinc, selenium, manganese, magnesium, copper, selenium, and B vitamins. They are also rich in healthy plant compounds including flavonoids, tocopherols, and phenolic acid.

So, if sunflower seeds have all those nutrients, what exactly does that mean for our health? Geiger notes that there are a lot of health benefits that can come from many of these nutrients including:

  • Better heart health – Sunflower seeds have no cholesterol, lots of fiber, and linolic acid, all of which promote a healthy heart.
  • Better thyroid health – Sunflower seeds contain high levels of selenium. Having low selenium levels can spark thyroid disorders.
  • Better metabolic health – All of the fiber, protein, and fats aid in digestion and dull the blood sugar response.
  • Strengthened immune health – The selenium, zinc, and antioxidants in sunflower seeds all help to bolster your immunity and keep you from getting sick.
  • Boosts digestive health – Sunflower seeds contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, a nutrient that many are lacking in. It helps to pass foods through your digestive tract more easily and feed the healthy bacteria in your gut.
  • Promotes growth, development, and repair – Sunflower seeds are high in protein, which is essential for the maintenance and growth of cells. Also, they contain zinc and folate which are essential to promote development during pregnancy.
  • Boosts skin health – The healthy fats and vitamin E content in sunflower seeds offer anti-inflammatory skin benefits and help to protect your skin from the sun.

As you can see, these little seeds have quite a lot of nutrients and health benefits packed in their tiny shells. Consider adding them to your trail mixes, salads, baked goods, or even eat them straight from the bag like my brothers and I do!

Did you know that sunflowers grow really well in our Arizona heat? Check out your local farmers market for some locally grown sunflower seeds or sunflower seed butter!

For more health-related articles, check out the Fill Your Plate blog!

 

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