3. Does coffee or alcohol disturb your ability to sleep?
Both that cup of coffee and that glass of wine can prevent you from sleeping well, says Allison T. Siebern, PhD, CBSM, clinical assistant professor and the associate director of the Insomnia and Behavioral Sleep Medicine Program at Stanford University School of Medicine.
Caffeine makes your body think that it’s not tired, Siebern explains. But as soon as it wears off, you crash. End of story. But in the case of alcohol, while you may get a little sleepy at first, and even fall asleep, you may also start snoring disturbing your nasal passages, have nightmares, break out into nightsweats, or even get headaches.
So, what should you do? Have a cup of coffee if you need to stay alert, drink a glass of wine for happy hour with friends. Avoid both if you need to wake up early the next morning.
4. Should you exercise on a full stomach or an empty one?
According to Heidi Skolnik, MS, CDN, FACSM, a noted nutritionist:
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“You’ll probably be so hungry later that you’ll eat even more,” she says, adding that she sees this over and over with her clients.
So, what should you do? Think of your pre-workout snack as fuel. Skolnik says research supports the idea that having something in your system will help you work out harder, which will then help you burn even more calories. Overeating will make for an uncomfortable workout, but not eating at all will hurt your workout, your metabolism and your overall health.
