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Thriving Thursday Nutrition Notes
Issue 3 | Thursday, July 31, 2025
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Hello there!
Johannah here—Your Kearney Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator checking in with another edition of Thriving Thursday Nutrition Notes!
It’s not uncommon for people to assume I lead a pristinely healthy lifestyle. I often hear things like, “your kids must never eat candy or drink soda,” or “they probably don’t even know what fast food tastes like.”
HA! No.
Hi, I’m Johannah. I’ve been practicing dietetics for almost 10 years, and while I do work hard to model a balanced approach to health, I don’t always get all my fruit and veggies in. My kids absolutely get fun foods like fast food and candy. And while I feel confident balancing those fun foods with wholesome choices (shoutout to peaches and cucumbers—this season’s MVPs in the Schrader house), there’s one area of wellness I consistently neglect:
Sleep.
It’s been a rough week on the sleep front. And while I wish I could blame it on just this week, the truth is—since becoming a parent—squeezing in “just one more thing” has become the norm. Especially on weeknights. In fact, a new patient kindly (and somewhat hilariously) called me out this morning for my late-night email replies (you know who you are). I’d love to say that was just clever foreshadowing, but actually—you were the inspiration for today’s message.
I yawned through the rest of the day, struggled to find the right words, and watched normally easy tasks take twice as long. To be clear—I never expect anyone to reply to emails late at night—but I have come to enjoy the peace of those later evening hours to ensure my thoughts are relayed correctly.
So, anyways... here I am, in my jammies, typing this newsletter (yup, on night mode) to say: Let’s talk about sleep—because I know I’m not the only one skimping on it.
The Hidden Link Between Sleep Deprivation and Nutrition Goals
In June, I set out to improve my sleep habits. I did a deep self-assessment and made some progress—but lately, old habits have crept back in. And I feel it:
- Less motivation to move my body (and this Missouri heat and humidity hasn’t helped either),
- Less energy to prep and eat nourishing meals,
- Reduced patience and tolerance for more challenging tasks and situations
- Trouble remembering just about anything unless I write it down
Thank goodness for Kennedi, our incredible Nutrition Assistant, for helping keep everything afloat this summer!
But friends, sleep is the foundation—and mine is crumbling a bit. So I say this with humility:
Do as I say, not as I do. This is my biggest wellness “OFI” right now (as my husband Kale would call it)—aka, opportunity for improvement.
If any of this sounds familiar to you—you are so not alone. We’re in this together, partner.
How Sleep Deprivation Affects Nutrition
- Increased Hunger & Cravings
Poor sleep disrupts your hunger hormones—ghrelin (makes you hungry) goes up, and leptin (helps you feel full) goes down. This combo sets you up to crave high-calorie, high-sugar, high-fat comfort foods. Not cool.
- Poor Food Choices
When you're tired, your brain craves a quick dopamine hit—usually in the form of chips, sweets, or drive-thru indulgences—not your prepped salad getting soggy and sad in the fridge.
- Slowed Metabolism & Weight Gain
Chronic sleep loss reduces insulin sensitivity and messes with glucose metabolism, raising your risk for weight gain and even type 2 diabetes. If you're worried about this, don't forget we now offer metabolic testing via indirect calorimetry, the gold standard for assessing basal metabolic rate.
- Reduced Energy for Physical Activity
If you’re dragging all day, you’re far less likely to feel motivated for movement—which is key for maintaining strength, metabolism, and stress balance.
The Bigger Picture: Your Overall Health
Sleep deprivation doesn’t just mess with your food and fitness habits—it raises your risk for:
- Heart disease
- Weakened immune function
- Mood disorders like anxiety and depression
- Cognitive decline (hello, forgetfulness)
Getting enough quality sleep isn’t about being lazy. It’s about protecting your long-term health and supporting sustainable change.
Quick Tips to Support Better Sleep & Nutrition
Step 1: Stick to a regular sleep schedule
Step 2: Create a calming bedtime routine (no screens 30+ mins before bed - technically, we even want to avoid those on "night mode")
Step 3: Avoid caffeine for 7–10 hours before bedtime
Step 4: Limit heavy meals within 2 hours of bed
Step 5: Eat foods rich in magnesium (leafy greens, pumpkin seeds) and tryptophan (turkey, eggs, nuts) to support natural melatonin production. Supplementation is also an option. While magnesium and melatonin are generally safe, and are also very popular right now, I always recommended that you run any dietary supplements past your dietitian and/or physician first. This is especially true if you're on prescription medications!
Tracking Your Sleep: Tools to Help You Understand Your Patterns
If you’re curious about your sleep habits, there are lots of tools that can help:
Apps:
- Rise: I trialed this product in June and really liked it! It definitely help me make the connection between consistent bed times and the ebbs and flows of energy levels throughout the day (more consistent sleep equated to more steady energy). Also, the app helped me estimate my sleep debt, which helped me build some awareness of my physical and psychological responses to sleep deprivation. I swear, I'm not sponsored by Rise, but if you're reading this, and know someone that works for them, I'd be totally interested - huge fan of their product.
- Sleep Cycle, Pillow, and Fitbit app
These use your phone’s sensors (or connect with wearables) to monitor sleep patterns, duration, and quality.
Wearables:
- Garmin, Fitbit, Apple Watch, or WHOOP
These devices track movement, heart rate, and even blood oxygen levels to give detailed insights into your sleep stages.
Many of these tools offer sleep scores, trends over time, and personalized tips for improvement.
Note: While sleep trackers are great for awareness, they aren’t medical devices. If you suspect something like sleep apnea or insomnia, talk to a healthcare provider.
Final Thoughts
Getting enough quality sleep might just be the most underrated nutrition strategy out there. So if you’re stuck, spinning your wheels, or plateauing with your health goals—check in with your sleep. It could be the reset button your body is begging for.
Here’s to more Zzz’s, more energy, and a little more grace when we fall off track.
Healthy regards,
Johannah Schrader, RD, CDCES
Owner, Dietitian, and Diabetes Educator
Evergreen Health & Wellness | Kearney, MO
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Scans for Cans Campaign
We kicked off our Scans for Cans event on Saturday, July 26, 2025, at the Kearney Community Market from 7 AM to 12 PM! Unfortunately, the rainy weather go in our way, but Clarissa did host a pretty rockin' yoga sesh!
I had previously mentioned that we have a goal of collecting 100 bags of food for the local pantry, and we aim to complete 100 health risk assessment and body composition scans over the next month.
In order to achieve said goals, we'll be hosting some open-house clinics at office. Exact schedule coming out soon with online sign up (link to page below).
It's our hope that Scans for Cans speaks to you as a simple, feel-good way to take charge of your health while giving back to your community. Let’s keep Kearney nourished—inside and out.
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