Lullaby Muffins

Do you have problems getting a good night's sleep during pregnancy? Try the suggestion below...

Lullaby Muffins

Between the bananas, the whole wheat, and the light touch of sweetness,
these muffins are practically an edible lullaby.

2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 large, very ripe bananas
1/3 cup applesauce
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup milk or soymilk
Sprinkling of flax seed

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the flour (make sure it’s
whole-wheat pastry flour or you’ll produce golf balls, not muffins), salt,
and baking powder. In a blender, puree the bananas; add the applesauce,
honey, flax seed, and milk. Blend well. Pour the banana mixture into the dry
ingredients and stir until just moistened. Line muffin tins with paper
muffin cups and pour in batter. Bake 30 minutes or until tops are lightly
brown and slightly springy. Makes 12 low-fat muffins.

Nutrition Facts
Per serving: 119 calories; 1g fat; 2.5g protein; 27g carbohydrate; 10g
sugar; 133mg sodium; 3g fiber; 35mg magnesium

Pair a muffin with some warm milk, then head to bed. While on your bed, do 40 pelvic tilts before immediately lying down on your left side to go to sleep. This combination is sure to help you sleep better!

Top 10 Foods for a Good Night’s Sleep

The secret to getting a solid 7 to 8 hours? About 90 minutes before you
want to nod off, head for the kitchen and make yourself a sleepy-time
snack. Keep it light (around 200 calories), so you don’t overload your
digestive system. And include one or two foods from the list below. All
help to relax tense muscles, quiet buzzing minds, and/or get calming,
sleep-inducing hormones -- serotonin and melatonin -- flowing. Yawning yet?

1. Bananas -- They’re practically a sleeping pill in a peel. In addition
to a bit of soothing melatonin and serotonin, bananas contain magnesium, a
muscle relaxant.

2. Chamomile tea -- Chamomile is a staple of bedtime tea blends because of
its mild sedating effect, which makes it the perfect natural antidote for
restless minds and bodies.

3. Warm milk -- It’s not a myth. Milk has some tryptophan, an amino acid
that has a sedative-like effect, and calcium, which helps the brain use
tryptophan. Plus, there’s the psychological throwback to infancy, when a
warm bottle meant "relax, everything’s fine."

4. Honey -- Drizzle a little in your warm milk or herb tea. Lots of sugar
is stimulating, but a little glucose tells your brain to turn off orexin, a
recently discovered neurotransmitter that’s linked to alertness.

5. Potatoes -- A small baked spud won’t overwhelm your gastrointestinal
tract as it clears away acids that can interfere with yawn-inducing
tryptophan. To up the soothing effect, mash the potato with warm milk.

6. Oatmeal -- Oats are a rich source of sleep-inviting melatonin, and a
small bowl of warm cereal with a splash of maple syrup is cozy -- and if
you’ve got the munchies, it’s filling, too.

7. Almonds -- A handful of these heart-healthy nuts can send you snoozing
because they contain both tryptophan and a nice dose of muscle-relaxing
magnesium.

8. Flaxseeds -- When life goes awry, and feeling down is keeping you up,
try sprinkling 2 tablespoons of these healthy little seeds on your bedtime
oatmeal. They’re rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a natural mood lifter.

9. Whole-wheat bread -- A slice of toast with your tea and honey will
release insulin, which helps tryptophan get to your brain, where it’s
converted to serotonin and quietly murmurs "time to sleep."

10. Turkey -- It’s the best-known source of tryptophan, credited with all
those Thanksgiving naps. But that’s actually modern folklore. Tryptophan
works when your stomach’s basically empty rather than overstuffed and when
there are some carbs around rather than tons of protein. But put a lean
slice or two on some whole-wheat bread midevening and you’ve got one of the
best sleep-inducers in your kitchen.

- from Real Age