Sleep Anxiety

Sleep Anxiety

by | Sep 18, 2026 | Lifestyle Medicine

September 18, 2026

Episode 245: Sleep Anxiety

You’ve got a big day tomorrow, so you tell yourself: I have to fall asleep tonight. And somehow, that’s exactly what keeps you awake.

In this episode, Dr. Vickie unpacks the sleep effort paradox, the frustrating truth that the harder you try to sleep, the harder sleep becomes. Learn what’s actually happening in your brain when trying backfires.

Dr. Vickie

Listen HERE on Apple

Can't turn off your mind and sleep?

Get your FREE sleep strategies. This is so much more than a sleep hygiene checklist. It’s evidence-based tools to help you get the sleep you need. 

Send it to me!

 

The Trying Harder to Sleep Paradox: Why Trying Harder to Sleep Makes It Worse

In this episode, Dr. Vickie makes the case that sleep might be exactly what’s standing between you and losing that stubborn belly fat.

What You’ll Learn

The scale can lie to you. In a Mayo Clinic study, healthy adults slept just four hours a night for two weeks (compared to a control group getting nine hours). On the scale, they’d only gained about a pound. But a CT scan told a different story: a 9% increase in total abdominal fat, and an 11% increase in dangerous visceral fat. Without the scan, it would have gone completely unnoticed.

It’s not about willpower. Participants in the study weren’t restricting food. They had free access to eat whatever they wanted. When sleep-deprived, they naturally ate over 300 extra calories a day without even realizing it. Their bodies were doing something most people blame on themselves: when sleep breaks down, so does appetite control.

Meet the hormones running the show. Dr. Vickie breaks down ghrelin (your hunger hormone) and leptin (made by your fat cells, signaling fullness) and what happens when poor sleep throws them out of balance. Then she covers cortisol’s role in cravings, and how insulin resistance can quietly drive fat storage around your middle.

It’s more complex than four hormones. The endocannabinoid system, GLP-1, and Peptide YY all play a role in appetite and sleep too.

Bedtime matters more than you think. Research shows people who stay up past midnight tend to carry more weight around the waist than those with earlier, more consistent sleep schedules.

Get the Free Guide

Ready to make sleep work for you instead of against you? Grab Dr. Vickie’s free guide, 3 Simple Strategies to Sleep Smarter plus a bonus sleep-friendly recipe built around real food sources of melatonin and magnesium.

 

👉 healthylooksgreatonyou.com/sleep

Is Melatonin Bad for Your Heart? Listen here 

This episode is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice. Talk to your doctor before making changes based on this information.

LINKS:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/going-to-sleep-late-at-night-associated-with-obesity-big-bellies

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-endocannabinoid-system-essential-and-mysterious-202108112569

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9590398/pdf/41574_2022_Article_747.pdf

 

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All information associated with this website is for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice.

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Sleep Anxiety

Sleep and Belly Fat

by | Sep 11, 2026 | Belly fat, Lifestyle Medicine, Sleep

September 11, 2026

Episode 244: Sleep and Belly Fat

 You’re exercising, eating whole foods, and doing all the things, but the belly fat won’t budge. What if the answer is not in the gym or the kitchen, but in your bedroom? A good night’s sleep might be the key to finally getting that belly fat to go away.

Dr. Vickie

Listen HERE on Apple

Can't turn off your mind and sleep?

Get your FREE sleep strategies. This is so much more than a sleep hygiene checklist. It’s evidence-based tools to help you get the sleep you need. 

Send it to me!

 

Sleep and Belly Fat: Why the Missing Piece Might Be Your Bedroom, Not the Gym

In this episode, Dr. Vickie makes the case that sleep might be exactly what’s standing between you and losing that stubborn belly fat.

What You’ll Learn

The scale can lie to you. In a Mayo Clinic study, healthy adults slept just four hours a night for two weeks (compared to a control group getting nine hours). On the scale, they’d only gained about a pound. But a CT scan told a different story: a 9% increase in total abdominal fat, and an 11% increase in dangerous visceral fat. Without the scan, it would have gone completely unnoticed.

It’s not about willpower. Participants in the study weren’t restricting food. They had free access to eat whatever they wanted. When sleep-deprived, they naturally ate over 300 extra calories a day without even realizing it. Their bodies were doing something most people blame on themselves: when sleep breaks down, so does appetite control.

Meet the hormones running the show. Dr. Vickie breaks down ghrelin (your hunger hormone) and leptin (made by your fat cells, signaling fullness) and what happens when poor sleep throws them out of balance. Then she covers cortisol’s role in cravings, and how insulin resistance can quietly drive fat storage around your middle.

It’s more complex than four hormones. The endocannabinoid system, GLP-1, and Peptide YY all play a role in appetite and sleep too.

Bedtime matters more than you think. Research shows people who stay up past midnight tend to carry more weight around the waist than those with earlier, more consistent sleep schedules.

Get the Free Guide

Ready to make sleep work for you instead of against you? Grab Dr. Vickie’s free guide, 3 Simple Strategies to Sleep Smarter plus a bonus sleep-friendly recipe built around real food sources of melatonin and magnesium.

 

👉 healthylooksgreatonyou.com/sleep

This episode is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for medical advice. Talk to your doctor before making changes based on this information.

LINKS:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/healthy-aging-and-longevity/going-to-sleep-late-at-night-associated-with-obesity-big-bellies

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-endocannabinoid-system-essential-and-mysterious-202108112569

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9590398/pdf/41574_2022_Article_747.pdf

 

Stay Connected!

ALL Episodes

All information associated with this website is for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice.

Please visit the Disclaimer; Conditions, Terms of Use to learn more. Privacy Policy 

Is Melatonin Bad for Your Heart?

Is Melatonin Bad for Your Heart?

by | Sep 4, 2026 | Sleep

September 4, 2026

Episode 243: Is Melatonin Bad for Your Heart?

65% of adults in the U.S. have taken melatonin. Does it work and is it safe? New studies linking melatonin and heart failure should make us pause before taking this supplement.

Dr. Vickie

Listen HERE on Apple

Is Melatonin Bad for Your Heart? What New Research Reveals

For years, melatonin has been the go-to fix when sleep won’t come. It might be something you grab off the shelf without a second thought. But new research is raising real questions about what it might be doing to your heart, and most people taking it have no idea.

In this episode, Dr. Vickie takes you to “mini medical school” to break down what’s actually happening in your body — and why the story is more complicated than “natural sleep aid, take before bed.”

What You’ll Learn

Melatonin isn’t what you think it is.

It’s not a sleeping pill, instead it’s a signal. Most of the melatonin in your body is made in your gut. Your brain makes about 0.3mg of it a night.

Your supplement probably contains way more than that.

Most over-the-counter bottles contain 3 – 10mg, which is 10 to 30 times what your body naturally produces. And because the FDA doesn’t regulate supplements the same way it regulates medications, the actual amount in the bottle often doesn’t match the label at all.

Timing matters more than you’d think.

Taking melatonin right at bedtime — the way most people do — isn’t actually how it’s meant to work. Dr. Vickie explains the timing mistake almost everyone makes, and what to do instead.

New research links long-term use to heart risk.

Preliminary findings presented at the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions found that people who’d taken melatonin for a year or more had a 90% higher risk of heart failure compared to non-users. It’s not proof melatonin causes heart problems — but it’s a signal worth paying attention to.

Food can do some of this work instead.

Your gut is already making melatonin from the foods you eat. Dr. Vickie explains the connection between diet, your gut microbiome, and better sleep — no supplement required.

Get the Free Guide

Want a place to start tonight? Grab Dr. Vickie’s free guide, 3 Simple Strategies to Sleep Smarter — plus a bonus sleep-friendly recipe built around real food sources of melatonin and magnesium.

👉 healthylooksgreatonyou.com/sleep

LINK to NIH study: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27855744/

This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice.

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All information associated with this website is for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice.

Please visit the Disclaimer; Conditions, Terms of Use to learn more. Privacy Policy 

Is Melatonin Bad for Your Heart?

Have You Ever Health Challenge

by | Aug 21, 2026 | Faith, Lifestyle Medicine, nutrition, Sleep

August 21, 2026

Episode 242: Have You Ever Health Challenge

I’m celebrating my birthday this week and reflecting on my health and aging. Come play along in the Have You Ever Health Challenge.

Dr. Vickie

Listen HERE on Apple

 

Have You Ever Health Challenge

It’s my birthday week and we are doing something different. I hope you’ll play along. In this episode, I’m sharing the parts of my health story I don’t usually lead with: the broken bones, the surgeries, the diagnosis nobody could explain, and the diabetes I reversed through lifestyle medicine. I’m also sharing a poem I wrote about my grandmother, who passed away on my birthday, and what her passing taught me about life, death, and faith.

Have You Ever?

Have you ever played along on one of these challenges? Have you ever broken a bone? Had stitches? Spent a night (or fourteen surgeries’ worth of nights) in a hospital bed wondering what comes next?

This week, in honor of my birthday, I’m turning the tables on myself. Instead of teaching mini medical school, I’m playing along with my own “Have You Ever” health challenge. Think of it as a way to celebrate with me. 

🎧 Listen to the full episode HERE  and if you’re one of the many people struggling with sleep, don’t forget to grab your free SLEEP resources HERE. 

  1. Have you ever broken a bone and been in a cast?
  2. Have you ever had stitches?
  3. Have you ever been in the hospital?
  4. Have you ever had surgery?
  5. Have you ever had complications from surgery?
  6. Have you ever had a bad reaction to a medication or serious side effects?
  7. Have you ever questioned a prescription you’ve been given?
  8. Have you ever been to the emergency room?
  9. Have you ever had an IV?
  10. Have you ever given yourself a shot?
  11. Have you ever been in a wheelchair?
  12. Have you ever been injured in a car wreck?
  13. Have you ever had a biopsy or been diagnosed with cancer?
  14. Have you ever had symptoms that your doctor couldn’t explain?
  15. Have you ever had a weird disease no one has ever heard of?
  16. Have you ever had a health scare that got your attention and made you get serious about your health?
  17. Have you ever reversed a disease with lifestyle?

Now it’s your turn. Listen to the episode, keep score, and then ask yourself: how does healthy look on you?

Healthy Looks Great on You is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice.

 

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All information associated with this website is for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice.

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Is Melatonin Bad for Your Heart?

Prevent Blood Sugar Spikes and Crashes

by | Aug 14, 2026 | Blood Sugar, diet, insulin resistance, Lifestyle Medicine

August 14, 2026

Episode 241: Prevent Blood Sugar Spikes and Crashes

It’s perfectly normal for your blood sugar to rise after you eat. You eat, your body breaks that food down into sugar, and it enters your bloodstream. Of course it goes up. What actually matters is what happens next.

Dr. Vickie

Listen HERE on Apple

 

Why Does Your Blood Sugar Spike After Eating? What’s Normal, What’s Not, and How to Keep Your Energy Steady

In this week’s episode of Mini Medical School, we’re digging into blood sugar spikes: what’s normal, what’s not, and how to avoid the crash that so often follows.

It Starts With Insulin

When blood sugar rises, your pancreas releases insulin, which is a hormone that acts like a key, unlocking your cells so glucose can get in and fuel them. Ideally, this brings your blood sugar back to baseline. But sometimes insulin overshoots, and that sudden drop can feel worse than the spike itself. You may feel shaky, dizzy, foggy, sweaty, hungry, or irritable, otherwise known as hangry.

I like to refer to it as blah: fatigue, headache, foggy headed. It’s a medical term you need to know.

Blood sugar typically stays under 140 after eating, but prediabetics can top out around 199. Anything consistently over 200 warrants a conversation with your healthcare provider.

Not All Carbs Are Created Equal

Protein and fat don’t cause a direct blood sugar spike the way carbohydrates do. But carbs themselves come in very different flavors. The simple version: refined sugars and stripped-down grains (think white bread, sodas, candy, even flavored yogurt and protein bars) hit your bloodstream fast and hard. Complex carbs found in whole grains, beans, lentils, non-starchy vegetables digest slowly, releasing sugar gradually and keeping your energy steadier.

One helpful tool is the Glycemic Index, which rates foods from 1–100 based on how much they spike blood sugar. Foods rated 55 or below are your best bet for steady energy.

It’s Not Just About Food

What you eat isn’t the only factor. Poor sleep raises cortisol, which tells your liver to release more glucose and it makes your cells more resistant to insulin. And stress does the same thing on top of making you crave the foods least likely to help.

It’s a frustrating cycle. Poor sleep and more stress leads to less willpower, therefore worse food choices and worse sleep. Small Swaps, Real Impact

Good Carbs Don’t Have to Be Complicated

Here are some steps to take:

  • Choose whole grain over refined/enriched grain
  • Swap fruit juice for whole fruit, or better yet, water
  • Pair your carbs with protein and fat instead of eating them alone
  • The order you clean your plate may matter. So eat fiber and protein first, then carbs last
  • Watch portion sizes too, a 20-ounce soda can pack up to 77 grams of sugar, more than three times the daily recommended limit for women

The Case for Beans

If there’s one food I’d put at the top of the list for stable blood sugar, it’s beans. They’re a complex carb, packed with fiber and resistant starch that feeds your gut bacteria, and they’re a solid protein source too . That’s actually what inspired my new recipe: the Beana Colada, a tropical, protein-and-fiber-rich breakfast made with white beans, frozen pineapple, unsweetened soy milk, coconut, lime, salt and almond extract. Yes, beans for breakfast. It’s worth a try. I’ll share the receipe in this week’s newsletter.

The Bottom Line

If you want to avoid blood sugar spikes and crashes, eat more beans, move your body, prioritize sleep, and manage stress where you can. None of it is easy, but small, steady changes add up.

Resources:

Arkansas Heart Hospital Glycemic Index Foods

Healthy Looks Great on You is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advise.

 

Stay Connected!

ALL Episodes

All information associated with this website is for informational and educational purposes only and is not meant to be a substitute for medical advice.

Please visit the Disclaimer; Conditions, Terms of Use to learn more. Privacy Policy