Maybe Coffee Shops Should Turn ON the Lights!

I just had the most productive 5 straight hours of work done.  No Joke.  No Coffee needed either!  Magic!

So I have fallen in love with Literati Cafe this weekend with gross amount of work done especially with Winter Quarter finals around the corner.  Nothing more magical than falling into deep concentration mode even in the midst of rowdiness.  As I left at 8:30pm, I realized that not only was I not hungry, I was also not tired.  After reading about Circadian Rhythm on WebMD.com, I realized that I fell into the category of Non-24 Hour Sleep-Wake Disorder - Sleep a normal pattern but life a 25 hour day...I wish!  Simply said, I don't fall asleep or wake up the same time every day.  The life of a grad student.  The perks! ;)

As I strolled back to my car, I wondered...

Would I be hungrier or would I have been less focused if Literati actually turned on the lights where I sat?

During the time I was there, I worked through the transition from sun up to sun down. There is an adaptation that transferred from the light through the window to light from my screen and keyboard.  How was my circadian rhythm affected?  

Located in the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus (SCN), it regulates our biological functions and activities on a 24-hour basis.  More importantly, it determines your sleeping patterns.  Those who have structured schedule, even if it's chaotic, can release hormones, change brain waves and regenerate cells on a more consistent basis.  In return, this consistency can  illicit hunger signals, sleepiness and tissue regeneration in a more predictive manner (internally).  A part of me believes that the human body is like a Type-A personality.  It loves structure, consistency and control.  Lack of it, sends it into a frenzy.  This is also why dietitians suggest proper sleeping patterns and consistent meal times for individuals trying to lose weight. 

Sources:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12781167
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8220654
http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/guide/circadian-rhythm-disorders-cause

Studies have been done on individuals who are shift workers.  For these individuals, their "lunch breaks" may be at 4pm  and their "dinner breaks" at 9pm.  Their work schedule is rarely the same every day.  Just like a grad student.  Circadian rhythm  are certainly inconsistent.  These workers recorded meal patterns and records for analysis.  While the total calories consumed were relatively the same in these individuals working early shift, middle-of-the day shifts and late shifts, there was significant changes in nutrient intake and food selections (starches and sweets). In other studies, savory and sweet items were craved in different patterns throughout the day.  Circadian rhythm as related to the activities throughout the day affects our appetite. 

So...with that information at hand, I also have to take into account my confounders: I ran 8 miles that may have suppressed my appetite with no opportunity to eat until 3pm.  For the last 7 days, my schedule didn't allow me to consistently have breakfast, lunch and dinner in regular, intuitive meal times (ex: 7a, 12p, 6p).  So not only was my rhythm messed up, sitting at my lovely Literati further threw me into a loop.  Sitting in the dark, not knowing the time and having a late "lunch", I did not recognize when dinner time was and the darkness around me helped me focus only on my computer screen and nothing else.  Studies have also indicated to limit screen time before sleeping since light from screens (TV and computer) can affect your sleep patterns and your "awakeness".  What's worse, while I sat in a cafe, no one around me had dinner either.  Conversely, on Saturday, a hungry gentleman decided to cut into a steak underneath bright lights.  I was certainly craving dinner on Saturday.  The smell of the food and the consciousness of time signaled my system that it was time to eat...even though I didn't eat "lunch" until 5pm that day.

http://www.photobiology.info/Roberts-CR.html

So for Literati and other amazing coffee shops I have yet to discover in LA, would their food sales increase if they had clocks to indicate time of day and bright lights to indicate that we are still in "day" mode? Metabolism would also be stimulated through thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) which would rev up our digestion rate, hence increase hunger.  So may be the late night munchies after a long night of studying was not really because we worked harder but our metabolism continued to work at a high rate. Any thoughts?

Michael Buble's Singing Warms My Heart Like Mac N Cheese

I was in Chapel at Loma Linda one Wednesday morning and during one of the first worship songs, I looked around me to see how the experience of singing made some people feel.  There was a general sense of calmness and in a group of students who are mainly in the competitive health field, it was a great sight.  As I saw this happening, I remembered a song I listened to on the way to school that morning that my friend wrote.  Listening to his song gives me the same feeling each and every time.  Happy.  I can imagine the story line in my head while listening to it, the same story each and every time.  It's the same feeling that I get when I bake something, when I enjoy my meals, and when I share the meals.  My curiosity is...do music and comfort foods illicit the same brain stimulation?

 The key word here I COMFORT.  I can certain attest that bitter foods make children cringe, foods highly salted can be offensive and overly doused sugary foods can make you fear for a cavity.  As I digest my mac n' cheese, the ultimate American comfort food, I feel a sense of relaxation on a Saturday night.  Now, many of you can say, well, it is a Saturday and she might have had a great day.  I did.  But I also just fought thru 1.5 hours of Los Angeles traffic in the rain.  There is also a general sense of stress a doctoral student, however immune I may be.

Through general research, this is what food does to your brain....

1. Complex Carbohydrates (whole grain breads, brown rice, some fruits) can raise the level of serotonin in the brain and give a calm and relaxed feeling.  
2. Fats (avocado, almonds and nuts, salmon, lobster) increases endorphine levels.  This is what we refer to as "healthy" fats.  All fats are necessary but we are talking more of the fats that come naturally from foods rather than from your fried foods.  
3. Protein (meats, tofu, Greek yogurt, nuts) can stimulate the production of dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. 

Does this make sense?  From my Mac N Cheese, I had my carbs (noodles), my fats (milk) and my protein (cheese and milk) and I get a sense of relaxed and calming feeling.  But what do these hormones and neurotransmitters really do?  They are released with or without the help of foods so let's break them down:

1. Norepinephrine/Noradrenaline - It is released from the amygdala where attention and response are controlled.  It is also a stress hormone which illicit flight-or-fight response that increases oxygen to the brain, heart rate and releases glucose from the storage tanks.
2. Epinephrine/Adrenaline - It is also released from the amygdala where flight-or-fight response is also fired.  It increases heart rate and increases oxygen intake thru dilation of the airways.   
3. Serotonin - It is found in the gastrointestinal tract from esophagus to your colon as well as platelets and central nervous system.  It contributes to the overall sense of happiness and well-being.  Fun fact! Serotonin is needed for male mating behaviors where they may leave their food to find a mate.  
4. Dopamine - It covers a larger role in the brain but it plays a big role in reward-seeking individuals.  It has been proven those who are more extroverted have higher levels of dopamine.  It is also released when partaking in many highly addictive drugs such as meth and cocaine.  Can you think of any foods you are "addicted" too.  Any connections?

So we now know that food affects your mood and it's no surprise that the foods the people love are connected to a release of neurotransmitters and hormones which affect our mood.  It's also no surprise that a warm baked cookie makes us ooey-gooey on the inside as well.  But are the same neurotransmitter and hormones released when we listen to our favorite tunes?

Michael Buble

When listening to music, the amygdala is also stimulated to release adrenaline.  In fact, memories of the initiating experience are strengthened.  This explains the repeated story line while listening to a love song or my connections with Memoirs of a Geisha every time I hear Norah Jones.  The same neurotransmitter can also illicit a warm feeling when eating mac n cheese.  There is a signal from the body to the brain to instruct how much adrenaline is released into the brain which in turn changes our bodily functions such as increase oxygen to the brain, increase air flow to the body and increase heart rate.  So if you are a huge Michael Buble fan, maybe listening to his music will increase your heart rate.  Similarly when I listen to the song my friend wrote, I can run a little faster but I am also happier.  Double whamy!

This is definitely not a simple subject to blog about because the brain and the signals to and from are so complicated.  Simply said, music and food improves our mood.  Can either illicit the same feelings? Seems like it.  Can music replace food?  Probably not.  I would not suggest it either.  Food is too good to give up!  Moreover, there are individuals are immune to some of these feelings because their daily activities stimulate the release of the neurotransmitters such that they are immune and would need a higher dose to cause the same reaction as someone who many not be as stimulated.  Didn't I say this was complicated?  It is definitely worth looking into!

So as we progress through this Valentines weekend, think about the foods are consuming.  Think about the food feelings that people get when eating chocolate, warm souffle cakes and hearty pastas cooked to perfection.  What feelings are we embracing besides love? 

MY 3 Favorite Songs of the Moment.  Enjoy!  Tell me what you all think of #3. :)
1.  Just a Kiss
2. I Won't Give Up
3. At Last