Have you been getting enough sleep lately? A study from the University of Pennsylvania links sleep patterns to your diet. The study concludes that there are foods that have key nutrients which play an essential role in regulating sleep. Sounds interesting, right? These should be very beneficial to those who experience difficulty in sleeping and assess their diet.

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This is a welcome development to people who want to have a relaxing way to rest after a stressful day. The study concludes that there are key nutrients that you can find in several foods that will influence your sleep patterns. Check out these foods that will help you have a sound sleep.

Grapefruit

This fruit is packed with a key nutrient for a great bedtime rest – lycopene. The study shows that lycopene helps you have a great bedtime rest. Not only that, this key nutrient is known to lower the risk of cancer. You can also find lycopene in tomato, papaya, guava and watermelon. Always remember that you can obtain more of this nutrient when you eat them fresh.

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Nuts

Aside from being a food for the brain, nuts contain selenium which will give you a sound sleep. Of course, this key nutrient is known to be very essential in immune system function. So, you get a lot of nutrients by eating nuts while watching your favorite nightly show before you sleep. You can also get selenium from fish, barley, turkey and grains.

Strawberry

The sweet taste of strawberry isn’t the only reason why you have to love it. Strawberry is packed with vitamin C that will influence your sleep patterns. This key nutrient is vital in giving you the needed sleep on the daily basis. Other good sources of vitamin C are pineapple, broccoli, citrus fruit and orange.

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Bear in mind that you need to have a sound sleep on a daily basis in order for your body to function well. It will not only affect your mood but also your ability to think and act accordingly. So, stay healthy and sleep thoroughly.

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Spring is here and it has also invited the warm weather. Wouldn’t a cool dessert make you feel better? Now, even though we enjoy the warmth it can be a bit overwhelming which causes the need for a cooling agent, stat. Well look no further because the toasted pecan ice cream balls with hot fudge dipping sauce is perfect solution for that problem.  These deliciously decorated ice cream ball are great little bit sized snacks to keep you cool in the heat and sweet on the tongue!

Toasted Pecan Ice Cream Balls w/ Hot Fudge Dipping Sauce

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Ingredients

½ pint of Vanilla Soy Ice Cream
1 cup of toasted Pecans
A pinch of Salt

Dipping Sauce

4 ounces of Dark Chocolate
½ cup of Soy Creamer
1 tablespoon of Non-Dairy Butter
½ teaspoon of Vanilla

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Directions

1. Take a sheet of wax paper and line it on a cookie sheet.  Put the cookie sheet in the freezer so it can get really cold.  Also put the ice cream in the refrigerator to soften it for about 15 minutes.
2. Pulse the nuts and the salt in a food processor to make coarse crumbs, the dish in put the nuts in a small dish.
3. Get the ice cream out and use either a cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop out an ice cream ball, the take the ball and roll it around in the dish filled with the nuts, and place the ball on the cookie sheet at a time.  When you have all of your pecan coated balls on the cookie sheet then place the freezer for about an hour.
4. About 10-15 minutes before serving, make the chocolate dipping sauce.  Start by chopping the chocolate and place it in a heat proof bowl.  In a small pan on the stove bring the creamer and butter to a boil.
5. When the cream is hot, pour it over the chopped chocolate. Tap once on the counter and let sit for a minute. Add vanilla and stir until it is smooth and serve the dip with the balls.

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