Topic 1: Imagine you are a food specialist and you are working on the newsletter's next edition. Read the Jane's enquiry and then reply to it. Dear Expert, My mother has had trouble with her sleep for the past few months. I have also heard that what we eat may have some effect on our body. I was wondering if you could advise my mother what to eat and not to eat in order to improve my mother's situation. Jane

Hi Jane,

It is true that what we eat can affect the quality of our sleep. As a food specialist, I have some advice for you to improve your situation.

Foods rich in tryptophan, carbohydrates, calcium, magnesium, melatonin and vitamin B6 can all help promote quality sleep. Foods rich in tryptophan include milk, cheese, eggs, nuts, fish and beans. These are protein-rich foods, so they should be easy to remember when you’re deciding what to have for a bedtime snack. Carbohydrate-rich food for dinner helps a lot of people sleep. These include rice, bread, dairy products or potatoes. While some of the foods in the list below should be avoided generally, some of them are only troublesome when it comes to helping you fall asleep, so they should be avoided at dinnertime. Caffeine from coffee, tea, or chocolate, alcohol, spicy foods, overly fatty foods or sugary junk foods should be avoided eating before bedtime.

I hope that my advice will bring good sleep for you.

Dear Jane,

I am deeply sorry about your mother's situation. Her case is quite common for women her age, but is not something to overlook.

My recommendation for good sleep would be nuts in general (almond, walnuts, ...), cottage cheese, warm milk and fruits. They contain melatonin, a hormone that helps to regulate your sleep/wake cycle. Eating them can increase your blood levels of the hormone, helping you sleep more soundly.

Some food to avoid for a good sleep would be coffee, alcohol, dark chocolate and food high in protein. They rather contain caffeine, which prevents a well round sleep, or disrupt sleep when eaten too close to bedtime.

I wish your mother and you the best. Hope these help her to improve her sleep and well-being.

Best regards,

Expert