The subject line in my email snagged my eye (ear, brain): "Get more sleep, lose weight ... while doing the laundry."
Let's see: I can do one of my favorite things (sleep) while accomplishing two persistent but pesky past times (losing weight and laundry)? My level of skepticism is starting to soar. My Doubt-It meter is jumping. Sounds a lot like all those other too-good-to-be-true diets.
This one came from the unexpected source of General Electric. It seems the appliance giant has created the Lexus of laundries.
The press release opens with the line: "If you can't seem to complete your laundry chores while the sun is shining, the new GE Profile™ laundry pair may be just what the dietician ordered."
The argument follows that if you are tired, you have more hunger pains. But with this washer, you can set the timer with the "Overnight Cycle" so when you wake up, the laundry is done. The washer takes out so much of the moisture that the clothes won't need the dryer. (Then, why buy the combo?) Therefore, you get more sleep.
Really, I dare not paraphrase. Here is exactly what the release says: "Several studies have confirmed a fascinating, yet mysterious link between sleep and weight. Doctors say hormones, leptin and grehlin, affect your ability to feel satisfied after eating, as well as stimulate appetite.
Michael Breus, Ph.D., a faculty member of the Atlanta School of Sleep Medicine and director of The Sleep Disorders Centers of Southeastern Lung Care in Atlanta, explains the two hormones work as a 'checks and balances' system.
Grehlin stimulates appetite and leptin tells your brain when you're full. Sleep or a lack thereof, tends to throw off those hormones by causing an increase in grehlin and a decrease in leptin. People that sleep less than six hours a night tend to weigh more than their more rested counterparts in studies conducted at the University of Chicago in Illinois and at Stanford University in California.
So how does laundry play into the scene? The GE Profile frontload steam washer, a Good Housekeeping VIP award winner, is the first unit in the industry within the U.S. that has the ability to wash small loads on an overnight cycle. The cycle even helps prevent clothes from wrinkling compared to clothes that are left sitting in the washer overnight. The Overnight Ready cycle keeps clothes moving gently up to eight hours to remove moisture content.
'Having both that fresh-from-the-laundry feeling and a couple more hours of sleep is a huge bonus for today's busy lifestyles. Now you don't have to sacrifice your sleep to get the laundry done,' said Jennifer Schoenegge, product manager, clothes care. "Whether it's the kids' soccer uniforms, a pair of jeans for casual Friday, or a few dress shirts, the GE Profile frontload steam washer finishes the laundry while you sleep."
No more waiting up past midnight for the big transfer from washer to dryer. Your waistline could thank you."
Actually, my waistline would thank me if I would stop digging into the bowl with the dark chocolate M&Ms on my desk.
Christy Marshall, editor-in-chief, AT HOME
