The Importance of Sleep

How manyhours of sleep do you get each night?

If it’s less than 7-8 then you are short changing yourself and setting yourself up for a number of health related problems.

Research from the University of Chicago is quite clear that sleeping less than 6.5 hours will cause disruption in insulin receptor sensitivity which will increase one’s risk for diabetes, obesity, and heart disease.

If that’s not bad enough lack of sleep can severely disrupt your endocrine system, increasing levels of the adrenal hormone cortisol, while levels of decreasing levels of Growth Hormone (GH). Decreased levels of GH increases fat storage and decreases the utilization of fats for energy (lipolysis).

So you know that you need more sleep, but if you are like most people who don’t get enough sleep it’s not by any choice of your own, but there are some things you can do to improve your sleep quality.

1. Avoid before-bed snacks, particularly grains and sugars.

2. Sleep in complete darkness or as close as possible.

3. No TV right before bed.

4. Check your bedroom for electro-magnetic fields

5. Avoid caffeine (no brainer).

6. Avoid alcohol.

7. Take a hot bath or shower before bed.

8. Put your work away at least one or more hours before bed (I am guilty of this one on many occasions).

Alicia and Kitty Cat taking some time out at the gym

There are also some supplements that I have found very effective in aiding in sleep. In fact we have used this supplement on a number of occasions to get clients off their sleeping medication.

1. Sleep Optimizer by Jarrow

2. L-Tryptophan

3. Melatonin

These supplements also have other benefits and are worth trying to improve the quality of your sleep. I personally take all three and sleep like a baby.

Throw out you Teflon coated Pots & Pans

Sometimes I take if for granted that people are aware of the health dangers around them. I recently had a client mention that the used teflon coated pans for cooking. I was suprised that they had no idea about the toxicity of the teflon pans and the potential dangers to their health.

New research suggests that the byproducts of the heat-resistant coating are toxic to both you and the environment, including some linked to the destruction of the ozone layer – as if that’s not already a big enough problem.

Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), a chemical used to make Teflon non-stick coatings has been shown to remain in humans for years and small amounts of the chemical are believed to be present in a large proportion of the American public. Evidence has shown that PFOA can cause cancers in rats and could increase cholesterol and triglyceride levels in humans.

PFOA has already been implicated in increased instances of cancer in the pancreas, liver, testicles, and mammary glands, as well as miscarriages, thyroid problems, weakened immune systems, and low organ weights. Do you want to take the risk?

Public Watchdog National Institutes of Health Corruption

More lies and deceit from the pharmaceutical industry. Public watchdog the National Institutes of Health has been caught in bed with drug companies. An article published in the LA Times goes into details of the corruption behind the National Institutes of Health.

Makes you wonder who you can trust and who really has your back……

National Institutes of HealthN