The Joy of Sleep

As we age we go through different stages, our sleep needs also change. Research continues to show that sleep does a lot more than relieve tiredness. Also one thing is clear: not getting enough sleep is dangerous. There are many health problems connected to sleep troubles. Poor sleep can play a big role in conditions such as; heart disease, stroke, asthma, epilepsy, depression, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, flu, and many infections.
Sometime sleep itself is the root of disorders. While many disorders are rare, there are four that affect millions of people. These include such disorders as: insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome and narcolepsy. As well snoring can indicate serious health issues. Snoring can be caused by structural defects in the sinus cavity, allergies or even nasal polyps. However snoring many times is caused by obesity.
Tips for good sleeping:
Set your sleep schedule and try to go to bed at the same time.
Exercise as this promotes restful sleep.
Downplay drugs such as caffeine, nicotine and alcohol.
Wind down before bedtime by a soothing ritual-like reading, taking a warm bath.
Get in sync with sunlight. Try to wake up around the time the sun does.
Keep the bedroom at a comfy temperature.

National Nutrition Month

Is normal portion size increasing your size? Clearly today what we think of as "normal size" has gotten bigger over the past 20 years. When a main dish in a restaurant now feeds two or three people, or a single snack bag of chips actually holds several servings, could be adding to the reason that so many of us are overweight. Twenty years ago a normal cheeseburger was 333 calories whereas today a "normal" cheeseburger if now a whopping 590 calories.
Dietitians offer these handy cues for realistic serving sizes of popular foods. Each one of these food items is one serving:
1/2 cup of cooked rice or spaghetti = 1/2 baseball
1 baked potato = a average size fist
3 oz. of meat,chicken = a deck of cards
3 oz. of grilled fish = a checkbook

These food comparisons may seem like appetizer sizes but these so called "normal portions" could be what is adding to excess weight problems. A simple solution to our weight problems today should include not only limiting the portion size of what we eat but also to increase our intake of fresh fruits and veggies!

Time to Pamper Yourself

Spa's are everywhere! So take some time to pamper yourself and refresh your attitude. Keeping your mind and body always busy takes its toll and affects how you feel and how well you get things done. So a couple times a week take out some time and just pamper yourself with a facial or body care treatment. Don't forget to take some time out also to pray or sink in quiet contemplation just to help your body and mind to rest. If you don't have a day spa in your area or can't spend the money then do some pampering right at home with everyday items.
You can make a nourishing mask out of ordinary items such as: Yogurt, blueberries and Chamomile tea bags. This type of mask is easy to make.

Blueberry Revitalizing Mask

1/4 C plain yogurt, warmed to room temperature
1/4 C fresh blueberries or frozen brought to room temperature
1 t honey

Mix above ingredients well. Apply mask to face, neck and chest.
For eyes use 2 chamomile tea bags-steep in lukewarm water 3-5 minutes. Place the tea bags over eyes. Lay back in comfortable chair or relax in bath.

Listen to relaxing music until the mask dries-up to 15 minutes. Rinse off with lukewarm water. Then feel the refreshment of this pampering spa experience!

Stress Reduction

It is fairly well known that there is a strong link between stress and heart problems. We are not sure if stress actually causes heart problems, but we do know that how we respond to stress can harm our health. Smoking, overeating and drinking too much are common ways to mishandle stress: so these behaviors raise the risk of heart attacks and even stroke.
Stress is a part of life and isn't always bad. But when too much stress is building up in our lives, it is how we handle the overload that makes the difference. Think about how you handle this overload. Do you just eat or eat very fast? Do you calm down with a drink or cigarette? Do you sleep or not sleep enough? Do you over work yourself? Do you postpone necessary things that need to be done? Do you just juggle too many things at once? If these are some of your actions you probably need to adjust how you cope with stress.
Here are some proven techniques for handling upsets and pressure.
1)Try to cope with stressful situations by changing your attitude about those things that annoy and frustrate you.
2)Try to take a daily break and give yourself time to sit quietly and breathe deeply. If you can, close your eyes and picture someplace calm that you find relaxing.
3)Try to focus on positives. Make up anything that works....it'll work to help you stay calm.
4)Talk, instead of keeping feelings bottled up. Find productive ways to talk about things bothering you with the people involved.
5)Exercise, stay active and stay positive. There are big emotional benefits as well as physical when you exercise by walking, swimming, biking or just anything to get you moving.
6)Every day take nutritional supplements that address the effects of stress on the body.
Take it easy on your heart by managing stress!

A Complicated Disorder....Autism

I want to share some new research information concerning the complicated disorder of autism. There are many different types and manifestations of Autism. Almost none of the 10 known genetic foundations for Autism are connected to each other. It's as if 10 different roads connect at a central location and continue to diverge in different directions and in an unpredictable way. That is the reason that research is focused on the common links of Autism rather than strictly on causes. Can supplementation help? According to the Autism Research Institute, up to 70% of children with Autism benefit from methylcobalamin, a form of B-12 that is essential for brain development. There are also positive studies on other nutrients, such as B-6, Cysteine and DiMethylGlycine. These nutrients seem to benefit people with elevated homo cysteine. However, nutrients that help one person with Autism many not help another. The bottom line howerer is that elevated homo cysteine is strongly related to the development of Autism. Please discuss your health care professional when seeking nutritional benefits for your child. This information was taken from an article by Dr. Brazos Minshew, Chief Science Officer for Trivita Way International.

Medication Review is in order

Those of us who are interested in our health should not forget the importance of doing a medication review with our doctor from time to time. Since our bodies are ever changing as we age, dosage or prescription requirements also may change. Next time when you see your doctor you may want to bring up some important questions:
Is the medication still doing what it's suppose to do?
Are you taking over the counter remedies that might interfere with your prescriptions?
Are you seeing another doctor that has prescribed a drug your primary doctor isn't aware of?
Does your body feel differently now than it did when you first began taking the prescription?
It is important to share this kind of information with your doctor so she/he can have a complete picture of your current medication status.