Do You Have One of the Four Types of Insomnia?

Patients often tell me that they are tired, and that it is causing a serious problem in their ability to function and enjoy life. They may find it hard to lose weight, have difficulty on their jobs, and they may be moody and irritable causing problems in their relationships.

Before the widespread use of electric lights, people slept an average of nine hours a night. The Inuits (Eskimos) slept 14 hours during the long winters, but only 6 in the summer months, naturally adapting to the amount of sunlight in far northern lands. For more about the history of sleep, check out this sleep time-line, from earliest history to the present. http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/history

Why we need to sleep has long been debated. But we do know that lack of sleep causes both physical and mental health issues. There does not seem to be much difference in the amount of sleep that people need to operate well.  7-9 hours seems to be the average. Get less than that and the statistics seem to stack up. Loss of productivity, cardiac issues, disease states, obesity, and earlier mortality are all consequences of insufficient sleep. http://healthysleep.med.harvard.edu/healthy/matters/consequences/sleep-and-disease-risk

Since pharmaceutical companies fund many sleep studies, and the agenda may be to push sleep medication, the real question comes down to the individual. Do you feel rested and refreshed from your sleep?  If you sleep only five hours a night and you feel great and have plenty of energy, great! If not, let’s look at what could be improved so you are feeling restored from sleep. Over 38% of surveyed adults report that they fall asleep unintentionally at least once a day. They may need to be taking naps, or getting better nighttime sleep. Sometimes just allowing more time in bed helps. Surfing the Internet or watching television until 2 am can become a habit that needs to be broken so that more time is allowed for a good nights sleep.

There are four main types of sleep issues.

A.     Sleep Onset Insomnia-the inability to fall asleep.

The body needs to be in a state of “letting go” in order to fall asleep. If you are too mentally of physically wired when you hit the pillow, it may take some time to calm down enough. Start your bedtime ritual earlier. Dim the lights, turn off electronics, use a bath, yoga, or other means to relax. Don’t watch late night news. Develop a ritual that tells your body it is time to wind down.

B.     Sleep Maintenance Insomnia-repeated awakenings.

This is the person who reports being a “light sleeper”. They may not be reaching the deeper stages of sleep that are most restorative.  They hover in a light sleep and sound or movement, or body function like nighttime urination or night sweats, wakes them. Using earplugs, making sure the room is very dark, putting pets in another room, keeping the room at a comfortable temperature, and getting to bed earlier, may help. Studies show that going to bed between 10 pm and 12 midnight may allow a better night’s sleep. http://www.helsinkitimes.fi/lifestyle/12741-professor-reveals-best-time-to-go-to-bed.html Our natural circadian body rhythm is geared toward light-dark cycles. Getting to bed early can make all the difference for some people, so that they do not get a “second wind” that causes the body to be “up” and not able to calm enough for deep sleep. Frequent awakenings can also be related to blood sugar imbalances, anxiety and toxins that prevent the body from purging cellular waste. Sleep Apnea is a type of Sleep Maintenance issue that is characterized by interrupted breathing. This prevents sufficient oxygen from reaching the cells, and may lead to various disease states. Oxygen is a vital nutrient. Sleep Apnea is most often associated with being overweight, so weight loss is a must. But there are other causes that can be treated naturally, such as acid reflux and allergies.

C.     Sleep Offset Insomnia-early morning awakenings.

If you are not happy to be up with the birds at early light, but have difficulty sleeping long enough to feel rested, the problem may also be blood sugar and adrenals. Your body may wake up because your blood sugar has dropped, and/or your cortisol levels are too high or too low. Think of cortisol as your get up and go hormone. At the right time, in the right amount, cortisol is an energizer for the body. Cortisol should be low at night so you can sleep, and peak about 8 am. Chronic severe stress may deplete your body of cortisol.

D.    Non-restorative Sleep- Not achieving deep sleep can leave you feeling like

you hardly slept, even if you spent hours in an un-awake state. If you are exhausted, it may be that your body battery is never really recharging. People who report that they never feel rested often over-eat and choose carbs and coffee for quick energy. This only adds to the problem. Switch to protein and fat, eat smaller frequent meals and don’t eat past 7 pm. http://www.sharecare.com/health/sleep-health/article/sleep-better-with-this-simple-schedule-switch

Getting your body in rhythm and balance so that you sleep well can require finding out exactly what is holding you back from getting the right kind of sleep. Hormones play a very large role, and that includes the pancreatic hormones that monitor blood sugar, as well as the male and female hormones. Good sleep is possible at any age, and sleep issues can be improved at any age, even after years of poor sleep.

There are root causes for some of these four problems, such as adrenal fatigue, liver and gall bladder congestion, allergies and sinus congestion, hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). Natural medicine can safely treat sleep issues, without the harmful side effects of prescription medication. 10 % of Americans use sleeping pills. Sleep medications such as Ambien are associated with great risks. Mayo Clinic has stopped using it because of patients falling while drugged. http://health.usnews.com/health-news/news/articles/2012/11/19/sleeping-pill-linked-to-hospital-falls-researchers-say Sleep medications are associated with a four-fold increase in mortality compared to non-drug users, even at small doses. http://www.today.com/health/could-ambien-increase-your-risk-death-237723

Restful sleep is a vital part of a healthy and happy life, so consider insomnia as a signal that something needs to be tweaked in your body. Targeting your specific sleep issue is key. Hormone balancing, relaxing herbal medicines, or support for detoxification pathways can improve even long-term sleep problems.

There is an old Irish proverb. "A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book." 

You are the one who needs to be satisfied with your sleep. It all rests between you and your pillow. Just know that help is there if you need it, even if you have tried lots of remedies. Sleep is as natural as breathing, and better sleep can be achieved.

Sweet good night.

Ten Tips For Handling Sugar and Food Cravings

Ever had that feeling? You just can’t get a certain food out of your mind, and you want some now. Or you just have to have something sweet-or salty-or creamy-or crunchy. The appetite can seem almost insatiable appetites at times. When bored, when hormones shift, when afternoon fatigue or late nights hit, the urge to eat may be overwhelming.

The definition of crave is “to long for, want greatly, desire eagerly”.  I rarely hear people describe a craving for steamed vegetables. Craving is most often associated with sugar and “snacks” that are usually processed or salty.

Oddly, a small amount of the desired food may not satisfy, but instead turn on a binge. The next thing you know all the chocolate, half the ice-cream, or half the bag of chips is gone and you don’t know how exactly that happened. Bingeing becomes almost an unconscious act. Even if you think before hand that you will only eat a little, because you will gain weight, or get bloated or feel lousy afterwards, you just can’t stop.

Here are ten tips you can use to help avoid the remorse, extra pounds and health hazards of food cravings:

1)   Identify the kind of food that you crave and find a healthier, lower-calorie, substitute. Is it crunchy-salty like chips? Try celery with a little salted organic nut butter. Sweet and creamy? Try fresh dates spread with some nut-butter. Ice-cream? Look for zero calorie coconut cream ice-cream sweetened with stevia. Crunchy crackers? Look for crackers made with almond flour from Blue Diamond Almonds.

2)   Get more sleep. Over-eating and cravings can be turned on by insufficient sleep, especially if you are sleep-deprived long term. http://www.naturalnews.com/046754_sleep_quality_junk_food_cravings_obesity.html

3)   Identify the time of day you have cravings. Many people eat the minute they walk in the door after work because they arrive tired and hungry. Eating a healthy mini-meal late in the afternoon, or on the way home, can make a difference. Try saving part of your lunch for the end of the day. Plan ahead to have a quick dinner to prepare and have healthy snacks ready if you need to eat while cooking. Try a protein shake with cocoa powder and low-glycemic sweetener like stevia or xylitol for an after dinner dessert.

4)   Drink 2 glasses of water when a craving hits you. Don’t gulp the water, but drink slowly. Sometimes a need for food is actually a sign you are thirsty.

5)   Add more greens to your diet. Buy bags of organic pre-washed greens like baby spinach, baby kale or other tender greens and sprinkle them on fish or chicken or meat for extra vegetables. The potassium may help your sugar cravings.

6)   Take extra minerals as a supplement. Your body may seem to be asking for food, but may really need some nutrients like minerals, which are the building blocks of the cells. Extra magnesium may help chocolate cravings. Calcium, iron, iodine, and other essential minerals are missing from our food supply, and may require supplementation.

7)   Eat more protein and fat. Eat protein and fat at every meal. Eat a fatty snack instead of a sugary snack. Nuts can be addictive, especially if they are roasted and you may over-eat them. Butter, eggs, avocado, smoked salmon, Greek yogurt are fats that can help you to feel satisfied so that you can resist temptation if not avoid it all together. Dividing your meals in half and eating the second half two hours later may help. If you are still hungry, eat more fat and vegetables.

8)   Get moving when cravings hit. Get outside, walk around the block, run up and down stairs, jump on a rebounder, go for a short jog. Getting your circulation going will get more nutrients to your cells, and deep breathing will get more oxygen into your blood. This may turn off the cravings. And getting out of the house may help-as long as you don’t head for a food store.

9)   Take a whiff of an essential oil. Peppermint, orange, or grapefruit oil may stimulate your senses, and calm cravings. Chewing gum sweetened with xylitol may help. Xylitol protects against tooth decay and won’t spike your blood sugar. Flavors include peppermint, cinnamon, spearmint and even licorice.

10)   Have a back up plan. Call a friend, walk the dog, write in your journal, find other ways to help yourself feel happy, loved and balanced. If reaching for food is self-medication for emotional states, create other outlets. Maybe it is better to throw a few plates than piling them with food and over-eating junk! And if you find yourself frequently needing comfort foods in response to life situations, it might be time to move on to something better. 

Is There Any Corn in Corned Beef and Cabbage?

The Irish staple refers to a beef roast that has been “brined” and then flavored with spices. The brining, or soaking in salt water, makes a tougher cut of meat more tender. Then the corned beef is slow cooked with moist heat and served with healthy cabbage for an easy and delicious change from other protein/vegetable dinners. Here is a recipe. http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/beefporkothermeats/r/Corned-Beef-And-Cabbage.htm

Of course, I don’t recommend green beer or an excess of Irish whiskey to wash it down! The tradition of green tinted beer dates back to 1914, and blueing, used to whiten laundry, was the source dye. Chicago and New York City are awash in green beer on March 17. Dogfish Head Brewery makes a green beer naturally tinted with algae, so there is an alternative. http://www.kegerators.com/blog/2009/01/06/green-beer/

If green beer is not your cup of tea, here are some good choices to celebrate the day when everyone is a bit Irish. http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/03/14/5-healthy-green-treats-for-st-patricks-day/

And how about the food we most associate with Ireland, the potato? Although high in carbs, potatoes do have nutritional value. They contain more potassium than  bananas, Vitamin C, iron and other trace minerals, as well as fiber. Potatoes originated in South America, and were brought back to Europe by Spanish Conquistadores. Potatoes grew well in the rocky soil of Ireland. For Irish peasant farmers of the 1800’s, potatoes provided 80% of their daily calories. The Great Famine that occurred when the potato crops failed caused one million deaths among the Irish and is largely responsible for the great Irish immigration to the U.S. Caused by a fungus, the blight started in Mexico and spread to Europe. http://www.history.com/news/after-168-years-potato-famine-mystery-solved

Who can resist the comfort of mashed potatoes or one of the hundreds of other delicious ways to prepare potatoes, from scalloped to baked.  The problem with French Fries is really the trans-fat and rancid oil more than the potato. If you are trying to lose weight, go easy on the potatoes. Yams and Sweet Potatoes are better choices.

One of my favorite Irish foods is soda bread. During a wonderful road trip in Ireland, we stopped in villages we passed to sample the local Irish bread, cheese, and butter. We hardly ate in restaurants because the bread and cheese was better! Not exactly a low-carb holiday, but delicious. You can buy Irish Kerrygold butter in most grocery stores. They say that Irish cows are the most contented in the world, and when you see the color of the Irish grass they graze on, you can understand why. There are shades of green that only exist in Ireland. And check out a gluten-free Irish soda bread recipe here. http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2015/03/13/gluten-free-irish-soda-bread-muffins/

If I sound fond of the Irish, blame it on my parents. My mother was a Lehan and her grandparents met on the boat from Ireland and married in New York. My dad’s family was Irish/English. I have kissed the Blarney Stone!

So, for St. Patrick’s Day I wish you all Sláinte mhaith which means “good health”  (pronounced Slawn-cha Wa.) Don’t forget to wear green, or you just might get pinched!

Is Eating Organic Food a Mental Disorder?

“Orthoexic” is the newly coined term for people who are picky about what they eat and insist, for health reasons, on eliminating certain foods, or consuming a certain quality of food, such as food free of gluten, dairy, genetic modification, pesticides and chemicals. http://www.naturalnews.com/048886_orthorexia_nervosa_healthy_food_brain_disorder.html

So, following this reasoning, people with Celiac Disease-extreme allergy to gluten- and people who are lactose intolerant, actually have a mental disorder. Adele Davis, Dr. Oz, Gwyneth Paltrow, and just about everyone who shops at Whole Foods can all be diagnosed as mentally ill.

This is pretty hard to swallow, if you will pardon the pun. Makes me wonder if Big Agribusiness is pushing this agenda. Who else stands to benefit if people are like sheep and eat the Standard American Diet (SAD)- full of toxins and deficient in nutrients? Big Medicine and Big Pharma also benefit, because the American diet produces more sick people. This is not just theory. In the U.S. we spend more money on health care, but have the worst outcomes in the developed world. http://time.com/2888403/u-s-health-care-ranked-worst-in-the-developed-world/

Does focusing on eating “clean” ever get out of hand? Sure. Very occasionally I see patients who are afraid to eat anything because nothing is healthy or pure enough. Fear is probably more detrimental to your health than anything that could lurk in your food.

However, when you insist on a high quality diet, you are asserting your right to live as you dictate, not as big money interests want to sell to you for their profit. And you may be asserting your right to live at all, given the rate of obesity, heart disease and cancer which plagues as at epidemic proportions. In fact, it may be more American to insist on healthy food. "Was the government to prescribe to us our medicine and diet, our bodies would be in such keeping as our souls are now."
--Thomas Jefferson: Notes on the State of Virginia: Query XVII: Religion, 1781 

Thomas Jefferson grew 18-24 varieties of apples at his estate in Virginia, and by his own accounts, he was a man who enjoyed the fruits of the land. http://www.monticello.org/site/house-and-gardens/royal-family-our-democratic-fruit-thomas-jeffersons-favorite-apples

You are also asserting your right to eat food that has more flavor and enjoyment. Commercial foods often seems flavorless, despite the size and color of produce in the grocery stores. If you choose substance over style, that makes you a wise consumer.

Advocating for your own well-being, and that of your family, would indicate positive mental health to me. Making responsible choices in a sea of confusing marketing  and philosophical messages also indicates positive mental health.

There is always a point where extremism becomes mainstream, when enough people start standing up and demanding a change. It may be that enough people are now demanding organic and unmodified foods that the big money interests are becoming concerned.

Let’s push them harder so that every single family can have the choice of real food instead of chemicals, and experience the benefits of a healthy body, supported by actual Nature-made nutrition.

If you have any confusion about what food is real and beneficial for your body, let us know. Part of our mission is to inform you, so you can be you own health advocate. The term “Doctor” originally meant “Teacher” in Greek.  If you have missed any of my other blogs about optimum health and nutrition, they are all posted in the archives of my website at www.annedunev.com