The Natural Sleep Aid Blog

Fact: Heart disease is the number one cause of death for men and women in the United States. Fact: the risk of suffering from heart disease can be dramatically reduced through healthy habits, diet and exercise.  It is a real eye opener to realize that many people are victims of heart disease and that most of this heart disease is preventable with proactive measures.

Step 1 in preventing heart disease is to eat a healthy diet. Eliminating trans and saturated fats is critical to maintaining a healthy cholesterol level. Trans and saturated fats are responsible for increasing overall cholesterol in particular raising levels of LDL cholesterol or bad cholesterol. Making the switch to mono and polyunsaturated fats can actually lower overall cholesterol and raise levels of HDL, or good cholesterol.  This can be done very easily by cutting out butter and solid fats and replacing them with vegetable, seed and olive oils.

Step 2 for heart disease prevention is to quit smoking and using tobacco products. This is especially true if you are a women and taking birth control pills. Smoking causes the arties to narrow which in turn puts more stress on the heart. There is good news for smokers though, as soon as a person stops smoking, the body is able to begin to recover almost immediately.  While the effects of smoking for years cannot all be undone, the body has a remarkable ability to overcome the abuse that it was put through.

Step 3; incorporate physical activity into daily routines. Getting and staying physically active builds a strong and healthy heart. A strong and healthy heart can pump blood more efficiently through arteries.  Less stress on the heart equals a happy and healthy heart.

Step 4 Watch your weight. While we cannot all look like a super model, being a healthy weight is necessary for the best life possible. Some weight loss tips for people who are overweight are to start exercising. Some online diet sources recommend hoodia gordonii  for appetite suppression and weight loss. Weight can also be affected by sleep. Not getting enough sleep can cause stress on the heart. Some natural sleep aids can ensure a good nights rest which will help curb unhealthy cravings.

Step 5 Get regular exams. Finally staying on top of heart disease requires regular exams. Prevention is the best medicine, and staying ahead of the game is the best way to beat heart disease.

Almost synonymous for the word turkey, tryptophan is as Thanksgiving as pumpkin pie. Said to be responsible for the entire couch -napping male population after Thanksgiving dinner, tryptophan affects the levels of serotonin in the brain, inducing a feeling of sleepiness.

So what exactly is it about tryptophan that brings on slumber? The answer lies in the chemical composition of tryptophan. Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that the body needs, and could be found in foods rich in protein content such as poultry, eggs, chocolate, and cheeses. Being an essential amino acid means that it is critical to health and body function; however it is not an amino acid that the body can make on its own. For this reason, food is the only source of this dietary staple, and turkey is an excellent source of it.

Tryptophan also shows promise as an effective anti-depressant and well as PMS aid.  Serotonin, a hormone that causes a feeling of calm and peace is increased in the presence of tryptophan.  This increased level of serotonin induces sleepiness.  It is considered by some as one of the greatest natural sleep aids.  

While tryptophan is a promoter of sleep, often the sleep that results from Turkey Day over- indulgence is from over-loading on carbohydrates and alcohol. Portion control and loading up on vegetables as opposed to stuffing are the best weight loss tips for Thanksgiving.

Remembering that the best way to lose weight is through diet and exercise, taking a long walk outside with family and friends after dinner is a great way to bond and work off that extra slice of pie!

More than ten million Americans suffer from depression each year. Some may experience symptoms that last only a few days or weeks to periods of six months or more. A common occurrence is winter time depression or seasonal depression. Seasonal depression occurs in the winter time and results from the persistent gloominess that sets in with the onset of longer nights, colder weather and the confinement to indoor spaces. The mood that one feels can be directly linked to the chemistry in the brain. Any imbalance of chemicals can cause a type of any number of types of depression.

A common chemical imbalance that causes depression is the low levels of certain neurotransmitters — particularly serotonin and norepinephrine.  Due to the fact that serotonin is linked to B-complex vitamins, increasing B vitamins into the system, particularly vitamins B6 and B12 help to overcome feelings of paranoia, violence and depression.

Increasing B vitamins in the diet can help to overcome winter time depression. Besides foods that are rich in these vitamins such as eggs, bananas, liver, cheeses and wheat germ, many herbal remedies, such as St. John’s Wort, can also be beneficial. Getting outside and moving around will also help to take the mind off the fact that the weather is gloomy.

Other solutions that those who suffer from seasonal depression have found beneficial are natural sleep aids.  Depression tends to not only affect the mood; it also can disrupt sleep cycles and diet as well. With seasonal depression, it is not uncommon to sleep for countless hours or conversely, not sleep at all.

How depression effects an individual can very from case to case. Some people may lose weight as a result of not eating, while others eat excessively. Weight loss tips for those who have put on weight involve getting off the couch. Getting the blood circulating is the best way to feel good and energized.