Falling Asleep Easily

Do you have a hard time falling asleep? Here are some rules to fall asleep quickly:

Every individual, experts say, has his own sleep cycle. So know your own sleep pattern.

When does sleepiness start to set in? When do you feel wide awake? Obey your body’s call for sleep even if it means going to bed earlier than your so-called “regular sleeping time”—which may not be right for you.

Intensive sleep research has found two time-worn pieces of advice that are still best:

• Think Pleasant Thoughts. Nothing can banish sleep faster than negative thoughts.
• Count Sheep! “Bore yourself to sleep with a repetitive sequence,” counsels the report.
  

Allow me to share with you my “style” of falling asleep faster:

• Empty the bladder before going to bed.
• Close all window shades and shut off the lights.
• Adjust the pillow to prevent stiff-neck.
• When lying down to go to sleep, erase all thoughts of the day.
• Finally, take some deep, slow, rhythmic breaths to release tension or stress.
  

When you follow the above suggested routine regularly, you will have no trouble sleeping—it will lull you to “dreamland” like a breeze!

Tidbits. Research suggests that sleep deprivation can affect one’s immune system and overall health. So sleep early. Seven to eight hours of sleep nightly would be fine, while sleeping as early as two to three hours before midnight is best.

And here’s something to warm your heart: Meditating before going to bed may help ease worry about falling asleep.

Have a good night’s sleep!

Bad News For Joggers

Here’s some not-so-good news for joggers.

An article from the Southern Medical Journal tells of joggers passing bloody urine after running.

The cause: Repeated impact of the empty bladder against the prostate.

Knowing this, you should not empty your bladder before running. Bloody urine has not occurred in women joggers whose different anatomy protects them against the problem. But women should beware of prolapsed uterus caused by jogging.

Does this mean that you have to stop jogging? Not at all. But try running as slow as you can. Brisk walking, using long strides, is better – and safer.

The report also mentions fallen arches, damaged ankles, knees, hips, spine and the whole works from jogging. Some even have prostate troubles, bladder problems, and problems with other internal organs.

If you are going to jog, do so on bent knees. This is probably not the recommended way to do distance-running as a sport. However, be sure you are not damaging your health instead of improving it.

Tidbits. It is best to take from two to six glasses of pure water upon awakening in the morning before doing your exercise. This will flush your internal organs clean. Make this a habit and feel the difference.

Discipline is an unpopular word for most of us. But we must begin a form of self-discipline if we expect to enjoy good health. The irony is that people think about health when they are already sick. That’s the time they become conscious and careful about their diet.

But isn’t NOW the time to be health-conscious while we’re still alive and well? Certainly not afterwards – for tomorrow might be too late!

Watch Your Waist

Many of us carry a “spare tire” around our middles.

What you may not know is that it’s not merely a cosmetic problem.

Visceral adipose tissue (VAT)—fat around the waistlines—is much more metabolically active than fat stored elsewhere.

Studies reveal that excessive VAT is associated with elevation in triglycerides, insulin, blood pressure, and with lower levels of the protective HDL cholesterol.

VAT is also indicative of increased risk of coronary heart disease, metabolic syndrome (the increasingly popular term for “syndrome X,” caused by insulin resistance), and type 2 diabetes.

To determine if you are at risk, take a measuring tape and measure your bare abdomen at the point high above your hip bones (typically about an inch below your belly button). Gentlemen, if your waist measures over 37 inches and, ladies, if yours is over 34.5 inches, you need to take action.

Watching portion sizes, cutting out unhealthy fats and refined carbohydrates, and exercising regularly will help you lose VAT—and reduce your health risks exponentially.

(Source: Dr. Julian Whitaker’s Health and Healing, June 2004, thru World Research Foundation, USA)

Tidbits: A basic element of fitness (and, of course, keeping a trim waistline!) is physical activity. Whether you are fat or lean, daily exercise is vitally important to your health. Some doctors consider it the most important single factor for survival.

“The human organism is so perfectly operated and has so many uncontrollable forces that work to keep the organism alive and healthy that it is incredible that anyone should ever become ill or even die.” This view is contained in the book, The Lives of a Cell by noted medical researcher, Dr. Lewis Thomas.

Dr, Hans Selye, another famous authority—this time—on stress and its effect on health and longevity, claims that although our body needs a certain amount of stress, the amount must be carefully controlled.

It will not hurt you, he says, to work hard for something you really want, but first make sure that you really want it and that you have a reasonable chance of attaining it.

Cancer Update, Part 3

Dioxin chemicals cause cancer, especially breast cancer, according to studies conducted by Johns Hopkins. The health hazards of dioxin chemicals are also being circulated at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. So we are advised not to freeze our plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxin from the plastic.

Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto, Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital, was on a TV program to explain this health hazard. He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat. He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body.

Instead, Dr. Fujimoto recommends using glass, such as Corning Ware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food. You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So such things as TV dinners, instant ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn’t bad but you don’t know what is in the paper. It’s just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.

Also, he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.

Cancer Update, Part 2

John Hopkins research on what cancer cells feed on follows:

A. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal, Spoonful, etc. are made with Aspartame and is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses, but only in very small amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in color. Better alternative is Bragg’s aminos or sea salt.

B. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk, cancer cells are being starved.

C. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.

D. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juices, whole grains, seeds, nuts, and some fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to nourish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).

E. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer fighting properties. Drink purified water to avoid toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.

F. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines becomes putrefied and leads to more toxic buildup.

G. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body’s killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.

H. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs, etc.) to enable the body’s own killer cells to destroy cancer cells. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body’s normal method of disposing damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.

I. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, un-forgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.

J. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.

(Cancer Update, Part 3, the last of the series, will appear in next week’s posting)