The importance of sleep
Michael Ventresca • July 17, 2017
This is a subtitle for your new post
An increasing body of research is pointing to the enormous value of sleep. For example, a recently published study
in the journal Neurology, showed there may be a link between poor sleep and signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers believe adequate sleep is needed to perform critical detoxification processes where neurotoxins are essentially washed from the brain. A build-up of these toxins is strongly associated with Alzheimer’s. It’s also been shown the effects of poor sleep go beyond cognitive health.
For example, one study from the University of Chicago Medical Center
found that after restricting the sleep of healthy subjects to four hours per night for six nights, the participants were already becoming pre-diabetic. Researchers also found that lack of sleep may be contributing to the epidemic of obesity. Essentially, when we are sleep deprived the body produces less of the hormone that tells our brain to stop eating. In fact, several large-scale studies have also shown short sleep times are linked with heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.
Another study
at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine found that after only one night of roughly five hours of sleep our memory, ability to concentrate and speed with which we think is reduced. Even more, the effects are cumulative! A second night it gets worse and so on. The bottom line according to most researchers is we need 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep each night to be healthy. But what if sleep doesn’t come easy?
While there are quite a few effective products out there, the one we have found to be the most effective is called Dreaminol
(purchase here), a unique time-released formula that combines Melatonin, L-theanine (an amino acid shown to enhance alpha brain waves), 5-HTP (a precursor to serotonin), and Lactium. Research shows these ingredients can decrease both the time required to get to sleep and the number of awakenings during the night.
Click here
to watch our dietitian Nicole's Dreaminol product review.
Nerve-related pain doesn’t follow a clear pattern and often lingers longer than expected.
Hydration depends on having the right balance of minerals inside and outside your cells, so water moves where it is needed. Without them, water can pass through the body without fully hydrating the tissues.
For many, allergy season doesn’t begin with sneezing. It starts with sinus pressure, headaches and post-nasal drip. By the time classic allergy symptoms show up, the immune system has often been reacting for weeks.
Supporting your body’s stress response can lead to more consistent energy.
Supporting the liver in January can help improve digestion, energy levels and overall balance heading into the new year.
The winter blues: It’s not depression, but a normal response to reduced daylight and a disrupted internal rhythm.
Digestive enzymes aren’t a license to overeat, but they can help you enjoy the season more comfortably.
If you’re watching your blood sugar, there are natural ways to help keep it in check—without feeling deprived.
One of the most exciting areas of research in recent years is the role functional mushrooms play in supporting the body’s defenses.
Once thought of as just a muscle-building supplement, creatine is now gaining attention for its surprising brain-boosting benefits.
