The Anti-Insomnia Juice

Finding it hard to have an 8 hour sleep? Perhaps you are the type that wakes up every forty-five minutes and needs another thirty minutes to doze off again? And we all know that there is nothing worse than suffering from annoying insomnia and the stressful effect it has on the rest of your days; the task of getting through a work day when you can barely keep your eyes open is painstaking, and makes you quite unpleasant to be around. This juice can help!

The Anti-Insomnia Juice.

Ingredients: 1 Cucumber, 1 in. Ginger Root, 1 Lemon, 1 Green Apple, 9 Asparagus Stalks.

Source: RawForBeauty

How Long to Nap for the Best Brain Benefits

Taking a nap, we've seen time and again, is like rebooting your brain. But napping may be as much of an art as it is a science. Scientists offer recommendations for planning your perfect nap, including how long to nap and when.

The sleep experts in the article say a 10-to-20-minute power nap gives you the best "bang for your buck," but depending on what you want the nap to do for you, other durations might be ideal:
For a quick boost of alertness, experts say a 10-to-20-minute power nap is adequate for getting back to work in a pinch.

For cognitive memory processing, however, a 60-minute nap may do more good, Dr. Mednick said. Including slow-wave sleep helps with remembering facts, places and faces. The downside: some grogginess upon waking.

Finally, the 90-minute nap will likely involve a full cycle of sleep, which aids creativity and emotional and procedural memory, such as learning how to ride a bike. Waking up after REM sleep usually means a minimal amount of sleep inertia, Dr. Mednick said.

In addition to those recommendations, one surprising suggestion is to sit slightly upright during your nap, because it will help you avoid a deep sleep. And if you find yourself dreaming during your power naps, it may be a sign you're sleep deprived. While you're planning your nap, don't forget to time it during the right time of day as well.

Source: LifeHacker

Studies Show That These Prescriptions Make Your Brain Stop Working

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Image: RawForBeauty.com

Drugs commonly taken for a variety of common medical conditions negatively affect your brain, causing long term cognitive impairment. These drugs, called anticholinergics, block acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter.

They include such common over-the-counter brands as Benadryl, Dramamine, Excedrin PM, Nytol, Sominex, Tylenol PM, and Unisom.

Other anticholinergic drugs, such as Paxil, Detrol, Demerol and Elavil are available only by prescription.

Physorg reports:

“Researchers … conducted a six-year observational study, evaluating 1,652 Indianapolis area African-Americans over the age of 70 who had normal cognitive function when the study began … ‘[T]aking one anticholinergic significantly increased an individual’s risk of developing mild cognitive impairment and taking two of these drugs doubled this risk.’”

Many view over-the-counter (OTC) drugs as safe because they don’t require a prescription. Well nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, many OTC drugs were previously carefully monitored prescription drugs. Many people are not aware that while I was in college in the 1970s, I worked as a full time pharmacy apprentice and helped sell drugs to patients all day long.

Motrin was the first non-salicylate prescription NSAID. Now it is a popular OTC ibuprofen option. Similarly, anti-ulcer drugs like Tagamet, Zantec, and Prilosec used to be carefully controlled. Now they can all be easily purchased in a smaller “OTC strength” that nearly doubles the number of pills required to equal the prescription dose.

Just because a drug is available without a prescription does not make it any less dangerous. It is still a chemical, which in no way, shape, or form treats the cause of the problem and can lead to complications that can seriously injure, if not kill, you or someone you love.

So this is clearly important information that can help you or someone you love reduce your risk of dementia as you get older. Based on the findings of this study, I would strongly recommend that seniors in particular avoid all anticholinergic drugs, like Benadryl (generic is diphenhydramine) which is a pervasive and commonly used in virtually all of the OTC sleeping pills.

Researchers will continue studying the matter to see whether anticholinergic-induced cognitive impairment can be reversed, but don’t hold your breath. Avoidance is really the best solution.

What are Anticholinergic Drugs?Anticholinergic drugs block a nervous system neurotransmitter called acetylcholine. Those suffering from Alzheimer’s disease typically have a marked shortage of acetylcholine.

Anticholinergic drugs are available both over-the-counter and by prescription, as medications used for a variety of symptoms can have this effect. Examples include night-time pain relievers, antihistamines, and other sleep aids, such as:

    Excedrin PM
    Tylenol PM
    Nytol
    Sominex
    Unisom
    Benadryl
    Dramamine

Prescription drugs with anticholinergic effects include certain antidepressants, medications to control incontinence, and certain narcotic pain relievers.

Examples of prescription meds in these categories include:

    Paxil
    Detrol
    Demerol
    Elavil

A Special Note for Aspartame ‘Reactors’

Many of the drugs listed here, as well as a long list of additional ones, contain diphenhydramine. As an important side note, you need to beware that chewable tablets and rapidly disintegrating tablets that contain diphenhydramine may be sweetened with aspartame

If you have the genetic disease phenylketonuria (PKU), you must be particularly careful to avoid these types of drugs and all other types of aspartame-sweetened foods and beverages in order to prevent mental retardation.

But many other people also suffer detrimental health effects from aspartame, so you should know that this is yet another potential source of this toxic sweetener.

Anticholinergic Drugs Increases Dementia in the Elderly

I’ve previously written about the health dangers of many of these individual drugs. Paxil, for example, is an addictive antidepressant that is well known to increase the risk of suicide in children and teens. It is also known to increase violent behavior.

Benadryl and Sominex have previously been found to cause hallucinations in the elderly, and a number of the drugs on the list also promote dental decay.

The results of this study indicate that drugs with anticholinergic effects may be yet another piece of the puzzle that might explain the sharp rise in dementia and cognitive decline.

According to the University of Michigan, dementia strikes about 50 percent of people who reach the age of 85. Of those, about 60 percent go on to develop Alzheimer’s disease.

In this study, the researchers tracked the intake of anticholinergic drugs and monitored the cognitive abilities of 1,652 African-American seniors, aged 70 and older, for six years. All of the participants had normal cognitive function at the outset of the study.

Fifty-three percent of the participants used a ‘possible anticholinergic,’ and 11 percent used a ‘definitive anticholinergic’ drug.

They found that those who took drugs classified as ‘definite anticholinergics’ had a four times higher incidence of cognitive impairment.

In those who were not carriers of the specific gene, APOE ε4 allele, the risk was over seven times higher. (The APOE ε4 gene is known to influence many neurological diseases, and is considered a high risk factor for Alzheimer’s.)

Taking two of these drugs further increased the risk of cognitive impairment.

PhysOrg reports:

“Simply put, we have confirmed that anticholinergics, something as seemingly benign as a medication for inability to get a good night’s sleep or for motion sickness, can cause or worsen cognitive impairment, specifically long-term mild cognitive impairment which involves gradual memory loss.

As a geriatrician I tell my Wishard Healthy Aging Brain Center patients not to take these drugs and I encourage all older adults to talk with their physicians about each and every one of the medications they take,” said Malaz Boustani, M.D., IU School of Medicine associate professor of medicine, Regenstrief Institute investigator and IU Center for Aging Research center scientist.”
Even More Reasons to Ditch the Sleep Meds

In 2008, Americans filled more than 56 million prescriptions for sleeping pills and spent more than $600 million on over-the-counter sleep aids. But anticholinergic sleep medications in particular may be causing far more harm than good, especially long term, without providing any benefit at all.

In a recent article, CBC News reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has had data for 15 years which shows that over-the-counter sleep aids like Tylenol PM and Excedrin PM do not offer any significant benefit to patients.

There’s no explanation for why the FDA took 15 years to evaluate the industry’s research, but upon final analysis “the data suggests the combination products are statistically better than a placebo but not by much,” CBC News reported.   

I guess it can be chalked up as yet another vibrant example of how industry research frequently amounts to little more than corporate wishes and good PR fodder.

Another analysis of sleeping pill studies from 2007 (financed by the National Institutes of Health) found that sleeping pills like Ambien, Lunesta, and Sonata reduced the average time to go to sleep by just under 13 minutes compared with fake pills — hardly a major improvement.
   
Yet, the participants believed they had slept longer, by up to one hour, when taking the pills.

This may actually be a sign of a condition called anterograde amnesia, which causes trouble with forming memories. When people wake up after taking sleeping pills, they may, in fact, simply forget that they had been unable to sleep!

You would be far better off putting your money toward authentic solutions to help you sleep than on sleeping pills, as it’s now clear that they do next to nothing to help you sleep – in fact, they may actually make it more difficult for you to get a good night’s rest naturally – and may significantly increase your risk of dementia.

Sleeping Pills are NOT a Safe Solution for Sleepless Nights

Understand that resorting to sleep medications is risky business, and that these pills do not address the underlying reasons why you’re having trouble sleeping in the first place.

In addition to the long-term problems already discussed, there are other serious, not to mention bizarre, risks involved.

For starters, these pills are notorious for being addictive, which means that once you want to stop taking them, you’ll likely suffer withdrawal symptoms that could be worse than your initial insomnia. Some, such as Ambien, may also become less effective when taken for longer than two weeks, which means you may find yourself needing ever higher dosages.

Ambien may also make you want to eat while you’re asleep — and I don’t mean sneaking down to grab a piece of fruit. The sleep eating can include bizarre foods such as buttered cigarettes, salt sandwiches, and raw bacon.

Sleeping pills, and again Ambien in particular, are also known to increase your risk of getting into a traffic accident. Ambien actually ranks among the top 10 drugs found in the bloodstreams of impaired drivers, according to some state toxicology labs.

Among the elderly, using sleeping pills may increase the risk of nighttime falls and injuries, and anyone who takes them may find they wake up feeling drowsy if the effects of the drug have not worn off yet.

You’re far better of finding safe and natural solutions that will actually address the underlying causes of your sleepless nights instead of just cover up the resulting symptoms.

Source: Raw For Beauty




Mercola

What Happens When You Are Asleep

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We spend about one-third of our lives asleep. But far from being wasted time, from the moment we slide into unconsciousness, a whole raft of functions takes place to make sure that we get optimal benefit from our nightly rest. >Sleep is the time the body can undergo repair and detoxification. Poor sleep patterns are linkedto poor health - and those who sleep less than six hours a night have a shorter life expectancy than those who sleep for longer. So sleep has a profound effect on our mental, emotional and physical wellbeing. 

Here, Daily Mail writer Angela Epstein explains how the body works on when we drift off. 

The brain 

Sleep may seem to be a passive and dormant state, but even though activity in the cortex - the surface of the brain - drops by about 40 per cent while we are in the first phases of sleep, the brain remains highly active during later stages of the night.

A typical night's sleep comprises five different sleep cycles, each lasting about 90 minutes. The first four stages of each cycle are regarded as quiet sleep or non-rapid eye move-ment (NREM). The final stage is denoted by rapid eye movement (REM).

During the first stage of sleep, brain waves are small undulations. During stage two these intersperse with electrical signals called sleep spindles - small bursts of activity lasting a couple of seconds which keep us in a state of quiet readiness.

As stage two merges into stage three, the brain waves continue to deepen into large slow waves. The larger and slower the brain wave, the deeper the sleep. Stage four is reached when 50 per cent of the waves are slow.

At this point, we are not taxed mentally and 40 per cent of the usual blood flow to the brain is diverted to the muscles to restore energy. However, during the REM that follows there is a high level of brain activity.

This is the stage associated with dreaming and is triggered by the pons - the part of the brain stem that relays nerve impulses between the spinal cord and the brain - and neighbouring structures.

The pons sends signals to the thalamus and to the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for most thought processes. It also sends signals to turn off motor neurons in the spinal cord, causing temporary paralysis and so preventing us from acting upon our dreams.

REM sleep is thought to help consolidate memory and emotion, as at this point in sleep blood flow rises sharply in several brain areas linked to processing memories and emotional experiences. In areas involving complex reasoning and language, blood flow declines. 

The eyes 
Though covered by lids, the movement of the eyes denotes the different stages of sleep.

On first falling into semi-consciousness, the eyes roll. But as we move into deeper sleep, rapid eye movement (REM) occurs when the eyes twitch and dart about.

This REM occurs within about 90 minutes of falling asleep and recurs about every 90 minutes throughout the night. It denotes a time when most dreaming is done.

Although brain activity is high at this point, the muscles of the body are relaxed to a point of virtual paralysis. Some experts suggest that this is a device to allow the mind to explore the realms of subconscious without acting upon events occurring in dreams. 

Hormones 
During our waking hours, the body burns oxygen and food to provide energy. This is known as a catabolic state, in which more energy is spent than conserved, using up the body's resources.
This state is dominated by the work of stimulating hormones such as adrenaline and natural cortisteroids. However, when we sleep we move into an anabolic state - in which energy conservation, repair and growth take over. Levels of adrenaline and corticosteroids drop and the body starts to produce human growth hormone (HGH).
A protein hormone, HGH promotes the growth, maintenance and repair of muscles and bones by facilitating the use of amino acids (the essential building blocks of protein). Every tissue in the body is renewed faster during sleep than at any time when awake.

Melatonin is another hormone produced to help us sleep. Secreted by the pineal gland deep in the brain, it helps control body rhythms and sleep-wake cycles.

Levels of melatonin rise as the body temperature falls, to encourage feelings of sleepiness. The opposite occurs to wake us up.
It is mostly during sleep that the sex hormone testosterone and the fertility hormones, follicle-stimulating hormone and leuteinising hormone, are secreted.

Immune system 

Research suggests that sleeping more when fighting infectious illness aids recovery.

This may be due to the immune system's increased production of certain proteins during sleep, as the levels of certain agents which fight disease rise during sleep and drop when we are awake.
Getting enough sleep can also help resist infection, as some studies of healthy young adults have shown that moderate amounts of sleep deprivation reduce the levels of white blood cells which form part of the body's defence system.

A cancer killer called TNF - tumour necrosis factor - also pumps through our veins when we are asleep. Research has shown that people who stayed up until 3am had one-third fewer cells containing TNF the next day, and that the effectiveness of those remaining was greatly reduced. JUST as the world is governed by light and dark, human beings also have an inbuilt body clock called the circadian rhythm.

Housed in the hypothalamus at the base of the brain, it causes 24 hour fluctuations in many bodily activities. It also governs the body's daily alternation between sleep and wakefulness, and works on a 24-hour cycle to let the body 'know' when sleep is coming.
The circadian rhythm regulates all the processes of the body, from digestion to cell renewal. All these body rhythms are triggered by an action of a network of chemical messengers and nerves which are controlled by the circadian clock.

Ensuring regular periods of sleep at night lets the bodyclock regulate hormone production, so that you feel wakeful and alert during the day and ready to enjoy restorative sleep at night. 
Body temperature 

In the evening, body temperature, along with levels of wakeful hormones such as adrenaline, start to drop. Some sweating may occur, as the body is immobile and tries to combat losing heat.
Body temperature continues to fall throughout the night. By about 5am it has dropped to about one degree centigrade below the temperature it was in the evening. 

At the same time, our metabolic rate drops too. This is the time of day when you would feel most tired, as the low temperature coincides with adrenaline at its lowest level.

Low body temperatures increase your likelihood of sleeping deeply and so give the body chance to rest and rebuild. As body temperature starts to rise, it remains more difficult to stay in a deep sleep. 

The skin 

The top layer of the skin is made of closely packed dead cells which are constantly shed during day. During deep sleep, the skin's metabolic rate speeds up and many of the body's cells show increased production and reduced breakdown of proteins. 
Since proteins are the building blocks needed for cell growth and for the repair of damage from factors like ultraviolet rays, deep sleep may indeed be beauty sleep.

Daytime sleep will not compensate for loss of nightly 'beauty sleep' as the energy needed for tissue repair is not available during daylight because it is being used elsewhere. 

Breathing 

When we fall asleep, throat muscles relax so that the throat gets narrower each time we inhale.
Snoring occurs when the throat is narrowed to a slit and parts of the airway vibrate because of a resistance to breathing. Air is forced through the narrow air passage, causing the soft palate and uvula to vibrate.

Those who snore are more likely to have poor muscle tone in the tongue and throat, which allows the tongue to fall backwards into the airways. Being overweight or having large tonsils and adenoids also contribute to snoring.

However, impaired breathing during sleep can cause a condition called sleep apnoea.

Often caused by fat build-up, poor muscle tone or ageing, sleep apnoea causes the windpipe to collapse when the muscles relax during sleep. This blocks the air flow for from ten seconds to a minute while the sleeping person struggles for breath. 
When the person's blood oxygen level falls, the brain responds by making the person tighten the upper airway muscles and open the windpipe. This will result in a snort or gasp before snoring is resumed. 

The mouth 

Saliva is needed to lubricate the mouth and for eating, but during sleep salivary flow is reduced, so causing a dry mouth in the morning.

However, the mouth can be very active during sleep, as one in 20 adults unconsciously grinds their teeth at night. 

This is known as bruxism and occurs mainly during stages one and two of sleep. It is caused by poor alignment of the teeth within the jaw but is also thought to be nocturnal relief for daytime stresses. 
Muscles 

Though a person can change their sleeping position about 35 times a night, the muscles of the body remain relaxed. This gives the chance for tissues to be repaired and restored.
However, studies indicate that muscles might receive just as much relaxation and repair during simple rest periods and that a state of unconsciousness is not needed for this to take place. 

Blood 

The heart rate goes down by between 10 and 30 beats per minute when we sleep. This produces a decline in blood pressure, which occurs in restful sleep.

During rest, blood flows from the brain, distends arteries and makes the limbs bigger.

Some scientists believe that fatigue-induced sleep may be a mild form of blood detoxification.

This is because during the day debris from broken down tissues is thrown into the bloodstream. In the waking state, most of this waste will be eliminated through the lungs, kidneys, bowels and skin.

But there could be a saturation point. So nature warns us to reduce these waste products to replenish lost energy, and that causes us to get tired and sleep.

During sleep, the cells and tissues that break down to produce toxic waste then become less active. This gives the chance for broken-down tissue to be rebuilt. 

Digestive system 

The body requires a regular supply of energy and its key source is glucose. This is constantly burned up to release energy for muscle contraction, nerve impulses and regulating body temperature.
When we sleep, our need for these energy reserves is marginal so the digestive system slows down to a sluggish pace. The immobility of our bodies promotes this.

For this reason, eating late at night is not recommended as our inactive state will prevent enzymes and stomach acids from converting it to energy. This causes that telltale bloated feeling.

By Angel Epstein

Source : Dave Sommers, Daily Mail

Scientifically-Supported Ways To Boost Happiness

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Some people are naturally happy. You probably know one, or maybe you are one. These people are quick to smile or offer the “bright side” when encountered with a friend who needs a boost. Minor setbacks are seen by this crew as just that—minor, rather than the serious life-changers that otherwise unhappy people experience. And while there is no true scientific formula for achieving happiness, there are indeed ways to be more happy more often, according to science.

Unfortunately, it seems that an astronomical number of Americans are lacking feelings of bliss and enjoyment. Instead, 21 million people (an underestimated figure, no doubt) suffer from depression, which is caused by everything from financial issues to a lack of love. And many individuals suffering from depression or sadness are on prescription drugs which are most often accompanied by more side-effects than benefits. While it’s hard to convince someone on depression medication that they may be able to reverse their situation completely naturally, it is possible.

5 Scientifically-Supported Ways to Boost Happiness

Here are a few research-backed strategies for increasing happiness in your own life:

·         1. Stop Eating Processed Foods and Fast Food- A study published in Public Health Nutrition found that those who consume fast food are 51% more likely to be depressed than those who abstain from unhealthy and processed foods. It was also found that the same held true for those eating baked goods and junk food. The abstract concludes with: “Fast-food and commercial baked goods consumption may have a detrimental effect on depression risk.”·         

         2. Sleep - Not only does quality sleep boost your chance of making healthful food choices, it helps improve your overall mood. You’ve probably experienced this first-hand, but if you’re not convinced, the Science Channel explains how your body increases stress hormone production when you aren’t well-rested. The magic number is different for everyone, but aim for around 7 hours each night.

·         3. Develop Healthy Personal Relationships - In this age of technology, you would think our over-connectedness would bolster our moods. You’d be wrong. Life satisfaction has actually fallen with the increase in “connectivity,” leading to the belief that nothing is a substitute for real (face-to-face, not Facebook) friendships.

·         4. Meditate - Several studies have indicated the positive link between meditation and mental health. When we are depressed, we are “consumed by negative preoccupations, thoughts and worries,” explains researcher Catherine Kerr. Meditation helps temper that. Mindfulness meditation can cut the recurrence of depression by up to 50%, a significant rate for a half-hour of your time.

·         5. Go Outside - Not only has vitamin D (sunshine vitamin) deficiency been linked to depression, studies have found that something as simple as a walk in the park can dramatically improve your mood and reduce depression symptoms.

Source: http://naturalsociety.com

3 Natural Ways to Increase Personal Wellbeing

The benefits of having a healthy lifestyle are immense. By doing the basic things our body tells us to do, we can improve our mental health and personal fitness. 

Eat:

Eating a healthy balanced diet is key to feeling good, living longer and preventing illness. Choosing foods with a variety of color can encourage emotional well being. Eating the right nutritional balance ensures that our bodies get the right amount of vitamins and minerals essential for both brain and body.

Sleep: 

Studies have shown that sleep deprivation can trigger depression and anxiety. Getting the right amount of sleep each night plays a vital role in our ability to concentrate, with relationships and our overall mood. Lack of sleep has also been associated with higher cholesterol and blood pressure.

Play: 

Studies have shown that it's not just children that benefit from play. It is just as important to an adult's physical and emotional health as eating and sleeping. Play is key to managing and transforming more negative experiences. It is a natural aid to learning, it can relieve stress and connects us with people and the world around us. Play can also make work more enjoyable.

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Health benefits of lavender

Most likely known for its use in lotions, perfumes, and soaps, lavender is known for its wonderful smell and brilliant purple blooms.  However, there are some other uses for this special herb that could surprise you.

-Lavender relieves tension and anxiety naturally.  Crush the leaves in your hands or rub lavender essential oil on your temples for some stress reducing aromatherapy.

-Adding lavender essential oils to your bath will help to soothe and relax tired muscles.

-If you have a burn, inflammation, or irritation, you can use lavender oil topically to soothe.

-Lavender can provide a natural alternative to chemical laden perfumes and colognes.

-Lavender helps you sleep better.  Add some lavender essential oil to a spray bottle and lightly mist your bedspread and pillows before calling it a night.

-A natural antiseptic, lavender oil can be applied to skin abrasions to guard against infections.

Read about more wonder herbs!

5 health benefits of cilantro

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Natural Cures Not Medicine

Nutrition is nature's health insurance.