Natural Remedies You Won’t Lose Sleep Over

Robert W. Horovitz, B.Sc., ND
Naturopathic Doctor
The Lifelong Wellness Company Inc.
Active Health Centre
5871 Hwy 7 E
Markham, ON L3P 1A3
Clinic: (905) 294-0454

e-mail: info@lifelongwellnesscentre.com
www.lifelongwellnesscentre.com
www.facebook.com/lifelongwellnesscentre
www.twitter.com/lifelongwell

It is no surprise that good quality, restful sleep promotes Lifelong Wellness, yet many have difficulty achieving it. There are many natural solutions, however it is imperative that in choosing the right one, recommendations are made based on what is causing the deprivation of valuable snooze time in the first place.

If an overactive mind from stress is keeping you up, deep breathing exercises may be just the ticket. Focused breathing helps to increase oxygen intake, maintain a healthy heart rate, and promote healthy blood pressure readings, all of which can benefit a healthy sleeping pattern. Herbs such as holy basil and lemon balm are good stress supportive herbs, and seldom interact with medications. They can be taken as a tea or in pill form and have very few if any side effects. Epsom salt baths prior to bed elevates magnesium sulphate levels in the body. Magnesium is a vasodilator which can promote cardiovascular health, relax muscles, and lower blood pressure during times of elevated stress. Magnesium citrate is another form of magnesium that can be found in tablet or powdered form.

Someone who does not consume adequate amounts of dietary protein may want to consider that the amino acid tryptophan is used to produce serotonin, which is then converted to melatonin. Melatonin helps us with our natural sleep cycles. Interestingly, melatonin is produced mainly in darkness and decreased with luminescence. Children who sleep with nightlights may be at risk of producing less than optimal melatonin levels, as well as adults who sleep in rooms that are slightly lit even through natural sources such as moonlight.

Eating late at night should be avoided. Proteins such as digestive enzymes, insulin, and glucagon, can act even several hours later to interrupt a beautiful sleep. Have you ever heard of ginger for sleep? Ginger as a tea or even accompanying dinner is commonly used as a digestive aid, however it is also one of the richest dietary sources of naturally occurring melatonin!

Sleeping posture may be another sore spot to work on. Lying in a position that is ergonomically incorrect creates inflammation that can interrupt restful sleep and cause some to wake up in pain. Since good quality sleep is our major way of repairing and rejuvenating, it is to our benefit to seek out fitted mattresses and pillows but don’t just take my word for it, sleep on it.

You may read time and again that moderate exercise can help promote a wide variety of health benefits including restful sleep. A workout too close to bed time however can elevate your heart rate. Moreover, fluid intake during and post workout may lead to night time urination if consumed too late in the evening. Finally be mindful of any performance enhancing supplements or even supplements/herbs in general close to bed time. Caffeine isn’t the only ingredient to watch out for as there are many other substances that have diuretic, blood glucose altering, and hormone modulating properties, which can all disrupt your sleep.

Naturopathic Strategies For Your Allergies

Robert W. Horovitz, B.Sc., ND
Naturopathic Doctor
The Lifelong Wellness Company Inc.
Active Health Centre
5871 Hwy 7 E
Markham, ON L3P 1A3
Clinic: (905) 294-0454

e-mail: info@lifelongwellnesscentre.com
www.lifelongwellnesscentre.com
www.facebook.com/lifelongwellnesscentre
www.twitter.com/lifelongwell

Whether you suffer from seasonal pollen allergies from trees, grasses, and weeds, or from year round mould and dust mites, there are many natural treatment options available so that you can breathe easier and promote Lifelong Wellness. Herbs as well as nutritional interventions through diet and/or supplementation not only tackle uncomfortable symptoms such as sinus congestion, runny noses, and scratchy throats, but typically provide many additional health benefits and have much fewer if any side effects than pharmaceutical medications.

When the immune system is challenged by a foreign invader, histamine is released from mast cells, which helps allow white blood cells and various proteins to pass through our circulatory system more efficiently to promote an appropriate immune response. This process however makes our capillaries slightly more permeable to water, which often contributes to many of the symptoms commonly associated with allergies.

Vitamin C when combined with Quercetin has been shown to possess antihistamine properties. Camu camu is one of the highest vitamin C containing fruits in the world, and Quercetin can be found in apples, capers, and tomatoes (to name a few). Of course besides contributing to reductions in histamine release these nutrients/foods are often anti-inflammatory, and contain antioxidants as well as many additional immune boosting compounds. Nettle, which is a herb that has been used for centuries to treat allergic rhinitis, decreases histamine release by affecting the Histamine 1 receptor from mast cells, basophils, etc. Moreover Nettle has anti-inflammatory properties by modulating COX-1, COX-2 and Prostaglandin D2 Synthase enzymes, which are areas of interest in many additional research categories; notably pain management.

Avoiding pro-inflammatory foods is a wise strategy for someone who experiences chronic allergies. It is difficult to broadly categorize any one particular food as being pro-inflammatory or not because everyone responds differently. Some people have particular food sensitivities that if properly evaluated, can be temporarily removed or reduced from their diet. Generally speaking red meat, dairy, refined sugar, and gluten containing grains tend to be on the top of the list. Ask your Naturopathic Doctor whether other foods such as citrus fruit, nightshade vegetables, and/or egg should be considered. Spices such as ginger and turmeric can be added to foods as they are immune boosting and anti-inflammatory.

Sinus rinses are safe and easy ways of providing local relief against mucous build up. Neti pots and/or nasal sprays are commercially available so ask for them at your local health food store. Digestive enzymes such as mucolase may also be used to physically break down excess mucous. Additionally, probiotics are live microorganisms that can confer many immune benefits, including alleviating nasal symptoms associated with allergies. Some probiotic formulas include the bacteria as well as the fluid or medium in which they exert their fermenting capabilities. It is this nutrient rich medium that might contain more health benefits than the bacteria themselves. Lastly, if mould and dust mites are affecting the way you breathe, a good air purifier is probably a worthy investment, because breathing clean air is too important to miss out on.

Living with Lifelong Wellness

Robert W. Horovitz, B.Sc., ND
Naturopathic Doctor
The Lifelong Wellness Company Inc.
Active Health Centre
5871 Hwy 7 E
Markham, ON L3P 1A3
Clinic: (905) 294-0454

e-mail: info@lifelongwellnesscentre.com
www.lifelongwellnesscentre.com
www.facebook.com/lifelongwellnesscentre
www.twitter.com/lifelongwell
 

Summer commenced with inspiring goals towards Lifelong Wellness. People everywhere finally awoke from hibernation and began venturing into the wonderful world of long walks and fresh, flavorful health foods. Stress began to plummet and energy was on the rise. Weight began to drop, and in some cases, remnants of 6 packs and lean muscle from a time long ago were suddenly rediscovered. With summer over and fall among us, I find it increasingly necessary to encourage people to continue their active lifestyles that they have maintained steadily over the last 4 months.

As the temperature begins to cool down, those daily long walks tend to become less frequent, and less time is spent on fresh meal preparations. Occupational time restrictions begin to impose on what was previously luxury time for the mind and body. Of course it doesn’t take a Naturopathic Doctor to realize that meal prep and exercise go hand in hand. As healthy eating begins to decline, so does energy levels. With diminishing energy levels it becomes more difficult to perform those mind boggling tasks at school/work. If people begin to feel more sluggish, they tend to have less reserve for exercise, which ultimately leads to a further decrease in energy. Muscles start to lose their size and stamina, joints begin to stiffen up, and decreased range of motion makes physical activity more of a challenge.

In order to keep you on the path towards Lifelong Wellness, here are some lifestyle tips:

1. Write down your daily schedule on a piece of paper consisting of working hours and other responsibilities. Highlight any empty spaces (if any) that you see on your schedule. Seeing empty time slots on paper can help you to identify specific times for advanced meal preparations as well as exercise training.

2. Cook enough food to last until your next available time for meal prep (typically 2-3 days worth).

3. Pre-pack lunches the night before to avoid skipping meals the next day or making rushed early morning food decisions.

4. If a full out exercise regime can not be accomplished that particular day, don’t give up! Make a point of at least going for a 20 minute brisk walk every single day; it will help to clear your mind, cope with daily stressors, and ultimately increase oxygen flow which will help you perform tasks more optimally.

5. Pace yourself! If feeling overwhelmed drains you of valuable energy, stop and take 15 full out deep breaths (breathing 4 seconds in and 4 seconds out for a total of 8 seconds per breath). Often, people have trouble breathing with their diaphragm. Ask your Naturopathic Doctor about proper deep breathing techniques.

Often motivation and setting priorities are enough to get things moving. Once realistic goals are created, a Naturopathic Doctor can be of further assistance in providing specific individualized dietary and exercise recommendations. For more information on how Naturopathic Medicine can influence your goals towards Lifelong Wellness, book your free 15 minute consult today with Robert W. Horovitz Naturopathic Doctor!