A sneaky cause of major health issues

If you went to the doctor and reported having insomnia, you’d probably walk out with a prescription for sleeping pills.

Or if you mentioned feeling depressed, you may get an antidepressant.

If you complained about indigestion, acid reducers may be in your future.

But there is a common underlying cause for all of these health issues (and many more) that NONE of the prescription drugs in the world can touch—and in many cases, they make things worse.

Hormonal imbalances!

Here’s why hormones can make or break you in terms of health.

The ultimate power
When people hear the word hormones, images of menopausal women with hot flashes come to mind.
But that’s just a drop in the hormone bucket!

There have been over 200 hormones identified so far, and they control pretty much ALL of your body’s processes.  For example:

• Hormones trigger your digestive organs to secrete enzymes.
• Your metabolism is (hopefully) active because your thyroid is cranking out hormones that affect every single cell in your body.
• Your ability to deal with an emergency depends on hormones secreted by your adrenal glands.
• If you do not suffer from diabetes that’s because your pancreas is secreting adequate insulin.
• And if you sleep soundly at night your pineal gland is ensuring you have enough melatonin.

Why are people’s hormones so messed up?
Now more than any other time in our existence, people are suffering from hormonal imbalances, and at younger ages too.  Instead of affecting people in their 50s and 60s we’re seeing them in our 20s and 30s.

There are many factors that can cause hormonal imbalances and they include:

• Chemicals like BPAs, BHC, PCBs, etc. that are abundant in our environment
• Hormones injected into the animals raised for our food supply, which in turn make their way into your body
• Low-fat diets because your body needs fats to make hormones
• Prescription drugs—especially antibiotics, birth control pills and statins
• Liver malfunction—because the liver is responsible for clearing old worn-out hormones from your body, as well as manufacturing cholesterol to make your reproductive hormones

But the two most prevalent causes of hormonal problems are things that are very common is our society today…

Poor digestion and stress!
Here’s how:

The poor digestion connection
When your digestion isn’t going along so well, your system’s ability to assimilate and absorb nutrients from your foods is greatly impaired.  Since your body needs nutrients to make hormones, inadequate digestion can cause hormonal imbalances!

In addition, poor digestion can result in chronic constipation, which in turn can mean that old hormones your body is trying to eliminate with your bowel movements instead can be reabsorbed into circulation, creating imbalances and hyperstimulation.

Eating simpler meals—pairing protein and vegetables OR starch and vegetables—can be a big help in paving the way for easier digestion.

In addition, probiotics have been shown to be extremely helpful with easing constipation and improving nutrient absorption through the gut wall.

And if your not-so-great digestion includes heartburn or acid reflux, digestive enzymes can help give your body a much-needed boost to get the job done without your stomach going overboard cranking out acid.

Stress—the pregnenolone “hog”
The hormone pregnenolone is your “molding clay” for all of your hormones, and your body divvies it up as it’s needed to make the various types of hormones.

But your stress hormones trump all other types in your body.  So when you’re under chronic stress, your adrenals “hog” all of your pregnenolone to make the stress hormones adrenaline and cortisol…
Leaving little or none for your other hormonal needs!

If stress is a regular companion for you, it’s time to find ways to chill out.  (Keep in mind regular exercise is a great stress reducer and encourages ALL of your systems to function at their best!)
Get help from a counselor or therapist if you need it.

Other ideas
Your doctor can do a complete hormone panel to see where you stand.  Since hormones control literally everything about you, a hormone panel should be as basic as a CBC or lipid panel in assessing your health at this point.

If you find you need some hormonal “assistance” consider bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.  Your body has a much easier time assimilating bioidentical hormones versus synthetic hormones because they are natural and molecularly identical to hormones created by your body.

Get enough healthy fats!  Your body’s ability to produce hormones is dependent on having enough fats for “raw materials.”  Healthy fats include real butter, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, avocado, wild caught fish and fish oil supplements.  

John Stamos opens a can of worms about Ambien

Actor John Stamos recently described his nightmarish experience being addicted to and quitting the sleep drug Ambien in an interview with Howard Stern.

Stamos described how Ambien impaired his thinking, memory and ability to work, and said it was easier for him to give up heavy drinking than to quit Ambien.

The strong potential addiction and other frightening side effects (including severe allergiic/anaphylactic reaction, memory loss, anxiety, and sleep-driving, -cooking and even -intercourse) are inconvenient little truths that manufacturer Sanofi-Aventis would probably like to sweep under the rug.

But Stamos’ candid statements are raising a new awareness in a very public way.

Here are some other “hidden truths” about Ambien:

It’s designed for “short-term” relief from insomnia
This is a joke.
How many people do you think use a sleep drug on just a “short-term” basis, as in a few weeks?
And what happens during that short-term usage?  Does their chronic insomnia magically disappear, never to return?
Or do they become slaves to the drug, unable to sleep without it?

It’s never been tested for more than 4-5 weeks of use.
Anyone taking it for longer than 35 days is a human guinea pig, period.

It hasn’t been studied in pregnant women.
But it has certainly been taken by many. 
Plus it hasn’t been proven safe for use in children, but that hasn’t stopped it from being prescribed, especially to teens.

It can worsen depression.
When used by patients with depression, Ambien can increase the risk of suicidal ideation and tendencies.
And the most obvious one of all…

Inducing sleep with a drug does absolutely nothing to address the underlying cause of insomnia!
Chronic insomnia can be the result of several factors, and forcing sleep with a drug without considering why the insomnia is occurring to begin with does nothing but guarantee you will be a drug company customer for a good long time.
If you suffer from chronic insomnia, it can make a tremendous difference when you look at what might be causing it and do something about it!
Here are some thing to consider:

Address stress and unresolved issues
Stress hormones (like adrenaline and cortisol) lower your body's levels of serotonin and melatonin, which are two important neurotransmitters involved in relaxation and sleep.

If you’re stressed then regular exercise (with your doctor’s OK), counseling, prayer, meditation, aromatherapy, deep breathing, acupuncture, massage therapy and yoga can all help. 

Plus if you’ve gone through a tragic event or have unresolved issues based on something that happened to you, those can certainly impact your ability to sleep.  A good therapist can help you work through everything. 

Avoid sugar, caffeine and alcohol in the evening
Caffeinated drinks (like coffee and soda) and alcohol are both common drinks to sip in the evening before going to bed, but they’re also the worst sleep inhibitors on the planet.  

Plus sugar is a culprit too. 

Sugar can trigger elevated cortisol levels, and since cortisol is one of your body’s “fight or flight reaction” hormones, that can hamper your ability to fall asleep, stay asleep and/or wake up refreshed. 

Restless legs and cramps
Many people lose sleep from muscle cramps or restless legs.

If that includes you, consider taking 250 mg. of magnesium at night, plus 400-800 IUs of vitamin E each day.

Read medication package inserts
Certain medications like bronchodilators and antidepressants can trigger insomnia. 

If you are on any kind of medication, check the package insert to see if insomnia is a side effect and if so, talk to your doctor about alternatives.

Consider fish oil supplements
Studies have shown that a higher level of the Omega-3 EFA Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is associated with better sleep…unfortunately our typical processed/fast food diets are anemic when it comes to providing proper levels of Omega-3 EFAs. 

But you can easily help turn that around with a quality fish oil formula that contains the crucial DHA, as well as its “partner” in brain and cardiovascular health—Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). 

VitalMega-3 is your ticket to making sure your body has the Omega-3 EFAs it so desperately needs. 

VitalMega-3 provides 1,200 mg of Omega-3s in a daily two-capsule serving, including the all-important EPA and DHA in the 3:2 ratio recommended by experts.

Get your hormones tested
In the years leading up to and into menopause, many women suffer sleep disturbances including chronic insomnia due to the significant hormonal changes taking place in their bodies.

If that includes you, bio-identical hormone replacement therapy may be a big help.

In health reports from the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Harvard Medical and Stanford University, it’s been stated that bio-identical hormone replacement therapy can have long-term health benefits--including relief from menopausal-related sleep problems!
 
When you address what may be behind your problems with insomnia, a whole new world of peaceful, restful sleep can open up for you!

You can’t live without it-do you get enough?

Although most people are aware that you must have water and nutrients to survive, there’s another thing that you absolutely can’t live without.

Sleep!

Sadly, even though sleep is vital for optimal health, current estimates show that about 47 percent of us have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night. 

Lacking sleep takes its toll in countless ways—and it doesn’t take a lot to start to see the difference. 

Here is how just one poor night’s sleep can affect your body:

• Your mood becomes depressed
• Your ability to concentrate drops
• Levels of essential nutrients like zinc and magnesium fall
• Vitamin C gets used up at a startling rate
• Your immune cells’ functioning goes way down

Is your switch always flipped to ON?

One of the most common factors behind insomnia is a high level of stress, tension and/or anxiety. 

And since about sixty-three percent of people report suffering from stress, and more than half of all doctor’s visits are for stress-related conditions, it’s easy to see why so many of us are sleep-deprived.

Here is a quiz you can take to see if stress, tension and anxiety may be playing a part in your poor sleep patterns.

1. ¨  Do you awaken during the night more than once other than to urinate?
2. ¨  Are you a light sleeper?
3. ¨  Do you have difficulty falling asleep?
4. ¨  When you awaken during the night, do you start to think about stressors like your job, commitments, etc.?
5. ¨  Do you wake up in the morning feeling unrested?
6. ¨  Do you have difficulty relaxing?
7. ¨  Do you often toss and turn, can’t get comfortable or have muscle cramping?
8. ¨  Do you find yourself feeling irritable or depressed?
9. ¨  Do you get angry easily?
10. ¨  Do you find you are impatient with others?
11. ¨  Are you easily upset or offended?
12. ¨  Do you have muscle tension or “twitching”—repeated tapping of feet, jiggling your legs, etc.?
13. ¨  Have you been told you are anxious or depressed?
14. ¨  Have you ever seen a doctor for anxiety or depression?

Scoring interpretation:

Three or fewer yes answers: Stress, tension and anxiety are likely not affecting your sleep patterns

Four to six yes answers:  Stress, tension and anxiety may be affecting your sleep patterns

Seven or more yes answers: Stress, tension and anxiety are likely affecting your sleep patterns

Turn the tables and start sleeping better

The good news is you can turn the tables and start sleeping better at night.  You just need to look at all the possible factors behind your poor sleep and do something about them.

Here are seven very effective ideas to consider:

1- Chill out

If stress, anxiety and/or tension are playing a part in your insomnia, it’s time to chill out.

A skilled counselor can be a tremendous help—but make sure they are actually “helping” and not just pushing sleep drugs at you (which can do more harm than good).

Exercise is a great stress and tension reliever. 

Avoid late night TV watching, especially news channels or suspenseful, sad or violent movies. 
Having heart-pounding or upsetting images in your mind can flip your anxiety and tension switch and leave you counting sheep into the billions.

2- Avoid sugar and stimulants

Most people are aware that drinking caffeinated beverages (including soda, coffee and tea) can lead to a night filled with tossing and turning, but sugar is a culprit too. 

A diet high in sugar and refined carbs can trigger elevated cortisol levels, and since cortisol is one of your body’s “fight or flight reaction” hormones, that can hamper your ability to fall asleep, stay asleep and/or wake up refreshed. 

3- Support better nourishment & digestion

When your body needs nutrients, it NEEDS NUTRIENTS--and it doesn't care if it has to wake you up at 2 am to let you know that.

So if you regularly skip meals, go to bed hungry or lack nutrients because you’re a junk food junkie, not having proper nourishment is a great way to make sure you'll be staring at the ceiling.

In addition, poor digestion can lead to late night attacks of gas, acid reflux, stomach pain, nausea and vomiting. 

The best way to prevent having your sleep disturbed by a wrenching gut or a need for nutrients and to encourage more sound digestion is to eat nourishing meals that your body can break down easier!

Now know this: Eating right does NOT have to mean deprivation, eating bland meals or existing on "rabbit food."

The Great Taste No Pain eating system will show you how to easily put together delicious, nutritious meals that your body can more efficiently break down.

You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how tasty good-for-you meals can be, and will enjoy the benefit of not only better sleep but very likely less gas, bloating, heartburn and constipation too!

4- Calm those restless legs or muscle cramps

Many people lose sleep from muscle cramps or restless legs.

If that includes you, consider taking 250 mg. of magnesium at night, plus 400-800 IUs of Vitamin E each day—that can help make a big difference.

5- Consider alternatives to medications

Some medications like bronchodilators for asthma and certain antidepressants can trigger insomnia. 

If you are on any kind of medication, check the package insert to see if insomnia is a side effect and if so, talk to your doctor about alternatives.

6- Get sources of B6 and tryptophan

Adequate amounts of Vitamin B6 and tryptophan are needed for you to get sleepy.  Tryptophan is the precursor to the neurotransmitters melatonin (which regulates your sleep/wake cycle) and serotonin (which is your natural feel good chemical).  Vitamin B6 is crucial for nervous system health.

Good sources of B6 include spinach, bell peppers, garlic, tuna, cauliflower, bananas, broccoli, asparagus, cabbage, kale and cod.

Tryptophan is found in chicken, cheese, tuna, tofu, eggs, nuts, seeds and milk.

7- Get enough Omega-3 essential fatty acids

Studies have shown that a higher level of the Omega-3 EFA Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is associated with better sleep.

And considering that our typical processed/fast food diets are anemic when it comes to providing proper levels of Omega-3 EFAs, it’s certainly no surprise that we’re paying the price in countless ways—poor sleep included!

But you can easily help turn that around with a quality fish oil formula that contains the crucial DHA, as well as its “partner” in brain and cardiovascular health—Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). 

VitalMega-3 is your ticket to making sure your body has the Omega-3 EFAs it so desperately needs. 

VitalMega-3 provides 1,200 mg of Omega-3s in each and every daily two-capsule serving, including the all-important EPA and DHA in the 3:2 ratio recommended by experts.

The Sandman’s calling YOU!

When you look at all the possible reasons for your poor sleep and do what you can to turn them around, you too can start getting a regular call from the Sandman.

And your body will benefit in ways you can’t even imagine!

To your health,

Sherry Brescia