Central West Virginia's Guide To Life

TOTAL HEALTH CARE
By Dr. Rick Magly

10/07 A Good Night's Rest - Naturally

In my first article, we focused on good nutrition as a cornerstone of a healthy life-style. Let's review briefly:
* Eat more fresh food grown with minimal chemicals.
* Eat less processed foods that contain chemical additives and preservatives.
* Hydrogenated Oils and trans-fats are the worst offenders and should be avoided at all costs.

While discussing nutrition, I should have mentioned Aspartame (NUTRASWEET R) which is the artificial sweetener in most "diet drinks". It's also the blue packets on the restaurant tables.

Aspartame turns to formaldehyde at body temperature and is statistically linked to many autoimmune disorders such as arthritis, Multiple Scorosis, and Lupus, etc. Formaldehyde is used to preserve corpses, so leave the aspartame alone unless you want to give the undertaker a head start.

Sorry, the pink packets (saccharin) have been linked to increased cancer rates. Besides, research shows, in the end, that "diet drinks" are not effective in weight control. (Splenda, the yellow packets, seems to be a relatively safe sugar substitute according to early research.)

This month, let’s focus on a restful sleep, another cornerstone of good health.

A typical mainstream "medical solution" for a patient complaining of sleeping problems would be to prescribe a sedative, most of which are habit forming with possible side effects such as sleep driving or walking.

Another case might call for a "nerve" pill such as Zoloft, (a serotonin reuptake inhibitor or SRI). Side effects include breathing problems, nausea, lower back pain, constipation, diarrhea, anxiety, changes in sex function, insomnia, weakness, vision changes, heart rhythm changes, heart burn, muscle and joint pain, and hair loss.

SRI's hold serotonin (a chemical the brain manufactures) at a point where it is used by your brain to make you feel good. SRI's can be very useful for depression and anxiety, but work against the body's natural circulation process.

A more holistic approach would be to give the body what it needs to make more serotonin and let it circulate naturally as God intended.

Essential amino acids, 5- Hydroxy Tryptophan or L- Tryptophan, serve the purpose nicely in many cases. Also, B vitamins can be helpful to elevate mood. None of these nutrients have side effects at reasonable dosages. (Hey drink enough water and it'll kill you!)

For an herbal sedative, try valerian root or chamomile. Sorry, no coffee or caffeine tea after 5 p.m..

My philosophy is to quote Hippocrates (supposedly the father of modern medicine), who said, " First do no harm." First try natural, less invasive solutions. If they don't work, then move on to the hard drugs.

Let's not forget the importance of a good mattress. Even most good mattresses wear out in six years or so. If you try to get seven to eight hours of sleep as recommended by most experts, (that's about a 1/3 of your life), surely it makes sense to invest in a quality sleep surface.

For my money, memory foam is the best. Memory foam supports the spine in its most comfortable alignment without uncomfortable pressure points that can reduce blood flow. (A chiropractor's dream.)

Temper Pedic is the cream of the crop (also the most expensive), but you can get a reasonable imitation for about half the price.

At my house we have a quality traditional mattress with a memory foam pad on top and memory foam pillows. We get a great night’s sleep. Total cost: about $800.00.

Never buy without trying out the product. Some cheaper versions aren't very comfortable.

Remember the old counting sheep trick? Here's a more effective version:
Let your breath come from the belly and slowly deepen. Now start to count each breath. When you reach 10, start over. If you loose your place start over again.

Moderate exercise can be very helpful in aiding a restful sleep. I'll have more on simple exercise routines and their benefits in a later issue.

Until then, sweet dreams.

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