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10 Amazing Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey

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10 Amazing Health Benefits of Apple Cider

Source: healthyandnaturalworld.com

Apple cider vinegar (ACV) and honey are two amazing natural substances. When you consume them in their unprocessed, raw forms, the health benefits abound. If you put the two together, the results become even more positive. In addition, the use of sweet honey makes the taste of the drink more pleasing.

Fight joint pain, inflammation, digestive problems and sore throat in a natural way by consuming a concoction of ACV and honey on an empty stomach, and observe for yourself the great offerings of nature.

Health benefits of ACV and honey mix

Raw honey and ACV are both praised for their abilities to ward off infections and treat different conditions that have an impact on your quality of life. If you consume them together, you’re likely to experience the following benefits:

1. Better joint health and joint pain alleviation (good for arthritic pain)

2. Acid reflux and heartburn relief

3. Improved digestive health, including help with constipation

4. Weight loss

5. Reduced cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure

6. Sore throat relief

7. More energy

8. Youthful appearance and better condition of the skin

9. Remedy for bad breath

10. Reducing inflammation

Why is the combination of ACV & honey so successful?

The overwhelming benefits of the mixture can be explained by looking at their chemical properties and interactions with the body. Many experts believe that we become ill when our bodies turn overly acidic (pH below 7). Vinegar is naturally acidic, but when consumed, it turns alkaline. Honey, too, has a low pH, but raises the alkalinity of the body once eaten.

The two substances are a perfect way to get rid of excessive acidity (resulting from stressful lifestyle and unhealthy foods and drinks) and building an internal environment with a protective pH. Our bodies function at their best and healthiest when the body’s pH is between 7.0 and 7.4, so slightly alkaline.

Further reading: read more about the body’s pH in my articles How to Balance Your pH and Find Out If You’re Too Acidic and 5 Things to Avoid If You Want to Get Your Body Alkaline.

How to make ACV & honey healing drink

Make sure you get the ingredients that are unfiltered and in their natural forms. Honey and ACV that have not been processed, thus have maintained all their nutritional properties, appear cloudy. Also, check the label and go for ACV with the ‘mother of vinegar’, which can be seen as a pulp on the bottom of the bottle.

Mix together:

  • 1 teaspoon raw honey
  • 1 teaspoon ACV (if you can tolerate the taste, increase the dosage to up to 1 tablespoon)
  • 8 oz. warm water (1 glass)

You might initially struggle with the potent taste, but once you experience the benefits, you’ll most likely want to stick with the concoction.

When to drink a mixture of ACV and honey?

It’s best to drink the mixture on an empty stomach, first thing in the morning. Consume it about 20-30 minutes before you eat. Be consistent and drink it on a daily basis.

Some suggest increasing the intake to two, or even three, times a day, depending on your needs and tolerance for taste. As with many other natural remedies, it is best to test it for yourself and see what works for your body, although high consumption of ACV may cause low potassium levels and lowers bone density. Also ACV may interact with diuretics, laxatives, and medicines for diabetes and heart disease, so if you’re planning to use it on a daily basis make sure to consult your doctor to avoid interactions with the medicines you’re taking.

Make-Ahead Snacks To Eat Healthy Without Even Trying

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Source: buzzfeed.com

1. Create a grab-n-go healthy snack bin.

For your kids, for yourself, for everyone — grab a snack on your way out the door and have it with you for when you get peckish. See more great ideas here.

Here’s what we’re snacking on this week:

  • String cheese
  • Baby carrots
  • Strawberries
  • Red grapes
  • Trail mix (Yes, I realize this is only semi-healthy.)
  • Apples

I use this tip from Food Lush to keep my berries fresh for days: Rinse berries in a mixture of one part vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar) and 10 parts water.  You can’t taste the vinegar at all and it will keep your berries from getting moldy so quickly.

Other fun snack ideas:

  • Red pepper slices
  • Pineapple “sticks” (these would be great for “baby-led weaning“)
  • Sliced cantaloupe
  • Peeled, hard-boiled eggs
  • Celery
  • Little containers of peanut butter and hummus for dipping
  • Homemade spiced carrot muffins
  • Homemade peanut butter protein balls
  • Graham crackers
  • Pretzels

Source: newleafwellness.biz

2. Mix up some cranberry orange pecan granola for the week.

This makes eight servings, and if you store it in an airtight container it’ll stay fresh and delicious for two weeks. Great for easy snacks to pack on your way out the door. Get the recipe here.

Yield: 8 servings

Serving Size: heaping 1/3 cup

This sweet granola has a really bright orange flavor, while the chewy cranberries and soft pecans provide a nice textural contrast. The granola will stay crunchy if stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
  • 1 ½ c old-fashioned oats (or gluten-free)
  • 1 ½ c rice krispies cereal
  • ¼ c orange juice
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • ½ tbsp oil
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 egg white, lightly beaten
  • 3 tbsp dried cranberries
  • 2 tbsp chopped pecans

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat a 9” square baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl, combine the oats and rice krispies cereal. In a separate bowl, whisk together the orange juice, orange zest, oil, maple syrup, and egg white. Pour over the cereal, and stir with a spatula until evenly coated.

3. Spread into the prepared pan, and bake at 350°F for 40-45 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes, or until golden and crunchy. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan before breaking up any large clumps with your fingers. Cool to room temperature; then toss in the dried cranberries and pecans. Store in an airtight container.

Notes: Make sure you stir every 15 minutes! If you wait longer, the granola closest to the edges of the pan will brown too quickly and may acquire a burnt taste. You can also stir every 10 minutes after the first 15 minutes in the oven.

For a vegan version, replace the egg white with an additional 2 tablespoons of orange juice.

Recipe Source: amyshealthybaking.com

3. Or cook and freeze these DIY oatmeal cups.

The fun here is that you can add whatever fixings you want — berries, nuts, fruits, you name it. Get the recipe.
DIY Freezer Oatmeal Cups
Serves: 24 cups
Ingredients:
  • 3 cups Chex Gluten Free oats
  • ¼ cup brown or demerara sugar, or to taste
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 cups milk of choice
  • pinch salt
  • Assorted chopped fruit, nuts, chocolate chips, or other toppings
Instructions:

1. Combine the oats, sugar, water, milk, and salt in a large saucepan and bring to a boil.

2. Redice heat to medium and cook for 2-3 minutes, or to desired consistency. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Spray two 12-cup muffin tins with cooking spray and set out toppings in bowls.

4. Divide the cooked oatmeal between the muffin cups, and top each with desired toppings.

5. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for several hours, or until frozen.

6. Once frozen, pop out of the muffin tins, loosening with a butter knife or small spatula, if necessary and wrap in sandwich bags or plastic wrap.

7. Remove desired number of cups (one to three per serving) from the freezer the night before or day you plan to serve them.

8. Warm in the microwave for 1-2 minutes (longer if still frozen), and stir in a little more milk, if desired.

Recipe Source: cupcakesandkalechips.com

4. Or prep a batch of these crispy zucchini chips.

You may need a mandolin to get them extra thin, though.

Snacks Serves: 50+ zucchini chips

Ingredients:

  • 1 large zucchini
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • Kosher salt

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit. Line two large baking sheets (I used two 17″ baking sheets) with silicon baking mats or parchment paper.

2. Slice your zucchini on a mandolin. Mine had 1, 2, or 3 for thickness and I used 2.

3. After you slice your zucchini, place the slices on a sheet of paper towels and take another paper towel and sandwich the zucchini slices and press on them. This helps draw out the liquid so it’ll cook a bit faster.

4. Line up the zucchini slices on the prepared baking sheet tightly next to each other in a straight line, making sure not to overlap them.

5. In a small bowl, pour your olive oil in and take a pastry brush to brush the olive oil on each zucchini slice.

6. Sprinkle salt throughout the baking sheet. Do NOT over­season, in fact, it’s better to use less salt initially because the slices will shrink; so if you over­season, it’ll be way too salty! You can always add more later.

7. Bake for 2+ hours until they start to brown and aren’t soggy and are crisp.

8. Let cool before removing and serving.

9. Keep in an airtight container for no more than 3 days

Recipe Source: tablefortwoblog.com

Does Ethnicity Play a Role in Heart, Stroke & Diabetes Risks?

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We hear a lot about ‘race’ these days, generally in cases of biased, activism, discrimination and so on. Personally, I do not like using the term race as it is inaccurate, misleading and often racist in its connotation. We are all ONE race – the human race!

In 1995, Robert Lee Hotz, reported in the Feb. 20 issue of the Cincinnati Enquirer:

“Researchers adept at analyzing the genetic threads of human diversity said Sunday that the concept of race – the source of abiding cultural and political divisions in American society – simply has no basis in fundamental human biology. Scientists should abandon it, they said.”

“‘Biologically, we are saying in essence that race is no longer a valid scientific distinction,’ said Solomon H. Katz, a University of Pennsylvania anthropologist.”

“‘Race is a social construct derived mainly from perceptions conditioned by events of recorded history, and it has no basic biological reality,’ said C. Loring Brace, a biological anthropologist at the University of Michigan. (Spoken before the American Association for the Advancement of Science Convention in Atlanta, 1995)”

“The researchers were acting, in part, to correct a legacy of misconceptions about the biology of race, in which earlier generations of researchers provided the raw material for spurious claims of racial superiority. ‘They liked to concoct a biological basis for mistreating people,’ said Brown University anthropologist John Ladd.”

“One survey by Central Michigan University says more than half of all cultural and physical anthropologists no longer embrace race as a useful scientific definition.”

On Sept. 10, 1998, ABC News – Science Page stated:

“More and more scientists find that the differences that set us apart are cultural, not racial. Some even say that the word race should be abandoned because it’s meaningless.”

Again, in 1009, Darlene Applegate, Ph.D. Muskingum College New Concord, Ohio stated:

“If it is determined that races do not biologically exist, or even if they do that one is not biologically superior to others, communication of these findings to the populous may help to solve the problems associated with racism.”

This is why I prefer the term ‘ethnicity’ over race as it is more accurate in referring to geographic people groups. In this context, it has been found that some ethnic groups seem to be genetically more at risk for things like heart disease, strokes and diabetes.

Researchers at Emory University in Atlanta and the University of California, San Francisco discovered that Americans of Hispanic and South Asian descent had higher risks of developing heart disease, diabetes and strokes, even if they were normal weight. By South Asia, they mean Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The report stated:

“Among normal-weight people, those of South Asian descent were two times more likely to have heart disease or diabetes abnormalities.”

“Normal-weight people of Hispanic descent were 80 percent more likely to have these potential problems than whites, the study found.”

“And blacks and Chinese-Americans were 50 percent more likely to have these metabolic abnormalities at a normal weight, researchers said.”

While this does not decree that everyone from these ethnic groups will have heart disease, diabetes or strokes, it should serve that these people do need to take extra care of their health and see their doctor on a regular basis.

Obesity in Early Pregnancy Increases Risk of Epilepsy in Offspring

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For many young families getting started, pregnancy is or should be a very joyous time. Despite the annoyance and unpleasantness of morning sickness, the very thought of a new human life developing and growing inside a woman’s body is a very special time for the mom and dad. It should be a time of joy, bonding, togetherness and anticipation.

Unfortunately, it can also be a time of worry and uncertainty, mainly about the health of the unborn child. It’s important for pregnant moms to have checkups with their family physician or a good obstetrician – gynecologist (OB-GYN). They can prescribe the right vitamins and supplements and monitor the health of the baby and the mom. They can also issue warnings of things to avoid such as smoking, alcohol, drugs, etc.

One thing that so many expectant moms have in common is gaining weight during pregnancy. A common excuse given is that she is eating for two, which in some ways is true, but can also have dangerous consequences if not controlled.

One of those consequences is that many overweight and obese moms give birth to big babies that are easily prone to growing up overweight and obese. These can lead to many complications in life such as diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease and stroke, even at an early age.

But did you know that the more overweight or obese a pregnant mom is, the greater the risk is of her baby having epilepsy. The more obese the mom, especially in the early stages of pregnancy, the greater the risk is of her child developing epilepsy, according to a new study:

“Kids are more likely to develop childhood epilepsy — a seizure disorder — if their mothers were overweight or obese early in pregnancy, a new study suggests.”

“The risk of epilepsy in children goes up as a mother’s weight goes up — reaching as high as 82 percent among kids of severely obese women, the researchers said.”

“‘This means more severe grades of obesity correspond to increasingly higher risk,’ said study co-author Dr. Eduardo Villamor. He’s a professor of epidemiology with the University of Michigan School of Public Health.”

The study took place in Sweden where researchers studied the medical histories of 1.4 million babies born between 1997 and 2011. Of those, over 7,500 developed some form of epilepsy by the age of 16.

From there, they linked the odds of a child developing epilepsy to the body mass index (BMI) of the mothers at around the 14th week of pregnancy. Body mass is a ratio of a person’s height and weight and often used to determine the amount of fat someone has. A normal BMI is generally thought to be between 18.5 to 24.5. People with a BMI of 25 to 29.9 are considered to be overweight and anything 30 and above is obese.

Based on their study, the risk if childhood epilepsy compared to BMI were as follows:

  • 11 percent increased risk with overweight.
  • 20 percent increased risk with grade I obesity.
  • 30 percent increased risk with grade II obesity.
  • 82 percent increased risk with grade III obesity.

The effects of a pregnant mother’s weight on her developing child were listed as:

“There are several potential ways a mother’s excess weight could increase risk of childhood epilepsy, Razaz and Villamor said.”

“Excess weight increases the risk of preterm birth and birth defects, which in turn increase risk of epilepsy, the researchers said. The baby also is more likely to suffer from trauma or low oxygen levels during birth with an overweight or obese mother. These factors might raise epilepsy risk.”

“Overweight or obesity also spurs on general inflammation in the mother’s body. This could possibly have an effect on their baby’s developing brain, Villamor added.”

“Dr. William Bell is a neurologist with Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center. He agreed that inflammation could be the culprit behind this increased risk.”

“‘Pregnancy is already an inflammatory state, and so is obesity. When you add those two together, a lot of bad things can happen,’ Bell said.”

Before every overweight or obese woman begins panicking and taking extreme measures to reduce their weight, Dr. Stephen Wolf, director of pediatric epilepsy at Mount Sinai Health System in New York City, says that the overall risk of childhood epilepsy is still relatively low.

If possible, it is better on the mom and the baby if excess weight can be lost, but don’t panic and do something drastic out of fear that may end up harming you and your baby. Consult with your doctor and follow his or her advice.

Key to Post-Stroke Recovery

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If you think strokes only happen to elderly people, think again. Strokes can hit anyone at any age, but the older one gets, the more susceptible one becomes for having a stroke.

About 15-years ago, my daughter worked as a certified-nursing-assistant at a senior daycare center. Although most of the patients or clients were elderly, 60 and over, she also had several that were younger. She had one male patient who had a debilitating stroke around the age of 30. When I was in college, I worked as a night orderly in a nursing home and we had several patients, mostly female who were between 40 and 50 years of age.

Not the long ago on our local news, they featured a woman who, at the age of about 40, was recovering from a stroke. She was married and had a handful of kids. I remember thinking how tragic at this stage of her and her family’s life.

According to Stroke.org:

  • Each year nearly 800,000 people experience a new or recurrent stroke.
  • A stroke happens every 40 seconds.
  • Stroke is the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S.
  • Every 4 minutes someone dies from stroke.
  • Up to 80 percent of strokes can be prevented.
  • Stroke is the leading cause of adult disability in the U.S.

First of all, what is a stroke?

A heart attack is generally caused by the blockage of blood flow to an area of the heart, resulting in the heart muscle tissue dying for lack of oxygen. Likewise, a stroke is a ‘brain attack’ caused when the blood supply to an area of the brain is blocked and brain cells begin to die.

There are two main types of stroke – hemorrhagic and ischemic.

A hemorrhagic stroke is caused by the hemorrhaging of blood vessels in the brain. In most cases, it’s associated with a ruptured aneurysm – a swelling of a blood vessel that weakens the vessel wall and then bursts open.

An ischemic stroke is caused by a blood clot the cuts off the blood flow to part of the brain.

There is a third, generally less severe form of stroke known as a TIA or transient ischemic attack. They are defined as a temporary, generally less than 24 hours, where there is a blockage of blood flow due to a clot that in a short time releases and allows blood flow to resume.

The severity of a stroke depends a lot on the location and how soon treatment can be started. Knowing how to recognize a stroke is important for you and your family or those around you. Here are ten general symptoms of a stroke:

  1. Trouble seeing – sudden blurred or dimming vision.
  2. Loss of balance – having trouble walking or sitting without falling. Generally caused by one side of the body being affected by the stroke.
  3. Difficulty speaking – speech becomes slurred, words hard to recall.
  4. Weakness – A very common symptom when the arm and/or leg on one side of the body become weak and possible unable to move.
  5. Facial paralysis – not always, but one side of the face can become paralyzed, often accompanied by slight pain in the face, dizziness, difficulty speaking, drooling out of one side of the mouth, tearing of eye and inability to smile or frown.
  6. Pain – while most people don’t associate pain with a stroke, it can range from a dull ache to a constant or sudden sharp pain.
  7. Loss of understanding – a stroke victim sometimes is mentally confused and bewildered, unable to put a thought together.
  8. Severe headache – many illnesses can be accompanied by severe headaches, but coupled with many of the other symptoms, a severe headache can be a sign of a stroke.
  9. Loss of senses – could include vision, smell, hearing, tough and taste.
  10. Fatigue – by itself, fatigue may be a sign of many other things, including fevers or just staying up too late the night before. However, when fatigue is accompanied with many of the other symptoms, it’s nothing to just sleep on.

We hear all the time that high blood pressure and stress are some of the leading causes of strokes. That’s why so many doctors are concerned about their patients’ health as they want to take measures to help reduce the possibility of having a stroke.

Another key to reducing the risk of having a stroke or increasing the chance or recovery is you have a stroke, is watching your weight and regular exercise. Pamela Rist, of Harvard University just authored a study and reported:

“The new study involved more than 18,000 people with no history of stroke who were followed for an average of 12 years. During that time, nearly 1,400 of the participants suffered a stroke but survived.”

‘Three years after their stroke, those who had exercised regularly before their stroke were 18 percent more likely to be able to perform basic tasks — such as bathing on their own, the researchers found.”

“The fitter individuals were also 16 percent more likely to be able to perform more complex tasks, such as managing money on their own, compared to those who did not exercise before their stroke, the findings showed.”

“‘We also found that a person’s body mass index was not a factor in predicting their level of disability after stroke,’ Rist said in a journal news release. Body mass index is an estimate of body fat based on weight and height.”

“Two experts in stroke care who reviewed the findings said the study highlights the importance of exercise.”

That’s one of the reasons my wife and I are buying a treadmill. We have found that our life has become more sedentary than it used to be. With the crazy weather where we live, it’s not always possible to get out and walk or jog, so we decided to invest in a good quality treadmill that has adjustable speed, incline and a shock absorbing system to take some of the impact off of our knees.

With the treadmill, we can take turns getting our cardio exercise while watching some of our favorite television programs – sewing and quilting for her, sports for me and many shows we both like. We have also invested in some exercise strength bands and inexpensive equipment that will help make it easier for us to do strength building exercises which is vital for bones and the prevention of osteoporosis.

It’s important to do something to reduce the weight and fat and get some exercise, depending on your abilities or limitations.

Whooping Cough and Vaccinations – Baby or Pregnant Mom

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Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is caused by a bacterial infection that usually starts in the nose and throat. Regardless of how old a person is, whooping cough may be life threatening and require hospitalization. It can also be mild and mistaken for a common cold or bronchitis. Likewise, severe cases of bronchitis can be mistaken for whopping cough and require a test to determine the difference.

Early symptoms of whooping cough, according to the CDC, generally begin to show 5-10 days after being exposed to the bacteria – usually from someone else infected with the disease. Those early symptoms may be just a runny nose, low-grade fever, mild cough and in many babies – apnea – which is a pause in breathing. It’s during the early stages of pertussis that it is often thought to be just a cold or mild case of bronchitis.

After about 1-2 weeks of the early symptoms, whooping cough, the later and more severe symptoms begin to appear. These include severe or prolonged coughing fits, also known as paroxysms. In true whooping cough, the coughing fits are frequently followed by a high pitched ‘whoop’ sound, hence its name. This is caused by the coughing fit emptying all of the air from the lungs which causes the person to ‘whoop’ or gasp for air. Vomiting may accompany coughing fits, either during or afterwards. Fatigue and exhaustion also follows the coughing fits. 

The coughing caused by whooping cough can persist for 10 weeks or longer. In parts of China, it’s often referred to as the 100-day cough.

As stated before, bronchitis is sometimes thought to be whooping cough and vice versa. In my younger days, I used to get severe bronchitis twice a year and my cough was quite severe and lasted for at least a month. One doctor, who saw me for the first time swore I had whooping cough was ready to put me in the hospital and quarantine the family. After my mom shared my bronchitis history, the doctor ran some tests and determined that I had a severe case of whopping cough. He then told us that it’s easy to confuse the two.

Treatment for whooping cough consists of antibiotics. Over-the-counter cough medicines generally have little to no affect or relief for whooping cough and many medical professionals advise using them, especially on younger children. However, it is best to talk to your doctor or pediatrician and ask questions.

For decades now, many newborns receive a myriad of vaccines to prevent illnesses like whooping cough as the disease can be extremely dangerous for babies under the age of 1-year. Some believe that vaccines can lead to other health conditions including autism, so a growing number of parents opt not to vaccinate their infants.

A study was conducted on nearly 150,000 babies born in California between 2006 and 2015. According to a source reporting on the study:

“The study included nearly 149,000 infants born in California between 2006 and 2015. The percentage whose mothers received the Tdap booster vaccine for tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (‘whooping cough’) while pregnant rose from less than 1 percent in 2006-2008 to more than 87 percent by 2015.”

“In early 2013, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended the Tdap shot for pregnant women regardless of prior Tdap vaccination. The vaccine can be given at any time during pregnancy, preferably between 27 and 36 weeks’ gestation.”

“Babies whose moms got the Tdap shot during pregnancy had a 91 percent lower risk of whooping cough during the first two months of life. That’s the critical period before babies get their first whooping cough shot, the Kaiser Permanente researchers said.”

“Babies whose moms got the vaccine during pregnancy also had a 69 percent lower risk of whooping cough in their first year of life, the findings showed.”

Whooping cough is can be quite serious, especially for babies. If you are hesitant about having your newborns vaccinated, then seriously consider getting vaccinated while you’re pregnant. It just may save your child’s life and protect them from spending a month in the hospital racking up huge medical bills.

Panic Attacks and Anxiety Linked to Low Vitamin B and Iron Levels

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“Patients undergoing a panic attack (PA) or a hyperventilation attack (HVA) are sometimes admitted to emergency departments (EDs). Reduced serotonin level is known as one of the causes of PA and HVA. Serotonin is synthesized from tryptophan. For the synthesis of serotonin, vitamin B6 (Vit B6) and iron play important roles as cofactors.”

On the off chance that you experience the ill effects of tension or get occasional panic attacks marked by episodes of hyperventilation, you could only be encountering the symptoms of a basic supplement inadequacy that is effortlessly correctable, as per Jonathan Benson of Natural News.

This unquestionably seems to have been the situation with 21 individuals who took an interest in a late study based out of Japan, which recognized an absence of both vitamin B6 and iron among members who experienced panic or hyperventilation episodes.

The generally small study assessed supplement levels among a gathering of members with fluctuating degrees of uneasiness and frequencies of panic and hyperventilation episodes, some of which brought about emergency room visits. A control gathering was additionally assessed, and its members’ supplement levels contrasted with those of the essential gathering.

Upon assessment, scientists noted that both vitamin B6 and iron were inadequate in the subjects with nervousness and hyperventilation issues, while those in the sound gathering had sufficient levels of these critical supplements. B vitamins and iron are especially essential for the amalgamation of tryptophan into serotonin, a neurotransmitter that manages not only disposition and mental soundness, but rest and cardiovascular capacity.

“These results suggest that low serum concentrations of vitamin B6 and iron are involved in PA (panic attacks) and HVA (hyperventilation),” said the creators in their research conclusion. “Further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms involved in such differences.”

Supplementing with entire nourishment based vitamins may advance better mental wellbeing. Despite the fact that this specific study did not recognize a connection between general insufficiencies of other B vitamins like B2 and B12 and high recurrence or power of panic attacks, all B vitamins are essential for sound mind and real capacity. A lack in any B vitamins, as it were, can prompt mental wellbeing issues, which is the reason it is critical to hold your levels under wraps.

 

“Chronic stress, poor diet, and certain medical conditions can deplete the body’s stores of vital nutrients,” explains one source about the important of B vitamins. “

Many of those who suffer from agoraphobia (fear of crowded spaces or enclosed public places) are deficient in certain B complex vitamins, and this may be the case for other anxiety-related conditions as well. Symptoms of vitamin B deficiency may include anxiety, restlessness, fatigue, irritability, and emotional instability.”

In the event that you are looking to supplement with B vitamins, make sure to buy entire food-based varieties like those delivered by organizations like Megafood and Garden of Life. Entire nourishment based supplements of any sort are not just preferable consumed by the body over their synthetic counterparts,however they are likewise healthier than standard, common vitamins and better fit for giving ideal restorative advantage.

“Vitamins are made up of several different components – enzymes, co-enzymes, and co-factors – that must work together to produce their intended biologic effects,” explains Dr. Ben Kim. “The majority of vitamins that are sold in pharmacies, grocery stores, and vitamin shops are synthetic vitamins, which are only isolated portions of the vitamins that occur naturally in food.”

The 8 Best Bedtime Snacks for Weight Loss

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Source: womenshealthmag.com

When it comes to snacking within an hour or two of your bedtime, there’s a few things to consider: First, research does link late-night calories to the potential for weight gain. One study found that eating right before turning in can make your snooze time more restless, and that sets you up for fatigue and bingeing the next day. Also, late-night noshing tends to be associated with stress eating, which leads to overindulging in high-fat comfort calories.

On the other hand, trying to catch shuteye when your stomach is making scary growling sounds isn’t a smart idea, either. Your sleep quality will suffer, and you’ll feel tired and famished in the morning—both of which can lead you to overdo it and mess up your healthy-eating plans. The solution: Reach for one of these low-calorie, sleep-inducing snacks that won’t have you wake up feeling bloated, suggests Philadelphia-based nutritionist Janet Brill, Ph.D., R.D., author of Blood Pressure Down.

STRING CHEESE


Sure, it’s processed, but hear us out: One serving of this snack contains filling protein and fat, so you feel satiated—and it only packs about 80 calories. Cheese also packs the amino acid tryptophan, which may help make you drowsy, says Brill.

A BOWL OF CEREAL


Put down the Count Chocula—all that sugar might leave you too wired to sleep (and also give you a stomach ache). We’re talking about the whole-grain, complex carb kind (think oatmeal or corn or bran flakes) that’s easy to digest and gives you 200 calories or less per bowl, says Brill. Pour in a little milk for extra tryptophan and protein.

NONFAT GREEK YOGURT


For about 100 to 150 calories, you get the relaxing powers of tryptophan from the dairy, as well as satisfying protein, says Brill. Plus, yogurt can help calm your stomach, so you’re less likely to wake up with heartburn or indigestion and instead can score a good night’s rest.

TWO SLICES OF WHITE-MEAT TURKEY

Turkey is loaded with sleep-inducing tryptophan (no wonder you’re so sleepy after those massive holiday dinners, right?) and low-fat, high-quality protein, says Brill. A few slices won’t run you more than 100 calories.

AN APPLE WITH A SPOONFUL OF PEANUT BUTTER

Apples have lots of fiber and a satisfying crunch. “The protein in the peanut or almond butter also fills you up without feeling heavy in your stomach,” says Brill.

NONFAT CHOCOLATE PUDDING CUP


We’re totally loving this one—the creamy chocolate pudding goes down easy, but it doesn’t contain the fat that can sit in your belly like a rock all night. One single-serve pack racks up about 90 calories.

BABY CARROTS

Super-nutritious with lots of crunch, these little orange guys will fill you up long enough so you doze off, says Brill. And all for four fat-free calories per carrot.

A BANANA

Not only are bananas loaded with satiating fiber and relaxing tryptophan (for only about 100 calories each), but they’re the perfect late-night nosh if you’ve already cleaned up your kitchen. You won’t leave behind any dishes or utensils to wash!

Ageing & Sleep: The Good, Bad and Ugly

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Have you noticed any changes in your sleep habits as you move past 40-years of age and older? Some of the those changes are perfectly normal and non-harmful, but other changes in sleep habits with age, can be detrimental to physical and mental health.

How many times have you heard older people say ‘early to bed and early to rise’? For many of us past the age of 40, that has become so true. We tend to go to bed earlier and get up earlier and there is nothing wrong with that as long as you get a good restorative sleep.

What about finding out that the older you get, the less sleep you seem to need? There may be a perfectly natural explanation of that and again, this is normal and not necessarily harmful.

As we go about our waking activities, the brain builds up amyloid-beta proteins. If these proteins are not cleaned up or eliminated, they can create conditions like dementia. Over years of research, it has been found that a good sound (restorative) sleep helps to clear the amyloid-beta proteins, keeping the brain healthier. In this way, you can think of a deep sleep as acting like the night janitor for your brain, cleaning up and getting rid of the day’s waste.

However, when a person does not get a good restorative sleep for whatever reason, the amyloid-beta proteins tend to build up. A person who wakes frequently or a number of times throughout the night generally never gets into a long enough deep sleep to allow the cleaning of the amyloid-beta proteins, thus making them more susceptible to conditions like dementia. Reading this caused me some concern as I wake frequently at night due to being in constant pain. I hate think how much amyloid-beta sludge has been building up in my brain.

A recent study revealed that as some of us get older, we lose the ability to get a good sound or restorative sleep. Sometimes that failure to get a good sleep is due to a vicious and harmful cycle. According to the report:

“Sleep ‘fragmentation’ has been linked to a number of medical conditions, including depression and dementia, Mander said. People with fragmented sleep wake up multiple times during the night, and miss out on the deep stages of sleep.”

“It is true that medical conditions, or the treatments for them, can cause sleep problems, according to Mander. But poor sleep can also contribute to disease, he added.”

‘Take dementia, for example. Research suggests there is a ‘bi-directional’ link between sleep disruptions and the dementia process, said Joe Winer, another Berkeley researcher who worked on the review.”

“That is, dementia often causes sleep problems; poor sleep, in turn, may speed declines in memory and other mental skills. According to Winer, animal research suggests that deep sleep helps ‘clear’ the brain of the amyloid-beta proteins that build up in people with dementia.”

“So, there may be a ‘vicious cycle,’ Winer said, where dementia and poor sleep feed each other.”

“Similar vicious cycles may be at work with other diseases, too, Mander said.”

If you find that you are having more trouble getting a good sound (restorative) night’s sleep, see your doctor. Perhaps there is a simple solution to help, like sleep medication and possible, it could be a sign of something more sinister, that can be addressed or at least more controlled or the affects lessened. Don’t hit the snooze button and put off seeking help, as the longer you put it off, the worse or uglier it can get. No one wants to become senile or suffer from dementia and now that they have linked it to lack of good sleep, by taking action, you may put off the ugly and stay good longer.

Are You Cursed with a Night Owl Gene Mutation?

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Are you one of those people that seem to just naturally stay up late and consequently get up late? Have you ever wondered why you may be that way?

For years, we were told that it was the way you were raised. I know with me it was. I grew up having to do chores before school, so I had to get up early in order to do chores, have breakfast, fix my lunch and get to school on time. My chores usually consisted of taking care of animals – feeding and watering them and making sure they have everything they need. As I made it to college, I preferred early classes over later classes, so again, I was up early. I spent 12 years working for a utility. During the winter, we started work at 7am and in the summer, since Arizona does not observe Daylight Savings Time, we started work at 5am and were able to head home at the peak heat of the day.

These days, I’m 65 years old and I still habitually get up early, even if I don’t have to. I always thought that since I got up early most of my life that it’s a habit that I still have.

Our two daughters, born 16 months apart are as different as night and day. As a child, our oldest daughter would disappear between 8pm and 9pm. When we went looking for her, we always found her in bed, sound asleep. Rarely did we ever have to tell her to go to bed.

On the flip side, our youngest daughter always fought going to bed and when we put her to bed, she would be awake for hours. During her school days, we often found her with a light on at midnight reading a book and we would have to tell her to turn the light off and go to bed. In the morning, she never wanted to get up. She is 39-years-old now and still cannot go to sleep early or at normal times but stays up late and doesn’t like to get up early.

As parents, we could never figure out why such a difference between the two girls. A new study may finally give us the answer we’ve sought all these years.

Researchers at the Laboratory of Genetics at The Rockefeller University just authored a study on a sleep disorder called ‘delayed sleep phase disorder’ (DSPD). People with this sleep disorder tend to do some of the best work late at night and struggle to wake up and get going in the morning.

Researchers studied 70 people from six families and found that those individuals with DSPD had a mutation on a gene known as CRY1. Members of the same families that did not exhibit the DSPD sleep disorder did not have the mutation on the CRY1 gene.

The researchers reported that this is the first time a gene mutation has been identified as a cause of DSPD. The mutation disrupts the body’s natural circadian rhythm, also known by some people as their internal clock. Our natural circadian rhythm is hardwired into our genetics and it is programmed to operate in 24-hour cycles. However at least 10% of people with DSPD operate on an internal clock that operates in a longer than a 24-hour loop.

Alina Patke, lead author of the study, commented, saying:

“Carriers of the mutation have longer days than the planet gives them, so they are essentially playing catch-up for their entire lives.”

“A person like a bartender, for example, might not experience any problem with the delayed sleep cycle. but someone like a surgeon who has to be in the OR in the early morning – that’s not compatible.”

Their discovery was first made when a 46-year-old woman came to a sleep clinic for help after years of struggling with her late sleep cycle. They placed her in an apartment for two-weeks. The apartment had no windows or connections to the outside world. No television, internet; nothing that might hint as to the time of day.

Under the study conditions, they discovered the woman’s sleep cycle operated on about a 25-hour clock instead of 24-hour. Consequently, her sleep was often fragmented, leaving her constantly feeling tired. It was after this two-week testing that the researcher sequenced her genes and discovered the CRY1 genetic mutation.

To test their theory, they then contacted the 70 family members in the 6 families in Turkey and were able to conduct genetic sequencing on them and interviewed all of them concerning their sleep habits. Of the 70 test subjects, 39 contained the CRY1 mutation and 31 did not. Those that had the mutation had a later sleep cycle than those without the mutation.

If you are one of those night owl people who seem to naturally be wide awake late at night and struggle to get up in the morning for work or school, it may be that you are cursed with the CRY1 mutation. I wonder how many employers or teachers will buy that excuse for being late when you drop it on them?

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