Three Keys to healthy sleep

Good sleep is just as important for your health as diet and exercise!   Studies show insomnia (poor sleep) to be a problem for 48% of our population…wow!  Healthy sleep has direct impact on every organ, action and function of the body, including your happiness, love-life, averting stress, ect.

Here is what I have found to be 3 essential keys for a good night’s rest ~  so read on!

DIET

  •  Fats and carbs are fuel and energy for the day -  filling up on fuel before sleep will be stored as fat to be burned later – not good for most of us.    Choose healthy protein for dinner, which are used restore the body during the night.   Also proteins  tend to make us sleepier – not all bad at the end of the day.

 •   Go for easy to digest foods like steamed vegetables and soups. Have dinner at least a few hours before  going to bed.

 •    Cut down on sugar, which causes our energy levels to roller coaster through the day and interferes with sleep.  What do you do when you have a case of the “late night sweet tooth”  – Stir Infinity~C into yogurt and sprinkle some blueberries on top! – that’s simple protein and low sugar! – plus vitamin c produces collagen which is just important as protein for restoring the body during sleep.

•  Hydrate more during the day and less at night – better for staying in bed all night long!

•   Supplements/herbs, if you need em ~

- Camomile tea — herb that relaxes the mind and body – this is the most mild option.  Start with one tea bag, but you can make it strong if you wish.

- Valerian Root -  a little stronger than chamomile – will likely make you drowsy – start with the recommended dose.  Take the capsule form cuz the tea tastes disgusting.

- Melatonin – naturally produced in the brain when living the super healthy lifestyle.  Start with 1 – 3 mg.

It is possible to combine these supplements if using them individually is not effective for you.  First, take each one separately to see which one works best.  *note – take for a few days to just help get into the rhythm of better sleep.  Taking it for a long period is not necessarily bad, but when you stop using it, it may take a week or so to  re-adjust.

SLEEPING ENVIRONMENT

Consideration must be given to the bed you are sleeping on and maintaining a good bedroom environment.

 •  Bedding – we spend approximately 30% of life in bed! -  so what we sleep on is important!   Spring beds are fair, but over time they go from fair to poor.  The empty space inside  the mattress collects mites and dust over time.   These mattresses also contain flame retardants which produce off-gassing.  Beds made from natural materials are better!  I prefer a natural latex mattress with a wool cover.  A bit more expensive but worth it!  I bought my latex mattress from http://www.greenmattressfactory.com.

 •  Bedroom environment – cool temperatures encourage us to snuggle under the covers, but go with whatever makes you comfortable. Good to crack a window for fresh air.  If noise (snoring bed mate) is an issue, use comfortable ear plugs.  Play a CD of natural sounds like ocean waves or rain.  The body produces melatonin in dark environments so put curtains over the windows.

LIFESTYLE

 •   Exercise!!! -  This is the MOST important factor!…it’s simply the fact that your body needs sleep for recovery after mild to extreme physical exhaustion  — running, yoga, weights, dance, skipping around the hills with glee like a dork,  etc.  Yes, this is a huge part of better sleep – as well as every other part of you health.

 •    Naps.  Cut back on long naps unless you were out dancing until the wee hours.  But try this revitalizing technique (and good for health!) – rest 10 – 20 minutes lying flat on your back – bring a yoga mat with you to work,  hide under your desk and plug in some earphones with ocean waves.  Laying flat decompresses every bone, joint and muscle.  And best of all, the heart on the same level as the rest of body recirculates oxygen rich blood to everything – O2 is the ultimate life force!  You’ll see -  this is the ultimate pick me up and doesn’t  interfere with sleep later – even if you snooze a bit.

•  What are you doing in the evening?   No working before bedtime – for real y’all.  I say, throw in the towel at least 3 hours before bed, giving yourself  time to unwind.  Keep your activity before bedtime relaxing— pet the cat,  take a shower, sit outside and count the stars, meditate, listen to your favorite Bob Marley album,  talk to a friend about something that makes you happy, watch a funny movie (no drama), read something boring, etc.  Save pillow fights for the morning.

 •  Keep a regular sleep schedule, and synchronize a little better with the sun – go to bed earlier and get up earlier!   The brain produces more melatonin during the evening when it’s dark in order to make us sleepy.    Keep light low at night and reduce staring at back-lit screens (that would be your computer) – this light suppresses melatonin production.

•   And finally, when you crawl into bed, reflect for a few minutes on how good we have it!  Are we LUCKY to live this life or what?!  – you know what l.u.c.k is right?  – Living Under Cosmic Knowledge! -  Aw yeah! – I had to slip that one in somewhere.  If you don’t fall asleep after counting your blessings (which inevitably happens  once in a while), you can always count sheep – bah, night-night.

 

Wishing You Well, Billy Merritt www.infinitygreens.com 877-291-1990

PS~ This is my Aunt Penny’s new Superfood smoothie recipe.  Gotta try this one~
In Vita-Mix or blender, mix:

1 banana
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 c. greek yogurt
3 heaping teaspoons Infinity Greens
2 heaping teaspoons infinity~C
4 heaping teaspoons Infinity Protein
2 round  teaspoons hemp seeds
1/2 c. cranberry juice
1 cup water

Frozen or fresh berries may be added.
Serves 2.  Adjust ingredients to taste.
Enjoy!

*Upcoming March Newsletter –  optimum meal sequencing throughout the day.

Benefits Of A Proper Nutrition

Your health depends on giving your body the nutrients it needs to remain fully functional. That means that you should make sure you get all the recommended vitamins and minerals so that you can boost your immune system and keep everything in check. You will fight disease and have energy to get through your day if you do follow nutrition guidelines; This energy will also get you going if you are in an exercise regimen; think of it as the fuel that keeps you going every day. The proper nutrition in addition to daily exercise is the perfect combination to live a long and healthy life.

Raw Ingredients Improve General Nutrition

It is a widly known fact that raw foods and raw ingredients preserve their nutritional value a lot better than processed foods; in fact some processed foods will be nutritionally altered when put through the process. Because of that you may not be getting the nutrients that you think you are getting every time that you are getting processed foods. You may also find that you have a nutritional deficiency in your diet even when you are having all the “right” foods and that is why it is a good idea to get nutritional supplements with a raw ingredients base to them. The use of raw ingredients is the best way to get those nutrients in your body and working to promote better health quickly.

All The Ingredients For Your Fuel

If you are going for a change in your lifestyle you should do so with a plan. It takes more than a change in your diet to make sure that you are as healthy as you can be. You should also consider exercising every day; it may be difficult at first, but once you get in the groove of things you will find that not only are you healthier, but you also have a lot more energy and you look better. Diet and exercise combined are the ingredients that you need for a long and healthier life. In addition to this you should consider high grade, raw organic supplements. This change can mean that you reverse conditions that may be affecting you now, or prevent you from getting diseases and infections in the future.

Building Muscle With Protein

Since you are forcing your body into getting nutrients the preferred way, from foods full of nutrition instead of empty carbs, you should do one extra thing. You will need to keep your muscles from shrinking as you lose that weight. To do that is to begin exercising but also give yourself the protein that you will need to keep building those muscles up. There are excellent smoothie recipes which are made from natural food sources, available from the internet. Some websites will give you good advice as well as free recipes to keep up your strength. Before you start your exercise routine, find out what kind of smoothie you would like. A little research will go a long way.

A Favored Smoothie Recipe

You can add this smoothie to your exercise regimen. In other words, if you exercise, you can allow yourself a little treat in the form of this delicious smoothie, which tastes so good you may think you are cheating, instead of providing your body all important protein. So, begin your morning with a happy kick start of goodies.

Into the blender, throw:

½ banana*

1/2 pear, sliced up

3 strawberries

1 Tbsp. Infinity Protein

2 -3 tsps. Infinity Greens

½ cup pure spring water

1 Tbsp. flax seed oil

4-5 ice cubes

*Instead a half of a banana, you could use 1 teaspoon of honey for sweetness.

Blend it up and have at it!

If you look at the ingredients, you will see only items of high nutritional value. You could add a tsp. of Vitamin C as well. It’s a vital nutrient and not just during the cold and flu season. This should get you ready to generate all the energy you need for any exercise.

When You Are Finished With The Exercises

Make sure you drink plenty of pure spring water during and after the exercise. Your muscles need it to avoid cramping up. Many health advocates recommend a protein smoothie in the morning and one following exercise. You just burned up a good number of calories and you need to replenish the vitamins, protein, fat and carbs you just used up. Don’t think you are replacing the calories you have just lost. You are replacing the body’s need for vitamins and fuel to conduct nerve impulses and cellular work without adding the calories that you have just burned up.

Fallacies About The Food We Eat

Much has been said about cholesterol. It is responsible for clogging your arteries and you may become the victim of a heart attack as a result. You may also suffer a stroke. Neither is desirable. Because of these dire predictions, many people have decided to cut out all fat from their diet. This is so wrong. The body needs a certain amount of fat. A thin layer of fat under the skin cushions the body a little from injury. Fat is also important in the transmission of information through our nervous system. Lastly, it provides a minimal energy reserve in the case of illness when stomachs are irritated and won’t accept nourishment. To deprive the body of all fat means the body has to take it from somewhere else where it is also needed, like the brain.

The Body Needs Fat

When the body needs fat for certain functions, it takes it from wherever it finds it. Under the skin is a layer that may be used first. Nerves that are surrounded by a layer of fat may be second. The way fat can be used to maintain a good balance in the body and yet not add to the cholesterol plaques lining the arteries, is only possible when getting the right kind of fat. The worst fats to eat are the animal fats which grow solid in room temperature. Oils are better but even with oils there are grades of good and not so good. Flax seed oil is great for adding to salads and shakes. Fish oil and omega3 oils, are healthy oils and not detrimental to cholesterol and plaques.

Exercise Is A Must

Exercise and healthy foods together are a dynamite duo. They rid the body of all poisons that have accumulated over the years and they turn back the clock a few years regarding your joints and overall health. Your first stop should be the health food store. You will find all kinds of great organic produce there. Begin with that as a first step. If you can’t do that or you don’t want the work of cleaning and working with vegetables, you can also buy protein and carbohydrates in powdered form. Infinity Green has an entire line of supplements that will help you get to the state of health you want. Once you have that established, begin slowly with your exercises, even if it’s only a walk every day. The whole point is to begin to get healthier.

Which Exercises Will Help The Most?

Look at exercises you can do. If you are under a doctor’s care and you are not supposed to do certain exercises, ask him which ones you can do. If you are not under a doctor’s care, get a check-up to see which exercises are safe for you. Otherwise, just use common sense. If a specific exercise causes you considerable pain, don’t do it until you are in better physical shape. Begin slowly if your body has been sedentary for a long time. Your muscles are not used to being challenged. Always begin warming up by stretching your muscle groups. Then slowly increase your activity as you become more fit. Exercises that challenge your biggest muscle groups are usually the most effective ones. Those would be the exercises that involve your gluteus maximus.

Consider The Best Foods To Combine With Your Exercise Plan

Any of the foods that are on the super food list will be great for you. Basically, you want your food to give your body all the nutrients without the superfluous additives. You can get the protein from beans. Dark green and deeply red vegetables will add important antioxidants. Nuts and sees will give you the fatty acids you need. You can also get essential fatty acids from fish and avocados. Yogurt and fruit is also good to eat while you are on your exercising regimen. Never forget the value of water. You must keep hydrated while you are exercising. After a workout enjoy a smoothie or if you want something on the go, grab a quick Infinity Green Bar. This is a powerful and nutritious bar made of antioxidants, omega 3 acids and super foods.

You Need Both Exercise And Healthy Eating

One or the other alone may work if you are twenty years old, healthy and full of energy. The best course for your health regardless of age is a combination of the two. Your body does not want to give up what it has stored. Nature wired the human body to preserve what it has for such time as it is needed, like when the food supply is low. This was an old survival mechanism from the cave days. Today, the grocery store will supply all that is needed and much more. Your battle, therefore, is really with your survival mechanism. Nutritional food will tell the body that there is no need to conserve and exercise will push you into a state of using more than you take in.

The Yo-Yo Diet Game

Anyone who has ever even thought of losing weight has thought of dieting. For years, that was the only advice people received. Starve yourself, eat less, eat only fruit for three days a week; eat only rice for three days a week and so on. Failure was certain in probably ninety per cent. The ten percent that actually did lose weight may have paid a price in the damage this may have caused their health. In addition, very few people kept the weight off for any appreciable time. When a new diet came along, the cycle started all over again. This type of dieting results in disappointment and needless suffering. In the end, most people just give up. These crash diets also left many people’s bodies starving for proper nutrition.

Today We Think Differently

After the obesity rate has climbed to the highest ever and diets showed no positive results more research was put forth. The overall premise is still the same: Too many calories in and not enough calories out = obesity. What is different today is how reducing weight can be combined with being healthy and gain an overall feeling of well-being. The emphasis has shifted more from pure numbers to the overall health of a person.  In general, it works itself out in a way that by eating healthy a person will automatically lose weight. In this sense, the effort of weight loss has become obsolete in favor of eating food that contributes to your overall health.

What Does The Body Need?

While it is true that every human being is an individual different from the next, human beings have certain communal needs. Vitamins E, C, E and beta-carotene, for instance are all antioxidants without which certain diseases would run rampant. Everyone needs Vitamins B, D and K. Minerals, such as iron, copper, zinc, calcium, magnesium and even lead are vital for the functions of blood building, clotting, taste buds, bones, teeth and internal chemical reactions. Trace elements, such as chromium and selenium, manganese and molybdenum also fulfill functions on cellular levels. Omega fatty acids are critical to overall health as well as lean protein. Because of these specific needs it is often wise to seek an organic health supplement.

Eat More Vegetables

Even when supplementing, eat fresh and reach for the dark green, leafy vegetables rather than the starchy ones. Starchy vegetables, like potatoes, convert their carbohydrates into calories you don’t need or want. Some fruits will also help you to get the nutrition you need. The rest of the minerals and trace elements you will get from vegetables, nuts and fruits as well.

General Nutrition

We need to have protein, carbohydrates and fat in our diets. The choices we make from within those three things, is what makes the difference between foods that are good for us and those that are not. Protein, for instance, need not come only from meat. Protein can be obtained from several sources. The most common vegetarian source for protein is beans. Fat can be obtained from nuts, coconut oil and coconut milk, as well as fresh fish especially salmon and tuna. Carbohydrates come from everything else, such as fruits, vegetables and grains.

The List Of Proteins

For your protein needs, if you don’t want to buy organically raised meat, buy mung beans or legumes such as lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, lima beans, kidney beans, fava beans or soybeans. They are stock full of protein and can be cooked into delicious meals all by themselves. A fantastic protein bar, especially one that is organic and devoid of refined sugar is an excellent way of insuring you’re getting your protein needs met.

Carbohydrates On The List

Carbohydrates can be anything from berries to broccoli sprouts. Cranberries and blueberries are also excellent choices. Pomegranates are great fruits to promote good health with their vitamin supply. Berries, like acai berries or the goji fruit are very high in antioxidants and vitamins. These antioxidants promote cellular regrowth, energy, and boost immunity among a long list of benefits. Deep green vegetables like kale, broccoli and spinach are especially good for pregnant women because they deliver iron and folic acid. There are also many very rich greens that promote digestion, decrease inflammation and increase mental clarity. Many times they come in the form of ocean greens such as seaweed and kelp. Using these items in the kitchen can be difficult unless you’ve had experience with them already.

The Fat List

For your daily fat requirements, you should look to nuts. Almonds and flax seed oil are great sources. Avocados have a high fat content that can be used instead animal fats.  For cooking with fats, consider using coconut oil. Salmon and tuna are full of omega fats which will not drive your bad cholesterol levels up.  They are will keep you healthy and control your weight at the same time so long as you stop eating when you feel satisfied and full. These essentials can be balanced out with Infinity supplements and nutrition bars.

Vitamin A

The chemical term for Vitamin A is retinol. This vitamin is important for healthy skin and hair. Eyes also benefit greatly from vitamin A, especially in the prevention of nyctalopia (night blindness) by maintaining the health of the light sensitive pigments in rods. Skin has a healthy, glowing appearance that comes from vitamin A, as does hair. Taken in supplemental form, vitamin A can be taken in excess and cause adverse reactions. It is always a good idea to take only recommended amounts of any vitamins. .

Vitamin B

B vitamins come in several different forms. There is B1 through B6 and B12, all of which will contribute to your good health. Some B vitamins are good for enzymatic activity. Deficiency states of other vitamin B may be more visible in manifestations of diseases. Since B vitamins are water soluble, overdoses are not a problem. The best quality of Vitamin B comes from food, as do most vitamins. You need Vitamin B for maintaining your DNA and your neurological health.

Vitamins C And D

Vitamin C is an antioxidant and therefore will help you to ward off cancer and infections. It is also very important for your immune system in general. Vitamin D is needed to keep your bones from becoming weak or brittle. It has an important role in the health of your teeth. You won’t know if you are lacking certain vitamins until your body is almost depleted. By eating foods that are high in vitamins you can assure yourself of doing what you can to keep your health in good balance.

Vitamin E

Another antioxidant is vitamin E. Like vitamin A, it will protect your skin and hair from becoming dull and dry. Infection that manages to invade your body will be kept in check by the actions of vitamin E so that other cells can begin to work on the healing process. A deficiency of vitamin E can lead to all kinds of diseases.

Why We Need To Pay Attention To What We Eat

Improper diet deprives the body of essential tools to function smoothly. In time, this will lead to disease that can affect your mind and your body.  However, it is never too late to start good eating habits. During certain times of the year, some green, leafy vegetables may not be available in the supermarkets or healthy food stores. In powdered form, these vegetables will be available year round and you won’t have to worry about getting the right amount of nutrition.

The Benefit Of Self-Confidence

Feeling better and looking better will give you an attitude of incredible wellness. Like the runner gets a natural “runner’s high” after running for a number of miles, your body will also reach that stage of feeling great when your system is not dealing with sugar and useless calories any longer. This great feeling alone will perpetuate your desire to keep eating the right foods. You will see the results in your mirror and on your scale. Expecting too much too soon can sometimes be a problem that leads to abandoning the effort of eating foods that count. With reasonable expectations, you will soon fit into that old pair of jeans you have saved for just this moment. Your confidence soars when you can finally strut in them once again, feeling like the beauty that you are, inside and out.

The Benefit Of A New Wardrobe

How often have you walked by a shop and looked at a dress only to turn away because you know it won’t look good on you because you’re just too overweight for it? This needn’t happen any longer. Don’t fool yourself into believing that once you begin eating the vegetables, beans,  yogurt, fruits and nuts, that you will be dropping pounds from one day to the next. This cannot happen because you are now eating foods that will make you healthy. With reasonable expectations, however, your wardrobe will soon change into the one you’ve been dreaming of. Even colors that you could not normally wear because they made you look washed out may look good on you now because of your new vibrant skin tones.

Get An Extra Boost With Toned Muscles

Losing weight by eating healthy will not make you lose your muscle mass first as it does with fast weight loss.  The vitamin and protein content in your vitamin and protein-rich food will keep your muscles from atrophying. Quite often this is the stage people choose to add protein powders, shakes or other supplements. This is the perfect time to give your body a healthy boost because it will ramp up your results. You will look years younger and certainly be able to move with a youthful spring in your step. With your new wardrobe and your toned body, your confidence will swiftly rise. This feeling will give you the impetus to think healthy when you shop for food and you’ll be surprised by the lack of temptation for sugary or processed items.