Does Eating Vegan, Organic, or Gluten-Free Make You Healthier?

There are many different trends now in the food industry. Many Americans are becoming more aware of the current state of public health in this country, as well as of the numerous issues surrounding conventional and factory farming. As a result, they have begun to buy more foods that are labeled all-natural, organic, vegan, non-GMO, vegetarian, and so on. Others are required to buy foods with these healthier-sounding phrases on their labels because of medical concerns such as Celiac disease.

Gluten-Free Foods

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease triggered by the consumption of gluten, which causes permanent damage to the intestinal villi. This negatively affects the body’s ability to absorb vital nutrients.This condition is diagnosed now more than ever before. Its prevalence has spread awareness about gluten in general since many people never even knew what gluten was before Celiac became such a buzzword. Non-diagnosed people have also begun to experiment with reducing or eliminating gluten from their diets to see if certain symptoms improve.

At first, gluten-free food choices were hard to come by in stores and restaurants. One could only find them in a tiny spot in the frozen-foods section or the pasta aisle in health food stores and healthier grocery stores like Whole Foods Market or Trader Joe’s. The prices were exorbitant. However, people paid them and began to demand more gluten-free foods. Consequently, the supply increased, and now many regular chain grocery stores feature gluten-free aisles. In addition, certain restaurants, like PF Chang’s, offer gluten-free menus. Even fast food chains and stadiums have caught on—Domino’s Pizza now advertises gluten-free pizza and many stadiums sell gluten-free snacks. While prices for gluten-free foods have come down due to increased supply, they are still quite expensive.

Vegetarian and Vegan Foods

The majority of people interested in healthier eating, as well as animal rights, have seen the horrific videos about the treatment of animals in conventional factory farms. If you haven’t seen them, simply do a search for factory farming and you will get pages upon pages of graphic images and videos from organizations like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and others who have exposed the truth of what actually goes on in these facilities. These images and videos have successfully turned many former meat lovers into hardcore vegans.

Cruelty aside, these videos and images have also exposed the truth about many issues including:

• The lack of sanitation in these facilities
• The rampant spread of disease among the animals
• How meat from diseased animals is still processed and allowed into the American food supply

The media also now focuses more on the many benefits of plant-based diets. Multitudes of books, doctors, celebrity nutritionists and endorsers, documentaries, and other forms of media illustrate how consuming less (or no) meat can reduce obesity and improve many health conditions.

So whether it’s for the love of animals, for fear of eating chemically-altered food from diseased animals processed in filthy conditions, or for the love of clean arteries, more and more people are choosing to ditch meat or animal products altogether and eat only plants.

Organic, All-Natural, Non-GMO

Awareness continues to spread about how toxic pesticides, antibiotics, growth hormones, steroids, and genetically-modified foods are to nearly every system of the human body. Accordingly, more people now choose to alter their families’ budgets in order to accommodate the lofty cost of organic, all natural, and non-GMO food  and other products.

Soy is Not a Healthy Alternative

Many vegan and vegetarian foods contain high contents of soy. Soy appears on food labels as many different names (soy protein, hydrolyzed soy, soy lecithin, etc.), and many mistakenly believe it is a healthy alternative to dairy and animal products.

The soy industry has convinced the general public that soy is healthy. They point to Asian cultures, which have regularly eaten soy for thousands of years and look how healthy they are! This is only part of the story. These cultures have indeed consumed soy for thousands of years in their traditional diets. Those who have maintained these traditional diets do have higher levels of health and longevity. However, those cultures do not drink soy milk, eat soy burgers, soy cheese, tofurky, or other processed foods using soy products as binders, fillers, and protein substitutes. They eat small quantities of traditionally fermented whole soy foods like tofu, miso, tamari, natto, and seitan—the key words being: small quantities, fermented, and whole.

The highly processed soy food-like substances that would-be health-conscious Americans now massively consume are not healthier choices for the human body than the foods they are attempting to replace. According to Dr. Kaayla T. Daniel, author of The Whole Soy Story, “hundreds of epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory studies link soy to:

• Malnutrition
• Digestive distress
• Thyroid dysfunction
• Cognitive decline
• Reproductive disorders
• Infertility
• Birth defects
• Immune system breakdown
• Heart disease
• Cancer”

So What’s a Health-Conscious Person to Do?

Healthy eating is not necessarily about reading labels on packages. It’s more about avoiding the packages in the first place by choosing whole, real foods that you prepare yourself. Michael Pollan’s words “eat food, not too much, mostly plants” really sum it up. The “eat food” part refers to actual whole foods that are part of nature: foods that grow, run, swim, or fly. Chemically-altered food-like substances that sit in boxes on shelves for five years are not included in this description of food.

If you choose a gluten-free diet, eat whole grains that don’t contain gluten like quinoa, amaranth, millet, and buckwheat. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, don’t eat “veggie” burgers from box in the frozen section. Instead you can easily make your own from wonderful nutrient-rich plant foods like whole grains, mushrooms, beans, and chopped veggies, and bind them together with cooked grains like millet or quinoa. Don’t use soy milk as a substitute for dairy. It is healthier to get your calcium and vitamin D from plant sources and small amounts of sunlight. Instead of “healthy” sodas and sport drinks, just drink water or freshly brewed teas or fresh juices.

If you eat meat, research where your meat comes from and how it is processed. Look for the words “organic, pastured, grass-fed” for beef and lamb and look for “organic” and “pastured” for poultry. If this type of meat is too expensive or is not available, then you should either get the very best you can afford and consider reducing your meat intake.

If you have a busy schedule (and I don’t know anyone who doesn’t), learn to plan ahead. Make big batches and freeze meals in healthy portions so that the frozen foods you take to work are ones you made yourself with ingredients you can pronounce.

It’s a wonderful thing that more people want to live healthier lives. Gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, and other diets can be healthy. Reading food labels and knowing what the long words mean is a daunting task. Why not just avoid foods that need labels in the first place? That is the best way to start living a healthier life.

The Lost Art of Preserving Food

I belong to a CSA and I sometimes find myself overwhelmed when large amounts of vegetables come in all at once. Although there are a variety of ways this produce can be preserved, I have found that fermentation is the best one for me.  Using this method preserves the vibrant colors, flavors, vitamins, minerals, and food enzymes since fermentation does not involve heat like with conventional canning methods.

In my explorations with food I have fermented beets, Sauerkraut, Kimchi, varieties of salsa, chopped jalapeno peppers, cucumbers, chopped garlic, and herbal blends including cilantro and chives.

History of Fermentation

Fermentation, drying, freezing, smoking, salting and sugaring foods were the methods used by our ancestors to keep food through seasonal shortages. Fermentation has been in practice for thousands of years and is still commonly used in other cultures throughout the world.

The art of fermenting vegetables is also becoming more common in the U.S. as more people are realizing the many health benefits of including fermented foods in the diet.

When you improve digestion, you improve absorption too

Do you suffer from food intolerance, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, yeast infections, allergies or asthma? All of these conditions have been linked to gut health. Fermented foods will help to restore the proper balance of gut flora, and since 80 percent of your immune system is located in your intestines, making gut health a priority can be a proactive defense against disease. Furthermore, since fermented foods retain their enzymes, your body will utilize them in the digestion and assimilation of nutrients.

By fermenting in-season vegetables you can save money.

I’m sure we have all experienced produce spoiling before it was eaten. By preserving your surplus you can avoid this common problem. As an added bonus, you can save money by purchasing and preserving your produce while in-season, thus ensuring that you are getting the highest quality at the lowest price.

Aside from the initial cost of your fermentation vessels, there are minimal expenses to this process.  I have a crock for sauerkraut, and I use quart and pint size canning jars for fermenting and storing.

The basics – How to Ferment Vegetables

Typically, coarse sea salt and/or whey are used for the fermenting process. If you use whey, it can be obtained by draining plain cultured yogurt over cheesecloth or by pouring the accumulated liquid from the top of the yogurt container.

After deciding what to ferment, the typical process is to chop or finely grate the vegetables to increase the surface area which will be exposed to the brine.

Place the grated/chopped vegetables into a bowl and sprinkle with a coarse sea salt. The ratio is 2 T per 1 qt mason jar of vegetables, or 1- 1 ½ tsp of salt per 2 lbs of vegetables.  Use clean hands or a utensil to work the salt in. It may take a few minutes to pull the liquid from the vegetables, but soon you will have enough to cover the vegetables thoroughly when placed into your mason jars.

Fill the jar with the vegetables and juice and continue to press firmly to release more liquid and to remove any air pockets.

Usually no additional water is needed; however it can simply be added to completely submerge the vegetables. If there is a need for water, you should use filtered or spring water only. If at any point in the fermentation process you notice that the vegetables have lost moisture, you can always add more and incorporate it in.

Cover the jar with a cloth or paper towel and secure with a rubber band to keep insects out. Sealing your jar tightly at this point would cause pressure to build up which could cause breakage.

Leave the jar at room temperature for 4 to 7 days. The warmer the area, the faster the fermentation will occur. When you are satisfied with the taste, you can secure a cover and store in a refrigerator or a cool basement.

Being submerged in the salted brine will prevent the vegetables from growing mold. However, if you find mold growing on the top it can simply be removed and you will find that the vegetables underneath are still fine. I have not found mold to be an issue, but I am in the habit of smelling the product before using.

Use non-metal utensils when mixing or when removing vegetables from the container.

Fermented Vegetables Recipes

Kimchi

(fills 2 qt jars)

This recipe includes whey. Read the above instructions on obtaining whey. If you don’t have whey, you will add more salt using the 2 T per 1 quart mason jar.

• 1 head Napa cabbage that has been cored and shredded
• 1 bunch of green onions, chopped
• 1 cup grated carrots
• 1/2 cup grated daikon radish
• 1 T fresh grated ginger
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2 tsp dried chili flakes
• 2  T sea salt
• ½ C whey

Place vegetables, ginger, red chili flakes, and salt and/or whey into a bowl and incorporate until you have released the juices. Fill 2 quart size glass jars with the mixture, while pressing down firmly until all the juices have risen to the top and cover the vegetables leaving 1 inch of space at the top of the jar. You can use a cabbage leaf over the top of the mixture to keep the vegetables submerged below the brine. Cover the jar lightly and keep at room temperature for about 4-7 days, then secure a cover and transfer to the refrigerator.

Salsa Verde

• 1 lb tomatillos that have been lightly blanched and husked
• 4 jalapeno peppers seeded and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic peeled and crushed
• Juice of 1 lime
• 2 T unrefined coarse sea salt
• 3T chopped cilantro

Toss tomatillos, peppers, garlic, lime juice, and salt in a food processor or blender and process until smooth, adjusting seasoning to taste. Transfer to a mason jar leaving 1 inch at the top of the jar, lightly cover and ferment at room temperature for three to five days, then secure a cover and store in the refrigerator.

Basic Salsa

See above for obtaining whey. If you don’t have whey, just add more salt using the 2 T per 1 quart size mason jar.

• 2 large onions
• 6 large tomatoes
• 2 green peppers
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 6 jalapenos or to taste (seeded)
• ½ cup fresh chopped cilantro
• juice of three lemons or limes
• 1/2 cup whey
• 2 Tablespoons of sea salt
• water if necessary

Run individual veggies through a food processor or chop by hand and combine in a large bowl. Add the salt and/or whey and stir well. Let sit for a few minutes and then put into jars leaving an inch at the top. Lightly cover and let sit at room temperature for 4 days, then cover and store in the refrigerator.

Fermented Garlic

• 7 garlic bulbs
• 1 T sea salt

This recipe is to fill a mason jar about ½ of the way full of chopped garlic cloves. Separate the heads of garlic into individual cloves and peel the skin off of each clove. Combine 1 T sea salt with 1 cup of water and pour into a 1-qt. mason jar, stirring well to dissolve. Lightly chop the garlic in a food processor and add to the salted water, add additional water if needed and stir. Cover lightly and set it aside at room temperature for at least three days or up to a week or until the garlic achieves the desired flavor, then cover and store in the refrigerator.

Preserving Herbs with Fermentation

I used to dry herbs but found they were lacking in flavor. Using the process of fermentation they remain vibrant in color and flavor and can be used to season your dishes.

Depending on the amount of herbs you are fermenting it may take a quart or a pint size jar.  Start by placing the washed herbs in a food processor until they have reached a finely chopped consistency. Add some water to make your brine (this should have the consistency of thick salsa).

In this state, you can get a better idea of the amount of salt that you will need to add by following the 2 T per qt size jar. Incorporate the salt into the mixture thoroughly before transferring it to mason jar(s), then cover lightly. Allow to ferment for 3- 4 days, then secure a cover and store in the refrigerator.

Recommended Reading:

• Candida, Gut Flora, Allergies, and Disease
• How to Kill Fungal Infections
• Health Benefits of Apple Cider Vinegar & How to Make Your Own
• Your Guide to Root Vegetables – Health Benefits, Recipes, and More

Carpet Cleaning is one of the most toxic things you can do in your home, both for the environment, and your own health. Here are some good alternatives to conventional carpet cleaning.

Steam cleaning your carpet is the number one way to get rid of stains and germs, but standard carpet cleaning solutions contain a lot of harsh chemicals that can be dangerous for human health and the planet. Fortunately, there are a few substitutes you can use that may be better for your family and the environment.

Why are Standard Carpet Cleaners Dangerous?

Most people have never looked at what is in the standard carpet cleaning solutions. Most cleaning solutions for use in steam carpet cleaners contain perchloroethylene, which makes people feel dizzy and sick if it is breathed in. Opening the windows when you steam clean your carpet is a must, but even with good ventilation your family will still be breathing in harmful chemicals during the cleaning process.

Even more worryingly, the chemicals you use on your carpet hang around in the fibers, potentially causing a health hazard for young children who play on the floor. As perchloroethylene is a known carcinogen, it is a good idea to keep it out of your home, particularly if you have a young family. Using a natural carpet cleaning solution in your steam cleaner protects your loved ones and stops harmful chemicals from being released into the atmosphere and the water supply.

How to Naturally Steam Clean Your Carpet

To make your own non-hazardous carpet cleaner that won’t destroy the planet, mix equal amounts of white vinegar and warm water. You can use this solution in a steam cleaner to gently lift out stains and sanitize your carpet. Vinegar is a natural anti-bacterial agent and the mild acidity of the solution helps to lift stains from the carpet fibers. For stubborn stains, use a higher ratio of vinegar to water in the steam cleaner.

To make the carpet smell delicious, add a few drops of eucalyptus or lemongrass essential oil to the cleaning solution. These harmless oils are released into the air when you clean the carpet, filling your home with natural fragrance.

To make a foaming carpet cleaning solution, you can mix natural dish soap or laundry soap with equal parts baking soda. Apply the foaming solution to stained areas before steam cleaning with warm water and vinegar. The vinegar helps to break down and remove the soap residue to leave your carpet looking clean and stain free.

Steam Cleaning Your Carpet

Choose a warm, dry day with low humidity to steam clean your carpet. Open the windows to allow air to flow through the house, helping the carpet to dry as quickly as possible.

Post contributed by Lucy Massey for Empire flooring.

Enzymes and Digestion, Enzymes and Health, and a List of Enzyme-rich foods

The human body produces two categories of enzymes- metabolic and digestive. Metabolic enzymes are intra-cellular (in the cell), and are used for reproduction and replenishment of the cells as well as to maintain and rebuild the organs, tissues, and blood. Digestive enzymes are used to break down food for the proper assimilation of nutrients.

The Role of Digestive Enzymes

The importance of digestive enzymes resides in the fact that the human body cannot absorb nutrients found in food unless you have an adequate supply of enzymes available in order to break them down. In the book, Micro Miracles, Ellen W. Cutler writes about the important role that enzymes play in the digestive process.  “Digestive enzymes assist with the digestion of food, the absorption of nutrients, and the delivery of those nutrients throughout the body. The most commonly known digestive enzymes are secreted from the pancreas into the small intestine, where each is responsible for breaking down a specific compound.”

Digestive enzymes are classified based on their target substrates, the three main are:

• Protease- which split proteins into small peptides and amino acids.
• Lipase- which split fats into three fatty acids and a glycerol molecule.
• Amylase – for the digestion of carbohydrates.

As food is digested, it gets broken down for absorption, and then transported by the blood through the power of enzymatic activity, with nutrients and enzymes working synergistically with each other, functioning as catalysts in countless biological reactions within the body.

Enzymes From the Food We Eat

The final category of enzymes comes from the foods we eat. When foods contain sufficient amounts of their own enzymes, digestion can begin at the very first bite. The act of chewing your food thoroughly and mixing it with saliva will activate some of the enzymes naturally found in food.  However, research indicates that when food is cooked above 118 degrees, the heat will kill most of the enzymes resulting in diminished nutritional values. This deficit in enzymes is one of the major problems facing our modern-day society, which dines almost exclusively on cooked, fast, or processed foods.

The Work of Dr Edward Howell

Dr. Edward Howell, an early pioneer in the field, spent his entire professional life studying enzymes. He believed that people were born with limited enzyme-producing capabilities and that life expectancy depended on how well this “enzyme potential”was preserved.  He believed that when we eat enzyme-depleted foods, our bodies must work harder to manufacture all of the enzymes necessary to support the digestive and assimilation processes.

Enzyme production related to digestion already consumes large amounts of energy, and the lack of enzymes from food will only curtail the availability of enzymatic activity to the rest of the body. For example, tissues such as the brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, and muscles won’t get all the enzymes they need in order repair and function properly. Dr. Howell believed that this resulting metabolic enzyme deficit was the root cause of most illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and other chronic health problems.

Enzymes and Aging

As we age, our bodies progressively lose the ability to produce enzymes, with major drops occurring every ten years of life. At the early stages of this process, you may not notice any differences, but as it continues, you may discover that you can no longer tolerate certain foods that you may have previously enjoyed. This intolerance may also be accompanied by feelings of fatigue, allergies, and digestive discomforts including heartburn, gas, constipation, bloating, and ulcers.

By incorporating some simple dietary strategies we can begin to make deposits into our enzyme stores instead of the constant withdrawals which have become the norm for many people.

Increase enzyme activity by soaking and sprouting seeds, legumes, and nuts

Read How to Sprout Seeds and Legumes in a Jar and Soaking Nuts and Seeds to Increase Enzyme Potential.

Enzyme-rich foods to include in your diet:

• Papaya
• Pineapple
• Melons
• Mango
• Kiwi
• Grapes
• Avocado
• Raw honey (the enzymes actually come from the bee’s saliva)
• Bee pollen
• Raw dairy products
• Water kefir
• Dairy kefir
• Wheat grass juice
• Coconut water
• Eat a diet rich in raw foods
• Take a quality digestive enzyme with meals
• Fermented vegetables (check out this video: Fermenting Vegetables)

Recommended Supplements:

• Systemic Enzymes
• Digestive Enzymes

8 Reasons Why Laughter is the Best Medicine

“I don’t trust anyone who doesn’t laugh.”
~Maya Angelou

Along with every notorious saying rides a bundle of truth.

I adore a good chuckle…not just any variety of chuckle, a hearty one.  The kind that leaves you gasping for air, clutching your mid-section, and complaining about how much your face hurts for minutes after. The variety of laughter that arrives when all inhibitions are released, when there is no worry about what’s right, what’s acceptable, what’s proper, or how or what others are seeing.  Laughter that urges you to reach out to someone, if only to avoid falling. 😉  Laughter that instantaneously invites others to this special place…even, or especially if they have no idea what you’re even laughing about.

I love that laughter is such an innate, unlearned response.  Infants begin to smile during the first few weeks of life and begin to laugh only months into their journey.  It is awe-stirring that we are all born with this intrinsic affinity towards smiling and making noise out of pure delight for…errr…whatever we find funny.  For anyone (that would be all of us?) who simply feels really incredible after a hearty laugh, laughter having “measurable” benefits won’t come as a surprise…or even, really, an interest.  Still, I thought it was interesting enough to intermingle the whole beautiful, riotous mess with a smidgen of organization in written form. So, here ’tis:
8 of likely many quality reasons we all should lean into a good belly laugh (or twenty) every day.

Laughter relaxes the whole body.

A good, body-involving laugh evaporates stress and relieves physical tension, relaxing muscles for a stretch of up to an hour after.

Laughter releases endorphins.

Merriam- Webster’s definition of endorphins: any of a group of endogenous peptides found especially in the brain that bind chiefly to opiate receptors and produce some pharmacological effects (as pain relief) like those of opiates.
{ahem?!}
My definition of endorphins:  feel-so-good, feel-so-happy chemicals.
The more we laugh, the better we’ll feel…so let’s heartily chortle at every meal! 😉

Laughter boosts your immune system.

I’ve come across several studies that suggest that laughter helps to boost your immune system through decreasing stress hormones and increasing immune cells/infection-fighting abilities, improving the body’s overall resistance to disease.

Laughter protects your heart.

Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, decreasing high blood pressure, which can help protect against a heart attack and other cardiovascular complications.

Laughter dissolves distressing emotions.

Go ahead.  Enjoy a good laugh the next time you and your spouse are ‘spiritedly’  processing through a difference!  It’s so very difficult to feel nervous, angry, or sad while you’re deep in authentic laughter.

Good humor shifts perspective.

It allows us to see situations in a less menacing light.  Just as I was beginning to write this, my 7 year old daughter–already in a questionable mood–stepped it up a notch or three on the voice decibel meter.  Out of seemingly nowhere, I told her that she was acting like a pirate.  She followed up with announcing that I was acting like a recycling can.  We went back and forth, eventually wrapping up our obscure fest with “acting like a smurf’s knee.”  We were both, by that time, laughing so hard that we could barely understand each other.  The moment was entirely transformed.  Neither of us could recall what she was upset about to begin with.  The ability to laugh, play, and have fun with others not only makes life more enjoyable, it also helps to revamp problems and strengthen connections with others.  People who incorporate playful humor into their daily lives discover that it renews not only themselves, but has a ripple effect, reaching many of the people surrounding them.

{On third thought, that “connection” bit should be a point all its own…}

Laughter helps us connect with others.

Simply written: it feels good to laugh with someone.  It feels great to laugh with someone.  It feels great to laugh with anyone.  hella~great.  Laughter is a sort of bonding cement, deepening the bonds that we experience with people we’re already close with and forging bonds with people we’ve only recently met. And feeling connected, is (in general) one of the most important foundations of good health.

“Laughter is the shortest distance between two people.”
~Victor Borge

{and my personal favorite….}

Laughter holds us in the present moment.

When we’re laughing, we’re focused on whatever is funny in the moment.  We’re not replaying the past or worrying about the future.  We’re simply enjoying what is here. What is *now.*

Regardless of how badly we might feel or how tough things may (momentarily) seem, laughter has the ability to immediately transform us and, often, our surrounding circumstances.  It has the ability to bring us into a cozy space, to a place of pure joy and bliss, to a new and more balanced perspective, to happiness– over and over again.  There’s really nothing quite like a really good, from-the-gut, tears-streaming-down-the-face, nose-wiping, can’t-quite-breathe, where-did-the-seat-go?!, belly-aching guffaw.

There’s only one downside to laughter:  it happens far too infrequently.  While I don’t feel like writing about them here, I can think of a whole slew of, mostly culturally based, reasons why laughter seems to occasionally, if not often, get placed on the back burner.

To steal a dear friend’s one word response that is quickly becoming a “go to” staple when “thangs” become too intense or weighty: *burp!*

Just laugh!  Laugh heartily!  Laugh often!  Laugh while you’re rolling out of bed.  Laugh while you’re making breakfast.  Laugh while you’re making love. Laugh, solo-style.  Laugh in large crowds.  Laugh while you’re crying. Laugh until you’re crying.  Laugh when your heart hurts. Laugh when your heart is happy.  Laugh when it feels appropriate. Laugh when it feels inappropriate.  Laugh until you have no idea what you’re laughing about…and then laugh some more.

Cheers to consistently finding ourselves amidst a hearty concoction of unrestrained “medicine.”
No doctor or therapist required.

“Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps; for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things are, and what they ought to be.”
~William Hazlitt

“Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live”
~Andrea Levy

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Lance Armstrong, seven time winner of the Tour de France, is a great example of physical fitness. But at one point in his life, this world-class athlete was so unhealthy he was ravaged by cancer. Is he healthy today? It’s hard to say. I would bet he’s healthier than the average person, but I would guess he’s not as healthy as he could be. Men who exercise regularly and consume large quantities of bodybuilding supplements and energy drinks are not healthy. Have you ever read the ingredients on some of those protein powders, muscle gain formulas, and weight loss pills? Filled with everything from artificial colors to sugar, these concoctions do not benefit the body.

Steroids are another example of how health and fitness are not necessarily synonymous. With a proper fitness program, steroids can elevate one’s fitness to a level that is tough, if not impossible, for one to achieve by natural means. But, as we all know, steroids are not healthy. Like many perfectly legal performance enhancement supplements and bodybuilding supplements, steroids are dangerous. You may have seen yoga practitioners with acne, runners with seasonal allergies, or ironman competitors popping Excedrin for their headaches. These are not healthy individuals.

Fitness and health can certainly complement each other. And you cannot be healthy without some degree of fitness. But health is about living life without the need for prescription drugs. Being healthy is living without allergies. Living healthy means you don’t get diagnosed with Type II diabetes or arthritis in your forties or fifties and blame your age or genetics. Living healthy is living without aches and pains. Living healthy is taking responsibility for your own health and not blindly putting it in the hands of doctors.

Being both physically fit and healthy is an amazing feeling. Imagine waking up after a great night’s sleep full of energy with no aches and pains, at any age, clear headed, and ready to take on the day. For some people this isn’t possible. But for most people, including a great many who think they have no choice, health is a viable option.

Michael Edwards

Editor in Chief

Eliminate stimulants from your diet. Coffee, tea, chocolate, soft drinks, energy drinks… If you won’t give these up, be sure to limit them to the early hours of the day. Thyroid and adrenal fatigue can lead to insomnia and poor quality sleep, so address those glands if needed. B vitamins are essential to the nervous system and deficiencies can result in disruption of sleep cycles. Take a high-quality B complex vitamin each day. If you do not get daily exposure to sunlight or you live north of Atlanta, Georgia or Los Angeles, California, supplement with vitamin D. If you suffer from regular insomnia please check out How To Heal Your Gut and Holistic Guide to Healing the Endocrine System and Balancing Our Hormones.

Herbal Remedies and Supplements for Insomnia

To fix the biological clock long term,  diet is key; B vitamins, thyroid health, and exercise are paramount.  But the right combination of the following herbal remedies will knock almost anyone out at least for the first few nights they’re used, without the pharmaceutical side effects.

Tryptophan

Our bodies require tryptophan, an amino acid, to make serotonin and melatonin. It can help you fall asleep and improve your quality of sleep by lengthening the time you spend in deep sleep. In addition, studies have shown an increase in alertness upon waking.

Valerian Root

Valerian root also aids in sleep onset as well as quality of sleep. The best results are found when combining valerian root with melatonin or hops. Take 400-500 mg at bedtime.

Melatonin

Melatonin is a hormone secreted by the pineal gland. It does not help with the  length of sleep or sleep quality, but it does help with sleep onset. Side effects may include nightmares and daytime drowsiness. Dosage ranges from 1-10 mg.

Hops

Hops extract is another sleep aid that improves sleep and aids in sleep onset. It works well with valerian extract and the combination may help increase alpha brain waves.

Black Cohosh

Black cohosh minimizes sleep disturbances and reduces irritability and mood swings

Passion Flower

Passion flower clears anxiety and restores the body to a more peaceful state

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is known as an adaptogen that block stress messages in the body, promoting relaxation and peacefulness.

Chamomile flower

Chamomile flower and leaf soothes anxiety and has sedative properties

Skullcap

Skullcap promotes calmness and increases the body’s ability to adapt to stress. It also acts as a sedative for aches and pain

My Own Protocol for Insomnia

Exercise. Anytime I need to get to sleep on time no matter what, I make sure I exercised that day. I set the right sleep environment. If thoughts are swirling in my mind, I write them down. A bedside journal can be a great sleep aid.

Before going to sleep, all the lights should be turned off or covered (those little blue, red, flashing lights on electronics inhibit proper sleep rhythms). Absolute darkness aids in melatonin production. It also helps to have a set bedtime. Make sure your bedtime allows for eight hours of sleep. Get up at the same time every morning no matter what. Even if you can’t go to sleep at the right time, going to bed at the right time and staying up eventually fixes one’s sleep schedule.

Get grounded, and take that time to do some peaceful meditation. This can be especially beneficial to our internal clock if done early morning and just before bedtime.

L-Tryptophan, Shillington’s Nerve Sedative Formula, and some B vitamins will knock me out within a half an hour every time. I like L-Tryptophan better than a melatonin supplement because it increases production of melatonin and serotonin.

Take 1,000 to 3,000 (some need 3k but many people only need 1) mgs of L-Tryptophan with two droppers full of Shillington’s Nerve Sedative.

Shillington’s Nerve Sedative Recipe (or click here to purchase):

2 – parts Valerian Root
2 – parts Lobelia Seed Pods
2 – parts Passion Flower
1 – part Hops Flowers
1 – part Black Cohosh
1 – part Blue Cohosh
1 – part Skullcap
1 – part Wild Yam

A “part” is a measurement by volume.  Blend all ingredients together and make into a tincture using a 50 – 50 Blend of Alcohol and distilled water. For more, see How to Make a Tincture.

A dropperful is considered to be about 1/2 way up the dropper from a two ounce bottle.

Be sure to shake well before each use.

Conclusion

Once you get your biological clock reset, your new sleep habits require discipline, but you will reap the benefits of healthy, restful sleep. The trick to having a set sleep schedule (besides health) is all in the wakeup time. If 7a.m. is when you want to wake up, then that’s when you wake up, no matter what for the next 6 weeks.

Recommended Supplements:

• Shillington’s Nerve Sedative Formula
• L-Tryptophan
• Stress B-Complex – Thorne Research
• Ashwagandha Liquid Phyto-Caps – Gaia Herbs
• Shillington’s Cal-Calm Tea
• SleepThru – Gaia Herbs -or- Sleep & Relax – Gaia Herbs
• Vitamin D
• More supplements for insomnia

Further Reading:

• Insomnia – A Comprehensive Look with Natural Remedies
• Signs of Sleep Deprivation
• Why We Need Sleep
• The Glymphatic System – How Insomnia Leads to a Filthy Mind
• Pure Sleep – 11 Tips for Better Sleep
  
• Thyroid Disease Epidemic – How is Yours Doing?
• Natural Remedies for Adrenal Fatigue
• Mental Health, Physical Health & B Vitamins – Nature’s Valium
• Earthing – Touching Earth
• Earthing – Ground Your Body for Optimal Health

Sources:

• What Is Melatonin? – Live Science
• The Best Natural Sleeping Aids – Dr. Whitaker
• Facts and Stats – National Sleep Foundation, DrowsyDriving.org
• Better Brain Chemistry with Tryptophan – Life Extension Magazine