WINTER BLUES  Return to Top
Don’t let that cold get on top of you and Jo’s top diet tips for when you have a cold.

Did you know that having a cold every now and then is actually good for you. It gives your immune systems an overhaul and leaves it at it’s fighting best ready for any more severe nasties that may come your way later.

For a sound and generally healthy immune system your ‘preferred cold’, when treated correctly, should last around 5 days past which you should feel totally revived. Does this sound like you? If not perhaps you have a few things to consider:

  1. If you are prone to getting a few too many colds, perhaps you should consider strengthening your immune system throughout the year with herbal and nutritional remedies so that when the cold season comes around your ability to fight off infections is greatly enhanced.
  2. Have you found that work life balance? 12, 13, 14hr days, does this sound like you? If your stress levels are not balanced by quality relaxation and rejuvenation time then your immune system is going to have a tough job keeping up.
  3. What is your gut like? If you suffer from symptoms such as constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating and pain then your gut is not happy and this can have a profound impact on your immune system.
  4. ‘Cold and Flu’ medications do not assist the body in helping itself or promote the immune system to work harder. ‘Cold and Flu’ medications only treat the symptoms, providing a band aid solution and the chances of you getting reoccurring colds are much higher
  5. Please always consider taking a day or two off work. Convalescence and sleep, heard of them? Why always soldier on for two weeks working only at 50% of your ability. Doesn’t it make sense to take 2 days off and when you return to work you will have no worries working at 100%?
  6. Get on top of it early. At the first sign of a sniffle contact your complementary health practitioner and obtain a specific and holistic treatment. Hit it hard at the start, you will shorten the duration considerably.
  7. How is your diet holding up? The food you put into your belly can have profound effects on your immune system. Be sure to check out my diet tips and remember to keep it ‘real’ and ‘whole’… your diet that is.

Sore throat, fever, congested nose and sinuses, blocked ears, mucousy or dry cough, achy body… the list goes on and so does Johanna’s treatment options. Prevent it from getting into your respiratory system and dragging you down longer than you need it too.

JO’S TOP DIET TIPS FOR WHEN YOU HAVE ‘THE COLD’

  1. Cut back or remove cow dairy (includes milk, cheese, yoghurt and icecream) from your diet as much as you can. Cow dairy dampens the respiratory system and can be mucus forming which will not assist the body in elimination the bad bugs. Substitute, but only occasionally (1-2 serves per week) with sheep and goat dairy.
  2. SUGAR FEEDS BAD BUGS. Remove as much sugar as you can from your diet and this includes excess natural sugars found in fruit. No more than 2 pieces per day and definitely no fruit juice (yes, than includes orange juice!) Cut out all sweets, lollies, desserts, ice cream, soft drinks, sports drinks, table sugar, sugary yoghurt and while you are at it cut out all of the fake sugars too! (i.e. 99% fat free products and artificially flavoured goods). White bread, white pasta and white rice are all forms of sugar too so these really must be kept to a minimum.
  3. No bananas - they are also mucus forming and too high in sugar especially when you have a cold. Have a kiwi fruit instead, they contain natural plant digestive enzymes and they are much higher in vitamin C than oranges.
  4. Up your protein - fish and poultry are both easily digested proteins, which will boost the immune system and this is a ‘must’ at this stage. Eggs are also fantastic but can in some people create excess mucus so be careful and don’t go overboard if you are overly snotty…
  5. WATER WATER WATER - your Mum was right. Water assists the lymphatic system in clearing the infectious load from the system. Warm if you can and sip, don’t scull! Pop a quarter of lemon in your warm water along with a teaspoon of high-grade manuka honey (regular honey doesn’t have anywhere near the amount of anti-bacterial benefits that manuka does and will only provide you with a sugar). Add a little fresh ginger in there if you wish to help warm you up.
  6. Load up on lots of garlic and chili (anti-microbial and helps to break up mucus) onions and leeks (contain quercetin which is a potent anti-inflammatory and great for the immune system), immune enhancing mushrooms (shitake, reishi, oyster, swiss brown, enoki are some of the more potent mushrooms)
  7. Think twice about alcohol and coffee; do you really need it right now?
  8. Wash your hands regularly and keep warm especially around the thymus gland, which is the master immune gland and sits behind the sternum/chest bone (just below the neck).
  9. WARM IT UP with rich, warming and well-cooked soups, stews and casseroles is what your body wants. Stay away from cold and raw foods.
  10. Feed yourself this gorgeous chicken soup and reap the rewards. It is quick and easy too!
WHICH BREAD IS BEST?  Return to Top
Get adventurous with your bread, there are so many delicious (and healthy) varieties to choose from!

When choosing bread:

  • Try to always go for 100% sourdough (read your labels; is it really 100%?)
  • Choose wholegrain, organic, stone-ground, unbleached flour
  • Pick one with added nuts and seeds
  • Buy one that is different to your last loaf; mix it up. Why not try 100% rye, spelt, kamut or a combination of flours instead of just wholewheat all of the time?

Also - assess how much bread you are having. Are you having at least a couple of slices every day? Do you need to be having it daily? Most likely not. Look around, get out of the habit and tempt your taste buds with a variety of foods. There are loads of other options for breakfast and lunch that don’t involve bread.

However, if you do enjoy a piece with your poached eggs or in your open sandwich which is loaded with fresh market produce on a Saturday afternoon then these are the ones to go for:

Please don’t resort to fluffy white bakery bread. It has absolutely no nutrition what so ever and is most likely doing your more harm than good. There are plenty of healthier AND TASTIER options, so go for them.  Also - bread freezes well so to prevent you from eating the whole loaf in a day, pop it in the freezer and grab out only what you need.

POSITIVE LIFE CHANGES  Return to Top
Let’s put New Years resolutions aside as I believe we can always endeavour to educate ourselves, make positive changes and strive to make a difference to our health no matter what the date is.

Hopefully a few of these health-enhancing ideas will get you thinking and perhaps some may embed themselves in your ‘new and improved you’ sometime over the next year. Remember; one thing at a time…

  1. If you are having more than one coffee a day replace the extras with tea
  2. Mix up your milks… one week have soy, the next cow, then give oat milk a try? Why not?
  3. Loving those lollies in your drawer a little too much? Push them to one side and take in a little container mixed with 80% of your favourite raw and unsalted nuts and 20% of your favourite dried fruit – REMEMBER limit yourself (¼ cup/day), too much of anything is not a good thing :)
  4. Aim to be in bed by 10.30pm most nights of the week – the hours you get before 12am are worth double that to those after 12pm….sleep, sleep, sleep – we all underestimate it!
  5. Vegetables with both lunch and dinner… ham and cheese roll at lunch? – Next time simply add some lettuce. Or is it sushi you are always buying? By 2 rolls instead of 3 and give a seaweed salad a shot!
  6. Add 5 minutes a day to your regular exercise routine? Don’t have a routine? Then start with just 5 minutes a day?
  7. Go buy some indoor plants – they will purify and oxygenate your home
  8. Take time out for you; you can’t be the best father, mother, brother or girlfriend in the world if you are not 100% - perhaps it is time to schedule in monthly massages… Note: SCHEDULE – just like you do your work meetings
  9. You are way too confused on what to eat and what not to eat? Invest in your health and see a nutritionist/naturopath
  10. I know we all tell you to eat more oily fish and in particular salmon however did you know the salmon we are all eating is farmed salmon, raised in unnatural conditions and the fish are actually not that healthy (overcrowded conditions, high levels of chemical use and fish meal stocks)…Yes, we do need our good fats but lets try and not all leave it up to salmon to provide it and finding wild salmon is extremely hard in Australia, they are not native to us. Always ask your fish monger where they get their salmon from. Load up on sardines, anchovies, herring, travelly, oysters, trout and whiting instead. If you are wanting to get therapeutic doses of omega 3 into you though you should only choose quality ‘practitioner only’ (stated on the label) fish oil supplements as this will ensure you a fresh, high grade supplement that contains zero levels mercury or any other nasties; hence you will get your monies worth and they will do what they are meant to do. (Most of the cheap over the counter fish oils will potential do more harm than good)
STRESS LESS OR FIND WAYS TO ADAPT  Return to Top
What are you doing to withstand its often-taxing weight? Prevent yourself from breaking down before it is too late!

Do you know when enough is enough? Are you sitting on the edge, pushing that very fine line and struggling to find the balance?

Stress is often described as a ‘perceived inability to cope’ and can come about when your demands exceed your resources, when you experience fear about potential failure, when you doubt your ability, and when difficult situations or circumstances present themselves in your life including social conflict and work issues. Everyone experiences stress but it seems more and more people are having a hellish time in trying to overcome it or adapt to the circumstances. Maybe it is time to take a step back and assess where you are at, what makes up your day, and if and you and your body is coping mentally, emotionally and physically with the demands that you and others cast on yourself. Perhaps it is also time to assess how go you are at saying NO…

It is quite clear and most people are aware that there is an enormous connection between stress and the state of mind. However, many of us are not taking notice or doing anything about this intuitive mind and body interaction. Many people pronounce that stress is just a normal part of life…

In many ways they are quite right and really, we couldn’t survive without it. Let’s look at the stress response in relation the ‘fight or flight’ response. The fight or flight response is our body’s primitive, automatic, inborn reaction that prepares the body to ‘fight’ or ‘flee’ from a perceived attack, harm or threat to our survival. When we experience excessive stress—whether from internal worry or external circumstance—a bodily reaction is triggered, and this reaction is the ‘fight or flight’ response. Originally discovered by the great Harvard physiologist Walter Cannon, this response is hard-wired into our brains and represents a genetic wisdom designed to protect us from bodily harm. This response actually corresponds to an area of our brain called the hypothalamus, which—when stimulated—initiates a sequence of nerve cell firing and chemical release that prepares our body for running or fighting.

Nature is incredibly intelligent to have built our body with such mechanism that we can switch on in times of acute stress. However as the years have gone by our ability to switch off this stress response has weakened. The thermostat in a sense has been raised and as we live in this Western life that is so full of pressure, speed, conflict, apprehension and anxiety we think it is a ‘normal’ and common experience and therefore it is always ’switched on’. This is extremely wearing on not only the body but also the mind. Discriminating between what is real and what is not real and switching on the stress response at a high level when needed and then off again is so important. Respond when we need to, put the foot on the accelerator when we need to and deal with a difficult and challenging situation then and there. Be Mindful. But turn the stress response off when you can no longer do anything about it.

It is also important however not to see stress management as a way of avoiding getting on with our lives, dealing with demands or having to function at a high level. It is about being mindful and attentive on the now and what is most important because if we don’t go about dealing with stress and pressure in the right way it can come at a considerable cost.

An alarming little stat: ‘During the 1960-70’s stress rating scales and alike were starting to be produced and since then the level of stress in the average person’s life has increased by 45% over the last 30 years.’ (Hassed, C 2008)

I have a question for you:

How many catastrophes have you had in your life and how many of them have actually happened? 

We all know, excessive stress in what ever form it presents itself can have however a colossal of physical, mental and emotional effects on the body such as anxiety, depression, panic attacks, burn out, chronic fatigue, fear, lowered mood, insomnia, lethargy, apathy, self doubt gut disturbances, poor work output, concentration and performance, altered metabolism and weight gain, weakened immune system, reproductive imbalances, headaches, migraines, muscular tension and pain. The list can go on and on 
So what are you doing about it to prevent it from getting to this point?

Lets look at some ways to go about taking that next FORWARD step in turning things around to improve your adaptation to stress

  • Determine what the key stressors are for you, where is it all stemming from?
  • How much of my stress is internally generated and produced inappropriately?
  • Does this present circumstance need this anxiety it is creating within me right now? Am I being mindful on what needs my attention right now? Having a more focused and clear state of mind can help us to perform the tasks that present themselves now much more effectively.
  • How many of you are worrying about things that ‘might’ happen tomorrow or next week or next month?
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for help – don’t try to go it alone. Talk, talk and talk some more whether it is to your friends or family, it is so important that those around you are aware of where you are at and how you are feeling. Simply getting a few things ‘off your chest’ can do wonders.
  • Seek professional advice – Don’t wait until you crash and have totally hit the wall. Get on top of it before it gets on top of you! There are some extremely beneficial non-drug treatments that can aid your adaptation and help you get through the tough times.
  • Herbal medicine, Nutritional medicine and Diet/Food as medicine – As a naturopath, stress and it’s associated issues is one of the main areas I treat. We have a number of amazing scientifically research herbal and nutritional medicines that can be of enormous benefit for the nervous system to aid in stress adaptation and energy production. Ensuring the diet is adequate is of great importance. There are also many foods that when taking in therapeutic amounts can be of wonderful assistance as well. It is important you do seek a qualified practitioner for this sort of treatment, refrain from self-prescribing, as the desired outcome will be long in waiting, if at all due to the quality of product, incorrect dosing, and simply inaccurate diagnosis of the condition/illness.
  • Regular body work – Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, Massage, Myotherapy, Osteopathy, Chiropractic Regular body work and treatment can make a world of difference to how your physical body deals with and most importantly releases tension and stress. There are few people who wouldn’t benefit from a regular massage…
  • Reiki
  • Counselling
  • Yoga Why not give it a go? There are many forms of yoga and one that will hopefully to appeal to you. Go searching, ask your friends, colleagues, and health practitioner of their experiences and if they can suggest a good school to attend.
  • Meditation Have you ever tried mindfulness based stress management or meditation? Many highly qualified health care providers especially psychologists are trained in the mindfulness technique which can be of enormous benefit. Mindfulness-based practices are essentially aimed at increasing body awareness. They have a long history as a relaxation strategy and as a way of life. Contemporary research has found them useful as a self-help skill, in stress management, as a means of improving performance and in psychotherapy.
  • Tai Chi
  • Exercise - How much exercise are you doing? Are you getting a good dose of those post exercise endorphins at least 4 times a week? Reassess your exercise regime and make time!

You don’t have to put up with it, don’t let it beat you… get rid of those excuses that have prevented you from doing something about it in the past and take on just one or some of the propositions above. You will come out of it, on top and performing better than ever before.

The old saying goes – prevention is fare better than cure… the time and effort required to heal the wounds of excessive stress can be unnecessarily extensive.

Check out the links section for website details for some of the modalities mentioned

Some simple diet tips to help that nervous system

  • Reduce Coffee: even one cup a day may be pushing you over the edge. Caffeine is a nervous system stimulant. Caffeine is also found in black and green tea, cola and the many commercial sugary energy drinks you see in the supermarket and café fridges. Assess how much you are drinking per day, why you initially reach for that caffeine drink and how you feel after a strong cup of coffee. Perhaps think about cutting back to see what happens. Note: initially it may be hard to reduce because caffeine is very addictive but your body will thank you for it in the long run. Don’t forget – chocolate also contains caffeine! :)
  • Watch your sugar intake: Are you prone to that mid morning and mid afternoon sugar low? This is a typical anxiety trigger. Ensure you maintain your blood sugar levels but eating a low glycaemic diet – high in whole grains, nuts and seeds, good quality protein (e.g. lean red meat, organic chicken and pork, fish, organic eggs) and fat (e.g. extra virgin olive oil, nuts and seeds, oily fish) and stay away from ‘white’, processed, refined sugary snacks and foods. Ensure you eat something every 3-4 hrs should you suffer from hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)
  • Eat oats for breakfast: Whole oats are very nourishing for the nervous system. I can’t wait for those winter mornings when the saucepan comes and porridge making can begin! In the meantime – go for bircher muesli or just raw muesli.
  • Watch the alcohol: while it may give short-term nervous system support, long-term consumption of excessive intake won’t.
  • Read your food labels: Aspartame, an artificial sweetener is additive and has been associated with migraines, epilepsy, irritability and depression.
  • Eat your fish! Omega 3 fatty acids are extremely important for the nervous system. You should be having at least 3-4 servings a week of oily fish (e.g. sardines, mackerel, herring, salmon, tuna) if you are not taking a quality practitioner only supplement. In fact, the majority of people would benefit from a quality fish oil supplement. See your nutritionist or naturopath for a reputable brand.
  • Keep hydrated! At least 2 litres of water per day for most. It is so easy to forget about water when you are rushing around. Add some plant material such as lemon juice, lemon ride, or mint to aid absorption and deter dehydration.
10 TOP TIPS FOR PRE CONCEPTION CARE – THE IMPORTANCE OF PLANNING FOR PREGNANCY  Return to Top
What is Pre-conception care and how can it help?

Poor nutrition, tobacco, alcohol, recreational drug use, environmental pollution, sedentary lifestyles, stress, extended oral contraceptive use, genito-urinary infections, allergies and older child-bearing all adversely affect fertility, reproductive and general health. In fact, one in six couples are infertile and interestingly, infertility is shared equally among men and women, which is why pre-conception care is imperative for both prospective parents. Statistics show that one woman in five will suffer a miscarriage, one baby in ten is born prematurely, and one in thirty is born with a congenital defect. Moreover, at least one child in ten suffers from a behavioural or learning problem and one in five suffers from asthma. Yet, all these conditions can be prevented in many cases with pre-conception health care.

Very simply, pre-conception care involves ensuring that there is a sufficient supply of all the nutritional factors and satisfactory lifestyle, which is essential to the health of sperm and ova and to foetal development, and well as the absence of all those aspects shown to be harmful. Essentially, it is about both partners enjoying optimum health. In order to restore nutritional status, remove toxins and improve reproductive and general health, a number of strategies are recommended.

One of the most fundamental aspects of pre-conception care is the diet. It is essential that prospective parents consume a nutritious healthy preferably organic diet with adequate protein, complex carbohydrates and fresh fruit and vegetables to ensure an adequate supply of vitamins, trace minerals, essential amino acids, antioxidants and essential fatty acids. This preparation ideally should occur for at least four months prior to trying to fall pregnant (Naish and Roberts,1998). Preconception care improves your chances of falling pregnant more easily, having a healthy pregnancy and health baby and aiding recovery after the birth.

  1. Adequate protein
    1. With each meal e.g. yoghurt, nuts and seeds, legumes, eggs, lean meats and poultry, fish and soy products (e.g. tofu)
  2. Quality wholegrain and low glycaemic carbohydrates
    1. Fruits and vegetables and lots of them! Daily and a minimum of 5 servings of vegetables and 2 of fruits
    2. Wholegrains such as brown rice, wholegrain breads and crackers, quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, millet, kamut, whole oats, barley
    3. Avoid in going overboard with wheat, especially if you have some allergenic tendencies; give some alternative grains a go.
  3. Fats
    1. Include lots of oily fish such as tuna, mackerel, travelly, herring, salmon, sardines, anchovies
    2. Avocado, nuts and seeds (unroasted and unsalted and not peanuts)
    3. Flaxseed oil, extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil, walnut oil
  4. No Junk! - Including fried foods, sugary refined products such as cakes, biscuits, pastries, no margarine, no take away
  5. Water! 2-3 L per day, preferably filtered
  6. Avoid contact with chemicals - Use alternative ‘green’ cleaning products, do not treat the house for pests during this time, avoid painting and using glues and solvents and use safety precautions at work if in contact with hazards e.g. Chemicals e.g. led, mercury, cadmium, aluminium, insecticides

    Stay away from xenoestrogens (chemical oestrogens found in heated plastic such as water bottles and cling wrap, non organic chicken and pork, tupperware containers)

    Reduce your exposure if you can to ionising radiation (X-rays) and non-ionising radiation (microwaves, mobile phones, television screens and airline flights)

    If you have a cat, get someone else to empty the kitty litter due to the risk of infection with toxoplasmosis

  7. Avoid alcohol - even in moderation has been found to reduce the chances of falling pregnant. Once pregnant there has been no safe level of alcohol identified - so ideally avoid alcohol all together
  8. Avoid coffee - caffeine reduces fertility, may be teratogenic, robs the body of nutrients, and impairs the absorption of essential fertility minerals such as iron and zinc. Remember coke and chocolate also contain caffeine
  9. Exercise (minimum 30min 5 days a week), stay stress free and enjoy some relaxation time (go back and read Stress Less again!) Be aware that excess stress and exercise and have a lead to hormonal imbalances and hence reduce your ability to conceive and/or hold a pregnancy. Find that balance. Avoid over heating - particularly saunas and spas. If exercising, make sure you wear cool, comfortable clothing and drink plenty of water.
  10. Address weight issues: Being either underweight or overweight can have massive implications with trying to fall pregnant. It may also increase the risk of neural tube and birth defects as well as increasing your child’s susceptibility to disease later in their life.
  11. Consider seeing a Naturopath or another pre conception specialist where you will get a specialised plan and your overall health can be attended too. Your specialist will also teach you about ‘getting the timing’ right. Ovulation only happens once a month so it is important to coincide intercourse with the release of the egg should you want fertilisation to occur!

Ensure you obtain a basic supplement protocol such as quality ‘practitioner only’ multivitamin/mineral and fish oil. For women, it is especially important to have adequate B group vitamins including folic acid, as well as iron, zinc and calcium. Blood tests may be recommended. The blood tests may include a full blood count and ferritin levels (women often have low iron stores prior to pregnancy) and a test to see whether you are immune to rubella. A test to check urine for infection, protein and glucose may be advised. A PAP smear may be recommended if it is due. A blood pressure check is done to ensure that it is within the normal range. A dental check up is also a good idea. Further blood tests depend on need.

Remember – this is all for you too boys… You contribute half the genetic material that makes up the baby! If you follow these guidelines it will go a long way to improving the health of your sperm, the chances of a healthy conception and ultimately the health of your baby. Remember, it takes sperm 3 months to develop and ready to fertilise an egg so it makes sense for men to practice preconception at least three months prior to trying to conceive.

NOURISH  Return to Top
Stephanie Willaton reinvents health food, proving that pleasure & nourishment can go hand-in-hand.

A good friend and colleague Stephanie Willaton has just released her fabulous new book Nourish: Creating Delicious Food From Wholesome Ingredients. Influenced by modern nutrition principles, traditional Chinese wisdom and gourmet ‘foodie’ flair, this kitchen resource is a holistic guide to nourishing the body and soul, and spoiling the senses. It will satisfy the needs of vegans, vegetarians, gluten and dairy free diners but is very much accessible to everyone, including those not following a special diet.

This very resourceful book is full of inspiring information on wholefood ingredients and how you can prepare and incorporate them into your general diet ultimately boosting your diet’s nutritional profile and accelerating your journey to ultimate health. It turns what is often seen as bland and boring to vibrant and pleasurable.

To find out more about Nourish head to Stephanie’s website: www.nourishforlife.com.au

NOURISH BOOK & RECIPE: WARM ROASTED BEETROOT, QUINOA AND CHICKPEA SALAD  Return to Top
Stephanie Willaton reinvents health food, proving that pleasure & nourishment can go hand-in-hand.

FIGHT THE FAT THIS FESTIVE SEASON  Return to Top
Remember you have a choice!
  • Keep track of the number of alcoholic drinks you consume.
  • Dilute your wine with mineral water ’spritzers’.
  • Choose low-alcohol beer.
  • Have half-shot spirits with juice mixer.
  • Tonic water contains sugar … mineral water and soda water don’t!
  • Explore mocktails and non-alcoholic alternatives.
  • Re-hydrate! This is paramount and ensures you are well hydrated before you go out. Have a glass of water in between each alcoholic drink and 3 glasses of water before bed.
  • Move! Exercise promotes the metabolism of alcohol much faster and also reduces weight gain. At a BBQ go for a swim, start up a cricket game!
  • Eat foods that benefit the liver: lemons, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, Brussel sprouts.
  • Try not to overeat! Don’t go to a party starving and eat small portion sizes. Remember, it takes 20–30 minutes for your brain to register that your tummy is full … so chew well and eat slowly!
  • Choose wisely … limit creamy dips, burnt chops, over-dressed salads, deli meats, excess starch (e.g. potatoes, pasta, bread, potato chips, cous cous, rice, etc.) and of course the sweets and savoury pastries. Go for the lighter and fresher options available.
  • The day after … green tea instead of coffee, lemon juice on rising, fresh vegetable juices such as
    • beetroot, pineapple and lemon
    • apple, beetroot, celery, lemon, parsley
    • apple, ginger, lemon,
    • fennel, celery, apple and ginger (when feeling really nauseous)
  • Nutrition! Feed your liver with the B-group vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, selenium, choline, methonine, taurine, manganese, zinc.
  • Antioxidants! Prevent free radical damage with lipoic acid, vitamins A, C and E, zinc and selenium.
  • Herbal liver tonics … get your hands on some St Mary’s thistle tablets or a specialised liquid herbal formulation to prevent damage and those horrid headaches, not to mention getting more value out of the next day!
  • Pop in for an appointment to stock up on some liver remedies.

Remember – YOU have a CHOICE … and don’t let others influence you into poor choices.

SLEEP – ARE YOU GETTING ENOUGH?  Return to Top
Sleep – and more to the point – an adequate amount of good quality sleep is vital to an individual’s health and wellbeing. Sleep gives the body time to recuperate, repair and detoxify. It also gives the brain a chance to process the activities of the day and plays a role in memory formation.

The importance of good exercise and nutrition practices has been drummed into all of us, but until recently, many of us haven’t really associated sleep with health, wellness and longevity.

Questions you need to ask yourself

  1. Do I fall asleep easily? (initiating sleep/sleep onset)
  2. If I can’t fall asleep easily, what is preventing me from doing so? Am I a worrier? Am I constantly thinking about the day’s events or what is going to happen tomorrow?
  3. Do I have problems staying asleep; do I wake up often during the night? (sleep maintenance)
  4. If I am waking up, what time is it in the night and how difficult is it to go back to sleep?
  5. How many hours am I getting per night?
  6. Where do those hours fall during the night? i.e. If you get 8 hours, is that from 1.00 am–9.00 am or 10.00 pm–6.00 am?
  7. Do I feel refreshed when I wake up? (quality of sleep)
  8. Am I alert, energetic and motivated during the day? (a reflection of what happened the night before…)

Problems initiating sleep can lead to problems in maintenance of sleep and therefore a decrease in sleep quality. These three areas (initiation, maintenance, and quality) can all affect one another, and there are many underlying factors that can contribute to quality of sleep.

After answering the above questions you may be intrigued and have a few questions of your own. Sleep is so important that no amount of self-help and prescribing is really going to be adequate. Getting yourself off to your preferred healthcare provider who will most likely ask very similar questions to those above is very important, as they can identify the major causes behind your sleep issues and will provide you with appropriate and specific advice or treatment or alternatively refer you to a practitioner who can.

Sleep deprivation/Sleep debt

Studies indicate that 4–6 hours of sleep per night yields a progressive, cumulative deterioration in neurobehavioural function affecting vigilance, neurocongitive performance and mood.

University of Chicago Medical report, Dec 2, 1999, Vol. 19, No. 6.

Sleep deprivation has been linked to:

  • Depression
  • Reduced work performance
  • Reduced cognitive function
  • Low back pain, neck pain
  • Aggression
  • Behavioural abnormality
  • Poor concentration
  • Increased chance of road accidents (1 in 6)
  • Increased chance of falling asleep behind the wheel (1 in 3)
  • Poor immunity
  • Stroke and heart attacks – 50%
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Chronic fatigue symptoms
  • Diabetes
  • Obesity

Warning Signs

  • Poor motivation
  • Sleepy during the day
  • Increase craving for sugar, nicotine, alcohol, drugs and coffee
  • Weight gain
  • Fatigue
  • Irritability
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Confusion
  • Compromised immune system
  • Depression, anxiety
  • Headaches
  • Delusions
  • Hearing voices and seeing things
  • Mouth breathing
  • Can’t sit still at home or work
  • Snoring

How much do I need?

Research shows that an adult needs, on average, 7–9 hours per night.

Sleep management practices:

  • Establish a regular bedtime routine and regular sleep/wake schedule.
  • The best quality of sleep is achieved when going to bed before 11.00pm.
  • Both deep sleep time and growth hormone release can be maximised by taking a nap after high-intensity workouts and by following consistent bedtimes.
  • Frequent, short naps (of less than one hour) during the day can increase growth hormone levels.
  • Avoid daytime naps of greater than one hour as this can adversely affect dream sleep at night.
  • Avoid drinking coffee and tea after 2.00 pm.
  • Avoid drinking any soda drinks after 5.00 pm.
  • Avoid exercising too late at night.
  • Avoid naps late in the afternoon.
  • Do not smoke two hours before bed.
  • If your partner snores, move to another room.
  • Create a sleep-promoting environment that is quiet, dark, cool (19–20°C) and comfortable.
  • Avoid watching TV before bed.
  • Avoid having any mobile phones and electrical appliances within one metre of your bed and remember – TV’s are for the TV room/lounge room, not your bedroom!
  • Eat light meals at night. Your body needs to use its energy to rejuvenate itself rather than spend the night digesting the foods you have eaten the night before.

Keep in mind that you actually need energy to be able to sleep effectively and the way you feel during the day often reflects the quality of your sleep.

Sleep diary

Try over an extended period of time i.e. 3 weeks to keep a sleep diary; this may give you some insight into your sleeping patterns. Each morning note:

  • the time you went to bed and woke up
  • the total sleep hours
  • the quality of sleep
  • the times that you were awake during the night and what you did (e.g. stayed in bed with eyes closed or got up, had a glass of milk, and meditated)
  • the amount of caffeine or alcohol you consumed and times of consumption the day before
  • the types of food and drink and times of consumption the day before
  • what you were doing before you went to bed i.e. worked late on the computer, watched TV, meditated, played with the kids, etc.
  • feelings – happiness, sadness, stress, anxiety
  • drugs or medications taken, amounts taken and times of consumption
FOOD LABELS – READ YOUR LABELS!  Return to Top

The following must be presented in a standard format on the majority of packaged foods that you buy:

  • The number of servings.
  • The quantity of a standard serving of a food (as determined by the manufacturer).
  • Nutrition information per serving and per 100g or 100ml.
  • The amount of energy, protein, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrates, sugars and sodium in that food.
  • The amount of another nutrient about which a claim is made on the packet. If the label claims the food is ‘a good source of fibre’, the amount of fibre must be shown on the nutrition information panel.

BE CAREFUL!

  • A percentage daily intake of certain nutrients may be included on a nutrition label; however, these intakes are based on an average adult diet of 8700kJ. Your daily intakes may be higher or lower depending upon your energy needs.
  • The serving sizes are a recommendation, NOT necessarily a reality, and not necessarily correct for YOU!
  • When comparing foods for their nutritional value, always compare the nutritional content of food per 100gm (not the serving size). This is extremely important when you are comparing different products.
  • >600mg of sodium per 100g serve = TOO MUCH SALT
  • >15gm of sugar per 100g serve = TOO MUCH SUGAR (be mindful though as some of the sugar may come from fruit sources. Make an executive decision on this one).
  • >10g fat per 100g serve = TOO MUCH FAT (again, an executive decision has to be made: is the fat ‘good’ fat or ‘bad’ fat and what makes up the rest of the meal?).

Part 2: Things to watch out for – ‘The Ingredient List, Common Fallacies and ‘The Three R’s’…

Look out for all of this info in the next news update and remember FRESH IS BEST!