Leadership Flagship

An Imbalance in 2 Natural Compounds May be Contributing to Your Poor Sleep

July 26, 2018

Source: Everyday Health

The phrase, “I never get any sleep,” is commonly used, but the majority of people do not understand how it truly feels.

Approximately 1 in 3 people have actually been diagnosed with a sleep disorder, but that number is growing. For you and the millions of other people who struggle with sleeplessness, the night starts with anxious thoughts racing through your mind. You unblinkingly watch the clock and count down the time you have left to get to sleep.

The days are even worse. You feel distracted, half awake, and on edge. You’re not normally irritable, but you have to remind yourself not to snap at people. You know that this isn’t who you are, and all of this would go away if you could just get some rest. But when you start to get ready for bed, the worries about facing another restless night overwhelm you. It is almost as if you are too tired to go to sleep.

What causes this cycle of sleeplessness? New research suggests that it’s not the reasons you might think. Biological and social influences have converged to create a perfect storm that keeps us awake at night.

In pre-industrial times, people woke at first light and would naturally wind down as the sun began to set. After all, little work could be done in the dark by candlelight. But the invention of artificial light has altered our experience by turning night into day. Lights, television screens, and smartphones confuse our bodies’ internal clocks and interrupt our natural sleep cycle.

Modern society has conditioned us to think that sleeplessness is a badge of honor and productivity. Some people have naturally adapted to these changes. But for others, this change against our nature has exacerbated an underlying biological deficiency and created a cycle of sleeplessness.

Two compounds that occur naturally and play an essential role in regulating your sleep cycle are GABA and melatonin. As the day wears on, absence of daylight increases and your body’s internal clock triggers the production of melatonin, which works with the neurotransmitter GABA to help wind down your mind and prepare your body for sleep.

However, when your sleep cycle is interrupted by anxious thoughts, levels of GABA and melatonin sometimes don’t reach the threshold necessary to induce sleep. And what’s even more concerning is how a lack of sleep affects the brain.

During a healthy sleep cycle, your nervous system functions like a dishwasher, cleaning up waste proteins and toxins produced by active brain cells during the day. But without enough sleep, your body does not have enough time to completely clean up the waste produced by your brain. In the same way, a dishwasher cannot properly clean dishware if it is turned off mid-cycle.

When you feel groggy after a restless night, you are actually experiencing the effects of toxin buildup in the brain. If such a cycle of sleeplessness continues for an extended period of time, there may be longer lasting detrimental effects to your brain and overall health.

Clinical studies in holistic remedies show that you can break this cycle without relying on harmful chemicals with addictive properties. You can alleviate this problem in a simple way that uses natural ingredients, such as Melatonin, L-Tryptophan (think Thanksgiving turkey), Magnolia Bark, Lemon Balm, and Passion Flower to help your mind wind down and promote healthy, sustained sleep.

The natural ingredients are known to boost levels of GABA and melatonin, allowing your body to sleep peacefully and naturally flush waste proteins from the brain that accumulate you are awake. The result? You fall into a deep sleep more quickly, wake up feeling refreshed, and ward off morning grogginess.

Whether you are an early bird or a night owl, it may be worth a try to help you establish a healthy sleep routine centered around your specific needs. Always consult your primary care physician before introducing any supplements into your daily routine.
What Happens to You When You Don’t Sleep for Days

July 26, 2018
By Mikel Theobald

Medically Reviewed by Sanjai Sinha, MD

All-night study sessions, important business deals, new babies — most people will experience a taste of sleep deprivation at some point in life. While the occasional lack of sleep may not seem like a big deal, the impact of sleep deprivation can be intense and its effects can linger. In extreme circumstances, sleep deprivation can ultimately lead to death.

“As a society, as families and individuals, we have not yet fully appreciated the importance of sleep,” says Terry Cralle, RN, a certified clinical sleep educator in Fairfax, Virginia. “Sleep, along with diet and exercise, constitutes the very foundation of good health.” In fact, she says, the three are so interconnected that each needs to be a priority.

Chronic poor sleep puts us at increased risk for serious medical conditions, such as obesity, heart disease, and diabetes. During sleep, our bodies secrete hormones that help control appetite, metabolism, and glucose processing. Poor sleep can lead to an increase in the body’s production of cortisol, also known as the stress hormone. In addition, skimping on sleep seems to throw other body hormones out of whack. Less insulin is released after you eat, and this along with the increased cortisol may lead to too much glucose in the bloodstream and thus an increased risk for type 2 diabetes.

But how much sleep do I really need? Everyone is different, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), adults should get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. (1) And contrary to popular belief, sleeping an extra hour or two on the weekends can not make up for the lost sleep you may be experiencing over the course of a busy week. It could also throw off your internal body clock and possibly lead to Sunday night insomnia. Sticking to a consistent sleep schedule is the best way to regulate the body’s clock.

While pulling an all-nighter (or longer) might seem like a feat worth celebrating, here’s a look at what you’re putting your body through.

At 24 Hours: Impaired Coordination, Memory, and Judgment

Scott Kelley, a 10-year Army veteran, knows about sleep deprivation. With multiple deployments under his belt, Kelley has had many instances of being awake longer than 24 hours in the field. “There were several occasions in Afghanistan and Iraq where I had just finished up 15 to 20 hours of working, got back to my hooch, and then either a rocket attack would come in or a critical mission would be called,” he says.

Kelley’s military training and adrenaline-filled environment seemed enough to keep him focused and alert at this early stage of sleep deprivation. But what happens in more normal circumstances is surprising. The consequences of sleep deprivation at 24 hours is comparable to the cognitive impairment of someone with a blood alcohol content of 0.10 percent, according to a study published in the International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health. (2) “Judgment is affected, memory is impaired, there is deterioration in decision-making, and a decline in eye-hand coordination,” Cralle says. “You’re more emotional, attention is decreased, hearing is impaired, and there is an increase in your risk of death from a fatal accident.”

At 36 Hours: Physical Health Starts to Be Negatively Impacted

Now your health begins to be at risk. High levels of inflammatory markers are in the bloodstream, says Cralle, which can eventually lead to cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. Additionally, hormones are affected — your emotions can be all over the place.

Once Kelley reached 36 hours without sleep, his head started buzzing as though he were dehydrated, and he began to lose motivation. His responses were dependent on his training, and in some instances, he functioned on autopilot and lost chunks of time. Once, he was called back to duty just as he was about to go to sleep after 36 hours on the job, he recounted. “After a quick briefing, I grabbed my gear and flew out by helicopter, got dropped off in the middle of nowhere, and hiked out to the FOB [forward operating base]. The next day, we rode back through the most dangerous road in central Afghanistan, but I don’t remember leaving the FOB or hardly anything that happened until I got back to the base.”

At 48 Hours: Micro-sleeps and Disorientation

After two days of no sleep, Cralle says, the body begins compensating by shutting down for micro-sleeps, episodes that last from half a second to half a minute and are usually followed by a period of disorientation. “The person experiencing a micro-sleep falls asleep regardless of the activity they are engaged in,” she says. Micro-sleeps are similar to blackouts, and a person experiencing them is not consciously aware that they’re occurring.

Kelley experienced micro-sleeps during this phase of sleep deprivation. “Around 48 hours or so, my mind starts to slip into neutral sometimes, and I find myself staring off into the distance if I don’t maintain focus,” he says.

At 72 Hours: Major Cognitive Deficits and Hallucinations

Expect significant deficits in concentration, motivation, perception, and other higher mental processes after many sleepless hours, Cralle says.

“Even simple conversations can be a chore,” notes Kelley. This is when the mind is ripe for hallucinations. Kelley recalled a time he was on guard duty and repeatedly saw someone standing with a rifle in the woods, ready to sneak into camp. Upon closer inspection, he determined he was actually looking at a branch and shadows.

Involuntary Sleep Deprivation: Causes and Symptoms

Not all instances of sleep deprivation are voluntary. Insomnia, sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, night terrors, sleepwalking, and other problems can affect sleep. See a sleep specialist if you experience any of the following, suggests Cralle:
- Excessive daytime sleepiness
- Snoring, gasping, or choking during sleep
- A restless sensation or jerking in your legs at night
- Impaired ability to perform regular daytime activities
- Struggling to stay awake when inactive, whether at a traffic light, while watching television, or reading
- Needing caffeinated beverages or sugar throughout the day to stay awake
- Feeling tired or falling asleep while driving
- Needing sleep aids on a regular basis
7 Sneaky One-Minute Mood Boosters

July 25, 2018

By Lisa Elaine Held

Deep, lasting happiness generally comes from major shifts in things like lifestyle or perspective. That might mean taking on a meditation practice, or making big-picture changes to your diet.

But there are small yet effective steps you can take when you need an in-the-moment mood boost. For this piece in our #AMinuteForMe series with youtheory®, we asked Naomi Arbit, PhD, a behavioral scientist who focuses on the psychology of wellness and potential, and other top wellness experts, to share one-minute tricks that will help calm you and bring a smile to your face.

“So much of the research coming out of positive psychology tells us that happiness is really a matter of selectively directing our attention to things that boost rather than drain our energy and wellbeing,” Dr. Arbit says.

Bonus: While these may seem like shortcuts, using them could add pieces to your bigger happiness puzzle. “The little moments add up, and the time we spend worrying rather than cultivating relationships and engaging in activities that bring us positive emotion have a real impact on our wellbeing over the long term,” Dr. Arbit says. So try these tricks today.

1. Take a breather
“The biggest mistake is to react immediately to something that triggers you. I used to do this all the time,” says Suze Yalof Schwartz, founder and CEO of Los Angeles meditation studio Unplug Meditation. When presented with a situation that’s likely going to bring you down, stop and do this instead: Take one deep, slow, 16-second breath: 4 seconds inhaling through the nose, 4 second pause, 4 seconds breathing out, and 4 second pause. Doing this will help you respond “kindly” to the potential stressor, Schwartz says.

2. Sniff an orange
“Orange is the essential oil of happiness and works like a charm every time,” Schwartz says. Place 3 drops of orange oil into the palm of your hand and rub your hands slowly together. Bring your hands to your nose and take deep breaths in through your nose. “Instant happiness,” she says. No essential oil? Try this instead: “You can use a real orange as well, and just smell it directly,” she notes.

3. Supplement with saffron
You likely know saffron as a coveted spice used in paella and other dishes, but youtheory® Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Nick Bitz says it’s also one of his favorite mood-boosting supplements. “Emerging research shows that just 30mg per day can help promote positive mood states,” he says. While a lot of what you’ll find on supermarket spice racks is old and adulterated, youtheory’s capsules are made with the highest-quality, DNA-verified saffron. They also contain rhodiola, “one of the most widely studied adaptogens and quite possibly the best [natural] mood enhancer available to us.”

The key: This qualifies as a quick fix because you can pop up a supplement in less than five seconds, but Dr. Bitz emphasizes that to see real results, consistency is key. “It’s important to remember that natural health products are much more food-like than they are drug-like,” he says. “As such, they are usually much more subtle in their effects and require usage over a longer period of time in order to reach their full potential.”

4. Make a gratitude list
Research shows thankful people are happier people, and Nikki Sharp, author of the new book Meal Prep Your Way to Weight Loss, has experienced this firsthand. “Starting a gratitude journal is one of the easiest and most effective practices you can do to increase your happiness,” she says. “Grab a notebook and each morning before you leave the bed, or before you go to sleep at night, write down five things you’re grateful for. You’ll find that even on the hardest days, you are able to change your outlook.”

5. Schedule your social media
Have you ever considered what constantly coveting Instagrammers’ perfect outfits, perfect smoothie bowls and impossible yoga poses is doing to your mood? “We check social media so frequently that it puts a negative damper on our mind and we never feel satisfied with our own lives,” says Sharp. “I’m a firm believer in not being on social media as often as you think you need to be, and this is coming from an influencer.” She recommends setting certain times to check your accounts and then setting a timer to keep yourself accountable.

6. Savor the small stuff
It’s easy to get so caught up in the push and pull of your day-to-day that you don’t even notice things that would normally make you happy. “Take a moment and mindfully savor something that brings you small pleasure: A cup of tea, warm water running over your hands while you wash them, a cozy sweater you’re wearing, or a little snack,” says Dr. Arbit.

7. Connect with a loved one
Daily life can be isolating when you’re working long days and don’t have time for meet-ups with friends or phone calls to family. “Reach out and connect to someone you love dearly—even if it’s just looking at a picture of them,” Dr. Arbit says. “By connecting with loved ones, your brain releases dopamine, and you’ll immediately get a shot of feel-good hormones.”

hormones.”
Garden Your Way to Better Mental Health

July 25, 2018

By Jeffrey Zurofsky

Spring has come at last, and that means that about one-third of Americans are getting ready to plant a garden. According to the National Gardening Association, the number of households growing their own food has increased by 17 percent over the last decade, with millennials (ages 18 to 34) taking the lead.

That’s great news, because gardening has a whole host of benefits—including better mental health. Researchers are finding that the process of planting, nurturing, and harvesting decreases cortisol (the stress hormone) and increases overall well-being.

Here are a few reasons why:

1. Getting our hands dirty is good for us. Researchers have found a potential linkbetween soil bacteria and stress resilience—via the micro biome, which promotes healthy brain function. Studies with mice are shedding light on the role that the bacteria in our gut play in regulating stress-related changes in physiology, behavior, and brain function. In one study, when mice were inoculated with soil bacteria, the neurons in their brains that produce serotonin were activated (serotonin is a brain chemical; low levels are associated with depression). In other words, getting dirty can actually improve our state of mind.

2. Exposure to nature lifts mood. Simply spending time outside on a regular basis has been shown to decrease levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. And then there’s the magical part of gardening—watching something appear where there was nothing before. The kids I work with in Newport Academy’s horticulture program are often so surprised that the food they’re eating at mealtimes is actually the food they planted and nurtured. That kind of awe and wonder is proven to encourage a more positive outlook, taking us out of our own heads and helping us to focus on something bigger than ourselves.

3. Gardening creates a sense of connection with our food. Growing our own food helps heal a national epidemic of disconnection from the source of what we eat. That disconnection is pretty extreme: One small survey found that more than half of fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders at an urban school in California didn’t know that pickles were actually cucumbers, or that onions and lettuce were plants. Especially for teens with disordered eating or eating disorders—a population I work with at Newport Academy—growing their own food helps make it less scary and gives them a sense of ownership over what they’re putting in their bodies.

4. You get more nutrition from organic food. If you choose to keep your garden pesticide free, you’ll get more mental (and physical) health benefits out of it. A 2014 meta-analysis compiled the results of more than 300 studies, and found that organic vegetables have substantially higher concentrations of a range of antioxidants and other potentially beneficial compounds. And that’s important for our well-being, because there are specific nutrients in vegetables and fruits that can help prevent or reverse mental health conditions.

5. Taking care of something increases self-esteem and hope. Horticulture therapy is based on the understanding that caring for another living thing and watching it flourish gives people confidence and a sense of purpose and empowerment. In general, science and our own experience show that we’re happier when we spend time focusing on the needs of something outside ourselves. Gardening in particular reminds us that change and renewal are possible—seeds will sprout, the sun will shine, and something beautiful will emerge.

6. Positive habits = more well-being. When we create a daily schedule of routines that support our well-being, we’re filling our days with what Barbara Fredrickson, a leading researcher in the field of positive psychology, calls “micro-moments of positive emotion.” Just as having a dog forces us to walk every day, tending a garden means we have to get outside nearly every day, which means we’re guaranteed to reap all of the benefits of gardening on a regular basis.

BIO: Chef Jeffrey Zurofsky is the co-founder of NYC restaurants ’wichcraft and Riverpark, as well as Riverpark Farm. He is also the culinary program director at Newport Academy, a treatment center for teenagers. Jeffrey recently appeared as a co-host on Bravo’s Best New Restaurant.
What To Eat To Improve Your Mood, Why Pets Are Good For Your Health & More

July 25, 2018

By Megan O. Steintrager

A Doggone Good Probiotic

If you have pets, you probably already know about their ability to ease your anxiety and, in the case of dogs, how they insist you get out in the fresh air for exercise. Now it turns out that all the dirt they drag back into the house after you take them for a walk could also help your health. According to a recent New York Times article, Are Pets the New Probiotic?, the beneficial microbes pets expose us to might help stave off autoimmune illnesses like allergies and asthma, especially in children who are around animals from a young age. Reward your pooch for helping your family’s micro biome by boning up (get it?) on The Best Healthy and Natural Dog Foods.

The Best Food for a Good Mood

There’s plenty of anecdotal evidence that what we eat can affect how we feel, not just physically but also emotionally. And there’s a growing body of scientific evidence to back up those gut feelings about the relationship between diet quality and problems like anxiety and depression, according to an article titled Connecting Food and Your Mood in the June 2017 issue of Tufts Health & Nutrition Letter.

“Observational studies show that healthy eating patterns that include plenty of nutrient-rich plant foods, such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains, and omega-3-rich foods, such as salmon and flax seeds, are associated with decreased risk of depression and anxiety,” says Tufts. “On the other hand, a Western-style diet — rich in foods high in refined carbohydrates (sugar and white flour), highly processed foods and sugary beverages — is associated with increased risk of depression and anxiety.” The article also drew attention to the ‘SMILES’ Trial, which we covered in a previous Sound Bites. That study found improved mood for participants who followed a modified Mediterranean Diet or “Modi-Med Diet.” Want more on food and mood? Read about how turmeric may fight depression, the benefits of saffron, and how foods can ease anxiety, plus get eating tips from a psychiatrist.

Have You Had Your Chocolate Dose Today?

Time for a few squares of dark chocolate… In the last edition of Sound Bites, we reported that eating chocolate might reduce the risk for developing an irregular heartbeat. Now comes news that regular cocoa consumption could reduce the risk of heart disease in postmenopausal women, according to findings published in Clinical Investigations in Aging. Not yet postmenopausal? There are plenty of other reasons to eat chocolate, which has been linked to improved mood and sex drive, in addition to heart health. Oh yeah, and it’s delicious…

More Reasons to Say, “Yes” to Yogurt

Yogurt has spent a lot of time in the spotlight over the past few years, thanks to a growing body of scientific evidence about its health benefits (it’s a great source of calcium, vitamin D, and protein, but its immunity and gut health boosting probiotics get most of the buzz).

Now a few new studies have underscored yogurt’s healing powers: One, published in Nutrients, explores the immunity-bolstering ability of dairy yogurt containing particular strains of bacteria, while another, published in Osteoporosis International, touts yogurt for stronger bones. And a review of the benefits of yogurt and other fermented foods led by researchers at the University of Nebraska and the University of California, found that “scores of studies have shown foods like yogurt, sauerkraut and miso are associated with lower rates of diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, heart disease and other ailments.” Ready for a bowl of the good stuff? Learn How to Make Yogurt yourself and get recipes for different varieties, including dairy, almond, and coconut yogurt.

Dietary Remedies for Achy Knees?

A high fiber diet might help reduce the risk for knee osteoarthritis, according to a new report in the Annals of Rheumatic Diseases. The same publication has a report on a study that found pharmaceutical grade chondroitin sulfate (a popular supplement) was as effective as the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug celecoxib (Celebrex) in reducing pain and improving function in patients with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis. While you should check with your doctor before starting any new supplements, upping your fiber intake is probably a good idea no matter what — eating plenty of fiber has been linked to better heart and gut health, as well as reduced cravings for unhealthy foods, and most Americans fall short on the nutrient.

Hungry for more? Check out the latest health news.

Bio: Megan O. Steintrager holds a master’s in journalism from New York University and has been an editor and writer for Epicurious, Gourmet.com, TODAY, Food Network Magazine, and Zagat, among other outlets.