For one thing, it may take us longer to prepare our meals. We may also develop health issues that interfere with our eating habits.

Both of these factors can influence when we eat, making it more likely that our meals will be delayed.

Our sleep patterns may change, too. Becoming something of a “night owl” can increase the likelihood of having a late breakfast.

Why does any of this matter?

Eating breakfast later and later can have a cascading effect on aging adults, leading to an earlier death…

Peak Vision Support^™

Unique Dual Nutrient Formula Supports Healthy, Clear Vision and Protects Eyes from Blue Light!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Breakfast timing provides clues about health status

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital have found that breakfast timing may be a valuable tool in monitoring the health of older adults.

Led by Dr. Hassan Dashti, a nutrition scientist and circadian biologist at Massachusetts General, the research team analyzed data from 2,945 adults in the UK ages 42 to 94. They then followed these subjects for more than 20 years.

They found that as older adults age, there is a tendency to eat breakfast and dinner at later times, narrowing the overall time window in which they eat each day and having a significant impact on their health and well-being.

Eating breakfast later was consistently associated with having physical and mental health conditions, including depression, fatigue, sleep problems and oral health problems.

But most alarming, a later breakfast was also associated with an increased risk of death during the follow-up period.

“Up until now, we had a limited insight into how the timing of meals evolves later in life and how this shift relates to overall health and longevity,” says Dr. Dashti.

“Our findings help fill that gap by showing that later meal timing, especially delayed breakfast, is tied to both health challenges and increased mortality risk in older adults. These results add new meaning to the saying that ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day,’ especially for older individuals.”

Peak Longevity Platinum^™

Every cell in the body depends on mitochondria for energy. Together, cells and mitochondria are building blocks for life and health. But mitochondria wear out with age, which leaves cells unable to create the energy they need to function properly… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

The most important thing: Consistency

Dr. Dashti suggested that encouraging older adults to have consistent meal schedules could become part of broader strategies to promote healthy aging and longevity.

So if you tend to be a night owl and a late breakfast eater, take some steps to turn those habits around.

According to research from Harvard and MIT, pushing back your bedtime and wake time by just one hour can lower your depression risk by 23%.

And you’ll be doing yourself a favor in other ways, too. You’ll be reducing your risk of diabetes, heart disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

No matter what time you head off to bed, sticking to a regular sleep schedule is crucial — as well as aiming for 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night.

Duke University researchers found that going to bed and getting up at about the same time each day lowers your risk for obesity, hypertension, and stroke — even if your total sleep time is less than optimal.

Specifically, disrupted sleep has been shown to increase the number of white blood cells, known as monocytes and neutrophils, in the blood. These cells are known to contribute to the development of plaque inside the arteries and put individuals at risk for heart problems and strokes.

To improve your chances of being ready for bed in the evening…

• Try moving around during the day, taking short walks, preferably with friends or neighbors.
• Turn off electronics or TVs to reduce blue light, which can interfere with sleep.
• Aim for a consistent bedtime.
• Practice good sleep hygiene by avoiding falling asleep in a chair or on the couch.
• Stop drinking caffeine at least 6 hours before bed. Try some chamomile tea instead — but do so about 2 hours before bedtime to keep your bladder from waking you up.
• If needed, a bedtime snack of walnuts and cherries is a good source of natural sleep-promoting melatonin.
• Don’t forget to brush your teeth before bed.

Sweet dreams!

Sources:

Scientists reveal how breakfast timing may predict how long you live — Science Daily

Meal timing trajectories in older adults and their associations with morbidity, genetic profiles, and mortality — Communications Medicine

The post The clues breakfast timing holds about your longevity appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s because estrogen is more than a female hormone. It affects factors that regulate vascular wall elasticity, impacting blood pressure and circulation.

Without it, blood vessels begin to constrict, making it easier for cholesterol (which increases due to menopause) to build up on artery walls.

This makes it even more important for women in midlife to protect their heart health by following Life’s Essential 8 (LE8), a series of steps recommended by the American Heart Association (AHA) for lowering the odds of heart disease. These steps are as follows:

• Eat better
• Be more active
• Quit tobacco
• Get healthy sleep
• Manage weight
• Control cholesterol
• Manage blood sugar
• Manage blood pressure

But research has discovered that one of these, in particular, is a ticking time bomb for women’s heart health — and death risk overall…

Peak Vitality^™

Your adrenal glands support essential functions from metabolism to stress response. But when they become fatigued, problems with sleep quality, unwanted weight gain, moodiness, energy levels and more can take your vitality for a dive. Nutrients called “adaptogens” help restore balance and improve… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

One of the essential 8 stood out

The researchers analyzed health data collected from about 3,000 women who participated in the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN), which began in 1996. They compared the women’s LE8 scores at baseline, which was around age 46, to their evolving health trajectories over time.

They took into account subclinical measures, such as increased carotid artery thickness; cardiovascular events, including heart attacks and strokes; and mortality from all causes. They also examined the impacts of each of the individual LE8 components.

Their analysis found that four factors were responsible for driving the increased risk for cardiovascular disease in menopausal women. They included: blood glucose, blood pressure, sleep quality and nicotine use.

But above all, sleep emerged as a significant potential predictor of cardiovascular disease events and all-cause mortality.

In other words, meeting the bar for healthy sleep may contribute to women’s heart health and longevity by lowering their cardiovascular risks. LE8 defines healthy sleep as an average of seven to nine hours a night.

This hypothesis should be tested in a future clinical trial, says Ziyuan Wang, a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Public Health and first author of the study.

“Previously, we’ve shown that the menopause transition is a time of accelerating cardiovascular risk,” says senior author Dr. Samar R. El Khoudary, a professor of epidemiology at Pitt Public Health. “This study underscores that it’s also an opportunity for women to take the reins on their heart health.”

Peak Blood Flow^™

Supports Healthy Circulation to your Heart, Brain, Lungs, Eyes and Extremities!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Boosting your Life’s Essential 8 score

In other findings, low total LE8 scores were associated with increased cardiovascular risk. And the study uncovered a worrying statistic: only 1 in 5 of the participants had optimal LE8 scores.

“With heart disease being the leading cause of death in women, these findings point to the need for lifestyle and medical interventions to improve heart health during and after menopause among midlife women,” El Khoudary says.

How can you improve your score?

Start with improving your sleep since it’s such a critical factor. Certain fruits and vegetables can help you sleep better, and that falls in line with the following suggestions:

• Follow a diet that includes whole foods, lots of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, nuts, seeds, and cooking in non-tropical oils such as olive oil. LE8 also mentions canola as a heart-healthy oil, but keep in mind that canola oil has been linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
• Try to get 2 ½ hours of moderate or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity each week. That breaks down to a weekly schedule of five 30-minute sessions of moderate activity (such as walking) or three 25-minute sessions of vigorous physical activity (such as running or high-intensity interval training).
• The AHA defines tobacco use as the use of any inhaled nicotine products, including traditional cigarettes, e-cigarettes and vaping. So if you engage in any of these activities, quit today.
• Strive to maintain a healthy weight. The AHA suggests keeping your BMI between 18.5 and 25. Lower than 18.5 is considered underweight, while between 25 and 30 is considered overweight, and over 30 is considered obese. Following a healthy diet and getting enough exercise will go a long way toward keeping your BMI in the healthy range.

Sources:

The sleep-heart link doctors are urging women over 45 to know — ScienceDaily

Prospective associations of American Heart Association Life’s Essential 8 with subclinical measures of vascular health, cardiovascular disease events, and all-cause mortality in women traversing menopause: The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation study — Menopause

Life’s Essential 8 — American Heart Association

The post Why poor sleep is a ticking time bomb for women over 45 appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Given that this is a normal physiologic process and not a disease, menopause is supposed to be something women just endure and move beyond. But if you’ve been through it yourself or are in the midst of “the change,” you’ve probably realized that nothing about this process feels even remotely normal!

That is, unless you think hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, sleep disturbance, vaginal dryness, urinary urgency and incontinence, weight gain, decreased libido, thinning hair and skin, memory and concentration problems, joint and muscle pain — not to mention heart palpitations and out-of-nowhere high LDL — are all normal!

I don’t typically venture outside of conditions that I manage. I’m a cardiologist. I deal with chest pain and EKGs. But I felt compelled to write this blog series because I continue to see so many female patients suffering with many of the symptoms related to menopause while being denied — or fearful of — a proven life-enhancing intervention. All based on faulty data.

I’m talking about hormone replacement therapy (HRT).

You’ve probably heard the warnings: It causes breast cancer. It’s dangerous. It does more harm than good. These statements have become medical dogma. But they are outdated, oversimplified, and in many cases — flat-out wrong.

Peak Bladder Support^™

For women, age, childbirth, menopause and hormone fluctuations take a toll on healthy urinary function. For men, an aging body may result in the need for bladder support. Whatever the cause, occasional urinary urgency can… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Why HRT Deserves a Second Look

If you’re a woman navigating perimenopause or menopause, what you’ve been told about HRT — or what you think you know about HRT — could be standing between you and a dramatically better life.

This blog series is meant to give you the knowledge you need to not only help yourself through this time (and beyond) but also understand a treatment option that is out there. So that you can have a more informed conversation with your care provider.

To be clear — I am NOT advocating that every woman should go on HRT. But every woman should at least be given the opportunity to determine for themselves if it is right for them.

The Whole-Body Impact of Sex Hormones

First, here’s something really important you need to understand: Sex hormones (estrogen, progesterone, testosterone) don’t just have roles in reproduction and sex drive. Receptors for these hormones exist all over our bodies! Not surprisingly, menopause-related whole-body reductions in sex hormone levels have far-reaching effects.

Hormones and Bladder Health

One organ impacted by those far-reaching effects is the bladder. It happens to be very hormone-sensitive. And not just in terms of maintaining urinary continence. When estrogen levels decline, the microbiome of the bladder and vagina changes, making postmenopausal women far more susceptible to urinary tract infections. Indeed, about 20% of women over age 65 will develop a UTI, with close to 1/3 of these experiencing recurrent infections.

Hormones and Bone Loss

The skeletal system is a major casualty. In the absence of estrogen, women can lose as much as 20% of their bone density in the first 5 years post-menopause, with bone loss slowing down to about 1% per year thereafter. As a result, one in two women over age 50 will experience an osteoporosis-related bone fracture. This is incredibly serious — a hip fracture can be a terminal event. Close to 30% of hip fracture patients will not survive one year. And even if a woman makes it past that, the odds of her getting back to prior levels of activity are low.

Peak Urinary Tract^™

A natural daily cleanse to promote and maintain a healthy urinary tract, for men and women!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Hormones and Brain Function

Brain? The risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s is significantly higher for women. The role of sex hormones is not fully worked out here, but even in the shorter term, sleep disturbance can become a huge issue affecting mental clarity.  Estrogen and progesterone help drive circadian rhythms, and the wild fluctuations in their levels during perimenopause can do a number on the sleep cycle. Plus, it’s hard to sleep when you’re drenched in sweat.

Hormones and Heart Disease

As a cardiologist, I see this in my practice almost daily. Heart rhythm disturbances become more common around menopause, probably due to a combination of factors — especially sleep disturbance. Fortunately, most of these rhythm issues are benign. But that doesn’t mean they feel good! Cholesterol profiles almost universally get worse as LDL receptors become less active. As a result heart disease risk accelerates rapidly in postmenopausal women, reaching par with men of equal age about 10 years post our hormonal upheaval.

Menopause-Related Impact on Life Quality

Add vaginal dryness and loss of libido and you have a marked decline in quality of life — right around the halfway point in women’s lifespans.

These may all be “natural” consequences of changes in hormone levels, but are we just supposed to sit back and accept all that?

Would MEN accept all that??

This is part one of a five-part series. See:

Menopause and the Big Lie , Part 1

Menopuase and the Big Lie, Part 2

Menopause and the big lie: The facts they left out, Part 3

Menopause and the big lie: The lasting impact, Part 4

The post Menopause and the big lie appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

For a while, he was relying on over-the-counter sleep medications to get better rest. But they never really worked all that well, plus the potential side effects of some popular prescription sleep aids certainly gave us both pause.

I’ve been on the lookout for more natural sleep remedies to help him — and recent research has uncovered a pretty simple solution. Even better, the only side effects are healthy ones…

Peak DIM^™

If you’re having trouble maintaining a healthy weight, feeling sluggish, are unable to regulate your mood, or struggle with your sex drive, you could be experiencing a hormone problem called estrogen dominance. Both men and women experience… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Mom knew what she was talking about

Previous studies have shown that inadequate sleep can drive people toward unhealthier diets that are high in fat and sugar. Yet, doctors and scientists still don’t know a great deal about how diet can affect sleep patterns.

In this study, a team of U.S. researchers examined the eating patterns of 34 healthy young adults. The participants recorded their eating habits for up to one week.

They also wore wrist monitors to track sleep fragmentation — interruptions between sleep cycles, such as deep and light sleep phases, that keep the body and brain from reaching and maintaining restorative sleep stages.

Results showed a clear connection between each day’s diet and meaningful differences in the subsequent night’s sleep. Participants who ate more fruits and vegetables during the day tended to have deeper, more uninterrupted sleep that same night. Similarly, those who consumed more healthy carbohydrates, such as whole grains, also benefited from better sleep.

Based on their findings, the researchers estimate that people who eat five cups of fruits and vegetables each day, as recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, could experience a 16 percent improvement in sleep quality compared to people who consume none.

“Sixteen percent is a highly significant difference,” says co-senior author Dr. Esra Tasali, director of the UChicago Sleep Center. “It’s remarkable that such a meaningful change could be observed within less than 24 hours.”

The researchers believe the carbohydrates and fiber in the fruits and vegetables have the strongest impact on sleep. This reinforces a previous study that found a link between increased fiber and better sleep.

It also proves, even if she didn’t know the specifics, that mom was right when she bugged you to eat your fruits and veggies.

Peak Urinary Tract^™

A natural daily cleanse to promote and maintain a healthy urinary tract, for men and women!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Certain fruits and veggies are even better for sleep

The researchers believe they’ve found a significant enough relationship to conduct further studies to establish causation, broaden the findings across diverse populations and examine how underlying mechanisms, such as digestion, neurology and metabolism, could come into play.

For now, based on current data, the researchers are confident in recommending a regular diet rich in complex carbohydrates, fruits and vegetables to ensure long-term sleep health.

“Dietary modifications could be a new, natural and cost-effective approach to achieve better sleep,” Tasali says. “The temporal associations and objectively measured outcomes in this study represent crucial steps toward filling a gap in important public health knowledge.”

“People are always asking me if there are things they can eat that will help them sleep better,” says co-senior author Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge, director of the Center of Excellence for Sleep & Circadian Research at Columbia University. “Small changes can impact sleep. That is empowering — better rest is within your control.”

So if you’re having trouble sleeping, try for five cups of fruits and vegetables every day. If you’re wondering what that amount looks like, here are some examples:

• 1 medium apple, grapefruit, nectarine, orange, peach or pear
• 22 grapes
• 8 large strawberries
• 1 large bell pepper
• 2 medium carrots or 12 baby carrots
• 1 medium potato

If you really want to boost your odds of a good night’s rest, try adding these fruits and veggies that have been shown to promote better sleep:

• Kiwi: One study showed eating two kiwis an hour before bedtime for four weeks increased the total sleep time and sleep efficiency in adults with sleep disorders.
• Tart cherries: Also known as sour cherries, these are naturally high in melatonin, making them conductive to sleep.
• Leafy greens: Leafy greens like spinach are high in magnesium, which promotes good sleep quality.

One last tip: Choose organic produce when possible. Some pesticides have been found to interact with melatonin (your natural sleep hormone) receptors in the brain resulting in sleep problems and metabolic disorders.

Sources:

The Secret to Better Sleep Could Be As Simple As Eating More Fruit And Veggies — Science Alert

Eating more fruits and veggies could help you sleep better — UChicago Medicine

Higher daytime intake of fruits and vegetables predicts less disrupted nighttime sleep in younger adults — Sleep Health

These 3 Fruits May Help You Sleep Better — St. Vincent’s Medical Center

6 Foods That Help You Sleep — Cleveland Clinic

The post Eat your way to better sleep in just 24 hours appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That bumpy little green package is full of vitamins and minerals that contribute to so many aspects of our health.

But recently, researchers at Penn State have discovered one more way that eating avocados daily could help us live a healthier and happier life.

Peak Bladder Support^™

For women, age, childbirth, menopause and hormone fluctuations take a toll on healthy urinary function. For men, an aging body may result in the need for bladder support. Whatever the cause, occasional urinary urgency can… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Avocados are known for heart health

Avocados are well-known for the benefits they can have on heart health.

Among the vitamins and nutrients they provide that support the heart, you’ll find potassium, which regulates heart muscle contraction and copper, which helps maintain the elasticity of blood vessels.

A 2022 study at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that eating at least two servings of avocado a week lowered the risk of heart failure by 16%.

The same study found that replacing half a serving a day of margarine or butter with the same amount of avocado was linked to up to a 22% lower risk of cardiovascular disease.

Still another study linked an avocado a day to decreased oxidative stress and fewer LDL cholesterol particles.

I could go on and on, but instead I’ll give you this list of 10 reasons you need avocados in your diet — and reveal number 11 that we’ll need to soon add to it…

Peak Organic Fermented Beets^™

Amazing “Can’t be Beet” Superfood Helps Keep Nitric Oxide Levels Up!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

A good night’s sleep

Researchers at Penn State University have uncovered another unexpected benefit of eating avocados…

The participants in this study were divided into two groups: One group ate one large avocado every day for 26 weeks, and the other group maintained their usual diet, eating an avocado less than twice a month.

The researchers expected to see some significant weight loss in these obese subjects as well as improvements in cardiovascular health.

But one thing took them by surprise: those who ate an avocado a day reported significant improvements in the quality of their sleep.

“While avocado isn’t a magic cure, its dense nutritional value supports many health aspects, including sleep quality,” notes lead author Dr. Kristina Petersen.

It’s definitely not magic, but in my opinion, it’s certainly applicable to the old saying, “food is medicine.” Avocados have so many nutrients that relate directly to improving the quality of sleep:

• Potassium plays a role in helping to produce melatonin, the neurotransmitter that regulates sleep.
• Folate helps produce serotonin, the neurotransmitter at work during the waking part of the sleep-wake cycle. Low folate levels have been associated with sleep disturbances, including difficulty falling asleep and shorter sleep duration.
• Copper is involved in the synthesis of norepinephrine, another neurotransmitter that regulates sleep-wake cycles.
• And lastly, vitamin K helps prevent nocturnal leg cramping.

Peak Digestion^™

Protects You From Unwanted Effects of Gluten Ingestion, Calms Stomach Upset and Supports Digestion!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

How to enjoy avocados

Personally, I enjoy peeling an avocado and eating it in chunks until I’ve reached the pit.

But if this doesn’t appeal to you, there are so many ways you can eat a whole avocado every day without ever getting bored.

Here are just a few:

Avocado Banana Smoothie, (twice the potassium!).

Avocado Alfredo, much healthier than the original version and just as tasty.

Avocado Salad, a refreshing summer lunch.

Avocado Toast, a light, healthy and tasty way to start your day.

Guacamole (serve this healthy snack with baby carrots, pita bread, or anything else that appeals to you).

Enjoy your daily avocado and a good night’s sleep!

Sources:

They ate an avocado every day for 26 weeks—scientists were stunned by the results — Caring Minds United

One Avocado per Day as Part of Usual Intake Improves Diet Quality: Exploratory Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial — Current Developments in Nutrition

The post What an avocado a day does for your nights appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But I want to know they work — like the three life hacks the Japanese attribute to exceptional longevity.

Now, “life hacks” literally flood social media sites with tips on how to sleep well, lower stress or feel happier — among other things.

But how trustworthy is this advice? Is it based on facts? Or is it plain quackery that will do you more harm than good, particularly when it comes to your mental health?

It’s always a good idea to do a little of your own research to find out. Here’s what medical experts at UC California have to say about a few TikTok trends that are popular hacks…

What the experts say about these TikTok trends

#1 Brainrot

Brainrot is defined as “the supposed deterioration of mental or intellectual state, especially due to overconsumption of online content perceived as trivial or unchallenging.”

Think cute cat videos or Moo Deng, the baby hippo. It feels great to unwind and watch these after a long day of work. But they can actually alter your brain… and not for the better.

“Although the term ‘brainrot’ may sound like a joke, zoning out to short-form, stimulating content can alter how the brain develops and functions,” says Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Dr. Ekta Patel.

“Over time, this can desensitize the brain’s natural reward pathway, making everyday activities such as work, school, reading or face-to-face conversations feel boring or mundane in comparison.”

“The key is intention,” she adds. “Are we using it to gently recharge, or to disconnect completely from our internal world? This question can help answer if it’s a coping tool or a barrier to healing.”

One good thing about spending time online, though, is that the internet gives your “transactive memory” a workout. This type of memory requires that we remember the source of information we use rather than the information itself. So it’s not all bad.

Instead of watching silly videos, learn something new online.

#2 Cortisol cocktails

Can a simple mixture of orange juice, sea salt, coconut water and magnesium lower your level of cortisol, the stress hormone, and do so safely?

Dr. Jodi Nagelberg has her doubts.

“It may taste refreshing, but claiming such a cocktail is a ‘fix’ for the effects of chronic stress on one’s body is an exaggeration at best.”

“Typically, there is no need to ‘fix’ one’s cortisol levels, but rather target the underlying cause of chronic stress as a means of improving one’s overall health,” Dr. Nagelberg says.

However, during my time reading and writing health and wellness content, I’ve become aware that prolonged high cortisol levels can lead to various issues, including adrenal fatigue, elevated blood sugar, and mood swings.

Low levels of magnesium in the body can increase stress, and high levels of physical or mental stress can lead to lower magnesium levels. But I’d reach for a multivitamin, myself, and adaptogen herbs that impact stress and anxiety.

#3 Sleepmaxxing.

This term refers to combining multiple sleep strategies in an effort to achieve the perfect night’s sleep.

Dr. Michael McCarthy, who has studied the intersection of circadian rhythm and mental health, warns that the quest for perfect sleep can actually exacerbate the problem.

“Anxiety of any kind, including obsessive worrying about sleep, can cause sleep problems,” warns Dr. McCarthy.

In other words, worrying about not getting enough sleep can create even more stress, which can lead to chronic insomnia.

Some strategies, like sleeping in a cool, dark room, work well. But many have not been proven to help.

The best approach, Dr. McCarthy advises, is to keep it simple.

“Keeping a consistent sleep-wake schedule is helpful and trains the body to know when sleep should come. Spending time outdoors, especially in the early morning, is key to maintaining healthy circadian rhythms,” he says.

My simple “hack” for better sleep is melatonin. It’s tested and true, so no reason to overthink it. And if you think it’s just for sleep, think again! If stress is part of the reason you can’t sleep, I have a colleague who swears by L-theanine.

#4 Floor time as self-care.

If you’re a TikTok user, you may have seen people stretching out on the floor – carpets, hardwood floors, even grass — to relax.

This practice has some profound mental health benefits. It helps quiet mental noise and brings awareness to physical sensations.

Dr. Pollyanna Casmar says, “When you lie down, you connect with your body rather than your mind — that’s the first thing that happens.”

She notes that lying on a firm surface encourages natural relaxation and smoother breathing, which in turn helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system — the body’s built-in calm mode.

Over time, this kind of practice helps regulate stress and restore balance. This is the final resting pose in yoga, known as shavasana.

And when you can’t lie down, focusing on points of physical contact can help — your feet on the ground, for example — while taking short breaths in and longer breaths out. This calms the nervous system by activating the vagus nerve.

Just be sure to use a yoga mat or a folded blanket, unless you have cushy carpet, so you can enjoy the stress release instead of feeling uncomfortable. While you’re down there, consider stretches to keep your mind and body sharp.

Sources:

Are these TikTok trends really self care —  UC San Diego

The post Are these TikTok trends really self care? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The fact is that the world operates in my favor. I mean, unless you work the night shift, most jobs happen during the day. And night owls aren’t built for this.

And this is more than an annoyance. It affects the amount and quality of sleep that people can get.

And this, in turn, can have disastrous consequences for their health…

Peak Organic Superfruits^™

Blend of anthocyanin-rich, organic fermented fruits — including Aronia, Acia, Blueberry, Pomegranate and Plum — that can help clobber insulin resistance, and keep you healthy. MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

What’s your chronotype?

A recent study that builds on past research shows that paying attention to your sleep pattern can help save you from hardened arteries, heart disease and stroke.

Every one of us has a chronotype, and according to sleep scientist Dr. Matthew Walker, it’s something we’re born with.

“It’s genetic,” says Dr. Walker. “You don’t get to decide whether you’re a morning type or an evening type. It’s hard-wired into your  genes.”

Past research shows that night owls are more likely to die early and one reason is that poor sleep can harden your arteries.

But a new study goes even further…

Night owls at more risk for hard arteries

Based on their study results, two researchers at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden propose that night owls may have a far greater likelihood of developing hardening of the arteries, better known as atherosclerosis.

The study involved 771 adults aged 50 to 64 who are part of a larger population study known as the Swedish CArdioPulmonary bioImage Study, or SCAPIS study.

SCAPIS studies cardiovascular disease (CVD) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the Swedish population.

After evaluating the degree of artery calcification through the use of a CT scan, participants were asked to rate their chronotype on a five-point scale: extreme morning type, moderate morning type, intermediate type, moderate evening type, or extreme evening type.

Among participants in the “extreme morning type” group, only 22.2% showed pronounced artery calcification – the lowest percentage of all chronotypes – while the “extreme evening” group showed almost double that percentage, or 40.6%.

Peak Chelation+ Resveratrol^™

Helps flush harmful toxins from your body that interfere with vital functions!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

And in case you’re wondering, this was after the researchers looked at other factors connected with atherosclerosis, such as blood pressure, blood lipids, weight, physical activity, stress level, sleep and smoking.  

“Our results indicate that extreme evening chronotype may be linked not only to poorer cardiovascular health in general, but also more specifically to calcification in the coronary arteries calcification and atherosclerosis,” says Mio Kobayashi Frisk, a doctoral student at Gothenburg and the study’s first author.

Chronotype should be considered for disease prevention

“We interpret our results as indicating that circadian rhythms are more significant early in the disease process. It should therefore particularly be considered in the preventive treatment of cardiovascular diseases,” says Ding Zou, another study author.

In other words, knowing that you’re a “night owl” can help your doctor guide you toward preventive measures to avoid heart disease.

What preventive measures are those?

A great place to start is the advice laid out by the American Heart Association in their program, Life’s Essential 8. This advice offers key measures for improving and maintaining cardiovascular health that consist of health behaviors and health factors that are modifiable and if improved, can reduce the risk for heart disease, stroke and other major health problems.

But any conversation about artery health wouldn’t be complete without mentioning vitamin K2. Emerging evidence from animal and clinical studies has associated low K2 levels with calcification and an elevated risk of heart problems.

And my last piece of advice would be to drink tea daily — black or green. Teas and foods like berries, apples, grapes and dark chocolate are rich in flavonoids that in studies cut down on artery calcification.

Sources:

Artery calcification more common in night owls — Eureka Alert

Eveningness is associated with coronary artery calcification in a middle-aged Swedish population — Sleep Medicine

Chronotypes: Your natural propensity to be an early riser or night owl — Found My Fitness

The post The sleep habit that calcifies your arteries appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, quality sleep has been found to reduce your risk of cognitive decline and dementia as you age.

However, sleep problems can creep up with age, stealing those hours that allow your brain to reset.

Because of this, many of us turn to sleep medications for help.

Unfortunately, new research is revealing that one of the most common of these sleep drugs could exert a negative influence on a little-known brain system that prevents the organ from clearing out toxic waste.

Peak Vitality^™

Your adrenal glands support essential functions from metabolism to stress response. But when they become fatigued, problems with sleep quality, unwanted weight gain, moodiness, energy levels and more can take your vitality for a dive. Nutrients called “adaptogens” help restore balance and improve… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

The brain’s plumbing system works while you sleep

The glymphatic system is a network of plumbing in your brain that drains waste out of your brain as you sleep. This system is vital because, unlike the rest of your body, your brain doesn’t have a lymph system to get rid of accumulated dead cells, bacteria and other toxins.

“Instead, the brain uses cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a brain fluid that is produced inside the brain, to flush the brain tissue and wash away unwanted molecules,” explains Maiken Nedergaard, MD, PhD, of the Universities of Rochester and Copenhagen.

This system also differs in that it only works to clean out the toxic waste buildup linked to neurodegenerative diseases through slow synchronized oscillations of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine.

Those oscillations that power the glymphatic system produce a combined action with CSF only during non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep, as norepinephrine is released in slow cycles every 50 seconds.

This “drives a slow fluctuation in the diameter of the arteries and the blood volume in the brain,” creating a pump to flush out the brain waste that accumulates throughout your day.

Peak Maximum Endurance^™

Supports Improved Oxygen Levels… Healthy Circulation… and Balanced Hormones for Better Overall Health!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

A hitch in the system

But what happens to that pump if you use sleep aids?

That’s exactly what Dr. Nedergaard’s team set out to study, keying in on one of the most common medications used — zolpidem, also known as Ambien.

What they discovered is something to give anyone who has used sleep aids a reason to worry…

The results showed that taking zolpidem seemed to halt norepinephrine oscillations, blocking the glymphatic system’s ability to remove brain waste during sleep.

According to the researchers, this means that despite the fact that sleep medications might help you actually get to sleep, the rest you get could lack the beneficial effects of natural, restorative sleep.

As Natalie Hauglund, PhD, explains, “Sleep is crucial as it gives the brain time to perform homeostatic housekeeping tasks such as waste removal. On the contrary, sleep aids block the neuromodulators that drive the waste removal system and prevent the brain [from] properly preparing for a new day.”

The researchers’ conclusion?

Sleep aids should only be used for short periods of time and then only as a last resort.

Peak PS^™

Support Stong Cognition with One of the Most Tested Nutrients for Brain Health and Memory!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Natural support for glymphatic system health

So, how can you support your glymphatic system and your cognition to help reduce the damage caused by sleep aid use?

The number one way is through exercise.

In fact, exercise improves glycemic health in a number of ways.

Studies have shown that physical activity:

• Enhances glymphatic transport and accelerates glymphatic clearance
• Reduces amyloid β-protein accumulation (a hallmark in Alzheimer’s disease)
• Blocks neuroinflammation
• Protects against synaptic dysfunction and decline in cognition

The research results have been so clear that experts conclude it’s been “convincingly demonstrated that exercise has the potential to enhance the glymphatic activity in the brain.”

In addition to exercise, to best support your glymphatic system, try sleeping on your side.

It’s been shown that your glymphatic system works best when you sleep on your side.

Finally, be sure to get enough of these essential fatty acids that work as garbage men for your brain to help take out the trash.

Sources:

Common sleep medication may prevent brain from clearing ‘waste’ — MedicalNewsToday

The newly discovered glymphatic system: the missing link between physical exercise and brain health? — frontiers

Sleep on your side to diminish Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s — Easy Health Options

The post What happens when sleep aids clog the brain’s waste drain appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It’s a known fact that sleeping poorly can damage your heart.

Men who don’t sleep enough hours to achieve a deep, restful sleep could be doubling their risk for heart attack and stroke.

And women who sleep poorly are at higher risk for hypertension.

Now, researchers have dug a little deeper into exactly what happens during deep sleep that offers protection for our hearts…

They’ve found that if you’re not a deep sleeper, your circulation may be subpar. And how certain brain waves can be harnessed to improve both problems…

Peak Organic Fermented Beets^™

Amazing “Can’t be Beet” Superfood Helps Keep Nitric Oxide Levels Up!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Deep sleep increases blood flow

Researchers at the University of Zurich have demonstrated that increased deep sleep prompted by pink noise improves cardiac function and may be helpful in disease treatment and especially preventive medicine.

The study involved 18 healthy men aged 30 to 57, who spent three non-consecutive nights in a sleep laboratory.

When their brain activity indicated that they had entered deep sleep, a computer played a series of brief tones at a pink noise frequency. This targeted stimulation during deep sleep causes the heart — in particular the left ventricle — to contract and relax more vigorously.

When the heart contracts during deep sleep, the left ventricle contracts and relaxes vigorously, which means it pumps blood into the circulatory system and then draws it out again more efficiently.

Related: Nitric oxide: The pathway to better blood vessels, blood flow and blood pressure

The left ventricle is squeezed and wrung out like a wet sponge. The more immediate and more powerful this wringing action, the more blood enters the circulation and the less remains in the heart. This increases blood flow, which has a positive effect on the cardiovascular system.

This experimental setup allowed the researchers to directly monitor whether the sound simulation enhanced deep sleep and whether it influenced the subjects’ heart rate and blood pressure. “During stimulation, we clearly see an increase in slow waves, as well as a response from the cardiovascular system that is reminiscent of cardiovascular pulsation,” says lead author Stephanie Huwiler

This is the first time anyone has shown that an increase in brain waves during deep sleep (slow waves) improves cardiac function. This is important not only to your heart but to your kidneys, brain and other organs.

Peak Prostate Support^™

Men are less attentive to their health than they should be. Here are signs to be aware of:
    • Uncomfortable urgency
    • Weak urine stream
    • Burning sensation in your groin
    • MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

How to sleep more deeply… naturally

So now you know just how important deep sleep is to your heart health — literally helping your blood circulate through your body as you sleep.

And the research also provided a big clue on how to achieve it — using pink noise.

Pink noise is a mix of high and low frequencies that sound more natural than white noise, something you’re probably more familiar with. White noise sounds more like static and provides a steady sound that may drown out other noises or disruptions that could otherwise awaken a sleeper.

According to the Sleep Foundation, pink noise is more prevalent in nature sounds — like falling rain, wind rustling through trees or waves at the shoreline.

They also report previous studies show pink noise enhances memory, especially when played in synchrony with specific types of brain waves — most likely the same slow waves referenced in the Zurich study.  

You can sleep to the sounds of pink noise by purchasing a pink noise machine or using a smartphone app, like Spotify. After a quick search, I found several pink noise playlists were available.

Now, the quickest way to interfere with slow-wave activity and deep sleep is to eat junk food.

According to research I shared a few months back, less slow-wave activity was exhibited during deep sleep when participants had eaten junk food, compared with consumption of healthier food. This adverse effect on slow wave activity also lasted into a second night.

Some basic sleep hygiene can be helpful too. Don’t forget these tips:

• Go to bed and wake up at the same time each day, even on weekends.
• No sugar, caffeine or drinks (to avoid bathroom trips) after 6 pm.
• No exercise or vigorous physical activity after 7 pm (or with 2 hours of your projected bedtime).

Sources:

Increased deep sleep benefits your heart — Science Daily

Auditory stimulation of sleep slow waves enhances left ventricular function in humans — European Heart Journal

The post The bedtime activity for better blood flow and heart health appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, sleep is now officially recognized by the American Heart Association (AHA) as part of the Essential 8 — a set of lifestyle measures proven to enhance cardiovascular health. 

So how does sleep protect your heart? What happens to your body during sleep? And how can you make rest a priority in your daily life?

Sleep: A Cornerstone of the Essential 8

The AHA added sleep to its list of Essential 8 because research has confirmed that good-quality rest is critical to overall health, including the health of your heart.  During sleep is when your body performs vital functions: repairing tissues, regulating hormones, and giving your heart and blood vessels a much-needed break. Without enough rest, these critical processes are interrupted, increasing your risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, and even heart attacks.

Peak Vitality^™

Your adrenal glands support essential functions from metabolism to stress response. But when they become fatigued, problems with sleep quality, unwanted weight gain, moodiness, energy levels and more can take your vitality for a dive. Nutrients called “adaptogens” help restore balance and improve… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

What Happens During Sleep

Sleep is more than just downtime for your body. When you sleep, especially during deeper stages, your heart rate and blood pressure drop, reducing the workload on your cardiovascular system. This nightly “reset” allows your heart to recover and prepare for the day ahead. Additionally, your body regulates essential hormones during sleep, such as:

• Stress hormones: Levels of cortisol, which can raise blood pressure, naturally decrease during sleep.
• Hunger hormones: Sleep balances ghrelin and leptin, the hormones that control hunger and fullness. 

What Happens When You Don’t Get Enough Sleep

Skipping sleep, or even regularly getting less than seven hours a night, puts your heart at risk. Here’s how:

• Higher Blood Pressure: Without the nighttime drop in blood pressure that occurs during sleep, your heart and blood vessels remain under constant stress.  Sleep apnea, specifically, can be the sole reason someone has hypertension.  So if you snore and have high blood pressure, discuss sleep apnea screening with your physician.
• Increased Inflammation: Poor sleep is linked to higher levels of C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker tied to heart disease.
• Elevated Stress Hormones: A lack of sleep can raise cortisol levels, contributing to higher heart rate, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
• Weight Gain: Sleep deprivation alters hunger-regulating hormones, making overeating more likely. 

Over time, these factors can lead to conditions like hypertension, obesity, and diabetes — all of which strain your heart and increase your risk of heart disease and stroke.

Peak Vision Support^™

Unique Dual Nutrient Formula Supports Healthy, Clear Vision and Protects Eyes from Blue Light!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

How to Prioritize Sleep

The good news? Sleep is something you can control. Here are steps to help you get the quality rest your heart needs:

1. Stick to a Sleep Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. A consistent schedule reinforces your body’s circadian rhythm, helping you fall asleep and wake up more easily.
2. Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine: Ease into sleep with calming activities like reading, meditating, or taking a warm bath. This signals your body that it’s time to wind down.
3. Limit Stimulants: Avoid caffeine, nicotine, and heavy meals in the hours leading up to bedtime. These can disrupt your ability to fall or stay asleep.
4. Turn Off Screens: Blue light from phones, tablets, and TVs can interfere with your body’s melatonin production, making it harder to fall asleep — power down at least an hour before bed.

If You’re Still Struggling

Poor and non-restorative sleep has wide-ranging health effects. This blog has focused on cardiometabolic health, but not getting enough nightly rest can contribute to cognitive decline and even cancer risk. 

So if you’ve tried everything and are still struggling, talk to your doctor.  For perimenopausal women, hormone replacement may be the answer.  For others, sleep apnea evaluation may be appropriate.

In some circumstances, a formal referral to a Sleep Medicine specialist is required. The one thing NOT to do? Ignore your sleepless nights. 

The post What happens to your body and heart during sleep appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Much of it hinges on communication between different organs and systems that work together to maintain our health and protect us when we especially need it.

An example we’ve heard a lot about is the gut-brain axis and the vagus nerve that connects them and various organs along the way.

Now, we’re learning about another such crucial “conversation” that happens between the heart, the immune system and the brain to trigger healing when someone’s had a heart attack…

Peak Golden Oil^™

Support for Inflammation and Optimal Immune Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

How and why your body regulates sleep after heart attack

After a heart attack, it makes sense that you’d want to sleep more. However the need for sleep is more than the physical exhaustion of going through a traumatic health event.

As part of the process to heal itself and reduce inflammation, the heart triggers the desire for more sleep through actual changes to the brain, as shown through mouse studies at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai Hospital.

After inducing heart attacks in mice, researchers found a three-fold increase in slow-wave sleep, a deep stage of sleep characterized by slow brain waves and reduced muscle activity. This increase in sleep occurred quickly after the heart attack and lasted one week.

And when they studied the brains of those mice, they discovered that immune cells called monocytes were recruited from the blood to the brain and used a protein called tumor necrosis factor (TNF) to activate neurons in an area of the brain called the thalamus, which caused the increase in sleep.

“This study is the first to demonstrate that the heart regulates sleep during cardiovascular injury by using the immune system to signal to the brain,” says senior author Cameron McAlpine, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine (Cardiology), and Neuroscience, at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

Poor sleep increases risk of another heart attack

To further identify the function of increased sleep after a heart attack, the researchers also interrupted the sleep of some of the mice.

The mice with sleep disruption after a heart attack had an increase in heart sympathetic stress responses and inflammation, leading to slower recovery and healing when compared to mice with undisrupted sleep.

The Mt. Sinai researchers also performed human studies, and their findings confirmed what they’d seen in mice.

First, they studied the brains of people a couple of days following a heart attack. They saw an increase in monocytes compared to people without a heart attack or other cardiovascular diseases.

Then, they analyzed the sleep of more than 80 heart attack patients four weeks after heart attack and followed them for 2 years..

The patients were divided into two groups — good sleepers and poor sleepers. The patients who slept poorly in the weeks after their heart attack had twice the risk of another heart attack.

Those who slept well showed significant improvement in heart function. Poor sleepers showed little or no improvement.

Dr. McAlpine and the research team hope that the understanding of sleep in healing post-heart attack can be recognized in intensive care units, where sleep is frequently disrupted

Peak Chelation+ Resveratrol^™

Helps flush harmful toxins from your body that interfere with vital functions!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Develop sleep habits to protect your heart

Well-rested cells can produce antioxidants that fight destructive free radicals. But in sleep-deprived cells, this response fails. The result: dysfunctional cells that easily succumb to cardiovascular disease.

This isn’t a new idea.

For example, a 2018 Duke University study found that people with irregular sleep patterns may be at higher risk for obesity, heart disease, hypertension, and stroke.

So, how do you keep to a sleep schedule when life is busy? How do you ensure you get those 7-8 hours of good sleep you need?

Dr. Jessica Lunsford-Avery of the Duke study has some simple advice: set an alarm for the same time each day. And NO sleeping in on weekends!

This may sound hard to do, but if you stick to it for a few weeks, you may even find yourself waking up without the alarm.

That’s actually a good sign — your body is adjusting to the rhythm you’ve set for it.

Other studies have shown that poor sleep leads to clogged arteries.

Besides setting a regular sleep schedule, here are some other ways to get a better night’s sleep:

Don’t look at computers, smartphones or TV screens an hour before bed. The blue light they emit can hurt your circadian rhythm and your ability to fall asleep.

Get exercise during the day. If you’re physically exhausted, you’re more likely to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer.

Expose yourself to natural light in the morning hours. This helps set your circadian rhythm, which controls your sleep.

Don’t drink caffeine or alcohol in the evening. Both interfere with sleep quality.

If you snore a lot or don’t feel rested when you wake up, get tested for sleep apnea. It can significantly hamper your ability to get a good night’s sleep.

If you have insomnia, talk to your doctor about cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI). It’s one of the more effective natural therapies for insomnia and can help you avoid the use of prescription sleep aids.

Sources:

After a heart attack, the heart signals to the brain to increase sleep to promote healing — Eureka Alert

Myocardial infarction augments sleep to limit cardiac inflammation and damage — Nature

It’s not just for kids — even adults appear to benefit from a regular bedtime — Science Daily

The post The sleep trigger that could prevent a 2nd heart attack appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s one reason why so much research has been conducted to find ways to help people combat insomnia and achieve a restful night’s sleep.

A recent study might seem to fly in the face of conventional wisdom, which cautions against exercising before bedtime.

When it comes to high-intensity exercise, that’s still good advice.

However, this study examines a different type of exercise, one that, when performed correctly, can actually lead to more hours of sleep.

Peak Maximum Endurance^™

At middle age, you start feeling changes in your body you may chalk up to aging: energy levels hit rock bottom, weight soars, muscles become soft, skin becomes wrinkled and slack and desire tanks. You may feel past your prime — but science says that’s wrong! MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Sleep longer and reduce risk of heart problems

Researchers at the University of Otago in New Zealand recruited thirty non-smokers, aged 18 to 40, to complete two 4-hour sessions in a controlled lab setting.

In one, they remained seated for four hours, while in the other, they did just three-minute bursts of simple resistance exercises every 30 minutes over the 4-hour period.

Activity trackers showed that after resistance training, with breaks in between, participants slept for an average of 27 minutes longer than they did after just sitting.

The researchers noted that there were no significant differences in sleep efficiency – uninterrupted sleep – or the number of times people woke during the night, whether they sat or exercised, indicating that the activity before bed didn’t disrupt sleep.

They also point out that by helping people sleep longer, especially those who are getting far less than the recommended nightly hours of sleep, this type of resistance activity before bed could potentially reduce the number of people with heart disease over the long term.

And guess what? This isn’t the first time resistance exercise has been shown to improve sleep…

Another study found that compared to aerobic exercise, resistance exercise:

• Increased sleep time by 40 minutes
• Decreased the time it took to fall asleep by three minutes
• Improved sleep quality and sleep disturbances

Peak Prostate Support^™

10 Targeted Nutrients to Support a Healthy Prostate!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

What is resistance training?

When we talk about resistance exercises, we’re not referring to activities like running, cycling, or other high-intensity exercises.

Resistance exercise increases muscle strength by making your muscles work against a weight or force.

You can do resistance training at home with no equipment other than your own body. Some examples of this include doing push-ups, squats, stair climbing (which offers great cardiovascular benefits), and lunges.

Elastic bands, known as resistance bands, as well as free weights, can also help and are easily found in big-box stores or online.

Check out this resistance band workout for beginners and seniors to see what I’m talking about. It’s a full-body 30-minute routine, but could easily be broken into three-minute segments.

And the best time for these activity bursts — during commercial breaks while watching the evening news and your favorite shows!

More ways to ensure a solid night of sleep

Apparently, once we reach 60, there are changes to the built-in time clock that regulates our sleep-wake cycle, known as the circadian rhythm.

In addition to resistance exercise bursts, there are things you can do to improve your sleep, and they don’t involve the dangers of sleeping pills.

Melatonin is one of my favorites. Not only is it a safe and natural sleep aid (your body produces it to an extent), but people who supplement it regularly are also much less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration. That’s a win-win.

Some foods help produce the neurotransmitters that are needed to put you to sleep. Cherries are one. At the same time, the wrong foods can increase your risk for chronic insomnia.

One thing to avoid in the evening is blue light from your smartphone or tablet. That can undercut all the new ways you’ve just discovered to sleep better and longer.

Sources:

Resistance exercise ‘activity breaks’ at night may improve sleep length — Eureka Alert

Evening regular activity breaks extend subsequent free-living sleep time in healthy adults: a randomised crossover trial — BMJ

The post Sleep longer with this 3-minute activity appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But in more recent years, naps have gotten a bad reputation because of their potential effects on heart health.

In 2020, an analysis of 20 nap studies revealed a connection between daytime napping and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Another one, published in 2022, found that frequent napping may be a stroke warning. And still another found that if you’re depending on naps to make up for sleepless nights, you’re still losing out.

Getting good sleep matters — so much so that the American Heart Association (AHA) recently revised Life’s Simple 7 to Life’s Essential 8 (a checklist for lifelong good health).

The new version acknowledges the growing body of research showing how people who get 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night are better able to manage various aspects of their heart health — and how shortchanging that can have dire consequences you should know about… especially if you’re a napper.

Peak Maximum Endurance^™

Supports Improved Oxygen Levels… Healthy Circulation… and Balanced Hormones for Better Overall Health!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Hypertension, cardiovascular disease and sleep duration

Sleep duration is known to affect blood pressure and can increase the risk of hypertension. So, a team of researchers decided to evaluate the connection between sleep duration and the risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD) using data collected on adults who were middle-aged and older.

Participants were divided into two groups: a hypertension group and a non-hypertension group. There was also a CVD group and a non-CVD group. All participants underwent follow-up for an average of 6.5 years, during which any stroke or cardiac event was tracked.

In addition to nighttime sleep duration, researchers evaluated how often participants took naps, total day and night sleep duration and the percentage of naps in total sleep duration. Here’s what they found:

• According to the study results, middle-aged and older adults who reported sleep duration of less than 6 hours and those with a high nap ratio (at least 0.4) were at risk of hypertension. Men 60 years and older with a high nap ratio saw a higher risk of hypertension.
• As for CVD, risk was elevated in participants who had a sleep duration of less than 6 hours per night, those with a total sleep duration of less than 6 hours, and those with a nap duration of less than 0.5 hours. Women 60 years and older who slept for less than 6 hours were also at increased risk of CVD.

There were some limitations to the study. The only correlations that could be obtained were between hypertension or CVDs and nap, sleep duration at night, total sleep duration and nap ratio.

Peak Bladder Support^™

For women, age, childbirth, menopause and hormone fluctuations take a toll on healthy urinary function. For men, an aging body may result in the need for bladder support. Whatever the cause, occasional urinary urgency can… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

The problem with naps: shortening your nighttime sleep duration

These study results show that if you’re 45 years of age or older, you should get more sleep at night instead of taking a long afternoon nap.

To improve nighttime sleep, the AHA recommends taking steps to optimize your sleep hygiene as much as possible. These include keeping your phone away from your bedside, dimming your devices at night to reduce blue light exposure and blocking device notifications overnight so you don’t get woken up.

Consider these tips as well to get better sleep:

• Resistance exercise has been shown to increase sleep time by an average of 40 minutes. But never exercise within a few hours of your bedtime. Exercising then could make it harder to fall asleep.
• Whether you’re three or 43, having a bedtime routine can help you sleep better. Here are four pillars of a good bedtime routine to help you sleep better than a toddler.
• A healthy gut microbiome is essential to produce serotonin — a key player in our sleep/wake cycle. Probiotics and prebiotics can help balance gut bacteria and support the production of serotonin.
• People who eat more fruits and vegetables sleep better. One study saw improvements in sleep quality in as little as 24 hours.
• Rule out sleep apnea. Signs include waking frequently during the night, gasping for air, having dry mouth or snoring. If you suspect sleep apnea, tell your doctor.
• If you have an overactive bladder, or BPH, stop drinking anything at least 2 hours before bedtime to avoid frequent bathroom trips overnight.

If you do all this and still struggle to get more than 6 hours of nighttime sleep, an occasional afternoon nap may be helpful — as long as it’s done strategically…

Take your nap early in the afternoon since napping after 3 p.m. can interfere with your nighttime sleep. Nap in a dark, quiet place with a comfortable temperature and few distractions. And keep your nap between 10 and 20 minutes, since the longer you nap, the more likely you are to feel groggy afterward.

Sources:

Sleep Duration Associated With Higher Risk of Hypertension — AJMC

Associations of siesta and total sleep duration with hypertension or cardiovascular diseases in middle-aged and older adults — Clinical Cardiology

Healthy Lifestyle — American Heart Association

Life’s Essential 8 — American Heart Association

Napping: Do’s and don’ts for healthy adults — Mayo Clinic

The post The strong connection between naps, hypertension and heart trouble appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

A night or two of shortened sleep can make you irritable and result in brain fog and memory problems. But chronic sleep problems can lead to much worse — like increasing the risk of diabetes, hypertension, dementia, depression, heart disease and respiratory disease.

These impacts may be worse for women than men, especially on the cardiometabolic front. Researchers at Columbia University decided to examine this phenomenon, and what they found isn’t good news for women who have trouble sleeping…

Peak Organic Superfruits^™

Blend of anthocyanin-rich, organic fermented fruits — including Aronia, Acia, Blueberry, Pomegranate and Plum — that can help clobber insulin resistance, and keep you healthy. MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

How sleep deficiency impacts insulin

It can be difficult to study the health impacts of chronic sleep loss. Laboratory studies have shown a brief period of total or partial sleep deprivation impairs glucose metabolism. However, these studies don’t reflect the typical mild sleep deprivation a lot of people experience, when they get by on roughly six hours of sleep for long stretches of time.

So researchers decided to look at the impact of mild, chronic sleep deprivation by enrolling 38 healthy women, including 11 postmenopausal women, who routinely slept for at least seven hours a night.

“Throughout their lifespan, women face many changes in their sleep habits due to childbearing, child-rearing, and menopause. And more women than men have the perception they aren’t getting enough sleep,” says study leader Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge, a Columbia professor and director of the Center of Excellence for Sleep and Circadian Research at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

The participants underwent two study phases in random order. In one phase, they were asked to maintain their usual sleep patterns. In the other, they were asked to delay their bedtime by an hour and a half, which shortened their total sleep time to roughly six hours. Each phase lasted six weeks. Compliance was measured with wearable devices, and researchers measured insulin, glucose and body fat throughout the study.

Results showed that shortening sleep by 90 minutes for six weeks increased fasting insulin levels by over 12 percent overall and by more than 15 percent in postmenopausal women. Plus, insulin resistance rose by nearly 15 percent overall and by more than 20 percent among postmenopausal women. Average blood sugar levels remained stable for all participants throughout the study.

“Over a longer period of time, ongoing stress on insulin-producing cells could cause them to fail, eventually leading to type 2 diabetes,” St-Onge says. 

That means getting enough sleep each night may lead to better blood sugar control and reduced type 2 diabetes risk, especially among postmenopausal women.

Peak Vitality^™

Your adrenal glands support essential functions from metabolism to stress response. But when they become fatigued, problems with sleep quality, unwanted weight gain, moodiness, energy levels and more can take your vitality for a dive. Nutrients called “adaptogens” help restore balance and improve… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Preventing a sleep deficit

Previous studies have suggested people whose sleep amounts vary from day to day have a higher risk of diabetes. So the researchers next step will be to examine if stabilizing sleep patterns among people with variable sleep schedules improves blood sugar control.

Additional studies will look at whether restoring sleep for people perpetually short on sleep may improve glucose metabolism.

Restoring sleep is simple to talk about, but hard to do for many people who struggle with chronic sleep deficit. But, as we’ve noted in past articles, there are a number of steps you can take to improve the quality and duration of your sleep — including adopting the bedtime routine of a toddler (don’t knock it till you’ve tried it!). The key may be finding what works best for you.

Just one thing — if you sleep with a night light, stop. That too has a crazy impact on your metabolism and glucose tolerance.

Sources:

Shortening sleep time increases diabetes risk in women — EurekAlert!

Chronic Insufficient Sleep in Women Impairs Insulin Sensitivity Independent of Adiposity Changes: Results of a Randomized Trial — Diabetes Care

Why Lightbulb Choices Matter — Natural Eye Care

The post The surprising deficiency that could raise diabetes risk appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It’s caused by excessive amounts of two proteins in the brain: β-amyloid and tau.

An “amyloid cascade” is thought to start with an abnormal increase of β-amyloid protein in the brain, which triggers “tau tangles.”

Once this happens, neurons begin to die, memory and cognition start to falter, and eventually, Alzheimer’s sets in.

But is this truly an inevitable sequence of events?

Peak Blood Flow^™

Poor circulation can impact your eyesight, your ability to sleep and cause headaches, discomfort and swelling — among other more serious concerns. The tell-tale signs of a circulation problem are… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Alzheimer’s is NOT inevitable

A recent study from UC Berkeley shows how some people appear to stave off the memory and cognitive impairment of Alzheimer’s disease, even when their levels of amyloid-beta proteins are relatively high.

When I read this research, the name Matthew Walker sounded familiar, and it didn’t take me long to figure out why.

Dr. Walker is a professor of neuroscience and the director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at University of California, Berkeley. He is also senior author of the present study.

A few years ago, I wrote about Dr. Walker and his thoughts about the importance of sleep, especially for the elderly.

In the present study, Dr. Walker and his colleagues prove that deep sleep can stop the brain changes signaling the onset of the “amyloid cascade,” and preserve memory and cognition.

Deep sleep is the answer

Dr. Walker and researchers from Stanford University and UC Irvine looked at 62 cognitively healthy adults.

Regardless of subjects’ education or physical activity (two factors known to improve cognitive resilience in old age), people who already had Alzheimer’s-associated brain changes performed better on memory function tests when they got more deep sleep.

Interestingly, deep sleep made little difference in memory function for people who did not have the same brain changes — in other words, the positive effect was restricted to those who had Alzheimer-related brain changes.

“Think of deep sleep almost like a life raft that keeps memory afloat, rather than memory getting dragged down by the weight of Alzheimer’s disease pathology,” Dr. Walker says.

“This is especially exciting because we can do something about it. There are ways we can improve sleep, even in older adults.”

Peak Cardio Platinum^™

Clinically-Tested Nutrients Help Arteries and Cardiovascular Health!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

How to get better sleep

Deep sleep is like the slow cycle on your washing machine. It washes away β-amyloid plaque.

So how do you get not just more sleep, but more deep sleep?

Ventilate your sleep space.  Earlier this year, a team of Danish scientists showed that a higher rate of ventilation can remove more carbon dioxide and particulate matter (pollution) from a room, allowing for better sleep.

Take a warm bath before bed. This brings more blood to the surface of your skin. According to Dr. Walker, this effect, known as water-based passive body heating, can increase deep sleep.

Here are some other things you can try:

• Get enough vitamin from your diet (eggs, salmon, dairy products) or from supplements.
• Expose yourself to morning sunlight so your body’s sleep clock can reset itself.
• Move every day! Walking, yoga, and stretching are all good ways to do this; just do it earlier in the day.
• Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods 4-6 hours before bed. Try a light bedtime snack, like warm milk or a banana.
• Keep phone and computer screens out of your bedroom! Instead, try using pink noise to help you get a good night’s sleep.

Sources:

There’s One Critical Thing We Can Do to Keep Alzheimer’s Symptoms at Bay — Science Alert

NREM sleep as a novel protective cognitive reserve factor in the face of Alzheimer’s disease pathology — BMC Medicine

‘Catastrophic’ lack of sleep in modern society is killing us, warns leading sleep scientist — The Independent

Deep sleep may mitigate Alzheimer’s memory loss, Berkeley research shows — Berkeley News

Four-Week Experiment Reveals an Ingeniously Simple Way to Boost Your Sleep Quality — Science Alert

The post The most critical habit for keeping Alzheimer’s symptoms at bay appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Many people with migraine also suffer from sleep disorders, including insomnia, trouble falling or staying asleep, poor sleep quality and excessive daytime sleepiness. During a migraine attack, they can also be woken from sleep or forced to have to sleep.

One team of researchers decided to explore whether migraine is what’s causing these sleep problems or vice-versa. And what they found is a bit of encouraging news for migraine sufferers…

Peak Vitality^™

Your adrenal glands support essential functions from metabolism to stress response. But when they become fatigued, problems with sleep quality, unwanted weight gain, moodiness, energy levels and more can take your vitality for a dive. Nutrients called “adaptogens” help restore balance and improve… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Migraine could be brought on by lack of sleep

Researchers from the University of Arizona Health Sciences used preclinical mouse models to evaluate sleep disruption through electroencephalogram recordings and visual observations. Like humans, mice have cycles of deep sleep, REM sleep and light sleep.

What they found was different from what was previously believed about migraine. It’s true that when the mice were sleep-deprived, they were more likely to experience migraine-like pain. However, migraine-like pain did not disrupt their normal sleep patterns.

Principal investigator Dr. Frank Porreca, a professor at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tuscon, says the way sleep has been investigated in migraine patients in the past is through patient-reported information, which can be subjective.

“We quantitatively measured sleep in preclinical models and found that migraine-like pain does not influence sleep, but if you have disrupted sleep, your chances of having a migraine attack if you’re a migraine patient are much higher,” Porreca says.

Peak Bladder Support^™

Unique Formula Helps Reduce Urgency or the Immediate Urge to “Go” and Decreases Nighttime Bathroom Visits for More Restful Sleep!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Sleep hygiene is one solution

Porreca notes that sleep deprivation can happen for many reasons, including stress. However, for this study, the researchers ensured they were studying the effect of sleep, not stress, by giving mice novel objects to explore to keep them awake.

“Mice are compelled to explore novel objects. They just have to go and look,” Porreca says. “It reminds me of how teenagers are often sleep deprived because they’re on their phones. Anybody who studies sleep will tell you that from a sleep hygiene point of view, you don’t want any devices in your bedroom where you’re trying to sleep.”

The team recommends that people with migraine limit the use of electronic devices before bedtime and follow other sleep health tips to help reduce the likelihood of migraine attacks.

“Early morning is one of the most common times people experience migraine attacks,” Porreca says. “Improved sleep is critically important and probably would diminish the frequency of migraine attacks.”

It can also help to make sure your bedroom is dark, quiet and comfortable, and that you avoid eating, drinking or exercising too close to bedtime.

It’s also very important for people with migraine to do what they can to avoid known triggers like:

• Stress or anxiety
• Depression
• Hormones
• Weather changes
• Dietary factors (like caffeine and alcohol)

My colleague Dr. Adria Schmedthorst also has some more great tips for avoiding migraines. One of the most surprising to me was exercise. Yet it has proven to be just as effective as one common migraine medicine at preventing migraines. And exercise also helps with sleep, so added bonus there.

Sources:

Poor sleep linked to migraine attacks in new UArizona Health Sciences study — EurekAlert!

Unraveling the directional relationship of sleep and migraine-like pain — Brain Communication

Migraine Signs & Symptoms — American Migraine Foundation

The post Unraveling the sleep connection to migraine appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

The symptoms often come at the worst possible time: at night, when you’re trying to sleep.

It starts with a throbbing, itching or uncomfortable sensation in the legs and an overwhelming need to move them. Shifting the legs seems to relieve the discomfort temporarily, but the symptoms soon return.

On its own, this may not sound like a big deal, especially compared with things like diabetes or heart disease.

But RLS often goes hand in hand with these conditions, and more…

Peak Golden Oil^™

Support for Inflammation and Optimal Immune Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Health risks of RLS

A study conducted a few years back by researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston found that if you have restless leg syndrome, you have a 40 percent higher chance of dying in the next eight years.

Other scientific evidence has tied restless leg syndrome to an increased risk of kidney failure, diabetes and cancer.

And, though it is not an autoimmune disease, restless leg syndrome is a symptom of several autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, Sjogren’s Syndrome, Crohn’s disease and inflammatory bowel diseases.

While RLS doesn’t cause any of these conditions, the associations are enough to spur more research into the origins of RLS, how to treat it, and even, prevent it…

That’s why an international research team from Germany and Britain have focused on the genetics behind RLS. They were looking for biomarkers — genetic signatures that could be used to predict and identify the condition.

What genes reveal about RLS

Co-author Dr. Steven Bell from the University of Cambridge said: “This study is the largest of its kind into this common — but poorly understood — condition.

“By understanding the genetic basis of restless leg syndrome, we hope to find better ways to manage and treat it, potentially improving the lives of many millions of people affected worldwide.”

Two of the genetic differences identified by the team from pooled data of over 1000,000 patients involve genes known as glutamate receptors — which are important for nerve and brain function. This information could potentially be used to develop new drugs to treat RLS.

It has also helped target existing drugs, such as anticonvulsants, that in early trials have shown positive responses in patients with RLS.

Surprisingly, researchers found no strong genetic differences between men and women, even though the condition is twice as common in women. They say this may suggest a complex interaction of genetics and the environment (including hormones) could be the reason behind the gender differences.

Peak Blood Flow^™

Poor circulation can impact your eyesight, your ability to sleep and cause headaches, discomfort and swelling — among other more serious concerns. The tell-tale signs of a circulation problem are… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Natural ways to deal with RLS

Previous studies may provide some insight into how to relieve RLS…

Iron. Low levels of iron in the blood are thought to trigger RLS, since it can cause a reduction in the neurotransmitter dopamine. This hasn’t been proven, but definitely not ruled out.

So one thing you can do is to be sure you’re not iron deficient. Be careful if you’re taking acid reducers, such as Prilosec or Prevacid, which can hamper the body’s ability to absorb iron and other nutrients

Foot wrap. Researchers at the Lake Erie Institute developed a foot wrap that puts pressure on two muscles in the foot: the abductor hallucis and the flexor hallucis brevis. Participants in a study who used the leg wrap reduced their restless nights by 82 percent.

An anti-inflammatory diet. Like so many conditions, RLS seems to have ties to inflammation. Food is our best weapon against inflammation. Fermented foods are a great place to start.

Cut out caffeine, alcohol, and tobacco. These three substances may make RLS symptoms worse for a lot of people.

Get more exercise. Research shows RLS is more common in people who are sedentary and overweight. One study even found that resistance training and aerobic exercise improve RLS symptoms. Studies show yoga and stretching can improve symptoms, too.

Sources:

Genetics study points to potential treatments for restless leg syndrome — Eureka Alert

Genome-wide meta-analyses of restless legs syndrome yield insights into genetic architecture, disease biology and risk prediction — Nature Genetics

Restless Legs Syndrome Linked To Earlier Death Risk In Men — Medical News Today

Prospective study of restless legs syndrome and total and cardiovascular mortality among women — Neurology

Restless leg syndrome — The Autoimmune Registry

Exercise and restless legs syndrome: a randomized controlled trial — Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine

The post Genetic study dives into restless leg syndrome appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

For example, there’s plenty of research showing that exposure to the blue light of computers, tablets and phone screens… or even too much daylight in your sleeping space can affect the quality and duration of sleep.

But we need to pay attention to our entire 24-hour cycle of activities, of which sleep is only one part.

That means if you have trouble sleeping, or you feel tired in the morning, and you’ve tried everything under the sun (and moon), it’s time to examine what your day looks like.

It may hold the secret to the elusive and essential sleep your health depends on…

Peak Vitality^™

Peak Vitality^™ helps support and strengthen adrenal gland function for improved energy, hormone balance, mood and focus!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Daytime activity tied to sleep quality

“When people think about sleep quality, they tend to focus on adjustments immediately before bedtime – for example, avoiding screens, not eating too much, and avoiding alcohol – but our research looks beyond this to the range of activities we undertake during the day,” says Dr. Matricciani, a researcher at the University of South Australia.

Dr. Matricciani has led what she believes to be the first study of its kind. It shows that getting a good night’s sleep is tied to how you structure your day, and that exercise is at the heart of the activities you should be including in order to achieve good sleep quality.

After examining different components of time use and different aspects of sleep, the research found that people with higher levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity had less troubled sleep, reduced tiredness and better sleep quality. 

The study included 1168 children (average age 12 years) and 1360 adults (their parents), with an average age of 44 years.

Subjects wore an activity monitor on their wrist for eight consecutive days and completed an activity record to document bed and wake times.

“We found that if children and adults increased moderate to vigorous physical activity, they would feel less tired, have less troubled sleep and better-quality sleep,” says Dr. Matricciani.

In other words, they’d sleep more peacefully, with fewer interruptions, and wake in the morning feeling wide awake, not tired and sluggish.

Peak Bladder Support^™

For women, age, childbirth, menopause and hormone fluctuations take a toll on healthy urinary function. For men, an aging body may result in the need for bladder support. Whatever the cause, occasional urinary urgency can… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Exercise may be just the beginning

This may not seem like news to some of you.

But the study authors believe that these results could open the door for more detailed information about how we can structure our entire day so that we set ourselves up for the best sleep possible.

But for now, exercise is the centerpiece of the “perfect sleep” day.

And remember, exercise can be as simple as walking daily, doing stretching exercises or practicing yoga.

Start slow and easy if you haven’t been exercising and work up to more. The key though, may be doing enough so that you feel a little tired. But as you’re body gets used to a level of exercise, you may need to up your exertion to keep reaping the sleep benefits of it. Consider upping aerobic activity or strength training then.

Several experts, however, have warned that exercising too close to bedtime can keep you awake. So try to get it in a few hours before your regular bedtime.

If you have any health conditions that could be impacted by exercise, be sure to discuss an exercise with your physician.

Sources:

Healthy sleep needs a healthy day: boost exercise to beat your bedtime blues — Eureka Alert

Time use and dimensions of healthy sleep: A cross-sectional study of Australian children and adults — Sleep Health

The post The daytime secret to better sleep at night appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It’s a dishwashing system that, if you get enough sleep, will deep clean your brain, wash out toxic waste buildup and possibly keep you from ending up with Alzheimer’s or another dangerous neurological condition.

But just like the one in your kitchen, if it doesn’t work in power wash mode, your brain could be in trouble…

Peak CoQSol10 CF^™

Gives Your Cells the Energy They Need for Optimal Function!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Metabolic waste and brain health

To manage all the processes the brain performs in a single day, including forming and saving memories and directing the functions of your organs, requires a lot of energy in the form of fuel.

And like any fuel, the nutrients that fuel the brain leave waste products behind. Over time, if your brain’s dishwasher isn’t taking out the trash efficiently, metabolic waste builds up.

The good news is that past research has shown us that as we sleep, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) surrounding the brain enters in and weaves through intricate cellular webs, collecting toxic waste as it travels.

Then to exit the brain, the contaminated fluid has to pass through a barrier before spilling into the lymphatic vessels where it’s carried away by the body’s natural detoxification system.

The thing is, no one knew where the “start button” was that powers the movement of the fluid into, through and out of the brain…

Unitll Washington University researchers set out to gain a better understanding of what’s happening.

While studying the brains of sleeping mice, they discovered it’s tiny little neurons in the brain (the brain cells that send signals to your body) that drive cleaning efforts.

“These neurons are miniature pumps. Synchronized neural activity powers fluid flow and removal of debris from the brain,” explained first author Li-Feng Jiang-Xie, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Pathology & Immunology. “If we can build on this process, there is the possibility of delaying or even preventing neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, in which excess waste — such as metabolic waste and junk proteins — accumulate in the brain and lead to neurodegeneration.”

Peak Vitality^™

Peak Vitality^™ helps support and strengthen adrenal gland function for improved energy, hormone balance, mood and focus!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Better sleep for a better brain

So considering how important sleep is to your brain health, what can you do to improve your sleep quality so that your brain’s dishwasher can go to work?

Here are a few easy tricks to help you sleep better:

• Kick the junk food habit – Research has shown that eating junk food interferes with your ability to get the deep sleep you need to restore your brain health. Stick to organic fruit as well to avoid pesticides that steal sleep.
• Avoid blue light from electronics, especially in the evening. Research has repeatedly proven that exposure to blue light is a powerful sleep disruptor.
• Take a bath – A very interesting study found that a warm bath could be the key to better sleep – if you time it just right.
• Try L-theanine – L-theanine, an amino acid found in green tea, fights the stress that keeps you from slipping into dreamland by lowering cortisol (stress hormone) levels. And, it even works to elevate levels of a brain chemical known as GABA that promotes sleep and relaxation.
• Balance your gut – The microbes in your gut play a powerful role in your gut-brain axis and therefore your circadian rhythm. This makes prebiotics and probiotics a must in your better sleep plan.

Remember, with better sleep comes a better brain. So start taking steps now to support your sleep and keep the dishwasher in your brain running strong.

Sources:

Neurons help flush waste out of brain during sleep — ScienceDaily

The post Are you sleeping enough to finish your brain’s wash cycle? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In other words, if you suffer from MCI how likely are you to develop Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and will you or family members be able to see it coming?

Now, a new study has shed light on exactly what symptoms to be on the lookout for that can predict whether the problems with memory, language and judgment that go along with MCI will turn into an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

Peak Organic Fermented Beets^™

It may not be a household word, but nitric oxide has been recognized in over 130,000 published scientific papers as a vital signaling molecule that keeps blood vessels healthy so they can perform as the body needs. But as you age, your cells produce less and… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

The Neuropsychiatric Symptom Index

The research, performed at the Medical University of South Carolina, set out to quantify the connection between neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) and the journey from MCI to dementia.

For the study, the scientists recruited 300 patients with MCI, aged 65 and older, from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database.  

Each participant underwent a Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) assessment to document NPS symptoms — such as anxiety, depression, delusions, hallucinations, abnormal movement behavior and sleep disorders — as potential early signs of preclinical AD to establish a prediction model for AD.

And while the outcome showed that more than a quarter of the MCI patients went on to develop Alzheimer’s, those who experienced more neuropsychiatric symptoms were far more likely to end up in the Alzheimer’s group when everything was said and done.

The study showed that for each one-point increase in NPI score, there was a three percent increase in the risk of an Alzheimer’s diagnosis.

In fact, the study showed that paying attention to NPS symptoms was a better predictor of mental decline than other established Alzheimer’s risk factors, which include heart disease, diabetes, stroke, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

When asked about the real-world implications of their research, the team had this to say, “If you feel down or anxious and you experience memory issues as you age, it is important to seek help early and get a thorough evaluation for both cognitive and mental health concerns.”

Evaluating the risk to you or your loved one

So if you or your loved one is living with MCI, evaluation of neuropsychiatric symptoms is key.

Your doctor should use the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire to understand not only which symptoms are present, but also their severity and the distress they cause to the caregiver.

By understanding the risk of progression from MCI to Alzheimer’s, both patients and families can be better prepared for the journey ahead.

Peak Vision Support^™

Unique Dual Nutrient Formula Supports Healthy, Clear Vision and Protects Eyes from Blue Light!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

In addition to understanding progression risks, there are also steps you can take to reduce those risks at home. These include:

#1 – Exercising

Research, performed at Yonsei University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea, showed that physical activity can help prevent the slide from MCI to Alzheimer’s. Their study found that people with MCI, who exercised at a moderate or vigorous level for at least 10 minutes, more than once per week, had an 18 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

#2 – Using pink noise

Certain sounds when you sleep, known as ‘pink noise’, have been shown to result in memory improvement in subjects who suffer from mild cognitive impairment.

#3 – Eating mushrooms

Mushroom eating has been found to slash MCI in half! According to researchers, this is likely due to a specific compound in mushrooms known as ergothioneine, which fights free radical damage throughout the body.

#4 – Improving head-to-toe blood flow

A study found that men taking prescriptions for ED medication were 18 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer’s. That little blue pill works by increasing a molecule known as nitric oxide (NO) in the lining of the blood vessels. This causes the blood vessels to widen, increasing blood flow and boosting oxygen to all the body’s organs and tissues — including the brain.

Sources:

Neuropsychiatric symptoms predict which patients with mild cognitive impairment develop Alzheimer’s disease – EurekAlert!

The post The symptoms that predict whether MCI turns to Alzheimer’s appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Then there are days when I just feel “old” — and that worries me…

Studies have shown that our perceptions about aging can have a very real impact on our health.

For instance, feeling negative about aging equates to negative physical, mental and cognitive health. Conversely, feeling younger than your age is associated with living a longer, healthier life.

There is even evidence that subjective age predicts actual brain age, with those feeling younger having brains with younger biomarkers.

Knowing all of this, I would very much like to feel young — at any age. And now I have a clue how to do just that…

Peak Longevity Platinum^™

Every cell in the body depends on mitochondria for energy. Together, cells and mitochondria are building blocks for life and health. But mitochondria wear out with age, which leaves cells unable to create the energy they need to function properly… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Sleep could be the key to feeling younger

Researchers at Stockholm University were curious to see if sleep had any effect on how old people “felt.”  So they conducted a couple of studies to find out.

“Given that sleep is essential for brain function and overall well-being, we decided to test whether sleep holds any secrets to preserving a youthful sense of age,” says Leonie Balter, a researcher at Stockholm University.

In the first study, they asked 429 individuals aged 18 to 70 how old they felt, how many days in the past month they had not gotten enough sleep and how sleepy they were. They found that for each night with insufficient sleep in the past month, participants felt 0.23 years older on average.

In the second study, the researchers explored whether there was truly a connection between inadequate sleep and participants feeling older. They restricted the sleep of 186 participants aged 18 to 46 for two nights, having them spend only four hours in bed each of those nights. Then, they had them sleep sufficiently for two nights, with nine hours in bed per night.

The results were stark. After sleep restriction, participants on average felt 4.4 years older compared to when they got sufficient sleep.

Not surprisingly, the effect appeared to be related to how sleepy they felt. Feeling extremely alert was related to a participant feeling 4 years younger than their actual age, while extreme sleepiness was related to feeling 6 years older.

“This means that going from feeling alert to sleepy added a striking 10 years to how old one felt,” Balter says.

Peak D3^™

When you step out into the sunlight, your body begins the process of making vitamin D. But getting the ideal amount can be difficult because some of us can’t effectively absorb it. That’s just one of many reasons the vitamin D deficiency is an epidemic… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Sleep: A fundamental pillar of health

Just a couple of years ago, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine issued a special statement declaring sleep essential to health and placing it on the same level as proper nutrition and exercise for our health and well-being.

Dr. Balter’s research seems supportive of that.

“Safeguarding our sleep is crucial for maintaining a youthful feeling,” she says, “This, in turn, may promote a more active lifestyle and encourage behaviors that promote health, as both feeling young and alert are important for our motivation to be active.”

If you’re waking up feeling tired and older than your age, here are a few suggestions for improving your sleep to help you feel younger:

• Kill the blue light. Try to avoid the light from computer screens, LEDs and fluorescent bulbs for at least an hour before bedtime. This will encourage your body to produce melatonin, the sleep hormone that signals your body to start to wind down for sleep.
• Try pink noise. Listening to pink noise can help older adults attain slow-wave deep sleep to feel more rested and cognitively sharper.
• Exercise during the day. Getting physical makes it more likely that you’ll fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Just make sure you don’t exercise within an hour of your bedtime or it could have the opposite effect.
• Check your vitamin D levels. Adequate levels of vitamin D are necessary for the regulation of melatonin as well as serotonin, the “happy” hormone. That means insufficient levels can negatively impact your sleep and your mood.
• Get a checkup. If you’re experiencing chronic sleep problems, talk to your doctor about them. Your doctor may recommend you be tested for sleep apnea or examine you for any other disorders that could be interfering with sleep.

Sources:

Want to feel young? Protect your sleep — EurekAlert!

Sleep and subjective age: protect your sleep if you want to feel young — Proceedings of the Royal Society B

Does exercising at night affect sleep? — Harvard Health Publishing

Effects of vitamin D on mood and sleep in the healthy population: Interpretations from the serotonergic pathway — Sleep Medicine Reviews

The post How to start feeling younger overnight appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But the term ‘sleep divorce’ gives it a bad taste, says psychologist Susan Albers. She calls it a ‘sleep separation’ or ‘alternative sleep arrangement.’

One in every five couples chooses to sleep in separate beds, even in separate rooms. And they have a healthier and more loving relationship because of it.

Could you and your partner benefit from a sleep divorce? Here’s what you need to know to help you decide.

Peak Bladder Support^™

For women, age, childbirth, menopause and hormone fluctuations take a toll on healthy urinary function. For men, an aging body may result in the need for bladder support. Whatever the cause, occasional urinary urgency can… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

What is a sleep divorce and why you might need one

Why would people in a happy relationship choose to sleep separately?

In the end, it comes down to having incompatible sleep habits:

• Maybe you and your partner need different environments to get a good night’s sleep. One of you might need a room that’s pitch black, silent, and cool, while the other might require exactly the opposite.
• One of you might spend the night tossing and turning due to restless leg syndrome or insomnia.
• One of you might use a noisy CPAP machine for sleep apnea.
• One partner might work the night shift.

Regardless of the reason, sleeping separately might be a way to guard your sleep time.

Getting a good night’s sleep is incredibly important to your health. Over time, poor sleep can harden arteries.

Sleep loss is also linked to breast, bowel, and prostate cancer. In fact, the World Health Organization has classified any type of night-shift work as a probable carcinogen.

And lastly, bad sleep and a bad attitude add up to bad aging.

The benefits of a sleep divorce

As I’ve implied above, sleeping separately could improve your prospects for better health. But there are benefits that could improve your relationship, too.

• You get your personal space. Maybe you can go back to reading in bed, listening to “your” music, or just spreading out a little bit. These can be incredibly beneficial for your mood and mental health, which can only benefit your partnership.
• You have fewer things to fight about. Crumbs in the bed, the volume of music, or lights in your eyes… the next time you and your partner argue, these are not on the roster of things to complain about.
• Your relationship is more intentional. When you’re not sharing a bed, then snuggling and sex become an affirmative choice that you and your partner make. It doesn’t just “happen.”

Peak Maximum Endurance^™

Supports Improved Oxygen Levels… Healthy Circulation… and Balanced Hormones for Better Overall Health!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

The downside of sleeping separately

Sleeping separately isn’t for everyone, says Dr. Albers. Here are some of the possible drawbacks.

• It may decrease intimacy. “Sleeping in separate rooms may create some emotional distance or disconnection,” Dr. Albers acknowledges. “There’s something about being in a bedroom at night — a privacy that leads to talking with your significant other in a way that you don’t when you’re outside of that space.”
• It may hurt your sex life. If you aren’t intentional about intimacy at other times, sleeping separately can diminish desire when you do have sex.
• It may be expensive. Not everyone has a separate room or a separate bed for separate sleeping. Purchasing a second bed can be pricey.
• It may be lonely. Once you’ve made the move to separate rooms, you may find that you miss having someone there every night, even with the things that annoy you.
• It may foster resentment. Both people need to be comfortable with the arrangement. You both need to be good communicators and willing to sort out concerns as they arise. Otherwise, the situation just becomes another source of resentment and arguing.

How to give separate sleeping a try

Here are two strategies you and your partner can try to increase the odds that a separate sleeping arrangement will be successful for you and your partner.

Weekend sleep-ins together. During the week, when work and responsibilities loom large, having separate sleeping spaces can be a blessing. But why not let weekends be a “mini-reunion” where you reconnect, cherish the intimacy of sharing a bed, and get to talk and reinforce your bond.

Prioritize pre-sleep rituals. Just because you’re not sleeping in the same bed doesn’t mean you can’t share your pre-sleep rituals.

Rituals before going to bed signal your brain that it’s time to sleep. They’re an essential step to a good night’s sleep. Shared rituals might be as simple as playing a board game, practicing a meditation routine or just talking over your day.

The idea of a ‘sleep divorce,’ when approached with mutual care and respect, can add to your relationship, rather than diminish it. It’s not about sleeping apart. Rather, it’s about sleeping well so you are each the best version of yourself.

Peak Vision Support^™

Unique Dual Nutrient Formula Supports Healthy, Clear Vision and Protects Eyes from Blue Light!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

And if you need a little help sleeping better, separately or not, consider these recommendations from the Center for Human Sleep Science at UC Berkeley:

Vitamin D is important to maintaining your body’s sleep cycle. It is available from food (fatty fish like salmon and sardines, eggs, and dairy products) or through a supplement. Vitamin D helps the body produce the sleep hormone, melatonin.

Exposure to sunlight. Morning sunlight helps reset your body’s sleep clock and increases the likelihood of a good night’s sleep. Conversely, exposure to artificial light, especially blue light that emits from smartphones and other devices, in the evening can disrupt your body clock making it harder to fall asleep.

Get moving! Even a brief and easy walk each day will have a positive effect on your sleep. Get your exercise earlier in the day so your body has a chance to calm down for sleep.

Watch those bedtime snacks! Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods 4-6 hours before bed. Try a light bedtime snack like warm milk or a banana.

Sources:

A ‘Sleep Divorce’ Might Be Exactly What Your Relationship Needs — Cleveland Clinic

2 ‘Sleep Divorce’ Strategies That Bring Couples Closer, According To A Psychologist — Forbes

The post The health and relationship benefits of a sleep divorce appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

If you take certain medications, you may have seen the following text on their label: “Do not operate heavy machinery.” For some medicines, like sleeping pills, that may seem like a given.

But there are a lot of other medications you may be surprised to learn could get you into trouble if you take them before driving…

Peak Bladder Support^™

For women, age, childbirth, menopause and hormone fluctuations take a toll on healthy urinary function. For men, an aging body may result in the need for bladder support. Whatever the cause, occasional urinary urgency can… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

What are some symptoms that can influence your driving?

Some prescription and nonprescription (or over-the-counter) medications can have side effects that can make it unsafe for you to drive or operate heavy machinery.

What exactly does the label mean by “heavy machinery?” Obviously, your car counts. But so does a motorcycle, boat, truck, bus, train, forklift or any heavy construction equipment. Even an electric scooter can qualify if it goes fast enough. And if you really want to be careful, you probably shouldn’t ride your bike, either.

Worrisome symptoms that make driving dangerous include:

• Sleepiness or drowsiness
• Blurred vision
• Dizziness
• Slowed or uncoordinated movement
• Fainting
• Inability to focus or pay attention
• Nausea
• Excitability

Which medicines can cause these symptoms?

It’s always a good idea to read the labels of whatever medications you take so that you know what side effects to expect. However, you can be reasonably sure the following medications could make it dangerous for you to drive:

• Antipsychotic medicines
• Antiseizure medicines (antiepileptic drugs)
• Medicines to stay awake and other stimulants (like caffeine pills, diet pills, or ephedrine)
• Medicines for diarrhea and urine or bladder control
• Motion sickness medicines
• Muscle relaxants
• Opioids
• Cough suppressants containing codeine and hydrocodone
• Prescription medicines for anxiety (like benzodiazepines)
• Sleeping pills
• Some antidepressants
• Some prescription and OTC cold or cough medicines
• Some prescription and OTC allergy medicines, especially antihistamines

It might be surprising to see stimulants on this list. Although drowsiness isn’t an issue with these medicines, they could make you overly jittery and affect your concentration or judgment when behind the wheel.

You should also be wary of taking products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds like CBD which can cause sleepiness and make you less alert.

You’ll also want to watch out for natural sleep aids like melatonin, valerian root, chamomile, L-theanine or even magnesium. While they may not be quite as powerful as prescription or over-the-counter sleep aids, there’s still a chance they could cause problems if you take them right before driving.

Peak Golden Oil^™

Support for Inflammation and Optimal Immune Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

How can you avoid impaired or drugged driving? 

If taking a medication with a warning, it’s best to always heed that warning. But some medications can affect or impair others differently, without warning.

To be extra safe, the first time you take a new medication should be at a time when you won’t need to drive. That way, you can see whether it causes any of the symptoms listed above.

Some medicines may cause symptoms for a short time, while for others the effects may last several hours and even into the next day.

For example, many people with insomnia take medicines before bedtime to help them fall asleep, stay asleep or both. However, these medicines could come with a bit of a hangover the next morning that leaves you less able to perform daily activities, including driving.

It’s always a good idea to read your medication’s labeling. You can also speak with your doctor about the medication to get more information about its side effects, including drowsiness or lack of focus.

Never drink and drive. That’s a no-brainer, but did you know that drinking while on some of the medications listed above can double or triple the effects of alcohol? According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, prescription drugs are commonly linked to drugged driving accidents.

Always tell your doctor about all the prescription and nonprescription medicines you’re taking and any vitamins and herbal or dietary supplements to avoid possible interactions that could cause drowsiness.

Source:

Some Medicines and Driving Don’t Mix — U.S. Food and Drug Administration

The post The surprising truth about medications and driving appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Enough to drive you crazy? For the person living with tinnitus, this is often how they feel.

In fact, living with tinnitus over months and years is linked with high levels of stress that often lead to anxiety and depression.

About fifteen percent of the world’s population suffers from tinnitus, and while it may not be life-threatening, it certainly is life-altering.

Currently, there is no cure for tinnitus. But research into its causes is ongoing.

Most recently, scientists are working to find connections between tinnitus and sleep, and how each affects the brain, in the hope that this will lead to a treatment.

Peak CoQSol10 CF^™

Coenzyme Q10 is essential for good health. Our cells use it to produce energy the body needs for basic functions, including cell growth and maintenance. The problem is, you can start seeing declines in your CoQ10 levels as early as your 20s plus… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Tinnitus prevents deep sleep …

A team of British researchers has identified several brain mechanisms that are related to both tinnitus and sleep.

First, they looked at brain activity during slow-wave sleep (also known as deep sleep).

During slow-wave sleep, brain activity moves in “waves” through different regions of the brain. It activates these areas, then moves on to others. This mostly happens in areas of the brain that we use most while awake, like those for sight and motor function.

Sometimes, though, some brain regions become overactive during slow-wave sleep. For example, the motor region becomes overactive when someone sleepwalks.

The researchers believe that something similar may happen with tinnitus — that the auditory region of the brain may be far more active than other brain regions.

People with tinnitus also tend to spend less time in deep sleep. The researchers believe that tinnitus keeps the brain from producing the slow-wave activity needed to have a deep, restful sleep.

… but deep sleep isn’t interrupted by tinnitus

Ironically, while people with tinnitus spend less time in deep sleep, when they do achieve it, their deep sleep is virtually unaffected by the ringing of tinnitus.

The researchers think that the brain activity unique to deep sleep actually suppresses tinnitus.

For example, as you start to get sleepy, the brain’s neurons start to go into slow-wave activity in order to recover. The more neurons that join this “slow-wave,” the stronger the urge to sleep.

And it seems that the brain regions affected first, and most strongly, are those that are overactive during waking hours. In someone with tinnitus, the auditory region is overactive. This would explain how tinnitus is suppressed during deep sleep.

Peak CoQSol10 CF^™

Gives Your Cells the Energy They Need for Optimal Function!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

A direction for treatment

So what does all this mean in terms of finding a cure for tinnitus?

These researchers are looking toward tracking tinnitus activity alongside the stage of sleep someone is in, and recording brain activity, as they continue to learn how natural brain activity could hold the key to relieving tinnitus.

For now, there are exercises and other techniques, and even an app, that have helped many people with tinnitus.

Here are some suggestions for supplements that have been helpful, as well as a specific exercise to try.

And here are a few nutritional interventions that some have found helpful, as well as some research showing how CoQ10 might offer significant relief.

Sources:

Tinnitus Seems to Be Somehow Linked to a Crucial Bodily Function, Studies Hint — Science Alert

Tinnitus: at a crossroad between phantom perception and sleep — Brain Communications

Tinnitus — The Lancet

The post Deep sleep holds clues to cause of tinnitus appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

I wrote about Dr. Walker here a few years back. He’s the director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley.

Dr. Walker said that we are in the midst of a “catastrophic sleep-loss epidemic,” and it’s costing people their lives by putting them at high risk for diabetes, dementia, hypertension, depression, heart attack, stroke and respiratory disease.

Today, the evidence of that epidemic, and that sleep is crucial to health and life, continues to pour in.

Most recently, a large-scale study has turned up a distinct link between poor sleep and hypertension… particularly in women.

Peak Organic Superfruits^™

Blend of anthocyanin-rich, organic fermented fruits — including Aronia, Acia, Blueberry, Pomegranate and Plum — that can help clobber insulin resistance, and keep you healthy. MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Poor sleep is highly associated with hypertension

Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital followed 66,122 participants between 25 and 42 years of age in the Nurses’ Health Study II (NHS2) cohort for sixteen years (from 2001 until 2017).

In 2001, they first measured how long these women slept. Then they measured it again in 2009, recording the average number of hours slept over a 24-hour period.

None of the women had hypertension at the start of the study.

Upon analyzing the data, it became clear that women with sleeping difficulties also had higher BMIs, lower physical activity and poorer diets. They were more likely to smoke as well.

In a follow-up to the study, 25,987 cases of hypertension were documented, and it was shown that women who slept less than seven to eight hours a night had a significantly higher risk of developing hypertension.

This was also true for women who had trouble falling asleep and staying asleep.

Women who sleep poorly should be screened for hypertension

Dr. Shahab Haghayegh, a research fellow at the Brigham and Harvard Medical School, sums up the significance of these findings well:

“These findings suggest that individuals who struggle with symptoms of insomnia may be at risk of hypertension and could benefit from preemptive screening.”

In other words, women who consistently sleep fewer than seven hours a night and who have trouble falling or staying asleep ought to be screened for hypertension, even if they show no symptoms of hypertension per se.

Dr. Haghayegh goes on to say that “hypertension is associated with many other physical and mental health complications. The sooner we can identify individuals with high blood pressure and treat them for it, the better we can mitigate future health issues.”

While it hasn’t been proven that lack of sleep causes hypertension, Dr. Haghayegh further notes that sleep difficulties can lead to a chain of events that can increase sodium retention, arterial stiffness, and cardiac output, potentially leading to hypertension.

Peak Vitality^™

Peak Vitality^™ helps support and strengthen adrenal gland function for improved energy, hormone balance, mood and focus!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Sleep away your blood pressure risks

If you’re a woman who struggles with sleep, it seems like trying to get a better night’s sleep would be a wise health move.

Not only could it save you from hypertension, but it could also help control your blood sugar and even keep Alzheimer’s away.

But that’s easier said than done…

Over the years I’ve read up on quite a few tips. The one that’s worked best for me when I have a bout of sleep trouble is a warm bath as part of my bedtime routine.

Water-based passive heating has a lot of science behind how it improves sleep — but it also helps burn calories and improves blood sugar levels which could have a positive impact on BMI.

Of course,e one of these 7 best diets for lowering blood pressure and putting the power of blueberries to work would be smart moves too.

Sources:

Sleep Struggles Link to Elevated Risk of Hypertension Neuroscience News

Sleeping Difficulties, Sleep Duration, and Risk of Hypertension in Women Hypertension

‘Catastrophic’ lack of sleep in modern society is killing us, warns leading sleep scientist Independent

The post Why women who struggle to sleep risk high blood pressure appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

In fact, surveys say that over one-third of adults in the U.S. regularly get less than seven hours of sleep per night, and that results in sleep debt or sleep deficit — the difference between the amount of sleep we need and how much we get.

Sadly, missing out on good sleep can not only leave you at higher risk of Alzheimer’s, but poor sleep is also the common denominator behind obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes.

“No problem,” you think. “I’ll just catch up on the weekend and all will be good, right?”

That’s a big “nope” according to Penn State researchers who found that no matter how much extra shut-eye you get on Saturday and Sunday, it still can’t make up for the damage of sleeping too little the rest of the week — especially when it comes to your heart.

Peak Cardio Platinum^™

Clinically-Tested Nutrients Help Arteries and Cardiovascular Health!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Too much of a deficit for the weekend to fix

In their study comparing sleep loss to heart dangers, the team recruited 15 healthy men between the ages of 25 and 35 to participate in an 11-day in-patient sleep study.

For the first three nights, all were allowed to sleep up to 10 hours per night to achieve a baseline sleep level.

And that’s when things got tough…

For the next five nights, the participants’ sleep was restricted to just five hours a night, followed by two recovery nights (think Saturday and Sunday), where they could hit that 10-hour mark again.

Every two hours while the men were awake throughout the study, the researchers measured their resting heart rate and blood pressure.

And sure enough — lack of sleep was bad news for the men’s heart health.

The researchers discovered that for each successive day of the study, their heart rate increased by nearly one beat per minute (BPM), with an average heart rate of 69 BPM on day 1, compared to nearly 78 BPM on the second day of recovery.

Unfortunately, increased heart rate wasn’t the only cardiovascular danger sign the men experienced…

Systolic blood pressure also increased by about 0.5 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) per day, starting out at an average of 116 mmHg and landing at nearly 119.5 mmHg by the end of the recovery period.

“Both heart rate and systolic blood pressure increased with each successive day and did not return to baseline levels by the end of the recovery period,” explained the study’s lead author, David Reichenberger. “So, despite having additional opportunity to rest, by the end of the weekend of the study, their cardiovascular systems still had not recovered.”

In other words, whether it’s work or play that prevents you from getting enough sleep during the week, assuming you can make up for it by sleeping in over the weekend is a big mistake that could cost you the health of your heart.

Peak Prostate Support^™

Men are less attentive to their health than they should be. Here are signs to be aware of:
    • Uncomfortable urgency
    • Weak urine stream
    • Burning sensation in your groin
    • MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Better sleep, better heart

In the last decade, so much research has come out on the direct impact of sleep on our health that the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) has declared it “essential to health” — in a special statement endorsed by 25 medical, scientific, patient, and safety organizations.

So if you’re not getting enough sleep during the week, it’s time to find a way to catch more zzz’s.

One way to make falling asleep and staying asleep easier is to drink a couple of ounces of tart cherry juice before bed. A natural source of the sleep hormone melatonin, tart cherry juice has been shown to boost both sleep time and sleep efficiency. To avoid waking up for a trip to the restroom, drink it at least an hour before you plan to hit the sheet.

To rest better, it’s also important to focus on good gut health since gut microbes play a role in the chemical processes in your brain via the gut-brain axis.

Finally, if those tip don’t quite work for you, some experts say to get good sleep, get naked!

Researchers have found that people who sleep naked are more likely to report high-quality sleep at a rate of 53 percent compared to 27 percent for those who slip between the sheets in pajamas.

Sources:

Playing catch-up on weekends may not improve cardiovascular cost of sleep loss — ScienceDaily

The post Weekend sleep-ins won’t undo sleep deficit heart damage appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Even better, this same unusual method for sleeping better will help you fend off colds and feel less anxious too.

So what does research from the world’s most revered scientists suggest you do to tackle colds, insomnia and anxiety all at once?

Add a bit more greenery to your bedroom, that’s what…

Peak D3^™

When you step out into the sunlight, your body begins the process of making vitamin D. But getting the ideal amount can be difficult because some of us can’t effectively absorb it. That’s just one of many reasons the vitamin D deficiency is an epidemic… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Fewer colds, less anxiety and better sleep

Back in 1989, the scientists at NASA conducted The Clean Air Study to figure out what houseplants were best at getting rid of nasty toxins in indoor air.

Based on the results of this study, journalists from Elle Décor and the Joy of Plants recently developed a list of the top 10 plants that, when added to your bedside table, could make a big difference in your sleep and health.

Before I give you the list of plants and send you on your way to your local plant nursery, let me explain why houseplants have the power to improve your sleep and health…

As you probably already know, plants purify the air. And even in your most sacred and private sanctuary — your bedroom — there’s a lot to purify.

Chemicals like trichloroethylene, formaldehyde, benzene, xylene and ammonia seep from paint, plastics, leather, plywood, paper products and other everyday items into our indoor air.

Depending on the amount of the chemical and length of time you’re exposed to it, these chemicals can make you dizzy, confused, give you a sore throat, give you a headache, cause liver and kidney damage, cause heart problems or even put you into a coma.

So they’re not great for you. And since most of us spend 90 percent of our time indoors, finding ways to get them out of our air should be a top priority.

Of course, besides purifying the air, there’s another, more simplistic reason houseplants are good for you: People find plants calming. Greenery, whether indoors or outdoors, is known for easing anxiety and improving mood, which is why they may be able to help you sleep.

Peak Cardio Platinum^™

Clinically-Tested Nutrients Help Arteries and Cardiovascular Health!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

So which houseplants would be the most beneficial addition to your bedroom? Well, according to the research from NASA and the analysis from journalists at Elle Décor and the Joy of Plants, these are the houseplants you should put on your shopping list if you want a better night’s sleep and better health:

1. Areca Palm: This plant releases moisture in the air, making it easier to breathe and fall asleep. Because it helps you breathe easy, it’s also one of the best houseplants for people who get a lot of colds or have chronic sinus issues.
2. Aloe Vera: This plant does more than just heal sunburns. It’s an air-purification powerhouse, because it releases oxygen all night long. It’s also great at sucking the chemicals benzene and formaldehyde out of your air.
3. English Ivy: Research suggests that if you buy an English Ivy plant today, you could get rid of 78 percent of airborne mold in as little as 12 hours.
4. Dwarf Date Palm: A good, hardy choice if you don’t necessarily have a green thumb, this plant is highly efficient at getting rid of airborne chemicals like xylene.
5. Boston fern: This beautiful fern is among the top 10 air-purifying houseplants identified by NASA in their study. It’s especially great at getting rid of formaldehyde.
6. Chinese evergreen: This one’s easy to take care of, because it doesn’t need much light. It’s also know for becoming even better at removing toxins from the air the longer you have it.
7. Peace Lily: This gorgeous lily removes mold spores from the air and can improve your indoor air quality by 60 percent.
8. Spider Plant: If you head to the store and buy a spider plant now, two days from now, you’ll have 90 percent less toxins in your bedroom air. Scientists say if you have dust allergies, this one’s really helpful.
9. Lady Palm: This plant’s best known for purifying your air of nasty toxins like formaldehyde, ammonia, xylene and toluene.
10. Weeping fig: Your carpeting and furniture are some the largest sources of formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene in your home. But the weeping fig can save you from these dangerous chemicals by sucking them out of the air.

Peak Maximum Endurance^™

At middle age, you start feeling changes in your body you may chalk up to aging: energy levels hit rock bottom, weight soars, muscles become soft, skin becomes wrinkled and slack and desire tanks. You may feel past your prime — but science says that’s wrong! MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

About houseplants and pets…

Now, if you have pets, be warned… some of these plants are toxic to dogs and cats. As a pet owner, that’s always something you should check for before bringing new plants into your home.

You can look up any plant that you’re planning to purchase in the ASPCA’s searchable Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants List to make sure it’s safe for your pets.

Once you know which houseplants are safe for your pets, decide what plants fit best with your bedroom décor and most closely match your health goals. Then you can head to the store and buy a bit of greenery!

The post 10 houseplants NASA says will make you feel better appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s because it interrupts your circadian rhythm, the natural sleep cycle that assures you get an adequate amount of deep sleep.

Without enough hours of deep sleep to “wash” your brain each night, you are a sitting duck for Alzheimer’s disease, heart problems, and stroke.

Many things can interfere with deep sleep. And you might not be all that surprised about junk food being one of them. Maybe you’ve gone to bed too soon after a couple of slices of pizza, only to toss and turn with indigestion.

But junk foods’ effects on deep sleep go much deeper… In fact, junk food appears to be a major culprit in altering slow-wave brain activity essential to deep restorative sleep.

Peak Krill Oil^™

Supports Heart Health, Immunity and Moods, Naturally!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

The importance of deep sleep

Deep sleep actually “washes” your brain.

Research has shown that rhythmic electrical signals that occur only during deep sleep — known as “slow waves” — trigger slow pulses of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that wash through the brain and remove toxins.

It’s already known that people with Alzheimer’s have less slow-wave brain activity going on, so there’s less chance for waves of CSF to remove amyloid plaque, the brain toxin most associated with Alzheimer’s.

That’s exactly why how you sleep may be the strongest predictor and deterrent to Alzheimer’s.

Proof that junk food steals deep sleep

Recently, researchers at Uppsala University investigated how junk food affects sleep.

Past studies have shown that what we eat is associated with changes in our sleep. But these researchers realized that few studies have investigated how diet itself directly impacts sleep.

They decided the best way to do that was to have participants eat different diets, in a randomized order.

Only fifteen participants were involved since the study required several days of close monitoring in a sleep laboratory.

All participants were given both a healthy and an unhealthy diet. The two diets contained the same number of calories, but the unhealthy diet contained a lot of sugar, saturated fat and processed food items.

Each diet was consumed for a week. After each week, participants were examined in a sleep laboratory.

The two diets didn’t affect the amount of time each participant slept. But did impact their deep sleep.

Peak Organic Superfruits^™

Blend of anthocyanin-rich, organic fermented fruits — including Aronia, Acia, Blueberry, Pomegranate and Plum — that can help clobber insulin resistance, and keep you healthy. MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Dr. Jonathan Cedernaes, Associate Professor in Medical Cell Biology at Uppsala University, explains…

“Intriguingly, we saw that deep sleep exhibited less slow-wave activity when the participants had eaten junk food, compared with consumption of healthier food. This effect also lasted into a second night, once we had switched the participants to an identical diet. Essentially, the unhealthy diet resulted in shallower deep sleep.

“Of note, similar changes in sleep occur with aging and in conditions such as insomnia. It can be hypothesized, from a sleep perspective, that greater importance should potentially be attached to diet in such conditions.”

Keep your slow-wave brain activity up

So how do you keep deep sleep and that essential slow-wave brain activity coming?

Well, the first obvious step would be to eat less junk food. Here are a few other tips to try…

• Research has found that listening to pink noise while sleeping can help older adults attain slow-wave sleep.
• Get enough vitamin D so your body can produce useful amounts of melatonin, the sleep hormone.
• Try a sleep diet.
• Don’t drink coffee, black tea or other caffeinated drinks after dinner (if you’re really sensitive, like I am, avoid them from early afternoon on).
• Do your exercising during the day, not at night.
• Try and keep a regular bedtime as much as possible.
• Don’t use your computer or cellphone within two hours of bedtime.

Sources:

Junk food may impair our deep sleep — Science Daily

Exposure to a more unhealthy diet impacts sleep microstructure during normal sleep and recovery sleep: A randomized trial — Obesity

The post How junk food interferes with brain-cleaning deep sleep appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s because when we sleep, restorative and reparative processes take place that trigger slow pulses of cerebrospinal fluid that wash through the brain and remove toxins and buildup.  

It would be easy to assume taking a sleeping pill is the answer. But I’ve read and written about too much research that points to its ill effects on the brain to feel comfortable taking sleep medication even on an occasional basis.

That’s why I was stunned by a new study that indicates there may be one type of sleeping pill that possibly has the opposite effect…

Peak D3^™

Gives You the Vitamin D3 You Can’t Get From Sunshine Alone!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

A sleeping pill that fights brain protein buildup?

Suvorexant, already approved by the FDA to treat insomnia, is part of the dual orexin receptor antagonist class of sleep medicines. Blocking orexin, a natural biomolecule that promotes wakefulness, makes people fall asleep.

Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis recruited 38 healthy middle-aged participants to undergo a two-night sleep study. One group of participants was given a 10 mg dose of the drug suvorexant, another group was given a 20 mg dose, and a third group was given a placebo.

Starting one hour before the sleep aid or placebo was administered, the researchers withdrew a small amount of cerebrospinal fluid every two hours for 36 hours to measure changes in amyloid and tau levels.

Compared with those who took the placebo, the participants who received the higher 20 mg dose of suvorexant showed a 10 to 20 percent drop in amyloid levels and a 10 to 15 percent drop in levels of a form of tau known as hyperphosphorylated tau. There was no significant difference between the people who took the 10 mg dose and those who received the placebo.

Peak Krill Oil^™

You probably already know how important omega-3s are to support heart and brain health. But there are five reasons you may be getting yours from a less than adequate source, starting with a powerful antioxidant that delivers DHA into your brain cells… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Twenty-four hours after the first dose, hyperphosphorylated tau had risen while levels of amyloid remained low in the 20 mg dose group compared to the placebo group. A second dose of suvorexant administered on the second night of the study again reduced the levels of both proteins for people in the 20 mg group.

“If we can lower amyloid every day, we think the accumulation of amyloid plaques in the brain will decrease over time,” says Dr. Brendan Lucey, a professor of neurology and director of Washington University’s Sleep Medicine Center.

But Lucey cautions that as a small, proof-of-concept study, it would be premature for people to interpret these results as a reason to start taking suvorexant every night…

“At this point, the best advice I can give is to get a good night’s sleep if you can, and if you can’t, to see a sleep specialist and get your sleep problems treated.”

Don’t reach for the pill bottle just yet

It’s important to reiterate that this study was small and focused on a very specific sleep medication. It does not cancel out the negative cognitive effects associated with other sleep medications.

For instance, one study found that taking the anticholinergic class of drugs that includes some over-the-counter sleep medications could raise your risk of dementia by as much as 54 percent. And another found an elevated risk of dementia in people who took sleep medicines from the benzodiazepine and sedative-hypnotic drug classes which include common sleep aids Halcion and Ambien.

That’s why it’s important to understand the long-term effects of any medication. But there is a non-drug option that was tested in a similar way to what Dr. Lucey’s group did — and it was a bigger study…

That research followed over 500 participants, asking them to complete surveys of what they ate and how often. They also underwent brain scans and memory tests — and had their spinal fluid tested. 

Those researchers found people who adhered most closely to a Mediterranean diet had lower levels of biomarkers of amyloid and tau pathology in their spinal fluid than those who didn’t. They also scored better on memory tests.

More good news? What you eat can improve your sleep — and once again, the Mediterranean diet is the winner at improving sleep duration and lowering insomnia symptoms. Certain key foods that are part of the Mediterranean diet are rich in melatonin, serotonin, and vitamin D.

Sources:

Sleeping pill reduces levels of Alzheimer’s proteins — Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Suvorexant Acutely Decreases Tau Phosphorylation and Aβ in the Human CNS — Annals of Neurology

What Happens to the Brain in Alzheimer’s Disease? — National Institute on Aging

The post Could a sleeping pill prevent Alzheimer’s? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

That’s why the most noticeable symptom of PAD is claudication — leg pain and leg cramps that occur most often when walking, caused by too little blood flow to the muscles.

If you’re over 60, have kidney disease or a family history of heart disease, you’re at higher risk for PAD. If you’re African American, your risk of PAD is twice as high. Now, there’s no cure for PAD, but lifestyle changes — pretty much the same that apply to heart disease — can help reduce symptoms.

Better yet, putting those lifestyle changes, like regular exercise and following a healthy diet, to work early on will go a long way in helping you avoid PAD.

Just be sure to put the most recently discovered modifiable risk factor associated with PAD to work for you, or else your risk of developing this clotting condition could shoot up almost 75 percent…

The effect of short sleep on PAD

Insufficient night-time sleep and daytime napping have previously been associated with a raised risk of coronary artery disease which, like PAD, is caused by clogged arteries, according to Dr. Shau Yuan of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. And that’s concerning…

“In addition, sleeping problems are among the top-ranked complaints in PAD patients. There are limited data on the impact of sleep habits on PAD and vice versa, and our study aimed to fill that gap.”

The study was conducted in two parts and involved more than 650,000 participants. First, they analyzed the links between sleep duration and daytime napping and the risk of PAD.

Then, they used genetic data to examine causality and show whether the sleep habits were causing PAD or the other way around.

The strongest evidence indicated that fewer hours of sleep impacted PAD — and it was a two-way street…

• They found that sleeping less than 5 hours a night was associated with a 74 percent greater likelihood of developing PAD when compared with sleeping 7 to 8 hours a night.
• In the causal part of the study, getting less than 5 hours of sleep increased the risk of PAD, and having PAD increased the likelihood of short sleep duration.

Peak Organic Fermented Beets^™

Amazing “Can’t be Beet” Superfood Helps Keep Nitric Oxide Levels Up!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Regarding long-duration sleep, in an analysis of 53,416 adults, they found sleeping 8 hours or more was linked to a 24 percent higher risk of PAD than sleeping 7 to 8 hours. Napping was linked to a 32 percent greater risk of PAD. But the second part of the study failed to identify causal links.

“More studies are needed on the relationships between lengthy night-time sleep, daytime napping and PAD,” said Dr. Yuan.

Another argument for the sleep sweet spot

Getting good sleep matters — so much so that the American Heart Association’s Life’s Essential 8 acknowledge the research that getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep helps people better manage various aspects of their heart health — and how shortchanging that can have dire consequences.

Dr. Yuan’s study seems to be right in line with that, or at least pretty close: sleeping less than 5 hours a night greatly increased the risk for PAD, compared to sleeping 7 to 8 hours. Maybe sleeping no more than 8 hours is a sleep sweet spot to shoot for.

But because having PAD was also a causal reason for short sleep duration, people living with PAD may have to work harder at sleeping longer. That means managing the leg pain that accompanies PAD.

One supplement that may help is vitamin D…

It’s known that both vitamin D deficiency and vitamin D insufficiency are significantly associated with PAD. And that short-coming may also impact pain levels.

A review of the scientific literature related to vitamin D and pain management conducted by researchers at The Federal University of São Paulo in Brazil found vitamin D affects the body’s inflammation response in a way that lowers the sensation of pain.

Those same researchers believe vitamin D’s ability to regulate the sleep cycle may add to its ability to reduce pain as well. Vitamin D also works well with melatonin, the sleep hormone available in supplement form. Some research argues that melatonin has a role in cardiovascular health.

If you’re on medication for PAD, it’s a good idea to discuss these supplements with your doctor before adding them.

Sources:

Short night-time sleep linked with nearly doubled risk of clogged leg arteries — European Society of Cardiology

Sleep duration, daytime napping, and risk of peripheral artery disease: multinational cohort and Mendelian randomization studies — European Heart Journal Open

Life’s Essential 8 – How to Get Healthy Sleep Fact Sheet — American Heart Association

The post Peripheral artery disease: How sleep contributes to the pain in your legs appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

We’ve likely all had to deal with the fatigue, crankiness and lack of focus caused by a night or two of poor sleep. However, prolonged sleep deprivation can take a heavier toll on our health. Lack of sleep over an extended period can cause cellular damage and lead to health problems including:

• Depression
• Obesity
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes

The potential health costs of sleep have led researchers to study its mechanisms closely. And one study has found a surprising connection within the body that can influence our sleep behavior…

Sleep and your gut microbes

Food choice and poor eating habits can affect the size, composition, and rhythm of the gut microbiota. And fluctuations in this microbiota can alter the metabolic state, which is closely connected to brain function through the circulatory system and vagus nerve.

These interactions are known as the gut-brain axis. Imbalanced gut microbiota can lead to impairment of brain functions like memory formation, cognitive function, mental health and the circadian rhythm.

A recent study in mice has found that these microbes in the gut can play a role in determining sleep patterns. Researchers led by Professor Masashi Yanagisawa at the University of Tsukuba in Japan gave a group of mice a powerful cocktail of antibiotics for four weeks to deplete their intestinal microorganisms. They then compared intestinal contents between these mice and control mice fed the same diet.

The research team found significant differences…

Peak Organic Alkalizing Greens^™

At birth your body’s pH is balanced. But starting immediately acid waste builds up and starts to shift your pH level from healthy alkaline to unhealthy acid. If your body is too acidic it provides the right terrain for germs to thrive. To add insult to injury… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

“We found more than 200 metabolite differences between mouse groups,” Professor Yanagisawa says. “About 60 normal metabolites were missing in the microbiota-depleted mice, and the others differed in the amount, some more and some less than in the control mice.”

Next, the team worked to find out what these metabolites normally do. Upon analysis, they discovered that the biological pathways most impacted by the antibiotic treatment were those involved in making neurotransmitters. For example, the tryptophan-serotonin pathway was almost completely shut down in the microbiota-depleted mice. While they had more tryptophan than the control mice, they had almost no serotonin, meaning they weren’t making any serotonin from the tryptophan they were eating.

The researchers also found the microbiota-depleted mice were deficient in vitamin B6 metabolites, which accelerate production of the neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine.

The team analyzed the sleeping patterns of the mice by looking at their brain activity. Compared with the control mice, the microbiota-depleted mice had more REM and non-REM sleep at night — when mice are supposed to be active — and less non-REM sleep during the day — when mice should be mostly sleeping. This means that the microbiota-depleted mice switched between sleep and wake stages more frequently than the control mice.

Professor Yanagisawa believes lack of serotonin was responsible for the sleep abnormalities, but notes they still need to determine the exact mechanism.

“We found that microbe depletion eliminated serotonin in the gut, and we know that serotonin levels in the brain can affect sleep/wake cycles,” he says. “Thus, changing which microbes are in the gut by altering diet has the potential to help those who have trouble sleeping.”

Another possible reason for sleep disruption could be the fact that the gut microbiota and its metabolites show circadian rhythms. Researchers found that disrupting these rhythms upsets the host circadian clocks both in peripheral tissues and the hypothalamic area containing the suprachiasmatic nucleus, where the body’s central master clock exists.

Peak Organic Alkalizing Greens^™

Give your Body the Optimal Alkalizing Nutrients you Need for Healthy pH Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Balance the gut, balance your sleep

Most of us are familiar with the importance of adding probiotics to your diet to balance your gut microbiota. It’s best to get your probiotics from fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, kimchi, kombucha or miso. However, if you do choose to take a probiotic supplement, make sure you pick one that’s high in quality and contains live, active bacterial cultures. A good probiotic will have at least 1 billion colony-forming units containing the genus Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium or Saccharomyces boulardii. If you’re looking for a specific result, you may need to do deeper research to figure out which strain of probiotic will produce the results you need.

Prebiotics are just as important as probiotics since they provide the nourishment your gut microbiota needs. In fact, prebiotic fiber has been proven to help improve sleep after a stressful event. Some good dietary sources of prebiotics include Jerusalem artichokes, bananas, shiitake mushrooms, plantains, asparagus, potatoes, raw garlic, onions, honey, oats, chicory root and unpasteurized apple cider vinegar.

If you suffer from chronic sleeplessness, there’s another supplement you can add beyond the usual prebiotic/probiotic combo to improve your gut health. A study in fruit flies cited by Dr. Adria Schmedthorst notes that early death in sleep-deprived fruit flies was always preceded by the accumulation of molecules known as reactive oxidative species (ROS) in their guts. Free radicals are a type of ROS, so the researchers in the study were able to neutralize the high ROS levels with antioxidants. Thus, if you have sleep problems, it might be a good idea to add an antioxidant to your diet.

Sources:

Gut microbes: a key to normal sleep — EurekAlert

Gut microbiota depletion by chronic antibiotic treatment alters the sleep/wake architecture and sleep EEG power spectra in mice — Scientific Reports

You Might Be Wasting Your Money on Probiotics If You’re Not Eating Prebiotics — The/Thirty

How to Pick the Best Probiotic for You — Cleveland Clinic

The post Could the key to good sleep start in your gut? appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But, if you’re like me, going to sleep screen-free just isn’t going to happen.

For me, reading my Kindle in bed is a nighttime ritual I refuse to give up. It helps me distress from the day and begin to wind down. For you, maybe it’s watching your favorite show on Netflix or listening to music on your smartphone.

Well, I’ve got good news for you…

You can throw out the advice that tells you all screen time is bad for your sleep — and start feeling good about catching up on your favorite book or show, enjoying YouTube or even browsing the internet.

That’s because scientists have now found that not all screen time before bed is bad. In fact, if you swear watching TV before bed helps you sleep better — your assumption has now been validated…

Peak Vision Support^™

Two out of three people suffer with blurred vision, eye fatigue and dry, irritated eyes. Researchers expect the number of people with age-related macular degeneration and cataracts to nearly double by the year 2050. The cause of this decline in our vision is… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Screentime before bed is ok, but duration matters

The study, performed by a team at the University of Delaware, involved 58 adults, all of whom kept a sleep diary to track how much time they spent using various forms of media before bed, the location of the usage and how much multitasking was involved.

The researchers then monitored each person’s brain activity to determine what time they fell asleep, how much total sleep they got and the quality of that sleep.

And the results were surprising…

While the study did show that people who spent long periods of time on screens before bed got less sleep no matter the chosen activity, brief sessions were a different story altogether.

In fact, according to Dr. Morgan Ellithorpe, the study’s lead author, watching TV, listening to music and other screen-based activities for brief periods actually helped participants get to bed earlier — and sleep longer.

Dr. Ellithorpe’s advice?

“If you are going to use media, like watching TV or listening to music, before bed, keep it a short, focused session and you are unlikely to experience any negative outcomes in your sleep that night.”

The only factor that was unaffected by media use before bed was sleep quality.

Peak Vision Support^™

Unique Dual Nutrient Formula Supports Healthy, Clear Vision and Protects Eyes from Blue Light!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Screen time without the blue light worries

Nighttime screen junkies rejoice!

If you’re not ready to close your eyes once you hit the sheets, you can enjoy your nightly ritual without worrying about any negative impact on your rest — as long as you keep it to a minimum.

And there’s more good news…

While blue light truly is something to limit since it’s been linked to everything from weight gain and accelerated aging to cancer, you can still spend time with your favorite screens and reduce your exposure.

Wearing glasses that filter blue light has been shown to create a form of physiological darkness. This can help you boost your sleep quality and quantity, without cutting back on your screen time.

Eye nutrients can help too. Antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin act as a sort of “natural sunscreen,” protecting the eyes from blue light and UV light that increases the risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or cataracts. You’ll find these gems in those veggies your mom was always after you to eat… like carrots, spinach, pumpkin, asparagus and broccoli.

Sources:

The complicated impact of media use before bed on sleep: Results from a combination of objective EEG sleep measurement and media diaries — Wiley Online Library

Is bedtime media use detrimental for sleep? — Wiley

The post Busting the myths about screentime, blue light and sleep appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

We’re conditioned to see our gynecologists regularly, get yearly mammograms, and seem more than aware when changes hit that signal menopause.

But outside of those conditions or potential diseases unique to our sex, we may be out of touch with other health issues we see as less of a threat, like our heart health…

It’s a known fact that women face a 20 percent higher risk than men of developing heart failure or dying within five years after their first severe heart attack.

But for women, we now know that a heart attack often isn’t a sudden event. There are warning signs that show up a lot sooner than you’d think…

Peak Cardio Platinum^™

Clinically-Tested Nutrients Help Arteries and Cardiovascular Health!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Two common clues a month ahead of heart attack

A Harvard Health survey of 500 women revealed that 95 percent of them felt “something wasn’t right” as far ahead as one month before experiencing a heart attack.

The two most common early warning signs they reported noticing in the time leading up to heart attack? Disturbed sleep and extreme fatigue.

In fact, some women reported being so tired that they couldn’t even make a bed without resting.

Of course, it’s easy enough to chalk these symptoms up to other things or, oddly enough, to each other. After all, if I’m not sleeping well, then, of course, I’m tired!

Women also attribute their fatigue to the stress of being busy and having too much to do. “Maybe I just need to slow down” is a common reaction to these symptoms.

Despite the warnings in more recent years that heart disease (or heart attack) is not just a man’s disease, most women still don’t think a heart attack will happen to them.

What about chest pain?

For men, chest pain is a common early warning sign of a heart attack. For women, this is much further down the list.

Even those women in the Harvard survey who did feel chest pain during a heart attack described it more as pressure, aching, or tightness, rather than outright pain.

Instead of chest pain, the women noted shortness of breath, sweating, weakness and fatigue, and nausea.

Harvard Health experts have this to say about their findings:

“One take-home message is that some women may get an early warning of an impending heart attack in the form of excessive tiredness, disturbed sleep, or shortness of breath.”

In other words, do not ignore these signs. See your doctor as soon as possible. Take advantage of this “early warning system” to prevent a potentially fatal heart attack.

The other takeaway for women: Think beyond the “classic” symptom of chest pain. And make sure your doctor listens to you. If they dismiss your concerns, see another doctor, or go to a hospital. Timing is everything when it comes to surviving a heart attack.

Peak Cardio Platinum^™

Research shows that by age 70, Nitric Oxide production declines by up to 75 percent! But supporting healthy N-O levels isn’t as easy as taking a nitric oxide pill. The body needs nutrients to produce N-O on its own — and that’s why… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Improve your odds of avoiding or surviving heart attack

Many people can’t imagine having a heart attack, especially women. Me? I’m healthy and strong. I have no family history. Why would I have a heart attack?

Yet I know too many people who’ve been surprised by a heart attack, seemingly out of the blue.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, a key way to avoid being one of them is to exercise regularly.

Not only does exercise reduce your risk of developing heart disease, but it can also be the difference between surviving a heart attack or not if you are unlucky enough to experience one…

Research published in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology found that if you’re less active and suffer a heart attack, the odds are likely that you’ll die immediately. That means no opportunity for life-saving surgery and a second chance at life.

But those who practiced moderate and higher levels of leisure-time physical activity had a 33 percent and 45 percent lower risk of instant death compared to sedentary individuals.

So get moving! Brisk walking is a great way to ease into staying active. 

Sources:

95% of heart attack survivors report experiencing two symptoms 1 month prior to the event — UK Express

The post The two consistent warnings women get before heart attack appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Sleep gives your body the time it needs to shut down, repair and regenerate after the stresses of the day. If you’re perpetually short on sleep, it opens you up to more than fatigue — it can cause chronic pain and raise your risk of other serious ailments.

Unfortunately, as you get older, sleep gets even harder to come by. Older adults commonly experience shifts in the quality and duration of their sleep due to a change in their body’s internal clock.

If you regularly have trouble sleeping, you may be wondering if there’s a tipping point where insufficient sleep really starts to have an impact on your health. According to recent research, it appears the five-hour mark is the one to watch out for.

For instance, participants in one study who reported getting less than five hours of sleep on a regular basis had double the risk of dementia of those who reported getting seven to eight hours of sleep a night.

Now, there’s new research that once again pegs the five-hour mark as the danger zone when it comes to your risk of developing multiple life-threatening diseases…

Peak Cardio Platinum^™

Research shows that by age 70, Nitric Oxide production declines by up to 75 percent! But supporting healthy N-O levels isn’t as easy as taking a nitric oxide pill. The body needs nutrients to produce N-O on its own — and that’s why… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Five hours or less can lead to more disease

Researchers at University College London (UCL) took more than 7,000 people at the ages 50, 60 and 70 from the Whitehall II cohort study and used their information to analyze the impact of sleep duration.

Over a 25-year follow-up, they tracked how long each participant slept, their mortality, and whether they received diagnoses for two or more chronic diseases (known as multimorbidity), like heart disease, cancer or diabetes.

The results were clear: getting five hours of sleep a night or less in mid-to-late life was dangerous for the long-term health of these participants.

At age 50, people getting five hours of sleep or less were 20 percent more likely to have been diagnosed with a chronic disease, and 40 percent more likely to be diagnosed with two or more chronic diseases compared with people who slept for up to 7 hours.

In addition, sleeping for five hours or less at the ages of 50, 60 and 70 was associated with a 30 to 40 percent higher risk of contracting two or more chronic diseases when compared with those who slept for up to seven hours.

As if those risks aren’t alarming enough, getting five hours or less of sleep regularly at age 50 was also linked with an increased risk of death. Specifically, the elevated risk of chronic diseases caused by sleep shortage equated to a 25 percent increase in mortality risk.

Interestingly, the research team also reviewed whether sleeping for longer durations of nine hours or more affected long-term health.

There was no clear connection between long sleep durations at age 50 and multimorbidity in healthy people. However, if a participant already had a chronic condition, longer sleep was linked with a 35 percent higher risk of developing another illness. Researchers say this could be due to underlying health conditions that affect sleep.

Peak BP Platinum^™

Clinically-Tested Nutritients that Support Arterial Health and Blood Pressure!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Sleep added to cardiovascular health measures

Lack of sleep is a very unhealthy matter. But it especially hits your cardiovascular health hard. As such, the American Heart Association has added sleep to its original Life’s Simple 7 (LS7) list as the eighth metric of cardiovascular health (CVH).

“There are a host of other ways that poor sleep could increase the risk of heart disease or stroke, including by increasing inflammation and increasing blood pressure,” observes Jo Whitmore, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation.

Researchers at Columbia University explored this expanded measure in a recent study of 2,000 middle-aged to older adults from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). These individuals participated in a sleep exam and gave comprehensive data on their sleep characteristics.

The researchers used this data to evaluate which sleep parameters should be prioritized for cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention. As far as duration, they found that sleeping 7 hours or more, but less than 9 hours, each night was ideal.

“In our study, even a CVH score that includes only sleep duration, the most widely measured aspect of sleep health and the most feasible measure to obtain in a clinic or public health setting, predicted CVD incidence,” says lead author Dr. Nour Makarem, a professor at Columbia Mailman School of Public Health.

“Our results highlight the importance of embracing a holistic vision of sleep health that includes sleep behaviors and highly prevalent, mild sleep problems rather than strictly focusing on sleep disorders when assessing an individual’s cardiovascular risk,” Makarem adds.

Peak Cardio Platinum^™

Clinically-Tested Nutrients Help Arteries and Cardiovascular Health!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Easing into sleep

Dr. Severine Sabia, lead author of the UCL study, gives some tips for ensuring a better night’s sleep, such as promoting good sleep hygiene by making sure the bedroom is quiet, dark and a comfortable temperature before sleeping.

“It’s also advised to remove electronic devices and avoid large meals before bedtime,” Sabia says. “Physical activity and exposure to light during the day might also promote good sleep.”

Finally, you can help offset age-related decline in melatonin production by adding a melatonin supplement to your evening routine. Or if you prefer not to take supplements, you can drink tart cherry juice before bedtime. A study found when adults had two daily glasses of tart cherry juice, they slept 39 minutes or longer on average and had an up to 6 percent increase in overall sleep efficiency.

Sources:

Five hours’ sleep a night linked to higher risk of multiple diseases — EurekAlert!

Association of sleep duration at age 50, 60, and 70 years with risk of multimorbidity in the UK: 25-year follow-up of the Whitehall II cohort study — PLOS Medicine

Sleep as a new 8th measure of cardiovascular health — EurekAlert!

Aging and Sleep — Sleep Foundation

The post Sleeping five hours or less? Meet your long-term health risks appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

Lately, I’ve been staying in bed later. I hate getting up in the dark. I also find myself more reluctant to go out for that afternoon walk. Much more pleasant to just sit in the sun, when it’s there.

But it’s not just about winter.

I ended my teaching career five years ago, and according to an ongoing study, I’ve fallen into one of the traps of retirement.

Trouble is, it doesn’t bode well for my future health — or yours — if you’ve fallen into the same trap…

Peak Longevity Platinum^™

Every cell in the body depends on mitochondria for energy. Together, cells and mitochondria are building blocks for life and health. But mitochondria wear out with age, which leaves cells unable to create the energy they need to function properly… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Retirees sleep more, move less

A group of researchers from the Department of Public Health at the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital in Finland set out to highlight just how much the balance between physical activity, sleep and sedentary time changes once we retire.

To do this, they examined data from 551 retirees who participated in the Finnish Retirement and Aging Study (FIREA), an ongoing longitudinal study of older adults in Finland that was begun in 2013.

Using accelerometers and other measurement devices, the researchers calculated the daily proportions of a 24-hour period that each person spent in one of four movement states: sleeping, sitting (sedentary behavior), doing light physical activity, or doing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

To make a long story short, no matter what type of work most retirees did, after retirement they’re spending more time sleeping and sitting.

“The decrease in the amount of physical activity is probably explained by the absence of activity related to work duties and commute to and from work when a person retires. These are replaced to some extent by sleep and, in the case manual workers, also sedentary time,” says primary author of the research article, Postdoctoral Researcher Kristin Suorsa. 

Peak Golden Oil^™

Support for Inflammation and Optimal Immune Balance!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Why this matters, and what you should do about it

The researchers cited previous findings that less moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and more time sitting, sleeping longer, or only getting only light physical activity increases a person’s risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

This is serious stuff. Need proof?

According to a study published recently in the European Journal of Preventative Cardiology, if you’re less active and suffer a heart attack, the odds are likely that you’ll die immediately. That means no opportunity for life-saving surgery and a second chance.

Now, let me interject something before we go further…

In 2020, a global study assessed the best countries for seniors to live in. One of the measures was life expectancy. Finland came in at #1 and the United States at #28. So, if Finnish retirees need to move more, you know the same goes — if not more so — for those of us in the U.S.

“Based on our research, people who are retiring should aim to increase the amount of physical activity, particularly moderate-to-vigorous activity. At the same time, long periods of sedentary time should be avoided and sitting should be divided into shorter periods with frequent walking breaks,” says Kristin Suorsa, primary author of the study.

Examples of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity include brisk walking for 30 minutes a day, five days a week, to jogging or running just a couple of hours a week.

Muscle-strengthening and balance activities are also important to keep seniors active and healthy.

Of course, you’re still going to spend some time in that easy chair. Just be aware that what you do while you’re sitting there can determine whether you end up with dementia.

So, if you’re newly retired, or getting ready to retire, you’ll want to heed this advice. It’s wise to prepare now for how you’re going to stay active and enjoy the years to come.

Sources:

Retiring increases amount of sleep and decreases physical activity — Eureka Alert

Changes in the 24-h movement behaviors during the transition to retirement: compositional data analysis — International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

The post Two mistakes to avoid (like your life depends on it) when you retire appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

But if you find yourself following a regular bedtime routine, winding down, going to sleep at the same time each night, yet at 2 a.m. you’re staring at the ceiling unable to fall back to sleep, you’re dealing with a phenomenon known as “middle insomnia.”

Sometimes, this middle-of-the-night waking is healthy and normal. Research shows that we tend to sleep in chunks of two to four hours, with a period of being awake sometime during the night.

If you are awake during the night but don’t find it distressing, you can use this brief window to meditate, read or listen to music. The worst thing you can do is to try and force yourself back to sleep.

If you do read, try and use candlelight or dim light. Don’t expose yourself to the blue light of a phone or computer screen, which will disrupt your circadian rhythm.

But if you repeatedly startle awake in the wee hours, and are exhausted each morning, there are a few things that could be happening…

Peak D3^™

When you step out into the sunlight, your body begins the process of making vitamin D. But getting the ideal amount can be difficult because some of us can’t effectively absorb it. That’s just one of many reasons the vitamin D deficiency is an epidemic… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

5 reasons for middle insomnia

Waking up a couple of hours before your alarm is set to go off is like being robbed. If you’re anything like me, you need your sleep, crave your sleep and want every last second of it.

Most likely, middle insomnia is happening due to a handful of reasons. And, fortunately, there’s something you can do about each of them…

1. Blood sugar crashes.
The food choices we make each day are intimately linked to pretty much every aspect of our health, and none more than our ability to get a good night’s sleep.

The typical American diet is loaded with refined carbs and sugars. Even small amounts of these eaten throughout the day can create a blood sugar nightmare that wakes you up at night.

The stress hormone cortisol also manages your blood sugar. To your body, an overly rapid change in blood sugar can feel the same as a panic attack or burst of anger, fear or frustration.

Every time your blood sugar crashes, such as after eating a big, sweet dessert, your body goes into a stress response When this happens in the middle of the night, the stress response disrupts your sleep.

A healthy, real-food diet is the answer to this problem. But for a quick fix, try eating a handful of almonds or a spoonful of almond butter or coconut oil before bed.

2. An out-of-control stress response.
For many of us, it’s hard to “unplug” at the end of the day. Thoughts of tasks left undone, worries and plans for the following day won’t leave us alone. Here are a few ways around that:

• “Outsource” your worries. Before bed, write down everything: your worries, to-do lists, plans, even questions. That way, it’s there when you want to worry about it, and you don’t need to keep replaying it in your head.
• Take 20 minutes or so before bed to disconnect from everything, most importantly from electronics. Breathe deeply, meditate, listen to calming music, anything to disconnect the “before” of the day from the “after” of sleep.
• Learn to say no to activities that rob you of down time. Reserve some daytime hours for reading, walking or just staring out the window.

3. Don’t get overtired.
Our bodies naturally want to fall asleep a few hours after sunset. We each have an ideal time, and if you pay attention to your body for a few nights, you’ll notice it. Mine is about 11 pm.

If you stay up past that ideal sleep window, you’ll get that “second wind” that sounds good for getting things done, but really leaves you feeling “wired” and unready for sleep.

4. Alcohol.
A nightcap may seem like a good idea upon occasion, but what alcohol actually does is disrupt your sleep rhythms. It makes you sleep more deeply at first, often leading to waking up during the night as if it were time to get up.

Peak Bladder Support^™

Unique Formula Helps Reduce Urgency or the Immediate Urge to “Go” and Decreases Nighttime Bathroom Visits for More Restful Sleep!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

5. Medications.
Antidepressants, particularly benzodiazepines, are notorious sleep disruptors. Even medications meant to improve sleep, such as Ambien, can have a negative impact. Always work with your health care provider in order to make changes to your medication.

Other medications that can disrupt your sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation, include:

• Beta Blockers
• Corticosteroids
• Headache pills that contain caffeine
• Thyroid hormones

The post 5 reasons you wake up at night and how to stop appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It’s poor sleep. Whether it’s insufficient, irregular or variable, not getting good sleep can tear down your health.

Sure, you can take a sleeping pill. But those can be addictive and carry additional risks if you’re older.

Instead, you might want to opt for something completely natural that comes with the kind of side effects you’ll actually appreciate — maybe even dream about…

Peak Cardio Platinum^™

Research shows that by age 70, Nitric Oxide production declines by up to 75 percent! But supporting healthy N-O levels isn’t as easy as taking a nitric oxide pill. The body needs nutrients to produce N-O on its own — and that’s why… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Don’t resist it — dream it

“It is increasingly recognized that getting enough sleep, particularly high-quality sleep, is important for health including cardiovascular health. Unfortunately, more than a third of Americans don’t get enough sleep on a regular basis,” says Angelique Brellenthin, Ph.D., assistant professor of kinesiology at Iowa State. “Aerobic activity is often recommended to improve sleep, yet very little is known about the effects of resistance exercise versus aerobic exercise on sleep.”

But not anymore, thanks to the 12 months of work she and her team of scientists, as well as a group of 386 participants put in.

The researchers randomly assigned volunteers who were either overweight or obese couch potatoes with elevated blood pressure to a no-exercise group or one of three exercise groups (aerobic only, resistance only, or combined aerobic and resistance).

Over the following year, they performed multiple measures of sleep quality to assess how the different exercise groups were faring.

Here’s how it broke down:

• Participants who were picked for the aerobic-only group used either a treadmill, upright or recumbent bike or elliptical to complete their moderate-to-vigorous intensity exercise.
• The resistance exercise group completed their sets and repetitions on 12 resistance machines to work all the major muscle groups in a session. They performed three sets of 8 to 16 repetitions at 50-80% of their one-rep maximum.
• The combination group did 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at a moderate-to-vigorous intensity, followed by two sets of 8 to 16 repetitions of resistance exercise on 9 machines instead of 12.

So are you ready for the answer to what type of exercise can help you get your ZZZs?

Peak Maximum Endurance^™

At middle age, you start feeling changes in your body you may chalk up to aging: energy levels hit rock bottom, weight soars, muscles become soft, skin becomes wrinkled and slack and desire tanks. You may feel past your prime — but science says that’s wrong! MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Resistance exercise for the win

The results showed that:

• Participants who performed resistance training increased their sleep duration increased by an average of 40 minutes, compared to about 23 minutes in the aerobic exercise group, 17 minutes in the combined exercise group and 15 minutes in the control group.
• Sleep efficiency (the amount of time you’re actually asleep divided by your total time in bed) increased in the resistance exercise and combined exercise groups, but not in the aerobic exercise or no exercise group.  
• The time it took to fall asleep decreased by three minutes for those who performed resistance exercises, but not for other groups.
• Sleep quality improved and the amount of sleep disturbance experienced (like waking up to get some water or go to the bathroom) improved some in all groups.

“While both aerobic and resistance exercise are important for overall health, our results suggest that resistance exercises may be superior when it comes to getting better ZZZs at night,” Brellenthin said. “Therefore, if your sleep has gotten noticeably worse over the past two stressful years, consider incorporating two or more resistance exercise training sessions into your regular exercise routine to improve your general muscle and bone health, as well as your sleep.” 

So if you want to rest better and longer, pump up some zzzs with resistance exercise. Resistance workout machines, like those used in the study, are accessible in most gyms (even home gyms), or simply lifting weights provides the same resistance.

And there’s more good news.

Resistance training has also been proven to trigger your body’s fat-burning mode. Talk about a double whammy in the benefits column!

Sources:

Resistance exercise may be superior to aerobic exercise for getting better ZZZs — EurekAlert!

The post Light on sleep? This heavy habit will get you more Zzzs appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

It’s a statement that has been repeated so often, you would have a hard time finding anyone who would say differently.

Yet, according to research from a team of scientists at Uppsala University, it might not be so cut and dry as we are all led to believe.

That’s because if you’re pushing your body hard on too little sleep, you may be pushing your heart too hard as well — and that spells trouble…

Peak Cardio Platinum^™

Research shows that by age 70, Nitric Oxide production declines by up to 75 percent! But supporting healthy N-O levels isn’t as easy as taking a nitric oxide pill. The body needs nutrients to produce N-O on its own — and that’s why… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Your heart’s stress protein

You see, it’s normal for a protein found in the muscle cells of your heart, called troponin, to increase during exercise, especially high-intensity training.

After all, it makes sense that when you’re working out, your heart has to pump harder, so levels in its cells could rise.

However, it’s been no secret to doctors and researchers that higher levels of troponin can be a big issue, possibly even leading to an acute cardiovascular event — what we would all call a heart attack.

And that got those Uppsala researchers thinking and connecting some very important dots that had thus far gone unnoticed…

So what were those dots?

Well, first they knew that research has found that lack of sleep can increase the stress on the heart.

And they were aware that rising troponin — such as you get when you exercise at a higher intensity — is a sign of heart stress and cardiac injury.

So they wondered whether combining lack of sleep and intense exercise could spell danger.

Peak D3^™

Gives You the Vitamin D3 You Can’t Get From Sunshine Alone!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Elevating troponin by 40 percent

To test their theory, the team of researchers recruited 16 healthy young men, all of whom regularly got between seven to nine hours of solid sleep a night.

For three nights, the men were allowed to keep their normal, healthy sleep schedule. Then on the third day, they were asked to complete a hard workout of 30 minutes of long, intense stationary cycling with blood samples taken before and after.

Then the men, and their hearts, were really put to the test.

They were asked to stay up half the night for three more nights and complete the same workout so that the results of blood tests could be compared.

The scientists were specifically looking at that troponin we talked about, but also a biomarker known as NT-proBNP — a sign of a heavy load on the heart.

And here’s what they found…

While Nt-proBNP did increase after exercise, it did so no matter how much sleep the participants did, or did not, get.

However, although troponin increased in both cases as well, levels of the protein signaling cardiac injury were 40 percent higher during high-intensity exercise following too little sleep.

“An important observation was that the levels of troponin and NT-proBNP were not elevated in response to sleep restriction at any time prior to the workout. It is possible that lack of sleep may instead lower the threshold at which an increased exercise load results in measurable stress in heart muscle cells, as may occur in response to strenuous exercise,” explained Jonathan Cedernaes, physician and associate professor of medical cell biology at Uppsala.

In other words, not getting enough sleep could make your heart work harder, putting it in the danger zone when it’s time for your next workout.

Peak Cardio Platinum^™

Clinically-Tested Nutrients Help Arteries and Cardiovascular Health!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Better sleep could save your heart and your life

So if you experience sleep problems, it’s important to take steps now to improve your rest to protect your heart from added stress and injury.

For starters, if you exercise regularly, avoid doing it within a couple of hours of your intended bedtime. Exercise can energize you and make falling asleep difficult.

Resist the urge to scroll through your smartphone, tablet or computer near bedtime. The blue light does terrible things to your circadian rhythm.

Next, a routine may help. Check out these 4 transitional activities that help relax you into a restful night’s sleep.

And a last word of advice: Stay away from prescription sleep aids as they can be dangerous for those over 65. Instead, try something natural like a melatonin supplement. Melatonin is a sleep hormone your body produces. Too much exposure to blue light cuts down on it.

If you tried melatonin before and didn’t see much improvement, it may have been that your vitamin D levels were too low.

Vitamin D can affect how effective melatonin is for you because it’s essential in the natural production of melatonin in the body (and other hormones, because vitamin D is a “pro-hormone”). People over 50 tend to be deficient in vitamin D because the natural process through which sunlight is converted through the skin works less efficiently with age.

Sources:

Less sleep may alter how intense exercise stresses the heart — Uppsala University

The post The deficit that makes exercise dangerous for your heart appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

You wouldn’t think there’d be any health risks in that!

Yet over the past twenty years or so, scientists have been examining the health implications for people who nap during the day.

Most recently, a team of researchers dug a little deeper. Their findings may have you rethinking how much you nap…

The link between napping and hypertension

A huge study has concluded that regular, frequent napping is correlated with a higher risk of hypertension and stroke.

This finding builds on and confirms previous research. For example, a 2020 analysis of studies found that naps of longer than one hour were associated with a 30 percent greater risk of all-cause death and a 34 percent higher likelihood of hypertension and heart disease, compared to no napping at all.

The present study analyzed 358,451 records from the UK Biobank, a large genetic and medical database drawn from about 500,000 UK residents ages 40 to 69.

The UK Biobank is a rich source of genetic and medical data drawn from about 500,000 UK residents ages 40 through 69. Participants regularly provided updates on their health and filled out periodic questionnaires to assess things like diet, work history, sleep habits, and mental health.

One of these questionnaires was a survey on daytime napping, which took place four times between 2010 and 2019. The answers showed a positive association between napping a lot and being genetically predisposed toward hypertension.

Regular nappers had a 12 percent higher risk of hypertension than “seldom” and “never” nappers, along with a 24 percent higher stroke risk.

What’s notable is that the risk was even higher for younger survey participants. Those below age 60 had a hypertension risk of 20 percent, compared to 10 percent for those over 60.

Peak BP Platinum^™

Clinically-Tested Nutritients that Support Arterial Health and Blood Pressure!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

Improving sleep quality may help

Rather than one causing the other, naps and hypertension might both be symptoms of the same underlying problem.

According to clinical psychologist and sleep expert Dr. Michael Grandner of the University of Arizona, taking more naps seems to reflect an increased risk for problems with heart health that may be connected to overall sleep habits.

“Although taking a nap itself is not harmful, many people who take naps may do so because of poor sleep at night. Poor sleep at night is associated with poorer health, and naps are not enough to make up for that,” he says.

In other words, frequent daytime napping may be a sign that you’re not sleeping well throughout the night, and that you’re trying, unsuccessfully, to make up for it with a lot of daytime napping.

If sleep apnea is the reason, that’s a danger that certainly needs to be addressed.

Peak BP Platinum^™

We eat right and exercise to help maintain our blood pressure levels within a normal range. Sometimes it still just isn’t enough. But there are clinically-tested nutritional ingredients that support arterial health to help keep blood pressure levels… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

What does this mean for you?

Again, although no causal relationship was discovered between napping and either hypertension or stroke and heart disease, it’s worth taking a look at your sleep patterns, especially if they’re giving you trouble.

Just listen to what the researchers had to say.

“Our study, along with previous clinical studies, suggests that further examination of the mechanistic basis of the association between a healthy sleep pattern, including daytime napping, and cardiovascular disease is necessary.”

In other words, it’s worth taking these findings seriously and using them to protect your health.

One other finding from this study is that if you’re napping more than you used to, that could be a cause for concern.

Here’s what the study had to say:

“Increased nap frequency, reported by around a quarter of the participants, is also a cause for concern. Increasing napping frequency by just one category on the survey – for example, from never to sometimes — increased the risk of hypertension by 40 percent.”

It’s important to note that another study found that daytime sleepiness affected a key marker of aging, the telomeres. Telomeres are “caps” on the end of each DNA strand that protect the chromosomes, and are key to the body’s aging process. As people get older, their telomeres naturally get shorter, which exposes your chromosomes to more damage and can lead to the development of life-threatening health issues.

If you find yourself drowsier during the day than you used to be, make sure you’re keeping up with your regular checkups so your doctor can be sure nothing’s going on with your heart health he’s not already aware of.

It may also be time to take a look at how you can get a better night’s sleep.

Create a bedtime routine that will help you sleep like a toddler, and also…

• Get in some light physical activity every day: walking, yoga or golf are good examples. Just don’t exercise within two hours of bedtime. It can have the opposite effect and make it hard to fall asleep.
• Use essential oils to help you relax and get to sleep.

Sources:

Frequent Napping Could Be a Warning Sign of Serious Health Risks, Scientists Say — Science Alert

Association of Nap Frequency With Hypertension or Ischemic Stroke Supported by Prospective Cohort Data and Mendelian Randomization in Predominantly Middle-Aged European Subjects — Hypertension

Long naps may be bad for health — Eureka Alert

The post When frequent napping may be a stroke warning appeared first on Easy Health Options®.

I’ve settled on 7 ½ hours as my perfect number. I go to bed at about the same time each night and wake up at 5 am every morning. In fact, I tend to avoid evening events or other things that will disrupt this routine.

It’s really working for me.

And apparently, I’ve hit on something, because there’s new research showing that I’m pretty darn close to the amount of sleep I should be getting to preserve my mental faculties and to keep functioning well as I age.

Peak PS^™

It’s a mouthful, but Phosphatidylserine, or PS for short, is a nootropic that promotes brain health, memory, clarity, reasoning and comprehension. This nutrient is a key building block for the cells in your brain, that scientific literature has shown can… MORE⟩⟩

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

The perfect amount of sleep

A new study has concluded that, in order to optimize their mental health, cognitive performance, and overall wellbeing, people from their late thirties to early seventies should be aiming for seven hours of sleep a night.

Scientists from the UK and China examined data from nearly half a million adults aged 38 to 73. These subjects were drawn from the UK Biobank, a large-scale biomedical database and research resource.

Study participants were asked about their sleeping patterns and mental health and wellbeing. They also took part in a series of cognitive tests. Brain imaging and genetic data were available for about 40,000 of the subjects.

The conclusions reached are reminiscent of the story of “Goldilocks and the Three Bears.”

Those who had too little sleep (fewer than seven hours) had lower scores in areas of cognitive function including processing speed, visual attention, memory and problem-solving skills. These subjects also reported more symptoms of anxiety and depression.

But too much sleep — some people reported up to 12-13 hours a day — had the very same effect.

Why seven hours works

One possible reason for the association between insufficient or excessive sleep and cognitive decline may be the disruption of deep (slow-wave) sleep. It’s during this phase of sleep that “washes” the brain clean of toxins, including the amyloid plaques of Alzheimer’s disease.

Also, disruption of deep sleep is associated with tau “tangles” in the brain that are present in other forms of dementia.

The researchers also found that sleep duration of less than or greater than seven hours was linked to differences in structure in the brain regions responsible for cognitive processing and memory.

Peak PS^™

Support Stong Cognition with One of the Most Tested Nutrients for Brain Health and Memory!

Buy Now!

⟨www.PeakNatural.com⟩

«SPONSORED»

How to get seven good hours of sleep

Research shows that poor sleep is strongly linked to a negative outlook on aging, which in turn acts as a self-fulfilling prophecy, and becomes detrimental to future physical health and mental health, paving the way for cognitive decline.

So how do we get enough sleep?

First of all, stay away from sleeping pills!

Instead, try these natural alternatives:

Tryptophan. Try adding some high sleep index foods like turkey, lentils and bananas to your diet.

Vitamin D. You need enough of this vitamin if you’re going to maintain your body’s sleep cycle. Salmon, eggs, dairy products or a good supplement will get you all you need.

Sunlight. Morning sunlight helps reset your body’s sleep clock, and increases the likelihood of a good night’s sleep.

Get moving! Even a brief and easy round of walking each day will positively affect your sleep. But don’t exercise close to bedtime — it can have the opposite effect.

Watch those bedtime snacks! – Avoid alcohol, caffeine, and spicy foods 4-6 hours before bed. Try a light bedtime snack, like warm milk or a banana.

Stop drinking anything at least 2-3 hours before your regular bedtime to avoid being awakened by your bladder.

Remove screens from the bedroom – Exposure to the light of a smartphone, tablet or computer screen in the hours before bedtime can make it much harder to fall and stay asleep.

Sources:

Huge Study Identifies The ‘Optimal’ Amount of Sleep From Middle Age Onwards —Science Alert

Seven hours of sleep is optimal in middle and old age, say researchers — University of Cambridge

The brain structure and genetic mechanisms underlying the nonlinear association between sleep duration, cognition and mental health — Nature Aging

The post Middle-aged+? This is the ‘optimal’ amount of sleep for you appeared first on Easy Health Options®.