Sleep – get a good night!
Hello there
Welcome to July’s wellness focus. I hope you find it helpful. The intention within these monthly wellness guides is to gently help you become the best version of yourself step by step. This month we are considering protein, kindness and sleep hygiene.
Protein:
I have spoken about protein before so please check out this article which offers alternatives to animal based protein choices. Within my clinic I am seeing so many clients who are eating way too much protein within their daily food choices. I am sure this is due to the current trends in keto diets and fear of complex carbohydrates but too much protein makes us very acidic at cellular level which is not good for detoxification, kidney health nor long term health. This month ask yourself these questions:
What percentage of your food is protein based. Is it more than 25-30%? If so then reduce it down to a better ratio. Each of your meals should have at least 60% of it filled with vegetables.
Could you swap some of those protein foods to vegetarian options such a sprouting seeds, pulses and legumes?
Do I eat too late and is my meal at the end of the day too heavy in protein? Is it influencing my sleep?
Seeing Goodness within yourself:
Last month we focused on a chant as mindful practice. This month our second card also brings us into mindful practice but from a different angle. This month the guidance offers self reflective practice – how do we speak and look at ourselves? Do you see the goodness within yourself? Do we treat ourselves as we would our friends and family – with kindness and compassion? Whilst most of us acknowledge the good in others somehow many of us find it harder to see the goodness within ourselves. Does this impact your ability to be your best self or even influence your sleep? This month I invite you to read my article and listen to my meditations at Seeing goodness to help change your mind perspective and see yourself in a different light!.
If you don’t have time to read my article then I invite you to try this quick visualisation daily
Spend a moment imagining that you are meeting yourself for the first time. See yourself as a reflection. Smile. Feel your facial muscles change as you offer yourself a welcoming smile. Focus on it and little by little the smile will slowly filter through to your thoughts and feelings. And then you’ll begin to feel good about yourself
Sleep – get a good night!
We all recognise that sleep plays a critical role in hormone health, our mindset, immune function, metabolism, memory, learning, and other vital functions but how often do you track your sleep to find out how it may be impacting on your health?
Download the sleep tracker here
Sleep and pillows-
Most people do not realize that their pillows are one of the reasons why they wake up with sore backs in the morning, back stiffness and pain in the morning. It is important to find a good pillow that provides the correct support.
Neck Pillows
- Provides good neck support. This is good news for those suffering from a stiff neck constantly. Neck pillows help relieve pressure from the neck because it helps align a) your spine and head b) provides traction and support for your neck.
- Prevents or reduces snoring. Neck pillows are one of your best bets to prevent and reduce snoring. Usually, a person snores because the air passages of their throats are blocked. If you use a neck pillow, those blocked air passages will open up and make breathing easier.
- Promotes good posture. A neck pillow aligns the cervical spine so that you will naturally relax your spinal cord and stretch the neck into its proper position.
- Enhances blood circulation. Neck pillows help the body to become naturally aligned.
So how else can you improve your sleep? Poor sleep is a modern phenomenon with over 50% adults in the UK failing to get enough sleep. Did you know adults need on average of 7 hours sleep a night with additional hours required after long haul flights, long distance travel, illness, infection, surgery, stress and exposure to the cold. Insomnia is classified as receiving less than 4 hours sleep for more than 3 nights per week. The impact of sleep disorders, including insomnia or poor quality sleep affects many people on a day to day basis leading to reduced cognitive function. Common symptoms include impaired reflexes, excessive clumsiness, increased irritability, mood swings, reduced work capacity and poor concentration. We know that the implications of chronically poor sleep are far reaching including the possibility of developing diabetes, heart disease, depression, obesity and even reducing your life span.
Help your sleep:
Enjoy a lighter meal in the evening avoiding very starchy foods (beans, potatoes, pasta) or a meal too protein dense. if you haven’t had time to eat earlier in the evening then don’t go to bed hungry. Opt for a light light snack one hour before bed time – e.g a rice or oat cake with some mashed sardines or peanut butter may help.
Consider how much exercise you do and in what form. Intense exercise has its place but soothing exercise such as yoga or pilates is great in the evening!
Avoid caffeine, carbonated drinks and alcohol as much as possible.
If snoring is an issue for you – then try vagus nerve breathing before bedtime, or investigate sleep apnoea, thyroid irregularities, sinus congestion, food intolerances (such as dairy), your pillow and sleep posture
Avoid sugary food as much as possible – especially before going to bed. It contributes towards blood sugar imbalances (called hypoglycaemia) – this includes waking between 2:00 am-4:00 am and can cause nightmares
Remember smoking and caffeine increases blood pressure which reduces REM sleep.
Remember a quiet time for relaxation, meditation or journaling
Turn your TV, lap top off and avoid all paperwork for at least 30 minutes before going to bed – ideally nothing after 9pm.
Use the bedroom for sleeping not for TV or work and try to keep your phone and fit-bit out of your bedroom!
Ensure that the room is a comfortable temperature – no higher than 65 degrees .
Take a pre-bedtime bath to relax your muscles using Epsom salts. This helps shift the nervous system into the parasympathetic state and shifts your brain into sleep mode.
Drink a cup of herbal tea – Chamomile flowers provide soothing relief for the nervous system.
Oatstraw helps balance. Valerian and hop flowers relax and induce a deep, restful sleep.
Passionflower is believed to bring a sense of calm.
Meditation to help you sleep
Calming the Mind
Lying in a comfortable position. Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. Allow your breath to settle into a slow and natural rhythm. Bring your awareness to your brow centre and picture your mind as a lake. At first, you may see many waves on the surface of your mind-lake. These are your thoughts and current concerns. Now imagine that someone has dropped a large, beautiful diamond into the water. Gently try to see this gemstone shining brightly on the lakebed. If you try to hard you will stir up the waters which will become muddy and you will be unable to see the diamond. So when thoughts interrupt do not drive them way – this only encourages them to return. Try instead to gently focus all your attention on trying to see the diamond. Slow down the flow of your breath and allow it to become smooth. Your mind, which is closely connected to your breath will respond by becoming calmer and any ripples will gradually subside so that you can eventually see the diamond clearly. Holding on to the image of the diamond, notice how stilling your mind and focusing on the gem brings a silent, profound inner calm. Let the image of the diamond fade and allow the silence to envelop you by focusing all your senses on it. Imagine that you can see, smell and touch this silence.
If your enjoyed this article you may be interested in
Hormone balancing recipes for early summer
Mindfulness to support hormones
Hormone MOT & Lifestyle Consultation
Justine Evans is a registered naturopath, nutritional therapist, body worker and healer. Integrating functional medicine with eastern philosophy Justine provides a multi dimensional approach to your hormone health.
Stroud Clinic on Mondays.
On line consultations Tuesday & Thursdays weekly.
Twickenham clinic once a month.
To make an appointment email contact@justineevans.co.uk
Disclaimer: This article has been written for inspiration and education purposes only. It is not intended to treat, diagnose or prevent any disease and it does not replace personalised evaluation, diagnosis, or treatment by your personal qualified health care professional.