Getting to and staying asleep

Tryptophan is a precursor of the sleep-inducing substances serotonin and melatonin. This means tryptophan is the raw material that the brain uses to build these relaxing neurotransmitters. Making more tryptophan available, either by eating foods that contain this substance or by seeing to it that more tryptophan gets to the brain, will help to make you sleepy.

Rich sources of tryptophan, chicken, turkey, oats, dairy, kidney beans, split peas, chick peas, mung beans, bananas, strawberries, avocado, eggs , spirulina.

In the evening eat your tryptophan rich snacks such as banana with 1 teaspoon of peanut butter or 2 oat cakes  topped with a slice turkey breast and some hummusor a few almonds or walnuts.

Do not eat large meals within 2 hours of bedtime and never go to bed hungry.

Avoid before bedtime bacon, cheese, chocolate, eggplant, ham, sugar, sausage, aged meats,cheeses and wine these foods contain tyramine which increase the release of norepinephrine a brain stimulant .

A lack of the nutrients calcium & magnesium can cause you to wake up after a few hours. Even a marginal lack of magnesium can prevent the brain from settling down at night-time. Good sources of magnesium – almonds, cashews, cocoa, cod, lima beans, figs, molasses, parsnips, soy beans, wholegrain cereals, kelp, eggs, seeds. Good sources of calcium- almonds, broccoli, bone meal, buckwheat, dairy products, egg yolk, green leafy vegetables, molasses, sardines, soybeans, turnips.

Get some direct sunlight outdoors for at least 30 mins daily to encourage the production of melatonin even on an overcast day the suns rays will still make their way through.

Drink tart cherry juice (get a good quality one from your health store). About 90 minutes before bedtime, drink an eight ounce serving. This will allow the melatonin a chance to go to work.

Go to bed when you are sleepy don’t stay up just for the sake of it.  

Use your bedroom only for sleep not working, eating or watching TV.

Avoid naps, especially in the afternoon. Power napping may help you get through the day, but if you find that you can't fall asleep at bedtime, eliminating even short catnaps may help.

Keep a regular sleep/wake cycle . Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day Set an alarm clock and get out of bed at the same time every morning no matter how you slept the night before. Once you establish regular patterns you will no longer require the alarm clock Going to bed and waking up at the same times every day helps your body to know when it should get tired

Switch any workout routine to the morning; evening workouts can keep you buzzing into the hours when you ought to be soundly asleep. Avoid working out within 4 hours of heading for bed.

Turn off all electronic devices at least 90 minutes before beg

A cup of Chamomile Tea before bed  Chamomile is rich in flavonoids and one such flavonoid that can promote sleep is apigenin. 

Set a bedtime routine for yourself for example:

A.   Have an Epsom salt bath with a few drops of lavender essential oils while listening to some relaxing music.

B.   Journaling – use this to capture stray thoughts while also getting rid of any random ideas that are in your head onto paper.

C.   Gratitude Log –write 3-5 things that you are grateful for today.

D.  So some meditation, deep abdominal breathing.

E.   Reduce unwanted noise. Turn on a white noise generator or a recording of sounds from nature. The constant, low-level sound drowns out other noises that may prevent you from falling asleep. You could also listen to soft, relaxing music.

F.   Where loose clothing in bed and don’t have the temperature in the room too high. Most people sleep best in a slightly cool room (around 65° F or 18° C) with adequate ventilation. A bedroom that is too hot or too cold can interfere with quality sleep.

G.  Visualizing a peaceful, restful place. Close your eyes and imagine a place or activity that is calming and peaceful for you. Concentrate on how relaxed this place or activity makes you feel.

Some Useful Herbs:

Passion flower is wonderful for those who tend to wake frequently throughout the night. This, too, is safe for children and those with compromised health. Try 30-60 drops of the tincture before bed. If you find that’s not enough, you can take that dose up to 4 times a day.

Hops is a fast-acting nervine and sedative, good for anxiety, hysteria, digestion, and stress-related illness. This herb is completely safe for most of the population (although due to the natural steroids found in hops, pregnant women and children under two years of age should avoid it). Grab a tincture or tea and follow the package directions.

Valerian is really good for a racing, worried mind. Try taking four capsules about an hour or so before bed . This will last you about four hours. If you wake in the night, you can take another four capsules. Valerian is a good sedative, but you won’t have any of the groggy side effects of a regular sedative. A note on valerian: your body can get used to this herb, so after three weeks, switch to one of the other recommended herbs for a couple of weeks and go back to valerian after that.

Theanine does not make you drowsy, sleepy or tired when taken during the day. However, part of preparing your mind to go into deeper sleep is first getting into a more relaxed state, which theanine clearly supports. Once you are relaxed you are more likely to enter brain wave states associated with deeper sleep. Taking theanine during the day may help you be more relaxed when you arrive at bedtime, and taking some before bedtime may also help you to relax so that you find it easier to get to sleep and stay asleep

Bedtime Drink

I love this recipe from Dale Pinnock.

SERVES ONE
1 mug cows’ milk  (or almond or soy milk)
1 chamomile tea bag 
2 teaspoons cocoa powder 
20 drops valerian tincture (you'll find this in your local health food shop)

Pour the milk into a small pan. Add the tea bag and simmer gently for about 8–10 minutes, to make a milky chamomile infusion.

Put the cocoa powder in the mug and mix with a small amount of water to make a thick paste.

Remove the tea bag from the milk, squeezing it to release the last remnants of chamomile infusion. Add the valerian tincture and pour the hot milk into the mug, stirring well to mix it with the cocoa paste. Drink it 10 minutes before you go to bed.

Candida Albicans - a diploid fungus that is always present in the genital and intestinal tracts. Candida levels are kept in check by the immune system and beneficial probiotic bacteria in the body. It only poses a problem if it is present in disproportionate quantities then it can cause an infection. When the candida fungal levels reach high levels, it can turn into a variety of infections including vaginal, penile, thrush, skin or systemic.

A weakened immune system can result in candidia as they are an opportunistic fungus and will take hold when your body is not strong enough to rid itself of it.

Many sufferers of Candidiasis remain undiagnosed by their doctors and unaware of their condition. Unfortunately, many doctors don’t recognize the systemic problems that Candidiasis causes. They only treat the symptoms such as vaginal infection or oral thrush. 

Depending on where the yeast infection outbreak is located, the symptoms can vary. It can be characterized by an array of symptoms such as:

Colitis, headaches, diarrhea, bad breath, mood swings, memory loss, temporary “fuzzy thinking”, prostatitis, canker sores, muscle and joint pain, PMS, burning tongue, extreme fatigue etc., etc. Rectal itching is another symptom. People who have intestinal candidiasis can alternate between being constipated and having diarrhea.

Symptoms will often present worse in damp or mouldy places or after consumption of foods containing sugar and or yeast.

 

Some Useful Supplements and herbs  

Aloe vera juice has been shown to boost the white blood cells ability to kill yeast cells.

Olive leaf extract with oleuropein is a powerful healer of microbial infections.

Grapefruit seed extract – helps rid the body of potentially harmful organisms.

Wild oregano oil is a potent antiseptic useful in killing a range of fungi.

Probiotics  to include Acidophillus, lactobacillus, bifidobacteria and Bio bifidus Fight candidia, helps to enhance cell function and restore balance in favour of the friendly bacteria..

Essential Fatty Acids – Black currant seed oil and flaxseed oil are important in healing candidiasis.

Garlic inhibits infecting organisms and acts as a natural antibiotic and immunostimulant

Turmeric extract is also good for killing off parasites.

Apple Cider Vinger helps to balance the pH level of your body and can prevent harmful pathogens like candidia from growing out of control. A teaspoon in a drop of water taken before each meal can aid digestion and prevent undigested food particles from feeding candidia in the gut.

Coconut oil contains some anti candidia properties fatty acids like caprylic acid and lauric acid are potent and antifungal agents.

 

**Please check with your healthcare provider to ensure that there are no contraindications with any existing medication that you may be on before taking supplements.

 

 

Eat more

Follow a low GL (Glycaemic Load) Diet

During a Candida cleanse, vegetables should be the primary source of nutrition. Eat a rainbow of colour to ensure you are getting all the phytonutrients and nutrients that you require.

Gluten Free grains – brown rice, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, teff, millet and barley.

Good quality lean protein such as chicken, turkey, legumes, good quality seafood etc.

Use herbs and spices such as garlic, ginger, cumin, black pepper, nutmeg, paprika, cayenne and turmeric

Certain herbs help in improving the digestion and can be safely consumed in the form of herbal infusions or teas. You could have chamomile tea, green tea, mint tea or ginger tea.

Eat no more than two portions of low GL fruit per day

Avoid

Do not eat breads containing yeast, biscuits, cakes, and fermented foods, such as soy sauce, vinegar, and pickled foods. Remove mould-containing foods from the diet. This includes aged-cheese, breads, and mushrooms.

Processed, packaged foods should not be eaten during an infection with Candida. These foods are often rich in sugar, yeast, and other substances that can encourage yeast proliferation. Avoid condiments like horseradish, mayonnaise, ketchup and relish due to the high sugar content in them.

Try to avoid anything that is sweet. Stay away from any type of sugar such as honey, fructose, maltose, molasses, syrup, chocolate and fruits. In fact, coffee, tea and alcohol should be avoided when one is following a candida cleanse diet.

Gluten-containing foods include wheat, barley, and rye. This includes products made with these ingredients such as bread and pasta.

 

Note: High levels of mercury in the body can result in candidiasis as mercury salts inhibit the growth of necessary friendly bacteria.

 

When you are on candida cleanse diet, you may sense flu-like symptoms in the first few days. Since the foods in the candida diet are devoid of sugar, the disease-causing fungus or yeast struggle to survive. As a result, they secrete a toxin called mycotoxin. It is due to the secretion of mycotoxin that you get fever and feel weak. You may also experience some weight loss. Such symptoms usually disappear after 10-15 days. If they persist, stop following the candida diet and consult a doctor for necessary evaluation and assistance.

 

The Best Way to Prevent Urinary Tract Infection's (UTI's) is to prevent bacteria from clinging to the lining of the urethra.

If you are prone to UTI's :

• Ensure you drink 100% cranberry juice daily just 1-2 oz per day will do. Don't be fooled by cranberry juice sold in your local supermarkets as these are generally cranberry juice cocktails full of sugar and bacteria loves sugar.
•  
• Drink plenty of water aim for between 8-10 glasses per day this helps to dilute the urine and can help flush out bacteria so it wont get a chance to cause infection.
•  
• Cranberry extract (Vaccinium microcarpon) can help maintain the health of the urinary tract naturally and reliably. Cranberry extract offers a host of antioxidants and nutrients that help fight infections and boost your overall health.
•  
• Probiotic's  to help your guts population of good bacteria which in turn help keep the "bad" bacteria in check and they also support a healthy immune system.
• In more than 80% of cases they are UTI's are caused by the overgrowth of the bacteria Escherichia coli (E.coli) originating from the digestive system or vagina, or more rarely the bloodstream. Infections from the digestive system are more common as the pathogenic bacteria that take a foothold in the gut are able to move easily from the anus to the urethra.
•  
• Don't hold it when you need to urinate! Women are often guilty of trying to finish a task before they go to the bathroom. Holding it when you need to go can help any bacteria that may be present develop into a full-fledged urinary tract infection.
•  
• You've probably heard that you should wipe from front to back after a bowl movement. This is especially important to help prevent bacteria from the anus from entering the vagina or urethra.