Gut Health and fixing your leaky gut is a key component to address when it comes to multiple sclerosis (MS) and any autoimmune disease. Fortunately there is a lot that you can do to keep it healthy.

“All Disease begins in the Gut”  – Hippocrates

In this video presentation on Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Leaky Gut, Palmer Kippola discusses gut health, our microbiome, and leaky gut.

Gut Health MS and Our Microbiome

Gut Health is one of the central factors to health and disease, especially autoimmune diseases such as MS.

“All disease begins in the gut” Hippocrates, father of modern medicine

Important Facts About Your Gut

Your “gut” includes the small and large intestines.  It is like a 25 feet long tube that spread out is 3000 square feet.  There are 100 trillion microbes in your gut, 10x’s the number of cells we have in our body.  Microbiomes help fight pathogens and keeps our immune system in balance.  Most of our immune system resides in our gut.  In fact, about 75% of your immune system is in the lining of your gut.  This linen, only one cell thick, is the interface between the inside world and the outside world.  So maintaining the integrity of your gut helps you maintain the integrity of your immune system.  As MS is an autoimmune condition, to help our immune system we need to focus on the health of the gut.

Apart from its support of the immune system, the microbiome digests dietary fiber.  If we don’t get enough fiber, the microbes will start eating the linen of our gut.  That is how important adequate fiber intake is!  Our ancestors ate many many times more fiber than we do with our modern diets.  They did not have autoimmune conditions. Thus returning to some of their food choices and way of eating would benefit our gut.  If our microbiome is not balanced, our gut is imbalanced.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Leaky Gut

In 2011, Alessio Fasano, a researcher at Harvard University discovered the third factor in the onset and progression of autoimmune disease.  Up to 10% of the cause of autoimmune disorders can be considered genetics. The second factor is environmental (food, infection, hormone imbalance, toxins, and stress). Alessio introduced the third factor –  leaky gut.

The scientific name for leaky gut is hyper intestinal permeability.  Any number of things can cause the linen of our gut to become inflamed and then leaky.  Heavy loads of inflammation will not allow us to take in the nutrients we need and that leads to an imbalanced microbiome.  Gluten, for example, causes some degree of leaky gut.  A person that is healthy and not susceptible to autoimmune disorder might not have any trouble with this.  Someone with MS or other autoimmune disorders must avoid anything that can cause leaky gut.

Anything that causes linen tear or leaky gut will trigger the immune system to attack anything that seems similar to the culprit of the leak thus aggravating, even more, the linen as well as anything in the body that mimics molecularly that culprit.  Myeline sheaths of our nervous system can look suspiciously like gluten.

Restore the Gut and Reverse MS

Thus, according to Alessio Fasano, the way to halt or reverse MS and other autoimmune disorders is to find and remove your environmental triggers and heal your gut.  The implications are well worth making the effort to discover them!

What Harms Your Gut and How to Heal?

The road to health is paved with good intestines.” Sherry Rogers, M.D.

Gluten might not be what effects is harming your gut the most.  You must dig deep and find out what is harming our gut.  Here is a shortlist of the many ways we harm our gut.  All of these, by themselves, can cause leaky gut, including stress.  Be mindful of what you put into your body and mind.

Even if we have decades or a lifetime living this way, we can still flip it around and heal our gut.  First, you must take out what harms your gut.  Then, and only then, begin to add what helps your gut heal.

Paleo template diet seems to have the most research and acceptance in the Functional Medicine community (doing what our ancestors did) but there is no one-size-fits-all.

Creating Health Series

This video is part of our Creating Health Series.  In our series, we hope to cover all aspects that could have influenced the initiation as well as exacerbations and progression of your MS so that you can take back control of your health by addressing the physical and environmental as well as the psychological and social factors.  This video presentation was part of an episode on the effects of the gut on MS.  To learn about how our emotions affect our gut by watching “Minding Your Gut”.

If you enjoyed this video presentation on Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Leaky Gut and would like to receive these videos on healing multiple sclerosis as they are published directly in your inbox each month, please sign up for our newsletter. Don’t be left behind. There is help.

This series is being recorded at the National MS Society Self-Help MS Group in Santa Cruz, CA. The National MS Society respects the rights of people with MS to obtain any and all information they want related to MS, including information on wellness, medical treatments or complementary therapies, and products or services. The information presented at these meetings does not necessarily reflect the views or official position of the Society, nor carry the endorsement or support of the NMSS.

 

 

¿Existe una personalidad de esclerosis múltiple? ¿Una personalidad de EM? ¿Unos comportamientos, actitudes y formas de ser comunes a las personas diagnosticadas con esclerosis multiple?

Tome la prueba de personalidad

¿Qué es personalidad?

Para comenzar esta discusión, primero debemos entender qué es la personalidad. Porque la personalidad no es ser “tal y como soy”. La personalidad son los comportamientos aprendidos y las metas que nos motivaron en la infancia. Y estos comportamientos y metas se volvieron estables con el tiempo.

Y una vez que se llegaron a ser estables, se volvieron inconscientes. Igual que conducir un automóvil. Una vez que uno aprende y lo ha hecho suficientes veces, se puede volver habitual, y se conduce sin mucha conciencia de que se está haciendo. Del mismo modo, aprendemos estos patrones de conducta y se convierten en nuestra respuesta automática a la vida. No es su identidad. Son adaptaciones a los factores estresantes de la niñez.

“Las adaptaciones que le ayudan a sobrevivir el estrés inmediato en la niñez se convierten más tarde en fuentes de patología. Son inconscientes.  Nadie elige comportarse de esta forma”  ~Gabor Maté, “Cuando el cuerpo dice no”

Y a menos que reciba un llamado de atención de algún tipo, como la esclerosis múltiple, continuará respondiendo de esa manera.

¿Existe una personalidad de EM?

¿Hay hábitos, creencias y comportamientos comunes entre las personas diagnosticadas con EM?  Tome la prueba siguiente y luego continúe leyendo o viendo la presentación.

Nota: A medida que tome la prueba, considere cómo era usted antes de empezar a tener los síntomas de EM, ya que hay comportamientos que ya no puede realizar debido a los síntomas (y hay una razón para ello que discutiremos en breve) –

Tome la prueba de personalidad

¿Cómo se forma la personalidad de la esclerosis múltiple en la niñez?

Curiosamente, los rasgos de la personalidad  que más se admiraban y alentaban en la niñez son los que luego se convierten en esclerosis múltiple. ¿Por qué? Porque a medida que se siguen desarrollando y adquieren una importancia increíble en nuestra vida, se vuelven insostenibles. El cuerpo humano no puede mantener esos rasgos casi sobrehumanos.

 

Los rasgos como ser un buen estudiante, la hija favorita o una persona trabajadora o atleta, a medida que continúan motivándonos y su importancia aumenta, se convierten en un esfuerzo interminable por lograr el éxito, destacar y hacer listas. Las cosas siempre se pueden hacer incluso mejor… Hasta preocuparse por otros se convierte en la imposibilidad de decir “no”, incluso cuando estamos exhaustos. Ayudar se convierte en una forma de ser automática, apresurándose a hacerlo en cuanto alguien lo pide, mientras que ser ayudado es inconcebible. ¿Emociones?  Las emociones son para el resto de las personas, ya que desde la niñez hasta la edad adulta hemos aprendido que no está bien sentirlas, por lo tanto las reprimimos.

Estos son algunos ejemplos de cómo se desarrollan algunos de los rasgos de personalidad de la esclerosis múltiple. Todo está bien hasta que estos comportamientos y creencias toman las riendas de nuestras vidas. Debemos desarrollar los recursos para crear equilibrio en nuestros comportamientos.

Crear un equilibrio de la personalidad de esclerosis múltiple mediante la PNL

La programación neurolingüística (PNL) puede ayudar a crear el equilibrio de estos comportamientos que se convirtieron en rasgos de personalidad extremos. No existe un juicio sobre estos comportamientos. Por el contrario, existe una curiosidad sobre qué creó este comportamiento y lo mantuvo por tantos años. La PNL presupone lo siguiente:

“Cada comportamiento es útil en algún contexto.”

“Detrás de cada comportamiento hay una intención positiva.”

Al entender la intención positiva detrás del comportamiento y cuándo es útil, podemos empezar a comprender maneras más saludables de lograr esa intención.

Además, de acuerdo a los presupuestos de la PNL, los síntomas de la EM no son una ‘falla del sistema inmunitario’.

“No existe tal cosa como una falla, solo retroalimentación”

“Los síntomas son un comunicado sobre las medidas necesarias.” 

Los síntomas solo son retroalimentación. El organismo está diciendo: ‘esta forma de comportamiento no es sostenible.’  Está pidiendo que se tomen medidas. Una vez que se tome la medida detrás del síntoma, el síntoma ya no será necesario.

Trabajar a través de la personalidad de EM para sanar de la esclerosis múltiple

“Las personas diagnosticadas con EM tienen patrones de hábitos arraigados de la mente que son específicos a sus síntomas. Cuando esos patrones de hábitos se transforman utilizando una combinación de métodos que (1) ayudan a entender los patrones de los hábitos de una persona y  (2) aportan recursos para modificar esos patrones, los síntomas se reducen y frecuentemente desaparecen.”  – Eva M Clark “The Effectiveness of Hypnotherapy in Treating MS” [La efectividad de la hipnoterapia en la esclerosis múltiple]  

Al trabajar a través de los rasgos de personalidad de la EM que se han convertido en problemas significativos en la edad adulta, podría reducir eficazmente los síntomas de la EM.  Un ejemplo del trabajo que haría usando hipnoterapia médica en el Programa para la curación de la esclerosis múltiple sería:

— Entender la causa y el significado detrás de la EM y cada síntoma específico

— Eliminar el crítico interno y crear el instructor interno.

— Hacer las paces con la perfección.

— Crear un equilibrio y congruencia internos. Librarse de los conflictos.

— Dominar ansiedad.

— Crear límites bien definidos alrededor de otras personas.

— Deshacerse de la creencia “No soy suficientemente bueno / digno” de una vez por todas.

— Satisfacer sus necesidades. Anteponer sus necesidades a ayudar a los demás.

— Comprender y potenciar su relación con control.

— Deshacerse de la culpa y la vergüenza.

— Explorar cualquier obstáculo inconsciente interno para la curación. ¿La EM le está sirviendo más de lo que usted piensa?

— Liberarse del trauma de un diagnóstico negativo y las expectativas de que va a empeorar.

— Crear un futuro gratificante,  imperioso y estimulante.

Rasgos de personalidad saludables

A medida que estos rasgos de personalidad comienzan a transformarse en patrones mentales más saludables, se vuelven sostenibles y gratificantes, y el organismo se ve aliviado de su carga y puede empezar a sanar.

Los resultados de las personas que han trabajado conmigo son testimonio de los increíbles cambios que pueden producirse.

No haga esto solo. Existe ayuda. Su personalidad de EM no es quien usted realmente es; es quien ha aprendido que tenía que ser.

Si desea recibir estos vídeos sobre curación de la esclerosis múltiple todos los meses directamente en su buzón a medida que se publiquen, inscríbase para recibir nuestro boletín.

Most people associate physical therapy with the recovery from an injury or a stroke but what is less known is its use with symptoms of chronic and neurological disease such as the symptoms of MS.  As no two people with multiple sclerosis experience the same set of symptoms, physical therapy for MS does not have a single solution but can tailer and address your particular combination and struggles at all stages of the disease.

In the video of this episode Dr. Poorva Kulkarni, PT DPT MHS explains to us in this episode how physical therapy can help you with your symptoms.

Physical Therapy for MS

Dr. Poorva: Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity to be here. It is heartfelt to hear all your stories and what you guys have been going through. It definitely helps me to be a better physical therapist knowing what struggles you go through. So I hope this will help explain the role of what physical therapy is and when it can help.

No Two MS patients are the same

So, basically what is MS? I’m not going to spend a lot of time on this because a lot of you already know. But what I do want to say is that it affects everyone differently depending on which part of your brain and which nerves are damaged. And thus it will present itself in a different way for each of you. If you do a Google research on MS, it can be overwhelming to see that there are so many symptoms out there. Know you will not experience all of them. Everybody is going to go to a different level of progression and have a different evolution.

The only thing I do want to mention is how physical therapy (PT) can help.

The Role of PT for MS

So when does PT come in? What will help to improve your strength, your endurance, your balance, and decreasing spasticity? Things such as managing it in a better way. For example, having a stretching program will make sure that your spasticity is much more under control and easier deal with it. Another example is coping with fatigue.

Because coping with fatigue is vital. There’s a lot of research out there about fatigue induced weakness. So what if you push yourself to a limit?  It is too much. The next day you’re going to feel it and you’re going to feel that weakness. And so just being aware of your limits, which could change, is important. Knowing your limits and not reaching them.  I always tell my patients to imagine a zero-to-ten scale. Zero being you’re not tired, 10 being you’re very tired. You don’t want to reach ten. You want to keep yourself at a solid five to six range. If you feel like you are do something, pushing it into an eight or nine, you’re going to feel that weakness may be that day or next. And most times, that is not worth it, so always try watching your thresholds.

Apart from stretching and watching your fatigue levels, PT for MS supports you with exercises. It’s hard to generalize what can really benefit as each of you presents symptoms differently. But, some things that help are endurance training, walking, and biking. These are especially good in the morning. If you feel like you know you’re tight and it’s hard for you to get going – the bike definitely helps to relief that muscle tightness that you feel.

As for balance and coordination training, PT works a lot with those issues. If you’re noticing that you have fallen two or three times and are having a little trouble with balance, we can definitely help you with that.

Again, something that I want to stress so much because it is so important is to learn to gauge your fatigue. And I stress this because I know it is hard for you to gauge how much is too much. You need to learn your limits. In physical therapy, I offer my patients an activity log. That way you can plan ahead. Sometimes the log will work and you might have days, that it might not. But even if it works 90% of the time, it’s still a good thing. So if you feel like you have to do A, B, C, and D things, just plan ahead. Plan taking little rest breaks in the middle so you’re not pushing yourself to the limit where you’re going to be so tired the next day.  That has really worked well with patients – having that activity log as a reminder.

Also, split your activities out during the week, or delegate it. Getting an idea of your fatigue is key. It will definitely help. Also, if you go to a gym on your own, just be aware to exercise within that fatigue level too. Have somebody initially give you a guided exercise program so you know your limit and how to progress.

Aquatic exercise is another option of physical therapy for multiple sclerosis. There is new research that shows that pool therapy is really good for patients with MS. It helps to relax the muscles. The biology of the water basically helps you. And it is nice to not be afraid that you’re gonna fall. It’s a good place to stretch out. Also, physical therapy in a pool can put you in positions that would be hard for you to do on the table or a mat.

The thing that you want to remember is you are not going into a heated pool. You want it at 80 degrees, which is a therapeutic temperature that is important with MS. So you want it to be at 80 to 85, a good therapeutic range that relaxes the muscles and makes it easier out. So much more so than on land.

When can Physical Therapy for MS help?

Everyone with MS goes through many different stages and PT can help in all of them. It could be at the time of diagnosis, when you are in remission, and during a relapse or progression. Know that PT can help with MS at each of these stages.

1. At the Time of Diagnosis

So, to begin, at the time of diagnosis, it can help educate you on what is out there. And that is key. It’s definitely scary because it’s new and overwhelming to just have the diagnosis. And if you don’t have enough information, you could be misled, as there is so much out there on the internet. And PT has a treatment for each of the symptoms that present themselves at the onset. The earlier you start, the better you’re able to deal and cope with it. One of the basics, which is most important from the beginning, is teaching you the energy conservation techniques. What I kind of explained to you with making sure that you’re planning your activities, you’re taking rest breaks, etc. And that’s the key. If you start sooner and if you know what this is, it’s easier to get in the routine and help stabilize you.

2. In remission / stability

Then your PT can check up on you at 6 months. You would review your home exercise program. See if everything fine. Is there a change? The idea behind that is that you’re catching the problem before it happens. If you’re kind of slowly noticing that maybe you’re having a little issue with your foot or you’re dragging it, we can work with that. It can be fixed.

Even when you are in a stable phase, you can come in for a tune-up, do a reassessment, and overall see where you are at.

3. During or after a relapse

During a relapse, working on things that are affecting you and getting the treatments to address the symptoms. Is there a need for assistance advice at that point? We are assessing your balance and seeing if that relapse has done anything that might make you more susceptible to falling or things like that.

4. Disease Progression

And then with the progression, if you are in that phase, we might assess if you need a standing frame if it’s hard for you to stand for too long.

We evaluate the need for each stage. Whether we need to use any device just to make sure you’re safer or if we need to brace. Things like that will help you live that much better.

Questions on Using PT for MS

Question: If we did start needing an aid, even temporarily, would we be able to come to you with that aid and you could show us how to use it physically, therapeutically and make sure we’re using it right?

Dr. Poorva: Yeah, totally. Because it’s the technique we use. It could be a walking stick. We assess what might be best for you? It could be a cane or you could do better with a walking stick or a walker if you need to. A physical therapist can show you which device could work best for you at that point. Aids require technique and it can be hard if you haven’t used it.

We have mobility clinics that can help out if you need a wheelchair or things like that. Know that you can get a customized wheelchair if need be, which is way better than getting a rental one which is not your size. You don’t want to get pressure sores. So things like that. So just knowing that you have that source out there too, which is a mobility clinic where they evaluate you, they customize a wheelchair or a standing frame based on you.
There are definitely options out there for you to know that if you are in that phase as well.

And then again managing your symptoms at that point too. If there are things that are getting harder for you, we can definitely address those changes. So some things, when you’re aware of them through the activity log, we can address things like using an ice vest. If you’re a person who gets overheated too much and then your symptoms get really hard to manage, especially with the heatwave that we had, there’s an ice vest that you could get which helps you not get overheated.

Many of the patients will describe tingling or numbness in the hand. And if you’re cooking, you don’t want to cut yourself with a knife. That could happen if you’re not feeling your hand. So there are these weighted spoons would you can get even on Amazon and things like that. The idea with that is that the weight helps you to realize that you have something in your hand so it helps your brain. What we called proprioception. Even with the tremors, it helps. I use weights a lot for patients who don’t know where their feet are. It gives your brain extra feedback. And it will help you not cut to the finger too.

Question: I know the cold season’s coming and I know we’re all basically just like Goldilocks is, we need perfect temperatures. If we are going to exercise outside, should I be wearing like warmer stuff even though I get hot? I guess the temperature thing has been a bit concerned. Should I be going out for long walks? Or should I be going to the pool where it’s warmer, where I can stretch?

Dr. Poorva: Definitely. Again, it depends on every individual, but usually, if you walk in extreme heat, those symptoms trigger. Like you might feel like you’re getting fatigued a lot. So choose the time when you go for walks.

Question:  As I mentioned earlier, my shoulders are really starting to hurt.  It feels like I don’t really even have the strength to build them up at this point. So is that something that you think would be better?

Dr. Poorva: If there is pain, we need to address that pain first. We’d definitely show you some techniques on how to spread and transfer your weight. And then if at that point, if we determine that you are having trouble with your daily activities, I refer you to OT. Occupational therapy can help you learn about the cool devices out there for you. And there are so many now that can make your life easier. We always tag team with other therapists, splitting the sessions so that you get the support you need. You don’t have to be concerned with knowing what kind of physical therapy you need.

Audience member:  We have a real advantage in this community because there aren’t a lot of outpatient neuro PT clinics in the country and she (Dr. Poorva) has a lot of really specific things that will help you adapt and help you. Whatever stage you’re at. I mean you can, it doesn’t really matter whether you’re primary progressive relapsing, remitting or secondary progressive there you can make changes at any stage.

Dr. Poorva: After you have completed your physical therapy, I usually like my patients to go to the classes offered at the clinic. We can always talk about which one you might benefit from.

There are these PEP classes that take place or you could be going off into the community doing senior fitness classes or going into the pool doing one of their programs. The idea behind that is that you’re doing something once a week where you are having somebody there for you. And they can catch things, notice changes, and refer you back to PT. So you can stay in the loop that way. It’s quicker to catch things that way.

Question: Do we need to ask our doctor to refer us? I feel like, every time I go see my doctor, I ask but then they don’t send through a referral.

Dr. Poorva: I would follow up and see if they have. They don’t always call you. Sometimes they say that if they don’t call by such and such date, call them. If they say no, you get back to your doctor and say I didn’t get my referral. Exactly. Yeah, that’s pretty much it. I can also check in our files if your doctor sent us a referral for you.

Member of the audience:  I just wanted to say, I didn’t think I would benefit from physical therapy because I was operating on a basic level, but you showed me stuff that I didn’t even realize! The brain is amazing, and some of the stuff that my body was doing in order to protect me was actually causing me longer-term damage. For instance, I didn’t realize that I wasn’t really looking left and right when I was walking because it made me dizzy. And, and then, getting more confident in being able to look around.  That has helped me feel safer going on walks at night. There was a point there where I was feeling really uncomfortable because I go if you’re coming on my left I was like Zoo Lander…couldn’t turn left!

I’m now a big advocate. Thanks. Thanks to your work. I didn’t realize. I didn’t understand all of the stuff I was doing. Like, I wasn’t even using my knees right. I’ve had these for 32 years! I just didn’t know. It really has helped. And, for example, the pools that they use. Just that light bit of compression that you get from being in the water. Cause I’m always pressing on myself, and the pressure of laying in the pool makes my arms feel so much better. I just didn’t know. The water is amazing, it really is. It definitely helps. So you might not realize that you might be compensating by training your body when you are looking and not turning your head at the onset of that dizziness. PT for MS helps you to learn that. And, Dr. Poorva, you made me sit up straighter!. I’ve been sitting up straight and it makes me look skinny (laugh)!

Dr. Poorva: Thank you.

References

Dr. Poorva Kulkarni, Physical Therapist specialized in neuro, Dominican Hospital Rehabilitation and Therapy Services, Santa Cruz, CA.

Rohrig, mandy. (2018). Physical Therapy in Multiple Sclerosis. National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

Creating Health Series

This video was recorded at the National MS Society Self-Help MS Group in Santa Cruz, CA. It is part of our series “Creating Health in Multiple Sclerosis”. If you would like to receive these videos in your inbox each month, please sign up for our newsletter.  Don’t be left behind. There is help.

 

Achieving Sound Sleep?

Sleep and MS. Adequate sleep is just as essential as proper nutrition and stress management, in maintaining your health. It can cause grumpiness,  increasing the likelihood of accidents, reduce our ablity to function at our best and affect recovery.

According to The National Institutes of Health adults need seven and a half to nine hours of sleep each night, but tend to be shy of that goal. Most time, those diagnosed with MS weren’t heavy sleepers before their diagnosis and struggle to allow themselves this seeming luxury even when they are interested in doing all they can to heal. But sleep is a great starting point on the path to health and necessary for recovery.  Getting by with 6 or 7 hours a night, will not allow you to achieve your full potential and will hinder your body’s ability to self-heal.

Benefits of Adequate Sleep

Sleep is not a luxury but necessary.

• It can help increased efficiency and creative problem solving abilities
• It has anti-aging benefits and affects hormone production
• It reduces sugar cravings and hunger and helps with appetite control (meaning you can lose weight by getting enough sleep).
• It affects immune function
• It reduced the risk of developing diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
• Healing happens when you sleep
• Increased overall life expectancy

Dreaming is Necessary

When we are dreaming (REM), we are actually helping ourselves better cope with life’s stressors. When we dream, our brains release a consoling neurochemical bath that mollifies painful memories and creates a virtual reality space in which the brain melds past and present knowledge, inspiring creativity. Without enough sleep, we might feel incapable of dealing with stressful issues and moody.

Are you Getting Enough Sleep?

If you are not sure if you are getting enough sleep, ask yourself:

1.  After waking up in the morning, could you easily fall back asleep at 10 or 11am?
2.  Can you function without caffeine optimally before noon?
3. If you didn’t set an alarm clock, would you sleep past that time?

Having Trouble Sleeping?

There are many reasons why sleep can be elusive and many ways to address them and get a better night’s sleep.

For example, magnesium calms and relaxes the muscles.  Tryptophan is an amino acid that is a precursor to melatonin and can be found in many foods (see food list below). L-Theanine is another amino acide that stimulates the production of GABA, a neurotransmitter that tells your brain to relax.

Balancing cortisol is important as well. Your stress hormone can get out of whack and disrupt sleep patterns.

Address Your Circadian Rhythms

“Hormones are like a symphony and circadian rhythms are the conductor”

Circadian rhythm allows your body to assign functions based on the time of day (and whether or not you are asleep); for example, prioritizing tissue repair while you are sleeping, and prioritizing the search for food, metabolism, and movement while you are awake.

The circadian clock is set by a variety of external factors, but most importantly by daylight and darkness (also called the light-dark cycle).  In order to have healthy circadian rhythms, your circadian clock needs to be set correctly. Not everyone’s circadian rhythm is the same.  For some, the peak of wakefulness arrives early in the day (morning person~ 40% of the population) and for others the peak of wakefulness arrives later in the morning (night owls! 30% of the population). The remaining 30% fall somewhere in between. Are you working with your natural circadian rhythms or against them?

Adenosine, the Sleep Chemical

Most of us have heard of melatonine, but have you heard of Adenosine? Adenosine is an internal chemical of the body that tells our body’s to sleep. Adenosine builds up continuously throughout the day, increasing the desire to sleep. The more Adenosine, the sleeper we feel. Caffeinated substances block this signal by latching onto the receptor sites meant for Adenosine. Caffeine can continue to affect Adenosine for up to 12 hours.

Alcohol can also effect our sleep. Though it may help put you to sleep initially, it blocks REM (the dreaming state) during the night.

Foods for Better Sleep

There are many foods that can help with sleep. They can provide amino acids, hormones and minerals necessary for our bodies to relax and rest.

• Cherries – dried cherries and tart cherry juice contain melatonin, the hormone that makes you sleepy
• Grass-fed beef, wild game, and turkey are a natural source of tryptophan
• Pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and almonds – a rich source of relaxing magnesium
• Hard boiled eggs – a good source of protein and fats to stabilize blood sugar throughout the night
• Seafood- high in long chain omega 3 fatty acids (DHA and EPA) promote brain health. If you get adequate omega 3’s you secrete less cortisol
• Invest in herbal supplements with sleep-promoting ingredients

Also eating a well-balanced dinner at a reasonable hour, (not too close to bedtime), can help our bodies prepare for rest.

Habits to Help you Snooze

What habits can help you snooze more effectively?

• Get exercise- activity during the day (morning over night time) has been shown to support melatonin production.
• Get natural sunlight- sun exposure promotes melatonin production.
• Blood sugar balance- both cortisol and melatonin are sensitive to swings in blood sugar
• Be social during the day, and relax in the evening.
• Use lavender essential oil in a warm bath or diffuser in your bedroom.
• Make it a rule to avoid screens in the hour before bed, this means computers or tablets, televisions, and cell phones, (blue light).
• Wear an eye mask or get black out curtains to create darkness in a room with light pollution
• Sleep in a cool room- temperature affects your circadian clock (65-68 degrees).
• Start a nightly calming routine with relaxing herb teas – chamomile, lavender, and passionflower are often included in night time tea blends. Reducing stress will help regulate cortisol.
• Take an Epsom salt bath before bedtime.
• Embrace the seasons- it is natural for us to sleep a little more in the winter and less in summertime. Eat seasonally, which will help regulate melatonin and cortisol based on their relationship to insulin.

 

If you’d like to contact Madia Jamgochian and learn more about ingredients that heal, visit her page – www.myhealinghabits.com or her Facebook page : My Healing Habits