The 21st Century Magazine, at South Florida's www.miami-dade-online.com.
Wayne Pickering's Healthy Recipes - food to live by.
For more of Wayne, see his Website or his writings in 21C-Online. Wayne "The Mango Man" Pickering, N.D., Sc.M.
Nutritional Performance Coach + Life Management Consultant , Triathlete + Double Nominee for The Healthy
American Fitness Leader Award, c/o Centre for Nutrition & Life Management, Inc., P.O. Box 26-3030, Daytona
Beach, FL 32126-3030, Phone : 904-441-4487 (800-325-DIET), Fax : 561-382-8487, Pager : 904-820-7259
http://www.wayne-pickering.com Bureau Friendly: http://www.wayne-pickering.com/bureau/ E-mail: mangoman@wayne-pickering.com.
Celebrating 22 years as an Author whose work has transformed people's lives in 36 countries. He's a Florida State Licensed Nutrition
Counselor who is approved for Continuing Education by the Florida and Alabama Boards of Pharmacy. "Give him a Minute, he'll give you
a Lifetime!"
All Recipes and Articles are copyright © 2000…all rights reserved.
We could easily divide our 24 hours into 3 groups of 8 hours. 8 hours
work; 8 hours free time to do as one pleases and 8 hours sleep/rest!
And I say Sleep/Rest, as they are two entirely different entities.
SLEEP is the condition to where consciousness has ceased where as REST
is the period of inactivity where the body regroups some of it's
expended energy and there could be 4 kinds of rest mentioned here.
1) Physical Rest is where we just sit or lay down for a bit to relax.
2) Mental Rest is where we detach the mind from any and all intellectual
activity!
3) Sensory Rest is where we engage in just being quiet without
using our eyes, as we use up a lot of energy with our eyes. We will
always hear things even when we are asleep, but not be conscious of it.
4) Emotional Rest where we withdraw for and interaction in the
ups and down's of life. Basically Rest is the ceasing of all ways of
using up our energy which allows the body to redirect its energy to
restoration.
Now without SLEEP, we would eventually die in misery in a very short
amount of time. Sleep soothes and rests the muscles, nerves and brain
which is one of our best natural rejuvenators. When we sleep it's at
that time we regenerate, repair and prepares us for new activity.
Without Nerve Energy, the Brain and body would be functionless.
Vitality could be defined largely as NERVE ENERGY. This NERVE ENERGY is
to humans what the battery is to the automobile. It's the Spark of our
Existence. It is every bit as important to our health as all the other
things we discussed so far for example, air, water, food, sunshine,
attitude all of which will assist us in staying well for life.
So the real purpose of sleep and rest is to regenerate nerve energy.
There are several ways our body gets its energy, three of which are
REST/SLEEP/ NUTRITION and EXERCISE (Mitochondria)! But let's talk about
the rest/sleep portion of our lives, when we are sleeping, it's during
that time when there are several other things that are going on in the
body that are not nearly as prevalent as when we are awake.
For example the body is repairing cells, digesting and assimilating food
we ate that day! It's healing tissues and organs; making new cells;
replenishing cells with fuel; eliminating wastes to the proper
channels……our muscles tense; our pulse rate, blood pressure, body
temperature all rise and fall; we become sexually aroused; and many
other activities are in place. Only part of the brain is asleep, but
it's at this time when all those other things I just mentioned that are
going on in the body via the nervous system. We all have anywhere from
75-100 trillion cells in our body that is entirely governed and
connected to the brain. So it's at this time the brain gets the most
regeneration of its nerve energy.
One of the reasons why we are having so much stress in our lives is we
are not allowing the body to take care of itself. The rest of our days
depends upon the rest of our nights. By the way, notice how important
sleep/rest really is to the body……if we don't get enough of it, we just
conk out so to speak, the body takes it whether we like it or not. One
of the best forms of torture in concentration camps is keeping people
away by slapping them and throwing water on them until they just crack
and start talking without much conscious effort.
NOW HOW MUCH REST/SLEEP TO WE NEED: Well the bottom line is to sleep
when you're sleepy! Different conditions require different amounts of
sleep to recuperate the energy the body needs and that it just used up.
Here is my feeling about this whole subject, The longer we are awake,
the more energy we use up and the less we sleep, the less energy we
produce/generate!
All cultures take a nap every day. I've been in 23 countries and they
all shut down for a certain amount of time to let the workers take a nap
and play games. When I was in Japan I used to go out with them to do
their exercise routine and bounce the ball around. And they all shut
done for the nap.
In Mexico they call it a Siesta. In the Philippines and Guam and Panama
and well it seems that the US is the only culture who thinks it's a
waste of time. When I was in Japan, talk about the entire Naval Base
shut down. In Aruba, every one of the stores shut down for the Nap Time
in the afternoon and people talk about it with praise.
HERE ARE SOME THINGS TO OBSERVE ABOUT SLEEP AS A WHOLE.
ØØ The more comfortable the body is physically in bed the more favorable
to a deeper the phase of sleep. Sound sleep is the objective.
ØØ The better the blood circulates, the more apt top get a good nights'
sleep and then the great restorative, regenerative and eliminative
powers take over!
ØØ The better ventilation in the room where we sleep the sounder the
sleep.
ØØ The ideal temperature of the air we breathe throughout the night
should be from 65 - 70 degrees.
ØØ Those who eat excessive cooked foods and animal products always
require more sleep as they have more poisons to eliminate from their
bodies.
ØØ Do not drink before going to bed. It wears on your kidneys and other
eliminative organs more than it needs.
ØØ The last meal of the day should be about 4-5 hours before retiring.
ØØ Light interferes with sleep.
ØØ A NAP is usually about an hour or less.
ØØ Foul odors disturb sleep. Pleasant smells in the room from open
windows really add to a deep sleep.
ØØ Comfortable mattresses are best. Not hard surfaces. If that was so
then why don't we just sleep on concrete slabs? We need to have a
comfortable mattress which brings me to:
THE BEST BEDDING TO USE: White linens are best and are the most porous
of all cloth. But they're also very expensive, so the next best is white
COTTON. At all times the best fiber next to your body should be cotton.
It breathes very well because of its porous properties and absorbent
ability. It also has a great heat retention capacity. Outdoor Sleepers
in cooler climates can use wool blankets but should have some cotton
pajamas or underwear next to the skin. Goose down comforters are also
excellent.
NOW ABOUT THE PILLOWS: there are several good pillows. I have one I got
from my Chiropractor and I bought everyone in my family one last year
for Christmas. They cost a little over $100.00, but since I spend 1/3
of my life in bed, I want the best. Now Goose down pillows are also very
good with a cotton covering then of course your cotton pillow case. The
main reason for a pillow is to keep your head comfortable elevated to
allow air to circulate under your head.
NOW ABOUT THE MATTRESS: Obviously the mattress has a lot to do with the
quality of your sleep. We know that the ideal sleeping conditions are
in a relatively weightless condition. But the real thing to be concerned
about selecting a mattress is for maximum comfort and maximum
circulation. Try an ultra soft innerspring mattress with cotton padding
would be ideal for air can circulate through the mattress onto our
bodies furnishing oxygen and removing wastes more efficiently. Now
hammocks are terrific. I can remember when I was in Viet Nam, over 90%
of the time I slept in Hammocks. The mosquitoes were incredible but we
used nets and the Citronella Oil and did very well.
The best, most refreshing time to doze is mid-afternoon. That's when our
circadian rhythms - neural timekeepers in the brain - normally dip and
leave us drowsy. And a short nap sometime between 1 and 4 P.M. is least
likely to keep us from sleeping that night. "Fifteen to 20 minutes is
enough," says Dr. Maas. "We shouldn't nap longer than 30 minutes, or we
go into deep sleep and feel groggy upon rising." Studies also show that
we benefit from an afternoon nap when we're going to be up very late
that night; taking a short snooze six to eight hours before your normal
bedtime can minimize sleepiness and impaired reflexes the next day.
You can often read your child a bedtime story, then doze in his/her bed
while he/she settles down to sleep. It helps to stay conscious through
an episode of ER or some midnight sex." At work, up your productivity
with a power nap: "Substitute a sleep break for a coffee break," Dr.
Maas suggests. "Use the sofa in the staff lounge or close your door and
lay your head on the desk." Bus and train commuters can make a pillow of
a pocketbook and lean against the window (advice best followed if you
have a travel companion who can wake you at your stop).
"At home, nap when the children nap. Or put on their favorite video and
sack out on the sofa next to them," suggests Dr. Maas. My strategy: Take
the kids for a drive until the motion lulls them to sleep, then park the
car and crank back the seat for a snooze. And let your husband drive to
family outings so you can pay off your sleep debt in the passenger seat.
=====================================================
In conclusion: Tips for a Good Night's Sleep
1.Sleep only as much as you need so you will feel refreshed the
following day.
2.Get up at the same time each day seven days a week. Regular wake up
times lead to regular sleep onset times.
3.Add exercise to your daily schedule, It can deepen your sleep.
4.Insulate your room against sound and light.
5.Keep your room temperature moderate. Excessively warm or cold
temperatures can disturb sleep.
6. Consider eating a light snack before bedtime. Both hunger and
excessive fullness can disturb sleep.
7. Avoid excessive liquids in the evening so you do not have to go to
the bathroom in the middle of the night.
8. Avoid caffeinated beverages (tea, coffee, and colas) in the evenings
9. Do not smoke tobacco
10. Avoid alcohol, especially in the evening. Although alcohol may help
you fall asleep more easily, your sleep will be disturbed later by it.
11.Do not get angry or frustrated because you cannot sleep. Get out of
bed, go to a different room and do something different.
12.If you find yourself looking at the clock at night turn it so you
cannot see it or cover it up.
=====================================================
NAPPING
It is important to keep a regular sleep schedule, even on days off and
weekends. However, if you can't get enough sleep or feel drowsy, naps as
short as 20 minutes can be helpful. Naps can maintain or improve
alertness, performance, and mood. Some people feel groggy or sleepier
after a nap. These feelings usually go away within 1-15 minutes, while
the benefits of the nap may last for many hours. The evening or night
worker can take a nap to be refreshed before work.
Studies show that napping at the workplace is especially effective for
workers who need to maintain a high degree of alertness, attention to
detail, and who must make quick decisions. In situations where the
worker is working double shifts or 24-hour shifts, naps at the workplace
are even more important and useful.
It is important to keep a regular sleep schedule, even on days off and
weekends. However, if you can't get enough sleep or feel drowsy, naps as
short as 20 minutes can be helpful. Naps can maintain or improve
alertness, performance, and mood. Some people feel groggy or sleepier
after a nap. These feelings usually go away within 1-15 minutes, while
the benefits of the nap may last for many hours. The evening or night
worker can take a nap to be refreshed before work.
Studies show that napping at the workplace is especially effective for
workers who need to maintain a high degree of alertness, attention to
detail, and who must make quick decisions. In situations where the
worker is working double shifts or 24-hour shifts, naps at the workplace
are even more important and useful.
This was along article, but I wanted to take the confusion out of
napping and sleep and put everything in it's proper perspective for you.
Best to you and I wish you great things.
Wayne "The Mango Man" Pickering
PS I wanted to offer you a wonderful treat. As a professional speaker
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A friend and colleague of mine, Michael Stahl has come up with a new
program that is really something I admire. If you want to truly regain
control of your life and find balance in all areas, check this out.
Click here for something special.
http://www.michaelstahl.com/infinitepossibilities.htm
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