This post is 3rd in a series (of 3) of informational articles/ books that I've read this summer. Here is the post about "Your Healthy Back." Here is the post about Eating less plastic.
I just finished reading the book called, "Tired of Being Tired." It has a lot of common sense ideas which I've heard a lot the past few years. Take good vitamins. Eat less or no sugar. Eat more fresh fruit and vegetables. Get enough sleep. Drink more water, less coffee, and less alcohol and sugared drinks. Have fun every day. Breathe deeply. Get enough exercise every day (but not too much...)
But the book addresses so much more than just that. It explains the reasoning behind all of those items. It discusses adrenal burnout, which is what makes you feel exhausted when you are stressed out, doing too much and no chance of slowing down anytime soon. I really appreciated the explanations about how sugar/ alcohol/ coffee are stimulants. One of my biggest take-aways from this book is:
DO NOT EAT SUGAR BEFORE BED. "Why?" you may say. Well, there is a myriad of reasons, including that sugar is a stimulant, which can keep you awake. Sugar enters your bloodstream all at once, and then insulin is secreted and stores that sugar away into your cells. Now that there is not enough sugar in your bloodstream, your brain senses that you are in a time of famine and sends a red alert to your adrenals to release adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline releases energy from sugar stored in your liver and muscles and cortisol breaks down your own muscle mass to turn it into sugar. Since excess sugar damages drain and body cells-- as in diabetes-- this influx of sugar into your bloodstream triggers the secretion of insulin, which immediately stores away this new sugar into cells. This process occurs over and over when you eat sugar and other refined carbohydrates. (pg. 187)
If this was not bad enough, eating sugar also causes the insulin/ serotonin vicious cycle that causes cravings. mood swings and depression. It contributes to the fat around your middle. Eating sugar at night also causes acne, extreme fatigue, increased colds and flu, insomnia, irritability, mood swings and PMS, and yeast infections. Serotonin is the "feel-good" neurotransmitter and is made from, among other nutrients, the amino acid tryptophan, found in PROTEIN. So instead of eating sugar (candy, ice cream, chocolate, etc.,) before bed, it is better to eat protein-- turkey, nuts, string or swiss cheese, warmed raw milk, etc., (pg. 188)
When you have a sudden blood sugar crash after eating sugar or simple carbohydrates, it is known as hypoglycemia. (pg. 191) I have definitely felt that way! One time on our honeymoon, we had a light lunch and took a "little nap" before dinner. We woke up at 4:30 a.m. starving. There were no vending machines at our hotel. I had to wait until 6:00 a.m. when the continental breakfast opened. I was shaking because I was so hungry. This is part of the reason that I have carried a granola bar in my purse for a long time.
People learn to overeat carbohydrates, which are often comfort goods such as chips, ice cream, candy, popcorn, and cereal, which are all refined carbohydrates. The book recommends eating six smaller meals/ snacks instead of possibly having hunger or sugar cravings in which you might grab something easy and not very nutritious. It talks about sugar substitutes and recommends never consuming aspartame or saccharin. The sugar alternatives include crystallized raw can juice, stevia, xylitol, sorbitol, and FOS, which is popular in Japan.
The book also discusses caffeine addiction and getting off of caffeine slowly. I don't know about this one. I don't have sugar in my coffee, and I feel like giving up a majority of my sugar is enough for me right now. It is very hard because sugar is EVERYWHERE-- tea, coffees, desserts, ice cream, popsicles, yogurt, syrups, candy, sodas, chocolate, and even in ketchup! We don't drink a lot of soda. When I make tea, it is usually herbal tea. (even iced) I am just going to be more vigilant about checking labels for sugar.
The book discusses sleeping pills, anti-depressants, and other medicines and their effect on the human body. I have decided to try to get off of my sleeping pill first. I have gone down to 1/2 of one and accompanied it with essential oil supplements. The authors recommend a few alternatives to sleeping pills, including melatonin, sleepy time teas, GABA (to be taken with food), valerian root, passionflower, and vitamin B6 among other things. I am willing to try these alternatives. Exercise, music and relaxation techniques all help in going to sleep.
The book includes recipes and meal plans. (The co-author is also the co-author of The Schwarzbein Principle, which is a book that my older brother gave members of my family about 15. years ago.) I hope that maybe straightening out my diet and lessening some stimulants that maybe I'll be able to eat dairy again. The authors talk about your body being in an alkaline or acidic state which is interesting to me. Maybe if I can regulate my systems, it can handle milk and cheese again. That would be nice. I do like cheese and regular yogurt sometimes.
If you are interested in learning more, be sure to find this book at your local library. I have enjoyed it more than I thought I would. It was a good $5.00 find on a quick stop into the health food store!
The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Deuteronomy 26:9
He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey;
1 Corinthians 9:7
Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its grapes? Who tends a flock and does not drink the milk?
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