Blog Post

A good night's sleep

  • By J SULLIVAN
  • 14 Oct, 2016
It's the holy grail of health and on any one night millions of us are searching for it in vain.  
Poor sleep, interrupted sleep, sleep deprivation, trouble getting to sleep are all common problems without one simple answer.
Many people swear by herbal remedies like Valerian root, Lavender, and Hops and it's true that these are all sleep-inducing (workers in the hop fields of Kent in Southern England were famous for falling asleep under the vines.) Yet while such remedies are natural products, and may help us go to sleep, they are really just herbal tranquillisers and can do little to get our bodies to reset themselves to healthy sleep patterns.

Reasons for poor sleep are many and various. Some factors are obvious - anxiety, night shift working, eating late, illness and stress. Some are more complicated, and may be to do with our bodies' Circadian rhythms, the amount of natural light we see each day, and the balance of hormones like Melatonin and Serotonin (which is needed to produce Melatonin). Serotonin is mostly made in our small intestines, which leads to looking at the role of food and digestion in getting a good night's sleep.

All this makes it clear that the reason you don't sleep is unique to you, and  and to make a lasting improvement you need a treatment that is tailored to you individually.
Many of our patients at Beta Health Clinic report that they are getting better sleep and feeling more rested as a result of their holistic treatment here (often even when they came for treatment for a different problem!) From what our patients say,  a good night's sleep can be a happy side effect of treatments like acupuncture, reflexology, homeopathy, cranial osteopathy, and reiki.

These are all therapies we offer in our clinic in central Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. We believe in treating you as a whole person, taking your physical, mental, and emotional health into account. We're open 6 days a week including evenings by appointment, so if you'd like to see if we could help you to a good night's sleep, just get in touch.
Tel: 01442 249080
www.betahealth.co.uk



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By J SULLIVAN 19 Dec, 2018
At this festive time of year, there are many people who feel stressed at the thought of over indulging in rich foods, drink and chocolates. Perhaps they are trying to control their weight or very importantly, control their blood sugars due to concerns with diabetes. What can you do to ensure your blood sugar levels remain as calm as possible, especially if you are going to eat at someone else's home? The key is to control your intake of sugars and carbohydrates, which are just molecular chains of sugars.

Firstly, ensure you have a good breakfast on the big day. Don't skip breakfast thinking that you will eat a lot later, this will only lead to snacking on inappropriate, high carbohydrate foods because you are hungry. A lovely, cheesy omelette or even a treat of bacon, mushrooms and eggs will set you up for your day.

Secondly, think carefully about what you are drinking. Drinks slip down very smoothly, so it's easy to raise your blood sugar levels on drinks alone. Fruit juices, fizzy sweet drinks, beer and wine all raise your blood sugars at an alarming rate, as well as adding to dehydration, which will cause you to reach for more. What drinks are relatively low carb? Well, you will be pleased to hear that spirits, champagne or dry red wine are the best of your choices. Of course water is your great friend, be it in still, fizzy, ice or soda form and can be added to you spirits instead of other high carb mixers. It's a good idea to have a glass of water to hand throughout the day to keep you hydrated. Tea and coffee (without sugar) are fine. 

Christmas dinner is a time for indulgence and of course you don't want to feel left out. That doesn't mean you can't make a few careful choices and do away with the worry. The items that raise your blood sugars are the carbohydrates, so they are the things to control. Potatoes, parsnips, carrots, bread sauce and stuffing are the things to avoid or cut down on. If your joy on Christmas day is a roast potato, then have two small pieces and forgo the other starchy vegetables. Load up on above ground vegetables such as sprouts and the meats or nut roast instead. Cauliflower mash with lashings of butter makes a great alternative to mashed potatoes.

Afterwards you could always skip the Christmas pudding and move on to the cheese board instead (no crackers though). If you feel cheated without pudding, have the thinnest slice possible, with a good cover of double cream to satisfy that craving. 

A great tip is to take dark chocolate, the richer the better, with you. That way if you are tempted by the sweets and candy surrounding you, you can treat yourself without worrying too much. It also stops people from nagging you into indulging because they want to feel you are having a good time.

Wishing you a very happy, healthy festive season. A wise person once said: It's what you eat between New Year and Christmas that makes the difference to your health, rather than Christmas to New Year. If you slip up in the next few weeks, bear that in mind and be kind to yourself.

Christine Gaskill, Hemel Hempstead Ambassador for the Public Health Collaboration
https://phcuk.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/PHC-Sugar-A5-Flyer-Front.pdf
 
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