Bedtime Snacks that Help You Sleep

It is always good (and healthier) to go for natural sedatives... those containing tryptophan, which is an amino acid component of many plant and animal proteins.

What does tryptophan do?

It is considered to be one of the ingredients necessary for your body to make serotonin, a neurotransmitter known for giving you the feelings of calm and making you sleepy.

Whats the trick here!

Well, you have to combine tryptophan containing foods with ample carbs... for this to work, it first has to make its way to the brain!

On the downside... all amino acids compete for that "transport" to the brain. Insulin is released when you add the carbs, which takes the competing amino acids and incorporates them into muscle, but leaves the tryptophan alone, making its way to the brain, convert to serotonin, and cause sleepiness.

Bedtime snacks that are serotonin-producing should not exceed 200 calories and should be eaten 30 mins before regular bedtime.

Here are a few great ideas/recipes:

For Adults
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*6-8 oz container of non-fat, flavored yogurt topped with 2 tablespoons low-fat granola cereal
*Sliced apple with 1-2 teaspoons natural peanut butter
*3 cups low-fat popcorn – sprinkled with optional 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

For Teens
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*One cup healthy cereal with skim milk
*Low-fat granola bar
*Scoop of vanilla or strawberry low-fat ice cream

For Children
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*1/2 cup low-fat vanilla pudding
*1/2 banana with 1-2 teaspoons peanut butter
*One cup skim milk with a bunch of grapes (or other fruit)


For the original article, click here.

Vitamin D

As received by email (from: Organic Kuwait)

Thanks Jumana

Why Vitamin D Supplements Are NOT the Same as Sunlight?

The assumption that vitamin D supplements will protect you against diseases associated with low vitamin D levels is incorrect, according to Australian researchers. The report found that vitamin D supplements are immunosuppressive and may actually make diseases worse.

Vitamin D Nuclear Receptor (VDR) influences the expression of over 1,000 genes, including those associated with diseases such as cancer and multiple sclerosis. According to the new study, supplemental vitamin D actually blocks VDR activation, which is the opposite effect to that of sunshine.

Instead of positively impacting gene expression, vitamin D supplements appear to suppress your immune system.

Vitamin D deficiency, the researchers pointed out, is likely not a cause of disease but rather is a result of the disease process. And increasing vitamin D intake may make the diseases worse.

The body regulates production of all the vitamin D it needs, the researchers said, and dysregulation of vitamin D by supplementation has been associated with many chronic diseases.

Sources:

Science Daily

BioEssay

LOfat Pizza

Pizza anyone?

Have you tried LOfat pizza(s)?

1. Cheese Pizza

Kcal: 581

Fat: 20 gm

Protein: 36 gm

Carbs: 62 gm

2. Veggie Pizza

Kcal: 690
Fat: 20 gm
Protein: 39 gm
Carbs: 86 gm

What are you waiting for?

Healthy Potato Salad

Ingredients:

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500 gms small potatoes

150 gm plain skimmed yogurt

1 small red onion chopped

1 celery stick chopped into small pieces

5 tablespoons mixed herbs (thyme, dill, parsley, tarragon...etc)

2 tablespoons white vinegar

Recipe:

*******

Heat water in a saucepan and bring to boil

Cool the potatoes until they are tender but also still firm. Let it cool for a bit then cut them into cubes

In a seperate bowl, combine all the remaining ingredients

Add the cubed potatoes to the mixture

Put it in the fridge for an hour or so

Bon Apetit

Symptom Checker

I came across this interesting website called Symptom Checker.
Basically you answer a series of questions to figure out what to do with your symptoms.
I find it very interesting and useful... though it wont make up for an actual doctor's visit.

Organic Kuwait

Organic Kuwait left a comment on our blog and I was curious to visit their blog. It is pretty interesting and very informative.

They write about children's books, natural child care, breastfeeding, yoga, healthy cooking, organic food and more.

They talk about pretty interesting subjects :-) Great effort. Way to Go Organic Kuwait :-)

Take a look at their blog, or visit their official website We Love Kuwait.

Water = Wonder Drug

Clearly, there are so many reason why you have to drink lots of water every single day....

1. Prevent dehydration

2. Pure liquid refreshment

3. Clean your body (detoxifies the liver and kidneys & carries waste out your body)

4. Healing processes

5. Help in digesting and absorbing vitamins and nutrients

6. Reduce headache (and dizziness)

7. Control your weight

8. Keep your skin healthy and glowing

9. It accounts for what makes each of us "human":
a. Blood: 83% water
b. Muscles: 75% water
c. Brain: 74% water
d. Bones: 22% water


A lot of studies showed that a large percentage of people walking around everyday are dehydrated. You might be one of them! All those other drinks we consume daily, such as coffee and tea, prompts the body to lose water, and when you are dehydrated your blood is actually THICKER and thus your body has to work HARD to cause blood circulation.... and also when you are dehydrated, your brain becomes less active and you feel dizzy!

Have you heard about the "8 by 8" rule?
On daily basis, drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water, or ideally half your body weight in ounces of water. To know the recommended water intake do this:
Divide your weight in lbs by two and the resulting number is basically the number of ounces of water you need per day.

If you dont know your weight in lbs, then divide your weight in KG by 30. The resulting number is the number of litres you need per day/

A good start is to measure your daily consumption of water for few days. If you are drinking less than the recommended numbers above try the following:

1. Carry a bottled water with you everywhere. You will find yourself reaching for it when you are thirsty instead of having coffee and tea... or soda!

2. When you plan to sit for a while (at home or in the office) have a glass of water next to you. Drink from that glass as you are doing your own thing. Try to monitor it and look at the time between now and then and have another glass every two hours or so.... some people say when there is a glass of water infront of them that they will drink it automatically without realizing it. This is because your mind knows you are thirsty, even if you don't!

3. Eat water rich foods (cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelons, cranberry juice,....)

4. Some people like to add some "flavor" to their water... thats not a bad idea actually! If it makes the taste better (by adding a tiny bit of fruit juice or add a lemon/lime wedges) than why not. I have also seen some people adding fresh mint leaves. You can also buy bottled flavoured water from your grocery store! You may also want to drink your water with a straw if you dont like the taste of it (it will skip your tongue LOL)


Please try to have all those eight glasses daily... you can divide'em throughout the day; two glasses when you wake up before breakfast, two glasses after your breakfast but before lunch, two between lunch and dinner, and two after dinner and before you sleep! Voila!

Warnings!
There has been considerable scientific debates concering the amount of daily water intake per day. Some people need to avoid drinking excessive amounts of water such as those with heart conditions or high blood pressure.

Also avoid drinking too much water while eating. This is because it causes your stomach to dilute acids which will consequently lead to digestion problems.

Keep in mind... water overdose is possible! Water intoxication can occur when the electrolytes in your body become so diluted, which will cause them problem in keeping the balance of water even in the inside and outside of cells (causing cells to burst).... but dont worry since this is very unlikely to happen.


And then again remember this.... Drinking that full glass of water first thing in the morning will help your body to wake up. So kick-start your day with that glass of water!