Sport Fitness & Physique

I don’t recommend nutritional supplements to correct problems (like insomnia), but rather to correct nutritional deficiencies. Supplements are not a panacea. They are not intended to replace sound nutrition practices. Instead, we wisely use nutritional supplements to ‘supplement’ our nutrition and provide our bodies with what our diet may be lacking.

For instance, in the case of insomnia or poor sleep, the first thing we look for is stress.

Stress can be environmental, emotional or physical and stress is the leading cause of poor sleep habits. We may not believe that we are under stress -but we certainly are. The following are just a few causes of stress that wreak havoc on our bodies, our minds and rob us of much needed sleep.

• Personal relationships
• Family relationships
• Business relationships
• Deadlines, Dates & Commitments (personal, family and business)
• Pollution (smog, exhaust fumes, pesticides, herbicides, perfumes, colognes, etc…)
• Environmental toxins (carpet fibers, textiles, fabrics, PCB’s, plastics etc…)
• Radiation (radio waves, microwaves, cell phones, television, power lines, electronic devices, etc…)
• Physical stress (manual labor, domestic work, exercise daily activities)

Somehow have to deal with daily stress and recover.

The best way to recover and rebuild our bodies is through sleep.

But how do we improve our sleep to recover from all this stress?

Here are a few practical ways we can try to control and recover from the daily stress of life:

1. Schedule the majority of stress early in the day and taper your stressful situations down towards the end of the day
2. Include plenty of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables and lean sources of animal protein in your daily diet
3. Schedule breaks and time to pray, meditate, relax and revive yourself throughout the day
4. Take time for physical exercise (the most effective stress reliever of all!)

If insomnia is still an issue after incorporating these stress relieving strategies, we should then correct the specific nutritional deficiencies that are hampering your recovery by wisely supplementing your diet.

In the last installment we discussed the importance of magnesium and how well magnesium aids in sleep.

Another essential mineral that will help improve sleep is calcium.

You are probably aware that calcium is essential for strong bones, strong teeth and a healthy immune system. But did you know that calcium is also essential for sleep?

Calcium works in synergy with magnesium and is one of the most abundant minerals in the body. Calcium deficiency can weaken bones, disrupt heart rhythms, interfere with proper nervous system signaling and will certainly disrupt your sleep.

Most folks believe that bovine mammary product (cow’s milk) is the best source of calcium. However, in my experience, adding dairy products has never improved one’s diet or general health.

The preferred non-bovine sources of calcium include: salmon, almonds, sesame, oranges, figs, quinoa, amaranth, rutabaga, mustard greens, broccoli, spinach, collard greens, bok choy and other green leafy vegetables.

If the diet lacks these essential sources of dietary calcium and poor sleep is still an issue, I would recommend supplementing with a quality calcium supplement.

Look for calcium supplements ending in “ate” -such as calcium carbonate, citrate, gluconate, and chelate.

Calcium phosphate and calcium lactate are more expensive forms of calcium, but they are not absorbed any better than the lesser costing calcium supplements and therefore should be avoided.

Ideally, your calcium supplement should contain or be taken in conjunction with a quality source of vitamin D.

Vitamin D is important is calcium absorption because vitamin D the human body converts vitamin D into a hormone that promotes healthy intestinal proteins that allows calcium absorption.

Next time, we will investigate vitamin D and it’s effect on mood, attitude, cardiovascular health and preventable late-life cognitive diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and dementia.

To Your Good Health!

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