Author: joy

Want a Good Night’s Sleep?

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So blessed am I!  My head hits the pillow, and I’m gone very quickly.  My heart saddens for so many that cannot sleep well.  Years ago, I heard in one of my company trainings (a wellness company) that less than eight hours of sleep was on the top ten list for shortenening life – along with smoking, too much alcohol and the like!  Not much has changed in this area over the years.

For example – it is claimed that interrupted or impaired sleep can:

  • Dramatically weaken your immune system
  • Accelerate tumor growth—tumors grow two to three times faster in laboratory animals with severe sleep dysfunctions
  • Cause a pre-diabetic state, making you feel hungry even if you’ve already eaten, which can wreak havoc on your weight
  • Seriously impair your memory; even a single night of poor sleep—meaning sleeping only 4 to 6 hours—can impact your ability to think clearly the next day
  • Impair your performance on physical or mental tasks, and decrease your problem solving ability

And the list goes on – Impaired sleep can also increase stress-related disorders, including:

  • Heart disease
  • Stomach ulcers
  • Constipation
  • Mood disorders like depression

You’ll find Dr. Mercola’s 33 Secrets to a Good Night’s Sleep at: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/10/02/secrets-to-a-good-night-sleep.aspx

Maybe one of them will help you!  Let me know.  But for now – I need to get to bed…

Do this and you will likely gain 15 pounds in the next year…

Posted on by joy

Another soda attack, but it seems worthy to know.

With the idea that every decision we make either tears down or builds our health – there has been some chatter about High Fructose Corn Syrup that would make you think it is not building.  Here is a quote from Dr. Mercola:

A single can of soda per day can add as much as 15 pounds to your weight over the course of a single year, not to mention increase your risk of diabetes by 85 percent.

Additionally, elevated insulin levels – which soda clearly causes – also underlies nearly every chronic disease known to man, including:

  • Cancer
  • Heart disease
  • Premature aging
  • Arthritis
  • Osteoporosis

From my perspective, there is absolutely NO reason to ever drink soda.

What are you doing to make water more fun to drink these days?

Read the entire aritcle, resources and related links on the subject at:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/01/03/high-fructose-corn-syrup-even-worse-than-weve-been-told.aspx

4 of the Most Dangerous Myths About Washing Your Hands

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Several years ago, I had a friend read the OSHA sheet about Dial pump soap – haven’t wanted to use any of those harsh chemical pump soaps to wash my hands with since.

1.  Hot water is better than cold water for effective handwashing

Scientists have found that various temperatures had “no effect on transient or resident bacterial reduction.” Not only does hot water not show any benefit, but it might increase the “irritant capacity” of some soaps, causing dermatitis.

2. Hand sanitizers kill germs more effectively than soap

Using alcohol-based hand-hygiene products is in general not more effective than washing your hands with plain soap and water.

3.  Frequent handwashing or use of hand sanitizers promotes healthy skin

In fact, contact dermatitis can develop from frequent and repeated use of hand hygiene products, exposure to chemicals and glove use.

4.  Soap with triclosan is an effective antimicrobial for handwashing

A recent study compared an antibacterial soap containing triclosan with a non-antibacterial soap. The results showed that the antibacterial soap did not provide any additional benefit. In addition, concerns have been raised about the use of triclosan because of the potential development of bacterial resistance.

You can see the sources and Dr Mercola’s comments at: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/25/myths-about-hand-hygiene.aspx

This One Activity Will Slash Your Chance of a Cold by 50%…

Posted on by joy

A quote from Dr. Mercola:

…one study found that people who exercised regularly (five or more days a week) cut their risk of having a cold by close to 50 percent. Exercise likely cuts your risk of colds so significantly because it triggers a rise in immune system cells that can attack any potential invaders.

This is an addition to the previous post on ways to fight a cold.  The list in this article, to build your immune system includes:

  1. Optimize your vitamin D levels
  2. Avoid sugar and grains
  3. Get proper rest
  4. Effectively address emotional stressors
  5. Regular exercise

Read the whole article at www.mercola.com:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/12/22/alternative-cold-remedies.aspx

35 years of reading and study makes me boldly say: this list will help prevent a lot of things – not just a cold.  Building your immune system is the key!

Hoping to enhance your life,

Joy

Simple, Inexpensive Tricks to Cure a Cold

Posted on by joy

How Do You Catch a Cold?
The most common way cold viruses are spread is not from being around coughing or sneezing, or walking barefoot in the rain, but rather from hand-to-hand contact. For instance, someone with a cold blows their nose then shakes your hand or touches surfaces that you also touch.

Cold viruses can live on pens, computer keyboards, coffee mugs and other objects for hours, so it’s easy to come into contact with such viruses during daily life.

However, the key to remember is that just being exposed to a cold virus does not have to mean that you’ll catch a cold. If your immune system is operating at its peak, it should actually be quite easy for you to fend off the virus without ever getting sick.

If your immune system is impaired, on the other hand, it’s akin to having an open-door policy for viruses; they’ll easily take hold in your body. So the simple and short answer is, you catch a cold due to impairment in your immune system. There are many ways this can result, but the more common contributing factors are:

1.Eating too much sugar and too many grains
2.Not getting enough rest
3.Using insufficient strategies to address emotional stressors in your life
4.Vitamin D deficiency, as discussed below
5.Any combination of the above

Complete article and more helpful information:  www.mercola.com: How Long Do Colds Last | Strategies for Prevention and Treatment