Sleep Matters!!

No matter how beautiful the moon is, don’t let it keep you up.  It’s important  to slow down, relax, and get plenty of good sleep every night to achieve optimum health. Why does it matter?  Here are a few good reasons that recent research has found.

Getting enough quality sleep regularly can:

• Help to stabilize your metabolism, reducing the risk of diabetes and obesity
• Lower your risk of high blood pressure and heart disease
• Lessen buildup of the amyloid plaque characteristic of Alzheimer’s disease
• Improve cognitive abilities, as shown on tests
• Improve awareness of social cues
• Improve decision-making skills
• Increase productivity
• Avoid genetic damage resulting from sleep deprivation

You’re not the only one staying up too late…  According to this November 2016 Popular Science article, more than a third of American adults aren't getting enough sleep:
 “LACK OF SLEEP COULD COST AMERICANS $411 BILLION A YEAR

If you don’t snooze, the economy will lose”

Popular Science has a suggestion:

WANTTO FIX YOUR SLEEP SCHEDULE? GO CAMPING THIS WEEKEND. RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT EVEN A WINTER WEEK UNDER THE STARS CAN HELP RESET SLEEP

If you can’t get away for a camping trip, here are a few other helpful recommendations:

Sleep Resources from Arianna Huffington 

and the  Sleep Revolution Manifesto

Check out this video from Mama Natural (6:23 min.) with 10 Tips to Improve Your Sleep, 

Eat better with herbs and spices

When I first started preparing more whole, natural foods, I was afraid that everything was going to be boring without adding pre-seasoned gravy or using prepackaged dressings, pestos, or other jars of this and that.

However, there are many excellent resources proving to me that it IS possible to make simple foods that are completely natural and taste special too! 

Experimenting with herbs and spices can be a fun way to find more healthy foods that you like.

The BBC’s “goodfood” pages also have a lot to say about The Healing Power of Herbs and how to use them.

Top 10 Herbs and Spices – an ABC News video with Diane Henderiks, Chef and Culinary Nutritionist, provides information and tips along with some quick examples. (~ 7 min.)

Learn more about the traditional uses and properties of herbs:

Herbs & Natural Foods for Health