Updates from Sharon Edwards

Your circadian rhythms control many bodily functions.  You are probably most aware of how they affect your sleep cycle and energy levels.  You actually have circadian rhythm genes that produce  your biological timekeeper.  Light has the biggest impact on your rhythms, but things like temperature and exercise play a role too.  Here are some things to know about you and circadian rhythms - your 24 hour internal clock.

Your internal clock may help you to better manage your weight.  Even if you eat the same amount of calories, eating a big breakfast, medium lunch, and small dinner may help you maintain a healthy weight.  Research has also shown that the amount of fat in your meals may not be as great a factor as the size and timing of your meals.  This is because your bioogical clock plays a role in releasing hormones that make you feel hungry and in regulating cholesterol and blood sugar.

Your body temperature is controlled by your cirdadian rhythms.  It is lower when you sleep and higher when you are awake.  This is because your metabolism, that produces heat, is slower at night and higher during your awake times.

Your sleep and awake cycles is the most clear example of your circadian rhythms in action.  If you are like most people, you get sleepy when it gets dark and are ready to get up when it's light.  This is because your body produces the hormone melatonin as it gets dark.  Melatonin helps you fall asleep and stay asleep through the night.  A good night's sleep is critical to your well being.  If you are having problems feeling sleepy, dim the lights about 2 hours before you want to go to bed.

Physical activity during the day will help your body stay in alignment with your normal sleep awake cycle.   Getting some exercise is an important part of maintaining your health.   Exercise can be  taking a walk, gardening, cleaning house, or going to the gym.  Exercising at night is not generally recommended because your body has to work harder to generate and use all that energy.  In addition, your body goes into rest and recovery mode during the evening, which will be delayed if you exercise then.

Traditional Chinese medicine uses the organ body clock to help determine the emotion and organs affected in each two hour window of a 24 hour cycle.   It is based on how your energy moves through your body during a 24 hour cycle.  During the day, energy flows to the organs needed for daily activity such as the lungs, heart, and intestines.  By mid-afternoon, energy starts to move inward so that the the body can heal and cleanse.  You can use the organ body clock to support the organs that are active in each 2 hour window.  Or if you notice you aren't sleeping or are not feeling well the same time everyday, you can look to see what orgran or emotion, may be asking for support.

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Email:  sharonledwards@hotmail.com

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Sleeping with the head of the bead higher than your feet has benefits.   People have been doing this since Egyptian times.  The idea is that you may be able to optimize circulation, brain health, and other bodily functions by sleeping on roughly a 3 - 5% incline.  This means the whole bed needs to be at a slope, not just the top half.  For a standard queen or king bed, this means adding about 6" to the top of the bed.  Here are some things to consider about sleeping on an inclined bed.

Sleeping on an incline may help you get more oxygen to your cells.  This is because it makes it easier for your lungs to exhale.  Studies have been done that have shown this to be true.  And more oxygen to your cells means decreased inflammation.   If you wear a fitness/sleep tracker, you may be able to see if this is true for you.  You may also see the increased quality of your sleep.

Sleeping on an incline may help people who experience heartbun keep their stomach acid in their stomach.  I have known people who eat snacks late at night and can't sleep lying flat without getting heartburn and acid reflux.

Your lymphatic system carries white blood cells throughout your body and helps remove toxins and unhealthy cells from your body.  It does not have it's own pump like the circulatory system,  which has the heart.  Sleeping on an incline allows gravity to move the lymphatic fluid and may benefit your health.

Your glymphatic system flushes toxins our of your brain while you sleep.  That is why you may feel like you can't think clearly if you don't get a good night's sleep.  Sleeping on an incline allows the fluids that remove toxins from your brain to flow more freely. 

When you sleep on a flat surface, your tongue and other obstructions in your throat, may cause snoring and sleep apnea.  Sleeping at an incline may open up your airway and allow for a better night sleep.

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Email:  sharonledwards@hotmail.com

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Sweet potatoes aren't related to regular potatoes or yams.  They are a member of the morning glory family and are root tubers.  Root tubers are the bulb like portion of the root and are used to store nutrients.  They are native to South and Central America and are one of the oldest known foods.  They have been grown in the Americas for millions of years.  There are thousands of different types of sweet potatoes, but grocery stores typically carry only 1 or 2 varieties.  Here is the good news about sweet potatoes.

There are many reasons for you to eat a healthy diet such as maintaining a healthy weight, balanced blood sugar, and stronger immunity.  The foods you eat also affect your skin and it's appearance.  This is because the nutrients in food can help protect your skin, encourage cell turnover, and help create new healthy skin cells.  Here are some of the best foods for healthy skin.

Tea is one of the most widely consumed beverages in the world.  It has been used for thousands of years for it's health benefits.  Teas fall into two broad categories.  Black, white, green, and oolong teas, all come from the Camellia senensis plant.  Herbal teas come from the roots, leaves, and flowers of plants.  You can drink herbal teas for relaxing, staying hudrated, or for their health benefits.  From boosting digestion to soothing the senses, it is a great way to improve your health.  Just don't load your tea up with lots of sugar. Here are some of the benefits of drinking tea.

All teas contain antioxidants.  Green and white teas are well known for the large amount of the plant compound EGCG they contain.  EGCG is a powerful antioxidant and and is one of the reasons green and white teas are considered one of the heathiest drinks.  Although these teas contain caffeine, they contain less than coffee.  You can also get decaffeinated versions of black, green, oolong, and white teas.  Hibiscus tea contains 400% more antioxidants than black and green teas and does not contain caffeine.  Antioxidants help reduce inflammation and reduce the free radical damage that can happen to your cells.

For many people, the ritual of preparing and drinking tea, is relaxing and reduces stress.  Research has been done that shows that drinking tea can lower the levels of cortisol in your body - the stress hormone.  The herb lemon balm has been used for hundreds of years to reduce stress.  It is available in tablets, capsules, creams, and as a tea.  The lavender and chamomile plants are also available as teas that are calming and can improve sleep.

Peppermint tea is the most widely recognized tea for helping to reduce bloating and soothe your stomach.  Lemon balm and ginger are also available as teas and have been used since ancient times for digestive issues.  Fennel and chamomile are two more plants that have been used to calm the stomach, and are available as teas.  In particular, these two plants have studied for their positive impact on ulcers.

Tea has many cardiovasuclar benefits.  It's the plant compuond known as flavanoids, that are beneficial to the heart and blood vessels.  They help reduce inflammation and improve the functioning of the heart and blood vessels.  Tea is also known for it's ability to support healthy cholesterol levels.  Green tea is often recommended because it can lower your risk of heart disease.  It is also known to relax your blood vessels.   Cinammon is a spice that is a powerful antioxidant and an anti-inflammatory.  When added to tea, it can reduce inflammation and reduce your risk of heart disease.

The caffeine and L-theanine in teas made from the Camillia senensis plant,  can help give you mental clarity and focus.  L-theanine is an amino acid found in tea leaves and is not present in coffee.  So even if you don't tolerate caffeine, you'll still get the benefits of L-theanine in decaffeinated green, black, oolong, or white tea.  White tea has the lowest caffeine content of the true teas.  And like the other true teas, it contains L-theanine which will help you with mental clarity and is neuroprotective.  Herbal teas do not contain L-theanine, but peppermint or ginger tea can still help you feel alert and focused.  

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