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The Number Two Super Food is Sleep - Yes believe it or not deep sleep is food for the body, as without it no other food will fully work for you. Here's how to get in your 6 hours minimum.

Do you find that you don't sleep well or for long enough? Sleep is in fact the only real way that certain essential areas of the body and brain can repair themselves and therefore sleep deprivation is another form of starving the body and especially the mind hence the term Super food.

Like trying to assess what is missing from your diet the best way to achieve a good sleep is to first look at the symptoms; do you have an aching back, itchy skin, a headache, are you woken by thirst, worry, gassy stomach? Now before you say that there is no obvious reason let's go through a few checkpoints:

Your state of mind
Are you a worrier, about work, money, the kids or your relationships with others?
OK it's 10pm at night can you solve any of these problems right now?
If you can, do it or say a little positive prayer.
If you can't quit worrying right this minute as you will be less able to make rational decisions if you haven't slept well.

Sleeping Area or Room

1. Do you find your bed and pillow comfortable? If not sort it!
2. Do you snore - Ask someone? Do they snore? You or they may need to see a doctor on this one or if it's them you may need to sleep in separate rooms or wear earplugs.
3. Do you wake feeling hot or cold - Maybe the solution is as simple as sleeping in a shirt rather than pyjamas, cotton rather than nylon or even naked.
4. On the subject of clothing and bed sheets if you feel at all itchy or have irritated areas check for bedbugs but it is more likely to be the washing detergent you use so switch to a liquid natural washing solution for both your bed sheets, nightwear and also underwear that you wear all day long
5. Leave a window open for fresh air but make sure you are not in a draft.
6. Make sure the room is really dark or wear an eye mask.
7. You may be dehydrated so keep water by the bed; there is nothing wrong in getting up in the night to go to the bathroom as long as you can go straight back to sleep.
8. You may be one of those people who hates their alarm sound and prime themselves to wake up before it, this is not helpful to deep sleep so tune the radio alarm in to the concert programme or invest in one of those alarm clocks with meditative music options.

Body Aches

1. For body aches and stiff muscles a bath in Epsom Salts is a cheap and effective muscle-relaxant.
2. Try a footbath
3. If a bath is just too much trouble Magnesium powder or capsules really help.

Pre Bedtime Habits.

1. Always clean your teeth, as mouth decay can be quite disturbing to sleep.

Drink Habits

1. Avoid all caffeinated drinks including Hot chocolate after 4pm.
2. Consume no more than 2 units of alcohol after 6pm - 200ml wine, 1 bottle of beer or 2 shots of spirits.
3. Throughout the day get in your 2 litres of water.
4. Make a cup of unsweetened black cherry tea before bed.
5. For a gassy stomach hot water with a squeeze of lemon and a slice or two of ginger infused into it will help tremendously.

Gassy stomach and heartburn

1. For a gassy stomach hot water with a squeeze of lemon and a slice or two of ginger infused into it will help tremendously.
2. You may also need a pro-biotic yoghurt capsule 1x to 2x daily, which will help balance your digestive system and again settle the stomach.

For a restless mind
Try a Valerian capsule before bed.

Eating Habits

1. Eat your evening meal before 7pm.
2. Avoid sugary foods and chocolate after 4pm.
3. Keep your meals simple, not too many ingredients. Eating steamed veggies and protein without the carbohydrates at dinner or eating steamed veggies including carbohydrates without protein has been found conducive to easier digestion and forms less gas. I find this works for me and I alternate which meal combination I have each night making sure I eat protein or carbohydrates earlier in the day depending on which meal combination I had the night before.
4. Avoid bread, pasta, rice, pizza or any flour-based product after 4pm.

Exercise
Just before or after dinner is even better get in 40 minutes of exercise every evening. Doesn't have to be too strenuous, a good walk, yoga stretches, half press-ups, dance session, game of one on one or soccer in the park with the kids.
Before retiring sit on the bed and practise 5 minutes of meditation and breathing techniques. See my second article in this issue to learn these easy techniques.

Professional Help

1. For muscle and back problems see a Chiropractor, Osteopath or Acupuncturist.
2. Get in a regular massage once a fortnight the investment is probably worth it, as your energy levels will increase

If all of the above followed faithfully makes no difference at all then do see your doctor and make sure that if you suffer from a bloated gassy stomach that you do tell them as trying a good anti-acid prescription first is far preferable to heading straight for the sleeping pill one.

Sleep Well Now
Ann  

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Think about this, you can go without food for weeks, but it will only be a few hours before the lack of fluids, which are all generally made-up of 99% water, will kick in - lethargy and a generally dizzy unwell feeling. It’s commonly called dehydration, which any athlete or desert dweller knows, will kill you in just a few days.

Here are just a few of the advantages to drinking water regularly and often:

	Natural weight loss
	natural glowing and clearer skin
	softer, shinier hair
	better digestion
	better concentration
	less painful menstruation
	good regular bowel movements
	more energy
	fewer wrinkles
	less stress
	lower incidence of stress on the joints, ligaments and tendons
	helps prevent body odour while still allowing the body to sweat freely, helping you to stay fit well into old-age.

I could go on and on, water is truly the fountain of youth and most of us don't drink enough of the pure filtered kind, preferring caffeinated and sugar-laden drinks which do not allow the water content to give us it's truly magical benefits.

What to drink

Bottled water is a much better option than tap water, but watch for the sodium content level in the bottled stuff. I am lucky and drink artesian well water at room temperature that I store in glass rather than plastic bottles and use for everything from drinking to cooking water.

When away from home I like using a filtered jug or flask type water bottle with a charcoal filter in it. This is a good option for the classroom or office.

There are, of course, more expensive options such as an under-the-sink filter that filters from the mains, such as Reverse Osmosis. These whole-house filters and distilled water filters are investments worth every penny. This means that you can cook and wash all foods with amazing water.

When to drink

Dehydration causes stress on the body and that stress will cause even more dehydration, so it is better to keep everything buoyant and drink 2.5 litres of good, naturally-cleaned water each day - throughout the day!

It is important to drink little and often to keep hydration topped up every hour. It isn't advisable to drink it all in one go!

It is best to sip water through the day and never drink more than 1 litre per hour. Do not exceed 3 litres in any day.

Here are some more tips on when to drink water to help you get your 6 x 200 ml glasses in each day:

• 2 glasses of water after waking up - helps activate internal organs.
• 1 glass of water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion.
• 1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure.
• 1 glass of water before going to bed - avoids stroke or heart attack.

What else does it do for us and how much water is in our bodies? For answers see the diagram below:


Don’t miss next month’s Tomorrow’s Health & Eco Living magazine where we will highlight the No 2 Super Food in this 10-part series.