Getting a good night’s sleep is one of the most important ingredients for long term health and well being as well as one of the most significant aspects of workout recovery. Sleep is as equal to overall health and well-being as a healthy diet and sufficient exercise. Lack of sleep increases the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke and hardening of the arteries. Here are eight tips for a good night’s rest.

Cut out caffeine late in the day. The stimulating effects of caffeine last for up to eight hours. After lunch try decaf or herbal teas and avoid caffeinated drinks such as sodas and even hot chocolate. In general, avoid drinking at least an hour before bed time to avoid midnight runs to the bathroom.

Don’t eat late at night.  Late night eating leads to indigestion and interrupted sleep. However, some say a late night snack rich in tryptophan, such as turkey, yogurt or even ice cream, taken at least an hour before bed helps produce serotonin, a natural sedative.

Keep a regular sleep schedule. Going to bed and getting up at the same time, and avoiding excessive day time napping, will improve your sleep quality.

Find the best sleeping position that allows your muscles to fully relax. Sleeping on your back is the most stable position for your spine and placing a pillow under your legs can reduce lower back stress. If lying on your side use a supporting pillow between your legs and/or raise the top leg towards your chest to form a 90 degree support for the lower back.

Don’t sleep too hot or cold. Dress, or undress, appropriately for comfort.

Beware of pillows that are too high or too low, too soft or too hard. Your head and neck should be straight, neither propped up nor tilted down.

Keep your room dark and quiet. Thick curtains and earplugs can help, as does turning off all electronic devices. Use eye covers if necessary.

If all else fails use a natural, non-habit forming herbal sleep aid such as valerian.

As you become more aware and sensitized to your body all sorts of previously overlooked bodily issues and imperfections begin to take on a far greater significance. Intestinal bloating causes discomfort as well as ruining your waist line. Here are some of the causes and cures:

A sudden increase in fiber-rich foods to your diet can overload the digestive system leading to cramps, diarrhea and bloating.

Slowing down your fiber increase should help reduce bloating while you gradually work towards your calorie intake goal .

Carbonated drinks such as sodas – including diet soda – often cause bloating as well as adding extra calories to your diet.

Artificial sweeteners are another bloating culprit.

Any sweet tasting products referred to as ‘low carb’ are likely to contain them.

Cures include the following:

Eating more potassium rich foods such as bananas, cantaloupe, mangoes, spinach, tomatoes, beans, fish, nuts and yogurt will help restore the sodium/potassium balance in your body. When your sodium/potassium balance is out bloating can occur.
Parsley is a good source of vitamins and iron, as well as being a natural diuretic which will help alleviate bloating.
Finally, there’s regular exercise, which anyway should be a well established part of your health regime. This will help reduce water retention and salt through sweating. A 30-60 minute session can help cure bloating.

Achieving our goals in life often creates both internal and external conflicts. The pressures to give up and or compromise can become so pervasive we simply surrender rather than take up the fight. Work schedules, family responsibilities, even friendships and social obligations can all get in the way if we let them. Achieving our goals also means making choices and for this you need a clear mind and energized body.

Knowing and doing: The first step is understanding the difference between dwelling on the problems and acting to achieve our goals whether in becoming healthier and fitter or winning the next London marathon or cycling around the world. To gain greater belief in yourself and your goals keep notes of the ideas or quotes that inspire you. Collect images and photos that encourage you in your chosen endeavour. This will increase your determination and energy.

Eat right: Regardless of your goals a balanced diet is fundamental to an energized body and mind. Body builders need to know their precise energy needs in terms of protein, carbohydrates and fats as well as vitamins and minerals.

Get enough rest: Getting sufficient sleep allows you to recuperate. In conjunction with a balanced diet this will provide the foundation for greater energy and productivity.

Record progress: Emphasize the positive in either a notebook or online recording your progress and thus increasing your confidence.

Breathe deeply: Don’t forget or take for granted this most basic physical necessity. Most of us have actually forgotten how to breathe naturally. Natural breathing means using the diaphragm. When we only breathe shallow breaths we use only a third of the diaphragm and do not fill our lungs to their full capacity thus harbouring various toxins and impurities. The diaphragm is especially significant for body builders as it is the most important muscle for lifting weights.

Mind, body, spirit: Get in touch with all three to maximize your energy levels. There are many options such as Yoga, Tai Chi, Qi Gong and Reiki.

High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a rising problem that really needs addressing. It occurs when blood is restricted as it moves through your veins and arteries thus causing higher pressure than normal. It damages blood vessels, which increases the risk of stroke, kidney failure, heart disease and attack. It is also hereditary. However, the good news is most of the risks can be avoided, or ameliorated by adopting a healthy lifestyle and diet. Here are five steps to avoid high blood pressure:

Quit smoking now! If you can only do your heart one favour, this is it. Nicotine narrows the blood vessels and hardens the arteries, which increases pressure on the heart to pump blood.

Get rid of extra weight: Obesity causes hormonal changes linked to high blood pressure.

Exercise regularly: Frequent, moderate exercise is better than infrequent and overly strenuous exercise. Maintain a regular exercise schedule of at least one hour three times a week.

Maintain a healthy diet: based on whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables with low fat dairy products and less red meat. Also try to reduce your salt (sodium) intake along with reductions in alcohol and caffeine. All of these have significant influence on blood pressure.

Reduce stress and learn to relax: Anxiety and stress can cause blood pressure to rise. Breathe deeply, take a walk, do some yoga or talk to your cat or goldfish.

Like them or not, goals are what bring results. Without them you simply don’t know where you’re heading, somewhat like going on a journey without a map. Here are five goals that can be applied to any fitness regime.

Drink more water: You’ve heard it before, but how many follow this advice? Water is the most concentrated element in the human body and even small decreases in hydration will affect your health and how soon you recover from a workout. Substitutes such as sodas and fruit juices won’t provide as much hydration as plain old H2O.

Rest: Working harder and pushing the body beyond its limits won’t make you any stronger unless you get sufficient rest and recovery time. Without rest you’re breaking down muscle tissue rather than building it up and also setting yourself up for future health problems. Listen to your body and learn when to back off. Take at least one rest day per week.

A focused mind: During a workout you should be focused on how your body is working and which muscles are being used. Concentrating mentally on the target muscles will increase the likelihood of them being worked and minimalize the use of ‘helper’ muscles, thus gaining the maximum benefit and avoiding injury.

Overall health goals: To keep your motivation going you need to have an overall concept of, and commitment to, the benefits of a healthier lifestyle. Working out in the gym is just one aspect of improving your health and without a broader concept you may lose interest. A healthy diet and overall lifestyle is just as important as regular workouts.

Try a new activity every month: Don’t get stuck in a rut just because it feels comfortable. That leads to boredom and ultimately a decline in interest. Try one new activity each month or take up a new sport. Different activities work different muscles and this will improve your overall training results.

Tendon trouble is common amongst those who push their physical limits – especially weight lifters. Shoulders are one of the more vulnerable areas of the body; however, anyone involved in strenuous exercise, workouts and sports is liable to strain or damage their tendons.
Taking anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, advil and aspirin is only a short- term solution and if used extensively can lead to other health problems particularly of the digestive system.

Tendon trouble comes in two main forms: tendonitis and tendonosis and can involve partial or complete tears, subluxation and dislocation or entrapment. It’s important to know which you have as the treatment and prognosis vary significantly. Therefore, getting a proper diagnosis is critical. Of course, doctors, surgeons and even sports medical professionals are often eager to suggest surgery as the only solution. Arthroscopy techniques and procedures are seemingly quite simple and supposedly effective although far from cheap and not always successful. If your problem persists get an MRI scan first before opting for the knife.

Quite likely your tendon problem can be healed by other non-invasive means, especially if the damage is only partial. Surgery should be the last, not the first or by no means the only option.

Tendonosis and tendonitis are quite different conditions. Tendonosis is often mistakenly diagnosed as tendonitis. It is degenerative rather than inflammatory and therefore does not respond well to anti-inflammatory drugs. The treatment differs from tendonitis. Tendonosis takes longer to heal but often responds better to therapeutic exercise including a technique which remodels chronically damaged tissue via eccentric loading. This promises help if your doctor, physio-therapist and personal trainer know what they’re talking about.

Briefly, the treatment determines your most painful movements by warming up slowly with lower weights or therapy bands. It then progresses to faster movements with heavier weights then alternating between sets at higher and lower speeds. There could be better exercise options depending on your particular injury. Check first with those who know.

Shin Splints (Periostitis) is a colloquial name for pain over and inside the front of the lower leg, often accompanied by swelling. There are a number of possible causes for this common sports injury. Most causes are of a biomechanical (abnormal movement patterns) nature which includes over-pronation, or over-supination of the feet. This can be the result of inadequate footwear and running on hard surfaces, or increasing training too quickly as well as decreased flexibility of the ankle joint. If you’ve ever tried running barefoot on a nice sandy beach while on holiday, that’ll do it.

Treatment:

Rest to allow healing
Apply ice or use cold therapy in the early stages to reduce pain and inflammation.
Stretch the muscles of the lower leg as much as possible, particularly the tibialis posterior.
Wear shock absorbing insoles.
While recuperating switch to other non-weight bearing exercise such as swimming, cycling or running in water.
Apply heat after the initial acute stage. Use a heat retainer or shin or calf support before further training. This can reduce the strain on the affected muscles and also retain natural heat causing blood flow to increase and aid healing.
See a sports injury specialist if it recurs.
Prevention: To prevent shin splints recurring the causes must be considered. Using running shoes appropriate to your foot type as well as the activity is important. Runners should not increase their distances so the muscles are not overloaded. Also, try to avoid running on hard pavements: tarmac or grass and even soft sand (not bare foot!) is better to reduce shock. Stretching before and after exercise, plus sports massage can improve flexibility.

Diabetes has become an epidemic in most western – as well as tellingly also westernizing – countries. That should indicate a relationship between lifestyle, diet and the disease. Diabetes develops when the body becomes incapable of regulating glucose metabolism properly. While type 1 and type 2 diabetes have somewhat different origins they both have the same result: a painful, often protracted death. In both cases however, the main causes are poor diet, weight gain as well as a genetic predisposition.

Warning signs include headaches and fatigue, excessive thirst and hunger and increased urination. Bad lifestyle habits include eating junk food, a lack of cardiovascular exercise and not following a regular sleep schedule. Also, blood pressure medication worsens glucose metabolism.

How to avoid diabetes?

Refined carbohydrates such as those found in snack foods and soda/fizzy drinks are one of the main culprits. These concentrated carbohydrates, divorced from the fiber found in whole foods, allow huge quantities to overload the bloodstream and damage the body’s metabolic system. Anyone in a pre-diabetic or diabetic state should consume no more than 100 grams of carbohydrates per day and that should come from natural sources such as nuts (almonds are good for those with poor glucose metabolism) and vegetables – broccoli in particular being recommended. Other appropriate foods include eggs, cottage cheese and fish.  Most packaged foods should be avoided, along with white bread and white rice as well as any artificially sweetened baked goods and salty foods. High fructose corn syrup is a major culprit. Use natural sweeteners such as honey instead.

Regular exercise improves glucose metabolism by reducing insulin resistance and also strengthens the heart. Most diabetics die from heart disease.  Conclusion: Type 2 diabetes – the most common form in adults – can be avoided by following a healthy diet and eating reasonable amounts of whole, nutritious foods and regularly exercising.

If you’re having problems losing weight, especially accumulated fat around your stomach and thighs you need to consider what’s going on beneath the surface: in other words, how well are your intestines and digestive tract functioning?

While our body contains around 100 trillion cells, the digestive system contains almost ten times that amount, including micro-organisms known as intestinal flora which directly affect our appetite and metabolism as a whole by strengthening the immune system and producing hormones and helpful ‘probiotic’ bacteria.

Intestinal health determines the rate at which we absorb fatty acids and carbohydrates and how many calories we store as fat. If you’re having trouble losing weight you need to consider how well your intestines are functioning.
Some of the main causes of intestinal malfunction include:

A lack of fiber

A diet high in wheat

Use of seed oils for cooking

Consistent intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates

All the above make life difficult for your digestive system and often leave you feeling dissatisfied and wanting more. These substances can lead to inflammation and cause damage of the intestinal lining resulting in bloating, congestion and runny nose and joint pain. Seed based cooking oils, environmental toxins and a poor diet can result in what is known as a ‘cytokine response’ and increased cortisol production which are directly linked to lower stomach and thigh fat. Cytokine increases the storage of fat in the body.

So what to do?

Start out by removing the dangers in your diet and make a clean sweep. Cut out all carbohydrates that aren’t either fresh fruits or vegetables (organic if possible) for at least ten days. If you experience an increase in gas that indicates your intestinal flora is adjusting to the increase in fiber.  Avoid all fats other than fish oil and olive oil.  Add some fermented foods such as Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, both of which contain probiotics and digestive enzymes.

One depressing feature of contemporary social trends seems to be the enduring attraction of smoking cigarettes – especially, and ironically, it seems even amongst what might appear to be the brightest and smartest among us. From casual observation neither higher education nor income appears to be any match to the lingering attractions of social smoking.  Maybe they have been watching too many Bogart movies?

So what might turn the tables and remind contemporary would- be Bogarts that the man himself actually died from lung cancer? If body image creates the longing for a cigarette dangling from a cynical lip, maybe body image can provide the antidote. If you want that perfect body, sooner rather than later you’ll have to quit smoking. And here’s why.

• Smokers are generally unaware of what their habit is doing to them. Joining a gym is a realistic first step to increased health and physique awareness.
• A sustained weight training regime gives greater pride in physical appearance and performance and the detrimental effects of tobacco will be more evident. A non- exercising smoker doesn’t have such a bench mark for comparison.
• A greater appreciation of one’s health results in a more logical outlook and possible cessation of smoking.
• During sustained exercise the body’s demand for oxygen increases significantly. A heavy set of ‘squats’ for example, will soon show up the smoker. Smoking slows lung function and reduces lung growth and the tar in cigarettes adds to airway resistance.
• A determining factor that allows one to succeed in body building is being able to complete that all important final ‘rep,’ or extra cardio workout. Smoking significantly reduces the likelihood of achieving either one.