Techniques for Healthy Bones

Women's Health Alert
Dr Nan Fuchs
December 20, 2005

10 MINUTES A DAY TO STRONGER
MUSCLES AND BONE!
Uses the same simple techniques
astronauts do to keep fit in space.

Each year over 300,000 women suffer a hip
fracture brought on by osteoporosis. Within
a year, one in five will die. Fortunately,
brittle bones are an avoidable part of aging.
In fact, you can slow bone deterioration --
and even reverse it if it's already started --
with a remarkable new invention.

http://www.womenshealthletter.com/strongerbones

Sleep Better Without Drugs

Last week, I explained some of the negative side
effects from taking sleeping pills: more falls
and broken bones, failing memory, and feeling
more tired during the day. This week I'd like
to give you a few alternatives to pharmaceuticals.
Let's start by addressing one of the top causes
of sleeplessness: a hormone imbalance.

Your sleep cycles are regulated by a hormone
secreted in the pineal gland called melatonin.
Melatonin production is triggered by an absence
of light. When it gets dark, our bodies produce
melatonin so we can get a good night's sleep.
So if you're having trouble sleeping, the first
thing you should do is to get in the habit of
dimming the lights an hour before you go to bed.
Then keep the lights off while you sleep.

Second, you may need to address age-related
reductions in melatonin. Everything slows down
as we age, including melatonin production. Not
only that, but when we get older, we tend to
produce melatonin too early in the evening.

If you're one of those people who falls asleep
after dinner and wakes up early, unable to go
back to sleep, the chances are good that your
body is producing melatonin too early.

The good news is that this is easy to fix. All
you have to do is take a melatonin supplement an
hour before bed. Start with a dosage of 1 mg.
If that doesn't help you, you can go as high as
3 mgs.

Another thing you should do is avoid starches,
sugary snacks, and alcohol late at night. These
sources of sugar may make you sleepy at first,
but that's because they signal your blood sugar
to drop. Later, low blood sugar may wake you up
and keep you awake.

You can also try some relaxing herbal teas or
supplements. One of the most common herbs used
for sleep is valerian root (Valeriana officinalis).
Its properties include reducing anxiety, inducing
sleep, and having a tranquilizing effect. A placebo
-controlled crossover study found that 400 mg of
valerian extract when taken at bedtime improved
sleep quality and reduced the number of times
people awakened at night. Two other studies, using
400-900 mg, had similar effects. The more valerian
a person took, the better their quality and
duration of sleep.

The downside with valerian is that it gives some
people a morning "hangover" effect. If you have
this problem, you may want to try other herbs such
as hops (Humulus lupulus), Kava (Piper methysticum),
and Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata). Often, two
or more of these herbs are combined into relaxing
herb teas. Try various combinations to find the one
that works best for you.

You can find additional information on insomnia
remedies in the December issue of Women's Health
Letter. If you're a subscriber, you can access this
article on my website, www.womenshealthletter.com.
(If you're not a subscriber and would like to sign
up, you can do so at the website. If you do, my
publisher will send you a free 7-volume health library.)

Your voice of reason in women's health,

Dr. Nan

Attele, A, DDS, et al,"Treatment of insomnia: an alternative
approach", Alternative Med; Review, Vol 5, No 3, 2000.

Leathwood, PD, et al, "Aqueous extract of valerian root
(Valeriana officinalis L) improves sleep quality in man",
Pharmacol Biiochem Behav, 1982.

Lindahl, O, et al, "Double blind study of a valerian
preparation", Pharmacol Biochem Behav, 1989.

Cranton, E, MD, Resetting the Clock, M Evans & Co, 1996

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