Over the past few weeks I have had numerous people ask me about sleep and how to get a the perfect quality and quantity. The good news is on Tuesday July 16th at 6:30 PM I will be doing a 45 minute workshop in the office about maximizing your sleep and significantly reducing your risk of chronic diseases. When it comes to sleep there are many hormones that are affected and by not getting good sleep we alter the balance of those hormones:

Serotonin – this is the happy hormone and not enough leads to depression
Insulin – helps body regulate blood sugar and messing with these leads to weight problems and diabetes
Melatonin – this is the sleep hormone and slow this down then you completely throw sleep off
Dopamine – altering with this hormone can lead to ADD and other neurological problems

A major foundational point is understanding that our body follows a natural rhythm and it follows the sun. In hunter and gatherer cultures and in different Blue Zones  these people would fall sleep right when the sun set. They would not be watching TV, playing on an iPad, or playing on the computer once darkness happened. This technology and light induced electronics alters the 4 hormones displayed above and throws us in a state of stress.

On July 16th I will be going through how to make this practical for the 21st century as many of us don’t get off work until it has already been dark for hours.

If we study wild animals many of them do most of their eating and hunting during the summer months as they are storing energy for the cold and short winter months. In my opinion this is why G-d gives us more sun in the summer so we could stay up longer hunting and eating. A fact you should really understand is that we are wild animals and we are part of the Animal Kingdom (remember 8th grad biology?). The sad news is too many of us are living lives of animals that are stuck in captivity and not living out a life of a wild animal.

If you study health differences between animals in captivity verse animals in the wild then you will see quantity of life is significantly decreased and chronic disease rate is super high for captive animals. At our workshop I will be going through how you can prevent many of these disease and reduce your risk by maximizing sleep and getting the right amount.

Most of this boils down to light and understanding how to make this our friend not our foe. For example, if we start our day before the sun rises and stay in well lit rooms once the sun goes down then naturally our body will crave carbohydrates. Physiologically it will do this as explained before because it wants to store up massive energy for the winter months but for many people this leads to overeating and eating food we should not be eating. At the workshop I will explain the best times to eat and what are the best foods to eat before going to sleep.

If you plan on making it please reply to this e-mail or let Samantha know on your next visit.

As we recently enjoyed a beautiful Memorial Day this past weekend it seems the summer sun is upon us and so are the pool, lake, and beach outings. Like many of you, I will be taking advantage of the sun and making sure I max out my vitamin D levels and get that good tan. We all have places we go to where our best thoughts come to us, we feel one with nature, and anything that could possibly fog our mind begins to clear itself. Growing up in Charleston, SC my whole life I always make a point to get to the water as much as possible in the summer as it is my place of peace and serenity.

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a very important article about staying healthy through the summer which should be read before moving on. This article stresses 3 important tips you and your family can take to boost your health this summer.  Also, we will be doing a Whole Foods Shopping Tour on June 4th at 7:00 PM. At this event I will give everyone my best recipes, how to alkalize your body, good breakfast, lunch, and dinner ideas, and other ways you can boost your health this summer. Click Here to Register

A follow-up to that article which many of you have requested is what supplements should you be taking this summer. I will go into this in further detail a the Whole Foods tour but if you look at our glass case you will notice a change in product. As seasons change we will put in the glass case the supplements my family and I take to maintain our health throughout that particular season. So for each season you will notice new products and those would be recommended for that time of year based on what our bodys will need. The following products are what I begin taking the day after Memorial Day until Labor Day.

Let me take a moment to explain the 3 below and if interested please let me know and I will hold them for you so you can pick-up on your next visit. If you buy all 3 together then it will only be $45    instead of $51 separately and please ask Samantha for the “Summer Pack”.

1) Cataplex F –  Over the next 3 months one thing which will be common for some of you is sunburn. When this happens you can create excess vitamin D in the body which means the skin overproduced vitamin D. Excess vitamin D will send too much calcium to the bones and can deplete the calcium available for muscles. This is why many people will notice an increase in cramping and muscle cramps through the summer.

The natural balance to vitamin D is vitamin F.  Vitamin F is the calcium mobilizer that facilitates calcium to be transported to your muscles where it is needed.

Vitamin F will also help reduce sunburn if taken before going out into the sun.

2) USF Ointment – USF ointment can combat dry, scaly, cracked or sensitive skin without the harsh chemicals often found in lotions. This Ointment contains Vitamin F, lanolin, linseed oil and lecithin. If you are out in the sun for too long and get sunburnt then this would be the lotion to put on you or your family’s skin to help the healing process.

“Lanolin is made up of water and fats, making it a natural emollient to damaged skin. Linseed oil provides essential fatty acids required by every living cell to rebuild and produce new cells. Lecithin, a phospholipid, is a major component of cell membranes. The cell membrane acts as a gatekeeper for incoming and outgoing nutrients and wastes, Lecithin helps cells absorb essential fatty acids. These three ingredients supply oil and moisture to support healthy skin cells. The Vitamin F Complex contains important fatty acids that promote healthy skin and hair. The vitamin F Complex also brings needed oxygen and calcium from the blood to also help promote healthy skin. The natural oils in lanolin and linseed oils help to restore elasticity to dry and brittle skin. Lecithin promotes absorption of these precious oils into the cells. As moisture is restored, the tight feeling, itching, and flaking of skin is often significantly relieved.” – USF Ointment Product Detail

3) Tuna Oil – I know each week it feels as if I am promoting this product but it is because I think it THAT important for everyone to take. Every educated healthcare practitioner would tell you how important omega 3 is for your body and the benefits it can create which is why I keep harping on this topic. Too many of you say “I get plenty of omega 3 from the Atlantic salmon I eat”. Unfortunately Atlantic salmon is completely farm raised AND it is VERY difficult to get enough quality omega 3’s from your fish. Also, I know some you take other brands which is completely fine but the only other brand I would recommend is Nordic Naturals. They are another quality brand like Standard Process.

Our diets consist of a high amount omega 6’s which can create inflammation in the body and by balancing it with omega 3 we begin to reduce inflammation. In other countries medical doctors will prescribe fish oil or omega 3 for their client before they put them on drugs.