How Your Body Rebuilds Muscles During Sleep

Ever tried to go to sleep with a throbbing thigh or a swollen ankle? Muscle strains and sprains are painful, which can make it hard to fall asleep. However, sleeping seems to affect the speed at which your muscles recover. If you want to get back on your feet faster, your best solution may be to go back to bed for a few hours.

Many athletes can’t make time for sleep between a busy training schedule or other responsibilities. However, sleeping less than seven hours per night has been linked to multiple chronic diseases, such as diabetes and depression. In the short term, it can make you irritable and less happy about training. Also, sleep deprivation may impede your ability to recover from injuries.

Of course, if you increase your hours of sleep each night, the improvements in your athletic performance can be immediate and dramatic.

More Sleep, Improved Performance

The benefits of increasing the number of hours that you sleep may extend beyond healing your muscles faster. In one study, a basketball coach added a new requirement to the training regimen - sleep at least 10 hours each night. Well rested basketball players had faster reaction times and reported less fatigue, as expected. More surprising, their shot accuracy improved and those surveyed said that their physical and mental well-being was better after the sleep extension.

Why Sleep Is So Essential

Everyone knows that sleeping makes your muscles feel better after a while, though the feeling of lying in bed may be uncomfortable. However, scientists are now hypothesizing about the chemical processes that occur during sleep. One study suggests that certain chemicals, like growth factor 1, aren’t released as much when you’re sleep deprived. Since these components have a role in regenerating muscles, sleep loss may lead to muscle loss.

So, in addition to eating your protein (which has been demonstrated to help muscle recovery), make time for a few more hours of rest when you’re trying to recover from a hard workout or injury.

How to Rest Better

Aching muscles can keep you awake at night, but they need sleep to recover. You can overcome this situation by focusing on improving your sleep habits and comfort level in bed.

First, keep a consistent bedtime and wake-up time, even on weekends. Your body calibrates its internal clock using many mechanisms, but it likes consistency. If you go to bed at 9 p.m. each night, your body will learn to start releasing sleep hormones, like melatonin, at that time. Even if you’re in pain from a rough workout, the melatonin release will help ease you into slumber.

Second, make sure your bedroom is comfortable. People need different firmness mattresses depending on their body weight and preferred sleeping position. Check mattress reviews to see if your bed is a good fit for the way that you sleep. Another way to make your room more restful is to minimize distracting light and sounds. Blackout curtains and a white noise machine may help.

Lastly, don’t exercise right before bed. In the summer, it can be tempting to wait for the cooldown of the sunset before working out. However, the rush of hormones from exercise can make it difficult to fall asleep afterward. If you must do some activity in the evening, keep it light, like easy yoga or stretching.

These tips should help you get the sleep you need to recover from tough workouts and feel better soon.

Guest Blogger @ SleepHelp.org

The Benefits of Calcium

It is that time of the year again in the Garden State!

Delicious fresh veggies and yummy fruit. And the perfect time for a healthy smoothie too! Today I chose a green one, however, I love the fresh berry ones too. But first, I want to discuss the benefits of calcium in your diet and how to get it with fresh local produce.

Calcium is so important, your body needs calcium to build and maintain strong bones. Your heart muscles and nerves need calcium to function properly too. The exact amount of calcium you need depends on your age and other factors. Growing children and teenagers need more calcium than young adults, while older women need plenty of calcium to prevent osteoporosis and bone loss. People who do not eat enough high-calcium foods should take a calcium supplement, but before you consider a calcium supplement, make sure that you understand how much calcium you actually need, learn the pros and cons of calcium supplements and speak to your physician. This is a great article for more information on calcium from the Mayo Clinic/Calcium

It is best to try to get calcium in the food you eat daily. I personally cannot take a calcium supplement because I find that they bother my stomach, so I make sure to get the daily amount in the food and drinks that I choose. Some of my favorites include edamame, figs, almond butter and fresh fruit sandwiches on organic calcium fortified bread.

Other foods rich in calcium include:

Dairy products such as milk, cheese, and yogurt. If you are lactose intolerant, choose the veggie options.

Leafy, green vegetables, spinach is my favorite, I put spinach in smoothies, salads, soups and omelettes too.

Choose fish with soft bones, such as canned sardines and salmon. Salmon is healthy and easy to buy and prepare.

There are many calcium-enriched foods such as breakfast cereals, fruit juices, orange juice, soy milk, rice drinks and tofu. I buy little edamame packages in the frozen food aisle and defrost them for snacks.

I always feel that greens are a great way to get your daily calcium and help defend those beautiful bones. Here is one of the ways I get my calcium daily, it is so easy to make and take with you in the morning. I use a Nutra-Bullet RX it is affordable and works amazing for smoothies and makes hot soups too.

My Perfect Green Smoothie:
Just place one banana, one cup of low-fat milk or coconut water, 1/4 cup of Greek yogurt, one full cup of kale or spinach and one tablespoon of organic local honey in a blender and mix until it's smooth and you have a very delicious bone defending smoothie. If you like a thicker shake like smoothie just add 1/2 an avocado. Yummy!

Cheers to good health!

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Healthy Bones and Exercise

Healthy Bones and Exercise go hand in hand. Your strength truly comes from within when it come to your bones! Your bones keep you standing tall and moving in proper alignment. Did you know that your bones also store essential minerals and protect your vital organs too? That's right not only do they keep you in motion they keep you safe and protected too!

There are over 10 million people effected by osteoporosis in the United States alone! It is important that you are doing everything possible to keep your bones healthy and strong. The key to healthy bones is prevention.

My number one tip is, weight training! Weight training is not just for toning up your muscles, there is just nothing better than picking up a set of dumb-bells for increasing and maintaining bone density. Strengthening your bones is the best line of defense in the prevention of osteoporosis. With so many trendy fitness programs many people are being drawn to everything BUT weight training, while cardiovascular exercise is healthy for the heart we are talking healthy bones here and weight training is the way to go! If you're not sure how to properly train with weights and dumb-bells consult a personal trainer or fitness specialist. If you have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis and are being treated for it, you can talk to your doctor and physical therapist about exercise and a referral for a certified personal trainer that has experience with this population of clientele. May women who have already been diagnosed with osteoporosis have reported an increase in balance and a reduced fear of falling after starting a weight training program, furthering the benefits with a reduced fall risk. You should aim for 30 minutes of weight training, three times per week. As with any new fitness routine, you should speak to your doctor before starting a new program that requires physical activity, once your doctor clears you, don't wait, get started on the road to healthy bones and exercise for a better lifestyle and a healthier future!

Calcium and Vitamin D play a key role in bone health. Calcium helps build and maintain strong bones while vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium. The added benefit of vitamin D is that it can help some people with depression and mood swings, which is why it is commonly called the "sunshine " vitamin.

For women who are experiencing peri-menopause, menopause and post menopause the bone building process slows down at these stages in life, so talk to your doctor about getting tested for vitamin D levels and supplementation. This stage in life is a celebration not a negative as society likes to make it seem, which makes many women misunderstand the process of menopause. Though the term "menopause" is often used as a blanket statement referring to all the stages of menopausal transition the transition can actually start as early as a women's 30's. I find that educating yourself on this important stage in life along with daily exercise, an organic, whole food, natural diet and a healthy mindset is your best line of defense!

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Reiki For Children

There are many people who believe that Reiki is for adults only. But I can tell you honestly that Reiki is for everyone: infants, toddlers, teenagers, young adults, the elderly, our pets, wildlife and pretty much every living thing on this planet. Children, young adults and animals actually receive Reiki energy better than most because they are not thinking about the outcome and what it really is, they are just receiving all the amazing balanced energy that it provides them during and after the session. The feedback that I have had from children and animals is so innocent, loving, positive and truly heartwarming.

Reiki is a calming practice that can benefit children by promoting relaxation, increased focus and self-confidence. In fact, studies have shown that adding Reiki energy sessions at a young age promotes a healthier way of living throughout their lives. Regular Reiki sessions help children and young adults make better choices and create balance in all areas of their lives.

Many parents are choosing the use and implement Reiki energy sessions to help their children to focus on, address and recover from many issues and stress in their lives.

Our children are dealing with anxieties, fears, peer pressures, sports demand as well as educational standards that are high in today's society, it is a hard way to grow up and often children feel stressed, overwhelmed and often have a short fuse with loved ones and friends. They should have a balanced body, mind and feel more relaxed for taking tests or participating in school or after school activities too. Reiki can help with balancing energy and calming stuck emotions, depression and anxiety.

So many childhood illnesses are on the rise, such as ear and respiratory infections, childhood asthma, stomach issues upset and type 2 adult onset diabetes, back and neck issues from computers and cell phone use and more. Poor diet, increased stress and lack of exercise is also a common problem in children today. Children are living a more sedentary lifestyle due to the increase in technical devices and video games, which keeps them sitting and looking down for long periods of time with less outdoor play and fun. Being outdoors, laughing and having fun is an absolute MUST for the child's spirit! I still get outside, laugh and breath in the fresh air, if I don't, I just do not feel my best!

Reiki has been getting great reviews as an additional treatment of Autism, child disabilities, ADD/ADHD, inattentiveness, irritability, emotional issues, hyperactivity, anger issues and defiance in children. Reiki is balancing, it can be of benefit and can provide soothing moments for parents too, parents often stay in the room and feel the calming effects as well and as a result have scheduled appointments for themselves too.

Reiki treatments are safe and non-invasive. Reiki energy works on all levels of the body, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. The body will use the Reiki energy to find balance within and adjust to the needs of the recipient. Reiki energy will always flow where it is needed most.

The Reiki Practitioner can simply be in the same room with a child without actually touching or even being close to the child. I have often spent the initial time of a Reiki session with a child, playing, talking, coloring just letting the child guide the session until they become more comfortable with me and the Reiki energy in the room. As the energy flows and sessions progress, then changes can be made on how the child receives the Reiki energy.

Some of The Benefits of Reiki for Children Include:

Enhances relaxation and better sleep habits

Decreased symptoms of excitability, fear and depression

Improves concentration and focus

Calms the mind, clears emotional blockages and promotes balance

Enhances self-awareness, self-confidence and successful outcomes

Reduces pain and discomfort of illness and disease

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Reiki Healing Energy

So, what is all the BUZZ about Reiki Healing Energy lately? Everyone is talking about this amazing healing practice, I get it, I am Reiki Master Practitioner who gets to experience this amazing healing, positive energy every day. Reiki is the gift of perfect energetic balance to all living beings. Practicing Reiki supports balance and harmony on all levels. It benefits ALL living beings, people, pets and wildlife too! Healthy or sick, happy or sad, Reiki healing energy helps bring balance and restores the body from the inside out!

Reiki is an ancient Japanese form of healing with energy, it is a powerful healing technique that was developed by Dr. Mikao Usui. Dr. Usui developed these powerful Japanese healing techniques in the late 1800s. Reiki (“RAY-kee”) is a Japanese word meaning “spiritually guided life force energy.”​Reiki can be used to improve and maintain your health. 

Reiki is a great way to reduce stress and improve your overall health and quality of life. Many people use Reiki to reduce stress in their everyday lives and just to relax. Reiki encourages a positive connection between the mind, body and spirit while increasing a calm state and encourages a natural healing process within the body. ​​ There are people who have weekly Reiki treatments for stress reduction and as a form of meditation. Reiki helps balance out the energy (Chi) in our bodies, in turn helping us live a more positive and healthy life.

A positive mind and calm spirit has been proven to help with our focus and memory, allowing the ability to better cope with daily stress which in turn helps us all to maintain increased health, better personal relationships and positive connections in our lives. ​

The benefits of Reiki are endless… Here are just a few of the benefits that you can experience from adding Reiki energy into your life! ​

Reiki embraces the unseen energy that flows through all living things, it restores balance and peace to the body and mind. All living things are made of energy. Reiki creates many beneficial effects including feelings of peace, security and well-being.

Reiki helps to restore order to the body, mind and spirit. It brings about a very deep relaxation, removes energy blockages, detoxifies the body, provides a new vitality in the form of healing universal life energy. Reiki increases the vibrational frequency of the body and chakras in turn helping the body to function at a higher more positive level.

Reiki is not a religious practice but it is spiritual in nature. Reiki is a spiritually guided life-force energy.

Reiki is administered by the Reiki Practitioner laying their hands on or above the recipient during a Reiki treatment.

Reiki is gentle, noninvasive and powerful. Many people and animals experience a feeling of a hot or cold sensation during a treatment. Some experience a feeling of pulsing or a wave like feeling too. This is just the energy flowing where it needs to and working on specific areas that are in need of the energy during the treatment.

Reiki is considered an alternative form of healing that is accepted by many in the medical community including Dr. Oz! Reiki is now being recognized and incorporated as part of therapy in many hospitals and doctor’s offices worldwide.

Reiki can shorten healing time from surgical procedures and illness. Reiki can improve the results of any medical treatment. Reiki actually works in harmony with all kinds of treatments for people and animals too.

Reiki can reduce negative side effects from chemotherapy, surgery, and medical procedures.

Reiki can assist in cutting emotional chords that bind you and may hold you back in life. Many of us live with past regrets, abuse, insecurities and negative emotions that keep us repeating the same patterns in life that do not serve us well. Reiki can help remove those blocks and help you live a more positive, healthy life without all the clutter from the past keeping you from reaching your full potential.

Reiki has also been used to improve healing from emotional trauma, post-traumatic stress and other forms of psychological issues.

Reiki helps to get to the core of an issue, either physical or emotional to eliminate the symptoms. Reiki can assist in healing many physical and emotional symptoms and improve an overall sense of well-being. Our bodies are always healing themselves, Reiki treatment gives a direct energetic intention to the body’s ability to heal itself and be well. Reiki helps the body be aware of the healing process and utilize it to its full potential. As most Eastern medicine systems have proven, energy is everywhere, reacting from the outside and inside of our bodies.

At the end of your Reiki treatment, you will experience a deep relaxation, feel a sense of peace, have relief from pain, feel healthier, emotionally balanced, more vibrant and recharged! You also may sleep better, have a stronger immune system and experience better health and a more positive outlook on life.

The beauty of Reiki is that it is for everyone! It heals infants, toddlers, children, adults, the elderly and our beautiful pets too.

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