better sleep Archives - Amazing Health Advances

New Research: Snooze Alarms Steal Hours of Sleep Each Month

The AHA! Team — Wed, 23 Jul 2025 05:08:24 +0000

Dr. Sanchari Sinha Dutta, Ph.D. via News-Medical – Why do so many people hit snooze? This global smartphone study uncovers surprising patterns and raises questions about how repeated alarms may be impacting our sleep health. Harvard Medical School researchers conducted a study on users of a sleep monitoring smartphone application to explore the prevalence and characteristics of snooze alarm use, a typical but poorly understood human behavior. The findings are published in the journal Scientific Reports. Background Sleep is a complex and dynamic physiological process for maintaining health and well-being. Internal circadian rhythms, together with time spent awake, influence the timing and duration of sleep. However, humans often subdue these biological regulatory processes for personal or professional reasons. The recommended duration of night sleep for adults ranges from 7 to 9 hours. However, over the past several decades, a trend of not meeting this recommendation has been observed in global populations, which may increase the risk of both physical and mental health complications. Although humans naturally wake after sufficient sleep, they often require assistance, such as the use of an alarm clock, to meet a desired wake time under conditions of insufficient sleep duration. The “snooze” function commonly available in alarm clocks is designed to repeatedly alert the sleeper in fixed intervals following the initial alarm. However, according to sleep experts, a sleeper should set an alarm for the last realistic wake time instead of setting a snooze alarm to get as much consolidated, uninterrupted, high-quality sleep as possible. Using a snooze alarm is a typical but poorly understood human behavior. Only a few studies have investigated the health impact of snooze alarms and reported that this practice is associated with short and poor-quality sleep and feelings of drowsiness upon waking. In the current study, researchers analyzed a large dataset to explore the prevalence and characteristics of snooze alarm use across countries, cultures, and climates. Study design The study analyzed a large pool of data from the users of a sleep monitoring smartphone application called “SleepCycle.” The database included six months of data from 21,222 app users and more than 3 million sleep sessions from users across four continents. The dataset included users who elected to use the traditional snooze feature, logged sleep sessions 50% or more of the nights in each month of the monitoring interval, used the app on an iPhone as opposed to an Android device, and consented for their data to be used in research. Study findings The analysis of sleep sessions opted by users at night revealed that more than half (specifically, 55.6%) of sessions end up with a snooze alarm. Of all users, about 45% were heavy snooze alarm users, 28% were moderate users, and 27% were light users. Compared to light and moderate users who used snooze alarm less frequently and demonstrated more consistent sleep times, heavy snooze alarm users, who used the alarm almost every day and multiple times within each day, demonstrated erratic sleep/wake times. Overall, users pressed the snooze alarm approximately 2.4 times daily and spent on average 10.8 minutes snoozing. This is equivalent to a monthly loss of nearly one 6-hour night of sleep. Heavy users chose the snooze alarm approximately 4 times daily, resulting in about 20 minutes of snoozing duration. On the other hand, light users chose the snooze alarm on average 1.2 times a day, resulting in 3 minutes of snoozing duration. The use of a snooze alarm was more frequent during weekdays (Monday to Friday) and less frequent on weekends (Saturday and Sunday). Fewer commitments on weekends among employees and students might be the reason for this less frequent use. The duration of snooze alarm use was significantly longer among women than men. The researchers suggest that this could stem from factors such as additional childcare and household duties over professional duties or an increased risk for insomnia among women, which might be the reason for women’s higher reliance on the snooze alarm. Month-to-month variations in snooze alarm use were minimal in the study population. Users in the Northern hemisphere exhibited slightly higher usage in December and less usage in September, while users in the Southern hemisphere exhibited the opposite trend. These variations might be associated with changes in seasonal sleep patterns due to factors like less access to natural light during winter months, potentially causing a delay in circadian rhythms. The frequency of snooze alarm use was also higher among long sleepers (more than 9 hours of sleep) compared to that among short sleepers (less than 7 hours of sleep) or those meeting the recommended sleep duration (7 to 9 hours of sleep). As researchers mentioned, higher snooze alarm usage observed after long sleep sessions could be indicative of hypersomnia or compensatory sleep to recover from sleep deficiency. The snooze alarm usage frequency was also higher among sleepers who went to bed later than usual compared to those who went to bed earlier. An unusual sleeping time is more common among shift workers who may have inadequate time in bed, and hence, more reliance on the snooze alarm. Furthermore, users with misaligned sleep may experience more fragmented sleep, and thus, greater reliance upon the snooze alarm. While the study provides valuable insights from a large, international dataset using objective snooze alarm data, the researchers acknowledge certain limitations. These include the sleep data being app-derived, which may overestimate actual sleep duration as it doesn’t account for time taken to fall asleep or awakenings during the night. Additionally, it was not certain if users were actually sleeping between alarms, and the sample of app users may not be fully representative of the general global population. The study also did not have information on the age of participants or self-reported feelings of grogginess upon waking. Overall study findings Overall, the study findings highlight that a higher frequency of snooze alarm use might be indicative of a poor sleep pattern and potentially part of the phenotype of poor sleep health. Given that snooze alarm use is discouraged by experts to avoid sleep fragmentation, researchers highlight the need for future investigations to understand the impact of snooze alarm use on daytime performance and overall health. They also suggest that public health messages encouraging individuals to set their alarm for the latest possible wake time, rather than relying on the snooze button, could be a viable strategy to promote better sleep habits. Journal reference: Robbins R. et al. 2025. Snooze alarm use in a global population of smartphone users. Scientific Reports. DOI:10.1038/s41598-025-99563-y, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-99563-y To read the original article click here.

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Better Sleep, BMI, & Glucose Control Lower Female Infertility Odds

The AHA! Team — Mon, 07 Jul 2025 05:26:07 +0000

Tarun Sai Lomte via News-Medical – In a recent study published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers explored the associations between Life’s Crucial 9 (LC9) and female infertility. Female infertility is a common reproductive condition. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study found that female infertility prevalence has increased by over 56 million cases in the past three decades worldwide, and is also projected to increase over the next decade. Female infertility can cause emotional and psychological stress. Besides, female infertility may be linked to the development of various gynecologic cancers, metabolic disorders, and cardiovascular disease. As such, exploring risk factors for infertility for the reduction of disease burden and early prevention has important implications for reproductive health. Life’s Essential 8 (LE8) is a tool for cardiovascular health assessment by the American Heart Association. Recently, LC9 was proposed, building on the LE8, and includes a mental health assessment component. LC9 is associated with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality, but with a limited increase in predictive power over LE8. About the study The present study examined the associations between female infertility and LC9. Female participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from 2013 to 2018 were included. Females not of reproductive age and those with missing data were excluded. LE8 was assessed by pooling four health behaviors (sleep health, physical activity, diet quality, and nicotine exposure) and four health factors (body mass index [BMI] and blood pressure, glucose, and lipids). The Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 was used to assess diet quality. Sleep health, physical activity, and nicotine exposure were self-reported. The blood glucose score was determined based on glycated hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, or a history of diabetes, while the blood lipid score was derived from serum levels of non-high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. A depression score was calculated from the Patient Health Questionnaire-9. The LC9 score was calculated as the average of the scores from the eight LE8 components and the depression score, each scaled from 0 to 100. Female infertility was ascertained from the self-reported Reproductive Health Questionnaire. Covariates included age, ethnicity/race, education, marital status, income-poverty ratio, alcohol intake, age at menarche, pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) history, and intake of birth control pills. Multivariable logistic regression models examined the association between female infertility and LC9. The models were unadjusted (crude), partially adjusted (model 1), or fully adjusted (model 2). Furthermore, restricted cubic spline models were examined to investigate non-linear associations between the independent variable and female infertility. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed to evaluate whether LC9 improves over LE8 in predicting female infertility. Findings The study enrolled 2,088 females, with an average age of 32.6 years. The prevalence of infertility was almost 14%. The infertile population was more likely to be non-single, non-Hispanic White, and older than females without infertility. Infertile females had lower LE8 and LC9 scores. As LC9 scores increased, subjects were younger, non-Hispanic White, free from infertility, moderate/light or never drinkers, and had higher age at menarche and no PID history. The fully adjusted model indicated that a 10-point increment in LC9 reduced the odds of female infertility by more than 21%. Similarly, a 10-point increment in LE8 decreased the odds of infertility by nearly 18%. Both LE8 and LC9 showed negative linear associations with female infertility. Further, higher scores for BMI, sleep health, blood glucose, and depression were each independently and inversely associated with infertility. Other LC9 components—diet quality, physical activity, nicotine exposure, blood lipids, and blood pressure—were not significantly associated. Further, the team identified ethnicity/race and age as significant effect modifiers. That is, the associations between infertility and LC9 were more pronounced in the Mexican American population and in women under 35 years. The ROC curve analysis revealed that LC9 and LE8 had comparable predictive capabilities for female infertility, with modest area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.594 and 0.590, respectively, indicating limited predictive utility. Conclusions The findings reveal inverse linear associations of LE8 and LC9 with female infertility. Depression, blood glucose, BMI, and sleep health were the components of the LC9 that were (inversely) associated with female infertility. However, LC9 did not significantly outperform LE8 in predicting female infertility. These results suggest that incorporating a depression score into LE8 may not be essential for infertility prediction, despite depression’s association with infertility. The authors note that the overlap between depression and other cardiovascular risk factors may reduce its added predictive value, and that depression assessment tools like the PHQ-9 may introduce subjectivity. Future research should examine the benefits of LC9 in other health domains, particularly in young women and underserved ethnic groups, and explore interventions targeting modifiable LC9 components, such as sleep and mental health. Limitations of the study include its cross-sectional design, reliance on self-reported measures, and the inability to infer causality. Journal reference: Li B, Zhai H. Life’s crucial 9 is inversely and linearly associated with female infertility prevalence: a cross-sectional analysis from NHANES 2013–2018. Scientific Reports, 2025, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-99023-7, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-99023-7 To read the original article click here.

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Sleepless Nights? How Lemon Balm Could be Your Secret to Better Sleep

The AHA! Team — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 05:13:50 +0000

Sara Middleton via NaturalHealth365 – Most people know what it’s like to have the occasional poor night of sleep. But for 40 million Americans, sleep deprivation is a chronic nightly issue. Today, we’ll focus on how lemon balm can help. Undoubtedly, you understand that long-term sleep problems can negatively affect your health. Research has linked sleep disorders to difficulty losing weight and a greater risk of diseases like cancer, dementia, and unwanted accidents. The problem is that many people end up reaching for sleeping pills as a “solution” to their difficulty falling or staying asleep. Even worse, pills are often the only option their doctors recommend. But, over-the-counter (and prescription) sleeping pills can become habit-forming and, like most drugs, come with a variety of unwanted side effects. Of course, the good news – which is our focus today, is that evidence points to plenty of natural solutions for better Zzzs, including lemon balm extract. The science looks good about lemon balm for sleep issues Scientific evidence shows that lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) can help reduce scores of depression, anxiety, and stress. One study published in the Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism found that supplementing with lemon balm extract for 15 days significantly improved rates of anxiety, depression, and sleep quality. These benefits were seen in people with mild-to-moderate anxiety and sleep disorders. 85% of the subjects saw “full remission” of their insomnia, and all subjects started sleeping better (they fell asleep faster and stayed asleep longer). The mode of delivery in this study was tablet form, but lemon balm extract is also available in capsules, oil, teas, creams, and other types of topical ointments. Struggling to sleep? Lemon balm extract could be the key ingredient missing from your nighttime routine. A recommended amount is around 80 to 150 mg of lemon balm extract combined with 160 to 320 mg of valerian root. And for what it’s worth, sleep and mood disorders aren’t the only things lemon balm extract has been used for. Various levels of research support its use to help with cold sores, alleviate nausea and indigestion, and reduce agitation related to Alzheimer’s disease. Discover additional ways to improve your sleep – naturally Sleep is a highly biologically active state our bodies need for regrowth, repair, and overall well-being. To ensure you’re getting enough, why not try lemon balm extract or other natural herbs and supplements – which have been shown to promote sleep, rest, and relaxation? For example, chamomile tea, magnesium, valerian root, and the polyphenol known as honokiol. Want more tips? The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke offers the following suggestions: Go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day – stick to a schedule. Make your room as dark as possible. Take out nightlights and install light block curtains. Simply wearing an eye mask may not be enough to elicit the total benefits of sleeping in a pitch-black room. Take a hot bath or shower about 90 minutes before bed. Exercise daily, but not within an hour of going to sleep. Minimize exposure to artificial and blue lights within an hour or so before bed. Do something relaxing instead, like deep breathing exercises or meditation. If any of these suggestions (or something else) helps you – please be sure to post a comment below this article. And, sleep well tonight. Sources for this article include: NIH.gov Lifeextension.com NIH.gov Medicalnewstoday.com NINDS.gov To read the original article click here.

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Night Owls Face Greater Risk of Heart Disease and Type 2 Diabetes

AHA Publisher — Wed, 28 Sep 2022 07:18:11 +0000

News Staff via NaturalHealth365 – You may have heard the saying attributed to Benjamin Franklin: “early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” However, not everyone likes to go to bed early. Some people are “early birds,” while others tend to be “night owls.” Yet, new information published in Experimental Physiology suggests that being an early riser could decrease your risk of some chronic diseases. The research indicates that “night owls” may actually be at higher risk of diabetes and heart disease. Are “Night Owls” at Greater Risk of Chronic Disease? The recent research, completed at Rutgers University in New Jersey, evaluated participants according to what times of day they preferred to sleep or be active. Researchers looked at factors like body mass and composition, insulin sensitivity, and fat and carbohydrate metabolism. Study participants ate a controlled diet so that diet would not alter the study results. They were subsequently monitored over the course of a week. Researchers measured the participants’ fuel preferences, which refers to whether their bodies favored carbohydrates or fats as energy fuel. To gather this information, researchers performed tests at rest and then during two bouts of exercise. The “night owl” group of participants exhibited a propensity to use carbohydrates instead of fats and also showed signs of insulin resistance. Furthermore, the “early birds” demonstrated higher aerobic fitness levels. Why Night Owls May Face a Greater Risk of Heart Disease and Diabetes The study findings are concerning for those of us who prefer to stay up late. People in the “early bird” category like to rise and be active earlier in the day. Researchers found that these people were more likely to use fat as an energy source and use insulin more efficiently. For night owls, the trouble lies in the metabolic differences. The impaired insulin response shown by the night owl group puts them at a higher risk of developing two dangerous chronic conditions – cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. While the reason for the metabolic disparity between early birds and night owls remains unclear, researchers believe it may be related to the body’s circadian rhythms. These natural sleep/wake cycles appear to play some role in how the body uses insulin, contributing to higher disease risk in some people. How to Sleep Better and Stay Healthier Given the study findings, it may be worth paying attention to Benjamin Franklin’s words after all. Additionally, those who stay up late often miss out on valuable parts of the natural sleep cycle. Your deepest sleep occurs earlier in the night instead of later. In fact, sleeping between the hours of 10 pm and 2 am are the most restorative for your body. Consequently, your sleep will tend to be less restorative when you stay up very late, missing out on this vital cycle. So how can you get the most out of your precious sleeping hours? For one, minimize light from screens, caffeine, and alcohol late in the evening to help your mind and body better prepare for sleep. You’ll also find it quite helpful to expose yourself to the night by going outside for 30 – 60 minutes. This will help you to “settle down” after a stressful day. Putting your bare feet on the ground will give you added benefits for a good night’s sleep. Of course, getting enough exercise – on a regular basis – will help. And get up a bit earlier, so you’re ready for bed sooner. Sources for this article include: MedicalXpress.com To read the original article click here.

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Non-Essential vs. Essential Amino Acids + Benefits for Weight Loss, Muscle Gain and Even Mood

AHA Publisher — Mon, 22 Aug 2022 07:00:22 +0000

Rachael Link, MS, RD via Dr. Axe – Protein is incredibly important when it comes to your health. It makes up the structure of your bones, muscles and skin, and it is used to build tissues and synthesize hormones, enzymes and neurotransmitters. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein, which is why getting enough essential amino acids in your diet is critical to maintaining optimal health and preventing protein deficiency. What are amino acids, and how can you be sure you get the right mix to keep your body healthy? Here’s what you need to know. What Are Amino Acids? The official amino acids definition includes any organic compound that contains both a carboxyl and amino group. To put it simply, they are considered the building blocks of proteins. For example, they make up a large portion of your muscles and tissues, and protein foodslike meat, fish, poultry and eggs are composed of many different types of amino acids. How many amino acids are there, and what is the role of amino acids? There are 20 amino acids in total, each of which plays a very specific role in the body and is distinguished by its respective amino acid side chains. These amino acids are involved in almost every biological process and aid in: wound healing hormone production immune function muscle growth energy production and more Your body needs all amino acids to function and thrive. Some can be produced in the body while others need to be obtained from food. Getting enough through either dietary sources or supplementation can help enhance weight loss, preserve muscle mass, improve exercise performance, boost mood and promote better sleep. Amino acids have an interesting and long history. Asparagine was the first amino acid to be discovered when it was isolated from asparagus nutrition by French chemists Louis Nicolas Vauquelin and Pierre Jean Robiquet in 1806. Glycine, leucine and cysteine were soon found in subsequent years, and threonine, the last one to be discovered, was found in 1935 by William Cumming Rose, the same biochemist who also determined which are essential and how much the body needs to function and thrive. In 1902, scientists Emil Fischer and Franz Hofmeister were the first to propose that proteins are composed of individual amino acids, hypothesizing that bonds are formed between the amino group of one amino acid and the carboxyl group of another, creating the amino acids structure known as a protein peptide. In recent years, research has continued to unearth new ways that amino acids impact the body as well as a long list of potential benefits associated with supplementation, proving just how important these compounds can be to health. Essential Amino Acids vs. Non-Essential Amino Acids The 20 amino acids that your body needs can be further divided into two distinct categories: essential amino acids and non-essential amino acids. Essential amino acids cannot be synthesized by the body, That means you must get them from food sources to help meet your needs. How many essential amino acids are there? There are nine essential amino acids that you must obtain through the diet, including: Lysine: Lysine is necessary for growth and tissue repair as well as the production of several hormones, proteins and enzymes. Leucine: This essential amino acid is involved in protein synthesis, wound healing, blood sugar control and metabolism. Isoleucine: Research shows that isoleucine aids in detoxification, immune function and hormone excretion. Tryptophan: Tryptophan is one of the most well-known amino acids that increases levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, pain, appetite and sleep. Phenylalanine: This amino acid helps produce other amino acids as well as neurotransmitters like dopamine and norepinephrine. Threonine: Research indicates that threonine forms the foundation of connective tissues like collagen and elastin. Valine: Valine supports brain function, muscle coordination and calmness. Histidine: This amino acid maintains the health of myelin sheaths in the human body, which protects nerve cells against damage. Methionine: Research suggests methionine keeps skin elastic and helps strengthen the hair and nails. Getting a good variety of amino acids in your diet is crucial to maintaining overall health. A deficiency in any of these key essential amino acids can cause serious side effects that affect nearly every aspect of health, including immune function, muscle mass, appetite and more. In contrast, non-essential amino acids can be produced by your body, meaning it’s not as crucial to get them through the foods that you eat. There are a total of 11 amino acids that make the non-essential amino acids list, including: Arginine: Arginine stimulates immune function, fights fatigue and optimizes heart health. Alanine: Research suggests that alanine aids in metabolism and provides energy for muscles, brain and central nervous system. Cysteine: Cysteine is the main type of protein found in hair, skin and nails, and it is crucial for collagen production and skin health. Glutamate: This non-essential amino acid acts as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. Aspartate: Aspartate helps produce several other amino acids, including asparagine, arginine and lysine. Glycine: Glycine functions as a neurotransmitter to support brain health. Proline: Proline is found in collagen, which helps promote joint health, metabolism and skin elasticity. Serine: Serine is necessary for fat metabolism, immune function and muscle growth. Tyrosine: Tyrosine helps synthesize thyroid hormones, melanin and epinephrine. Glutamine: Studies indicate that glutamine supports many metabolic processes and provides energy for the cells in the body. Asparagine: Asparagine acts as a diuretic, and it optimizes brain and nerve cell function. Some of the compounds on the amino acid list are also considered “conditionally essential.” That means they are usually not required by the body but may become essential under certain conditions, such as extreme illness or stress. Amino acids can also be classified into other groups based on their structures and side chains, including: polar amino acids aromatic amino acids hydrophobic amino acids ketogenic amino acids basic amino acids acidic amino acids Health Benefits 1. Enhance Weight Loss Amino acids benefit weight loss by enhancing fat loss and preserving lean body mass. Supplementing with branched-chain essential amino acids, in particular, has been shown to be especially effective when it comes to weight loss. Impressively enough, a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition showed that consuming a supplement with branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) while following an eight-week resistance training program led to significant increases in lean body mass and strength gains, plus greater decreases in percent body fat than consuming a whey protein supplement or sports drink. However, other research has turned up mixed results, indicating a need for additional studies in the future. 2. Preserve Muscle Mass As the primary building blocks of muscle tissue, amino acids are absolutely essential to muscle maintenance and muscle growth. Plus, some studies have found that supplementing with essential amino acids can help prevent muscle loss, which is a common side effect that occurs with both aging and weight loss. For instance, a 2010 study published in the journal Clinical Nutrition found that supplementation with essential amino acids helped improve muscle function for older adults on bed rest. Similarly, a study out of South Carolina found that supplementing with essential amino acids was effective at preserving lean body mass while promoting fat loss in athletes. 3. Improve Exercise Performance Whether you’re a casual gym-goer or a competitive athlete, essential amino acids are definitely necessary if you’re looking to bring your workout to the next level. In fact, essential amino acids like leucine, valine and isoleucine are commonly used to help promote muscle recovery, prevent soreness and fight fatigue as part of a healthy, post-workout meal. One large review of eight studies found that supplementation with BCAAs was able toreduce muscle soreness and improve muscle function following intense workouts. Another study conducted by Leeds Metropolitan University found that taking four grams of leucinedaily helped enhance strength in men during a 12-week resistance training program. Additionally, a 2020 study published in Clinical Nutrition concluded that 15 grams of essential amino acid supplementation was metabolically safe for healthy older adults with moderate protein intake and did not decrease insulin sensitivity when used in combination with aerobic exercise. 4. Boost Mood Tryptophan is an essential amino acid that plays a key role in regulating mood and maintaining mental health. It’s used by the body to synthesize serotonin, a neurotransmitter that is believed to influence mood. Research indicates that an imbalance in this important neurotransmitter can also contribute to serious problems like depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and even epilepsy. A 2015 study published in the British Journal of Nutrition reported that chronic treatment with tryptophan had beneficial effects on both cognitive and emotional function while also enhancing feelings of happiness. Meanwhile, other research has also found that tryptophan can help treat symptoms of depression and help alleviate anxiety. 5. Promote Better Sleep In addition to its powerful mood-boosting effects, some evidence suggests that tryptophan may also help enhance sleep quality and treat insomnia as well. This is because it helps increase levels of serotonin, which is involved in the sleep cycle. A large review published in the journal Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine noted that there is evidence to support a sleep-moderating effect of tryptophan, although research is still mixed. Unlike many over-the-counter sleep medications, tryptophan is also well-tolerated and associated with minimal side effects, making it a great natural remedy to help promote better sleep. 6. Boost Skin Health The skin is made up of fibrous proteins, including keratins, collagen and elastin. Because amino acids are the building blocks of these proteins, they play a role in skin health and appearance. Research published in Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology indicates that amino acids are important nutrients required for wound healing promotion, repair of the damaged skin, protection against sunlight damage, maintenance of a healthy skin microbiome, acid-base balance and water retention in cellular layers. Food Sources The best way to ensure you meet your needs for all nine essential amino acids is to include a wide array of essential amino acids foods in your diet. Common proteins like meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy products are some of the top essential amino acids sources and typically considered complete proteins. This means they contain all of the essential amino acids. For vegetarians, quinoa, buckwheat, and fermented soy foods like tempeh or natto are also considered complete proteins. Keep in mind that, although many plant-based protein sources are considered “incomplete proteins” because they lack one or more of the essential amino acids, they can be combined with other foods to help fill in the gaps and make sure you meet your nutritional needs. Therefore, if you follow a well-balanced diet, it’s easy to get all of the essential amino acids that your body needs. Which foods are high in amino acids? Here are a few of the top essential amino acids foods that you may want to add to your diet: Meat: beef, lamb, venison, etc. Fish: salmon, tuna, mackerel, sardines, etc. Poultry: chicken, turkey, duck, etc. Eggs Dairy Products: milk, yogurt, cheese Fermented Soy: tempeh, natto, miso Legumes: lentils, beans, peas Whole Grains: quinoa, buckwheat, oats, amaranth, brown rice, etc. Nuts: almonds, walnuts, pistachios, etc. Seeds: chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, etc. Amino Acid Supplements Although amino acids are widely available in a variety of different food sources, you can also opt for supplementation to get a quick and concentrated boost of amino acids benefits. There are many different types of supplements available that differ in the type offered as well as the potential health benefits. Protein powder supplements like whey protein, hemp protein powder or brown rice protein offer many essential amino acids that your body needs while delivering a hearty dose of protein. Collagen and protein powder made from bone broth are two other easy options that can provide a good amount of protein as well as an array of essential amino acids. You can also opt for isolated amino acid supplements, such as tryptophan, leucine or lysine. Each of these has been linked...

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One Month to a Grateful Heart

AHA Publisher — Wed, 27 Oct 2021 07:00:10 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – Heart check: Do you have a grateful heart? While we often talk about physical heart health, it’s just as important to look at emotional and spiritual heart health. If you embody gratefulness, you are likely able to look past the everyday struggles and find peace in life’s turmoil. But if not, you may be sinking in a pit of anxiety, jealousy, or pessimism. What’s more, you might be missing an amazing opportunity to improve physical health through gratitude. Honestly, it’s not always easy to have a grateful heart. However, our God has promised to help us in the journey to a truly grateful heart, unshaken by life’s ups and downs. It’s not your burden to bear alone, but a beautiful walk with God. One Month to a Grateful Heart During November, take a cue from the upcoming Thanksgiving Holiday and put gratitude into practice every day. Here are 4 ways to strengthen your own heart with daily thanksgiving throughout the month. 1. SPEND TIME IN GOD’S WORD AND IN PRAYER. When Jesus prayed, He praised God. At the Last Supper, just hours before His crucifixion, He thanked God. This is the example we have: Give praise and be thankful. Of course, this can be easier said than done when life gets tough. But, the more you spend time with God, the Giver of all good things, the more you will see just how good He is. Try spending time with Him, even if just a few minutes, every single day. From there, the gratitude in your heart can overflow into every other part of your life. 2. ACKNOWLEDGE THE THINGS FOR WHICH YOU ARE GRATEFUL, ALL DAY EVERY DAY. Have you heard of the book One Thousand Gifts by Ann Voskamp? It is a beautiful portrayal of gratitude in a daily, ordinary life. Ann teaches that gratitude precedes God’s miracles in Scripture and throughout our own lives. In the book, Ann tells the story of how she came to the challenge of writing down 1000 things she was thankful for. She kept a notepad and pen handy, and wrote down small and big gratitudes, throughout each day. For her, it was life changing. Do you think a daily, hourly, moment-by-moment focus on gratitude could change your life? What do you have to lose? Take this challenge in November. Start small, and write just a few per day if you’d like. Keep your mind and your attitude focused on the things for which you are thankful! 3. LOOK OUTSIDE YOURSELF When we are in the middle of turmoil or feeling defeated, it’s very easy to lose sight of our own blessings. One of the best cures? Get involved with helping others! Taking the focus off ourselves and blessing others is a great way to develop a grateful heart. You can pray for others daily. You can bless others with a note, text, or encouraging call. You can give small gifts out of the blue – anything from flowers from your garden to a coffee gift card. Or, get involved in a bigger operation with an established charitable group. 4. GIVE YOURSELF LOTS OF GRACE Lastly, there’s no room for perfectionism here. Gratitude requires grace. If you slip up, feel down, miss a day of writing down your blessings, or just have a negative attitude for a day, give yourself grace. As you do, you’ll learn to take captive the negative thoughts, forgive yourself, and move on quickly. If you’re feeling sad about yourself, it’s difficult to simultaneously feel grateful. We serve a God who not only forgives us, but takes our worries and cares from us. Give yourself grace and continue to look for your blessings each day. A Grateful Heart Bolsters Physical Health Did you know a grateful heart is actually good for you, physically? It’s true. Some of the health benefits of a grateful heart include: Stronger mental health: Believe it or not, you can decrease cortisol, the stress hormone, by up to 23% by practicing gratitude (1). What’s more, healthcare practitioners have sustained lower perceived stress (decrease of 28%) and depression by keeping a gratitude journal (2). Controlling cortisol is crucially important to overall health. Healthier Hearts: In studies, gratitude is associated with better cholesterol levels, lowered blood pressure and decreased heart rate variability. This all works together to improve cardiovascular health and overall health (4, 5). Ease with Change and Healthy Habits: Some benefits of gratitude work in reverse. Researchers have found that those who practice gratitude also tend to make healthier choices. Specifically, there’s an association between those who are reportedly grateful and less use of tobacco, more exercise, and better food choices (5, 6). On the flip side, gratitude intervention shows promise when helping patients increase healthy habits. In one study, 31% of participants quit smoking and maintained abstinence after 6 months, compared to meta-analysis averages of 23% with a nicotine patch alone (7). Stronger Immune Function: Gratitude and optimism can actually improve your body’s response to inflammation. Studies have found that our bodies produce more disease-fighting cells when we are grateful and optimistic (11). In addition, anytime you reduce cortisol, you maintain a healthier balance with DHEA levels. This supports healthy immune function (8). Better Sleep and Healthy Aging: One key factor to healthy aging is brain health. One necessity for brain health is sleep. Fortunately, gratitude supports better sleep (9)! In one study, gratitude was linked to a 10 percent improvement in sleep and a 19 percent decrease in depression levels in patients with insomnia (10). Looking for More Ways to Improve Physical and Mental Health? Did you know there’s an all-natural oil that can help with stress and anxious feelings? In addition, it supports health throughout the body! Hemp oil, specifically nano-particle oils like those in Dr. Colbert’s Nano-Science Hemp Oil, promotes health from your brain to your toes. We are fortunate to be able to use natural plants in our lives to support our health. Another thing for which to be grateful! Bottom Line November is the perfect opportunity to focus on a grateful heart. Make it count! Spend time with God, truly seek out and list your blessings, help and encourage others, and give yourself grace this month! To read the original article click here.

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Use the Neurocycle to Help to Improve Sleep Quality

AHA Publisher — Wed, 24 Mar 2021 07:00:39 +0000

Dr. Caroline Leaf – In this podcast (episode #264) and blog, I talk about the surprising reasons why you may not be sleeping well, and how to use mind management to improve your sleep and mental health. 1. Stop worrying about not sleeping. We all know sleep is really important. However, as I discuss in my latest book, Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess, research also suggests there’s a huge cost to pathologizing it. This means that worrying about sleep and identifying and labeling yourself as a poor sleeper may be worse than not sleeping! Unfortunately, there’s endless research telling us the impact of sleep deprivation and that sleep serves a myriad of functions. Personally, when someone tells me “You need to sleep or you will be too tired for whatever tomorrow brings,” or “Go to sleep early so you don’t damage your brain,” I won’t sleep just because I start panicking about not sleeping! It also doesn’t always help that everyone in the wellness and medical space keeps saying, “Sleep or else.” It’s like pouring fuel on the fire of your panic, which can make everything worse. Legalism around sleep is a hindrance, not a help. So, if you can’t sleep, don’t fret. Use the time to catch up on that list of books you have been meaning to read, or to do those tasks you have been putting off. Your body is really good at adjusting, and chances are you will catch up on the sleep you need later that week or even with a nap the next day. It helps to look at sleep over a period like a week or month versus nightly, because current circumstances and demands can also temporarily influence sleep! 2. Daydreaming can help you sleep better! If you’re constantly stressed during the day, and you don’t take the time to organize your thinking and reboot the brain, this can affect your sleeping patterns at night. When you go to sleep, you’re going into a “housekeeping” mode—everything is getting cleaned up, which helps prepare you for the next day. If there’s a lot of mental mess in the brain, this housekeeping function is hindered, which can affect how you sleep (including nightmares) and how you feel mentally and physically the next day. Many of us tend to panic at night as we’re trying to go to sleep because our brains are exhausted from chaotic thinking patterns during the day. That’s why it is so important to take what I call “thinker moments” throughout the day when we switch off to the external, switch on to the internal, and just let our minds wander and daydream or doodle. These moments give your brain a rest and allow it to reboot and heal, which increases your clarity of thought and organizes the networks of your brain by balancing alpha and beta activity. This increases blood flow to the brain, which helps it function better and helps you deal with challenges and stress and sleep better at night. 3. Don’t be afraid of the occasional all-nighter. Sometimes, an all-nighter is excellent for the mind and brain (the mind works through the brain). If you are having deep, meaningful discussions, for example, or pulling an all-nighter doing some really creative and inspirational work, your brain health will actually benefit in the short and long-term because you are exercising those cognitive muscles and building good, healthy memories, which help boost overall mental health and can prevent cognitive decline. 4. Preparing for sleep begins when you wake up. As mentioned above, chaotic thinking during the day can impact the quality of your rest at night and how you feel the next day. This is why self-regulation and mind management are important lifestyle habits you should practice throughout the day when you are awake—don’t just let random thoughts and feelings run through your mind unchecked. To this end, I recommend using my Neurocycle mind-management technique, which I talk about in Cleaning Up Your Mental Mess. The Neurocycle is a way to harness your thinking power through mind management that I have developed and researched over the past three decades; any task that requires thinking can use it, which means everything can, because you’re always thinking! Gather. Preparing for sleep begins in the morning, as counterintuitive as this may sound. The way your mind is managed from the time you wake up impacts the biochemistry, circadian rhythm, and energy of the brain. An unmanaged, messy mind is an unmanaged, messy brain that will result in messy sleep. Gather awareness of your thinking. What is going through your mind? Are you anxious about something? How do you feel physically? Reflect. Reflect on what you’re focusing on as you wake up. Is it on the problems and negative aspects of the day or the bits and pieces of your dreams, images from TV, and undealt-with thoughts flowing messily and chaotically in your mind? What is occupying your attention? Write. If you don’t catch your thoughts with their intertwined emotions, information, and embodied physical sensations, this messy waking state can become a messy day, and you will feel like you are playing catch-up all day. So, say your thoughts out loud or write them quickly into your journal next to your bed. Recheck your thoughts by breathing in for three counts and out for three counts, saying the opposite of what you reflected on; for example, say “I can only try to do what I can, and it’s fine if I don’t finish,” instead of “I have so much to do today!” Active Reach. Choose to put on a mindset for the day. Here are some more helpful morning Active Reach reminders: Write five things you are proud of yourself for—start your day off celebrating yourself! Write five things you are grateful for. Ask yourself not what you want to or have to do today but rather who you want to be today and how you want to feel. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Leaf click here.

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Turkey Chili with Adzuki Beans Recipe

AHA Publisher — Thu, 05 Nov 2020 08:00:42 +0000

Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DMN, CNS – Fall weather calls for chili making, and this white turkey chili recipe with adzuki beans will hit the spot. With not one, but two kinds of turkey, and a hint of smokiness from paprika, you’ll want to enjoy a piping hot bowl by a bonfire. This is a Texas-style chili: heavier on the meat. So invite the meat-lovers in your life, and show them that eating healthy doesn’t have to mean giving up their favorite food! Key Healthy Ingredients Is turkey chili good for a diet? If you use the right ingredients like this turkey chili recipe calls for, it’s a resounding yes! This turkey chili recipe features adzuki beans, the red bean traditionally used in Asian cuisine. Adzuki beans are a part of the healing diet because they contain lots of iron (about 25 percent of your recommended daily intake in this recipe), magnesium, potassium, zinc and folic acid. If you’ve ever experienced an iron deficiency, you know that getting enough of this essential mineral can up your energy, help you sleep better and help you maintain a positive mood. Those are all good things when the days are getting shorter. Did you also know that eating iron-rich animal sources of food along with plant-based foods can help your body absorb the iron even better? So chili, with its combination of meat and beans, is an iron powerhouse. What kind of meat is best for chili? You can use the traditional ground beef (so long as it’s grass-fed) or chicken, but turkey is the meat of choice for this recipe because it offers lean protein as well as iron and healthy fat. You want to look for organic, pasture-raised turkey to be sure you’re getting the most nutritious protein food. You’ll get the benefits of improved mood, more energy and stronger muscles. The bottom line: If you’re craving chili this season, listen to your body! It might be telling you to eat the perfect food for what it needs. How to Make Turkey Chili How do you make turkey chili from scratch? This turkey chili recipe makes it easy, whether you want to use a stock pot or are looking for a turkey chili slow cooker recipe. We’ll start by soaking the adzuki beans overnight in water and whey or apple cider vinegar. This breaks down antinutrients that prevent your body from absorbing the good stuff, and it preserves the good nutrients since it means you don’t have to cook the beans as long in the chili. After a good soak, drain and rinse the beans. Now comes the fun part: layering the flavors of the turkey chili. You’ll start by boiling the beans in some low-sodium broth and salt (starting with low-sodium broth or salt-free homemade chicken bone broth and adding salt as needed means you can control the sodium level better). Once those have simmered for a while, add the pulled smoked turkey, diced tomatoes (with the juice) and spices. While that’s simmering, grab a skillet and sauté the ground turkey and red onions in butter or coconut oil — flavor layer number two! When the ground turkey has lost most of its pinkness, add the green peppers and garlic. Continue cooking until the turkey is browned and cooked through. Add the ground turkey and vegetables to the chili and let it simmer for 15–20 minutes. You want the flavors to marry and the consistency to slightly thicken. You can taste it at this point and see if it needs salt or more spice. Add chili powder if you’d like more spice. This is a good time to get your toppings ready, which will make this stew really shine. Try avocado, goat milk yogurt, salsa or green onions — or all of them! Once the turkey chili is ready, ladle it into bowls, top it to your liking and enjoy. If you have any leftovers (which I highly doubt you will if you’re serving four to five people), refrigerate it, and the flavor will be even better over the next few days. If you want more of a set-it-and-forget-it recipe, you can make this a slow cooker turkey chili recipe as well. Simply add the ingredients into your slow cooker, let it stew for a few hours (or even more) and — viola! — you have slow cooker turkey chili. Similar Recipes Looking for other healthy chili recipe variations? Try these recipes: Buffalo Chili Recipe Slow Cooker Bison Chili Recipe Paleo Chili Recipe — With or Without Meat! White Chicken Chili Recipe Turkey Chili with Adzuki Beans Recipe Author: Dr. Josh Axe Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 70 min Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes Yield: 4–5 1x Diet: Gluten Free DESCRIPTION Turkey chili with adzuki beans is packed with protein and iron and sure to warm you on a chilly night. Try this healthy turkey chili recipe! INGREDIENTS 1 cup dry adzuki beans 4 cups filtered water ¼ cup whey from yogurt or 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 4 cups low-sodium chicken or turkey broth ¾ teaspoon sea salt ½ pound smoked turkey, pulled 32 ounces diced canned tomatoes, sugar & BPA free 1 tablespoon chili powder 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1 teaspoon cumin 1 pound ground turkey 1 tablespoon grass-fed butter or coconut oil 1 large red onion, diced 2 green peppers, diced 3 medium garlic cloves, pressed or minced INSTRUCTIONS Soak adzuki beans overnight in the filtered water with the whey or vinegar. Drain and rinse after soaking. In a large pot or dutch oven, combine the beans with the broth and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the pulled smoked turkey, tomatoes, chili powder, smoked paprika and cumin to the beans. Stir to incorporate and continue to simmer while completing the next step. In a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté the ground turkey and onion in butter or coconut oil. When the turkey is half done, add the green peppers and garlic. Continue to sauté until the turkey is browned. Add the ground turkey and vegetables to the chili and simmer, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes, until the chili is slightly thickened. Taste for seasoning and add salt for flavor or chili powder for more spice. Enjoy with avocado, goat’s milk yogurt, salsa or green onions. Flavor will improve over the next few days. NOTES You can save some energy and make this recipe in a slow cooker, though it’ll take longer overall. Feel free to adjust this recipe using a meat of your choice, or try a vegetarian version with some added beans or a plant-based protein of your choosing. Cook time does not include soaking the beans overnight. NUTRITION Serving Size: 1 bowl Calories: 900 Sugar: 7.3g Sodium: 731mg Fat: 65.5g Saturated Fat: 18.7g Unsaturated Fat: 46.8g Trans Fat: 0g Carbohydrates: 40g Fiber: 10.2g Protein: 40.2g Cholesterol: 144mg To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Axe click here.

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How Neurofeedback Can Help Treat Depression, Anxiety, Addiction & PTSD

AHA Publisher — Fri, 18 Sep 2020 07:00:07 +0000

Makram Leaf via Dr. Caroline Leaf – For many people, brain maps can be quite alien and strange. What are they telling us? What do they mean? Do all these shapes and colors and symbols mean there is something terribly wrong with me? It certainly doesn’t help when you read sensationalist headlines like “This is your brain on drugs!” or “This is what happens to your brain when you are stressed!”, which only serve to make us more nervous about what is happening between our ears. In this week’s blog and podcast, I speak with UCLA-trained neuroscientist, top performance coach and founder of The Peak Brain Institute Dr. Andrew Hill about what brain scans an tell us about our brain, the role they play in neurofeedback therapy, how neurofeedback and brain scans can boost our performance and help treat depression, anxiety, addiction and PTSD, the myth of the normal brain, how to biohack sleep, and so much more! As humans, we tend to exhibit similar behaviors within a bell curve or range. When the core functions of the brain get out of this range, it can cause all sorts of mental and physical health issues. Brain maps like QEEGs (which is what Andrew uses at his institute and what I used in my most recent clinical trials) allow us to compare a set of brain waves to a referenced database. These images show the ways your brain is different; they are not a diagnostic tool, but a way of exploring your mind and generating ideas about what may be going on in your life and what to change. It is important to remember that there is no such thing as a normal brain. We are all different, so when we look at a brain map we should not wonder why we are not closer to the average. People are generally similar within a bell curve; brain maps are yard sticks, not value labels. It is not about trying to map you onto a “normal” brain; at the end of the day, only you are your own true comparison, which is why seeing how your brain maps change over time is far more important that comparing your brain to someone else’s. At The Peak Brain Institute, Andrew teaches people how to read their unique brain maps and make changes in their lives. He gives them agency and perspective and shows them how to use the information because only the person who is suffering truly knows what they need to do to change. Andrew is passionate about empowering people to take back control of their lives, and believes that the locus of control should always be internal. One of the main ways the Peak Brain Institute helps teach people how to change their brains and behavior is through something called neurofeedback therapy. As Andrew points out, neurofeedback is a process in which simple auditory and visual feedback guide your brain gradually to make more or less of specific brainwave frequency bands, and/or to enhance connectivity between two regions of the brain. These frequencies and connectivity guide much of our mental behavior—as we adjust them, we adjust the corresponding behaviors. Neurofeedback is based on receiving positive input when you want the brain to do more of something by measuring what is going on in your head. With this encouraging reinforcement, the brain starts to lean into the change. You don’t notice this change as much at first, but over time you will feel better and better. This is like an iterative training session or workout for the brain—you tune into the process to get more positive effects and reduce any negative side-effects. This kind of training can help with our performance and creativity by boosting alpha and theta energy in the brain. It can also help with PTSD, anxiety and depression. In addition, neurofeedback can help with common issues like sleep deprivation and unhealthy eating habits. As Andrew points out, if we want to be healthier, we should always start with the routine things. The best place to start biohacking your body and increasing your performance and health is with the things you do every day, like sleeping, eating and exercising. When it comes to sleep, the fear of not sleeping often creates a larger issue over time than the sleep loss itself, and can become a major issue in people’s lives, as I discussed in a recent blogand podcast. Trying get more deep sleep can really make a difference in your life. You can start doing this by: Fasting before bed. Don’t eat for at least 3-4 hours before bed, so that there is no insulin in the bloodstream, which will suppress the growth hormones that are released during sleep (this is especially true for women). Maintaining your schedule. It is important to try to get up around the same time 7 days a week—crazy schedules can throw our sleeping patterns off for weeks. Exercising before you eat. Fasted workouts can really help improve sleeping patterns and overall health. Tracking your sleeping habits. Use devices like the Oura Ring to monitor how much deep sleep you get. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Dr. Leaf click here.

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