Phillips Health Care Newsletter

Scrimping on sleep can make you groggy and GROUCHY!

But the negative effects are not just limited to these short term consequences. 

Not enough sleep can also effect heart health, interfere with blood sugar levels, endurance levels, immune system response and can potentially result in mood disorders.

Getting both enough sleep and deep sleep can result in a healthier, happier you. Optimal sleep is generally considered to be 7-8 hours a night.

BUT WHY?

Effects on your heart:

When you sleep, blood pressure and heart rates drop. This allows your heart and blood vessels to rest.

 But, when you get less than an optimal amount of sleep for a long period of time, your blood pressure, heart rate and pressure on your veins remains higher, for longer periods during the 24 hours of the day.

This can cause elevated blood pressure, which can lead to heart attacks and stroke.

Effects on blood sugar:

During the deep sleep cycle, blood sugar drops, also allowing your body’s response to rest.

Limited sleep reduces the this slow down time,    resulting in a slower response time to blood sugar levels.

Getting adequate amounts ot sleep can help prevent Type 2 Diabetes,

 The feeling that most often comes with inadequate sleep is grogginess and inability to focus.

Sleep helps your brain rest too, so it’s easier to grasp, react, store and evaluate information.  Without enough sleep, it’s like running on empty.

 Immune response

Lack of sleep also slows down     immune response. Your body is less likely to quickly identify (and attack!) threats such as foreign bacteria and viruses.

TIPS FOR RESTFUL SLEEP

YES

· Maintain A Comfortable

· Temperature.

· Reading

· Regular Bedtime

· Meditation and

· Relaxation Exercises

· Some studies have shown a small high carb snack about 30 minutes before bedtime can help.

· A relaxing, warm bath or shower

NO

· Limit Coffee or other Caffeine drinks late in the day.

· Avoid alcohol.

· Limit Blue Light Exposure (TV, Cell Phones, Tablets).

· Don’t workout last in the day or close to bedtime. 

Sleep helps your body repair itself, replacing older, worn out cells with new. (Too much, though—more than 9 hours a day can be as bad as not enough!)

KEEPING A HEALTHY HEART

February is Healthy Heart Month. To help keep your heart “young”, here are some ways the CDC recommends to help keep a healthy heart and prevent heart disease.

By living a healthy lifestyle, you can help keep your blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar normal and lower your risk for heart disease and heart attack. A healthy lifestyle includes the following:

HEART healthy diet.

Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and fewer processed foods.

Eating foods low in saturated fats, trans fat, and cholesterol and high in fiber can help prevent high cholesterol.

Limiting salt (sodium) in your diet also can lower your blood pressure. Limiting sugar in your diet can lower you blood sugar level to prevent or help control diabetes.

Eating two or more servings a week of certain fish, such as salmon and tuna, may decrease your risk of heart disease.

At moderate levels, alcohol may have a protective effect on your heart.  For healthy adults

No more than one drink a day for women, and two drinks a day for men. (12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine & 1 1/2 ounces of liquor) Too much alcohol can be a health hazard. 

BE SMOKE FREE

Smoking or using tobacco is one of the most significant risk factors for developing heart disease. Chemicals in tobacco can damage your heart and blood vessels, leading to narrowing of the arteries, causing plaque buildup (atherosclerosis). Atherosclerosis can ultimately lead to a heart attack.

Smoking  decreases oxygen in the blood, and makes the heart work harder, contributing to high blood pressure. The good news is, the risk of heart disease reduces as soon as you quit.  So, no matter how long you’ve smoked, quit!

EXERCISE

Regular, daily exercise can reduce the risk of heart disease. When you combine physical activity with other lifestyle measures, such as maintaining a healthy weight, the payoff is even greater.

Physical activity can help you control your weight and reduce your chances of developing other conditions that may put a strain on your heart, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes..

According to the Mayo Clinic :

“In general, you should do moderate exercise, such as walking at a brisk pace, for about 30    minutes on most days of the week. That can help you reach the Department of Health and Human Services recommendations of 150 minutes a week of moderate aerobic activity, 75 minutes a week of  vigorous aerobic activity, or a combination of moderate and vigorous activity.

For even more health benefits, aim for 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 150 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity every week. In addition, aim to do strength training exercises two or more days a week..”

FISH OIL

Fish contain unsaturated fatty acids, may lower cholesterol. But the main beneficial nutrient appears to be omega-3 fatty acids in fatty fish. Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of unsaturated fatty acid that may reduce inflammation throughout the body. Inflammation in the body can damage your blood vessels and lead to heart disease and strokes.

Phillips Clinic Family Practice offers Pure Omega 820, an ultra-pure fish oil sources from Norway.

While no supplement, diet, or other lifestyle modification other than physical distancing, also known as social distancing, and proper hygiene practices can protect you from COVID-19, some supplements have been shown to be useful in enhancing the immune system.