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  • Move for better mood

    Move for better mood
    2024/10/25
    Can exercise really make us happier, more resilient and more energetic? Episode 142 Move for Better Mood Have you ever said to yourself, I'm so tired? And then you just want to sit on the couch and scroll through social media or watch your favorite series? This is not rest. And it won't fix your lack of energy. In fact, it will make it worse. Sitting zaps your energy and it's a vicious cycle. You sit and do nothing rewind and repeat. It's time to change gears and shift out of neutral and get a boost of energy. And if you're already on the movement train, stay tuned. I think you'll enjoy the science. In fact, let's start there. Today in mini medical school, we're going to review the family of neurochemicals that are responsible for mood. And if you haven't even been introduced to endorphins, dopamine and serotonin, you might want to listen to episode 141. How food affects mood. I'll put a link in the show notes. These neuro-transmitters can improve mood and reduce feelings of stress and anxiety. Also cortisol levels can be reduced by exercise, which creates feelings of relaxation and improved mood, not to mention the effects on sleep, metabolism and weight. Let's start with some basics. There is a difference between physical activity and exercise. Physical activity is anything that gets you moving and requires energy; things like cooking and cleaning the kitchen or housework of any kind yard work, even just going to the grocery store. That's considered physical activity. Exercise on the other hand is intentional activity for the purpose of physical fitness. This is things like running, classes at the gym, lifting weights, doing aerobics. These things are considered exercise. Physical activity and exercise benefit both physical and mental health. In addition to reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression, sleep patterns may be improved. And lack of sleep definitely affects mood. Who doesn't have a more positive outlook after a restful night of sleep. And speaking of sleep. If this is something you struggle with, you're going to want to make sure you're on my email list. Because we're going to do a whole series on sleep very soon. Check the show notes for a link on how to sign up or just go to my website, www.healthylooksgreatonyou.com When you exercise, it opens up the blood vessels and improves blood flow to important organs, you know, like the brain. And that can help with mental clarity and overall brain health. You know, we used to think that adults could not grow new brain cells, but it turns out that's wrong. So think of exercise as fertilizer for forming new blood vessels and they may be able to nurture new neural connections which can improve cognitive function. We call that process neurogenesis. And to me it's pretty exciting. And if that's not enough reason to get off the couch, there are some studies that suggest that regular exercise may at the very least delay dementia in people who are predisposed to it. Exercise also has a significant impact on health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and arthritis. People who are active tend to have more self-esteem and confidence and listen, there is a difference between being fit and thin. But if weight is your concern, remember, 80% is related to diet, not exercise. It takes a lot of exercise to lose weight. But you can also be very skinny and very physically unfit. Now, before we dive into how physical activity and exercise can help lessen symptoms of anxiety and depression. I want to do a little dissection on the runner's high. And listen, I had never run enough to get a high, but I have experienced this sense of euphoria while pedaling my bicycle. And if you've never felt it, it's unbelievable. And even if you're not planning to lace up and train for a marathon, the biochemistry is pretty fascinating. Here's what happens: you start running or exercising very intensely and you get your heart pumping and it works harder and harder to increase the heart rate to make sure your muscles and brain are getting enough oxygen. And speaking of oxygen, you'll start huffing and puffing. But you keep going, pounding the pavement or the trail or whatever, and your body starts dumping endorphins into your bloodstream. And wow! There's this burst of euphoria and burst of energy that makes you feel like you can conquer the world and keep going. It doesn't last long, and it's actually pretty uncommon to experience. But it gives us a little inside look at what exercise can do naturally to cause feelings of elation. But here's the deal. You don't have to train for an iron man to see benefits. Even moderate levels of exercise may improve mental health, lessening feelings of depression and anxiety. And the benefits of regular physical activity on mood are not temporary like the runner's high. When you think about someone who is physically fit, you picture someone with big ol' well defined muscles. But...
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    17 分
  • How food affects mood

    How food affects mood
    2024/10/18
    Food has a big impact on mood. Why would that be? How does what you put in your mouth that goes down into your stomach affect all that's going on in your brain? Carbohydrates are my dear friends. Well, some of them. You know, In every family, there are those people, you know how some people just make you feel good and others, not so much. For example, let's talk about Dorothy. I used to hang out with Dorothy once a week. Sunday mornings, in fact, And after we'd been together, I had bad breath, a headache, and I felt more than a little edgy. You see, Dorothy is a donut. We parted ways several years ago, but one day I walked into a meeting and there she was dressed in chocolate and still pretty hot and I thought I'd just take one bite. But before, you know, it, I ate the whole thing. And it didn't take long that I felt physically and emotionally drained. But here's the deal, that period of absence highlighted the contrast of how I feel when I eat good stuff versus pure junk. And maybe you've noticed, or maybe you haven't and maybe you just feel kind of bad all the time and you don't really know why. So let's talk about how certain foods affect mood and why. And since mini medical school is going to be pretty intense today, I thought I would turn the science into fiction. No, don't meanan the facts aren't going to be true. I mean, fictional characters. To help you remember, you're going to need to use your brain, but bring your imagination along too. And don't worry about taking notes, I created a free download for you that. It has a list of mood boosting foods. If you're on my email list. List. I sent it out. And. If not, there's a link to sign up in the show notes. It's never too late. You can also go to www healthy looks great on you dot. Com. Now the way that food affects mood is. About altering brain chemistry and hormone levels. And my old buddies carbohydrates, they can give you a real boost. But, their cousins can really bring you down. So let's talk about the good side of the family first. Food rich in carbohydrates boost serotonin levels. The ol' feegood neurotransmitter er serotonin. We're going to call her Sarah for short. Sarah Tonin affects mood sleep and appetite. She is an intriguing member of the neurotransmitter family. And it has both a significant impact, both on mental as well as physical health. Sarah is a happy girl because she regulates mood and makes you feel happy and have an overall sense of wellbeing. And she's the one you'll really miss when she's not around. You may feel depressed or anxious. And Sarah's family is a power family. In fact. Mel is another member of the tonin family, and that's super important. Did you know that Sarah tonin is a precursor to melatonin? So think of Sarah as Mel's mother and you need both of them to get a good night's sleep, and yeah, I'm talking to you cranky pants. Mel is related by marriage to the hormone family. And his presence is highly influenced by light exposure. And he regulates the sleep wake cycle. He squirts out of the pineal gland. And if you're interested in the science of sleep, I'll put a link to that episode in the show notes, "Why is sleeping so hard?" And stay tuned because after this series on mood, we're going to focus on sleep. But here's what happens, Mel gets up every evening and tells your body it's not night, night time. He stays up most of the night and then he drops off in the morning. At least that's how it's supposed to work. He keeps the bodies internal clock in sync, making sure the circadian rhythm aligns with the sleep-wake cycle; daytime and nighttime. And he serves on the antioxidant team as well, combating free radicals and reducing oxidative stress in the body. To boost melatonin, you can eat things like tart cherries, grapes, nuts. And itit's alsoimportant to have good sleep hygiene. And again, if. If you're interested in sleep, make sure you're on my email list because there are some really exciting things coming now, let's get back to Serotonin. Do you know where Sarah lives? Did you say the brain? Well, I hate to tell you, but 90% of the body's serotonin is actually found in the gut, not the brain. That may surprise you, but think about that gut brain connection. Yep. That's why upset emotions cause an upset tummy. And since her address is in the GI tract, she affects appetite and digestion all the way to the end of the street. I'm talking about bowel movements see, now you'll remember all of this science of neurotransmitter, Sarah Tonin. But wait, there's more. Speaking of learning and memory, Sarah affects those cognitive functions as well. You know, Sarah is the type who can be all work and no play . Because high levels of serotonin can actually reduce sex drive. And that's why some antidepressants which are called serotonin re-uptake inhibitors can kill your sex drive. It's a balancing act for sure because you need Sarah to have a good ...
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    21 分
  • Mood boosting foods

    Mood boosting foods
    2024/10/11

    There is scientific evidence that food affects mood. You probably know how it feels to be hangry. That combination of hunger and anger can drive you to head to the pantry and grab whatever you can get your hands on. But that sets a process in motion that only makes you feel worse. Instead, replace unhealthy snacks with foods that boost your mood and get double the benefit.

    The health of your gut microbiome influences your mental health. All those bacteria that live in your gut produce neurotransmitters that affect brain health and chemistry. Make sure and eat high fiber foods to promote a healthy gut.

    High fiber vegetables include broccoli, carrots, green beans and spinach.

    In one study, people who ate fruit frequently had less anxiety. So try keeping a bowl of berries or grapes out and grab one throughout the day. Start your day with good mood boosting foods. You can add oats, berries, nuts and seeds to a smoothie. Or slice bananas or apples and top oatmeal. Bananas contain tryptophan which is a precursor to serotonin, the happy neurotransmitter.

    Throughout the day look for ways to add beans to your food. They're high in fiber and keep that gut healthy, which helps keep your mind healthy too.

    Also add walnuts, they're great for brain function. Trail mix is a great way to get all these good things together. And the good news is that dark chocolate is full of mood boosters. It's also calorie dense, so a small amount. Make sure it's at least 70% cocoa.

    Avoid alcohol, too much caffeine and fried foods. That only makes you feel worse. Instead, plan ahead and keep the pantry stocked with feel good food.

    Get a list of good mood food and every podcast will come straight to your inbox. CLICK HERE

    For other episodes about diet, click here.

    Visit Healthy Looks Great on You website, click here.

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    20 分
  • Stronger than Stress with Barb Roose

    Stronger than Stress with Barb Roose
    2024/10/05
    Special guest Barb Roose is the author of "Stronger Than Stress: 10 Spiritual Practices to Win the Battle of Overwhelm." She's also a speaker,  literary agent, and Bible teacher. According to her website, "She is a real woman who's experienced deep anxiety, parenting challenges, family addiction trauma, and long seasons of walking by faith in unanswered prayer." Lifestyle medicine has six pillars: restorative sleep, nutritional eating, physical fitness, minimizing harmful substances and social connectedness. But when we talk about stress, it affects all of them. It's an overarching theme to health. Barb:  We know that stress is out there and we talk about it openly. "Oh, I'm so stressed." Like if you talk with people, stress is going to naturally come up. And so there's this social acceptedness that there is stress. The reason why I wrote the book and the reason why I want to engage in these conversations is because you and  I are aware of the damage.  And so it's a situation, particularly as women, we just live with stress. And so it is trying to elevate the hidden damage of chronic stress and to convince women not to set themselves on fire to keep everybody else warm.  The challenge is these days, as women, we want to protect what we love. We want to fix what's broken. We want to get things on track. I call it the good Christian woman syndrome. We will sacrifice ourselves trying to be everything to everybody.  We keep little people alive or a spouse.   We found keys every day so that a spouse could get to work. In some ways, there was a season where so much relied upon us, but there are those practical moments where we have to remember that there is a God. And it's not us.   Dr. Vickie: That is so , absolutely true. There is a God and it's not us. And I think that's the thing. When we take on all that responsibility, we learn to depend on ourselves  and then we think we don't need God until our whole lives start unraveling. Barb: I use spinning spinning plates as a metaphor for all of the things that we have happening in our lives. And I recognize the reality that there are some of you listening and you've  got spinning plates. The big picture of the book. is helping us recognize that God can actually take care of us and our spinning plates so that we can take care of ourselves.  Dr. Vickie: Practically speaking, how does that play out?  Well, my favorite chapter title of the book is, "Get Off the Cross, Honey. Somebody needs the wood." Sometimes we can't just convince people that they need to change.   They have to feel their need for change.   And what I want to do is create that feel for the need of change by using Jesus' words in Matthew. And so in this chapter, I cover Jesus' words and he says, "Come to me, everyone who is weary and heavy burdened." And, I think that pretty much everyone listening is going to say, yep. I am  weary and heavy burdened. In the original language,  weary was all about feeling like everything was on you. That self-sufficiency, that's what the weariness is that Jesus was talking about, and then carrying heavy burdens. That is about all of the expectations, all of the duties, all of the to-dos and the do mores. And so if you are exhausted by all of that, overwhelmed, Jesus doesn't tell you, you've got to read your Bible  five days a week. He doesn't say you've got to pray for 45 minutes a day. He says, "Come." It's an invitation. And what he wants to give us is rest. He wants to care. The work has to be done, but He wants to teach us how to live in him. So that we let Jesus carry the weight as we do the work of our lives.  When I think about that verse, like the word picture, Jesus goes on to say, take my yoke upon you. And yoke always felt like this really antiquated word, but yoke still exists. And most of us know that a  yoke is where they have one animal that is  basically harnessed to another animal and the visualization is that there is a more experienced animal that helps teach the younger animal the way to go. Now, Vickie, I don't know about you, but when I am left to my own  devices and I'm trying to live apart from God,   I am going to wander. I'm going to stomp on things that I shouldn't stomp on. I'm going to go too fast. I'm going to reckon the things. And so when Jesus says. Take my yoke upon you. what Jesus essentially is saying, let me put  my arm around you, around  your shoulder, because essentially stress has us in a choke hold. It is a choke hold that is strangling us. We are often, Vickie, sometimes we try to run ahead of what God is doing in our lives. Can I get an amen?  And so Jesus, he's putting his arm around us and I find it very interesting that on a shirt, the shoulder area of the shirt in construction is called a yoke. And so Jesus is putting his arm around our yoke and he's saying, learn from me. Let me teach you. He's saying, let me teach you the right pace to ...
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    30 分
  • My personal health journey: a special edition

    My personal health journey: a special edition
    2024/09/27
    I've been doing this for about nine months now. And I think it's time that I shared a little bit more about how I got here, and maybe that'll help you on your own health journey. I'd like to think about where you are now, where you've been and where you want to go. So let me tell you where I've been. I started my OBGYN practice when I was 30 years old. I had a daughter who was just starting kindergarten, and a little boy who was about to turn 2. And my practice ramped up really fast, And back in those days, drug reps often brought lunch to clinic, and they didn't bring healthy stuff. They brought things like pasta with alfredo sauce, and they brought a lot of cheesecake. And I love cheesecake. Especially turtle cheesecake with all that caramel sauce over it. Mmm. It's delicious. And so every time that they brought dessert, I indulged in dessert. And my life was kind of busy. I began to gain weight. And I developed migraine headaches. And I wasn't sleeping very well. And of course you can't sleep well when you're an OB doctor anyway, but that's a different story. And so I really felt terrible. On top of that, every single time it was somebody's birthday at the office, we pot lucked and the potlucks weren't much healthier than the drug rep lunches. And they always included birthday cake because after all we were celebrating. But every celebration isn't my own special occasion. But I didn't realize that. So I just plowed on through and next thing you know, I gained about 15 pounds. Between ages 30 and 35, I felt worse than I had ever felt in my entire life. And I looked it too. I was miserable. My clothes were tight. I didn't have any energy. And I just felt bad. And I discovered a book called, What the Bible Says About Healthy Living, by Dr. Rex Russell, M. D. And so I read this book and it talked about how we should eat things in their natural state. And back then we didn't really use the term whole foods, but eat food in its natural state. And so what Dr. Russell said is that butter is better than margarine, and that vegetables are better than processed foods, and that things that are refined have lost their nutrients, such as white rice, white flour, and sugar. And so I went on a pretty radical diet and I changed my eating habits completely. And the three things I cut out were white rice, white flour, and sugar. And not only did I lose the weight, but my migraine headaches went completely away. Now, I wasn't pure about it. I would obviously indulge every once in a while. And I learned just about how many bites of something I could take before I'd get a headache. So, I would pre decide what I was gonna do if there was a potluck at work. And there was cake, or there was that turtle cheesecake that I could never resist, and I would tell myself, Four bites. That's all you get. Four bites. And most of the time I would stick to that, but every once in a while, I'd just finish the whole piece. And you know what? I'd get a migraine headache. And so, that was a good feedback thing for me to say, You know what? That's a headache on a plate. I don't even want it. Now, I didn't follow what Dr. Russell recommended exactly, He recommended very small intake of meat, but I just kind of ignored that part and the dairy part he recommended butter. So I really lathered the butter on and I did switch to whole wheat. I bought a mill and I started milling my own wheat and making bread. I discovered a lady named Sue Becker that does bread baking and I had a whisper meal. You just put whole wheat in the top of it and, Grind it up and you get fresh whole wheat flour. And I made bread with olive oil and honey and it was delicious. And so I did that for many, many years and taught my kids to eat healthy. And I'm so thankful for those foundations because My kids have pretty good eating habits, and I think those early years of us eating more whole food was good, even though we ate a lot of vegetables out of the can. We did, because we were on the go, go, go. But we ate vegetables, and we didn't eat a lot of junk food. I followed most of the principles from this book. One of the things he said is that God gave us all of these laws for a clean diet. And then Jesus came and set us free from all those laws, but God knows our body. and he knows how they function best. And so I followed this diet for many, many years and felt great. I got really fit in my forties and I started exercising after I lost that weight. I felt so good. I wanted to exercise. And so I started cycling and I rode my bike all the time. And then, when I turned 50, my whole world turned upside down. I developed a rare autoimmune disease called Myasthenia Gravis. And it came on pretty suddenly, and I had a severe case of it. I could walk across the room, but I couldn't walk very far. And I couldn't use my arms very much either. And I was very disabled. And to treat me, they put me on a lot of different medications. I had surgery, I had infusions. And, ...
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    17 分
  • How much protein do you really need?

    How much protein do you really need?
    2024/09/20
    Do you get enough protein? There are protein powders, protein shakes, and protein bars. But how much protein do you actually need? Then there are high protein diets. Are those good for you? Are you getting enough protein in your daughter? Maybe too much stay tuned to find out if you're getting the right amount. It seems like we're just bombarded with this message to make sure we get enough protein and yes, you definitely need enough protein. But chances are you get plenty. The average American diet is 16% protein. Well, that translates to 80 grams a day. If you follow the recommended 2000 kilo calorie diet. On top of that, most Americans eat protein that is packaged with fat. And that definitely has some negative health consequences. Today, we'll discuss the amount of protein that's right for you and the best sources We do need protein if you don't get enough protein, you can have brittle hair and nails. You can feel hungry all the time or your muscles can be weak. Your immune system can be compromised, so you get sick a lot. You can even have trouble thinking or changes in your mood, or stress fractures in your bones. So let's go to mini medical school for a review course. There are three essential macro nutrients that our bodies absolutely need to function. Fat carbohydrates and protein. And gosh, when I say those three together, I think the protein hype comes in from the bad rap that fat and carbs get. Remember one gram of protein is four kilocalories. Same for carbs and fat is nine. But you do need all three macros and like everything in lifestyle medicine, it requires balance. And on top of the macros, there are lots of micronutrients, but here's the deal protein is never a solo act. I mean, you can't really just eat a protein. Proteins are macromolecules. Well, that just means they're big old suckers made up of long chains of amino acids, and you may have heard them called building blocks. There are 20 different amino acids and we need every single one of them to live. but your body can make 11 of them. So nine of them are essential in your diet. A complete protein has all nine of them, Most protein in our diets are not complete. But not to worry your pretty little brain about that. We will talk about how to get a complete protein. Amino acids are kind of like Lego's, they fit together to make proteins, but unlike Legos, they don't make you cuss when you step on them. And like Lego's for mothers of little boys. Amino acids are everywhere and you can snap proteins together to make muscles, hair, enzymes, and antibodies. They break stuff down in chemical reactions in the body and they're important for DNA replication. We need protein for every organ in our body to function like it's designed the heart, the brain, the skin, the immune system. And it's especially important for the musculoskeletal system. Adequate protein intake helps build repair and maintain muscle. And that's not just for bodybuilders who want big ol honkin muscles because as we age. Staying strong becomes even more important. Protein may play a role in appetite control. And that's why a lot of these diets focus on high protein for weight loss. And we're going to talk about that in a few minutes. But not getting enough protein can lead to hair loss, skin breakouts and breakdowns, weight loss, loss of muscle mass and weakness. This is most likely to happen in people with eating disorders or the elderly who have an inadequate caloric intake. Now let's get to the bottom line. How much protein do you need? You're going to need to know how much you weigh in order to do the math and the simple answer is that you can multiply your body weight in pounds by 0.36 and determine the minimum number of grams of protein you need. Of course, there are situations where you need more like how old you are, whether you're a man or a woman. Your activity level and pregnancy. Okay, active adults need 0.6 to 0.9. Older adults need a little more too. They've got to maintain that muscle mass. So 0.8 times, your body weight in pounds. And the reason older adults are at such risk again, is because of decreased appetite, decreased calorie consumption, and the importance of staying strong. So you don't fall, or you can open a jar and all the other things you need to get done in a day. Okay. What about athletes? Well, they do need more. 1.2 to two. So let's look at that just a little bit different way. And for those of you who are on my email list, I'll send this out in print because it's so much easier to look at that way. Sedentary adults need 10 to 15% of their calories from protein. Active adults need 15 to 25%. And athletes should consume protein as 25 to 35% of their diet. And with all the hawking about protein, you'd think we're all deficient. But on average Americans get the amount of protein they need. In general, if you're eating enough calories. You're probably eating enough protein. Can you get too much? Well, ...
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    25 分
  • 3 Easy steps to reach your goal to get healthier

    3 Easy steps to reach your goal to get healthier
    2024/09/13
    Do you want to get healthier? Do you want to maintain or improve your health? Setting goals is crucial. But what if you struggle to follow through? Then you're in the right place. Stay tuned to learn three easy steps to reach your goal to get healthier. Here we go again. You've decided you want to get healthy. Maybe you want to start exercising or eating better, lose a few or maybe even a lot of pounds. You want to sleep better and feel rested and energized. So you get started on your journey to get healthier. And before long, or maybe not so long., you fizzle out. Or maybe you never even got out of the starting gate and you're thinking, "Good grief. What is wrong with me that I can't get it together?" What if I told you you're doing it all wrong. There is a way to succeed and it's not hard. Don't believe me. Well, let me prove it. I'm going to show you three easy steps to reach your goal to get healthier. First let's talk about what it means to be healthy. What does get healthier mean to you? Seriously, I'd like for you to camp out on this question and don't just listen to my voice. If you can, I would encourage you right now to push pause on this podcast and brainstorm some thoughts about what it means to you to get healthier and then come back. I could give you a textbook definition of healthy. It just literally means to be in good health. That isn't much clearer, is it? So, while I've got you on the hot seat answering questions, let me ask you this. How would you know if you are healthier? Hmm, that brings it into a little bit clearer perspective, doesn't it? You see, if you can't define it, and you can't measure success, then it's really not a plan. It's an idea. It's a hope. You know, I hope my blood pressure gets better and I don't have a heart attack or a stroke. Or, I hope I can stay on a diet and fit into that dress that's too small. Or, I hope I can sleep better and feel rested. I hope so too, but I'm pretty sure it's hard to achieve goals that are so broad and so vague. Because, if you don't know exactly what you mean by get healthy, then I'm confused about what your goal is and you really aren't clear either. I know. I know it's hard. It's hard to stay on a diet or be faithful to an exercise program or have good sleep habits or manage your stress or be intentional about meaningful connections and cut back or eliminate your alcohol intake or sugar or junk food. So what is it, specifically what is it, that you are trying to accomplish when you say I want to get healthier? And I hear a lot of people say, well, I want to be able to keep up with my kids or my grandkids so that I can play with them. And other people say, I don't want to be like my mom. She was confined to the recliner for the last 10 years of her life due to poor health. Those are great motivators. But they aren't really specific goals either. Why do you want to get healthier? Because once you figure that out, you can use it to motivate you to make changes that lead to better health. Too many times we think we just don't have enough motivation, or persistence, or willpower, or self discipline to achieve our goals. Or we get sidelined by ever present stress in our lives. Or we just slip back into old habits and give up. But what set us up for failure in the first place was we didn't know exactly where we were going. You have to have a clear destination in mind, a clear goal in the first place if you're going to achieve success. If you're going to get from wherever your current health is to wherever you want it to be, you're going to need details. Lots of them. So start with nailing down the destination. Do you want to get your blood pressure normal? Do you want to be able to run a 5k? Do you want to lose 5 pounds? Do you want to sleep through the night? Get clear and get specific and then get more specific. Lifestyle medicine has six pillars. Nutritional eating, restorative sleep, physical fitness, Social Connectedness, Stress Management, and minimizing exposure to harmful substances. Pick one to really work on and start drilling down to get to the place you want to end up in. And yes, they're all interconnected. If you want to lose weight, then not only do you need to focus on nutrition and physical fitness, you also need to focus on your social circles and your restorative sleep and managing your stress. They are interconnected, there is no doubt, but you likely will not be able to make sweeping changes all at once. You need a specific destination and you need directions on how to get from here to there. And that can't mean I want to get healthier so I'm going to clean up my diet and exercise. If you don't know exactly where you're going, I guarantee you, you will never arrive. And that's what happens to most people. And here's the deal, when it comes to health, who arrives? I mean, Health is a journey with mountains and valleys along the way and twists and turns and detours you didn't...
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    26 分
  • Overcoming Jet Lag

    Overcoming Jet Lag
    2024/09/06
    You've booked your flight, reserved your hotel and packed your bags. So don't let jet lag, keep you from enjoying all the wonders on your itinerary. In this episode, you'll learn how to phase shift your circadian rhythm. So you can make memories that last forever. It's kind of fascinating to think about jetting around the globe. We can hop on a plane and be on the other side of the world by tomorrow. Or is it today? What time is it again? The problem is that our internal clocks. can't keep up. And it knocks the circadian rhythm for a loop. When your internal clock gets out of sync, it causes jet lag. Which can make us sleepy when we're supposed to be awake and enjoying our wonderful vacation or lying awake when it's bedtime in our dream destination. Either way, there are things you can do to lessen the effects. Jet lag causes insomnia by the de synchronization of the circadian rhythm. Well, that was enough 25 cent words to cut into your vacation budget, but don't worry. We'll go to mini medical school in a bit and learn more. But jet lag causes more than insomnia during the night and drowsiness during the day. It also causes GI upset, brain fog., bad mood and just feeling ick, in general. And even if you don't change time zones, it's hard enough to sleep in an unfamiliar place where there's light noise to contend with. And it can be made worse if the pillow is too flat or too thick. On the other end of the spectrum is daytime sleepiness. You've planned all those amazing excursions. And now you're struggling to stay awake and actually enjoy your trip. Jeez. And don't forget GI upset. Mostly it's decreased appetite and constipation due to eating at times you're normally sleeping, but some people get diarrhea and that's never a good travel companion. On top of that brain fog sets in which can make you and everyone around you and a bad mood. Decisions about where to go and what to eat, seem harder. And emotions get the best of you and sabotage your trip. So let the adventures begin. Whether you've personally experienced jet lag, have an upcoming trip, Or, just want to live vicariously. It's time to go to mini medical school. I always like to get started with a definition. Let's start with circadian rhythm. It's the 24 hour process that helps our bodies react appropriately to day and night, light and dark as the earth spins on its axis. Normally melatonin levels start to increase when light starts to decrease. Ideally, this happens about two hours before bedtime. And the term for this is dim light melatonin onset, or DLMO. This secretion in melatonin causes a drop in core body temperature, which in turn makes us a little groggy. This signals our body that it's time to get tucked in beneath the covers and get some shut eye. The rise in melatonin continues and it hits its max level after about seven hours. This peak coincides with the lowest level of core body temperature. And these two things happen about three hours Prior to wake up time. In the morning, the melatonin levels drop to zero and our core body temperature starts to warm up, and this starts the wake cycle, which lasts about 16 hours. The sleep wake cycle can be modified and the internal clock can be reset. Guess what the most powerful tool that resets the circadian rhythm is? It's bright light. In the natural order of things, the sun comes up, the rooster says cock a doodle doo, the farmer gets out of bed, works 16 hours, and everyone goes to sleep. The cycle starts over the next morning. But then we invented all kinds of things that screwed it up from light bulbs to night shifts, to screens that emit blue light. And that has a huge impact on melatonin secretion, which is what gets this whole ball rolling. When it comes to light, timing is everything. Let me introduce another term, entrainment. This is our ability to synchronize our internal clock based on external input from the environment. This makes your body's physical functions line up with your daily routines to coincide with day and night. And that's why typically people don't have the urge to empty their bowels during the night. It's also why your gastrointestinal tract can be all messed up when you travel. But other things besides light can help entrain circadian rhythm too, like exercise, meals, and social contact. Think about it. How many times have you stayed up late talking to friends? And then falling asleep when you're home alone or bored. Get out your notebook now because here's the science you need to know about jet lag. It's all about phase shifting. Either delaying or advancing depending on which direction you're traveling. Bright light packs the biggest punch when it shines during what should be night time. Because that's when melatonin is secreted, remember? In normal people, the lowest core body temperature is in the evening. So bright light after the low core body temperature, moves that circadian rhythm forward. That's called a phase...
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