cktimes.ca Archives for Choices4Wellness
Choices4Wellness
Star light, star bright am I going to sleep tonight?
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Sleep is essential to good health and most of us don't get enough of it! I am talking about 6 to 8 hours of solid deep sleep not the twisty turning kind. Statistics show over 50% of adults over 40 years of age have sleep disturbancesMelatonin is the link! It is a light sensitive hormone which is turned off by day light and turned on by darkness and this allows us to go into a deep sleep. The hormone melatonin (hereinafter referred to as 'mel') is now a popular therapy for jet-lag and disturbances of sleep. Claims are made for improved sex-life, longevity and even lowering of blood pressure.
Some studies on Melatonin
An investigation was done into the efficacy of oral melatonin in alleviating jet lag in flight crew after a series of international flights. The optimal time for taking melatonin was also investigated. When melatonin 5 mgs was given on arrival for 5 days a trend showing improved recovery in jet-lag, mood and sleepiness was shown. There was also a significantly faster recovery of energy and alertness.
A study was done in shift workers. 5mgs melatonin was given at bedtime and increased alertness in waking hours was observed. Authors caution that effects on performance need careful evaluation.
Nocturnal melatonin secretion may be involved in physiologic sleep onset and exogenous melatonin may be useful in treating insomnia. 0.3mgs or 1mg were given at 6 pm and 8 pm close to times of endogenous melatonin release and habitual sleep onset. No "hangover " effects were noted as assessed by mood and performance tests administered the morning after treatment.
Melatonin has been found to be efficacious in delayed sleep phase syndrome. 5mgs/day was administered for one month. Mean sleep onset time was advanced 115 mins and mean final awakening hour by 106mins. 15 children were treated with 2-10mgs of oral melatonin given at bedtime. Most of the children were neurologically multiply disabled. All had failed to respond to conventional management. There were no adverse side effects and behavioural and social benefits were significant. The authors concluded that mel has an important role in the treatment of certain types of chronic sleep disorders.
Melatonin as an antioxidant?
Melatonin is a highly important antioxidant! According to Dr. Micheal Colgan
Age related brain deterioration is extremely costly in terms of quality of life. One of the potential major causes of age-related destruction of neuronal tissue is toxic free radicals that are a natural result of aerobic metabolism. The brain is particularly susceptible to free radical attack.
The pineal hormone melatonin is rapidly taken up by the brain. In vitro melatonin is more effective than glutathione in scavenging the highly toxic (.OH) radical The hydroxyl radical (.OH) damages cells. Melatonin is an efficient neutraliser of.OH.
All in all Melatonin is safe and effective for most people with no side effects.
Melatonin supplements come in small pills you put under your tongue and dissolve in a few seconds and usually taken before bedtime very easy to take with no bad taste to deal with.
When I take Melatonin I have a deeper sleep and I dream more and I always wake up refreshed. That is my testimonial – try it and share your testimonial !
Thanks for reading and sleep well.....Greg Foster
Inspiration : Have the determination of a mirror. It never loses its ability to reflect, even if it is broken into thousand pieces.
Greg Foster, owner of Choices4Wellness has a long history in the Natural Health industry. Since 1987 Greg's goal has been to own and operate his own store. While working toward his goal, he was a sales associate for Prolab a sports nutrition company. Greg also worked as a personal trainer and helped people achieve their fat loss and fitness goals, while also teaching them that these goals were about a "whole" lifestyle approach and the benefits of supplements and healthy food choices . Always teaching that it's about FAT LOSS not weight loss, Greg is now able to live out his dream of owning a health food store so that he can better meet the needs of his clients. Greg has a personal training room at the store where he has one on one time with his clients. They range from teenagers to couples that want personalized time and attention to achieve fitness goals without the busy atmosphere of a gym, where sometimes your precious work-out time is gobbled up by socializing and waiting your turn on the equipment.. It is during this time that Greg is able to recommend lifestyle choices to enhance your work-out routine & a positive mental attitude. Being a father of 3 boys, ages Trevor 18, Chad 10,and Shane 9 , Greg is sympathetic to living a busy life, and helps to make fitness goals realistic as well. At 41, Greg Foster , has embarked on a journey of entrepreneurial spirit, meshed with a passion to see people lead healthier ,happier lives. Truly, a business combination for success. Kim Iles, the manager of Choices4Wellness, is no stranger to the Natural Health Industry. She formerly founded and owned Alternative Choices from 1993 until its closing in 2004. During those 11years, Kim achieved many levels of business experience. She was on the board of directors for the CHFA (Canadian Health Food Association) as well as developing and franchising her Alternative choices concept. Kim's real passion however is with teaching, providing lectures, and spreading her knowledge of natural health through out Chatham-Kent and beyond. Kim is a mother of a 22 year old daughter , Nicole and a 17 year old son, Jordon . To Choices4Wellness, Kim also brings her knowledge of the water purification side of the business. Kim is a former owner and co-founder of Pure Choice Water Centers. The new store located inside of Choices4Wellness is appropriately named Choices4Water with a slogan "water you can believe in", offering state of the art purification better tasting and at better prices than the old business she left behind. Kim has always been a familiar voice on the radio, as well as in the newspaper, as she believes education and creating awareness is vital to getting people use and accept natural health products to create wellness and a lifestyle that enhances their lives.
