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Tag: Immune System

How to Have Better Sleep?

There is very little worse than when you are exhausted, but your brain is still going a million miles an hour. All you want to do is sleep, but your body refuses to calm down. You lie in bed, eyes closed, and sleep just beyond reach.

Melatonin is a chemical in your body that is responsible for regulating your sleep cycles and making you sleep. Your pineal gland is responsible for producing that melatonin. Each night your body produces approximately 25mcg of melatonin to promote a peaceful and restful sleep. Studies have shown that this amount gradually decreases as we age, which may explain why toddlers and youth require more sleep at night than adults.

You can help regulate your sleep and promote more relaxed, restful sleep by helping your body produce melatonin when you need it. If you are having trouble sleeping, try a few of these tips before you turn to medication.

  1. Say “no” to electronic devices and gadgets:

The blue light produced by our phones, laptops, TVs, and tablets may be counteracting your body’s attempts to produce melatonin. Instead of checking your phone or social media accounts before going to bed, read, journal, or even color. These activities are much less stimulating than electronic devices, allowing your brain to start shutting down and encouraging your body to start producing melatonin for the night ahead.

  1. Drink chamomile tea:

Chamomile tea actually has melatonin in it. Drink a warm cup of it in the evening to help your body relax, de-stress, and prepare for restful sleep.

  1. Shower or take a relaxing bath:

Warm water relaxes tense muscles and refreshes your mind. According to research by Loughborough University in Leicester, the relaxing effect of taking a bath before going to bed helps increase the production of melatonin in your body. This is because taking baths and showers reduces the level of the stress hormone cortisol in your body, allowing your body to produce melatonin instead.

  1. Block all sources of light:

Pull all the curtains, shut all the blinds, turn off all the lights. Make your room completely dark. Even the smallest amount of light can disrupt your sleeping and melatonin production. Blocking out all the sources of light while sleeping will significantly boost the melatonin in your body, help regulate your sleeping patterns and promote deep sleep so that you wake you up happy and well rested.

  1. Focus on your diet:

Your diet plays a huge role in your body’s sleeping habits. Studies have shown that reducing or eliminating caffeine and processed foods has a hugely positive impact on your amount and quality of sleep. It is also helpful to avoid trying to sleep on a very empty or very full stomach; both can leave your body focused on processes other than sleep. A light snack or a warm cup of tea just before bed can help calm hunger pangs without overtaxing your body.  What are the best foods to help you sleep? – watch here

Reminder of the key hormones needed for sleep: Melatonin, Cortisol, Serotonin and impact on immune system

VITAL TIPs: Manage stress and support your adrenals.

HOW?

Ways to support your immune system with daily rituals that are easy to do.

  • Meditation
  • Journaling
  • Tapping – EFT at the end of the day to calm the mid and process anything you are still feeling
  • Cool dew on your feet at night or a cold shower on your feet
  • Cold water therapy
  • Supplements such as 5HTP, CBD, Magnesium glycinate – talk to me I can guide you.

Sleep is a 24-hour cycle, not just something that happens when you go to bed.

In the morning, your body makes cortisol to wake you up. In the evening it makes melatonin to make you sleepy

Hormonal factors that influence sleep can include making too much cortisol, making cortisol at the wrong times of day, and not making enough melatonin.

Serotonin also influences sleep. Essential oils can support serotonin. The best essential oils on the planet can be purchased here  Vetiver, lavender and roman chamomile are my favourite and I use them every night.

A healthy sleep cycle includes anchoring both cortisol and melatonin, so that you are awake and alert when you should be, and tired when you should be.

Sleep is when we repair cells – the heart of the immune system!

 

If you would like to learn more about my hormone tests get in touch. When we get to the root cause of why you are not sleeping – your life will change forever!

 

Yours in health and wellness,

Trish

How to Boost your Immune System with Garlic

Suffering from the cold and flu can make you feel helpless; even the smallest task seems exhausting. It is a common belief that there is no real “cure” for colds and flu; you simply have to let it run its course. But garlic may provide a solution to help reduce the severity and length of those colds and flu symptoms.

Studies on Garlic’s Effects on Cold and Flu:

There have been studies to try to understand how garlic can affect cold and flu symptoms. One particular study looked at 146 people for three months. The people who used the garlic supplement experienced 24 occurrences of cold symptoms, while the people who did not use the garlic supplement has 65 occurrences. Another story found that people who took garlic supplements were able to recover from cold and flu symptoms faster than those who didn’t.

How Does Garlic Help Stop Cold and Flu Symptoms?

So, what is in garlic that may make it so powerful against the cold and flu? Some researchers believe it is the sulfur compounds and allicins, saponins and amino acid derivatives found in garlic that are responsible for targeting cold and flu symptoms.

Here are a few ways garlic may help you end those cold and flu symptoms.

Make Sure Garlic is Right for You:

Do a little more research as to the benefits of garlic against cold and flu symptoms to make sure that it will target those you are actually suffering from. Also, check to make sure you are not allergic to it because if your body is not suited for garlic, it will not do you any good.

Get Familiar with the Smell

If you have used garlic before you know it has a distinctive smell. No matter how much you wash garlic, the smell never goes away. This smell is due to the presence of the same agents that are responsible for remedying a cold and flu. If you are going to use garlic, get used to it now.

Ways to Incorporate Garlic into Your Diet:

There are several ways you can incorporate garlic into your diet so it can start helping you fight those cold and flu symptoms.

  1. Raw Garlic:

It might be a strong but effective way of using garlic to help prevent cold and flu.

  1. Cook with Garlic:

Add garlic in your food while cooking. Cooking and sautéing garlic reduces its pungency and makes it a little easier to eat.

  1. Garlic Supplements:

There are various garlic supplements available on the market. If you do not want to cook or consume raw garlic, you can simply use garlic supplements.

  1. Add garlic to a juice:

The medicine juice has been known to heal many performers at the Edinburgh Fringe and other festivals, retreats and events over the years.  Try lemon, garlic, ginger, 3 carrots, 1 celery stick and 1 bulb of raw beetroot.

If you would like to learn more about my 8-week gut healing, hormone balancing programme called Time to Nourish click here

Yours in health and wellness,

Trish Tucker May

My Top 7 Natural Remedies To Boost Your Immune System

Getting sick is awful. It disrupts your routine and affects every sphere of your life.

Prevention is the best medicine.

Here are some of my favourite natural remedies that may prevent you from getting sick.

1.Juicing:

Healthy juicing is another way to detox your body and get rid of the toxins that make you sick. To keep your immune system going and working efficiently, it needs a regular boost of minerals and vitamins. This is easy to do with the help of juicing. Pack your juices with any combination of the following ingredients:

  • Apples
  • Carrots
  • Oranges
  • Grapefruit
  • Tomato
  • Kale
  • Turmeric
  • Celery
  • Beet
  • Strawberry
  • Mango
  • Ginger
  • Kiwi
  • Watermelon
  • Mint
  • Pumpkin seed
  • Spinach
  • Lettuce
  • Chia seeds

Play around with these ingredients to find tasty combinations that you prefer. These ingredients are rich in minerals like iron, calcium, potassium, magnesium, zinc, folate, folic acid, fatty acids, and vitamins like A, B6, C and E.

2. Herbal teas:There is nothing easier than an herbal tea to keep your immune system going. Drink herbal teas after meals to help prevent illness. Some recommended herbal teas for fighting disease and illness are jasmine, mint, lemongrass, cinnamon, and ginger. These herbal teas contain antioxidants, which have anti-inflammatory properties. They also boost lymph flow and eliminate toxins.

3. Gentle daily movement – motion is lotion:

Either yoga, walking, tai chi or rebounding. All will work to support to digestive system, reduce stress and support healthy lungs and heart.  Rebounding is a safe, easy exercise that may keep you from getting sick. It is cheap, time efficient and convenient. To perform this exercise, just buy a small trampoline and jump on it a few times after you wake up. Deep breathing and a few gentle bounces are more than enough to circulate oxygen toward your tissues and remove harmful acids from your body.

4. Epsom Salt Bath:

A detox bath with Epsom salt is a great way to prevent the common cold. For Epsom salt detox bath, run a bath of warm water and add one cup of Epsom salt and a few drops of your favourite essential oil like lavender and vetiver.  Get in touch via my website to purchase these beautiful essential oils.

Lavender essential oil is a great choice trying to purify and cleanse your body. For better and more effective results, you can also add a little ground ginger and baking soda to your bath, too. This bath will help your body get rid of harmful toxins and provide overall health to your body. This bath will also help cleanse your thyroid, kidney, and liver.

5. Acupuncture:

Acupuncture is a type of alternative medicine common in China that stimulates the flow of lymph in your body, regulating your body’s processes of your body and fending off illness. It may help prevent diseases and illnesses like sinusitis, arthritis, colds, infections, flu and much more.

Acupuncture is administered by pushing thin needles into certain pressure points of your body. Search for professional clinics in your area. Some gyms and healing clinics also offer acupuncture services to their customers.  It was life changing for me when I broke my neck in my late 20’s.  it is brilliant for pain management and immune support.

6. Supplements:

The best supplements are based on whole foods, bio food or bioavailable. What that means is they are more easily absorbed and used in the body.   I highly recommend magnesium, zinc, B vitamins and Adaptogens as a good place to start.  If you are feeling low, tired, or stressed please get in touch so I can guide you to the best supplements for you.

7. Essential oils:

These are a gift from mother nature. They are derived from the stems, bark, flowers, resin, and roots of plants. Essential Oils can be profoundly effective in supporting the immune system, sleep, weight loss, cleansing and even balancing hormones.  Reach out to me so I can guide you to the best oils for your symptoms.  The most popular oils for my clients include Frankincense, lavender, copaiba, peppermint, lemon, and the citrus oils.  The range is huge and different oils work well for different ailments so get in touch so I can guide you.

No one likes getting sick. Before you reach for your medicine cabinet or take a trip to the doctor’s surgery and pharmacy, try a few of these natural remedies to keep your immune system fighting for you!

If you would like to learn more about my 8 week gut healing program or the marvelous menopause guide click here

https://trishtuckermay.com/mini-menopause-program/

Now is the time to get the support you need.

Yours in health and wellness,

Trish Tucker May

PS if you are struggling in lockdown but you want support, join the free FB group GOOD GUT HEALTH