Everyone knows that proper sleep is an essential element to staying healthy. When a person sleeps their body rests and restores energy levels. If a person is lacking sleep, their performance, mood, and health will all become affected.

It is recommended by the National Sleep Association that a normal healthy adult obtain between 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night. However, according to the 2008 Sleep in America Poll the average American only gets about 6 hours and 40 minutes of sleep per night. We know that getting anything less than 7 hours of sleep can set a person up for such health problems as heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and depression.

The quality of sleep is just as important as the quantity of sleep. If a person’s sleep is interrupted constantly, they may never reach the deep stages of sleep that are essential to become well rested and obtain good health. It is during the deep stages of sleep when the body repairs its tissues, builds bone, and helps to strengthen its immune system.

Here are a few pointers to help you and your family get better sleep:

• Start by examining your posture, pillows, and a mattress! As experienced D.C.’s we know the best sleeping posture is either on your back or on your side with your knees bent. Be sure to have a pillow that has the right amount of support to keep your neck in a neutral position. By keeping this neutral position you help keep the muscles in your neck relaxed and decrease the likelihood of headaches caused by irritation to this area. The right mattress is one that has enough give that it doesn’t cause points of abnormal pressure throughout your body, but has enough support to maintain the curves of your spine. When mattress shopping choose firm over soft.

• Environment – Be sure to sleep in a dark and quite area. Multiple interruptions at night can keep a person from obtaining deep sleep cycles where most healing and rest occurs.

• Exercise – regular exercise helps to alleviate stress and improve sleep. Try not to exercise at least 3 hours before you plan on going to bed or you may not be able to calm down before you need to sleep.

• Medication – Many people want a quick fix for their sleep problem. This is why they turn to sleeping pills. However, a lot of people become dependent on the pills and are not aware of the side effects that come with them. Contact our office or your health care professional for recommendations on more natural sleep aids such as melatonin or 5HTP.

At The Winchester Institute we offer great solutions to many health care questions and concerns you may have. Our techniques and recommendations are research based and our clinic provides a perfect environment for healing and achieving your wellness goals.

Your chiropractor knows the benefits you get by keeping your nerves healthy and free of subluxations. Vitamin B12 serves an important part in maintaining strong nerves. It also helps in the production of red blood cells and plays a vital role in developing energy from protein, carbohydrates and fats.

Are you at risk of B12 deficiency? Certain people are vulnerable to developing it. In this issue, we look at the significance of vitamin B12 in keeping you healthy and how you can prevent a deficiency of this crucial nutrient.

Vitamin B12 and Your Diet

Vitamin B12 is found almost exclusively in meat, fish, eggs and dairy products. Another source is breakfast cereals that have been fortified with B12.

Specific foods that contain a good supply of this vitamin include:

• Mollusks
• Clams
• Haddock
• White Tuna
• Rainbow Trout
• Beef
• Milk

Important for Brain and Blood

If you’re not getting enough B12 or your body has problems absorbing it, you may notice symptoms such as fatigue, weakness and loss of appetite. Depression, memory loss, dementia and balance problems may also emerge because of low B12 levels.

B12 deficiency can lead to anemia. This condition results when your body doesn’t have an ample supply of red blood cells. Your organs then do not receive enough oxygen.

Do You Need a B12 Supplement?

The people most at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency are:

Strict vegetarians (no meat, fish, dairy or eggs)

People with stomach and intestinal problems

People over age 50

Vegetarians and vegans should closely monitor their B12 intake. People who only eat plant-based food sources may need to take a daily B12 supplement.

Anyone who has had surgery to remove or alter the size of his stomach may need supplementation. Gastric bypass surgery has become popular to treat severe obesity. However, it comes with the risk of serious complications, including the inability to absorb sufficient nutrients to stay healthy.

Studies related to neurology and psychiatry show the impact of B12 deficiency on the brain. A Swedish study on B12 and foliate (another B vitamin) showed subjects with low levels of these two nutrients had twice the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

And In a research review of depression studies, scientists noted a link between depression and low levels of both foliate and vitamin B12.

Getting the right nutrients in the proper amounts depend on many things. You can see how receiving enough B12 hinges on factors such as your age, dietary preferences, medications and health status. Why not make an appointment with your chiropractor to discuss your dietary habits? An individualized nutrition plan allows you to gain the maximum health benefits good nutrition can offer.

Your chiropractor will tell you that chiropractic techniques do much more than adjust musculoskeletal misalignments.  Chiropractic has been scientifically proven to help boost your immune system, aid with asthma and allergies, reduce stress and fatigue, alleviate headaches, assist with ADHD, treat colic, lower blood pressure and… the benefits go on.

Now you’ll be soon hearing more about an amazing substance that could be a powerful complement to chiropractic adjustments and living a healthy holistic lifestyle.  It’s called glutathione.  Never heard of it? Not many people outside the scientific field have.

But new exciting research on glutathione makes it something worth watching.  Like chiropractic, it has a bounty of benefits for many health conditions that impact our lives.

Glutathione- specifically, keeping sufficient levels in your body-may play a role in preventing or treating…

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Arthritis
• Asthma
• Autism
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Multiple sclerosis
• Parkinson’s disease
• Psychiatric disorders
• Stroke

So What Is Glutathione and What Makes It So Compelling To Researchers?

It’s a protein that’s produced by your body.  And over the last few years, scientific studies have revealed how glutathione levels affect disease and chronic health conditions.

It also appears to slow aging, boost your energy, and protect you from viruses and bacteria.  Glutathione helps your body clean out toxins, such as pesticides, herbicides, carcinogens and heavy metals.  It even repairs damage caused by radiation.

How can protein have such a profound effect on health? You’re probably aware how certain nutrients are antioxidants-powerful molecules that protect the body from the ravages of disease.  Glutathione is called the master antioxidant. That’s because it’s the antioxidant created by your own body.  Other antioxidants could not function properly without glutathione present.  White blood cells, which are key to fighting diseases and infections, can only be created with sufficient levels glutathione.

Where Can You Find Glutathione?

It can be found in raw vegetables, meat, milk, and eggs.  The key word is raw.  Heating destroys glutathione, which is a main drawback of getting adequate amounts through cooked foods.

You can purchase glutathione supplements at health stores, but taking it orally may not provide much benefit.  The substance is poorly absorbed by your gastrointestinal tract and most of it gets excreted through your body’s waste.  This could be one reason why it doesn’t have a high profile among health conscious consumers.

In recent years, scientists have changed their focus.  Instead of developing more glutathione supplements, they’ve concentrated on creating nutritional products that provide the body with the chemical building blocks it can use to create more glutathione on its own.  For example, certain whey proteins supply such chemical precursors for internal glutathione production.

As you can see, glutathione could be a significant factor in protecting your health as well as improving your quality of life.

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