Minella’s thoughts and articles

Your brain clock is a cluster of brain cells in the hypothalamus that determines your sleep-wake time and is regulated by light and darkness, explains Delwyn Bartlett, a sleep psychologist with the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research in Sydney. Here’s how to keep it on track:

* Wake up at the same time every morning, even on weekends. This is more important than going to bed at the same time every night. "Waking up at the same time cues your brain to release sleep-wake hormones at the right time," she says……

* Get the light right. Melatonin, the sleep hormone that gets your brain ready for sleep, needs diminishing levels of light to help it kick in. Bright light - or staring at your laptop - can delay its effects. Keep lights in the bedroom low before you go to sleep. Have curtains that let you wake up to morning light…….

* Check your blankets. To feel sleepy, your body temperature needs to fall. An overheated bedroom or an electric blanket turned up too high can make it hard to sleep. But a warm bath an hour before bed can help your temperature fall. The warm water artificially raises your temperature, which then has to come down once you’re out of the bath….

* Think about what you drink and eat before bed. Drinks containing caffeine - coffee, tea, cocoa and cola - can keep you awake. Although caffeine’s stimulant effect is strongest in the first hour or so after taking it, it can still be in your system eight hours later. While alcohol helps you doze off quickly, drinking too much too close to bedtime can backfire. One drink might be OK but too much can fragment your sleep because of falling blood-alcohol levels that can wake you up later in the night…..

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Google Inc. reported sharply lower fourth-quarter profits Thursday from bad investments, while its core business showed resilience amid the global recession.

The results, which beat analysts’ expectations, were enough to dispel investor concerns about how the company is weathering the gloomy economy. But at the same time, the earnings highlighted the fact that the Mountain View Internet leader isn’t immune from the downturn.

Google said fourth-quarter profit fell 68 percent to $382 million ($1.21 per share), from $1.2 billion ($3.79) a year ago. Much of the decline was attributed to a $1.09 billion charge for soured investments in wireless provider Clearwire and in the AOL Web portal, owned by Time Warner…..

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MOTHERS nursing premature babies can halve the risk that their child will have significant developmental problems if they take fish oil supplements to fortify their breast milk.

A study involving hundreds of Australian babies from five hospitals nationwide has shown the frequency of mild mental delay in infants born weighing less than 1250 grams was cut by about 45per cent if their mothers took the   omega-3 supplements.

New Broome: Western Australia’s Cable Beach Club Resort at Broome is offering free room upgrades from February 27 to March 3 to mark its reopening following refurbishment. More: 1800 199 099; cablebeachclub.

Happy campers: DriveNow is offering a $100 cashback deal on Britz campervans booked by the end of March. For travel between April and the end of March 2010; applies to bookings of 14 days or more. More: drivenow.

Easter special: Melbourne’s Hotel Windsor has released a three-night Easter special from $450 a room; available from April 5-19. Upgrade to a superior room for $105. More: (03) 9633 6002; the hotel windsor .

Who, what, when: Peppers has accommodation and ticket packages to see The Who’s outdoor show at Hope Estate in NSW’s Hunter Valley on March 28. Nearby Peppers Guest House is offering a two-night package that includes breakfasts, transfers, dinner with wine and beer, A-reserve concert tickets, hamper of dessert and wine and access to the after-show Supper Club; $945 a person More: 1800 777 444; hopeestate.

Late show: A two-night weekend stay at participating Mercure hotels comes with breakfasts for two, 2pm checkout and $50 restaurant credit. Valid to April 5. More: mercure.

Fizz plus: Valentine’s Day looms and Sydney’s refurbished Novotel Manly Pacific is offering a seductive overnight package from $460 a couple that includes an ocean-view room, bottle of Bollinger champagne, strawberries with chocolate sauce and whipped cream and breakfast in bed. Available February 13-15. More: (02) 9977 7666; novotelmanlypacific.

Take one: Pay four nights and get the fifth free until March 26 at Western Australia’s Novotel Ningaloo Resort Exmouth. The resort has a range of hotel rooms and one, two and three-bedroom self-contained apartments. More: (08) 9949 0000; novotelningaloo.

Full steam ahead: Value Tours has a stay for 10 nights but pay for seven ski deal at Colorado’s Steamboat Springs. From $1697 a person with nine-day liftpass; flights extra. For travel from February 17 to March 13; More: 1300 361 322; valuetours. 

If you are like most people, you have probably started numerous weight loss programs. You were serious. You were determined. You pushed through the pain. That is, until a couple weeks later when you just up and quit. It’s the standard operating procedure of millions of people. The problem is most people dive in head first without putting enough thought and planning into their personal program. You see, there is no single “Perfect Plan” that will work for everyone. Nor is there a magic formula that will work for every person every time. The ideal weight loss program for you is one designed for you by you. You need to develop a program around your likes, wants and needs. The following are five simple steps to take when developing a weight loss program for yourself. By taking a couple of hours to pre-plan your program, you can drastically increase your chances of decreasing your waistline. Step One – Taking Stock The first thing you need to do is ask yourself what you are trying to accomplish. Only then can you plan an appropriate program. Are you looking to lose fat? Maybe you want to concentrate of building some muscle. Quite possibly, you want to do both. Determine what it is you want to accomplish and plan a program around activities that will work toward this new goal. However, only choose activities that you like to do. For example, running is probably the best exercise to help you burn fat. Even so, if you abhor the concept of jogging, do not make running the cornerstone of your weight loss program as you won’t do it. Remember – your objective is to develop a program of activities you enjoy that will move you toward your goal. This is not about what is “best” or “most effective.” What is best and most effective are the activities you will do on a consistent basis. You can work in the other activities later when your new routine becomes habit. Step Two – Setting Realistic Goals Now that you have taken stock and picked your activities, set up a plan that you will stick to. If you have decided to run, but have not jogged around the block since middle school, do not start out trying to run twenty miles a week. You need to start slow. Your goal in the early stage is to set the habit, to make your new plan part of your everyday routine. Your subconscious will shut you down and turn you away from your goal if you try to do too much too soon. Try this – for the first month do just one third of what you think you can do or twenty minutes, which ever is less. Do this no more than three times per week. This goes for cardio and weight lifting. Keep everything easy and light for the first month. After that, start inching up the length and intensity at intervals you find comfortable, yet challenging. Remember, you are not looking for some magic, quick loss plan to “lose thirty pounds in a month.” You have tried and failed at these “plans.” You are throwing the gimmicks out the window and setting out to slowly establish positive habits which you can build on as time goes by. There is no rush. Step Three – Planning Ahead Now that you have taken stock and set realistic goals, you need to plan. Literally write your workout into your day planner. Do the same with meals. If you are going to eat five meals a day, make time for those meals in your schedule. You won’t find the time unless you schedule it. This is a must - Prepare your meals ahead of time. If you do not prepare your meals in advance you are setting yourself up for failure. If you take one thing away from this article, this is it. By not planning and preparing healthy meals in advance, you are planning for bad meals instead. You either plan for success or you plan for failure. It is that simple. Nothing will help your weight loss plan more than this simple “trick.” Step Four – Tracking Your Work So, you took stock, you set realistic goals and you planned ahead. You are now ready to begin your new weight loss journey in a successful manner. However, you are not done yet. The only way to fully prepare for the future is to understand the past. Make sure you log every workout and every meal (Yes, I’m serious) in a daily planner of some sort. You should also note your mood before and after each work out and each meal. This way, whenever you have a very successful week or month, you can look back over that time period to see just what made it such a success. This is very powerful information to have because it isn’t second hand information, it is a recored history of what worked for you! Conversely, you can also use your written records to find out why a period was not successful. Step Five – Revising and Re-Energizing! Every month or two months, start back at step one to readdress the direction of your weight loss program. Use your written information to improve upon your success, limit your failures and to set more challenging goals for yourself. These five steps are everything you need to create your own personalized weigh loss program. While it is outside the scope of this article to discuss specific exercises and diets, your success can be boiled down to how effectively you implement these five steps. Source Permanent link to this post: http://blog.homyhealth.net/2009/01/five-simple-steps-to-weight-loss-success/

You probably know at least one person who snores. It could be your partner, parents, grandparents, or even Uncle Ned or Aunt Sophie that snore at various noise levels.

Some laugh and make jokes about it, but it can be a symptom of a serious disorder called obstructive sleep apnea. And if it is obstructive sleep apnea, then it is no laughing matter; that individual needs to get evaluated by a sleep specialist.

what is snoring?

Snoring is a noise produced when an individual breathes (usually produced when inhaling) during sleep, which in turn causes vibration of the soft palate and uvula (that thing that hangs down in the back of the throat).

The word “apnea” means the absence of breathing. Unfortunately, men are hit with more bouts of disruptive snoring than women. Sorry guys, but even if you don’t think you snore, you probably do.

treatment for snoring

The most important point to make about the treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA), or Snoring Syndrome, is that effective treatment requires several related problems to be treated simultaneously. At least the following need to be addressed:

Lifestyle factors
The impression is growing that to a large extent, many cases of obstructive sleep apnea and snoring may be related to Western culture. The risk of significant obstructive sleep apnea increases with the numerous factors described below, many of which are problems currently rampant in our society. Correction of OSA generally requires that these factors be eliminated. At times, elimination of these factors completely resolves the problem.

Weight
Excessive weight brought about by a sedentary lifestyle, too many rich foods, or by medically related situations such as thyroid problems, is probably the leading factor contributing to OSA. Bed partners almost invariably make the observation that the larger their snoring spouse becomes, the louder the snoring bellows, and the more often they hear snoring pauses followed by snorts, and a resumption of breathing (i.e., apneas — episodes of obstructed breathing). Conversely, in a large percentage of patients, weight loss down to an ideal weight has reversed the process.

Smoking
Smoking has numerous undesirable effects on the body. Most pertinent to OSA are the obstructions to the airway which cigarette smoking causes: swelling of the mucous membrane in the nose, swelling of the tissue in the throat, and blockage of the small vessels in the lungs. Therefore, add this to another list of reasons why you should stop this nasty habit.

What other factors may be the culprits?

more contributing factors

Alcohol
It is the partial collapse of the airway (breathing tube between nose, mouth and lungs) that is the immediate cause of snoring, and its complete collapse that is the immediate cause of apnea. Alcohol causes too great a relaxation of the airway during sleep. This, and other effects of alcohol on the body, means that it can either cause or greatly contribute to the development of loud snoring and apnea.

Organization of sleep
There are two periods of sleep which, given the right circumstances, are especially vulnerable to the development of unstable breathing. These are Stage 1 sleep, which should only occur when a person is first falling asleep but can occur many times during the night if sleep is poor; and REM sleep, which is the time when dreaming most frequently occurs.

If a person has very unbalanced sleeping habits during the week, it can result in the development of very significant respiratory instability during sleep. It’s that simple: unstable sleeping patterns lead to unstable breathing. Therefore, all you need to do is regulate your sleep by getting at least 7.5 hours of it per night. Sometimes, this is all that is required.

Medical problems
Anything that can lead to a blockage of the nose, throat, or lungs potentially plays a role in the development of OSA.

Pertinent nasal problems include allergies to air-borne particles such as animal dander, and dryness of the nose because of a wood-burning stove. Factors that can block the throat include large tonsils, large adenoids, excessive amounts of fatty tissue, and at times, the enlargement of some of the complex tissue at the back of the throat. In these cases, surgery can help by removing unwanted or excess tissue.

Snoring can also be a symptom of diabetes or hypothyroidism. Therefore, sometimes the best treatment for snoring and apnea is to go to the source of the problem and treat the medical problem itself.

Read full article: Stop Men Snoring Today

By Faith Lapidus
Washington
02 January 2009

Complementary and alternative medical practices - which include health products and therapies that aren’t generally considered part of conventional medicine - are frequently a part of Americans’ health care regimens. That’s the finding of a new survey released this month by the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), which is part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Thirty-eight percent of American adults are using some form of complementary and alternative medicine, known as CAM, to help with their health.

NCCAM Director Dr. Josephine Briggs says the new survey provides the most current, comprehensive and reliable source of information on Americans’ use of unconventional remedies such as medicinal herbs, acupuncture, yoga, meditation, massage and chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation.

Most of these patients, Briggs says, hope to alleviate pain.

“The most common reason why people turn to complementary and alternative medicine in our survey results is chronic back pain - far and away, the leading reason to use complementary and alternative medicine,” she says. “Neck pain, joint pain, headache: All these other conditions are also given as common reasons. But chronic back pain is the leading reason, a very common and difficult condition to treat.”

As the federal government’s lead agency for scientific research into CAM therapies, the center funds hundreds of projects and trials, supports training for researchers and encourages integration of proven CAM therapies into conventional practice.

Another important part of NCCAM’s mission is to publicize news and information about complementary and alternative medicine, and promote discussions about it between patients and their health care providers.

Briggs notes, “It is very important that people talk to their physicians and other health care providers about their use of complementary and alternative medicine.”

Read full article: Americans Turn to Complementary, Alternative Medicine for Pain Relief