Hormones and Insomnia

 

Hormones and insomnia

I don’t know about you, but PMS, being cranky because of lack of sleep, feeling stressed or bloated, can leave any girl looking for answers. I know a lady who spent years looking for answers, because she literally spent years not being able to sleep. I know what I feel like if I didn’t have a good night’s sleep, imagine feeling like that for years!

Below are a few things that can contribute to disrupted sleep and hormones:

·    Poor nutrition Sugar is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to hormones. It messes up your hormones, leaving you feeling emotional and tired.

 Colourants and preservatives are big “no no’s”!

Too much meat can send your digestive tract into a flurry. Instead of rejuvenating and regenerating at night, it will leave you feeling like you have worked in a factory the whole night.

Refined, processed flours are simple carbohydrates that turn into sugar almost immediately.

Lack of fruit and vegetables will also leave your body starved of minerals and vitamins which are there to help your body functioning like a proper machine.

Caffeine can leave you feeling jittery, cranky and agitated. Enough said!

 

·     Fear, anxiety and stress This can be the root of many of your ailments. You need to free yourself from this prison by forgiving and releasing.

·     Bitterness and anger Don’t go to bed angry and with unresolved issues with a partner or children. It will create an open door for the enemy to come and steal in your life. And you will be the one left tossing and turning the night!

·     Adrenal fatigue This is also where your hormones are out of sync. Prolonged stress, fear and anxiety can lead to your adrenal glands basically burning out. You will be left tired and still not be able to sleep properly.

·     Hormone imbalances Various factors can contribute to this, most of them mentioned above.

What to do!

-A nice cup of chamomile tea mixed with some rooibos before bedtime. Aaaaahhh……

-Changing your diet to fruit and vegetables, wholegrains and legumes, nuts and seeds. Stock up on bananas, avo’s and baby potatoes. (See my fried banana recipes at the end.)

-Calcium and magnesium supplements. Magnesium is an element and a mineral that can work wonders. It can be found in bananas, potatoes, leafy greens, avo’s etc.

“Miracle Liquid Magnesium” found at pharmacies. The name says it all!

-Melatonin. This is a hormone that is released by the pineal gland that regulates the sleep-wake cycle. The brain produces it in response to darkness. A dietary supplement of melatonin is often prescribed as a short time treatment for insomnia.

-Zinc has a calming and anti-depressant effect and helps to regulate sleep. 

-Essential oils that aid sleep and relaxation can be Lavender, Frankincense and Chamomile oil.

A Wonderful product with an amazing testimony is “Endoflex” by Young Living. This is an essential oil blend that contributes to your overall wellbeing. It supports a healthy endocrine system, as well as the glandular, circulatory, respiratory, nervous and reproductive systems. It assists your body in balancing hormones, and the hormones help the different systems to work together in harmony. If your hormones are out of balance, then your body will be out of sync. And a whole list of symptoms will follow, including bad PMS, insomnia and weight gain.

Food grade Endoflex essential oil blend can be taken internally by placing a few drops in a capsule. Apply topically to the sides of the neck where the glands are, or specifically on the thyroid gland if you have problems, inside of the wrists, and specifically the feet before bedtime.

Endoflex ingredients and some properties:

Spearment

-For hormone inbalances- It decreases the male hormone testosterone and increases the female hormone progesterone.

-Aids digestion.

-Promotes relaxation and reduces stress.

Sage

-Stress reduction.

-Reduces menstrual cramps.

-Natural anti-depressant.

-Alleviates menopausal symptoms.

Geranium

-Reduces feelings of anxiety and depression.

-Pain reliever.

-Balances hormones.

Myrtle

-Helps clear acne and skin problems.

-Aids in the release of hormones for reproductive health.

-Helps clear the mind and enhances concentration.

-Promotes sleep.

Chamomile

-Promotes tranquility and vitality.

-Promotes a youthful appearance and longevity.

-Alleviates feelings of anxiety and depression.

-Relieves PMS symptoms.

-Helps with insomnia.

Nutmeg

-Stress reliever.

-Pain reducer.

-Eases menstrual cramping.

-Sleep inducer.

Sesame seed oil

-Helps fight depression and stress.

-Great for the skin.

-Feeds hormones.

 

Endoflex was the answer to the lady who spent years staring at the ceiling at night after trying a multitude of products. It took about a week or so of using the product for her hormones to come into balance again. Imagine the amount of books she read! It might be your answer...

If you would like to order the Endoflex Essential Oil Blend and want to get more information, please contact Carlyle at carlylesmith@yahoo.com or 082 781 3038 (South Africa).

Lizelle

Recipes:

Fried banana on rye bread

I know that bananas lose their nutritional value when fried, but this is a nice treat.

-Slice banana lengthwise, fry in a little coconut oil and cinnamon.

-Turn and fry the other side.

-Serve on slowly fermented sourdough bread.

*You can add some labne cream cheese if you want to make it a little fancier.

(Labne is Verlorenkloof pasture fed yoghurt that has been strained again. The thick part that is left over is called “labne”. This is often eaten in the Middle East)

Fried banana with yoghurt and pecan nuts

-Fry the bananas in a little coconut oil and cinnamon.

-Layer warm bananas with Verlorenkloof pasture fed plain yoghurt without preservatives etc. (This yoghurt does not give us phlegm or swollen tonsils, where we usually don’t make dairy a part of our diet!)

-Sprinkle with pecan nuts.

-Serve in dessert bowls or beautiful glasses.