Sometimes, we find that folks are using the natural, herbal world to make their nutrition a more complete picture.  Other times they are taking something that helps to correct a disease process that is a result of a deficiency, as with iron, calcium, or vitamin D shortages.

But occasionally, we come across disclosures that raise a flag, as in the cases relating to people who are on serious prescription drugs and also supplementing from nature with highly concentrated herbal supplements or mineral compounds.

Many times, there are no interactions.  In fact, some herbal supplements actually help a drug to be either better absorbed or to be more effective.  An example might be people taking fish oil capsules as well as hormone replacement regimens (whether natural or herbal).

Far too frequently, though, a supplement will have a dangerous interaction with a prescription drug, and this is generally because of “too much of a good thing” or a duplicating effect.

An example here may be taking St. John’s Wort for boosting your mood while you are also taking a prescription serotonin reuptake inhibitor.  Most bottles for both products warn about the interaction, but some medicine-herb packaging might not.

Another place where trouble brews is where prescription blood thinners and supplements or spices meet.  Curry powder and cayenne pepper are natural blood thinners, and when taken as an extract or a super-concentrated capsule, can pose a clotting problem.

This can occur anywhere in the body where blood vessels happen to be…such as the brain, heart, and other vital organs.

Or, you may be taking an herb or other product that renders the prescription drug either completely useless or makes it less available for receptors.

An example here would be the “grapefruit effect” that occurs when people eat grapefruit or take an extract and they are also taking a statin drug for cholesterol. Properties in the grapefruit and extracts destroy an enzyme that is critical for the statin drug to be metabolized.

That is also an example where many times there will be warnings on the labels of the drug and/or the packaging of the extract.

But what about the interactions that aren’t as famous?

Take, for example, the simple, yet effective multivitamin.  The capsules generally include a wide variety of vitamins and minerals, and are in a chemical makeup such that it is easily absorbed.

But if a prescription drug is also being taken that has many of the same properties, this can be a real problem.

Iron in a standard multi-vitamin is great, and in a high enough amount that the general public would really benefit from. But if you are also taking a prescription calcium bicarbonate (or even an over the counter one) the iron will not be absorbed.

Vitamins or drugs not absorbed and used by the cells of their intended tissues will wind up in the filtration system, namely the liver and the kidneys.

Sometimes, this can be such an insult they just shut down.

The point to this is not to say you should stop taking your prescription medicines. It is more a call to action to talk to the doctor and/or pharmacist about everything you are currently taking.  Not just pills he or she doesn’t know another doctor may have prescribed, but also supplements your herbalist recommends for you.

The dynamic that unfolds to create this is not typically forgetfulness.  Usually, it is embarrassment.

Consider this: A person doesn’t want the doctor to know he or she is taking ginko, for example, because he is afraid the doctor will shoot it down as so much quack nonsense, but the person taking it knows the proven benefits.

He also does not tell his herbalist that he is taking Coumadin, a blood thinner, since he doesn’t want her knowing he relies on “big pharma” to get by.

The end result to this made up scenario could possibly be death due to hemorrhagic stroke. This is because of the “too much of a good thing” as it is proven that ginko tends to interfere with the normal clotting of the blood, something which Coumadin is prescribed to do on purpose, anyway.

It might get you a lecture from one or the other (or both) providers, but the lecture and subsequent dosage adjustment might just save your life.

There is nothing wrong with looking at all the layers of comprehensive treatment that goes with treating high cholesterol, problems sleeping, or chronic pain.

The problems arise when you fail to tell your prescriber that not only do you prefer natural treatments, but you are also currently involved in their uses.

Let us know if you have had problems with interactions. The advice you give may help someone and keep him or her from making a mistake in what they ingest, inject, or inhale.

For more information on programs for conditions listed above, click on any of the program links to the right of the page.

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

El331005

Symptoms aside from the fatigue include (and worsen upon physical or mental stress or exertion):

Sore throat
Loss of memory
Difficulty concentrating
Enlarged lymph nodes
Headache
Wandering joint pain

One problem with this is that these symptoms are also included in the list of certain types of infection, most notably Lyme disease.  They are also present in mood disorders like depression and also other psychological conditions.

Anxiety of any kind typically exacerbates the symptoms.

No one knows what causes CFS, although many doctors believe the symptoms themselves are the residual result of other conditions. Stated another way, CFS isn’t the condition…it is the collection of symptoms that are the long-term effects of an infection, hormone problem, or mood disorder.

FMS or Fibromyalgia Syndrome: This is basically the same issue in a slightly different package. Added to the list of symptoms above are the very troublesome symptoms of widespread pain and bowel disturbances.

The collection of symptoms can be suddenly turned on after an infection or severely stressful event or they can slowly creep up over a number of years.  Again, doctors don’t seem to be able to agree definitively on the cause.

One key characteristic of both conditions is that the symptoms don’t improve with “adequate” rest.  The problem here is that many people aren’t getting the rest they need even though they think they are sleeping at night.

Ideally, you want to be able to sleep at least 6 hours without waking for any reason.  Many people in the highest risk categories (women age 40 to 50) are going to have a lot of trouble hormonally and sleep wise anyway as their bodies begin the march toward pre-menopause.

So we get to a place where there are a host of frustrating symptoms that are also part of other conditions that may or may not be present as well or that may or may not have triggered what is being referred to as CFS or FMS.

It can leave a person wondering about the chicken and the egg riddle- which came first?

As we look again at the infection/hormone/psychological element, the frequency with which these syndromes are diagnosed does bear scrutiny.

At least one million Americans currently have the diagnosis of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.  It has been reported that it actually costs the US economy upwards of $20 billion annually in lost productivity.

FMS is actually third on the list of rheumatologic disorders diagnosed in the US. It also claims the designation of being the second leading problem reported with work-related disruptions and absences.

These numbers are incredible, considering these diagnoses used to be completely unheard of only a few decades ago.  While it helps to understand a little better what is killing our workplace productivity and likewise quality family time, the symptoms are nevertheless still there. Labeling the problem doesn’t fix it.

Any way you slice it, most of the symptoms are ones that can be managed with natural methods. They are also symptoms that, if NOT managed, only further contribute to the cycle of pain and misery with these two syndromes.

Lack of sleep sets an angry cascade of consequences raging in the sufferer that wind up making sleep even harder to come by.

Bowel disturbances make proper nutrition an elusive goal as well, and the deficiencies there kick a whole other set of dominoes to fall.

And stress? Well, that’s the last pillar in the trifecta of evil that causes many of these problems.

Attack these issues all at once, and it is very likely that one of two things will happen:

1) you will find your symptoms completely relieved and your life on a new and healthier path, or
2) you will have removed enough of the interference to actually reveal a treatable underlying condition that got missed during the initial diagnosis.

Either way, you’ll be miles ahead of where you were.

Check out the guides offered in my natural health library for more information on how to eliminate anxiety, control your irritable bowel, or dramatically improve your sleep.

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

El331005

The latest comes from a reader in Alabama who asked me to share her story as not only a caution to others, but also as a reassurance of hope.

Our reader, whom we will call Thea, wrote in to describe the effect that snoring had on her family. She and her husband started out happy enough, with a great marriage, common interests, desire for family, etc.

They had a little house in a suburb outside of Mobile and he had a great job that offered her the chance to live her dream, which was to be a mom in the home for their two children.

After the usual sleep issues that happen to all parents when the kids are small resolved themselves, they sort of got into a good, healthy groove with their sleeping as Thea and her husband were great about keeping a schedule, eating right, getting enough water and all that.

But as time wore on, and as Thea and her husband started to approach 40, they started to gain a little bit of weight, started to show some signs of anxiety (especially as the economy worsened), and started to wander away from their healthy lifestyle.

She blamed the trend on going back to work part time, coupled with the myriad of activities the kids were in along with the travel and time consumption of other daily activities and they started relying heavily on convenience foods and takeout.

She explains that it was about this time that she started snoring and he started the tossing, kicking, and twitching of restless leg syndrome.

Every time she would start sawing logs, he’d wake and nudge her. Every time he would roll over in bed, she’d wake because he’d elbowed her or scratched her on the leg with a toenail.

They were both beginning to suffer the ravages of sleep deprivation, dosing off during the day and getting really snippy with each other and the kids.

So they decided that in order to at least try and get them both some better sleep that they would take turns sleeping in the spare bedroom. Up to this point they hadn’t spent a night apart in 16 years of marriage.

Sleep seemed to be easier to come by with this arrangement, but it was kind of sad for them, she explains. They still loved one another, and still had a good time on vacations, going on dates together or on outings with the kids and still went to church every Saturday evening like clockwork.

She was kind of vague explaining what happened next. “Christian,” she said, “I just don’t know what happened next. It was like someone had been coming in at night and had been stealing parts of our marriage a little bit at a time.”

Before I could even wonder what that meant, she went on to explain it. “We used to be so close, but even after we started sleeping better it seemed like we were a thousand miles away from each other.”

She described that even though on the outside it looked like everything was okay, they both had been harboring some grouchy sentiment toward one another because they could no longer share a bed.

This took the predictable toll on their sex life, which added even more anxiety. She said, “Two kids, 4 sports, school, church, volunteer activities, work…we never had any opportunities to be alone in a bed together.”

And so the distance progressed, worsened, and stole away more and more of what they had spent 16 years building.

So after about 3 years of this, she discovered he had been having an email relationship with a colleague at work…that wasn’t of a working nature.

To this other woman, he had apparently been lamenting the demise of his physical relationship and seeking solace in this woman’s online companionship.

Once discovered, Thea immediately threatened to file for divorce, but instead got them both into counseling. This turned out to be the changing point of the whole toxic dynamic that had been playing itself out over the past couple of years.

It took a therapist to tell them what they already knew…that they still loved each other and had a lot of wonderful years left in their marriage. They just needed to regularly spend time alone in an intimate setting, which, for most people means a bed.

Even if there wasn’t to be any sex, they knew they had to find a way to sleep together again and start giving each other the critical marital elements of affection, closeness, touch and trust.

But to do this, two very critical issues needed to be corrected- her snoring and his RLS.

They have just started the work required to overcome these sleep problems, but are apparently at least sleeping in the same room again.

So the answer to the question at the beginning is no…snoring doesn’t cause divorce. People cause it. But it can be a catalyst to the unraveling of a relationship if left untreated.

If you or someone you know has a problem with snoring or insomnia related issues, see my guides to treating these conditions the natural way.

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

El331005

It is generally known and accepted that many conditions
affecting poor health can be prevented and/or treated by simply increasing the
amount of a vitamin or mineral that might be lacking.

But what if we go the other way and cause problems because
of over-supplementing?

We hear from people all the time who have found themselves
as having “hit a wall” with their health. They do everything they think they
are supposed to do and no matter how much running, yoga, meditating and veggies
they include in their lives, they still have a few conditions that they can’t
shake.

A lot of times, the answer lies in the journaling of what is
actually being consumed. I was going over the food and supplement records of a
friend of mine recently who was complaining that despite many natural
interventions, his headache and sleep problem was just getting worse.

Sure enough, on every page there was one entry every day for
Vitamin C, among a dozen or so other supplements.

Some of the other supplements he was taking included in
their proprietary formulas added Vitamin C as well.

If a little does a little good, a lot should do a lot of
good, right?

Actually, this is dangerous thinking and was at the heart of
the problems he was having with his headaches and sleep.

He was also complaining about low back pain on one side, and
thought he might need to visit the doctor about possible carpal tunnel syndrome
problems (he had read one of the Blue Heron posts recently about CPS and
Arthritis).

I sat and listened to the laundry list of what had been
going wrong lately with his health and he was ready to break down and start
taking prescription pain medicine for the pain he had in various parts of the
body.

As it turns out, he was supplementing with over 5,000 mg
every day of Vitamin C.

The USDA recommends that the minimum amount to prevent
scurvy should be about 95 mg daily.  Diet
generally covers this.

Studies have also shown that a higher intake, closer to
about 800-1000 mg has been shown to boost immunity, strengthen blood vessels,
and promote optimum cholesterol health. So just think of the conditions you can
eliminate when you take 5 times more than the highest recommended intake.

At some point, however, mega doses should be only considered
with a licensed medical professional’s advice and never entered into on one’s
own.

The body can process and use only so much Vitamin C before
the abundance winds up in areas that don’t need it in such high amounts; namely,
the brain, intestines, kidneys, adrenal glands, and uterus.

Symptoms of Vitamin C overdose range from very mild with
tingling in the hands and fingers to moderate with headache and diarrhea, and
even to severe with kidney stones and miscarriage.

My friend had several kidney stones (thus the back pain),
migraines, and insomnia.  The flushing of
the skin and the tingling thumbs were not carpal tunnel syndrome…they were
symptoms of Vitamin C overdose.

The other piece that complicates the issue is that if one
over-supplements chronically with Vitamin C and suddenly stops taking it,
withdrawal symptoms can be really bad and include even worse migraine pain
along with chest pain, muscle problems, and other bad effects.

My friend and his doctor are getting him started with a plan
to wean off the mega-doses of the Vitamin C and hopefully he can see the
insomnia disappear  almost as soon as
soon as the headache problem did- the headaches were gone almost immediately.

The kidney stones, unfortunately, will require a more
intrusive level of intervention, but now he knows how to prevent a recurrence.

I am all about treating methods naturally, as you know, but I am also all about reinforcing everything in moderation. Overdoing anything isn’t good, and many times avoiding prescription medication is just a matter of scaling back on something you do too much of…even if it is too much of a good thing.

For more ways to naturally treat headache pain and insomnia,
see my guides today.

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

El331005

Some people hate them and some people love them, and as always when there are dissenting opinions on a topic I just have to nose in and find out what the benefits and drawbacks are.

Being a traveler myself, I see those pillows all the time.  Even before a flight takes off, usually someone in my area has whipped it out and is attempting to shut out the world and catch a few Zs.

I hadn’t considered the use of this kind of pillow in the regular bedroom setting, though.  As I surfed around the ‘Net looking for examples, I found many, many separate companies that market this product.

That tells me that even though it’s not saturated in mainstream marketing, there is definitely a demand for it.

The point of letter-shaped pillows (there are pillows shaped like U, J, C, O, I, V and even B) is to offer more support to a targeted area than a traditional square or rectangular pillow.

Indeed, as I searched using different keywords of the pillows (“benefits + U shape pillow”), many of the sites came back as specifically for pregnant women.

Pregnancy brings a whole host of discomforts during both night and day, and getting quality sleep in the last trimester is an elusive goal.  But many women have found their funky-shaped pillows to be a real help in that effort.

For those who just want better, more restful sleep there is evidence that these pillows can really help. The reason is that depending upon the physical need that might be contributing to sleep disturbances, there is likely a pillow to support it and fulfill that very need.

For instance, the U and V shapes support the neck by conforming around the back of the neck, or even under the chin in front.

This can be great for people with recent neck injuries, say, who may have to sleep in a semi-upright or other position. As with the travel scenario, it keeps the head from falling from side to side.

B-shaped pillows are good for people who snore and need to be physically stopped from rolling over into a position that allows snoring to continue.  These are also good for people who are trying to stop ‘front’ sleeping.  This position is terribly hard on a body and interferes with the body’s ability to reach and stay in level 4 sleep for proper lengths of time.

Js and Cs (and combinations of them) are the ones marketed most to pregnant women.  These are generally going to be full body pillows and will support the head, neck, shoulders, abdomen (heavy with baby can be really uncomfortable), hips, legs, and even feet.

At the end of my searching into the wonderful world of alphabet pillows, which started out as a simple investigation of the U, or horseshoe, I have come to the conclusion that the people who don’t like them may have just had the wrong letter.

Obviously, if you try it and hate it, then it’s not going to be a good addition to your bed.  But maybe consider that what led you to try it in the first place is the need for better sleep or more support for some body part.

If the U doesn’t work, then try a different shape.  There are a number of companies that have been pushing the contour pillows, not shaped like any letter…just more of a rectangle with a wavy top.  These are also shown to be really beneficial for people with neck pain.

They differ in that while they do offer great support for the head and neck, they don’t do much to keep your body in a certain position like some of the other pillows. However, they do help to reduce neck pain and snoring by supporting the head in a proper position no matter if you are on your back or side.  You’re not likely going to be sleeping on your front with this pillow.

So, as with many of the other issues that are debatable among the readers, this one is really a matter of personal preference.  There weren’t really any founded risks to using the letter-shaped pillows, and the benefits really just depend upon the user and his or her needs.

It’s a natural alternative to analgesic/ sleep medicine combinations, so if you suffer from neck pain or snoring it might be worth looking into.

For other natural alternatives to improve sleep and reduce snoring, check out my 100% natural programs today.

Warm regards,

Christian Goodman

El331005

The link between lack of quality sleep and high blood pressure is well known. However, the results of this research study have found the biological mechanisms that explain why those with inadequate sleep are significantly more likely to have high blood pressure.

In this study, a group of 22 research subjects with sleep apnea – a common sleep disorder that’s caused from poor breathing during the night—were studied as they slept through the night. They found that their bodies produced very high levels of two compounds, sFlt-1 and sEng. SFlt-1 and sEng are a pair of proteins that your body produces to increase blood pressure.

Getting at least 8 hours of sleep per night and/or treating sleep apnea may combat the rise of sFlt-1, sEng, and blood pressure while you sleep.

More info on lowering blood pressure…

More info on tackling insomnia…

If you’ve sleep apnea or snore, check this out…

He had acquired Lyme disease. Sleep disturbances as well as chronic fatigue complaints are not uncommon in people who have this disease.

This nasty disease is typically known to start with a rash which then leads to fevers, aches, and chills. Arthritis and other disorders can also occur as a result of acquiring Lyme disease. Deer ticks can carry the bacteria, and this is about the time of year we see an ‘up-tick’ in tick bites. Yes…pun intended.

Given the symptoms of the disease itself, it seems little wonder that his sleep would be negatively affected. People complain of not being able to fall asleep as well as awakening frequently throughout

Such poor sleep (or lack of sleep altogether) at night then leads to the being excessively tired and sleepy during the day. A fair percentage of Lyme disease sufferers also complain of restless leg syndrome at night.

Such fatigue, of course, can then create an environment for even more ancillary harm to the body. When we are worn out physically and mentally, we are primed for other illnesses and injuries.

Such a serious disease requires consistent medical attention. However, there are many natural ways to significantly help alleviate many of the symptoms, including sleep disturbances.

Creating a comfortable sleep routine and sleeping environment is especially important for anyone who suffers from sleep problems. Relaxation is a necessity in aiding sleep, so establishing a soothing nocturnal ritual can help with this aspect.

Noise control makes sense to help ensure sleep continues uninterrupted. Abolishing the many brain stimulants such as the television shortly before bed time will also help. A better option would be to practice relaxation exercises combined with peaceful music.

A number of people tout the benefits of certain natural herbs to help with both symptom control and even Lyme disease treatment. As always, I caution you to research this and consult with a trusted herbalist or other alternative treatment practitioner before attempting to cure the disease.

As with all ailments, this is also an especially important time to ensure proper nutrition. It seems obvious, but often we crave the less nutritious “comfort foods” when we are in pain, are extra tired and are suffering. Those comfort foods, though, do not offer long term benefits; whereas a healthy diet will help create strength and energy which is needed to combat any health ailment.

Given the many issues (many of them debilitating) that accompany Lyme disease, I offer complete sympathy to sufferers and appreciate the opportunity to share some information.

I encourage you to check out my programs including the Insomnia Program and Arthritis Programs. Both are all natural, and have received great acclaim.

El331001

This comes up from time to time as people write in about the Stop Snoring and Insomnia programs. However, this question is a bit more generalized than what people usually ask me.

To find out what is causing waking pain, we first need to find out when the waking pain is happening, and also where the pain is occurring.

Pain that wakes you up at night or that you notice in the morning even if you sleep all night, and is generally limited to the legs is thought to be either a symptom of restless leg syndrome, fibromyalgia, arthritis, or circulation problems from another disease process.

Pain limited to the ribcage and diaphragm area and causes problems with wakefulness at night can indicate issues in the muscles of the thorax or even a pleural (lung) disease process. Frequently, though, this type of pain (especially if there is chest discomfort) can indicate serious sleep apnea issues, which should be taken very seriously.

What if it is low back pain in the mornings? This is usually because either your mattress needs to be replaced or you are showing the first signs of spinal subluxation. This can be a misalignment or even a chemical imbalance causing degeneration of the vertebrae.

Now back pain that is limited to one side, however, can indicate a problem with how your kidneys are functioning, but simple blood tests can rule that in or out.

The general tone of the rest of the reader’s email from when we started, though, talked about general waves of pain that wash over the whole body, as if it were being compressed. This was occurring regardless of whether he would wake during the night, which was frequently, or upon waking in the morning.

This raises a whole different category of possibilities because of the generalized nature of the pain locations.

What research tends to point out is this type of pain upon waking is due to two components:

- Dehydration

- A disruption of normal sleep cycles.

Dehydration is a tricky issue. Most people know by now (or should) that if you wait until you are thirsty to drink, you’ve waited too long. Another problem is the beverages chosen.

We have discussed in the past that anything but water is generally not going to do a good job to give your body the proper amounts of hydration it needs.

Balancing electrolytes is important, but generally people who have this problem are athletes or people with metabolic disorders. Anyone outside of these two categories should avoid sports drinks.

We have also talked about sleep as it refers specifically to fibromyalgia, but even people who don’t suffer from fibromyalgia can be victim to this debilitating problem.

The muscles in your body depend greatly upon your brain being able to sleep. Critical neurotransmitters released during stage 4 sleep are what help the nerves in the muscles to maintain good health. Other chemicals released during restful sleep help the muscle tissue itself to repair and grow.

When we are limited on the amount of proper sleep, we are limited on the chemicals we need to recover from the daily damage we cause to ourselves just by living life.

A friend of mine mentioned that she frequently woke during the night with the same types of crushing pain. It only lasted a second or two but it washed over her literally from head to toe.

She had spoken with her doctor to rule out the scary diseases and underwent a lot of testing. She discovered that she was dehydrated and she set to work at changing her water intake. I gave her some information on what people need as a minimum intake (at least 2.5 liters per day).

She improved a bit but it wound up being the sleep study that saved her.

It turns out that she has mild sleep apnea and just a mild case of snoring. But, her anxiety issues were causing her to wake up no less than 20 to 30 times during the night.

Once she got that straightened out, her sleep naturally improved and the combination of proper hydration and better rest solved the pain problems.

Naturally solving the sleep issue is usually a better resolution than resorting to pills, and is almost always much cheaper than prescription drugs as well.

If your sleep is disrupted because of snoring or anxiety that leads to insomnia, I recommend you check into my programs for naturally resolving these problems today.

El331005

Her mother passed away after a brief but spirited battle with lung cancer. Just 14 months ago, she lost her father to prostate cancer. This is the same staff member who had a hysterectomy in May and so has had quite a lot of loss and anxiety to deal with.

After returning to work from taking 2 weeks away to help her sister care for their mother during her final days and to coordinate final arrangements, she shared some of her experiences.

“Night time is the worst, Christian,” she said to me. She wakes frequently through the night, as does her sister; with the urgency that something for her mother needs to be done…is it time for medicine? Do we change position? Blood pressure? Respirations?

Then she cries herself to sleep.

Caring for a loved one during the final days and hours of a battle with a terminal illness is one of the toughest things a person can do. Aside from the emotional toll, the stress that is created from the sorrow alone can cause a number of physical problems that then cause a cycle of misery.

Sleep disruptions and night panics lead to daytime fatigue and irritability, depression, and soaring blood pressure issues, which she reports are all occurring.

This is normal, unfortunately, and everything she is going through seems to be part of the “sandwich generation” problem of adult children caring for their parents while trying to manage their lives with spouses, their own children, jobs, and other responsibilities.

What she asked me to share are her methods to deal with the mounting stress and the efforts to mitigate the terrible health fallout that comes with this hard time.

Below are some of the items she is already doing and what we recommend for those of you also in this same situation:

- Talk to someone- It does you no good to bottle up what you are going through, especially when there are so many wonderful free resources out there. Find a bereavement group, an online group for survivors, or join a volunteer organization that works to combat the disease that took your loved one.

- Work on your sleep- There are many, many ways to make getting though the night a little easier. Natural products or programs are best because they don’t carry side effects and are generally less expensive than pills.

- Crush the anxiety that’s crushing you- Talking to someone qualified to help you sort out your grief helps you sleep better. Better sleep helps you manage daytime tasks without falling apart. Reducing daytime anxiety by listening to healing music or getting some sun on your skin helps with sleep. It is all related.

- If you are a spiritual person, go to your place of worship a few extra visits during this time, even if it is to simply sit quietly and meditate or pray in an empty sanctuary. Turning off the outside world in a place of spiritual empowerment is very effective.

While these ideas might seem like common sense, or even easier said than done, even improving in one of the negative emotional or physical areas will help to ease the sting that the others are causing.

The cycle of emotional grief causing physical problems, physical problems worsening the impact of grief and so on…this is something that you can minimize if you know where to look or can spare a few minutes a day researching it.

Fortunately, my friend and employee has a library of natural resources at her disposal, which she tells me have been helpful with her blood pressure, sleep problems and anxiety, but she also has access to a very supportive and highly qualified hospice bereavement group to help navigate the rough waters of grief.

She reports that she is working every day at keeping her blood pressure down and trying to carve out time to relax a little and says her sleep is getting better, although daytime is a little patchy still. She stressed that she knows that this, too, will ease as she gets some distance from these sad days.

If you are in a painful place in your life, our thoughts are with you, as well as our sincere best wishes that you can find some peace and strength. We are no strangers to pain and experience many of the same problems as our readers.

It is our sincere hope that by sharing our problems together that maybe we can help one another grow and heal.

El331005

Of course, I assumed that my neck pain was keeping me up. This is exactly what many people suffering from Arthritis, neck, back, TMJ or other pain complain about.

You understand how it’s not possible to sleep when your joints are squeaking.

But there is a twist to this. It’s something I didn’t realize until my neck began to get better.

You see, as I began doing the exercises I teach in my neck pain program, I began to feel a lot better on a daily basis. Most of the time, I didn’t even notice pain in my neck at all.

But then came nights that I didn’t sleep very well. Sometimes I was flying overnight, other times it was anxiety or excitement that kept me up.

No matter what the reason for my sleeplessness was, the next day my neck always hurt like … you know, not heaven.

I’ve heard the same comments from many readers suffering from any type of pain.

If you don’t sleep well, all other health issues get worse.

So why is that? What does good sleep have to do with pain relief?

During the day, we’re so busy taking care of everything out there in the world that our bodies can’t restore themselves. Sure, we take a few pit stops here and there but that’s just so we can make it through the day.

It’s when we sleep that the natural doctors and nurses of our bodies get to work. They are able to breathe with the relief that our conscious mind is gone away and our much smarter subconscious has taken over.

As we dream about the green, green, grass of home, our growth hormones and white blood cells spread around the body, restoring harmed joints and sore muscles.

The tricky part is that it takes 90 minutes of sleep to get the maximum amount of healing hormone and cell production going. After that, more moderate amounts are produced and delivered throughout the night.

So if you don’t get a constant 2-3 hours of good, deep, uninterrupted sleep, your body never manages to bring itself up to its maximum production power. And anything that’s not essential suffers.

So if you’re suffering from pain, regardless of what it is, I’m sure you’ve checked out our neck pain program or our new arthritis program. They are both very helpful and thousands of people have benefited from them.

But also, make sure you get a good night’s sleep every night. Our natural insomnia program has been very helpful for this. Although easy fixes like relaxing before going to sleep and not staying up too long may be all you need.