Whey protein usually comes in the form of a powder that can be used to make a drink similar to a milkshake for athletes and bodybuilders. Whey protein has specific properties that help to enhance the body’s recovery and growth during training. But not everyone knows where whey protein comes from.
Whey protein is a dairy by-product from the substance left over after milk has solidified into cheese. Cow’s milk contains two types of proteins; Casein (80%) and Whey Protein (20%). This whey protein is then subjected to numerous processes and filtration in order to separate the whey from the whey liquid.
Once this has been done, the remaining whey liquid is then concentrated to produce pure whey protein. This is then dried, packed and sold as whey protein powder to manufacturers who use it to make protein shakes.
So know we have our whey protein, how does it actually help the body?
Proteins are the building blocks for the body’s muscles. When a body is put through a strenuous exercise regime, the muscles need fuel to rebuild themselves and grow. Without it the muscles cannot work as affectively and this can have other affects on the body, leading to poor results.
Best whey protein with water has quick release properties which mean that after you consume it, it is quick to be broken down into amino acids and absorbed by the body. It goes directly to your muscles, feeding them with the energy they need to repair, grow and strengthen before your next workout.
The proteins your body need can be found in many different food types, from fish, meat, dairy and wheat for example. But if you are working towards a desired goal, your diet may not allow you to consume the amount you need. This is where best whey protein with water is useful. They enable you to consume more of the important proteins that you wouldn’t otherwise get.
Best whey protein with water should never be used to replace the protein found in foods, and a balanced diet is essential to help keep your body fit and healthy, but it can help and aid your body when working towards a desired goal and physique.
Protein drinks or beverages fortified with protein, have been used since the late 1960’s as supplements by those in bodybuilding or sports training circles. As can be seen below, (this product was a fish protein drink in a can). They progressed from actual meat and dried meat products in liquids (OMG), to soy and egg powders, then whey powders. Recently, protein drinks have been made using whey protein and water powder instead of milk. This reduces overall calories, reduces sugars/fats/carbs. They are more quickly digested than milk based protein water drinks.
Shown above (right), a Ready-to-go protein water drink from the 1960’s. Hard to stomach compared to the best protein water found today, ION-X Protein water (left).
Recommended daily allowances for protein are cited at 0.8g per kilo of body weight, however it is suggested that during strength training this doubles (https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/protein-shake-before-or-after-workout#exercise-and-protein). There is some debate about when to consume a protein drink in relation to exercise, (before, during, after). Some newer research suggests that timing may be less important than amount. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23360586).
protein water drinks
In recent years, there has been a massive growth in protein supplements. Australian consumers are also the highest per capita purchasers of protein supplements in the world. Whilst the majority of these ready-to-go protein drinks are purchased within 45 minutes of training/exs, now a growing number (10-15%) are purchased for as snacks. (Vitaco Holdings, Bulking up, Oct 19, 2015).
Use of a protein water drink product is highly indicated for gastric sleeve diet, or a liquid diet after gastric sleeve surgery. When considering a diet after gastric sleeve surgery, patients are recommended to look for 20-30g of high quality protein, less than 300 calories and less than 15g of sugars in a protein drink. ION-X protein water satisfies this by having 30g of the highest quality protein, 120 calories and less than 1g sugars.
Protein waters can be used closer to training than traditional milk based high carb protein drinks, or even during training. This is because they have less carbs and competition, essentially in the stomach. Some sports nutritionists and trainers are now recommending protein intake immediately before and during training. We are not recommending a protein water diet, however protein water can be a handy convenient source of food for those engaged in training.
Similar to the early days of traditional milk based protein drinks, protein water brands have had some problems. Many make bold and silly claims, (e.g., they are the most technologically advanced drinks in the world 😊), and all say they taste great. Astringency, or dry taste is a big problem for protein water drinks Australia. Simply mixing protein powder and water always results in a dry taste. Only ION-X Protein water has managed to mask this dry taste.
The superior taste of the best protein water, ION-X Protein Water comes from using special natural flavourings and concentrated fruit extracts, playing with acidity, and a specialised heating & cooling process. We also spent a lot of time in researching the product. The other brands, including IsoPure and Bodiez simply throw in some sweetener with protein powder and water (which is why they taste the way they do). ION-X also uses an expensive highly processed whey powder with a higher percentage of protein, not a cheap protein powder like the other brands.
The best protein water drinks in Australia, are the ION-X Protein Water range. Of all the protein water brands it is universally acknowledged that ION-X is the only product that tastes anything like a normal drink. It is also rated as being “lighter” and not syrupy and not too sweet. When protein water brands are tasted by blind or unknowing tasters, ION-X Protein Water has never lost a single tasting. The difference is very noticeable.
Where to buy protein waters ? if you google protein water you will find many different, often new, companies selling protein water. Some companies are selling a cheap protein powder sachet to be mixed with water. The question is not where to buy protein water, but where to buy the best protein water.
John Brownhill is a Gold Coast based Clinical Psychologist and entrepreneur. He is the older brother of Tom Brownhill, former professional tennis player. John was born in Kempsey, country New South Wales, Australia. In his clinical practice, John specialises in Pain management and addictions.
On a hot day in 2015 after a gym session he realised he didn’t want to drink the chocolate whey drink he had previously purchased, he went home and mixed some protein powder with water, it tasted terrible. So, he went online and found a protein water product, “they said it tasted fantastic in their advertising, but when I tried it, it was undrinkable”.
He saw an opportunity. However, finding a chemist able to mask the dry taste associated with protein waters and keep the sugars down was a challenge. “I promised myself I wouldn’t make a product like the protein waters I had tried, if I couldn’t improve I would stay home”, he says. John eventually found a food chemist that could do it, this chemist and his wife turned out to be valuable sources of information about the beverage industry and the business of manufacturing , “they are sometimes adult supervision”, he says.
Of course, getting manufactured and distributed was no easy matter. The supplements industry is often compared to the wild west. “I got ripped off by my first distributor”, he says. “I already had a good career, which was vey challenging on its own, so I had to ask myself some hard questions”.
John claims not to have any spare time, “but if I did”, he claims, “I would read and go to the beach with my niece Lucy”.
Protein fortified drinks, Protein drinks have been used in the context of physical training for decades. Modern protein drinks have a whey protein source. Some of the older protein drinks would not have been very nice to drink. Recently, protein water (water fortified with protein) products have become available.
Australian’s are considered the highest per capita consumers of protein supplements in the world, with most ready-to-go protein drinks being purchased within 45 minutes of exercise. There is some debate about when to consume a protein drink in relation to exercise, (before, during, after). Some newer research suggests that timing may be less important than amount.
There is recognition that during period of physical training protein requirements increase significantly. Additionally, there is recognition that use of a protein water drink product is highly indicated for gastric sleeve diet, or a liquid diet after gastric sleeve or weight loss surgery.
Protein water products have a number of advantages over milk based products. Protein waters can be used closer to training than traditional milk based high carb protein drinks, or even during training. This is because they have less carbs and competition for digestion.
An issue with protein waters is a dry taste called astringency. ION-X Protein Water is the only product that has managed to mask this. The superior taste of the best protein water, ION-X Protein Water comes from using special natural flavourings and concentrated fruit extracts, playing with acidity, and a specialised heating & cooling process. The company reports spending several years in research & development. ION-X Protein Water is considered significantly better than other protein waters on the market.
Read on to learn exactly what whey, whey protein, and whey protein isolate are. These ingredients are common to protein waters. If you drink protein waters in a protein shake immediately after a workout, they can help you achieve your fitness goals more quickly.
Whey protein is a primary source of protein in post workout protein water drinks australia. These protein waters are used to boost the repairing of muscles after a workout, and help athletes refuel their bodies while also increasing their performance gain.
The fastest absorbing whey protein is a whey isolate. If ingested immediately after a workout, whey isolate administers a fast, powerful dose of protein to your muscles, helping you grow in strength.
But how is whey made? How is the whey protein extracted? And why is whey so rich in muscle-building, energy providing protein?
protein water drinks australia
Whey: Cheese Without the Fat
Whey (familiar because of the nursery rhyme: “Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet, eating her curds and whey”) is the by-product of cheese manufactured from cow’s milk.
Whey is what is left over when milk is coagulated during the process of cheese production. Milk and cheese are both high in protein, so it should be no surprise that whey, when naturally processed, becomes a valuable source of protein in post workout protein water drinks australia.
When whey is made, the fat from milk is removed. This is fantastic, because athletes and other people who are interested in living healthy lives can enjoy the benefits of protein without eating too much fat. Protein waters made from whey protein help you maintain a healthy body mass index while also gaining muscle.
What is Whey Protein?
Whey protein is the collection of proteins from whey. Vegetarians can eat whey protein if they are ok with drinking milk, because the production of whey does not harm animals. Whey protein is also kosher approved.
What is Whey Protein Isolate?
What about whey protein isolate? When you remove the fat and lactose from whey, you’re left with the protein isolates. These isolates are about 90%+ protein by weight. So essentially, they’re just the protein from the milk.
Whey protein isolates have a slight and yummy milk flavor, and they are so mild that vanilla, chocolate, peanut butter, or other flavorings can be added to them.
Any post workout protein water that is high in whey protein or whey isolate is a good choice for a post workout shake. Depending on your fitness goals, you may want to choose a post workout protein water drinks australia that has supplementary healthy ingredients like creatine, vitamins or minerals.
Without continuous thyroid hormone supplements, Helen was practically paralyzed & unable to speak. With meds, she still felt far from good: very chilly, tired & suffered from ‘mind fog’. She had a poor appetite. She was not ovulating & her cycle was overly long, with scanty bleeding. At 30 she had the cycles of a woman entering menopause.
Because of the side effects from the thyroid replacement hormones she had been prescribed, Helen was buying expensive natural desiccated thyroxin (NDT) from abroad. Although she has a family history of autoimmune hypothyroidism (Grandmother, mother & sister) & had been diagnosed with it, she suspected that she suffered from hormone disruption due to adrenal fatigue.
Within a month of starting homeopathic treatment, Helen was seeing clear improvements. She had to reduce her NDT dose. She was beginning to experience symptoms of the high thyroid with the supplement! She began to feel a greater energy, more clarity & an improvement in her motivation & appetite. She began to have ‘real’ periods & to ovulate!
In the process of treatment, Helen’s childhood asthma returned. I’d told her this would likely happen, looking at her medical history, and that it would be temporary. Her body would begin to work through old, suppressed conditions on its way to recovery. He had Ventolin to hand. (*Ventolin is not a suppressive medication but should be used only if really necessary. There is some evidence that continued use causes small lacerations within the lung tissue and can lead to more attacks as a result.)
He is very well, able to work & her mood is greatly improved. Him hormonal balance is good and she is less inclined to overwork then crash and burn!
Now we work together periodically to keep her immune system strong and to avoid the stress issues, antibiotics and steroid medicines that likely triggered her predisposition to thyroid disease.
Adrenal hyperplasia and adrenal fatigue syndrome, or AFS, share a number of symptoms, and they can be confused for each other without good assessment. It’s important for you to know the similarities and differences in order to inform your healthcare professional and so you can help yourself deal with symptoms.
This article will deal with non-classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia, or NCAH, and its relationship to AFS.
What Is NCAH (Non-Classic Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia)?
This form of adrenal hyperplasia is a fairly common autosomal recessive condition. It results from a 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Androgen excess is the most frequent clinical feature, instead of adrenal insufficiency with the classic form of the disorder. Females have this condition more frequently than males.
Clinical and research findings show this condition occurs in between 0.6% to 9% of women with excess androgen. Higher prevalence has been seen in some populations, including those of Ashkenazi Jewish, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern, and Indian heritage.
This condition is a milder form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia and has a later onset of symptoms. With this mild form, some people exhibit few, if any, symptoms. Many show an excess of the male hormone androgen. NCAH is caused by mutations in the CYP21A2 gene and is recessive.
Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia
Generally speaking, NCAH is one of the three forms of congenital adrenal hyperplasia. The other two types are known as simple virilizing adrenal hyperplasia and salt wasting adrenal hyperplasia.
Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) affects the adrenal glands which produce several hormones, including corticosteroids, mineralocorticoids, and androgens. The first two of these hormones affect the body’s illness or injury response and the body’s salt and water levels, respectively. Androgens are the male hormones.
Enzyme deficiencies affect the adrenals’ ability to produce these hormones. A deficiency in the enzyme required for one of these hormones will result in an overproduction of the others.
A lack of 21-hydroxylase is the most common cause of CAH. Not having this enzyme prevents you from making cortisol and aldosterone, for salt-losing adrenal hyperplasia, and causes you to produce excess androgen. The excess of this male hormone will typically bring symptoms of abnormal sexual development.
CAH is the more severe form of this condition and is most often found early in life. If left unaddressed, adrenal crisis and even death may occur. There is no cure for CAH, but with appropriate care, sufferers can live a full life.
In the salt-wasting form of CAH, the body has trouble maintaining an appropriate level of salt in the blood. There is also a lack of cortisol and aldosterone produced by the adrenal glands. This form of CAH can result in shock, coma, or death if it isn’t found and remediated.
In the non-salt-wasting form of CAH, the shortage of the enzyme is not as severe. This shortage leads to sufficient levels of aldosterone, but insufficient cortisol production.
Those with CAH are much more likely to have adrenal fatigue than the general population. A person with CAH who comes under significant stress could easily progress much more quickly to the later stages of AFS due to natural low cortisol production.
AFS and the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Model
Any time the body comes under stress no matter the source, the response is the same. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is activated, resulting in the adrenal glands secreting cortisol, the stress-fighting hormone. If the stress continues, as it does so often in our stress-filled culture, ultimately adrenal fatigue will set in. This means the adrenals no longer can produce enough cortisol, and symptoms of AFS begin. Continuing stress leads to more and more symptoms. In the later stages of this condition, the person suffering from it may become bedridden.
Conventional physicians are not adequately trained to assess or remediate AFS. Their approach is to deal with individual symptoms or organs and suppress the symptoms to attempt relief. However, this is not adequate for AFS. Natural medicine practitioners who are trained in the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) model of stress response will be enabled to assess how a person’s six major organ systems interact in the face of continuing stress. This interaction allows them to get to the root causes of the symptoms of AFS, and then put together a remediation plan that will not just control symptoms, but address these root causes.
Signs and Symptoms of Adrenal Hyperplasia
The two forms of adrenal hyperplasia, congenital and non-classical congenital, have both common and different signs and symptoms.
To begin, there are those who show no signs or symptoms of NCAH.
With NCAH, the symptoms typically are related to excess androgen.
Children who are assessed with this condition often will exhibit early signs of puberty such as growing pubic hair, underarm hair, and body odor. These signs may occur as early as 8 or 9 years of age.
Other signs of NCAH in children include greater height, faster growth, and faster maturation of skeletal bones. In girls, there may be an enlarged clitoris, while boys may show an enlarged penis. The increased maturation of the skeleton may lead to early epiphyseal fusion, resulting in shorter adult height.
Females are more often assessed with this condition in adolescence and adulthood. Much of this is due to the abundance of adrenergic symptoms. Typical symptoms include hirsutism, acne, hair loss, loss of ovulation, and menstrual dysfunction. One large study showed the most common symptoms to be hirsutism, followed by light or infrequent menstrual periods, and acne.
Another study that investigated women with NCAH showed the most common presenting symptoms to be hirsutism, difficulty with menstruation, and reduced fertility.
As mentioned before, not all people with NCAH exhibit symptoms. A large genetic study of 330 family members showed a distribution of symptomatic versus non-symptomatic individuals. Of these subjects, nine were seen to have symptoms, and 42 individuals were asymptomatic but were affected by NCAH. The largest number, 242, were heterozygotic carriers. Out of the entire subject cohort, 37 were not affected by NCAH.
In that same study, the majority of males were not symptomatic. Most of the time, they were assessed only after a female in the family was determined to have NCAH.
The most frequent presenting symptom in women was lack of menstruation, either primary or secondary. Also seen frequently in women were chronic lack of ovulation and infertility. A similarity with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) was also evident. Approximately half of women with NCAH will show physical changes in line with PCOS.
Fertility can be an issue in women with NCAH. The issue is not necessarily infertility, but subfertility. This comes due to the problems with ovulation often seen in adrenal hyperplasia.
Classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia in women appears to bring on increased levels of progesterone that interfere with the menstrual cycle and fertility. Elevated levels of progesterone may also be seen in women with NCAH. This leads to decreased quality of mucus in the cervix that can interfere with penetration by sperm and thus can cause infertility. In the follicular phase of the menstrual cycle, increased 17-OHP (a steroid hormone related to progesterone) or P4 (another steroid hormone related to progesterone) can lead to difficulties in the maturation of the endometrium and to difficulty with implantation of the embryo.
When you sleep, your body has autonomic functions that keep your organs going, your blood flowing, your rhythms maintained and keep your breathing regulated and active. However, some of these body functions are not just autonomic. You can also control them. Breathing is one such example. For instance, when you are awake you can control your breathing. As an example, you can stop your breathing for 20 seconds at will or you can take a deep breath or exhale whenever you like. However, most of the time we pay little attention to our breathing and that is why it is autonomic, as well as voluntary. Now look at your heart, you can’t tell your heart to stop at will, or pump faster by just thinking it, this is because it is fully autonomic. So, it is safe to say that relaxing breathing is essential but it is also a great tool for relaxing because it is one organ you can actually “train.”
How do breathing and autonomic systems all support successful sleep? Relaxing sleep breathing has two main functions: relaxation and the functional part that keeps you alive by sucking in air and exhaling automatically. Both of these functions have to be in unison. If one of these functions is not working you may have sleep apnea, frequent waking, crazy dreams or even choking episodes. So, you see both of these breathing functions are vital for successful sleep. Learning how to breathe better can be relaxing, as well as, a great bridge to the autonomic nervous system. Overall it can promote better sleep conditions and help you to achieve optimal health.
There are many ways that deep breathing, relaxing breathing, and forms of meditation can actually help promote a better night’s sleep. Some people practice mindful breathing. Mindful breathing can reduce stress, aid in anxiety disorders and digestive disorders. It is also very calming and can be energizing. Yoga can also teach valid breathing techniques that aid in relaxation and can promote sleep. However, what we really are talking about is breathing for relaxation. This type of breathing involves learning how to breathe abdominally or diaphragmatic breathing. Newborn babies and even sleeping adults display this type of breathing. Relaxing breathing is where you inhale air into your lungs and exhale as your diaphragm contracts. This type of breathing isn’t forced and is evenly consistent in cycles. It’s a way to regulate your breathing and promote relaxation.
In order to achieve this breathing on your own, you have to be aware of your breathing patterns and shift them more to abdominal breathing. In doing so, you will reduce anxiety, muscle tension and actually become more relaxed. In order for this to become a successful habit, it has to be practiced time and time again until it becomes like second nature to you. It is rather easy to learn but it is the consistency that pays off.
How To Practice Relaxing Breathing & How It Helps With Sleep
Lie flat on your back on a bed or solid floor.
Keep your knees slightly bent, use a pillow to prop them up if you like.
Place one hand on your chest and one at your waistline.
Breathe in slowly through your nose. The hand on your chest should move, while the one near your waistline should not.
Hold the air for a few seconds.
Next, exhale through your mouth. The hand at your waistline should move with your exhale while the hand on your chest should remain still.
You should practice this for several minutes 4 to 5 times a day. Eventually breathing through your abdomen will come naturally. You don’t need to feel unhinged, tired, or anxious before trying this breathing technique out. Practice makes perfect. So it is okay to practice even if you don’t have issues at the moment.
Regulating the rate of your breathing and wherein the body the breathing comes from forms a sense of relaxation in the body and is much like the autonomic breathing you have while you are sleeping. People also said it may work because it’s a lot like mindful breathing, where you are quieting your thoughts and listening to yourself. To just breathe, alone, brings you to a relaxing place and can induce a sense of sleepiness.
Insomnia or frequently waking up at night is a risk factor for so many things including weight gain and diabetes type 2. It also can increase hormone levels related to stress, raise blood pressure and even affect cognitive function and/or cause brain fog. This is why relaxing breathing can help de-stress you, clear your mind and help you get some good rest.
If you have any type of breathing problems, oxygen problems, or any other health concerns please consult your primary care physician before attempting any breathing relaxation techniques. Your health is very important and you should not try this without consulting a doctor if there is a more serious underlying problem at hand.
Also, if you suffer from Adrenal Fatigue: https://www.drlam.com/articles/adrenal_fatigue.asp Syndrome please read further to understand the pros and cons of relaxing breathing, effects they may have on your body. You can never be too careful these days. Knowing the facts can help you live a much healthier life.
Adrenal fatigue syndrome happens when your adrenal glands become tired. Adrenal fatigue syndrome is caused by stress or factors that take a toll on the adrenal glands and make it hard for them to put out adequate amounts of cortisol. There are many signs and symptoms of AFS including depression, trouble sleeping, lack of energy, need for caffeine or other stimulants in the morning, resisting going to bed, not wanting to get out of bed, cravings for salty foods and other similar ailments. The best way to remedy this condition is reducing stress. You can’t eliminate all stressors, but by eliminating the physical ones, causing the biggest issues, you will be on the right path to helping your adrenal glands useful content.
Sleep disorders and sleep breathing problems are relevant in those who suffer from adrenal fatigue. These are common because the hormone cortisol, and other stress-related hormones, keep harmony between the adrenals and sleep. If they are deregulated it will keep the body alert. It often leads to waking up in the middle of the night or poor sleep quality. Lack of sleep has a negative impact on the body increasing irritability. It disturbs mental function and can trigger things like hypoglycemia and metabolic imbalances.
Often people turn to sleep aids to help. These are not always effective and often times can cause problems in people with certain conventional medical conditions. Using sleep aids with conditions like adrenal fatigue can have adverse effects on your overall health. A better concept is breathing for relaxation. Just like autonomous breathing can help during sleep, relaxing breathing can help you sleep. If you use sleep aids it can overload your body and cause other problems such as liver congestion, leading to concerns about anxiety, fatigue, heart palpitations and even brain fog. Some cases may even bring on adrenal exhaustion or adrenal crashes. Always be sure to talk to your specialist about your sleep problems before trying a self-remedy.
Meditation has long been considered a healthy lifestyle practice. Many people swear by its ability to reduce daily stress, improve emotional well being, and boost overall health. Among meditation’s many uses, meditation for heart health is coming to the forefront as one of meditation’s amazing benefits.
Recently the American Heart Association (AHA) reviewed dozens of studies on how meditation impacts heart health. The report supports the healing effects of meditation. With more than $200 billion spent annually on heart disease, it would serve humanity well to find inexpensive, healthy, and readily available alternatives. Meditation is rising up as a strong preventative to stress, which can not only prevent adrenal fatigue but may reduce risk factors for heart disease as well.
By helping to avoid stress and many several common disease risk factors, can meditation improve heart health and prevent adrenal fatigue?
Meditation for Heart Health: A Statement by the AHA
Introduction
In the Journal of the American Heart Association, a scientific statement was released entitled “Meditation and Cardiovascular Risk Reduction: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association”. This is the first time the AHA has issued a statement in regards to meditation and heart health. The experts at the AHA have reviewed dozens of studies which were conducted on meditation. The studies reviewed covered eight forms of meditation, their effects on heart disease risk factors, and the recovery of those that had suffered heart disease, such as heart attacks. The risk factors studied included stress, smoking, high blood pressure, and atherosclerosis.
The ground-breaking review set forth by the AHA is an innovative scientific review that incorporates long-held beliefs about meditation’s health benefits with scientific research. The AHA’s findings may open the way to an entirely new field of medical developments for improving the health of the heart and body.
Conclusions of the Study
For many years, it has been speculated that mediation for heart health may be a possible alternative to modern standardized medicines and the new findings by the AHA show support for this ideology. Dr. Glenn Levine, Chair of the American College of Cardiology task force on clinical practice guidelines, says that the studies have shown encouraging results.
However, Dr. Levine also suggests that the data is not yet conclusive to recommend meditation for heart disease as the only way of managing the condition. Though the results were promising, Dr. Levine’s group still encourages using existing methods besides meditation for heart disease, such as losing weight, quitting smoking, and lowering cholesterol.
“Our clear message is that meditation may be a reasonable (additional) intervention, but we specifically do not want people to rely on meditation or other such adjunctive interventions in place of proven therapies,” states Levine. “Meditation should be considered as a potential lifestyle modification, but should not be used to replace standard and proven treatments such as smoking cessation, blood pressure control and treatment of high cholesterol levels.”
Many of the studies covered the effects of meditation on reducing several of the factors common in heart disease, such as meditation and lower blood pressure, meditation and lower stress, etc.. The studies do suggest that meditation at the very least reduces stress and blood pressure, which are both considered strong risk factors in general heart disease. Addressing stress concerns can reduce stress hormones which have been linked to higher risks of heart attack. Lowering blood pressure can damper the risk of general heart disease. Meditation appears to both reduce stress and lower blood pressure.
What You Can Take from the Report
Meditation can be included as part of your daily heart-healthy strategy, so long as you understand that the data has not yet conclusively proven that meditation for heart health has tangible benefits. The AHA and Levine state in the report that they believe people interested in improving their hearts health should certainly consider meditation for heart health, so long as they are also including other “scientifically proven” techniques to reducing risk of heart disease. Levine says “we are extremely encouraged by the findings,” and continues to say that more studies will be necessary to prove the practice of meditation for heart health works definitively.
An Introduction to AFS
Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome or AFS is a condition that will likely affect almost everyone at some point in their lives, yet most physicians don’t even know what it is. The most prevalent symptoms of AFS are lethargy and fatigue, but they also include anxiety, insomnia, brain fog, and an inability to lose weight.
AFS is a condition which afflicts the adrenal glands. These glands are responsible for producing several hormones such as adrenalin and cortisol. These glands are also responsible for maintaining metabolic processes such as balancing blood sugar levels, regulating inflammation, regulating the balance of salt and water in the body, and controlling the “flight or fight” response which is brought on by stress or danger.
The most common cause of AFS is constant and unrelenting stress. The ability to handle environmental and emotional stress is a major key to survival. To cope with stress the body has a system in place, known as the NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response. A major component of this NEM response system is the adrenal glands. Over the years, constant stress taxes the adrenal glands, which causes the glands to become fatigued, reducing your body’s ability to deal with stress and creating a range of issues. go right here
I recently received a question from one of my longtime readers, asking if there is any evidence linking adrenal fatigue and the common cold. This reader was diagnosed with adrenal fatigue several months ago and has been battling colds repeatedly ever since. Given the remarkably cold and wet weather the majority of the country is experiencing, I know from research and conversation that many others are also battling colds even into the upcoming summer season. So, let’s take a closer look at this issue and see what the research indicates.
To begin, let’s revisit the basics around what we know about the common cold. Colds are caused by any one of a group of viruses. Mistakenly, many people believe that the most touted virus, the rhinovirus, is the only one that causes colds. In fact, scientists have proven that just over 200 specific viruses are known to cause a cold, with the rhinovirus accounting for only 30 – 35% of cases. American adults average two to four colds per the calendar year, with the average recovery period taking anywhere from 5 – 14 days. The viruses that cause the common cold are transmitted via touch with an infected individual, breathing in airborne particles from someone infected or touching objects that contain the virus (the virus can live up to three hours on objects like keyboards, pens, etc.).
Many in conventional medicine tell us that the common cold is just a fact of life. Eat well, wash your hands, cough in your sleeve and you’ll be OK. A closer look, in light of what we know about adrenal fatigue syndrome, yields a more instructive course of action. The reality is that there is a connection between adrenal fatigue and other illnesses. A compromised endocrine system, specifically one that features adrenal fatigue burnout, is an often overlooked component in the common cold treatment and recovery process. If you are someone suffering from recurring colds, have tried conventional prevention and treatment techniques, consider seeing a naturopathic practitioner or progressive medical MD and have your adrenal function tested. If tests show adrenal burnout, proper supplementation, nutrition and lifestyle changes will go a long way to keeping you cold-free in the coming year.
Progesterone, along with estrogen is a hormone responsible for the monthly menstrual cycle in women. Men do have this hormone yet is not responsible for its sexual growth and development. This hormone is produced mainly in the ovaries preceding the woman’s ovulation. The sign of its increased production is marked with a slight increase in the basal body temperature, increased vaginal mucus secretions, and makes muscles in the uterus to have fewer contractions. After ovulation, if the woman becomes pregnant, the progesterone now take its role over the developing placenta until the second month of pregnancy. Yet if the woman remained not pregnant, its peak levels of progesterone tone downs just adequate for the uterine lining to slough off.
There is also another important function progesterone has for the body. It assists in the body’s immunity, stimulates the production of thyroid hormones, helps in the reduction of inflammation and swelling, and maintains normal levels of blood-clotting factors. It is also known to be an anti-aging hormone that secretes collagen for the skin, produced to keep the bones tough, and makes the nerves to be functioning at its optimum level. As the woman ages, its levels of estrogen and progesterone is decreased resulting in menopause. When there are lower levels of progesterone, it leads to higher risks of bone fragility resulting in osteoporosis.
Oral progesterone pills are also prescribed for women who have irregular monthly menstrual cycles. This allows the endometrial lining to shed thus regulating and correcting monthly menstrual irregularities. It is also known to help in the infertility therapy and treats bleeding disorders unrelated to ovulation. Many women have used this contraceptive for its effectiveness in birth control method.
There is also a form prepared in vaginal suppositories to prevent preterm births. According to studies, women that have a short cervix are very at risk for preterm deliveries. It is said that vaginal suppositories are inserted daily during the second and third trimester of pregnancy.
Adequate production facilitates normal functioning of the neurons in the brain. This hormone specifically protects the damaged tissues from brain injuries. It also helps in the reduction of swelling and inflammation that follows a brain injury.
Sleep disorders and sleep breathing problems are relevant in those who suffer from adrenal fatigue. These are common because the hormone cortisol, and other stress-related hormones, keep harmony between the adrenals and sleep. If they are deregulated it will keep the body alert. It often leads to waking up in the middle of the night or poor sleep quality. Lack of sleep has a negative impact on the body increasing irritability. It disturbs mental function and can trigger things like hypoglycemia and metabolic imbalances.
