Eating Healthy Can Help With Insomia

Everyone has experienced at some time or another difficulty in
falling asleep. Sometimes it is for one night or can be an
ongoing problem. Tossing and turning all night isn't anything
new to most people occasionally but none the less it is a
terrible feeling when you just start to fall asleep and it's
time to wake up. It can seem like a very long day with no rest
behind you. Good sleep habits are known to be healthy for you
in the long run.
 
Insomnia has varied causes and one of them can be your eating
habits. The food you eat does play a part in how your body
prepares itself to sleep. Different foods will cause different
reactions in your body.
 
A good way to help you understand how foods play a part in
insomnia is to write a journal. All you need to do is write
down everything that you eat during your day and the times that
you are eating it. Also write down how you slept, was it a
sound, peaceful sleep? Was it a restless night? Include the
length of time you slept also and then you will see a pattern
forming from your daily intake of food and the quality and
amount of the sleep that you had. This will guide you into
being able to avoid certain foods that don't agree with your
sleep pattern and include more of the foods that seem to
produce better results for you.
 
Everyone is different but there does seem to be some foods that
are universally known to help induce and promote good sleep
quality. This list can help you identify some of these but keep
in mind that your body chemistry is unique, only research will
help you find the best diet for you.
 
Milk really does help you sleep. So that old saying about a
glass of warm milk before bed is definitely true, milk does
have a chemical in it that helps you sleep.
 
Fruits seem to have a way to help promote a sound sleep. Lemons
seem to be the most effective fruit.
 
Breads, preferably whole grain breads seem to have the most
positive effect. But all bread products including, bagels and
muffins are included.
 
As stated before every individual has a different body
chemistry and finding what works for you may take some trial
and error. Sometimes the natural sugar in foods will cause some
people to toss and turn but in others it may not have that same
effect. Of course we all know that consuming caffeine or
processed sugars late in the day are not very good choices for
promoting a good night sleep. Keeping a journal will help you
identify what works for your body chemistry, what may help you
get a good restful sleep and what to avoid.
 
Controlling your insomnia with a good diet is the healthiest
and most natural way to a better nights sleep.


About The Author: Abby Johnson is a staff writer at
http://www.retirementplanningdigest.com and is an occasional
contributor to several other websites, including
http://www.lifestylegazette.com.

10 Items Every First Aid Kit Should Contain

An accident is an unexpected and unfortunate event that
occurred as a result of a series of unforeseen negligence, lack
of care and keenness to details and unmindfulness to
consequences of actions. Of course, no one wants an accident to
happen. No one admits to planning or even welcoming it.
Something planned to cause hurt or accident is whole different
story.

 

Like it or not, accidents do happen to the best of people and
if it occurs, the only thing a person can do is to lessen the
damage done. In diseases, of course, an ounce of prevention has
always been better than a cure. But since accidents are
inevitable events in ones life, one should always be ready to
minimize the hurt caused by it.

 

Small but terrible, first aid kits are usually the saviors of
people in pain if an accident struck them. These are compact
kits that contain life- saving items from scissors, tweezers,
bandages, gauzes, antibiotic creams, ointments to medications.

 

Most conscious people keep first aid kits wherever they are -
at home, in their cars and at their workplace. Moreover, in
events that are accident prone like camping and backpacking
trips, sponsored missions (like medical missions), hunting and
kayaking or simple field trips.

 

Of course, keeping first aid kits is not as easy as ABC. You
have to know the rules and the essentials in keeping an
effective first aid kit. The first you should bear in mind is
the context of where and when you will use your first aid kit.
If the kit will be based at your home, of course, you should be
familiar with the kind of accidents that usually occur at home.
If its for other purposes, the environment and activity will
determine the contents of your kit and the number of people
participating. In some other instances, improvising is very
important in administering first aid because you just cannot
have everything inside your kit.

 

It is also helpful to learn the three mechanisms of injury for
the effective application of first aid. These are - trauma,
environmental and medical. Having all these in mind, you are
ready to start putting together your first aid kit.

 

The first in consideration is the kit itself. Again,
environment plays an important role in identifying the kind of
kit you need - its material and size. But the basics you should
keep in mind are -

 

- Size - Is it roomy enough to carry all the items, keep it
organized, not interchanging them?
- Durability - Is it strong enough to carry all the contents?
Can it stand through harsh conditions?
- Handiness - Can it be carried anywhere without the hassles?
- Accessibility - Can it easily be opened?

 

Second to consider is the contents of the kit. Try to think of
the most common accidents that may occur anywhere - at home, in
night outs, roads and accident prone missions. The most common
to occur is wounds and splinters. Your kits should include
items that can attend to cuts, wounds and blisters of varying
degrees -

 

- Wound care and cleansing materials - bandages, dressing (for
traumas, those that would keep wound dry in wet environments),
gauze pads, bandage strips, tapes and other kinds of tapes.
Pre- soak pads should be well kept in appropriate containers.
You also need to be familiar or review medical history before
applying such first aid methods.

 

- Blister care - this can be prevented by administering care
immediately. At the first sign of a hot spot, items such as
molefoam, moleskin, first aid tapes should be within reach as
these can prevent blisters from forming.

 

First aid kits also carry protection for those administering
first aid like gloves, CPR masks and airways. Hardware too
should be present such as -

 

- Thermometer
- Stethoscope
- Survival gear
- Tweezers
- Shears
- Whistle
- Mirrorsignal device
- Pins
- Plastic bags
- Lighterwaterproof matches
- Flashlight headlamp
- Survival blanket
- Heatcold packs
- Parachute cord
- Flagging tapes

 

Medications, as well, should not leave the kits as these are
important to help wounds subside or treat other conditions -

 

- Antihistamine
- Glucose
- Antidiarrheal
- Antifungalyeast
- Dental medications
- Dental filing materials
- Antibiotic creamsointments
- Anticonstipation
- Antacid
- Other special needs and medications

 

If you are simply starting to organize your first aid kit at
home, you will need the 10 basic or essential contents such as
-

 

- First- aid manual
- Gauze pads
- Bandages
- Butterfly bandages
- Medical adhesive tape
- Alcohol prep pads
- Iodine or similar prep pads
- Antibiotic ointment
- Aspirin andor non- aspirin pain relievers
- Tweezers and pins

 

After collecting all these items for your very own home- made
first aid kit, organizing them in the container will be the
next step. Ziplocks or other dividers that are waterproof will
be a great help in organizing them. It would not hurt also if
you can label them properly or color- code them so that they
can be easily retrieved in case of emergency to lessen
mistakes.

 

If you have successfully done all these, here are some
additional precautionary steps you should take

 

- Review your medical history so that you will know what other
items you can include in your kits.

 

- Read thoroughly your first- aid manual to understand the
functions of all the items inside your kit and how to use them.

 

- First aid kits should be kept in an accessible place for
adults to retrieve it as soon as an emergency arises but out of
childrens reach.

 

- Periodically check the kits and be cautious of missing items
that need to be replaced or expired medicines that need to be
changed and purchased.

 

After learning all these, you are now ready to get started with
your life- saving journey with the help of your first aid kit.
You will see how you make life much easier and with a little
less pain.

 

About The Author: For more great first aid kit related articles
and resources check out http://justfirstaidkits.info__,_._,___

Increasing Your Metabolism

Copyright (c) 2006 Douglas Alp

If you are attempting to lose weight the two most important
things you can do is to start eating right and definitely
start an exercise routine. Your ultimate goal is to jump
start your metabolism which will enable your body to burn
more fat and in turn create more energy since the burning
of calories creates energy.

Regardless of the amount of weight you'd like to lose the
thing you need to focus on is increasing your metabolism.
The reason for this is that when your metabolism is
increased it will begin to stabilize at a higher level
enabling you to burn more fat for energy at all times.

Now if you feel you need to lose a lot of weight I'd
suggest that you first start increasing your metabolism by
taking short brisk walks everyday. If you haven't
exercised in a while you want to start out slow so that you
don't cause injury or burn yourself out early in your
quest. So start out with short walks, approximately 10 to
15 minutes per day. This will help to get the heart
pumping and increase your blood circulation. This will
also start increasing your oxygen intake which will
increase the amount of oxygen to your entire body
including your joints and ligaments. The addition oxygen
helps to burn fat and increase your metabolism. Of course
this is just a start and you will see some improvements,
but as you get used to the increased exercise you will then
want to start increasing the time and speed of your walks.

Once you start feeling your energy level and your strength
increase you can then start adding some type of aerobic
exercise program. Aerobic exercise will help with
increasing your metabolism and help your heart muscles. Be
aware that the aerobic heart rate is much higher that the
ideal heart rate for burning fat, which is a bit lower in
beat per minute. But you will still get the benefits of
burning fat while pushing your metabolic rate much higher

Of course if you have less weight to lose your metabolism
is probably a little higher already but you can still
increase it, with more exercise of course. I'd suggest
doing some type of cardio or aerobic exercise for at least
20 minutes every other day. I would also recommend eating 5
to 6 smaller meals throughout the day. This will give your
body the continuous fuel to increase your metabolism.

The next level you want to approach is the level of
strength and muscle building. This type of exercise will
definitely increase your metabolism and will assist both
men and women to build muscle which will allow the ability
to burn fat at all times, even when you are at rest. Good
or good! For all you woman don't worry you do not need to
get bulky, the weight lifting will provide toning and
firming of your muscles and will help with your structure
and the strength of your bones. For you men, lifting
weights will start to give you more mass or just a more
toned and cut look which will help you feel better about
your body and yourself.

Many people do turn to supplements to increase their
metabolism. This might be helpful but be careful. Make
sure that you speak with your doctor whenever you start a
new exercise program or if you start taking a metabolism
increasing supplement. Be sure that there will not be any
repercussions to your health or any conflicts with any
prescription you may be taking. Also do some research on
the ingredients and make sure they are good quality. There
may be many supplements that work but pay attention to what
your body is telling you and if the side effects create any
discomfort discontinue the use of them.

The thing to focus on is that increasing your metabolism
will assist you to burn fat and give you more energy. The
addition of more muscle on your body will always make you
look and feel better but no matter what route you take to
boost your metabolism, make your health your number one
priority.

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This article has been brought to you by Douglas Alp from
MyCompletelife.com. Douglas is in pursuit of the complete
life which beings with optimal health at the core and is
the foundation for a great abundant life. You can visit
his site at http://www.mycompletelife.com to find other
great resources and sign up for your free newsletter to
assist you to building a healthy and vibrant body and mind
in pursuit of your complete life.