Scott & Rhonda, Author at Live Clean n Prosper

Getting a good nights’ Sleep

Today I’m going to write about sleep. Scott has had issues with getting to sleep. So we have been doing some research into sleep.

One common factor that kept coming up was the development of Sleep hygiene or Sleep habits. Good sleep habits are often referred to as good sleep hygiene.

There are many things that can be done to improve sleep. While most of these are common sense, life is very busy and we often don’t think about them. According to research, there are many things that can be done to have a better night’s sleep.

Sleep habits to consider –

Getting sunlight during the day will help you to sleep better at night
Try to keep a consistent bedtime. The body has an internal clock and hormones that control sleepiness and wakefulness.
Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep a day. This stays the same even in old age.
Limit Naps. Remember that the average adult sleeps for between seven and nine hours a day. Naps will take up some of this time. But if you are taking short afternoon naps without any problems, then you might want to keep doing this. On the other hand, naps in the evening, or dozing in front of the TV, can make it harder to get to sleep at night.
Meals should be timed to avoid going to bed on a full stomach, but not hungry either. The evening meal should be at least 2 hours before bedtime. Alcohol might help you get to sleep, but it will make it harder to stay asleep. It makes sleep problems like snoring and sleep apnoea worse as well.
Don’t have things in the bedroom that distract you from sleep, like televisions and computers. The blue light of the computer can reduce evening levels of the sleep-promoting hormone, melatonin. (www.sleephealthfoundation.org.au)

After talking to some lecturers at college, Scott bought some Lavender & Chamomile tea, which he now has before going to bed. It has been quite effective. I have found some information to explain why it works.

Lavender & Chamomile

Lavender is often used to help people sleep. Brewing a few lavender flowers in hot water to make a tea, has been used to induce sleep and relaxation for thousands of years. This is closely linked to the flower’s impact on the nervous system, and can also help to clear your mind of negative thoughts or clutter. The antioxidant components of lavender can also impact the endocrine system of the body to lower the levels of stress hormones in the body.

Chamomile is another herb well known for its calming effect. It has many health benefits and uses, including the ability to lower stress levels and aid sleep.

This beverage can help increase the levels of serotonin and melatonin in your body, which can successfully eliminate stress and worry, while also slowing down your mind and eliminating the classic symptoms of anxiety. Therefore it can also be an overall sleep aid, particularly for people who struggle with restless, non-restful or rejuvenating sleep.

Even those struggling with sleep apnoea and other disorders may benefit from the effects of chamomile tea. (www.organicfacts.net)

Till the next post, Sleep well,

Live Clean n Prosper

Spotlight on Breakfast Drinks

In todays post I am looking at Breakfast drinks.

Last week I wrote about the food industry and processed foods. I mentioned that the industry as a whole was driven by profit and questioned what was in our food.

During the week I was doing some research into ‘Energy drinks’ and a friend asked about ‘breakfast drinks’. So, after our discussion and a bit of research later, this is what I came up with.

I decided to do a comparison between an Up ‘n’ Go breakfast drink and a homemade smoothie.

Let’s look at the Up & Go ingredients

Choc Ice, 250ml Breakfast drink

Filtered water, skim milk powder, cane sugar, wheat maltodextrin, soy protein, vegetable oils (sunflower, canola), vegetable fibre, hi-maize™ starch, corn syrup solids, fructose, cocoa (0.5%), oat flour, mineral (calcium), acidity regulator (332), flavours, vegetable gums (460, 466, 407), stabiliser (452), salt, vitamins (C, niacin, A, B12, B6, B2, B1, folate).

Labelling laws in Australia require the ingredients to be listed in order of quantity. So the first ingredient, therefore the most, is water. Followed by Skim milk powder.

Then there is the third most ingredient, the first of the sugars ‘Cane Sugar’.

Followed by another sugar -Wheat maltodextrin, made from wheat starch. Maltodextrins are considered equivalent to sugar but not as sweet.

Then there is Soy protein, Vegetable oils, Vegetable fibre, Hi-maize™ starch and Corn Syrup solids.

Corn syrup solids are made from concentrating corn syrup, a liquid sweetener made from corn. Studies show that the body metabolises corn syrup and corn syrup solids in the same way, and they may contribute to health issues such as obesity, diabetes and liver disease.

Then there is more processed sugar, in the form of fructose. Commercially Fructose or fruit sugar is frequently derived from sugar cane, sugar beets, and corn. The primary reason that fructose is used commercially in foods, besides its low cost, is its high relative sweetness.

Then there is the cocoa, oat flour and the added vitamins, minerals and chemicals required to keep the product on the shelf.

This product is advertised as a ‘healthy’ breakfast option.

I think that we can make healthy breakfast drinks at home. Using fresh ingredients. I have done the research on a quick, Choc-Banana Smoothie, a home made ‘Breakfast Drink’ alternative.

To be fair, this comparison uses Pauls Smarter White milk (as the Up n Go uses skim milk powder).

The Numbers

	Milk 250ml	Banana 50g	Raw Cacao Pwdr 10g	TOTAL	Up n Go 250ml
Calories	162	44.5	47	232.5	196
Total fats – g	9	0.15	1.9	7.05	3.8
Sodium – g	110	0.5		110.5	161
Potassium – g		179		179	514
Protein – g	8	.55	2.1	12.65	8.3
Total carbohydrates – g	12	11.5	5.3	31.8	29.7
Dietary fiber – g		1.3		1.3	4
Sugars – g	12	6	0.2	18.2	19.2

COST	.50	.24	.40	1.14	1.53

For the record, 50g of banana, is approximately ½ an average banana and 10 g of Cacao is a generous tablespoon. Now, I know that the homemade version has 36.5 extra calories and some extra fat. It does however have a little less sugar and more protein.

The most important thing to remember about this comparison though is that the homemade recipe uses 3 real food ingredients. You can also choose to reduce your chemical footprint by buying Organic ingredients.

You will also have some ingredients left over to use in other ways.

Now the choice is yours, but I hope I’ve got you thinking about what you and your family eat.

Till the next post,

Live Clean n Prosper

Food and the Food Industry

Today I’m going to write about the ‘food industry’.

Scott and I watched a documentary this week called ‘Food Inc.’

‘Food Inc.’ exposes America’s industrialised food system and its effect on the environment, health, economy and workers’ rights. It’s also driving a campaign to encourage people to become actively involved in fighting for a healthier food supply.

The documentary explains how in the space of a few generations the food system has been transformed.

From humble farm origins to a highly efficient commercial entity. A business controlled from seed to supermarket by a small number of large multinational corporations.

So, how relevant is its analysis to the Australian context?

There is a common lesson. Control of the food system by large corporations supported by government policies driven by the almighty dollar, has resulted in a food system that is a commercial success, but at what cost to public health.

Australia’s processed food is in the hands of 10 big players, and that is not taking into consideration the control that Woolworths and Coles have in the industry.

The food manufacturing industry is Australia’s largest manufacturing sector, accounting for $111 billion and almost one in six jobs. Its peak body, the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC), wields enormous power.

The AFGC

The AFGC aims to shape a regulatory environment that increases the profitability of the food and beverage sector. Its approach generally involves a seat at the policy table arguing that food industry regulation is unnecessary or flawed.

It uses three main tactics to do this.

First, it pre-empts government regulation by introducing its own voluntary schemes.

Like many self-regulatory schemes, there is no formal sanctions for non-compliance, and relies instead on peer pressure and companies’ fear of damage to their reputations.

Then, there are the initiatives focusing on the exercise side of the energy imbalance equation that is leading to population-wide weight gain. Given a choice, the food industry would prefer us to move more, rather than consume less.

The AFGC’s third tactic is to influence policy, and it seems the efforts are paying off. Parts of its wish list came closer to being granted in the recent federal budget. This included cutting funds to the National Preventive Health Agency and National Partnership Agreement on Preventive Health. (Source – http://theconversation.com)

So what does this mean in regards to our food? If the AFGC is only interested in increasing the profitability of the food industry, how healthy is our food?

Foods subjected to processes such as high levels of heat, light, and/or oxygen, suffer nutrient and vitamin losses. These are then replaced with manufactured vitamins and nutrients. There is plenty of information available about the chemicals used to make some foods look better and last longer. There is not yet a lot of information available about the long-term effects of some of these chemicals on the human body.

How many times have you gone to the supermarket and picked up products to read the labels and not been able to understand anything on them.

Real Food

A wise man once said, ‘real food doesn’t have ingredients, real food is ingredients.’

Real food is food that has not been processed at all or food that looks similar to its original state. There are some foods that require processing such as flours, milks, butters and cheeses.

In an effort to know what we are consuming, we try to buy very little in the way of ‘processed’ foods. It is easier to understand how different foods affect your body when you know what you have eaten.

Until the next post,

Live Clean n Prosper