In our third edition of Healthy at Home, we are focusing on the third pillar of our lifestyle program: mental health. Specifically, this newsletter will focus on restful sleep – tips for achieving it, as well as telltale signs that you may be missing out.
What is the lifestyle approach?
Simply put, the lifestyle approach to medicine is an attempt to flip the script on traditional therapies, which often come too late and are only capable of managing chronic conditions. Rather than treating only the symptoms of a chronic health condition, our method aims directly at the root cause, and is capable of completely reversing several common chronic diseases (hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, and even some autoimmune diseases).
Q. Why is the lifestyle approach better?
A: There are several reasons why we believe the lifestyle approach to healthcare MUST be the future of medicine. From a financial perspective, the current style of healthcare is not sustainable. In the United States, $3.6 trillion is spent in health care every year. 86% of that is spent managing chronic diseases. Not treating, not reversing. Managing. From an individual perspective, the lifestyle approach is far more successful, capable of preventing 80% of heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes and 40% of cancer.
Meditation
Fresh Air recently aired an episode discussing the nature of mindfulness meditation and its benefits, specifically with regard to anxiety amidst the fears of the pandemic. We highly recommend you give it a listen!
Say Good Night to Insomnia
Dr. Gregg Jacob’s book, Say Good Night to Insomnia, is an excellent resource for anyone looking to combat chronic sleeplessness. In his book, he lists a couple common coping methods that may seem to help insomnia in the short run, but actually sustain the negative cycle:
- Spending more time in bed in an effort to “catch up” on sleep
- Trying to “force” sleep in the belief that sustained effort induces sleep
- Attempting to relax in bed by reading or watching television
- Using alcohol to promote sleep or caffeine to combat daytime fatigue
If any of these hit close to home, you may want to pick up a copy! Inside, you will find tips to help sleep efficiency & establish a regular rising time, and a full 6 week guide to help handle insomnia.
Supplements
Vitamin D, magnesium, melatonin, omega-3 fatty acids, chamomile, and many other supplements have been implicated in having effects on sleep and restfulness. However, using supplements to aid in sleep can be confusing, as there are fewer regulations and less research surrounding their effects. For this reason, we recommend speaking with your primary care provider about finding a trusted brand of supplements. Huntington Lifestyle Partners has partnered with Metagenics, whose high standard for quality and safety, as well as collaboration with highly renowned academic and research institutions, have earned our trust. To know more about what supplements may benefit you, send us an email at huntingtonlifestylepartners@gmail.com!
