TROUBLE SLEEPING?…THIS SUPPLEMENT WILL HELP!

We’ve all been there…wishing that there were more hours in the day, and burning the midnight oil just to be able to get done what you need to get done.

 

However, and some would say unfortunately, sleep is crucial to our well being. We can be the healthiest person when it comes to our food choices, we could be diligent with exercise, but if we’re not sleeping enough our health could still take a hit.

 

Without sleep we cannot recover emotionally or physically. I know I am not the nicest person to be around if I don’t get enough sleep, and it’s pretty darn hard to be productive at anything when you’re exhausted.

 

Like most things, the quality versus quantity is really important. Even if you’re hitting the sack early, unless you’re getting great quality sleep, meaning your not tossing and turning all night, or lying awake restlessly, you are not getting enough quality sleep.

 

Of course you need to take care of the basics first and foremost to improve your sleep:

  1. Stop caffeine consumption after 3pm
  2. Start to wind down around 9:30pm, so that you can be sleeping by 10pm. This means no technology and instead a good book, meditation or light yoga), Make your room as dark as possible, with blackout shades, or you can wear an eye mask.
  3. Keep your bedroom free of technology that emit lights or wifi signals that may disrupt your sleep.
  4. Look at what you’re eating as a culprit if you’re having a hard time staying asleep. Food allergies and inflammatory foods can lead to restless sleep.

 

But what if all of this fails and you can’t seem to get to sleep, either because you let yourself go past 10pm and you’re suddenly wired, or you just can’t seem to get a project or problem out of your mind, or you’re worried that you’re alarm won’t go off in time because you have to be up earlier than usual…whatever the reason my be, it’s frustrating to be tired and not be able to fall asleep.

 

While I’m not a fan of relying on a sleep aid consistently, herbs and supplements can be a great tool to help you relax your body and stop mind chatter.

 

Recently I discovered Insomnitol by Designs for Health which contains some great ingredients to get you sleeping in no time:

 

  • Vitamin B-6 – This vitamin plays an many important roles in the body, including maintaining a healthy nervous system, convert food energy into glucose and metabolizing fats and proteins. It can also help the body produce melatonin, which is an important hormone that helps us fall asleep. (1)
  • Valerian Root – This herbal sleep aid contains a chemical called linarin, which creates a sedative effect. This is because it increases your brain’s GABA (Gamma-amino butyric acid) level, which in the right doses can cause a sedative effect, and calm the nervous system. (2)
  • Passion Flower – Another calming herb that’s been used since the 18th century by south american native indians, that promotes relaxation in the body and reduces anxiety. (3)
  • Lemon Balm – This herb, from the mint family, has been used for centuries to help with sleep disturbances. It reduce anxiety and also helps with stomach upset, which can sometimes be a cause of sleep disturbance. (4)
  • Chamomile – This well known flower helps to soothe and relax the body. One of the active compounds being apigenin, which has been found to reduce locomotor activity. (5)
  • gamma Amunobutyric Acid – Our bodies use the neurotransmitter GABA to dampen nerve activity in the brain, which leads to feelings of calm and relaxation. (6)
  • L-Theanine – This amino acid is found in tea leaves, elevates levels of GABA, as well as serotonin and dopamine. Increasing the levels of these calming brain chemicals promotes relaxation and can help with sleep. (7)
  • 5-HTP – This naturally occurring amino acid helps the body to produce more serotonin. Healthy levels of serotonin contribute to a positive mood and outlook and also promote restful sleep. (8)
  • Melatonin – This important hormone produced by the pineal gland, is an effective natural sleep aid. Despite it being produced naturally by the body, caffeine, alcohol and working night shift can affect our levels in the body. (9)

 

While this supplement is an amazing natural sleep aid when you need it, it should not be abused. Trying to deal with the underlying cause of inadequate sleep is always your best bet.

 

To purchase Insomnitol by Designs for Health, head on over to our store –

BBBC STORE – INSOMNITOL 

 

Have an amazing day and a restful sleep:)

 

Daniela Nahas

 

Sources:

(1) https://draxe.com/vitamin-b6-benefits/

(2) https://draxe.com/valerian-root/

(3) https://draxe.com/passion-flower/

(4) https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-437/lemon-balm

(5)  https://www.herbco.com/t-sleep-tea-chamomile.aspx

(6) https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/09/29/gaba-for-sleep.aspx

(7)https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/sleep-newzzz/201708/what-you-need-know-about-l-theanine

(8) https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/sleep-newzzz/201710/better-sleep-5-htp

(9) https://draxe.com/melatonin-dosage/

 

Hi! In my blog posts I share my own experiences, passions, and what works for me and has worked for my clients. I am not a doctor or certified health practitioner. My blog posts are not meant to treat or diagnose. Please consult your medical practitioner before beginning a new protocol of supplements or new exercise program.

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KARSTEN DICKIE

Hey BBBC family! My name is Karsten Dickie and I am a coach at King West Best Body Bootcamp.

Growing up I was very involved in sports. I played competitive volleyball, basketball and hockey. I was always fascinated with how the body works, nutrition, strength training and anything that involved athletics. Applying my knowledge I noticed improvement of my health, energy and body transformation which then had me hooked on weight training. That’s when I knew I wanted to help impact people’s lives and share my knowledge about exercise, mobility and nutrition to help achieve their goals.

I received my diploma from Algonquin College for Fitness & Health Promotion and I have been doing group training for six years now. Additionally, I’ve trained hockey teams, volleyball teams, large event groups, and one-on-one training.

I’m passionate about enhancing the health, fitness and overall well-being of clients. With my skills and knowledge, I help clients achieve their goals in and out of the gym.

Outside of training I like to do yoga, read, play team sports, and spend time with my friends and family.

CERTIFICATIONS/ACHIEVEMENTS:

Algonquin College Fitness & Health Promotion
CanFitPro PTS
Lucas Parker Barbell Cycling
CPR/AED2

ANDY RANDHAWA

Hey there!
I’m Andy Randhawa, the newest addition to the Best Body Bootcamp family.

You can’t hear my accent while reading this but I’m Australian.
I grew up playing a lot of sports like tennis, basketball, boxing and footy (Aussie rules football) and competed professionally in tennis.

I have transformed bodies for over 12 years and also helped them show it off on stage.

I have an extensive knowledge about training and nutrition which I can apply to my clients to bring them closer their goals.

When I’m not making people sore or make them complain while training I spend my time doing filmmaking, videography and hanging out with friends (I need new ones in Canada).

Look forward to making you get your dream body.

CERTIFICATIONS/ACHIEVEMENTS:

Diploma of Fitness
Bachelors of Exercise Science
BoxFit Level 1&2

DANIELA NAHAS

My journey in fitness and health began about 15 years ago. Before that, like many of you I struggled with yo-yo dieting, and doing countless hours of cardio just to stay looking slim. Boy I wish I could talk some sense into my past self! But health is a journey and I am so grateful for all of my experiences, which have shaped what I have to offer our members today.
Over the years I have experienced first hand the life changing benefits of incorporating the right kind of exercise into my life. That motivated me to become a personal trainer 15 years ago, and it still continues to motivate me today. I want everyone to be able to to experience what exercise can do for their well being, self confidence and physique.
I used to struggle with my nutrition in a big way, so I completely empathize with you, if this is the hardest part for you when it comes to seeing long term change. I once struggled with eating disorders, followed by any years of a very negative relationship to food, even during my initial years as a personal trainer.

It occurred to me one day that I could not help my clients make changes and make better choices, without first focusing on myself. It was through completing my Holistic Lifestyle Coach Certification that I was able to change my relationship to food and be able to genuinely help clients get closer to their goals.

My increasing passion for nutrition and health led me to become certified as a Health Coach. As a health coach, I am able to help my clients delve deeper into your relationship with food and their health. What lies beneath our patterns and habits is fascinating and when you can tap into that it can have an incredibly powerful impact on our lives, and bring about real change!

These days I leave most of the bootcamp training to our awesome trainers, but I continue to share my passion for nutrition and fitness in our private member facebook group and work on our ever evolving member offerings.

My other passion? I am the luckiest mom to a 9-year-old boy. He keeps me on my toes and I must admit has helped me grow in ways I never thought possible. Together with hubby Roger Nahas, we like to spend plenty of time outdoors, along with the latest family hobby – board games.

When I get me time, I like to do yoga, read, cook, and spend time in nature.

I look forward to having you join us!

CERTIFICATIONS/ACHIEVEMENTS:

Health Coach Certification – Health Coach Institute
C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 2
C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 1
Scientific Core Training , C.H.E.K Institute
Program Design, C.H.E.K Institute
Human Kinetics Exercise Anatomy
SPI Advanced Training for General Fitness
SPI Technical Aspects of Strength Training
SPI Nutrition for Sport and Performance
Emergency First Aid & CPR

ROGER NAHAS

My journey in fitness and nutrition is a little different than most. You see, I’m a former fat kid! The kid who was a total introvert! I was always the guy who was too embarrassed to take his shirt off at the beach! But I remember the day everything changed for me – I looked in the mirror and wasn’t happy with what I saw. I made the decision to change my body and my life. It was 1999 and I took a before pic and measurements and body fat and I entered the Body for Life Challenge. Over the next 90 days, I completely changed my eating habits, and worked out regularly. I actually was awarded the Canadian Grand Champion for my age category!

I was no longer the fat kid. I looked forward to getting to a beach so I could take my shirt off and I became more outgoing and fun! After seeing the difference it made in my life I decided that I wanted to dedicate my life to helping people realize the amazing benefits of optimal health and fitness.

I started out as most trainers do in your typical gym. After years of working in a gym setting, I was getting disillusioned with how Big Box Gyms operated. I wanted to train people functionally and to make their bodies strong in the movements they used in the real word. I wanted to make working with a highly trained instructor more affordable, and I wanted to make fitness fun because let’s face it; if you are having a blast, it makes it that much easier to stick to it. The result was the launching of Best Body . I have to tell you that although I looked great in the after pic above, the food and exercise plans I followed to get that after pic, hurt me in the long run. It made me look good from the outside but my body was breaking down on the inside. The way I was working out and what I thought was healthy eating was in fact hurting me in the long run. I was over training, taking longer to recover from my workouts, I tore my rotator cuff and had gut issues. Nothing I could do was helping and then I was introduced to a C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach who helped me. Turns out I was stressing my body beyond repair and then giving it food that wasn’t helping but was actually stressing my body even more. He made me look at my body and the food I put into it in a totally different way.

That lead me to complete my certification as a C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach and we pass that knowledge on and encourage holistic nutrition to our members.

In addition to running the day-to-day operations of Best Body Bootcamp, I also work with individual clients doing fitness training as well as holistic nutrition and lifestyle coaching.

When I’ve got a bit of free time, I spend as much of it as possible with my wife and son, I bike year round, play hockey, practice Tai Chi daily, read & take courses.

I hope to see you soon so we can transform your body and life!

CERTIFICATIONS/ACHIEVEMENTS:

C.H.E.K Golf Performance Specialist
C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 2
C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 1
Scientific Core Training , C.H.E.K Institute
C.H.E.K Golf Performance Specialist
C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 2
C.H.E.K Holistic Lifestyle Coach Level 1
Program Design, C.H.E.K Institute
Program Design, C.H.E.K Institute
Scientific Core Training , C.H.E.K Institute

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I’ve been a member now for about 3 months and can’t say enough great things about this place! I stopped seeing results in my usual workouts and felt like I plateaued until I joined BBB. The trainers are all very friendly and knowledgeable and I love how they change the workouts every 4 weeks! Definitely recommend this place!!

Christina Mansour-Ariganello