Health Trends and My Experience Archives - Health, Faith, Fitness, Backed by Evidence. %

My Insomnia Experience: Part 3, Sleeping Naturally at Last

Health Trends and My Experience, Mental Health and Wellness

This post closes out a series that shares lessons I learned during a horrendous bout of insomnia. I will discuss the final set of interventions I discovered that actually worked to help me sleep naturally again. No supplements needed, no sleep drugs–just healthy, natural sleep!!

A brief review

My Insomnia Experience: Part 1, Sleep Medications: In Part 1 of the series, I discussed the onset of my insomnia along with my experience using sleep drugs while I scrambled to adapt to my frightening experience. The health risks of insomnia along with the dangers of sleep medications are discussed. During the early days of my insomnia, I was desperate. I knew insomnia could wreck my health, and I knew sleep medications could do the same. However, insomnia was new to me and at the time, I did not know what else to do! I share tips I used to reduce the risk of developing tolerance and dependency on the sleep drugs.

My Insomnia Experience: Part 2, Taking My Life Back: Part 2 of the series lays the foundation for recovery. The post describes the methods I used to take my life back from insomnia. My insomnia was not resolved at that time, but based on principles found in the book “The Effortless Sleep Method” (Stephens, 2010), I created a healthy schedule that would prove essential to my recovery. I also share how I overcame my reliance on sleep drugs in part 2 of the series!

The tools of recovery: Lifestyle overhaul

Imagine my surprise when I woke up in the morning, fully rested, in the fall of 2019–realizing I had not awoken once throughout the night? For many people, such an experience would be quite mundane, but after a year and a half of struggling with insomnia, I found it pleasantly remarkable. Imagine now how thrilled I was when this experience repeated itself night after night over the next several weeks?? No medications, no supplements. This restoration of sleep is now my norm again–restful, healthy sleep.

When you are in the midst of your insomnia experience, you read about recovery experiences with skepticism. You think “ok, that’s you…I tried a lot of what you are describing, my case is different, I’m different…I don’t know if I’ll ever beat this…nothing works for me…” I know this, because I was there, thinking those thoughts. Recovery is possible, but the truth is, recovery requires A LOT on your part.

Sleeping till dawn is possible, but may require a total lifestyle overhaul if you want to succeed (Image credit: Jonathan Petersson at Pexels)

Recovery involved an entire lifestyle overhaul in my case. I had to have faith in the process, that the research-backed, recommended changes would help– even if the results were not immediate. Recovering from insomnia was far more about creation of a new life, a process over time, than any quick fix. However, the process worked. Perhaps if I had not doubted so much, perhaps if I had adopted many of the recommended changes sooner, my restoration of sleep could have occurred much more quickly.

A necessary disclaimer: Coordinate with your provider

If you are suffering from insomnia, it is essential to coordinate with a healthcare provider. I discussed this in my previous posts, but it bears repeating. Untreated health conditions will unnecessarily plague your recovery efforts.

In my case, I have an anxiety disorder that escalated and erupted into insomnia. Treating the anxiety disorder by itself did NOT resolve my insomnia (my insomnia continued for more than a year after starting Lexapro for my anxiety), but did reduce the intensity of it. It is my belief that had I not received treatment for my anxiety disorder, the other recovery efforts I put into place would not have worked the way they have.

On a side note, there is some question that Lexapro (generic name: escitalopram) can cause hypnic jerks and other sleep disturbances (Sathe, Karia, Desousa, & Shah, 2015). My personal experience is that I sleep better if I take my Lexapro in the am. A coworker had a similar experience. Such hardly serves as scientific evidence, but is worth consideration at the least for those taking the medication and having sleep disruptions.

The final set of interventions that helped me sleep naturally again

The following interventions are the ones I adopted after first creating the foundation for recovery as covered in my previous post. A major resource for many of the following interventions comes from the book by Shawn Stevenson, “Sleep Smarter.” You can purchase your own copy here.

Establish a bedtime routine: And stick to it

In my prior post, I discuss the importance of taking charge of your schedule and not allowing insomnia to dictate how you live your day. Part of that schedule needs to include establishing a health promoting, consistent bedtime routine. Research is mounting that variable bed times (such as staying up 2 hours or more later on weekends or days off) contributes to sleep-cycle disruptions, insulin resistance and higher body mass indexes (Taylor et al., 2016).

These findings held up even if sleep duration was similar between those that maintained a regular sleep schedule and those who significantly altered their sleep cycles on weekends (Taylor et al., 2016). The authors speculated that those staying up late on weekends altered their natural circadian rhythms through a variety of means, including increased late evening / night light exposure. Altered circadian rhythms in turn lead to disruptions of a wide variety of hormonal and physiological processes essential for long term health (Fisk, Tam, Brown, Vyazovskiy, Bannerman, & Peirson, 2018).

It must be emphasized that family (and friends) may not support you in sticking to such a routine. Stevenson (2016) emphasizes the necessity of taking your insomnia serious enough to make real changes in your life. This includes doing such in the face of resistance.

Establish a bedtime, and stick to it (Image credit: Krivec Ales at Pexels)

For me, my wife and kids were irritated and repeatedly protested that my bedtime routine involved going to bed at 9pm. Eventually they accepted such, but it took a while. My early bedtime was necessitated by my work schedule and fitness goals. This may not be the bedtime you choose, but whatever you choose, make sure it serves your health, fitness and life goals and that you stick to it, even on days off. Or ignore this, and enjoy the roller-coaster ride of circadian cycle disruption!

Embrace the dark! In your bedroom and evening routine that is…

Circadian rhythm cycles over a 24 hour period are a basic part of biological life. These rhythms have been identified in lifeforms as simple as bacteria through complex mammals (Fisk et al., 2018). Light is a MAJOR regulator for these cycles. Sleep cycles, metabolism, brain function, behavior, and hormone rhythms (including melatonin) are all influenced by your circadian rhythm. As such, maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm is essential for promoting general health and healthy sleep (Fisk et al., 2018).

Light is itself a stimulus, and blue light in particular has demonstrated sleep disrupting effects (Fisk et al., 2018). Chances are, you already read about the importance of minimizing evening time light exposure. If you are like me when I first read such information, you may not yet have made all the necessary changes despite this information. I wish I would have acted on the following advice sooner, it definitely has been part of my sleep recovery success.

How dark should your room be? Darker than you likely have it currently!

Stevenson (2016) advocates that when the lights are out in your bedroom, it should be so dark that you can not see your hand held in front of your face. Is your room this dark? Is it really? Mine wasn’t!

Even with the lights out, my digital alarm cast a green glow, so I covered it up with a t-shirt and socks! My computer cord and screen had lights showing that they were plugged-in, even when in sleep mode. I unplugged them at night.

Our bathroom light night? It was a bright white light. I changed it to red-toned nightlights and cracked the door so that it is barely open. My phone, turned it face down so the random alerts would not light up the screen (I have to have it on in case of calls from my work). Our curtains? Thin material that let a neighbor’s porch light into the room–we replaced them with light-blocking curtains. Only after ALL of these changes was my bedroom dark enough that I could not see my own hand in front of my face.

Want to sleep better? Get rid of artificial light in your bedroom!! (Image credit: Francesco Ungaro at Pexels)

Note: all the lights I mentioned above are artificial, and for most of human history did not exist. Is it any wonder sleep issues are becoming more common globally? (Jaiswal, Owens, & Malhotra, 2017). The concern of artificial light and sleep disruption is further reinforced by research noting that populations that live in regions of greater artificial light intensity were more likely to experience sleep disruptions and sleep duration averaging less than 6 hours per night ( Ohayon, & Milesi, 2016). If you have insomnia and your bedroom is bright enough to see your hand at night due to ARTIFICIAL light, take action–you can’t beat your biology–accept and honor it instead.

Light in the evening-time from tablets, phones, computers: it disturbs your circadian rhythm

Research has shown use of electronic devices that emit light in the evening negatively impacted sleep quality for participants compared to when these participants used printed reading material (Chinoy, Duffy, & Czeisler, 2018). On evenings when participants in a study used light emitting electronic devices, onset of sleep was delayed, melatonin release was delayed, subsequent levels of melatonin levels were suppressed, and participants felt more sleepy in the morning (Chinoy et al., 2018). In fact, a growing body of research has repeatedly demonstrated these negative impacts from electronic devices at night on sleep and general well being (Chinoy et al., 2018).

These study findings have held true in a variety of population groups and settings when people use light emitting electronic devices in the evening before bed (Chinoy et al., 2018). This is not surprising, considering the “master-clock” in the brain, the hypothalamus, directly receives signals from light receptors in the eyes. This “master-clock” also helps regulate immune system activity (Chinoy et al., 2018).

Goodbye…Phones and screens at night give off too much light! (Image credit: Tyler Lastovich at Pexels)

With so much at stake biologically speaking, its important we have a healthy respect for our bodies, enabling them to function as they are designed. Stevenson (2016) suggests that we avoid screen usage approximately 90 minutes before bed time. For myself, I generally avoid using my phone (even on “night mode”) one hour before bed (with rare exceptions to glimpse the time or initiate a white noise app emitting gentle rain sounds when I go to bed).

Absence of blue light before bed is optimal (van der Meijden, et al., 2018). Instead of using my phone or a computer one hour before bed, I read actual physical books (–with paper and everything!). I found books that offer serious escapes from reality without being overly creepy tend to work best for me at night.

Red light spectrum appears safe for sleep

But what about the red nightlights I mentioned earlier? Research has shown that the absence of the blue light (short-wave) light spectrum leads to improved sleep while exposure to light waves in the red light spectrum does NOT negatively impact sleep (van der Meijden, et al., 2018). For anyone that has fallen asleep by fire light, there is something soothing about the red orange glow of embers as a fire slows itself when you drift off to sleep. The red light tolerance is also interesting in that the colors of sunset are on the orange and red light spectrum as evening turns to night. I found red nightlights cheap and readily available online. The set I use in my bathroom can be purchased here.

A hot bath in the evening cools you down at night and can enhance sleep quality

Stevenson (2016) advocates for a hot bath as part of your evening ritual if possible. I managed to squeeze this in to my routine, even when I was working on my master’s degree on top of exercise and full time work. I kept it to 20 minutes and combined the bath time with meditation (multitasking!). Research supports taking a hot bath approximately 90 minutes before bed to improve sleep quality (Fischer, 2019).

Why 90 minutes before bed and not, say, immediately before bed? A hot bath brings blood to the skin. When you get out of the bath, this blood is cooled by the ambient temperature and gently falls to lower, cooler temperatures than if you had not taken the bath (Fischer, 2019). This in turn mirrors how the body itself cools overnight and helps promotes release of melatonin. In terms of general room temperature, Stevenson (2016) suggests a cool room with a generally warm bed. I have found the same works for me generally speaking. Maintaining cool but comfortable temperature levels seems to help me the best–waking up cold is no better to me than waking up too warm.

Guided meditation during the 20-minute bath

Mindfulness meditation is a recommendation Stevenson (2016) suggests based on research he cites in his book. I had done mindfulness meditation for approximately 20 minutes a day most days of the week for nearly a year or so prior to the onset of my insomnia, and found that despite research findings, mindfulness meditation did not necessarily improve my sleep quality. This is despite trying mindfulness meditation in the morning or at night, and despite having practiced it now off and on for several years. I find mindfulness meditation relaxing, but it does not appear to impact my sleep for better or worse in my personal case.

I also experimented with MANY guided meditations on YouTube. One I consistently come back too seems for me personally to work the best. It seems to put me in a proper frame of mind during my bath and before bedtime. What do I like about it?

The guided meditation I found that works best for me starts of with a guided imagery session that it useful for getting my mind off of work and whatever other preoccupying thoughts I may have. It next follows with a segment on thinking about positive events from the day and giving gratitude for the even the smallest positives in your life. It continues by encouraging you to let go of the past, envision a positive tomorrow, and finishes with a segment for prayer as you desire.

A hot 20 minute bath with meditation, 90 minutes or so before bed, is a great for sleep (Image credit: Pixabay at Pexels)

A positive bias, attitude of gratitude, and practice of faith are all components of resilience against the negative effects of stress (as covered in my post concerning the science and research findings for resilience against stress). My natural disposition has tended towards anxiety and negativity. By practicing this meditation, it helps re-frame my thoughts. It is free, and titled “Guided Evening Meditation – Gratitude, Forgiveness and Letting Go” by Suzanne Robichaud.

Going (mostly) plant-based: your diet can impact anxiety, depression, and sleep

Nearly four months into my insomnia experience, my father-in-law was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer and given months to live at best. He was only 57 years old. This traumatic experience for myself and my family caused me to research deeply the diet, cancer, and overall health connection. I write about my experience changing from a “typical American’s” idea of a healthy diet (high protein using animal sources such as lean meats and protein shakes) to a mostly plant-based diet following this experience. I can not say for sure how much this contributed to my sleep improvements. However…

Research on Mediterranean diets has shown that adopting a majority plant-based diet containing whole foods, whole grains, fruits, vegetables, beans and lean proteins such as fish can have positive and protective effects on mood states such as anxiety and depression. Emerging research is also demonstrating positive impacts of Mediterranean diets on sleep duration and quality (St-Onge, Mikic, & Pietrolungo, 2016), though as the authors note, the research is still in early stages. As an aside, a fascinating video from the organization Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine notes that many of the researched benefits identified concerning the Mediterranean Diet were found primarily in the adherents that ate the least animal products and ate mostly plant-based foods (Barnard, 2019).

Time restricted eating: Nothing after 6pm

Due to issues with gastric reflux, I stopped eating after 6:00pm most days. Often now, I avoid eating after 5:00 pm if I can. I found eliminating nighttime snacks and drinks substantially helped with reflux in my case. While reflux was not the primary factor causing my insomnia, eliminating it reduced one more factor that at times woke me up at night.

Research concerning intermittent fasting (such as increasing the amount of time between the last meal of the day and the first meal of the next day to greater than 12 hours) has shown a number of fascinating health benefits such as reductions in inflammation and improvements in insulin sensitivity (Longo & Panda, 2016). The fasting state is a time when the body focuses on cellular repair and rejuvenation, activities that also occur with sleep (Longo & Panda, 2016). Research is beginning to show that nighttime feeding and narrow time windows (less than 12 hours) between the last meal of the day and first meal of the next day can disrupt circadian rhythms.

My goal of eliminating nighttime snacking had little to do originally with my insomnia. However, by not eating anything after 6:00pm, such may be benefiting my sleep not only in reducing reflux but also in promoting a healthier, more natural circadian rhythm cycle. The research is still young in humans in terms of time restricted feeding, but appears promising (Longo & Panda, 2016).

A diet that is mostly plant based, such as the Mediterranean diet, appears to improve anxiety, depression and sleep! (Image credit: Ella Olsson at Pexels)

Pink noise: Nature sounds and sleep

An article from the Cleveland Clinic (2018) describes pink noise as consisting of natural sounds, such as rainfall or thunderstorms. The article notes that research demonstrates a slowing of brain waves and enhancement of deep sleep cycles. Research has demonstrated through use of EEG monitoring of brainwaves and EKG monitoring of cardiac rhythms, deeper and more stable sleep for study participants both during naps and overnight when they were exposed to “pink noise” consisting of soft, steady natural sounds (Zhou, Liu, Li, Ma, Zhang, Fang, 2012).

Both my wife and I enjoy playing at low volume the sounds of gentle rainfall while we sleep using my iPhone. I currently use an app called “Abide” and simply play the ambient noise setting available for the background noise. The Abide meditations are fine but did not seem to improve my sleep–perhaps that’s just me.

“Earthing” or “grounding”–Whaaaaat?

“Earthing” or “grounding” sounds a little like science fiction when you first read about it, but preliminary research published in the medical science literature has shown some very interesting early findings. I became interested in grounding after first reading about it in the book “Sleep Smarter.” These findings include:

reductions in inflammation (through neutralizing free-radical positively charged molecules via donated electrons)
improved heart rate variability
improvements in parasympathetic (resting) nervous system function (as demonstrated in the neonatal intensive care unit at Pennsylvania State University Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Hershey)
improved circulation via increased Zeta potential (negative charge increase on surface of red blood cells causes reductions in red blood cell clumping)
reductions in post exercise muscle soreness and improved muscle healing
normalization of night time measured cortisol levels after 6 weeks of grounding during sleep
improved sleep quality with less night time awakenings (Ghaly, & Teplitz, 2004; Menigoz, Latz, Ely, Kamei, Melvin, & Sinatra, 2019; Müller, Pröller, Ferreira-Briza, Aglas, & Stöggl, 2019).

What is “earthing” or “grounding?” Basically, it’s keeping your body in touch with the earth’s own electrical current. For most of human existence, people (and pretty much all living organisms) were naturally grounded.

Walking in leather soled shoes, barefoot, having skin contact with sand, rocks, soil, water–all these things put the body in contact with earth’s electric field (Menigoz, Latz, Ely, Kamei, Melvin, & Sinatra, 2019). Only in recent times with use of plastics, foam, rubber and various synthetics in shoes, mattresses, flooring, etc., have we managed to separate our bodies from this electrical current for prolonged periods, including sleep.

Was “grounding” or “Earthing” the final ingredient for a full night’s rest?

By the time I adopted “grounding,” I was already sleeping MOST of the night. The significant improvement in my sleeping were possible thanks to the other lifestyle changes listed above. However, my sleep usually consisted of waking up once or twice per night and then having to use my count-back technique (described in part 2 of the series) to get back to sleep. I had NOT YET SLEPT STRAIGHT THROUGH THE NIGHT IN A YEAR AND A HALF (unless you count the early days of my insomnia where it was an awful, medicated sleep).

After purchasing the grounding mats, I did not notice any improvements in my sleep initially. However, approximately two months after sleeping “grounded,” I experienced my first full night of rest without any nighttime awakenings. This was soon followed by another full night of rest, and several more, to where natural sleep through the entire night has become my routine experience.

For most of human history, we maintained nearly constant contact with the earth’s electrical field (Image credit: Rodolfo Clix at Pexels)

This gradual improvement in sleep and reductions in nighttime awakenings for me following approximately 6-8 weeks of grounding mirrored findings in a pilot study on grounding stressed individuals during a 6-week period at night (Ghaly & Teplitz, 2004). In the group of participants, their cortisol levels were spiking at abnormal times during the night, such as midnight, or 3am, etc., and were correlated with nighttime awakenings. By the end of the study, after weeks of sleeping grounded, the participants’ cortisol levels began spiking at the more appropriate times between 5 and 8 am while remaining low during normal sleeping hours (Ghaly & Teplitz, 2004).

How I use my grounding mats: Sleep and otherwise

The grounding mats aren’t exactly cheap, but they are not terribly expensive either. I purchased a set of two, one for my wife and one for me. The first night, I laid them length wise on the as shown on the product websites. I slept horribly. The mat I felt retained a lot of heat from my body.

I next ran the mat width-wise across the bottom of the bed so my calves to my feet lay over top of the mat. This negated the need for the second mat as now both my wife and I were in contact with the mat as it lay under both of our feet. For us, this worked much better, and is how I continue to use the mat. I took the second mat downstairs to our couch where I am currently sitting on it! The brand I purchased can be found here.

Warning: Just like you wouldn’t lay in a tub of water during a lightning storm (when you are in the tub you are grounded), you should not use your grounding mat during a lightning storm. I check the weather before going to bed. Risk is very low, but better safe than sorry.

Summary: Sleeping naturally again

Overcoming my insomnia and sleeping through the night naturally again was not accomplished with a single silver-bullet intervention. Rather, I had to overhaul numerous harmful factors in my life that had accumulated over time to the point of erupting into full-blown insomnia. In summary, my path to healing (as covered more thoroughly in each of my 3 part series) involved:

Taking charge of my schedule instead of having it dictated by insomnia
Creating a healthy routine with determined sleep and wake times, time for exercise and time for work and life goals–and sticking to such no matter how I slept
Creating a back up “sleep sanctuary” where I could go for restless nights
Adopting coping strategies to help me get through nights awake, and eventually, help me get back to sleep
Eliminating a dependence on sleep medications
Eliminating artificial light (except for the red night lights) from my bedroom
Hot bath nearly every evening combined with guided meditation to help address my predisposition towards negative thought patterns
Adopting an anti-inflammatory plant based diet along with time restricted eating patterns
Use of “pink noise”–natural soft steady sounds such as rainfall
Sleeping “grounded” using a grounding/ earthing mat

Just as my insomnia resulted from a combination of factors that overwhelmed my body’s natural ability to sleep, restoring healthful sleeping patterns involved a number of interventions to address those factors. Do I have the occasional restless night still? Yes…however, these are now the exception as opposed to the norm.

Even then, my techniques developed during the worst days of my insomnia help me get back to sleep again. Many nights, I close my eyes at 9 pm and don’t awaken till about 5:30 am, exactly when I want to awaken. Restoring natural sleep is possible, but you have to have a healthy respect for the limits of your human biology. We were designed to function in specific ways. The more we deviate from these healthful habits, the more disruptions we experience to our health, including our sleep. Live well, sleep well!!!

Thanks for reading! I hope you found this useful! Sign-up to my email list if you enjoyed this article, feel free to share and/ or leave a comment! -Donovan

References

Chinoy, E. D., Duffy, J. F., & Czeisler, C. A. (2018). Unrestricted evening use of light-emitting tablet computers delays self-selected bedtime and disrupts circadian timing and alertness. Physiological reports, 6(10), e13692. doi:10.14814/phy2.13692

Clevelandclinic.org. (2018). Why ‘pink noise’ might just help you get a better night’s sleep. Retrieved from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/why-pink-noise-might-just-help-you-get-a-better-nights-sleep/

Fischer, K. (2019). Having trouble sleeping? Try a hot bath before bed. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health-news/having-trouble-sleeping-try-a-hot-bath-before-bed

Fisk, A. S., Tam, S., Brown, L. A., Vyazovskiy, V. V., Bannerman, D. M., & Peirson, S. N. (2018). Light and cognition: Roles for circadian rhythms, sleep, and arousal. Frontiers in neurology, 9(56). doi:10.3389/fneur.2018.00056

Ghaly, M., & Teplitz, D. (2004). Body during sleep as measured by cortisol levels and subjective reporting of sleep, pain, and stress. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 10(5), 767-776. http://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2004.10.767

Jaiswal, S. J., Owens, R. L., & Malhotra, A. (2017). Raising awareness about sleep disorders. Lung India : official organ of Indian Chest Society, 34(3), 262–268. doi:10.4103/0970-2113.205331

Longo, V. D., & Panda, S. (2016). Fasting, circadian rhythms, and time-restricted feeding in healthy lifespan. Cell metabolism, 23(6), 1048–1059. doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2016.06.001

Menigoz, W., Latz, T.T., Ely, R.A., Kamei, C., Melvin, G., & Sinatra, D. (2019). Integrative and lifestyle medicine strategies should include Earthing (grounding): Review of research evidence and clinical observations. Explore, S1550-8307(19), 30547-6. doi: 10.1016/j.explore.2019.10.005

Müller, E., Pröller, P., Ferreira-Briza, F., Aglas, L., & Stöggl, T. (2019). Effectiveness of Grounded Sleeping on Recovery After Intensive Eccentric Muscle Loading. Frontiers in physiology, 10, 35. doi:10.3389/fphys.2019.00035

Ohayon, M. M., & Milesi, C. (2016). Artificial Outdoor Nighttime Lights Associate with Altered Sleep Behavior in the American General Population. Sleep, 39(6), 1311–1320. doi:10.5665/sleep.5860

Barnard, N. (2019). A vegan diet is healthier than a Mediterranean diet. Retrieved from https://www.pcrm.org/news/blog/vegan-diet-healthier-mediterranean-diet

Sathe, H., Karia, S., Desousa, A., & Shah, N. (2015). Hypnic jerks possibly induced by escitalopram. Journal of neurosciences in rural practice, 6(3), 423–424. doi:10.4103/0976-3147.158797

St-Onge, M. P., Mikic, A., & Pietrolungo, C. E. (2016). Effects of diet on sleep quality. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 7(5), 938–949. doi:10.3945/an.116.012336

Stephens, S. (2010). The effortless sleep method: the incredible new cure for insomnia and chronic sleep problems. Scotts Valley, CA: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Stevenson, S. (2016). Sleep smarter: 21 essential strategies to sleep your way to a better body, better health, and bigger success. Emmaus, PA: Rodale Publishing

Taylor, B. J., Matthews, K. A., Hasler, B. P., Roecklein, K. A., Kline, C. E., Buysse, D. J., … Hall, M. H. (2016). Bedtime variability and metabolic health in midlife women: The SWAN sleep study. Sleep, 39(2), 457–465. doi:10.5665/sleep.5464

van der Meijden, W. P., Te Lindert, B., Ramautar, J. R., Wei, Y., Coppens, J. E., Kamermans, M., … Van Someren, E. (2018). Sustained effects of prior red light on pupil diameter and vigilance during subsequent darkness. Proceedings. Biological sciences, 285(1883), 20180989. doi:10.1098/rspb.2018.0989

Zhou, J., Liu, D., Li, X., Ma, J., Zhang, J., Fang, J. (2012). Pink noise: effect on complexity synchronization of brain activity and sleep consolidation. Journal of theoretical biology, 306: 68-72. doi: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2012.04.006

My Insomnia Experience: Part 2, Taking My Life Back!

Health Trends and My Experience, Mental Health and Wellness

In this post, I describe how I overcame the need for sleep medications and reclaimed my life from insomnia (Image credit: Simon Robben at Pexels)

This post covers the lifestyle changes I used to overcome my insomnia and ditch the sleep medicines. I discussed the first five months of my personal struggle with insomnia in “My Insomnia Experience: Part 1, Sleep Medications.” During those early months, I was desperate and turned to sleep medications like many people. However, as a registered nurse, I was all too familiar with the long term dangers and side effects of sleep medications and I knew I had to find a more permanent, “drug-free” solution.

But what, exactly, was that “solution?” The entire reason I was taking sleep drugs was because quick fixes had already failed. Over-the-counter supplements such as valerian root, chamomile tea, melatonin and various herbal supplement formulations failed miserably. Another $20 for a supplement, another night waking up around midnight and staying awake most of the night.

Soft music, YouTube meditations, and podcast meditations also had failed. I even practiced mindfulness meditation and exercised routinely, and yet, I had full blown insomnia. I began to believe “something” was wrong with me. Maybe there was something wrong with the parts of my brain that regulated sleep. Maybe I would never sleep normally without sleep medications again.

The answer to my sleep problems as it turned out, was not in finding “the right” herbal supplement or podcast series or YouTube meditations. The answer certainly was not going to be long term dependency on sleep medications–I couldn’t accept that. Turns out, the answer was not one but many mindset and lifestyle changes over time that, combined, would restore my ability to sleep again naturally through the night.

Insomnia: Rule out medical causes

NOTE: Insomnia and frequent awakening can be a sign of an easily treated condition such as sleep apnea. (I had a sleep study years before due to snoring and had ruled out sleep apnea in my case). It can also be a complication of a host of acute and chronic illnesses or due to side effects from medications. This post is NOT a substitute for coordination with a licensed health care provider.

All medication and supplement decisions need to be coordinated with a qualified health care provider. While the following items helped me, everyone’s case is unique. This post is strictly for informational purposes.

Insomnia recovery step 1: A new mindset

Reclaiming my life from insomnia required a total lifestyle overhaul. Everyone that suffers from insomnia feels anxious about it. Further, everyone suffering from insomnia wishes they could sleep “normally” or without problems.

However, wishing, feeling anxious, complaining, going onto forums and social media–all these things are WORTHLESS unless this energy is used to fuel and motivate serious lifestyle changes. YOU may not be “broken,” but there’s a good chance your lifestyle is. The first resource that provided me with information leading to real improvements in my insomnia was the book by Sasha Stephens, “The Effortless Sleep Method.” I drew heavily on this book, applying principles progressively as I learned them. A copy of this book can be ordered here.

What’s so great about the book? Stephens (2010) really tackles the flawed mindset and harmful adaptations so many people suffering with insomnia unconsciously adopt. According to Stephens (2010) insomnia sufferers need to:

Stop thinking your problem is “special,” “unique,” or that you are somehow “different,” that your brain’s sleep mechanisms are broken, stop thinking your problem cannot be improved!!
Stop arguing about how right you are, how different you are, why changes won’t work for you
HONESTLY evaluate your habits and lifestyle as you learn about necessary lifestyle changes, start making real changes AND STICK TO THOSE CHANGES…many of these changes have to be practiced consistently over time as their positive effects begin to take hold
Regaining healthy sleep is not so much about adding MORE things to your life as it is about removing unhealthy habits that have accumulated and are finally taking their toll
Replace old, harmful habits with new habits that promote overall health and sleep
Stop letting insomnia dictate your life–“I will start exercising when I sleep better, I will start eating healthy when I sleep better, I will be active and productive during the day when I sleep better”–WRONG! Stephens (2010) emphasizes doing those things that benefit your life now-–do not let insomnia dictate your life and life goals during the day
Stop letting insomnia dictate your schedule–“I leave work early or call off, or sleep in late or throughout the day because of my insomnia”–WRONG! Stephens (2010) emphasizes that you live your life according to your scheduling needs regardless of your insomnia. The insomnia does not dictate your schedule–you dictate your schedule (note: there may be exceptions, such as performing highly dangerous tasks that require total focus, I am simply sharing my experience in exercising principles from the book as applied in my personal situation)

The first step to overcoming my insomnia involved overcoming a faulty mindset (Image credit: meo at Pexels)

Insomnia recovery step 2: Taking charge of my life and schedule

Applying the lessons I was learning from Stephens’ (2010) book ” The Effortless Sleep Method” during my summer of sleep medication dependency, an early change I made was taking charge of my schedule. I worked full time, I was actively taking graduate courses for a masters degree in nursing, I strength trained and walked on my treadmill while reading class material to meet my fitness needs. Insomnia was throwing a major wrench into all of this, but following Stephens’ (2010) principles, I couldn’t let insomnia dictate my life or my schedule.

Early on, my boss was compassionate and allowed me to take a few half days after particularly bad nights, but I knew this could not last. We even discussed a leave of absence. However, Stephens’ (2010) principles motivated me to take a different path!!

Stephens (2010) warns that you can end up feeding the insomnia monster by subconsciously rewarding it, unintentionally using insomnia as a means to avoid other difficult challenges or stressors in your life. These stressors are often necessary for success and health (such as exercise, hard work, healthy diet, making changes within your life). Insomnia can become a way to excuse yourself from making or facing these changes. You do NOT want to reward your insomnia, even subconsciously–you do not want to feed your insomnia monster. So don’t…don’t even chance it.

My schedule: Insomnia be damned!

What did I need to do to succeed in work and life in terms of my goals?

Sleep requirements scheduled: I needed 7 to 8 hours of sleep (even though that was not currently happening without meds)–this is what I wanted, so I was going to create this schedule whether the sleep actually happened or not
Morning cardio and reading: I wanted to get my half hour of morning cardio plus some class reading accomplished before work (I read my college text requirements on my ipad while walking on the treadmill)
Getting to work on time in spite of the morning cardio: To get to work on time, I would need to get up at 5:30 am most days and some days at 4:30 am. As such, this was my wake up time, NO MATTER WHAT. NO MATTER WHAT!!! If I was up all night, or hung over from sleep medications, it didn’t matter, this was the time I was getting up. (Days off were the only exception: I did not set my alarm on my days off, but frequently was up at this time anyway on those days)
Strength training: I was going to strength train (and read college text in-between sets on my ipad) 3-4 days per week, regardless of how terrible I slept, and regardless of how hungover I was on sleep medications. Was this a struggle? Absolutely. Did I have some lousy workouts? Obviously. But what really surprised me was in spite of my condition, I managed to set new personal records that summer. I followed the “Texas Method” training program outlined in here–the long rests between sets actually were great for keeping up with my college reading assignments:
Choosing a bed time, and sticking to it: With my early waking times, I would need to go to bed around 9:00 pm plus or minus a half hour approximately in order to get 8 hours of sleep, so this is the time I went to bed. This created conflict with my family due to working and college demands interfering with family time–they wanted me to stay up later–however, I knew for long term health I was going to need a schedule that could be maintained and support health. Changes, such as plant-based diets, exercise programs, sleep regimens, etc., are not always understood or supported by family members. That’s ok, you are in charge of your own health. Own it.
My work day: My work shift requires 9 to 10 hours of work 5 days a week, plus a small number of hours from home on the weekends. I was going to work this schedule regardless of sleep medication hangovers, and when weaning from sleep drugs, even if I was up most of the night. Clearly, the occasional vacation day used to make a three day weekend or even four day weekend when possible offered some relief from pressures of working and doing school with sleep deprivation, but those were scattered and only occasional.
Cutting off caffeine after 1:00 pm: Coffee is one of the great pleasures in life in my opinion!! I could drink it all day. However, that does not serve my long term goals of a healthy wake and sleep schedule. No matter how tired I was, I eliminated caffeinated coffee and caffeinated tea after 1:00 pm. Dark chocolate also has caffeine though, and I’ll be honest, I still sometimes have some of that around 4:00 or 5:00 pm.

I implemented this schedule during the summer months when my insomnia was at its worse. It proved to be a major step, setting the foundation for recovery. This recovery was not immediate, but I held fast to this schedule regardless. A healthy schedule would prove to be AN ESSENTIAL part of the journey to overcoming my insomnia.

The second step to overcoming insomnia–taking control of my schedule (Image credit: Breakingpic at Pexels)

Insomnia recovery step 3: Dealing with the hours spent awake at night

As I mentioned above, I refused to take my sleep medications on nights before a day off, despite having college projects and heavy workout goals which I wanted to accomplish on my days off from work. So that’s great, but I found myself awake most of the night. If I was to permanently get off the sleep medications, I needed to learn how to better deal with the sleep issues that plagued me when I did not take the medications.

Stephen’s (2010) book “The Effortless Sleep Method” helped here as well. There are many principles in the book, I trialed various interventions suggested and stuck with what seemed to help me the most. Interventions I took (inspired by the book) to get through restless nights included the following:

Covering up the face of the alarm clock, taking off the watch and putting it face down or away from my bed. Obsessing over how much or little you are sleeping, obsessing over how close it is till the alarm goes off does NOT promote sleep. Since adopting a set schedule as recommended by Stephens (2010), it did not MATTER what time it was for me…it was not going to change what time I got up, and it was not going to change how I ran my day.
Preserving the sanctity of the bedroom for sleep and sex. If you don’t want to associate your bedroom with tossing and turning and overnight anxiety, then get up and leave your bedroom if you can’t sleep after what feels like 20 minutes of laying awake (remember, you are not looking at your clock anymore, so when it feels like 20 minutes or so have passed, get up and leave the bedroom).
Finding a new sanctuary for when I can’t sleep in bed: for me, if it felt like 20 minutes had passed and I had not fallen back to sleep, I left my bedroom and went down into the basement, taking my pillow with me (there were blankets already available in the basement). Our basement is finished, and has a recliner with a table and lamp next to it. I would end up spending many nights here over the following year and a half!
Creating a sense of peace in the night in my alternate sleep location: after giving up on sleeping in bed, I would go to the basement as mentioned. If I felt wide awake, I just turned on the lamp next to the recliner, set my iphone to the Pandora station “Sleep Sounds of Nature, Relaxing Mindfulness Meditation Relaxation Station”–(Hey, I didn’t name this station, just happened to find it when typing “sleep” into the Pandora search bar). I set the volume on my phone to where it was barely audible. Honestly, I did my best to ignore the clock on the iphone. There was a little Bible on the side table and I would read that till I thought I felt tired, focusing on scriptures of hope, healing, forgiveness, salvation, etc. to encourage a more positive frame of mind. If I felt somewhat tired, I would turn out the light, set the alarm on my iphone, and try to rest or sleep.
Managing my thoughts when attempting to fall asleep, or when waking up initially: Even in this peaceful environment I created for myself in the basement, where I was free to turn on the light or turn it off as I needed, where I could toss and turn, and where I could read or not, the insomnia fueled anxiety. I needed a way to manage my thoughts. Prayer only helped if kept brief, as for me, it soon became anxious prayers about worries, concerns, requests, etc. All fine, but not conducive to sleep. Instead, I adopted a technique inspired by Stephens’ (2010) book “The Effortless Sleep Method” as follows:
The count back technique: Nothing fancy here, and Stephens suggests various options. This is the one that worked best for me. Upon waking in the middle of the night, or when trying to fall asleep, I would start counting backwards from 99. To slow it down a little (I was anxious, so the count would go a little too fast!), I added “Lord Jesus” to the count. May sound corny, but I didn’t care how I sounded, I wanted to sleep. I would count back “99 Lord Jesus, 98 Lord Jesus” etc., counting backwards from 99. Every time my thoughts went racing away, I would start the count over again. Over and over. I usually did not make it past 90 till I would have to restart again because of my mind wandering (or racing). Sometimes I made it down to the 30’s before having to start again. Over time, this count back tool has become a MAJOR help, one I still use regularly. Regular practice of the technique starts to strengthen the technique in terms of overcoming racing or distracting thoughts–essentially it is a form of focus meditation.
When nothing worked: Over time, along with other life style changes I continued to make (and will cover in the next post), the count back technique really started to help get me through the night with blocks of sleep…wake up, do the count back…sleep another block of time…repeat numerous cycles through the night. However, early on, I still spent a large portion of the night awake. I would alternate reading the scriptures for a while, turning off the lights, listening to the iphone radio on very low volume, and practice my count back technique…repeating the cycle until it was time to get up. I did journal a little bit during the overnight hours, (such is recommended by Stephens with specific recommendations regarding what the journal should focus on), but such never became a major component of my recovery. For me, it was soft music, scriptures, then darkness, toss and turn, count back technique alternating between these items through the entire night, catching sleep here and there through it all at times.

Techniques learned from the book “The Effortless Sleep Method” helped through the long nights (Image credit: Min An at Pexels)

Insomnia recovery step 4: Weaning off the sleep medications…going “al natural”

Stephens (2010) strongly advises against using sleep medications and even supplements in her book. Her philosophy was consistent with mine, and reinforced my desire to get off the sleep medications. However, I opted to try one more supplement when weaning off the sleep medications. I stumbled across this supplement when exploring blogs on the health and fitness website Legionathletics.com. Turns out, this supplement would actually help my efforts in getting off the drugs, though its role was definitely limited.

The supplement is called “Lunar,” (NOT LUNA!!) and is available at Legionathletics.com (current link is here). Note, I am not in any way affiliated with this company, I receive nothing in terms of commissions from them–I am simply sharing what I personally used and my experience with such. It contains specific doses and formulations of melatonin, lemon balm and a lesser known herb, rutaecarpine.

According to Legionathletics.com, the herb rutaecarpine is used to reduce the effects of caffeine in the brain. Caffeine has a surprisingly long half-life in the body, taking anywhere from 1.5 to 9.5 hours (varies widely based on genetics and other factors) just to reduce a caffeine dose by half once inside the body (Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research, 2001). The combination as formulated in the supplement Lunar seemed to help me. Here’s how I used it to get off the sleep medications:

Using the supplement Lunar: According to the container for Lunar, you are only to use it three nights a week maximum, or else it loses its effect. I found that it worked best for me using it only 2 nights a week, and not on consecutive nights.
Weaning off the sleep medications: I began weaning off the sleep medications first by replacing the medications 2 nights a week with Lunar instead. I work Monday-Friday, so I used my Ativan or Vistaril (discussed with risks and side effects in my previous post) on the nights of Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday, and then took the supplement the nights of Tuesdays and Thursdays. All these were my work nights. Friday night I had Saturday off, as well as Sunday, so I took neither supplements or medications on the nights before days off, choosing to go “al natural” even if I worried that I might be up most of those nights. I continued to practice all the above lifestyle changes and sleep techniques described in the previous sections above, and continued to read through the book “The Effortless Sleep Method” (Stephens, 2010).
Weaning ALL THE WAY OFF the sleep medications: After cutting my sleep medications back to only three nights per week (using the supplement Lunar on the other two work nights), I grew a little more “daring.” I eliminated my Wednesday night dose, figuring I only had to plow through Thursday and Friday till I had a break from work. I continued using my supplement during this time on Tuesday nights and Thursday nights. I used the basement and count back techniques as described above when I ran into trouble. Next, I eliminated the Monday night dose of sleep medication. The last dose to go was the Sunday night dose, as I was anxious on Sunday nights with a full work week ahead of me. However, after becoming practiced in my night time and day time routines, I finally eliminated the Sunday night dose.
Eliminating the supplement: Eliminating the sleep medications was a challenge. Knowing I could cope with not having the sleep medications (using the techniques described already above going down to the basement, sticking to my schedule), eliminating the supplement was easy. Occasionally I would take Lunar on a Sunday night before the work week began, but soon that dropped off entirely as well.
The end of sleep medications, but not the end of my sleep problems: My sleep problems would persist at this time for another year, though progressively improving over time. I had not cured by insomnia or recovered from it at the time that I eliminated my sleep medications and supplements, but I found new natural ways to cope. It would take months more of learning, adapting additional new habits and lifestyle changes till I began sleeping maybe even 6-7 hours total overnight routinely. It would take another full year till I would sleep straight through the night again, multiple nights per week, free of medications. However, here in the fall of 2018, I had set the stage now for lifestyle changes to dominate my path to successful sleep. I had broken free of my dependence on medications!

Going sleep-drug free was not the end of my sleep problems, but it set the foundation for a natural recovery (Image credit: Jaymantri at Pexels)

Summary

The above methods created a solid foundation for which additional lifestyle interventions could build upon as I recovered from a very serious case of insomnia. My insomnia started in April 2018. I found the book “The Effortless Sleep Method” in the summer months, began reading it and implementing changes, such as adopting a set schedule in spite of the insomnia early in the summer. In the fall of 2018 I weaned myself off the sleep medications and supplements. Further, I had been on Lexapro at this point for a few months, so my anxiety overall was becoming better managed. In the next post, I will discuss additional habit changes that I discovered (or took more seriously) and implemented to further improve my sleep, progressing steadily over subsequent months to recovery a full year and a half after the initial onset.

Thanks for reading!! I hope you enjoyed this post!! Feel free to join my e-mail list to receive my latest posts on health, fitness, and research through a faith-based lens! Post a comment, and share with a friend if you’d like! Thanks again, Donovan

My Insomnia Experience: Part 1, Sleep Medications

My Insomnia Experience: Part 3, Sleeping Naturally at Last

References

Institute of Medicine (US) Committee on Military Nutrition Research. (2001). Pharmacology of Caffeine. Caffeine for the sustainment of mental task performance: formulations for military operations. Washington (DC): National Academies Press. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK223808/

Stephens, S. (2010). The effortless sleep method: the incredible new cure for insomnia and chronic sleep problems. Scotts Valley, CA: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform.

My Insomnia Experience: Part 1, Sleep Medications and Side Effects

Health Trends and My Experience, Mental Health and Wellness

This post series discusses my personal experience with insomnia and how I got my life back on track again. I wrestled with severe insomnia for several consecutive and nightmarish months, then on and off again for the course of nearly a year and a half. Throughout this time I was learning all I could about the condition, learning about natural treatments, and applying these changes as I could to my own life. Medications provided a temporary solution but were fraught with risks and side effects.

As I made changes, my condition progressively improved to the point that nights of poor sleep are now few and far between. My journey was frightening and potentially health jeopardizing. I hope to share what I have learned so I can help others in their own journey back to healthy sleep and rest.

NOTE: Insomnia and frequent awakening can be a sign of an easily treated condition such as sleep apnea. It can also be a complication of a host of acute and chronic illnesses or due to side effects from medications. This post is NOT a substitute for coordination with a licensed health care provider.

All medication decisions need to be coordinated with a qualified health care provider. While the following items helped me, everyone’s case is unique. This post is strictly for informational purposes.

A summer of sleeplessness

My insomnia had a definitive starting point, though the causes were likely numerous. It was in April 2018 and I had enrolled in my master’s program though classes were still a couple of weeks away from starting. I had been called into work the night before to work night shift due to staffing shortages.

Getting called in to work night shift was nothing new, though it happened infrequently. When it did, getting back to my routine had never been a problem. I would sleep for a few hours during the day, go to bed that night a little later than usual, wake up for day shift and I was back on track. Only this time was different.

Having only slept three hours after being up all night, I took comfort that at least I could get back on track with my sleep later that night. I was stunned when I woke up, alert and anxious and the clock said it was only midnight. Using the bathroom and returning to bed was no use. Laying on my back staring at the ceiling, I wondered how I could be so sleep deprived from the prior night, yet unable to sleep.

Sleep meditations and music: no help initially

Grabbing my iphone, I tried listening to various YouTube videos with sleep meditations. I could feel myself becoming more anxious as I lay there listening to the meditations. It seemed impossible to stay focused, instead, I worried about how I was going to feel and function at work the next morning. The voice in the meditation just became an irritant. Soft music was no better. Tossing and turning, I could feel myself sweating an anxious and sleepless sweat. I could not get comfortable.

Meditations and music weren’t going to fix my case of insomnia (Image credit: Vlad Bagacian at Pexels)

Blocks of time swam by in this state. I would be close to falling back to sleep, or so it would seem, only to rush back to being fully awake again. Looking at the clock, soon it was 1:30am, then somewhere after 2 and then 3am, with my alarm set to go off at 5:30am. Whether I slept anymore at all that night is hard to say, I know I felt awful that morning when I had to go into work.

Work after no sleep: An unwelcome new normal

Work was rough to say the least. All morning and progressively throughout the day, I felt like I was in a heavy daze. Paying attention to tasks was difficult. My eyes felt puffy, and my face felt heavy and drawn. I pounded down the coffee, which helped to create a nervous, anxious, and hazy state.

Like any tough day, this one came to an end eventually. I attributed the bout of sleeplessness as being due to having thrown off my sleep cycle after having worked 11-7. Surely, now that I was truly sleep deprived, I would FINALLY get a good night’s sleep this night! I was exhausted, and my body desperately needed the rest.

I was that much more surprised when that same night, somewhere around 1 in the morning I once again found myself awake, alert, and anxious. How is this possible? What is going on? Little did I know that I was experiencing the first few days and nights of what would become my new normal for the next three months, with relief only coming partially over the next year. Near total resolution of my sleep problems would not occur till nearly a year and a half later.

Insomnia: A common but serious problem

Insomnia is characterized by either the inability to fall asleep or the inability to stay asleep (CDC.gov, 2017). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.gov, 2017) note that common risk factors need to be ruled out prior to diagnosing a person with primary insomnia. These diseases and risk factors include depression, drug and alcohol abuse, medication side effects, and medical conditions such as restless legs syndrome, narcolepsy, sleep apnea, among others.

According to the CDC (2017), adults need at least 7 hours of sleep each night for optimal health promotion and disease prevention. The percentages of adults reporting inadequate sleep duration varies based on counties and regions within the United States–from less than one in three adults reporting inadequate sleep in certain areas to nearly 50% of surveyed adults reporting inadequate sleep in other counties or regions (CDC.gov, 2017). Nearly 6-10% of adults may suffer from insomnia severe enough to warrant a primary diagnosis (Rios et al., 2019).

Six to ten percent of adults suffer from insomnia (Image credit: Kristin Vogt at Pexels)

Adults reporting less than seven hours of sleep experienced higher rates of various health problems versus those reporting greater than seven hours of sleep, including elevated rates of:

heart disease and heart attacks
stroke
depression
cancer
kidney disease
diabetes
asthma
arthritis
COPD (a chronic and progressive disease of the lungs) (CDC.gov, 2017)

Insomnia damages the body, mind, and quality of life

These correlations between less sleep and increased health problems are not surprising as many of these diseases themselves can cause sleep disruptions due to shortness of breath, increased frequency for urinating, increased anxiety, and/or pain. However, inadequate sleep appears to play a contributing role in the development and increased severity of illnesses such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, anxiety, mood disorders, and depression (CDC.gov, 2017; Rios et al., 2019).

Not only that, insomnia has been noted to decrease a person’s satisfaction with their quality of life, negatively impact attention span, negatively impact memory, and make daily tasks of living more difficult to complete (Rios et al., 2017). Of course, if you personally suffer from insomnia, you already know this first hand! Given these serious negative outcomes, it’s important that people with insomnia take their condition serious enough to actively take sincere steps to overcome it! That typically means significant lifestyle changes. I know it did for me.

My experience with sleep medications and popular supplements

Like most people, I wanted the problem to go away and fast! I had a family to support, a new college master’s degree program underway, and high professional demands to meet at work. This sleep problem was putting all of these things at risk, and I felt powerless to stop it! My boss was patient, but I knew patience can only extend so far…at the end of the day, you are employed with the expectation of producing results.

Turning to medications: Only a short term “fix”

Over-the-counter Sleep Medications and Nighttime Cough Medications: I knew drugs such as the over-the-counter antihistamines found in night-time cough medicines were of limited use…my experience with them in the past (such as when sick) had been that I adapt to them after just a few nights. I was fearful of then simply being drugged AND awake all night, even worse off for the day. Further, I was aware that antihistamine drugs are suspected to have negative impacts on a person’s memory and contribute to memory loss (Neel, 2015).

More frightening than short term memory impairment, chronic use of strong antihistamine drugs–such as those found in over-the-counter sleep and nighttime cough formulas–may even increase the risk of dementia later in life according to emerging research!! (Gray et al., 2015). These medications are considered ineffective for use in short term and long term insomnia (Gray et al., 2015). Over-the-counter supplements and formulas including melatonin along with “sleep promoting” teas, valerian root, chamomile and others proved to be useless. In my desperation, I went to my healthcare provider and was given a prescription for Ativan.

Teas, herbs, and melatonin? They weren’t enough for my case of insomnia (Image credit: freestocks.org at Pexels)

Hypnotic and Sedative Medications: I did NOT use these at all. I refused these recommendations when offered by my health care provider. Everyone’s case is unique, I am simply sharing my experience.

Drugs such as Ambien, Lunesta, and many others fall into the drug class of sedative hypnotics. Research on this drug class continues to evolve, but concerns exist around side effects that include development of new onset sleep disorders (parasomnias), impaired thinking, auto accidents, dependency, increased risks of infection and increased rates of death (mortality) in those using such medications (Sateia, Buysse, Krystal, & Neubauer, 2017).

Prescription medications for sleep: Just buying time till i could find a better solution

Ativan: I first tried taking a tiny dose of Ativan, at half the dose prescribed for me. The tiny dose was completely ineffective. Upon waking around 1am, I simply laid there worrying about how much more tired I would be with both the insomnia and now Ativan in my system. At the prescribed dose, the Ativan worked for several nights–meaning I did not wake up or woke up only briefly–but soon I found myself waking up and staying up again. My dose required another increase. Not only that, but I felt wasted in the morning despite “sleeping” with the Ativan.

Medications classified as “benzodiazepines” (which include Ativan, Xanax, and many other prescription anxiety and prescription sleep medications) have a variety of problematic side effects. Tolerance can occur, where the medication effects weaken over time. When this happens, increased doses are required and provide diminishing therapeutic effects (O’Malley, 2018). Worse, these medications can very quickly (within weeks of steady use) cause true dependence–meaning that if you try to stop taking the medication your symptoms of insomnia can be worse than before you ever started taking the drugs.

Benzodiazepines also can negatively impact memory, judgement, attention span, can be addictive, among other issues (O’Malley, 2018). Clinical practice guidelines in the United States, Canada and Europe all recommend medication use for insomnia being limited to 3 months or less (Rios et al., 2019). However, without the Ativan, I could not sleep. I needed another option as I feared tolerance and dependence to the medication would develop quickly.

Trazodone & priapism: A rare but terrifying side effect

Trazodone: My care provider listened to my concerns about using ativan alone and prescribed another option–trazodone. An antidepressant, trazodone is also frequently used to help relieve insomnia due to sedative effects. However, working in the nursing field, I looked up side effects before taking it. One side effect in particular caught my attention: priapism.

Priapism is a prolonged state of erection occurring irregardless of sexual arousal that can cause severe pain, lack of oxygen to the penis, and permanent erectile dysfunction even in spite of rapid emergency medical treatment (Levey Bernie & Mulhall, 2018; Pal, Biswal, & Ghosh, 2016). For example, one study evaluating outcomes for patients presenting for emergency treatment of priapism found of 19 patients with priapism, only 6 recovered full, normal function of their penis despite all 19 sufferers being treated with emergency treatment (Pal et al., 2016). While priapism is relatively rare as a complication, it was a complication I would rather do without.

Trazodone: a very rare, yet scary side effect kept me from using this medication (Image credit: Andreea Ch at Pexels)

One horrific case study I found in the medical literature noted a case of priapism attributed to trazodone that resulted in a penile amputation (Hoffmann, Neu, & Neu, 2010). In this case, it appears the patient had additional unique risk factors. However, the more I read about trazodone and priapsim, the more wary I became. Risk factors are not fully known making it impossible to predict who will experience this awful side effect, and the risk exists regardless of medication dosage. Finally, while other medications have this risk, trazodone in particular seems to be a significant culprit (Hoffman et al., 2010).

I took one dose, with trepidation. I slept great, though decided I was not going to roll the dice. Even though the side effect was rare, the stakes in my view were too high! Further, like any medication induced sleep, I still felt sluggish the following day.

Vistaril: Knocks you out both night and day

My health care provider was patient with me! I shared my concerns around the trazodone, and she prescribed Vistaril in its place. This medication definitely put me to sleep and kept me asleep. The downside was that the hangover effect was substantial, and worse than the Ativan’s hangover. Staying fully awake and focused during the day was a challenge. However, at the time I was happy to not be awake staring at the ceiling overnight. Another concern is that Vistaril is a powerful antihistamine, which as already noted has been linked to memory problems and even dementia with long term use.

A temporary cycle: Rotating Ativan and Vistaril

I was fearful of becoming tolerant and non-responsive to the Ativan, so I rotated it every other night with the Vistaril. On nights before having a day off from work, I would challenge myself to go without the medications entirely. These nights without the medications were spent restlessly. I would go down in the basement after waking around midnight or 1:00am and toss and turn on a recliner, play very soft music from my iphone, read scriptures, pray, stare at the ceiling, and sleep in chunks of time off and on. I did not want to be dependent on drugs for the rest of my life, and still felt lousy and hung over the next day when I took them.

Prescription medications for sleep to me represented only a temporary, very imperfect solution (Image credit: Julie Viken at Pexels)

A non-sleep medication that helped: Lexapro

A precursor for my case of insomnia may have been due in part to my having weaned myself off my antidepressant, Lexapro, approximately six months prior to my initial onset of insomnia. Anxiety and depression risk is high in my family, implying a genetic underpinning. I tried to take myself off of the Lexapro after learning and practicing routine meditation and having been in excellent exercise habits for years. At the time, I thought I was eating healthy, though in the diet department I had a LOT to learn (see my post “My Personal Experience: Switching to a Plant-based Diet” and also “Anxiety, Depression, and Diet Connections — Current Evidence“).

Anxiety definitely was a major fueling factor for my insomnia. I never dealt with depression, but anxiety was animal I knew well. After 2 weeks of wrestling with my insomnia, I acknowledged the need to get my anxiety under control and that my non-medication approaches for anxiety by themselves were not enough. However, going back on Lexapro DID NOT end my insomnia, not 3 weeks later, not 3 months later, not 1 year later. I believe it was necessary for my recovery, but by itself was not enough–it was a PART of the total puzzle.

My insomnia started in April of 2018, I started my Lexapro that same month. The insomnia continued in its most severe form into September of 2018 (where I needed medications every night to sleep, and without them was awake most of the night). It continued as I mentioned though (with gradual improvements) for a total of a year and a half.

Sleep–free of medications: sources I found

In my next post, I will share the non-drug interventions that I found helpful as I weaned myself off of sleep medications and began my path to recovery. My heaviest reliance on medications occurred from April 2018 through September 2018 approximately. During this time, I was learning all I could regarding lifestyle interventions and other non-drug interventions to improve my sleep. I did not make all the changes at once, but gradually adopted more as I learned.

During the worst of my insomnia, the following resources were extremely helpful in building my knowledge on how to overcome this nightmare.

Learning from others who beat back insomnia without dependence on drugs offered me new hope (Image credit: Torsten Dettlaff at Pexels)

“The Effortless Sleep Method” by Sasha Stephens

I cannot recommend this book highly enough! I bought it in e-form on my Nook app, but no matter how you get it, the information within played probably the greatest role in my recovery!! It was not by any means the only factor, or my only resource.

While perhaps not the most “eloquently” written book I ever read, it is VERY practical and it works. I believe it did contribute the most tools in my efforts to overcome insomnia. You can purchase a copy here.

“The Model Health Show” Podcast by Shawn Stevenson

This podcast is excellent for a huge variety of health and fitness topics. The host himself wrestled with insomnia and even wrote a book about it–though I did not get his book till later in my insomnia journey. I did, however, listen to his podcast episodes on sleep early on. Here is a link to his site and episode on sleep (he has several episodes on sleep, they are all good): https://themodelhealthshow.com/21-cures-sleep-problem-pt1/

Summary for part 1

This post covers my experience with insomnia during the worst of its symptoms. My next post will explore the non-medication lifestyle interventions I used to help me recover from insomnia. For approximately the first 4 months, I was fully dependent on medications to sleep.

I did discipline myself to use no medications when I had days off from work. Perhaps if I knew some of the non-drug approaches I learned from Effortless Sleep, I could have shortened this duration of drug dependence. And, perhaps, if I followed the lifestyle interventions I now follow after all I have learned from the experience, I would have never experienced insomnia at all!

On a final note, I do believe that the onset of my insomnia did correspond with going off my Lexapro six months prior, the start of a master’s program, and a high-stress job combined with my genetic tendencies for anxiety. Anxiety has multiple underlying causative factors. A person can increase their resistance to stress through numerous lifestyle interventions, but at times their genetic makeup may need medication interventions as well. Find out more on how to harden yourself against the stresses of life in my posts on resilience: “Resilience Against Stress: Genetics or Lifestyle?” and “Stress, Science, & Scriptures.”

Thanks for reading!!! If you liked this post, feel free to share it! Sign-up with your email to receive notice whenever I release new posts!! Feel free to leave a comment!

My Insomnia Experience: Part 2, Taking My Life Back

My Insomnia Experience: Part 3, Sleeping Naturally at Last

References

CDC.gov. (2017). Sleep and sleep disorders. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/sleep/about_sleep/key_disorders.html

Gray, S. L., Anderson, M. L., Dublin, S., . . . Larson, E. B. (2015). Cumulative use of strong anticholinergics and incident dementia: A prospective cohort study. JAMA Intern Med, 175(3), 401–407. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2014.7663

Hoffmann, P., Neu, E. T., & Neu, D. (2010). Penile amputation after trazodone-induced priapism: a case report. Primary care companion to the Journal of clinical psychiatry, 12(2), PCC.09l00816. doi:10.4088/PCC.09l00816gry

Levey Bernie, H. R., & Mulhall, J. (2018). Priapism: summary. Retrieved from https://bestpractice.bmj.com/topics/en-us/505

O’Malley, G. F. (2018). Anxiolytics and sedatives. Retrieved from https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/special-subjects/recreational-drugs-and-intoxicants/anxiolytics-and-sedatives

Pal, D. K., Biswal, D. K., & Ghosh, B. (2016). Outcome and erectile function following treatment of priapism: An institutional experience. Urology annals, 8(1), 46–50. doi:10.4103/0974-7796.165717

Neel, A. B. (2015). 10 drugs that may cause memory loss. Retrieved from https://www.aarp.org/health/brain-health/info-05-2013/drugs-that-may-cause-memory-loss.html#quest1

Rios, P., Cardoso, R., Morra, D., Nincic, V., Goodarzi, Z., Farah, B., … Tricco, A. C. (2019). Comparative effectiveness and safety of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for insomnia: an overview of reviews. Systematic reviews, 8(1), 281. doi:10.1186/s13643-019-1163-9

Sateia, M. J., Buysse, D. J., Krystal, A. D., & Neubauer, D. N. (2017). Adverse Effects of Hypnotic Medications. Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 13(6), 839. doi:10.5664/jcsm.6634

Plant-based Smoothie Boosters! Better Health with Research

Health Trends and My Experience, Plant-based Diets, Entomophagy, and Evidence

Plant-based smoothies are a fast, easy way to get your protein, along with some other fascinating disease-fighting nutrients!

This post features several plant-based smoothie boosters with fascinating health properties that I have discovered over the years. My smoothies started out simple and developed in time. Some of these ingredients are easy add-ins, changing the flavor little. Others are more pronounced. However, our tastes can adjust in just a few weeks (Greger, 2013)!! (Note: This website contains product links. Your purchase of products using these links helps support me and my website. Hope you enjoy!)

Disclaimer: Those that are pregnant, and/ or taking medications and/ or are being treated for specific health conditions need to coordinate with their health care providers to ensure there are no risks or interactions prior to taking supplements or drastically altering their diets!!

My smoothie is massive. You will need to choose portion sizes that work for you and your fitness goals! Use one or all of the ingredients I discuss– or come up with your own combinations! My smoothie base ingredients consist of:

Black beans (canned/ rinsed): I use 1 cup
Berries (typically blueberries): I use 1/2 cup
Carrots (easy add in! Mild flavor in smoothie): I use 1 carrot
Frozen spinach (easier to add in when frozen in terms of taste, I’m now fine with it fresh or frozen): I use 1/2 cup
Oatmeal (raw, though can be soaked overnight to improve digestion as noted by Lang, 2019–I haven’t done that, just noting its an option): I use 1 cup
Water (I don’t use soy milk or other plant-based milks, though you can do as you desire of course. I generally try to minimize heavily processed foods)

Oatmeal and beans load your smoothie with protein!

I will admit that oatmeal was a little hard for me to get used too in my smoothie, but after a week or so I got used to it. Black beans for some reason were easier. Between the two of them, check out the protein content! Plant sources of protein are not so mysterious or hard to come by after all!

Oatmeal: 1/2 cup raw, uncooked oats has nearly 6 grams of protein, and 4 grams of fiber (Lang, 2019). I use a cup of raw oats (yes, they are safe), so that’s 12 grams protein and 8 grams of fiber! (I would not recommend this portion size if you are trying to lose weight)
Black beans (canned–I rinse before using): 1/2 cup: 8 grams of protein and nearly 7.5 grams of fiber. I use a cup (again, this portion size is not recommended if you are trying to lose weight!), so that’s 16 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber.

Skip the protein powder. Oats and beans are easy add-in’s to boost protein!! Adding seeds boost levels even higher!

The veggies and fruit add additional small amounts of protein. But depending on your portion size, using just 1/2 cups of oatmeal and a 1/2 cup of beans you are already at 14 grams of protein (and about 12 grams of fiber) without adding any of the below items I that feature. Using my portions, I get 28 grams of protein just from my base ingredients (and 23 grams of fiber)!!! Great way to start the day!! If I want to trim fat I just reduce my serving portions to a half cups of beans and/ or oatmeal each.

Easy add-ins: Mild or pleasant flavors

Flax seeds:

If you have not already added flax seed to your smoothie, these are are a no-brainer. Their flavor is mild–like a smooth, delicate nut flavor. Research findings note that flax seed is loaded with a specific plant-based omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid. Note: the omega-3’s in plants such as flax seed do not necessarily replace marine sources of omega-3’s, such as those provided in algae or oily fish. I cover this in an article linked here.

Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) is noted to reduce inflammation in humans (Khalesi, Irwin, & Schubert, 2015). Flax seeds additionally contain antioxidant compounds and may lower blood pressure through indirect means of vasodilation promotion (Parikh, Maddaford, Austria, Aliani, Netticadan, & Pierce, 2019). Flax seed consumption appears to reduce the risk of heart attacks (Tan, 2017). These research findings held up in both human and animal subjects.

Flax seeds are an easy add-in. They taste good, and research demonstrates potential cardiac and cancer protective attributes!

Further, flax seed consumption appears to have protective effects against a variety of cancers. Flax seed consumption lowered occurrences of breast cancer and improved survival rates for persons already diagnosed with breast cancer in a systematic review of 10 studies on human subjects (Parikh et al., 2019). Flax seed also improved blood sugar levels for persons with type II diabetes. Other potential health conditions flax seed may play a protective role in include cancer of the colon, prostate, lung, liver, endometrium, and ovaries, though the research for these cancers is far more limited (Parikh et al., 2019).

Flax seed intake should be generally limited to 1 or 2 tablespoons per day due to naturally occurring cyanide compounds (Parikh et al., 2019). These compounds are naturally occurring in many foods and are not significant at normal consumption levels. Only excessive consumption would be of concern as noted in a post at nutritionfacts.org. Flax seed is readily available, and can be purchased here.

Nutrition information for flax seed: 1 Tablespoon contains 37 calories, 3 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 1. 3 grams protein and approximately 2 grams of Omega 3 fatty acids (Tan, 2017; Zeratsky, 2019). I use 1 to 2 tablespoons, so up to an extra 4 grams of fiber from this add-in (plus of course all the above mentioned benefits). Not bad!

Turmeric:

Most people are familiar to some extent with turmeric. The health claims around this ancient spice are profound, though actual evidence in terms of strong study design is lacking for many of these claims (Gopinath & Karthikeyan, 2018). Curcumin (found in turmeric) has demonstrated significant biological activity, though absorbancy orally is somewhat limited. This may actually be a positive feature however.

In small amounts in cells, curcumin serves as an antioxidant (Gopinath & Karthikeyan, 2018). In larger doses, it may actually have the opposite effect, causing oxidative damage. Biologic activity of curcumin includes additionally antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic activities (Gopinath & Karthikeyan, 2018).

Turmeric, with all its fascinating properties, is an easy add-in. It affects flavor minimally when used in small amounts.

Turmeric and curcumin have also received growing attention for anti-cancer properties, though much of the research has been in lab settings and animal studies as opposed to with humans (Gibson & Spiro, 2017). Human research has demonstrated anti-tumor effects for various cancers including skin and colon cancer though mortality rates were not the focus of the research (Gibson & Spiro, 2017). Research is continuing to evolve on this fascinating spice!

Daily intake in various countries where it is routinely consumed equates 100mg of curcumin or less (Gopinath & Karthikeyan, 2018). This amount is found in approximately 2 grams of turmeric (Meixner, 2018), or approximately 1 teaspoon (Watson, 2016). A little goes a long way!

In small amounts, the turmeric can be tasted somewhat but its not bad in the smoothie. Start with 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon in your smoothie if you are concerned about the taste. Work up to a teaspoon.

More is not always better when it comes to herbs and spices. Without strong evidence to do otherwise, they should be consumed within standard or recommended amounts. To boost absorbance of turmeric, I also add a couple tiny dashes of black pepper (Greger, 2014). Yes–black pepper added to my smoothie.

In very small amounts, you really do not notice the black pepper. Again, if you are worried about the taste of black pepper in your smoothie, start with very tiny amounts. I just hold the shaker sideways and tap it gently a once or twice with my finger. That’s plenty! Many Indian dishes include black pepper as well, fascinating how the two spices interact to boost absorbancy!

Turmeric (certified organic) can be purchased in a surprisingly large, affordable, and long lasting bag here.

Hemp seeds:

Despite belonging to the cannabis family, hemp does not have psychoactive effects due to an extremely low content of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (Palmer, 2014). What hemp seeds do have is PROTEIN, and lots of it. Three tablespoons have 10 grams of protein!!! (Added to my base smoothie, I am now at 38 grams of protein!! NO protein powders necessary!!)

Hemp seeds also have omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. They are significant sources micro-nutrients like zinc, iron, magnesium and others. Three tablespoons has 20% of your daily iron, and an impressive 45% of your daily magnesium requirements!!!!

No dairy necessary…3 Tablespoons of hemp seeds have 10 grams of protein!!! More than a glass of milk!

Omega 6 fatty acids are higher in hemp seeds than omega 3 fatty acids, occurring at a 2: 1 ratio (Schwab, Callaway, Erkkilä, Gynther, Uusitupa, & Järvinen, 2006). Omega 6 fatty acids are essential but in excess may contribute to inflammation (Gunnars, 2018). So again, a little goes a long way.

Nutrition information for hemp seeds: 3 Tablespoons have 180 calories, 15 grams of fat (which includes the omega 3 and 6 fatty acids), 1 gram of carbohydrate, 1 gram of fiber, and 10 grams of protein. Hemp seed is readily available and can be purchased here.

Raw cacao powder

Cocoa has gained a lot of favorable press for containing flavonoids which may have beneficial health properties. Interesting research in humans (a randomized control trial though the study was small and exploratory in nature) demonstrated cocoa flavanols as having a dose-dependent reducing effect on inflammatory markers (Stote, Clevidence, Novotny, Henderson, Radecki, & Baer, 2012). That means as the amount of flavanols from cocoa increased, inflammation decreased.

Human research involving cocoa as an intervention demonstrated improved blood vessel function, antioxidant activity, and reduced platelet clumping (improving circulation) (Cooper et al., 2008, as cited in Williamson, 2017). Regular consumption of cocoa or cocoa flavanols has been associated with reduced blood pressure, reduced LDL cholesterol (the so-called “bad” cholesterol), improved blood vessel dilation and potential reduction in cardiac disease risk profiles (Williamson, 2017).

Raw cacao, the lesser processed form of cocoa, is particularly high in antioxidants, flavanols and other various nutrients.

I use organic raw cacao powder. Cacao is the less processed form of cocoa, so it tends to be higher in antioxidant properties (McCulloch, 2018). Cacao and its more processed form, cocoa, contain iron, magnesium, selenium, tryptophan and other beneficial nutrients in addition to flavanols.

The flavor is chocolate-like but bitter. In small amounts when mixed in a smoothie it is barely noticeable. I use a teaspoon in my smoothie. Raw organic cacao (minimally processed) powder can be purchased here.

Amla powder (indian gooseberry fruit powder)

What is amla powder?? I first learned about it in Dr. Greger’s book How Not to Die. Amla powder is made from the amla fruit (known as Indian gooseberry) which is native to India (Ibrahim, 2017). The fruit and juice are rich in vitamin C and are highly consumed all over Asia for purported health properties. Amla fruit plays a role in traditional medicine in India (Baliga, & Dsouza, 2011).

According to a research publication in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention, amla has been extensively researched over the past 30 years (Baliga & Dsouza, 2011). It’s vitamin C content is higher than oranges, lemons or citrus fruits. It is rich in tannins, alkaloids, and phenolic bioactive compounds.

The list of potential health augmenting properties noted in research is astounding (Baliga & Dsouza, 2011). However, IT MUST BE EMPHASIZED that these studies were in a lab setting with direct application of amla to the cancer cell lines themselves. Other effects listed below were noted during animal studies. Such studies do not always carry over when consumed and metabolized inside a human body!!!!!:

Antifungal
Anti-inflammatory
Anti-mutagenic (anti-cancer by preventing mutations of cells)
Anti-metastatic properties (reduces capability of cancer spreading)
Stimulates apoptosis in cancer cells (cancer cell death)
Antidiabetic
Antiviral
Antioxidant
Liver protection
Kidney protection
Anti-ulcer/ gastro-protective
Cholesterol lowering
Protection against atherosclerosis
Promotion of intrinsic (the body’s own produced supply) antioxidants

The Indian gooseberry, is well known in Asia for numerous health promoting properties. Amla powder is made from Indian gooseberries.

Treatment of cancer cell lines in a lab setting showed that amla extract prevented growth of lung, liver, breast, ovarian, and colorectal cells (Baliga & Dsouza, 2011). Amla in extract induced lymphoma cell death. Meanwhile, healthy normal cell lines were protected. Other cancers amla appeared to inhibit included melanoma and prostate cancer. AGAIN, this is research from animal studies and lab settings with petri-dishes essentially. Always coordinate with a health care provider before making treatment decisions!!!

So, the research is young and lacks robust human intervention trials. While intriguing, more human trials are needed. I buy certified organic amla powder and use 1 teaspoon in my smoothie. The flavor is mild and sweet. Amla powder is available here.

Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds are a great source of various nutrients and antioxidants (Ozuna & León-Galván, 2017). Pumpkin seeds are considered a good source of potassium and magnesium. They also contain calcium, iron, zinc and other minerals. Nutrition information for pumpkin seeds: Four tablespoons (approximately 1 ounce) of pumpkin seeds contain 151 calories, 13 grams of fat, 5 grams carbs, nearly 7 grams of protein, 37% of your daily magnesium requirements, about 2 grams of fiber, and 14% of your daily zinc requirements (Brown, 2018).

Most Americans are deficient in magnesium (Brown, 2018). Magnesium is necessary for blood sugar and blood pressure regulation among other functions (Brown, 2018). To get more than 1/3rd of your daily magnesium requirement just from 4 tablespoons of pumpkin seeds is pretty impressive. You can purchase raw pumpkin seeds here.

Strong-flavored add-ins

For the next two add-ins, I’m not going to lie. Their flavor takes a little getting used too. At least it did for me. However, as noted above, taste buds adjust. Within a few days I got used to the following add-ins and honestly, the flavor does not bother me at all any more.

Nutritional yeast

Nutritional yeast is inactive (no longer living) and has a number of appeals in terms of adding it to smoothies despite is unique, strong flavor. The flavor is not terrible, rather, the profile is just a little different for smoothies. To give you an idea, nutritional yeast is often used by vegans as a cheese flavoring stand-in with pasta or popcorn among other uses. Nonetheless, the nutrition boost for a smoothie is substantial and worth getting used to from my perspective.

Nutritional yeast is loaded with protein and fiber. For example, 1 Tablespoon of the brand I have attached below has 5 grams of protein. So basic math tells you 2 Tablespoons has 10 grams of protein. Not bad at all! On top of all the ingredients I listed above, my smoothie with the added nutritional yeast is now somewhere around 50 grams of protein with NO PROTEIN POWDERS NECESSARY!

Nutritional yeast is very similar to the yeast used in baking, though unlike the yeast in baking, it is no longer a living organism. It is loaded with protein and fortified with vitamin B12!

I use a big rounded tablespoon. Even then, I’m getting close to 50 grams of cumulative protein when added to everything else I already described in my smoothie. In addition, 1 Tablespoon of nutritional yeast has 2 grams of fiber.

However, nutritional yeast has more claims to fame than just protein and fiber. It is naturally high in B vitamins, though frequently it is fortified with additional vitamins including vitamin B12 (Julson, 2017). Most persons familiar with majority or exclusively plant-based diets are aware that followers of such diets need to supplement their vitamin B12 intake. Nutritional yeast tends to contribute significantly to their daily intake of this vitamin. Nutritional yeast contains other plant-based nutrients such as powerful antioxidants and potential immune stimulants (Julson, 2017).

Nutrition information for nutritional yeast (brand specific to the link below): 1 Tablespoon contains 40 calories, 3 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams of fiber, 0.5 grams of fat, 5 grams protein. The brand I use has 15 mcg of vitamin B12 or 630% of your daily requirements. It is available here:

Broccoli sprouts

The first time I added these to the smoothie I felt like I was drinking an entire field of farm produce! The flavor in my view was pretty strong. However, as noted, I adapted quickly and now I barely notice it.

Similar to the amla powder, I was inspired to add these after reading Dr. Greger’s book How Not to Die. The health properties for broccoli sprouts are very impressive, though with everything, the amount used needs to be within limits to avoid toxicity (Greger, 2015). In one high quality randomized-controlled double-blinded trial, administration of a powder made from broccoli sprouts improved fasting blood sugar and oxidative stress measures (which are viewed as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease) for persons with diabetes (Bahadoran, Mirmiran, Hosseinpanah, Hedayati, Hosseinpour-Niazi, & Azizi, 2011).

Broccoli sprouts contain high levels of antioxidant plant compounds such as phenols. These include salicylic acids and quercetin along with others. Broccoli sprouts also possess flavonoids and vitamin C (Gawlik-Dziki et al., 2014). These compounds have research demonstrated protective effects against cancer (Gawlik-Dziki et al., 2014). As noted above, broccoli sprouts have research demonstrated and significant antioxidant properties.

Broccoli sprouts contain compounds that boost sulforaphane in the body. This compound appears to have powerful antioxidant and anticancer properties among other benefits!

Broccoli sprouts are rich in phytochemicals that when absorbed, are used by the body to produce sulforaphane. Broccoli sprouts contribute to the production of compounds within the body used to induce cell death in cancer cells (Bryant et al., 2010). For example, in a lab setting sulforaphane was shown to induce apoptosis (cell death) and decrease migratory abilities of human ovarian cancer cells.

Healthier skin: Another interesting protective feature of sulforaphane appears to be the protection against ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun (Sikdar, Papadopoulou, & Dubois, 2016). In human trials where subjects were exposed to UV radiation, sulforaphane reduced sunburned cell numbers by 29%. Additionally, this compound preserved skin collagen by blocking inflammatory enzymes (Sikdar et al., 2016). However, excessive levels of sulforaphane themselves can result in DNA and oxidative damage. So it is protective at low doses but in excess, destructive.

A thorough research overview concerning broccoli and sulforaphane found the following health benefits (Yagishita, Fahey, Dinkova-Kostova, & Kensler, 2019):

Arthritis protection: reduced join inflammation and direct integration of sulforaphane into the joint
Air pollution protection: reduced oxidative damage from air pollution
Diabetes protection: reduced glucose production, improved insulin sensitivity, and improved inflammatory markers
Protection against H. Pylori (a bacteria that causes stomach ulcers)
Improvement in autism symptoms
Cancer risk reductions for colon, bladder, breast and prostate cancer among potentially other cancers

Broccoli and broccoli sprouts appear to reduce UV radiation damage such as sunburn intensity, inflammation and collagen destruction!

Dr. Greger (2015) notes that it takes about 1/4 cup of sprouts per day to raise cellular levels of sulphoraphane to the amounts found to suppress breast cancer cells in research trials. While I personally do not worry about breast cancer for myself, I decided to use this amount in my smoothie. It is cheaper to sprout your own than to buy at the store.

I sprout 2 tablespoons of seeds and that amount produces nearly 2 weeks worth of sprouts (which I freeze) for my smoothies at 1/4 cup per day. I use a simple kit that you can purchase here.

The sprouts grow best when I place the jar in a bowel so that it rests and an angle. This allows the water to drain and air to circulate. Note: Dr. Greger (2015) states that the seed shape of broccoli seeds make them less prone to bacterial growth. This is in contrast to alfalfa seeds which are porous and prone to contamination.

Summary and tips

Smoothies are an easy way to get plant-based protein, antioxidants and phytochemicals with a variety of research-backed health promoting properties. Many of the ingredients I use listed above last a long time at the doses I use, though the hemp seed seems to get used up a little more quickly. Try one, try them all.

Give your taste buds a chance to adjust for some of the stronger flavors or slowly add them in starting with very small amounts initially. Tip: I prep ahead of time, placing all the dry goods into containers for each day of the week. I do the same with the beans, fruit and vegetables, placing them in their own daily containers and freezing them. Then in the am before work, its fairly quick to make the smoothie.

I hope you enjoyed this article! Feel free to leave a comment, share with a friend, and sign up for email notifications whenever I release new content! Thanks!! -Donovan

References:

Amin, M. Z., Islam, T., Uddin, M. R., Uddin, M. J., Rahman, M. M., & Satter, M. A. (2019). Comparative study on nutrient contents in the different parts of indigenous and hybrid varieties of pumpkin (Cucurbita maxima Linn.). Heliyon, 5(9), e02462. doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02462

Bahadoran Z, Mirmiran P, Hosseinpanah F, Hedayati M, Hosseinpour-Niazi S, & Azizi F. (2011). Broccoli sprouts reduce oxidative stress in type 2 diabetes: a randomized double-blind clinical trial. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 65(8), 972–977. https://doi-org.lopesalum.idm.oclc.org/10.1038/ejcn.2011.59

Baliga, M. S., & Dsouza, J. J. (2011). Amla (Emblica officinalis Gaertn), a wonder berry in the treatment and prevention of cancer. European Journal of Cancer Prevention, 20(3), 225-239. doi: 10.1097/CEJ.0b013e32834473f4

Brown, M. J. (2018). Top 11 science-based health benefits of pumpkin seeds. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/11-benefits-of-pumpkin-seeds

Bryant, C. S., Kumar, S., Chamala, S., Shah, J., Pal, J., Haider, M., … Batchu, R. B. (2010). Sulforaphane induces cell cycle arrest byprotecting RB-E2F-1 complex in epithelial ovariancancer cells. Molecular Cancer, 9, 47–55. https://doi-org.lopesalum.idm.oclc.org/10.1186/1476-4598-9-47

Gawlik-Dziki, U., Swieca, M., Dziki, D., Seczyk, L., Zlotek, U., Róylo, R., … Czy, J. (2014). Anticancer and antioxidant activity of bread enriched with broccoli sprouts. BioMed Research International, 2014, 608053. https://doi-org.lopesalum.idm.oclc.org/2014/608053

Gibson, M. H., & Spiro, A. (2017). Can turmeric really prevent cancer? Nutrition Bulletin, 42(2), 141–147. https://doi-org.lopesalum.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/nbu.12262

Gopinath, H., & Karthikeyan, K. (2018). Turmeric: A condiment, cosmetic and cure. Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology & Leprology, 84(1), 16–21. https://doi-org.lopesalum.idm.oclc.org/10.4103/ijdvl.IJDVL_1143_16

Greger, M. (2013). Changing our tastes buds. Retrieved from https://nutritionfacts.org/video/changing-our-taste-buds/

Greger, M. (2014). Boosting the bioavailability of curcumin. Retrieved from https://nutritionfacts.org/video/boosting-the-bioavailability-of-curcumin/

Greger, M. (2015). How Not to Die. New York, NY: Flatiron Books

Gunnars, K. (2018). How to optimize your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/optimize-omega-6-omega-3-ratio

Ibrahim, S. (2017). Enhancement of sports performance -impact of Indian Goosberry (Phyllanthus Emblica Linn) on Athletes-An Analytical Study. International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research & Allied Sciences, 6(1), 15–21. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.lopesalum.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a2h&AN=122657945&site=ehost-live

Julson, E. (2017). Why is nutritional yeast good for you? Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/nutritional-yeast

Khalesi, S., Irwin, C., & Schubert, M. (2015). Flaxseed consumption may reduce blood pressure: A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled trials, The Journal of Nutrition, 145(4), 758–765, https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.114.205302

Lang, A. (2019). Is eating raw oats healthy? Nutrition, benefits, and uses. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/raw-oats

Meixner, M. (2018). Turmeric dosage: How much should you take per day? Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/turmeric-dosage

McColluch, M. (2018). Cacao vs cocoa: What’s the difference. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/cacao-vs-cocoa

Ozuna, C., & León-Galván, M. F. (2017). Cucurbitaceae seed protein hydrolysates as a potential source of bioactive peptides with functional properties. BioMed Research International, 2017, 1–16. https://doi-org.lopesalum.idm.oclc.org/10.1155/2017/2121878

Palmer, S. (2014). Hemp for Health. Environmental Nutrition, 37(11), 3. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com.lopesalum.idm.oclc.org/login.aspx?direct=true&db=cin20&AN=107832946&site=ehost-live

Parikh, M., Maddaford, T. G., Austria, J. A., Aliani, M., Netticadan, T., & Pierce, G. N. (2019). Dietary flaxseed as a strategy for improving human health. Nutrients, 11(5), 1171. doi:10.3390/nu11051171

Schwab, U. S., C. Callaway, J. C., Erkkilä, A. T., Gynther, J., Uusitupa, M. I. J., & Järvinen, T. (2006). Effects of hempseed and flaxseed oils on the profile of serum lipids, serum total and lipoprotein lipid concentrations and haemostatic factors. European Journal of Nutrition, 45(8), 470–477. https://doi-org.lopesalum.idm.oclc.org/10.1007/s00394-006-0621-z

Sikdar, S., Papadopoulou, M., & Dubois, J. (2016). What do we know about sulforaphane protection against photoaging? Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 15(1), 72–77. https://doi-org.lopesalum.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/jocd.12176

Stote, K. S., Clevidence, B. A., Novotny, J. A., Henderson, T., Radecki, S. V., & Baer, D. J. (2012). Effect of cocoa and green tea on biomarkers of glucose regulation, oxidative stress, inflammation and hemostasis in obese adults at risk for insulin resistance. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 66(10), 1153–1159. https://doi-org.lopesalum.idm.oclc.org/10.1038/ejcn.2012.101

Tan, V. (2017). Top 10 benefits of flax seeds. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/benefits-of-flaxseeds

Watson, A. (2016). Turmeric anti-inflammatory and cell damage trial (TACT). Retrieved from https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02815475

Williamson, G. (2017). The role of polyphenols in modern nutrition. Nutrition Bulletin, 42(3), 226–235. https://doi-org.lopesalum.idm.oclc.org/10.1111/nbu.12278

Yagishita, Y., Fahey, J. W., Dinkova-Kostova, A. T., & Kensler, T. W. (2019). Broccoli or Sulforaphane: Is It the Source or Dose That Matters?. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 24(19), 3593. doi:10.3390/molecules24193593

Zeratsky, K. (2019). Does ground flaxseed have more health benefits than whole flaxseed? Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/flaxseed/faq-20058354

Stay Motivated: Great Plant-based Article and Site Links

Health Trends and My Experience, Plant-based Diets, Entomophagy, and Evidence

Making a Lifestyle Change is Easier with Continued Learning and Support!

This post provides links to help you stay motivated when changing to a plant-based diet. During my first year, I frequently questioned the change I was making. I felt better. I was hitting new strength goals. Still, I worried that maybe I was missing out on key nutrients or possibly causing unknown harms to my body by cutting out meat, eggs and dairy. These sites and articles are in no way formally affiliated with donovancarper.com. Rather, they are simply sites that helped me stay on track during my own journey!

Great articles and sites to help you stay motivated

Food Guidelines from Bluezones.com: This article discusses dietary patterns of the world’s healthiest, longest living populations. Based on their research findings, the article argues for a diet that is 95%-100% plant-based. If you desire to ease your way into it, or desire natural vitamin B12, the article does note that these populations ate very small amounts of eggs, yogurt, feta cheese, and fish. These items are consumed in the world’s healthiest populations in amounts far less than what Americans are accustomed to eating.

Recipes from Bluezones.com: Finding great recipes goes a long way in helping you stay motivated. A suggestion I came across early on referenced picking a small number of recipes (like five or so) that are easy to make and that you enjoy. Make them in bulk on weekends/ days off. Freeze or refrigerate and rotate for your work days.

Bluezones.com is an Excellent Resource for Inspiration, Articles & Recipes from the World’s Healthiest Populations

Veganhealth.org: This site is AMAZING!!! Low on rhetoric and high on science and evidence. Sources of protein, specific vitamins and nutrients of question or concern, exercise and fitness–all as pertains to vegans and all backed by science. Veganhealth.org is respectable, as it reports the facts as they are. Clearly, this site advocates for a vegan diet. Yet, it is honest enough to share both positive and negative findings for vegans based on research. As such, I have a higher trust level with this site presenting the science as it currently stands.

Nutritionfacts.org: I frequented this site often when struggling with doubts. Dr. Greger, author of the book How Not to Die and more recently, How Not to Diet, runs this site. Similar to veganhealth.org, Dr. Greger is a vegan. He is quick to point out flaws and bias in research on all sides. His articles draw on solid research and evidence. The articles cover a wide range of topics from exercise to nutrient deficiency concerns to health benefits of going vegan.

Veganhealth.org and Nutritionfacts.org Feature Solid Research and Science Regarding Health Impacts of Plant-based Diets

Veganbodybuilding.com: I read a few articles from this website, mainly to remain motivated in my pursuit of fitness while staying plant-based with my diet. I had fears like many American men of losing muscle when switching to a plant-based diet. That fear did not manifest. I did run into a wall about a year into my training after going vegan. I insisted on not using any protein powders. Supplementing with vegan creatine helped me get back on track. More information regarding proper nutrient intake to support fitness goals can be found here.

Veganbodybuilding.com is a Site that Shows Building Muscle is Absolutely Possible (and for Myself, Easier) on a Plant-based Diet

Recipes: easy, taste good, nutritious and satisfying

Macheesmo.com: Not a vegan site, but…their 13 Bean Soup recipe is vegan and is great for making in double batches and refrigerating or freezing. It is my personal favorite recipe for bean soup. Having beans, onion, sweet potatoes, tomatoes and paprika, it is a mild, lightly smokey tasting variation of 13 bean soups. I add other veggies to this (if on hand, such as kale or spinach), but the recipe provides an amazing base. Serve with Ezekiel bread and you have a protein packed, very nutritious meal. Bean soups are great as you can put them together quickly, let them cook for hours paying minimal attention to them, then have meals lasting all week. They have made staying plant-based easy and satisfying.

Rabitandwolves.com: Pasta! Can’t beat it! This site’s linked recipe is for a vegan baked pasta dish that tastes amazing. Pasta dishes, bean soup dishes, rice/ quinoa paired with beans and veggies have all made going plant-based satisfying, filling and enjoyable.

Staying Satisfied with a Plant-based Lifestyle is Possible with Easy yet Great Tasting Recipes!

Tasteofhome.com: Beans and brown rice (I mix in quinoa of equal proportions to the rice). You can’t go wrong with this international food staple. There are so many ways you can vary this dish if you desire. Experiment!

Connoisseurusveg.com: This link goes to a vegan mousse that is one of the best I have tried. Having something that is sweet when you need it helps you feel more satisfied with your choice. The website lists numerous dessert options to try!

Podcasts:

This list is in NO WAY comprehensive. Just type in “vegan” and there are plenty of podcast options. Rich Roll’s story and the interview with Dan Buettner, founder of BLUEZONES stand out in my memory as being incredibly motivating.

The Rich Roll Podcast: Rich Roll’s story is incredible. From a middle-aged out of shape typical American male to a record setting athlete after making the change to a vegan diet, Rich Roll is a recognized leader in the plant based movement.

The Doctors Pharmacy: Episode 6: I have not listened to many episodes of this particular podcast…, but episode 6 in particular with the BLUEZONES founder is fantastic!

The Doctor’s Farmacy: Episode 6 with Dan Buettner

This Podcast episode is EXCELLENT, features BLUEZONES author and founder, a great motivator for staying the course and spreading the word

Summary

Any time you make a major change in your lifestyle, especially a change that may go against norms of your culture or family, it is normal to experience doubts! Yet, the evidence supporting plant-based diets is tremendous–based on international and high-quality research. I hope you will find these resources as helpful to you as they were to me! Thanks for reading, and feel free to share with a friend! -Donovan

Going plant-based! What it was like my first year!

Health Trends and My Experience, Plant-based Diets, Entomophagy, and Evidence

My Transformation to a Plant-based Diet: How One Protein-Obsessed American Made the Change

“¹⁹Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? ²⁰For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body ^[a]and in your spirit, which are God’s. “–1 Corinthians 6:19-20 New King James Version (NKJV)

Switching to a Plant-Based Diet: My Experience Making the Change

Switching to a plant-based diet is not as hard as you might think. You are not hungry all the time. You do not feel like you are missing out constantly. You do not get weaker. And…the food is actually really good! In this post I discuss my experience making the change from a lifetime of eating meat, dairy, eggs, protein shakes–a “normal” modern American diet– to a plant-based diet. If I made the change successfully, I believe most people can if they desire.

A Typical American

I grew up like most Americans. A meal meant meat. Chicken, pork, fish, meatloaf, hamloaf, hotdogs, hamburgers, steak…oh yeah, and a little bit of that veggie stuff on the side. That was a meal. Breakfast meant eggs and yogurt and bacon or sausage.

Then I decided to “eat healthy.” That meant chicken, eggs, milk, Greek yogurt, turkey burgers, occasionally fish and occasionally a good steak. Don’t forget the protein powder. A little more veggies perhaps…a salad or so. This was my life, sound familiar?

Like most people around me, being into fitness meant slogging down chalky protein powder shakes, eating lean meat, dairy, and eggs multiple times a day (gotta get that protein after all). I was a little disturbed when taking a gerontology course (the study of aging) in my bachelor’s program where it was noted that high animal protein intake has in some cases been linked to increased cancer risks, cardiac disease and more rapid aging. Like a good American, I dismissed it. After all, I exercise, right?

Prior to Diving into the Research, I ate a High-Meat, High Protein Diet–AND–Thought Such was Benefiting My Health

The Impetus for Change

In the spring of 2018, at age 40, despite my “healthy” diet, I was starting to get a little concerned about my health. My sex drive was in the gutter (a “normal” part of aging my practitioner told me). My fasting glucose was running at pre-diabetic levels. I was losing muscle and strength, both which with my natural genetics, I never had much to lose to begin with–so this was all the more alarming to me. This despite regular lifting, some cardio and martial arts, and of course, a “healthy” high protein intake.

Then in the fall of 2018, our family received shocking news. My father in law (who was still working full time as a shop foreman doing heavy physical labor) at that time was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer with metastasis to his liver and lungs. Nothing beats death in making a person think more about their life.

Barely one month after diagnosis, we experienced the loss of my father-in-law who was only 57 to his colon cancer (leaving behind grandchildren–my children– he would never see them grow up). I was shocked when just a few months later , this event was followed shortly by the death of a high-school friend at 41 due to a heart attack!! (leaving behind his wife and small children). I recognize that we all die someday, but both of them should have had years left to spend with their families!

Americans Are Destroying Their Health, Harming Themselves and Their Families, and Dying from Preventable Diseases

In my work as a nurse, I am constantly exposed to seeing the results of persons with disease-racked bodies. Fear, pain, anger, loss of independence, loss of dignity–these are commonly experienced by those with illnesses. While I recognize that aging and death are unavoidable, it also became clear in my work that not everyone ages at the same rate or in the same way.

In nursing school, we were taught that in many cases genetics “load the gun,” but lifestyle “pulls the trigger.” As such, I had taken an interest in health and wellness since my college years. Still, like many people, I fell for the trendy fallacies that are so popular in magazines and marketing to this day.

As I watched my father-in-law, the strongest guy I ever knew–literally– whither away in front of our family’s eyes, I could not help but think of what I had read in my geriatrics studies. My boss suggested I read a book she had read that impacted her life, and so I picked up my own copy of The China Study by Campbell and Campbell (2004). I was shocked by what I learned.

Cancer cell growth, in research by the authors, could be sped up or slowed down based on the percentage of animal protein consumed in lab animals. So what–we’re not lab rats, we’re people? Well, the same findings applied across human populations in the Philippines and China, where genetic variances are small. Therefore cancer rate differences cannot be “blamed” on genetics (Campbell & Campbell, 2004). What was different was not their genetics, instead, research indicated it was their diet.

The Cancer-Diet Connection

In wealthier areas in the Philippines and China, meat could be afforded and consumed in greater amounts while the populations in poorer areas rarely ate meat, relying more on plants. Interestingly, both poor and wealthy persons were exposed to a mold toxin that causes liver cancer, but it was the wealthy class with the high exposure to animal protein where the cancer took hold and killed people at substantially higher rates (Campbell & Campbell, 2004). The book goes on to describe cancer rates and animal product intake across the globe–and the trend holds up over and over, in nation after nation.

Those consuming less animal products and more plant products have lower rates of cancer (Campbell & Campbell, 2004). Not only that, but other health outcomes were greatly affected, such as cardiovascular status, diabetes, osteoporosis, autoimmune diseases and others. The author converted to a vegan lifestyle after what he witnessed first hand. I decided to do the same.

Campbell & Campbell (2004) Identified the Connection Between Animal Protein and Cancer During Research in China and the Phillipines

A New Lifestyle–Becoming a (Mostly) Vegan

Fearful of losing yet more muscle and weight, I nonetheless chose to adopt the vegan lifestyle for myself. I also continued my research into cancer, disease and lifestyle connections. The more I read and studied, the more plant-based diets became the clear choice for long term health and wellness.

During this time I read another powerful and moving book supporting a plant-slant diet–though not an exclusively vegan diet– which was written by Dr. David Servan-Schreiber (2007). Anticancer: A New Way of Life outlines the author’s own battle with an incurable brain tumor and his ability to far outlive his prognosis. He attributed his lengthened life to his adoption of numerous lifestyle changes, including a diet heavily slanted towards plants. Sadly, he succumbed to his cancer in 2011, but this was nearly 20 years after he had received a 6 month prognosis!!!! His book can be found here.

There also is a very sad, very powerful documentary on his life’s mission and work titled The C Word.

If I wasn’t going to eat meat, dairy or eggs, what was I going to eat? I felt a little lost. I quickly learned however that there were plenty of high protein plant-based options which were readily available and easy to prepare. While still caring for my father-in-law and simultaneously making the change, not much time was available for food prep.

Canned lentil soups along with veggie-burgers, veggie hotdogs, Ezekiel bread, peanut-butter and fruit spreads on whole grain bread sandwiches, nuts and high plant-based protein pasta made up the majority of my meals during these chaotic days. I found the food surprisingly delicious and actually really filling. I really did not “miss” eating meat quite the way I (and most people) thought I would. After the first few weeks, I dropped the whey protein shake altogether. In the months that followed, I gradually dropped the highly processed vegan-meat substitutes as well.

As time went on I soon fell into a sustainable and easy to maintain routine–even despite working on a Master’s degree and working in a demanding full time job. Following tips found at Bluezones.com and in Dr. Gregor’s book How Not to Die (2015), beans became the cornerstone of my diet. I created most of my meals using high protein whole food plant-based ingredients. Except the smoothies, my meals are made in bulk on the weekend, frozen and rotated throughout the week at work. (Side note: I started supplementing with vitamin B12 after reading Dr. Gregor’s book–a deficiency in this vitamin is possible with plant-based diets and can truly be dangerous. Fortunately, B12 supplements are cheap and readily available).

How Not to Die by Dr. Gregor (2015) is a great book packed with research and evidence supporting plant-based diets (in this case, vegan diets) and can be found here.

Meal Routines

Smoothie: hemp seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, oats, nutritional yeast, turmeric, amla powder, canned, rinsed beans, fruit, veggies, and water (yes, the taste for this I will admit is acquired)

Main meals:

Whole grain pasta dishes heavy with beans in the sauces
Quinoa and brown rice mixed 50/50 along with veggies, Mediterranean herbs and of course, beans and lentils
Lentil/ bean based soups with side servings of Ezekiel or other whole grain snacks

Snacks: Fruit, vegan dark chocolate (or if I’m lazy and run out, just regular dark chocolate), dried fruits and nuts

Personal Results of Making the Switch to a Plant-Based Diet–The Positive

For my personal experiences, besides the food tasting great, being relatively quick and easy to prepare, and finding plenty of recipes online, I experienced interesting changes my health. It MUST BE noted though that any person’s personal results involves numerous confounding factors potentially, my case is no different. As such, when only one person is involved, their experience may differ from yours. This is why testimonials are generally poor representations of what to expect. Testimonials are never a substitute for solid research involving sometimes thousands and thousands of subjects to establish consistent patterns!!

Libido: For me individually: prior to swapping over to a plant-based diet, I was losing strength and had a plummeting sex drive as mentioned above. As mentioned, my medical provider stated this could be expected at age 40. However, after swapping to a plant-based diet, one of the first things that came back and in force was my libido. This change for me did not take long, occurring within literally a few weeks, then it vacillated off and on gaining progressively over the months that followed with an overall definitive increase in frequency and drive.

Going Plant-Based Did Not Interfere with My Fitness Goals–In Fact, I Set Personal Records–at age 40– for My Squat, Bench and Deadlift AFTER going Plant-based!!

Fitness/ Strength: Another positive change that occurred was rather than getting weaker on a plant-based diet, I set new personal records at the age of forty in bench press, squat and deadlift–hitting numbers higher than in my 20’s. Maybe it was the program I was following (The Texas Method), however, the point is I definitely did not get weaker and in fact reversed the strength loss I had been experiencing at age 40 PRIOR to going plant-based!!! A quick search of the internet and you will find plenty of very strong vegan and plant-based athletes. Plant-diets that are well planned enhance, not harm fitness levels, as proved by these elite athletes.

Blood work: Another interesting surprise came in the spring of 2019, about 6 months after adopting a plant-based diet. For the past several years my fasting glucose had been progressively rising over 100, hitting 110 in 2018. After switching in the fall of 2019 to a plant-based diet, for the first time in several years, my fasting glucose went down to 93. This reversed a multi-year trend of increasing glucose levels, and in spite of all those horrible “carbs”!

Non-Processed Whole Food Plant-based Diets Lower Blood Sugars According to Research–My Fasting Blood Sugar Improved for the First Time in Years–Healthy Carbs are Nothing to Fear

Personal Results of Making the Switch to a Plant-Based Diet–The Negatives

The negatives were few and infrequent, but are as follows:

Most Americans do not eat this way so…so that means at work functions, restaurants, conferences and social gatherings, I frequently found very limited complete meal options. Fortunately, these types of events occur monthly for me or so. When available, I opt for salad and salmon options or vegetarian options (which may include cheese or such). I still easily fall within my goal of 95-100% of my intake coming from plant-based sources when averaged over days and weeks. Also, people may tease or mock you for your choice to eat plant-based diet–not a big deal, just don’t be surprised.

Fitness/ Strength: It is not a hard as you would think to gain weight (if that’s your thing–which for me, it is) on a plant-based diet should that be your desire. Conversely, it is very easy to lose weight. Obviously, if weight gain is your goal, high calorie plant-foods (like nuts/ nut butters) should increase in your daily food choices. So, weight was not such a big deal. However, I did find myself “hitting a wall” so to speak about a year after going plant-based in terms of lifting heavier weights and gaining muscle. This quickly was resolved by supplementing with creatine. Reasons for this are explored in more detail on my plant-based diet research analysis article.

Surprisingly…increased contact lens irritation red eyes…Whaaaaaaaaaaaaat? About six months into my plant-based mostly vegan diet I started noticing decreased wearing time with my contacts. My eyes were getting more red, even on days when I was not wearing my contacts. Turns out, Omega 3’s are necessary for lubricating your tears and eyes (Torborg, 2017). Despite eating plenty of plant-based omega 3 sources, it was apparent not enough were being converted into DHA/ EPA by my body.

After reading about the connection between low Omega 3 levels and dry eyes, I bought a plant-based (algae sourced) DHA supplement. I was equally surprised to see this quickly resolved the issue. An example of algae-based Omega 3’s is available here.

Summary

The switch to a plant-based diet was easier than I ever expected…despite growing up and spending most of my adulthood eating a diet heavy in meat, eggs and dairy. The downsides are small and easily managed. The potential health benefits are amazing, and I have already experienced a few in my first year alone. For a natural compliment to a plant-based diet, check out my blog where I explore the current research and health implications of a non-supplement, natural source of vitamin B12 and other nutrients that run a little lower in plant-based diets…edible insects!

References

Campbell, T. C., & Campbell, T. M. (2004). The China Study. Dallas, TX: BenBella Books

Greger, M. (2015). How Not to Die. New York, NY: Flatiron Books

Servan-Schreiber, D. (2007). Anticancer: A New Way of Life. France: Editions Robert Laffont

Torborg, L. (2017). Mayo Clinic Q and A: Fish oil supplements and dry eyes. Retrieved from https://newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/mayo-clinic-q-and-a-fish-oil-supplements-and-dry-eyes/

Health Trends and My Experience

A brief review

The tools of recovery: Lifestyle overhaul

A necessary disclaimer: Coordinate with your provider

The final set of interventions that helped me sleep naturally again

Establish a bedtime routine: And stick to it

Embrace the dark! In your bedroom and evening routine that is…

How dark should your room be? Darker than you likely have it currently!

Light in the evening-time from tablets, phones, computers: it disturbs your circadian rhythm

Red light spectrum appears safe for sleep

A hot bath in the evening cools you down at night and can enhance sleep quality

Guided meditation during the 20-minute bath

Going (mostly) plant-based: your diet can impact anxiety, depression, and sleep

Time restricted eating: Nothing after 6pm

Pink noise: Nature sounds and sleep

“Earthing” or “grounding”–Whaaaaat?

Was “grounding” or “Earthing” the final ingredient for a full night’s rest?

How I use my grounding mats: Sleep and otherwise

Summary: Sleeping naturally again

References

Share this:

Like this:

Insomnia: Rule out medical causes

Insomnia recovery step 1: A new mindset

Insomnia recovery step 2: Taking charge of my life and schedule

My schedule: Insomnia be damned!

Insomnia recovery step 3: Dealing with the hours spent awake at night

Insomnia recovery step 4: Weaning off the sleep medications…going “al natural”

Summary

Related Posts

References

Share this:

Like this:

A summer of sleeplessness

Sleep meditations and music: no help initially

Work after no sleep: An unwelcome new normal

Insomnia: A common but serious problem

Insomnia damages the body, mind, and quality of life

My experience with sleep medications and popular supplements

Turning to medications: Only a short term “fix”

Prescription medications for sleep: Just buying time till i could find a better solution

Trazodone & priapism: A rare but terrifying side effect

Vistaril: Knocks you out both night and day

A temporary cycle: Rotating Ativan and Vistaril

A non-sleep medication that helped: Lexapro

Sleep–free of medications: sources I found

“The Effortless Sleep Method” by Sasha Stephens

“The Model Health Show” Podcast by Shawn Stevenson

Summary for part 1

Related posts

References

Share this:

Like this:

Oatmeal and beans load your smoothie with protein!

Easy add-ins: Mild or pleasant flavors

Flax seeds:

Turmeric:

Hemp seeds:

Raw cacao powder

Amla powder (indian gooseberry fruit powder)

Pumpkin seeds

Strong-flavored add-ins

Nutritional yeast

Broccoli sprouts

Summary and tips

References:

Share this:

Like this:

Great articles and sites to help you stay motivated

Recipes: easy, taste good, nutritious and satisfying

Podcasts:

Summary

Share this:

Like this:

Switching to a Plant-Based Diet: My Experience Making the Change

A Typical American

The Impetus for Change

The Cancer-Diet Connection

A New Lifestyle–Becoming a (Mostly) Vegan

Meal Routines