Hey guys. I got some responses to the poll that I have listed on my page (about what you'd like to see me write about), and 2 (out of the overwhelming 4 people that voted) wanted to see more posts about supplementation. So, today's your day, supplement voters! In today's post I will be talking about the benefits of two supplements: Valerian Root and Melatonin
I have had difficulty sleeping for as long as I can recall, it is often difficult for me to fall asleep at night, or to stay asleep. According to the Sleep Wellness Institute, over 100 MILLION Americans suffer from some sort of sleeping disorder...that's about 1/3 of Americans.
That's why I decided to write about these two supplements, I figured that a lot of people could relate to this post.
First of all, what is Valerian Root, and what in the heck is Melatonin?
I take both melatonin and valerian root about 45 minutes before I am ready for bed, and they really help aid in allowing me to fall asleep faster. I feel absolutely no drowsiness when I wake up the next morning, and often am able to sleep right through the night (which was a very rare occurrence a few months ago).
I like taking these supplements because I know that they are natural and safe. There are a lot of negative side affects to a lot of sleep medication out there. Taking melatonin is just like taking and iron supplement. Some people's iron levels are lower than others, thus they take an iron supplement. This is exactly the same thing - people who have trouble falling asleep may have low melatonin levels, thus they should try taking a melatonin supplement.
A supplement is just what the word means, it AIDING your body in what it is not producing itself.
I used to take the melatonin by itself, but I found that I get a more restful sleep and feel more awake when I mix it with the valerian root.
I would also recommend taking the valerian root with fish oil. All herbs are fat soluble, so the fish oil will help aid in the absorption rate.
Sorry if this was a boring post, but hopefully it was informative for some of you! I know this isn't technically a "challenge," but I did teach myself something new today..I read a lot of info and articles to help me understand more what valerian and melatonin are..so I think that counts as doing something new! Those who know me know I am not a book worm, so reading up on those things was a challenge in itself ;)
If you're having trouble sleeping, I definitely recommend trying out these supplements before turning to any type of prescribed medication. Let me know what you think! Are you taking these already? How do you like it?
Talk to you guys tomorrow!
Xxxxoooo
Fitness Felicia
PS If this is super boring to you, make sure you take the poll I have listed on my blog so you can let me know what YOU want me to talk about on here! I LOVE FEEDBACK! :)
I have had difficulty sleeping for as long as I can recall, it is often difficult for me to fall asleep at night, or to stay asleep. According to the Sleep Wellness Institute, over 100 MILLION Americans suffer from some sort of sleeping disorder...that's about 1/3 of Americans.
That's why I decided to write about these two supplements, I figured that a lot of people could relate to this post.
First of all, what is Valerian Root, and what in the heck is Melatonin?
Valerian Root:
Valerian is actually a plant native to Europe and Asia, and its roots are used medicinally.
Valerian is an herb that is used to treat few different things: stress/anxiety, aids in helping one fall asleep quicker and stay asleep throughout the night, and it also aids as a muscle relaxer. The good thing about valerian is that once you wake up from your night's sleep, you do not feel drowsy as you would on a plethora of other sleep aids. (I take 500 milligrams of valerian root)
Melatonin:
Melatonin is not an herb, but a hormone that is found in your body, plants and animals. Melatonin levels vary throughout the day, and help promote a normal sleep cycle. Light affects how much melatonin your body produces. During the winter months, when it gets darker quicker, melatonin levels may be higher in individuals. Taking a melatonin supplement (I take 20 milligrams) simply aids in how much melatonin your body is getting. Melatonin levels are different in all individuals, so if you are having trouble sleeping or staying asleep, your melatonin levels may not be very high.
I take both melatonin and valerian root about 45 minutes before I am ready for bed, and they really help aid in allowing me to fall asleep faster. I feel absolutely no drowsiness when I wake up the next morning, and often am able to sleep right through the night (which was a very rare occurrence a few months ago).
I like taking these supplements because I know that they are natural and safe. There are a lot of negative side affects to a lot of sleep medication out there. Taking melatonin is just like taking and iron supplement. Some people's iron levels are lower than others, thus they take an iron supplement. This is exactly the same thing - people who have trouble falling asleep may have low melatonin levels, thus they should try taking a melatonin supplement.
A supplement is just what the word means, it AIDING your body in what it is not producing itself.
I used to take the melatonin by itself, but I found that I get a more restful sleep and feel more awake when I mix it with the valerian root.
I would also recommend taking the valerian root with fish oil. All herbs are fat soluble, so the fish oil will help aid in the absorption rate.
Sorry if this was a boring post, but hopefully it was informative for some of you! I know this isn't technically a "challenge," but I did teach myself something new today..I read a lot of info and articles to help me understand more what valerian and melatonin are..so I think that counts as doing something new! Those who know me know I am not a book worm, so reading up on those things was a challenge in itself ;)
If you're having trouble sleeping, I definitely recommend trying out these supplements before turning to any type of prescribed medication. Let me know what you think! Are you taking these already? How do you like it?
Talk to you guys tomorrow!
Xxxxoooo
Fitness Felicia
PS If this is super boring to you, make sure you take the poll I have listed on my blog so you can let me know what YOU want me to talk about on here! I LOVE FEEDBACK! :)
Congrats on the challenge today! Coming from someone who spends ALOT of time studying (I'm a nursing student), research is difficult and boring. I did want to ask you a question about pre-work out supplements. I wanted to start taking a whey protein to supplement my work out but I was nervous to start with one and have it not be female friendly. I don't want to resemble a body builder, just have strong, lean muscle. I am definitely pleased with my results so far, but thought maybe an addition could help. Any thoughts?
ReplyDeleteMost women are unable to build a bodybuilding physique unless they are taking a TON of supplements and training incredibly hard. Protein supplementation is really just going to lean you out, feed your muscles after workout, and help with muscle density. There is a diff between pre-workout supplements and protein. I wouldn't recommend you taking a pre-workout unless you are REALLY into training pretty heavy. Try starting off with a protein shake after your workout and go from there. I would recommend a 100% whey protein. Try something like a wheybolic, a gold standard 100% whey, whey isolate or a hydroisolate whey...its all about finding a brand that suits you. Protein mixes can be pretty expensive, I get a lot of my stuff from a site called dpsnutrition.com ...if you need help picking out a specific brand, let me know. I wouldn't recommend going for funky flavors, either, like cookies and creme or peanut butter chocolate..they get old really fast. Try a simple chocolate, or strawberry protein mix. (vanilla can taste pretty bland)...let me know if you have any more questions..has this helped you at all?
DeleteFitness Felicia
Yes! thank you soo much. My problem is that I have a lot of guy friends who work out a lot but definitely arent educated on supplements. They told me if I was to start adding protein I would get way more muscle than I want and end up looking too built. I'm seeing that this is not the case the more research I do on my own. I'm definitely an active person, always have been. I played tons of sports as a kid-college, now I'm in the gym 5 days a week. Basically what I want is to take the muscle I have and get as lean as possible. Is there any brands you would recommend over others? My name is Kayley by the way, I'm 23 and from New York. Just to give you a little bit about me =)
ReplyDeleteHi again kayley ! Do not listen to your guy friends Haha, they are wrong about u turning buff if u start taking protein. If you r working out 5x a week, u def should start taking something to feed your muscles afterwards. You will not get buff, but actually will tone out a bit more. I think its really important for women to work out with weights and drink protein to get as much out of their workouts as possible. It is a huge misconseption that women will get bulky or manly if they lift and drink protein. It will only help u look more toned and defined ! I like a bunch of dif brands of proteins. A great one to try is gnc's wheybolic protein..like the one I have pictured in one of my older posts. I would recommend starting with that !
DeleteLoving your blog girl! Thanks for visiting mine! You mentioned you are preparing for your ACSM exam? I wrote a post on Becoming a Certified Trainer: http://www.blondeponytail.com/2012/02/how-to-become-certified-trainer.html That may be of interest to you!
ReplyDeleteThanks a bunch I will def check it out!
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