Tag Archives: sleep


Posted by in podcast

Podcast 226: How to Kick Insomnia’s Ass!

IMG_3917by Sean Croxton

You do not have an Ambien deficiency.

Insomnia can be one of the most frustrating things ever. So I can understand the temptation to turn to prescription sleeping meds to get some shuteye.

At the same time, I’m a firm believer in finding the root cause(s) of health challenges — insomnia included.

The problem is that most medical doctors don’t have the time — and maybe even lack the knowledge — to properly investigate the many possible reasons why their patients can’t sleep.

It could be blood sugar dysregulation, skewed hormones, neurotransmitter deficiencies due to faulty protein digestion, untreated infections, food sensitivities, poor diet, on and on.

Sleeping pills won’t solve any of the above. Eventually they become a crutch. You can’t sleep without them.

You’re essentially paying to sleep.

In my opinion, sleeping should be free.

Last night on Underground Wellness Radio, my friend and upcoming Real Food Con presenter Ameer Rosic stopped by to discuss the most common reasons for insomnia as well as what to do about it.

Click the player below listen to the entire episode.

Or, click HERE to read my show notes.

Listen to internet radio with Underground Wellness on Blog Talk Radio

Posted by in podcast, wellness

The Famine Never Comes! T.S. Wiley Show Wrap-Up!

OMG!

Last night’s UW Radio show with T.S. Wiley, author of Lights Out, was definitely a classic.

We had way more live listeners than any other recent show. The switchboard was lit up like a Paul Chek show! Thank you for calling in with questions. We’ll definitely have to have her back on soon for an “Ask T.S.” show.

CLICK HERE to listen to the show or DOWNLOAD IT on iTunes.

I feel like we only got to cover the basics. The second half of her book shows us how our poor sleep habits cause heart disease, cancer, and hypertension. For example, the hormones melatonin and prolactin (we make them when we sleep) are powerful antioxidants and immune modulators that protect us from cancer and oxidative stress. Also, when prolactin spills over into daytime, we become autoimmune (and fat). According to gluten expert Dr. Thomas O’Bryan, autoimmunity will be the number one cause of morbidity and mortality by this time next year. I wonder how much of that has to do with us staying up past our bedtimes.

We look high and low for solutions to our health and fitness challenges. Most of the time, we come up empty. For many of us, the solution may be under the covers in a pitch black room when the sun goes down.

Try it and see what happens.


Posted by in podcast, wellness

Lights Out! Is Lack of Sleep Making You Fat?

When it comes to health and wellness, most of us are suffering from a bad case of tunnel vision. I like to call it “being stuck in The Box”.

The Box is fairly limited in contents, usually consisting of two things: diet and exercise. They’re all we seem to talk, argue, and debate about.

What’s the best diet?

Which burns more fat: long distance cardio or interval training?

Yadda. Yadda. Yadda.

It never ends. And worst of all, a lot of the answers we get seldom seem to work. Is there something we’re missing?

Last month, Gary Taubes, author of Why We Get Fat, was on UW Radio. He and I discussed the first law of thermodynamics, otherwise known as the law of conservation. This is the law that the calorie-counters cling to. It states that energy cannot be created or destroyed but can only change from one form to another. In other words, if you eat more calories than you burn, you store (conserve) those excess calories (energy) as fat. Do the opposite and you burn fat.

I can hear the calorie-counters letting out an “amen” right now. The first law of thermodynamics is indisputable! And I agree. The law is in fact true. However, as Gary pointed out, at no point does it address WHY we overconsume those calories.

Now let’s take a step outside of our pretty little Boxes.


Posted by in wellness

Wanna Lose Weight? Then Go to Bed!

by Sean Croxton

What I Learned Today #3
Currently Reading: The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf

I know. I know. I was supposed to be reading The China Study right now. Sorry, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Not that I’m avoiding it at all. I honestly just have better things to do and more great books to read with the limited time I’ve got. I’ll get to it one of these days.

Instead, I pulled Robb Wolf’s bestseller The Paleo Solution off the shelf. Great choice. This book rocks. Full of great info and pretty darn funny, too! Robb’s got jokes.

Today, I’m getting my learn on about the many hormones involved in hunger and satiety. A lot of people I consult with just can’t stop eating. They’re perpetually hungry. Nothing satisfies them, especially the high-carb, low-fat diet they’ve been scared into consuming. Not so coincidentally, these same folks can’t recall the last time they got a restful night’s sleep. They either take hours to fall asleep or they wake up every 2 or 3 hours. Sometimes both. That’s gotta suck.