Canada has a new form of Crisis
Rahim Valani MD, MMedEd, MBA, LLM
Associate Professor UofT, Leader, Educator, and Mentor
Sleeping pills end up killing your sleep, the epidemic of social well-being, and the most important ingredient of your first meal.
You can read below to find out more.
Sleeping Pills VS. Sleeping Skills
When sleep is a distant memory, your desperation kicks in. But quick fixes often lead to quick regrets, especially in the realm of sleep aids.
Melatonin overdoses have skyrocketed 530 percent in the last decade alone. Shockingly, a study revealed that a whopping 88 percent of melatonin gummy products in the market are mislabelled with some packing up to 300 percent more than stated on the label.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg. Many of these products also sneak in other substances like CBD or serotonin, flying under the radar due to lax regulations. That's why if you're reaching for a supplement, make sure it's third-party certified by the likes of NSF Certified for Sport or Informed Sport.
Let’s ask a bigger question here: should you even be dabbling in melatonin? Shockingly, its use among kids has surged in the past five years, with roughly 20 percent of children under 14 relying on it daily. What most journals don’t tell you is this. Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by your brain in response to darkness. So taking it for the long-term and the impact of the same on youngsters remains an enigma.
Despite the uptick in usage, there's a glaring gap in research. While some studies hint at potential risks to puberty or glucose metabolism, the full extent of the danger remains shrouded in uncertainty.
Recent findings suggest numerous red flags surrounding melatonin, urging caution in its consumption. My advice? Focus on cultivating healthy sleep habits: maintain a consistent bedtime, dial down screen time and bright lights pre-bed, and ease off on food intake a couple of hours prior. Engage in soothing activities like reading, listening to calming tunes, or unwinding through writing or drawing.
Reference: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25643981/
Time to exercise your social fitness
Seems like folks are forgetting a vital kind of training these days: social fitness. What brings social fitness? Social Activity!
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Ignoring those social muscles might lead to more health problems than you'd reckon.
People aren't spending enough time together, and the negative curve observed in happiness is more than a coincidence of something much bigger at play.
In a recent article from the Atlantic, Derek Thompson shares:
"I don’t think hanging out more will solve every problem. But I do think every social crisis in the U.S. could be helped somewhat if people spent a little more time with other people and a little less time gazing into digital content that’s designed to make us anxious and despondent about the world. This young century, Americans have collectively submitted to a national experiment to deprive ourselves of camaraderie in the world of flesh and steel, choosing instead to grow (and grow and grow) the time we spend by ourselves, gazing into screens, wherein actors and influencers often engage in the very acts of physical proximity that we deny ourselves. It’s been a weird experiment. And the results haven’t been pretty."
My advice? Set aside an hour each week to chill with a buddy or kin. Building those genuine relationships and cutting down screen time could do wonders for your health. It's time to work on your social fitness, one hangout at a time.
Add this to become healthy and wise
Breakfast might not reign supreme as the top meal, but the first thing you chow down on can shape the rest of your day.
Studies hint that tossing some protein into your morning meal can kickstart a chain reaction, helping control your hunger and guiding your food picks for the day.
This is a fact that diets heavy on ultra-processed grub lead to more bulge and poor health. Yet, those who munch on these eats often skimp on the protein. So, experts delved into what happens when you ramp up your protein game.
Turns out, starting your day with a protein-packed meal can put the brakes on the heavy calorie bombs later on. It also lowers the odds of diving into grub loaded with artery-clogging fats, sugar, and sodium.
Now, protein isn’t some magic potion, but there is a boatload of studies to point to its perks. Diets boasting a decent dose of protein have been tied to beefed-up muscles, shed fat, sturdier bones, a longer life, and taming those cravings.
If you're eyeing ways to pump up the protein at breakfast, you're spoilt for choices. Scramble up some eggs, dive into Greek yogurt, tuck into breakfast tacos stuffed with beans and lentils, or the classic, whip up a protein shake.