Insomnia Cure with Diet

Sleeping pills are no remedy for sleeplessness.



They are habit-forming and become less effective when taken continuously. The side effects of sleeping pills include indigestion, skin rashes, lowered resistance to infection, circulatory and respiratory problems, poor appetite, high pressure, kidney and liver problems and mental confusion.

Diet is an important factor in the treatment of insomnia Research has shown that people with chronic insomnia have marked deficiencies of such key nutrients complex vitamins and vitamin C and D as also n, magnesium, manganese, potassium and zinc. The sleep mechanism is unable to function efficiently each of these nutrients is present in adequate in the diet.

Of the various food elements Thiamine or vitamin B1 is of special significance. It is vital for strong healthy nerves. A body starved for thiamine over a long period will be unable to relax sufficiently to induce natural sleep.



The valuable sources of this vitamin are whole grain cereals Pulses and nuts.

Diet for Insomnia:

A balanced diet with simple modifications in the eating pattern will go a long way in the treatment of in¬somnia. Such diet should exclude white four products sugar and its products Tea, Coffee, Chocolate, Cola drinks, Alcohol, fatty foods, Fried foods, Foods containing additives, Preservatives Coloring and flavourinng Exces¬sive use of salt and strong condiments.

The patient may adopt an all-fruit diet for three or four days at the beginning of the treatment. In this regimen he should have three meals a day of fresh juicy fruits such oranges, grapes, Apples, Pears, Peaches and pineap¬ple. This will help cleanse the blood stream and relieve possible digestive and intestinal disturbances. The bowels should be cleansed daily with a warm water enema during this period.

After the all-fruit diet, the patient may follow modified eating pattern in which breakfast should consist of fresh and dried fruits seeds and yogurt. Of the two main meals, one should consist of a large mixed salad and the other should be protein based. A cup of milk sweeten¬ with honey at bedtime is helpful as the amino acid tryptophan contained in the milk induces sleep. Celery is also considered beneficial in the treatment of insomnia. Its characteristic smell arising from the concentration of plant hormones and essential oils induce sleep.

Taking meals late in the night often leads to sleepless¬ness. The sufferer from insomnia should, Therefore eat last meal at least three hours before going to bed. Food should never be taken when one is emotionally disturbed disturbed or suffering from fatigue or acute depression, as it will result in gastric discomfort. Those suffering from insomnia should always take meals in a relaxed atmosphere. This is important at any time of the day, but more especially at night.

Along with dietary treatment, other effective measures and also be adopted to overcome the problem. These include application of hot fomentation to the spine, hot footbath or an alternate hot and cold footbath and prolonged neutral immersion bath (92o to 96°F) at bedtime

All efforts should also be made to eliminate as many, stress factors as possible. The steps in this direction should include regular practice of any relaxation method or meditation technique, cultivating the art of doing things slowly, particularly activities like eating, walking and talking, limiting the working day to nine or ten hours, and 51/2 days weekly, cultivating a creative hobby and spending sometime daily on this.

TREATMENT CHART FOR INSOMNIA

A - DIET

I. In all-fruit diet for three to five days, taking three meal a day of fresh juicy fruits at five-hourly intervals.

II. Thereafter, adopt a well-balanced diet as follows: -

1. Upon arising: A glass of lukewarm water with half a freshly squeezed lime and a teaspoon of honey.

2. Breakfast: Fresh fruit, a glass of milk, preferably goat Milk, sweetened with honey and some nuts, preferably Almonds.

3. Lunch: A bowl of freshly prepared steamed vegetables, two or three whole wheat wheat tortilla and a glass of butter milk.

4. Mid-afternoon: A glass of fresh fruit or vegetable juice, Preferably lettuce juice.

5.



Dinner: A good-sized raw vegetable salad and sprouts with limejuice dressing, followed by a hot course if desired.

6. Bedtime Snack: A glass of milk sweetened with honey

III. Always follow the under mentioned rules regarding eating: -

1. Do not take water with meals, but half an hour before and one hour after a meal.

2. Eat very slowly and chew your food as thoroughly as Possible.

3. Never eat to full stomach.

Home remedies: Thiamine, lettuce, milk, curd, bottle gourd, aniseed, honey, and herb rauwolfia,

Avoid: Tea, coffee, sugar, white flour and products made them, refined food, fried food s, flesh foods, tinned .and preserved foods, condiments and pickles.

B - OTHER MEASURES

1 Fresh air, brisk walk, bicycling, swimming and shavashana.

2 Alternate hot and cold compresses to the back of the head at the base of the brains