Health and Beauty Les Halles

Many parents and caregivers of someone on the Autism Spectrum know what it is like to be short on sleep!  For some reason, sleep disturbance is a common problem with autism. 

Parents have told me so many stories about their childrens unusual sleep habits. Some children literally wander the house or their room all night long.  

Recently I talked to a lady who would find her son sleeping in the closet.  She was concerned and tied the bifold closet doors closed to keep him out, but he lifted them off the tracks at the bottom and crawled under the doors to get in!

My own grandson woke in the night one night and wedged himself underneath our bed.  We were hysterical with panic the next morning until we found him sleeping peacefully under our bed!  Obviously these boys both liked the small, confined spaces, and you are better off going with that than fighting against it!  If they are not feeling safe and comfortable in their bed, they are probably not going to sleep there or stay there.  My grandson stopped getting up at night after we started implementing some of the following tips:



White Noise- Use an air purifier or a fan for white noise. Prevent Distractions- Heavy curtains, thick carpets, and making sure the door doesn’t squeak. Try a Tent- Let your child try sleeping in a pup tent inside a sleeping bag, many will love the small space.  You   can also find “bed tents” made just for this purpose by searching online. Sunlight- Expose your child to sunlight in the morning to regulate the body’s production of melatonin. Supplements- Ask your pediatrician about supplementing with melatonin, it can help normalize the sleep-wake cycle  in children with autism. Heavy Play- Playing with weighted toys, carrying a heavy backpack, pushing, pulling, etc. before bedtime. Epsom Salts Baths- Try giving your child Epsom Salts Baths before bed.  Don’t let them drink the bath water! Bedtime Schedule- Create a PEC’s Bedtime Schedule to hang on the wall and use it daily. Ban Stimulants Before Bedtime- Don’t give your child caffeine, sugar, or anything with additives 2 hours before bedtime.  Autistic children can be especially sensitive to stimulants and food additives. Weighted Blankets- A weighted blanket can be a lifesaver for your child and the entire family.  You can find quality, washable weighted blankets at Affordable Weighted Blankets.

The Wear and Tear Theory

The Wear and Tear Theory was first introduced by Dr. August Weismann, a German biologist in 1882.  He believed aging occurred when the body and its cells were damaged by overuse and abuse.  The major organs of the body such as the liver, stomach, kidneys, skin and so on are worn down by toxins in our diet and in the environment, by excessive intake of fat, sugar, caffeine, alcohol and nicotine, by the ultra-violet rays of the sun and by the many other physical and emotional stresses to which we subject our bodies.  Simply using the organs over time wears them out even if you never touch a cigarette or have a glass of wine and stayed out of the sun, etc.  Abuse just wears them out quicker.  He also believed it takes place on the cellular level.

Nutritional supplements and other treatments can help reverse the aging process by stimulating the body’s own ability to repair and maintain its organs and cells.

The Neuroendocrine Theory

The neuroendocrine theory was developed by Vladimir Dilman, Ph.d.  The theory elaborates on the wear and tear theory by focusing on the neuroendocrine system that governs the release of our hormones and other vital bodily elements.  Different organs release various hormones under the governance of the hypothalamus, a walnut-sized gland located within the brain.  Hormone levels are high in youth and account for menstruation in women and high libido in both sexes.  As we get older the body produces lower levels of hormones which can have serious effects on our functioning.  Hormones help repair and regulate our bodily functions.  When aging causes a drop in hormone production, it causes a decline in our body’s ability to repair and regulate itself.

The hormone replacement therapy is a frequent component of any anti-aging treatment and helps to reset the body’s hormonal clock and then reverse or delay the effects of aging.  The theory holds that if our hormones are being produced at youthful levels the cells of our bodies are stimulated to active and we stay young.

The Genetic Control Theory

This theory focuses on the genetic programming encoded within our DNA.  From birth we are equipped with a unique genetic code, which has a great deal to say about how quickly we age and how long we live.  When our biological clock goes off it signals our bodies first to age and then to die.  The timing on this genetic clock is subject to enormous variation and depends upon what happens to us as we grow up and on how we actually live.

Anti-aging medicine attempts to prevent damage to our cells and increase repair of DNA to help us escape our genetic destinies, at least to some extent.

The Free Radical Theory

This development in anti-aging research was first introduced by R. Gerschman in 1954 and developed by Dr. Denham Harman of the University of Nebraska, College of Medicine.  Free radical is a term used to describe any molecule that differs from conventional molecules.  Free radicals possess a free electron that makes it react with other molecules in highly destructive ways.

The theory holds that free-radical damage begins at birth and continues until we die.  In our youth its effects are fairly minor because the body has extensive repair and replacement mechanisms that in healthy young people function to keep cells and organs in working order.  With age, the accumulated effects of free-radical damage begin to take their toll and are part of what ages our cells.  Free-radical disruption of cell metabolism may also create mutant cells leading to cancer and death.  Free radicals attack collagen and elastin.  Collagen and elastin are the substances that keep our skin moist, smooth, flexible and elastic.  When these vital tissues fray and break under the assault of free radicals, we begin to notice folds of skins and deep-cut wrinkles.

Another way of looking at free-radical changes is to think of it as rust and our aging process is similar to the rusting away of a once-intact piece of metal.  Oxygen itself is free radicals and so our breathing and aerobic exercise generates free radicals that help us along the aging process.

Substances that prevent harmful effects of oxidation are antioxidants.  This is why specialists in anti-aging medicine prescribe a host of natural and manufactured antioxidants to help combat the effects of aging.  Many vitamins and minerals and other substances fight aging by acting as free-radical scavengers.

Source:  The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine

Disclaimer:  These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  The information in this article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.  All health concerns should be addressed by a qualified health care professional.

Okay skinny guys, listen up: You can build muscle. That’s right, you, skinny guys, can build muscle. And it’s not nearly as difficult as you might imagine.

Outlined below are some common reasons why skinny guys don’t see muscle gains with their routines, and how to help the skinny build muscle.

Working Out Too Much

If you’re skinny, build muscle by conserving calories and maximizing your workout sessions. Do not, I repeat, do not spend hours in the gym doing tons of reps with light weights. Your body grows when it’s resting, contrary to what you might think, and if you spend hours burning calories and not enough time resting, you won’t give your body a chance to recover, repair your muscles, and grow.

Choose a few effective, compound exercises, find your maximum weight per exercise, and knock out no more than 10 or 12 sets per workout until you start to build muscle and bulk up. Only then will you be able to add more sets and be able to expend more calories without waning away to nothing.

Doing the Wrong Exercises

Isolation exercises are not the way to go from skinny to building muscle. Skinny guys cannot afford to expend the calories needed to do these fairly inefficient exercises. Stick to compound, multi-muscle-group exercises like deadlifts, barbell squats, dips, push-ups, chin-ups and any other exercises that involve more than one muscle group and move more than one joint during the exercise. Conserve your calories and maximize your workout time.

Wasting Calories with Cardio

Sure, you are skinny now, but you say you don’t want to be fat, either. If you struggle to gain weight then you should not worry about this at all. Don’t worry about spending time on the treadmill right now in an effort to avoid getting fat.

With the smart lifting you’ll be doing, and the smart foods you’ll be eating, becoming fat will be the last thing you need to worry about during your quest to build muscle. Besides you can always tone after you have gained some mass.

Not Eating Right / Not Eating Enough

Eat. Eat again. And eat the right foods! Fill up with lean proteins like meat, fish, poultry and eggs, complex carbs for glucose (muscle fuel) and take it easy on fat (but include some good fats to keep your body running properly and burning fat instead of storing it). Try to avoid the beer, fried foods and sugary sweets; this type of eating plan will help the skinny build muscle.

If you want to throw a protein powder into the mix, you should still aim to get most of your protein from your food, because a protein powder really is a supplement. No more than three shakes per day is a reasonable amount if you eat six times a day, but for most people that is excessive if you are eating right and getting protein from your food sources. In short, protein powders as a supplement are fine; protein powders alone will not make the skinny build muscle.

Rest and Relaxation

Your body needs downtime to repair its systems–not only your muscular system but your immune system, cardiovascular system, endocrine system–you name it, it needs rest to repair itself and function properly. In terms of muscle growth, your muscles need rest time to give the fibers a chance to grow, and if you hit the gym too soon after your last workout, you’ll damage those new fibers and you won’t see the muscle gains you’ve been working so hard to achieve.

Improper Technique

You can put all the weight in the gym on your barbell and hoist it up and down, but if you have to rely on momentum, chances are you’ll be laid out with a back injury before you know it.

Be smart about your technique and the amount of weight you use to go from being skinny to building muscle quickly and effectively. Challenge yourself enough to see results but not so much that it compromises form, and always be aware of your movements and you’ll see results.