First. Post. Ever.

Update from Amy Jan 17, 2017: I wrote this very first post when my philosophy on wellness was… different. I've left it unedited, but please know that I no longer stand behind the information within it. For my evolved stance on health and wellness, take a look at some of my newer posts. xo AmyWelcome, my lovelies!  You're reading Four Leaf Fitness's first post ever!  PREPARE TO INGEST A WEALTH OF HEALTHY INFORMATION!!!  By healthy information, I mean information on health.  With this blog, I'm aiming to cover the gamut of health: physical, mental, even spiritual (which won't be that big a surprise for those of you that know how new-agey hippy I am).  I'll be placing the emphasis on fitness, as my passion lies in personal training.  I hope to provide tips, experiences, workouts, and more to help all y'all stay happy and healthy for the rest of your many many many days here on Earth.  I encourage you all to post comments and share to your heart's content!In this first post, I want to address the issue of sleep.  In today's day and age, many people don't realize just how much sleep can affect your health.  Personally, I have struggled with insomnia for the majority of my adult life.  With all the pressure that our society puts on us to succeed in our careers, keep up with the Jones', and so on, sleep is oftentimes put on the back burner.  Our to-do lists grow and grow as we become more and more preoccupied with tasks that keep us awake even when we are not doing them.  What we don't realize is that this lack of sleep- namely less than 8 hours a night- is costing us our health!If you are not getting your 8 hours a night, you're probably paying for it in obvious and not so obvious ways.  The obvious drawbacks consist of lethargy, slow brain functioning, reliance on caffeine (hey, I can attest to that!), and irritability to name a few.  The ways you could be paying for it and don't even know it?  Listen to this: depression, inability to lose fat, inability to gain muscle mass, easily overtraining, heightened appetite, and weakened immunity.  Some of my personal training clients will be doing everything right- eating healthily, training hard- and results still allude them.  When this happens, it almost always comes down to lack of sleep and stress.  Both can raise fat-storing hormones and make it impossible for you to put on or even maintain muscle mass.  With these two factors playing against you, you're doomed to defeat!  Please, make sleep a priority- it's just as important as training hard and eating right.I know, I know.  Easier said than done.  If your excuse is that there's too much to do, just know that putting your sleep first will make you a much more efficient task master during the day, which will, in turn, give you more free time to sleep.Have to go to sleep late and get up early?  Make time for a 25 minute nap during the day.  On your lunch break, go out to your car, put on an eye mask and snooze for no more than 25 minutes (studies have shown that any more than 25 minutes will make you more tired).Have trouble falling asleep?  Download a free restful meditation podcast on itunes and play it as you lie down in bed.  And turn off the tv and the computer!  The lights will put your brain into active mode even if you're tired, and make it more difficult to fall asleep.  Also, reading always helps me to get my mind off my to-do list and ready for snoozing.  I have found that natural remedies work best for me and don't zonk me out for the next day (ahem, Tylenol PM).  Some to try:SLEEPYTIME EXTRA TEA- made with valerian, chamomile, and more of Mother Nature's sedativesVALERIAN ROOT EXTRACT IN LIQUID FORM- this one takes a week or two to start working, but I swear by them now.  Available at Whole Foods and other health stores.  Squeeze 6-8 drops from the dropper underneath your tongue and let sit for at least 30 seconds before swallowing (WARNING: it burns like a mofo the first couple times, then you get used to it).PHILIPS GOLITE- I learned about this contraption from reading The Four Hour Body by Tim Ferriss.  He wrote that using it for 15 minutes a day in the morning led him to fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer than other methods.  I was willing to try anything, so I gave it a go.  This, combined with the tea and valerian drops worked wonders for me.  I don't know if it's all or one of them, but now I'm loving the sleep so much that I'm willing to keep them all up!I hope my quest for a good night's sleep can aid you in yours.  As always, I wish you all much health and happiness!Until next time,Amy CloverFour Leaf Fitness