Sleeping? ARE YOU

by Vickie Johnston, Owner and Founder, H2O Health

Most people older than 50 begin to have very irregular sleep patterns. They begin waking during the night at the same time, night after night. Getting eight straight hours of sleep a night becomes a distant memory.

One of the most common reasons is hormonal changes. Our bodies are constantly adapting to change, thankfully, or we wouldn’t live as long as we do.

Our hormones begin to fail us because our bodies don’t have the mineral base to keep building hormones. Insulin is a hormone the body makes, as are testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, growth, adrenaline and thyroid.

Hormones are like messengers, and they are responsible for controlling and regulating the activities of certain cells and organs. They play an important role in:

• Development and growth of the body

• Metabolism of food

• Cognitive functions and mood

• Maintenance of body temperature and thirst

• Sexual functions and reproductive growth

The best way to keep your hormones on track is to have your hormones checked via a blood test every six months. It’s much easier to keep hormone levels in balance this way.

There are two ways to keep hormones at healthy levels — supplementing with synthetic hormones or supplementing with bio-identical hormones.

I prefer a doctor who has knowledge about both types of hormone therapies or replacement, and I also do my own research.

Another thing you can do to greatly help yourself is make sure you have a water filter system that filters out hormones found in our drinking water.

Today most people over 40 are taking some type of hormone, and they all go through you and end up down the drain to be recycled and/ or used on golf courses and such, thus ending up back in our ground water and municipal water sources. Drinking or cooking with such water then contributes to hormonal imbalances as well as nutrient deficiencies. It seems an overwhelming task at first but a top-notch physician, along with a top-notch water filtration system, can be great resources to help you get on and stay on track!

A few other tips:

• Take a hot Epsom salt bath before bed.

• Drink herbal sleep tea.

• Invest in a quality mattress, pillows and sheets.

• Turn off all electronics, including phones, Wi-Fi, computer etc. in the bedroom.

Sleep well my friend!

by Tori Ward, Cruise and Resort Specialist, ROX Travel

We recently started a train journey across several countries beginning in Zurich, Switzerland. The central rail station is a wonderful artery within about an hour’s journey to picturesque Bern, cozy Lake Lucerne or artistic Basel. However, you may get distracted by the plethora of restaurants, shops and unusual sites you’ll encounter at the station. Hello lady carrying a spinning wheel on her head!

Zurich is a global banking center, and much of the city reflects its gold standard of luxury. However, as we previously had been to Zurich, this time we skipped the museums, churches and designer shopping. Instead, we concentrated on outdoor activities in that tiny window of time before the heavy snowfall and skiers descended.

A walk from our hotel within a block of the station led us to Viadukt Arches, an eclectic urban area created under 36 railway arches originally built in 1894. It is now home to boutiques, delicatessens and studios.

At the far end, and close to Limmat River, is the Market Hall — or Restaurant Markrhalle to keep it Swiss. We collected our lunch from one of the delis, but stopped to make reservations for dinner that evening. Fondue was on the menu.

Then, on to the Limmat where we sat in the chilly autumn watching the last leaves fall from the giant sycamores and linden trees lining the river. Benches placed along the Platzspitz made resting, eating and people watching a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

As someone raised around the warm Florida waters, though, I could only stare in wonder at the cold water swimmers.

If you’re there at the beginning of December you won’t want to miss the Samichlausschwimmen, a charity event involving about 300 swimmers paddling across the freezing cold river.

After dinner we stopped in at Widder Bar, a piano bar between our hotel and train station that was a little quieter than some of the nightclubs that appeal to a younger crowd.

Zurich has a vibrant late-night scene that caters to all demographics.

Since many venues are closed on Sunday, we opted for a walk along the banks of Lake Zurich with the backdrop of snowcapped Uetliberg Mountains in the morning, again marveling at the nonchalance of those taking to the glacial water.

There is a promenade that borders both sides of the lake for several miles with dedicated lanes for bikers and skaters. Small cafes and coffee shops present an opportunity to fuel up after a brisk morning walk. There are many boat rental venues available as well as charter boat rides from Zurich itself, but we opted to get out of town and up into the mountains for the afternoon.

We traveled along the coast of Lake Zurich about 15 minutes to Meilen where we boarded a boat for a short ferry ride to the other side. From Adliswil we took a cable car up 2,630 feet to Felsenegg. And, although we took the ferry, it’s easy to get to Felsenegg from Zurich’s main train station. After we exited the car we took the path up the mountain for a 20-minute hike to the restaurant. Sundays are a busy time, so reservations are definitely recommended.

The following morning, we walked the short block back to the train station and boarded the train for our trip across the Arlberg Pass, through Innsbruck and to Salzberg.

Next in the series I will take you through the Alps by rail to Austria.