Tired of taking sleep aids? Try jasmine

I have insomnia every now and then and I am tired of taking sleep aids and over-the-counter pills. I’d prefer to use more natural means like aromatherapy or plants to induce me to sleep. What do you recommend?

Insomniac Lady

An experiment showed that the scent of jasmine not only improves sleep but also makes people alert the next day. An experiment was performed in a university in West Virginia on 20 men and women in sleep chambers for three nights. Oxygen infused with jasmine, lavender or no scent at all flowed into the sleep laboratory’s bed chambers. The results showed that when the scent of jasmine was in the air, the subjects moved the least in their sleep and scored high in analytical tests the next day. Jasmine odor is associated with greater relaxation, as proven by the relaxed state of the participants. The ultimate goal of the test was to find a way for insomniacs to get a good night’s sleep and increase their performance the next day without the aid of drugs, sleep aids or mental stimulants. Why don’t you try sleeping with fresh jasmine in your room? It is abundant in the Philippines and can be found in herbal gardens. It could cure your insomnia and relax you without drugs. Worth a try!

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It’s Do Or Diet!

I have done just about all the diets that are popular. I must say I succeeded in losing weight doing the Atkins Diet. But it made me so sick and tired of protein that as soon as I stopped the diet and went down to my desired weight, I went back to my old eating habits and piled back the pounds. Recently, I went on the South Beach Diet, which is a modified Atkins Diet in the sense that it allows me to eat carbs that have a low glycemic index, like lentils, low fat soy milk, artificially sweetened yogurt, etc. However, I heard about the Warrior Diet and a friend of mine has promised to mail me a book but so far, I have not received my copy. It is reputedly better than the South Beach Diet. Do you know what it’s all about?

Frustrated Weight Watcher

Most weight-loss programs call for eating moderately three times a day, but loading most of your intake during the day rather than at dinner time. In fact, they advise that dinner should be eaten as early as 6 p.m. "That’s not how people were meant to eat," insists Ori Hofmekler, former editor of Mind and Muscle Power magazine and author of The Warrior Diet. "People used to hunt, fight, or wander during the daylight hours," he explains. "Night was for feasting and eating everything they caught."
Eating like a warrior, Hofmeikler contends, can melt off five pounds a week! Eating light during the day (fresh vegetables and salads with light vinaigrette dressing, fresh fruits, coffee, tea and water only) triggers the body’s highly efficient fat-burning mechanisms, he explains. "Undereating during the day makes one burn fat and detoxify the liver," he states. "What one eats the night before has to be burned off during the day by eating light so it doesn’t just sit there. This keeps you young and full of energy."
This diet could be effective because one of my sisters eats this way. She has a full dinner but eats light the whole day. And she is really slim. So if you have tried all the diets in the books, why not try this one? It could work for you.

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Her Bf Is A Happily Separated Man

I am involved with a man who has been divorced for four years and has two children. He still celebrates Christmas day with his ex-wife and kids. And guess what? He and his ex-wife give gifts from "Mom and Dad" and throw birthday parties for the children together. They have so many family outings that the children don’t really think they are separated. He has never introduced me to his kids and we have been going together for two years. How much longer should I tolerate this? Am I wrong to be upset about this too much family togetherness?

Unrecognized Girl Friend

I think your main concern is that your boyfriend and his ex-wife are getting along so well that they may find their way back to each other’s arms. Not really so much that the kids will be misled by their parents’ actions. Am I not right? Do you see any indication that there is still a romantic connection between them? If so, then you have reason to be upset and you should tell your man that you cannot continue to date him until he is completely finished with his ex-wife. His maintaining two love interests is unfair to you, his ex wife and his children. However, if you don’t see any romantic connection between the two exes, what you have is a separated husband and wife who are trying to make their split as non-traumatic as possible for their kids. If that’s the case, they should be admired rather than condemned by you – and you may have to revise your attitude. It’s healthy for the children’s morale to see their separated parents civil to each other and carry on some family traditions. It also shows that your man is a caring and loving dad. There are so many families in which ex-spouses do immense damage to their children’s well being by bad-mouthing each other or refusing to collaborate for birthdays and other occasions. The fact that your man is creating a united front for his children means he has a lot of heart and a strong sense of family responsibilities, both of which indicate he’s probably a great catch from a romantic point of view.

Maybe it’s time for you to talk to your man that if he is serious with you, he should already introduce you to his children. It’s about time he showed them that while he and their mother get along well, he has a new romantic interest in his life. This way, you will not feel so excluded when he attends family functions without you. Children adapt well provided they get time alone with both their parents. If you sometimes get included with the children’s activities, I have a hunch that the civility your man shows his ex-wife will not bother you any longer.

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For your questions, write to Mayenne Carmona, Star Media Inc., Jaka Bldg., 6th floor, Ayala Ave., Makati.