Simple Recipe for Deeper Sleep
There's a buzz in the kitchen... it's not just me vibing over ingredients for a quick snack. Not this time. No, this one came from the internet which sent me straight to the fruit bowl. Scratch that... to the tree.
Actually, I've been a bit wired just lately. My brain's been spinning problems and info and being pressed for answers. Now I'm struggling to get a good night's sleep. So I jump on the web for a homemade remedy. What can I boil up to help me sleep?
The obvious is chamomile tea. Only, that herb doesn't live here. So I'm swiping through tea recipes that might help. But again, I don't have the ingredients. And then I see banana tea. I've got a banana, except, how does it work?
Apparently, you don't eat the banana...
...it's the skin you want to boil up because it contains a "high" amount of magnesium
Which is good, right? Because magnesium relaxes your body and helps you to sleep. Plus, we're often magnesium deficient which can lead to cramps, fatigue, loss of appetite, insomnia, irritability, and much more.
All the same, they say it's better than a sleeping pill. So I grab a pan, top and tail a banana and boil it in water with cinnamon and sweeten it with a touch of honey. 10 minutes later, I pour the tea through a sieve into a small cup. At that point, I was a bit apprehensive. Even though Dr Oz recommends banana infused tea before bed...
...A few sips later, I was getting cosy and winding down. It's truly tasty. Three things I like infused in water... what's not to like?
The following morning, I couldn't say I had a good night. Actually, I felt a little light... kind of drugged. I think, maybe the banana wasn't as clean as I thought... Maybe I drank a cupful of pesticides.
After I got over the worry and sobered up, I dug a little deeper into the "Sleep Better with Banana Peel Tea" claim. For one thing, there are so many articles claiming banana peels send you to the land of nod... However, the proof is elusive.
It turns out, we need around 300mg of magnesium per day. That's the minimum and the vast majority of us are not hitting the board. Really, it's not that surprising when you link together the foods magnesium is in and the message they keep banging on our eardrums.
"Dietary sources rich in magnesium include green leafy vegetables, unrefined grains, legumes, beans, and nuts" and "A healthy balanced diet rich in fruit and vegetables, unrefined grains, legumes, beans, and nuts". We don't eat enough of these!
By looking a bit closer, I may have slept soundly eating the banana. In all honesty, my diet is very good. I eat lots of spinach and chard and nuts and seeds. Although, I have been exerting a lot of work and exercise and compounding extra tension so it is likely that my body is using more magnesium just to keep up. Therefore, a little extra might rebalance my body.
In fact, the banana would have given about 30mg of magnesium plus a nice pile of carbs that would send me to a happy place. My body would release hormones that make me happy and clean up my bloodstream, thereby, allowing tryptophan to influence serotonin and melatonin production. All in all, a nice sleepy time.
Admittedly, this isn't new to me. I simply didn't want the carb sugars because I'd already eaten more than enough. Just a remedy to help calm my twirling brain and relax my body... a delightfully hot herbal tea was on my mind. That's a reason why I picked the banana tea, and because it was new... I was a little excited.
It resulted in such a disappointment... it actually gets worse... Banana skins do not contain "high" amounts of magnesium. Around 1mg in the average skin is tremendously low.[1]
At least, it's another lesson to remember.
Amazing Herbal Tea Solves Sleepy Dilemma
Subsequently, the situation bugged me. Chamomile tea is an option but it doesn't solve the magnesium predicament. With this in mind, I dug a little hole into the internet and found an amazing herbal tea - Dried Spearmint.
In just 5g of dried spearmint, you will find 30mg of magnesium. Amazing! Brew this mint for 5 to 10 minutes and you'll extract the goodness. Then, sit back and enjoy with a little honey sweetness to top up your magnesium needs as it relaxes your body and sends you to the land of nod.