Cardiovascular Disease and Shift Work:

It’s certainly no secret that shift work is taxiing on our health in more ways than one.  In fact I’m sure you can appreciate first hand just how challenging it is to work irregular hours day after day after day … or should I say night?

But what about cardiovascular disease?

Does working shift work enhance our risks of developing cardiovascular conditions such as hypertension and coronary heart disease?

The simple answer is ‘yes’.

And whilst the mechanisms for doing so vary, the fundamental driver behind this, is unhealthy sleep patterns – which I’m sure every single shift worker on the planet can relate too.

But exactly how does lack of sleep raise our risks of developing cardiovascular disease?

Well it essentially comes down to an overactive sympathetic nervous system, otherwise known as the fight-or-flight’ stress response arm of the nervous system which instigates a lot of physiological responses within the body including the release of stress chemicals that raise blood pressure and heart rate.  One of which includes cortisol.

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HSW 48 – Sleep Nutrition with Dr Libby Weaver.

Healthy Shift Worker Podcast:

Both sleep and nutrition are two of the biggest challenges for anyone working 24/7 so this week we chat with one of Australasia’s leading nutritional biochemists, Dr Libby Weaver on this important but often neglected topic – that being Sleep Nutrition.

Dr Libby Weaver is a respected international speaker, author of multiple books, and founder of the plant-based supplement range, Bio Blends, who embraces a unique three-pillared approach that explores the interplay between nutrition, emotions and the biochemistry of the body.

In this episode, Dr Libby talks about sleep-enhancing foods (and practices) that can help to enhance sleep, along with some of the biggest disruptors of sleep and why they’re not great for our stress-producing adrenal glands – particularly when working 24/7!

Links mentioned on the podcast:

To learn more about Dr Libby, visit her website by Clicking Here