Tag: health

Posted on

Get Better Sleep

We all do it. After a long week of minimal sleep, we tell ourselves that we will “catch up” on our rest over the weekend and all will be back to normal. The extra hours of sleep on Saturday morning will surely recharge your exhausted body, right?

Wrong.

According to Women’s Health, this may actually do more harm than good. Clinical psychologist Janet Kennedy, Ph.D., says that sleeping extra to compensate for lost hours confuses your body’s natural clock. As a result, you may end up feeling even more fatigued, stressed, and worst of all – cranky!

When your sleep schedule gets out of whack, naps and caffeine become go-to fixes to make it through your long days, which confuses your body even more once bedtime rolls around.

Insomnia, anyone?

Yes, juggling a social, work, and personal life is daunting and takes time away from your sleep schedule. But ensuring that you get at least 8 hours of sleep at night will make your hectic life feel much more manageable. These crucial hours of rest not only give you energy to take on the day, but they also keep your body in shape and your cognitive function in better condition!

An extra hour or two of sleep on the weekend isn’t going to hurt you, but try to stay as close to your normal sleeping pattern as you can. You can’t make up for countless hours of missed sleep, and having a “weekend-only” sleep schedule will only throw your body into a never-ending spiral of the “catch up” game.

So, when you’re watching Netflix later tonight, turn off the TV and go get some zzz’s. Your health is more important than catching up on one last episode.

Posted on

Acupuncture Could Help

The Chinese began using acupuncture over 3,000 years ago, and it remains used as a healing technique to this day.
 
According to traditional Chinese medicine, the opposing forces of ‘yin’ and ‘yang’ represent the universe and the body. When your energy, known as “qi” (chee), is flowing smoothly throughout your body, the two forces are balanced, resulting in a healthy body. However, when there is a disruption in this flow, the practice says, you experience pain and illness. This is where acupuncture can get your qi back on track!
 
The U.S. National Institutes of Health prominently brought acupuncture’s successes into the public eye in 1997. According to San Diego’s Center for Integrative Medicine, the stimulation of certain anatomic sites (acupuncture points) put your body’s self-healing process into motion. This stimulation is achieved through many methods, including inserting tiny needles into your skin, heat, pressure, cupping and manual massage, to name a few. Research has also highlighted acupuncture’s positive effects on various systems — nervous, cardiovascular, immune, endocrine and digestive.
 
So, what actually takes place during an acupuncture session?
 
Firstly, your acupuncturist will perform a physical examination as well as inquire about your health history. Based on your assessment and unique needs, your acupuncturist will decide on the best treatment. For that process, various acupoints on your body will be stimulated (through the methods mentioned above) for up to 30 minutes, as you lay on the table. For those of you who run at the thought of needles — don’t worry!  Most people feel no pain at all during treatment.
Posted on

Stand up!

You sit during your drive to work. You sit at your desk for 8 hours. You sit during your drive home.

Then, guess what? The majority of us sit some more (go figure!) while we watch our nightly TV programs because we are so exhausted from our day of sitting.

Unfortunately, 86% of Americans suffer this sedentary fate, resulting in a whopping 13 hours of daily sitting for a large number of workers. According to studies, this amount of sitting leads to a variety of health problems, including cardiovascular issues, cancer, Type 2 diabetes, obesity or even death. It’s simple — more sitting leads to a shorter life span.

Many people assume that going to the gym will counteract these negative side effects, but surprisingly, the amount of time spent sitting outweighs a large portion of our exercise efforts.

Sure, Skype is a magical communication tool, but why not try actually walking to your coworker’s office to speak to them? Or taking the stairs instead of the elevator and park farther away from your building — the extra steps can only help. Getting up and stretching throughout the day will also ease your tension and energize you. You could even get fancy and try out a stand-up or treadmill desk! Trust me, everyone in the office will be jealous.

Bottom line: include as much activity throughout your day as you can, even if it’s only 5-minute increments every now and then. It will ultimately lead to a happier, healthier life.

Posted on

How to be a Health-Conscious Traveler

If you’re hoping to give into your wanderlust anytime soon, don’t let your immune system cancel your plans!

Traveling can take a toll on our physical health – millions of foreign germs are lurking on every public surface you come in contact with during your travels. These pesky nuisances are trying to sabotage your long-awaited week in the mountains.

Show your immune system who is boss, and be proactive in your quest for a healthy, relaxing (and much deserved) vacation.

Condé Nast Traveler shares a variety of valuable tips on how to stay healthy during the entirety of your next getaway. Here are just a few ways to make it through airports or train stations in good health:

  • Sanitize your hands. Generously sanitize your entire hand after touching ANYTHING that other people come into contact with.
  • Keep your distance – preferably 6 feet – from sick people. Contagious droplets can travel up to six feet when a diseased person exhales, and they can find their way into your respiratory system.
  • Be extremely cautious in public bathrooms. Try to avoid touching any of the surfaces directly, and do not set down your personal belongings. Wash your hands for a full 15 seconds, and use a drying towel to open the door as you leave.
  • Bring water with you onto a plane. Through random samplings, it has been found that some on-board water has contained fecal bacteria (yuck!). Stay safe, and bring your own bottle of water.
Posted on

Finding the Right Balance

September is National Yoga Awareness month, and if you’ve never given this relaxing routine a shot, I highly recommend it!

Various cultures have been practicing this routine for over 5,000 years, and there are quite a few mental and physical benefits to yoga. It’s common knowledge that yoga can make you more flexible and help you cope with stress, but an article from Everyday Health shares even more unexpected benefits!

  • Yoga has been shown to fight insomnia. Practicing posture poses such as a ‘forward fold’ helps blood circulation. Improving your circulation is crucial for relaxing your body and calming your mind – helping you get to sleep.
  • Researchers also say yoga helps with memory. By reducing mental stress, we are able to recall facts and figures much more easily and use our mental capacity more efficiently.
  •  Interestingly, some yoga studies have shown reduced asthma symptoms. “Breathing practice, known as pranayama, is an essential part of yoga, and such exercises have been shown to help ease the symptoms of asthma,” one researcher reported.

You don’t have to be a connoisseur or a hardcore yogi to reap the benefits of yoga. Even trying just a few poses each day can boost your health in all sorts of ways!

Posted on

The Healthiest Way To Sleep

Picture this:

It’s 9:30 P.M. and over the last couple of hours, you’ve spent your time walking the dog, eating dinner, tucking in the kids and watching your favorite TV show. You head to your bed to catch a good night’s sleep in anticipation for work the following day. Depending on how you feel, you might lay on your belly, your side or your back – but it’s not an overarching concern, as long as it’s a comfortable position.

But what’s the healthiest way to sleep? According to Yahoo Health, research conducted by Stony Brook University found that a side-sleeping position improves waste clearance from the brain, which could prevent Alzheimer’s disease and neurodegenerative diseases.

The brain’s cleansing system, the glymphatic system, is most active during sleep. In regards to amyloid beta and tau proteins, which contribute to neurological diseases, it was found that rodents who slept on their sides cleared amyloid beta about 25 percent better than those who slept on their backs or bellies. Additionally, this position also encouraged the flow of cerebrospinal fluid throughout the brain, which helps in its cleansing.

In order to get the glymphatic system started, an adequate amount of sleep is needed. Therefore it’s imperative that we hit the seven-eight hour mark every night. So if you still prefer to sleep on your belly or back, focus on your hours of sleep!

Posted on

“Energy” Drinks

If you’re like most Americans, your day usually begins with a cup or two of coffee. The caffeine in the coffee keeps us awake and alert. But that feeling usually wears off, leaving us scrambling for substitutes to keep us awake for the remainder of the workday.

Many people look to energy drinks to provide this boost in the afternoons. Energy drinks, which are high in sugar and caffeine, bring back that alertness and remove feelings of tiredness and fatigue. But what if that energy drink you consume regularly is doing more harm than good?

According to NY Daily News, an infographic posted on a British shopping website Personalize.co.uk, unraveled what happens after the consumption of an energy drink. According to the graphic:

  • 10 minutes: Heart and blood pressure spike
  • 15-45 minutes: Highest point of alertness
  • 30-50 minutes: All of the caffeine is fully absorbed, leading the liver to respond by absorbing more sugar into the bloodstream
  • 1 hour: Sugar crash, energy levels decrease

Within 12 hours, the caffeine exits the blood stream, leading to withdrawal symptoms up to 24 hours later. With these energy drinks having more sugar than one Snickers bar, we begin to crave it more frequently, leading to larger amounts of consumption while the short-term effect deteriorates daily.

Of course energy drinks are fine in moderation. It’s the overconsumption that spawns from its ingredients that could have a negative effect on our health. If you’re a person who enjoys those energy drinks on a daily basis, maybe try switching it out for coffee without the additive ingredients like whipped cream and whole milk. The less sugar, the better!

Posted on

Those Maddening Mosquito Bites

mosquito 2

 

 

Mosquitos are a common annoyance during warm weather. As you’ve certainly experienced firsthand, their bites can cause irritation, swelling and redness. For most of us, the bump and the pain of the bite can be tolerated, but the incessant itch is nearly unbearable.

After being feasted on basically every evening during summer, many people begin to wonder: why do mosquito bites itch in the first place?

First of all, it’s important to note that not all mosquitos are bad! Male mosquitos only feast on water and nectar from plants, rendering them basically harmless to humans.

On the other hand, female mosquitos are out for blood. Females are constantly searching for blood vessels on humans and animals. When they find one, they suck out some blood, leaving behind a little saliva, which serves as an anticoagulant and allows them to feast more efficiently.

Our body then produces histamines as a natural immune response to the foreign mosquito saliva, which creates the itch we know all too well.

The good news for some people is that it is possible to develop an immunity to the itch. There are some people who have been bitten so often, they develop a tolerance for the itchy bites.

However, for the rest of us mosquito magnets, there are alternative solutions for itch relief! Calamine lotion and hydrocortisone cream are both anti-histamines that provide relief from itching. Healthline.com recommends using an ice pack, ice cubes, or a cool bath without soap to help relieve itchy symptoms as well.

Posted on

Get a Grip!

320px-Earth_globe_stress_ball

Scientists are constantly finding ways to measure your health, but this one is definitely unusual!

According to a large study of 140,000 adults in 17 different countries, the strength of your grip can be used to measure your cardiac health—including risk for heart disease, stroke, and early death. In fact, this method has been found to be a better predictor of these health conditions than taking your blood pressure.

In this study, scientists used a hand-grip dynanometer to measure participants’ strength. Their measurements found that with every 11-pound drop in grip strength, the person’s risk of dying from a heart attack increased by 17 percent. Researchers also saw that people with a weaker grip were 7 percent more likely to have a non-life-threatening heart attack and 9 percent more likely to have a stroke, compared with those who had a stronger grip.

Dr. Darryl Leong, the study’s author and an assistant professor of medicine at Ontario’s McMaster University, told Yahoo Health he was “surprised by how strong the correlation was, given that it applied to people from many different countries and backgrounds.”

So, what does this mean for us?

According to the study, the stronger you are, the stronger your heart is. Traditionally, experts suggest cardiovascular exercises such as running, cycling, or swimming for maintaining a healthy heart, but more studies indicate that resistance training (or weightlifting) can pack just as many health benefits. So do your heart a favor and trade in those running shoes for a couple of barbells every once in a while!

Posted on

The Importance of Being Physical

Many Americans treat physical well-being and mental well-bring completely separately, when in fact, the brain and the body work simultaneously to keep the other stable.

Keeping your body healthy is vital to making sure your brain stays smart. As people age, they often play brain teasers such as Sudoku to keep their brain active, figuring if they don’t use it, they’ll lose it. While this theory is certainly correct, a healthy body is another key component to having a healthy mind.

According to an article from HealthDay News, keeping your heart and circulatory system in check is a key factor in protecting your mental abilities.

With an estimated 47 million people worldwide currently living with dementia, it’s now more important than ever to make healthy lifestyle changes, and thus promote mental well-being. Luckily, the Alzheimer’s Association has provided us with some key tips to make this happen:

  • Multiple studies have shown that exercise promotes brain health.
  • Get enough sleep. Health experts agree that problems with memory and cognition typically worsen after a restless night.
  • Play it safe. Protect your head from injury. Even a mild concussion can contribute to decline in brain activity as we age.
  • Eat a healthy diet. Momma was right! Eating your fruits and vegetables reduces the risk of cognitive instabilities.

However you decide to promote your brain’s health, be sure to keep challenging your brain and always stay curious!