“Today’s Health Tip” delivers quick daily tips for wellness and a healthier lifestyle everywhere you listen to podcasts and in your daily flash briefing on Amazon Alexa devices.
Episodes
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020
Wednesday Nov 25, 2020
If you remember anything from this week I want it to be this - Box Breathing.
It's super simple.
Breathe in thru the nose for a count of 4.
Hold the breath for an equal count of 4.
Breathe out through the mouth silently for an equal count of 4.
Hold the breath for an equal count of 4.
Repeat.
According to the Mayo Clinic, there’s sufficient evidence that intentional deep breathing can actually calm and regulate the autonomic nervous system (ANS).
This system regulates involuntary body functions such as temperature. It can lower blood pressure and provide an almost immediate sense of calm.
The slow holding of breath allows CO2 to build up in the blood. An increased blood CO2 enhances the cardio-inhibitory response of the vagus nerve when you exhale and stimulates your parasympathetic system. This produces a calm and relaxed feeling in the mind and body.
Box breathing can reduce stress and improve your mood. (healthline.com)
Monday Nov 23, 2020
Monday Nov 23, 2020
Before we can go deeper we start with the breath.
It is the foundation for everything.
Making sure we are breathing correctly.
Always in thru the nose. Long and slow. Inhaling deeply beyond our lungs down into the belly. At the end of exhalation the belly has risen - PAUSE here - and then exhale slowly through either the nose or mouth (experiment with what feels good). Start by emptying the belly and end when the lungs are empty and your diaphragm and ribs have contracted to squeeze out the last of the air. Then PAUSE and repeat.
If you have 60 seconds - practice for 60 seconds.
If you can make 5 minutes then please do. Get cozy somewhere and simply breathe.
2 apps I love:
Both have paid and free versions. I have used both. Lots of features including sleep stories, music you can do your breathwork to, guided meditations and more.
Thursday Nov 19, 2020
Thursday Nov 19, 2020
Today is simply a reminder that prior planning pays when it comes to eating.
Everything including:
*carrying healthy snacks at all times
*reaching for something from the refrigerator instead of a cabinet (NO bags or boxes)
*looking at restaurant menus before you get there
*planning holiday meals to include more fresh and whole foods
Simple changes are simple and better choices...if you strive to always make the best choice then you win!!
Wednesday Nov 18, 2020
Wednesday Nov 18, 2020
Diets don't work long term. All the studies show it.
What I have found that does work? Two things.
1. Intuitive eating. Eating when you are hungry, not bored or anxious or lonely. Eating to nourish our bodies not fill our stomachs. Listen in as I discuss this a bit more.
2. Intermittent Fasting. Avoid calories for a stretch of time over 12 hours but preferably 16, forces your body to burn stored body fat for calories. Try starting by limiting any food or drink except water or black coffee or tea from 8 pm - 8 am. Your goal is to get comfortable not eating from 8 pm - 12 noon giving your body a 16 hour fast turning you into a fat burning machine. This has become a GIANT trend in the wellness/fitness/biohacking world and you can find a zillion articles if you just google "Intermittent fasting"
Monday Nov 16, 2020
Monday Nov 16, 2020
If you want to eat healthy it really is simple.
As food guru Michael Pollan says "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants."
and I'd like to add "Nothing in bags and boxes"
It's a really simple change you can make to your everyday...whn you are hungry and reaching for a snack AVOID cabinets and open the fridge. Fresh foods will always be a better choice for you.
Apples, natural nut butters, veggies, yogurt - all better choices than chips or crackers for sure.
Thursday Nov 12, 2020
Thursday Nov 12, 2020
So many benefits of drinking molecular hydrogen water. It is both a terrific antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
Read this article for all the benefits.
Research studies for your perusal:
- https://www.nature.com/articles/nm1577
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26276082
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11510417
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23031079
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26866650
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22520831
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24392771
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21512236
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4865993/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21293445
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22146674
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27438130
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19766097
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3257754/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5731988/
Wednesday Nov 11, 2020
Wednesday Nov 11, 2020
Kill 2 birds with one glass of water when you make it functional.
Listen in as I discuss my favorite products for creating more wellness in your water
BodyBio Liquid Minerals because when we filter out the toxins and heavy metals we also filter out the good stuff.
Designs for Health C+ BioFizz for a little immune boost from time to time. It's orange flavored and fizzy.
Xymogen RelaxMax before bed - full of magnesium with some other sleepy time nutriceuticals.
BioPure Matrix Electrolyte mix is pretty flavorless and great for working out or during a bath or sauna.
Tuesday Nov 10, 2020
Tuesday Nov 10, 2020
I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you that chances are VERY HIGH that your tap water is contaminated.
Please check for yourself: www.ewg.org/tapwater
And the truth is bottled water is unregulated and often not much better https://www.bottledwater.org/content/unregulated-contaminants
What can you do about it?
Get a good filter. The Zero Water Pitcher www.zerowater.com
and the Big Berkey System https://www.bigberkeywaterfilters.com/ are my picks.
Fill and refill your reusable water bottle everyday and know you are getting optimal hydration.
You'll want to simply check your urine. As close to clear as possible is your goal and peeing often. Don't over do it; too much can be equally distressing to your system. 8-10 glasses or 60-80 ounces a day should do your body GUUD!
Monday Nov 09, 2020
Monday Nov 09, 2020
This week we discuss the third pillar of health - hydration.
We will go through basics like what does it feel like to be fully hydrated and what are the benefits. How to hydrate, with what liquid? Bottled water or filtered water? Does coffee and soda count for hydration?
Your homework is to go find yourself a reusable water bottle. Pick something you love because you are going to be taking it everywhere with you.
If you haven't ever worked on hydration WELCOME.
You are going to feel GREAT this week.
Friday Nov 06, 2020
Friday Nov 06, 2020
A few fun weekend movement challenges:
1. Get on the floor more. Watch tv there, play there, eat a picnic or fold laundry. You use your body differently from a floor seated position. Notice how you sit and what is or isn't comfortable. Where are you least flexible? Now, try to stand with out using your hands. FUN!
2 Use your non-dominant hand as often as possible this weekend. It's great for your brain and your body.
3. If your balance is decent challenge yourself to put on your socks while standing. You can stand next to a wall to use as support should you need it. Notice what was easy/hard for you about that.
4. Crumple paper into small balls. A great way to practice is you crumple your junk mail. You want tight balls of paper which will force you to rally use the joint, bones, muscles and tendons in the hand and wrist. Great for grip strength which is a scientific marker of age. Strong grip is better health and vitality!
Go for it, move and have fun!!
Wednesday Nov 04, 2020
Wednesday Nov 04, 2020
Let's think about how we are moving in our daily lives outside of "exercising"
We need to work "functional movements" into our daily routines. Squatting to pick up a sock, lunging to reach for your glass, or using biceps to lift and carry groceries.
Also, some of us might like tracking our movment with a fitness tracker; a few good choices:
Oura Ring
Fitbit
Apple Watch
Your phone
Tuesday Nov 03, 2020
Tuesday Nov 03, 2020
So we know we are to get a minimum of 20 minutes of dedicated movement a day. Preferably all at once. We should also strive for one 20-30 minute more vigorous workout each week.
How do we do this so it doesn't seem like a chore?
Make it play! Remembering what you did as a child to move your body...was it dance class or soccer? Swimming or tennis or jumping on a trampoline (which is great for your lymph system by the way). GO DO SOME OF THAT.
Being engaged in play is fun and it ticks of the movement box.
Grab your journal and noodle a little about the ways it feels great to move your body. For me dancing ranks tops!
Making sure we are also getting different types of movement in is key.
Strength! Flexibility! Cardio! Make sure we are choosing movements that hit these three categories.
The key to moving more - is just to keep moving.
Monday Nov 02, 2020
Monday Nov 02, 2020
Daily dedicated time for movement is crucial to good health.
20 minutes a day, every single day. It doesn't have to be complicated. Walking will do it.
For best health you will want to add one workout a week that is more intense. This is as easy as turning your walk one day into a walk/jog and eventually a jog.
DISCLAIMER: I am neither a doctor nor a fitness trainer. PLEASE go visit your primary care provider if you have not been active lately, if you have any medical concerns or are embarking on a new exercise routine.
Saturday Oct 31, 2020
Saturday Oct 31, 2020
This weekend we FALL BACK an hour for Daylight Saving Time which seems a very outdated practice.
However, your best bet for staying solid through it is to wake at the same time but make sure to get lots of sunshine into your eyes while moving a bit outdoors close to when you wake up. It will help your circadian rhythm adjust.
Happy Halloween/FullMoon - Stay sane!
Wednesday Oct 28, 2020
Wednesday Oct 28, 2020
Some nights we do it all right...a warm bath, a cool shower, our favorite pj's and a book before bed but something goes wrong and we wind up with an awful night of tossing and turning. How to mitigate a bad night of sleep?
Start the next morning with a big glass of water (adding trace minerals or a pinch of sea salt if you have them) to rebalance your system. Next consider a little caffeine. 1-2 cups in the morning before noon can give you a boost to get you started but no caffeine after noon because it could affect your next night of sleep.
Get some early morning exercise outside if possible. Exposing your naked eyes to the sun helps to cement your circadian rhythm. Eat a high protein breakfast even though your body will want comfort foods - you need to keep your blood sugar level and achieve a slow steady burn of fuel throughout the day.
Mid-day when you start to lag consider a power nap. 30 minutes can really help. Use an app like brain.fm (free trial with a subscription after your trial has ended) to get your brain into a deeply relaxed state. A small nap midday can help you to power through the rest of the day after a bad night of sleep.
Follow your same sleep rituals as you prepare for sleep the night after a bad night of sleep. Perhaps you can tweak your routine to include a supplement, more quiet time or putting devices down earlier to give you a better chance at a good night's rest.
Sleep well!
Tuesday Oct 27, 2020
Tuesday Oct 27, 2020
Sleep hygiene refers to the process you follow for getting ready for bed and falling asleep.
Listen today as we discuss:
Getting early morning sunlight into your eyes
Avoiding caffeine other than morning
The hot bath/cold shower pre-bed routine
Sleeping in a cold dark room
Using blue light blocking glasses in the evening.
Being on a consistent sleep schedule
Turning on 'night shift' on your phone and Flux on your computer.
Take a few minutes today to consider what your sleep hygiene looks like and where you can make improvements.
Stay consistent and sleep well.
Monday Oct 26, 2020
Monday Oct 26, 2020
Before we can try to improve our sleep we need to know how we sleep; for how long and at what stages.
Today I discuss 4 options:
Apps for your phone: SleepSpace and SleepCycle
The new OS for the Apple Watch is now able to track your sleep so if you have one of those you can update the iOS and check it out on your phone.
The Oura ring is my sleep tracker of choice as it also tracks my body temperature, movement, respiration rate and gives me a "readiness score" daily to let me know how I'm fairing....
We will need to understand how we sleep and where we need help before we can expect to help ourselves!!
Friday Oct 23, 2020
Friday Oct 23, 2020
Getting ready? Monday we begin again.
Back to basics. Cleaner, stronger, lighter, happier. Better rested, clear mind, living life rhythmically.
We will start Monday learning about and committing to great hydration. We will talk water types, does juice count, what sort of water bottle and how much do we really need.
Join us. Bring a friend. It's just 5 weeks. Simple changes and better choices every day will get us to our goals in wellness...and perhaps in other areas of our full and rich lives.
Can't wait to get started......
Thursday Oct 22, 2020
Thursday Oct 22, 2020
If we aren't paying close attention to the basics, what I call the 5 pillars of health.
Nutrition, Sleep, Hydration, Movement, Mindfulness/Breathwork.
If we are doing these right we won't have to work so hard on littler things. We will be working on these 5 pillars for the next 5 weeks.
Invite a friend to join you. Grab a journal- if we are goal setting and making a plan for our wellness we are going to be writing things down.
Get ready...coming at you Monday!