Health

Adjust Your Circadian Rhythms For Earlier Rising And Better Sleep

October 20, 2014 by Daria Ibn-Tamas

Getting enough sleep, and waking up refreshed are some the best things you can do to maintain a healthy lifestyle. However, busy lives with a myriad distractions can make winding down, getting a good nights sleep, and rising early a sometimes painful process. A recent post on Refinery 29, discusses the ways that night owls and and early birds function differently, and that shifting our sleep schedule is more than just a matter of will power – it is a matter planning.

While some default settings in your sleep pattern may be genetic, you can shift your circadian clock by gradually adjusting your sleep times by 15 minutes. Stephanie Silberman, PhD, a fellow of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine indicates that people will attempt to function on less sleep rather than attempt to adjust their sleep schedule. But it is important to remember that the body’s need for sleep remains constant, and that learning to adapt your sleep to your circumstances is one the best ways to remain healthy.

Also, people’s perceptions of sleep are also a little skewed. Some believe that feeling groggy and less than enthusiastic upon waking up in the morning is indicative of a bad night’s sleep. Not so, says Silberman. This is simply what sleep researchers refer to as “sleep lag,” the time between sleep and the adjustment to waking life. Feeling less the 100 percent first thing in the morning is totally natural and does not necessarily indicate bad sleep.

There are strategies that researchers say can help facilitate falling asleep faster and improve overall sleep quality. Below are three you can try:

Turn off gadgets two hours before bed.

This will be tough for many of us, but studies show that just a two hours at the screen of a tablet can reduce melatonin – a hormone essential for sleep – by 22%.

Catch some rays in the morning.

Light exposure is important to our circadian rhythms. Being exposed to UV light in the morning sends the signal to your body that is time to be awake. This helps set your rhythm so that later in the day you can fall asleep at the proper time.

Try wearing your socks to bed.

Swiss researchers have shown that when you are about to fall asleep, blood flow is redirected to your hands and feet. Covering your feet will help your body temperature drop more quickly and allow you to fall asleep faster.

Make Workouts Manageable

April 24, 2014 by Daria Ibn-Tamas

For anyone looking at Kit Rich, a Pilates instructors for celebrities and healthy-lifestyle coach for large name brands, you would never guess that she was once a woman struggling to lose roughly thirty pounds. She tried all types of extreme, unhealthy, short term methods to drop the weight- practices that facilitated issues such as eating disorders and body dysmorphia for her. In her desperation to lose weight, she couldn’t see how unhealthy it was- and how these extreme diets would cause her to ricochet back to the opposite extreme of unhealthiness. It was simply impossible for her to lose weight, or keep any weight she did lose, off.

After years and years and of this unhealthy behavior, Kit finally realizes that these extremes weren’t getting her anywhere. She finally reached a conclusion that enabled her to lose 30 lbs, and is an idea that she stands by: Make it Manageable. This is Kit’s number one piece of fitness advice and overall mantra. What she sticks to, in terms of exercise, is the practice of, “three miles or 30 minutes, every day.” It was exercising in this way that made her workout routine more doable and thus, she began to see results that were lasting this time. Kit says that the way you get your thirty minutes of exercise is entirely up to you- hike, jog, or walk three miles, or do a thirty minute workout that can consist of circuit training, weightlifting, and so on. If there’s any advice we should take, it is probably that of a professional trainer. ” I really do believe wholeheartedly that the middle road is the way to go,” says Kit, “Anything extreme is not long lasting.”

This three-or-thirty rule is one that can truly help women to lead a more healthy, balanced life, rather than thinking they need to work out for hours a day to achieve results. Working out can seem like a daunting task, especially for women who lead busy lifestyles. With the three-or-thirty rule, and in doing workouts that they enjoy, women will be able to achieve lasting results, feel better about their bodies and hopefully will not dread working out so much anymore. To learn more about Kit Rich and her workout tips and tricks, check out this page.

Become a Better Runner!

April 15, 2014 by Daria Ibn-Tamas

Whether you are looking to start an exercise regimen, or are looking to get in better shape, running is a popular and common suggestion for increasing your overall health and wellness. Running can be a great way to blow off steam and relax your mind. However, when you are trying to improve yourself as a runner, or even just starting out running, it can be extremely difficult to enjoy the exercise, let alone force yourself to do it.

The following are some helpful methods for getting yourself to go running, and keep running. You’re sure to see improvements in your running- be it a faster time, a farther distance, or just plain getting in shape- if you utilize these tips.

1. Adopt a Mantra- Mantras can be extremely helpful in pushing yourself and reminding yourself why you are doing what you’re doing in the first place. Pick a word or phrase that truly speaks to you and is positive that will be sure to beat out any thoughts of negativity.

2. Find YOUR song– For those who run with music, its imperative that you have your ultimate pump-up song ready to go when you feel yourself slacking. It can be anything that works for you and keeps you going, just make sure you have one!

3. Positivity!– A lot of what keeps you from running or continuing running is purely mental. Therefore, it is important to focus on the positive- why you are running, how much better you are making yourself, how far you have come and how much farther you will go. These thoughts can help to push out those negative thoughts.

4. Keep good form- When you start to doubt yourself mentally, this is when your running form generally starts to deteriorate as well, which can make running even more miserable. Keep your shoulders back, your chest up and focus on steady breathing. This can both take your mind off the negative and make your running more comfortable.

These are just a few ways that can make running easier and more manageable for those of all levels of fitness. To see more examples of tips and tricks for better running, check out this post.

Hints for Happiness

February 10, 2014 by Daria Ibn-Tamas

Studies have shown that people who are happier and more outgoing tend to have better heart health, are better at managing stress in their lives and have a lesser risk of stroke relative to those who are less optimistic.

For those who feel they could stand to be a bit more optimistic, there are tactics and habits one can practice to improve upon their outlook in life and become a happier- and therefore healthier- person.

1. Practice Gratefulness– There is something to be said for being grateful for your life and everything you have. It is natural to aspire for more, but if you cannot be happy with everything that you already have in life, you will never reach happiness, no matter how much you attain. At the same time, you need to be grateful of all of the obstacles and hardships you have encountered. The reason for this is that they strengthen you as an individual and help you to further appreciate all the good in your life. If you can start embracing this mindset, slowly but surely you will start to become more optimistic.

2. Practice Forgiveness- Learning to forgive others for having hurt you in the past is a key component to becoming a more optimistic, outgoing individual. The phrase, “Don’t look back you’re not going that way,” is a good one to remind yourself of. Meaning, don’t allow instances in your past to affect the life you are living today.

3. Change Envy to Energy- Feeling jealous of others is usually because we have an area of our life in which we feel we are lacking. Rather than spending time feeling envious of others, turn that energy inwards and use it to motivate yourself to improve upon areas that you have always wanted to be better in. Do not do it to be better than anyone else- do it to be a better you.

4. Smile! So simple, yet so effective. Even when you don’t feel like smiling, or are feeling unhappy, try smiling for a bit. You’ll be surprised at the lift in your mood, even if you didn’t expect it.

5. Be Responsible for Yourself- It is easy to point the finger at others for reasons things have occurred in your life, why certain situations have failed, or any other problems in your life. It is time to take control and realize that you are in charge of your own life- only you can make the positive changes you want to see. Accepting this responsibility will give you a refreshing sense of liberation and optimism.

These tips are just some of the highly effective methods for improving upon your optimism and viewing the world in a more positive sense. To hear more of these helpful tips for optimism and happiness in life, check out this article from shape magazine.

Get More Sleep!

January 24, 2014 by Daria Ibn-Tamas

The phrase, “There just aren’t enough hours in the day,” is a common one that many busy Americans are familiar with. Jobs, commitments and taking care of family can easily occupy a ton of your time. But it seems that what all of this constant motion and business leaves us with is not enough hours in the night- for sleep! Many Americans are sleep deprived and many are not even aware of it, or how much sleep deprivation can affect functioning. A recent article in Self Magazine details how to tell whether or not you are sleep deprived and, if you are sleep deprived, what you can do to rectify it.

Research experts have noticed that there are three main signs that indicate individuals are not getting enough sleep: daily dependence on caffeine in order to stay alert, needing an alarm to wake up on time and sleeping in much later than you do on weekdays. These signs align perfectly with one who is sleep deprived. The following are tips on how to get better sleep, and thus, take better advantage of the hours that you do have in a day!

1. Change how you think about sleep– Treating sleep as a treat, as you would a shopping trip or a manicure, discredits its importance in your overall health. Start to view sleep as a crucial component of your well being- just as you treat a balanced diet and consistent exercise.

2. Slowly up your hours– In order to start getting more sleep, implement your earlier bedtime slowly and incrementally. Try going to bed 10-15 minutes earlier than normal for one week. The next week, add another 10-15 minutes to the previous week’s time. By the end of one month’s time, you’ll have added an extra hour of sleep to your nights and gotten yourself into a manageable routine.

3. Make changes in your room- Believe it or not, setting the temperature of your room around 3 degrees lower than the rest of the house- roughly 65-68 degrees- helps you to fall asleep, because your body cools down during sleep and a colder room aids in your drifting off. Lowering the lights prior to bedtime helps as well, as it begins to signal to the body that it is time to sleep.

These are just a few simple changes you can make in your day-to-day routine to start getting a better night’s sleep! Check out the article in self for more tips on getting more sleep.