Tag: Biohacking

Being healthy isn’t something reserved simply for those with a high bank balance. While you do have to invest in yourself, managing your weight, lowering stress levels, and treating your body well don’t have to take a toll on you, your work, or your family. In fact, some things, such as changing careers to lower your anxiety levels and learning how to cook at home, will positively impact everyone.

1. Focus on Nutrition

We live in a fast-moving world. Because of this, we often find that we don’t have the time to spend cooking each day. Unfortunately, this leads to prepackaged products and lengthy drive-through lines, both of which are a fast track to poor health. Because your diet largely influences your overall health, you have to commit to eating well. This might mean swapping sugary cereal for protein-packed eggs or spending a Sunday afternoon packing lunches for the next several days. An avocado burrito, chicken salad mason jar, or quinoa bowls are all easy-to-store alternatives to burgers and fries. Eating well is also a great way to give yourself the energy to get through the workday. 

A quick note here: Don’t try and justify drive-through salad as healthy. CNBC notes that at least one popular fast-food chain hides more calories in their salads than they do their most seemingly unhealthy menu items.

2. Practice Stress Management

An area that some people don’t even consider when it comes to their health is their employment situation. Unfortunately, a toxic workplace can make you gain weight, sleep too little, and even compromise your immune system. If you notice any of these issues, or if you simply don’t want to go to work each day, it might be time to pursue a new career. 

While this might sound like a stressful change in itself, you can go to school online while you continue to earn an income. And, chances are, there is a degree in the industry you wish to move into, whether it’s technology, criminal justice, healthcare, business, or education.

Remember, money isn’t everything, and there’s nothing wrong with taking a pay cut mid-career if it helps you meet your personal goals.

3. Move Your Body

If you’ve had bariatric surgery, you already know that exercise is crucial in helping you maintain your weight and muscle mass. But knowing the benefits and doing the work are two different things. Physical movement doesn’t have to come in the form of a regimented gym schedule. Even simple, play-like activities, such as swimming or throwing a frisbee with the kids, are excellent cardiovascular exercises that can improve your lung capacity, help you keep your weight down, improve your mood, and give you more energy. Strength training is also important, and lifting weights and working with resistance bands can help you stay flexible and tone your muscles. Talk to your healthcare provider about which types of exercises are safe in the days and weeks following bariatric surgery.

Tip: A leisurely hour-long walk five nights out of the week can help you burn enough calories to equate to a half-pound of fat loss.

Ultimately, everything you do matters, especially when you’re trying to lose weight and live a healthy life at home and on the job. From eating well to changing professional paths to reduce stress to exercising when you can, your actions are important. Small steps now can turn into significant progress. And, as the above illustrates, you don’t have to spend your life saving to enjoy the wealth of health you deserve.

This post was written by Julie Morris, Life and Career Coach, from juliemorris.org

Sleep is the foundation of nearly every aspect of your health, from your focus, your mood, your energy levels, and your correlation to diseases. So not only is it essential to get enough sleep each night, but it is also important to get good quality rest so your body can heal and repair itself. 

If you have a hard time falling asleep, you regularly wake up during the night, and you feel tired and restless throughout the day, you are likely not getting the high-quality sleep that your body needs for optimal health and wellness. Fortunately, getting better quality sleep may be as easy as improving your night-time habits.

Steps to a Better Night’s Sleep

1. Stick to a Sleep Schedule

Inconsistent bedtimes can disrupt an individual’s circadian rhythm, which is the internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle every 24 hours. When our internal biological clocks are disrupted, we are more likely to experience poor quality sleep and, often, less sleep. Sticking to a consistent sleep schedule is essential to getting enough sleep each night and good quality sleep. Similarly, regular bedtimes have been found to improve memory, cognitive flexibility, mood, energy levels, and better weight management in adults. Therefore, we recommend sticking to a consistent sleep schedule each night, even on weekends, for more sleep and better quality sleep. 

2. Turn Off Electronics

We are all guilty of spending too much time lying in bed on our phones. But as you scroll through social media one last time before hitting the pillow, you may not realize that you are disrupting your sleep by looking at your electronics. For one, the blue light emitted from the screen suppresses melatonin production, a hormone that controls your sleep-wake cycle. When our bodies do not get enough melatonin, we can experience insomnia at night and tiredness during the day. 

Looking at electronic devices before bed also stimulates our brain, making it harder to fall asleep, and sometimes stay asleep. This negatively impacts the quality of sleep you get and the number of hours you clock each night. We recommend putting your phone or tablet away at least 30 minutes before going to bed. Instead, try picking up a book or doing a meditation practice to quiet the brain. 

3. Keep Your Room Cool and Dark

There is nothing worse than waking up in the middle of the night sweating or spending most of the night tossing and turning while kicking off the comforter. If you go to bed cold, then why are you waking up uncomfortably hot? 

At night, our body temperatures drop, and the heat leaves our bodies through our hands and feet to reduce our core temperature. If the room temperature is too warm, our internal body temperature can become disrupted, causing us to wake up and have poor quality sleep. The optimal room temperature is around 65°F. We recommend creating a cave-like feeling by closing the blinds, turning off all lights, and sleeping with a fan on. Also, change your bedding in the warmer months, so you avoid getting too hot at night. By creating a sleep oasis before going to bed, you are setting yourself up to have a good, restful night’s sleep.

4. Don’t Eat Fatty Foods Before Bed

Research points to a correlation between obesity and heartburn (reflux) due to the excess fat around the abdomen that creates pressure on the stomach. This pressure can cause the backflow of stomach acid into the esophagus that feels like an uncomfortable, burning sensation in the chest or throat.  

When we eat too close to bedtime, we can trigger and even exacerbate the symptoms of heartburn. Between the stomach and the esophagus, a muscular valve opens and closes when digesting food. When we do not allow enough time for our bodies to digest food, this valve can remain open, allowing digestive juices to flow back up into the esophagus and cause reflux. Similarly, when lying down, your body will have a more challenging time keeping food down, causing a backflow. 

Another side effect of eating too close to bedtime is indigestion that causes feelings of nausea and discomfort. Indigestion is typically caused by eating too much, too fast, or fatty, greasy foods. To avoid having feelings of discomfort when trying to fall asleep and throughout the night, we recommend avoiding eating a large and, especially, unhealthy snack/meal at least 2 hours before bed. 

5. Create a Caffeine Curfew

Most of us consume caffeine for one reason, to keep us awake and feel more alert. Drinking coffee, tea, or even caffeinated soda late in the afternoon and evening may have adverse effects on your sleep. 

The effects of caffeine usually set in within 30 to 60 minutes of consumption and can last for 4 to 6 hours, depending on an individual’s metabolism. Caffeine blocks the adenosine receptors, which are chemicals produced in the brain that promote sleep. Normally, the longer we are awake, the more adenosine is built up. When we consume caffeine, these receptions are blocked, creating a feeling of alertness and awakeness.  Therefore, when caffeine is consumed too late in the day, our body and brain continue to be stimulated, making it harder to fall asleep when we are ready to “hit the hay.” So for the best night’s sleep, we encourage you to stick to decaffeinated beverages at least 5 hours before your bedtime. 

6. Get Enough Exercise During the Day

Studies have found that regular physical activity throughout the day can improve your sleep quality by promoting relaxation, reducing anxiety, and regulating your circadian rhythm. By engaging in at least 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise several times a week, you can improve your sleep quality and the times it takes to fall asleep. 

Exercise also promotes weight loss, which lowers an individual’s risk of developing or worsening obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) symptoms. As discussed above, OSA negatively affects sleep quality and inhibits the body from getting a restful night’s sleep. 

Experts recommend individuals avoid engaging in high-intensity exercises too close to bedtime. This strenuous activity can stimulate the nervous system, making it more difficult to fall asleep. Instead, if you are exercising in the evenings, focus on low-intensity movements such as yoga, stretching, walking, biking, and swimming. 

As coronavirus continues to spread across the country, many employees are working from home. Although there are advantages to not having to go into the office—like never having to get out of your jammies—there are some challenges that can arise. Here are our tips to stay healthy during your workday and to avoid boredom eating.

Continue reading “Tips to Stay Healthy When Working From Home”

How often have you asked someone how they are doing and they respond by saying, “busy”? We live in a time when being busy is cool. Busy means making time for work, errands, family obligations, and of course binging on your favorite Netflix show. And oftentimes, what is sacrificed is your sleep and, in turn, your health. So if busy is cool, is bad health cool too?

Continue reading “Sleep: Why It Is Good For Your Health”

We all want to be healthier, but knowing how can be challenging. There is too much conflicting advice out there, and too many fads, miracle cures, and wellness trends to keep track of. On the opposite end of the spectrum, there is alot of health advice that simply boils down to “eat well and work out” without much focus on how to incorporate these things into a daily routine.

Continue reading “7 Simple Habits That Will Keep You Healthy”