Photo by Ava Sol

July is Self Care Awareness month and a good time to look into our current self care practices and explore things we can do to nourish ourselves….mind, body and soul.

Self care is important for physical, mental, and emotional well-being. Taking time for yourself helps in handling the everyday hustle and bustle of life.

Here are some things to to consider and incorporate into your life:

Physical Health

• Exercise-if you can’t get in the recommended amount of exercise for you…do what you can, when you can, even 10-15 minutes counts and can add up
• Healthy eating-practice intentional eating-get in lots of fruits, vegetables, fiber, and protein
• Stay hydrated
• Sleep- try to have a sleep goal of 7-9 hours
• Relaxing activities and hobbies

Mental and Emotional Health

• nature walks, yoga, mindfulness, meditation, deep breathing,
• practice gratitude and positive self talk and thinking
• hobbies including puzzles, reading a book, listening to music, journaling

Benefits of self care

• reduces stress and anxiety
• prevents burn out
• improves emotional well being
• helps to improve focus and boosts productivity
• improves overall health-helps prevent diseases and also helps control and manage chronic conditions
• fosters healthier relationships at work and at home
• improves self-esteem and self-worth

Per Elizabeth Gulino, in refinery29.com “‘Glimmers’ Can Make Us Happier — & They’re All Around Us”.

“In significant life events, joy is supposed to be easy to find. Things like marriages and children and graduations and job promotions are the times when we expect to feel happiness and contentment with our lives — and we often do. But what about the inbetweens, the smaller moments? And we’re not just talking about concerts, sunsets, parties, trips — we’re talking about even smaller moments, the ones that might just pass you by if you’re not looking close enough. Those moments? They’re called glimmers.

Branded as the opposite of triggers, Deb Dana, LCSW, psychotherapist and author, coined the term glimmers, and says that they’re tiny micro-moments of joy that allow us to feel calm and give us a sense of inner peace. While the word glimmer — defined as a faint or wavering light — insinuates that these small bits of joy are hard to find, blink-and-you’ll-miss-them kind of moments, in reality, glimmers are all around us. They’re your favorite song being played in the grocery store and a flower growing out of a crack in the sidewalk. And, while brief, these small fleeting moments can fuse together to create something substantial enough for us to run with."

Glimmers is a term coined by Deb Dana in her book “The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy”. Triggers activate the sympathetic nervous system and can send us into fight, flight, or freeze mode. Triggers make us feel unsafe. Glimmers on the other hand activate the paraympathetic nervous system which help us feel relaxed and reduce stress.

Take time to enjoy and appreciate those tiny moments of joy every day…..be it your morning cup of coffee/tea, a beautiful sunset, catching the sight of a surprise rainbow, birdwatching, the touch of soft fabric, or the gentle smile of a loved one or even a stranger. Find those glimmers! They are there!

Per Taylor Hatmaker in FASTCOMPANY “Your food is full of microplastics-and now we know why”.

“A sweeping study shows how plastic packaging and food processing—even opening a jar—can contaminate what we eat and drink with tiny plastic particles.

A study published… delves into the mystery of how the plastic objects we interact with daily shed tiny particles that creep into our bodies, brains, and guts.

While the scientific focus has long been on how microplastics pollute our environment and impact wildlife, researchers are increasingly raising alarms about how the same contaminants can wreak havoc in the human body.

The new research, published in the journal NPJ Science of Food, wove together data from 100 previous papers that studied microplastics, nanoplastics, and plastic particles. The results were compiled into an open database published by the Food Packaging Forum, a Swiss nonprofit that examines chemicals in food packaging.

Microplastics and nanoplastics are plastic particles in the millimeter-to-nanometer range, with the latter causing even more concern among scientists because their microscopic size makes them able to slip into human cells.

……The new study looked at a broad range of “food contact articles” that included water bottles, cutting boards, food processing equipment, and packaging ranging from food wrappers to tea bags. Most food packaging contains plastic—even many items that seem like they don’t, such as the paper that wraps around cold cuts and cheese, cardboard takeout containers, and glass bottles and jars, which often have a plastic-coated closure.

The authors focused on how everyday objects used as intended can shed microplastics and how that shedding can worsen over the course of repeated interactions. Across 14 different studies, microplastic shedding was found to increase with repeated uses, including screwing a reusable water bottle lid on and off, washing a melamine dish, or putting plastic tableware into contact with hot foods.

……Food and beverage containers can expose the human body to microplastics every time we interact with them but relatively little is still known about how that process works. That mystery is an ominous one, considering how ubiquitous plastics are globally in food packaging and preparation and how their presence is increasingly linked to reproductive, digestive, and respiratory problems, and potentially even colon and lung cancer.

Plastics appear to have no trouble finding their way into the human body. Another recent study found that the adult brain can contain a plastic spoon’s worth of microplastics and nanoplastics, an amount that’s seven to 30 times higher than what might be found in the liver or kidneys. Those kind of findings show that it’s imperative for future research to track down how all of that plastic is finding its way into the human body and what exactly it does once it gets there."

Study after study continues to show us the ill effects of microplastics on our bodies. While it is not possible to eliminate microplastic exposure, it is time to look at our everyday routines and see what we can change to decrease the exposure.

Photo by <a href=“Photo by Astrid Schaffner

June is Alzheimer’s and Brain awareness month. While dementia is not curable, it may be preventable. There is no guaranteed way to prevent dementia. However, research studies have shown that our lifestyle choices can influence our risk of developing dementia. There are 14 health issues that if reduced can prevent about half the cases of dementia in the world. Studies suggest that the risk of dementia is lowest in people who maintain a healthy lifestyle during midlife between 40 to 65 years.

Some things to take into consideration:

Take part in mentally stimulating activities

• Life long learning builds cognitive reserve by continuously challenging your brain with new information and skills

Develop and maintain social connections

• Improved social engagements improves cognition and prevents depression

Head safety

• Traumatic brain injury increases risk of dementia-the risk increases with severity and frequency of head injuries
• Wear protective gear during sports/activities
• Fall prevention in the elderly-remove tripping hazards, improved lighting
• If there is head injury, seek proper medical care and follow up

Improve cardiovascular health

• Treat and prevent hypertension, high cholesterol, obesity

Decrease stress

• mindfulness/meditation
• exercise regularly
• stay social
• get enough sleep/eat healthy

Good quality sleep

• associated with overall improved health and brain function

Diet

• No single food can prevent dementia but eat food rich in antioxidants, omega 3 fatty acids, and nutrients
  • berries(blueberries, raspberries)
  • fatty fish
  • nuts, seeds, lentils
  • avocados
  • olive oil
• Foods with negative affect on cognition: alcohol, sugary drinks, drinks with artificial sweeteners, red meat, ultra-processed foods

Exercise

• Studies have shown that people who exercise may be up to 20% less likely to develop dementia
• Staying active especially in your 40s to 60s seems to be the best way to lower your risk later in life

Hearing and vision loss

• potentially modifiable risk factors
• get regular check ups
• protect yourself from noisy surroundings, wear hearing aids if needed
• wear sunglasses to protect your eyes

Per Derek M. Griffith and Elizabeth C. Stewart, Vanderbilt University in CNN Health “Dads need to make healthy behaviors a part of their lives as they age”.

“If you had to choose, which would you rather have: a healthy father or a good father?

Studies suggest men often choose being a good father over being healthy.

Becoming a father is a major milestone in the life of a man, often shifting the way he thinks from being “me focused” to “we focused.” But fatherhood can also shift how men perceive their health. Our research has found that fathers can view health not in terms of going to the doctor or eating vegetables but how they hold a job, provide for their family, protect and teach their children, and belong to a community or social network.

……While many aspects of gender roles have changed, we have found that many men still recognize they are often defined as good or successful if they have paid employment that is enough to take care of their children and other responsibilities. Fathers generally aspire to be able to look after their children, spouse, partner or other loved ones. That may mean less sleep, longer hours at work and less free time for hobbies and exercise.

Wanting to be a great dad can motivate men to push themselves to work longer and harder than they may have thought possible, but these choices can come at a cost, particularly if they also are not making time to take care of themselves.

As we celebrate fathers, it is important to recognize that fathers, generally speaking, may not place health at the top of their priorities. Many fathers gladly sacrifice to see their children happy, safe and successful. The problem is that if fathers think only about these goals, their own health can often suffer."

On Father’s Day, as we celebrate the many men in our lives, let’s also encourage them to pursue a healthier lifetstye….eating healthy, exercise, going for those routine check-ups, maintaining a healthy weight, self-care, and sleeping well. Afterall, men taking care of their own health will help them take care of their families in the long run.

Photo by Markus Winkler

While most think of cucumbers as a vegetable, cucumbers are actually a fruit in the watermelon family of Cucurbitaceae. Cucumbers have a long and cylindrical shape. Cucumbers originated in India and have been cultivated for over 3000 years and spread to other parts of the world through trade and exploration. They come in different sizes and there are about a 100 types in the world.

June marks National Cucumber Month and June 14th National Cucumber Day. They are a great choice for the hot summer months and have health benefits.

Hydration

• Cucumbers are 96% water so keep your body and cells hydrated

Nutrients

• Provides fiber(gut healthy), Vitamin K(helps bone health), Vitamin A, Vitamin C, potassium(helps regulate blood pressure and muscle contraction), and chlorophyll(phytonutrient)

Antioxidants

• Contains several types of antioxidants, including cucurbitacins, beta-carotene, fisetin

Can help with Weight loss

• Low calorie food-about half a cup serving is 8 calories
• The high water content helps you feel fuller longer

Blood sugar friendly

• has a low glycemic Index
• low in calories and carbohydrates and high in fiber and water so does not tend to increase blood sugar level

Skin benefits

• Eating cucumbers provides nourishing vitamins for your skin
• Topical application can can reduce dark, puffy circles, prevent premature aging, soothe irritation, aid acne prone skin

To maximize the nutrients you get from cucumbers, eat them unpeeled. There are many ways to enjoy cucumbers. Add them to salads, smoothies, sandwiches, eat them raw or with a dip, or add to a glass of water.

Per bryanhixon, in brainperformance.com “How Complaining Rewires Your Brain”.

“Complaining not only affects mood but also physically alters the brain. Each time we complain, we’re firing and wiring together neural pathways that make future complaining more likely. This process, known as Hebb’s Law, essentially means that neurons that fire together, wire together. Consequently, habitual complaining can establish a default mindset where negativity pervades, making it increasingly challenging to switch to more positive modes of thinking.

Research from Stanford reveals that frequent complaining shrinks the hippocampus, vital for memory and problem-solving. Even listening to complaints for over 30 minutes can harm the brain. Complaining triggers cortisol release, in turn, heightening stress. Elevated cortisol disrupts sleep, raises blood pressure, compromises the immune system, and increases heart disease and obesity risks.

A stressed brain weakens immunity, raises depression risks, and clouds cognition, impacting decision-making and problem-solving. This focus on negativity limits the brain’s ability to engage positively with its surroundings."

While it may be hard to do, stop complaining! Look at things in a positive way. Be kind. Be thoughtful. Practice gratitude. Invite positivity in your life and surroundings…. and positivity will come.

Per Jessical A. Stern & Joseph P. Allen, in The74 “A 25-Year Study Reveals How Empathy is Passed from Generation to Generation”.

“Our new research shows that parents who express empathy toward their teenagers may give teens a head start in developing the skill themselves. In addition, adolescents who show empathy and support toward their friends are more likely to become supportive parents, which may foster empathy in their own offspring.

The KLIFF/VIDA study at the University of Virginia has tracked 184 adolescents for more than 25 years: from age 13 well into their 30s.

Starting in 1998, teens came to the university every year with their parents and closest friend, and a team of researchers recorded videos of their conversations. Researchers observed how much empathy the mother showed to her 13-year-old when her teen needed help with a problem. We measured empathy by rating how present and engaged mothers were in the conversation, whether they had an accurate understanding of their teen’s problem, and how much help and emotional support they offered.

Then, each year until teens were 19 years old, we observed whether teens showed those same types of empathic behaviors toward their close friends.

A decade later, when some of those same teens were starting to have children of their own, we surveyed them about their own parenting. We also asked them about their young children’s empathy. For example, parents rated how often their child “tries to understand how others feel” and “tries to comfort others.”

We found that the more empathic a mother was toward her teenager at age 13, the more empathic the teen was toward their close friends across the adolescent years. Among teens who later had kids themselves, the ones who had shown more empathy for close friends as adolescents became more supportive parents as adults. In turn, these parents’ supportive responses to their children’s distress were associated with reports of their young children’s empathy."

This study shows the importance mothers play in shaping the generations that come after them. Happy Mother’s Day!

Photo by manu schwendener

The first thing most people grab in the morning is their morning cup of joe. While that is well and good…it is also important to remember the importance of that glass of water or even more glasses of water.

Here are some of the benefits of morning hydration:

Counters nighttime dehydration

• while we sleep, we lose water from sweating and breathing
• chances are it has been a few hours since you have had anything to drink so your body and brain has gone without fluids

Improves alertness

• helps your body wake up

May help to lower blood pressure

• a study show that adding hydration may decrease blood pressure

Digestive benefits

• works well with fiber to promote digestive benefits and prevents constipation

May lower risk of kidney stones

• helps in flushing out your kidneys to prevent cyrstalization or stone formation

Better hair and skin

• improves skin hydration, less wrinkles, increase shine and luster of hair

Some ways to improve morning hydration

• keep water on your bedstand so it is available to you if you wake up at night and also in the morning
• pair it with your morning medication
• you are also getting hydration when you have something like tea, smoothies, water rich foods(fruits)
• remember that you may require more hydaration in the summer

Photo by Anshu A

There are trillions of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and parasites that exist inside of our intestines and on our skin. The gut microbiome refers to the microbes that are found in our bodies. As an infant, the gut microbiome helps develop your immune system and helps to maintain it as an adult. Your intestinal tract is your largest immune system organ containing about 80% of your immune-producing cells.

Most of these microbes are symbiotic. That means that both the human and microbe do well from them being there. However, some can raise the risk of disease if exposed to a poor diet.

The good microbes tend to outnumber the bad and keep them in check but the balance can be thrown off with things like a poor diet, stress, and antibiotics.

Gut health has been linked to mental health, gastrointestinal disorders, heart health, autoimmune disease, cancer and more.

Things that can harm gut bacteria

• antibiotic use-while they treat bacterial infections by destroying the bacteria causing the infection, they affect both the bad as well as the good bacteria.
• artificial sweeteners like sucralose and saccharin may alter the gut microbiome
• drinking too much alcohol may negatively affect the good bacteria and cause inflammation

How to improve gut health

Diet

• Prebiotics(mainly from plant source)
  • Prebiotics have indigestible fiber that acts as a food source to good/friendly bacteria and also help to break down and absorb nutrition
  • fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans, nuts, whole grains
• Probiotics(source of good bacteria)
  • Eat fermented foods
  • yogurt, kefir, unpasteurized sauerkraut, tempeh, kimchi
• Eat foods rich in polyphenols
  • can promote the growth of good bacteria and help fight bad bacteria
  • cocoa, blueberries, nuts, spinach

Reduce stress

• short term stress can cause loss of appetite and slow down digestion
• long term stress can cause diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, and an upset stomach
• chronic stress over longer periods of time can lead to irritable bowel syndrome and other GI disorders
• Look to reduce stress: practice yoga, meditation, breathing exercises, go for a walk, connect with friends/family, seek counseling

Exercise

• research shows being physically active increase the number of good microbes and promotes diversity in the gut. Exercise helps the digestive system get moving and also lowers stress.

Sleep

• Lack of sleep can increase stress and affect food choices(which an lower nutrients and minerals)
• aim to get 7 to 9 hours a night