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12 Reasons To Start Lifting Weights Now

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Maybe you’re convinced you shouldn’t lift weights because you prefer not looking like The Hulk. Maybe you figure you just wouldn’t like it, since you’re not one of those CrossFit types.

We hate to be confrontational about it, but frankly, you’re wrong. Despite a prevalent allegiance to cardio machines for things like weight loss and overall health, strength training not only builds muscle but can prevent disease, improve mood and — really! — help you lose weight.

Here are 12 smart reasons to include a little work with the weights into your fitness repertoire.

1. You’ll live longer.

While most forms of regular exercise can add years to your life, strength training in particular has big benefits. As we get older, the more muscle mass we have, the less likely we are to die prematurely, according to 2014 research from UCLA. “In other words, the greater your muscle mass, the lower your risk of death,” study co-author Arun Karlamangla, M.D., said in a statement. “Thus, rather than worrying about weight or body mass index, we should be trying to maximize and maintain muscle mass.” And what better way to maximize those muscles than by pumping iron?

2. For better sleep.

Regular exercisers — especially those who truly push themselves — report the best sleep, and weightlifting is no exception. In a small 2012 study in older men, researchers found that resistance training reduced the number of times the study participants woke up during the night, as compared to a control group who performed no exercise.

3. Your progress is so noticeable.

There’s nothing that feels quite as rewarding as setting a goal and crushing it. If you’re new to strength work, you’ll find that a weight you once thought was impossible to lift starts to feel easy sooner than you might imagine. And then, you’ll feel like a boss.

4. To protect your bones.

Weight-bearing exercise and particularly strength training is thought to increase bone density, reducing the risk of fractures and breaks among older adults.

5. To boost your balance.

Of course, one major cause of bone breaks as we age is falling. Some of weightlifting’s benefit in protecting against osteoporosis may be improved strength and balance, resulting in fewer falls. Indeed, research suggests that various resistance routines can reduce an older person’s rate of falling by around 30 percent.

6. It can make you happier.

Like many forms of physical activity, a little lifting can work wonders for your mental health. Strength training has been linked to reduced anxiety and depression symptoms as well as improved self-esteem, and it may even give your brainpower a boost.

7. To look better in your skinny jeans.

Now, we don’t suggest you lift weights (or do any exercise, for that matter) solely for appearance — there are just so many other benefits! — but when it comes to slimming down, endless hours on the elliptical may not be getting you any closer to the results you desperately seek. In fact, building muscle may help you lose fat more effectively than simply doing cardio. “If you’re looking to lose fat, go with strength training,” trainer Nick Tumminello, author of Strength Training for Fat Loss told Business Insider. “Watch your diet to reveal your shape, and strength train to improve that shape.”

8. To burn more calories.

Simply having more muscle on your frame helps your body burn up extra calories — even when you’re sitting completely still.

9. You can do it in under 30 minutes.

Adding strength work to your regular exercise routine doesn’t have to eat up the tiny bit of free time you had left in the day. In fact, lifting is one area where more is not always better — around 30 to 60 minutes a week, total, is plenty, according to Runner’s Times.

10. And you don’t even have to go to the gym.

We’re using the term “lifting weights,” but the world of strength and resistance training includes a whole host of options outside of what you’d find at the gym. You can “lift weights” with cans and jars you find in your kitchen. You can “lift weights” using only your body. You can buy a pair of five-pound dumbbells and lift along with a DVD in the comfort of your own living room, where the only person checking you out in the mirror is you. In fact, if you’re new to strength training, many moves are safer if performed with just your bodyweight until you can get the hang of perfect form. Plus, many of those machines at the gym aren’t adjustable enough for the wide range of bodies that use them.

11. To run faster (really!)

Or swim longer or bike harder or get better at just about any other athletic endeavor you fancy. Why? Because you’ll be cultivating stronger, more powerful muscles to then put to good use. Also, strength training can help prevent injuries in other athletic pursuits, by helping correct muscle imbalances that in turn throw your form — even just while sitting or standing — out of whack.

12. To help your heart.

Despite the name, cardio isn’t the only form of exercise with cardiovascular benefits. A resistance training routine has been shown to lower blood pressure, in some casesas effectively as taking medication. The American Heart Association recommends adults aim for at least two strength training sessions a week.

Source: huffingtonpost.com

 

Does Your Employee Sick Time Include Mental Health Days?

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What is your employer’s sick time policy and are you honest about using it?

Some years ago, I was an assistant manager for a large retail store and was floored one day when our furniture department manager called in well. He woke up feeling really good and felt the need to go fishing instead of coming in to work, he was buying some beer, picking up his dad and was heading to a lake to go fishing. I admired him for being honest, as he could have lied and said he was sick, but he didn’t, he called in well. The next day, when he came to work, I spoke to him and he explained that he had been very stressed lately and just needed a day to relax and unwind. Our company policy gave me no choice but to write him up with a written reprimand, but I did comment about his honesty and understood his need to unwind.

In today’s world, one could refer to that as a mental health day. Back then, mental health wasn’t really considered to be a concern, at least not nearly as important as physical health, but times are changing and some employers actually allow for mental health days.

Madalyn Parker lives and works in Ann Arbor, Michigan as a web developer. She felt that she needed a couple of days off for mental health reasons. In 2015, she had written about her battle to overcome mental health hurdles at work, so many of her colleagues were aware of her struggles. Like my furniture manager, Parker was honest about why she was taking a couple of days off and sent an email to her team, which read:

“Hey team, I’m taking today and tomorrow off to focus on my mental health. Hopefully I’ll be back next week refreshed and back to 100%. Thanks, Madalyn.”

What do you think your employer would say if you took a couple days off and sent an email stating the same reason that Parker gave?

Her fellow workers accepted her reason for taking the time off, largely because they knew her and of her struggles. The surprise was the response she got from Ben Congleton, the CEO of the company where she works.

Congleton replied to Parker’s email, writing:

“Hey Madalyn, I just wanted to personally thank you for sending emails like this. Every time you do, I use it as a reminder of the importance of using sick days for mental health – I can’t believe this is not standard practice at all organizations. You are an example to us all, and help cut through the stigma so we can all bring our whole selves to work.”

Parker was so pleased with the CEO’s response that she asked to share it on Twitter and he agreed. Once she tweeted it out, she has received thousands of likes and it’s been re-tweeted thousands of times.

Psychotherapist Any Morin gives several reason for needing to take a mental health off. They are:

• When you’re distracted by something you need to address. If you’re behind on your bills and taking a day off to tackle your budget could help you feel as though you’re back in control, it may make sense to take a day to address it so you can reduce your anxiety.

• When you’ve been neglecting yourself.  Just like electronic devices need recharging, it’s important to take time to charge your own batteries. A little alone time or an opportunity to practice some self-care can help you perform better.

• When you need to attend appointments to care for your mental health. Whether you need to see your doctor to get your medication adjusted or to schedule an appointment with your therapist, taking a day off to address your mental health needs is instrumental in helping you be your best.

Why Leaders Should Care About Employees’ Mental Health

It would be wonderful if all employers supported employees’ efforts to take care of their mental health in the same way Congleton did. But clearly, the tweet went viral because most employers wouldn’t have had the same reaction.

In today’s America, more emphasis has been placed on our mental health as much as on our physical health. Do you know if your employer recognizes the need to take a mental health day off as well as a sick day off? If not, you need to find out, because staying mentally healthy can have a direct impact on staying physically healthy.

Relaxing Yoga Poses To Do On The Bed Before Sleeping

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Start tomorrow today

An evening routine is a great way to set yourself up to experience an awesome tomorrow. A relaxing bath, a yummy glass of warm, spiced milk or maybe even some journaling are a few actions that could make the morning great. Another great choice is yoga, right there in your bed.

Asanas to do before going to Sleep:

Here are a few asanas that you can do before going to sleep that may help you rest better.

1. Jathara Parivartanasana

Jathara means stomach; Parivartanasana means turning or rolling about. If you come to my classes, it is no surprise that I love this pose. Of all the poses, I think this pose and its variations are responsible for keeping me flexible. I always practice this pose before going to sleep and have for the past 20 something years. Ease into it if it is your first time exploring this pose.

Steps:
1. Lie on your back with your legs extended.
2. Draw your knees up into your chest one at a time and wrap your arms around your legs, hugging them. Rock side to side to massage the back.
3. Continue holding onto your right knee with both hands and extend your left leg all the way out onto the bed.
4. With your left hand on the right knee, draw the right knee across the left side of the body towards the bed. Keep both shoulders down and extend the left arm straight away from the body.
5. Hold for a few breaths or until the back releases, (or relax and enjoy for a few minutes). Inhale, bring both knees and head back to center, and repeat on the other side.

 

Modifications and Props:
• Use a blanket under the knee if you feel you need some support (so your knee isn’t just hanging there).

Variations:
• Take both knees to the left and hold the right knee down with the left hand. Release your back. Hold for a few breaths and come back to center. Repeat on the other side.

Benefits:
• Stretches the spine and shoulders
• Improves digestion and circulation
• Strengthens the lower back
• Relieves lower backache, neck pain, and sciatica
• Opens the hips and chest

Contraindications: (or reasons not to do this pose)
• High or low blood pressure
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Menstruation
• High blood pressure

2. Thread the Needle Pose

I have really tight shoulders from biking, especially the rhomboids (muscles between the shoulder blades). This pose helps to stretch them so that prāna can have a head start in healing this tricky part of the back.

Steps:
1. Start in table position.
2. Weave the left arm under the right and place straight away from the body, as you twist through the lumbar and thoracic spine, place the shoulder on the floor.
3. Lift right arm up towards the ceiling and intensify the stretch.
4. Keep the majority of the weight on the shoulder to create the traction for the stretch.
5. Repeat other side.

 

Modifications and props:
• Place a blanket on the bed and place the shoulder on it if padding is needed.
• Can be made into a balance by lifting the leg on the same side as the arm that is lifted.

Benefits:
• Stretches shoulders and posterior rotator cuffs
• Stretches oblique
• Strengthens legs

Contraindications:
• Neck injuries
• Upper back injuries
• Migraines
• Pregnancy

3. Supta Virasana

Supta means lying down, vira means hero. I always say that “no pain, no gain” is such a washed up theory. You shouldn’t have to experience pain in order to manifest what you need. That is silly. This pose, however, shoots holes in my theory if the legs and back are not ready for it. So one of the best places to try it out is on your bed, where the mattress can give space when the muscles and tendons do not. Use blankets and pillows for comfort.

Steps:
1. Start in Virasana (Hero’s pose).
2. Exhale and lean back onto your hands, then your forearms and elbows.
3. Once you are on your elbows, place your hands on the back of the pelvis and release your lower back and upper buttocks by spreading the flesh down toward the tailbone.
4. Then finish reclining, either onto the bed or the support of blankets or bolsters. Take both arms out to the side.
5. Stay in this pose for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Gradually extend your stay to 5 minutes. To come out of the pose, inhale and press your forearms against the bed, exhale and bring your chin towards your chest and come onto your hands back into Virasana. As you come up, lead with your sternum, not your head or chin.

 

Modifications and Propping:
• If you’re not able to recline fully on the bed, set a bolster or one or more folded blankets behind yourself to fully support your spine and head.
• Use as much height as you need to make the position reasonably comfortable.
• To help release the groins, lay some weight across the creases of the top thighs where they join the front pelvis.
• Start with a 10-pound sandbag and gradually over time increase the weight to 30 pounds or so.

Variations:
• Before doing Supta Virasana you can start with its halfway variation, Supta Ardha Virasana (Ardhameans half). To sit in Ardha Virasana, draw just your right leg back into Virasana. You can keep your left knee bent with the foot on the floor, or straighten your left leg by pushing out through the heel. Then recline as described above, either onto a support or the bed. Come out as recommended for Supta Virasana, then repeat with the left leg back.

Benefits:
• Stretches the abdomen, thighs, and deep hip flexors (psoas), knees, and ankles
• Strengthens the arches
• Relieves tired legs
• Improves digestion
• Helps relieve the symptoms of menstrual pain

Contraindications:
• Serious back problems
• Knee issues
• Ankle problems
• Avoid this pose unless you have the assistance of an experienced instructor.

4. Viparita Karani

Viparita means turned around, reversed, inverted; karani means doing, making, action. This is every body’s favorite pose. It is not only good for relaxation, but I could write an entire blog on the benefits this pose has when it comes to your lymphatic (immune) system. Proper propping is a must here. Go for the joy, bliss and just ahhh factor.

Steps:
1. Take two folded blankets placing the raw edges against a wall. Sit with your right side against the wall or headboard and your back against the blankets. Exhale, and with one smooth movement, and swing your legs up onto the wall or headboard as your bottom comes up onto the blankets and your shoulders and head slide down onto the bed.
2. Your sitting bones don’t need to be right against the wall, but they can be “dipping” down into the space between the support and the wall or headboard.
3. Lift and release the base of your skull away from the back of your neck and soften your throat. Open your shoulder blades away from the spine and release your hands and arms out to your sides, palms up.
4. Keep your legs relatively firm, just enough to hold them vertically in place. Release the heads of the thigh bones and the weight of your belly deeply into your torso, toward the back of the pelvis. Soften your eyes and turn them down to look into your heart.
5. Stay in this pose anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes. To come out of the pose, slide the legs down the wall (headboard), bend the knees and slowly sit up.

 

Variations:
• If you have enough wall space, you can slide your legs apart into a wide “V” to stretch your inner thighs and groins.
• You also can bend your knees, touch the soles of your feet together, and slide the outer edges of your feet down the wall, bringing your heels toward the pelvis.
• Then you can push your hands against the top inner thighs to stretch the groins.
• Remember, however, never push on your knees to open the groins.

Benefits:
• Anxiety
• Arthritis
• Digestive problems
• Headache
• High and low blood pressure
• Insomnia
• Migraine
• Mild depression
• Respiratory ailments
• Urinary disorders
• Varicose veins
• Menstrual cramps (performing pose during menstruation)
• Premenstrual syndrome
• Menopause
• Relieves tired or cramped legs and feet
• Gently stretches the back legs, front torso, and the back of the neck
• Relieves mild backache
• Calms the mind
• Helps drain lymphatic system

Contraindications
• During menstruation
• Serious eye problems
• Glaucoma
• Serious neck problems
• Serious back problems

5. Savasana

Sava means corpse (Corpse Pose). This is a great way to balance your prāna before you move to your favorite sleep position.

Steps:
1. From a seated position, roll down one vertebrae at a time, flex the knees as you roll down. Once your back is on the bed, straighten the legs. Allow the legs to open naturally. Lightly lift your buttocks off the bed by pushing down with your hands and lengthen through the lumbar spine. Lower the buttocks back to the bed.
2. Dorsi flex the right foot and lengthen the leg. Plantar flex the foot and hold for a couple of seconds. Then relax muscles in the leg, the ankle, and toes. Do the same for the left leg. Allow the calf and inner thigh to release. Leg may turn outwards naturally.
3. Lengthen the arms above your head for a long stretch, and then take them towards the ceiling as you open up your back, allowing the shoulder blades to stretch away from the spine. Bring the hands down by your sides with the palms facing the ceiling. Spread the fingers and then relax the shoulders and hands.
4. Bringing the chin to the chest, stretch the neck. Then lay the head back to the bed. Relax the jaw and soften the tongue off the top of the mouth.
5. Taking long deep breaths, allow the body to release any tension that remains in the body.
6. Stay in Savasana for 5-15 minutes. When you are ready to come out of the pose, take a couple of deep breaths, wiggle toes and fingers, and when ready, roll to the right side for a couple of breaths. By pressing the left hand into the bed, slowly push yourself up to seated position.

 

Modifications and propping:
• You can use a folded blanket or towel under the neck for comfort. You can also use an eye cover to help with relaxation.
• If it hurts your lower back to keep legs straight, you can place a folded blanket or bolster under the knees.
• If it hurts legs to allow them to turn outward, you can use a strap around the feet to keep the hips turned forward.

I think you will enjoy your “before you go to bed” poses so much that upon waking, you will want to do a few more asana to transition into the day centered and balanced. Watch for my next article on Yoga Asanas to do in Bed when you Wake up.

Source: curejoy.com

Study Reveals Senate Republicans Need a Nap to Fix Healthcare

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Image result for businessman napping

Republicans in both the House and Senate have had 7-years to create their replacement for Obamacare. From the moment, the Affordable Care Act was passed and forced upon the American people, Republicans have been saying they wanted to repeal and replace it with a better plan, but evidently, no one worked on that better plan until after last November’s election. House Republicans have voted at least half a dozen times to repeal Obamacare, over the past 6 years, but their actions were in vain as there was no way Barack Obama would ever sign a bill that repealed his flagship legislation and Republicans never had enough votes to override Obama’s appeal. Their gesture to repeal was nothing more than a gesture for their constituents and nothing more.

Yet through it all, they never worked on a replacement program. The actions of congressional Republicans remind me of millions of school kids who wait until the night before a paper is due to start writing it. The end result of those last-minute papers are about the same as the apparent results of the Republican plans (House and Senate) that have been seen so far.

Senate Democrats have offered to work with Senate Republicans to come up with a workable and acceptable replacement, but Republican leaders say all Democrats want to do is to delete what they don’t like and insert their plans, which are different than what Republicans want.

Because the current Senate version was so hastily and poorly constructed, there is not enough support, even among Republicans, to pass the measure, so a vote has been postponed until after the July 4th holiday recess. It just seems that Republicans aren’t able to concentrate and think properly.

Perhaps what they need to do is take a short nap every day to help them come up with a workable and acceptable healthcare plan?

According to a recent study conducted by the University of Colorado Boulder, taking a 15-to-20-minute nap increases learning, memory, awareness and also helps a person think more clearly. All of these are desperately needed by congressional Republicans.

A report on the study reads in part:

Studies have shown that short naps can improve awareness and productivity. You don’t need much; just 15 to 20 minutes can make a world of difference.

“According to a study from the University of Colorado Boulder discovered that children who didn’t take their afternoon nap didn’t display much joy and interest, had a higher level of anxiety, and lower problem solving skills compared to other children who napped regularly. The same goes for adults as well. Researchers with Berkeley found that adults who regularly take advantage of an afternoon nap have a better learning ability and improved memory function. Why is napping so essential? Because it gives your brain a reboot, where the short-term memory is cleared out and our brain becomes refreshed with new defragged space.”

“How long should you nap?”

“According to experts, 10 to 20 minutes is quite enough to refresh your mind and increase your energy and alertness. The sleep isn’t as deep as longer naps and you’re able to get right back at your day immediately after waking up. If you nap for 30 minutes you may deal with a 30-minute grogginess period because you wake up just as your body started entering a deeper stage of sleep. The same can be said if you sleep for an hour, but on the other hand, these 60-minute naps provide an excellent memory boost. The longest naps— lasting about 90 minutes—are recommended for those people who just don’t get enough sleep at night. Since it’s a complete sleep cycle, it can improve emotional memory and creativity.”

If only American employers would realize the significance of an afternoon power nap.

Could the solution be so simple that all Senate Republicans need is to take a 15-20-minute nap at least once a day to help them develop their replacement for Obamacare?

How This Showering Trick Can Make You More Energized for the Workday

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You’ll spend about 4,000 hours of your adult life showering — possibly more time than you spend reading, exercising or watching TV — but chances are, you’ve been doing it wrong.

If you take a morning shower, you probably think it energizes you for the day, but it can actually have the opposite effect.

In fact, a hot shower or bath is what many doctors recommend for people who have trouble falling asleep — to help them fall asleep. The reason: Emerging from a hot shower into cooler air brings a sudden decrease in body temperature, leading to a tranquil state of mind. This is helpful when you’re looking to fall asleep but not what you need before you start your day.

If your goal is to wake up in your morning shower, then you need to make a 90-second tweak.

The secret lies in the contrast. Here’s how to do it:

Once you’ve finished your normal cleaning ritual, crank the nozzle as cold as it goes, and stand under the water for about 30 seconds. Feel free to gasp or scream if it helps (some say it does).

After 30 seconds, turn the water up as hot as you can stand for another 30 seconds. This opens up the capillaries, increases blood flow and provides an all-around sense of stimulation.

Finally, cap it off with one more cycle of icy cold. Always end on cold.

You might be asking, “Why would I put myself through such discomfort first thing in the morning?” Because it works.

Hot and cold hydrotherapy has been used for thousands of years. In Finland, the sauna isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. The country is home to 2 million saunas (for a population of 5 million) with 99 percent of Finns enjoying the stress-relieving benefits of the sauna at least once a week.

I trust the Finns and scientific research provides further confirmation. Studies have shown that it provides a full-body tune-up, including:

Reduced stress: In a study on free radicals, 10 healthy subjects swam regularly in ice-cold water and showed adaptation to oxidative stress and hardening (an increased tolerance to stress). When building a business, combating stress is crucial for achieving clarity of mind.

A stronger immune system: Another study found that taking daily cold showers increases the number of disease-fighting white blood cells. In an attempt to warm up, the body speeds up its metabolic rate and activates the immune system, releasing more white blood cells.

Improved blood circulation: When exposed to cold water, our arteries and veins constrict. This temporary tightening allows blood to flow at a higher pressure, which is great for cardiovascular health.

Increased ability to burn fat: Research shows that cold-induced glucose uptake results in the creation of brown fat cells, which create warmth, burn energy and keep you slim.

Aid in battling depression: A 2008 study found that adapted cold showers stimulate the sympathetic nervous system and increase beta-endorphin levels in the blood. They send a high level of electrical impulses from peripheral nerve endings to the brain, which could produce an anti-depressant effect.

While trying out this new routine, you should fully expect discomfort but be equally prepared to start your day feeling more refreshed than ever before.

Young Woman Enjoying Coffee And Breakfast

Photo:huffingtonpost.com

Source: entrepreneur.com

Do You Have Brain Fog? Check Out Tips To Get Free of the Fog.

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Have you ever walked around my home feeling like a thick blanket of fog had invaded your brain.

Staring blankly at your computer screen, wondering, “what am I supposed to be doing right now?” walk into a room and think, “why did I come in here?” Have you ever been at a store and wonder, “why am I here? Now, what was I supposed to get again?”

Have you ever felt so foggy in your brain that you couldn’t focus on tasks or concentrate on anything…at all? Have you ever almost forgotten to pick your child up at school or that you had an important meeting? I have. And it’s the worst feeling.

You know, that one where you feel that pit in your stomach…that knot telling you you’re forgetting something but you don’t remember what that is. While I was in the throes of thyroid disease, this happened often. It was debilitating. I felt like a fool. I found myself embarrassed often…forgetting names, appointments and to-dos. There was no lighthouse in my brain to guide my way to shore…to my thoughts and ideas. I wondered if I was losing my mind.

Has this ever happened to you?

One of the many and MAJOR symptoms, or clues, that your thyroid may be imbalanced is the experience of having brain fog. It’s one of the most common complaints I hear in my practice and it’s one of the first symptoms we work on banishing to help clients reclaim their lives.

Are you losing your mind?

We have these immune cells in our brain called microglia. 10-15% of all cells in the brain are microglial cells. This is important to note because they are a powerhouse cell which mount the body’s first and main active form of immune defense in the central nervous system…..brain fog and a crazy nervous system, sound familiar?

Anyway, when these microglial cells get agitated by inflammation from a thyroid imbalance perhaps brought on by our diet or lifestyle, they mount a pretty potent attack on the brain and create that feeling of brain fog.

This is the same process linked to disorders such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other inflammatory conditions.

It’s all connected.

When we’re working to reverse a thyroid condition, we have to address multiple systems in the body at the same time. This is why there is no magic bullet, no quick fix to thyroid disorders (man, do I wish there was!) A thyroid imbalance or immune dysfunction is created by a multiple systems break down. So, when we want to banish that brain fog, we MUST look at several systems – the brain, the belly, our detox pathways, diet and lifestyle.

5 ways to start banishing brain fog

Remember those 5 areas we need to address initially to jump-start healing? Here are simple ways you can address each area effectively and start seeing some serious relief.

1. Heal the gut

Inflammation can start in the gut and the gut-brain connection is undeniable. We could discuss the science behind this all day but let’s talk about some quick tips to start lowering the inflammation in your gut and your brain.

Whether it comes to thyroid health, losing weight, halting the autoimmune response, reducing inflammation or ridding yourself of draining symptoms like brain fog, healing your gut is the first place to start. So, let’s talk about some real world strategies.

Trade your cup of Joe for a cup of bone broth.

Say what?

Cooking the bones, tendons, skin, and other parts of the animal that we don’t otherwise eat to make bone broth releases many beneficial vitamins, minerals, and other health-promoting substances into the broth in forms that are easy for our bodies to digest and use.

For example, bone broth contains collagen, proline, glycine, and glutamine that are great for your health, as well as minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and others that reduce inflammation, support the immune system, and even help heal allergies and other disorders.

Gelatin, which is produced from the breakdown of collagen, is particularly helpful for those of us with leaky gut and other digestive issues, because it can actually soothe the lining of the digestive tract and help heal and reverse dietary allergies and food sensitivities.

All of these substances are also anti-inflammatory, which is incredibly important for people fighting autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto’s and who want to limit inflammation in the brain.

Get your probiotic on.

As part of any gut health program, you’ll want to include potent probiotics to repopulate your gut with the good bacteria.

Support your digestive juices.

If you frequently suffer from heartburn, it might not just be the foods you eat, but an underlying problem of poor digestive enzyme activity. Betaine HCL + Pepsin can help increase stomach acid and enzyme activity. One caveat, though: you don’t want to supplement with HCL for so long that your body doesn’t rely on itself to produce stomach acid. This is a great jump start as you begin healing the gut but you should taper off use as your gut is repaired. This is a supplement that I recommend you take under the supervision of a knowledgeable practitioner.

2. Go gluten-free

Gluten molecules resemble thyroid tissue. They are highly inflammatory in the gut and the brain. If you have intestinal permeability (leaky gut) or a sensitivity to gluten (which most people with thyroid conditions do), your body will mistakenly attack your thyroid believing it is attacking the gluten molecules.

What happens with autoimmune disease is that the body is having an overactive immune response against substances and tissues normally present in the body. In addition, the thyroid gland is connected to so many of the body’s systems including gastrointestinal function, stomach acid production, adrenal hormone metabolism, changes in brain chemistry and liver detoxification. So, when a gluten molecule escapes through the walls of the digestive tract and the body starts attacking the gluten, it inadvertently begins to attack the thyroid as well, continuing its destruction.

That’s pretty serious stuff. Educated doctors and thyroid researchers insist that if you want to stop the destruction of the thyroid and the brain, you must stop eating gluten.

You may have heard all of this before, but now is the time to start acting on it. If you truly want to heal your thyroid condition and eliminate brain fog, you’ve got to love your body enough to put your hands up and drop the croissant.

“How can I give up my pasta or pizza? What will I eat instead?” you wonder. “Will I ever be full?”

I promise you will and there are loads of delicious, naturally gluten-free foods out there. Giving up gluten seems unappealing and daunting, I know. But you can shift your thinking from giving something up to gaining something back: your health, a clear mind, an energized body. This is not an act of self-deprivation, my friend; it is an act of self love.

I’ve been through it, and before I started living gluten-free, I wasn’t sure how I would ever succeed. But I did succeed. And I learned loads of tips and tricks and have a host of new recipe resources to boot. I began feeling so much better after parting ways with gluten that I don’t even feel like I need it anymore. Sure, a piece of fresh-baked bread smells delightful but my body doesn’t actually crave it anymore. And if this former chef and total foodie can do it, so can you. So go ahead…just do it!

3. Make sleep a priority

Poor sleep is a typical symptom for people with thyroid disorders and often it is just accepted as something you have to live with as part of having the disease. The problem is that insomnia or restless sleep must be addressed so that your endocrine system can be supported in order to heal.

We can’t be flippant about a sleep disorder. Too often, it’s accepted, solely medicated or totally disregarded. Discovering the most effective way to get to sleep and sleep well is a must for loving yourself back to health.

Here’s why:

1. Sleep loss can cause weight gain.

2. Lack of sleep can make you feel depressed.

3. Sleep deprivation can lead to serious health problems like heart disease, heart attack, heart failure, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes.

4. Lack of sleep affects libido.

5. Sleepiness impairs judgments and makes you prone to/causes accidents.

6. Sleep loss affects intellect and memory. (uh, hello!)

7. Lack of sleep ages your skin. (Yikes!)

Sound familiar? A lot of the symptoms of not getting enough sleep mirror the symptoms of thyroid, autoimmune disease and brain inflammation, so you must make sure you’re getting enough sleep to be sure that your symptoms aren’t being caused or exacerbated by exhaustion.

Simple tricks for getting to sleep

  • Maintain a regular sleep-wake schedule. I did this by trying to go to bed 15 minutes earlier each night for 5 nights until I was able to fall asleep by 10pm. I also set my alarm for 6am each day so I could exercise. After 3 days on the 10pm–6am schedule, I started waking up at 6am naturally and was noticeably less foggy.

  • Avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and other chemicals that interfere with sleep. I can’t stress this enough. I know you’re tired now in the morning so you like your cup of coffee but giving it up could be the difference between sleepless nights and sound rest. I went from drinking coffee several times a day to doing a caffeine detox. I don’t need or crave caffeine anymore. It’s pretty amazing.

  • Make your bedroom a comfortable sleep environment. Keep your bedroom uncluttered and cozy with the right bedding, blankets and a heater (if you need it).

  • Establish a calming pre-sleep routine. For instance, read something spiritual or meditative before bed. It’s actually a great time to do a 10–15 minute meditation.

  • Go to sleep when you’re tired. Don’t stay up to watch the end of that TV show or keep reading to finish a chapter. Research shows that our body wakes itself up after 10pm. Once you’re up later in the night, you’ll get a second wind and may struggle with falling asleep altogether.

  • Keep lights low in the evening. Bright household lights and light from computers and other electronic devices can disrupt messengers in your brain from eliciting the sleep response.

  • Don’t nap close to bedtime. Eating a light meal really helps with this one. If you eat a heavy, carb-laden dinner, you produce chemicals which will make you sleepy and want to take a nap. Taking a nap after dinner is gonna make it hard to fall asleep when it’s best for your body. Six to eight hours of restful sleep each night is crucial for maximum rejuvenation. Interestingly, studies have shown that your body is able to rejuvenate better if you fall asleep in the hours before midnight. Meaning, if you are sleeping eight hours between 10pm—6am, you will feel more rested than if you slept eight hours between Midnight and 8am I can attest to that as I’ve tested it out myself. If I fall asleep by 10pm, I can jump out of bed at 6am and am actually energized enough to exercise. When I stay up late watching TV or reading and go to sleep at 11 or 11:30pm, I’ll drag in the morning even if I’m sleeping the same amount of time.

  • Try setting yourself a sleep schedule and sticking to it. If you feel resistance to this, ask yourself why. Make a list of the best excuses you can think of, and then ask yourself, “Is X more important than my health?” Be honest with yourself and remember that loving yourself enough to give yourself what you need is the key to supporting healing.

4. Dry brush the ditz away

Dry brushing is a great way to stimulate your lymphatic system and my favorite way to start the morning. It’s quick to do (takes about 5 minutes) and I swear, it’s better than a cup of coffee. Yes, I just said that! BETTER THAN A CUP OF COFFEE. When you dry brush, your skin becomes invigorated, your being is enlivened and your brain wakes up! Once I’m finished dry brushing, I’m ready to start the day.

Do you know what your lymphatic system does? I didn’t until mine stopped working. Your lymphatic system is an extensive network that exists virtually everywhere in the body. It serves as the body’s primary system of immunity as it functions to create immune cells. Like a cleaning crew, this system also flushes toxins out of the body and moves fat to the circulatory system.

Toxins in our body can create inflammation everywhere in the body, including the thyroid, the gut and the brain. Remember those microglial cells, they don’t like what toxins do in the body so eliminating our toxic burden is key to keeping things calm in the thyroid, gut and brain.

Lymph, the clear liquid moved through the body via your lymphatic system is full of white blood cells (lymphocytes) which are your body’s main tools when there is an immune response. Having an efficient and functioning lymphatic system is crucial to good health.

Here’s more on why dry brushing is so good for you:

  • It relaxes the nervous system. Although dry brushing can feel a little odd the first few times you try it, those bristle are helping to stimulate nerve endings in the skin which refreshes your nervous system and helps keep ‘ya calm.
  • It increases circulation, buffs and smoothes your skin (great at exfoliating dry skin) and is touted to reduce the appearance of cellulite (I haven’t done it enough yet to support that claim but you can bet your bum I’ll tell you if it works!)
  • It helps with nutrient absorption, removal of toxins and improves blood circulation. This helps you stay healthy and keeps your body running more efficiently—and is totally key for supporting your thyroid health. Simple steps to dry brushing at home:
    1. Buy a good dry brush.
    2. Make sure your skin is dry (best to do this before your bath or shower).
    3. Begin from bottom and move upwards. You’ll use gentle circular motions or longer smoother strokes or a combination of both. I like to do smooth strokes for the legs but round strokes for the ankles, knees, bum, tummy, and elbows.
    4. Always start at your ankles and move toward your heart. Make sure to move the brush in the same direction.
    5. When you get to your back brush from the neck down instead toward your lower back.
    6. Be careful with sensitive skin and never brush over sores, shingles, scars, sun burned areas or areas with skin cancer.

Now that I’m in the habit of dry brushing, I can’t go a day without doing it. It really helps banish brain fog. You’ll notice its power too!

5. Oxygenate that noggin’ with some exercise

Having a fit brain and body does a world of good for brain fog. When I’m feeling fatigued and foggy, I jump on a rebounder for 5 minutes.

Physical activity provides much needed oxygen and blood flow to the brain. It stimulates the expression of hundreds of protective genes, and creates Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which is necessary to grow new neurons and help them survive. BDNF also protects your mature neurons from damage from stress, environmental toxins, and even traumatic brain injury.

Aerobic exercise has been shown to increase brain volume and to improve memory, concentration and executive function (complex thought and planning ability). Being sedentary, on the other hand, destroys your brain’s vascular network, which is why Alzheimer’s disease is now being called “type 3 diabetes” by some researchers.

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Photo:sclwl05.de

Your brain on the rebound

Ever heard of the exercise known as rebounding? You probably did it when you were a kid—without even knowing it! Rebounding is basically just bouncing on a trampoline or rebounder. It’s low-impact aerobic exercise that can jump-start your metabolism (pun intended!)—oh, and P.S. It’s pretty fun!

Rebounding is gentle enough for people who suffer from thyroid disorders and other chronic fatigue disorders, but it’s powerful enough to get your blood pumping and your body working. Plus, it helps your body detoxify by stimulating the lymphatic system and sweating out the toxins.

Rebounding reduces your body fat; firms your arms, legs, thighs, abdomen, and hips; increases your agility; strengthens your muscles overall; provides an aerobic effect for your cardiopulmonary systems; rejuvenates your body when it’s tired, and generally puts you in a state of mental and physical wellness. Wow!

That’s a lot of goodness from this one simple exercise. You can find an affordable rebounder and store it under your bed or in the closet. Mine sits in our closet and I hop on it for a minute or two before getting dressed in the morning.

Big Bonus Strategy

Reduce sugar!

Unfortunately, on a general level, sugar inhibits all healing. Sugar creates inflammation in your body and brain, turns off your body’s appetite-control function, leads to weight gain and belly fat, feeds candida (yeast) and has a host of additional toxic effects. All of that sounds terrible enough but it gets worse.

Many people with thyroid dysfunction seem to be especially sensitive to refined sugars or even consuming too many natural sugars. When you constantly consume sugar, you literally burn out your adrenal and thyroid glands and inflame your brain. There is a risk of damaging or even destroying the thyroid. If you don’t reduce or eliminate sugar in the diet, there is a risk for permanent damage and that’s no good!

Sugar can also affect your mood and energy levels.

I am not saying to cut sugar out of your diet forever. Fruits definitely have some health benefits as does raw honey, but by eliminating sugar from your diet for a short period of time, you let your body learn to regulate your blood sugar levels, get a better sense of when you’re actually hungry, increase your immune system’s ability to fight off illness, ward off candida infections and keep your brain functioning properly.

We dive deep into sugar detox in The Thyroid Fix in 6 but all you need to do to reduce your sugar is literally to stop eating it.

Banishing brain fog really gave me back my life…and it didn’t take that long to do it. By taking a few nourishing steps, like the ones listed above, I was able to see results quickly. So join me! Come out of the fog and see the light. It’s so clear out here….and now I know what I came in here for!

Source: hypothyroidmom.com

Which of the More Common Cancers Will You Have?

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Image result for cancer survivor

‘You have cancer’ is the phrase we all dread hearing from our doctor. Cancer is something that happens to other people, not you. However, do you know that the vast majority of Americans will hear that frightening statement from their doctor.

Knowing that, do have any idea of what the more common forms of cancer are?

To begin with there are over 200 different forms of cancer. Some are fairly rare and others are so common that you may not sleep well tonight after reading this.

In 2009, over 2 million Americans were diagnosed with just the 10 most common forms of cancer. The twelve most common types of cancer listed at the time and the number of cases diagnosed just that year per one source for 2009 were:

1- non-melanoma skin cancer – 1,000,000 cases

2- lung cancer – 219,440 cases

3- breast cancer – 194,280 cases

4- prostate cancer – 192,200 cases

5- colorectal cancer – 146,970 cases

6- bladder cancer – 71,000 cases

7- melanoma – 68,720 cases

8- non-Hodgkin lymphoma – 65,980 cases

9- kidney cancer – 49,000 cases

10- leukemia – 44,790 cases

Those were 2009 figures which tally up to 2,052,380 NEW cases of just these 10 types of cancer. In 2009, the US population was around 306,8 million people. While 2 million NEW cases of cancer may not sound that high compared to the entire nations population, consider the fact that each year there were about 2 million NEW cases, so combined with the 9 years prior to 2009, it’s safe to say that there were at least 20 million new cases of cancer diagnosed. To give you an idea of what the percentage is, put 100 people in a room and then realize that 6-7 of them will most likely be diagnosed with cancer or have already been diagnosed.

Since then, some cancers have been easier to detect and diagnose and others are just becoming more abundant. Part of the increases in some cancer rates are due to diets, lack of proper exercise, poor sleep habits, genetics and reasons unknown. Combining estimated figures from Cancer.net and the National Cancer Institute for 2017, for the same 10 common forms of cancer has risen to 4,138,970, more than double the number of cases diagnosed in just 2009. The same two sources estimate that at least 361,570 people will die this year JUST from these 10 forms of cancer. In that same room of 100 people, at least 12-14 will have been diagnosed with cancer in the past 10 years and at least 1 or 2 of them will die this year. Could it be you or someone you know?

These two sources also list four additional common types of cancer which will yield about 212,630 new cases this year and around 85,000 deaths.  Here are the 2017 estimates of new cases and death of 14 of the most common forms of cancer.

1- non-melanoma skin cancer – 3,000,000 cases – 2,000 deaths

2- lung cancer – 222,500 cases – 155,870 deaths

3- breast cancer (women) – 252,710 cases – 40,610 deaths – (male) – 2,470 cases – 460 deaths

4- prostate cancer – 161360 cases – 26,730 deaths

5- colorectal cancer – 135,430 cases – 50.260 deaths

6- bladder cancer – 79,030 cases – 16,870 deaths

7- melanoma – 87110 cases – 9,730 deaths

8- non-Hodgkin lymphoma – 72,240 cases – 20,140 deaths

9- kidney cancer – 63,990 cases – 14,400 deaths

10- leukemia – 62,130 cases – 24,500 deaths

11 – endometrial cancer – 61,380 cases – 10.920 deaths

12- liver cancer – 40,710 cases – 28,920 deaths

13- pancreatic cancer – 53,670 cases – 43,090 deaths *lowest % survival rate

14 – thyroid cancer – 57,870 cases – 2,010 deaths

Every great military leader says it’s best to know one’s enemy. The more you know about an enemy the better prepared you can be to defend against that enemy. Cancer is definitely an enemy to all of us. Not only is it a horrible and painful way to die, but it can cost tens of thousands of dollars in medical fees to try to fight and hopefully recover from.

Knowing which are the most common types of cancers and whether or not they tend to run in your family can be a huge advantage in helping you and your doctor to protect you from that enemy. Additionally, knowing more about each type of cancer and how things like diet, stress, lack of sleep and exercise can place you at more risk may also help you find a way to defend against it. In the near future, we hope to address some of these cancer forms more specifically to help you mount a strong defense.

8 things everyone should do before 8 a.m.

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Life is busy. It can feel impossible to move toward your dreams. If you have a full-time job and kids, it’s even harder.

How do you move forward?

If you don’t purposefully carve time out every day to progress and improve ,  without question, your time will get lost in the vacuum of our increasingly crowded lives.

Before you know it, you’ll be old and withered  —  wondering where all that time went.

As Harold Hill has said —  “You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you are left with nothing but a lot of empty yesterdays.”

Rethinking Your Life and Getting Out of Survival Mode

This article is intended to challenge you to rethink your entire approach to life. The purpose is to help you simplify and get back to the fundamentals.

Sadly, most people’s lives are filled to the brim with the nonessential and trivial. They don’t have time to build toward anything meaningful.

They are in survival mode. Are you in survival mode?

Like Bilbo, most of us are like butter scraped over too much bread. Unfortunately, the bread is not even our own, but someone else’s. Very few have taken the time to take their lives into their own hands.

It was social and cultural to live our lives on other people’s terms just one generation ago. And many millennials are perpetuating this process simply because it’s the only worldview we’ve been taught.

However, there is a growing collective-consciousness that with a lot of work and intention  —  you can live every moment of your life on your own terms.

You are the designer of your destiny.

You are responsible.

You get to decide. You must decide  —  because if you don’t, someone else will. Indecision is a bad decision.

With this short morning routine, your life will quickly change.

It may seem like a long list. But in short, it’s really quite simple:

  • Wake up
  • Get in the zone
  • Get moving
  • Put the right food in your body
  • Get ready
  • Get inspired
  • Get perspective
  • Do something to move you forward

Let’s begin:

1. Get A Healthy 7+ Hours of Sleep

Let’s face it  —  Sleep is just as important as eating and drinking water. Despite this, millions of people do not sleep enough and experience insane problems as a result.

The National Sleep Foundation (NSF) conducted surveys revealing that at least 40 million Americans suffer from over 70 different sleep disorders. Additionally, 60% of adults and 69% of children experience one or more sleep problems a few nights or more during a week.

In addition, “more than 40 percent of adults experience daytime sleepiness severe enough to interfere with their daily activities at least a few days each month — with 20 percent reporting problem sleepiness a few days a week or more.”

On the flipside, getting a healthy amount of sleep is linked to:

  • Increased memory
  • Longer life
  • Decreased inflammation
  • Increased creativity
  • Increased attention and focus
  • Decreased fat and increased muscle mass with exercise
  • Lower stress
  • Decreased dependence on stimulants like caffeine
  • Decreased risk of getting into accidents
  • Decreased risk of depression
  • And tons more … Google it.

The rest of this blog post is worthless if you don’t make sleep a priority. Who cares if you wake up at 5 a.m. if you went to bed three hours earlier?

You won’t last long.

You may use stimulants to compensate, but that isn’t sustainable. In the long run, your health will fall apart. The goal needs to be long-term sustainability.

2. Prayer and Meditation to Facilitate Clarity and Abundance

After waking from a healthy and restful sleep session, prayer and meditation can help you orient yourself toward the positive. What you focus on expands.

Prayer and meditation help facilitate intense gratitude for all that you have. Gratitude is having an abundance mindset. When you think abundantly, the world is your oyster. There is limitless opportunity and possibility for you.

People are magnets. When you’re grateful for what you have, you will attract more of the positive and good. Gratitude is contagious.

Gratitude may be the most important key to success. It has been called the mother of all virtues.

If you start every morning putting yourself in a space of gratitude and clarity, you will attract the best the world has to offer, and not get distracted.

3. Hard Physical Activity

If you want to be among the healthy, happy, and productive people in the world, get in the habit of regular exercise. Many people go immediately to the gym to get their body moving. I have lately found that doing yard work in the wee hours of the morning generates an intense inflow of inspiration and clarity.

Whatever your preference, get your body moving.

If you don’t care about your body, every other aspect of your life will suffer. Humans are holistic beings.

4. Consume 30 Grams of Protein

Donald Layman, professor emeritus of nutrition at the University of Illinois, recommends consuming at least 30 grams of protein for breakfast. Similarly, Tim Ferris, in his book, “The 4-Hour Body,” also recommends 30 grams of protein 30 minutes after waking up.

According to Tim, his father did this and lost 19 pounds in one month.

Protein-rich foods keep you full longer than other foods because they take longer to leave the stomach. Also, protein keeps blood-sugar levels steady, which prevents spikes in hunger.

Eating protein first decreases your white carbohydrate cravings. These are the types of carbs that get you fat. Think bagels, toast, and donuts.

Tim makes four recommendations for getting adequate protein in the morning:

  • Eat at least 40% of your breakfast calories as protein
  • Do it with two or three whole eggs (each egg has about 6g protein)
  • If you don’t like eggs, use something like turkey bacon, organic pork bacon or sausage, or cottage cheese
  • Or, you could always do a protein shake with water

5. Take A Cold Shower

Tony Robbins starts every morning by jumping into a 57-degree Fahrenheit pool.

Why would he do such a thing?

Cold water immersion radically facilitates physical and mental wellness. When practiced regularly, it provides long-lasting changes to your body’s immune, lymphatic, circulatory and digestive systems that improve the quality of your life. It can also increase weight-loss because it boosts your metabolism.

There is of course, an initial fear of stepping into a cold shower. Without a doubt, if you’ve tried this before, you have found yourself standing outside the shower dreading the thought of going in.

You may have even talked yourself out of it and said, “Maybe tomorrow.” And turned the hot water handle before getting in.

Or, maybe you jumped in but quickly turned the hot water on?

What has helped me is thinking about it like a swimming pool. It’s a slow painful death to get into a cold pool slowly. You just need to jump in. After 20 seconds, you’re fine.

It’s the same way with taking a cold shower. You get in, you heart starts beating like crazy. Then, after 20 seconds, you feel fine.

To me, it increases my willpower and boosts my creativity and inspiration. While standing with the cold water hitting my back, I practice slowing my breathing and calming down. After I’ve chilled out, I feel super happy and inspired. Lots of ideas start flowing and I become way motivated to achieve my goals.

6. Listen to/Read Uplifting Content

Ordinary people seek entertainment. Extraordinary people seek education and learning. It is common for the world’s most successful people to read at least one book per week. They are constantly learning.

I can easily get through one audiobook per week by just listening during my commute to school and while walking on campus.

Taking even 15–30 minutes every morning to read uplifting and instructive information changes you. It puts you in the zone to perform at your highest.

Over a long enough period of time, you will have read hundreds of books. You’ll be knowledgeable on several topics. You’ll think and see the world differently. You’ll be able to make more connections between different topics.

7. Review Your Life Vision

Your goals should be written down  —  short term and long term. Taking just a few minutes to read your life vision puts your day into perspective.

If you read your long term goals every day you will think about them every day. If you think about them every day, and spend your days working toward them, they’ll manifest.

Achieving goals is a science. There’s no confusion or ambiguity to it. If you follow a simple pattern, you can accomplish all of your goals, no matter how big they are.

A fundamental aspect of that is writing them down and reviewing them every single day.

8. Do At Least One Thing Toward Long-Term Goals

Willpower is like a muscle that depletes when it is exercised. Similarly, our ability to make high-quality decisions becomes fatigued over time. The more decisions you make, the lower quality they become  —  the weaker your willpower.

Consequently, you need to do the hard stuff first thing in the morning. The important stuff.

If you don’t, it simply will not get done. By the end of your day, you’ll be exhausted. You’ll be fried. There will be a million reasons to just start tomorrow. And you will start tomorrow  —  which is never.

So your mantra becomes: The worst comes first. Do that thing you’ve been needing to do. Then do it again tomorrow.

If you take just one step toward you big goals every day, you’ll realize those goals weren’t really far away.

 Conclusion

After you’ve done this, no matter what you have for the rest of your day, you’ll have done the important stuff first. You’ll have put yourself in a place to succeed. You’ll have inched toward your dreams.

Because you’ll have done all these things, you’ll show up better in life. You’ll be better at your job. You’ll be better in your relationships. You’ll be happier. You’ll be more confident. You’ll be more bold and daring. You’ll have more clarity and vision.

Your life will shortly change.

You can’t have mornings like this consistently without waking up to all that is incongruent in your life. Those things you despise will meet their demise. They’ll disappear and never return.

You’ll quickly find you’re doing the work you’re passionate about.

Your relationships will be passionate, meaningful, deep, and fun!

You will have freedom and abundance.

The world, and the universe, will respond to you in beautiful ways.

Source: businessinsider.com

12 Weekend Habits of Highly Successful People

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Source: lifehack.org

I’ve read countless articles about what successful people do on their weekends. Do you want to know the secret? It’s the same thing that they do every other day. As Aristotle said, “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

Here are 12 weekend habits of highly successful people:

1. Robert Iger: Get up early

This Disney CEO is not the only executive claiming to rise at 4:30 every morning. Successful people do not stay in bed until 2 p.m. on a Sunday. Or even 11 a.m. Research shows that our brains are sharpest two and a half to four hours after waking. Get up early on a weekend and you’ve got a head start on the rest of the world.

2. Benjamin Franklin: Have a plan

Apparently, this founding father asked himself every morning, “What good shall I do today?” Successful people know the importance of even daily goals — the weekends are no exception. Sure, they can be a time for (planned and purposeful) rejuvenation, but you don’t have to be President to know that general slacking off is not an option.

3. Timothy Ferris: Don’t multi-task

Multi-tasking is so 2005. It may be tempting to maximize your weekend productivity by running on the treadmill while calling your mother and trolling your newsfeed, but successful people know that this just reduces efficiency and effectiveness. Instead, be present for each single activity. Ferris recommends a maximum of two goals or tasks per day to ensure productivity and accomplishments align.

4. Anna Wintour: Stay active

Vogue’s editor-in-chief commits to playing tennis for one hour every day. And she’s not the only big-shot making time for exercise. Richard Branson stays active with kite surfing and India’s fourth-richest billionaire is a serial marathon runner. Successful people know the importance of an active body for an active mind — weekends included. If nothing else, it will also counteract that glass of wine and cheese platter from Saturday night.

5. Steve Jobs: Prioritize what’s important

“Things don’t have to change the world to be important.” Weekends are the time to remind yourself of the forgotten little things — to keep your work-life harmony (the new ‘balance’) in check and reset if needed. Spending time with your friends, children or partner might not directly increase profits that day or propel you into the limelight, but that doesn’t make it any less important. Even the current US President famously makes time to sit down for dinner with his family.

6. Warren Buffet: Make time for hobbies

He may be considered the most successful investor of the 20th century, but in his “spare” time Buffett likes to play the ukulele. Successful people are often interesting people — and their hobbies have a lot to do with that. Sure, golfing on Saturdays can be a great way to network and source business opportunities. But, even solo hobbies — knitting like Meryl Streep or oil painting like George W. Bush — can aid success through fostering creativity and relieving stress.

7. Oprah: Practice stillness

Forbes’ most powerful celebrity of 2013 still finds time to sit in stillness for 20 minutes — twice a day! This once-best-kept secret of the yogis is now common knowledge. Even the corporate world is acknowledging the benefits of meditation and mindfulness for reducing stress, improving productivity, facilitating creativity and maintaining general well-being. The weekends can often be busier than week days with attempting to cram in chores, exercise, family commitments, social engagements and more into a 48-hour period. The most successful people take daily time out for stillness, weekends included. They don’t call it a meditation “practice” for nothing.

8. Randi Zuckerberg: Forget FOMO, Embrace JOMO

We’ve all done it — posted a tastefully filtered snap of our weekend antics or checked in on social media to elicit “likes” and envy from our friends/followers (#bragging). Enter, the era of FOMO (fear of missing out). On weekends, we’re even more prone to FOMO. But the founder and CEO of Zuckerberg Media (and, you guessed it, the sister to Facebook’s creator) says people should be focusing on JOMO (the joy of missing out) — the mantra that “there is nowhere I’d rather be than exactly where I am.” Successful people are often competitive, high achievers by nature — practicing an attitude of gratitude and resisting social-media-induced FOMO is key for a happy weekend. And isn’t happiness the real marker of success?

9. Bill Gates: Take time to reflect

The founder of Microsoft famously said, “It’s fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure.” Reflection should be a daily practice but the weekends are a perfect opportunity to step back and reflect on the lessons of the previous week and to make improvements for the next. Author of “The Happiness Project,” Gretchen Rubin, suggests starting a “one sentence journal” to encourage daily reflection. Make Saturday or Sunday your day to flick back through the week’s entries!

10. Richard Branson: Give back

This billionaire entrepreneur says that “it is amazing how focusing your mind on issues like health, poverty, conservation and climate change can help to re-energize your thinking in other areas.” Successful people agree with Anne Frank: “No one has ever become poor from giving.” Tom Corley studied the rich for five years before writing his book “Wealthy Habits: The Daily Success Habits of Wealthy Individuals.” He found that 73% of wealthy people volunteer for five or more hours per month. Nothing helps put things in perspective and reduce stress more than helping those less fortunate. Weekends are a great time to get involved in local and community volunteer events.

11. Jack Dorsey: Get ready for the rest of the week

The Twitter and Square co-founder is notorious for 16-hour work days from Monday to Friday but says, “Saturday I take off. I hike. And then Sunday is reflections, feedback, strategy and getting ready for the rest of the week.” Forget Sunday blues, let’s call it “Sort-Your-Life-Out Sunday.” Laura Vanderkam, author of “What the Most Successful People Do on the Weekend,” says successful people know that weekends are actually the secret weapon in professional success: “You need to hit Monday ready to go.”

12. Jay Z: Keep up the momentum

He’s made an empire as a highly successful rap artist and entrepreneur, and the secret is right there in his lyrics: “You can want success all you want, but to get it, you can’t falter. You can’t slip. You can’t sleep. One eye open, for real, and forever.” (Decoded) Jay Z didn’t become worth $520 million by only wanting it five out of seven days of the week. If you want to eventually spend your weekends on a luxury yacht in the Caribbean with Beyoncé, unrelenting grit and persistence might just get you there. Well, we can always dream, right?

It’s settled then. Success is a 24/7 lifestyle choice — weekends included!

How Exercise Keeps Us Young

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Source:  well.blogs.nytimes.com

Active older people resemble much younger people physiologically, according to a new study of the effects of exercise on aging. The findings suggest that many of our expectations about the inevitability of physical decline with advancing years may be incorrect and that how we age is, to a large degree, up to us.

Aging remains a surprisingly mysterious process. A wealth of past scientific research has shown that many bodily and cellular processes change in undesirable ways as we grow older. But science has not been able to establish definitively whether such changes result primarily from the passage of time — in which case they are inevitable for anyone with birthdays — or result at least in part from lifestyle, meaning that they are mutable.

This conundrum is particularly true in terms of inactivity. Older people tend to be quite sedentary nowadays, and being sedentary affects health, making it difficult to separate the effects of not moving from those of getting older.

In the new study, which was published this week in The Journal of Physiology, scientists at King’s College London and the University of Birmingham in England decided to use a different approach.

They removed inactivity as a factor in their study of aging by looking at the health of older people who move quite a bit.

“We wanted to understand what happens to the functioning of our bodies as we get older if we take the best-case scenario,” said Stephen Harridge, senior author of the study and director of the Centre of Human and Aerospace Physiological Sciences at King’s College London.

To accomplish that goal, the scientists recruited 85 men and 41 women aged between 55 and 79 who bicycle regularly. The volunteers were all serious recreational riders but not competitive athletes. The men had to be able to ride at least 62 miles in six and a half hours and the women 37 miles in five and a half hours, benchmarks typical of a high degree of fitness in older people.

The scientists then ran each volunteer through a large array of physical and cognitive tests. The scientists determined each cyclist’s endurance capacity, muscular mass and strength, pedaling power, metabolic health, balance, memory function, bone density and reflexes. They also had the volunteers complete the so-called Timed Up and Go test, during which someone stands up from a chair without using his or her arms, briskly walks about 10 feet, turns, walks back and sits down again.

The researchers compared the results of cyclists in the study against each other and also against standard benchmarks of supposedly normal aging. If a particular test’s numbers were similar among the cyclists of all ages, the researchers considered, then that measure would seem to be more dependent on activity than on age.

As it turned out, the cyclists did not show their age. On almost all measures, their physical functioning remained fairly stable across the decades and was much closer to that of young adults than of people their age. As a group, even the oldest cyclists had younger people’s levels of balance, reflexes, metabolic health and memory ability.

And their Timed Up and Go results were exemplary. Many older people require at least 7 seconds to complete the task, with those requiring 9 or 10 seconds considered to be on the cusp of frailty, Dr. Harridge said. But even the oldest cyclists in this study averaged barely 5 seconds for the walk, which is “well within the norm reported for healthy young adults,” the study authors write.

Some aspects of aging did, however, prove to be ineluctable. The oldest cyclists had less muscular power and mass than those in their 50s and early 60s and considerably lower overall aerobic capacities. Age does seem to reduce our endurance and strength to some extent, Dr. Harridge said, even if we exercise.

But even so, both of those measures were higher among the oldest cyclists than would be considered average among people aged 70 or above.

All in all, the numbers suggest that aging is simply different in the active.

“If you gave this dataset to a clinician and asked him to predict the age” of one of the cyclists based on his or her test results, Dr. Harridge said, “it would be impossible.” On paper, they all look young.

Of course, this study is based on a single snapshot of an unusual group of older adults, Dr. Harridge said. He and his colleagues plan to retest their volunteers in five and 10 years, which will provide better information about the ongoing effects of exercise on aging.

But even in advance of those results, said Dr. Harridge, himself almost 50 and an avid cyclist, this study shows that “being physically active makes your body function on the inside more like a young person’s.”

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