evox Television - healthy living

Your Body and Sleep

Mikkie Mills — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 01:36:17 +0000

Many of us have too much going on in our lives with too little time to do it. Often sleep can be the first thing to be sacrificed when we don’t have enough time, but sleep is not just a luxury that we afford when it works, it is something necessary for our bodies to function. Your body uses sleep as a method to recharge and without it, we can begin to experience health issues and decreases in our body’s ability to perform daily tasks. Consider how much sleep your body needs and why it is important so that you can embrace a more restful night’s sleep.

How Much Sleep Do You Need and Why?

The amount of sleep is a critical component of staying healthy, and the optimal amount of sleep that we need is 7 to 9 hours per night for the average adult. This means that those hours are ones we should be asleep and not just sitting in our beds. During this timeframe, our bodies go through various stages, allowing our bodies to recharge and essentially heal from the day’s stress and tasks. While 7 to 9 hours is the optimal amount of sleep, many of us get far less than this, as it often feels like there is not enough time in the day. Increasing the amount of time we are asleep may require a change in priorities and schedules, but can yield positive results.

What Can Sleep Deprivation Do?

Sleep deprivation is described as a state where an individual is not achieving enough hours or optimal sleep. This could mean that you are not achieving enough sleep over a short time or that you have diminished sleep quality over a longer timeframe, but all of these can influence your health. It has been proven that a severely sleep-deprived person will actually function similarly to a person who is intoxicated, and therefore, would struggle with thinking clearly, operating a vehicle and processing information. These are important factors, as our ability to complete daily tasks can be severely diminished, if not impossible. Over time, sleep deprivation can lead to significant medical conditions, including high blood pressure, a decreased immune system and increased risk of heart disease.

What If You Have Trouble Falling Asleep?

Many of us have a difficult time falling asleep, and can struggle to initiate the process of sleep. Whether it is due to stress, not being able to quiet your mind or even focusing on needing to fall asleep, all of these factors can impede our ability to get the process of sleep started. However, even for folks who struggle with sleep, there are many strategies out there to assist so that they can enjoy a restful evening. Some useful strategies include shutting off screens and electronic devices at least one hour before bedtime, exercising during the day but not within three hours of bedtime, and avoiding rich foods that are high in fat, sugar, and carbs before bed. All of these strategies can aid one’s ability to fall asleep easier. However, improved sleep hygiene can be helpful to anyone regardless of their ability to fall asleep quickly.

What Is Sleep Hygiene?

Sleep hygiene, also known as a designated routine that occurs before going to bed, can be a useful tool to aid in a restful night’s sleep. By designating a routine, you signal to your body that these tasks mean it is time for bedtime. Your set schedule can consist of music, powering down electronic devices, taking a shower or bath, or any number of tasks that signal to your brain that it is time for sleep. Regardless of what tasks you choose, it is important to stick to a schedule as much as you can if you are looking to improve your sleep.

Sleep can often feel like a luxury that many of us cannot afford, however, it is an essential component of our wellbeing that too often goes overlooked. Consider what strategies you can integrate into your daily life to improve your restful and restorative behaviors to improve your health.

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Move

4 Common Toxic Chemicals That May Be Lurking in Your Home

The Green Divas — Thu, 21 Mar 2019 21:43:28 +0000

Unfortunately, toxic chemicals are lurking in almost every corner of our homes.

Everyday consumers purchase tons of harmful ingredients that may not be safe for pets and kids because…

some ingredients are not required to be listed on the item’s packaging.
chemicals are so widely used that we are all guilty of feeling that proper testing and caution must have been used when adding such a chemical to a home product—surely it must be safe.

I am here to inform you about some extremely common chemicals that are hiding in our homes (inside bug spray, the swimming pool, air fresheners, and more) and how to go without or create an alternative product.

1. Pesticides

Bug sprays for the home and lawn contain an unfathomable amount of different chemicals.

Even if these products say they are safe for home use they may still linger after they are dried. The U.S. National Library of Medicine lists arsenic, chlorine, ammonia, and formaldehyde among many common ingredients used for pest control. These chemicals produce a number of effects from skin and eye irritation to endocrine & hormone disruption and cancer.

What you can do:

The best thing to do is be diligent about keeping your home and garden clear of pests.

Keeping a sparkling home will keep pests away. Checking around the exterior base of your home will show where any bugs may be able to enter. Bugs like ants can easily be swept or sprayed with water. However, some stubborn insects may need a little more help. Mosquitos are attracted to standing water. Make sure all outside water sources are dumped when not in use.

Natural repellents like garlic and rosemary work as well. For creepy crawlies like spiders, try some diluted peppermint oil in any dark spaces that these pests may lurk.

2. BPA Plastic

Bisphenol A has been used to make plastic since the 60s. Not only is it used in the making of plastics, it is also used as a coating for cans, boxes, and even dental sealants. According to Mayo Clinic, the BPA chemical can be found in food or drink that was stored in a BPA plastic container.

It seems that BPA can slowly leak into foods and drink over time and if heat is applied to the plastic. This is a cause for concern because studies have shown some possible negative effects on the brain and fetus development.

What about BPA-Free? Not a better choice, according to Michael Green of Center for Environmental Health. Listen to this GD myEARTH360 Report then read Michael’s post to learn more.

What you can do:

Use glass, metal, or ceramic containers instead of plastic. A very common BPA item is water bottles. There are many other water bottle alternatives instead of plastic.

3. Chlorine

The most common chemical in home pools and spas is chlorine.

Chlorine is proven to react with the water in the body and immediately begin to destroy cells on contact. Information from the Environmental Protection Agency states,

“Chlorine is a commonly used household cleaner and disinfectant. Chlorine is a potent irritant to the eyes, the upper respiratory tract, and lungs.”

Why this is still used in pools today is a mystery because there are several other options available which do just as good of a job at sanitizing the pool and are safe around pets and kids.

What you can do:

One such alternative option is an ozone pool sanitizer. Basically, what it does is oxygenates the pool water and neutralizes any algae and/or bacteria. With this method, pools contain about 80 percent less chlorine than a regular pool.

4. Lead

Even though lead-based paints (for the most part) are a thing of the past there are still traces in many forms. Most commonly this compound can be found in our drinking water.

Older homes may have lead pipes which can seep into the water supply. Even some newer appliances are allowed to have a small amount of lead present. Some pesticides even have lead inside.

Unfortunately, this translates to a higher dosage of lead inside many fruit juices. Lead has been shown to disrupt healthy hormone production. This can cause a large chemical imbalance in the body which leads to an array of issues with everyday bodily functions.

What you can do:

Simply installing a water filter gets rid of that problem pronto! Not just any filter will do. Make sure that the filter you are using specifically removes lead and other metals from drinking water.

Even some “natural” fruit juices are thought to still contain some small amounts of lead. So, eating a whole, healthy, and fresh organic diet can lower lead levels in the body.

Trisha Miller is a freelance writer from Boise, ID. She is dedicated to a vegan lifestyle and promotes all-around healthy living. To her, spreading the word about eco-friendliness is the first step to sustainable living. She runs a blog thatdangvegan.blogspot.com and can be found on Twitter @thatdangvegan

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Living

The Connection Between Exercise and Mental Power

Jade Pulman — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 18:04:36 +0000

There is no doubt that regular exercise provides amazing benefits for your body and overall well-being. When you use your muscles, accelerate your heart rate, and breathe deeply, oxygen flows through the bloodstream and invigorates your entire system.

Although many people exercise to keep their bodies looking great, the brain, in fact, is a major internal organ that directly reaps the benefits of exercise. Studies have shown that working out regularly can boost your memory, improve concentration, elevate your mood, stimulate creative thinking, and counteract the decline of neurological tissue. So, if your mind is feeling less sharp, you are feeling lethargic or depressed, or if you need a boost of creative inspiration, see how exercises as simple as walking or a quick pullup routine can activate your dormant mental powers.

Memory Improvements

The brain’s central location for learning and memory is located in the hippocampus. What’s more, studies have shown that the hippocampus is the portion of the brain that benefits most from cardiovascular exercise. In clinical research that traced the effects of exercise on every age group, neurologists have determined that the hippocampus actually increases in size when people exercise regularly. Further investigations have also indicated that accelerating your heart rate while learning new concepts can increase the brain’s capacity to learn new concepts.

Focused Concentration

In addition to an improved capacity to memorize information, exercise can also boost concentration power. In both European and American studies, scientists have concluded that aerobic activities and athletics can increase attention spans, prevent getting distracted, improve the efficacy of multitasking, and better prime individuals to retain new information. If you are having trouble concentrating, try implementing even a view minutes of light exercise to invigorate your mental energy and regain focus on the task at hand.

Mood Boosting Powers

Physical activity has the capacity to release endorphins into the brain, priming the brain for increased uptake of serotonin, the brain’s “feel-good” chemical. That’s right, a runner’s high is not a myth. Both during and after exercise, the brain receives a hormonal boost that can counteract depression and keep you feeling great. If running is too much of a high-impact exercise for you, even more tranquil activities like yoga can stimulate a similar effect. Not only does yoga help release endorphins, but it also helps to hone the body’s capacity to relax while under duress. Some tests have shown that the focused breathing and meditation of yoga can actually shrink the amygdala, the part of the brain related to the body’s stress responses.

Stimulate Creative Thought

Any exercise, even something as simple as walking outdoors, can help improve creativity. Sometimes, the brain can feel boxed in and restrained by working in an office cubicle or in front of a computer all day. Taking a leisurely walk can provide a change of scenery, encourage introspection, and grant visual perspective. When participating in any kind of outdoor activity, take the time to visually scan your surroundings and think deeply about your environment. Taking a walk before completing any task requiring innovative thought will surely get your creative juices flowing.

Counteract the Degeneration of Brain Tissue

While an exercise routine will certainly benefit you at any age, no other demographic has demonstrated the full effects of lifelong fitness more than the elderly. Regular exercise improves blood circulation to the brain, and it can prevent the risk of strokes, dementia, and other neurological disorders from surfacing during old age. Exercise also slows the degeneration of the cerebellum, the brain’s center for balance. This protects the elderly from vertigo, dangerous falls, and even motion sickness. Even in other age groups, exercise improves hormone production, maintains clear pathways for blood vessels to flow, and can stimulate the growth of new neurological tissue.

Yes, exercise can increase your aerobic endurance and visibly improve your muscular strength, but don’t ignore the benefits of working out for the brain. All age groups have demonstrated the capacity for exercise to stimulate brain function and even combat the neurological effects of aging. The next time you find yourself in a mental slump, carefully evaluate your exercise habits, and see if even some moderate changes to your daily routine help reactivate your hidden mental power.

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Move

Tips for Getting and Keeping Healthy Skin This Season

Cary Teller — Thu, 09 Mar 2017 11:00:00 +0000

Winter Into Spring

The winter weather can take a toll on your skin. The cold, dry air can cause your skin to become itchy and irritated. Fortunately, there are things that you can do to keep your skin healthy all winter long.

Use Non-Foaming Cleansers

Foaming cleansers are great for cleansing your skin. However, they are not the best things to use during colder months. Foaming cleansers have a tendency to dry out your skin. That is why it is best to switch to a non-foaming cleanser for the winter season.

Do not Take Long Showers

Hot water has a tendency to remove moisture from the skin. You should take shorter showers in lukewarm water. If you prefer to take baths during the winter, then you may want to put essential oils or CBD oil in the winter. The oils will help moisturize your skin. They can also help you relax.

Use a Different Moisturizer

Moisturizing is one of the keys to keeping your skin healthy any time of year. You should use a creamy moisturizer in the cold because it is more effective at keeping your skin moisturized. You may also want to use sunscreen. Contrary to popular belief, sunscreen is still necessary during the winter.

Use a Humidifier

The dry air in your home can also dry out your skin. If you are using your heater, then the air may dry out even more quickly. You should use a humidifier, which will help increase the moisture in your home environment. You may also want to purchase air filters, which have the added benefit of removing pollutants from the air.

Change Your Diet

Even if you are taking good care of your skin during the winter, you still have to follow a good diet. You should try to drink eight or more cups of water per day. And definitely go for the H20 since tea, soda, and coffee have a tendency to dehydrate you.

You should also include watery foods in your diet, such as soups. Additionally, make sure that your diet includes plenty of omega 3 fatty acids. Walnuts, salmon, and flaxseeds are great sources of omega 3s.

Exfoliate Your Skin

Your skin should be exfoliated once or twice a week. This is an important part of your skincare routine to remove dead and dry skin cells. Keep in mind that you will not be able to moisturize your skin properly if there are a lot of dead cells on the surface. Therefore, exfoliating makes it easier for your skin to absorb the products that you put on it.

It also increases blood circulation, which helps increase the flow of nutrients to your skin. Furthermore, exfoliating your skin will improve its texture.

Avoid Toxins

Your skin is more sensitive during the winter months. If you have an existing skin condition, such as psoriasis, eczema, or dermatitis, then your skin is even more sensitive to toxins. That is why you should avoid toxins, such as chemical-laden detergents. Irritating fabrics, such as wool, can also worsen inflammatory skin conditions.

Remove Your Makeup

If you wear makeup, then you will need to remove it before you go to bed every night. Going to bed with makeup on can lead to a variety of skin problems, such as clogged pores, acne, puffiness, and fine lines. The skin rejuvenates itself while you are sleeping. However, your skin will not be able to do this effectively if you go to sleep with makeup on.

Dress in Layers

It is important to dress in layers when you go outside. You should also wear gloves and hats. Dressing in layers will not only keep you warm, it will also protect your skin. The cold weather can also make skin conditions worse.

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Living

7 Small Towns Taking Big Steps to Get People Walking

YES Magazine — Thu, 13 Aug 2015 10:00:00 +0000

by Jay Walljasper / YES! Magazine

These communities are helping residents take steps towards healthier lives by making walking a priority.

1. Albert Lea, Minnesota (pop. 18,000)

In 2009 citizens of Albert Lea adopted a wellness plan inspired by Blues Zones, a book by National Geographic Fellow Dan Buettner, which examines places around the world where people are the healthiest and live longest. In the past six years the city has put new hiking trails in parks, installed new sidewalks, and added other pedestrian improvements downtown. The community's campaign to promote physical activity has increased walking by 70 percent.

2. Hamburg, New York (pop. 57,000)

This upstate New York city is a national leader in building roundabouts. Roundabouts reduce crashes and tame busy streets, helping pedestrians and bicyclists feel safe crossing intersections.

3. Batesville, Arkansas (pop. 10,500)

Batesville has revived its downtown area by slowing traffic speeds, narrowing streets, restoring diagonal parking, extending sidewalks, and building recreational trails along the White River.

4. Hernando, Mississippi (pop. 15,000)

Hernando was named the healthiest community in their state by the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation. And Hernando lives up to its title by requiring all new development and redevelopment projects to include sidewalk installation in their construction. The community also sponsors a Safe Routes to Schools program for kids, offers Healthy Eating and Active Living classes, and has passed a Complete Streets law that promotes walking and biking.

5. Hendersonville, North Carolina (pop. 13,000)

In Hendersonville, a busy road bisecting downtown was narrowed to two lanes with wider sidewalks and traffic calming features. The results: an increase in walking and a surge in retail shops in the area.

6. Anaconda, Montana (pop. 9,000)

After a Community Health Assessment showed alarming rates of diabetes and obesity, Anaconda is determined to become more walkable. They recently brought in Walk[Your City] to add new street signs directing people to places within walking distance. The community of Anaconda has also welcomed America Walks to help them brainstorm ways to encourage residents to travel by foot more often.

7. Murray, Kentucky (pop. 18,000)

At one point the streets of Murray were so dangerous that children were prohibited from walking or biking to school. Thankfully local officials stepped in and build three miles of sidewalks around schools and in low-income neighborhoods.

Jay Walljasper wrote this article for YES! Magazine. Jay writes, speaks and consults about how to create more healthy, happy, enjoyable communities. He is the author of the Great Neighborhood Book. His website: www.JayWalljasper.com

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Living

Zen Cheating

Sam Page — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 05:00:00 +0000

Many people drink alcohol, eat ice cream, and smoke cigarettes. All of these habits affect health negatively by reducing energy levels and taxing the body. What about these bad habits that die hard?

One way to rid yourself of a bad habit is by walking through—not away from—it by using a concept I call “Zen Cheating."

A female client once confessed to me that she preferred ice cream over sex. I explained Zen Cheating, and when I told her she could eat as much ice cream as she wanted, her eyes lit up with excitement!

“But,” I said, “you have to do it while sitting in front of a full length mirror, watching yourself eat every single bite.”

Her eyes glazed over at the enormity of this challenge, but she accepted it. The next week, she reported back that she’d used “Zen Cheating” to drastically reduce her consumption of ice cream and get on the treadmill. And she’d even started thinking about having actual sex!

Grab a full length mirror, the ice cream (or do whatever) and watch yourself eat every bite. Really get present and examine your face closely in the mirror as you do this. I promise you an enormously powerful impact.

Brand Category:

Move

Make Your Own Cold/Flu-Fighting Herbal Teas

Andrew Mersmann — Sun, 12 Oct 2014 00:57:35 +0000

It has begun. People around you are sneezing and sniffling. Moans and groans are heard as you pass by an achey soul on the street. Co-workers are drooping over their desks or maybe calling in sick. You may have already had a bout of your own with too many tissues and a desperate longing for bed.

We are entering cold and flu season, when our immunities are challenged, and they don't always win. You can always buy soothing teas, but why not make your own remedy herbal teas and herbal infusions at home? You probably wont have all of these ingredients lying around the house, but they aren't difficult to source. Make plenty to have on hand, then brew up a bit whenever you crave a little comfort in a cup.

For each of these recipes, scale the amounts to make as much bulk tea as you'd like to have on hand, then steep 2 Tablespoons of herbal mix in a tea ball or sachet, for at least 10 minutes in a cup of steaming hot water. Add honey or agave to sweeten, if desired. Breathe in the aromas between sips and hold the warm cup in your palms for the full healing tea experience.

Sage for Sleep

1 part dried sage
1 part dried catnip
1 part peppermint leaf
juice of half a lemon
honey to taste

Sore Throat Tea

1 part slippery elm
1 part licorice root
1 part marshmallow root
1 part anise
1 part wild cherry

Immunity Boost

2 parts green tea leaves
1 slice fresh ginger root
pinch of cayenne pepper
honey to taste

Symptom Buster

2 parts peppermint leaf
2 parts elder flower
1 part elder berry
1 part dried ginger root

Open Respiratory Passages

2 parts Oolong tea
1 part rosemary
1 part chamomile
1 part rose hips

Vitamin C Booster

2 parts hibiscus flowers
2 parts rose hips
1 part lemongrass
1 part dried lemon peel
dash of cinnamon

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Nourish

Can Sleep Wellness Replace Sleeping Pills?

Sacred Sleep — Mon, 09 Dec 2013 05:00:00 +0000

The Food and Drug Administration recently recommended that women lower their doses of sleeping aids containing zolpidem, such as Ambien, in order to reduce the risks of morning sleepiness and car accidents. According to the , sleeping pills have boomed in popularity with the increasingly frantic pace of modern American life, with 60 million prescriptions dispensed in 2011.
It is exactly that common inability to sleep due to our lifestyle that inspired us to create Sacred Sleep. We want to holistically address this need by helping people with what we call Lifestyle Sleep Wellness:
1. Acknowledging the importance of good sleep to health.
A lifestyle of full engagement and accomplishment is what most people strive for. Except that it is only half of what balances our lives. The other half is sleep in the form of re-energizing and renewal.
2. Setting an intention to get a sufficient quality and quantity of sleep.
We spend so much effort expending our energy outward to have the lifestyle we tell ourselves we need, yet we often do not place an equal amount of value on the how, when, where and why of bringing energy back in. Balancing energy out and energy in helps create wellness.
3. Committing to habits and rituals for sleeping well.
What can we do? Many things. And we are dedicated to holding a space for conversations and idea sharing. For example: Our Tuesday blog post from Doug featured advice for quieting your mind before sleep; our November 16 post from Carrie shared her evening ritual, and our December 14 post discussed the benefits of drinking medicinal herbal tea.
4. Creating a sleep sanctuary that is conducive to sleep.
Our bedroom should be our personal space to relax and renew. A place that awaits us at the end of the day, ready to welcome us, comfort us, and sooth us as we fall into nothingness, sleep. Our most recent post shared ideas for transforming your bedroom into a sleep sanctuary.
We hope you will join our conversations about what is keeping us up at night and what we all can do to sleep well. Join Sacred Sleep on Facebook, sign up for bedtime Tweets on Twitter, and follow our lifestyle sleep wellness and sleep sanctuary boards on Pinterest

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Move

evoxLiving - Touching All Parts of Our Lives

Nikki Pava — Thu, 09 May 2013 04:00:00 +0000

People from all walks of life are growing their own food, recycling every last bit of their unneeded electronics, striving to use more earth-friendly personal products, and building their homes with more energy-efficient materials.

Small and large businesses are developing entire corporate social responsibility plans not only to reduce energy output but to also engage with and “give back” to their communities.

These are all huge - and necessary - shifts in both thinking and “being.”

There’s still so much for all of us to learn and we can make so much progress together if we work and learn together!

Welcome to evoxLiving. I’m Nikki Pava and I’m thrilled to be a part of this incredible team.

evox itself has a big vision - to bring you quality content through our blogs and videos, and conscious products through our retail store. We’re waking up to the fact that while mainstream programming is entertaining, it doesn’t always fulfill in the health, wellness and sustainability areas.

Along with evoxCommunity, evoxProsper, evoxMove, and evoxNourish, evoxLiving is one of the pillars of evox television.

evoxLiving is a place for those from all over the world to come together to learn from experts and one another about how to live more sustainably. When you stop by evoxLiving, you’ll find tips, news, stories and gems of information that will truly contribute to both your home and office life. My hope is that this information can open your eyes to new perspectives and ways of going about your life so that your actions leave the smallest trace on the planet but show up to the world in big ways.

evoxLiving touches upon all of our environments: our home environment, the natural environment, our cultural environment and even our office environment. Our overall personal wellness is impacted by the amount of intention and attention we focus on in each of these areas.

For many of us, our homes are the foundation of our lives. It’s where we nourish our bodies with food and sleep, celebrate milestones with loved ones, and pursue our creative outlets. There are so many strategies - easy and more challenging - to “green” a home, thus cultivating our entire being.

Our work lives are changing. “Work” and “home” are becoming completely meshed, so we’ll also be looking at and focusing on companies that are implementing social responsibility programs that are reshaping how we see businesses interfacing with the world. I want to recognize and showcase best practices that companies embrace so that other companies can learn from them, changing the entire landscape of how business works today.

In terms of the types of content that you can enjoy in the evoxLiving section - I have a lot in store for you! One week you might stop by and enjoy articles and shows focused on water filters for the home and office or a comparison of the latest electric cars, while the next week you might learn about green cleaning products or eco fashion. We all have diverse lives and interests, and my goal is to feature a wide variety of topics so that we all learn something new - often!

Everything I’ve done in my life seems to loop back to the same theme: to create awareness for as many people as possible about new ideas, new perspectives and new products. I am committed to bringing people information about alternative choices so that they can live more healthily and have less of an impact on the planet. As the mother of two young children, my passion for this conversation has greatly increased in the past few years.

My birthday just happens to land on Earth Day. I feel that it’s in my DNA to pursue this path and and share information about health and wellness with the world. Early in my career I had the opportunity to interview hundreds of the top CEOs and managing directors of some of the biggest companies in the world. None of them were pursuing paths to positively impact the environment or their communities. I had been a long time environmentalist and overall nature-lover, and it was during this time of my life where I made a conscious commitment to synthesize my “out of work” life with my “work” life and begin to develop strategies for companies that want to become “green.” Now, there’s no division between my “work” and “life.”

This is exactly how I feel about my role as evoxLiving. I am proud to be able to share and promote resources, tools and information to contribute to people’s lives! It exactly fits into my life theme.

Remember, evoxLiving is a two-way conversation. What do you have to share and offer this blossoming community? Please let us know what you’re doing to make the world a healthier place!

Are you growing your own organic food? Maybe you're working on a great community project we should know about. If you've got a great idea, share it. You can contact me here, on the website, or feel free to follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/nikkipava. We’d love to hear from you!

Brand Category:

Living