Benefits of Grounding
Grounding is GREAT!
Getting into nature is so relaxing and balancing. Nature is the ultimate stress reducer! Grounding, sometimes called earthing is simple – it is getting your skin to touch the ground. You can do this by walking barefoot, laying on the ground, wading in shallow water, hugging a tree, gardening and getting bare hands into the dirt. If you ever done these things, you have probably noticed how much the help you chill out and relax. But if you’re like me, you have probably wondered how it works! So here is a short explanation – We are bioelectrical beings living on an electrical planet. Your body operates electrically. All of your cells transmit multiple frequencies that run, for example, your heart, immune system, muscles, and nervous system. The act of grounding is absorbing electrons from the earth and releasing excess protons into mother earth.
The benefits of grounding are amazing! Grounding is the most effective and quickest acting stress reduction technique I have ever found because it supports our mental, physical and emotional health! It benefits many body functions and has the following effects:
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- Reduces inflammation
- Decreases chronic fatigue & chronic pain
- Boosts mood, reduces anxiety & depression
- Reduces stress levels by normalizing stress hormone levels (cortisol)
- Improves sleep quality
- Supports cardiovascular health: reduces blood pressure, improves circulation
- Balances hormones & blood sugar; regulates metabolism
- Improves memory & focus
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Of course getting into nature is the best possible way to ground, but sometimes that’s not available to us, like if you live in a crowded metropolitan area with very little grass or it is the dead of winter and there is snow on the ground. Thankfully there are some grounding tools you can use in these times, which include grounding pads, mats, and blankets. This winter I purchased an Earthing Elite Mattress Cover Kit and have been absolutely loving it! I immediately noticed a dramatic increase in my sleep quality. According to my smart watch, I get a lot more REM & deep sleep now that I have the grounding pad!
Go outside and check it out for yourself today!
Happy 303 Day!
Happy 303 Day! Today is a day to celebrate Colorado!
Here are some self care tips of fun things to do in Colorado:
1. Hike Red Rocks or Garden of the Gods
2. Drive up the flatirons in Boulder to lookout point and enjoy the beautiful view!
3. Check out Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver Museum of Nature & Science, or the Denver Art Museum
4. Check out the newest exhibit at the Denver Botanic Gardens
5. Visit Rocky Mountain National Park and eat lunch in Estes Park
6. Hike your favorite local trail
7. Try rock climbing at a local rock climbing gym
8. Drive up Mount Evans Scenic Byway
9. Visit one of the many hot springs in Colorado
10. Go skiing or snowboarding
11. Play Frisbee golf
12 Hang out in a local park
(Extra points if you bring a dog or wear flip flops and shorts in the winter)
Pork Fat is Healthy!
A recent research study analyzed and ranked 1,000 foods for nutritional content to rank the top health foods. Surprisingly, PORK FAT RANKED #8 HEALTHIEST FOOD, right after swiss chard and before beet greens!!! This is full of heart healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals!
Dark Chocolate Is Good for Your Health!
Besides being delicious, here are some reasons why you should eat dark chocolate:
- Nutrition: packed with antioxidants, magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, and chromium.
- Mood boosting: the polyphenols in chocolate physiologically boosts your mood
- Improved digestion: fiber and polyphenols in chocolate improve gut health by promoting good gut bacteria
- Heart healthy: chocolate reduces cholesterol
How to Prevent Heart Disease
Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the US. But thankfully, there are many different ways to reduce your risk of heart disease!
Here are some tips so you can live a long and healthy life:
- Get enough sleep – people who are chronically sleep deprived are more like to have high blood pressure and heart attacks
- Manage your stress – meditation and deep breathing techniques help effectively manage stress
- Regular exercise – exercising for 15-30 minutes 4-5 times per week reduces your risk of heart disease
- Eating a healthy diet – Plenty of vegetables and fruits, 1 serving of healthy fats per meal; reducing red meat, fried foods, and carbohydrates improves your heart health.
Ditching the Worry with Yoga
Yoga is fun! However, if you’re new to yoga it’s easy to be stuck in your head and think too much about what you’re doing. Remember that yoga is a practice, so don’t expect to be perfect. Just be in tune with your body.
To get the most out of yoga, ditch the worry and really focus on being present.
Fighting Muscle Soreness After A Good Workout
A good workout will make your muscles sore! Here are some tips to fight soreness.
Day of workout:
- Drink lots of water! Staying hydrated helps circulate lactic acid out of your muscles and prevent soreness.
- Heat your muscles later in the day via hot shower, sauna, heat pad or blanket. Heat helps promote blood flow to muscles, which promotes healing and repair.
- Eat pineapple or ginger or drink tart cherry juice. These have anti-inflammatory properties that help improve post workout recovery.
Day after workout:
- Use sore muscles. Light exercise or stretching of sore muscles helps reduce soreness.
- Foam roll or self massage. Both of these loosen tight muscles and improve muscle flow to muscles, which relieves pain.
- Ice pack. Putting an ice pack on sore muscles reduces inflammation and numbs sharp pain.
10 Tools for Successful Home Workouts
You’ll be much more successful with your home workouts if you have the right tools! Here’s a list of the 10 best tools and habits to have successful workouts.
1) Planned & scheduled workout – Do your research to plan your workout! Watch youtube videos, get a workout DVD, or do research to find out workouts online. By planning and knowing more about your workout techniques, you’ll prevent injury. Scheduling your workouts is key to making sure you actually do them!
2) Warm up and cool down routines – these are critical for preparing your muscles for exercise or working blood and lactic acid out of your muscles.
3) Mat – plyometrics are best, but yoga mats are great too!
Shoes – basketball, tennis, and trail running shoes are all great because they offer forward and lateral support. Replace your shoes every 300-500 miles.
4) Music – music is a great motivator when you’re working out. Pick music that has a fast tempo is best. Drum and bass is excellent for cardio workouts.
5) Water bottle – carry a water bottle around your house. Having a water bottle on hand keeps you from being dehydrated.
6) Shower – taking a hot shower after working out is excellent for getting your blood flowing and helps with muscle recovery.
7) Resistance bands – these are excellent for increasing resistance as exercises get easier. They’re a space effective addition to your home gym!
8) Jump rope – Jumping rope is an incredibly aerobic exercise and a great way to get your cardio in!
9) Adjustable weight set – this is optional, but if you’re serious about working out, getting a set of weights is a GREAT investment.
10) Bosu balance trainer – this is optional, but it’s my FAVORITE piece of gym equipment. It’s a stability ball on one side and flat on the other side, both these sides are incredibly helpful at increasing the intensity of your workouts! Bosu “balls” improves strength, balance, flexibility, sharpens your reflexes, and reshapes your body. Doing strength training on a bosu ball causes you to engage your core and utilize many additional muscles. There are dozens of exercises you can do on it and it greatly improves workout versatility to ensure your exercise if fun and not boring!!!
Self-Reflection is Good for the Soul
https://positivepsychologyprogram.com/introspection-self-reflection/
Self reflection is essential for personal growth!
Check out these articles for some ideas of some questions to journal about!
45 Simple Self-Care Practices for a Healthy Mind, Body, and Soul
The holidays tend to throw off our typical rhythms. Spend some time today taking care of yourself to start the week off right!
