Vacation

As the summer is slowly winding down, it can be time to start thinking about planning a vacation before the school year begins. It can be challenging to imagine planning, prepping, packing and even paying for a vacation and often these factors can inhibit people from even taking one. In the article titled, "How to Take Time-Off - Guilt-Free" by Jon Spayde discusses how to reclaim vacation time. The United States does not get as much or use as much vacation time as compared to other countries. For example, it is mandated by law in Spain and Germany that employees must receive at least 30 days off a year. In the U.S., most employees only get 16 days of vacation and it has been found that a quarter of all businesses do not even offer vacation benefits. Even Americans that do get vacation time don't seem to use it all. A nonprofit called Time Off found that more than half of employees do not use all their vacation time in 2015, which ended up being 658 million days of vacation that were left unused. Studies have shown that vacations are critical for maintaining health and productivity. John de Graaf, the presidents of an organization called Take Back Your Time gives some ways to overcome barriers associated with missed work and how to truly enjoy vacation.

Some barriers to enjoying vacation include thoughts of work piling up, potential resentment from coworkers, a work culuture that may not encourage vacation time, workaholism, expenses associated with vacation and navigating scheduling issues. Ways to overcome these barriers include treating vacation as a self-care health investment. De Graaf explains that research has been shown that those who regularly take vacation have a decreased risk of developing heart disease. Another study showed women that don't take regular vacations are twice as likely to develop depression. To overcome the barrier of planning stress, it is important to plan ahead and it will increase the likelihood that the vacation will be taken. It can be beneficial to notify coworkers far in advance about your vacation so they can cover for you when you're away. If expenses are a stress, an expensive vacation will not decrease stress, rather increase it. Try to expand your horizons of the idea of vacation to include camping or even a staycation. If it is challenging to coordinate a vacation with others, consider taking a vacation by yourself. You can decide what you'd like to do this way. To find out more ways to keep yourself healthy, please visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com.

Source: https://experiencelife.com/article/how-to-take-time-off-guilt-free/?utm_source=home5

Quality Sleep

In the article titled, “Sleep Tips: 6 Steps to Better Sleep” the Mayo Clinic staff discusses way to improve your overall sleep. Quality sleep can be difficult to come by due to stress, illness and family responsibilities. It is important to stick to a sleep schedule that includes at least seven hours. It is recommended to get to bed and wake up around the same time everyday to regulate your sleep schedule. On the weekends, it is best to stay to a schedule similar to the weekdays, and make sure the difference is no more than one hour. Before bed, it can be beneficial to engage in something relaxing like taking a bath. Once asleep, if you are not able to fall asleep within 20 minutes of getting to bed, it is best to just leave bed and try to do something calming. Once you feel tired again, you can try going back to sleep. 

It is best to not go to bed hungry or too full. In general, large meals should be avoided at least a couple of hours before bed. Substances such as nicotine, caffeine and alcohol should also be avoided before bedtime. Nicotine and caffeine can cause you stay to up later and alcohol can ruin sleep later in the evening. The environment of sleeping is important to the overall quality. Your bedroom should be cool, dark and quiet. Screens should be avoided before bed. It could be beneficial to get room darkening shades to avoid exposure to light. 

Naps during the day can be beneficial for some, especially those working nights to make up for the loss of sleep. For others, it is best to limit naps to only 30 minutes and to make sure they aren’t too late in the evening. Physical activity can promote better sleep in the evening but as with naps, do not do it too close to bedtime. Time spent outdoors could help promote better sleep, too. It can be easy for people to not be able to fall asleep at night because of their worries or concerns. Managing stress by journaling before bed and meditation can help with this. If lack of sleep is still concerning, it may be best to speak with your healthcare provider to find alternative ways to improve your sleep. To find out more ways to keep yourself healthy, please visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com.

Source: http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/sleep/art-20048379?pg=1

Friendship

Markham Heid explains in his article titled, “You Asked: How Many Friends Do I Need?” about the benefits that having close relationships can have on overall wellbeing and health. He explains that having friends can help protect health as much as quitting smoking and even significantly more than exercise. Research has been shown that those who are socially isolated are two times more at risk of dying from heart disease as compared to those that have close social relationships. Dr. Debra Umberson goes on to explain that relationships help increase overall mental health, which is related to increased immune function, decreased stress and less activation of cardiovascular system. 

According to the General Social Survey, the number of friends people have is usually not enough. In recent decades, the amount of people who responded to this survey saying they have no close friends has tripled. When asked how many confidants people have, “zero” is the most common response. In particular, adult men have been shown to struggle at keeping and maintaining friendships. Even though social media can seem to keep people connected, friendships that increase overall health are the ones you can hug, lament with and laugh with. Dr. Robin Dunbar suggests that having three to five friends will help increase overall wellbeing. Dunbar has done quite a bit of research on the topic of friendship. He states that it is difficult to have social circles contain more than 150 people. Within this group of people though, he suggests that the closest 15 people in peoples’ lives are the most critical for overall wellbeing. Good friends, rather than kin, are more likely to trigger you to release endorphins that help increase your immune system and thus protect you from certain diseases. In conclusion, Dr. Mark Vernon who is the author of the book titled, “The Meaning of Friendship” says Ralph Waldo Emerson gave the best advice when he said, “The only way to have a friend is to be one”.

To find out more ways to keep yourself healthy, please visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com. 

Source: http://time.com/3748090/friends-social-health/?iid=sr-link4

Brain Health

Ben Smart discusses in his article “These Foods May Help Keep the Brain Young” about the importance of incorporating foods to keep your brain functioning properly. Brain health, according to Francine Grostein, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, is the ability to remember things and avoidance of diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. There is an abundance of further information that needs to be learned about how to optimize eating patterns to positively affect brain health. Gut bacteria is important to be aware of when thinking about brain health. Prebiotics help promote the growth of bacteria in the stomach, and some foods that would be considered prebiotics included are oatmeal, orange juice with pulp, bran cereal, bananas, unpeeled fruits in smoothies and other foods that contain fiber. Probiotics are beneficial for the gut for adding “good” bacteria. Foods that contain probiotics are yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, pickles, kimchi and even probiotic supplements. 

There are certain foods that help increase overall brain health. Blueberries have high levels of flavonoids, which help decrease oxidation. Oxidation can damage cells in the body and increase aging processes. In general, blueberries can help decrease inflammation in the body. Green, leafy vegetables can also be an important part of a diet that increases brain health. Some examples include romaine, arugula, collard greens, kale, broccoli, spinach and Swiss chard. These types of vegetables are an important part of a diet named “MIND” which stands for “Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurogenerative Delay”, which was shown to help reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease in one study. Substituting fats from red meat for fats found in fish, tree nuts and oils can be beneficial for brain health. These foods include salmon, tuna, walnuts, pistachios, almonds, olive oil and algae oil. Francine Grostein states that people who incorporate more fish in their diet have a decreased tendency to develop memory problems. Omega-3 fatty acids found in these types of foods have been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol, which can increase the incidence of stroke or heart attack. 

It is important to be careful with any type of Omega-3 supplementation for concerns over contamination with heavy metals. Vegan Omega-3 supplements made from algae are available if heavy metals are a concern. It is recommended to purchase algal oil supplements that are high in DHA and EPA. Periodic fasting has been suggested as a way to ward off certain diseases but not enough evidence has been collected to prove this fact. As always, it is best to speak to a provider when implementing any new type of dietary approach, supplements or lifestyle regimes into life. To find out more ways to keep yourself healthy, please visit our website at www.oxborochiro.com. 

Source: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/foods-that-help-keep-the-brain-young/