Wake Up, Sleepyhead

My schedule has been packed lately, and as a result, I haven't been as diligent about some of my health resolutions as I should be. It was OK for a few days, but these past two days I've really started to feel it. Yesterday I hit the snooze button for an hour, and today I could barely get out of bed. This is probably the most I've missed caffeine since I gave it up a few weeks ago.

Rather than dwell on the coffee (YUM) I can't drink, I tried to think of what I would suggest to someone else who was trying to rev up in the morning -- naturally. Then I actually took my advice.

I boiled some water for my morning tea, herbal of course. I've been really loving the Tazo Refresh. The peppermint in it seems to perk me up a bit. Also, for me the ritual of making tea helps me focus, which in turn brings an alertness to my day.

While the water boiled, I paid a visit to what, on my fancy days, I like to call my home gym. It's pretty basic, but it gets the job done. This morning I was wishing I had some ten pound weights, though, so maybe that will be my next splurge. My mom and I have been working to get more strength training into our daily routine, so I tried to channel her this morning. I did barely ten minutes of core and arm work, but it was enough to get my blood pumping. Plus, when I start my day with healthy habits, I really don't want to derail my good work later on.

Then, before I got in the shower, I used one of my new favorite things -- a dry brush. It's amazing. At first I was skeptical. Brush my skin? A little strange, no? But the slightly rough texture of the bristles over your skin really does wake up all your little nerve endings, plus it exfoliates, leaving your skin extra soft. The best part? It jump starts your circulatory and lymphatic systems, which in turn gives your immune system a boost. I'll post soon with a more thorough exploration of the benefits of dry brushing, but for now, I'd encourage you to give it a shot. Wake up naturally, improve the appearance of your skin, and give your immune system a boost? All for a one time fee of approximately $7? (That's what I paid for mine at Whole Foods.) Yes please!
I'm still really craving an ice coffee, but at least I started on a good note. The trick will be to keep fueling myself with nutritious foods throughout the day rather than reaching for something sugary that will just make me crash later.

The Amazing Digestive System

Don't worry, folks. No pictures for this post.

As I mentioned yesterday, I've been slowly working my way through Digestive Wellness, by Elizabeth Lipski, Ph.D., C.C.N. I'm a touch obsessed with how the digestive system works, so this book is a pretty exciting read for me. There were a few times while reading yesterday that I was so blown away that I had to pick up the phone and call my mom to share the news. Some were relatively intuitive, and some just blew me away. Here, the mom-worthy portions:

"Chronic stress lengthens the amount of time that food stays in the stomach, while short-term stress usually shortens the emptying time," (p. 24). Makes sense, doesn't it? When you're constantly stressed, and you just feel heavy and sluggish, that's exacerbated by your digestive system being so fatigued that it can't move things along steadily. And when you have a sudden stress -- a break-up, changing jobs, or an exam coming up -- sometimes things go right through you.

"Current research indicates that 70 percent of the immune system is located in or around the digestive system," (p. 27). This made my jaw drop. Seventy percent! If I didn't want to put good, nourishing, whole foods in my body before, I sure do after this statistic. Think about it, sit with it for a bit. A little extra incentive to give your body the raw material it needs to function optimally.

"Serotonin is best known for its role in the brain, but 95 percent of our serotonin is manufactured in the gut. Without adequate amounts, we have insomnia and are depressed," (p. 28). This statistic I had actually heard this past spring, and it was the reason I quit artificial sweeteners and said bye-bye to my beloved Diet Coke. Artificial sweeteners directly interfere with serotonin production, and I, for one, could use every little boost I can get when it comes to falling asleep and staying happy.

For the full story on any of these, I strongly encourage you to check out the book.


New feature alert: Because I'm a bit of a research junkie (No joke. Aftermath from my drunken nights? All the reference books pulled from my shelves, left strewn about the apartment with pages open to quite a random assortment of factoids.), I like to share my favorite resources in case anyone would like to do further reading or see where I get my information. To that end, I've created a Bookshelf sidebar on the left. It's broken down loosely according to categories, and includes links to Amazon so you can easily find the books for yourself. Some of the books I've read cover to cover, but many I dip in and out of as needed. Or after one mojito too many. Hey, I'm a health nut, not a saint.