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They say "Sitting is the new smoking" for a reason.
Find out why and how to counteract the adverse effects of a sedentary job below
As comfortable as it is, too much sitting can have serious health consequences. The human body is meant to stand up and move around. Staying in one position for too long everyday effects how our efficiently our body functions.
- You don't burn as many calories.
- Our muscles and bones start to weaken.
- Our vital systems slow down.
Sitting Can Decrease Your Life Expectancy
A study for the American Cancer Society found that those who sat six or more hours per day had a 19% higher death rate from all diseases than those who only sat for less than three hours per day.
- Sitting time may take the place of time you would otherwise be spending doing light activity of some kind.
- We often snack while watching TV or working at our computers or mobile devices.
Too much sitting negatively affects your body's hormone levels and immune function.
Too Much Sitting May Raise Your Chance of Becoming Overweight
Simply moving around means your are expending more energy. In fact, your body burns twice as more calories standing than when you are sitting.
Sitting Could Contribute to the Development of Blood Sugar Complications
Too much sitting can lead to heart disease due to blood sugar or insulin resistance.
Sitting May Increase Your Risk of Developing Mental Health Issues
Data from a 2013 study on sedentary jobs showed that workers who sat for six or more hours a day reported higher mental distress levels than those who sat for less than three hours.
Sitting Too Much May Weaken Your Muscles
Sitting too long can cause our muscles and joints to become stiff. Specifically, our hip flexors can then actually shorten, become weaker and even atrophy from underuse.
Neck, lower back and hip issues are due to an abnormal amount of pressure upon them when sitting. This leads to poor posture.
Prolonged Sitting Can Lead to Aches and Discomfort
A 2017 study of almost 500 office workers found that sitting for over six hours during the day was associated with musculoskeletal issues in participants' shoulders, lower backs, thighs, and knees.
Movement is Life!
- Get up and walk around often.
- Perhaps use a standing desk or treadmill desk.
BOOST YOUR CIRCULATION AND OVERALL HEALTH WITH BEMER
BEMER devices emit a therapeutic signal throughout your body that stimulates health muscle cells for enhanced nutrient and oxygen delivery, waste removal, stress relief, relaxation, performance and much more.
Did your know that BEMER has a BEMER Office-Edition which includes a B-Sit applicator? This applicator fits perfectly onto any office chair, couch, plane seat or car seat. With this applicator, your hips, lower back and legs can experience a 30% increase in microcirculation!
- Prevent blood from pooling in your legs.
- Boost your energy and vitality in just two 8-minute sessions per day.
Combined With Active Habits, BEMER can help protect you from some of the dangers of sitting and optimize your health from the inside out.
See the Office Set (which includes the B-Sit) HERE
Men's Health: Know your Risks & How to Lower them
Learn the unique health risks men face, how to combat them, and an easy way to boost your wellbeing at home
A century ago, men and women generally didn’t outlive each other.
But over the past hundred years––and especially recently–– women have taken the lead, so to speak.
Nowadays, women are living on average five years longer than men. But what’s causing this gap in life expectancy?
According to Harvard Health, this disparity is largely because men are more likely to drink alcohol, use tobacco, engage in risky behavior, and avoid regularly seeing their doctor.
In general, men aren’t as concerned about their health as women, which can put them at risk for a variety of issues.
Below, we’ll be exploring these health risks, what you can do about them, and one of the easiest ways to naturally improve your health from home.
Men’s Health Risks
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported in 2019 that the three leading causes of death in men were heart disease, cancer, and unintentional injuries or accidents.
Let’s take a look at the underlying causes of these issues to build a clearer picture of how we can prevent them.
Heart Health
These days, around one in every four men in the United States struggle with heart-related health problems.
These life-threatening issues can occur due to being overweight or obese, sedentary, having unhealthy eating habits, diabetes, or chronic overuse of alcohol.
And unfortunately, due to their tendency to avoid seeking medical care, many men are unaware that their heart health is at risk until they experience symptoms.
Respiratory Health
In 2018, the American Lung Association (ALA) recorded 156,045 deaths from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), a collective term for a series of respiratory issues that disrupt proper airflow in the lungs and hinder one’s ability to breathe.
That year, COPD was the fourth leading cause of death in the United States.
Also from the ALA, lung cancer is responsible for the most cancer deaths in men (and women).
Of course, genetics play a role here, but smoking is the main culprit in causing these respiratory health issues.
Alcohol-Related Incidents
According to the CDC, adult men are almost twice as likely to drink excessively than women.
This behavior puts men at greater risk of getting in car accidents, falling, drowning, and––over time––can increase their risk of developing heart, liver, digestive, and mental health problems.
In fact, men are hospitalized due to alcohol more often than women.
Liver Health
The liver is like a filter. It’s one of the vital organs responsible for detoxifying your body.
Whenever you drink alcohol or smoke tobacco, those toxins get dealt with in the liver. So, naturally, the use of these substances can increase your risk of liver health issues.
Interestingly, certain liver problems are more likely to occur in men.
It’s unclear why, but it’s thought that they result from the riskier lifestyle choices we’ve been discussing.
Mental Health
Almost one in every ten men deal with mental health issues, but less than half of them actually seek treatment.
It’s an unfortunate part of our culture, but men are often taught––whether directly or indirectly––to bottle up their emotions, which can seriously impact their mental and emotional health.
Accidental Injuries
As stated above, men have a habit of partaking in more dangerous behavior, which can have disastrous results, especially when alcohol or drugs are involved.
In 2019, falls, traffic accidents, and unintentional overdoses are the leading causes of these tragedies.
Blood Sugar Health
Blood sugar health is a widespread issue in the United States, affecting thirteen million men.
If left unchecked, it can lead to heart, kidney, and nerve health complications.
Risk generally goes up as we age, but factors that increase the likelihood of developing blood sugar problems include being overweight, obesity, inactivity, and genetics.
Healthier Lifestyle Choices Can Lower Your Risk
As you may have noticed, all of the health concerns we covered above are related to an individual’s lifestyle, which is great news!
That means by making healthier choices, men can simultaneously lower their risk and improve their wellbeing.
Similar to our list of healthy habits for women can see great results by following these general guidelines:
- Avoid tobacco use and second-hand smoke
- Make healthy dietary choices
- Stay active and do your best to maintain a healthy weight
- Drink in moderation (for men, that means no more than two drinks a day)
- Do your best to manage and reduce stress
But there’s another way you can boost your health, improve your fitness, relieve stress, and more, all without having to leave the house.
It’s called BEMER therapy, and it only takes two eight-minute sessions a day to see results.
BEMER and Men’s Health
BEMER devices send a low-intensity pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) to the body in order to safely stimulate healthy muscles which temporarily enhances local blood flow, resulting in better delivery of oxygen, and clearance of carbon dioxide (CO2).
This increase in blood flow can provide several health benefits for men, including enhanced muscular strength, conditioning, energy, endurance, performance, stress relief, and relaxation.
Combined with regular exercise and a proper diet, daily BEMER use can have a massive impact on a man’s journey to better health.*
Want to try a BEMER session with Dr. Lea Kelley? call or email us on the contact form.
Want to know more about BEMER? Click here
Are you in Manhattan Beach and would like to see what we have to offer? Click here for the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce Destination Guide and to see our ad!
How to Eat Dandelions
In most parts of the country, as your lawn greens, it also turns yellow—yellow with dandelions. For such a beautiful flower, dandelions can cause a lot of homeowners dread. But did you know that your lawn’s enemy is your health’s ally? Dandelions are a great source of nutrition, but few people eat them. Dandelions have been a central herb for Traditional Chinese Medicine (or TCM) for thousands of years.
Native to the Mediterranean, this incredible flower’s medicinal qualities were also known to the ancient Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks. Originally, these groups found dandelions to be beneficial for ailments including fevers, toothaches, constipation, arthritis, diabetes, gallbladder problems, heartburn, and skin irritations, as well as generalized liver, stomach, and kidney disorders...to name a few! Often the roots and leaves of the plant were rendered into a tonic to remove toxins from the bloodstream. Modern science also proves that this bright yellow superfood is incredibly nutritious and full of vitamins.
What are the health benefits of dandelions?
Many people know that dandelions are great for detoxing, but that is just the beginning. The roots are a fantastic liver tonic. The leaves are a digestive bitter and support your circulatory and lymph systems. The flowers are great for your skin. Even the sticky sap is useful — it can erase warts, corns, and calluses. The entire plant is packed with nutrition. Dandelions are high in vitamins A, B, C, and K. They contain a lot of minerals, including calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, and manganese. Controlling your blood sugar is easy with a dandelion meal. They are a low-calorie, high fiber, and high protein food. Dandelions are also recommended for many health conditions. People with bone health concerns, liver disease, diabetes, urinary disorders, skincare, acne, weight loss, cancer, jaundice, gallbladder issues, anemia, and high blood pressure all benefit from eating dandelions. The nutrients found in dandelion greens may help reduce the risk of cancer, multiple sclerosis, cataracts, and stroke. And on top of all of these benefits, dandelions are anti-inflammatory and may offer benefits to people with inflammatory conditions.
How do you eat dandelions?
In short: any way you’d like. There are so many ways to eat dandelions. A quick internet search will provide lots of recipes and suggestions. The entire plant is edible — leaves, flowers, and roots. As a rule of thumb, use the leaves in the same ways you’d cook with spinach and the roots the way you cook carrots or radishes.
The flowers and roots can be both meal and beverage. Boil or stir-fry both the flowers and roots as a cooked vegetable. You can even make wine with the flowers and roast the roots for a coffee substitute!
Dandelion leaves are the most common part to eat. They’re wonderful both both cooked or raw. In addition to steaming, boiling, or stir-frying the leaves, try tossing them in a soup or combining them with kale, lettuce, or cabbage in a hearty bowl. Use raw dandelion greens in salads or on sandwiches. Dry the greens and use them for an herbal infusion. You can even juice the leaves or add them to a smoothie.
Surprise your family and friends by gathering dandelion greens and making pesto. Serve the pesto with some crusty bread, delicious cheese, and fresh spring-time fruits. Enjoy your meal while looking at your weed-free lawn.
Dandelion Pesto
Makes 2 cups
â— 12 ounces washed and cleaned dandelion leaves
â— 1 cup olive oil
â— 4 cloves garlic, peeled
â— 6 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
â— 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
â— 2 1/2 ounces Parmesan or Romano cheese, grated
1. Put one-third of the dandelion greens in a food processor or blender with olive oil and chop for a minute. Add remaining dandelion greens in two batches until they’re finely chopped.
2. Add garlic, pine nuts, salt, and Parmesan. Process until everything is a smooth puree.
3. Taste and add salt as needed. Thin with olive oil or water if needed.
Storage: The pesto can be refrigerated in a jar for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 2 months. To prevent the top from darkening, pour a thin layer of olive on top.
Serving ideas for Dandelion Pesto
Spread over pizza with cooked potato slices and bake.
Smear on crostini over a layer of fresh spreadable cheese.
Dress a potato salad.
Toss with whole wheat pasta, and add chicken or roasted vegetables. Use the pasta water or butter to smooth the sauce over the noodles.
Mix with a salad of farro or wheat berries.
Swirl it into a bowl of Soupe au pistou.
Recipe from: David Lebovitz http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2011/03/dandelion-pesto-recipe/
Building Protective Qi with TCM
Everybody gets sick at some point in their life. For some, it’s just a quick weekend thing. For others, it can last for several days and even weeks. Why do some people always get sick whenever there is a bug going around and others don’t? It all comes down to immunity. People who have a stronger immune system, tend to be sick less often. Those with compromised or weak immune systems, seem to get sick at the drop of a hat. There are many things that can be done to strengthen the immune system though. And Traditional Chinese Medicine is probably one of the best and least invasive ways to boost the immune system, not just during the winter months, but all year long.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the immune system is called Wei Qi (pronounced “way chee”). The Wei Qi is closely associated with the internal organs, specifically the lungs. When the energy of the lungs is well-balanced, Wei Qi is strong and can easily fight off any external attacks. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the lungs dominate the skin and breathing. If lung function is deficient or compromised in any way, then the body is more open to external pathogens like viruses and bacteria. Common symptoms of decreased Wei Qi or immunity include coughing, sneezing, runny nose, watery eyes, sore throat, headaches, fever and/or chills.
Traditional Chinese Medicine is a medical system that has been around for nearly 4,000 years. There are many tools in the kit of a TCM practitioner. Probably the most commonly used tools for building Wei Qi are acupuncture and herbal formulas. Acupuncture uses hair-thin stainless steel, single-use needles that are placed on specific acupressure points that can boost immunity and balance hormones. When the hormones are stressed and unbalanced, illness can occur. Acupuncture points associated with Wei Qi can strengthen the circulation of energy and blood, which will then boost the body’s defense mechanisms, thus helping to prevent illness. Regular acupuncture treatments can also cause the brain to increase T-cells in the body. T-cells destroy bacteria and viruses. Acupuncture needles provoke the body’s immune response by sending T-cells and white cells to the needle sites to fight off the invaders. These effects can last for several days, which keeps immunity higher than normal.
Chinese botanicals are another great way to build up Wei Qi. Any herb or herb combination that boosts or enhances the immune system will keep the body functioning at its optimal level. In TCM, there are many individual herbs that boost the Qi and some specifically boost the Wei Qi. Astragalus (huang qi) is one of the more frequently used Chinese herbs. It is used to tonify the Wei Qi, fortify the lungs and protect against pathogens. Studies show huang qi increases white blood cells, which can help fight off infection and pathogenic invasions.
Cordyceps (dong chong xia cao) is another immune-boosting herb. Cordyceps enhances immunity by increasing white blood cells, T-cells and interferon. It also can inhibit the growth of cancer cells. While cordyceps works very well by itself, it works even better when used as part of a formula, as do most Chinese herbs. When looking to use Chinese herbs, be sure to seek out a qualified herbalist and TCM practitioner to insure overall safety of the herb or formula.
TCM and all of its modalities can be very helpful in staying well and healthy. When added to the practices of proper sleep and nutrition, drinking lots of water and mild exercise, TCM will help keep the body’s immune system healthy. And hopefully if illness does occur, it will only be mild. Here’s to your health!
Research Update: Acupuncture and Intestinal Health
A study conducted by researchers at the Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and published by the Journal of Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, revealed the possible mechanism by which acupuncture treats Crohn’s Disease. This mechanism had been previously
unknown, although studies concluded acupuncture and moxibustion can relieve intestinal inflammation in patients suffering from the disease. This study identified there are two subsets of T-lymphocytes, Th17 and Treg cells, that are involved in the development of Crohn’s Disease and that acupuncture and moxibustion can help restore the balance between the cells, which could lead to a breakthrough in treatment of the disease.
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2015/938054/
More than 95 million Americans suffer from some sort of digestive disorder. This includes diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, acid reflux, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. There is evidence suggesting many of the ailments affecting the digestive system are occurring because of increased pesticides, artificial colorings, additives and preservatives that are being found in our food. Also the overuse of antibiotics has led to an epidemic in the United States that is actually killing the healthy intestinal bacteria that is needed to keep the body functioning properly.
TCM has been used to treat digestive disorders for centuries. According to Chinese medical theory, most digestive disorders are caused by a disharmony of the spleen and stomach. The spleen plays a vital role in the health of the body and it helps to assimilate the nutrients from the food that we ingest. The spleen turns digested food from the stomach into vital energy that is known as Qi (pronounced “chee’).
More and more scientific data is coming out that shows the gut is acting like a second brain. The ability of the gastrointestinal system to constantly transform us is being studied extensively. Specifically the bacteria within the gastrointestinal tract is a major focus. The project known as the Human Microbiome Project may have a lot to teach us about our bodies and also how we utilize medicine. This project is confirming that microscopic bacteria colonies within the digestive tract play important roles for both our mental and physical health. The project is confirming that when we nourish these bacterial colonies, we also nourish our bodies.
Research shows we can actually reshape and repopulate damaged bacterial colonies within the gastrointestinal tract. This can be accomplished by tonifying the spleen and stomach during regular acupuncture sessions. One such way to do this is by using a point along the stomach meridian in every single acupuncture treatment. Stomach 36 is a wonderful tonifying point that can help with nearly every intestinal issue. But in addition to utilizing regular acupuncture treatments, acupuncturists can provide dietary supplements and herbs that may help, such as probiotics. Also recommending foods like sauerkraut, kimchi and kombucha may be helpful in repopulating the gut flora.
If you deal with gastrointestinal issues, acupuncture and TCM can be of benefit to you. Just be sure to locate a fully trained and properly licensed acupuncturist for all of your health and wellness needs.
How Positivity Positively Affects You
There is nothing more important than having a positive attitude. The attitude you display toward your day-to-day activities can make a huge difference in improving the quality of your life! Positivity makes the world go round and helps to ensure everything functions harmoniously. It’s a no-brainer that positivity, well, positively affects you.
You should allow the enhancing effects of positivity to start impacting your day as soon as possible. Start your day by letting small amounts of sunlight into your room, enjoying a cup of warming herbal tea and just reflecting on what it is you plan to accomplish today. A simple morning routine such as this can boost productivity and positivity throughout the day.
Once your day is started you should make sure to keep the positive energy going. It’s easy to allow the stress of your work day to get to you, and, this can crush the positive energy you have worked so hard to embody. The funny thing about this is positive thinking works to eliminate stress and improves well-being. So, in order to not let the work day stress get to you, simply think positive!
Positive thinking will not only eliminate stress, but it will improve your skills, your work ethic and the amount of success you will achieve in life. In addition to the morning routine, there are some other tips and tricks to help you gain a more positive mindset and apply consistent positive thinking to your lifestyle.
Exercise. Exercise is very important to both your physical and mental health, make sure you schedule time throughout your day to get some exercise or play-time in, by doing this you can help maintain a positive lifestyle.
Meditation. Meditation can be extremely beneficial to enriching your life with positive energy. If you do not happen to be an expert on meditation yourself, or you have never done it before, reach out to those in your community who can assist you with mediation and help you harness its benefits.
Writing. Writing down your thoughts and journaling can help reduce stress and induce positivity. It is important to catalog our thoughts, this way we do not bottle them up. So, start a journal, a blog or even write some poetry. A little writing can go a long way to making you stay positivity.
Learn to live as one with positivity and you will succeed in all your long-term goals.
Three Daily Rituals to Stay Positive
It’s so important to start your day off on the right foot. A healthy and happy morning can lead to a successful and productive day. Sometimes the key to starting off your day right can be practicing a few daily rituals in order to stay calm, collected and focused. Not only will making these rituals part of your everyday routine help your morning, but it will greatly increase the overall quality of your whole day.
1. Write - Keep a Journal
Right when you start your day it can be helpful to write out a small list of goals that you have for the upcoming 24 hours. Keep a small notebook or journal by your bed and when you wake up write down some goals for the day that will help you stay positive and focused.
2. Exercise
Exercise is key. You need to make sure to get your blood moving when you begin your day. The smallest amount of exercise can make a big difference as to whether or not your day is positive, productive and successful.
3. Morning herbal tea
Having something nice and warm to start your day can ensure positivity throughout the rest of it. Start your day with a soothing cup of herbal tea and think positive thoughts as you drink every sip. The combination of a good tea and positive thinking can be very beneficial for staying positive.
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