I was always considered the night owl in my family. Ever since college, my sleeping patterns consisted of multiple nights burning the midnight oil (in addition to a couple of all nighters). Simply put, my body was pretty programmed to function better at night because it was the time of the day where I was least distracted and I could be very productive. However, a couple of months ago, I decided that I needed to improve my quality (and quantity) of sleep by adopting a normal sleeping schedule (aka, sleeping earlier and waking up earlier). It’s definitely helped with my mood and skin (well, I think it appears better).
However, I’m sure you all know there’s health benefits to getting more hours of sleep daily, but apparently, according to this NYT article, six or seven hours of sleep is still not enough. The article states that poor sleep does quite a number to your mood, productivity, and physical health (including your metabolism and weight control — this could add up to 10 pounds in a year!), among some factors.
However, one of the more alarming things that I came across in the article for women? A higher risk for breast cancer:
The risk of cancer may also be elevated in people who fail to get enough sleep. A Japanese study of nearly 24,000 women ages 40 to 79 found that those who slept less than six hours a night were more likely to develop breast cancer than women who slept longer. The increased risk may result from diminished secretion of the sleep hormone melatonin. Among participants in the Nurses Health Study, Eva S. Schernhammer of Harvard Medical School found a link between low melatonin levels and an increased risk of breast cancer.
Hear that ladies? Keep the hours of sleep you collect daily in check – and your boobies will love you!
Author: Eugene Sung
Raise your hand if you were under the impression that the majority of the products sold at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s is good for you. *Raises hand* Yes, I’ll admit it…I’m a Whole Foods whore. While there are a lot of healthy and nutritious items at these stores, don’t be so quick to believe that everything you’re buying is good for you. A perfect example of this is a common food additive called carrageenan, which can be found in items sold at ‘organic’ supermarkets.
Author: Eugene Sung
The average American eats approximately 2,000 pounds of food each year. Out of those 2,000 pounds, we consume 110 pounds of red meat, 62 pounds of beef, 46 pounds of pork and 73.6 pounds of poultry. Unfortunately, with large corporations controlling a vast amount of our food source, we need to be more diligent in educating ourselves about where our food is coming from and how it’s prepared. Below is a list of appalling facts regarding the meat industry that I hope will raise more awareness and assist you in being a smarter shopper.
Pollution from a factory in Yutian, 62 miles east of Beijing
The overwhelming cancer situation in China has been officially acknowledged as a major public health crisis. According to the 2012 China Cancer Census, six patients are diagnosed with cancer every minute- that’s 8,550 diagnosed everyday. Its no surprise that many people correlate the alarmingly high cancer rates to the equally high environmental pollution growth. China has confirmed the existence of over 400 “cancer villages” where the amount of diagnosed cancer patients reaches about 10% of the village. There are even worse cases such as Zhai Wan Cun in Hubei province where the cancer rate is 80 times higher than the national level.
Many people have begun to analyze their situation and question why these cancer villages are often located in rural areas. The citizens speak out in anger about their land being turned into cancer inducing machines. Upon examining their village and pointing out the various sources of pollution, some citizens bitterly remark “Of course we have cancer.” In desperation, many people have turned to the web and social media to voice their anger at their ill environmental circumstances:
“Our Tai’an city has been surrounded by factories. Our villages have been forced to move because of the construction of a aluminum factory. They tried to petition but were stopped. The television reporters have been pressed by government officials. Our land is no longer suitable for growing crops and can only be rented to factories. The number of cancer patients has increase in an explosive manner.”
- ‘Red leaves on the mountain’, from Tai An City in Shandong province“The head of Environmental Department in Cang County has finally been sacked because of netizens’ criticism. The report came out and the residue of chemicals has exceeded 70 times the safety standard. In the village, there are 30 diagnosed cancer patients and 26 of them have died. The villagers have been protesting but all these years, all the reports from the county to the province’s environmental departments said that the water quality is safe?! How can they pass the water quality test every year? Among 655 cities in China, 400 depend on underground water supplies, so what can we do? What can our kids do?”
-An investor, Charles Xue, speaking to the news
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Yoga has been gaining popularity over the years. Some people practice yoga individually or in group sessions, the proper equipment helps provide a soothing session.
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Jade Harmony Yoga Mat, $55-$138
Yoga mats provide a slip-free surface for many yoga postures. Depending on the type of yoga, it is ideal to find a yoga mat that fits the purpose. The Jade Harmony yoga mat is made of eco-friendly materials.Jade Harmony Yoga Mat, $55-$138. Available at Jade Yoga, Amazon, and REI.
- Courtesy of www.Target.com
Drinking water and staying hydrated are the most important things you could do for your skin and body – especially when the days are hotter and sunnier. This is why my Ello water bottle in dark gray is one of my 5 favorite things this summer. Not only does it help my skin and body, as the 20 oz. bottle forces me to drink at least that much each day, but it also helps the environment. The other cool thing about this bottle is, besides that it only costs $10, that it’s BPA free!
Courtesy of www.GoldBondUltimate.com
In addition to staying hydrated, moisturizing is also important for your skin. The drastic change in the weather can do all kinds of crazy things to your body. I like to moisturize with Gold Bond Ultimate’s Silk Softness Sheer Ribbons body lotion in “touchably soft skin.” After sampling one pump of this lotion at a local Walgreens, this is the only lotion I’ll buy. It truly leaves your skin feeling silky smooth – plus it smells great.
Clearogen is giving away a two-month supply of treatment to the first 50 participants to sign up and take their summer challenge. In addition to getting a free two-month supply of treatment, you can also receive 20% off your purchase of the three-step system for the entire month of June.
Visit their website http://www.clearogen.com/and enter the coupon code “ACNEAWARENESS” to receive 20% off your purchase. To enter the summer challenge, visit Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Clearogen, and/or Twitter at http://twitter.com/Clearogen, with the hashtag #ClearogenChallenge.
When it comes to herbal remedies and supplements, especially the Asian kind, there’s a lot of skepticism out there. After all, you’re more likely to hear about its usefulness from your mom who heard it from her friend or from a late-night infomercial than from your family doctor. We wanted to see what all the hype was about, so we tested out some. Here, our no-holds-barred reviews.
ISSUE: Fall 2011
DEPT: Mind & Body
STORY: Audrey Staff
Sun Chlorella
$38.25 for 300 tablets sunchlorellausa.com
The Claim:
A huge hit in Japan, Sun Chlorella is touted to be nature’s perfect superfood — it detoxifies, increases mental alertness, and builds a stronger im- mune system.
The Review:
After I got used to the smell and taste (five pills three times a day!), I started to notice that I didn’t grow as hungry or as fatigued as I did in the past. I’m already a pretty perky person so for me to get even perkier … well, that’s a whole lot of perky. I feel like overall the Sun Chlorella pills did have a positive effect on my body, though if you were to ask me for specifics, I wouldn’t be able to name it.
This TC Bank commercial freaking made me bawl like a baby and reminded me of a moment in time that changed my life forever.
I was about 20 and on a train swishing through Switzerland. I went to stand by the railing to stretch my legs. An old man beside me in sport gear decided to strike up a conversation. I found out that he was 86(!) and biking around the Swiss Alps.
That just rocked my world forever. I realized you don’t have to face aging with a white flag, surrendering your life and health just because you’re old. You can freaking bike the Swiss Alps when you’re 86.
It starts now.
It starts with a healthy diet and regular physical activities (just park near the back of the lot and walk to the grocery store, for chrissakes).
It starts with waking up each day making the decision to LIVE, LIVE, LIVE.
It starts with letting go of regrets and the past and stepping into the now and present.
Would love to hear your thoughts on this TC Bank: Dream Rangers commercial below.
Natalie Minh’s Food Failures
ISSUE: Spring 2011
DEPT: Mind and Body
STORY: Anna M. Park
Talk about overachiever. Fitness model Natalie Minh is not only a three-time European Physique champion, she’s a photographer and has an MBA and a master’s in finance. So she knows how hard it is to eat right in a hectic, modern lifestyle. “The most challenging part of keeping to a healthy diet is time,” says the 31-year-old Vietnamese American. “The best weapon we have is better organization and planning ahead.” Here, Minh outlines the top three nutrition failures of busy women today, and how to fix them.
