It is practically normal to see people everywhere wearing headphones. Ear buds, ear phones, headphones, Bluetooth devices…. everyone is plugged in. The devices include lap tops, cell phones, computers, MP3 players, video game devices, tablets, and so on. When plugged in, you hear what you want to hear more clearly because the sound is traveling directly to you. You hear every little lyric of the song or conversation. The sound is traveling directly to the eardrums without being distorted. However, the chronic use of these devices can lead to noise-induced hearing loss. This loss occurs gradually and often goes unnoticed until certain signs arise of hearing loss. According to the American Medical Association (2011), the use of headphones and earphones had led to a major increase in the prevalence of hearing loss.
The key to noise induced hearing loss is the volume played. Sound is being produced very close to the ear. This causes the eardrums to vibrate. The vibration travels to the inner ear and reaches the cochlea. The cochlea is fluid filled and contains thousands of small hairs. The vibration from the sound causes the hairs to vibrate and move. The louder the sound, the more affected the hairs become. Over time, the hairs lose their sensitivity to the constant vibration. Very loud noises cause the hair cells to actually bend over and fold over. This can lead to temporary hearing loss. The cells take a very long time to recover. Sometimes the cells never recover. Headphones don’t have to be played very loud for this damage to occur. To the ears, playing music loudly can be equivalent to standing next to a loud motorcycle starting up or standing next to a power tool being used. iPod earbuds at 100% volume on an iPhone can reach noise levels of 112dB, leading to hearing damage in minutes. Earbuds should not be played louder than at 60% (80 db). This is of course liability the user takes upon themselves.
Turning down the volume is the best way to reduce hearing damage. You can also purchase noise canceling headphones to drown out other sounds. These block out external sounds so that the volume doesn’t need to be so loud on your device. Limiting your headphone use is also another consideration. It is recommended not to listen to music higher than 60% of maximum volume for no longer than 60 minutes. Headphones that go over the ear versus earbuds that are inserted into the ear are less damaging. We appreciate music, Netflix, gaming, and the ease of communication today being plugged in. The old phrase of all in moderation applies to our listening as well. Louder won’t make the music better, so let your ears enjoy the sound in a non-damaging way. Your hearing will thank you in the future.
On our fitness journeys, we train our bodies, but we also need to train our minds. Inner awareness, focusing, redirecting your thoughts, and developing concentration, are all benefits of meditation. Other positive associations include improved mood, sleep improvement, more self-discipline, and less symptoms associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Emotional health is also boosted by the reduction of depression and anxiety. Others say it has bettered their memory and attention span. The list goes on to include decreasing blood pressure, pain reduction, and helps fight addictions.
But to be honest, meditation stressed me out more. Sitting in stillness actually increases my anxiety. As a Women’s Health Magazine Action Hero, I read the magazine from front to back each issue that comes out. And well, I really related to Jenny Everett’s article in the July/August 2018 edition, called “Micro Meditations”. Now this, I can handle. Multitasking meditation is right up my ally.
The alarm clock in the morning isn’t exactly a gentle start to the day. But staying in bed for 2 minutes to take a few deep breaths, listen to the birds, and stretching out the body, is a much better way to ease out of bed. An abrupt jumping out of bed to rush the getting ready process doesn’t set the best tone for the day.
Smell the coffee, and stop burning your mouth trying to get it in. Stop adding sugar and taste the java.
A shower has many scents, sounds, and temperatures. Feel it. Feel the fresh water. Don’t just hop in and hop out.
The make-up routine for women or shaving process for men can be good for focusing the mind for the day. It actually makes you feel good about yourself before getting to work to meet deadlines and hustle.
Even when taking the stairs (which you should), think about each step. A lot of muscles are working in that body to produce movement.
When someone compliments you, be grateful and think about it for a few moments after. Smile that someone said these words to you.
When driving, turn the music off. There’s a lot of noise to the rest of your day. Let the mind focus and be in the present. Listen to sounds of the car and to the road.
When you say thank you, mean it. Explain why you are grateful to the person. So often we say it but don’t mean it. Appreciation and acknowledging someone else’s effort or kindness goes a long way.
Instead of being frustrated while on hold on the phone (because we love the world of automated phone directories), be happy you have some time to just get this task done. Maybe slowing down for a moment is okay.
When on a run or walk, maybe no music, no phone, just you. Be in the zone of that run. Let the body and mind feel good and release those positive endorphins.
And when eating, just eat. No distractions. Take bites, don’t inhale. Smell and taste that food in front of you. Mindful eating helps with portion control and even weight loss.
Finally, when it’s time for bed, scan the body from head to toe. Breathe in and breathe out to just breath. Aches and pains subside when you just sink the body into the bed. Clear and declutter the day.
So these are what I’ve started to do. I think they’re very helpful tips to include on your fitness journey. A little meditation here and a little meditation there feels pretty darn good. Your mind and BODY will appreciate thank you.
Oh the beloved carb we seem to not be able to live without…. BREAD. It is the most widely consumed food in the world and there are so many types. Bread’s introduction was almost 30,000 years ago, so imagine the number of slices that have been consumed. It was fried on stones. After a long day, when needing an easy option, or just to feel satisfied, most people turn to bread not exactly celery sticks to do the trick. The problem is that this highly refined grain isn’t exactly on the weight loss plan. Whole wheat is the better option as opposed to white products, but in the end, it seems as though the more bread someone has, the more they want.
That burger is much better with a bun. That sandwich is much better with the toasted outside layer. When dining out, that wait goes by much faster with bread. And what’s a pizza without the crust?? Oh and a PPJ….nothing beats that. If Oprah says she can still eat bread and lose weight, well by gosh it must be okay.
The trouble is that refined grains raise blood sugar much faster than complex carbohydrates. People with type 2 diabetes should pay particular attention to this. Additionally, when this blood sugar spike happens, it also reverses very quickly which initiates hunger. Then another carb snack sounds good. Most bread has about 12 carbohydrates per slice, which isn’t too bad, but they you double this for the sandwich. Calories and nutritional information varies by brand. Gluten in bread has become a more common problem, especially in people who have Celiac Disease. Bread also contains high fructose corn syrup like most processed foods. Bread contains phytic acid which actually blocks mineral absorption. It’s also a culprit for causing vitamin D deficiency. It has also been known to raise cholesterol. There just aren’t a lot of nutrients in bread which makes its calories pretty empty.
It is common for people to have toast in the morning, a sandwich for lunch then a burger or even salad with a slice of bread. We don’t even realize it. Brand and grain type of course matter, but overall, the advocacy for bread is a challenge. A bagel here and sandwich there, we know moderation always counts. Health food stores are starting to introduce brands that are certainly an improvement. If you can go without, then I suggest you do. No one ever died from lack of bread. Cut back for a couple weeks and you will see and feel the difference. Your body is more important that your taste buds 😊
Fear is stifling. This emotion puts a halt to forward movement, specifically to change. On our fitness journeys, we know that change is required. Old ways have led to the decision to be fed up and do something about our health. But fear can stop anyone from hitting the green light and starting. We feel threated by the new environment that will surround us. Like we feel safe in our home, we feel safe in our comfort zone of habits. For me, it’s trusting God’s plan that overcomes fear for me. His plan and protection are my guidance and shield.
Here are some of the reasons that prevent putting one foot in front of the other and doing what needs to be done:
- Losing your freedom – we are giving up power to the structure of healthy living; the comfort zone was free will to live life without consequences
- Pain – exercise is uncomfortable, there will be soreness, and there will be times your body with hurt from the hard work
- The Unknown – results may or may not happen and you don’t know what life without cake would be like
- Disappointment – not knowing precise results or setting too high of expectations
- Failure – not meeting your own expectations or reaching some timeline of progress you desired
- Loneliness – your fitness journey is unique to your and your body, so that might mean straying away from the crowd and being strong enough to turn down drinks and food
Fear isn’t always rational. Let’s face it, being healthy is unquestionably important. We tend to work ourselves up emotionally about events that may or may not even occur. There is a loss of control with where this journey could take you. But if we live our life in fear, we may never see the pot of gold on the other side of the rainbow. Taking control and doing what is best for your BODY shouldn’t be scary. Fear the fact that you might live longer 😊 Don’t fear what has not or may not ever happen. Live today and every day with the hope and intention that your fitness journey will better YOU in so many different ways.
Intuition is your instinct. When you use your immediate feeling versus conscious reasoning, that’s intuition. We understand or feel something immediately. We don’t need proof or evidence because we just know. It can be a great gift as a human. When we have that gut reaction, hunch, premonition, or third eye, this magical phenomenon helps us steer through life. The brain is on autopilot. It is nonconscious thinking. But the question we have to ask ourselves is if we should go with our intuition??
For example, when a relationship is developing, we make hunches about how that other person is feeling about us or how we feel about them. When taking a test, we might problem solve better if we just go with our first thought. Intuition is like the first impression that we make. On the other hand, making impulsive intuition decisions when it comes to financial circumstances might not be the best. There may not be a right answer, but we feel we know what the answer is anyways.
Sometimes not having reasoning or proof and following our intuition leads us down the better path. Many people meet me and I have to trust that they will follow their intuition that I will help them. Yes, there proof in my testimonials, but how can I prove a certain number on the scale will appear?? You won’t know until you try and prove the result to yourself. I think every relationship starts and ends with intuition. However, when it ends, we sometimes have proof that the other person isn’t “the one”. We have to wait for good old intuition to finally kick in to walk away. I’ve found that listening to my gut usually turns out better. Facts are facts but sometimes, I know my mind is on my side and wouldn’t head me down the wrong path.
When it comes to your health, intuition tells you that you don’t feel right and need to do something about it. You don’t have to have statistical data to tell you that your chronic fatigue is the result of lack of movement for several years of sitting at a desk job. Your intuition for your health is like the yellow light before you hit the read. Then when you listen to your intuition you the green light puts you into action. Even when you aren’t being measured on your fitness journey, your intuition tells you that you need this and is working and serves its purpose. Your mind and intuition are on your team, so sometimes don’t fight the good fight against yourself. You are so much better and deserve so much better than that and my intuition told me that 😊
Almost everyone has a cell phone. in fact, 94% of Americans have a cell phone, which means 9 out of 10 people. Everyone is ready to connect and communicate at any time. Most people have them on hand at least 16 hours a day, so that includes at night because of it’s alarm clock use. We are able to contact anyone almost anywhere at anytime. The average person checks their phone at least 150 times per day, much more than they ever considered that they do. The swipe and click across the screen become almost second nature. Between calls, text, emails, and social media, the phone is entertaining and used for many purposes. Did you know that 90% of texts are read within 3 minutes of receiving them? Fast communication anywhere we are has made incredible changes to the way we interact with one another.
Remember when all you could do was call a person’s home phone in the hopes that they are there? If not, you left a message with no expectation of when they might check it and get back to you. There weren’t private conversations like there are now. The home phone was used and shared by all in a central location. If you wanted to reach someone, you actually had to speak to them. Talking was the communication modality, whereas today, texting with emojies and shorthand has become a whole new language. There was an understanding not to call too early or too late because the phone ringing would disrupt the household. Calling before of after business hours was pointless. People are even using cell phones now while driving. Checking the cell phone can now almost be considered a hobby.
The fact is that you could be reading this very article on your cell phone now. Scrolling can become an addictive behavior. It fills time while waiting, can be a distraction from the task at hand, and it spikes your curiosity and interest. All the apps are designed to hook you in. Social media notices what you like and look at then start to use this in the advertising and marketing that is displayed in your feed. The cluttered landscape of ads and scrolling makes you feel like you can’t concentrate anymore with information overload. People are using their phones for calendars, appointments, stop watches, alarm clocks, banking, credit card processing, Netflix, and the list goes on and on.
So where does the disconnect begin? You set it aside for a while, decide to take a break from social media, try to not look at your text and emails so often, but in the end society has changed. There’s an expectation to be connected. There’s an expectation to be available. We could all benefit from being present int eh current moment. The idea of this seems impossible since new and improved versions of phones continue to be released. Don’t forget those who are right next to you in the same room. Don’t forget to look up from your phone every now and then.
How do you measure your self worth?? You may not consciously think about how you measure your self worth, but it is likely that deep down, you do know. When you feel like you measure up to your expectations, you feel good about yourself. When you feel lacking or inadequate, you feel like you have fallen short and your self esteem falters. You might be very aware of how you feel at different times, but you never paused to stop and think about what you equate to meeting the level of self-worth that indicates your self-esteem. We measure our “worthiness” constantly.
This measuring may not be the most healthy practice, but we do it all the time. Do any of the following 5 measures sound familiar to you?
1. Appearance: How attractive you feel or how much you weigh, might be the make or break level for you. We live in a world of media that tells us that we are only as worthy as how we look. This can make us feel very insecure, especially about weight and the aging process.
2. Who you know: Sometimes we only feel empowered by the people we associate with. Some people feel it’s all about who you know. Others find their self-worth through their significant other. In reality, you cannot control what other people think about you all the time. Yet, everyone loves recognition and a compliment.
3. Your net worth: People sometimes define themselves by how much is in their bank account. Living beyond your means to impress others can lead to trouble. You seek the financial admiration form others.
4. Your career: Your profession defines you. Some people introduce themselves by what they do, such as saying their name and immediately telling their job after. This can lead to an identity crisis when anything goes astray at work.
5. What you achieve: This might be how many accolades you have acquired. Bragging is common. You avoid doing anything you might fail at.
It is best to measure yourself by factors that you can control in life. When you know who you are, your values, and your inner core, you don’t feel controlled by external factors. You will better be able to cope with life’s ups and downs. When a person believes in themselves, truly believes, they can better cope with trauma and failure. The challenge is to know who you are and love who you are, even when you don’t feel like you can. Have your inner circle of support, and a team that loves you for who you are.
Temptation is the desire to participate in short term enjoyment. It is an urge that threatens long term goals. Curiosity or fear of loss can cause temptation. Temptation actually has 4 stages:
- Desire: This word originated from the Greek word epithumeeah, which can be translated to mean lust or craving. This desire doesn’t have to be for something bad, it can even be for good things. Soon this amount of desire goes into over-drive.
- Enticement: This is the feeling of being lured by something. This can be onset by a trigger that gets the motor or process going. The second part is having tempting thoughts. The over-desire and the trigger meet.
- Conception: The desire becomes action. A person tells themselves that what they are doing is no big deal and starts to justify and rationalize the action that is to come. Then the action, the birth, takes place.
- Death: This describes the process of decay and misery that result from sin.
Everyone faces temptation because it is the result of our own natural desires. We have to recognize this human tendency. Most of us face temptation daily. Think about food. We are tempted to eat what we desire, although if we always gave into these urges the obesity epidemic would be even worse. We have to be able to stand up to the temptation. We have to identify our triggers, know our struggles, and work to resist.
Often times it is temptation that causes a person to fall off the workout or eating clean wagon. Desserts and fried food are luring everywhere. Food is celebration and socially part of meetings, occasions, and lurk at every corner. Act with your intuition and know that these choices have consequences. Find a source of accountability and seek help when needed. Making important lifestyle changes doesn’t have to be an isolated experience. You can. You will. And it is going to happen for you.
Whether we remember it or not, we all dream. We might even dream up to 4 to 6 times per night. Sometimes we find ourselves entertained while other times we are left feeling disturbed after a bizarre dream. After all, dreams are stories, similar to movies playing in our head. They can be so vivid that we can actually wake up feeling happy, sad, mad, confused, or even scared. Dreams are most vivid during deep sleep which is called rapid eye movement (REM). During this time, the brain is very active.
Sigmund Freud believed that dreams tell us about our subconscious. Our thoughts, motivations, and unconscious desires are revealed. What we might think society perceives as unacceptable, we think and feel during our dreams.
Dreams are somewhat of a mysterious phenomenon, with some researchers saying they serve no purpose while others claim dreams are necessary for our mental health. They may have no connection to reality, but some experts have found that when restricted from the act of dreaming a person can wake up feeling depressed, anxious, have a hard time concentrating, experience weight gain, and overall feel a sense of tension. Dreams could just be night time stories that keep us asleep. Dreams help us sort out our life’s problems, process emotions, and incorporate our memories. A person can go to bed troubled by a problem and wake up with a solution. Re-occuring dreams might have meaning that help us discover our deepest fears and concerns. For example, a dream someone has over and over about falling off a cliff or being chased might really be about a hidden trigger or stressor. On the other hand, every dream can be unique and interpreted differently.
Nightmares are bad dreams we don’t like. They stir up emotional problems, stress, and may be caused by illnesses or medications. The bottom line is that no matter how scary the dream is, it is not real. Lucid dreams occur when we are in between REM and being awake, so they seem extremely real. The brain is really active. Dreams don’t predict the future but can sometimes feel coincidental. Most of the time we don’t even remember our dreams. Imagine if we were able to remember all of our dreams. We might not be able to separate reality from what we dreamt. During REM it is possible that our brain shuts off the memory device so we only recall what we thought about just before we wake up. People who wake up several times in the night are more likely to remember their dreams. Sometimes just being conscious that you want to remember your dreams will help you recall them better.
There are different theories when it comes to interpreting our dreams, but think of them more as your brain’s free play time. It is entertaining itself as we sleep until we rise again and it’s back to work. Some say dreams do come true, but the truth is that we will never really know that answer. For now, it’s nice to believe that dreams really do come true especially when we are young and imaginative.
We see them on every corner and this brand is the face of coffee. But where and when did Starbucks come into our lives?? What is such a readily, visible part of our day, and a frequently visited stop, has dominated our communities faster than we could have imagined. With so many beverages to now choose from, especially during the holidays, this popular coffee company is hard to resist. The first Starbucks opened in 1971 just along Pike Place Market in Seattle. Three men, Gordon Bowker, Zev Siegel, and Jerry Baldwin, signed a partnership and opened their first shop. This original store transferred locations to another spot still in Pike Place, and this shop is still in operation today. In 1982, about 10 years later, Howard Schultz became the company’s marketing director. It was he who had the idea of opening multiple chains. The three partners rejected this idea. So Schultz opened his own location and then later purchased Starbucks in 1987. Within 10 years, by 1992, the company had close to 165 locations. The company first expanded to the east coast to cities like Chicago and Vancouver. Then in 1996, the company went overseas and opened its first location in Tokyo, Japan. In 1998, the company moved on to the United Kingdom and continued to expand to London, the Czech Republic, and Argentina. During this same time, Starbucks took over all of the Seattle Coffee Co. The sky was the limit.
In 2017, the company was worth about $23 billion. Today, the company has about 28,000 locations. There are about 291K employees working for this brand. Employees are offered benefits and the company offers to help pay for higher education. They offer 100% tuition coverage at Arizona State University. There is paid time off and an opportunity to have discounted company stock.
Starbucks claims to have close to 87,000 types of drinks. There are also many types of baked goods and pre-packaged options. Almost any combination can be made for a drink to satisfy a customer’s needs. The calories, fat, and sugar are a matter of personal choice when it comes to which menu items to select. Temptation lures when the green lady on the sign is staring on the corner at you. The logo comes from a ship from the classic Moby Dick by Herman Melville. Decisions, decisions, or don’t go at all. It all depends on what you put in your cup of Joe.