5 stellar mini-docs that will make you rethink time

Five mini-documentary films captivated the TEDWomen 2016 audience — directed, written and produced by female filmmakers whose work embodies today’s best and most innovative storytelling. In a partnership between Lifetime and Chicken & Egg Pictures, these short films are artful in the ways their storytelling catalyzes social change and the TEDWomen 2016 theme, “It’s About Time.”

Watch the selected films below and learn more about the award-winning filmmakers behind them.

Lyari Girl Boxing

About this film: In Lyari, Pakistan—called “the Colombia of Karachi” because of the tightening grip of rival gangs and widespread drug culture—a group of female boxers are taking ownership of their fate.

About the filmmaker: Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy is a two-time Academy Award and Emmy-winning documentary filmmaker. In the past 15 years, she has made more than a dozen multi-award-winning films in over 10 countries around the world. Her films include A Girl in the River, Song of Lahore, Peacekeepers: A Journey of a Thousand Miles and Saving Face. In 2012, Time Magazine included Sharmeen in its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. In 2013, the Canadian government awarded her a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her work in the field of documentary films, and the World Economic Forum honored her with a Crystal Award at their annual summit in Davos. She is a TED Senior Fellow.

How Much Is Enough?

About this film: Several American mothers reflect on two key questions: How much extra time would you like in a day? What would you do with that extra time?

About the filmmaker: Grace Lee directed the Peabody-winning documentary American Revolutionary: The Evolution of Grace Lee Boggs, which Hollywood Reporter called “an entertainingly revealing portrait of the power of a single individual to effect change.” The film premiered at the 2013 Los Angeles Film Festival and was broadcast on the PBS series “POV.” Her previous documentary The Grace Lee Project was broadcast on Sundance Channel and was called “ridiculously entertaining” by New York magazine. She recently produced two documentaries for PBS: the Emmy-nominated Makers: Women in Politics and Off the Menu: Asian America. As a Women at Sundance Fellow, she is developing a social issue comedy series.

A Mother’s Dream

About this film: An intimate portrait of a day in the life of Collette Flanagan, a mother who lost a child to police violence and now empowers others to demand constructive and concrete systemic change in their communities.

About the filmmaker: Filmmaker, artist and author Michèle Stephenson pulls from her Panamanian and Haitian roots and experience as a human rights attorney to tell compelling, personal stories that resonate beyond the margins. Her most recent film, American Promise, was nominated for three Emmys, won the Jury Prize at Sundance, and was selected for the New York Film Festival’s Main Slate Program. Shewas recently awarded the Chicken & Egg Pictures Filmmaker Breakthrough Award and is a 2016 Guggenheim Fellow and a Sundance Skoll Storytellers for Change Fellow. Her recent book, Promises Kept, written along with co-authors Joe Brewster and Hilary Beard, won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work.

 

BeeLove

About this film: This film captures the unlikely story of Sweet Beginnings, a company that employs ex-offenders by teaching them how to be beekeepers and harvest honey.

About the filmmaker: Kristi Jacobson is an award-winning filmmaker and founder of Catalyst Films. Her latest film, Solitary, an immersive look at life inside a supermax prison, premiered at the 2016 Tribeca Film Festival and will be released on HBO in 2017. She has created films for HBO, PBS, ESPN, ABC, the Sundance Channel, A&E, Lifetime and Channel 4/UK. Her films, including American Standoff, Toots and A Place at the Table, reveal her passion for capturing nuanced, intimate and provocative portrayals of individuals and communities. She’s a 2016 recipient of Chicken & Egg Pictures’ Breakthrough Filmmaker Award, awarded to 5 nonfiction filmmakers whose artful and innovative storytelling catalyzes social change.

 

The Experience of Time

About this film: This short film explores the history of humans’ complicated relationship with time, deconstructs our obsession with controlling it, and contemplates how to be more mindful of this valuable resource.

About the filmmaker: Elaine McMillion Sheldon is a Peabody-winning documentary filmmaker and media artist. She’s the creative director of the Emmy-nominated interactive documentary Hollow and runs “She Does,” a weekly podcast that documents creative women’s journeys. In 2016, she was awarded the Breakthrough Filmmaker award from Chicken & Egg Pictures. Sheldon has been named one of 50 People Changing The South by Southern Living Magazine, a 2013 Future of Storytelling Fellow, and one of the 25 New Faces of Independent Film by Filmmaker magazine. She’s a founding member of All Y’all Southern Documentary Collective.

from TED Blog http://blog.ted.com/5-stellar-mini-docs-that-will-make-you-rethink-time/
via Sol Danmeri

How to Stop Being Wooed by Dieting When You Feel Out of Control

Leora enjoys learning about nutrition and discovering new healthy ingredients to try out. After years of study she has become very knowledgeable about what it takes to have a great healthstyle.

However, over the past few years Leora has become aware that what starts out as an innocent hobby often turns into a coping mechanism for managing stress. When life gets hard Leora turns to the health blogs in search for a way to regain a sense of control. Trying out a new diet that promises optimal health makes her feel like her life is back in order.

The problem is that the diet ends up causing her to not feel well and no longer enjoy her meals. She eventually goes back to her already excellent healthstyle feeling regretful for ever going on the diet in the first place.

What is frustrating to Leora is that she is aware that she is using dieting as a distraction from stress, but cannot seem to stop herself from doing it.

We discover that in order for Leora to quit dieting for good she needs to find other comforting ways to feel more in control when triggered by stress. Together we develop a strategy based off her own values and insights to get out of this habit pattern and release her dieting mindset for good.

Wish you had more time to listen to the podcast? I use an app called Overcast (no affiliation) to play back my favorite podcasts at faster speeds, dynamically shortening silences in talk shows so it doesn’t sound weird. It’s pretty rad.

 

Related links:

Mindful Meal Challenge

Headspace

 

Listen:

Listen on iTunes

Listen on Stitcher

Listen on Soundcloud

 

If you’d like to be a guest on the show, please fill out the form here and tell us your story.

from Summer Tomato http://www.summertomato.com/how-to-stop-being-wooed-by-dieting-when-you-feel-out-of-control
via Holistic Clients

4 Ways to Find Deep Health & Avoid Conformity

Steph’s note: Please welcome Courtney Townley of Grace and Grit to the blog. Recently I had a chance to appear on Courtney’s podcast, and we gelled so well that I couldn’t wait to have her share some of her perspective on health and life here. Take it away, Courtney.

Years ago I binged watched the HBO series Weeds, and now anytime I witness conformity the theme song from that show plays (albeit annoyingly) in my head:

“Little boxes on the hillside
Little boxes made of ticky-tacky
Little boxes on the hillside
Little boxes all the same
There’s a pink one and a green one And a blue one and a yellow one
And they’re all made out of ticky tacky And they all look just the same.”

As someone who has traveled through the fitness and wellness industry for more than 20 years, I have witnessed a lot of conformity (and believe me I have done my fair share of conforming): to diets, to exercise programs, to a particular look, to beliefs about what defines a healthy woman.

The Cambridge Dictionary defines conformity as:

• Compliance with standards, rules, or laws.
• Behavior that follows the usual standards that are expected by a group or society.

Conforming isn’t ALL bad, of course. It makes you feel like you are a part of something bigger than yourself and accepted by a community, which ultimately, can inspire you to do better, develop new skills and garner support.

The Challenge With Conformity

The challenge with conformity, however, is that it puts you in a box with a clearly defined label to help other people understand you, but eventually starts to dilute your understanding of yourself.

Conformity encourages you to abide by someone else’s rules and regulations, which, can rob you of your critical thinking skills, dampen your ability to make the best choices for yourself and cage your desire to play and explore possibilities for your life that stretch beyond the parameters of “the norm.”

In other words, conformity can eventually make life stagnant and stagnant places are where thing go to die not to grow.

Deep Health

Deep health, I have come to believe, is a process of growth; a process of being able to expand yourself based on your understanding of yourself. Boxes don’t allow for expansion and the simple truth is this: there is no box big enough for my expansion or yours.

Constantly looking for outside validation and direction to foster inner strength and health is a misaligned endeavor. Many “instruction manuals” have been written…

…but NOT ONE has been written specific to the needs of YOUR health and YOUR happiness, because the only person who can author that one is YOU.

And, look, I get it…

It is easier to have someone tell you exactly what to do all the time: what to eat, how to move, which meditation to do, how much sleep to get, etc.

And I am not trying to diminish the tremendous benefit of coaches, trainers and processes that can make the road to health a bit straighter, but at the end of the day…

The depth of your health is really dependent on the depth of your relationship with YOURSELF.

YOU are the only person who knows if you doing something because it is truly enhancing your life, or because you are just really comfortable settling into the standards of the circles you travel in.

YOU are the only person who knows if the things you were doing 5, 10 or 20 years ago to elevate your health are in line with this stage of your life.

YOU are the only person who really knows if your body, mind and soul are being nourished or depleted by your lifestyle choices.

YOU are the only person who knows how happy and fulfilled you truly are.

Over the past decade of coaching women to reclaim their health and happiness, one of the most common obstacles I see women bumping up against is that they chase so much outside perspective on what they should be doing that they forget to go inside and fetch their own insight.

4 Ways to Find Deep Health

1. NEVER STOP ASKING QUESTIONS

Be relentless, like a child, never ceasing to ask yourself and others, “Why? Why? WHY?”

Why do you train the way you do?
Why do you take the supplements you do? Why do you eat the way you eat?
Why do you believe what you believe?

I have found that the answer to many of these questions for the women I have coached is a product of conditioning by someone. Somewhere along the line someone told them the behavior was what they “should” be doing. And yet, many women never pause to ask themselves the most important questions:

Based on what I want to do, feel and be in the world, why is this a sensible path for ME?

2. STOP BEING A DICTATOR

Dictating is often a result of a belief system so strong, you literally tell someone to do something without asking the other person how they feel about it and without considering how it will affect them. Dictating is NOT communicating.

You want a lot from your body: you want it to perform well, look great, and feel amazing. So, you make a few changes to your diet and exercise program and DEMAND that it changes in the ways you expect (because it worked for someone else), and in the time frame you set (which, let’s face it, is often unrealistic).

Sound familiar?

True health, however, is a give and take relationship. It is so easy to hyper-focus what you want from your body, that it is really easy to forget to ask what it needs from you.

Meal plans, exercise systems, supplements and the like can absolutely SUPPORT your journey, but please don’t follow with blind faith and EVER stop communicating with YOUR body.

Great relationships are built over time through copious communication.

3. STAY HUNGRY

A healthy metabolism, I teach my clients, is one that signals you to eat often. Hunger is not a bad thing in a healthy body… quite the contrary. Hunger is the sign of systems running smoothly and simply needing more FUEL to keep you happy and performing well.

I believe the same is true of anything in life.

When you learn new skills and start feeling more confident it is totally normal to be “hungry” for more fuel. Yet, so often people restrict themselves with the most nutrient dense forms of fuel, like play and exploration, because they have conformed to a system or community that doesn’t really do “that”.

The Pilates student refuses to take an Olympic lifting class.
The Crossfit enthusiast ignores the itch to take a dance class.
The older athlete stands firm in their belief that Parkour is solely a young person’s sport.

Health should make you feel like there are more opportunities available to you, not less.

The best way to increase your hunger for life is to develop MORE skills. Which basically means: do more of what you suck at.

4. FIND YOUR PEOPLE

Find the people who understand the desire you have for change, who can help make that change possible, hold your feet to the fire to do the work, and give you a hand when you trip over your own two feet (which, if you are with the right people, will happen often and much).

Find people who understand your thirst, see your possibility and who have traveled a few miles further down the path than you have. Be willing to be the least educated and most unskilled person in the room.

AND…

Find the people who, above all, are committed to your expansion, whatever that means for YOU and regardless of what that means to THEM.

The post 4 Ways to Find Deep Health & Avoid Conformity appeared first on Stupid Easy Paleo.

from Stupid Easy Paleo https://stupideasypaleo.com/2017/07/31/4-ways-to-find-deep-health/
via Holistic Clients

94: Low Level Red Light Therapy for Cellular Health and Healing

Low-level red light therapy is a scientifically backed solution for problems like joint pain, slow wound healing, and even aging skin and acne. It helps collagen production in the body and may possibly increase speed of healing. In fact we’ve even been using it for my husband after surgery, and watching the results I just knew...

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from Blog – Wellness Mama® https://wellnessmama.com/podcast/red-light-therapy/
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Toasted Cinnamon and Maple Almonds

The post Toasted Cinnamon and Maple Almonds appeared first on DeliciouslyElla.

from DeliciouslyElla https://deliciouslyella.com/2017/07/31/toasted-cinnamon-maple-almonds/
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Family Friday (vol. 53): Weekend Ramblings (…since it is most definitely not Friday)

So much for the whole “Friday” thing. Oh well. I have so many racing thoughts on this gorgeous, FUN weekend that I decided I should just sit down and pound it out (on my keyboard, that is).

For starters, is anyone else all but done with Facebook? I am l.o.v.i.n.g Instagram and the stories feature! I’ve become a little obsessed and my friend and coworker gave me a tutorial at lunch one day and fortunately, have had some fun and funny things to put on IG stories as of late. I’ll try not to make it all babies and dogs, but no promises. Hurry quick, though…I have our “party boat” stories on from last night and this 13 year-old kid named Aiden kept us rolling all night long. The thing with IG stories, however, is that they’re only there for 24 hours. So, keep up!

I’m also toying with the idea of pursuing my MBA online. I feel a little better just sharing that crazy thought because maybe it is just that. Crazy! I’m beginning to think I can’t do life without a never-ending season of change. It’s like, “Huh…there’s nothing complicating my life right now (other than a full-time job, a husband who travels for work, and 2 kids 2 and under), what should I sign up for to get totally stressed over for a period of time but be so proud that I accomplished?”

I tend to do this. Always have. College. Marathon. Then another. Master’s. Moving 3x in 5 years. Having 3 different positions at work in the past 5 years. Write a cookbook. Write another. Sit for multiple exams in the past 4 years – Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE), Board Certification in Advanced Diabetes Management (BC-ADM), and Certified Dietary Manager (CDM). Have a baby. Have another the minute I’m done breastfeeding the first. Remodel my kitchen. Go from part-time work to full-time work as baby #2 enters this world.

Maybe I’m just certifiably insane. But Piper is nearly a year and I’ve been in my new role nearly a year. Things are pretty steady-state at this point.

We’re pretty sure we’re going to stick with just our 2 kiddos, but we’ll never say never. Work is going great…but health care is rapidly changing.

I was thinking about what my next “challenge” or “change” could be while out running today. Biting off the challenge of an MBA is huge, especially as nothing would be exiting my plate in order to squeeze in an MBA program. Meaning, sleep would probably be one of the items to go. But I’m used to this and Piper WILL sleep through the night at some point, right? Lord have mercy!

I was thinking about this on my run because 1. that’s what I do when I run and 2. I realized that keeping the fun in exercise is important for me at this point. Training for a tri or a distance race just doesn’t sound fun to me at this stage in life. I hate to say “been there, done that”…but that’s kind of it. I’m never going to be an elite athlete (spoiler alert!), and so my pokey little runs, my social hour of tennis, and my rough-housing at hockey are right where I want to be. I should probably add resistance training and some yoga so that touching my toes may not hurt so bad, but…meh. I guess I am desiring a challenge in a more mental arena than physical.

Through my current role, I’m learning I’m an innovator. I’d like to *think* I’m a good manager, but honestly, I’m not a good details person. If you’ve ever seen my office, this comes as no surprise. I’m more visionary, outside the box, and collaborative. I absolutely love using my extrovert tendencies to gain a broader reach in healthcare. I respect the heck out of doctors and mid-levels and I’m slowly working on having them value my team’s work just the same. It’s a journey, but we’re on our way. Medicine is changing and we WILL shift to more prevention. I mean, we have to.

I guess the past 6 months or so have left me with a bit of a hunger for knowing how a dietitian could impact outcomes. Health care is changing FAST and it’s such an exciting time to be a dietitian in the traditional healthcare setting. But we have to change with change to be successful and I so badly want to be a part of that. I don’t know what THAT is exactly, but I don’t think anyone does. And because health care is a business and because nutrition/diabetes is a part of healthcare – I want to have the knowledge of business that will enable me to be a leader in healthcare now and in the future.

But of course I want to be a mom and wife and blogger and lazy bum all the while. Soooo, yeah. I know I don’t need to make any final decisions on this whole MBA thing today or ever, so the pressure is only self-imposed. I’m also in a unique reporting structure in that I report to both the Chief Learning Officer and the VP of Clinical Integration, who is also a physician. I anxiously await their thoughts, as well as those of my professional coach.

That said, I would LOVE feedback from anyone and everyone. If you think I’m bananas, it’s okay to say so. I most definitely wouldn’t disagree

In unrelated news, my girls were dedicated at church today and that was awesome. Both of our families were here and it was a blessed day. It was also a wonderful weekend – one-on-one beach time with the hubby, a party boat cruise with friends, dinner date on Friday night, some good workouts -it has been perfect. I couldn’t have asked for more out of a weekend.

Except, what the heck should I make this week? #clueless

Monday, be kind.

Be well,

from Prevention RD http://preventionrd.com/2017/07/family-friday-vol-53-weekend-ramblings-since-it-is-most-definitely-not-friday/
via Heart Based Marketing

VIDEO: Make Ahead Freezer Breakfast Burritos Made in 30 Minutes!

These Make Ahead Freezer Breakfast Burritos are the perfect grab-n-go breakfast choice for your busy mornings! They are packed with veggies and protein to keep your energy up all day. I say breakfast, you say burritos. Breakfast….BURRITOS. Breakfast…BURRITOS. Hey guys, it’s Linley here. I am writing this post singing chants to myself that Lee and...

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The post VIDEO: Make Ahead Freezer Breakfast Burritos Made in 30 Minutes! appeared first on Fit Foodie Finds.

from Fit Foodie Finds http://fitfoodiefinds.com/2017/07/video-make-ahead-freezer-breakfast-burritos-made-30-minutes/
via Holistic Clients

FOR THE LOVE OF FOOD: Spin class can kill your muscle tissue, Round Up found in Ben & Jerry’s, and carbs aren’t the enemy

Welcome to Friday’s For The Love of Food, Summer Tomato’s weekly link roundup. I missed last week, so added a few more to the mix this week.

Next week’s Mindful Meal Challenge will start again on Monday. Sign up now to join us!

This week spin class can kill your muscle tissue, Round Up found in Ben & Jerry’s, and carbs aren’t the enemy.

Too busy to read them all? Try this awesome free speed reading app to read at 300+ wpm. So neat!

I also share links on Twitter @summertomato and the Summer Tomato Facebook page. I’m very active on all these sites and would love to connect with you.

Links of the week

• As Workouts Intensify, a Harmful Side Effect Grows More Common – This is horrific. Be sane and don’t push yourself beyond your abilities. You don’t get a trophy for killing yourself in spin class. (NY Times)
• EWG’s Tap Water Database – EWG created a super cool in interactive database that allows you to check the contaminants in your local tap water (US only). Keep in mind that the pipes in your building add to the complexity. (EWG)
• The Subtle Signs of a Thyroid Disorder – Great information. Eat your seaweed. Related: Should We Be Buying Iodized Salt? (NY Times)
• Accepting your darkest emotions is the key to psychological health – “Acceptance” is the practice of acknowledging but not trying to change your emotions, even if they are really uncomfortable. It’s one of the most powerful tools you have to overcoming compulsive actions and living a more meaningful and values-driven life. (Quartz)
• Traces of Controversial Herbicide Are Found in Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream – This is nothing to freak out about because the amounts are still relatively low, but it’s good to know that even the seeming “good guys” in the mass-produced food space hit snags like this. If you really care about avoiding chemical and other types of exposure, opt out of the industrial food chain whenever possible. (NY Times)
• Chipotle workers say they’ve been forced to work while ‘dripping snot’ – Speaking of industrial food. So gross. (Business Insider)
• Uber, but for Happiness – And just so you know I’m not against convenience completely, I’m a big fan of spending money to free up time. A new study shows that spending just a bit more money on things like housekeeping, child care and food prep frees you up to focus on other things that matter to you. (The Atlantic)
• Why the US imports tainted food that can kill you  – This is very important. (The Hill)
• The Mindfulness of Pure Experience – I love this way of thinking about the value of mindfulness. It’s about learning to get out of your head and back into reality. And it takes practice. (Zen Habits)
• Why are some people “carboholics”? – Prevailing theories (ahem, New York Times) want you to believe that overeating and obesity can solely be explained by insulin levels. But what if our behaviors can be explained better by neuronal pathways instead? (Stephan Guyenet)
• We’ve long blamed carbs for making us fat. What if that’s wrong? – Taking it even further, the data that cutting carbs per se is the best path to long-term weight loss has also been crumbling under that burden data. (Vox)
• What does ‘natural flavors’ really mean? – Indeed. (Washington Post)
• Is pork good for you? It’s complicated. – Self-proclaimed health conscious people often assume pork is bad for you, but it’s Real Food (if unprocessed), it’s delicious and nutritious, and there’s nothing especially dangerous about it. I make it a regular in my meal rotations. (Washington Post)
• Meal frequency and timing linked to BMI – “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like pauper.” Seems to get truer every year. (ScienceDaily)
• Why sugary drinks and protein-rich meals don’t go well together – Interesting that in this tightly controlled experiment higher protein worsened rather than helped with a high sugar load. Though the moral of the story is still to go easy on the sugar. (ScienceDaily)
• Grilled Beets with Za’atar Lemon Yogurt Sauce – I love all these flavors, though I’ve never tried grilling beets. Sounds like a fun experiment. (Dishing Up the Dirt)

What inspired you this week?

from Summer Tomato http://www.summertomato.com/for-the-love-of-food-spin-class-can-kill-your-muscle-tissue-round-up-found-in-ben-jerrys-and-carbs-arent-the-enemy
via Holistic Clients

DIY Foaming Face Wash with Hydrosol &Essential Oils

I’m a big fan of the oil cleansing method, and I’ve even been known to rub raw honey on my face. For those who are looking for a more traditional soapy way to cleanse skin, I’ve been experimenting with this foaming face wash recipe. It has a rich lather, and there are options for every...

Continue Reading...DIY Foaming Face Wash with Hydrosol &Essential Oils

from Blog – Wellness Mama® https://wellnessmama.com/267121/foaming-face-wash/
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No Gym Required Travel Tabata Workout (Bodyweight!) + Protein Powders We Love

Got 24 minutes? All you need is your bodyweight to do this killer travel tabata workout! You can do this on the road, in your hotel room, or on the beach! Hey friends! Yes, I am currently still in San Fran (flying home today), but I wanted to share a quick workout I’ve been taking with...

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The post No Gym Required Travel Tabata Workout (Bodyweight!) + Protein Powders We Love appeared first on Fit Foodie Finds.

from Fit Foodie Finds http://fitfoodiefinds.com/2017/07/best-travel-tabata-workout-bodyweight/
via Holistic Clients

93: How to Avoid the Most Common Fitness Mistakes Women Make

As an athlete and a health coach, Meredith Vieceli sees women make all kinds of fitness mistakes. One of the most common? Not eating enough and training incorrectly or too hard! In this episode, she delves into these common problems, how to avoid them, and how to increase fitness safely and correctly. And Meredith is...

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from Blog – Wellness Mama® https://wellnessmama.com/podcast/common-fitness-mistakes/
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Lemon Garlic Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

Green Buddha Bowls with Tahini and Vegan Parmesan

Let’s keep the buddha bowl fun going, k? To follow up my Coconut Cauliflower Rice Buddha Bowl  we’re making Green Buddha Bowls with Tahini and Vegan Parmesan. The beautiful, vibrant, green buddha bowls have a base of lemon garlic broccoli rice. Much like cauliflower rice, broccoli rice is another fun, healthy and tasty grain-free alternative... Read More The post Green Buddha Bowls with Tahini and Vegan Parmesan appeared first on Running on Real Food.

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from Running on Real Food http://runningonrealfood.com/green-buddha-bowls/
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Quinoa, Sweet Potato & Raisin Salad

The post Quinoa, Sweet Potato & Raisin Salad appeared first on DeliciouslyElla.

from DeliciouslyElla https://deliciouslyella.com/2017/07/26/quinoa-sweet-potato-raisin-salad/
via Free Spiritual Marketing

Earthing & Grounding: Legit or Hype? (How to & When Not To)

Earthing (also called grounding) can be a controversial topic. Many people report amazing benefits, while critics point out the lack of solid scientific studies supporting this practice. Let’s delve into the evidence: What is Earthing or Grounding? In short, earthing or grounding is putting the body in direct and uninterrupted contact with the earth. This...

Continue Reading...Earthing & Grounding: Legit or Hype? (How to & When Not To)

from Blog – Wellness Mama® https://wellnessmama.com/5600/earthing-grounding/
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More People Are Doing Yoga To Survive In Trump’s America—Let Us Not Retreat

While our national healthcare hangs in the balance, some people are taking wellness into their own hands—a lot of them out of sheer necessity, and for some, maybe even a little desperation? (Serenity NOW.) But it doesn’t go unwarranted. We are living in a brand new era, one the likes of which we have never […]

from YogaDork http://yogadork.com/2017/07/25/more-people-are-doing-yoga-to-survive-in-trumps-america-let-us-not-retreat/
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How Many Steps Should You Get in a Day?

The 10,000-step mantra

Get your 10,000 steps in! Practically everyone is familiar with this mantra, and it is traceable as far back as the 1960s in Japan. (1) Depending on a person’s stride length, 10,000 steps correlates to approximately five miles. However, modern-day desk jobs and excessive electronic usage set the stage for a sedentary lifestyle. Some reports estimate that the average U.S. adult only achieves 5,117 steps per day, far below what’s recommended. (2) Chronic disease and obesity plague the Western world. While only one piece of the puzzle, not enough physical activity is part of the problem. We know being sedentary is detrimental to health. Low physical activity is correlated with cardiovascular disease, obesity, insulin resistance, and all-cause mortality. (3, 4) Just one additional hour in a sedentary posture per day is associated with a 22 percent greater risk of type 2 diabetes and a 39 percent greater risk for metabolic syndrome. (5) As a way of measuring physical activity, fitness trackers, including the Apple Watch, Fitbit, and Jawbone Up, have become popular over the last five years. In 2015, consumers bought 50 million wearable devices in a market exceeding $2 billion. And the market is expected to rise.

Do fitness trackers increase physical activity of the wearer?

In intervention studies, fitness trackers do show a moderate effect on increasing step count and/or physical activity. Older patients instructed to aim for 10,000 steps per day lost weight and had decreased LDL levels after 12 to 14 weeks of use. (6) Other studies have confirmed weight loss success from promoting 10,000 daily steps through fitness trackers. (7, 8) In the workplace, fitness challenges often including daily step counts can motivate employees to increase their physical activity. (9, 10) It seems that for some, having a visual, tangible record of their daily activities is what makes a difference. For others, the competition, such as in a workplace challenge, is key. Although short-term intervention studies using fitness trackers can get some people to be more active, the results are often short-lived. Even though fitness tracker sales have skyrocketed, it’s estimated that one-third of people abandon them after six months.

Higher step counts associated with better health outcomes

Designing a double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial to determine the health effects of 10,000 steps per day versus 5,000 steps per day over five, 10, or 20 years would be impossible, for a long list of reasons. Such a study could never be blinded, a valid placebo for “steps” doesn’t exist, and it probably wouldn’t be ethical. In determining how many steps a day are optimal for health, the best we can do is look at the associations between daily step count in different populations and health outcomes, trying to adjust for confounding factors. Several studies indicate that people who increase their daily step counts over time decrease their chances of dying, lower their BMIs, decrease their waist-to-hip ratios, and improve their insulin sensitivities. (11, 12) But how many steps are enough? Under 5,000 steps per day might be detrimental to bone mass. (13) Achieving at least 7,500 steps could help with weight loss and improve sleep. (14) And the 10,000-step cutoff might be appropriate for decreasing cardiovascular disease risk, at least in men. (15) But do we see benefits above 10,000 steps? One study continued to show heart benefits at daily steps up to and beyond 12,500 in men, while the relationship between step count and cardiovascular disease risk in women wasn’t as linear. (16) For postmenopausal women to achieve healthy weight, 12,500 steps might be required. (17) And, a recent study looking at postal workers showed that only those who walked over 15,000 steps per day or spent seven hours per day upright had zero features of metabolic syndrome. (18)

The health benefits continue beyond 10,000 steps per day

How to get more steps

A daily goal of 10,000 steps is reasonable for most adults, barring any serious medical issues. Start by adding an extra 500 per day each week until you reach your goal. However, because the health benefits appear to continue beyond 10,000 steps, if you are already achieving that, aim for more! For children and adolescents, especially, 10,000 steps might not be enough. Here are some tips for increasing step count, especially relevant for those who have “desk jobs”:

• Use the stairs at work instead of the elevator
• Walk to ask a co-worker a quick question instead of sending an e-mail
• See if your company would accommodate standing desks as part of a health-promoting program
• If standing desks are out of the question, use a yoga ball instead of a chair to engage more trunk muscles
• Walk to a different floor than yours to use the bathroom
• Start a walking group for before or after lunch instead of spending more time sitting around
• Set up computer prompts or alarms to remind you to get up and move around every hour
• Initiate a fitness challenge at the workplace
• Walk after dinner instead of plopping on the couch for another hour of TV
• Go on a family hike or walk instead of watching a family movie

The bottom lines

Here’s the takeaway: physical activity throughout the day is good for our health, but sitting or lounging for long periods in a row is NOT. You don’t need to get a pedometer and exactly 10,000 steps per day, especially if you are engaging in activities that pedometers won’t necessarily count, such as swimming, yoga, and heavy weight lifting. Thirty minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is usually considered equivalent to around 3,000 steps. Even with intervention studies where participants are given a pedometer and instructed to aim for 10,000 steps per day, the health differences in those with higher step counts is usually accounted for by waist circumference differences alone (but not always). The key, therefore, is maintaining a healthy weight through staying active. While pedometers work well for many, what is best is to incorporate daily exercise that YOU enjoy and won’t abandon in a few months time, along with changing some sedentary habits. Now I’d like to hear from you. Do you use a fitness tracker? What motivates you to keep exercising after the initial novelty of the device wears off? Let us know in the comments!

from Chris Kresser https://chriskresser.com/how-many-steps-should-you-get-in-a-day/
via Holistic Clients

Things I’m Loving Lately – Nordstrom Anniversary Sale!

I am sharing all the Things I’m Loving Lately that are part of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. Don’t miss it!  The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is officially open to the public! You guys, do you know what this means? You don’t need a Nordstrom card for access to sale items. Everyone has access now! That means all the...

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The post Things I’m Loving Lately – Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! appeared first on Fit Foodie Finds.

from Fit Foodie Finds http://fitfoodiefinds.com/2017/07/nordstrom-anniversary-sale-2/
via Holistic Clients

Easy Curried Red Bean Tacos with Peach Salsa

Coconut Cauliflower Rice Buddha Bowl

During the warmer months, I tend to live off smoothie bowls and buddha bowls. I love them both for their ease, customizability and nutrition. I especially love buddha bowls because you can pack them full of whatever you have on hand, they’re perfect for food prep and you can make each one as different or... Read More The post Coconut Cauliflower Rice Buddha Bowl appeared first on Running on Real Food.

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from Running on Real Food http://runningonrealfood.com/coconut-cauliflower-rice-buddha-bowl/
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Too Tired to Maintain Your Healthy Habits? What to Do When You Are Not Sleeping Well

Despite enjoying her healthy habits, Chrissy often finds herself exhausted in the evenings and not motivated to cook dinner, even when she has ingredients already prepped.

She reached out asking for strategies to curb this habit, since it can lead to a downward spiral of ordering takeout for weeks at a time.

Sometimes an issue like this is a result of failing tactics, but for Chrissy it runs deeper. Her problem is that she doesn’t sleep well at night, and as a result is too tired to maintain her healthy habits later in the day.

There is no amount of strategy or experimentation that will fix this for her. She needs to focus on getting enough rest.

Together Chrissy and I discuss why it’s essential that she refocus her efforts on getting enough sleep, since it is foundational for the rest of her healthstyle habits. This requires addressing some of her fears and limiting beliefs around sleep, as well as some practical sleep hygiene habits.

Wish you had more time to listen to the podcast? I use an app called Overcast (no affiliation) to play back my favorite podcasts at faster speeds, dynamically shortening silences in talk shows so it doesn’t sound weird. It’s pretty rad.

 

Related links:

How I Cured My Chronic Insomnia

Obesity and Reduced Sleep: Will Sleeping Less Make Me Fat?

What I Learned From 10 Days of Silence

How To Lose Weight, Meditate Like a Monk and Hone Your Super Powers: The Magic of Lucid Dreaming

The Oura Ring Sleep Tracker

 

Listen:

Listen on iTunes

Listen on Stitcher

Listen on Soundcloud

 

If you’d like to be a guest on the show, please fill out the form here and tell us your story.

from Summer Tomato http://www.summertomato.com/too-tired-to-maintain-your-healthy-habits-what-to-do-when-you-are-not-sleeping-well
via Holistic Clients

92: A Holistic Pediatrician Talks Ear Infections, Fevers, & Vaccines

Many of us dream of finding the perfect holistic pediatrician just a short drive from our homes. It’s not so easy, so today I bring one to you! Elisa Song, MD, is a holistic pediatrician, pediatric functional medicine expert, and mom of two. In this episode, she tackles all the tough subjects for parents and...

Continue Reading...92: A Holistic Pediatrician Talks Ear Infections, Fevers, & Vaccines

from Blog – Wellness Mama® https://wellnessmama.com/podcast/holistic-pediatrician/
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Post-Workout Cold Brew Protein Drink

All you need are three ingredients to make the most delicious post-workout, protein-packed drink there is —> cold brew + unsweetened almond milk + protein powder. A few weeks ago Linley and I had our good friend Jamie over for a full day of Fit Foodie shadowing. She just started a food blog called So Happy You...

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The post Post-Workout Cold Brew Protein Drink appeared first on Fit Foodie Finds.

from Fit Foodie Finds http://fitfoodiefinds.com/2017/07/post-workout-cold-brew-protein-drink/
via Holistic Clients

Summer Spring Rolls with Spicy Mango Dipping Sauce (New & Improved)

The post Summer Spring Rolls with Spicy Mango Dipping Sauce (New & Improved) appeared first on DeliciouslyElla.

from DeliciouslyElla https://deliciouslyella.com/2017/07/24/summer-spring-rolls-spicy-mango-dipping-sauce-new-improved/
via Free Spiritual Marketing

Thai Chicken Pasta Salad + Weekly Menu

VIDEO: Homemade Strawberry Banana Fruit Leather

With just four simple ingredients you can make your own HEALTHY Strawberry Banana Fruit Leather at home without the use of a dehydrator! Please tell me you are a woman (or man!) child who still eats fruit snacks and fruit leathers. I AM I AM. It’s a rule in this house that we always have...

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The post VIDEO: Homemade Strawberry Banana Fruit Leather appeared first on Fit Foodie Finds.

from Fit Foodie Finds http://fitfoodiefinds.com/2017/07/video-homemade-strawberry-banana-fruit-leather/
via Holistic Clients

Low-Fat Cinnamon Energy Balls

These delicious, low-fat cinnamon energy balls require just 4 simple ingredients to make: medjool dates, oats, maple syrup and cinnamon. Loads of cinnamon flavour pairs perfectly with sea salt and hints of caramel from fresh, soft medjool dates. Bonus: they’re very low in fat with under 1 gram per serving and they make a healthy... Read More The post Low-Fat Cinnamon Energy Balls appeared first on Running on Real Food.

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from Running on Real Food http://runningonrealfood.com/cinnamon-energy-balls/
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Prosthetics that feel more natural, how mushrooms may help save bees, and more

Please enjoy your roundup of TED-related news:

Prosthetics that feel more natural. A study in Science Robotics lays out a surgical technique developed by Shriya Srinivasan, Hugh Herr and others that may help prosthetics feel more like natural limbs. During an amputation, the muscle pairs that allow our brains to sense how much force is applied to a limb and where it is in space are severed, halting sensory feedback to and from the brain and affecting one’s ability to balance, handle objects and move. But nerves that send signals to the amputated limb remain intact in many amputees. Using rats, the scientists connected these nerves with muscles grafted from other parts of the body — a technique that successfully restored the muscle pair relationship and sensory feedback being sent to the brain. Combined with other research on translating nerve signals into instructions for moving the prosthetic limb, the technique could help amputees regain the ability to sense where the prosthetic is in space and the forces applied to it. They plan to begin implementing this technique in human amputees. (Watch Herr’s TED Talk)

From mathematician to politician. Emmanuel Macron wants France to be at the forefront of science, and science to be incorporated in global politics, but this is easier said than done. The election of Cédric Villani to the French National Assembly—a mathematician, Fields medalist, and TED speaker—provides a reason for optimism. “Currently, scientific knowledge within French political circles is close to zero,” Villani said in an interview with Science. “It’s important that some scientific expertise is present in the National Assembly.” Villani’s election is a step in that direction. (Watch Villani’s TED Talk)

A digital upgrade for the US government. The United States Digital Services, of which Matt Cutts is acting administrator, released its July Report to Congress. Since 2014, the USDS has worked with Silicon Valley engineers and experienced government employees to streamline federal websites and online services. Currently, the USDS is working with seven federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Education. Ultimately, the USDS’ digital intervention is not just about reducing cost and increasing efficiency– it’s about restoring people’s trust in government. (Watch Cutts’ TED Talk)

Can mushrooms help save bees? Bee populations have been in decline for the past decade, and the consequences could be dire. But in a video for Biographic, produced by Louie Schwartzberg and including mycologist Paul Stamets, scientists discuss an unexpected solution: mushrooms. The spores and extract from Metarhizium anisopliae, a common species of mushroom, are toxic to varroa mites, the vampiric parasite which sucks blood from bees and causes colony collapse disorder. However, bees can tolerate low doses free of harm. Metarhizium anisopliae has even been shown to promote beehive longevity. This could be a step forward in curbing the mortality rate of nature’s most prolific pollinator. (Watch Schwartzberg’s TED Talk and Stamets’ TED Talk)

Support for women entrepreneurs. The World Bank Group announced its creation of The Women Entrepreneurs Finance Initiative (We-Fi), a facility that will create a $1 billion fund to support and encourage female entrepreneurship. Initiated by the U.S. and Germany, it quickly received support from other nations including Canada, Japan, Saudi Arabia and South Korea. Nearly 70% of small and medium-sized enterprises owned by women in developing countries are denied or unable to receive adequate financial services. We-Fi aims to overcome these and many other obstacles by providing early support, networking opportunities and access to markets. “Women’s economic empowerment is critical to achieve the inclusive economic growth required to end extreme poverty, which is why it has been such a longstanding priority for us,” World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim said. “This new facility offers an unprecedented opportunity to harness both the public and private sectors to open new doors of opportunity for women entrepreneurs and women-owned firms in developing countries around the globe.” (Watch Kim’s TED Talk)

Daring to drive. Getting behind the wheel of a car is something many of us take for granted. However, as Manal al-Sharif details in her new memoir, Daring to Drive: A Saudi Woman’s Awakening, it’s not that way for everybody. The daughter of a taxi driver, al-Sharif got an education and landed a good job. The real challenge was simply getting to work—as a rule, Saudi women are not allowed to drive. Daring to Drive tells the story of her activism in the face of adversity. (Watch al-Sharif’s TED Talk)

Have a news item to share? Write us at contact@ted.com and you may see it included in this biweekly round-up.

from TED Blog http://blog.ted.com/prosthetics-that-feel-more-natural-how-mushrooms-may-help-save-bees-and-more/
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