Some people say it’s a waste of time…folding underwear. They just throw it in the drawer fresh from the dryer and grab a pair each morning. This seemingly innocent act may be covering up a bigger concern. Clutter, disorganization and too much stuff can affect our health in negative ways.
Humans are limited to the amount of information we can process. Many of us can experience overload in a cluttered space and this can lead to stress. The tricky part is that different levels of clutter affect each of us differently. What may be very comfortable to one, may feel terribly cluttered to another. One way you can know how sensitive you are to clutter is to open your underwear drawer. What do you notice when you do this? Do you shut it quickly, so you don’t have to look at it? Do you notice that seems fine and there is no reason to change it in any way? These are very different responses.
The trouble begins when we feel uncomfortable in what should be our safe space…our home. Our underwear drawer is just one example of where chaos can be noted. When we look around our homes, what do we notice? Do we get a sense of calm? Or does a mild case of overwhelm show up? Marie Kondo, the Japanese tidying expert, has based her entire career on organizing and decluttering to free up bandwidth in our brains and in our lives. Research shows disorganization and clutter have a cumulative effect on our brains. Our brains like order, and constant visual reminders of disorganization drain our cognitive resources, reducing our ability to focus. A sense of overwhelm leads to undue stress that none of us need in our homes.
Clearing away the clutter that may be adding to our stress level and overstimulating every part of us can have a big impact on our health. We know that stress is a huge player in both our physical and mental health. Stress not only takes a toll on our health but can lead us to behaviors that can worsen our health. Cigarette smoking, alcohol use, impulse shopping, and overeating are stress relievers that often backfire.
Reducing the clutter from our homes and workspaces can lead to mental clarity, inspiration, and more physical and emotional space. We all have stress…that’s a given. Managing our stress level and keeping it in check so that our productivity and happiness do not suffer is key. Some of the benefits of reducing clutter include:
More time
More peace
More fun
Less anxiety
Less debt
More JOY!
Food for thought next time you open your underwear drawer. Take note of how you feel when you do so. It may be worth exploring a new way of managing this space as an experiment to better understand how disorganized spaces affect how you feel. The little things in life can have bigger impact than we realize.
Without adequate sleep, it is nearly impossible to have a good day, make healthy choices and be pleasant to those around us. Here are some tips that may bring you a better night's sleep. Some you may have tried…others may be new. Check them out.
Practice the regular rhythms of sleep - go to bed and wake up at the same time each day
No TV in the bedroom
Create an aesthetic environment in your bedroom that encourages sleep by using serene and restful colors and eliminating clutter and distraction (Tip: avoid family photos in your bedroom decor for even more of a spa-like feel). Dark colored sheets and drapes can help induce sleep
Create total darkness and quiet - consider using eyeshades and earplugs
Avoid caffeine or reduce it after noon -- it may make sleep worse
Avoid alcohol -- it helps you get to sleep but makes your sleep interrupted and of poor quality. That nightcap may be interfering with your sleep patterns
Get regular exposure to daylight for at least 20 minutes daily. The light from the sun enters your eyes and triggers your brain to release specific chemicals and hormones like melatonin that are vital to healthy sleep, mood, and aging
Eat no later than two hours before bed -- eating a heavy meal prior to bed will lead to a bad night's sleep and will impede the body’s overnight detoxification process. Even a small bedtime snack can be problematic. Try going to bed on an empty stomach
Write your worries down. During your Power Down Hour, write down the things that are causing you anxiety and make plans for what you might have to do the next day to reduce your worry. It will free up your mind and energy to move into deep and restful sleep
Take a hot salt or aromatherapy bath. Raising your body temperature before bed helps to induce sleep. A hot bath also relaxes your muscles and reduces tension physically and psychically. By adding 1/2 to 1 cup of Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) and 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) to your bath, you will gain the benefits of magnesium absorbed through your skin and the alkaline-balancing effects of the baking soda, both of which help with sleep
Get a massage, stretch or have sex before bed
Warm your middle with a hot water bottle, which raises your core temperature and helps trigger the proper chemistry for sleep
Avoid medications that interfere with sleep. These include sedatives (these are used to treat insomnia, but ultimately lead to dependence and disruption of normal sleep rhythms and architecture), antihistamines, stimulants, cold medication, steroids, headache medication that contains caffeine
Take relaxing minerals such as magnesium and calcium. Rub essential oils like lavender, chamomile, valarian, lemon verbena or vanilla on your feet. Diffuse it in your bedroom for 30 minutes before sleep time, too
Listen to relaxing music or a meditation to help you get to sleep
If you experience excessive daytime sleepiness, fatigue, snoring, and have been seen to stop breathing in the middle of the night by your spouse or partner, then consider getting tested for a sleep disorder, such as sleep apnea
Be sure you are moving your body enough during the day. Regular exercise tires the body and allows for better sleep each night
Consider this short poem written by an unknown author when you are faced with consideration for moving toward a healthier way of living. Open your mind to the possibility that you CAN have the health, the body, the longevity, the stamina, the energy and the happy life you dream about. Having better health…true health…offers this when you let go of all the negative thinking that keeps us stuck in our old habits. Sending you this inspiration to step out of your comfort zone and consider an upgrade in your lifestyle.
Many of us, including myself, have had knee pain. Strengthening the muscles around our knees is important to keep our knees working for us!
Ingredients
4½ cups black beans (cooked)
1½ cup red kidney beans (cooked)
2 cups brown rice (cooked)
1 cup rolled oats
¼ cup BBQ sauce
1 tsp liquid smoke
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp paprika
Instructions
Rinse and drain the cooked beans so that all the excess liquid is removed.
Stand Mixer - Add the beans into the stand mixer and mix using the "scraper paddle" for 1-2 minutes or until the majority of beans have been mashed.
Next, add in the rest of the ingredients and mix for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture has reached a consistency that can be easily formed into patties.
Scoop out ¼ to ½ cup amounts of the mixture depending on the size of patties you are wanted to form. Form the patties using your hands or a pre-formed patty press.
Preheat the grill on high.
Place the patties on the grill and reduce the heat to medium/high heat. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side.
Notes
If you are only planning on cooking a few burgers after making the recipe you can easily freeze your uncooked patties for long term storage. Once you have formed the patties, place them onto a parchment-lined baking sheet or cutting board and then freeze for 12 hours. After the patties are frozen transfer them to a freezer-safe container or bag to store.
I found that freezing all of them before grilling helps them stick together well. I make a double batch and always have some on hand.
If you do not have a stand mixer, you can easily make this recipe with just a mixing bowl and spoon. Similar to using the stand mixer, in the bowl mash the beans first and then mix in the remaining ingredients. (I use a food processor).
I have been sharing excerpts from Dr. Michael Greger's “How Not to Age” book for the last several months, This book is packed with helpful tips to slow the aging process to get the most out of life. I encourage my readers to check out the book and pick out a few things you can add to your regime to promote longevity. This will be my last post from the book for now.
From the chapter on Inflammation:
Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is considered to be of cardinal importance for cancer expansion, so downregulating IGF-1 activity not only has the potential to slow the aging process but may be a way to turn anti-aging genes against cancer. IGF-1 is cranked up on high-protein diets and by animal protein in particular. This helps explain the benefits of more plant-oriented eating, as well as why consuming a diet with a relatively low proportion of protein is considered critical for lifelong health.
To help slow this aging pathway, on a daily basis, consider:
striving to stick to the recommended daily intake of protein of 0.8 g per healthy kg of body weight (0.36 g per pound), which translates to about 45 g a day for the average-height woman and about 55 g a day for the average-height man.
choosing plant-based protein sources whenever possible.
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what small step will you take this week?
Lots of love from Teri
123 Somewhere In Saginaw Dr Saginaw, MI 48601, United States
