Environmental Wellness Tips

Just as we impact the environment, the environment has a direct effect on us as individuals. Nature benefits each individual in ways that nothing else can. Spending time in nature has been shown to impact us mentally in the following ways:

• Helps ease anxiety and depression. Going outside has been shown to help ease the effects of anxiety and depression. Ecotherapy is a type of formal treatment that involves doing activities outside in nature.

• Reduces stress and anger. Nature has also been shown to reduce the effects of stress and calm one’s mood.

• Improvement in memory and focus. Many studies have shown that going out in nature can improve cognitive function.

• Allows us to “tune back in” to ourselves. Because there are fewer stimuli in nature, it is easier to turn our focus internally.

• Reduce feelings of isolation. Spending time in a green space—whether it be a park, a forest, or even just in your own backyard—helps to reduce feelings of disconnectedness.

Check out this TEDx Talk, Restore your brain with nature to learn more about the power of nature. 

Environmental Wellness involves recognizing how your surroundings affect your health and well-being, and making choices that support both personal and planetary health. Simple steps like reducing waste, using non-toxic products, keeping your living space clean and organized, and spending time in nature can improve mental clarity and promote a sense of peace and responsibility. Learn 7 strategies for improving your environmental health.

Micro habits are an excellent method you can use to make traditional health and wellness resolutions. With micro habits, you can make mini milestones along the way to a larger goal. Micro habits are incremental shifts to your daily routine. They often take 5 minutes or less, so they’re easy to maintain. Start with one or two new habits, and once your micro shifts become part of your daily routine—you add more. A shift or two may have minimal impact, but one shift a month over the next 12 months can make a noticeable difference. Use the micro shifts below for inspiration:

• Journal for 5 minutes per day.

• Meditate for 5 minutes per day.

• Take 10 deep belly breaths per day.

• Start each day with a positive affirmation.

• Eat 3 vegan meals per week.

• Drink 8 ounces of water at set intervals throughout the day.

• Read 1 informative or inspirational article per day.

• Unplug at least 1 hour before bedtime and maybe 1 hour in the morning.

• Count your fruits and veggies, aiming for at least 20 different fruits and veggies per week.

• Identify more ways to move through the day, including standing at your computer and taking the stairs.

Eat more fruits and veggies to ensure you are getting the vitamins you need. Eating the rainbow of colors helps maintain a healthy body weight, controls blood sugar, and is shown to reduce your ("bad") cholesterol. If you're worried about expense or spoiled fruit, stock up on frozen stuff when on sale. Frozen produce has great nutrients and can be prepared much the same way as fresh food. 

Building a daily skincare routine can help you maintain overall skin health or improve concerns like acne, scarring, or dark spots. Find a cleanser, serum, moisturizer, and sunscreen and give your skin the love it deserves.

According to the CDC, only about 2/3 of the US population is considered vitamin D sufficient. This means that a third of us are not getting enough vitamin D. As the days become shorter, natural light can lead to a lack of vitamin D. Try to get outside in the sunlight for 15 minutes per day to get your fill. Think you need more vitamin D? Learn three ways to boost your vitamin D intake to optimize your health and wellness, not only during winter but throughout the year.

There are many diets out there and it is difficult to determine which one is right for you. But then there are eating behaviors that just make sense. In the past 15 years research has shown that certain foods cause inflammation. Most foods either rev up inflammation or tamp it down. A diet high in trans-fatty acids, carbohydrates and sugar drives the body to create inflammatory chemicals.  Learn more about foods you should eat to help fight inflammation, such as a diet heavy on vegetables, legumes, grassfed meats, whole grains and omega-3 fatty acids. Please read this article for more information. 

Research shows that extreme heat can change the way you think. A study conducted on college students explored the effect that heat can have on stress and cognitive function. In fact, the participants in the study benefited from staying well-hydrated. Participants who slept in the hot dorm rooms and drank fewer than six glasses of liquid per day demonstrated poor performance on cognitive tests. Drinking plenty of water does not only help protect your physical health but your mental well-being, as well. See the item on Heat and Cognitive Function.

Fiber is a general term referring to complex carbohydrates that your body cannot digest or absorb into your bloodstream.  Fiber is excreted rather than used for energy like other carbohydrates.  Fiber is classified as either soluble or insoluble and both contribute to weight management and blood glucose control.

Insoluble Fiber is important because it pushes waste through the intestines.  Because of its role in the body, insoluble fiber is often called roughage and has been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer and diverticulitis.  Insoluble fibers include wheat, corn, bran, and whole grains, and vegetables.

Soluble fibers dissolve and become gummy in the intestines.  These fibers bind to fatty substances and promote their excretion as waste; a mechanism which seems to help lower blood cholesterol.  Soluble fibers also prolong the stomach emptying time so that sugar is released more slowly, which is extra important if you have diabetes.  Soluble fibers include fruits, oats, barley, and legumes.

The recommendation for Americans is to consume between 25-35 grams of total fiber (soluble and insoluble) per day.  Variety is the key.  Choose a balanced diet following the food guide pyramid, five servings of fruits and vegetables and 6-11 bread servings.  This will supply the recommended amount of fiber and carbohydrates.  Make sure to increase your fiber intake slowly as it may result in an upset stomach, cramps, and bloating.  Make sure you increase your water intake as well.

Maybe you've heard of gut health?  It's when your digestive tract is working so that it take in nutrients and gets rid of waste.  You have healthy germs and microbes helping to ward off illness.  A healthy gut will talk with the brain to encourage a feeling of well-being and good mental health.  

There are many things that effect gut health including medications, illnesses and our own thoughts.  In addition, diet exercise and stress levels can all change the health of our gut.  In this article, we'll focus on how stress affects the gut.

If you deal with frequent:

• Bloating

• Cramping

• Nausea

• Feeling uncomfortable full

• Butterflies

• Burning in chest or throat

• Chronic fatigue

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

• Peptic ulcers

• Reflux

Read more about Stress and Digestive Problems.

You’ve heard it plenty of times this year, but you need to regularly wash your hands to prevent germs from spreading at work and at home. Try singing the alphabet song or the happy birthday song twice while rubbing your hands together in warm, soapy water to kill germs on contact. When you are in the office, desks and cubicles are a hot spot for germs to fester and multiply. Copiers, water fountains, and break areas can be covered with germs and bacteria as well.  Unfortunately, the domino effect applies to workplace illness, but it doesn’t have to be that way. With flu season around the corner, it’s important that you keep yourself from spreading germs. Besides getting a flu shot, there are many other ways to help prevent illness and the spread of germs. You shouldn’t wait until you feel under the weather to implement germ prevention.

New year, new teachers, new classmates, and new adventures ahead. It's daunting for every child –  even more so if they have a medical condition. Here are some tips to keep in mind to make sure they feel safe and at ease when the school year begins. 

Learn more in the full article such as:

• How and when to tell school or teachers about a medical condition

• How your child can tell friends or classmates about their medical condition

• Make sure you have any equipment or medication for your day. Consider how it needs to be stored during school hours

• Are there any other changes or adjustments that need to be made at school?

• Make sure your child carries an ID card or wears a medical bracelet

Summer is here, and that means lots of sun. Increasing your levels of Vitamin D can be as easy as getting some sun. Be careful not to burn, but know that Calcium and Vitamin D work together to promote optimal bone health. Very important as we get older. As mentioned, our bodies can make Vitamin D from sunshine; there are some who may have difficulty producing enough Vitamin D, and too much sun exposure can increase the risk of skin cancer. Very few foods naturally contain Vitamin D. Several foods and beverages are fortified with this essential nutrient. See food sources of Calcium and Vitamin D.

To incorporate Calcium and Vitamin D intake try this:

• Drink a fortified dairy beverage with your meals

• Include a packet of salmon or can of sardines once a week if you take a packed lunch. Salmon and sardines with bones have more calcium than salmon and sardines without bones

• Include leafy greens like spinach, collard greens, bok choy, mushrooms, and taro root in your vegetable dishes

• Purchase foods fortified with calcium and vitamin D. Soy beverages, soy yogurt, orange juice, and some whole-grain cereals may have these added nutrients. Just be aware that some of these foods also have added sugars! 

Maintain and improve your digestive health by eating more fiber. Fiber helps you feel full longer and can prevent overeating. Fiber also helps control blood sugar and lowers cholesterol levels. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds are good sources of fiber.

To incorporate fiber into your diet, try:

• Sliced raw vegetables as quick snacks. Keeping celery and carrots in water in the refrigerator will keep them crisp longer. 

• Start your day with whole grain cereal like oatmeal or try food made with bulgur or teff. These grains will help to keep your digestive tract more regular.  Want more fiber…top your cereal with berries, pumpkin seeds, or almonds. 

• Add half a cup of beans or lentils to your salad to add fiber, texture, and flavor. 

• Enjoy whole fruit—maybe a pear, apple, melon slice, or passion fruit—with a meal or as dessert. 

There is no right method related to drinking water.  But hydrating early in the day on an empty stomach can be beneficial.  Here are some suggestions on how to go about it. 

• Drink water before and after consuming your morning coffee or tea because large amounts of caffeine can act as a diuretic, removing fluid from the body, which could lead to dizziness, lightheadedness, and feeling sluggish.

• Use cool and warm water.  Both have their benefits.  Cool liquid can speed up your metabolism and help keep your body from overheating, and that is good when you live in a hot climate like Arizona.  Warm water can act as a flushing mechanism helping with digestion and constipation and keeping things moving and regular.  Go with what feels best for you, but try different temperatures from time to time.

• Walk around with a flask or water bottle and set reminders to drink more water.  You can also use apps that are designed to help you stay hydrated, like WaterMinder.com

Although there are benefits to drinking early in the day, the main goal is to stay hydrated.  Keep that fluid up: it is good for your circulation, your joints, and your brain.  Try to drink about half of your body weight (in ounces) of water throughout the day and be consistent every day.  Also, use a good filter so that your water has fewer toxins and tastes clean.

Living in a hot climate like Arizona reminds us that staying hydrated and drinking lots of fluids should be a daily routine. Did you know that as you age, you lose water? Makes sense; at birth, your body is made up of about 70% water, and water content in the elderly can be as low as 40%. Why is this important? Our bodies are made of various components; muscle, bone, tissue (organs), and water. Your brain is 73% water. The more water, the better the circulation and the healthier the muscle. But age brings with it stiffness, inflexibility, and weakness. A contributing factor to these declines is the need for more fluid or hydration.  

Aside from the association with aging, not drinking enough can lead to muscle soreness, fatigue, and a decline in cognitive function or lack of focus. The amount of water you need per day depends on multiple factors, like your overall health, your eating and physical activity, and your general lifestyle. The rule of thumb is that you can stay in the normal range of hydration if you drink water throughout the day. Try not to let yourself get to the point of thirst because you may already be dehydrated. A helpful hint is to carry a water bottle (a reusable one is preferable), and you can use technology to help you along. There are several apps to help you track how much water you are drinking. Here are some you can download. Water Drink Reminder, Drink Water Reminder

*For those into science, below is an equation to estimate your body water level. To do this, try the Watson formula, reported in a 1980 study entitled “Total Body Water Volumes for Adult Males and Females Estimated From Simple Anthropometric Measurements” in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 

Equation for Men:

2.447 – (0.09145 x age) + (0.1074 x height in centimeters) + (0.3362 x weight in kilograms) = total body water (TBW) in liters

Equation for Women:

–2.097 + (0.1069 x height in centimeters) + (0.2466 x weight in kilograms) = total body weight (TBW) in liters

You can find many body water calculators that use this method. Although many other formulas are available, some studies, such as a 2001 report in Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation, have found that the Watson formula is the most accurate.

*Understanding body water percentage: a significant health indicator 

Do what you can to switch to non-toxic household cleaning products. Traditional products are often full of chemicals that can be harmful to your health and the health of your kids and even household pets. If you switch to a healthier and more sustainable alternative you will provide a healthier household environment for all involved. Click this link for a healthy cleaning guide that provides recommendations on how to keep your house clean from toxins, specific products that you can use, and what to look for when choosing cleaning products.