Category: Detox

How Does Water Affect Gut Health?

Published on by Nikken

The gut microbiome, comprising trillions of microorganisms, plays a crucial role in overall health—not just in digestion but also in immune function and mental well-being. Research suggests that integrating sufficient water intake as part of a balanced diet may contribute to shaping a healthy gut microbiome.1

The gut is responsible for intestinal secretions and movements as well as waste removal. One of the basic functions of water in the gut is to lubricate the digestive tract. If you drew a map of the digestive process, the path would start from the mouth, where saliva starts the breakdown of food. Once swallowed, the food particles move from the esophagus to the stomach and down to the intestines.

A properly hydrated system would ensure the food particles have a smooth journey. Without enough hydration, the food particles would not be digested efficiently and the nutrients would not get absorbed into the bloodstream. Poor digestion can result in dietary deficiencies and any variety of stomach issues.

Drinking water with meals can help with overall digestion, but staying hydrated throughout the day is also important. How much hydration is necessary depends on each person’s particular physiology as well as living environment. People living in hot climates where a lot of sweating occurs may need more hydration than those living in cooler zones. By the same token, people who exercise strenuously and perspire more, will need more hydration than those less active.

What happens when the body doesn’t have a sufficient amount of water? The body will automatically use whatever water it has for critical functions, such as supporting the vital organs that maintain blood pressure and respiration. The digestive system is then left “dry” and discomforts such as constipation and stomach aches can occur.

Being dehydrated can cause an imbalance of electrolytes, which in turn can slow down the muscle contractions in the digestive tract that help push food particles through the system—causing bloating and other discomforts.

The general guideline for adequate hydration is about eight to 10 cups of water per day, which equates to approximately 64-80 ounces or 1.9-2.4 liters. This includes food rich in water content, not just plain water.2

Drink water—to your health!

1, 2 https://www.austingastro.com/2024/05/17/hydration-and-digestion-why-water-is-essential-for-a-healthy-gut/

Drinking Water Comes in Different Forms

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Not all drinking water is created equally. Some types of water taste better. Some supply more minerals. Some water, such as PiMag® water, is alkaline. Some water can even make you sick, when it’s contaminated with bacteria and/or other microbes. Here’s a look at the variety of water considered potable, that is, drinkable, for health and hydration.

Tap water comes from a piped public water supply. In the U.S. and Canada, tap water is generally considered safe to drink, because there are industry regulations that keep harmful substances out of the water supply. Nonetheless, this decontamination is not always effective, as evidenced in the water crisis in Flint, Michigan. In recent years, microplastics in North American water systems, as well as globally, pose unknown risks to health. To allay any concerns about tap water, the solution is simple: Use a PiMag Waterfall® filtration system—keep refilling it with tap water, and remember to replace the filter every three to six months or every 900 liters/238 gallons.

Mineral water is obtained from a mineral spring, where sulfur, magnesium, calcium among others, are naturally plentiful. It definitely has a different taste from tap water, and personal preference would determine whether you drink it or not. Because it contains minerals that can be beneficial, the price may be on the high end. An alternative to reaping the benefits of mineral water without constantly repurchasing is to filter tap water with the PiMag Waterfall®, which comes with mineral stones that contain copper particles. These copper particles produce positive ions that effectively destroy bacteria, mold spores, harmful microbes and algae, while the stones impart minerals continuously. Just remember to replace the mineral stones each year.

Purified water is usually tap or groundwater which has been treated to remove harmful substances like bacteria, fungi, and parasites. Purified water has had chemicals and contaminants removed, but it may still contain minerals.1 It’s an option, especially in countries where the tap water is not potable without boiling.

Distilled water is boiled and the steam is collected and condensed back into a liquid. Like purified water, it is a good option when the tap water supply is contaminated or possibly could be.However, unlike purified water, there are no vitamins and minerals in distilled water, and other than quenching thirst, has no proven health benefits.2

Spring or glacial water claims to be bottled at the source, in other words, where the water flows from, either a spring or glacier. These types of water contain minerals that are similar to the ones found in mineral water. Although in theory these types of water should be clean, it may be raw, unfiltered and untested, which could pose potential health risks.3

Sparkling water is sometimes referred to as carbonated water or soda water. Sparkling water is infused with carbon dioxide gas while under pressure and tends to be a bit mineralized.4 Readily available in a multitude of brands, it can be expensive when compared to other types of bottled water.

Well water comes straight from the ground. It is raw, untreated water and therefore has potential risks. To benefit from fresh well water, it should be tested for bacteria, nitrates and pH levels.5 Well water can also be filtered with a PiMag Waterfall® to help lower its risks.

Regardless of your preferences, the key is to stay hydrated for your health. Water is more hydrating than virtually any other beverage and it’s calorie-free!

1, 2 https://www.healthline.com/health/can-you-drink-distilled-water#distilled-water-vs-purified-water

3, 4, 5 https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/nine-types-of-drinking-water

Are You Hydrated?

Published on by Nikken

Did you know that the 60% of the human body’s overall weight is from water?1 That’s one of the reasons it’s so important to stay hydrated in order to function well. Even the act of breathing throughout the day causes the body to lose water bit by bit. When fully active and perspiring, such as during strenuous exercise, the body loses a lot more water and needs to be continually replenished to keep the overall system in balance with adequate electrolytes.

As people age, their hydration needs change. For example, the elderly are more apt to become dehydrated.2 This is in part due to changes in body composition. Older people tend to eat and drink less. The mechanism that tells the body “I am thirsty” is slower to kick in, leading to a higher risk of dehydration. Since people require sodium and potassium levels to be in balance to keep the body’s cells working optimally, drinking enough water before feeling critically thirsty is key to staying hydrated.

Healthy hydration helps you maintain overall health by:

•          Helping to regulate body temperature.

•          Keeping joints lubricated for smooth movement.

•          Transporting nutrients.

•          Supporting digestion.

•          Removing waste from the body.

•          Promoting cognitive function.

•          Improving memory and mood.

•          Preventing urinary tract infections.

•          Supporting renal functions.

•          Reinforcing blood circulation for cardiovascular health.

•          Preventing low blood pressure and dizziness.

Staying hydrated is essential to good health, but how do you know whether you’re drinking enough water for your personal needs? The fastest way to take measure of your state of hydration is to check the color of your urine. If it’s pale yellow or even clear, you’re doing well. If it’s dark yellow or a dark honey color, you’re either dehydrated or need to hydrate soon. Other signs of dehydration include confusion, crankiness, anxiety, muscle cramps, fatigue or weakness, dizziness, dry mouth, lips and eyes, chills, flushed or dry skin, loss of coordination, headache, difficulty urinating, and lacking the ability to focus or concentrate.3

Staying hydrated is easier than having to drink water non-stop. Many nutritious fruit and vegetables are composed of high-water content, so when you eat them, you’re hydrating. These include vegetables such as cucumbers, lettuce, celery and radishes. High-water content fruit include watermelon, tomatoes, berries, assorted citrus (oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, pomelos, etc.), and all types of melons (honeydew, casaba, cantaloupe, canary, crenshaw, hami and more). In fact, you can obtain about 20% of your daily fluid intake from food rather than beverages.

Not all beverages are equal, and water is ideal for hydration. Beverages such as coffee, tea and soda are being studied to determine whether they contribute to excessive urine output. So far, researchers have found that drinking them in moderation is not harmful but once you get to six cups or more, the dehydrating effects become noticeable.

Because caffeine and alcohol tend to increase urine output, energy drinks, beer, wine and other liquors are all known to increase the risk of dehydration. Taurine, a compound with diuretic effects, is commonly added to energy drinks. 4

Drinking water consistently throughout the day can help you stay hydrated. Drinking alkaline PiMag® water will help you reduce acidity and increase absorption. The PiMag Waterfall® is now imbued with copper particles in the filtration column as well as in the mineral stones, which turn into ions that effectively combat microbes and other contaminants upon contact. You can taste the PiMag® difference!

1, 2, 3 https://www.kendal-crosslands.org/blog/the-importance-of-hydration/gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAtYy9BhBcEiwANWQQL1TODUw

4 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/dehydrating-drinks#bottom-line

How Do You Manage Your Stress?

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How Do You Manage Your Stress?

Stress has become the reason people cite for just about every negative occurrence in contemporary lifestyles. In reality, some stress is necessary for people to function productively. Getting rid of stress often involves doing good work in a timely way, obtaining positive results and moving on. Nonetheless, too much stress is proven to be detrimental to your health, so how do you manage when it seems overwhelming?

Everyone is different, so each person copes with stress in diverse ways, but pinpointing your triggers is essential—if you don’t know what makes you stressed out, you won’t be able to avoid or conquer it! Ask yourself, what makes you nervous, anxious, queasy or upset? Make a list, write it down, study it and be honest with yourself. Take baby steps in your daily life to overcome those feelings and see how your stress levels lessen.

Here are a few ways to help minimize the effects of stress in your life:

•          Don’t use not having enough time to relax as an excuse. Make the time to de-stress from work, family duties, self-imposed criticisms and whatever triggers your anxiety. Making time can simply be small breaks throughout the day, as even 15 minutes of emptying your mind, deep breathing, stretching or a brief walk can do wonders to lower stress levels.

•          Talk to someone you feel close to. Talk to a new acquaintance. Talk to your dog or cat! The key is to create and feel a connection. Even talking to yourself can be helpful, but make sure to keep it upbeat. Too often people judge themselves too harshly. In a nutshell, don’t be a recluse.

•          Quit smoking or vaping—tobacco or anything else. It does more harm to your body than you feel on a daily basis, and by the time you actually feel the detrimental effects, you could have done irreversible damage. Try chewing gum or keeping your hands busy with worry-beads.

•          Drink alcohol only sparingly. It’s estimated that, on average, one alcohol-impaired-driving death occurred every 39 minutes in 2022.1 The Centers for Disease Control consider two drinks or fewer for men and one drink or fewer for women per day to be “moderate.”2

•          Do you have expired medications/prescriptions? Resist the temptation to take them. Also, do not take medications prescribed to friends and family members. Take the time to ask your physician if you feel the need for any kind of medication, and stay true to regular appointments with physicians and screenings/tests.

•          Get enough sleep. Going to bed on a consistent schedule and waking at the same time daily is believed to help you sleep better. Having a comfortable sleep environment is crucial, so try the Kenko Sleep System with magnetic and ceramic reflective technologies. Take advantage of 30% off the Kenko Naturest® Fit mattress topper and Kenko Naturest® Cozy Throw today and tomorrow!

•          Eat healthy food that is nutrient-dense—all kinds of colorful fruits and veggies, lean proteins and beneficial fats. If you feel a lack in any area, be sure to supplement with Kenzen® nutritional supplements.

Stress is largely about your state of mind, so remind yourself to focus on the abundance in your life rather than what is lacking. Cultivate a positive attitude, and spread a little sunshine to those around you. Their pleasure will have the effect of easing your stress!

1, 2 https://www.cdc.gov/drink-less-be-your-best/drinking-less-matters/index.html

Clean Air for a Better Life

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“To breathe is to live.” That is one of the basic facts of life; however, not all air is the same. Did you know that air pollution is the largest external threat to human health worldwide? That means air pollution kills more people than tobacco and shortens average life expectancy by 2.2. years. It’s also the second leading cause of death in young children, with malnutrition being the first.1

Breathing is the process of “gas exchange.” When you inhale, air enters your lungs and oxygen moves to your bloodstream. When you exhale, carbon dioxide, otherwise known as waste gas, moves from the blood to the lungs to be expelled.2 What you breathe in makes a big difference to your health. Invisible particles in the air can penetrate the cells and organs of your body—not only the lungs but also the heart, bloodstream and brain. Air pollution is a major risk factor, and the World Health Organization estimates that 99% of people globally breathe air that exceeds their guideline limits for pollutants.3

Exposure to air pollutants, cigarette smoke and microplastics can damage the airways. Whereas clean air supplies the necessary oxygen to the lungs and is transported throughout the entire body, constantly breathing in polluted air can have dire consequences. Bad air not only causes a host of physical ailments but also poses major threats to the global economy. Simply put, people call out sick from work with respiratory issues more often than virtually any other complaint. The World Bank estimates that the health damage caused by air pollution costs $8.1 trillion a year, equivalent to 6.1% of global GDP, or 1.2 billion lost work days.4

Although you may not be in control of the outdoor air that you breathe, some countries are taking air pollution seriously and implementing healthy measures. For example, China has adopted a range of clean air measures since 2014. Researchers contend these changes have cut their air pollution in half, and attribute the regaining of two years of average life expectancy and a dramatic reduction in stillbirths in recent years to the improved air quality.5

Nikken has contributed to the betterment of indoor air for years with the HEPA 13 multi-stage filtration system known as the KenkoAir Purifier®. Simply replace the filters every six months and keep the reusable pre-filter/mesh filter clean. It makes sense to have them wherever you live, especially if you have babies or the elderly living with you, as they are most susceptible to the negative effects of polluted air.

1, 3, 4, 5 https://www.cleanairfund.org/theme/facts-and-stats/

2 https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/lungs#:~:text=When%20you%20inhale%20(breathe%20in,exchange%2C%20is%20essential%20to%20life.

When Are the Best Times to Hydrate?

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By the time you actually feel thirsty, your body is already past the point where it would have been ideal to hydrate. Proper hydration can actually be scheduled, so that you maintain  balanced levels throughout the day. You probably already drink water at certain times because of your daily routine, but here are a few reminders!

When you wake up in the morning, your body has been through a long fast from both food and water. So, first thing in the morning is a great time to start hydrating. If you can start with a glass of PiMag® water, that would be ideal, because coffee is a diuretic more than a hydrator. Many swear by a squeeze of fresh lemon in the water to jumpstart the day; Nikken aficionados like to add their first serving of Jade Greenzymes® powder to water first thing in the morning or to swallow the capsules with a full glass.

If you are someone who perspires a lot, you need to drink more water to compensate for the loss. If you relax in a sauna or steam room, remember to drink water afterwards. Since exercise generally induces sweat, always drink water before and after you work out. In fact, you should take small breaks throughout your exercise routine to hydrate before continuing on.

Staying well hydrated may help people lose weight or maintain a healthy one. Many times, people will eat when they’re not actually hungry, because the brain recognizes hunger and thirst in similar ways. Try drinking a glass of water when you “think” you are hungry, and see if that satisfies the so-called hunger pangs.

Drinking water before each meal also may help with weight control. A small study tested people who drank 500 milliliters or a little over 16 ounces of water about 30 minutes before mealtimes over 12 weeks. They lost almost 3 pounds more than those who didn’t follow the protocol.1 Another study with 50 overweight girls who drank two cups of water half an hour before breakfast, lunch and dinner, found they lost weight and lowered their body mass index after eight weeks. Researchers explain that water speeds up the body’s process of burning fat for energy.2

When you need to get blood drawn for a test, or if you are someone who donates blood, be sure to drink water before your appointment. Hydration opens up your veins, increases blood flow and makes it easier on both you and the tech or nurse. If you can remember to drink 64 ounces at least 24 hours before your appointment, that should help the process.

When you’re under the weather, especially during cold and flu season, drink as much water as you can. Stay away from caffeinated drinks and alcoholic beverages, as those will dehydrate you. Staying hydrated will help you recover more quickly.

Dehydration can cause headaches and trigger migraines. If you are susceptible to headaches or dizziness, be sure to prevent them by sipping water throughout the day. Even a slight dip in fluid levels can bring on a nasty headache, so keep sipping consistently and develop the water-drinking habit!

Are you someone who experiences an afternoon slump? Do you feel like you need a nap? Instead of hitting the coffee pot, try drinking a tall cool glass of PiMag® water and see if you feel energized. According to the British Journal of Nutrition, your state of hydration directly affects your mood, memory and visual perception.3

This year, commit to drinking more water and help your entire family create the healthy habit of hydration!

You only have two days left to take advantage of the 20% discount on select PiMag® and KenkoAir filters, so be sure to order your spares right away!

1, 2, 3 https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-best-times-drink-water

Can Napping or Extra Weekend Rest Make Up for Lost Sleep?

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Almost everyone experiences sleep loss or deprivation at some point in their lives. Whether it’s from being a new parent or an overly demanding job, the results of sleep loss can range from mild crankiness to poor performance and when chronic, a shorter lifespan.

According to sleep medicine specialist Dr. Nancy Foldvary-Schaefer, sleep debt is the difference between the amount of sleep you need and how much you actually get. Taking a nap is one way most people try to make up for lost sleep. Over the past several decades, research has shown that a mid-afternoon nap lasting as few as 10 to 20 minutes may help you feel more refreshed during the day. A mid-afternoon nap may also increase working memory, learning and mental acuity for a few hours.1

Another way people try to catch up on lost sleep is to sleep in on the weekends, or whichever days are not work days. In 2018, a long-term study found that folks who slept four, five or six hours a night during the week, then caught up on weekends, lived longer than those who remained sleep-deprived all week long. A 2020 study found that catch-up sleep was associated with better health outcomes than just staying sleep deprived.2

While both napping and sleeping in on weekends may help ease symptoms like fatigue or daytime sleepiness, research has shown that it can take up to four days to recover from one hour of lost sleep and up to nine days to completely eliminate sleep debt. A full recovery from sleep debt returns our body to its baseline, reducing the negative effects associated with sleep loss.3

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), sleep-deprived people sleep more deeply, which equates to more restful sleep. Therefore, when trying to make up for lost sleep, you don’t need to make up each hour with an hour. Dr. Foldvary-Schaefer recommends compensating for sleep debt by going to bed 30 minutes to an hour earlier each night, taking short naps that last 15-30 minutes during the day, and adjusting your schedule so you can wake up a little bit later each morning. 4

To avoid sleep loss, stay on a set sleep schedule to keep circadian rhythms in sync, take short naps when possible if fatigued, avoid screen time at least 30 minutes to an hour before bedtime, limit caffeine intake and keep your sleep environment pitch black or as dark as possible.

Sleep is not the only thing that keeps you energetic and alert! Breathing in clean air and hydrating throughout the day are also crucial. You have until the end of this month to take advantage of the 20% discount on select air and water filters! Make 2025 the year you keep your KenkoAir Purifiers® and PiMag® water filtration systems functioning optimally with filters changed on time!

1, 3 https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/sleep-debt-and-catch-up-sleep

2, 4 https://health.clevelandclinic.org/insomnia-can-you-make-up-for-lost-sleep-on-weekends

Do Something to Feel Good Every Day

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Doing something to feel good every day seems natural, but think about it. Do you consciously behave in ways to that make you feel good? Feeling good is not just about physical well-being. Your brain tells you to feel good or not, so mental well-being is also crucial.

The first step to feeling good every day may be by creating intentions. By doing so, feeling good comes from conscious acts. You can then alter your behavior to establish positive habits that become second nature and no longer require questioning and searching for answers.

Feeling good, both mentally and physically, often depends on a few basic activities. Try it and see if it makes a difference in how you feel!

•          Get enough sleep. You spend about a third of your life sleeping, so getting plenty of rest is a no-brainer. Without enough restful sleep, your brain and the rest of your body cannot function optimally. When you don’t get enough sleep, not only do you suffer from brain fog and bad moods, but ironically you can gain weight, raise your blood pressure and weaken your immune system.

•          Spend some time outdoors every day. Even if it’s only for 20 minutes or a brisk walk around the block, being outside (rain or shine) can elevate your mood or create an optimistic attitude as well as lower blood pressure.

•          Do some kind of exercise consistently—whether it’s walking or working out, swimming or biking—your body will look forward to how well it feels, and you will have created a wonderful lifelong habit.

•          Be helpful. You don’t have to formally volunteer somewhere to be helpful. You can hold the door open for someone, let someone go in front of you in a supermarket queue, give a fellow driver the right of way in crowded traffic, or simply smile at strangers. You may or may not make someone else’s day better, but you definitely will feel pretty good yourself.

•          Drink enough water. By the time you actually feel thirsty, you’re probably already dehydrated, so make it a conscious habit to sip water throughout the day. If it’s PiMag® water, even better—because then you’re drinking alkaline water that efficiently hydrates.

•          Meditate or spend a few minutes daily doing nothing. This is practicing the art of true relaxation. Doing nothing for a short period of time, from a few minutes up to an hour, may resemble meditation; however, not everyone is a natural meditator, while everyone is able to do nothing, whether laying down, sitting up, standing or leaning.

•          Interact with an animal. If you have a pet, this one will come naturally. Pet your dog, cat or bunny. Something about the sense of touch against their fur is calming and soothing. Converse with your parakeets. No pets? Go outside and listen—birds, crickets, insects have a symphony of their own and gives you a break from your own inner dialogue.

•          A good diet definitely is key to feeling good every day. One specific part of a healthy diet is fiber. Fiber keeps you regular and being regular is one way to feel good every day. Make sure to eat plenty of fiber. Examples of digestible or soluble fiber are beans, Brussel sprouts, yams, apples, carrots and asparagus. Examples of indigestible or insoluble fiber are kale, cauliflower, spinach, peas, nuts and pears. You can’t go wrong if you eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables—the more colorful, the better.

•          There’s nothing that compares to the feeling of doing something creative. Do you enjoy cooking? Painting? Playing or listening to music? Do you crochet, knit, practice carpentry or build mobiles? Do anything you enjoy that is not related to your work and notice how good you feel.

•          Laughter not only helps boost your immune system, but it also triggers your body to release endorphins and other hormones that make you feel good! So, spend time with your buddies who laugh with you, watch some standup or tune into your favorite comedies.

For the whole month of January, select filters are at 20% off, so you can breathe in clean air and energize as well as hydrate and cleanse with PiMag® water—two ways to feel good every day!

Nature Knows Best How to Nurture

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Those of us born before electronic devices were invented, grew up quite differently from the children of today. We were told to “go outside and play” and we had a fair amount of unmonitored time. Granted, not every kid has the luxury of living in or near nature, but just being outdoors under the sky and breathing in natural air is now being studied more and more—because the benefits appear to be substantial.

From a stroll through a city park to a day spent hiking in the wilderness, exposure to nature has been linked to a host of benefits, including improved attention, lower stress, better mood, reduced risk of psychiatric disorders and even upticks in empathy and cooperation.1 Much of the research being conducted currently focuses on parks and forests, known as “green spaces” but “blue spaces” are beginning to be studied as well. Blue spaces are identified as places with river and ocean views. In other words, no matter the color of nature you choose to be in, you will somehow feel uplifted.

Lisa Nisbet, PHD, a psychologist at Trent University in Ontario, Canada, studies connectedness to nature. She says, “You can boost your mood just by walking in nature, even in urban nature. And the sense of connection you have with the natural world seems to contribute to happiness even when you’re not physically immersed in nature.”2 But why does this happen? Why does nature make us feel better? Scientists have come up with different theories.

The biophilia hypothesis argues that since our ancestors evolved in the wild and relied on the environment for survival, we have an innate drive to connect with nature. The stress reduction hypothesis posits that spending time in nature triggers a physiological response that lowers stress levels. And, the attention restoration theory holds that nature replenishes our cognitive resources, which in turn restores our ability to focus.3 Regardless of theories, experimental findings show that even a few moments of green space can revive a tired brain, and nature sounds, such as bird calls or crickets chirping, can also be recuperative.

John Zelenski, PhD, a psychology professor at Carelton University, says that another unproven explanation about the beneficial aspects of nature is the emotion awe. “There are some hints that awe is associated with generosity, and nature can be a way to induce awe. One of the things that may come from awe is the feeling that individual is part of a much bigger whole.”4

Alison Pritchard, PhD at the University of Derby in England, had similar findings: people who feel more connected to nature have a type of contentment that goes beyond just feeling good and includes having meaningful purpose in life.5 So, choose your blue or green space, even for a few minutes a day, and feel lighter, more energetic or even purposeful!

During the entire month of December, get the KenkoAir Purifier® for 30% off and benefit from three-level filtration and negative ion technology. You’ll be inhaling clean, ozone-free air wherever you place it! Also get the KenkoGround® to keep you connected to nature even when you’re indoors—at 20% off!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5 https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature

Do You Get the Right Amount of Rest to Feel Renewed?

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According to Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, author of Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity, many people misinterpret the meaning of rest. She says that “anything that is not their normal work, they call rest.”1 She gives the example of people who go on vacation to rest. In reality, the vacationers do not actually get rest. Instead, they do a lot of fun activities, which leave them feeling tired rather than rested or restored. So, there is a difference between not working and resting versus not working and doing fun work.

How much rest you need in order to feel renewed or restored is an individual matter. There isn’t a magic formula; however, Dr. Dalton-Smith has identified seven types of rest that work together to provide the renewal every body and mind needs. Here is how they work in tandem:

1.         You can achieve mental rest by scheduling activities that do not require much thought throughout the day. This will have a grounding effect and truly give your brain a rest. You can take a short walk outside and breathe in some natural air. You can simply sit still for a few minutes and keep your mind blank.

2.         What Dr. Dalton-Smith calls spiritual rest is what the Japanese call ikigai. She says to “consider your life purpose and your connection to something bigger than yourself.” This can simply be achieved by soaking in some sunlight, smelling flowers that are in bloom, listening to the rain or anything in relation to nature. This is similar to the Japanese practice of Shinrin-Yoku, or forest bathing—soaking in the effects of being in nature, specifically the forest.

3.         Emotional rest occurs when you feel comfortable enough to let down your guard to be open and vulnerable. Find your inner circle of people with whom you can show your true emotions, whether it’s fear, joy or anything else.

4.         Finding your community of like-minded people can providesocial rest. This is the “no man is an island” type of rest as you need time to spend with others.

5.         In the digital world, many suffer from sensory overload. Sensory rest can be achieved by shutting off electronic devices, listening to calming music, and stimulating your sense of smell with aromas you enjoy.

6.         In Zen Buddhism, there is something called “beginner’s mind.” Dr. Dalton-Smith’s version is called creative rest. She says, “Go back to a beginner’s mind and experience something with a fresh new perspective to tap your creative juices.”2

7.         Every single body needs time to recover from work, play and everything in between. Physical rest is equated with sleep most often. Dr.Dalton-Smith defines physical rest as recovery time. She says, “Honor your body by stretching and taking breaks to breathe deeply and reboot. This practice will calm your body and lift your mood.”3

Proper rest is an important fuel for our human tanks. Productive people require enough mental, physical, creative, emotional and spiritual rest. Breathing clean air and staying grounded are two other ways to achieve proper rest. For the entire month of December, take advantage of 30% off the KenkoAir Purifier® and 20% off the KenkoGround®, and see how much it can help you get the rest you truly need!

1, 2, 3 https://mindfulhealthsolutions.com/embrace-these-7-types-of-rest/#:~:text=The%20seven%20types%20of%20rest%20are%20physical%2C%20mental%2C%20emotional%2C,prioritize%20our%20self%2Dcare%20accordingly.