Tag: hydrate

Stop Waking Up Tired: Close the Recovery Gap!

Published on by Nikken

Every creature requires sleep. From mammals to insects, not a single living creature can survive without sufficient sleep. Animals can sleep up to 22 hours to as little as 30 minutes a day! This drastic difference depends on many factors, including species-specific diets, sizes, hunter or prey status. Carnivorous hunters sleep longer due to higher calorie diets, while herbivores and prey animals sleep less as they need to be vigilant to avoid being attacked.1

Scientists note that most animals need at least some rest during either night or day, and sleep is crucial for humans. While it’s generally healthy for people to aim for 7-8 hours of sleep nightly, the key is to actually experience restfulness during those hours. Too often, people wake up feeling tired or experience a mid-afternoon slump. So, what’s a body to do?

Here are a few tips to help you create a more restful sleep routine so you wake up ready to take on the day:

•          Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning.2 Water can help your body get ready to start the day. After all, during the day, you hydrate periodically, whereas during sleep, you may be losing moisture through perspiration without replenishing. Staying hydrated can help support overall well-being and alertness.

•          Stretch your body upon waking. Overnight, during REM sleep, your muscles are literally paralyzed. This is known as atonia.3 Stretching first thing in the morning can help stimulate circulation throughout your body to help you transition from sleep to wakefulness, making you feel more alert. If you like yoga, morning may be the best time to do it, as it can help trigger the release of endorphins that provide increased energy and even help improve brain function.4

•          Eat breakfast. In a cross-sectional study conducted with 323 undergraduate health professional students, breakfast skippers exhibited poorer attention, while students consuming a nutritious breakfast demonstrated improved attention.5 What you eat for breakfast can make a difference in energy levels, so choose a combination of lean proteins, whole grains, nuts, and fruit with low sugar content—these types of food may help support steady energy throughout the day. Avoid sugary foods as they can spike-and-crash energy levels.

•          Drink less coffee. This does not mean to abstain, but to drink in moderation. Coffee has been found to many health benefits; however, drinking a large amount first thing in the morning has been found to possibly contribute to fatigue later in the day.6 The caffeine gives you a temporary lift, and can also cause dehydration and fluctuations in blood sugar levels.

•          Go outside for a few minutes. Sunlight triggers serotonin, which can elevate your mood and help you feel more energized. If you can’t go outside, open the curtains so you’re exposed to light the minute you wake up. This can help you quickly wake up and get rid of any sleepiness. If you can carve out some time to go for a walk, jog or run before tackling the rest of the day, even better!

•          Watch what you eat and drink in the evening, because it well may impact your next morning. Finish large meals 2-3 hours before your bedtime, and eliminate caffeine in the late afternoons. If having alcoholic beverages, drink sparingly in the evening hours, as it can disrupt deep sleep cycles.

•          Develop a comfortable rest-to-rise routine and stick to it. Go to bed and wake up at the same time daily, even on weekends. A consistent schedule helps maintain your circadian rhythm, which is linked to your internal biological clock that’s responsible for feelings of sleepiness.

Be sure to check out our July 2026 rest-and-rise specials on nikken.com!

1 https://naplab.com/guides/sleeping-habits-of-different-animal-species/

2, 3, 4, 6 https://www.healthline.com/health/morning-fatigue-remedies

5 https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11484532/

Empower Your Body Every Day

Published on by Nikken

Compare a well-tuned auto to one that is parked and never driven. Even if the parked car is under a weather-proof cover, left long enough, it won’t start. The same holds true for the human body. A well-cared-for body is agile, resilient and responsive. The body that isn’t properly cared for may eventually become immobile.

Empowering your body daily involves a balanced mix of purposeful movement, whole-food nutrition and conscious stress management—all of which encompass consistent self-care. It involves consistently making choices that support your physical and mental well-being. This approach to empowered living requires discipline, but you may be surprised how natural it feels to develop a solid daily regimen that helps empower your body every day.

Here are some simple ways to build daily habits that help strengthen your body:

•          Commit to movement. Choose an activity that is enjoyable for you. Walking outdoors, even on city streets, can be invigorating. If you can walk through a park or anywhere there is a green space, that’s even better. If you drive somewhere daily, park your car a little farther from the destination and get in some steps. Are you in a residence or an office building with stairs? Use them instead of the elevator. The key is to move your body every day

•          Stretch your body. Cardiovascular exercise gets your heart pumping, but stretching works different muscles, tendons and joints to help keep you limber. Twist, bend, reach—once you start, you will notice greater flexibility over time and probably feel more comfortable throughout your day.

•          Nourish your body. What you eat can affect your body’s physical capacity, energy levels and even clarity of mind. Be sure to incorporate nutrient-rich whole foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, fibrous grain and healthy fats.

•          Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. Begin first thing in the morning with PiMag® water and drink throughout the day. Remember that by the time you actually feel thirsty, your body is already dehydrated. Get ahead of thirst.

•          Consciously breathe in and out. Not every breath you take can be a full inhale; however, you can commit to a few minutes daily when you breathe in deeply and exhale fully. Doing this outdoors is even better. Deep breathing not only helps oxygenates your blood cells, but can be a calming practice that helps you slow down, relax and reconnect with yourself.

•          Talk to yourself. You don’t have to look in the mirror, but you can if you choose to! Positivism starts with you to you. Tell yourself how capable, strong, determined and resourceful you are. Empowering your body would not be complete without nurturing a positive mindset.

•          Rest and recover. Sleep and shine. Taking breaks throughout the day allows you to pause and reset. Rest is essential, not a luxury. Quality sleep can help you wake up feeling refreshed and ready for the day ahead.

Empowering your body daily involves intentional, small habits that build physical strength, mental resilience, and trust in yourself. By pairing daily mindful movement with restorative practices and nutrient-rich fuel, you transform caring for your physical form into an act of continuous self-appreciation.1

1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW6Pgtn9Yqc

How Much Protein, Carbs and Fiber Do You Need?

Published on by Nikken

What you eat and how much of it you need depends on your caloric requirements. The number of calories that you need each day day will depend on your age, weight, height, activity level, and health goals. Carbohydrate and protein each contribute four calories per gram, while fat contributes nine calories per gram. Soluble fiber only contributes two calories per gram and insoluble fiber contributes zero calories because it passes through without being absorbed, which is one way that fiber keeps the body regular.

The minimum calorie count recommended for adults is 1,800 calories per day for sedentary women and 2,400 calories per day for sedentary men, based on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Ninth Edition.Only children and youth can eat lower calorie counts and still satisfy their nutritional needs. There is no single diet that works for everyone. There are, however, a few general ranges.

The USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans provide percent ranges for each macronutrient in the Healthy U.S.-style Pattern. For adults, the organization recommends consuming 10% to 35% of calories from protein, 45% to 65% from carbohydrates, and 20% to 35% from fat.  The guidelines also suggest consuming less than 10% of total calories from saturated fat.1

Those following a healthy vegetarian eating plan should meet the same nutrient and Dietary Guidelines standards as in the Healthy U.S.-style Pattern, so macronutrient ranges are the same. The difference between the two eating styles is the foods chosen within each food group. Someone on a vegetarian diet should try to consume 55% carbohydrate, 14% protein, and 34% fat with 3.5-ounce equivalents of protein foods, including legumes, soy products, eggs, nuts, and seeds.2

Those following a Mediterranean-Style eating plan should also meet the same nutrient standards as the Healthy U.S.-style Pattern, so the macronutrient ranges are the same. The difference between the two eating patterns is that the Mediterranean-style diet containsmore fruit and seafood and less dairy than the Healthy U.S.-style Pattern. For example, the USDA recommends 15 ounce-equivalents per week of seafood for those following a 2000-calorie-per-day Mediterranean diet, but only 8 ounce-equivalents per week of seafood for those following the Healthy U.S.-Style Pattern. The Mediterranean diet can be 52% carbohydrate, 18% protein, and 32% fat.3

Carbohydrates break down into an energy source for the body, especially the brain. They also add fiber to the diet which helps smooth digestive processes. Protein is important for maintaining muscle mass, cellular renewal and supporting the immune system.

A little research goes a long way, for example, some vegetables contain protein, so even if you are a meat eater, you don’t have to limit yourself to getting protein from animal sources. Newer research indicates that eating more plant-based protein may help reduce heart disease, since nuts and legumes are considered more heart-healthy than processed meat.4

Even though each person’s individual lifestyle will dictate how much protein, fiber and carbs to eat to feel good every day, a balanced plate is generally favored over one that eliminates an entire food group. In other words, choose to eat balanced meals that are sustainable for your activity level and lifestyle and try not to be swayed by fad diets.

No matter how you choose to eat, always hydrate daily with clean water. Don’t miss the PiMag Waterfall® sale at 20% off through August 31, 2025!

1, 2, 3 https://www.verywellfit.com/daily-diet-composition-calculator-charts-carbs-protein-fat

4 https://rightasrain.uwmedicine.org/body/food/all-about-protein

Warm Weather Skin Care

Published on by Nikken

As you move into spring and soon, summer weather, you might notice some subtle or blatant changes to your skin. For people in general, cold weather requires more intense moisturization while low temperatures requires a bit less. Warm weather opens up the pores and produces more oil, so you may benefit from some adjustments to your skin care regimen.

The three main actions to keep in mind for warmer weather are exfoliate, cleanse and hydrate.

•            Exfoliation helps to get rid of the dead skin cells that otherwise accumulate on the skin and dull your complexion.

•          Cleansing should be with a gentle cleanser, not one that is abrasive or stringent.

•          Hydrate with a light, non-greasy moisturizer. Even if you tend towards oily skin, not using a moisturizer because the weather is warm or hot, can dry out your skin, especially since you will tend to perspire more during spring and summer.

One particular type of skin care product that is beneficial to virtually every skin type in the warmer months is the hydrating serum. Serums tend to have a lighter texture than actual moisturizers and work especially well when used in tandem. You’ll receive the benefits of improved water levels in the skin, which help to increase the appearance of radiance. And, serums can provide this assistance without giving you an oily, greasy feeling. Most dermatologist will recommend using serums and moisturizers formulated with hyaluronic acid, because it is an ingredient that binds and locks in moisture to prevent dehydration in the skin.

Another recommended ingredient is glycerin, as it is known as an emollient that can soften skin and draw moisture to the dermal surface, which has the effect of filling in wrinkles.

If you have sensitive skin that becomes more irritated with the warm weather, try to stay with skin care that is fragrance-free or naturally-fragranced. Artificial fragrances are chemically-sourced, and the fewer chemicals your sensitive has to contend with, the calmer it will be.

Although the body naturally produces more collagen in the warmer months, one precaution to take is to decrease your risk of sun damage. Wearing sunscreen is helpful but exposure to sunlight tends to lower your collagen levels. If you are under natural sunlight a lot during spring and summer, taking a collagen supplement may help you maintain your collagen levels.

These are the last couple of days to benefit from our 20% off sale on True Elements® Marine Organic Skin Care. Not only do we have a a gentle cleanser with Velvet Cleansing Cream, but we also have a Radiance Face Scrub to help get rid of dead skin cells without a harsh exfoliant. And, Youth Activ Face Serum, Revitalizing Face Serum and Moisturizing Face Cream all contain glycerin and hyaluronic acid, so your skin can stay hydrated and full.

If you feel a dip in your collagen levels or simply want to maintain consistency in your year-round regimen, our nature-inspired Pink Collagen Complex is a deliciously simple way to supplement your way to a younger-feeling, younger-looking you!