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Are You Addicted to Your Smartphone?

Do you own a mobile phone or Smartphone? Of course you do. In fact, you are probably reading this blog on your Smartphone or tablet right now. According to Pew Research Center, nearly 70 percent of people in the U.S. have a Smartphone. Check out the Pew Research Center site here to read more about these statistics.

Some people have become so dependent on their Smartphones, they experience significant distress when they are forced to go without one. This has even led some researchers to give these feelings a name: “nomophobia,” a portmanteau of the phrase “no mobile phone phobia.”

It may sound strange and even a little silly, but studies suggest nomophobia is quite real. Sufferers have been identified based on a variety of criteria, including:

People who experience feelings of genuine panic when they can’t locate their phone

Smartphone owners who never part from their phones, including during sleep and bathroom trips

People who use their phones during meals and other social events

Individuals who pick up their phone first thing in the morning before even stepping out of bed and make it the last thing they check before going to sleep

These individuals are so addicted to their mobile devices, they have difficulty ignoring them – even when they are doing something that demands their full senses, such as driving a motor vehicle or crossing a pedestrian walkway on foot. Walk into any restaurant, and you are likely to see people glancing down at phones rather than interacting with each other. Some wedding photographers have even started asking wedding guests to leave their Smartphones at home.

Still not convinced? Consider the following statistics from a Pew Research survey:

70 percent of people surveyed admit they check their smartphones as soon as they wake up

51 percent say they check their phones constantly even while vacationing

56 percent of survey respondents say they check their phone within one hour of going to sleep at night

Experts also say that, much like any other addiction, excessive Smartphone use breeds more use and, ultimately, abuse. The more time you spend on your phone, the likelier you are to pick it up again and again.

Because mobile devices are handheld and easily transported, Smartphone users have constant access to them, making it fast and easy to get a “fix” any time they want – and the numbers show many people simply can’t help themselves.

“Breaking Up” with Your Phone

If you think you may be too dependent on your Smartphone, it is important to start setting boundaries with yourself when it comes to time spent on the phone. Experts say doing so can have a startling impact on your mental and emotional health.

Researchers also say that changing your habits can help you resist the urge to pick up the phone in the car or during other activities. You can curb your addiction by doing the following:

Set designated “phone times” during which you are allowed to check your phone. This can be once every 30 minutes or some other reasonable increment of time

Silence your phone when it is not in active use

Avoid taking your phone to bed

Turn off your phone completely when you drive; if you are a passenger, consider silencing your phone and waiting until the car has stopped to check it

Try a phone “detox” by avoiding your phone altogether for one day or even over an entire weekend

By spending a little less time with your Smartphone, you may be surprised to discover time for other things in your life. Disconnecting from constant emails and notifications can be a great way to minimize stress and help you focus on important tasks.

Learn more healthy tips, habits, and news with Get Thrive today.

Hurricane Relief with Heart

Dr. Dave Campbell investigates how the Florida Panhandle is working to recover from Hurricane Michael

Click HERE to view the MSNBC Morning Joe show segment.

 

The devastation left in the wake of Hurricane Michael was almost unequivocal to any other storm in the area in past decades. Not since Hurricane Andrew have particular Florida communities experienced such ravishing. Especially hit hard were several communities in the state’s panhandle.

Dr. Dave Campbell and Louis Burgdorf traveled to the Florida Panhandle to explore the damage, but more importantly, to report on the recovery efforts. What they found was uplifting, unbelievable, and proved to be an amazing testament to the human spirit.

 

Hurricane Michael 1

 

Driving along Highway 98, Mexico Beach, Tyndall Airforce Base, Panama City, and the small city of Marianna—it all looked like a nuclear bomb had struck. Homes were destroyed beyond recognition and people had been trapped from the debris in the path of their rescue. Surprisingly, what the visitors found were people everywhere—all helping one another. There was a deep sense of gratitude on everyone’s part that they (and their loved ones) were still alive. Materials could be replaced, but not human lives.

Humanitarian efforts opened a clinic offering free medication and healthcare to those who lost absolutely everything, including their daily meds. Free hot meals were being prepared, cooked out of wheelbarrows; people were bringing food from their freezers in droves, to be cooked and shared with the community. There was no separation of religion, skin-color, age, or financial status. As a professor from Princeton University remarked, “(We witnessed) the power of community in a time of crisis. It’s just a kernel of what the country CAN be.” A volunteer from one of the local church-based groups noted, “We just want to be a blessing others.”

Indeed, they were. And continue to be…

Click HERE to view the MSNBC Morning Joe show segment.

Hurricane Michael 3

 

The Health Benefits of Pilates

Pilates is now known across the world, mostly for the extreme health benefits that it brings to the table. It doesn’t matter what age you are or your fitness level; anyone can benefit from Pilates. It is estimated that over 20 million people around the world take a Pilates class or do Pilates exercises in some form or another. This exercise regime is said to give people many physical and mental benefits.

Get Thrive Yoga Pants
Get Thrive Yoga Pants

Makes You More Flexible

Stretching overtime and using the “Reformer” on a regular basis not only extends your range of motion, but it makes you more flexible as well. This will eventually make your body feel looser and give it the ability to do exercises and activities that you never could before. Becoming more flexible will also help you achieve other physical improvements, such as reducing back pain.

Can Improve Your Breathing

When you are in a Pilates class, careful attention is paid to your breathing patterns. Proper breathing also helps with your blood circulation, which will make you feel fresh, energized, and happy even long after the Pilates class ends.

Deep breathing gives your body a better supply of oxygen, an elemental part of almost all chemical reactions that take place in your body. Oxygen gives you energy. Exhaling rids carbon dioxide, or waste, from your body. Therefore, deep breathing is a great way to cleanse!

Helps to Improve Posture

No matter what you are doing when going about your everyday life, taking Pilates reminds you that you need to pull your stomach in, pull your shoulders back and maintain the good posture that makes it possible to be fit and live healthily.

Not only does perfecting your posture make you look better, but it can also help alleviate shoulder tension and upper back pain. The focus on posture in your Pilates class will change the way you carry yourself outside of class as well.

Ergonomic High-Back Chair
Ergonomic High-Back
Chair

Helps to Build Better Balance and Core Strength

Using a Pilates ball or a Reformer utilizes physical coordination and also helps to build balance. Balance exercises also strengthen core muscles. This is where structuring good posture comes in.

“Active awareness” of your core muscles while performing Pilates balancing exercises helps you maintain your posture. And, because the core contains and controls your diaphragm, this can also improve the deep breathing we discussed earlier.

Overall: Makes Your Body More Efficient

Pilates is the type of exercise that tones your body, improves your breathing and posture, and makes you more flexible. In other words, Pilates allows your body to be more efficient every time you take a class.

Pilates is sweeping the nation and can help you become a better you. Try a class—you’ve got everything to gain!

 

New Study Has Discovered Gluten’s Evil Cousin

Gluten-free is a growing diet trend that has proven to relieve intestinal suffering as well as providing other physical benefits. Unfortunately, a new study has discovered that there’s another culprit besides gluten.

What’s in Wheat?

In recent times, those who suffer from Celiac disease, have been fortunate enough to be able to identify their challenge. A simple blood test ordered by your doctor can diagnose if you have the ailment. For years, some people experienced bloating, nausea, headaches, vomiting, diarrhea, and foggy brain, and had no idea why. Gluten’s impact on digestive health was the cause.

Small Numbers, Big Problems

The percentage of people with actual Celiac is tiny. Others, however, experience similar symptoms without having the disease.  The medical community now recognizes this condition, which has been named “non-celiac gluten sensitivity.”

A new study, however, has revealed a protein in wheat that causes all kinds of trouble. Although it makes up less than 4% of proteins in wheat, amylase-tripsin Inhibitors (ATIs), they can trigger inflammation in the gut and systemically.

The Problem Protein

Research from this latest study shows that ATIs can activate the inflammation of chronic health issues. This particular protein complicates asthma, MS, lupus, arthritis, IBS, and a host of other autoimmune diseases. ATIs trigger inflammation in the gut, lymph nodes, kidneys, and even the brain.

For those non-Celiac, ATIs increase the risk of developing gluten sensitivity. It’s a frightening find; ATIs create such powerful immune responses through digestion that reactions spread to other tissues and organs in the body.

Scientists Speculate

This study has researchers explaining that gluten may not be the cause for all the awful symptoms that non-celiac gluten sensitive people experience. It’s the ATIs that contaminate the gluten.

So, certainly, a gluten-free diet is necessary for someone with celiac disease. But perhaps an ATI-free diet would benefit everyone. Eliminating this protein would reduce risk of inheriting celiac-type symptoms as well as decrease inflammation throughout the body.

Parapro Formula
Parapro Formula

Check it Out

If you feel you could benefit from removing ATIs from your diet, it is definitely doable. You’ll want to target foods that contain wheat and replace them with wheat-free selections. There are all types of different flours available that you could use to substitute when cooking and baking. Choosing fresh produce over many carbohydrates is a simple and nutritious way to make the change. Beans, legumes, and other grains are delicious choices to keep your diet gluten- and ATI-free.

Inflammation is a precursor and antagonist for chronic disease. Anyway to keep inflammation levels low is a plus.

 

It Takes a Village and It’s Not Just a Cliché

Raising a child is a monumental task for any parent—whether it’s the year 1, the 1400’s, or 2018. That’s why the concept of “the village” has remained so crucial to child rearing.

The Perks and the Pitfalls

There’s no specific definition of the people in “the village” other than they generally include family, friends, and neighbors, give or take a few. Even before you have children—when you’re pregnant—your people are there to help, give advice, and also, annoy you.

But that’s the beauty of a community-based support system. Everyone needs a hand now and then. And, we also grow and feel a sense of fulfillment when we’re the helper. It’s a give-and-take, information-sharing, and learning/teaching system; Cultivating that philosophy can help you, your children, and your family feel secure—especially in times of parenting dire straits.

How to Build Your Own Village

You may really like your existing biological or married-into family. And they may live nearby. And they may be willing to lend some advice, a hand, some babysitting, and some money. But that’s a lot of some “maybes.”

Most Americans aren’t fortunate enough to check “yes” to all (or even one) of the boxes above. We’re a transient society for the most part, and, face it, family as it was celebrated in the old country, just doesn’t exist here anymore that often. That’s why it’s necessary for young parents to cultivate their own village within their large circle of circumstance.

When They’re Babies…

If mom or dad is fortunate enough not to have to go into the office when a baby is young, it’s an ideal time to make new tribal friends. “Mommy and Me”–type classes are a great way to meet new parents like yourselves. Local parks, zoos, and shopping centers are always full with parents looking for ways to occupy their little ones outside the home. These are ideal environments to meet like-minded peers.

If you’re going to work, many coworkers will share the experience of having their children in daycare, too. It’s a great starting-off conversation point.

Don’t be afraid to chat about your lack of: sleep, healthy meals, sex, or even an adult conversation. Everyone with an infant or toddler is in the same playpen.

When They’re in Primary School…

Volunteering is an awesome way to meet other parents and your kids’ peers. Go to all the meetings, presentations, and shows, if your schedule allows. You’ll find you run into the same adults over and over. Some you will feel an affinity with—others you wished you never met. Either way, they’re part of your extraneous village, and you need to be respectful and grateful to have them aboard.

After-school activities are also another way to collect more members into your kinship. Someone’s always got to divvy up snack-duty, cleanup, or keep score.

By Middle School…

If you haven’t moved locations too often when the kids were really young, by middle school, you should have at least a foot (if not a strong standing) within a workable, helpful village.

By this point, you can trust other parents to drive your kid home from school or a birthday party. You, too, can be expected help other families when their kids need rides or food, or a place to stay until another working parent finally gets home after dark.

By High School…

At this point, it becomes a lot more serious. Sex, alcohol, drugs, impulsivity and other teenage perilous behaviors come into play during this stage of parenting. This is where your village needs to be fortuitous and candid.

If anyone in your village thinks their kid isn’t partaking in (or at least witness to) any of the above, it may be time to offer them a neighborly wake-up call.

No one likes snoops or snitches. But when it comes to your child’s welfare, maybe that’s what a villager’s job is when your kid is a teen. Letting another parent gently know that their child was seen doing  (fill in the blank), can cause embarrassment and defensiveness. But if the information ultimately helps the child, the parent, or the family overall, perhaps your village duty has been accomplished admirably.

Village, People!

However you decide to parent and whatever obstacles have led to hardships in your parenting arena, know that out there, somewhere, there is a village ready to embrace you and yours.

Calm The Mind
Calm The Mind

5 Super Easy Ways to Successful Weight Loss

Losing Weight the Easy Way!

Successful Weight loss and weight management always seem to be a challenge, but it can be easier by starting with 5 simple things. Although it’s a challenge to maintain a healthy diet all the time—especially in amidst of our on-the-go, busy routines—nevermind finds time to exercise. But even when we go through periods where we “behave,” why does it still seem like a challenge to lose weight—and keep it off?

While some diets might seem useful at the beginning, such as cutting down on carbs or cutting them out completely, “detoxing” from fast food, sugar or red meat, or even adjusting to the taste of kale, they all seem to have one result: the pounds eventually creep back on.

Why?

Weight loss and weight management are about balance.

Check out this site to learn more about the weight loss basics.

Here are the top 5 components that you should learn to balance in order to lose weight…and keep it off:

1. Routine

This doesn’t necessary have to be an exercise routine, (but that helps) this could just be your daily routine. Whether you get up at a certain time, head to work or school, you probably have a regular routine each day. If not, do your best to create one. Getting up at the same time, eating meals at the same times throughout the day, and going to bed at the same time can be a crucial component to weight management.Obviously weekends might be the exception, and while routines could differ from day to day, depending on your job or extra-curricular, even maintaining a consistent wake up and bed times can prove to be beneficial to overall weight management.

2. Sleep.

Believe it or not, sleep is a crucial component to weight loss and weight management. Adults should get an average of 6 to 8 hours of sleep each night. Any less than that and we begin to feel sluggish, less productive, and we might even suffer from migraines or headaches.Getting a regular and consistent amount of sleep can seriously help with overall weight loss and weight management. Do your best to get at least 6 hours of sleep each night. Not only will you feel great and feel more productive, your body will thank you.

3. Water.

We all know it’s important to stay hydrated. But did you know that drinking enough water can also help with weight loss? Not only is it important for your body to flush out toxins, but drinking water can also make you feel full and less likely to grab an unhealthy afternoon snack, or sneak dessert after dinner.

4. Exercise.

Many diets promise weight loss without exercising. However, the hard truth is that while you will likely lose weight initially when starting a diet, the pounds are likely to pack back on after some time—and without a consistent physical exercise routine.But not only does exercise help significantly with weight loss and weight management, but it also has other benefits such as boosting good cholesterol while lowering bad cholesterol, increasing endorphins to the brain, and even helping to regulate sleep patterns.

5. Diet.

Save the best for last, right? Diets can be frustrating components to weight loss. Most often when an individual starts a new diet, they are frustrated about how little they can eat, and how hungry they feel all the time. However, it’s important to be patient as it can take up to two weeks in order for your body to adjust to a new diet.Over this two-week adjustment period, your brain and body will “learn” its new diet, and your cravings will adjust accordingly. In fact, you may be surprised to find out how you no longer crave that bowl of ice cream after dinner!

Of course, each individual’s genetic makeup and body type are different. So a diet or exercise routine that works for one person doesn’t necessarily mean it will work for another. Visit here to read more about weight loss facts and fiction.

While these top five components are effective in helping with weight loss and overall weight management, you also need to discover what works for you, which could mean a lot of trial and error. But be patient and persistent, and your hard work will pay off!

To learn more about weight loss and weight management, learn more about how you can THRIVE today.

This post may contain affiliate links.  Please read the disclosure statement below for more info.

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Some of the links on this website are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase something, fill out a form or just by clicking on a link, Get Thrive will usually receive an affiliate commission. Get Thrive only recommends products, companies or services that we believe will add value to our readers. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Best Fall Harvested Foods to Keep You Healthy

Because of frozen food availability and genetic modification, we’ve become accustomed to having any type of produce, all year long. Freshly harvested, organic foods, however, are distinctly available at certain times of the year. Here are some samples of delicious, healthy produce ready for pickin’ and consumption right about now.

The Usual Suspect

Pumpkins are synonymous with autumn and holidays like Halloween and Thanksgiving. Often pumpkin is used in pies or other sweet desserts. But, there are alternate ways to eat this vitamin-rich food without packing on the pounds.

You can add cooked, cooled pumpkin chunks into smoothies. Sautee slices with other coarse veggies like carrots and then spice with turmeric, garlic, and pepper. You can puree pumpkin (add cinnamon) and spread it on toast or as part of a sandwich. Don’t forget the seeds! They can be roasted in the oven and lightly sprinkled with sea salt to make a yummy snack or as a topping for salads.

Pumpkins and their seeds offer a significant amount of fiber to your diet. High fiber lowers the risk of heart disease and high blood pressure. What’s great is that it keeps digestions flowing, but it also makes you feel fuller for a longer period of time. It’s rich in Vitamin A, which is beneficial for vision and eye health. Evidently, the seeds contain tryptophan, which helps the body relax and encourages a good night’s sleep.

Other Fall Produce Worth Incorporating into Your Diet

Rutabaga. This is a root veggie that can be sweet-ish or bland depending on how it’s prepared. It’s a cross between a turnip and cabbage, but its flesh can be potato-like. They can be pureed, made into a soup, roasted, and I’ve even seen recipes adding it to caramelized onion and apple dishes.

The rutabaga is popular in Sweden and is a great source of vitamin C and fiber.

Dates. Here’s a sweet fruit that is highly nutritious; it’s packed with fiber, vitamins (especially potassium), minerals, and low fat. They can be eaten straight up, sliced and topped with cream cheese, or chopped and added to cookies and other treats.

Dates aid in stomach and intestinal processes. In Middle Eastern countries where fasting can be common, dates are often the first food eaten after breaking the fast. They help resist overeating, satisfy hunger, and deliver glucose and beneficial vitamins rapidly.

Brussels Sprouts. These are edible buds from a member of the cabbage family. If prepared properly, they can be incredibly delicious. Many people prepare them with bacon or garlic. They can be a tad bitter, so a groovy sauce that’s either tangy or cheesy can go a long way. Roasting them can be preferred to steaming.

Brussels sprouts are an amazing source of iron and folate (vitamin B9), which is excellent for your blood and DNA reproduction. They also contain vitamin K, which helps build strong bones and aids in heart disease prevention.

Winter squash is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin A. It’s yummy prepared with butter, ginger, and cinnamon.

Parsnips look a little like carrots and are a tad sweeter. They add great flavor to soups, and some like to puree them and add to mashed potatoes for a nutty-ish flavor. They’re fiber-filled and offer lots of potassium, too.

Everybody’s Favorite

Of course there are sweet potatoes, which is also a headliner at fall and winter holiday tables. Whichever seasonal fall foods you choose, know that organic and fresh will help keep your body at its peak nutritional health.

For more articles on healthy foods, check out www.GetThrive.com

 

Is There a Fix for Childhood Obesity?

Youth obesity is a prevalent, dangerous (and growing) epidemic. Can there be a plan where prevention of weight-gain and increase in healthy weight-loss can exist? Yes, there may be an interesting and potentially successful fix for childhood obesity.

What it’s Looked Like in The Past

Diet, as a term, basically means the types and amounts of foods someone typically eats. “Dieting”, however, has become known as the practice of reducing calories and changing eating and exercise patterns.

Many youth-based obesity programs focus on “dieting.” They often stress the counting of intake calories, along with counting calories burned through exercise. That’s a plausible and proven successful method of accomplishing a weight-loss goal. But is it working? Clearly, not well enough.

A New Approach

“Mindful eating” is a new buzz-term that can truly benefit our overweight and obese youth. It’s an approach to eating that emphasizes on how the body feels while eating—and afterwards.

There’s a focus on the foods we put into our mouths. That would be a simplistic definition of mindful eating. But, Dr. Lenna Liu explains that a more demonstrative example of that focus means, “It allows us to pay attention to hunger and fullness, emotional connections to food and the relationships involved in eating.”

How Do You Feel?

Mindful eating focuses on what we ingest and why. If I’m feeling sad and I eat a gallon of ice cream, it’s pretty obvious what I’m eating and why.

Keeping an eye on ourselves, with compassion, we can make healthy food choices that focus on using food as energy. That’s what its intention is/was. All the artificial flavors and fats and salts…those are all unhealthy soothers.

Dr. Lenna Lui is a pediatrician at Seattle Children’s Hospital. She expresses that mindful eating focuses on positives, not negatives. She suggests we all observe our emotional connection to foods and how we respond accordingly.

Being Models For Our Kids

We all grab for “comfort” food. But why does food need to be the comfort? There must be an alternate, progressive way to help our youth. They needn’t tie their emotional needs or disappointments into eating. We can teach them differently!

As Liu points out, “the urge to eat due to emotions can occur suddenly and urgently.” If we, as adults, can recognize what’s going on, we can communicate or model a healthier approach for our children.

Explaining, demonstrating, and modeling that food is a beautiful necessity—we need it to “think, play, learn, and grow.” Also, making sure we provide healthy foods in the home will make a huge difference how children choose their foods. Working together, we all can make a difference.