Tag Archives: Health

Yoga

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My first yoga class was 4 years ago, in Boston. I hemmed, hawed and drug my feet there — to  Back Bay Studio – with my sister.

Beginner’s Vinyasa was the most painful experience…um…ever. My toes were miles from my hands. My shoulders popped every chance they got. And my hips…oh god, how did you get so uneven? Is that even normal?

Breathe, my teacher said.

Breathe.

In. Out. And then in and out, again.

photo-161I wasn’t hooked, but I showed up routinely for the rest of the summer. You see, I knew it was good for me, and at the time I was more than willing to force myself through anything “good for me” [which is, ironically, not good for you at all].

For the next three years at Wake Forest, I tried out each of Winston-Salem’s studios, fighting with my body and my mat and my mind — thinking I was improving just because I could jam myself further into each pose.

Then I found Bonnie and Elliot at Village Yoga.

iphone photos 012And they taught me to be kind and gentle with my body. They taught me to be patient. To release my shoulders, slide them down my back and stop furrowing my brow. To quit competing with the mats next to me.

And finally, what it meant to breathe.

Inhale. Exhale. In. Out. And then in and out again — with my joints and my mind and every fiber and tether of my being.

It’s been a constantly humbling journey. Today, I did nothing right in class. Nothing. I didn’t balance, I didn’t hold. I broke and found myself in child’s pose a lot…just, you know, breathing [and muttering unrepeatable curse words].

And I thought about all the things yoga has taught me…

1. Flexibility – it’s much more mental than physical.

If I had a dollar for every time someone told me they could never [omg NEVERRRRRR!] do yoga because they’re horribly un-flexible, I would probably have like, I don’t know, 314 dollars by now. But, as you practice, you realize it’s the mind that starts the fear cycle — it tenses you up, it freaks out about falling on your face, it thinks something valuable will snap if you go further. Calming the mind, with that ever-elusive breath, solves a myriad of problems [in class and otherwise].

2. Your lungs are your most sacred organ [organs? how does that work?]

You thought I’d say heart, didn’t you?

But consider the evidence: a.) if breathing is the most important skill for your practice, this makes sense, b.) you’d die without your lungs or your heart…so, why not choose lungs? and c.) the workings of the heart are totally outside our control [both its physical and emotional elements] but the workings of the lungs are totally within that control. In. Out. Expand. Contract. We do that. We’re in charge.

3. Kindness.

If there is one thing serious yogis share in common, it’s kindness. Most specifically, in regards to their own selves. They’re unlikely to make you, or themselves, feel inferior, small, or inconsequential. They won’t be mean to you — not to your face, not behind your back and definitely not on the internet or social media. They will take a deep breath [maybe a few more, if you're exceptionally agitating] and accept you. It feels nice.

4. Your body hates you. Really.

I know I just spent a lot of time telling you to love your body…but this is not a mutual thing. This is some serious unrequited love. You don’t realize it until you really start practicing…but, eventually, it dawns on you that your body is disgusted with you — with the junk you eat and the amount you drink and the very little that you sleep. So, to try to get on its good side, you start reversing such behavior. And you realize how supple and light and airy you’re feeling. And how much crap — emotional, habitual, and otherwise — you have. You unload. The bad stuff in your body. The bad stuff in your mind. The bad stuff in your heart. Gone.

5. Dust into Gold, kids.

You clever little minx, you noticed, didn’t you? That each of the aforementioned points shared a common thread — the miracle [WHOA a miracle!] of changing our bodies and selves in a positive way. That’s what’s happening in sorcery, when the shaman or wizard or whatever that dude in all the movies is that turns dust into gold does. The physical changes take a little longer to appear, but the mental changes arrive almost immediately. Your emotions, your presence, your dingy, tired soul — they all lighten. Loosen. Breathe.

And everyone notices.

And suddenly you find yourself crawling to your mat every chance you get.

Physique 57

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You’ve heard about it, I know.

physique57

We’ve all heard about it — it’s trendier than all five of these foods, at least one of the Kardashians [though I'll never reveal which one], and certainly more than me and….just kidding I would never lump you into this category.

Kelly Ripa swears by it [her biceps second her opinion]. It’s literally the only exercise Chrissy Teigen does. Denise Richards and Emmy Rossum are always gushing about it as well. Plus, you can barely escape a Target without having one of the DVDs or exercise balls hurled at your face and ricochet into your shopping cart. Oh, and don’t even get me started on the bloggers, they eat this ish for breakfast.

So, like any logical 23-year-old, I’ve feigned indifference, perhaps even arbitrary disgust, for the past few years — “I can neverrrrrrr do DVDs at home…Do you even sweat during those classes? [sweat being the obvious indicator of a good workout]…Why would you ever pay that much for a 1 hour class?!” [$36/class is not messing around].

collage57But then they contacted me last week to see if I wanted to try out a couple of classes, write a review, take some pictures, and some-such — and maybe [maybe] I jumped up and down, clapped my hands, and fist-pumped. Maybe a tear even sprang to my eye, but it was totally windy out so all bets are off.

Either way, I quickly said yes and booked a beginner class for last night – after my Chaise 23 experience, where I cursed every stair and the lift of either arm for days, I knew to start small.

I was right.

I can’t say everything hurts, because 1.) that’s not very creative, but also 2.) it’s not very true. Not everything is sore. But what I’ve discovered trying out these two studios is that every muscle group I so love to ignore — my thutt [it's a real thing], my upper body in general, but my triceps and that odd region between my shoulder blades more specifically — these studios love.

For example:

Swivel ChairThis really burns after a few minutes.

You know else? It also burns later that evening.

And the next day.

I want to stay positive, but I’m not sure it will feel better tomorrow.

And then there’s this:

PretzelThat doesn’t look hard. But if you were to ask my love handles what they had to say, they would politely disagree.

And then, I mean…:

Thigh DancingWhat does this even work?

I don’t remember, probably because I was face-down on the carpet in a pile of defeat at the time, but I’m sure it was effective.

Which is probably the best way to describe the whole hour: effective.

Sure, the teachers are amazing, and they certainly make it as fun as possible, but at its core it’s really just a meticulously planned, well-thought out, 60 minutes of exercise. I didn’t really sweat. My heart wasn’t jumping out of my chest. But it really prioritized muscle groups that too often fall by the wayside during my general workouts.

I shy away from workout DVDs so I can’t comment on their product — because I’ve refrained from trying it, not because I haven’t heard great things — but if you can afford the price tag and are near a studio, I think it’s a great thing to sneak in your routine once or twice a week!

I’ve already booked my second class…so that probably tells you more than the previous 500 words in this post, right?

@Vemma Review!

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Have you been following my instagram and twitter this week?

1. If not…wtf?

2. If so…then, remember these photos?

Kindly, kindly a Vemma rep sent me a big box of goodies last week for sampling [it's not like I ever mention being busy or tired].

But considering it took me months to find a protein powder with a trustworthy ingredient list…I’ll admit I was suspicious.

I buy no energy drinks.

I take no supplements.

I’m one of those annoying people who believe everything my body might ever need can be gleaned from our big green earth [because...duh].

But I think Vemma knew that [sneaky little devils]…because everything in their products is natural and based on whole food nutrition…it just provides a concentration of vitamins/minerals/antioxidants/etc we can’t achieve, no matter the copious amounts of fruits and vegetables we might shove down our throats.

Consider this product: The Vemma Formula, 2 oz.

That’s a lot of produce…and if you know me…you know I eat nauseating amounts of the stuff. 3 pounds of grapes? Give me an hour. Bags of apples? No big deal. Butter lettuce? I eat it plain.

But that list? Astounding. Even better? It’s desire to “fill holes in my diet” rather than replace meals or claim that I no longer have to eat my fruits and veggies.

It’s all based on the nutritional components of the mangosteen. Assuming you live in the Western Hemisphere [though my reader chart assures me this isn't true for all of you!], you’re perhaps a bit unfamiliar with the fruit.

I was too. Then I packed up, shipped out, moved to Vietnam, and ate them everyday. When I saw that Vemma had “mangosteen” slapped across the front of it…I was apprehensive.

Please don’t ruin my memory of the soft and sweet treats I ate on the banks of the MeKong River.

Don’t take away my favorite afternoon snack with the students.

It didn’t. The flavor is good, and I find myself actually looking forward to my little mangosteen shot.

I also find myself looking forward to the Verve Shot for a little kick in the behind these days.

I don’t know why I was nervous to take this [I also don't know why calling restaurants for reservations makes me sweat or why I have to put my left shoe on before my right every morning so...] but I almost plugged my nose before the first one.

Silly girl, it’s yummy.

Oh also, it works.

I took it yesterday when I felt my eyelids drooping and head getting heavy and truly, it helped. My other one was taken Sunday morning before yoga and I think I might make a habit of it.

I don’t like to eat before yoga if class is first thing in the morning, I swear it helps me with the binding poses. So being able to avoid coffee [there's a phrase I thought I'd never say] but not stumble onto my mat bleary-eyed and half-asleep was wonderful reprieve.

From the site:

I agree with all the above. No caffeine gives me jitters anymore, so I supposed I can’t speak to that…but I do crash from my dependency [addiction?] and I noticed last night I didn’t.

The last product I got to try was the Verve Energy Drink.

It comes in Diet [has sucralose, fyi] and regular [70 calories].

I gave up artificial sweeteners long ago and didn’t feel the need to delve back in for the sake of a trial…so I only tasted Verve Zero….and it tasted good in the way that a Skinny Latte tastes good if you haven’t had any real sugar recently [really freaking good]. But for me, it tasted a bit chemically. I assure you neither of my sisters would say the same…so choose as you will.

Lucky for me, there was still Verve Energy for me to love on.

I liked this for before morning cardio sessions. Hot coffee before sweating leaves me really hot and rather dehydrated [attractive, I know]. This solves that problem without robbing me of that precious extra pep in my step [remember when we discussed my tripping on the stairs...?].

All in all, I think it’s a great company. I hope you all take to heart that I very rarely do product reviews and I almost never toot the horn of any supplement company. I encourage [beg...plead...] you to click on the links for all the products and maybe even try one out!

Need more encouragement? Check out Bess’s blog for a secondary opinion!

For ordering… 

twood09@me.com is the rep [Tyler] I worked with –> all you have to do is email him what product you want and he will do the nitty-gritty ordering for you [god knows I love when people do things for me].

You can also order straight from the product websites. If you do so, when it asks you how you heard about this you answer “Vemma Brand Partner” and enter the code 274924006 [don't worry...it's Tyler, not me].

If anyone has any questions, ask! Tyler and I are happy to help!

Checking In

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Did you know that I exercise? Probably not if you’re new to this little corner of the web. A workout hasn’t made an appearance since…well, let’s just leave it at “…”.

And yet, I do workout.

Like 5 times a week.

And I read a million few other fitness blogs where I ever-so-stealthily [like...by hitting "print"] swipe routines.

And my shoulders are feeling the shocking number of chaturangas this morning’s yoga provided.

And I was sore in my hamstrings [oh god, my hamstrings] yesterday.

And…I tell you about none of it.

How rude.

Can we still be friends?

Awesome, glad to hear it.

Really, it’s because when my alarm rudely interrupts my dreams [it's always been jealous of my cozy relationship with my bed] at 6:?? a.m. each morning, remembering to grab my purse and my coffee is all I can ask of myself. Taking the time to scribble out a formal workout…simply not going to happen.

So let’s talk about what does work [for me] and the resources I find myself crawling back to day in and day out.

1. The far, dark, and unattended corners of my gym bag.

It’s where little gems like these reside [easier to read format here]. I’ve upped the speed so that I stay above 6.0 mph a bit longer, but the format is the same and does all the thinking for me [plus, running at a 15% incline never gets easier], leaving me to focus on things like not falling off my treadmill or tripping on the stairs [happened on Monday, honest].

Other printables: here, here, and here!

2. Morning Yoga

I’ve this funny little habit, you see. I like to ignore my upper body for nearly the entire duration of my workouts.

Yoga has an equally funny little habit where it reminds me of each and every one of those muscles whenever I enter a class.

We’ve become an excellent tag-team in that way.

3. I found a workout buddy. Never thought I needed one, until I had got one, and it’s made a world of difference.

4. These blogs…

Peanut Butter Runner [crossfit, yoga]

The Fitnessista [videos, circuits]

Bess Be Fit [running, circuits, at-home workouts, cardio] –> bonus: she’s funny, she g-chats with me all day, and shares my Starbucks/FroYo/Oatmeal/Chocolate addiction affinity.

Do I feel like I am at my fittest?

Nope, sure don’t.

But I feel like I’ve done a good job of re-committing myself to getting there, despite the hassle my schedule currently provides.

How’s everyone else doing on this front? You know I’m always scrounging around for tips and workouts :-)

Do Excuse Me…

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but I simply have to complain. And rather patting me on the back or offering a friendly, uplifting smile, telling me to focus on the positive or seek out that sliver of a silver lining, I beg: indulge me, just this once.

I ordered a bed a month ago. A plush, queen-sized bag of feathers just begging for a snuggle.

It was supposed to come last Friday.

It didn’t.

It also didn’t come this Friday (today). Which means I can look forward to another week on an air mattress (read: stiff back, poor sleep, making me a crabby, crabby, crabby little darling).

Alright, that’s all! I’m finished! You can take your sympathy and understanding and share it with the next weary girl you come across.

Here’s how I’m combatting today’s stress.

- A good workout. After 30 minutes on the stair master, at a hodgepodge of speeds to combat boredom, I suffered through this circuit 4 times.

Followed up with a nice, slow, deep-breathing and soul-soothing stretch.

- Dark mochas shared in a dark corner of my favorite coffee shop. Laughs and chocolate…a incomparable cure.

- And of course…Friday night plans that are soon to commence!

I hope everyone’s weekend is off to a wonderful, wonderful start! If you’ve got a minute and praying is your thing, do keep in mind those affected by today’s shooting outside the Empire State building.

Bits and Bites

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A week or so ago I received a lovely email from a lovely man named Jonathan who works for a company called Energy Bits. He offered to send me a package of goodies for me to sample.

You know who loves a sample?

This girl.

But…apprehension soon set in. I don’t take supplements. In perfect honesty, I don’t really believe in them (other than protein powder, and I’m neurotic about it being perfectly natural). I think anything my body needs can be readily gleaned from this good earth and I focus on doing so.

So you can only imagine the sigh of relief I heaved upon opening my package and spying this.

It’s not a supplement. It’s algae.

Don’t be grossed out.

Okay, you’re entitled to a smidgen of disgust. It’s certainly not a food I go searching for, considering I’d have to find a nearby pond to go stick a straw in.

But having an open mind was part of the deal.

I received a sample of Energy Bits (there are also Skinny Bits, Vitality Bits, and Recovery Bits) and here’s what the package promised…

Want more energy, more mental vitality, or a healthy high protein snack you can grab on the go? How about a quick way to boost your athletic performance, supercharge your run or crank up your endurance while working or working out? If so, ENERGYbits® are for you. Made from 100% organicallly grown spirulina algae and loaded with 40 nutrients, ENERGYbits® algae tabs have the highest concentration of protein in the world (64%) all for just one calorie per tab. Endorsed by the United Nations as the most nutritious food on earth, spirulina algae has been a favorite of Olympic gold medalists for decades and is a super food in every sense of the word, delivering instant and enduring energy to your brain and body.

I know you’ve all long-since tired of me lamenting my sheer exhaustion here (feel free to disagree ;-) ) and in light of that, I won’t pretend I wasn’t intrigued.

One calorie? Energy? Protein? Plant-based?

It had to be tried. So I did as any girl would. I ripped open the package, dumped out the pills, and swiftly began counting out the recommended 30-bit dosage.

For a girl who takes no supplements and fears even opening a bottle of aspirin, grasping 30 pills in the palm of my hand seemed a bit mental.

But down the hatchet they went (quickly! the package is not kidding when it cites an acquired taste) and I set off in search of workout clothes.

Perhaps I forgot it was August and that running outside around 1 pm meant suffering under oppressive heat… but there was no turning back and my run began.

I did my best to be objective…to really judge whether or not I felt different.

But then I found a running groove and didn’t look down again until 2.88 miles had passed.

Wait…

That has never (not even once) happened. So I began evaluating once more, my legs felt a bit lighter than usual and my IT bands, generally sources of great anguish, were surprisingly loose.

The feeling it best likens to is the moment right after an exhausting workout when you replenish with a green smoothie or other dense vehicle of nutrients and you can feel it coursing through your veins.

I’ve used the pills several times since then. Sometimes before workouts, sometimes just before those 12 hour workdays I so adore and while my world hasn’t been turned upside down, I have to admit I feel they help.

My only warning is this…taking them on an empty stomach first thing in the morning is perhaps not the best idea. It’s a lot of nutrients to take in very quickly and can lead to a bit of cramping if you aren’t careful.

Other than that, all I can say is the health benefits of algae are absolutely undeniable. I’ve researched it through this company and since hearing of them on my own and even if these had no visible effect on my energy, they’d still be well worth the kick of nutrients.

If you want more information, find their webpage here. If you’ve got any hankering for a question–do ask!

Thoughtfultarian

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There’s a memo I didn’t receive before moving here (surely it’s just lost in the mail…right?): diet restrictions are in, in a big way.

Restaurants gleefully tout their vegetarian or vegan menus. Gluten free? Don’t worry, so are half the pizza joints. The more food groups you claim to scorn…well truly, the cooler you are.

While I can imagine the relief this offers those beset with food allergies (because there are many who are) or those choosing to live according to these practices (for many respectable reasons)…it’s certainly left me mulling over how to classify my own diet.

What have I come up with, after hours of consternation?

Thoughtfultarian.

That’s me.

I put a lot of thought into the way I consume food. If I eat meat, like that ohsoso enchanting spicy pork we tucked into earlier this summer, you can assume it comes from a good source (local, grass-fed, etc).

If I can’t be sure, which is often the case upon exiting my front door, my orders skew a bit like the picture above. A truly good vegetarian dish, one that highlights the local or seasonal fare, is as good as any meat-based meal…except maybe my mother’s grilled pork tenderloin.

My relationship with fish is similar. I eagerly scour the fish markets for anything prefaced with wild, and if that wild is conveniently followed by sockeye salmon…well then wrap it up and hand it over.

I’ve been lucky enough to see those beautiful words on a few menus dining out in the city.

Parea made a point of advertising the exceptional sourcing of all their meats, so I responded accordingly and supported their sustainability quest.

My reward? A glorious piece of grilled salmon swimming in a rich balsamic reduction.

Perhaps rather obviously, the Larchmont Yacht Club, was equally accommodating and provided a gorgeous, uncontaminated piece of red snapper for our dining pleasure.

I admit…dairy is a bit harder (unless you’re at Chipotle, actually).

But when I’m at brunch and the choice is between bacon, sausage, or yogurt…I’m taking my chances with the parfait.

And I tell you what, when it comes loaded down with homemade granola, fig preserves and fresh berries…it’s every bit as comforting.

Truly, I never feel like I’m missing out. If I did, I would probably eat differently. I eat for pleasure as much as I do for health. But I love the way this “diet” makes me feel. Whole, energetic, and healthy.

It also leaves me plenty room for sidewalk treats like these, when a craving hits :-)

 

ALSO, you may have noticed told.in.vain’s recent facial reconstruction. I’ve a friend, Shannon, who is a wonderful, wonderful designer who’s playing around with some headers for me! Her work is outstanding, truly this is a very small glimpse at her talents…if you’re interested in contacting her–leave me a comment and I’ll put you in touch!

Gone Runnin’

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I’ve made myself promise…myself (redundant?) that I’ll run outside at least once a week until the winter weather boards up my front door.

Why?

Because runner’s high + endorphins + vitamin D is one very lethal combination.

So I woke up (late) yesterday and headed here.

For a long (by my standards) run along the water.

Cleared my mind. Cleared my lungs. Cleared out the cobwebs taking over my under-used joints…

Pounding the pavement alone, surrounded by such seriously magnificent structures does absolute wonders for the soul. Everything…be it worry, excitement, or priorities…have a way of just sliding into place.

30 minutes and almost 3.4 miles later, I happened upon my gym’s front door.

Hopefully I’m not alone in this…but when my legs are halfway gone (bound to happen when running outside in 90 degree temps) I like to push them right to the edge of failure.

So I made another one of these stacks, except this time with 13 stacking blocks on each side, and got to work.

IMG_9961


Here’s the circuit I completed…

I used 12 pound dumbbells and an 8 pound medicine ball throughout and it left me with a very empty tank and very heavy legs. Soreness soon set in and the walk home was more arduous than anticipated.

The rest of the weekend?

Well it was spent in anticipation of being weeks behind the rest of the world and finally seeing The Dark Knight Rises.

Magical, truly magical.

My only complaint? (Aside from the tirade I raged against Anne Hathaway as Catwoman when it was announced…)

Never do this again.

Tom Hardy is not one of the men whose face we cover.

Ever.

Have a wonderful Sunday!

(All Batman photos from here.)

A Quick Fixer Upper

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I was having a did bit of a down day today. You know, the sort where every little thing goes wrong…like spilling a just-purchased Vitamin Water all over an important manuscript or dropping your clean bath towel into the wet tub.

Nothing big. Nothing earth-shattering. Just an overwhelming amount of “nothings” becoming “somethings” in ways they shouldn’t have.

But rather than crawl under the covers with a sinful cup of hot cocoa like I wanted…I headed to the gym after work and just as I suspected, I’m glad I did :-)

Endorphins + Sweat + Being covered in Lululemon head-to-toe = a much nicer Madison.

IMG_9961After 30 minutes of cursing my quads on the stair master, I reunited with this old friend for a quick box jump circuit.

A few things to remember before completing this: first, it can be done with almost any apparatus that supports the weight of you jumping on it. Benches, boxes, and stairs are welcome…beds, however tempting it may sound, are not.

Second, when you land, land softly. Your knees and fellow gym-goers will thank you.

Third, no knock-kneed landings. Letting your knees sink towards each other puts a whole slew of tissues, ligaments, and other necessary bits at risk.

That should do it! So here’s the workout.

Felt great. Went fast.

And as you can see…

…got the job done.

Enjoy your last bit of Sunday!

Those Long-Lost Zzz’s

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I’ve got a naughty little habit…one I’ve a sneaking suspicion I share with a whole slew of health-conscious people: I think eating right and working out are the biggest and most important parts of being healthy.

And they are big parts, but there’s one item in the health-equation I should pay equal deference to.

Sleep.

FitFluential is (thankfully) helping with that.

(click on photo to enlarge)

There simply aren’t a lot of “fitness” promoters spending much time touting sleep…I, myself, don’t! Instead, during the week, I set my alarm and trudge down to the gym at gawd-awful hours no matter how late the previous night went.

You won’t believe what happened? No really you won’t. Okay, you might…it all caught up with me.

Being crabby, tired and overwhelmed started feeling far too normal.

So I’ve made a conscious effort to have my first priority be the number of hours of shut-eye I can get each night, not how much I can pack into each day.

A little more time has passed lounging in bed indulging in chick-lit

and wholesome (albeit, not so well-rounded) snacks…like spoonfuls of old-fashioned crunchy peanut butter (Pb & Co. = my long-time love),

instead of rushing to and from the gym when really, I don’t have time.

I haven’t set an alarm the past two days. Yesterday became an unplanned (but so, so wonderful) rest day and today’s workout got pushed to 4 o’clock.

The result?

I’m slowly starting to feel like a human being…a healthy human being, again.

Why? Well there’s a myriad of reasons!

Losing sleep does more to our bodies than just render us bleary-eyed and clutching a Starbucks triple-shot. It also heightens our risk for every.major.illness: cancer (colon and breast most predominately), diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Yep, obesity–first, because it is an illness and second, because improper sleep habits debilitate the hormones that regulate our appetites.

“Lack of sleep disrupts every physiologic function in the body,” said Eve Van Cauter of the University of Chicago. “We have nothing in our biology that allows us to adapt to this behavior” (source).

The list goes on, really, and it only gets scarier as it does. It gets into how it puts a body into a state of stress and panic, how it causes increasingly inflated blood vessels that cause increasing rates of heart attacks and strokes… and if the science behind that is something you want to read more in-depth on, click here, here or here.

Or, just consider how much easier it is to eat well, exercise hard, and be productive at work (or even at a bar) when you’ve had enough sleep that week.

So with all that said, as my eyes are beginning to glaze over and I sink ever-closer into my pillows…


I bid you goodnight!