Imagine this: You’re enjoying a favorite meal, sipping on a cocktail or mocktail, and sitting around the table with friends when all of a sudden, a burning sensation in your chest starts creeping in. You’re no stranger to this feeling; in fact, it happens after most, or every, meal!
While occasional heartburn may come and go with no impact on day to day life, chronic heartburn after every meal definitely rings some alarm bells. It may mean a necessary change in lifestyle, changing foods in the diet, or adjusting pre and post meal routines. However, sometimes we all could use a little extra help in the form of an all-natural, good-for-us supplement.
Research shows that the food we eat has a major impact on our entire body, especially how well our digestive system is working, and another function, sleep, has also been shown to be highly correlated with healthy digestion. This means that digestion and sleep go hand-in-hand; keep reading to learn more about what consequences this has for us, why we should use both Bloat and Sleep to maximize our health, and which ingredients help us do just that. How do we optimize both of these systems to feel our best?
Let’s be honest: periods can be messy, painful, and get in the way of our cute, new white jeans. Not to mention, our heightened emotions and sensitivity can sometimes make us feel, well, crazy. But, menstruating monthly is a (very important!) indication that our reproductive system and our body as a whole is balanced and working as it should. Our hormones – yes, like those responsible for PMS – affect much more than just our period. They influence everything, from our energy levels to our cognitive state, our nutrient needs, our sex drive, our bloating, and the glow of our skin.
Have you ever wondered how our bodies know it’s time to wake up? Or how we get tired at around the same time each night, why jet lag takes such a toll on our bodies, or why we feel that afternoon slump around 3 in the afternoon? We can blame all of this on our body’s circadian rhythm, or internal biological clock.
Diet plays a large role in our overall health; we should aim to eat whole, nutritionally dense foods to optimize digestion, balance mood, and decrease inflammation. We can also use herbs to help with inflammation! Specific herbs, like ginger root, dandelion, and slippery elm have been shown to have many positive health effects.
Sleep is an essential part of life; it allows us to recharge our bodies and minds, leaving us feeling refreshed, alert, and ready for the day. Healthy sleep plays a significant role in digestion, the repair of cells, immunity, hormone regulation, and disease prevention. Without enough sleep, or upon waking up from a restless sleep, our brains and bodies can feel tired and lethargic.
As temperatures drop, snowfall comes regularly, and the days get shorter and shorter, it’s not unusual for people to develop “SAD”: seasonally affective depression. It’s estimated that 10-20% of Americans get mild SAD with the changing seasons, especially those living in colder, more Northern places. With so many of us working from home and spending time indoors, the idea of getting in 10,000 steps seems dreary when the windchill is at -10º. Sound familiar? We feel it, too.
We know talking about poop is taboo; It isn’t exactly sexy, but we all poop! Having normal bowel movements, at least three or more per week, is essential for maintaining the body’s internal balance, known as homeostasis. “Going to the bathroom” allows us to rid our body of wastes and toxins that have built up after eating, and emerging research is showing a strong correlation between a healthy gut and mental health.
Calm by Arrae is a natural and effective way to unwind in the evening or find some Zen during a stressful day. Anxiety is a very common mental health complaint and an estimated 284 million people across the globe were reported to experience anxiety in 2017.
Vitamin D, the wonder vitamin! You have likely heard some of the many health-related claims surrounding vitamin D. Some of these assertions are true but many need more research to solidify their validity.
Testosterone is a sex hormone that is essential for the health of both men and women but is present in significantly higher levels in men. Testosterone plays a role in male sexual health, muscle mass, bone density, energy levels and fertility. It is normal for testosterone production to decrease with age, but lifestyle and environmental factors often contribute to an accelerated decrease of this hormone.
Ashwagandha, also known by its botanical namewithania somnifera,is a type of medicinal plant. It is classified as an “adaptogen”, or a substance that encourages the body’s physiology to return to a normal state after a stressor has been encountered.