EXCLUSIVE: Kelly Ripa’s nutritionist details the seven-step immunity-boosting routine he created for the TV host, which includes vitamins, green…
Posted: April 10, 2020 at 2:47 am
Provided by Daily Mail Staying healthy: Kelly Ripa's nutritionist has revealed the seven immunity-boosting steps he's recommended to her Even in the best of times, most people could use an immunity boost to help them fight off disease. But now, more than ever, most of us are looking for ways to be healthier, be stronger, and should we get sick convalesce faster.
Celebrity nutritionist Dr. Daryl Gioffre is an anti-inflammation expert who has advised stars like Kelly Ripa for years and now he's lifting the lid on the seven-stepImmunity Booster Protocol he's recommended to the TV host to help her stay in good health.
'Like anything in life, the best thing you can do is be prepared,' Dr. Gioffre told DailyMail.com. 'Keeping your immune system strong and healthy is where all your energy needs to be focused on right now.'
Dr. Gioffre, who is also the author of Get Off Your Acid,has worked with a fair few stars.In addition to Kelly, 49, his clients includeDorinda Medley, Kelly Dodd,Ramona Singer,Ryan Seacrest, Mario Lopez, and Petra Nemcova.
But even celebrities get sick, which is why he recommends a daily routine to help fight off illness.
'This three-part approach diet, exercise, and supplements is my most powerful protocol to build a strong immune system,' Dr. Gioffre said.
'Broken down into seven steps, this is the best way to keep you healthy.'
Help researchers at the Regenstrief Institute track the outbreak
1. Dehydrated Green Juice Powder
Provided by Daily Mail Green juice: He said that she starts each morning with a scoop ofAlkamind Daily Greens, a concentrated organic green juice powder 'The very first thing Kelly Ripa does to start her day and kickstart her immune system all year round is to add one scoop of our Alkamind Daily Greens ($39.99), a concentrated organic green juice powder, to a glass of water and drink,' Dr. Gioffre said.
This deliversfive servings of greens, which Dr. Gioffre says 'drives down inflammation, builds healthier blood, detoxifies your body, and gives you a powerful blend of antioxidants that boost energy and immunity.'
Green juice also has plenty of chlorophyll, a green pigment found in plants that has major health benefits.
'It's been shown to slow the rate at which harmful bacteria and viruses reproduce, making it beneficial for preventing infections and protecting immune function moving forward,' the doctor said.
'In fact, theres some evidence that chlorophyll benefits your skin, the first line of defense, due to its antiviral effects.'
2. Liposomal Vitamin C
He suggests taking 1,500 mg of Vitamin C every day.
'Liposomal Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant which not only supports your immune system, but activates it when threatened by germs or a virus,' he explained. 'It is also an essential part of the skins defense system, strengthening the skins barriers.'
3. Black Seed Oil
'As much as I love Vitamin C, there is another antioxidant that Kelly Ripa is regularly taking that is even more powerful for immunity: Alkamind Black Seed Oil ($39.99),'Dr. Gioffre went on.
'The active ingredient in Black Seed Oil is Thymoquinone, the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory.
'Research shows that taking one capsule daily is three times more anti-inflammatory than turmeric, and 1,000 times more active an antioxidant than Vitamin E and Elderberry combined.'
4. Bioactive Silver Hydrosol (Sovereign Silver)
Bioactive Silver Hyrodol is 'a nano version' of colloidal silver, which consists of tiny silver particles in liquid, according to Dr. Gioffre.
He calls it a 'natural antibiotic,' claiming it has antibacterial and antiviral properties.
He recommends taking 15 sprays in the mouth and five up the nasal area, asserting that it 'kills pathogens on demand' and 'is a great way to protect your first line of defense' since virus liked to 'hang out' in that area before entering the body.
Though colloidal silver is sometimes promoted as ahomeopathic remedy, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health(NCCIH) notes that there is little evidence supporting health claims and that it an also have serious side effects.
In 1999, the FDA also warned that colloidal silver isn't safe or effective for treating any disease or condition.
Provided by Daily Mail Dr. Gioffre's clients include Dorinda Medley (pictured), Kelly Dodd, and Ramona Singer Provided by Daily Mail Other clients include Ryan Seacrest, Mario Lopez, and Petra Nemcova (pictured)
5. Vitamin D3
People generally like to get Vitamin D from the sun but with everyone stuck inside during quarantine, supplements are the way to go.
Dr. Gioffre suggests adults take a 5,000 IUcapsule daily to get what they need.
'[Vitamin D] plays a critical role in regulating the adaptive immune system particularly T cells, which fight infection,' he said. 'In fact, it's been shown in the research that one of the primary reasons why most of us get the flu is vitamin D deficiency.'
6. Eat a High-Alkaline Diet
'Heres the problem: Most of us are pumping up our bodies with acidic foods such as sugar, grains, dairy, processed foods, coffee,' the doctor explained.
'Add on the emotional stress of this current pandemic, and thats making your body have to work so much harder to keep your pH balanced, which becomes a recipe for immune disaster.'
Though you cant change your blood pH, you can take some of the burden off your body by eating healthy alkaline foods and managing your stress.
'This will increase our energy and our bodies ability to mobilize a healthy immune defense,' he said.
To that end, Kelly eats aplant-based alkaline diet, which reduces inflammation and acidity which 'can drain us of the minerals we need to boost immunity and fight off infections,' the doctor explained.
'So after Live with Kelly and Ryan airs, Kelly will eat healthy plant-based fats such as raw almond butter mixed with cinnamon and some green apple slices.
'At lunch, she will have a big salad loaded with microgreens, avocados, nuts such as almonds or walnuts, or some pumpkin seeds,' he went on, while dinner will be a smaller salad with grilled vegetables, plant-based protein such as tofu, and tahini.
'Its all about balance, which is what makes Kelly so healthy. She listens to her body, and if she wants to enjoy a snack, she will do so, but always does her best to make it as healthy as possible.'
Provided by Daily Mail Dr. Gioffre strongly encourages people to stay active any way they can during quarantine Provided by Daily Mail Kelly has been working out at home, sharing one video workout she did on Instagram
7. Daily Exercise
This is the toughest one to keep up during quarantine, but Dr. Gioffre strongly encourages people to stay active any way they can whether it be going for a walk with a face mask or getting sweaty inside.
Kelly, of course, has professional guidance but even she can't seecelebrity trainer Anna Kaiser right now, and has been resorting to virtual workouts.
'Exercise and movement is critical for supporting a healthy immune system and lymphatic system,' Dr. Gioffre said.
'Regular exercise boosts your body's natural defense mechanisms, helping you to fight disease and prevent harmful germs from taking a hold in your body.
'It will also help your lungs flush out any potential harmful bacteria, and will mobilize your army of white blood cells faster, necessary for a proper immune defense.'
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EXCLUSIVE: Kelly Ripa's nutritionist details the seven-step immunity-boosting routine he created for the TV host, which includes vitamins, green...
Experts react to the idea of banning exercise outside the home – Runner’s World (UK)
Posted: at 2:47 am
On Sunday, 5 April, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he wouldnt rule out a potential ban on exercise outside the home if people didnt comply with social-distancing rules. In a press conference later that day, he added that the government had no imminent plans to do so, but further steps could not be ruled out. For now, rules allow us to go outside to the shops for essentials and for one form of exercise per day. The idea that exercise might be stopped completely rang alarm bells for many, and several health experts have reacted to the news.
Professor John Edmunds, Professor in the Centre for the Mathematical Modelling of Infectious Diseases at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, explained how the risk of transmission was greatly reduced outdoors. There are three potential routes of transmission: via fomites (contact with an infected surface, such as a door handle); via aerosols (tiny particles that can stay suspended in the air); and droplets (larger particles that rapidly fall to the ground). The first two of these routes would be reduced to virtually zero out of doors, as you are much less likely to touch an infected surface, and suspended particles will be massively diluted by the fresh air and the viral particles that they contain rapidly destroyed by desiccation and UV light.
This leaves droplets. As long as you keep a reasonable distance away from others, your risk will also be reduced to extremely low levels.
According to Edmunds, banning people from going outdoors to exercise would have a negligible impact on the epidemiology of this disease but a marked impact on peoples mental health and wellbeing.
Professor Linda Bauld, Bruce and John Usher Professor of Public Health and CPHS Co-Director at the Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh, also touched on the detrimental impact a ban on exercise could have to the nations mental health. The health implications of the lockdown that we anticipate increased alcohol consumption, domestic violence, anxiety and depression, poor diet and decreased physical activity will get worse if we confine more of us to our homes without the hugely important respite that outdoor exercise provides, said Bauld. She believes stronger scientific evidence about viral transmission would be needed to justify the ban, and that enforcement measures were key to ensuring people followed the rules.
Bauld also questioned whether those making the decisions, who were still going outside to travel to meetings, simply dont understand the impact that further restrictions will have on millions of people in the UK.
And Keith Neal, Emeritus Professor of the Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases at the University of Nottingham, touched on the importance of exercise in the bodys response to COVID-19. Exercise reduces blood pressure and obesity, and can improve diabetes control in people with type 2 diabetes. These are all very common conditions and also, importantly, risk factors for severity in COVID-19 infections. Small increases in very common risk factors can have large effects. This could potentially lead to an increase in people needing hospitalisation and critical care, he said.
He added that it is perfectly possible to exercise once a day and pose no risk to others or yourself, and that there needs to be better enforcement of the rules, rather than further restrictions.
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Doctor shares advice on how to boost your immune system – Shelby County Reporter – Shelby County Reporter
Posted: at 2:47 am
As COVID-19 run rampant through the United States, many Americans may be wondering what they can do to improve or boost their immune systems, as a healthy immune system is one of the best defenses against the devastating effects of the virus.
Dr. Patrick Proctor, a cardiologist with HeartSouth in Alabaster, said residents dont need to take an array of multivitamins and supplements to have a healthy and strong immune system. He said the best way to do that is through eating a balanced diet.
Our bodies dont tolerate deficiencies in micronutrients very well, he said.
Micronutrients refer to the vitamins and minerals that humans need for energy production, immune function, blood clotting, growth, bone health, fluid balance and several other processes. Zinc, folic acid, vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K, iron and copper are examples of micronutrients.
I commonly see people identify one substance and they find and consume foods that are high in that one thing, thinking that theyre helping their immune system, Proctor said. In reality, they havent done themselves a favor at all because theyre forgetting about balance.
Proctor said the over consumption of some micronutrients, like vitamin A, can actually cause other problems. This is most seen when people take high doses of micronutrients in pill-form. Proctor urged residents not to rely on herbs and supplements to boost their immune systems.
When consumed properly through food, vitamin A helps to build up the surface of the eye,mucous membranesand the skin be effectivebarriersto bacteria and viruses, reducing the risk of eye infections, respiratory problems and other infectious diseases. Foods rich in vitamin A are typically bright in color, like sweet potatoes, carrots, red bell peppers, mangoes and eggs. Dark, leafy greens, such as spinach, are also good sources of vitamin A.
Proctor said many peoples diets are lacking the right mix of fruits and vegetables. Peoples diets tend to include a lot of fast food and high-starch foods, he said.
Another way to ensure that the body is primed to fight off viruses is by eating protein-rich foods like eggs, lean meat, nuts and seeds.
A common myth is that exercise will weaken your immune system, Proctor said. This has been studied extensively and exercise has been found to improve circulation, which is also important to the immune system.
Another thing thats important to note is that smoking will lower the bodys defenses against respiratory infections like COVID-19. Excessive consumption of alcohol will do that same thing.
Proctor said one of the most common mistakes made when it comes to immune system health is inadequate sleep.
Poor sleep will impact your immune system, Proctor said. There are a lot of people experiencing chronic sleep deprivation. The benefits of proper sleep go well beyond immune system function.
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How to live longer – the 30p a day snack to avoid heart attack and early death – Express
Posted: at 2:47 am
The key to living longer could be to eat a healthy, balanced diet - including at least five portions of fruit and vegetables every day - as well as regular exercise. But you could boost your life expectancy by regularly eating berries, it's been claimed.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including a well-rounded diet is crucial to prolonging your lifespan.
You could also boost your lifespan by doing regular exercise. Its the miracle cure weve all been waiting for, according to the NHS.
Making some small diet or lifestyle changes could help to increase your life expectancy and avoid an early death.
Regularly eating a handful of berries could improve the health of your heart, its been claimed.
READ MORE: How to live longer: Diet to increase life expectancy
Berries are a nutritious, heart-healthy snack for everyone, according to dietitian Juliette Kellow and nutritionist Dr Sarah Brewer.
Theyre rich in antioxidants and fibre, which contribute to cardiovascular improvements, they said.
Eating just three or more servings of berries every week could lower your risk of a heart attack by as much as 34 per cent, they revealed.
All berries are good for you - the vibrant blues, purples, and reds of this supergroup are an indication that they are packed with damage-fighting antioxidants, they wrote in their book Eat Better Live Longer - Understand What Your Body Needs To Stay Healthy.
DON'T MISSHow to live longer: Study suggests way to boost life expectancy [RESEARCH]How to live longer: Best exercise to boost your life expectancy [LATEST]How to live longer: A food to increase life [DIET]
But not all berries are created equal - some are better than others when it comes to longevity.
All berries have been linked to cardiovascular improvements [its the winning combination of antioxidants and fibre].
Research shows that eating at least three servings of blueberries or strawberries a week can reduce the risk of a heart attack.
The high levels of polyphenols in berries have also been shown to lower high blood pressure.
You could also lower risk of some cancers by regularly eating berries, they added.
Theyre rich in phytochemicals; many of which have cancer-fighting properties. They may be particularly useful in protecting against oesophageal, breast and colon cancers.
For the most nutritious effects, you should keep them in the fridge for optimum levels of vitamin C.
Eating five portions of fruit and vegetables every week is the best way to make sure you lead a long and healthy life.
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How to live longer - the 30p a day snack to avoid heart attack and early death - Express
Do that last squat CBD can help reduce exercise-induced inflammation – SF Weekly
Posted: at 2:47 am
What does your trainer always tell you at the end of the workout?
In your exercise routine, do that last squat if you want to achieve your goals. But you skip the final reps because youre afraid youll later feel pain. Well, inflammation is part of muscle training because as you exercise you generate small tears and cause muscle damage. The consequence is that the tissues grow back stronger and with higher intensity, but the repair process is quite painful, especially when you hit the gym hard. Gym enthusiasts often state that no pain, no gain. But should you suffer to get that 6-pack ab? You should no longer skip the last exercise because finishing a good workout brings you a sense of empowerment and triumph.
Pain is a part of building muscle mass. And where do you count that nowadays you can use many methods to relieve side-effects? CBD is one of them. Lets find more about it.
Why are you sore after working out?
No matter how long youre working out, it can be a month or 10 years, you still feel sore after workouts. Some sessions leave you sore for days. The NHS states that according to how extensive the damage to muscle fibres is, the intensity and longevity of pain can vary. After exercising the muscles, they become inflamed and trigger your body to respond and repair. The entire process generates stiffness and soreness.
How CBD promotes muscle recovery after exercise
CBD has many documented health benefits, and one of the most known ones is that it helps to alleviate post-exercise inflammation. In 2018, specialists published Frontiers in Neurology, and they revealed that CBD is effective in improving overall health and reducing inflammation related to exercising.
Specialists still explore the benefit of CBD oil for exercise-induced inflammation, but research shows promising results, so it makes sense to use products containing CBD to lower inflammation and speed muscle recovery.
Does it influence pain perception?
Sports enthusiasts have many reasons to think CBD can speed muscle recovery in people who train regularly. CBD Oil is effective in reducing exercise-induced inflammation and supporting muscle recovery.
CBD oil also can help promote a sense of calm which can help with sleep patterns. And everyone knows that sleep helps support overall wellness in athletes who are looking to promote muscle recovery.
CBD encourages restorative sleep
If you work out regularly, you know its important to rest after a strenuous session. Your body integrates the aspects of the exercises you perform while you catch a wink, and a lack of sleep can undermine all your efforts. When you sleep properly, you offer your body and mind time to recover, boost energy levels, and restore muscle fibers. But sometimes, a herculean workout stops you from falling asleep. CBD can help you when sleep is a challenge.
Incorporating CBD oil in your post-workout recovery routine can help your body relax and will even support your healthy sleep cycles. You can also use it an hour before bedtime or try a gummy with CBD and melatonin if youre looking for additional support. Sports enthusiasts often drink a sleep cocktail that contains tart cherry juice, grape juice, and CBD oil.
You can also combine CBD with any tea you like to drink. Its recommended to try mint tea because its a natural relaxer, and a warm drink helps your body unwind.
Sleep is crucial for muscle recovery because during workouts you use them extensively and only sleep can help them heal.
Can athletes use CBD?
Athletes should always check with their doctor if they can include CBD products in their diet. They need to consider their tolerance and body size because CBD comes in many forms, from oil to balms, tinctures and creams.
Athletes often drink a post-workout smoothie to improve their energy levels after exercising. But they should know that a healthy diet balanced in carbs and protein is the key to building strength and restoring muscles. Adding the recommended serving size of CBD oil in their smoothie can give their body a boost after an exhausting workout.
A great post-workout smoothie recipe includes 1 scoop of chocolate protein powder, a cup of Greek yoghurt, 1 T of natural peanut butter, 1 oz milk, 5 ice cubes and CBD oil.
How should you use CBD for recovery?
Most fitness enthusiasts use CBD oil because they can easily add it to their smoothies and take it after a workout. But beyond this form, its also sold in capsules, creams, hemp infused balms and edibles. So you need to determine what form is the most helpful for you. But before using any CBD product determine how much CBD you can take according to your weight and age. Check the providers suggested serving size guidelines and get in touch with your doctor to find out if you can use it. It reacts differently in different bodies, so take a small amount first and then gradually build up to the recommended daily serving size.
CBD is crafted in nature and perfected by science and every fitness passionate recommends choosing the path with the fewest risks when training. You need something to speed muscle recovery and reduce inflammation post-exercise, so try something natural first. Even if theres still much to be discovered about CBD products, they have beneficial effects for the body.
CBD for exercise-induced inflammation is an interesting subject, and more and more scientists have focused on it lately because they want to find out how it influences inflammatory biomarkers.
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Do that last squat CBD can help reduce exercise-induced inflammation - SF Weekly
Eating with spoon or with hands? Find what’s better for your health – Times of India
Posted: at 2:47 am
Eating with hands has its good old history in India. It was not only a part and parcel of our traditions but was also the simplest way of eating food. In todays time there are not many people who still eat with their hands. With glittery and fancy cutlery taking over our traditions, most people find eating with spoons more convenient. But do you know that eating with hands has its own list of health benefits? Here are some good enough reasons to toss your cutlery away and start eating with your hands: Increases blood circulation Eating with your hands is a wonderful exercise which further helps in blood circulation. Be it mixing your food together or forming bites of dal and roti, using your hands makes your joints and fingers move, which is equivalent to any hand exercise.
Helps you maintain food proportion Eating with hands is a comparatively slow process than eating with a spoon. Thus, you not only spend more time chewing the food but also eat lesser than how much you usually eat with a spoon.
Forms a connection with food
Eating using hands has been an old tradition of our Indian culture. In those times, people not only used their hands to eat but also used to sit on the ground during meals. Though it has been advanced to fancy cutlery and dining tables, eating with hands still hold a special connection with each one of us. Eating with hands not only makes us feel nostalgic but also makes us form a connection with what we are eating.
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Eating with spoon or with hands? Find what's better for your health - Times of India
Why am I always tired? The main causes of sleepiness and fatigue – Business Insider Australia
Posted: at 2:47 am
If you always feel tired, it may be sleepiness or fatigue and theres a key difference. Sleepy people would sleep, given the opportunity, and it will often give them more energy. Fatigued people tend to have low energy levels regardless of sleep, and generally dont feel like doing much.
There are many causes of sleepiness and fatigue. Whether its lack of sleep, poor sleep quality, a nutrient deficiency, or an underlying condition here are some of the most common reasons why you may be feeling tired.
If you find yourself feeling tired throughout the day, you should first assess whether you are getting enough sleep each night. According to the National Sleep Foundation, most adults should get seven to nine hours of sleep, while children need more depending on their age. Yet, an estimated one in three American adults dont get the recommended amount.
The quality of sleep is just as important as the number of hours, says Rajkumar Dasgupta, MD, assistant professor of clinical medicine at Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.Sleep apnea, for example, can cause fragmented sleep, preventing you from getting into deeper, more restorative, sleep stages, which can lead to excessive sleepiness during the day.
If you think that lack of sleep, or low-quality sleep is the problem, then sticking to a routine may be helpful, says Stephanie Stahl, MD, a sleep medicine physician at Indiana University Health. Our bodies operate on internal clocks that regulate organ function, and maintaining regular cycles by going to sleep and waking up at the same time helps regulate this internal clock.
If your sleep pattern is frequently changing, your body doesnt know when its supposed to be awake or asleep and other body functions may be thrown off too, Stahl says. Disrupting your internal clock, or circadian rhythms, can result in less restful sleep cycles, making you feel tired.
This is especially important if you have an unusual schedule, like working a night shift. Studies have found that night shifts can be detrimental to overall health and increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. By sticking to the same schedule every day and limiting light exposure to create a dark, night-time environment, many shift workers can reset their internal clocks and adapt to their schedules, Stahl says.
If youre not getting sufficient nutrients each day, or not drinking enough water, it may be part of the reason why youre always feeling tired.
You may need to rework certain parts of your diet to boost energy:
The level and type of physical activity each person needs to feel energised depends on many individual factors, Smarr says.
For example, one study found that low-intensity exercise, like walking, reduced symptoms of fatigue by 65% in sedentary people who regularly experience fatigue, and was even more effective than moderate exercise. The timing of exercise doesnt necessarily make a difference in energy levels throughout the day, Smarr says, but staying consistent with regular physical activity can help improve fatigue.
Smarr says a lack of physical activity can also leave you feeling tired, particularly after eating. This is when blood sugar spikes, and if you remain sedentary, those blood sugar levels remain high, which inhibits the bodys ability to convert glucose from blood into cells for energy.
Even the act of standing for a few minutes after your meal radically shortens the amount of time the blood sugar is in your blood, Smarr says.
Though you shouldnt necessarily engage in an intense workout after consuming a meal, moving around a little can help stabilise your blood sugar and reduce feelings of sluggishness associated with high blood sugar.
These underlying medical conditions can cause you to feel tired:
If its not physical, it may be mental. Stress can disrupt sleep at night, which can cause daytime sleepiness, Dagupta says. Prolonged periods of stress can also contribute to fatigue and exhaustion.
Moreover, fatigue is a common symptom of depression, and both depression and anxiety can make it difficult to fall asleep at night, Dasgupta says. This cycle can perpetuate itself, as sleep deprivation can worsen depression and anxiety.
If you think your fatigue is associated with depression or anxiety, talk with your doctor. A health care provider can discuss medication options or help you make lifestyle changes to improve your sleep.
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The new dimensions of workplace wellbeing – Workplace Insight
Posted: at 2:47 am
A healthy, engaged and productive work environment starts with conversations about peoples needs. So whether you have always been on a co-located team or are a veteran of remote work, there are new circumstances and the old rulebook doesnt quite help. The change has been sudden, in a sustained moment of uncertainty, and has disrupted employee routines and support structures.
People who are used to working from home are not necessarily used to their homes being a coworking facility for the whole family. People who are used to living alone are not necessarily used to being alone all week, around the clock. Teams who are used to connecting virtually are not used to doing so while worrying about the future and their loved ones that they cannot reach.
Peoples ability to work well together as a team requires them being physically, cognitively and emotionally well. In our day-to-day routines, we have learned to fine-tune our surroundings, processes and habits to find our productive balance.
This has been thrown into disarray, and you can help people by having conversations about their needs and how to adjust their individual and teamwork practices to create a new balance.
New dimensions
To that end, here is a checklist based on the six dimensions of wellbeing that Steelcase WorkSpace Futures researchers identified for establishing a healthy, engaged and productive workplace. Whether you lead a team or are a member of a team, these are good topics of conversation to make sure everyone is thinking holistically about their wellbeing.
Vitality
As we know, staying healthy requires sleep, a balanced diet, exercise and an adequate, safe environment.
Being contained at home reduces our options. Ask people to think about the following:
Do you have a space at home where you can work comfortably, in terms of posture and noise levels? If its not ideal, are there small creative adjustments you could make to improve it?
Goals:
Mindfulness
Mindfulness has become synonymous with meditation, but its much more than that. Its about being attentive in the present moment, whether its listening closely to what someone is saying, or listening closely to your own bodys needs and your emotions. Practicing mindfulness helps us become more aware of what helps us feel better and can actually boost our moods and immune system.
Are you able to be present with what you are doing or who you are speaking to?
Goals:
Authenticity
Increasingly, people want to be able to be themselves at work and not hide behind a mask. However, for many, this new working arrangement might expose them more than they would like video conferencing can feel suddenly too intimate, as colleagues can see into our homes and relationships more than they can when we work in the office. People might feel like they are letting team members down if they have to take care of young children instead of being in the meeting or cant deliver the originally agreed-upon deadline. Consider discussing:
How do I feel about having virtual meetings from my home?
How is my work schedule disrupted, and how does it need to be adjusted to fit this new reality?
Goals:
Belonging
Feeling connected to and cared for by other people is a fundamental human need. Social distancing and isolation over time will impact wellbeing, and for many will eliminate the daily informal interactions that they were used to.
What are the interactions you used to look forward to and are now missing?
Goals:
Meaning
One of the most important elements to feel well on a day-to-day basis at work is to know that your work is building toward something and helping others. This can be difficult to see when working remotely and solely on devices. Explore ways to make your work more tangible.
What gives you the most satisfaction from your work on a daily basis? How has this new situation changed your ability to get that satisfaction? How might you find new creative ways to obtain that satisfaction?
Goals:
Optimism
In these highly uncertain and constraining times, we can feel anxious and helpless. Its important not to give in to that sentiment, and remember we still have opportunities to make the most of the situation.
Is there anything in particular you are struggling with? How could you, your family or we as a team make it better?
Goals:
There is no right or wrong. These are suggestions individuals can explore to find what they respond to best. Leaders can encourage their teams to share their ideas with each other. And above all, remember to be kind and forgiving to yourself and everyone else well get through this together.
Beatriz is the WorkSpaceFuture manager for Steelcase EMEA based in Munich and specializes in the psychology of human emotions and behaviors, and how they relate to working life and work environments.
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The new dimensions of workplace wellbeing - Workplace Insight
Here are the best ways to strengthen your immune system during the coronavirus pandemic – The Dallas Morning News
Posted: at 2:47 am
Will Kwon (center left) and Eunsol Noh wear masks as they walk at White Rock Lake on March 29, 2020 in Dallas.
Although there is no cure or specific treatment for COVID-19, there are some things you can do to strengthen your immune system against the coronavirus.
Here are scientifically supported ways to help fight off illness.
The amount of sleep youre getting each night can make a big difference in your bodys ability to fight infection, health experts say.
One 2015 study found that people who sleep less than six hours each night were more likely to catch a cold than those who slept seven or more.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that adults sleep at least seven hours each night. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, sleeping in rooms without electronics or screens, and avoiding large meals, caffeine and alcohol before bed are ways to improve your sleep.
Research shows that regular, moderate exercise can reduce inflammation and support your immune systems cells.
Health experts recommend moderate exercise at least 150 minutes each week, or about 20 minutes a day. You can also do 75 minutes of more intense exercise a week, or do a combination of both.
Moderate exercise includes brisk walking, biking, swimming or jogging, while more intense exercise includes running or other cardio.
Staying hydrated isnt directly connected to preventing disease, but it can help with your overall health.
Healthline says you should drink enough water each day to make your urine a pale yellow, while other health experts recommend drinking eight glasses of water a day, or about half a gallon.
In this age of uncertainty, lowering your stress level is easier said than done. But health experts say high stress levels have negative impacts on your bodys ability to fight off illness.
A series of studies in the 1990s led by Sheldon Cohen, a professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, found that people who reported higher levels of stress were more susceptible to the common cold.
Cohen led another study published in 2012 that found psychological stress can cause the body to lose its ability to regulate its inflammatory response, which may promote the onset and progression of some diseases.
Health experts recommend stress management techniques such as avoiding social media, meditating, practicing controlled breathing, doing yoga, or other activities that help you feel relaxed.
No one food will prevent infection, but following basic dietary guidelines, like eating plenty of fruit, vegetables and protein is a good start.
There are several specific items you can add to your diet to strengthen your immune system and overall health.
Health experts recommend eating certain foods that are high in vitamin C, like red bell peppers, broccoli, strawberries, spinach, and citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and grapefruit. Sunflower seeds and almonds are recommended because they are high in vitamin E, while other foods, like yogurt, garlic, poultry and chickpeas, have other health benefits.
Ginger, turmeric, green tea, papayas, kiwis, shellfish and mushrooms are also good items to add to your diet, health experts say.
Texans may be eager to take advantage of alcohol delivery and to-go cocktails since Gov. Greg Abbott waived regulations restricting restaurants from providing such services. But health experts say you should be careful about how much you drink if you want to put your body in a good position to fight off disease.
Research shows excess alcohol consumption can make your body more susceptible to respiratory illness, including pneumonia and other lung diseases. It can also decrease your body tissues ability to heal wounds. Health experts say this is true for chronic and binge drinkers.
While health experts say the occasional glass of wine at dinner wont hurt you, you should avoid overdoing it.
Health experts have differing opinions on the use of vitamin and other supplements. They can be pricey, and they dont prevent anyone from catching a disease, no matter how much you take.
Health experts say other disease prevention methods, like frequent hand-washing, is going to help you more than any supplement will.
However, there is some evidence that regularly taking certain supplements can reduce the duration of certain illnesses.
One 2013 study found that regularly taking vitamin C reduced the duration of colds in adults by 8% and in children by 14%. A similar 2017 study found that the duration of colds among people taking more than 75 mg of zinc per day was 33% shorter than those who didnt take zinc.
An exception to the supplement rule that most health experts agree on is vitamin D, which helps your body fight off infection. You can get vitamin D naturally through certain foods, like salmon, or through exposing your body to sunlight. Some health experts recommend taking a vitamin D supplement during winter months, when sunlight is harder to come by.
If youre going to take supplements, its important not to take too many. Some health and wellness influencers and Youtubers have recommended taking extremely high doses of supplements in recent weeks in response to COVID-19. But health experts warn that can be dangerous. Taking high doses can cause dizziness, nausea and headaches and damage your organs in more serious cases.
Healthline recommends taking supplements that have been tested by a third party, such as United States Pharmacopeia, NSF International, and ConsumerLab, because supplements arent regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Practicing habits to strengthen your health does not mean you should stop following other public health guidelines. You should still be social distancing, avoiding nonessential errands, washing your hands often, wearing a face mask in public and following stay-at-home orders, health experts say.
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Here are the best ways to strengthen your immune system during the coronavirus pandemic - The Dallas Morning News
Working from home the next revolution, now happening – Fabius Maximus website
Posted: April 9, 2020 at 12:46 pm
Summary: Industrial revolutions are not one big event. They are many incremental changes with giant effects. Wars and pandemics often accelerate them, changing society unexpectedly with fantastic speed. The shift to working at home is one such change, forced by COVID-19 changing everything.
There are decades when nothing happens; and there are weeks when decades happen. Paraphrase fromMarxs letter to Engels, 9 April 1863.
Male fantasy image of a woman working at home.
A crisis can spark a jump in a societys evolution. America after WWII was drastically different than before it. Technology leaped forward, the shift of population and vitality to the West coast accomplished in a few years what might have taken a decade otherwise. The power and reach of the Federal government expanded to a revolutionary degree. Social patterns also changed, as millions of people left their homes to travel across the nation or the world and millions of women went from homemakers to industrial workers. The effects of these changes took decades to fully play out, but were irreversibly set in motion by WWII.
COVID-19 might have some similar, albeit smaller, effects. The economic and political changes can only be guessed at now. But one is big, with effects gigantic if as yet unseen: the shift of work back to homes. The shift to telecommuting was an obvious and early prediction after the popularization of the Intenet. It began to accelerate after 2004 from small numbers (graph from a Fed study). COVID-19 has taken this trend and shifted it to warp speed.
I think this is a watershed moment in terms of wider acceptance and implementation of work-from-home. Employees that have tasted the benefits of more freedom and autonomy are going be hard-pressed to let it go. Philippe Weiss, president of Seyfarth Shaw at Work, a Chicago-based workplace training firm. From Chicago Tribune.
Gallup Research found that in 2016 43% of workers sometimes worked remotely (not necessarily from home). Their 2014 survey found that 76% of workers said that the ability to work remotely was a positive development. Their 2020 report found that a large fraction of workers preferred remote working the more the worked remotely, the better they liked it. Less time and expense commuting. Less time preparing for work. Less need for a work wardrobe. Often (not always) a better work environment and sometimes, using better technology.
Improved productivity, happier workers, fewer absences are benefits businesses immediately report when shifting employees to at home work. But this change is a gift that keeps giving. Employees usually pay for their own IT equipment, repairs, and communications. The increasing burden of monitoring workers interactions the cost and time spent in annual training, the managers time spent, the big HR staff, the liability insurance, the bills are reduced, melting like last years snow.
Eventually, businesses will need less square footage. That means less expense for rent, taxes, maintenance, and insurance. The prospect of bigger profits at each step on the road will be an irresistible inducement for businesses.
Those benefits to workers and businesses mean fewer jobs. That picture of a happy woman working at home is a fantasy. Shell be in jeans and a t-shirt. Her budget for cosmetics, nice clothes, and hair products will be slashed. The people who sold her lunch, the janitors, the painters many of these will be unemployed. That is an inevitable side effect of increasing national productivity. In the past, new jobs were eventually created to replace those lost. But that is not a law of nature. As discussed in other posts, this industrial revolution might be like the Horse Revolution. Their jobs were lost, without new ones being created for the unemployed horses.
Niagara Falls in 1904. Every factory with its own hydropower! It wasnt ideal.
Industrial revolutions introduce new technology and methods that can drastically boost productivity. But it does not happen immediately. It takes time to develop new ways to make the most of these innovations. At first, they are seen as news ways to continue the old ways: artificial writing (the printing press), the horseless carriage and iron horse, the wireless telegraph (radio), glass teletype (early computer terminals). Only when people break free from old models can the full potential of innovations flourish.
The psychology of working from home requires changes by both managers and employees. Managers fear losing control and an inability to build team spirit. Employees lose the comaradary of work and must develop self-discipline. New e-tools monitor productivity and allow remote interactions. None of this comes quickly or easily. The Chicago Tribune describes how companies are adapting, such as this.
Thats been a sea change for managers, {Weiss} said. Manager myths are falling by the wayside because their people have had to come front and center. Weiss said Seyfarth at Work has been getting a lot more training requests recently on how to supervise remote employees, which requires a different approach than when they are sitting in a nearby cubicle or when casual conversations can be had en route to the elevators. Managers must set clearer expectations, offer more frequent praise and have more purposeful check-ins on progress when their workers are remote, he said.
This article in The Atlantic also describes these challenges.
As businesses concentrate into giant mega-corps located in a few regions, the rest of America empties out while living expenses skyrocket for workers. They live in areas like NY City and the San Francisco Bay Area where everyting is more expensive. And housing prices are high and climbing. A shift to work at home can break this emprisonment, allowing people to work in nicer and cheaper areas. It might be the shift to suburbs after WWII but on a different scale.
Our social lives also will change. As Americas intermediate institutions such as churches, fraternal organizations, and social clubs have faded, work remains the major focus of many peoples lives. Where they have personal contact and meet people of other kinds and classes. That goes away when working from home. Perhaps the next generation will have a large fraction of people who work and play remotely from other people, as science fiction author Isaac Asimov described in his 1956 novel The Naked Sun
These and other wonders await us in the 21st century as a new industrial revolution unfolds. See my posts about it.
Ideas!For some shopping ideas see my recommended books and filmsat Amazon. Also, see a powerful and disturbing story about Birth of a Man of Steel for the Soviet Union.
If you liked this post,like us on Facebookandfollow us on Twitter. See all posts about singularities, about robots, how the 3rd industrial revolution has begun, andespecially see these
By Ray Kurzweil. See his website.
From the publisher
At the onset of the twenty-first century, humanity stands on the verge of the most transforming and the most thrilling period in its history. It will be an era in which the very nature of what it means to be human will be both enriched and challenged, as our species breaks the shackles of its genetic legacy and achieves inconceivable heights of intelligence, material progress, and longevity.
For over three decades, the great inventor and futurist Ray Kurzweil has been one of the most respected and provocative advocates of the role of technology in our future. In his classic The Age of Spiritual Machines: When Computers Exceed Human Intelligence
That merging is the essence of the Singularity, an era in which our intelligence will become increasingly nonbiological and trillions of times more powerful than it is today the dawning of a new civilization that will enable us to transcend our biological limitations and amplify our creativity. In this new world, there will be no clear distinction between human and machine, real reality and virtual reality. We will be able to assume different bodies and take on a range of personae at will. In practical terms, human aging and illness will be reversed; pollution will be stopped; world hunger and poverty will be solved. Nanotechnology will make it possible to create virtually any physical product using inexpensive information processes and will ultimately turn even death into a soluble problem.
While the social and philosophical ramifications of these changes will be profound, and the threats they pose considerable, The Singularity Is Near maintains a radically optimistic view of the future course of human development. As such, it offers a view of the coming age that is both a dramatic culmination of centuries of technological ingenuity and a genuinely inspiring vision of our ultimate destiny.
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Working from home the next revolution, now happening - Fabius Maximus website