The 5 Biggest Reasons I Exercise (Hint: It Has Nothing to Do With How I Look)

Exercise benefits move way beyond being fit.
Image: Shutterstock

When I first started getting back into exercising, I’ll admit it was because I was tired of being out of shape. I was jealous of my friends that actually had upper body strength. I wanted flat abs. I felt self-conscious in tight clothing. In short, I was unhappy with my physical appearance.

It’s the same reason many people start working out. But somewhere along the way, I discovered that, though it’s nice to be in shape, it was no longer my priority or main reason for exercising. Working out comes with so many other, often more important, benefits. If it were just about getting fit, I probably wouldn’t have such a strong drive to continue exercising; but it’s not. It’s about these five things instead:

1. Exercising lifts my mood. I love my job, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have days when I leave in a bad mood. Sometimes, things don’t go as planned and I end up stressed out. And though I’m tired and tempted to just go home and sleep it off, I work out instead—and end up feeling happier and more relaxed by the time I’m done. The hardest part is getting there—once the blood is flowing, the good juju is happening.
2. Exercising helps me feel more creative. Do you ever feel completely brain dead at the end of a long day or week? I know I do. Brain tiredness is just a fact of life, but exercising helps me regain some of that creativity. It awakens and freshens my brain, and for that, I love it.
3. Exercising gives me more energy. I know, I know: exercise should make me more tired, right? It does make me tired, initially—but the next day, I always feel like I have more energy, a little bit more of a spring in my step, and can face the world with a smile.
4. Exercising gives me confidence. It makes me feel powerful. Sure, I can’t do inversions or crazy yoga moves yet, but the fact that I’m trying and getting closer each class makes me feel so strong. I believe in myself mentally and physically, and instead of criticizing my faults, I find myself congratulating myself on my strengths. It’s a wonderful feeling.
5. Exercising strengthens my immune system. When you exercise, you’re not just building up your physical muscles—you’re promoting overall health, too. Studies have shown that regular exercise can help us fight off sickness. It’s nice being the only one in the office not to catch that nasty bug.

These are the top reasons why I exercise. What about you? What, besides getting more fit, keeps you going back again and again? I’d love to hear your comments below!

Mount Sinai Feels the Holiday Cheer with $21 Million in Donations

Mount Sinai Hospital is in New York City.

Hospitals are aging. Unfortunately, patients are, too. As the baby boomer generation ages, hospitals are seeing a huge influx of patients that are older, sicker, and need more care. The problem is that many hospitals themselves are running short on funding and have been for some time. This means that facilities are becoming outdated and are less able to afford quality care in times of need (which, these days, is pretty much all the time).

Mount Sinai Hospital is an internationally acclaimed tertiary-care teaching facility and hospital. It is joined with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Kravis Children’s Hospital at Mount Sinai in the overarching Mount Sinai Health System. The hospital is supported by a number of prestigious businesspeople, including James Tisch, Henry Kravis, Carl Icahn, and Kenneth Mehlman.

Luckily, thanks to generous individuals, hospitals like Mount Sinai are able to update their facilities. Mount Sinai recently received a generous $6 million donation from Jay and Barbara Hennick, money that will go toward updating the hospital’s 40-year-old building. The hospital will build a brand new healing and respite area with six new floors, 19 state-of-the-art operating rooms, eight modernized inpatient unites, and even a new neonatal unit.

Generous donations from Reisman, Schwartz, and the Hennicks
will allow the hospital to update its facilities and research programs.
Image: Shutterstock

And more recently, the hospital received a $15 million donation from Indigo Books founder Heather Reisman and her husband, Gerald Schwartz, who is founder and CEO of Onex Corp. This donation will enable the hospital to more than double the space of the emergency care center and make it much more senior friendly. Both the $6 million and the $15 million donations are a part of the hospital's campaign to raise $500 million for upgrades to the facilities and research programs.

“We are looking after patients that are sicker than before and we are dealing with more complex issues than before,” said vice-president of patient experience Matthew Morgan. “We’ve had to begin modernizing our building to deal with the volume and complexities of our population.”

Mount Sinai is one of many hospitals planning for the future and putting generous donations to good use. Recently, I wrote about another amazing hospital donation—a $20 million gift from the Dalio Foundation to the New York Presbyterian Hospital and the Weill Cornell Medical College. In that case, the money will be used to launch a brand new cardiovascular center.

Despite the fact that times have been hard on hospitals in recent years, it’s good to see that at least a handful are able to put money to good use and create better and more innovative care facilities.

5 Natural Remedies for Low Energy

You all know (or should know) by now that I love my coffee. It wasn’t all that long ago that I was an only tea kind of girl. But I suppose that the passing of time and the entering of adulthood—AKA bills-to-pay time—is what got me started on regular old Joe. Coffee is incredibly cheap when Starbucks isn’t your lifeline, and when made right, coffee has a rich flavor like nothing else.

But some mornings, I just don’t feel like coffee. Maybe I want a cup of tea instead, or maybe I just want to enjoy my breakfast with a glass of water or milk. It always sounds like a great idea until, 45 minutes later, I’m still not awake (but of course, I’m at work). I wouldn’t say I’m completely dependent on coffee to wake up every morning, but when I get less than nine hours of sleep, I certainly am.

I still want to have those coffee-free mornings, though, so that got me to thinking—What can I do to naturally energize myself when I don’t drink coffee? Or, for those times when despite the coffee, I’m still low energy. Here’s what I found out:

Light—I know light is definitely not the first thing I want to see in the mornings, but it’s one of the best natural ways to wake up. Opening blinds or getting a quick breath of fresh air can really help wake you up.

Morning yoga—Take just a few minutes to stretch your muscles and get the blood flowing. There are some great morning yoga poses that will leave you feeling refreshed and ready to go, like these:

 

Get your protein in—Eating a breakfast rich in protein will help your brain cells function properly, meaning it’ll help wake you up and suppress cravings for, I don’t know, cupcakes, throughout the day.

H2O for the win—Drink lots of water to stay hydrated during the day. Skimping on water dehydrates your body and brain, and can make you feel drowsy as well. If you start feeling sleepy, drink a glass of water to see if it helps.

Get out of bed at the first alarm—I am so bad at this one, but I’m trying to get better. I currently have a first alarm set with a second that goes off fifteen minutes later. The original idea was that if I accidentally fell back asleep, I’d have that second alarm ready to wake me up. Unfortunately, it’s become more of a regularity for me to just doze off right after Alarm #1—and even though those extra few minutes sound so appealing at the time, it actually leaves me feeling more tired when I finally do get up.

Seasonal Allergies? Try a Bit O’ Honey

Try local honey to prevent seasonal allergies.
Image: Shutterstock

The other day, I was on the bus with a man who had the sniffles and sneezes—seasonal allergies. As is usual, everyone just stayed quiet and minded their own business, some perhaps being annoyed at and others feeling sorry for the man. All except one woman, who looked up from her seat and very frankly said, “Have you tried seasonal honey?” The man looked a bit blankly at her, and she clarified. “Seasonal allergies, right?” He nodded. “Try local honey. It’ll help.”

The guy thanked her, and a few stops later she got off, leaving her little bit of wisdom behind. I had never thought about it before, but it completely makes sense that a local product like honey would help with seasonal allergies. Here’s why:

Seasonal allergies are dependent on your environment—if you’re allergic to something that exists in your environment, then you’ll suffer from allergies. Unless you move away from that allergen, you won’t escape it. But you can help your body deal with it. Sure, seasonal allergy medicines will help suppress allergies after they begin, but they won’t usually help prevent them.

Honey bees collect pollen from local plants, carrying it back to the hive and transforming it into honey. Honey that is collected locally and packaged raw will still contain traces of the pollen collected by the honey bees. The belief is that ingesting that honey will trigger your body’s immune response because of the pollen still present. Like when you get a vaccine, though, the amounts are so low and weak that your immune system can begin desensitizing itself.

Honey probably won’t work as a cure, but it’s likely that it can lessen the severity of your seasonal allergies if you eat one or two tablespoons per day for three months prior to the allergy season peak. Plus, who doesn’t like a bit of honey? Just be sure that it’s local, raw, and organic.

Beauty Spotlight: Lemons

Lemon can help skin, hair, teeth, and more.
Image: Shutterstock

 I’m always looking for ways to incorporate natural ingredients into my beauty regime (not that it’s much of a regime, per se). For some reason, the thought of using nature’s pure ingredients to boost beauty appeals a heck of a lot more than buying some product with 5,000 ingredients that I can’t even begin to pronounce. Call me crazy, but that’s just how I feel.

We’ve already talked about the incredible benefits olive oil has for your skin. Now let’s get down and dirty with another natural ingredient: lemons! Besides cooking with lemon, you can also use it on your skin, teeth, and more. So, how does it all work? Check it out:

5 Crazy Spa Treatments

Traditional spa treatments include facials and massage.
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Spas seem like neat places; I’m not overly informed on the subject though, considering I mostly see them as places to go in the future, when I’m rich (of course). I think of manicures, pedicures, facials, massages, saunas and aromatherapy when I imagine spa treatments. I do not think of lava shells, getting muddy, burning sticks, suction cups, or scratching myself with a tree. 

But apparently those all have their part to play when it comes to spas. Check out these 5 crazy spa treatments.

Yoga For Eating Disorders: An Amazing Mission

Yoga gives an incredible sense of empowerment, of fulfillment.
Image: Shutterstock

Eating disorders and yoga are two things I’ve talked about here at Sunshine and a Daisy. There are an estimated 24 million Americans who suffer from an eating disorder, but only about ten percent of those will ever receive treatment. Anorexia kills about half a million people every single year, making it the most deadly mental illness. Most of us know someone who has, or has had an eating disorder—whether we know it or not.

I’ve talked about yoga as a way to get in shape, to relax, to rid myself of stress, and to feel empowered. I’ve never thought about it as a way to combat eating disorders. The thought seems a little illogical, considering the fact that those with eating disorders need to bring in more calories, not burn them off.

But yoga isn’t about burning the calories off, not really. One of my yoga instructors put it succinctly during my second or third class when she was talking about having strength, resolve and balance in life. She said, “You may have come here thinking that yoga was just a way to get those nice abs. But now that you’re here, it’s a whole different ball game.” And she was right; it really is a whole different ball game now.

Chelsea Roff is leading the "Yoga For Eating Disorders" campaign.
Image: Chelsea Roff / Indiegogo

So when I read Chelsea Roff’s story, I was completely inspired. When she was 15, Roff suffered a stroke caused by severe anorexia. At 58 pounds, she was placed under the custodianship of a hospital, where she lived and recovered for nearly a year and a half. Her therapist encouraged her to try yoga and she did.

“I was still significantly underweight and terrified of people, but I went…” Roff writes, “only to discover a practice (and community) that changed my life. I went from surviving to thriving; from living half a life to experiencing joy and freedom I never imagined possible.”

Six years later, she has developed a program that she hopes to be able to deliver all across the country to others struggling with eating disorders for free. “I used to believe no one recovered from an eating disorder,” she said. “Every person I knew who had struggled with this disease was still struggling, recovering seemed hopeless and impossible. But now I know: Freedom is possible. Joy is possible. There is a way out of this illness, and yoga is an incredible tool in paving the path to healing.”

Chelsea Roff has partnered up with the Give Back Yoga Foundation for her project, which is currently active on Indiegogo.com. The program is a three-day workshop that will, hopefully, be offered all over the country for no charge. With full funding, Roff also hopes to gather evidence-based research data on the effectiveness of yoga as a treatment for eating disorders, as well as offer pro-bono talks to local schools and community organizations where the program is being offered.

Now that’s a dang good cause if I’ve ever heard of one.

Looking for a cause? Support Roff's campaign.
Image: Chelsea Roff / Indiegogo

Oh, the Irony: Toxins That Heal

When you hear the word “toxin,” you probably think of something that’s bad. Something that, depending on the type, could make someone very sick or even die. And that’s true—to an extent. Toxins found in the natural world have long informed modern medicine, helping heal humanity when harnessed correctly.

For example, did you know that snake venom extractions can be used to help thin blood? We’ve made incredible progress over the years—but there’s still much more we have to learn and tap into. Check out some toxins that we haven’t yet fully taken advantage of, but that could change the face of medicine forever.

1. Tetrodoxotin, AKA pufferfish toxin, can be used like morphine—but with about 3,000 times more kick. Oh, and you know the potential addiction that comes from morphine use? That’s not an issue with tetrodoxotin. According to TIME, testing has already begun on chemotherapy patients with chronic pain.
2. Shark skin may look smooth, but it’s actually covered in tiny ridges that make it inhospitable to bacteria. Researchers are currently testing its use in urinary catheters, which if successful would help prevent the growth of harmful bacteria like MRSA.
3. King cobra venom is, like tetrodoxotin, being tested as a potential alternative to morphine. Scientists say it’s 20-200 times more effective than morphine and isn’t addictive. Manjunatha Kini, who is studying the venom at the National University of Singapore, hopes to begin testing on patients within the next year.
4. Tick saliva could potentially be used as a blood-thinning agent. About 70 times more effective than our bodies’ natural blood thinners, the saliva could prove to be an incredibly valuable agent in preventing and clearing blood clots.
5. Sea anemone toxin is being studied as a potential treatment for autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis. Researchers believe that when applied correctly, the toxin could paralyze harmful antibodies and help retrain immune cells. 

To read more about these toxins and more being put to good, check out this article on Yahoo!

Can Acupuncture Help Fight Allergies?

Seasonal allergies start earlier than they used to

Image: Shutterstock

I don’t suffer from allergies (thank goodness), but I’m pretty sure that puts me in the minority of people. My mother gets terrible hay fever and I can remember her having to pull the car over when I was a child because she couldn’t stop sneezing. Colleagues of mine often seem sick, but when I ask, the response is always the same:

“It’s just allergies.”

Spring allergies are always the worst, with new flowers blooming, pollen and seeds being released into the air. And with global temperatures rising, spring seems to come earlier every year—which means allergies come early, too. It’s not quite March yet, but many are already feeling the first hints of spring allergies.

Lots of people suffer from seasonal allergies

Image: Shutterstock

A study from Germany, published in Annalsof Internal Medicine, has suggested that seasonal allergies may be treated using acupuncture. Participants in the study were placed into one of two groups and either 1) given acupuncture over eight weeks alongside Zyrtec, or 2) given “fake” acupuncture over eight weeks alongside Zyrtec.

Researchers for the study commented that the results were statistically significant and showed that acupuncture did have a positive effect on those who received treatment. However, the statistical results may not translate well practically. Researchers did acknowledge that “no effect of active treatment on individual symptom severity could be shown.”

Heather Rice, a licensed acupuncturist at the University of California Ivine’s Susan Samueli Center for Integrative Medicine, says she’s seen acupuncture in action—and believes it works.

Acupuncture might help with seasonal allergies

Image: Shutterstock

“One thing I notice almost immediately is that in just 30 minutes, they [patients] say, ‘Oh my God, I can actually breathe,’” she said. “I don’t want to say it’s 100 percent, but with at least 8 out of 10 people, their noses will open up. They can breathe better, and they’re not as congested.”

Whereas Western medicine requires that allergy sufferers take regular doses of antihistamines, those who favor acupuncture say that treatments are just once a week.

Unfortunately, this new study is inconclusive. Follow up will need to be conducted to determine just how helpful acupuncture really is. Thus far, there is not a wealth of scientific evidence in its favor—but that certainly doesn’t mean that it’s not effective, just that we haven’t proved anything yet.

For now, if you have an effective treatment for allergies, then that may be the best route. But if not, it couldn’t hurt to give acupuncture a try. After all, some people have sworn by its effectiveness.  

Spotlight: Melatonin, the “Dracula of Hormones”

Can melatonin help cure insomnia?
Image: Shutterstock

About a year ago, a co-worker told me that when she had trouble sleeping, she just took a small dose of melatonin and that helped her sleep through the night and wake feeling well rested. I had been having trouble falling asleep at night, and I asked her to tell me more. She told me that melatonin was a natural hormone and was sold over the counter for a relatively inexpensive amount. It sparked my curiosity, but I was too overwhelmed with work at the time to research it further.

I have a good friend who suffers from insomnia. She sometimes goes days without getting more than a few hours of sleep—and not for lack of trying. She often “rests” on days like that, which means she often spends hours lying in bed, exhausted, trying to fall asleep. From time to time I have bouts of sleep trouble as well, tossing and turning for several hours before drifting off into an uncomfortable sleep, only to reawaken a few hours later. As I continued to hear stories from my friend about her inability to sleep, I kept asking myself about melatonin. Finally, I sat down to learn more. Here’s what I discovered:

Image from crystalinks.com

• Melatonin is a naturally occurring hormone produced by the pineal gland in our brains, which is a pea-shaped gland just above the center of our brains. It is produced to help control our sleep cycles, with larger quantities of it being produced starting around 9 PM and lasting until about 9 AM—our natural sleep hours.
• Melatonin is found in some foods naturally, which is why it is the only hormone that the FDA allows to be sold as a dietary supplement.
• Light directly affects how much melatonin our brains produce, which is part of what leads to symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
• Melatonin is generally produced in higher amounts in children and adolescents, with that amount naturally dropping off as we age. Some older adults only make small amounts or none at all.
• Not enough research has been done on melatonin, but scientists are looking into using it as a treatment for SAD, to help control sleep patterns, preventing/reducing sleeping problems after surgery, and reducing chronic clutter headaches.
• It’s possible that melatonin may help slow or even stop the spread of cancer, slow aging, and strengthen the immune system.
• Melatonin seems to help some people struggling with sleep problems, but during formal research it was shown to be ineffective as a sleeping pill. There is evidence, however, that it can help reset our internal clock—though whether it is more effective than light remains to be seen.
• Some research suggests melatonin may help people fall asleep faster. It could also help those working night shifts adjust their schedules. It may also be an effective treatment for jet lag. For the treatment of insomnia, the study results have thus far been inconclusive.

Image from gnc.com

In sum, melatonin may or may not be effective as a sleeping aid. The good news is that there is absolutely no evidence to suggest that use of it could be harmful, so it could be a good option to try if you’re wary of prescription sleeping pills (as I am). Dosage can vary from 0.2 mg to 20 mg, though, so if you’re considering giving it a go, you should discuss dosage with your doctor first.