Healthy Habits: Caffeine

 Caffeine. It’s a part of most adults' daily routines. Studies show that 80% of Americans consume caffeine every single day. But, how is caffeine affecting the way our bodies work? 

Fitness experts at totalshape.com have conducted research to reveal how often people should consume caffeine to help them see the benefits of caffeine and avoid its unpleasant side effects. 

How Much Caffeine Should You Consume?

The amount of caffeine you should consume can vary depending on factors such as your body weight and whether you take medication. Caffeine affects your body by inhibiting the effects of a substance in the central nervous system called adenosine, which leads to feeling less sleepy and tired for up to twelve hours. When consumed in moderation, caffeine can help you feel concentrated and refreshed.

How Much Caffeine Is Too Much?

Too much caffeine is more than 400 mg a day for healthy adults, as determined by the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the safe upper limit. This equates to about four cups of coffee and around five cans of energy drinks. IT’s important to note that pregnant or breastfeeding women should limit their caffeine intake to 200 mg. However, you might want to consume less than the recommended amount of caffeine if you are sensitive to caffeine!

Can Caffeine Harm Your Health?

Caffeine can harm your health if you exceed the recommended dose - 400mg a day. Too much caffeine can cause problems such as insomnia, heart palpitations, increased heart rate, nausea and anxiety. However, experts warn that quitting caffeine-containing beverages cold turkey can cause withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, headaches, and fatigue. Therefore, it’s all about finding that balance!

 

The research was conducted by totalshape.com which is a comprehensive online resource dedicated to advice on health, fitness, and nutrition.

 

 

ENDS

 

Post courtesy of: https://totalshape.com/ 

Healthy Habits: Desk Exercise Equipment

 There's a lot of research that talks about the dangers of sedentary lifestyles - and if you have a desk job, or find yourself sitting a lot, you might feel like you need a way to get a little more fitness into your day. Fortunately, there are a lot of ways to do that. While it might seem overwhelming to try to wade through all the options, it is also nice to have choices to prevent boredom and to make sure people can find what suits them the best.

One type of device can give you some of the benefits of an elliptical machine, without taking up nearly as much space - something that can be really important for this in apartments or smaller houses, or just families that need a lot of space for kids! You can learn about how Cubii fits your lifestyle and explore options with this kind of device. Some options only work your feet, leaving your hands free to type or do other things. It might take a little bit of coordination, but that's good for your brain too! Other kinds can become a total gym that fits in just a few square feet.

Resistance bands are another great option to keep near your desk. These take up very little space, and are easily adjustable to any size body or fitness level. They provide low-impact exercise to tone muscles and offer options for standing or seated exercises.

If you work in an office, you might need some options for fitness that don't stand out - or make you sweat, if you have to worry about in-person meetings. There are actually a few options to add a little bit of core strengthening in your day. Swapping out your chair for an exercise ball or stability cushion can activate your core a little bit more to keep your muscles engaged and improve posture. Plus, there are some easy low-impact moves that you can do with either piece of equipment if you have some quiet moments.

Finally, make sure you're moving throughout the day! Smartwatches, apps, and even computer-based or calendar reminders can help make sure you aren't just sitting for too long. Check out these movement apps and find one that works for you. Even five minutes of brisk activity is better than just sitting for hours on end!

Amazing Art - Art for Self-Care and Creative Wanderlust

 Discover the healing power of making art—learn how you can process feelings of stress, change, uncertainty, grief, and fear as you create. In Art for Self-Care, artist, designer, and online instructor Jessica Swift outlines a path to healing through artmaking for both artists and non-artists alike. Strengthen your relationship with your inner voice and begin to change your life, one piece of art at a time.

 

Bring your inner artist to life through art journaling and intuitive mixed media. In Creative Wanderlust, mixed-media artist and author Kasia Avery shows you how to set up and begin an art journaling practice, and then how to fully enjoy and benefit from it with ideas and tools for moving beyond obstacles such as perfectionism, self-criticism, and finding space and time to create.

Movie Minute - Pure Flix June Titles

 

Details on June Releases

Pure Flix New Exclusive Titles GOD’S COUNTRY SONG – available June 16! Synopsis: Only God knows if Noah can be the man and father he’s meant to be. Will Noah stop chasing selfish dreams, heal broken relationships and start down God's path for his future? STRONG FATHERS STRONG DAUGHTERS – available now for Father’s Day! Synopsis: When a wealthy businessman learns of his daughter's sudden engagement to a missionary, he embarks on a quest to keep her closer to home, but when his efforts go awry he must reconsider what being a strong father really means. PARDONED BY GRACE – available June 1! Synopsis: Based on a true story, this movie follows the life of Scott Highberger, a man in and out of jail more times that most people can count. This movie shows the trials he went through, the struggle he had to overcome his addiction, how that happened, and the results of a man now serving the Lord. SONY & Affirm Titles Legacy Peak – available now for Father’s Day! Synopsis: Jason, played by Lucas Black, is on an adventure to win the hearts of Noelle’s kids before they marry. But when the plan falls apart and they struggle to survive, the new family's faith will be tested before they can start a life together.

Caring Connections - Navigating the Path to Family Trauma Recovery

 

Family systems form the foundation of children’s understanding of what it means to be in a relationship and how to communicate. In the event of a traumatic event, the sense of safety for the child or the entire family system may be disrupted.

While navigating the path to family trauma recovery, we must first create a safe environment where open communication is possible. While empathy may not be natural to some, it can be practiced, taught and modeled. Interactions with children must be developmentally appropriate – both from a cognitive as well as emotional standpoint. 

Remember when talking with children, you are larger in size and may come across as intimidating. Consider getting to the child’s eye level and make sure your tone is calm. Use phrases that are not too complicated, are matter of fact, and convey your message without blame or shame. Monitor your choice of words and try to mirror their emotions. Validations such as, ‘I understand you are feeling scared right now’ will allow the child to feel heard and seen. It will also enhance their ability to name their emotions. I often recommend books that families can read together that examine experiences similar to theirs, to allow for self-exploration and organic discussion.

The goal is to gain insight into the psychological and physiological effects of the trauma as early as possible, so that the therapeutic interventions can have the best chance of reducing symptoms and lead to long-term recovery.

Once a safe environment is established, and the stage is set for open communication, you can begin to explore outward manifestations, and symptoms of the trauma. Psychological symptoms can include sadness, excessive worry, attention deficits, concentration and learning issues. Behavioral signs may include shyness, irritability, acting out, difficulties in school performance, and changes in sleep and eating patterns. Physical symptoms often include headaches, stomachaches, muscle tension, and difficulty going to the bathroom or bed wetting.

As a parent, caregiver, or loved one, we can model self-regulation and mindfulness techniques. Breathing exercises are simple, yet extremely effective tools that we can learn and teach. As the journey of healing will take time, I often recommend having daily routines that can be predicted and are as consistent as possible. Similar bedtimes, set mealtimes, and clear expectations will enforce a sense of safety. While this sounds basic, the guard rails and comfort they provide is critical. When we remove ambiguity and the need for guesswork from our interactions with our children they will have the opportunity to focus their energy on healing and recovery.

About Duygu Balan:

Author and psychotherapist specializing in intergenerational trauma, Duygu Balan, LPCC developed her expertise in intergenerational trauma while working as a clinical counselor in New York City treating patients on society's margins. A licensed psychotherapist, she is the co-author of Re-Write: A Trauma Workbook of Creative Writing and Recovery in Our New Normal and a contributor to the best-selling medical textbook, Big Book of Emergency Department Psychiatry: A Guide to Patient Centered Operational Improvement. Born in Germany and raised in Istanbul, Duygu's upbringing provides her with a fresh perspective on how to navigate tension between cultures; adverse childhood experiences; and attachment wounding through hope and resilience. She is based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Money Makers - Lionheart Fitness

 Lionheart Fitness Kids has worked with the children of celebrities like Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Dave Grohl, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Justin Timberlake, and Colin Farrell, just to name a few.

 

Now, Lionheart Fitness Kids is disrupting the children’s fitness and sports education space by combining play and imagination with structured early childhood sports education and self-esteem building tools. Through its Lionheart Coach Certification program, Lionheart Fitness Kids is also creating financial freedom for its certified coaches across the U.S.

 

The celebrated nationwide early childhood sports education program is helping its coaches earn a sustainable income, which Lionheart CEO, John Skoryna, says allows their coaches to train their attention completely on the children they are coaching and educating with a whole heart and 100% focus.

 

As a leader and innovator in the children’s fitness industry, Lionheart has provided sports classes to over 1 million kids since 2008 in cities across the U.S., offering early childhood fitness and sports education to kids of employees and high level executives at some of the biggest companies, including Sony, Paramount, Universal, Warner Brothers, Cisco, NASA, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, among many others.

 

Lionheart Certified Coaches are the most rigorously trained and vetted children’s fitness coaches in the U.S., and some of the highest paid.

 

“It’s our mission to empower hundreds of thousands of coaches around the globe to make a sustainable living, giving rise to the next generation of fitness leaders,” Skoryna said.

 

Have a look at what Lionheart Fitness Kids Certified Coaches have to say about this dynamic and game changing program: https://vimeo.com/763832676.

 

For more information on the coach certification program, please visit https://www.lionheartcoachlife.com/ or to view Lionheart’s virtual program http://www.lionheartfitnessadventures.com.

 

Book Nook - Being Frank on Storyline Online

  Actor and writer Bob Odenkirk is here to help kick off a summer of reading with the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s global children’s literacy program Storyline Online®. Known for his leading roles in television classics including Better Call Saul, Breaking Bad, and Mr. Show, the actor also carries the title of bestselling author and has been nominated for 11 Screen Actors Guild Awards throughout his illustrious career.

Odenkirk brought his signature deadpan delivery and quick-witted humor to Donna W. Earnhardt’s beloved children’s book Being Frank. Odenkirk selected this story because he felt connected to Frank’s dilemma and believes the book’s message of honesty and kindness is important for not only kids — but adults alike. Being Frank is illustrated by Andrea Castellani and published by Flashlight Press.

Earnhardt’s words and Castellani’s illustrations are brought to life by Odenkirk who debunks the idea that “honesty is the best policy.” Frank tells the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. He never lies to his schoolmates and he always tells the truth to adults, even when it hurts their feelings. One day Frank decides to visit his Grandpa Ernest, who, like Frank, has a history of frankness himself. After a few conversations with Grandpa, Frank begins to understand that the truth is important, but he can do so without being hurtful. 

SAG-AFTRA Foundation President Courtney B. Vance is delighted to welcome Being Frank to the Storyline Online library to kick off a summer of reading. 

“We are honored to introduce the esteemed and beloved Bob Odenkirk as a reader for Storyline Online, and Being Frank is perfectly suited to Bob’s signature humor, heart, and grace,” says Vance. “Being Frank is not only filled with fun characters and artwork, but with the help of Grandpa Ernest, Frank learns an important lesson about how to be both honest and kind to others. It’s all about the words we choose to use. It’s a great read-aloud and lesson for all of us,” says Vance.

As with all Storyline Online read-alouds, Being Frank is accompanied by a complementary supplemental activity guide for teachers that aligns with Common Core Standards that strengthen verbal, written and comprehension skills. Being Frank has themes of honesty, kindness, and friendship and is aimed towards students in 1st through 3rd grades.

With over 900 million views worldwide, Storyline Online has been a trusted educational brand and free literacy resource for teachers and parents since 2001. Odenkirk joins the notable cast of Storyline Online readers including Angela Bassett, Kristen Bell, Connie Britton, Keith Carradine, Terry Crews, Viola Davis, Rosario Dawson, Cynthia Erivo, Sutton Foster, Jennifer Garner,  Allison Janney, John Lithgow, Simi Liu, Rami Malek, Seth Meyers, Holly Robinson Peete, Chris Pine, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Justin Theroux, Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Yeoh, and dozens more who have volunteered their time and talent to promote literacy and inspire a love of reading in hundreds of millions of children worldwide.

To watch Being Frank and all of Storyline Online’s read-alouds, visit storylineonline.net. Keep up with new videos by subscribing to Storyline Online on YouTube and following Storyline Online on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Bob Odenkirk reads for the SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s children's literacy program Storyline Online® / Photo courtesy of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation

ABOUT STORYLINE ONLINE^®
An Emmy^®-nominated program of the nonprofit SAG-AFTRA Foundation, Storyline Online^® streams 78 videos at no cost to children, parents, and educators worldwide. The site is endorsed by the American Federation of Teachers and the American Library Association, as well as named one of the best websites by the American Association of School Librarians. In addition to the website, Storyline Online offers a free app for iPhone and Google devices. Storyline Online, like all SAG-AFTRA Foundation programs, relies solely on support from gifts, grants and sponsorships to produce new content. For more information, visit storylineonline.net.

CONNECT WITH STORYLINE ONLINE^®
Twitter: @storylineonline
Instagram: @storylineonline
Facebook: facebook.com/storylineonline
YouTube: youtube.com/storylineonline
Hashtag: #StorylineOnline

ABOUT THE SAG-AFTRA FOUNDATION
The SAG-AFTRA Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides vital assistance and free educational programming to the professionals of SAG-AFTRA while serving the public at large through its award-winning children’s literacy program Storyline Online. The Foundation relies solely on support from gifts, grants and sponsorships to maintain its free programs. For more information, visit sagaftra.foundation.

CONNECT WITH THE SAG-AFTRA FOUNDATION
Instagram: @sagaftrafound
TikTok: @sagaftrafound
Twitter: @sagaftrafound
Facebook: facebook.com/sagaftrafoundation
YouTube: youtube.com/sagaftrafoundation