The Green List

“It’s not easy being green.”

— Kermit the Frog

These are the “green” products I have swapped out over a year for more eco-responsible options. I haven’t included links for all of them due to time but I know my community of eco-warriors love to do their own research. You can use this list as a starting point. Please share some of your favorite eco-friendly products in the comment section below.

The Kitchen

 Nikken PiMAG Waterfall. This was my first big switch. Nikken really did their research and I love their company philosophy. Nikken considered fundamental aspects for its water systems including application of the types of plastics used for water filtration and storage to provide clean healthy water free of pollutants found in bottled water. Read more here: Environmentally Responsible Water Filtration Systems.

 SF Bay Compostable Coffee Pods. One of my favorite Christmas gifts is still my Keurig Kcafe. It covers all of my coffee needs in minutes, but I was really concerned about the K-cup pods. San Francisco Bay coffee pods are delicious, ethically sourced, and commercially compostable.

 Blueland Kitchen Clean Kit + Dish Detergent + Dishwasher Pods. The Blueland Mission is to make it easy to be eco with innovative products in reusable packaging that are convenient, effective, and affordable. They live up to their mission. I have all of their products and one of their stylish soap dispensers in every bathroom and in the kitchen.

 Luffa elves Natural sponges. I can’t remember what prompted me to seek these out but natural loofah for scrubbing pots just makes sense to me. I found mine on Amazon.

 Swedish Dishcloth Cellulose Sponge Cloths. Eco-friendly just throw them in the washer and reuse clothes. Another Amazon find.

Shark Steam Mop with reusable mop pad. Fill with water and the mop cleans with high-pressure steam. When you are done just throw the pad in the washer and use it again when clean.

WFH Office and Living Space

KenkoAir Purifier. Clean indoor air is always paramount but it feels even more necessary given current conditions. The KenkoAir Purifier is Energy Star qualified: 35% more efficient than standard models and saves a minimum of 215 kilowatt-hours per year. It uses a re-usable prefilter for a reduced carbon footprint and features replaceable filters.

 Refillable Fountain Pen. This isn’t perfect but there is less waste when you refill a pen instead of throwing it out. I also buy my ink refills in bulk for less packaging.

 Furniture Polish. ECOS Non-Toxic 22 Oz Bottle by Earth Friendly Products, Furniture Polish With Olive Oil. I like the polish but they need to work on their packaging. The good thing is you order 2 at a time reducing packaging. Furniture Polish with Olive Oil is made in the USA using thoughtfully sourced global ingredients. Sustainably produced in California, Washington, Illinois, and New Jersey facilities that are carbon neutral, water neutral, and zero waste.

80% of plastic bottles never get recycled and can take up to 700 years to degrade.

Plastic Pens can take up to 700 years to degrade and the ink can be harmful to the environment.

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The Bedroom

Kenko Naturest Bedding.  The Naturest bedding is made of  Chitocotton and contains chitosan. A magnetic layer completes the cocoon effect with far infrared fibers that help to release heat and maintain a comfortable temperature. Comes in biodegradable packaging.

 KenkoAir Purifier. Clean indoor air is always paramount but it feels even more necessary given current conditions. The KenkoAir Purifier is Energy Star qualified: 35% more efficient than standard models and saves a minimum of 215 kilowatt-hours per year. It uses a re-usable prefilter for a reduced carbon footprint and features replaceable filters.

Natural bedding materials can reduce allergens.

Save and reuse your product containers in new ways.

Bamboo is non-toxic, sustainable, natural, and organic. It grows at an accelerated rate.

Bathroom

True Elements Skincare Line. This line balanced my skin for the first time since my teen years. The seaweed species in True Elements are harvested off the coast of Brittany in northwest France, and the harvesting method ensures that the seaweed yields are sustainable.
These skin care preparations are natural, organic, and free from parabens, GMOs, mineral oils, phthalates, phenoxyethanol, PEG, EDTA, synthetic colorings, and fragrances. For men and women, True Elements Skin Care is a complete line of products that cleanse, tone, and moisturize — to enhance, protect and care for your skin using nature’s own secrets.

 I make my own soap and body lotion. This was a decision I made to reduce packaging, to know what goes into my skincare, and I like doing it.

 Blueland Bathroom Cleaner & Glass/Mirror Cleaner. In the past, eco-conscious cleaners have traditionally not performed as well as toxic cleaners but that is not the case with the Blueland products.

Bamboo Toothbrush and Charcoal floss in a glass bottle. This just makes sense. It is estimated that plastic toothbrushes create 50 million pounds of waste annually. A bamboo toothbrush solves that problem and is just as inexpensive.

Bamboo Reusable Makeup Rounds. These babies reduce waste. Just throw them in the washer and reuse them.

Billie Razor Blade Subscription Purchase. This reduces the handle waste because you only replace the blade. Billie’s packaging for the refills is evolving. I think it is important to work with companies in an effort to reduce, recycle, and find sustainable energy sources.  

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Beauty

BeautyCounter. What I like about the company BeautyCounter is their effort to regulate the beauty community, their transparency, and their efforts to update their packaging.

 DIY Lip Balm. I make this myself to reduce waste and because I can know what goes into it. I buy in bulk organic ingredients for all of my DIY skincare products. I found some refillable natural bamboo lip balm tubes on Amazon.

Wegreeco Bamboo Reusable Sanitary Pads (Stylish Pattern). Just wash and reuse. One of my favorite new products. I found mine on Amazon.

Kjaer Weis Refillable lipsticks. I was attracted to this company because they have led the charge in sustainability since 2010. Here is a quote from company founder Kirsten, "Combining ingredient integrity with innovative packaging, we are committed to sustainability - a key pillar of Kjaer Weis. Our brand celebrates beauty in all of its expressions, including kindness, inclusivity, and the connection to our unique self."

Travel

PiMAG Sport Bottle. I never leave home without it. Mine has been around the world and I never worry about water. Nikken considered fundamental aspects for its water systems including application of the types of plastics used for water filtration and storage to provide clean healthy water free of pollutants found in bottled water. Read more here: https://www.selfcarehub.com/blog/environmentally-responsible

 Reusable Straws. Disposable straws like toothbrushes compound to make a very negative environmental impact. There are several reusable options.

In just the U.S. alone, one estimate suggests 500 million straws are used every single day. One study published earlier this year estimated as many as 8.3 billion plastic straws pollute the world's beaches.

National Geographic

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A clean environment begins at home. Every small change you make greatly reduces your carbon footprint. Indeed, when I decided to compile this list I did not understand how ambitious this project would be. We are all in this together while we travel on this Spaceship Earth.

Be Healthy by Choice!

 About Heather N. Abbott:

Heather is the COO at “Self Care Awakening.” Heather is an IIN Certified Health Coach. "I create a sacred space for you to become your best self."

Use the Contact/Book an Appointment page to schedule a free consult.

Heather is a founding member of Ladies Leading Ladies a group dedicated to training and empowering current and future Wellness business leaders.

I am an Nikken Independent Consultant. I work with a team of consultants. I nurture client relationships. I love building new relationships. Let’s connect. I enjoy working from home.

Let's Socialize: @LadySelfCare

How Can Grounding Help?

"Listen to me Coppertop..." Switch. When Switch calls Neo “Coppertop” in the popular movie “The Matrix” she wasn’t exaggerating. The average human, at rest, produces around 100 watts of power. Over periods of a few minutes, humans can comfortably sustain 300-400 watts; and in the case of very short bursts of energy, such as sprinting, some humans can output over 2,000 watts. Stanford, Dec 6, 2014

When I was a computer technician one of my “not so superpowers” was the ability to kill a motherboard with a single touch. To protect that precious board, I would wear a grounding cord so that the electrical charge in my body was transferred somewhere else. Typically, into the frame surrounding the computer components. Every human being shares this ability, so, I ask you how do you discharge your excess electricity?

Your answer may be “why does it matter?” The excessive electrical build-up in the human body can lead to chronic inflammation, therefore, adding to our body burden. There is a well-cited study entitled, *“The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.” The method and the purpose of the study:  multi-disciplinary research has revealed that electrically conductive contact of the human body with the surface of the Earth (grounding or earthing) produces intriguing effects on physiology and health. Such effects relate to inflammation, immune responses, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. You can find a link to that study at the end of this post.

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…inflammation, immune responses, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

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What can you do if contact with the Earth with your bare skin is not convenient or even possible? For example, today is April 22, 2021, and yesterday it was snowing in Colorado. An easy solution is the KenkoGround from Nikken. I use mine all day under my keyboard with my bare wrists touching the pad and the pad connected to a grounded outlet. Here is a collection of amazing KenkoGround stories.

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Why specifically the KenkoGround grounding pad?

The KenkoGround contains 20% Silver threading. Silver is known for its ability to kill microbes, wipe out “superbugs” and help burn victims recover.

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Happy Earth Day! Remember to ground today and remind your kids to create an awesome mud pie or you could put a KenkoGround across their laps while they play Pokemon Snap.

Be Healthy by Choice.

* The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases

J Inflamm Res. 2015; 8: 83–96.
Published online 2015 Mar 24. doi: 10.2147/JIR.S69656

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4378297/

Accessed: April 22, 2021

About Heather N. Abbott:

Heather is the COO at “Self Care Awakening.” Heather is an IIN Certified Health Coach. "I create a sacred space for you to become your best self."

Use the Contact page to schedule a free consult.

Heather is a founding member of Ladies Leading Ladies a group dedicated to training and empowering current and future Wellness business leaders.

I am an independent Nikken consultant. I work with a team of consultants. I nurture client relationships. I love building new relationships. Let’s connect. I enjoy working from home.

Let's Socialize: @LadySelfCare

What is Earth Day, and Why?

“We are all traveling together on this Spaceship Earth. ”

On April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans took to the streets all across the country to protest environmental ignorance and demand change for an environment in crisis. The first Earth Day was a pivotal moment in advocating environmental agendas into the mainstream and forcing governments to act. In response to the first Earth Day, The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Clean Air, Clean Water Act, and the Endangered Species Act were established. This year marks the 51st anniversary of Earth Day.

Every year on April 22, Earth Day marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement.  Currently, Earth Day is observed in more than 190 countries. More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. For more information and the agenda of events this year visit https://www.earthday.org

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This year’s theme for Earth Day 2021 is “Restore the Earth”.

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We must restore our earth not just because we care about the natural world, but because we and all living organisms inhabit it. Every one of us requires a healthy planet to support our health, survival, and happiness. A healthy Earth is not just a choice — it is a necessity.

Climate change and other environmental degradation have damaged our planet’s natural systems. While climate change and environmental pollution remind us of the harm we have caused, “Restore Our Earth” reminds us of the many opportunities we can do daily to help restore balance to our precious planet. Make every day Earth Day.

Simple Things to Do to Observe Earth Day.

Plant something.

Plant a tree or a few in your yard. Trees not only cool things down (collectively, they can help decrease a city’s temperature by up to 10 degrees) but they also clean the air and give off oxygen. Plant a garden. Growing your own fruits and vegetables will benefit your health and reduce the amount of fossil fuel emissions by not having to transport the food to stores. As the weather turns to spring, what better time to get outside (in the safety of your own backyards) and plant a flower or vegetable garden.

Get your produce from a local farmer’s market.

Food in the grocery stores travels an average of 1,500 miles to get to your store, resulting in an increase in fossil fuel consumption and carbon emissions as opposed to buying local and fresh. 

Ride your bike.

Find transportation alternatives that help reduce your carbon footprint but get you moving. The fewer cars on the road, the fewer carbon emissions polluting the air and contributing to global warming. Riding your bike or walking are two of the best options. If you don’t own a bike or know how to ride one, carpooling or public transportation are great options.

Buy reusable bags.

It is estimated that Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year. The production of those bags requires about 12 million barrels of oil. Not to mention, they take up lots of space in landfills and cause major problems for marine wildlife in our oceans.

Invest in Reusable Straws and Water Bottles.

Just because you recycle your plastic water bottles doesn’t mean they're not hurting the environment. Besides the fact that it takes over 1.5 million barrels of oil to manufacture all of those bottles each year, there are still over two million tons of water bottles that have ended up in U.S. landfills. Buy a reusable bottle, preferably one that has a filter attached to it, so you will be getting healthy water. There are lots of options to choose from when it comes to re-useable straws.

Unsubscribe to catalogs.

Over 100 million trees are cut down each year to produce junk mail including catalogs and they usually end up being thrown away. Sign up for the free opt-out service at catalogchoice.org to help get your name off the mailing lists for all those unwanted pieces of mail.

The recent pandemic has united our world in many ways, reminding us of our connection as a global community and our responsibility to take care of each other, and our planet. Take action this Earth Day and every day to ensure a safe, healthy, and happy future for our planet and its inhabitants.

One of the things that fill me with an appreciation for our Nikken Global Wellness Community is our contribution to our communities and planet every day. As stated in our Vision 2025 our goal is to Live in Harmony with Nature.

Here are Ten ways Nikken’s Global Wellness Community helps protect Planet Earth.

1.     Nikken products are made from sustainable resources.                                                                         

 2.     Nikken uses recyclable packaging.                                                                                                            

 3.     Nikken promotes a reduced carbon footprint.                                                                         

 4.     Nikken sources and utilizes certified organic products whenever possible for our consumable product line. Reducing toxic chemical uses. True Elements, Nikken’s skincare line, is safe for the coral reefs. It is made from sustainable seaweed.                                              

5.    Nikken products are made of biodegradable materials, whenever possible.

6.     Nikken products reduce and eliminate single-use plastics.                                                         

7.     Nikken teaches/inspires a Global Community to teach others to reduce the use of plastics.           

8.     Most of the Nikken products are durable and last a long time so we are not adding to throw-away, disposable consumerism.

9.     Less water waste with the Nikken Waterfall over reverse osmosis filtration. Increased consciousness, lifestyle practices, and sharing of the Nikken Purpose and Mission as a “movement” by Global Community members to create a “shift” in the positive direction of the trajectory of not only sustaining but improving Planet Earth.                                                      

 10.  Nikken sources and works with companies that use alternative sources of power. Green power like solar, wind, and water.

So, there are ten ways that Nikken does its part for a healthier planet. I could have added many more. Let me give one good example for clarification. Our PiMag Waterfall and the PiMag Sports bottle are made from biodegradable materials. Most bottled waters use three gallons to produce one gallon of bottled water. Nikken’s water filtration products provide healthy water at a one-to-one ratio, thus conserving one of our most precious resources, water.

Drink Filtered Water to Reduce Bottled Water Use for Earth Wellness

How we recycle and reuse products directly impacts the environment. For example, about 1500 single-use plastic bottles end up in landfills or our ocean every second. Wow, there just went 1500 bottles. By using water filtration devices such as the PiMag Waterfall® and reusable drinking bottles such as the PiMag® Sports Bottle, this contemptible number can be reduced to help sustain our resources and the environment.

Our battle cry, Be Healthy by Choice, Not by Chance applies not only to our personal well-being but also to our planet. Nurture our Nature and the Nature of Our Planet.

Nurture Your Nature, Get Grounded

“RE-WILD your life.”

You’re Grounded

About nine years ago I was speaking at a health conference in San Diego. After my presentation, a gentleman approached me and said that he enjoyed the presentation. He said that he really respected the natural health approach of Self Care and how we can Nurture our Nature with the Nikken Wellness Home. We set up a time to meet the following day to reconnect.  We set our appointment for noon to 1 pm at a local restaurant. At about dinner time we were still talking. It turned out this individual had a doctorate degree in engineering physics, was a university professor and research scientist in fusion and plasma physics, biophotons, and biofield science. We spent much of our time talking about grounding, often called earthing. This was my first exposure to grounding. I found the subject fascinating, especially as it was an emerging science that touted simple, easy, and natural ways for better health. He made a statement that got me thinking, he said: “The worst invention ever created was rubber sole shoes”. Not only do we live in an electrical storm all around us, but we also insulate ourselves from the beneficial energies of the earth.

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“The worst invention ever created was rubber sole shoes”.

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In the Eye of The Storm

The electric energy on the surface of the earth takes the form of a limitless supply of negatively charged particles called electrons.  When you contact the earth, while barefooted or with a grounding device, the electrons are absorbed into the body where they attach to positively charged free radicals that cause chronic inflammation.  The key here is the effect of chronic inflammation.  When you experience an injury or illness there is a normal level of inflammation that is part of the healing process.  However, if you have chronic inflammation, tissue can be damaged leading to illness or disease.

Due to our technological world where cell phones, tablets, laptops, and wi-fi-connected devices surround us 24/7; we are constantly bombarded with EMF, electromagnetic frequencies.  This exposure has been linked to inflammatory reactions, cancer, sleep disruption, and immune system dysfunction. 

If you regularly walk barefoot on grass, dirt, or on the beach you can ground yourself naturally.  However, most of us live in urban settings that limit our access to direct contact with the earth.  Grounding devices are the best alternative to neutralize the effect of electromagnetic fields and free radicals.

Nikken KenkoGround

The solution is found in the Nikken Wellness Home, the KenkoGround®. The KenkoGround® serves as an indoor and portable way to reconnect with Mother Nature. Simply plug it into a grounded outlet and use it under your feet while working, on your mattress while sleeping, or even draped around your shoulders. Direct contact with the skin is recommended for the best results. Staying home does not mean sacrificing Self Care with the Nikken KenkoGround® and the Nikken Wellness Home.

For more information specifically on the KenkoGround®, I invite you to watch last Tuesday’s Healthy by Choice class, Grounding Matters.

Be Healthy by Choice and Nurture your Nature.

Nurture Your Nature; That's What She Said.

What do we need to “nurture our nature?” As a mother of 4, the top earner in the household, and eventually the only earner in the household, wellness and my own self-care wasn’t something I even thought about until my children were almost grown, out of the house, and my own health was rapidly declining. If this sounds familiar or something you hope to avoid I sincerely hope I can help.

Dr. Gary Lindner has already blogged on the subject of “Nurture Your Nature” and he covers the basics of what the body needs to maintain balance, to perfection. My approach to the subject came from a different place of what does my whole being needs to feel balanced. Together, we hope to holistically cover the subject and hopefully guide you to nurture your own nature and ultimately be healthy by choice. To this end, we are covering an aspect of this subject each week in our “Self Care Byte” series on Youtube (please like and subscribe) and I have embedded the video below. Please share any comments you have about your wellness journey in the comment section below.

You Are Worth It

Please take whatever time you can afford for yourself to just check-in, ask your self “how do I feel today?” Write down your answer and try to do this for at least a week and track your answers. Remember, it is never too late or too early to begin your wellness journey, and darling, YOU ARE WORTH IT!

P.S. If you haven’t already subscribe to our newsletter below and keep up with what’s new.

About Heather N. Abbott:

Heather is the COO at “Self Care Awakening.” Heather is an IIN Certified Health Coach. "I create a sacred space for you to become your best self."

Use the Contact/Book Appointment link to book a free consult.

Heather is a founding member of Ladies Leading Ladies a group dedicated to training and empowering current and future Wellness business leaders.

I am an independent Nikken consultant. I work with a team of consultants. I nurture client relationships. I love building new relationships. Let’s connect. I enjoy working from home.

Let's Socialize: @LadySelfCare

Take Action! World Water Day!

“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it. ”

— Lao Tzu

What does water mean to you? To myself having clean drinking and bathing water is not only essential but a luxury. I am astounded and saddened knowing that in our modern world there are over 2 billion people globally that do not have access to clean water. We need to take action and we can.

Add your voice to the conversation at https://www.worldwaterday.org/ and help shape forthcoming World Water Day campaigns, help bring awareness, and design action steps we can all take towards conservation, cleaning, and sharing our most precious resource.

Our last Masterclass Dr. Gary Lindner, outlined some actionable steps and water filtration products we can all use and share. You can watch that video here.

I encourage you to visit https://www.worldwaterday.org/ and join the global conversation, share on social media, and join the cause. No one should have to go thirsty or question the health of their drinking water.

Be Healthy by Choice

About Heather N. Abbott:

Heather is the COO at “Self Care Awakening.” Heather is an IIN Certified Health Coach. "I create a sacred space for you to become your best self."
Use the Contact/Book Appointment link to book a free consult.

Heather is a founding member of Ladies Leading Ladies a group dedicated to training and empowering current and future Wellness business leaders.

I am an independent Nikken consultant. I work with a team of consultants. I nurture client relationships. I love building new relationships. Let’s connect. I enjoy working from home.

Let's Socialize: @LadySelfCare

Put the H (healthy) in Your H₂O

““Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.””

Water is Life.

March 22 is World Water Day.

World Water Day was first proposed in 1992 at the United Nations Conference for Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro. It went into effect the following year and the first World Water Day was March 22nd, 1993

Each year a different theme is highlighted to bring awareness to water issues in several different areas. The day is used to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

The theme for World Water Day 2018 was “Nature for Water”, exploring nature-based solutions to the water challenges we face in the 21st century. In 2019, the theme was “Leaving no one behind” to emphasize that as a society, we cannot leave anyone behind as sustainable development progresses. The 2020 theme for World Water Day was “Nature and Climate Change”, which focused on the link between water and climate. This year’s theme is to answer the question, “What water means to you?”.

On this day we are all asked to “Take action, wherever you are and whatever you do on March 22, make it about water and what that means to you” For my part, and as a physiologist, water is life.

We are 65 to 70% water. It is essential for our existence and is vital to all physiological systems in our body. We need to maintain balance in our bodies, what we call homeostasis. To maintain a healthy body, we need to stay well hydrated with pure, healthy water the way nature intended.

We also need to Nurture the Nature of our planet to keep it in a state of balance and health or in other words, environmental homeostasis. Water is the most prevalent compound on earth and safeguarding this vital resource and awareness to act is the paramount goal of World Water Day. We must be diligent and make this part of our day-to-day activities and actions to help safeguard and improve our global water resources.

Here are few examples of simple actions that we can do to help with nurturing the earth’s water resources.

1.     Take shorter showers.

The average American showers about 6 times a week for an average time of 8.2 minutes, using 17.2 gallons of water. Over the span of a year, this uses 5,336 gallons of water. Multiply this number to account for the other 328 million Americans and you’ll find the nation uses about 1.8 trillion gallons of water a year showering.  This can be significantly reduced by shortening showers to 5 minutes.

2.     Meat-free Mondays.

National Geographic calculates the average hamburger takes about 630 gallons of water to produce. Both animals and their feed sources require water, which means the meat has an especially large water consumption footprint, with beef being the highest. By comparison, plants use far less water which is why many environmentalists encourage people to go meatless at least once a week. In fact, Meat-Free Mondays have even become a popular trend among celebrities, chefs, and health advocates as well. Each meatless meal saves nearly 133 gallons of water, so do your part by going meatless at least once a week.

3.     Turn off the tap when brushing your teeth and washing dishes.

On average, about two gallons of water flow from a faucet each minute—meaning you can save about three to four gallons of water per day by simply turning off the water while brushing your teeth. In addition, turn off the tap while doing other daily tasks such as shaving and washing dishes. These simple alterations add up, saving thousands of gallons of water each year by simply turning off the tap when you are not directly using it.

4.     Filter your water.

Filtering water in your home is one of the best things you can do to help address the water crisis. Not only do you get to enjoy clean, healthy water—but filtering your water at home prevents the need for practices such as “flushing”—in which people run cold tap water for several minutes before drinking it. This process has not only been found to be ineffective, but it also wastes a significant amount of water. Instead, reduce contaminants using a dedicated water filter.

Many people choose bottled water or water delivery services because they do not trust their tap water or they object to the taste or smell of tap water. A filter provides a great way to eliminate those issues at home without the need to buy bottled water. You can eliminate bottled water and enjoy healthy, great-tasting water at home for a fraction of the cost while also making an environmentally conscientious choice.

5.     Use your own water bottle.

Did you know that it takes at least twice as much water to produce a plastic water bottle as the amount of water contained in that bottle? Additionally, single-use, plastic water bottles take up to 1000 years to biodegrade and approximately 80% of these water bottles will end up in our landfills and oceans. The manufacture and distribution of single plastic water bottles are also a significant source of carbon emissions. Any way you look at it, bottling water is a tremendous waste as far as resources and a major contributor to the pollution of our planet and wasteful of our most essential nutrient, Water.

Rather than relying on single-use plastic bottles which wastewater in production and have huge environmental impacts, use a reusable water bottle to do your part and help the planet. Filter your water at home and use your favorite bottle of choice or use a water bottle with a built-in filter to reduce contaminants and provide pure, healthy water on the go.

The solution to our global water issues and the plastic pollution of our planet is very complex and people often wonder what they can do as individuals to make a positive impact. One thing we all can do is not to contribute to landfills by filtering tap water rather than purchasing bottled water. In recent blogs, we have talked about the pollution problem with bottled water and about how to choose a water filtration system.

Filtering our tap water is convenient, cost-effective, and the best way to provide ourselves and our families with healthy water. Our personal choice for water filtration is the Nikken Waterfall. Imagine if we could create fresh spring water in our own home or office? This is the strategy behind the Nikken Waterfall.  The Nikken Waterfall System is an advanced, technically sophisticated, well-designed countertop home filtration system that converts tap water into fresh spring-like water. It’s as if Mother Nature poured you a glass of water.

For water on the go, the Nikken PiMag Sport Bottle is an excellent choice. Fill from any water fountain or tap and enjoy fresh spring-like water anywhere municipally treated water is available. The PiMag Sport Bottle uses patented nan-filtration and is made from bio-degradable materials. One PiMag Sport Bottle can replace 1400 single-use plastic water bottles per year that pollute our planet and consume our natural resources.

The Solution that is a Healthy Choice for our Bodies and our Planet.                                             

Nikken considered fundamental aspects for its water systems including the application of the types of plastics used for water filtration and storage to provide clean healthy water free of pollutants found in bottled water and many other types of water filtration units. Equally important to our mission and philosophy is to reduce pollution by contributing to the reduction of the consumption of plastic bottles in the world. For more information read Environmentally Responsible Water Filtration.

 Be Healthy by Choice

Nurture Your Nature

“There is a great deal of human nature in people.”

— Mark Twain

Nurture Your Nature    

What is our Nature?

In order to Nurture our Nature, we must first define our nature. From a physiological standpoint, our body’s inherent nature is to maintain balance. This is called homeostasis. We contain over 50 trillion cells in our body and of these, 10 trillion are somatic cells (our physical body), the remaining 40 trillion constitute our microbiome. Our cells are grouped into tissues that organize into organs and these into physiological systems. These systems must work in synchrony and balance to achieve homeostasis and maintain health.

Failure to maintain homeostasis can result in many disease conditions and many can be life-threatening.

One example often cited is thermoregulation. When someone is healthy, their body maintains a temperature close to 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius). Humans can increase or decrease temperature internally to keep it at an optimal level. Whether you are enjoying the summer sun or playing in the winter snow, your body temperature only changes by a degree or two. That is an example of homeostasis being maintained. When you get shivery in the cold, or sweat in the summer, that is your body trying to maintain homeostasis.

If your body's homeostasis mechanisms are compromised, you might have a problem producing heat from the food you eat and the air you breathe. If you are exposed to extreme cold, your body temperature could fall, resulting in hypothermia. This can slow organ function, producing confusion and fatigue and for long periods of time, death. In extreme heat, your body might be unable to cool down, which could result in heat stroke or hyperthermia. You might experience muscle cramps and exhaustion. If unabated, hyperthermia can result in seizures, unconsciousness, and death.

Our Amazing Bodies

We replace six billion cells a day, in the time you just read this statement, you have replaced about 50 million cells. This is our nature to stay healthy. An article published in the New York Times stated that regardless of our chronological age, physiologically we are about 10 years old. This viewpoint comes from the fact that we are constantly renewing our cells, tissues, organs, and systems. For example, we replace our largest organ, our skin every 27 days, and our second largest organ, our skeletal system, every 10 years.

To accomplish this are bodies have five vital requirements. We all need air, water, sleep, food, and the natural energies from the earth, sun, and motion.

If we look at the present-day condition of each of these elements, I believe we would all agree, that they have been drastically altered from the way Mother Nature intended them to be. Contaminated, polluted air, water, inadequate or poor-quality sleep, over-processed, under-nourishing food, and we have blocked or altered the natural energies we receive from the earth, sun, and motion.

Here is a quote from Daniel Vitalis, “We’ve become strangers to Nature. The best way to live longer, healthier lives is to re-wild ourselves by returning to Nature whenever we can.”

This may sound inviting but in a practical sense re-wilding as Daniel describes it, is not for everyone.

So how can we provide our bodies with Nature’s five vital elements as Nature intended? Through the process of biomimicry Nikken has developed the solution, the Wellness Home. Where we utilize science and technology to replicate nature in all five vital requirements we need for life.

The Wellness Home brings Nature into your living space with clean healthy air, water, quality sleep, whole food nutrition, and the natural energies of the earth, sun, and motion.  It has been called a “Greenhouse for Humans”. It is a home where we can Nurture our Nature and thrive.  

Starting a Nikken Wellness Home is a decision to bring these principles of nature to yourself and your loved ones and to live in harmony with Nature. To quote journalist and author Ricard Louv, “The more high-tech our lives become, the more nature we need”. We at Nikken and our Global Wellness Community are transforming the concept of wellness one home at a time.

 Be Healthy by Choice

Where the Serotonin Lives

The Pursuit of Happiness

Do you know where serotonin (the happiness hormone) lives in your body? Your gut microbiome houses 95% of what I call my favorite hormone. So right there in the old bread basket is where your happiness, sex drive, sleep health, and mental health hold space. Maybe that is why comfort food is so comforting. You may be wondering what is a healthy gut microbiome and how do I get one or is my gut already healthy? Let’s unpack this and come up with some strategies for improving or maintaining a healthy gut microbiome.

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health·y – adjective- in good health “I feel fit and healthy”

gut – noun- the stomach or belly

mi·cro·bi·ome – noun- the microorganisms in a particular environment (including the body or a part of the body)

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 A Tale of Two Brains

Healthy is an individual feeling. Its outward appearance can look different from person to person but inwardly it is an overall feeling of well-being. Thousands of years ago Traditional Chinese Medicine doctors recognized the importance of a healthy digestive system to overall health since the production of “Qi” vital energy for the body relies on healthy gut conditions. Western medicine has begun to study the connections between the mind and gut calling gut flora “the second brain.”  What are some things we can do daily to nourish our guts?

Staying hydrated

This is such a crucial step and one of the easiest to master. It can begin as simple as having a glass of water before you have a cup of coffee in the morning, switching out the diet soda at lunch for a glass of water, to having a glass of water with dinner before you finish with a glass of wine. Water just makes everything work better and you will see results in the quality of your skin, how shiny your hair is, the ease of eliminations, and better sleep.

Eat the Rainbow

 Unfortunately, I do not mean the popular hard candy. On your plate make sure there is a variety of colors. A colorful diet can provide adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals as well as fiber, probiotics, and prebiotics.

No Stress, Baby

 No stress… even I roll my eyes at this statement but there are several ways to manage stress and managing stress is so very crucial to your overall health. Recently I finished “The Book of Moods” by Lauren Martin, a good read I highly recommend it. Lauren recalled meeting a 70’s something colleague for the first time and marveling at how amazing she looked. Out of this meeting, my takeaway was the way the colleague looked at her to-do list as “things she gets to do not things she has to do.” Let that sink in for a minute while you take some deep breaths in through your nose with the back of your throat open. Breathe deep into your gut and hold it then slowly let it release through your nose. Try this a couple of times and note how you feel. Meditation is also a solid practice for dealing with stress. Find what relaxes you and take time throughout your day to take a moment and de-stress especially when you start to feel a tension in your shoulders. Keep in mind that unless your shorts are on fire there is nothing so pressing that you can’t press the pause button for a couple of minutes for some self-care.

Dailies

 Moving your body regularly through exercise really is fundamental. Over the past 3 years, I have tried and failed to prove this statement as false. Exercise had always been a part of my day. As a kid I played, hiked, ran, barefoot in the woods behind my North Carolina home. In high school, I weight trained and became a bodybuilder. In adulthood after the kids went to bed, I would hit the Stairmaster and the exercise ball. In my 40’s I am struggling to find a routine I enjoy that I can stick with and through this struggle, I have watched my overall health decline and my mid-section expand.

We all want to be healthy, fit, feel good in our clothes but physical fitness and the routines designed around it are not one size fits all. Exercise has to be personal and enjoyable. I am a gamer you can follow my gaming life on Twitter @LadyGamerMom. Last Christmas my wonderful family gifted me with a Nintendo Switch. My birthday falls in January and I gifted myself the “Ring Fit Adventure.” I love it! I am gaming and working up a sweat 2 things I love.

The key points are:

·       Exercise is crucial to balancing hormones and having more Serotonin.

·       Don’t get discouraged keep searching until you find a routine you love.

·       Remember we want to be healthy not an Instagram model. Don’t stress this.

Some Suggestions

I have been taking health coach courses from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN)  and I love it. Below is an excerpt from an IIN Blog post entitled “Four Exercises to Support Your Gut Microbiome” written by Nina Zorfass. Nina holds a bachelor’s in dietetics, nutrition, and food sciences from the University of Vermont and is a graduate of IIN’s Health Coach Training Program.

These are her suggestions for healthy gut exercises. Perhaps you will find something you love.

 Four exercises to improve digestion and support gut health

Here are four of the best exercises that support a healthy and well-functioning microbiome. Be sure to check with your healthcare practitioner before starting a new exercise regimen, especially if it’s more vigorous than your previous regimen:

Yoga

Yoga connects breath with movement and is a mind-body practice that encourages you to tune in to how your body feels in space and within the corners of your yoga mat. In general, yoga can be an opportunity to de-stress, which is important for gut health, but there are several specific yoga poses that can promote digestion and detoxification:

Child’s pose – By letting your stomach relax between your legs, this pose can help ease any gut discomfort and can feel very soothing for your gut in general.

Low lunge – Our body is an interconnected system of parts, especially the muscles around our gut that can impact digestion and gut health. According to Kristin McGee, celebrity yoga and Pilates instructor, tight hip flexors can restrict the muscles in the abdomen and thus restrict digestion. A low lunge can stretch the hip flexors and relieve some abdominal discomfort.

Reclined revolved abdominal twist – “This is a great pose to help promote a healthy gut!” says Jacqui Bongiovani, RYT 200 and Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. “The twisting action wrings your abdominal muscles, improving circulation to vital organs.” The post is done by lying on your back with your arms in a T and bringing one knee across the body at a time. “The twist rotates your spine to stretch the muscles in your back all while stimulating the digestive tract.”

Seated spinal twist – By gently twisting from left to right, you apply gentle pressure to the organs that facilitate digestion and can stimulate proper motility. Straining during any type of twist will be counterintuitive, though, so be careful not to overdo it.

Tai chi

Similar to yoga, tai chi is also considered a mind-body practice. Rooted in Chinese philosophy, tai chi’s main goal is to improve the flow of qi, or energy, throughout the body while also promoting balance. It’s a low-impact exercise with a multitude of health benefits, such as improving strength, flexibility, balance, and proprioception, our awareness of our body in space, which declines as we age. Tai chi can decrease stress, which can improve immunity and support gut function!

Strength training

While high-impact exercise, such as cycling, running, or high-intensity interval training (HIIT), can actually slow down your digestion, strength training can still provide a cardio boost without negatively affecting your gut motility, the movement of your intestinal tract for proper elimination. High-impact exercise that gets your heart rate up for an extended period is still beneficial for your health, especially heart health, if you’re able to do so. But if you’re experiencing digestive distress, like constipation, low-impact exercise mixed with some strength training may be the way to go.

Breathwork

Breathing is something we likely take for granted – we don’t even have to think about it! – but many of us may not be breathing deeply enough to have a therapeutic effect on our gut. Diaphragmatic breathing, or deep breathing, is a technique that can be used on a daily basis or when you’re experiencing acute discomfort. It involves inhaling to fully expand the belly, then exhaling to contract the belly. This rhythmic breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system (“rest and digest”) and reduces muscle tension, including the muscles responsible for supporting digestion and elimination.

Bonus Content

 Sleep is also crucial to a healthy gut microbiome but if you can stick to the suggestions above and develop a good sleep hygiene routine, I think you will find that a good night’s rest will occur naturally.

 I hope you have enjoyed this blog and feel like you have some healthy gut tools you can use. If you have other suggestions, please share those in the comments below. Enjoy the rest of your day and remember to be Healthy by Choice.

About Heather N. Abbott:

Heather is the COO at “Self Care Awakening.” Heather is an IIN Certified Health Coach. "I create a sacred space for you to become your best self."
Use the Contact/Book Appointment link to book a free consult.

Heather is a founding member of Ladies Leading Ladies a group dedicated to training and empowering current and future Wellness business leaders.

I am an independent Nikken consultant. I work with a team of consultants. I nurture client relationships. I love building new relationships. Let’s connect. I enjoy working from home.

Let's Socialize: @LadySelfCare

Your Wellness WFH Space

“My home is my ‘wellness’ castle.”

What have you learned after working for almost a year from home? How has your at-home classroom transformed in this time? Has your home transformed from a place where you rest your head at night to your sanctuary? What have we learned from this transformation? Perhaps that we all want our homes to be as healthy as they can be? Our WFH office space and makeshift classrooms to be our daily wellness spaces? What would they look like? How would they feel? I hope to paint a picture for you in 7 easy steps.

Breathe of Fresh Air

Air quality is one, if not, the major pathway that toxic chemicals and particulates enter our bodies to cause innumerable health concerns. This is why when we go out we are mandated to wear a mask in public. What about the air quality in our WFH office or classrooms? This is a problematic issue as many times we feel ineffective in helping or improving the problem overall.

One simple solution is air-purifying houseplants. These plants promote air quality as well as beautify your space. Don’t have a green thumb? Try a Golden Pothos or a Snake Plant. These plants are very hardy and easy to propagate.

KenkoAir from Nikken

An air purifying system is an investment in your home and your health that will serve you for years especially when dealing with allergens. Even further, “Cleaning up the air we breathe prevents non-communicable diseases as well as reduces disease risks among women and vulnerable groups, including children and the elderly...”, says Dr. Flavia Bustreo, WHO Assistant Director-General Family, Women, and Children’s Health. 

My recommendation is the Kenko Air Purifier from Nikken. The KenkoAir® Purifier is designed to combat allergy and harmful causing particles and enhance the negative ion content of the air we breathe. The KenkoAir® Purifier utilizes an H3 multi-stage Hepa filtration process that eliminates 99.9% of air particles as small as 0.3 microns. The negative ion generator does not produce ozone as seen with many other air filtration systems on the market. The KenkoAir® Purifier and the replacement filters are recyclable making this a sustainable, conscious choice.

Missing the Water Cooler Chats?

PiMAG Waterfall from Nikken

Think of it this way… sitting for an extended period of time has negative effects on our health. Standing up and taking a quick stroll for a glass of water has innumerable health benefits not just physically but also offer a much-needed mental break.

This is a good time to check in with friends, family, or yourself and of course hydrate. Water is vital for the functioning of all of your organs, and it’s a huge part of keeping your immune system functioning at an optimal level,” says Dr. Jyothi Tirumalasetty, assistant professor of medicine at UCLA Health Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergies.

Good quality water is also imperative. I recommend the PiMAG Waterfall from Nikken for several reasons.

·      You can enjoy clean, filtered, and enhanced drinking water for a fraction of what bottled water costs.

·       The PiMAG Waterfall works without electricity or plumbing, it can be used in any location.

·       The PiMAG Waterfall is 3rd Party Validated

·       The PiMAG Waterfall is constructed of sustainably sourced materials that are 100% recyclable.

Stay Grounded

KenkoGround from Nikken

As I compose this post I can look out my window at the beautiful, sunny, somewhat blustery Northern California day, however, the central and now east coast of the U.S. are being pelted by a huge winter storm so naturally, we are all spending more time indoors losing our connection to Mother Nature. A simple solution is to get outside, barefoot, or at least touch nature in some way, every day to take in vitamin D, detox EMFs, and increase our overall sense of well-being.

When this is impractical the KenkoGround from Nikken serves as an indoor and portable way to reconnect with Mother Nature. Simply plug it into a grounded outlet (does not use electricity) and use it under your feet while working, I use mine on my desk under my bare wrists, on your mattress while you sleep, or even draped around your shoulders. Direct contact with the skin is recommended for the best results.

Stand and Deliver

Bad back, weight gain, incorrect posture … are some of the things we can eliminate by standing up. I recently heard this thing called the 52:17 rule. You work on a project for 52 minutes then take a 17-minute break. I have been trying this since the new year and love it. I bang away at the keyboard for 52 minutes then I spend 17 on my feet. I unload the dishwasher, dust, clean the floors… just walk. Anything that takes me away from the desk and gets’s me mobile.

Feeling Blue? Block it.

While research on blue light blocking glasses is very new and inconclusive I find that they help me greatly reduce eye fatigue. These glasses work if you are wearing contacts and work for precious little peepers attending virtual class. I picked mine up on Amazon for around $50. At that price, they are worth a shot.

Level Up Your Tidiness

I am one of those people that have a place for everything and everything must be in its place otherwise I am less productive. For years I worked with a very untidy person (at least by my standards) but it worked for her. Everything had a pile and that pile made sense to her. Tidiness is bio-individual but necessary for productivity. I use those 17 minutes I mentioned earlier to tidy my WFH office and living space. I also find unique accents that are pretty, novel, travel souvenirs, create a unique workspace that is mindful and meaningful to me.

De-Stress

KenkoTouch from Nikken

De-stress your muscles and ease tension with an effective at-home deep-tissue massage. Massage is an effective way to ease aching muscles. A deep-tissue massage can help loosen tight muscles, ease discomfort and relieve stress. A good massage can produce positive results even for those who enjoy excellent health. The KenkoTouch® is a unique advanced pulsating, system that gives you a heightened magnetic massage experience that you can use on your body in your home.

Respiration, hydration, grounding, movement, protection, organization, and relaxation the bare necessities of a wellness WFH office or classroom. Be Healthy by Choice.

What are your favorite wellness WFH tips or products? Please share in the comments below.

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Biomimicry and the Wellness Home

“Home is a shelter from storms - all sorts of storms. ”

— William J. Bennet

Examples of Biomimicry in the Nikken Wellness Home

Last week’s Impetus discussed the process of biomimicry where we derive inspiration from nature then imitate nature for designs or processes with the goal of solving human problems. This has been the underlying process that Nikken has utilized for over 46 years, even before the term biomimicry was coined. Examples of biomimicry are prevalent in our product line and the Nikken Wellness Home.

Nikken’s first product (introduced in 1975) was the Nikken Magsteps. These shoe insoles use magnetic energy (replicating the earth’s magnetic field) and massage nodules that stimulate reflexology points on the soles of the feet to provide more energy and balance. Nikken’s founder, Isamu Masuda observed that the prevalent use of magnetic products as self-care products in Japan was greatly beneficial and that the massaging effect of nodules on the insoles could replicate the sensation of moving your feet over small pebbles often found in streams and in Japanese baths. Magsteps were a tremendous success and Nikken held many Japanese sales records as a start-up company with just this one product.

This set the stage and direction for many other active wellness products and the creation of the Nikken Wellness Home. The Wellness Home has been described as a greenhouse for humans. It addresses areas of healthy air, healthy water, healthy sleep, whole food nutrition, and the vital energies of nature that we all require from the earth, the sun, and the wind.

One of Nikken’s most popular products is the Nikken PiMag Waterfall and is often the first building block of the Wellness Home. The underlying principles of design and functionality of the Waterfall are to produce water the way nature intended. Healthy, free of contaminants, structured for maximum absorbability, and containing minerals for slightly alkaline water. In addition, and congruent with the principles of biomimicry Nikken PiMag water products are made with recyclable and biodegradable materials, including a polymer that does not leach chemicals into the water or the environment as most plastics do.

Another good example of biomimicry is the Nikken KenkoAir Purifier, inspired by the air quality in pristine areas such as in the forest, beach, or near waterfalls. One characteristic these areas share is that the air contains many more negative ions than the air present in cities and populated areas, where the ions in the air are positively charged.  Shinrin-yoku is the term used and coined by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries that translates as forest bathing. To accomplish this example of biomimicry Nikken uses a negative ion generator that does not produce ozone as many other air systems do. When entertaining visitors to our home, one of the first things they say is that there is something different and very relaxing in your home. I point out that they are experiencing forest bathing in our home. For more information, you can visit Air Matters.

The Nikken KenkoAir purifier uses environmentally friendly technology with recyclable materials and a re-usable prefilter for a reduced carbon footprint. The purifier is Energy Star qualified and 35% more efficient than standard models saving a minimum of 215 kilowatt-hours per year.

My last example of biomimicry in the Nikken Wellness Home is the Nikken Sleep System. The sleep system uses the natural technologies of the earth, the sun, and the wind. Advanced magnetic technology, bio-ceramic reflective materials to help regulate temperature and negative ions for relaxation provide a cocoon of comfort for a restful, rejuvenating sleep. Made from sustainable resources it provides another good example of how Nikken uses science and technology to replicate nature. For more information on the Nikken Sleep System visit Sleep Matters.

There are many other examples of biomimicry in the Nikken Wellness Home and I am sure there will be more active wellness products to complement the Wellness Home Program in the future. 

For all the challenges we face, nature has a solution and biomimicry is and will play an important role in providing solutions. Never have we been so divorced from nature.  According to a study sponsored by the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American spends 93% of his or her time indoors. Given the current pandemic, we are all spending more time at home. The Nikken Wellness Home is a solution to providing the healthiest environment possible for you and your family, as I said, it is like a greenhouse for humans. For more information on these subjects, Heather and I suggest that you visit Selfcarehub.com.  As members of the world’s most influential Global Wellness Community, it is our mission to help you Be Healthy by Choice.

Please join us on February 16th at 6 pm Pacific for our next Healthy by Choice Master Class, “Better Together” in the Self Care Awakening Virtual Classroom. You will need to use the password Nikken1 to join the class.

Biomimicry: Man-Made Nature

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. ”

— Charles Colton

In a recent Healthy by Choice MasterClass, I used the term Biomimicry. A few days later several of my colleagues contacted me asking what was that term you used and what does it really mean? This is a fascinating subject and a methodology that has been used for millennia and recently become popular and highly relevant.

What Is Biomimicry?

The term biomimetics was coined by American biophysicist and inventor Otto Schmitt in the 1950s as the emulation of the models, systems, and elements of nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems.

The term biomimicry appeared as early as 1982. But was popularized by scientist and author Janine Benyus in her 1997 book Biomimicry: Innovation Inspired by Nature.

Biomimicry is defined in the book as a "new science that studies nature's models and then imitates or takes inspiration from these designs and processes to solve human problems". Benyus suggests looking to Nature as a "Model, Measure, and Mentor" and emphasizes sustainability as an objective of biomimicry.

Biomimicry is a technological-oriented approach focused on putting nature’s lessons into practice. According to Janine Benyus, biomimicry sees nature as:

• A model. It studies nature’s models and imitates them or uses them as inspiration for designs or processes with the goal of solving human problems.

• A measure. It uses ecological standards to judge the rightness of human innovations.

• A mentor. It is a new way of observing, assessing, and valuing nature.

When we observe nature, we realize there is no such thing as waste, it is an input for another use.

For all the challenges we face, nature has a solution.

We have only studied biomimicry for the past half-century, yet the earth has been developing efficient methods of life for 3.8 billion years. Our planet is the oldest and wisest teacher we could ask for.

A few prominent examples of biomimicry include:

Rock-Cut Architecture

Caves have been used as a shelter since the monolithic era 6000 BCE, so it makes perfect sense that in India, Buddhist temples and shrines were carved into caves and mountainsides. These temples eventually doubled as trade posts on the Silk Road. 

Silk: 3000 BCE

Silk is one of the first examples of biomimicry that we see in human history. The use of the material is dated back to 4000 BC, making it one of the first fabrics invented by humans. It is common knowledge that silk comes from silkworms, and the Chinese were the first civilization to learn from the brilliant worm. This invention was the reason that the Silk Road got its name. Silk could be traded for its weight in gold during the times where only the Chinese had the weaving strategy mastered. 6,000 years later we are still using silk all around the world.

Umbrellas

The first Chinese umbrellas were invented 1700 years ago by a man named Lu Ban, who is now revered in Chinese history. The idea for the umbrella sprouted when Lu Ban saw children using lotus leaves to shield themselves from the rain. He decided to mimic the flexibility and effectiveness of the leaf and create a product of his own. The first umbrellas were, in fact, made of silk.

Leonardo Da Vinci

Leonardo Da Vinci was a student of biomimicry. He is one of the most revered and studied figures from the Italian Renaissance. Regarded as an expert scientist, inventor, artist, architect, and mathematician, Leonardo was a man ahead of his time. Thousands of sketches from his notebooks are still sought after and studied today. The part of his work that relates to biomimicry is his study of birds, he was fascinated by flight and drew out schematics for many flying machines that mimicked the bone structure of birds and bats.

 A few more recent examples of biomimicry include:

Velcro: 1955

In 1948, while walking in the woods, Swiss engineer Georges de Mestral noticed how cockleburs stuck to his dog's coat. While it was inconvenient, he saw an opportunity. Upon examination of the burs, he noticed that its surface was made up of many tiny hooks. They stick to things by intertwining these hooks into the loose makeup of surfaces like fabric and animal fur. He invented Velcro by mimicking this surface covered in tiny hooks and partnering it with a surface covered in tiny loops. The result? Velcro: a paragon of biomimicry in practice.

Bullet Train: 1990s

In the late 1990s, Japan implemented biomimicry in the form of trains. The bullet trains they had been using were causing problems for all nearby inhabitants. When the trains zoomed through a tunnel, air would compress around the front of the train before releasing a tremendous booming noise once the train exited the tunnel. The chief engineer was able to solve this problem by looking at one of his hobbies: birdwatching. The kingfisher is a small bird with a long beak that dives into the water for its prey. The engineer redesigned the front of the train to be shaped like the kingfisher’s head, resulting in the train slicing the wind rather than trapping it inside the tunnels, fixing the booming sound.

Wind turbines: 2010

One huge flaw in wind turbines is that when placed too close together, turbulence disrupts and lowers the efficiency of horizontal axis wind turbines (the traditional ones). While studying the way schools of fish swam through water so close together, it was observed that how the fish swam complimented each other and none of them missed a beat. This helped solve this wind turbine flaw. When they rotated the axis so it pointed vertical, the turbines could be placed much closer together without disrupting the others. Increasing efficiency by up to ten times over the horizontal axis.

Sharkskin: 2014

Sharkskin has been mimicked for its rough segmented texture. Bacteria do not like landing on the skin of a shark. Engineers have designed materials with a comparable microscopic texture that repel bacteria in a similar way. This material is especially useful in hospitals where it can be used to cover surfaces and door handles to eliminate the spread of bacteria.

There are countless other examples of biomimicry and most scientists, engineers and designers believe that biomimicry will be of great importance in the future.

Next week we will discuss how Nikken has utilized biomimicry for over 46 years to create the Wellness Home, using science and technology to provide vital elements the way nature intended so that we all can be Healthy by Choice.

Vital Self Care

“Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager. ”

— Susan Sontag

Global Wellness Community

 Just recently I had the honor of speaking for Nikken’s 45th Anniversary Celebration. My topic was centered on what our bodies require for life. Let’s keep this conversation simple and straightforward and start with the basics.

As a physiologist, I have always appreciated how amazing our bodies are. For example, we have 50,000,000,000 cells, which is 50 trillion cells, in our body. Of these 10 trillion are what we call somatic cells or the cells that actually comprise our body. The other 40 trillion make up our body’s microbiome.

We all start as one cell, and as we develop these cells multiply, differentiate, and form tissues that organize into organs that in turn make up physiological systems that need to work in harmony with each other.  Our body’s process of cellular renewal is continual. We replace 6 billion cells a day. In the time I just wrote this, we all replaced nearly 50 million cells. We replace our largest organ, our skin every 27 days, our entire skeletal system every 10 years, or about 7 times in our lifetime. Our liver tissue and lung lining are renewed every 6 weeks and our intestinal lining in just 7 days. In order to accomplish this, our bodies have certain vital requirements. Let’s talk about them in order of importance for life.

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As a physiologist, I have always appreciated how amazing our bodies are.

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Air

We all breathe approximately 20,000 times a day and for good reason, we can survive for only three minutes without oxygen.

Water

We are nearly 70% water and water is vital for every physiological process and our survival is limited to three days without water.

Sleep

Like breathing and drinking water, sleep is a fundamental human requirement. It has even been said that one could survive for three times as long without food as one could without sleep. It is physically impossible to stay awake for days at a time because your brain will essentially force you to fall asleep. Severe physical, mental incapacities happen in just a day or two and hallucinations shortly after.

Food

We need to fuel our bodies with nutritious foods. We can survive for two to three months without food if we stay well hydrated.  

Natural Energies

Our bodies require the natural energies of the earth, the sun, and the wind.

You are probably thinking, this all sounds pretty simple and straightforward. But there is a problem.

The Problem

To understand the problem, we need to ask the question, how do these vital requirements exist in our modern world? Our air and water are polluted and contaminated with chemicals and toxins. We average 6.5 hours of sleep each night, well below the required 8 hours per night. Over processed, high caloric under-nourishing food with excess sugar, chemicals and preservatives are prevalent in our food choices.

We need the energy of the earth, the sun, and the wind. These are natural energies that we often do not get enough of due to being blocked by our modern world and technologies. I suggest looking at Dave Balzer’s presentation on “Principles of Nature and Nikken Technologies” to further elucidate the importance and efficacy of these natural energies.

The Solution

If we choose to be healthy, we want these vital requirements the way nature intended them to be. Clean, healthy air and water. Quality, restful, and rejuvenating sleep. Nutritious whole food and the vital energies of the earth, sun, and wind. These are the foundations for the Nikken Wellness Home.

Nikken is best known for using science and technology to replicate nature. A principle known as biomimicry. We use this approach in the active wellness products and technologies in the Nikken Wellness Home. We have many blogs and recorded classes at selfcarehub.com for healthy air, healthy water, quality sleep, whole food nutrition, and the natural energies of the earth, sun, and wind. The Nikken Wellness Home has been described as a greenhouse for humans to provide our bodies with the vital elements we require the way nature intended, not just to survive, but to thrive. For more information on this, you can access our 15-minute recording on the subject.

Be Healthy by Choice

Food Addictions, pt. 2: The Sugar Solution

“Eat less sugar you are sweet enough already.”

Last week we discussed food addictions. One of the biggest contributors to the global issue of overweight and obesity is excess sugar consumption. The problem is two-fold, sugar is added to many foods and sugar is highly addictive.

Added sugar is the single worst ingredient in the modern diet. It provides calories with no added nutrients and in the long run, can damage your metabolism. Eating too much sugar is linked to weight gain and various diseases like obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, and increased risk of cancer to name a few. According to the American Dietetic and Diabetic Association, increased sugar consumption is the leading cause of degenerative diseases.

Marketing campaigns and advertisements often mislead us into thinking we are making a healthy choice when this is not the case. We have all seen the commercials with Michael Phelps and contestants on The Biggest Loser eating Subway sandwiches while on their journey to improved health.  Consider this, recently Ireland's Supreme Court ruled that bread sold by the fast-food chain Subway contains so much sugar that it cannot be legally defined as bread and should be classified as a confectionary. To be classified as bread sugar should not exceed 2% of the weight of flour included in the dough. Subway’s bread contains five times as much sugar. As the supreme court put it: “In this case, there is no dispute that the bread supplied by Subway in its heated sandwiches has a sugar content of 10% of the weight of the flour included in the dough.”

Hidden Sugar

There are over 600,000 food items sold in the U.S and over 80% of these have added sugar. If you want a self care awakening look at the nutrition facts label on the food in your cupboards, refrigerator, and freezer. It will list sugar content expressed in grams per serving. Let us use a few examples, one soda can have as much as 45 grams of sugar per 12 ounces serving, which is equivalent to nearly 12 teaspoons of sugar. Popular breakfast cereals are spiked with sugar, some being as much as 55% sugar. Some surprising foods with more sugar than a Twinkie would include yogurt, tomato sauce, granola bars, fat-free salad dressings, muffins, and many canned fruits, typically containing 30 to 40 grams of sugar per serving. Even frozen green beans may have added sugar. You do not always see the word "sugar" on a food label. Marketers use other names, such as:

• Agave nectar

• Brown rice syrup

• High-fructose corn syrup

• Dextrose

• Evaporated cane juice

• Glucose

• Lactose

• Malt syrup

• Molasses

• Sucrose

Watch out for items that list any form of sugar in the first few ingredients or have more than 4 total grams of sugar per serving.

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Marketing campaigns and advertisements often mislead us into thinking we are making a healthy choice when this is not the case.

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Break the Sugar Addiction:

Most of us overindulge at times. But the more sugar we consume, the more sugar we want. However, the good news is that people can break the sugar addiction in 10 days. To break the sugar addiction, we need to monitor our daily consumption and keep it within a healthy level.

Monitor Sugar Consumption

To monitor sugar consumption, it is helpful to understand that 4 grams of sugar are equivalent to one teaspoon. It is recommended that a healthy daily consumption of sugar should not exceed 24 grams or six teaspoons for women and 36 grams or nine teaspoons for men, according to the American Heart Association.

Read food labels

The first step we need to take is to read food labels to keep your daily consumption at a healthy level. Read labels and journal your daily added sugar consumption. Heather has created a simple Weekly Self Care Journal to help track this and other self-care activities.

Crowding Out

Crowding is a method we have recently implemented in our diets. “Crowding Out” or “crowding” is a simple and positive approach that helps you fill up on healthy food. Try buying healthy foods that you actually like, this is important. There is no nutritional value to that shriveled fruit or veggie decomposing in your refrigerator. Get things that you like to eat and you will eat.

Let protein help

Kenzen Vital Balance

Eating protein is an easy way to curb sugar cravings. High-protein foods digest slowly, keeping you feeling full longer. Protein doesn't make your blood sugar spike the way refined carbs and sugars do. Protein shakes are ideal for this and a great way to start your day.

We choose Nikken’s Kenzen Vital Balance protein shake which contains organic moringa and naturally sweet monk fruit in addition to organic pea protein and organic vegetables. It is designed to help burn fat and boost metabolism as well as promote healthy brain function and the elimination of toxins in the body. With pre- and probiotics to assist in digestive and immune system activity, Kenzen Vital Balance is food for action and food for thought, perfect for all ages and a great way to not only nourish your body but also break the sugar addiction.

Kenzen Vital Balance Label



In addition, staying well hydrated and getting a good night’s sleep will help with cravings and assist in breaking the sugar addiction. Be Healthy by Choice.

Beat Food Addiction

“Chocolate comes from cocoa, which is a tree. That makes it a plant, chocolate is a salad. ”

Weight Matters and Food Addiction

According to the World Health Organization, obesity is a Global Pandemic, with

60% of men, 50% of women & 1/3rd of children being either overweight or obese.

As people all over the world live longer than ever, this and other noncommunicable diseases—including obesity-related illnesses such as hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease have become the leading cause of death and disability worldwide.

A recent study, published in the Lancet, reported this is the first time in human history that obese people outnumber underweight people. Trends in the adult body-mass index were examined in 200 countries from 1975 to 2014 with a pooled analysis of 1698 population-based measurements with nearly 20 million participants.

The obesity epidemic has been a topic of concern and debate. One of the debated ideas is that of food addiction. The concept that a person can be addicted to food has recently gained increasing support. This support is based on brain imaging and studies of the effects of compulsive overeating of certain foods on pleasure centers in the brain.

We recommend an excellent video from Dr. Robert Lustig, Pediatric Endocrinologist, and Elissa Epel, a psychologist from the University of California, San Francisco, The Skinny on Obesity that outlines and explains the biochemistry of food addiction in simple terms.  

There are no simple tests to diagnose food addiction. Just like with other addictions, it is based on behavioral symptoms and lifestyle.

Here are 8 common symptoms that are typical of food addicts:

1. You frequently get cravings for certain foods, despite feeling full and having just finished a nutritious meal.

2. When you give in and start eating food you were craving, you often find yourself eating much more than you intended to.

3. When you eat a food you were craving, you sometimes eat to the point of feeling excessively “stuffed.”

4. You often feel guilty after eating certain foods yet find yourself eating them again soon after.

5. You sometimes make excuses in your head about why you should eat something that you are craving.

6. You have repeatedly tried to quit eating or setting rules (includes cheat meals/days) about certain foods but been unsuccessful.

7. You often hide your consumption of unhealthy foods from others.

8. You feel unable to control your consumption of unhealthy foods, despite knowing that they are causing you physical harm including weight gain.

If you can relate to 4-5 of these, then you probably do have a problem with food. If you can relate to 6 or more, then you are most likely a food addict. Becoming aware of the problem is the first step. Finding a solution is the next step.

Lifestyle tips to manage food addictions.

Several lifestyle changes can help manage uncontrollable urges to consume certain foods:

• Replace processed foods and sweeteners with nourishing or fewer caloric alternatives, such as good quality protein, fats, and complex carbohydrates. Fresh whole foods are good for your body and will help balance your brain chemistry. Eat plenty of colorful vegetables with every meal. Monitor and reduce sugar consumption.

• Avoid caffeine. Caffeine can cause cravings for sweets and fuel food addiction.

• Allow sufficient time for food cravings to subside. Getting off sugar and processed foods will be uncomfortable for 2-5 days before the physical cravings subside. 

• Eat three balanced meals a day. Try to eat every 4-5 hours throughout the day. Eating on time will help avoid blood sugar fluctuations and keep you from getting hungry.

• Water Matters. Drink plenty of water. Dehydration is the number one nutritional deficiency. Our bodies often mistake hunger for thirst, and not drinking sufficient water can lead to overeating. Start your day by drinking two large glasses of water, and drink plenty of water between meals. Drink half of your body weight in ounces of water each day (for example, 140 pounds: 70 ounces of water).

• Practice mindful eating, which involves sitting down to eat meals, focusing on the taste and texture of the food, and chewing slowly while enjoying your meal without distractions.

• Prepare and stick to a grocery list of healthy foods. Buy the highest quality food you can afford with a focus on local, seasonal, and organic sources. Shop the perimeter of the grocery store, where you will normally find fresh whole real foods. Avoid the middle aisles, which are typically filled with processed foods.

• Cook meals at home as much as possible. Be careful when eating in restaurants, since they often use food additives, preservatives, chemicals, and sweeteners.

• Exercise regularly. Find a type of exercise you enjoy, whether it is walking, dancing, yoga, swimming, or bicycling. Integrating 30-40 minutes of stretching and exercise into each day will help diminish your food cravings and help you sleep better.

• Sleep Matters. Get eight hours of sleep each night. When we are tired, we are more likely to reach for sugar and junk food for a temporary boost of energy.

• Create a support system. Enlist people you admire and trust to support your healthy lifestyle. Find people who share a desire for healthy eating or exercise; establish a support group and accountability with friends who will provide daily encouragement.

Food addiction demands lifestyle changes.  It takes time for our brain chemistry to become rebalanced through healthy nutrition and self-care. For more information on these subjects, Heather and I suggest that you visit Selfcarehub.com.  As members of the world’s most influential Global Wellness Community, it is our mission to help you Be Healthy by Choice.

Mostly Preventable...

“Let your hopes, not your hurts, shape your future. ”

— Robert H. Schuller

Self-Inflicted Pandemics

As we all face the current pandemic that has affected many aspects of our lives over the last 10 months, I want to remind everyone that this is a scenario based on the infectious nature of our current health challenge, but also bear in mind that we have been facing other pandemics for decades.

What is Pandemic?

An epidemic is a disease that affects a large number of people within a community, population, or region. A pandemic is an epidemic that is spread over multiple countries or continents. These diseases do not need to be infectious in nature and can be the result of poor choices for our health over a long period of time. What I am talking about are chronic diseases, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).

Four non-communicable diseases, namely cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases are the leading cause of mortality in the world, accounting, respectively, for 17, 7.6, 4.2, and 1.3 million deaths based on the latest available global epidemiology data.

NCDs kill 41 million people each year, equivalent to over 7 out of 10 deaths worldwide as reported this year by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Once confined to high-income countries, NCDs are now the leading cause of death in developed and developing countries alike.

One in two adults worldwide (50%) have at least one chronic condition, with 33% of adults with two or more. Disease rates from these conditions are accelerating globally and advancing across every region and pervading all socioeconomic classes. It is estimated that the four major non-communicable diseases will be responsible for 75% of worldwide deaths by 2030.

Chronic diseases are interrelated, have common risk factors, and are largely preventable. Both the WHO and the CDC estimate that 80 to 85% of our world’s biggest killers can be prevented.

Chronic diseases have common risk factors. There are non-modifiable factors such as heredity and age and modifiable factors. Chronic diseases are primarily environmental, not genetic in origin. That is the good news as each of us can be stewards of our own health with healthy self-care practices.

Within the context of the Self Care Awakening, we discuss four main inter-related factors that are responsible for many of the health challenges we face from NCDs.

Water Matters

Dehydration has been called “the Mother of all Epidemics and is the first step we need to take in addressing chronic disease”, as stated by Gina Bria, Cultural Anthropologist. Nearly 75% of us are chronically dehydrated each day. This varies a bit by country and regions but in large we do not drink enough water to maintain healthy hydration.

Failure to drink enough water has been linked to may NCDs including chronic fatigue, joint pain, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, headaches, kidney disease, and hypertension.

Sleep Matters

Inadequate or poor-quality sleep has been called a Global Epidemic of Sleeplessness according to the WHO. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls INSUFFICIENT SLEEP a public health epidemic.

Research indicates that inadequate or poor-quality sleep has been associated with many health risks, including heart disease, weight gain, type 2 diabetes, anxiety, stroke, kidney disease, and cancer.

Dr. Matthew Walker, neuroscientist and author of the book Why We Sleep, states, “I used to suggest that sleep is the third pillar of good health, along with diet and exercise, but I don't agree with that anymore. Sleep is the single most effective thing you can do to reset your brain and body for health."

Weight Matters

The obesity epidemic is actually a worldwide pandemic that has global implications for health and disease. In one of the largest studies ever to examine obesity rates across the globe, researchers found that more than 60% of men and 50% of women were either overweight or obese according to the WHO. A 2016 study published in the Lancet, reports that this is the first time in human history that obese people outnumber underweight people. The data, which was pooled from studies, surveys, and reports looked at 19.2 million men and women from 186 countries, and shows stunning changes in less than 40 years, with an increasing average body mass index in multiple countries from 1975 to 2014.

Excess weight and obesity have been called the world’s largest health risk. Weight issues have been implicated in over 100 different chronic diseases, including our largest killers. At least 2.8 million people each year die because of being overweight or obese.

Body Burden Matters

Environmental pollutants adversely affect human health and the environment around the world. These pollutants can be transported by wind and water, while generated in one country they can and do affect people and wildlife far from where they are used and released according to the Environmental Protection Agency. The list of environmental toxins that exist in our environment and bodies is huge. Environmental toxins are all around us. We get them from the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink, in addition to the many products we use in our homes. Toxins have been found in beauty products, household cleaners, carpets, furniture, mattresses, household dust, and even in foods and products from natural sources.

It is estimated that each of us has over 200 environmental toxins in our body and 93% of us have potent endocrine disruptors such as BPA’s in our body.

Environmental toxins have been implicated in many of the chronic diseases that affect millions of people globally. 

Chronic disease or NCD’s have been called self-inflicted Pandemics. The answer to this problem is self- care and an active wellness lifestyle. We will be discussing solutions to this pandemic of chronic disease on our next Healthy by Choice masterclass Tuesday, October 13th at 6 PM/PT, 9 PM/ET in the Self Care Awakening Virtual Classroom. You will need to use password Nikken1 to join the class.

Healthy by Choice

2020 Autumn Detox. Nature's Perfect Setup, pt. 3

“I like my products like my friends, non-toxic.””

HealthyFlush

Nikken PiMag Sport Bottle

As a member of the Global Wellness Community and a personal self-care coach, one of the first questions I ask clients when we start using indoor heat is ‘are you drinking enough water?’

The PiMag Sport bottle is not just a state-of-the-art water filtration system on the go, but also a health product crucial to natural detoxification. The new filter has the ability to significantly reduce certain harmful pathogens in potable drinking water. It’s also a green choice. You won’t be adding to landfills and polluting ocean waters with plastic. Instead, you’ll be saving a fortune by not paying for commercially bottled water. The PiMag Sports bottle transforms municipally treated water into healthy filtered, structured alkaline water. The PiMag Sport Bottle is the only water bottle that combines three technologies: nano-filtration, alkalization, and de-clustering. De-clustering breaks down the water molecule to make it more absorbable. When I am on the go, I always have my water bottle. When my hands feel dry, I rub a little “PiWater” on the skin and it instantly moisturizes my skin.

GreenShower

Nikken PiMAG Handheld Shower Head

Turn your shower into your self-care sanctuary by installing one of the Nikken PiMAG Showerheads.
The PiMag MicroJet Shower System effectively reduces chlorine exposure and makes your shower water comparable in quality to the water you drink. Advanced filtration components additionally reduce dirt, sediment, and odors, for the cleanest and most refreshing shower you can experience.
The PiMag MicroJet uses a reduction/oxidation process to convert free-radical chlorine ions to neutral chlorides. This is augmented by Air-Induction Technology, which injects air into the shower stream to increase the electronegative potential of the water, for more effective filtration.
The nozzle features passages that release streams of microbubbles within the water flow. These miniaturized bubbles provide an effective cleansing action that penetrates surface buildup of soil deposits, assists in moisturizing the skin, and imparts a feeling of freshness and softness.
BONUS: Special materials in the filter produce pi water. This water was first discovered in a remote region of Japan, where scientists observed amazing results on the surrounding plants. Nikken technology replicates the environmental conditions that created pi water in its original setting.
NOTE: An adjustable nozzle control allows the selection of five different spray settings, three singular and two combined. The MicroJet Hand Shower includes a full-length, stainless steel flexible hose that permits use as a handheld shower or in its reinforced bracket. The Wall-Mount unit replaces a standard fixture.

FreeRadicals

Kenko mStrides

Heavy metals can be processed out of the body by a magnetic field. Nikken’s Kenko mStrides feature patented DynaFlux® Magnetic Technology. DynaFlux provides 100% coverage and intensifies the magnetic field for greater depth. With mStrides in place, walking creates a dynamic energy flow — in effect, a magnetic field generator inside shoes.

Nikken’s Kenko mSteps insoles feature energizing massage nodes, extraordinary comfort and the same DynaFlux operation that acts like a magnetic field generator inside shoes. DynaFlux Magnetic Technology places magnets in polar opposition to intensify the magnetic field. As you walk, these components change position to produce a dynamic field of energy — and the multiple angles afford 100% magnetic coverage.

I wear them everywhere but especially on the golf course to aid in strength and balance.

At the End of the Day

Lastly, take a moment and reflect on the healthy choices you have made today. Too often when it comes to our own health or the health of our loved ones we focus on what we should be doing, not on what WE ARE doing. This focus can lead to feelings of inadequacy or guilt which leads to stress which is counterproductive to your overall health. Every day, take a moment, and pat yourself on the back for drinking water, avoiding an unhealthy snack, or getting the right amount of sleep, then smile.

Happy Fall y’all and be Healthy by Choice.

We would like to invite you to the “Self Care Awakening” masterclass Tuesday, October 6, 2020, at 6 PM/Pt, 9 PM/ET in the Self Care Awakening Virtual Classroom. The passcode is Nikken1. Dr. Gary Lindner will bring all of the simple, every day, healthy choices you can make together in the Wellness Home. Please note this is educational, not a sales webinar.

2020 Autumn Detox. Nature's Perfect Setup. pt. 2

“Autumn shows us how beautiful it is to let things go. ”

— unknown

The world is a toxic place. 2020 confronted us all with this statement in vivid, living color. While there may not be anything we, personally, can do with viruses, colds and, the flu there is a lot we can do now and year-round to strengthen our immune system.

A gentle detox in the Autumn is perfect to cleanse your body of the toxins built up in the hot summer months and prep your immune system for the winter, typically thought of as flu season.  In this “The Impetus” I am going to share with you tips and products to naturally detox, while the temperature cools, and we spend more time indoors.

GroundYourself

Kenko Ground

As the temperature cools, the days shorten, new shows premiere and the sports season heats up we naturally spend more time indoors losing our connection to Mother Nature. The KenkoGround serves as an indoor and portable way to reconnect with Mother Nature. Simply plug it into a grounded outlet and use it under your feet while working, on your mattress while you sleep, or even draped around your shoulders. Direct contact with the skin is recommended for the best results.

“Our contemporary lifestyles often cause fatigue, sleeplessness, and a general feeling of being out of balance.”

The simple act of using the KenkoGround can help relieve these symptoms, reconnect our bodies to nature, and detox the high electromagnetic fields (EMFs) we are constantly exposed to in our digital world.  

BlueBlocker

While research on blue light blocking glasses is very new and inconclusive I find that they help me greatly reduce eye fatigue. I picked mine up on Amazon for around $50. At that price, they are worth a shot.

DigialDetox

I subscribe to what I call, "Slow Sunday." A simple day of rest and "digital detoxing." I try to go as analog as possible on Sundays, I stay off of the devices, email, social media... this gives my body and my brain a chance to reset and recharge. This is a great day for some extra skin and hair self-care. I will cover clean skin and hair care in part 3 of this series.

Matcha, Matcha, Matcha

Kenzen Ten4 30 pack

I like to wake up my body and mind the healthy way. Kenzen Ten4 is made with USDA certified organic ingredients, contains no sugar, and is only 8 calories per serving. Matcha green tea is known as “nature’s own energy drink” while New Zealand kiwi is the most nutrient-dense of the superfruits. The matcha tea in Kenzen Ten4 is “ceremonial grade” or a higher grade of matcha harvested during the first harvest. Nikken uses sustainably harvested matcha and an elderly workforce looking for extra income. Whether it’s 10 am or 4 pm, I always experience hours of energy. Also great for the metabolism.

• An all-natural energy drink mix made with only 4 organic ingredients: Matcha green tea, Brown rice solids, Kiwi fruit, and Stevia leaf extract. 

• Helps burn calories, boost metabolism, and support mental alertness.

• Contains 80 mg of natural caffeine from matcha green tea—provides an energy boost without jitteriness. 

• No artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners. No added sugar.
  • Non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan.
  • Naturally rich in antioxidants from Matcha green tea and New Zealand kiwi.

• New Zealand kiwi is high in vitamin C, vitamin E, potassium, minerals, and fiber, and contains Actazin, a phytonutrient enzyme that promotes healthy gut bacteria for maintaining good digestion and overall health.

• Only 8 sugar-free calories.

The V Word

Kenzen Total Vegan Drink Mix

This year Nikken introduced Kenzen Total Vegan Drink Mix (KTVDM) and it ranks a perfect 10 on the balanced nutrition scale. Each serving of KTVDM contains 3 servings of the daily recommendation for vegetables and 1 serving of the daily recommendation for fruit. Eating vegetables provides many health benefits. People who eat more vegetables as part of an overall healthy diet are likely to have a reduced risk of some chronic diseases. Vegetables provide nutrients vital for the health and maintenance of your body. Most vegetables are naturally low in fat and calories and are important sources of potassium, dietary fiber, folate (folic acid), vitamin A, and vitamin C. Fruit are important sources of many nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, and folate (folic acid), and phytochemicals for added health benefits. Modern research is just beginning to understand the importance of proper nutrition to our immune system, mental health, fitness, and overall feeling of well-being. But there is no doubt this connection is real. KTVDM helps to fill in our nutritional gaps at only 20 calories per serving, less than $2 a day per serving, with a great chocolaty taste. Here are some of the other benefits of KTVDM.

• Probiotic blend with 3.5 billion CFUs

• Vegan, gluten-free, non-GMO, Dairy-free

• No added sugar or salt

• No preservatives or artificial flavors

• Vitamin C from Organic acerola berry extract

• Marine nutrients from Organic spirulina

• Antioxidant properties

• Anti-inflammatory properties

• Help lower the risk of chronic diseases

• Trace minerals help improve pH balance

I like to mix mine in organic coconut milk. KTVDM is a perfect on-the-go solution for busy families or seniors with a lack of appetite.

Come back next week for part 3 of the 2020 Autumn Detox. Nature’s Perfect Setup series.

We will not have a masterclass on September 22. We would like to invite you to the “Body Burden” masterclass Tuesday, September 29, 2020, at 6 PM/Pt, 9 PM/ET in the Self Care Awakening Virtual Classroom.

Happy Fall y’all and be Healthy by Choice.

2020 Autumn Detox. Nature's Perfect Setup, pt. 1

“Our very BEING, ESSENCE, HEALTH and HAPPINESS depend on MOTHER EARTH.”

— David Suzuki

The world is a toxic place. 2020 confronted us all with this statement in vivid, living color. While there may not be anything we, personally, can do with viruses, colds and, the flu there is a lot we can do now and year-round to strengthen our immune system.

A gentle detox in the Autumn is perfect to cleanse your body of the toxins built up in the hot summer months and prep your immune system for the winter, typically thought of as flu season.  In this “The Impetus” I am going to share with you tips and products to naturally detox, while the temperature cools, and we spend more time indoors.

BreathandFOCUS

KenkoAir Purifier

Air quality is one, if not, the major pathway that toxic chemicals and particulates enter our bodies to cause innumerable health concerns.  Your respiratory system is a pathway between your internal and external environments. Indoor air pollution can weaken your respiratory system in turn breaking down one of the body’s first lines of defense against airborne illnesses.

As I compose this post I can see the ash in the air from the California wildfires miles from my home. 20 hours prior to this post the Fresno Bee proclaimed air quality in California the worst in the nation.

Breathing clean air is necessary to a strong respiratory system and a strengthened immune system. Japan, one of the healthiest countries in the world, adopted the art of forest bathing known as Shinrin-Yoku in 1975. Professor Yoshifumi Miyazaki of Chiba University has written many books and conducted studies and interviews relating to forest bathing as an effective countermeasure to stress.* By countering stress we effectively aid in detoxification. The concept of shinrin-yoku is simply to get outside into nature. The concept of the Nikken Wellness Home is equally simple, to bring nature into your home. The KenkoAir Purifier takes most of the harmful things out of our indoor air then adds "negative ions" to our indoor atmosphere. Negative ions are particles consisting of molecules and atoms that carry an electric charge. These ions help the body activate immunity-boosting cells. The KenkoAir Purifier is the Nikken Wellness Home solution for effectively adding negative ions to your indoor atmosphere in our modern world.

I like to meditate next to my KenkoAir Purifier. It makes deep breathing exercises so much more enjoyable.

The KenkoAir Purifier® (KAP) is such an easy solution with multiple-stage HEPA filtration. Energy Star qualified, KAP is 35% more efficient than standard models and saves a minimum of 215-kilowatt hours per year. Using only 55 watts to cover 313 sq. ft., its carbon footprint is further decreased with a reusable prefilter and replaceable outer filters. It’s patented to generate negative ions, replicating those in Nature, and it operates ozone-free and is therefore non-toxic. Made with recyclable plastics, KAP supports respiratory health and the health of planet Earth.

Fungus among us!

Kenzen Immunity

Mushrooms have been part of the Asian herbal tradition for thousands of years and a staple in a holistic approach to your health. Practitioners of Chinese medicine have used a variety of mushrooms to prevent and address a host of physical, mental conditions, and immunity.

Mushrooms differ in benefits and nutrient count but are typical, high in antioxidants, B vitamins, copper, and selenium. Scientists and health practitioners take a particular interest in the anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting traits of certain species of mushrooms.

Beta Glucans 

Beta Glucans are one of the newest ingredients that can help boost your immune system. Although new, They’re well-grounded in science with more than 1,000 published articles in the scientific literature attesting to their efficacy.*

Their chemical structure and composition as well as their molecular weight affect the extent to which they can stimulate and support the immune system. Beta Glucans exert a prebiotic effect on the GI tract. Beta Glucans are found in various types of fungi, such as maitake and reishi mushrooms which make up the Kenzen Immunity formula. 

Kenzen Immunity contains 14 species of mushrooms including Reishi, Shiitake, Cordyceps, Maitake, and Oyster mushrooms. Six of the strains are exclusive to Kenzen Immunity. It would be virtually impossible to include such a high variety of mushrooms in a regular diet, so Nikken has formulated Kenzen Immunity in order to provide a wide-spectrum range of natural biochemicals that support your immune system.

Nature’s Perfect Food

Kenzen Jade GreenZymes

Dr. Yoshihide Hagiwara, scientist, and research pharmacologist, dedicated a large portion of his research to finding “nature’s perfect food.” His conclusion, juice of young green barley plants had the greatest number of nutrients out of the many plants he had analyzed. *

The benefits in natural barley grass to your overall wellness are staggering included in Barley Grass Juice Powder is vitamins A, B, C, E, and minerals such as iron, calcium, copper, chromium, potassium, magnesium, selenium, and phosphorus.
Barley Grass Juice Powder has been shown to strengthen the immune system, alkalinize the body, increase energy, aid digestion, relieve constipation, and improve the health of skin, hair, and nails.
Kenzen Jade Greenzymes is your heavy hitter in your arsenal of detoxifying, immune-boosting whole foods.

Come back next week for part 2 of this on-going Autumn Detox blog.

Happy Fall y’all and be Healthy by Choice.

I would like to invite you to “tea” this Saturday, Sept. 12, 2020, at 10:30 AM/PT, 1:30 PM/ET. The Ladies Leading Ladies (LLL) discussion will be focused on “Natural Immunity Boosters.” Guest speakers include Dr. Caryn Willens, Doctor of Naturopathy, Randy Rolfe, certified Nutritionist and founder of the Institute for Creative Solutions, and LLL’s Madeline Zaworski, retired RN and current educator. Please join us via Zoom by clicking this link: Ladies Leading Ladies Tea Room.

Please join us for our next “Wellness Home" master class on Tuesday, September 15th at 6 pm Pacific. Please join us by clicking this link, The Self Care Awakening Classroom.

Sources:

Ref: Sept. 9, 2020

https://unseenjapan.com/shinrin-yoku-forest-bathing/
Pub. Jan. 13, 2020
https://www.selfcarehub.com/blog/Airmatters2020?rq=air
Pub. Feb. 07, 2020

https://www.selfcarehub.com/blog/jadegreenzymes
Foods that Support Your Immune System, pt. 3 pub. Apr. 9, 2020

Do You Know What Beta Glucans Are? Pub. Aug. 20, 2020
https://nikkenactivewellness.com/2020/08/20/do-you-know-what-beta-glucans-are/

Energy Matters

“Everything is energy and that’s all there is to it. ”

— Albert Einstein

Energy Matters

The Nikken Wellness Home is a result of years of research and is a source of the three vital energies that we all need to be Healthy by Choice. In other words, vital energies.

The three vital energies found in nature that fuel our bodies come from the earth, wind, and fiery sun. The earth’s magnetic field, ionic energy in moving air (like we experience at the beach, near a waterfall, or in the forest), and sunlight, primarily the invisible range and of paramount importance, the far-infrared light spectrum.

Nikken has implemented science and technology to replicate nature with products that provide these beneficial energies. Nikken is an anagram for Nihon Kenko Zoushin Kenkyukai which translates as Japan Health Enhancement Research Institute. With over 45 years of expertise, relying on science-based research for the development of energy-based technologies for wellness, their guiding philosophy is simple yet profound, “Common sense solutions are found in nature.”

Nearly 25 years ago, Nikken’s magnetic products were the first to catch my attention and curiosity. I had never heard of products that incorporate natural physical energy of the earth (magnetic energy) into a wellness product. At that time, I suffered from a whiplash injury for over 3 years that short of surgery my physicians said, “just live with it”. However, I was also advised that I would want a surgery by the time I was 50 as the arthritic changes and inflammation would make “living with it” no longer an option. I was opposed to neck surgery and opted to live with it for as long as I could. On an extended business trip to China, a physical therapist observed that I had little flexibility in my neck and inquired as to my injury and its manifestations. I told him that I was not in a lot of discomforts but that I had an extremely limited range of motion in my neck and that both arms were numb down to the tips of my fingers.  He told me that he had helped others with similar issues with magnetic products from a Japanese company, Nikken. He showed me a product that had two spinning magnetic balls and suggested I buy one and use it daily to massage my neck. My response was not enthusiastic, and I am pretty sure that came across to my new friend.

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“Nikken’s magnetic products were the first to catch my attention and curiosity.”

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Later that day, I flew home to California and one of the first things I did was check the box scores for my son’s little league games that I had missed while in China.  Much to my surprise, adjacent to the box score was a quarter page article on Nikken, a Japanese Health and Wellness company helping people all over the world with natural energy products. Let me put this in perspective. Yes, I was skeptical however, in less than 24 hours something that I had no knowledge of was brought to my attention twice on opposite ends of the earth. This made me pause, take notice, and reflect as to why was I so skeptical about something I knew nothing about. As a research scientist, that is not a particularly good way of thinking. So, to learn more, I conducted a literature search on magnetics and health. I was impressed with peer-reviewed papers in various journals and books and especially reports in veterinary journals. The veterinary studies were remarkably interesting primarily because there is no placebo with animals. What I learned was enough for me to buy some products. I initially invested in a pair of magnetic insoles and the spinning magnetic balls massage product.

The Proof is in the Pudding

This phrase is commonly used to mean that you can only judge the quality of something after you have tried, used, or experienced it and it is so true. For myself, as a physiologist, I felt compelled to study the technology before even trying the products. Did I really need to? In a word no. All that was really required was trying and experiencing the results. Which for nearly 25 years, has given me freedom from the nagging symptoms of my neck injury. Many of us who advocate for Nikken products have personally experienced amazing results and seen them in many others that we have shared them with. More importantly, my initial experience with the Nikken products opened a door to an effective and affordable active wellness lifestyle with the Nikken Wellness Home.

To learn more about vital energies join us for our next Healthy by Choice Master Class, on August 25 at 6 PM/PT, 9 PM/ET. We have invited several Wellness Home product users to join us for a short presentation and the opportunity to share their stories on how the Wellness Home products and technologies have improved their lives. Please join us for Wellness Home Stories by clicking this link, The Self Care Awakening Classroom.

Be Healthy by Choice