Blankets provide comfort and warmth when we need it, but did you know that specific kinds of blankets can provide more direct relief? Weighted blankets, which can weigh as much as 30 pounds, can be therapeutic in many ways, leading to relief from anxiety, autism, or insomnia. Children with ASD, attention disorders, autism, depression, and sleep problems can particularly benefit from the therapies mentioned below. These conditions affect sleep so profoundly that some in the medical community advocate considering mental conditions like attention deficit disorder, bipolar disorder, and others as sleep disorders. Weighted blankets can offer several profound therapies for these conditions, as well as for those suffering from more generalized anxiety and insomnia. Read on to learn how weighted blankets can help, as well as how to choose one.   Benefits of Weighted Blankets Elevated mood, high blood pressure, brain fog, fatigue, and even a high heart rate can all be present in adults and children with anxiety disorders. The purpose of a weighted blanket is to force the body into a more relaxed state, which in turn allows their bodies to achieve a deeper sleep. You might be thinking: why would a 30-pound blanket pushing us down into the bed create a calming effect? The answer is a well-known yoga technique called “grounding.” Grounding means that you become aware of where you are in space and the weight of yourself on the floor. In other words, grounding means connecting with the earth through your body. It’s an essential calming practice and one that holds relevance for weighted blankets. Weighted blankets that successfully ground you in your bed can reduce your cortisol levels (the “stress hormone”) and convince your body that you are safe and secure. High stress levels instigate higher blood sugar and bad digestion. Grounded sleep can promote the opposite. As a result, due to grounding as well as deep pressure touch, a therapy that puts weight on relaxing pressure points, weighted blankets can help with anxiety, stress, depression, weight gain, insomnia, and even chronic pain. Grounding your body can help you sync your stress levels with your natural body rhythms, regulating hormones (especially for women) and improving sleep.   A Note of Caution Before discussing what kind of weighted blanket you need, please read this note of caution. Weighted blankets might be great for anxiety, but they aren’t good for everyone. They can be too heavy, especially for children, and they can also get very hot. People with certain conditions should not add heat and weight to themselves while they sleep. These could include: Menopause Circulatory conditions Respiration conditions Temperature regulation conditions In addition, a weighted blanket should not be too heavy. A good rule of thumb is to take 10 percent of your weight and add 2 pounds to find out how heavy your blanket should be.   Best Weighted Blankets Here’s a short list of some of the best weighted blankets available right now. Most can be customized for [...]

The busy workweek often leaves little time for rest, but letting anxiety build up can allow it to dominate your life! Even the way we breathe can help ease some of that burden. In return, you’ll find that you sleep better, feel better, and have more time for the things you love. Whether your week is swamped with errands, parent events at school, a busy job, or a tumultuous love-life, you may be letting your anxiety get out of control. The result? High blood pressure, low attention span, increased fatigue, weight gain, and the list goes on and on. Therefore, these breathing exercises to ease anxiety can help you confront your busy week confidently, calm your nerves before important meetings or presentations, control your body and mind, and be more yourself with the people you love.   What is Deep Breathing? First, I need to clarify what it means to breathe “deep” and “shallow.” The difference contains all the secrets to breathing for necessity versus breathing for comfort. When you breathe normally, many of us breathe into our chests – these are called shallow breaths. This kind of breathing increases your heart rate and muscle tension, signaling your body to begin the physical process of stress response. It’s no accident that when we’re scared or in danger, we breathe in quick, shallow breaths like this. Oppositely, abdominal or deep breathing opens and expands our diaphragm and belly. These breaths even out our stress response, reduce anxiety, and increase our oxygen intake. When all of us were infants in our cribs, we breathed this way naturally! It’s how we achieved that relaxing, full-body sleep that only babies can. But we forgot how. Now that you know the difference between shallow and deep breaths, use these simple exercises to try and reclaim the relaxation you forgot.   Exercise #1: Sitting Breath When you’re sitting at home or work, become aware of your breathing in an attempt to change it from shallow to deep. Inhale through your nose deliberately and deeply. You should feel your belly expand more than your chest. Exhale out of your mouth slowly, opening your mouth only slightly. Do this every day, not only when you feel stressed but regularly, even once an hour. Set an alarm to remind yourself!   Exercise #2: The Book Technique Some of you may not know exactly what the difference between shallow and deep breathing is. That’s not surprising, since most of us have been doing it wrong for decades! The book technique is a simple way to help train yourself to feel the difference. It also forces you to set aside time specifically for breathing and relaxing. It’s simple – lay on your back with a book of any size on your belly. Place your hand on your chest. Breathe in and focus on moving the book up and down with your breath and not moving your hand at all. Eventually, you’ll be able to breathe this [...]

Ladies…listen up. You may feel shy about the topic, but self-pleasure is perfectly normal…and healthy. While an active sex life with a partner may be all you need to fulfill your desires, some alone time is also important.   Titillating Toys With a vibrator, you can let loose, explore, and experiment. Of course, you can use your gadget with a partner too, but try one out solo to see what it can do. There are so many to choose from, so search online or go to a specialty shop to find out what you fancy. Tracy’s Dog makes a bunch of vibrators, and this one’s even waterproof for some fun in the tub! Hey, you never know when the mood will strike.   Pleasure, Please Of course, the main benefit of using a vibrator is the sexual satisfaction. The direct stimulation is erotic and exciting, and you can maneuver the device just so in order to achieve its maximum potential. Achieving orgasm is always nice, but the path to getting there is just as enjoyable.   More Than The “Big O” There is more to using a vibrator than the thrill of climax alone. Overall, you can improve your health, particularly your mental health, thanks to its stress-relieving properties, a hike in those “feel good” hormones, and so forth. Speaking of stress, a round with your vibrator is a tension releaser and all-over cure for the chaos that’s taking away your sense of calm. You can focus on feeling good, allowing your mind to rid itself of anxiety and aggravation while you enjoy the intimate massage you so desperately crave. Allow yourself to take it slow, and when your session is complete, you’ll feel less worry and more “Wow!”   Spice Up Your Sex Life When you’re in touch with yourself (both physically and emotionally), it can be a boost to your confidence. This can lead to a better sense of self, improved relationships, and will get you in sync with your partner, or a future mate, both in and outside the bedroom. Speaking of inside the bedroom, once you’ve mastered your vibrator, you’ll learn what turns you on and gets you off. Share this intimate information with your partner so you can have a mind-blowing experience between the sheets. Your openness will make your sex life so much better.   Feeling (Not So) Frisky? If you’re in a sexual dry spell, using a vibrator can recharge your libido. Perhaps it’s the pandemic that has been causing this phase, but you deserve to feel good. Let your vibrator remind you of what you have been missing, and you’ll be sure to put pleasure back on your to-do list.   Your Monthly “Friend” It has been said that orgasm can ease menstrual cramps, thanks to the release of endorphins.  Rather than grabbing pain pills or a heating pad to help, perhaps a few minutes with your vibrator will do the trick. If it works for you, [...]

Iron is a building block for our body’s health, which is why we’ve named it one of the “essential” minerals. It helps your body make hemoglobin, which is the protein in your blood that expedites oxygen transportation between all the parts of your body. Iron supports your muscles and organs in this way and is an even more essential vitamin for pregnant women. Despite these facts, our diets often don’t contain enough iron. Iron deficiency has a two-pronged cause – not enough iron in our food and not enough ability to absorb the iron we do eat so that our bodies can use it. We need both to have adequate iron levels, so I’m going to address both in the information below. Keep reading to learn 6 great ways to increase your iron levels.   1.   Eat Meat             Meat is the most known source of dietary iron and for good reason. Not only is most meat –beef, chicken, pork, shellfish, and even regular fish like haddock and tuna – packed with natural iron, but it’s also easy to absorb. The iron found in meat is called heme iron and is the healthiest our bodies can consume because our digestive systems recognize it and disperse it easily. Unfortunately, in a cruel twist of fate, pregnant women often have trouble digesting red meat and shellfish, even though they need 2-4 times more iron than the average person. That’s one of the reasons I’ve listed many non-meat alternatives below.   2.   Leafy Vegetables             Vegetables that are dark green and leafy contain a ton of iron. Spinach and kale are the superstars when it comes to getting non-heme iron as part of your dietary routine. Kale makes a great salad but also goes well as a thickener in a fruit smoothie. Start your morning routine right with a balanced smoothie that includes protein, fruit, and kale. This is especially great for pregnant women, who may be cutting back on morning caffeine to keep their baby healthy. A good smoothie can be a great replacement for your caffeine fix.   3.   Quinoa             Quinoa may already be a part of your healthy diet owing to its advantages to people who have a gluten intolerance. Quinoa contains proteins, folates, magnesium, antioxidants, and a ton of iron. This nutty grain blends great into soups, pilafs, and salads, letting you get your daily iron in style. For pregnant women with diet-restricting nausea, its nutty, unassuming taste should be easy to keep down.   4.   Pumpkin Seeds             I’m always looking for easy snacks to take with me on the go to work or on my errands. Pumpkin seeds represent the best portable snack for people looking to increase their iron intake, but they contain a cocktail of other minerals as well. They’re packed with magnesium, which is a big plus for [...]