Right now, all of us are going through a rather tough time. Isn’t it hard, sitting locked up in homes for over two months? While practicing social distancing, we have to rely only on online communications. Not surprisingly, you’re itching to move out of your house and also to visit dream destinations. Keeping such places foremost in your thoughts will certainly keep you going in this crisis. Here are 5 dream destinations to visit after lockdown:   1. Iceland A beautiful Nordic island nation, Iceland features diversity to the hilt! With hot springs and glaciers all in the same country, you’ll certainly enjoy the vivid contrasts of climate and geography here. For catching the mesmerizing Northern Lights, plan a trip to Iceland anytime between September and March. Spend some quality time in the world-famous Blue Lagoon, where you can relax in the piping hot ponds. It’s also worthwhile booking your stay at the hotel here, which provides free entry to the lagoon. Reykjavik, the island country’s capital is only an hour’s distance from the Blue Lagoon. You can take several, wonderful day trips from Reykjavik. For instance, the popular Golden Circle tour covers the spectacular, two-tiered Gullfoss waterfall, the fountain-type Strokkur geyser, and the historic Pingvellir National Park. Plenty of whales call Iceland’s shores home. So, get onto a whale-watching cruise, spotting these awesome creatures in the wild. Don’t miss out on the yummy Icelandic cuisine! Try the cheesy Skyr, fermented shark, fresh-made rye bread, and melt-in-your-mouth chocolates. You can also bake your rye bread on the earth! Yes, try it at the Fontana Hot Springs, where the heat generated from them helps in the baking.   2. Australia The world’s largest island, Australia is famous for its coral reefs, lush rainforests, and spectacular red deserts. Colloquially known as “Down Under,” this laidback continent is home to quirky wildlife, like the kangaroo and the platypus. Australia is also home to the Great Barrier Reef, an extraordinary natural wonder on earth. The Great Barrier Reef is home to around three thousand coral reefs. It also includes the scenic Whitsunday group of islands and astounding marine creatures. Dive and snorkel here to your heart’s content! You can also view the coral reefs here from glass-bottom marine vessels. Explore lively, multicultural cities like Sydney and Melbourne. Visit Sydney’s world-famous Opera House and its impressive steel arch Harbour Bridge. While visiting Melbourne, make sure to explore the Royal Botanic Gardens and the ancient Queen Victoria Market. Australia’s heart-and-soul called the Outback awaits you with its wide, open desert places. You can drive around this Australian backcountry for hours without meeting another vehicle. To complete the adventure, make sure you carry your camping equipment in your car’s roof rack cage. Camping overnight here below the glittering desert stars is something you’ll never forget! Visit the Outback’s top tourist attractions like the Ayer’s Rock and the Desert Park in the scenic, vibrant city of Alice Springs.   3. Costa Rica This [...]

No matter how small your expedition is, real travel enthusiasts always rely on their roof racks for accommodating their stuff. Undoubtedly, roof racks are the best travel companion, be it a short family vacay or a long trek to high altitudes. Presently, the market for roof racks has seen an enormous shift from its older format owing to its usage and dire necessity. A traveler is bound to carry luggage along with him, and with a detachable roof rack, the tiresome job of carrying your luggage is reduced to nothing.   What Exactly are Roof Racks There are several variants of roof rack, such as roof rack awning, roof rack tents, etc. available on the market. The primary function of roof racks is to provide maximum accommodation capacity to your luggage and make your tour comfortable. Most of the metal racks can be fit to be installed in a range of vehicles and are easily detachable. You can adjust these into your premium cars and SUVs, traveling trailers, and whatnot. Roof racks are our most comfortable medium to hassle-free and less clogging travel expeditions. However, like any other useful commodity, roof racks also have pros and cons when it comes to its functions. Let’s take a short stroll around all the pros and cons of having a roof rack installed over your cars:   Pros of Having a Roof Rack on Your Car ●     Gives Better Accommodation Prospects Roof racks over your car provide an anti-clogged space for you to ease up your travel experience. Hence, you always have an option to carry as much load as you want while traveling on wheels without worrying about space management. It is also ideal for those who refuse to go solo, roof racks with its spacious, accommodating quality give you the much-needed air to breathe inside your vehicles instead of over stuffing it. ●     Provides Durable Protection Presently, roof racks are made out of the most durable materials, such as alloy rims of aluminum and steel or the best polymers. The presence of these materials makes the racks last longer and have a better all-weather resistivity. With prolonged life, they are likely to cover your journeys all year-round. Moreover, some of the companies also offer a 3 to 4 years warranty of the same polymer material used in your car’s roof racks, giving you easy access to a quick replacement in case of damages. ●     Quite Easy to Carry The modern roof racks are very convenient to carry around, no matter where you plan to go. Their easy to carry design allows easy transportation and installation over the car’s roof with zero extra weight over the car’s body. Some of the roof racks also have an easy to carry handle, which allows its easy transportation in areas such as rough terrains or high cliffs. ●     Enhances the Overall Look of Your Vehicle Most of the designs of the roof rack are available in different color variants and [...]

Denmark, Switzerland, and Finland are the top three countries with the best quality of life in 2019. A statistical analysis report by Sleep Junkie ranked over 70 countries from around the world, looking at key factors such as financial stability, freedom of choice, and life expectancy. Here’s how the top three measured up.   Denmark With a population of 5.6 million, Denmark topped the charts as the happiest place to live. Denmark claims one of the smallest wealth gaps between classes in the workforce, an excellent healthcare system, and a sound balance between life and work. Denmark also maintains a 100% literacy rate.   Switzerland Switzerland comes in at a close second as the best quality of life country in the world. Switzerland boasts a great education system and excellent infrastructure, as well as a booming economy in a population of 8.5 million. It also doesn’t hurt that Switzerland has one of the lowest obesity rates in Europe at 8%.   Finland Coming in at third place is Finland. Despite frigid temperatures, Finland has a high standard of living, with low corruption levels and more forest per square mile. With a population just below Denmark at 5.5 million, Finland is one of the safest countries to live due to the low population and tight-knit communities.   What Determines Happiness and Long Life? Happiness is the key to a longer life. A 2011 study conducted at UC Berkeley took 3,853 participants between the ages of 52 and 79 and divided them into three groups, depending on the participants’ current level of happiness. Over a period of five years, all participants were monitored and asked questions to determine their average happiness. The results showed that the low happiness group had a 7.3% death rate, the medium happiness group had a 4.6% death rate, and the group with the most average happiness had a 3.6% death rate. This study conducted by the National Institute on Aging showed surprisingly strong results linking happiness to life expectancy, even when factoring in chronic health problems, depression, and financial security. The study also found that the absence of happiness was more detrimental to overall health than negative emotions like anger, sadness, and depression. -- Sources: https://www.sleepjunkie.org/the-lifestyle-index/ https://www.statista.com/statistics/228380/people-who-pay-more-for-eco-friendly-products-and-services/ https://www.gfmag.com/global-data/non-economic-data/happiest-countries https://www.pnas.org/content/108/45/18244 About the Author Meg Riley is a Certified Sleep Science Coach and a full-time writer focused on sleep health and the mattress industry. She is currently the Editor-in-Chief of Sleep Junkie. She has her undergraduate degree from Pennsylvania State University where she studied Advertising and Public Relations and wrote articles on the student experience for College Magazine. Her writing and research has been featured on Healthline, PhillyVoice, Daily Waffle, Boss Magazine, and more.

When you’re travelling abroad, you don’t want to suddenly shock your body with too many foreign substances. You’re already suffering a jolt to your circadian rhythms and sleep patterns from all that air travel, and the sheer stress of traveling combined with disrupted sleep is enough to weaken the immune system. This seems to leave people vulnerable to infections of the gut and drinking foreign water—especially in developing countries, is one of the surest ways to land yourself in the hospital. You can even get a deadly case of sepsis if you have an infection you let go too long, so get to a doctor right away if you have a fever, chills, diarrhea, and vomiting and you’ve been drinking water abroad. There are some easy ways to stay hydrated abroad and tips to protect you from getting sick or infected by dangerous water sources.   Limit Water Intake—and Ice—and Cooking With Tap Water, When Traveling When you are travelling abroad, the simplest trick is to limit water intake and to boil all water that you do drink. See, even bottled water can be dangerous to drink when abroad because in many countries, store owners simply refill plastic bottles with their own tap water. In countries like China, Taiwan, Mexico, India, African countries—any still developing nations and countries, you need to be careful with bottled water. Check those caps and make sure that your water is tightly sealed before you drink it. That’s one thing to keep in mind. The other thing is to avoid mixed drinks with ice—all drinks with ice, drinking beverages made from foreign tap water, and avoiding foods that may have been steamed or poached in toxic water. So, yes, this gets a little tricky. Some individuals stick solely to packaged foods when travelling. Also, be careful not to swallow when brushing your teeth or showering in foreign countries. All water can cause traveler’s diarrhea, which can ruin all your fun for days.   How to Know a Good Water Source from a Bad One With diseases ranging from typhoid, cholera, to Hepatitis A being caused by drinking dangerous tap water, you need to know how to tell a good water source from a bad one. Most countries in Asia, save some cities in Japan have unsafe water. Most all of the Europe has safe water but the attached countries like the Middle East and Russia do not. The United States and Canada have safe water but Mexico often does not, and even if the locals have adapted to it, most travelers get very sick drinking their water. In Africa and South America, there is no safe drinking water. In Australia, tap water is safe—New Zealand, no!   Great Ways to Ensure You Drink Safe Water Abroad There are two great ways to ensure you’re drinking safe water abroad—one, test all water before you drink it. Today, you can purchase great tap water testing kits that make this easy. These kits [...]

Be Careful of What You Eat and Don't Drink the Water...   Traveling has always had some health risks. But today those risks are higher, especially for those of us who prefer to use supplements and avoid processed foods. If you travel by air, you may be confronted with deciding on being groped or getting radiated by X-ray backscatter machines that haven't been independently tested for safety. The EU banned backscatter X-ray machines from airport scanning in November 2011 until they can be proven safe. Scanners that use millimeter radio wave technology instead of X-ray technology are permitted. So you won't have to be concerned if the airport you go through uses millimeter radio waves instead of X-rays. So now that you're on the plane, not to worry except for the food, right? Wrong. You're exposed to more natural radiation at higher altitudes, which is another reason to avoid the airport X-ray scanners. Radiation effects are cumulative. So it's wise to have access to herbs or supplements that help fight off radiation consequences. Here are some. (https://www.naturalnews.com/033411_radiation_sickness_supplements.html) You probably don't know about this occasional, undisclosed hazard Cabin air, contaminated beyond what most know and accept, can do serious damage to your health. There is a hidden hazard the airline industry doesn't want you to know about. It's called aerotoxic syndrome, and it's real. The consequences are devastating, yet few know about them until it's too late. The medical system is mostly clueless and helpless handling it. Here's Health Ranger Mike Adam's information on aerotoxic syndrome. (https://www.naturalnews.com/029014_air_travel_aerotoxic_syndrome.html) If you detect a faint scent of burning oil or see a vague trace of smoke in the cabin, and maybe notice you or others are getting woozy, it's time to don that small, inexpensive portable activated charcoal mask you got online here. (http://www.aerotoxic.org/aerotoxic) If you're prone toward motion sickness from air or sea travel, make sure you have high quality high potency ginger capsules on hand. Watch what you eat and don't drink the water... Carry some organic raw trail mix packets if you can. Try to avoid too much street vended foods, unless you carry and use an item that's perfect for purifying water and protecting you against infections - iodine. You can choose from Lugol's solution (potassium iodide), Nascent iodine and Iodoral. In addition to purifying whatever water you drink, the iodine acts as an anti-microbial and anti-fungal. Too much iodine taken over a short period is usually eliminated through the urine. So use it amply when traveling. In order to maintain your friendly gut bacteria levels for digestion and immunity, carry an abundant supply of power packed probiotics that don't require refrigeration. Whenever you have the opportunity, indulge in whatever probiotic rich fermented foods may be available: Kim-Chi, sauerkraut, and miso are some examples. If you inadvertently consume a poison, food grade activated charcoal powder mixed in water can save your life. (https://www.naturalnews.com/028461_activated_charcoal_medicine.html) Keep your vitamin C levels high with a newly developed type of [...]

What You Need to Know to Build Your Own Natural First Aid Kit   "Schoooool's out for SUMMER!" It's that time of year when people get itchy feet, anxious to go somewhere and do something fun. If you and yours are headed out for some adventures this summer, pack some peace of mind in the form of a natural first aid kit. There are lots of great, inexpensive herbs, essential oils, and homeopathic remedies to pack along with your bandages and hand sanitizer that will help insure common problems don't put a damper on your trip. Build your own natural first aid kit All of the products listed below are available at health food stores, by mail-order, or off the internet. Wrap glass bottles in cloth such as flannel to protect from breakage. These products are safe for use on children and pets as well. A small padded lunchbox makes a nice place to keep your stuff. • Arnica - get both the pellets for internal use and the gel for external use. For trauma, muscle strains and soreness, bruises. Do not use on open wounds. Also good for sleeplessness and restlessness when over-tired, such as from jet lag. There are homeopathic blends for jet lag. • Activated charcoal or powdered bentonite clay for traveler's diarrhea or food poisoning. If using on children or pets, be sure to check dosing directions. Make a paste and apply externally to wasp or bee stings to draw out poison. Apis is the homeopathic remedy for stings. • Calendula cream for soothing and healing wounds and burns, including sunburn. Has astringent, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory properties. Aloe vera is good for burns as well. • Citronella based insect repellant. Other essential oils that repel bugs include: peppermint, cedar, lemongrass, geranium, rosemary. There are many nice natural (DEET free) blends available. Apply liberally and often. • Ginger - capsules or crystallized; for motion sickness, soothing stomach upsets, and relieving gas. It has antispasmodic properties. • Lavender essential oil - an all-purpose remedy; use to help with insomnia, anxiety, headaches, wounds and burns. For most people, it can be applied directly to the skin. One drop takes the swelling and itch out of mosquito bites. It is an anti-inflammatory and has antiseptic properties. Tea tree oil is an antiseptic as well. Use to prevent a wound from getting infected. There are homeopathic bug bite ointments available too. • Nux vomica homeopathic remedy for overindulgence. Too much excitement, food, drink, sugar. Carbo veg remedy is also helpful for bloating and gas. • Rescue Remedy - Bach flower remedy for calming all kinds of emotions: anger, grief, fear. Helps with anxiety and sleeplessness. Give it to your pet during a lightening storm, or to a toddler to calm a tantrum, or to an adult having trouble sleeping. • Yarrow - an anti-inflammatory useful in the treatment of diarrhea, stomach cramps, and other gastrointestinal distress. Open and sprinkle on minor wounds to stop bleeding. Make [...]

Pre-Planning is Key to Eatig Healthy While on Vacation   Whether you are planning a "stay-cation" or an elaborate vacation to a exotic foreign land, eating away from home always presents a few obstacles. Maintaining your at-home healthy eating habits and avoiding the pitfalls travelers often face, can be a challenge. Pre-planning is the key, which can mean the difference between completely abandoning your healthy lifestyle or keeping you on track. Incorporate some or all the following tips to insure you have a healthy, happy, trip. Pack a healthy eating kit - A small cutting board, pairing knife, collapsible cooler,utensils, zip-lock baggies, a few spices, a small container of dish detergent, and a bowl with a lid. The bowl can be used for snacks, salads, or soups. The lid can be used as a plate and both can be used to store leftovers. If you are flying, pack the pairing knife in your checked luggage and make sure the spices are in their original containers. High powered blender - With a high powered blender such as a Vitamix, travelers can easily whip up healthy and nutritious smoothies, warm soups, and fresh salad dressings. Locate a hotel with a kitchenette or refrigerator - Check ahead to see if your hotel has a kitchenette where you can prepare your own meals or at least a small refrigerator. Numerous hotel chains will offer to put a mini refrigerator in your room for a nominal fee or many times for free if it is for medical reasons. Restaurants - If possible, use some of the apps or websites that are readily available such as urbanspoon.com or HappyCow.com to search ahead of time for healthy dining options. Once at the restaurant, scan the menu throughly then order items that are the least processed and always stay clear of items that have been fried or are laden with fat. Be mindful of portion sizes and avoid overeating. Pit-stops -During long road trips, travelers often need to fill their gas tanks and also their stomachs. Truck stops and convenience stores are starting to add fresh fruits to their inventory so instead of reaching for a processed snack grab a banana, apple, or a bag of unsalted nuts instead. Plan for possible delays - Whether traveling by car, plane, boat, bus, or train, assume there are going to be delays and plan accordingly. You are more likely to make smart food choices when you pack snacks such as energy bars, fresh and dried fruits, nuts and seeds, and pre-cut vegetables. Stay hydrated - Drink plenty of water or coconut water, which will replace electrolytes. Humidity on fights is low so continually drink water to stay hydrated. It is best to take small sips throughout the day instead of trying to gulp down a large bottle at one time. Drink more than usual if you are sweating or in the hot sun. Since alcohol is a diuretic, alcoholic beverages should be avoided. Flying - [...]

Love and Relationship Tips for Health and Longevity!   Isn't love grand? Besides being exciting and fulfilling, it also turns out that it is good for your health and longevity. Studies and experts agree: having a caring and loving relationship can lead to a healthier, happier and longer life. Traveling with a partner can make it that much better. The health benefits of a loving, caring relationship Experts agree that it takes a happy, calm and stable relationship to yield the best health benefits and they caution that an unhappy relationship can result in negative health consequences. When you do have a positive relationship, here are some of the many benefits according to experts and research: Stronger immune system Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University found that people who exhibit positive emotions are less likely to get sick after exposure to cold or flu viruses Faster healing Ohio State University Medical Center researchers found that blister wounds healed nearly twice as fast in spouses who interacted warmly toward each other. Better cardiovascular health People with stable relationships also tend to have more stable blood pressure. A study in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine found happily married people had the best blood pressure, followed by singles. Unhappily married participants fared the worst. Less depression and substance abuse According to a Health and Human Services report, getting married and staying married reduces depression in both men and women. Marriage also contributes to a decline in heavy drinking and drug abuse, especially among young adults. Longer life A growing body of research indicates that married people live longer. One of the largest studies found that people who had never been married were 58 percent more likely to die than married people. Note that though most studies have focused on marriage, other loving and caring relationships likely have the same benefits - for example, partners, parents, or friends. "There is solid evidence that people who participate in satisfying, long-term relationships fare better on a whole variety of health measures," says Harry Reis, PhD, co-editor of the Encyclopedia of Human Relationships. Other benefits of a healthy, caring relationship include: * Less anxiety * Better fitness * Clearer skin * Natural pain reductions * Better regulated menstrual cycle Boost your longevity even further with travel Travel can help people establish and maintain a healthy lifestyle, says Dr. David Lipschitz, director of the Center on Aging at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Lipschitz says that the two most important factors for longevity are health and happiness, and travel helps to foster both. Traveling with a spouse or significant other is a great way for couples to stay mentally sharp, reconnect through shared experiences, rekindle romance and increase intimacy. Love and relationship tips When looking for love, many miss out due to trying to find the "perfect partner." As the saying goes, "Perfect love comes not from finding someone perfect to love, but rather finding how to love someone who is imperfect [...]

Vacations May Add Years to Your Life!   In the US, close to one in four Americans receive no paid vacation or holidays, leading to a country known as the "no-vacation nation."1 In contrast, countries like Australia and Japan require at least four weeks of paid time off for workers – and some, like France, guarantee six. Do they know something that those in the US are oblivious to? Quite possibly, yes, as taking vacations isn't a matter of mere frivolity; in stressful times like these, they can make or break your physical and mental health. Vacations Help to Buffer the Toll of Stress, Increase Creative Thinking and More Vacation time can be one of the best ways to not only relieve stress but to actually increase productivity and performance on the job. Assuming your vacation is a restful, restorative one (and not a source of stress in and of itself), taking time off gives you a valuable break from the everyday grind, a time to recoup and avoid burnout. According to research from the University of Calgary, taking a vacation (or even participating in leisure activities) can significantly reduce depression.2 A separate study found sharing vacation experiences with your loved ones is a valuable contributor to family cohesion,3 whereas immersing yourself in a different culture may also foster creative thinking4 and improve well-being.5 Still other research by British research Scott McCabe has shown the following vacation benefits:6 Rest and recuperation from work Provision of new experiences leading to a broadening of horizons and the opportunity for learning and intercultural communication Promotion of peace and understanding Personal and social development Visiting friends and relatives Religious pilgrimage and health Subjective well-being A Successful Vacation Is Key to Its Restorative Powers Not all vacations are stress relieving and some may actually leave you more tired than you were to begin with, making you wish you could take a "vacation from your vacation." Only you know what type of vacation will give you that feeling that you've truly gotten away from it all, but generally speaking there are some universal factors that tend to contribute to a restful time off:7 Free time for yourself Warmer, sunnier location Good sleep Making new acquaintances Exercising during vacation If you can find the time and the resources to do so, investing in regular vacations is money well spent, as it will support two things that money can't buy: good health and happiness. Its ability to help relieve stress alone will pay for itself many times over, as stress plays a major role in your immune system, and can positively affect your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, brain chemistry, blood sugar levels, hormonal balance and numerous other biological processes. As the Examiner reported:8 "McCabe believes these positive benefits [of vacation] to be so strong that he recommends that families be given some form of financial assistance if they are unable to afford vacations on their own." My Top Travel Tips In order to [...]

How to Stay Healthy While Traveling!   Traveling can be hard on your health. Increased stress, changing time zones and difficulty finding healthy food can all negatively impact your health. And if you travel by air, you have the added problems of exposure to airborne pathogens, fragrance chemicals, and other pollutants brought into your air space by unhealthy people. On top of that, there's the additional difficulty of bringing all your health supplements, superfoods and appliances with you (a Vita-Mix is heavy!). So how can you protect yourself from sickness and environmental stress when traveling while still providing yourself with your most important health supplements and superfoods? Being an experienced traveler myself, I'll share with you my best tips for maximizing your health when traveling on planes, trains or automobiles. Tip #1: Boost your immune system before you go Don't dare walk into an airport, train station or other public place without protecting your immune system first. How do you accomplish that? It's simple: For at least three days before your trip, start drinking lots of vegetable juice and taking immune-boosting herbal supplements. It's even better if you're drinking fresh juices every day as a regular habit, but if you're not, at least kick in the healthful juices before you travel. On the supplements side, I like to take Kyolic garlic supplements (www.Kyolic.com), medicinal mushrooms (www.MushroomScience.com), Echinacea, goldenseal, ginger and other similar immune herbs (www.BaselineNutritionals.com). It's also important to get plenty of zinc in your diet by eating pumpkin seeds or taking high-quality zinc supplements. Taking lots of vitamin C and vitamin D3 is also helpful, but be sure to get them from high-quality supplements (I don't recommend cheap multivitamins like the Centrum brand). The best sources for high-end individual supplements are www.WellnessResources.com and www.LivingFuel.com (check out their Super Essentials fish oils with astaxanthin. Tip #2: Bring superfood powders for instant meals Having superfood powders with you at all times is a great travel strategy, even if you're just traveling to a relative's house for a few days (your relatives probably aren't as health conscious as you are, right?). Don't clobber your immune system by eating the junk in their refrigerator; bring your own superfoods and amaze (or annoy) your friends and relatives with your own astonishing commitment to a truly healthful diet! Which superfood products should you bring? There are a lot of them I recommend, including Living Fuel (www.LivingFuel.com), Boku Superfood (www.BokuSuperfood.com), Healthforce Nutritionals (www.HealthForce.com), HempShake (www.Nutiva.com), Emerald Balance (www.SGNnutrition.com) and Delicious Greens (www.Greens8000.com). There's even a new product I just saw at Whole Foods called Amazing Meal (www.AmazingGrass.com). I haven't tried it yet, but I know their Amazing Grass product is high quality, and I intend on reviewing their Amazing Meal product soon. The point is to bring a lot of nutritious foods with you in a highly concentrated form. There's no form more concentrated than dried superfood powders. Just add water, shake it up, and you've got a meal! Tip #3: [...]

Learn How to Beat Jet Lag When You Travel!   Whether you're traveling two hours or 12 hours, your first night of sleep in a new bed is usually not restful. While some of the difficulty you'll experience when you travel is linked to jet lag, there is another factor. Research published in Current Biology has found that the first night effect (FNE) of disturbed sleep, often regarded as a typical sleep disturbance when sleeping in a bed other than your own, is actually the result of interhemispheric asymmetry.1,2 In other words, one hemisphere of your brain is more vigilant during sleep than the other side in order to monitor your unfamiliar surroundings during sleep. These findings, the result of advanced neuroimaging techniques, explain why your first night at a hotel or your relatives' doesn't always give you the rest you need. Left Brain, Right Brain Your brain is the most complex organ in your body, responsible for controlling and monitoring all your systems. Your brain is made up of two halves, commonly called the left and right side. The medical term for "side" is "hemisphere." The right hemisphere of your brain controls the left side of your body, and vice versa. A typical healthy brain will have approximately 200 billion nerve cells and hundreds of trillions of connections, called synapses.3 Electrical impulses travel over synapses, relaying information. Only recently has the technology been available to examine those synapses and determine and categorize their function. The number and strength of active synapses fluctuate at different times in your life and with waking and sleeping.4 In general, the left and right hemispheres of your brain process information differently. But to function and communicate, the two sides must work together to see the whole picture and then the details. Left-brain thinkers are often more analytical and verbal, while right-brain thinkers are more non-verbal and intuitive. Left-brain thinkers are logical and right-brain thinkers are creative. One side of the brain is not superior over the other, and both are needed to give you a balanced approach to evaluating any given situation. Sleep Cycles At one time, sleep was considered an inactive or passive state when both your body and brain were in the "off" position. Today, we know it is during sleep that your brain does most of the housekeeping duties, getting rid of damaging toxins.5 This house cleaning reduces your risk of Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia as you age. During sleep, your brain goes through characteristic cycles of activity, affecting your perception of quality, restful sleep. The two most distinctive cycles are rapid eye movement (REM) and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep cycles. Many sleep experts believe that you dream more frequently and more vividly during REM sleep. Your pattern of REM to NREM sleep is distinctive during the night. The average length of time in the first REM/NREM cycle is between 70 and 100 minutes, while the second and later cycles are usually between [...]