The Don’ts of Getting a Good Night’s Sleep

While most people focus on the do’s of how to get a good night sleep, many wonder at why they still wake up feeling tired.  When it comes to your sleep routine, there are a number of pre-sleep activities you should be avoiding.  We will explore them here—along with the scientific reasoning behind it.

You have probably heard that exercising is beneficial for getting a good night’s sleep.  And this is usually the case, with one caveat.  Exercising right before bed can actually prevent you from falling asleep because it increases your body temperature, heart rate, and adrenaline levels which causes your brain to feel more alert.  Sleep experts recommend doing aerobic and high intensity workouts at least 3 hours before you head off to sleep, while opting for yoga and other low intensity exercises are better before bed.

Sleep disturbances can also be caused by a number of dietary sources that you should be avoiding.  Apart from the obvious one—caffeine—it’s best to avoid spicy foods and unhealthy fatty foods before bed.  Eating junk food before bed has been found to trigger more brain waves, leading to a higher level of nightmares, while eating spicy foods before bed raises body temperature and can lead to sleep disturbances.  As long as you are strategic about when you consume food, it won’t impact on your sleep too much.  Sleep experts recommend avoiding eating any kind of food at least 3 hours before bed since it will ensure you have the optimal levels of blood sugar, leptin, and insulin to get a good night’s sleep.

The most detrimental activity you should be avoiding before bed actually has to do with your use of technology.  Devices such as your smartphone, laptop, and television emit a blue light that can disrupt our circadian rhythm, influencing not only the quantity, but the quality of sleep.  Blue light is associated with dawn and can mess up our circadian rhythm—the internal clock that helps us stick to a routine sleep-wake cycle.  Sleep experts recommend blocking blue light at least 3 hours before bed for a normal circadian rhythm.

Want to ensure you are optimizing your time in bed, reaching a deeper level of sleep the second your head hits the pillow?  The Salu Pulse+ can help; it measures your activity levels and the Salu app can advise you on how to improve your sleep.  For the latest research on bedtime routines that facilitate deep sleep, check back for our upcoming blog.

Will weaning off coffee normalize your blood pressure?

So what affect does a daily cup of java have on your heart health exactly?  Twenty minutes after you down your morning cup o’ joe, your body experiences a spike in blood pressure.  How much of a spike in blood pressure you experience serves as a good indicator of how sensitive your body is to the blood pressure raising effects of caffeine.  Although your genetics play a role in your caffeine sensitivity, your daily coffee consumption can provide further insight into the effect of coffee on your heart health.

A study conducted by the Wageningen University looked at the risk of developing hypertension in low, moderate, and heavy coffee drinkers.  Hypertension, in men and women, is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and cardiac arrest.  The study found that people who consumed no coffee had the lowest risk of developing hypertension and the risk of hypertension increases with moderate coffee consumption (1-4 cups a day).  But here’s where things get interesting.  The study found that heavy coffee drinking (5+ cups a day) is protective against hypertension and associated diseases, especially for women.  Although this suggests heavy coffee consumers build up a tolerance, different individuals have different sensitivity levels and if you are worried about your high blood pressure it’s best you limit yourself to two 12-ounce cups a day.

Unsure of whether it’s time to curtail your coffee addiction?  Checking your blood pressure within 30-120 minutes after coffee consumption with the Salu Pulse+ could provide some insight.  If your eBP increases 5 to 10 points, you might be more sensitive to the blood pressure raising effects of caffeine.  If you do plan to reduce your coffee intake, gradually cutting down the daily cups of coffee and increasing your consumption of water may help prevent withdrawal symptoms, such as headaches.

Your Morning Cup of Coffee has Surprising Health Benefits

Does your morning cup of coffee leave your heart racing, to the point that you question ditching your daily cappuccino for some green tea?  If you have been wondering whether it’s time to dial back on your daily caffeine intake, for the sake of your health, this article is for you.  Rest assured, by the end of it you likely won’t feel the need to cut out your morning java altogether.

Although coffee has mixed effects on your health, the positives generally outweigh the negatives.  Research suggests that coffee actually has a protective effect against Parkinson’s disease, type 2 diabetes, and liver disease.  Furthermore, a recent study conducted by the University of Scranton found coffee to be the greatest source of antioxidants in the average North American’s diet.  Along with keeping you looking and feeling young, antioxidants also play a protective role against heart disease and even cancer.  But, before you leave your work desk to head to your nearest café, there are some adverse effects to be mindful of.  Our next blog takes a look at the affect coffee has on your blood pressure and whether cutting back is the best move for your personal heart health.

 

Are you going to live a shorter life than your parents?

We are on the brink of an interesting age where advances in healthcare and technology do not necessarily mean advances in the human life expectancy.  New technologies are streamlining healthcare, new pharmaceuticals are combatting illness, and—given the 20th Century trend of rising life expectancies—individuals are equipped with more means to wellbeing than ever before.  With all these inspiring advances in healthcare then, one might expect a substantial increase in life expectancy.  And yet, the hard fact remains that millennials are the first generation with life expectancies lower than their baby-boomer parents.  In fact, a study by The National Institute of Health projected that the life expectancy of baby boomers exceeds the life expectancy of the next generation by a whole 5 years.  What is the cause of this frankly startling fact?  More individuals are living with obesity-related conditions than in any previous generation and while these health-related conditions are manageable in the short term, the root of the issue must be addressed to extend the longevity of the current generations.

The good news is that with proper diet and exercise, many obesity-related health conditions can be halted, or even reversed.  For an individual determining the proper balance of exercise and planning meals that don’t make you hate life might seem a daunting task, it no longer needs to be.  With the advent of the Quantified Self movement and Salu Pulse+, individuals are empowered to take their health into their own hands, quite literally, in the form of a health and fitness wearable.  Do you wish to have a personal health trainer?  The Salu Pulse+ will help you achieve your health goals and tailors advice to you as an individual, no matter where you are on your fitness journey.  Want to learn more about how the Salu Pulse+ can help you on your health and fitness journey?  Stay tuned for our upcoming articles on the Salu Pulse+.

Welcome to the New Salu Pulse+ Blog!

Two years ago Salu started off with a dream of creating a health wearable that matters – one that gives actionable advice on how to manage stress, improve fitness, and live a healthier and happier life.

Salu is excited to bring you the first compact wearable – the Salu Pulse+ – to measure estimated blood pressure, without an inflatable cuff.  The wearable measures your heart rate, oxygen saturation, and activity levels to display your data in easy-to-read charts and graphs, giving a clear representation of where your health is at.  Designed to help the everyday man achieve a deep sense of wellbeing, the Salu Pulse+ takes your lifestyle and goals into account when giving suggestions on how to improve your health.  Using the Salu Pulse+, you will get personalized recommendations in four key areas: sleep, stress, exercise, and diet.

Currently rated as one of the Top 10 Canadian Undiscovered Startups, Salu aims to revolutionize how individuals monitor their heart and general health, to become the world leading smart-band that works with other smart-watches or can be used as a stand-alone or with a smartphone.

Offering so much more than a fitness tracker or heart rate monitor, the Salu Pulse+ is truly a Means of Well-Being.