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Breathwork

Content Manager — Thu, 12 Mar 2020 17:41:23 +0000

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Breathwork is a practice for relaxation, stress relief and therapy, which uses different breathing exercises and techniques.

Nowadays there are a lot of variations of breathwork.

Each of them has a purpose, depending on the needs of the practitioner.

However, breathwork, in general, is a powerful healing tool.

Probably it is your first time coming across this alien called ‘breathwork’.

Do not worry – I am a newbie myself!

When I have first heard of it, I was actually wondering what that thing might be.

After reading a couple of articles on the matter, here I am excited to tell you more about it.

Hopefully, you will find it just as intriguing and will stick with me to learn the history, the basics, and tips for breathwork.

Ready? Let’s go!

Brief history

It is no surprise that using breathing techniques as a way of spiritual awakening, meditation and relaxation comes from Eastern practices like yoga.

The truth though is that most breathwork variations of today have developed during the 1960s and 1970s.

What is more, this practice continues to evolve and no end is to be seen in the near future.

On the contrary, even more, people are giving meditation and co a go in order to relax and free their minds.

3 most popular kinds of breathwork therapy

There is a variety of breathwork types.

However, all of them should benefit you in the same way.

Namely, heal emotional and mental traumas, boost immunity, increase self – awareness, improve relationships both with oneself and with others, overcome addictions, reduce stress levels.

Here are some of the most popular ones, used for therapy

Holotropic breathwork

This breathwork therapy was developed in the 1970s by Stanislav and Christina Grof.

They were psychiatrists who were interested in how therapeutic are the different states of consciousness.

The goal of holotropic breathwork is to bring your mind, body, and spirit into one.

Usually, holotropic breathwork is being practiced in groups and guided by a certified practitioner.

People are guided through breathing exercises and work in pairs which allows them to support each other.

Music plays. Each session ends with a discussion when participants describe what they have felt and learned.

Rebirthing breathwork

Also known as ‘conscious energy breathing’ (CEB), this breathwork was developed by Leonard Orr and relies on the claim that every one of us carries the trauma of their own birth.

Eventually, Orr ‘re – experienced’ his birth in his bathtub and felt so free, that he decided to help other people free themselves too.

That is the main goal -to release stored emotional or energy baggage you have been carrying since being a child.

Again, it is advisable to do this type of breathwork with a certified practitioner.

You will be asked to relax and breathe in a ‘conscious connected circular’ way.

The latter means that your breathing will be continuous without spaces in between.

Diving into deep relaxation, makes your brain release the subconscious tension.

Clarity breathwork

This technique was developed by Ashanna Solaris and Dana DeLong and it resembles the rebirthing breathwork.

Just like CEB, practicing clarity breathwork should release any kind of emotional or energy blockages.

At the beginning of every session, the participant is being asked about present worries and past experiences.

The certified practitioner is supposed to teach people how to breathe fully, which will allow them to free themselves from their traumas.

Risks and recommendations

As many benefits as breathwork might have, there are some risks as well.

It is recommended to consult with a professional before deciding for a breathwork session.

You should not participate in it if you have any of the following conditions:

-cardiovascular disease
-high blood pressure;
-breathing problems;
-aneurysms;
-recent injuries or surgery;
-vision issues;
-severe mental illnesses, panic attacks or psychosis;
-osteoporosis;
-seizures;
-pregnancy or breastfeeding

Besides, there is a risk of hyperventilation because of the deep state of relaxation you fall into.

This means some people might feel uncomfortable sensations such as weakness, dizziness, muscle spasms, heart palpitations, clouded vision or even seizures.

Therefore you should be very careful and trust only qualified professionals to guide you during the procedure.

More tips

The best tip we can give you is to search for an organization that can be trusted.

This way you will be sure that you will get the best breathwork possible.

Something else we would like to stress on is to consult with your doctor before your first breathwork session.

It is important that you are sure it is safe for you.

After all, it will make you feel better, release any emotional or mental tension and not worsen your health.

This can be done by noticing how you are feeling during a breathwork session.

If there are sensations bothering you, discontinue the practice.

Apart from the main topic, we would like to give you a few more tips on releasing stress.

Exercise is probably the best way to unwind.

Find the movement which makes you happier and does not feel like a punishment.

Whether be it dancing, strength training, walking, biking – it does not matter!

Your body loves to be active!

Iris can be very helpful in stress relief as well.

We are constantly looking at a screen and our eyes tire.

This can cause a feeling of stress as well.

For this reason, we recommend Iris – our software blocks the blue light emitted from the screen of your device.

It comes with a few different regimes and you can choose one, depending on your needs.

Try it out and forget about the eye pain and the headaches!

Conclusion

Breathwork includes breathing techniques which should bring you relaxation and feeling of letting present or past trauma go.

Having roots in the ancient Eastern culture experiences its renaissance since the 1960s and 1970s.

The three main types of breathwork techniques today are holotropic breathwork, rebirthing breathwork, and clarity breathwork.

It is common that after the end of every session, participants share their experiences with each other.

However, you should be careful with breathwork.

There are risks if you suffer from cardiovascular disease, have a mental illness, vision issue or other health problems.

Always consult with a professional before taking part in any breathwork therapy.

Author: Ilina Stoyanova
Publisher: Kalina Shushlina

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Smartphones are Toxic

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Wed, 19 Feb 2020 08:43:22 +0000

The post Smartphones are Toxic appeared first on 💡👨‍💻 Iris - Software for Eye protection, Health and Productivity 🛌👀.

How to reduce stress at work?

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 09:57:44 +0000

Do you come back home tired and squeezed out at the end of the day…could it be stress at work?

Are you usually annoyed at work? Is your sleep a bad experience? This is all because of the stress caused by your job.

Stress at the workplace can have both good and bad impact on your performance.

It depends on the levels of stress you have.

If there is some little amount of stress it has a great possibility to inspire you to do better.

For example, an acceptable level of stress is when there is a certain project among colleagues.

And they compete who is going to it better.

And this kind of stress could inspire you and give you fresh ideas to move forward.

However, if stress is really making you feel uncomfortable and stops you from doing your job, then it will affect your health.

And you must find a way to reduce it.

Why is stress bad for you?

An extra amount of stress could affect your mental and physical health.

It can be caused by strict deadlines or a lot of difficult workloads on your head. Or both at the same time.

Tight deadlines are leading to hastening and not paying attention to important details.

Which often leads to work that isn’t done right.

Also, if there is pressure in the relationship between you and your colleagues, this adds up to the overall stress.

Try to be kind to the people you work with. After all, you are spending the whole day with them.

Make the working atmosphere friendly and nice.

Stress at work and stress, in general, can lead mainly to mental problems like anxiety, sleeping problems, and headaches.

Usually, one leads to the other.

The first sign of being in a lot of stress is the lack of good sleep.

Another sign is to have problems with concentration and memorizing simple things.

We can help you to beat the stress in the office with some simple life hacks.

How to reduce stress at work? Here are 9 simple ways!

Be organized

The first rule of being productive is to be organized.

That way you will manage your tasks on time and will feel delighted that you made it before the deadline.

There is not going to be any stress about unfinished projects at all.

You could take a simple sheet of paper and prioritize everything that has to be done.

One tip is to start with the most difficult task, then move on to the simpler ones.

Do not multitask

This could be a big reason for stress at work.

Taking a lot of projects is not one of the best decisions you could make.

And multitasking is not always considered as something good.

This is because when you multitask the chance of forgetting something major is not small.

The best way is to take up to two or three projects, so your work goes smoothly.

Exercise and do sports

We know that it is difficult to go to fitness or to do anything else while working takes such a big part of your life.

But finding time for some exercising, even once per week, is going to reduce your stress levels drastically.

Sports are proven to have a beneficial impact on our health. Both physical and mental.

Yet, if you do not have time for spots even once per week, do not lose hope!

Instead of losing your time to check on your social media during the lunch break, you could go for a walk.

Even a simple walk could help you to charge some new powers and clear your mind.

Plus that it is going to relieve your stiff muscles of all that sitting during the whole day.

Listen to music

If you love music, then why not listen to your favorite songs while you work?

Make a playlist with the songs that motivate you and take a pair of headphones.

Motivation is healthy for people who work the whole day because it keeps them focused.

And this is going to help you to be more productive.

You could also talk with your colleagues and make a collective playlist together.

Get speakers in the office and let your jam inspires you.

Spend some time for yourself

Spending time with yourself, doing things that you love is a great way of releasing stress.

Find some time that will be planned especially for this purpose.

You could read a book, go out with friends, visit a theatre play, cook something delicious or watch that series you have been looking forward to for some time.

Stay away from conflicts

Conflicts are always a reason for long-lasting stress.

Always try to avoid being in conflict. neither with colleagues nor with family.

Try to see their point of view and be kind.

Speak calmly and find a solution to the problem.

Still, do not bury your interests and desires. Just find a consensus.

Take a night of good 8-hour sleep

Sleep is essential for being proactive and healthy.

Do not work till late, because the blue light from the display is both dangerous for your eyes and leads to insomnia.

If you have to get up early on the next day, go to bead some hours before the usual time you do it.

Napping is also considered to be healthy.

A good 20-minute nap can recharge you with new powers for work.

Take care of your eyes

The wellbeing of your eyes and your sleep are connected.

Even more, your eye’s health is essential for doing your work properly.

If you have red eyes, blurred vision, or dry eyes, it would be impossible to be productive.

Blue light can lead to many eye diseases and even to vision loss.

So, try to minimize the impact of the blue light from your monitor.

You can do that with special computer glasses, or with a blue light filter for PC.

Iris is a blue light filter for PC that can be installed easily on your computer, smartphone or tablet.

It is doing the same job as computer glasses, even better.

This blue light filter blocks the blue light from your display and you can set the levels of intensity.

It depends on what feels comfortable to you.

Another super perk of Iris is the break reminder.

In order to feel good, your eyes need a rest from the screen on every forty minutes or so.

You can set Iris to remind you of a chosen period of time to stop your work and look at far objects for several minutes.

Talk it out

Another way to reduce the stress from work is to directly speak with your employer about what you find stressful.

It could be the noise in your office, the conditions you work in, and the workload you are given.

Last Words

These are some simple ways to minimize the levels of stress in your life and become a healthier person.

After some days of practicing them, you are going to feel way better and grateful for your job and life.

Do not let stress ruin the way you live and the things you love.

Author: Yoana Borisova
Publisher: Kalina Shushlina

Technology & its Harmful Effects on Eyes

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Technology is integral part of our life but what are the hidden threats?

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Wed, 04 Dec 2019 07:21:14 +0000

With this article today we will introduce you to the hidden technology threats of even standing in front of your computer.

Technology is part of the modern world and is evolving at a rapid pace.

Technology has evolved with each passing year, and people are relying on it.

Does this not carry great risks for ourselves?

Do you know that they harbor technologу threats to humanity?

We have decided to clarify this and try to prove it.

Unexpected dangers lie in our reliance on computers and communications that are dependent on electrical power, optical fiber links, and satellites.

We start from afar, but we have a clear goal, to get there.

Satellites are crucial for communications, but they still have a limited life span and can be divided into thousands of components that can affect and even destroy other satellites.

Current plans to improve data speed by doubling the number may mean that satellite technology is outdated and can be replaced in a few decades.

From there, new technology threats can be created.

Failed satellites already contribute to innumerable orbital fragments, so further collisions are inevitable.

Small pieces like an orbital cellphone can have kinetic energy 500 times the size of a military tank shell.

That’s almost impossible to believe, right? But unfortunately, it is a fact.

These types of hazards are predictable, unlike natural phenomena such as emissions from sunspots.

These are some of the threats to technology for all humanity.

Energy, electricity, water, food. All these are vital to the modern man.

Electricity has so much taken over people’s lives that it has become a biological necessity of invention.

Technology threats are like food poisoning. Namely, quite common.

The sun is a friend of humanity but at the same time an enemy.

Basic solar emissions that cross Earth’s orbit are inevitable and can cause complete loss of energy in advanced societies, including the destruction of satellites.

The consequences are so dire that few people want to consider them.

It all points to quite a few phenomena that hamper technology, and from ourselves, as human beings.

We will now descend to earth and look at the technology that surrounds us daily.

That’s right, our favorite computers and mobile devices.

Where to start? For example, how dependent we are.

Have you ever had the battery drop while you’re out and angry that you can’t connect with anyone?

It’s hard for you to imagine what our grandparents did without this kind of communication and source of information.

We will now move on to the worse influence, which is how physically and more accurately our health affects us.

Mobile phones are an integral friend in our daily lives.

For some people, it is even an extension of the hand.

Do you know that such a useful item is also harmful?

How?

First of all, if you are keen on long conversations, the handset emits harmful impulses to the ear that disrupt the structure of the so-called eardrum.

In terms of vision, there is much to be said.

Screens and monitors, we already include our favorite computers here.

They are a major technology threat.

They emit blue light that lingers on our eyes and shows quite a negative effect on tension and sleep.

First of all, what is a blue light?

You’ve heard of UV rays, haven’t you?

In that case, accept the blue light, like yourself a stronger sister.

Blue light has a wavelength of between approximately 380nm and 500nm; making it one of the shortest, highest-energy wavelengths.

After we have clarified the important definition of blue light for us, we will point out a few influences that our eyes detect but show after a certain period of period them are quite extreme, but of course, these things are proven by ophthalmologists, and we only try to inform you.

They are:

Redness of eyes;
Burning of eyes;
Headache;
Disturbed sleep;
Loss of concentration;
Vision loss;
Blindness and others.

After a detailed mention of the ocular effects, sleep should be mentioned.

What happens when there is a lack of sleep in the first three days?

However, it is not until 36 hours after the last sleep that the brain begins to “shut down” or decrease the activity of areas of the brain related to action planning, leading to more impulsive and uncontrolled behavior.

Then comes the real fatigue – the reactions slow down, the brain’s ability to receive and
process information is very difficult.

Within 48 hours, the body loses its ability to metabolize enough glucose for energy and the immune system’s strength decreases dramatically.

In some cases, hallucinations may occur on the third sleepless day.

Insomnia is a common complaint – it is not terrifying if it rarely occurs and has no lasting effects.

If it becomes chronic with recurrent episodes, it can be a symptom of several ailments.

In such cases, immediate medical advice is advised.
That all sounds pretty scary doesn’t it?

Remember that the most invisible can be dangerous.

Technological threats are something that humanity has created.

That is why we must prevent it.

Iris is a company that strives for customer awareness and, above all, a helper for their health protection.

Lately, there is more and more talk of a healthy lifestyle, but let’s not limit it to sports and diet.

Let us not forget that eyes are part of a person’s sensibility.

Unfortunately, despite the complex eye makeup, they fail to protect themselves completely, so Iris comes to the rescue.

If you are surrounded by state-of-the-art technology and the tasks of the day require them to be used for at least three hours without interruption, then you either use safety glasses or suffer from eye strain or headaches.

Everything in the article is intended to show you how dependent we are on technologies, how they influence us even if they are in space, and how we can protect ourselves from it.

In your opinion, do companies that create and upgrade technology need to pay attention to the small details that are becoming cumbersome for consumers?

We hope that we have informed you enough about technology threats.

Remember that you are the ones to protect yourself, and even your relatives should follow your example to improve their health in the future.

Written by Hristina Ferkova

10 hacks to Fall Asleep Faster

10 Tips on how to have Healthy Eyes

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What is light therapy?

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Sun, 24 Nov 2019 11:29:46 +0000

In a number of articles, we were stressing out how important sleep is and how dangerous overexposure to blue light is…this time, however, we are going to present to you the so-called light therapy.

It will surprise you with its methods and the reasons “why”!

Eager to learn more? Let’s go!

Introduction

Light therapy or also called phototherapy.

It includes exposure to daylight or to light at specific wavelengths of light using polychromatic polarized light, lasers, light-emitting diodes, fluorescent lamps, dichroic lamps or very bright, full-spectrum light.

Doctors expose patients to the light for a certain amount of time and sometimes, at a set time of the day.

What do we use light therapy for?

We use light therapy in order to treat the seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and a few other conditions by exposure to artificial light.

Phototherapy affects brain chemicals which are responsible for the regulation of mood and sleep. In turn, this eases SAD symptoms.

The experiment from Japan

Japanese scientists have run an experiment in order to determine how bright light affects the body.

They did not get a full picture of it but cleared out some of the unclarities.

Atsushi Ishida and his teamwork at Kobe University’s medical school in the field of brain science.

The scientists started by exposing mice to bright light.

They noticed the mice experienced a wave of glucocorticoid hormones.

The latter are linked to processes in the body such as metabolism, response to stress, inflammation, and immunity.

The team of Ishida did a couple of different tests on the mice.

However, they did not do the experiment on humans.

This could be actually quite easy – hormone levels after exposure to light should be checked.

Nevertheless, the findings can serve as an explanation of the effectiveness of light therapy in treating SAD or other types of depression.

Conditions

After a short look at the experiment of the Japanese scientists, here are the conditions in which we use light therapy:

It is believed that light therapy is effective in cases of SAD because it resets the body’s biological clock.

Symptoms like depressive behavior, fatigue and sleepiness are eased and the results last for up to 1 month.

The light therapy is definitely a better option than antidepressants since it is mostly safe and easy.

Non – seasonal depression

Even though a review from 2015 concluded that serious methodological flaws occurred in studies previously conducted.

These studies originally proved the positive impact of light therapy on patients with non-seasonal depression.

Therefore it is still being used in such cases.

Sleep disorders and jet lag

Here are included circadian rhythm sleeping disorders, chronic circadian rhythm sleeping disorders, and sleep disorders in Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases.

Adjusting to a nighttime work schedule
Dementia.

In addition to the previous ones, we also use phototherapy as a treatment for skin conditions.

This kind of light therapy is different though.

The lamp for it emits ultraviolet light (UV).

If you don’t filter the light, the treatment is not suitable for other disorders because it can harm the eyes and the skin.

If you do not have a skin condition, you should be very careful about what kind of lamp you choose.

Of course, in case you do it yourself. Make sure that the lamp emits as little UV light as possible.

This way it would be safest!

Talking about safety, we should say that light therapy is safe in general.

Although it is not impossible side effects to occur, they will most likely be mild and won’t last long.

Some of them might be:

-Eyestrain
-Headache
-Nausea
-Irritability
-Agitation linked to bipolar disorder.

Side effects will probably occur at the beginning of light therapy.

They should go away on their own in a few days.

Yet, you can try to regulate them. How?

Move further from your lightbox, take regular breaks during prolonged sessions or change the time of the day you use it.

If you have any other concerns or would like to hear more advice on the topic, talk to your doctor.

Nevertheless, always have a health professional guide you while you are under light therapy!

Light therapy lamps

We are going to show you which are the best light therapy lamps in 2019 in the categories overall, budget and SAD.

We would like to note that you should consult with your doctor before buying any light therapy lamp!

Best overall: Circadian Optics Lumine Light Therapy Lamp

The design of this lamp is very simple and modern.

You can fit it everywhere in your home. In addition to that, it is very easy to use – with a quick one-touch!

There are 3 levels that you can adjust for greatest efficacy.

Furthermore, the Circadian Optics Lumine Lamp is free of UV rays and the LED bulbs last about 50,000 hours.

So you should not really worry about anything!

Best budget: Verilux HappyLight

This lamp is a very compact option in terms of not only size but budget as well.

It is portable and safe, tested to the highest standards.

The UV rays are being again filtered to protect both your eyes and your skin.

Moreover, you can use the lamp daily and sit in front of it for a bit longer.

Best for SAD: Carex Day-Light Classic Plus Bright Light Therapy Lamp

The Carex Day-Light Classic Light Therapy Lamp is a clinically proven product that will help you combat the symptoms of the unpleasant SAD.

It filters out 99,3% of UV light.

The light is projected downwards as to how health professionals recommend.

The lamp is long-lasting, height-adjustable and includes 2 light settings.

Aside from SAD, The Carex Day-Light Classic Light Therapy Lamp can ease symptoms of shift adjustment, jet lag, circadian sleep disorders, and Winter Blues as well.

If you have low energy, you can use it while exercising or in the morning to energize you!

If you would like to check out more options, click on source 3 from the sources list after the article!

Red light therapy

As opposed to the previous two kinds of light therapy we have described, the red light therapy uses waves in the red and infrared spectrum.

It is important to mention that red and infrared light is 100% safe for skin and you should not worry about the risk of cancer, sunburn or tanning!

It can help you if you have to deal with inflammation healing, tissue regeneration, brain recovery, or relief painful side effects from cancer.

So, how it works? Simply put, the (infra)red wave goes straight to the cell, which is deep inside the body.

It enhances the molecule ATP, responsible for carrying energy within cells.

This way every cell gets a little bit of a nitro, making it do its job better. Almost every system in your body can be affected by such a boost

Numerous studies have been conducted in order to find if red light therapy actually has health benefits.

It turns out that it does! The red light therapy has been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a treatment for a number of conditions, including:

Inflammation
Hair and skin
Soft-tissue damage – like sprains and strains
Pain relief – the results on the effectiveness of red light therapy are so straightforward, that FDA declared it as a treatment of minor pains and arthritis.
Wound healing
Muscle repair – a study from 2018 found red light therapy effective in reducing knee muscle fatigue, both before and after exercise.
Circulation – The circulation in the body gets increased, providing more oxygen and nutrients for internal healing.
Weight loss
Cellulite

There are also no known side effects of red light therapy.

Your body can only get a little tired after usage if you are new to it.

Of course, you can have red light therapy at home since its popularity has been going up in the past few years.

The forms vary and it depends on what you prefer – whether be it masks, handheld devices, bulbs, and even full red light beds.

However, before buying any of the following, better consult with a dermatologist or other professional who can help you get the best option, depending on your condition.

Light therapy at home

While briefly describing our top 3 light therapy lamps, it has become clear that you can treat yourself at home.

All of the listed devices are perfect for at-home use.

You can take the portable ones with you wherever you go – at the office or when you’re off on vacation.

They are small and therefore very convenient.

Still, we would like to remind you to always consult with your doctor, before buying any light therapy lamp.

Even though every one of the suggested lamps is of high quality, it is really important to have a professional opinion in mind.

Especially if you want to treat a skin condition.

In this case, you should be very careful about what you are exposing your skin too, in order not to irritate it more.

After you know which device is the best one for your condition, go grab it and you surely won’t regret the money you have spent on it!

You will notice the improvements in a short period of time.

Just make sure not to overuse the device and to follow the therapy as recommended!

Well, we at IRIS are looking very serious at the skincare. This is why our software blocks the blue light to it can protect your skin from aging.

Conclusion

Light therapy is used to treat depressive behavior and sleep disorders, as well as skin conditions.

Most likely, light therapy influences parts of the brain which are responsible for mood and sleep.

Science does not give us any certain pieces of evidence up to this point but we rather believe in the efficacy in phototherapy.

People suffering from the disorders that the therapy can treat, give positive feedback most of the time.

However, as we mentioned more than once in the article, we highly recommend talking to your doctor about possible solutions for your problem before making a decision on your own!

Author: Iliana Stoyanova

The post What is light therapy? appeared first on 💡👨‍💻 Iris - Software for Eye protection, Health and Productivity 🛌👀.

5 affordable ways to invest in your health

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Sun, 03 Nov 2019 09:57:37 +0000

Some people invest in real estate, passive income, savings and so on but what they do not realize is that the best investment they could possibly make is in their health.

It may sound expensive to you but it is actually not.

In fact, it can be very easy and pleasant if you decide to change your life for the better.

Introduction

Health is probably the most important element of a person’s well-being.

If you are not healthy, you can not be completely happy, successful, or calm.

Investing in your health will spare you a lot of money and future worries and will eventually enable you to enjoy the years of your retirement for longer.

Of course, you can never predict what might happen but you can always try to decrease your risk as much as possible. Here are 5 ways you can do this:

5 ways to become a healthier version of yourself

Educate yourself

If you are starting just now with a healthy lifestyle, it is crucial to invest in your health educating first.

As with everything else, having the needed knowledge and using it in the right way is the key to success.

Learn about the nutrients your body needs the most, what type of exercise is the right for you, how to take self-care to the next level, etc.

However, you should have in mind that there is lots of misinformation on the Internet.

Therefore you should be very careful while choosing your sources – always make sure they are reliable!

Turn exercise into a habit

It is scientifically proven that exercise is good for both physical and mental health.

Regular exercise improves memory and thinking skill and it reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer.

It also strengthens the immune system, builds stronger bones and many more.

Exercise boosts the mood as well which will lead to a healthier life overall.

If the gym membership is too expensive for you, you can always find an alternative.

Platforms like YouTube are full of free workout videos, ranging from high-intensity interval training (the so-called HIIT) to yoga and pilates. No or little equipment is needed.

Another cheap way to workout you can try is running or walking.

If you do not have a park nearby, you can run or walk around your neighborhood.

To make these sessions funnier, find an enthusiastic friend to share them with.

Make it more challenging as time goes by increasing the distance or the speed.
Investing in your health is to make sure that you get the right pair of shoes.

They should fit perfectly and feel comfortable.

Buying sneakers online is most likely going to be cheaper than from the store but take this investment seriously since your well-being depends on it.

Turning exercise into a habit can also mean walking or biking to work.

This way you exercise and also de-stress.

Understandably, this is only possible if the weather is nice and you live near your workplace.

However, it is advisable to choose the movement at any convenient time.

You can also track it which will surely help you lead a healthier lifestyle.

Using a smartphone app or a movement tracking device is up to you – both are cheap in the long-term!

In the beginning, aim for at least 10 000 steps a day.

The last tip is to try to incorporate exercise naturally.

Especially if you are a busy individual and have no time for workouts, you can do the following – take the stairs instead of the elevator, park a bit further away or clean your house regularly.

All these little things might seem insignificant but they add up and keep your body moving.

Pay attention to the food you eat

According to studies, a diet rich in vegetables (and fruits) lowers the risk of numerous diseases such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes.

It improves vision, digestion and blood pressure.

Besides, vegetables make you feel fuller which can result in limiting your calories unintentionally and therefore weight loss.

To invest in your health means that you have to buy produce that is good for you, eating plenty of vegetables will make you reach your daily nutritional goals since they contain complex carbs, proteins and many more healthy vitamins and minerals!

It is recommended to avoid sugary and high processed foods.

Do not fool yourself to buy “low-fat” foods as a healthy option since it often happens that they contain a lot of sugar in order to preserve the original taste.

Furthermore, regular consumption of ultra-processed foods (this includes packaged snacks, industrialized confectionery, etc.) is correlated with cancer risk.

Produce can be expensive, especially if you buy whatever is in store and let it sit in the fridge for too long.

Instead, learn which products are in season and buy them since they are cheaper.

This is due to the less packaging and transportation involved until they get to you.

In addition to that, it is better to cook your own food, instead of wasting your money on takeaway.

This way you can try a lot of new recipes too! Plus, you will support your local producers.

Get enough sleep

It is really hard to stress enough how important sleep is.

It is a vital process for the proper function of our whole body.

Therefore you have to make sure that you get enough sleep and that you get quality sleep.

Aim for at least 7-8 hours every night.

In a previous article, we have shared some tips with you on how to get the best sleep of your life.

So, if you have any issues with this one – go check it out and you will sleep like a baby.

Another way to invest in your health is to purchase Iris.

Iris has different modes with will block the blue light from your monitor and help you sleep better at night!

Manage stress

The hectic everyday life of the modern person undoubtedly includes stress.

Too much mental and emotional pressure which you can not deal with may bring you some serious health problems.

Psychical pain becomes physical. For this reason, the sooner you learn how to manage stress, the better.

It all depends on the person, so find out what works best for you – be it meditation, listening to music, walking, exercise, the possibilities are endless.

If you are unable to do it by yourself, seek professional help and never let this worry you – you are not crazy, you just want to live a healthier and happier life!

Conclusion

There are even more totally affordable ways to invest in your health than the 5 mentioned above.

Most importantly you have to be open to new ideas and approaches to your environment.

You should know why you want to change your lifestyle and never forget to remind it yourself.

As cheesy as it sounds, small steps lead to great changes that are surely worth the effort.

Eat well, exercise regularly, sleep enough and manage stress – with the right knowledge you will succeed and become a happier version of yourself, no doubt!

Author: Iliana Stoyanova

https://www.helpguide.org/articles/sleep/getting-better-sleep.htm

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10 habits that will improve your sleep quality

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 08:35:37 +0000

Did you know you could have a better life when you improve your sleep?

Feeling tired all the time and the lack of sleep may cause not only tiredness but serious health issues and reduce your productivity.

In this article, we will discuss ten habits that will improve your sleep quality and help you live a healthy life.

Why improve your sleep is important?

Sleeping is essential, it helps your body to relax from the pressure we all get from work, school and doing literally anything through the day.

Think of it as a way to charge your brain, just like you charge your phone and hope it is going to operate as much longer as possible.

While you sleep, many processes that your body can not perform during the time you are in the state of being awake, unlock.

What happens while you sleep:

your body relaxes – physically and mentally;

it also clears itself of harmful viruses and bacteria;

sleep controls weight;

a good sleep fights depression and makes you feel better.

In this article, we will discuss several healthy lifestyle tips that could help you improve your sleep quality and stay fresh throughout the whole day.

10 hacks for a night of better sleep:

Take more exercises

Not only is doing sports of great importance to staying fit and healthy, but it benefits for falling asleep faster.

When you tire yourself through the day, it will be easier to fall asleep at night.

Studies show that a 30-minute sports activity per day is enough to grant you sweet dreams.

However, do not do it right before going to bed, for your heartbeat will accelerate, which won’t help you sleep better at all.

Eat healthy food and meals

The best way to manage your diet is by eating most of your meals by midday and almost none after 6 pm.

A lot of people cope with insomnia by eating special food like almond nuts, bananas, milk goods, and etc., that are rich in magnesium and initiate sleep hormones.

Nicotine, caffeine, and alcohol are as well not recommended if you want to sleep better.

Listen to your nature clock

The circadian body rhythm is called the thing that connects us to nature and its cycles.

It is our inside body clock.

The circadian rhythm is different for every person, therefore some of us feel more energetic early in the morning, others at night.

The way to get the best of your circadian rhythm is to follow it.

Monitor at what time of the day you feel sleepy and the opposite, then adapt your daily routine according to that.

If needed and if applicable, change the time you go to work, eat, and go out.

Turn your phone off while resting and most importantly, start by little, because you do not want to stress out your body with drastic changes.

Thus you won’t be working against your body.

Be careful with lighting

In addition to the previous statements is that artificial lighting affects the circadian rhythm, too.

Without a doubt, humanity is already too dependent on this kind of lighting.

Since it was invented it has changed everybody’s sleeping pattern.

Artificial lights give fake signals to our bodies about the perception of time and whether it is day or night.

In order to avoid such traumas, try to minimize strong lights in the late hours.

Then go for warm colored light bulbs, that are closer to the sun’s natural color spectrum, and replace them in all of the rooms that you spend a lot of time in the evenings.

Try natural remedies

Many essential oils are the key to improve your sleep quality.

Scents can bring up different feelings, including relaxation.

This is the reason why scent therapies exist.

Some of the most famous and reliable essential oils for beating insomnia are lavender, valerian, sandalwood and chamomile.

In fact, you can use any essential oil or scent that you like, brings you good memories, and lets your brain relax.

Meditate

Clean your brain clear of unwanted and excessive information.

All you have to do it to leave all your problems aside and think of nothing.

Give your brain some rest for several minutes.

Let it prepare for rest and sweet dreams.

Read a book

Already it’s scientifically proven that reading can reduce stress by almost 70%.

And since the main cause of sleeplessness is stress and anxiety, not only is reading a great way to relieve them, but you will spend some time before bed with a great story and favorite characters that will let you forget your problems for a while.

Optimize your bedroom

The room you sleep in should be appropriate for that. One must feel comfortable in his own bed.

Therefore you should invest a bit in making that special place the bedroom of your dreams.

For example, cool down the temperatures and dim the lights.

Remove all blue light sources, so that you do not get distracted and stick to colors and palettes that you would enjoy to see every morning when you wake up.

Protect your eyes from blue light

Eyes are closely connected to our well-sleep and blue light, which is emitted by all electronics with displays – like smartphones, computers, tablets, and TVs – damage them.

Blue light affects melatonin production, which is one of the main sleep hormones.

Also, blue light affects the circadian rhythm of which we talked at the beginning, plus that it damages our eyesight.

Nonetheless, we live in such times where the use of technologies is unavoidable.

The best way to both use your devices and not harm your eyes is to launch software like Iris.

Iris is like a filter that blocks the blue light radiation from your smartphone and computer effectively.

This software works in the background and will not distract you from doing your job.

Clearing out the blue light, your eyes will not strain and you can expect a better sleep experience after the long hours you spend in staring in the display.

Make a before-bed routine

By using all of the tips above you could compose a great bedtime routine to help you fall asleep faster and sleep better.

Start by turning off all the blue light from your computer and phone with Iris without having to put them aside, then see what will work for you and experiment!

Last words

The great things start with small and easy steps, like a good quality sleep.

It is not difficult at all to look after your own health.

After all, being the best in your job and even in life greatly depends on your health (and in this case improve your sleep).

Author: Yoana Borisova

Sources:

10 Hacks to fall asleep faster

How to have a good Sleep

The 8-hour myth: sleep better and live longer with these 7 healthy tips

Why is blue light bad for sleep

How does blue light affect your sleep

The post 10 habits that will improve your sleep quality appeared first on 💡👨‍💻 Iris - Software for Eye protection, Health and Productivity 🛌👀.

Improving your posture while on the computer?

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Wed, 30 Oct 2019 06:53:19 +0000

Improving your posture is important for looking good.

If you want improving your posture, you can exercises to strengthen your muscles.

It is 2019 and we are sitting more than ever before.

According to a study conducted last year, the average American sits on a chair for a longer period of time than 8 hours.

Every single day.

Sitting the whole day increases the risk of injury, cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Moreover, research on possible connections between bad posture and poor sleep is being done.

Introduction

The term posture defines the way a person is positioned while sitting, standing, lying down or completing different tasks.

Even though we are not aware enough about it, the posture of our body is essential for our health.

Poor posture may cause neck and back pain, difficulty breathing, heartburn, headaches and so on.

The good news is there are a few tips and exercises you should become familiar with in order to improve your posture.

It won’t be easy at first but it will be 100% worth it since you will start to feel more aware of your own body afterwards.

Tips for a better posture while on the computer

The most important step towards a better posture is actually finding the correct position.

You have to follow a number of simple steps.

1. Sit at the end of your chair and slouch with your shoulders and neck.

2. Slowly pull your shoulders and neck up in a tall standing position, pushing your lower back forward. It is highly likely this is going to feel a bit uncomfortable.

3. Release the sitting position slightly and scoot back in the chair until your back has reached the backrest.

After you have found the right position, you have to make sure to keep it and as time goes by, to make it a habit!

It takes about 4 to 8 weeks to build up a habit.

So, do not feel discouraged in the beginning and keep going with the process.

Sit correctly and continue with the following:

1. Put a pillow or a rolled-up towel (be careful not to choose too large one) between the chair and your lower back. This way your back is going to be supported.

2. Adjust your chair so that your legs are parallel with the ground, knees even with your hips or slightly below.

3. Rest your feet on the floor. If you are wearing high heels, it is advisable to take them off. Try not to cross your legs because it may reduce blood flow and therefore cause muscle strain. If you can not reach the floor, use a stool or a footrest.

4. Put your screen at the level of your eyes (you can use a stack of books in the sake of it) and around an arm’s length away. When your screen is too low or too high it may be the reason for neck pain and eye strain.

5. Leave some space between the edge of your keyboard and your desk in order to give your wrists place where to rest.

6. Keep your mouse easy to reach and your wrist straight while using it.

7. Keep your most used objects near you so that you do not stretch all the time. This may cause muscle strain and even joint pain.

8. Use speakerphone or a handset if you are constantly on the phone.

9. Move around frequently. While you get your blood flowing by walking or with some sort of an exercise (like calf raises or squats if you have enough room), you will take a break from your computer as well. It is recommended to rest every 30 minutes or at least every hour for around 1-2 minutes.

Guidelines for good posture in different positions

It is crucial to maintain the right position for your body not only while you are at the computer, but when you are standing or lying down as well.

The following brief descriptions should serve you as a guide to a better posture in every situation.

When you stand, your feet should be flat on the floor, shoulder-width apart.

Stand tall like a string and let your arms relax by the sides of your body.

Your belly button should be pulled gently toward your spine, chin parallel to the ground.

Try not to lean on one leg since this may cause muscle imbalance around your pelvis.

In turn such imbalances may be the reason for lower back and buttocks muscle strain.

Do not carry your backpack on one shoulder because it may also result in uneven hips.

Still, do not panic – the exercises we have provided later in the article are going to help you correct any imbalances!

When you sit, keep your back and shoulders straight.

Again keep your feet on the ground and try not to cross your legs, nor your ankles.

Rest your forearms on the desk with your shoulders back.

In this case your chin should also be parallel to the floor.

Allowing your neck to lean forward while on the computer on the phone, may lead to poor posture and problems known as “text neck”.

Scientists have made the suggestion that a “text neck” may cause mutations in the brain.

When lying down and trying to maintain a good posture, you can do that by lying on your back or side.

Keep your spine aligned and try not to twist your waist.

If you feel any back pain, put a pillow underneath or between your legs – this trick should relieve it!

It is advisable not to sleep on your stomach since this position puts a lot of pressure on the neck, shoulder and back as it forces the neck to twist.

Exercises for a good posture

Along with the tips mentioned above, you can try a bunch of exercises too.

They will help you improve your posture when you are on the computer and even when you are standing.

If you hate working out, do not worry!

These exercises do not require any preliminary experience at the gym.

However, the movements will increase your muscle strength and flexibility.

1. Child’s pose

This yoga pose can be used as a resting position during a yoga or exercise session. It lengthens and stretches the spine and opens the hips.

Start on your hands and knees.
Lean your body forward and extend your arms toward the front of the mat.
Slowly drop your hips back, trying to rest them on your heels.
Rest your forehead on the ground.

2. Plank

Plank engages the muscles of the whole body. Especially shoulders, back and core which are all essential for good posture.

Start on your hands and knees. Your hands should align with your shoulders, while your knees – with your hips.
Lift your heels and straighten your legs. Your body should form a straight line.
Keep your abdominal muscles contracted and squeeze your glutes.
Hold for about 30-60 seconds.
Try not to let your lower back sink during the exercise and look at the floor.

3. Cat-Cow pose

This position makes the neck, shoulders and spine more flexible and stretches the muscles of the hips, back, chest.

It is also said to relieve menstrual cramps or lower back pain.

Start on your hands and knees in a tabletop position. Wrists, elbows and shoulders should be in one line.
As you exhale: Using your abdominal muscles try to push your spine toward the ceiling, allowing your head to reach toward your chest.
As you inhale: Drop your belly toward the floor, lifting your chin, chest and gaze up toward the ceiling. You should draw your shoulders away from your ears.

4. Glute bridges

This exercise strengthens the glutes and the abdominal muscles, which will relieve stress in the lower back.

Lie on your back. Bent your knees with your feet flat on the floor.
Lift your hips, buttocks and low back. Engage your glutes and core in the process!
Lie back down and repeat several times.

5. Chest stretch

Stand straight, legs shoulder-width apart.
Reach both arms behind you, interlacing your fingers below your lower back. Your head should be in a neutral position.
Pull back and down with your shoulders, lifting your chest.
Hold for a few seconds and release.

All ladies who find building up a habit a hard task, we have a link in the sources of information at the end of the article.

Under the number 6 there is an article with a 30 days programme for an improved posture.

In the course of 4 weeks you will try different exercises and stretches which will release muscle strain, increase your flexibility and awareness of your body.

You will have to take only 8 to 20 minutes of your day to complete the daily programme.

Bonus advice

In addition to regular stretching and being aware of your posture, there are some other tips we can give you to help you get that better posture.

Staying active is very important.

It does not really matter whether it is going to be cardio, strength training or just stretching.

All kind of exercise is good for both your physical and mental health.

It will help you build up the muscles that are needed for a good posture.

Wear comfortable shoes with a low heel since put a lot less stress on your muscles and joints.

Maintain a healthy weight.

Excess weight can weaken the core and put more pressure on the joints and ligaments.

Conclusion

It may seem as it is too much information but it is actually very easy to take the road to a better posture.

You just have to be focused while reading all tips and seriously decide that you want to change.

Start with small steps – for example pay attention to the way you stand or sit.

Then start to correct your posture by using the technique for finding the right one.

Try to incorporate some of the suggested exercises and stretches to feel low back pain release as soon as possible.

To see even better results, try to be more active in your everyday life since this will result in improved overall health and mood.

If you find it hard to remember to do the movements, set an alarm to remind you every morning.

You can do them every evening as well because they can also help you unwind and enjoy a better night’s sleep.

We are hoping that you have found this article helpful and will stand tall from now on (both literally and figuratively)!

Author: Ilina Stoyanova

Sources:

Images:
Google.com

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10 benefits of reading before bed

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 12:55:44 +0000

It is a common occurrence in adults to neglect the habit of reading before bed.

In 2018 25% of Americans say they have not read a single book in the past year.

A scary result, considering the amount of time spent every day in scrolling social media and reading articles about celebrities’ lives.

This kind of reading is not beneficial in any way – not physically, nor mentally.

But why and how should we make reading our friends?

Introduction

I have heard the claim that you should not read before bed because it awakens the imagination and therefore you will fall asleep harder.

It is misleading without being put in a context.

It actually depends on what kind of books you choose to read before calling it a day.

In addition, research tends to prove that reading at that time of the day is the most beneficial.

10 benefits of reading before sleep

Here are 10 reasons which will make you adapt to this habit as soon as possible:

It reduces stress and anxiety

Researchers from the University of Sussex conducted a study in order to see if stress levels are being influenced by reading, especially before bed.

It turned out that even six minutes of reading can reduce your stress levels by as high as 68 percent!

It is believed that due to the fact we get lost in the book, focusing completely on the plot, we let go of the real-world problems.

This eventually results in lowering the muscle and heart tension.

Yet you have to be careful what genre you choose – thriller, horror, the mystery should be avoided since the suspense might make you stay awake instead.

So it is better to stick to calming and inspirational books that will have a positive impact on your mood.

It improves sleep quality

If both your body and your mind are relaxed, it is certainly sure that your sleep quality will be better.

Take the children who love good stories before bed as an example – this leads to inducing sleep.

Reading calms the mind and clears or at least minimizes thoughts that may disrupt us.

If you find it hard to deal with them, this might be the solution for you!

It makes you more creative

According to research reading before bed will make you more creative and passionate about your projects.

It is no coincidence that the majority of executives, investors, and leaders in any area take the time to read before sleep.

It helps them not only unwind from the busy day they have had, but also train their creativity and give them new ideas or career approaches.

Later in the article, you can learn what some famous successful people prefer to read before bed.

It decreases the time we are exposed to screens

The blue light emitted from screens suppresses the brain’s ability to secrete melatonin, the hormone responsible to make us feel sleepy.

Therefore the exposure to any gadgets like smartphones, laptops or even television can worsen the quality of our sleep.

It is recommended to put aside all devices at least an hour before going to bed.

This also includes e-book readers, even though some of them do have a blue light filter.

Grab a physical book instead and feel its magic happening!

It acts as an effective sleep-inducing habit

Just like in the dog’s experiment of the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov, creating the habit of reading before bed can start to act as an effective sleep-inducing habit.

This way you develop a virtual relation between reading and sleeping.

As it will become a signal for the brain that it is time to call it a day, falling asleep will become easier!

It will improve your concentration

With all the new technologies and our hectic daily routines, we have started to lose our ability to concentrate.

We are constantly trying to catch up with everything by “multitasking”.

This approach does not always work though. Instead of helping us to complete all of our tasks, we often end up with almost no work done.

On the other hand, reading can help in such miserable situations.

It will force us to process the information without the visual aids smartphones and computers provide.

Thus we will train our brains to concentrate and again wake up our imagination and creativity.

It is likely to make you wake up mentally relaxed

You may have heard the quote: “The quality of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts”.

But it can be said that it depends upon the quality of your sleep as well.

If we wake up well-rested, we will have more energy and motivation for the day that is ahead of us.

Reading before bed almost ensures that we will get a good sleep.

With an improved sleep pattern, your body is likely to feel re-energized in the morning and your mind – relaxed.

It positively influences our dreams

Most often our dreams are a product of the thoughts we have had before bed.

Consequently, if you have had troubles during the day or something else worries you, you might experience a bad dream.

In turn, the right book before sleep will make you concentrate on a pleasant plot and calm your mind.

Afterward, you might dream about your favorite character and what’s better?

It is more effective

Surely, reading is beneficial in general.

But having to read on the bus or in any other noisy place might ruin the whole experience.

Evenings and nights at home are usually quiet.

If you choose to read at that time, you will get into the story much easier because of the lack of distractions.

Therefore reading before bed is considered to be a more effective and focused form of reading.

It will make you more empathic

To be empathic means to have the ability to understand and share the feelings of others.

Every book has characters and a plot to which we connect to a certain extent. As we dive deep into the story, we subconsciously become a part of it.

This way we feel what the characters are supposed to feel, we try to understand their pain.

Raymond Mar, a psychologist at York University in Canada, has a work supporting the claim that reading makes us more empathic.

The author writes: “Narratives offer a unique opportunity to engage this capacity, as we identify with characters’ longings and frustrations, guess at their hidden motives and track their encounters with friends and enemies, neighbors and lovers.”

Furthermore, when being concentrated in what is being said and meant in the book, we also become a good listener. This is another form of empathy and understanding.

What do successful people read before bed?

Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft, says that he reads for an hour every night, even if he gets home late.

His reading topics range from public health to the history of shipping containers.

Arianna Huffington is the founder of The Huffington Post.

She takes sleep very seriously, as well as her evening reading routine.

Huffington always reads “old-fashioned” paper books and recommends banning electronic devices like e-book readers, laptops, tablets.

In 2012 Barack Obama told Rolling Stone he spends a lot of time reading reports, briefing books, studies, and intelligence assessments.

The American fashion designer Vera Wang sees her bedroom as “a refuge” as she told Fortune in 2006.

She uses part of her evenings to read over whatever her staff sends.

Tim Armstrong, CEO of The AOL, gets home around 20:00 and sits down to read a book or two to his daughters, he told The Guardian.

Conclusion

Reading before bed is the most effective form of reading since it is deprived of any distractions.

Ergo we can soothe our minds and transition our body from working mode to shutting it off for sleep.

An inspirational and pleasant book will positively influence our dreams and overall mood, which will lead to improved sleep quality as well.

The combination of all these benefits will make us feel well-rested in the mornings, increase our creativity and concentration levels and decrease our stress and anxiety by up to 68 percent.

So it is time to adopt the habit of reading before bed if you have neglected it for a while.

And if you take it as a ritual, good job – keep doing it this way!

Reading doesn’t have to be harmful to the eyes.

With Iris’s reading mode your eyes won’t get tired when you read from your mobile device.

You can try Iris and see for yourself!

Author: Ilina Stoyanova

Sources:
What is digital health? Everything you need to know about the future of healthcare
Технологиите вече превръщат и здравето в дигитален продукт

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The foundations of Digital Health

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Wed, 23 Oct 2019 09:32:01 +0000

If you are not familiar with the meaning of the phrase “ digital health”,…

you may think it is about being aware of the time you spent on any of your devices and how to reduce the scrolling, TV shows binge-watching, etc.

What digital health is actually about, is the use of technology in order to help people improve their health and wellness.

Introduction

We live in a world that revolves around an increasing number and kinds of technologies.

It all started with the radio, then television came along, the computer, the smartphones…

After our everyday lives and our relationships even have been digitized, it has come the time for the digitalization of our health as well.

What does digital health aim for?

The aims of digital health are not unambiguous.

They include preventing disease, helping patients monitor and manage chronic conditions, lower costs of healthcare provision and making medicine more tailored to individual needs.

These aims may be beneficial not only for patients but also for healthcare providers.

It is hoped that individuals will be able to improve their lifestyle and maintain good health for longer…, if

…they gather more data on markers of their health, such as activity level or blood pressure.

Consequently, fewer visits to the physician will be needed.

Another benefit of digital health tools is the help they could provide in the identification of a new illness or the worsening of an already existing one.

This will also enable doctors to take measures in the early courses of the disease and eventually shorten its length or ease the symptoms before it is too late.

So it can be said that digital health will improve the quality of life of the patient, as well as reduce the total cost of a person’s healthcare.

The different paths taken

The leading companies in the IT sector are, of course, aiming to be leaders in the digital health area too.

Their strategies though are a bit different from one another.

It is thought that Google has the most far-sighted strategy.

It is not the only one among its rivals that launched health-tracking wearable gadgets – the Google Wear and the health platform Fit.

Alphabet unites Google businesses and is focused on health.

It has a few companies which are completely devoted to the improvement of quality of life and longevity.

Google is also putting a serious effort into artificial intelligence for healthcare.

It is using it to identify eye disease from scans, which are usually read by doctors.

Apple’s endeavors are rooted in the present by providing apps and services.

It already has a platform for health services and apps.

Besides, the functionality of the Apple Watch was expanded in order to make it more health-focused.

ECG detection feature for example.

However, Apple focuses primarily on monitoring.

Amazon is not inferior to its rivals.

The company has recently bought a medication delivery company and has plans to change the way healthcare is delivered in the US by building its own health platform.

The efforts of Microsoft and IBM

Last but not least Microsoft and IBM are mostly focused on developing artificial intelligence which can be used to help doctors.

IBM Watson already helps physicians diagnose different types of cancer.

Meanwhile, Microsoft is developing the platform Azure that can help with the precise selection of medicines.

Trends and opportunities

The biggest trend in digital health right now is probably all the wearable gadgets like FitBit, Apple Watch, and other smart bands.

With the launch of such technologies and mobile health apps, people can easily gather data on their activity level.

For example, a number of steps, minutes of exercise.

This data can be stored and compared, as well as shared.

Furthermore, digital health can be used not only to measure “lifestyle health” but to manage diseases as well.

An off-the-shelf connected blood pressure cuff can show the blood pressure levels of its user and identify what changes in everyday life are beneficial.

Also which medications improve the control over the condition.

Glucose monitors are also a thing – this way diabetics can track their blood sugar over time and know-how effective their diets and medications are.

Another opportunity which the further development of digital health can provide is to cut the cost of the appointments with the doctor.

Emergency room visits and even hospital admissions of people with these conditions.

Which problems are to be solved by digital health?

It is expected that companies would want to benefit from all the data they have.

Health is a huge industry and it is an expensive one. Naturally, patients are looking for ways to save money.

This can happen not by treating, but by preventing disease.

Some conditions can, to a large extent, be controlled or prevented by measures taken in everyday life.

Such are high blood pressure, type II diabetes, raised cholesterol.

This is the role wearable gadgets play.

They enable people to track their activities, exercise, weight and have a better overlook on their health in general.

Conclusion

More innovations in the digital health area are yet to come.

But what we have for now – for example, all the wearable gadgets – helps us easily maintain a healthy lifestyle by all the data it gives us.

Suffering from an illness like high blood pressure can also be improved by digital health technologies.

They will surely improve the quality of life of the patients.

It will save them costs for healthcare as well.

But we should never forget that smartphones, apps, or even artificial intelligence can not replace the visits to the doctor.

Like blood tests and the examination devices.

Health is most important and should be taken seriously.

Always, when having worries about it, seek out professional help!

The software we developed is other innovations in digital health.

Iris is software that makes monitors more healthy for the eyes.

It automatically adapts to the light around you reduces the blue light emitted from your screen for better sleep

Iris software removes flicker and other harmful emissions from your monitor.

Author: Ilina Stoyanova

10 Tips How To Have Healthy Eyes

14 tips to make your monitor healthier for your eyes

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EMF Exposure: Is it what you think it is?

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Sat, 22 Jun 2019 12:45:47 +0000

What does EMF mean?

EMF stands for electromagnetic field.

It’s the combination of electric and magnetic fields. EMF is a physical field caused by electrically charged objects.

It’s also one of the four fundamental forces of the universe.

The electric field is a stationary charge and the magnetic field is formed by moving currents.

In the past these two were thought to be completely separate, but as science progressed we see that together they form the EMF.

Meaning that electricity and magnetism are not unrelated phenomena.

The charged moving fields also affect particles that find themselves in the fields.

This is where the modern perception that EMF is dangerous comes from.

Our understanding of the different wavelengths of the spectrum has shown that higher energy particles pose a great danger to our lives hence the mass confusion.

EMF Exposure

The effects of EMF on health depend on the frequency and intensity of the fields created.

Let’s take a look at the different types of waves in the EM spectrum and how they might affect us.

Low-frequency waves

LFWs have long wavelengths as big as buildings! Extremely low-frequency waves can cause at most an annoying tingling sensation.

They along with shortwaves have been used in medicine for heating up tissues and muscles.

Some studies have also shown the positive effects of shortwaves on cancer treatment.

In 2011 the World Health Organisation (WHO) classified mobile phone signals as ‘possibly carcinogenic’.

This has been widely misinterpreted. The definition simply means that not enough studies have been made to conclude that mobile phones don’t cause cancer.

In no way does that mean that phones do cause cancer!

Like many other things, however, this has been blown out of proportion and many people today live with the idea that they’ll get cancer from prolonged exposure to phones and computers.

However, no studies since the 1960s have shown results that distinctly say phones cause cancer.

In fact, there are many other things in our daily lives that are more likely to cause cancer than your smartphone.

Also, remember when I said radio waves are as long as tall buildings.

Well even if you don’t have a phone, your neighbor one wall over certainly does.

Millimeter and microwaves (not the machine, but that’s what they emit anyway) are used in airport security scans and satellite communication.

Many people believe microwave ovens make food radioactive and cause cancer, but that has never been proven true and in fact, is considered a myth nowadays.

In some work environments like welders, glass cutters and similar high-heat industry settings it is mandatory to wear Infrared-proof protective glasses.

High heat can produce strong infrared light (also referred to as radiation) which being invisible can cause cataracts and even blindness.

For effects of visible light on health check out our articles: “Blue light – learn the fact and fiction behind this modern threat” and “How blue light destroyed our sleep”

High-frequency waves

HFWs are what’s called ionizing radiation.

This means that when they pass through an object (or human) they can cause the electrons to leave the atoms they’re a part of.

Obviously, that’s not a good thing and can lead to some pretty nasty results.

As you probably already know UV light emitted from the Sun can cause severe sunburns.

And after prolonged exposure, it can also lead to skin cancer.

Exposure to UV light can also increase in highly-reflective areas like a snowy mountain top or an icy tundra.

UV light can also cause eye strain and even lead to cataract.

Other sources of UV light are tanning beds, bright desk lights and fluorescent light bulbs.

The permanent effects of the exposure may not be evident immediately but show up after quite some time.

X-ray radiation is also referred to as Röntgen radiation by the name of the scientist who discovered it.

It’s vastly used in radiology to make scans of bones and tissue to examine medical problems like fractures and assist with operations.

Soon after it was found out that too much exposure to X-rays can be extremely dangerous. Reported side effects after X-ray scans were bald spots, burns, pain and even death.

Observation of X-rays is also used in astronomy, inspecting industrial parts to find counterfeits, inspection of paintings to reveal the first pigments or other paintings underneath, and even for fine art photography like this:

The more exposure to X-rays you have the higher your chance of complications.

The American College of Radiology recommends a lifetime exposure to 100 mSv (micro Sieverts－unit for measuring radiation)- that’s about 10 000 X-ray scans or 25 chest CT scans.

Gamma rays are the most dangerous out of all high-frequency waves. They have the shortest wavelength and the highest energy.

Gamma rays are highly penetrative which means you’ll need a wide lead or concrete block to shield you from the radiation (and that might not even do the trick).

Gamma radiation can break up the building blocks of life－DNA.

However, gamma radiation is also used in the so-called nuclear medicine as a treatment for cancer because gamma rays can swiftly kill cancer cells.

Scientific evidence

There have been many proponents of the ideas that cell towers, computers, mobile phones, microwaves, wifi routers, Bluetooth devices and even regular power lines cause cancer and are dangerous to our lives.

Like every other conspiracy, this has been blown out of proportion.

As we learned in this article the electromagnetic field is a very widespread thing and doesn’t include just cell phones.

Sure there are dangerous parts of the EMF, but surely your iPhone doesn’t emit as much gamma radiation as an atomic bomb perhaps?

There has been much research on whether any malicious claims are actually true.

Check out this research considered one of the biggest ever experiments on the connection between mobile phones and cancer:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20483835

More recent studies https://www.nature.com/articles/srep21774 have shown that there may be a connection between EMF exposure and negative effects on moods and sleep rhythms.

For more information on problems with sleep and how to deal with them check out our articles: “11 Ways we strain our eyes with computer“, “The 8-hour myth: sleep better and live longer with these 7 healthy tips” and “7 Tips for eye protection in front of the PC”

Conclusion

Be aware as to which parts of the EMF are actually dangerous and follow asserted scientific guidelines on how to limit harmful exposure.

If you’re worried about the health risk from your computer screens check out Iris – our software for eye protection!

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The 8-hour myth: sleep better and live longer with these 7 healthy tips

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 15:51:39 +0000

Stop looking for the fountain of youth or that magical spell that helps you sleep better at night!

We asked some gamers how they deal with spending countless hours in front of a computer and if you’re curious about what they said－keep reading.

Put that ice-cream back in the freezer

Don’t we all love a midnight snack? Whether we’re just laying in bed, browsing social media or watching a show on Netflix, a good snack to have around is always nice.

But beware! Late night snacking can not only make you gain weight easily but it’s really bad for your sleep.

Try to avoid carb-filled fatty foods late in the afternoon and evening. Maybe even try to fix your diet altogether.

Bad eating habits can lead to obesity and diabetes but the poor sleep it leads to can also be a cause of many diseases.

Instead focus on eating clean meat, fresh vegetables, fruits like cherries and kiwis and nuts like almonds.

Stay away from any kind of dietary and supplemental pills, unless your doctor has prescribed them to you.

If you want to sleep better and live longer find a good eating cycle for your needs and wants and work with it.

Where’s the tea

Sure you’ve probably had a little too much to drink on Friday and you woke up the next morning feeling like you lived through the events of the third Transformers movie.

That’s because alcohol reduces the so-called REM stage of sleep which is pretty much the one responsible for getting a good night’s sleep.
How to deal with this? Drink lots and lots and lots of water. Water is good for you in every aspect.

It keeps you healthy and hydrated. You can also drink juice and warm chamomile tea to relax you before going to sleep.

Avoid all kinds of coffee and energy drinks at least 6 hours before having to go to sleep.

You don’t want to stay awake until morning regretting your choices, do you?

Another thing you should promptly avoid is smoking. The nicotine you ingest rushes through your system and can lead to insomnia, sleep disorders, heavy breathing and problems with waking up.

Heavy smokers also sleep lightly and may wake up during the second stage of light sleep and even sleepwalk.

The 10,000 steps challenge

An average adult takes around 3 to 4,000 steps daily.

If you’re an avid gamer though, an overwhelmed student or a swallowed by the system office worker, you probably haven’t seen the Sun in a while and your daily step count consists of trips back and forth to the fridge and the bathroom.

As you can probably guess that’s super unhealthy for your sleep and your life expectancy.

That’s why scientists recommend to slowly build up your daily step count until it reaches 10,000 steps a day.

Some of those can be from jogging, running or climbing stairs for better results.

How does exercise help you sleep? Well, clearly when you get tired you’ll fall asleep a lot easier.

But not only that! Exercise can help prevent diseases like high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, insomnia, mental health problems like depression and anxiety and can help you lose weight.

All of these health issues mess with your proper sleep cycle and decrease the quality of your memory storage and your rest time.

Exercise also helps with bedsores or soreness caused by sitting in your office chair all day.

Remember however that you should work out at least 3 hours before your scheduled sleep time as adrenaline and the endorphins released during exercise will keep you awake and energized for a while.

The 8-hour myth

If you fall asleep a little before having to wake up you might disrupt your sleep cycle.

Sleep has four stages－two light NREM stages, deep NREM sleep, and REM stage.

If you are abruptly woken up by your alarm during deep sleep, for example, you’ll feel dazed and confused, weak, moody and also very forgetful.

Bad sleeping habits can have damaging effects on your memory as well.

The REM stage starts around 90 to 120 minutes after falling asleep, so make sure you have more than that time before having to wake up so you can get at least a somewhat adequate rest.

How much sleep you should get for a proper night’s rest however is a subject to discussion.

You’ve definitely heard the 8-hour myth, however, that’s all it is－a myth. That’s just an average amount people that have been asked get.

Do you have that one friend though that went through the whole school year on Red Bull, chips and 3-hours of sleep every night? And that cousin you have that sleeps for 14 hours every day with no problem and doesn’t do anything with their life?

How much sleep you should get every night and is good for you is fully dependant on your own daily routine.

Of course, if you sleep 13 hours one night you won’t fall asleep easily the next night. If you’ve ran 15 km one day you’ll sleep like a dead man that night.

The best advice to follow is to look at what you do with your day－do you work, go to school, for how long, what exactly do you do, do you take naps, drink coffee and so on－and then choose the proper amount that will get you going through the day.

The time you leave for sleep should be between 5 and 10 hours for the healthiest results.

Most importantly when you find the right routine stick to it forever!

Sleep like a vampire

No, not for a thousand years and then rise up like Nosferatu.

Adjust your bedroom environment to be as dark and as cold as possible. If there’s too much light shining on you it can wake you up easily or lead to erratic eye movements, disrupted dreams and loss of memory.

During the day, however, you should try to get as much sunlight as possible. Thanks to sunlight we can produce vitamin D which improves brain function. Exposure to sunlight also prevents depression and mood disorders and helps with sleep quality.

Sleeping in a cold room is also very beneficial to health and sleep quality.

During sleep, your body’s core temperature slowly decreases so sleeping in a hot room can lead to sickness, flu symptoms like fever and breathing problems.

Sleeping in a hot room also poorly affects memory and thinking skills.

It’s best if you open up a window and let that fresh night air in. The more comfortable you are the better you’ll sleep.

For more tips on how to properly optimize your sleeping environment check out our ‘10 tips for falling asleep quickly’ article.

Relax, take it easy

Why do we need sleep anyway? To gain more energy, repair and recuperate our body, brain and memory for the new day that awaits us.

That’s why sleep is so important. Which is why we should strive to make our rest time the best.

As I already said make sure to find the most proper sleep cycle for you and stick to it.

If you continuously get less sleep than needed you’ll suffer from sleep deprivation.

Your body can’t adapt to that and sooner or later it will need the energy it hasn’t been getting.

This can lead to serious consequences. Most importantly make sure you’re getting enough sleep when you’re on the road.

If you have to drive and aren’t feeling up to par, take a break, sled for a couple of hours to get back on track.

Not enough quality sleep leads to moodiness, mental disorders, weakness.

Sleep deficiency disrupts your daily routine and in the long run, can lead to heart diseases.

Overall it’s better to get another 30 minutes of sleep than to be useless and grumpy all day.

Reduce your screen time

The effects of blue-light technology are evident in our everyday life.

As already mentioned light at night is very bad for your eyes and sleep.

Blue light being with shorter wavelength than any other type of light decreases the production of melatonin, the hormone that signals our brain it’s time to go to bed.

Too much exposure to blue light can have negative effects on your overall well being and life expectancy.

The solution to this is to reduce your daily screen time.

Don’t watch TV right before going to bed. Try to resist the urge to browse Instagram on your phone until the early morning hours.

Reduce the negative effects of technology by adjusting your screen settings, your desk environment, getting protective eyewear or installing protective software like Iris.

For more tips on how to deal with blue light technology check out our ‘11 ways we strain our eyes with computers’ article.

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10 Tips for falling asleep quickly

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 15:29:46 +0000

Does this sound familiar to you － you’re laying in bed staring at the ceiling and counting how much time you’ll get to sleep if you fall asleep immediately?

Well, look no further! Here are 10 tips to help you fall asleep quickly and get that sweet sweet rest you’ve been looking forward to all day.

Exercise

The best way to make yourself sleepy is to get tired, obviously. You can exercise in the gym, at home or at the park.

Any place and any way you choose will be helpful to tire you out.

What you need to remember, however, is to not work out immediately before going to bed.

Adrenaline and other hormones exercise creates will keep you awake and pumped up for at least 3 hours after working out.

So try to work out in the early morning or in your lunch break for best results.

Take a shower

The benefits of hot showers have been proven all the time.

Even if you’re a fan of cold showers, you should know that cold showers have the effect of waking you up.

Which is why specialists recommend taking a cold shower in the morning and a hot one in the evening.

Hot showers help relieve stress, fight insomnia and relax the muscles.

Don’t get drunk

This is something most of us can relate to – you go out with friends at night, get wasted, go to sleep for 15 hours and then wake up like you’ve lived through two economic crises, a world war and maybe a divorce or two.

That’s because alcohol affects the REM stage of sleep, which means it makes you sleep longer but worse.

Coffee is also another bad beverage to ingest before planning to go to sleep.

Remember to drink coffee at least 6 hours before your scheduled sleep time, otherwise, you’ll just be laying in bed regretting your choices.

What you should drink, however, is soothing beverages like chamomile tea, hot choco or just plain water to keep yourself hydrated and relaxed.

Lay off the fatty foods

One other thing you should reconsider in your diet is saturated fats.

Hence if you’ve had a juicy steak with a side of potatoes for dinner, maybe don’t go to bed immediately.

Other fatty foods you should avoid before bedtime are oils, butter, cheese, meats and cream.

Also, try not to have too much sugar in the evening because it also energizes you.

Fatty and sugary foods make sleep lighter and less restorative.

Put down the phone

If you’re reading this article on your phone while laying in bed – well tough luck.

Put down that phone and know from now on to avoid any kind of electronic devices at least 2 hours before going to sleep.

Also maybe keep the home office out of your bedroom.

The blue light all technology emits is super bad for our eyes, causes diseases, messes up sleep and is just not good for sleep. Find out how blue light destroys your eyes and sleep.

To decrease the eye strain you get from sitting in front of your computer all day you can install Iris – our software that will help you sleep better.

Let some air in your room

Air circulation means better breathing. Try to sleep with an open window as much as possible to let in fresh air.

Avoid using a humidifier and a heater while you are sleeping as they dry the air and spread dust particles easily.

A heater can also make you sick because when you sleep your body’s core temperature decreases and if the room is too hot the difference in degrees can get you a runny nose, a fever and probably make you pretty weak in the morning.

Also, keep your room as dark as possible at night.

Turn off desk lights, hanging christmas or fairy lights and so on.

Avoid the bright light from electronic devices too as that will do great damage to your eyes.

Make a blanket fort

Like I already mentioned trying not to use a heater, because it can cause breathing problems.

If you’re cold just throw on a few extra blankets. Everybody loves a blanket fort.

Want to get really cozy and fall asleep quickly?

Open your window to let the cold night air in, snuggle up in your bed and make a burrito out of yourself with at least 3 blankets.

Bonus if you throw in a couple of pillows around you for maximum comfort.

You’ll be floating to dreamland in no time.

Fix your sleeping position

In the wise words of Captain Holt of Brooklyn 99 － the only acceptable sleeping positions are on your back with hands on chest, and on your back with hands to the side.

Things aren’t that easy however － there is no universal sleep position that is healthy and comfortable for all.

If you’re worried about premature aging － sleep on your back.

That also helps with the proper alignment of your neck and spine and prevents any deformations.

Sleeping on your left relieves pressure from the liver and allows better blood flow.

Sleeping on your right side increases the chances of heartburn.

If you’re having back and spine problems, try sleeping on the floor for a couple of nights, that will definitely straighten you out.

Remember to also keep track if your mattress and pillow haven’t already worn out and change them once in a while.

Play some music

If you’re that type of person play some relaxing music to help you fall asleep faster.

There are millions of hour-long compilation on the internet with sounds of nature, wind, rivers, birds and so on.

Some people fall asleep with loud metal too. Find your cup of tea and work with it.

If listening to music is not your thing however you can always try those white noise machines.

Stop stressing

Easier said than done, no? It’s scientifically proven that forcing yourself to fall asleep and worrying about getting enough sleep, can cause stress and anxiety, and prevent you from relaxing and snoozing off.

The solution to this is to try breathing exercises and guided imagery.

Even if you don’t have a beaming imagination you can do the guided imagery exercise.

Just leave your mind blank, don’t think about anything, try to relax, maybe imagine a calming scenery that helps you personally.

Push yourself not to think about anything overall. This takes a lot of practice but once you master it you’ll be falling asleep in no time.
The breathing exercise we recommend is 478.

You can try it by itself or combine it with the guided imagery exercise.

Breathe in through your nose for 4 seconds, hold breath for 7 seconds and exhale through the mouth for 8 seconds.

Repeat as many times as necessary.

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What is the best monitor settings for eyes?

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 00:56:35 +0000

First of all, you should make sure that your brightness matches the room lighting

Try to reduce the blue light and remove PWM flicker to prevent macular degeneration

The blue light is very bad for your eyes and reduces sleep quality and makes you feel more tired, the same thing goes for PWM flicker, which is essentially your screen flashing at all times, at speeds so fast that the eyes can’t perceive but your brain does.

You can download a program that does it for you, one such program is Iris

How Blue light Destroyed our Sleep? – Iris – Software for Eye protection, Health and Productivity

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What are the causes of insomnia?

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Tue, 12 Feb 2019 00:10:37 +0000

While it’s true that insomnia can and usually is caused by a psychological issue, it can be that you are in perfect psychological condition and still experience insomnia

This happens to a lot of people that regularly spend a lot of time in front of the computer

That’s because monitors emit blue light

That prevents you from experiencing a quality sleep.

If you want to solve this you can download Iris, which is a program that can reduce the blue light that your monitor emits

You can also see more info about Blue Light here:

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Top 5 Benefits of Using Sauna

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Thu, 11 Oct 2018 13:53:29 +0000

Saunas originate from Finland and with almost 2 million steam baths, it’s not a surprise that Finland is often called the land of saunas.

Finns go to the sauna at least once per week to relax, relieve the stress, to achieve mind-body harmony or even for social interaction.

Nowadays, almost every family has a sauna in their home or own a portable camping one, but years ago things were different.

The traditional Finnish sauna, dating back to the 12th century, was a smoke sauna, a small house with no chimney, heated by a wooden stove.

So, if you haven’t already tried a sauna, just go to Finland and they’ll show you how to do it the right way.

Well, going in the cold Finnish air right afterward might be a bit shocking but at least it’s how they do it…and it’s thought to increase the blood circulation.

Either you love saunas or you haven’t tried one, you’ll be curious to find out the top 4 benefits you can experience if you take a steam bath today.

1. An immune booster

German studies have shown that regular sauna reduces the risk of catching a cold or flu by almost a 30%. The reason behind that?

As the body is exposed to the heat of the sauna, it produces more white blood cells, which in turn helps our bodies to fight against illness more rapidly.

As a bonus, inhaling the hot air is thought to relieve the cold symptoms.

So, if you’re not feeling your best, simply put on a smile and jump into the sauna.

What rests? Just wait for the results.

2. Sauna increases blood circulation

One of the things you will experience once you get into the sauna is an increase in circulation.

It’s simple biology. When your body is heating, your heart muscle starts to beat faster, which means, to pump blood faster.

As a result, your blood vessels widen and the blood can flow a lot more freely.

Also, more blood goes to your brain and that’s why when you go to the sauna, you feel a lot more creative and you’re able to think better. Actually, your brain works ways better.

Improved circulation can have a bunch of benefits for your health.

For instance, saunas can deal with muscle soreness and help your joints a lot.

Something else, sauna use has been linked to decreased heart disease which is a big thing as we know that the number 1 cause of death in the world is cardiovascular disease.

Researches have shown that those who visit sauna regularly suffer less from heart disease and stroke.

It’s not red wine, but still, it’s an easy measure to take, isn’t it?

3. Powers the mitochondria

For those of you who don’t know what mitochondria is, I’ll explain in a few words.

Mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell. You make all your energy with the help of mitochondria. They transform the proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates into ATP, which is the basic energy unit.

Maybe you’ve heard that the sauna improves mitochondrial function but do you know how exactly?

The infrared light from the sauna makes more ATP. What is interesting is that mitochondria create ATP without any food, just from that light.

Boosting mitochondria will make your life a lot easier.

Some of the best ways are exposing yourself to cold temperatures, using a sauna, getting more sunlight and avoiding blue light.

Well, I’ll get out of the topic a little bit to explain to you why avoiding blue light is one of the best things you can do to boost your mitochondria.

Blue light

Not exposing yourself to blue light is definitely a hard thing to do. electronics, some light bulbs, and even the Sun emit blue light.

Even though it’s everywhere around us, you can block it with ease just by installing an eye-protecting software.

A good one that I can recommend is Iris. One of its main features is reducing the emitted blue light as well as the brightness.

It has many other features but if you’re interested in reading more about the software and how it can protect your eyes, you can just check the website.

4. Detoxifies your body

Your skin is the largest organ in your body and it acts as a barrier that doesn’t let any pollutants from the environment to get into your body.

And so, even if you go outside just for a few minutes, your skin absorbs these pollutants. The way you can get rid of the toxins is by sweating.

But nowadays, we’re getting more and more used to a sedentary lifestyle, and we rarely have time to workout. As a result, the toxins clog your pores and the harmful elements go deeper into your skin.

Once this happens, it gets a lot of work to clean your body from the inside out.

Actually, the sauna is one of the best alternatives to sport to detoxify your body.

You’re sweating out some toxic elements such as copper, zinc, and lead.

Cleaning the toxins in a steam room or sauna is a relaxing way to improve your overall health and energy. So, what are you waiting for? Get into the sauna and sweat it all out!

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Best energy boosters

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Fri, 28 Sep 2018 08:41:18 +0000

I’ve always tried to get up as early as possible as all successful people do that, right?

Wanting to conquer my alarm clock has become something like an ultimate goal.

I got all the motivation in the world but when the morning came, all of it was lost somewhere between the messy sheets.

And, honestly, none of it was there. I couldn’t even catch up with one single thought of why should I get up with the Sun.

One thing I knew for sure.

The person who set up the alarm clock the previous night was not the same mindful person who can’t open his eyes the next morning.

If you’re like me and you spend most of your day thinking why do you feel always tired for no reason and in the morning you just feel as you’ve been hit by a truck, give this article a go, it may save you a bunch of headaches.

There are some medical conditions that can explain the constant fatigue, but if not so, the chances are that you might have got a Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.

Down below, I’ll list some of the most common symptoms that people with CFS have

Symptoms of CFS

sleep doesn’t help with fatigue
concentration issues
muscle or joint pain
headaches
enlarged lymph nodes

Even though you may have some of the symptoms, the chances that you have CFS are not that high actually as it’s most common for people around their 60′.

But what is probable, is that your tiredness is due to some medical conditions such as:

Other causes of fatigue

hypothyroidism
heart problems
anemia
depression
sleep apnea
diabetes

Well, these are some of the main reasons for feeling tired most of the time. If you’ve already consulted а medical expert and he or she didn’t find that there is an underlying cause for your fatigue, just chill, the things might not be serious at all.

It’s all about the habits.

The chances are that due to your overwhelming everyday life, you’ve put your health on the back seat.

It’s time to look after yourself to bring back your previous productive self.

I’ve listed for you 9 energy boosters, that have changed my life.

Stressed out?

It’s important to focus on some ways to stress out.

I guess you’re occupied most of the time with some extra work your boss gave you.

Probably your children want your attention 24/7 and the slightest hint of free time you have is automatically filled with more work. Because hey, there is always something else to be done, right?

But what happens when your self-time literally doesn’t exist?

You feel stressed, that’s it. And unfortunately, stress and emotions take most of your energy.

In the end, you feel just like a squeezed lemon, exhausted by the nonstop demands of your life. If you’ve had enough, making some time for yourself is a must. Just half an hour will make wonders.

Trying yoga will definitely help you to feel your muscles and calm you at the same time.

Also, focusing your mind is what you need after a long day. So don’t hesitate, meditate, and feel great.

2. Get moving

The more you work, the less energy you have, right? It’s absolutely true but this doesn’t apply for working out.

Most of us do is getting back home after a long day, feel exhausted because of the work they’ve done and… sit on the couch in front of the TV hoping to fill up the energy tank.

Sadly, laying on the couch makes you more tired.

What you need are some good 30 minutes or so to get your heart pumping. If intense cardio workouts are not your thing, just half an hour walking in the park is a good start too.

Then take a hot shower and believe me, you’ll forget all about stress and fatigue.

The reason behind that? When exercising, your body releases the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine.

These are stress hormones that in modest amounts make you feel full of energy

3. Say no to smoking

This for sure isn’t an easy one for passionate smokers but it’s worth it in the long-term.

I’m not going to explain to you all about the health benefits you’ll get when you stop smoking.

Chances are that you already know most of them. I’ll emphasize one specific benefit which is connected to energy levels.

When you smoke, the nicotine which is a stimulant goes really fast into your bloodstream.

There it can act both as stimulant and depressant. It stimulates the adrenal gland which releases adrenaline. That’s the reason why smokers feel a boost of energy.

But depending on the mood, it’s proven that nicotine can actually calm you down.

It sounds pretty good, right?

Well, not exactly, these effects are only short-term and after the first cigarette, the energy levels drop significantly.

That’s why smokers usually go for another one to return back to their “normal state”. Ever wondered why nicotine is so addictive?

4. Rest and recharge

Some people find midday naps essential for keeping their productivity throughout the whole day at high levels.

Researches have found that some shut-eye time in the middle of the day for just as little as 10 minutes can increase the productivity and make you a lot more alert for the next more than 2 hours.

A good example to illustrate how powerful the naps are is Leonardo Da Vinci.

Every four hours, he took a 20-minute nap which boosted his productivity and allowed him to work on long-term projects.

Never thought about naps? Think twice

5. Take a cold shower

Most of us associate showers with instant refreshment.

But if your habits are as those of 90% of the people, you probably take a hot shower in the morning first thing.

But there’s a little problem with that. Instead of getting you ready for the day, it prepares your body for a good night’s sleep.

This is because of the drastic change in the body temperature. When you get out of the bathroom and towel off, the body temperature lowers immediately which is soothing the nerves.

Contrast showers

What you have to do is try contrast showers. The drastic changes in the temperature increase your blood flow as well as opening up your capillaries.

The technique takes literally no time, as little as one minute and a half. So, no excuses.

First, start with cold water for a period of 30 seconds.

Then, drastically change the temperature to hot water. Hot enough that you can feel the difference. Finish up with another interval of 30 seconds with cold water.

This simple trick has helped me probably the most with my morning tiredness.

If going in the bathroom for an icy-cold shower sounds shocking for you, don’t blame it on your perceptions. In the beginning, it sounded awful for me either.

So, a good strategy is to start taking warm showers and gradually reduce the water temperature until you achieve your goal. It’s not hard at all, it’s all about getting used to it

There are a lot of positives of having contrast showers despite the increased blood circulation.

Scientists have said that this practice deals well with depression and strengthens the immune system.

What else could you want from a minute and a half?

6. Don’t sleep too much

Everyone talks about the importance of the good quality sleep but why it is so crucial?

Sleep is the best break we can give to our body. When we sleep, our body rests while it’s healing itself. Literally, there is nothing better we can do to deal with stress or any other slight discomfort.

So, sleep has an important role in maintaining good psychological and physical health. But how much of it?

In a world where time is never enough and everyone is trying to get a little bit more sleep, looking at oversleeping as a problem might sound ridiculous.

Well, not the ultimate truth. Oversleeping is a real problem which is often associated with diabetes, obesity, sleep apnea and so on.

Generally, sleeping too much is caused by not having good quality sleep due to some medical conditions such as those which I just mentioned above.

Some other reasons for the lack of good sleep are the use of some drugs, medicines and especially blue light.

Okay, we saw what could the causes for oversleeping might be and now it’s time to look at the consequences.

You may ask yourself, how something which is considered good, can be harmful?

Well, as for everything else in life, the same goes for sleep. Do everything in moderation, they say

Generally, 8 hours of sleep are thought to be okay. The rule is, the more over 8 hours you sleep, the more tired you feel. Here’s an example

If you sleep for 10 hours, your brain will interpret that as 6 hours straight.

Start by going to bed earlier, and set an alarm for after 8 hours. Within a few weeks, you’ve already regulated your inner clock and get up with an ease. It’s time to say goodbye to the blue mornings.

7. Limit the time in front of the screen

Well, we finally get to a really important point-monitors.

Let’s talk about the bright screens and how do they affect our health.

They’re everywhere and unavoidable, we all know that. But nowadays everything is concentrated around them. Computers, smartphones, and tablets have become part of our lives.

So, yeah, we can’t just delete them from our lives. Still, we can avoid them, but that’s a hard one too.

Our generation is always sick and tired, what do you think, is there some sort of a connection between that and technology?

In simple words-yes, there is. And the problem comes with the blue light.

Contrary to what you might have heard, blue is not that big of an enemy, or at least during the sunny part of the day. Actually, blue light is part of the solar spectrum.

During the day, it makes us more alert, and so, more productive. But when the night comes, it suppresses the production of melatonin-the sleeping hormone.

This is where the issue is.

Years ago, when there weren’t any other light sources instead of the sun, things were alright. The sun goes down and there is no blue light, so your brain can release melatonin and prepare for sleep.

Now, due to the emission of blue light, our circadian rhythm is seriously confused.

Circadian rhythm

For those of you who don’t know what the circadian rhythm is, I’ll explain in a few words.

The circadian rhythm is something like an internal clock which tells your brain when should it wake up or take a rest.

It works pretty easily by releasing two main hormones-adrenaline and melatonin.

Your internal clock knows when to release or suppress those hormones with the help of light.

As I said above, we get blue light from the Sun during the day and it keeps us concentrated and alert.

But when the night comes, it suppresses the secretion of melatonin and that’s why we can’t fall asleep. Obviously, no sleep-no energy.

That’s the reason why we feel sick and tired. Just because our circadian rhythm is confused. Unfortunately, our phones, laptops and even LED light bulbs emit blue light.

There are some ways to block the blue light and one of them which I highly recommend is installing an eye protecting software.

Iris

Iris is one of the top programs to protect you from the harmful blue light rays while saving your eyesight. The software is created to fit everyone’s needs.

There are several modes and types and one of its two main features are lowering blue light and automatic brightness reduction.

The first type is Health which is used by most of the users.

It lowers the blue light as well as the brightness and doesn’t change much the colors.

It feels good on the eyes and increases productivity just because your eyes don’t get tired even after a long working day.

Another type is Sleep. It removes all of the blue light and even though it changes colors drastically, it helps a lot when you’re trying to fall asleep as fast as possible after using your PC.

Some other types are reading-which makes the colors of your screen black and white like an E-reader, programming, biohacker, Sunglasses, Dark and Movie.

Iris is now being used by millions of people and gets more and more popular with its daily updates.

So, don’t hesitate and give it a try to feel your energy boosted in just after a few days

8. Don’t forget about the water

Everyone talks about how important drinking water is-but why?

Our bodies are literally constituted on water. 55% to 75% of our bodies are made up of water.

Every single organ of our body requires water and when we don’t drink enough, the systems don’t function as they have to.

Water helps with the absorption of nutrients and also, it regulates body temperature.

What you might don’t know is that most of us are dehydrated.

How can you know if that applies to you?

Each time you feel like you’re thirsty, you’re basically dehydrated. And dehydration affects us in many ways such as headaches, fatigue, constipation, kidney malfunction, and many muscle cramps.

In addition, dehydration can lead to slowing your metabolism and storing fat.

To make sure that you don’t get dehydrated, to boost your metabolism and so, your energy, my advice is to drink 8 glasses of water a day.

9. Cut out the fast-carbs

You know that feeling around 2 PM and 4 PM when you have to work but all you want to do is go straight to bed?

You feel sleepy and unmotivated and all you do is pretend you’re productive.

Sounds familiar? I’m sure it does.

This is known as a carb-crash.

When you eat too many fast carbs such as bread, pasta, sweets and general foods with high glycemic index, your glucose tank fills up.

The glucose gets fast in the bloodstream and makes the pancreas to secrete insulin- the hormone which lowers glucose levels.

When this happens, we feel tired and crave more and more carbs which turns into a vicious circle from which you can hardly exit.

The main enemy is sugar which you should try to avoid at all costs even though you feel like you can eat all the chocolate in the world

And again, we feel sick and tired.

The chances are that you know this tendency pretty well.

But don’t get stressed over it, it’s absolutely normal. At least, it’s that normal that a whole country like Spain practice the siesta, right?

But the fact that it’s common, doesn’t mean that it’s something that we can’t deal with.

You just have to follow one simple step: avoid fast carbs or those of them with high glycemic index and you will feel energised throughout the whole day without having surprising or not that surprising energy crashes.

10. Natural supplements

Another point I’m going to emphasize is the natural supplements which can have a great effect on our overall health, energy, and productivity.

Ever wondered whether a natural supplement or a herbal tea can lift you in the morning when you can hardly wake up or in the early afternoon?

Well, surprisingly, some of them actually can.

Some of the most popular stimulants like the caffeine and green tea,

Caffeine

Caffeine found in coffee, tea, cola, and chocolate is probably the most famous psychoactive drug in the world.

Many people rely on it to combat the chronic fatigue. Actually, coffee doesn’t give you real energy just because the pure black coffee contains no energy.

What it does is stimulating the adrenal gland to secrete the hormone adrenaline which gives you a quick shot of energy.

Just as quick as drinking the espresso shot. One coffee a day is what you need. If you think you can live only on caffeine, sorry, but not really.

But do you know what’s happening when you start drinking more coffee?

First of all, we need to figure out how does our brain prepares itself for sleep.

The brain neurons break down a molecule called adenosine triphosphate. Once it’s broken down, the molecule can either wake us up or make us fall asleep depending on our personal needs.

One of adenosine triphosphate’s components is adenosine which is captured by the brain receptors.

The structures of caffeine and adenosine are very similar which means that the caffeine can easily take adenosine’s place in the brain receptors.

But given that, their structure is not exactly the same but only similar, caffeine cannot activate those receptors. The only thing it can do is combat with adenosine.

And that’s how caffeine makes you feel more alert-it literally doesn’t let your brain to fall asleep.

The problem comes when you start drinking more than 3 cups a day.

Then, your brain literally starts crying for sleep. What your brain does is creating more receptors so that adenosine can go there and make you sleepy.

And so, the more caffeine you take in, the more you’ll need to fill all of the receptors.

And believe me, drinking a lot of coffee is everything but not a good thing cause it oxidates you.

Guarana

Guarana is gaining more and more popularity the recent years. It is a plant originated from Brasil. It’s an eye-sized red fruit with black seeds inside and it resembles the coffee beans.

Guarana is best-well known as an ingredient in most popular energy drinks. It’s an excellent source of antioxidants and caffeine. In fact, there is 6 times more caffeine in guarana beans than in coffee beans.

Some other benefits of Guarana are that it helps your focus and concentration, as well as it promotes heart health.

Researches show that Guarana may decrease the oxidation of LDL or “bad cholesterol” and also aid blood flow.

Whether you’re interested in trying how will Guarana affect your body or you just search a good alternative for coffee, give it a try, you may be surprised!

Final words

Thank you for reading this article. If you’ve found it useful, share it with your friends on the social media, so they can learn some of the best ways to boost their energy levels naturally.

The post Best energy boosters appeared first on 💡👨‍💻 Iris - Software for Eye protection, Health and Productivity 🛌👀.

6 Ways to Fall Asleep Faster

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Wed, 15 Aug 2018 13:19:34 +0000

Many of us don’t realize the importance of getting enough sleep.

Your body craves shut-eye time and if you don’t give enough of it, it just can’t recover to get ready for the new day.

If you’re one of those people having difficulties falling asleep, you’re not alone.

The brain passes through several stages from being conscious to full unconsciousness.

But many of us don’t find that passage that easy. Towards research, those of us are just around 40%.

It usually takes around 10-20 minutes to transit from a state of wakefulness to sleep.

But it’s around 1.00 AM, you’re in bed, you’re tired, you’re looking at the clock and you feel bad because you know you have to get up just in a few hours.

You get up and drink a tea or two or even get something to read to help you fall asleep but nothing actually works.

Sounds familiar? I’m sure it does.

That’s why in this article I’ll show you the Ultimate 6 Ways that will deal with your sleepiness.

Keep reading for the best tips and tricks to fall asleep faster than ever before.

1. Turn off the lights

The most important factor in creating your bedroom atmosphere for sleeping is by turning off all the lights.

When we sleep with the lights on, our wake and sleep cycle gets seriously affected as it’s tied up to light exposure -be sunlight or artificial light, everything confuses our body and more especially, our hormonal system.

In simple words, when it’s dark your brain sends to your endocrine signals in order to release a hormone.

That hormone is melatonin which helps us fall asleep.

But can you guess what the effect of just a tiny bit of light is? It suppresses the secretion of melatonin, which reflects on our Circadian rhythm.

Well, one of the ways to turn your circadian rhythm back in order is to get up early in the morning, let the sunlight filters through your eyes and get that full sunlight spectrum.

2. Reduce the use of electronics

Sleep disorders are continuously rising and for sure, technology plays a major role in that.

My advice is to leave your phone away from you about half an hour before you go to bed so your brain can relax and tune itself to a sleeping mode.

That way, it’s easier for your brain to get ready to sleep.

Blue light

Blue light emitted from the screen

Another important point is the blue light.

Blue light is a part of the spectrum that interferes with melatonin production.

As I told you already, the secretion of melatonin starts when there is darkness, and when there’s light in the room, you simply can’t fall asleep.

I believe that behind all of our sleeping issues stand technology and especially blue light.

Well, the most obvious but certainly not the easiest thing to do is to remove all the devices emitting blue light.

But I think that your high-tech habits resemble mines, and even if it’s hard to admit it, the first thing you look at in the morning and the last before you go off to bed is your phone.

Well, I want to share a trick with you the benefits of installing an eye protecting software.

Iris is such software and it’s created to reduce the amount of emitted blue light from the screens.

Two of the main features are reducing the amount of emitted blue light and regulating the brightness without PMW flicker.

It detects automatically whether it’s day or night and controls the screen color and temperature.

With its help, you won’t have to worry about falling asleep because you’re using your phone late at night.

Not only it’s solving our sleep problems, we become ways more productive and most importantly-save your eyesight. It’s an innovative way to avoid the risks monitors are hiding.

In the video you can see Iris’ different types and modes.

Iris is being used by thousands of people and they become even more with its daily updates. You can install Iris on any type of Windows.

Iris is basically free, instead of some Pro versions.

3. The technique |4-7-8|

The 4-7-8 technique is a common breathing technique developed by Andrew Weil.

It originated from an ancient yogi breathing practice which helps you keep calm and relax your whole body by controlling your breathing.

It’s just as easy as it seems.

I’ve personally tried this one and I can tell it’s one of the best life hacks!

Firstly, you take a deep breath for just as 4 seconds to feel your lungs with, preferably, fresh oxygen. T

he next step is to hold your breath while counting to 7 in your head and then exhale while making a whooshing sound from your mouth and count for another 8 seconds.

This technique is called pranayama and is said to help with anxiety and many other sleeping issues.

4. Listen to some music

Not many of us know that there are different waves going through our brains throughout the night and so, there are several stages of sleep.

To introduce you to the waves in the brain activity, firstly, imagine that you’re lying in your bed, in complete relaxation, preparing your body and brain for a good night’s sleep. In that moment of relaxation, your brain exhibits some alpha activity.

And so, after a while, you enter stage 1 of sleep when theta brain waves are being introduced. We experience that brain activity hardly when we’re awake but in those hard-to-remember moments, just before we drop off to sleep or in full relaxation.

Then, we enter stages 3 and 4 of our sleep when we have our deepest sleep with delta waves, followed by the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) or dreaming stage

So, you may wonder what has this in common with music? I’ll tell you.

Listening to delta waves right before falling asleep tricks our brain to think that we’re in our deepest sleep. And just within minutes listening to that, you will find yourself fallen asleep ways quicker than you thought.

To find some delta waves-deep relaxation music, check on Youtube.

5. Aromatherapy

What is aromatherapy?

Most of you may know it’s the use of natural plant extracts (essential oils) which can help us to deal with a great number of health conditions.

Herbal oil and lavender flowers on wooden background

As most of them are adaptogens, the way they will affect your body depend on your individual needs. Whether you need stress relief, an energy booster or you want to lift your mood.

They can have both physical and mental benefits and cure health problems such as depression insomnia, fatigue, asthma and many more.

But in this article, we’ll focus on the essential oils that treat insomnia.

1. Lavender

The first one that comes to my mind is lavender, and for sure it’s not a surprise for you too.

Lavender is famous for its soothing and relaxing effects. For some reason, I’ve always connected lavender to sleep.

Even though its benefits are known for ages, many scientists study lavender’s properties until today and they have proven that its effectiveness is more than just an old belief.

2. Ylang-Ylang

Another one is the essential oil from Ylang-Ylang. Not only that it reduces hypertension, helps you fall asleep faster, but also it lower anxiety and stress. It prepares your body for a restful sleep.

What more can you need?

3. Bergamot

The bergamot orange with its citrus and a little spicy scent is known to lift the mood and release anxiety and reduce nervous tension. Add just a few drops in the diffuser or in your tea to feel its benefits almost instantly.

6. Create your own schedule.

First, think what your ideal sleep schedule should be. Depending on your age and your personal lifestyle, your need for sleep can vary from the recommended 8 hours.

What I can tell you from my personal experience is to avoid having naps in the afternoon if you have problems falling asleep.

The perfect time frame for sleep should be from 7-9 hours a good night’s sleep.

What you should do is to go to bed at the same time each night and respectively to try waking up at a specific hour the morning after.

At first, you may have to set an alarm, but after a while, your circadian rhythm will get back in order and your internal clock will do the work for you.

I found that this tip and also reducing the blue light with Iris have helped me the most.

Final Words

Thank you for reading this article. If you’ve liked it, you can share it on social media with your friends, so more people can read about the Top 6 things they can do to sleep better than ever before.

“Everything you need to know is within you. Listen. Feel. Trust the body’s wisdom.”
Dan Millman

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4 Ways to Improve your Mitochondria Function

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Wed, 01 Aug 2018 10:05:12 +0000

In the previous article, I’ve explained what is the structure and function of mitochondria and also what happens when they’re damaged. In this one, I’ll talk about some tips and tricks you can use increase their function.

Mitochondria-the powerhouses of our cells produce nearly all of the energy we need. We need energy for basic daily activities from eating, thinking, going outside to even sleeping.

If mitochondria are not performing well, we feel tired and our body goes into energy saver mode.

It means that even basic functions such as building, repairing and maintaining body tissues and cells are impossible.

But I guess, you’ll be glad to hear that there are some proven ways to boost your mitochondria and so, your energy.

And even more, many of the modern diseases such as diabetes obesity and heart disease can be prevented by just keeping your mitochondria in a good health.

What can you do to boost them?

1. Get some sunlight

Years ago, a French speleologist, named Michel Siffre launched an experiment. He isolated himself in a cave for several months and had no exposure to light, neither did he have a clock.

He was keeping track of when he ate, fell asleep and woke up.

After he came out of the cave, he got to the conclusion that he ate and slept at fixed intervals, he understood that each of us has an inner biological clock.

This later became known as the circadian rhythm.

The sunlight and helps your body to control the sleep cycle by the secretion of hormones.

When the morning comes and sunlight filters through our eyes, it helps us to wake up a lot more easily by suppressing the secretion of melatonin, which is the sleeping hormone and increasing adrenaline.

Adrenaline makes us more energetic and drives up our alertness in order to get ready for the day.

For example, when you wake up and don’t get that sunlight in your eyes, your brain doesn’t get signals to produce hormones to make you get up out of bed.

Bright computer screens can confuse these signals and in fact cause a whole bunch of problems. Your circadian rhythm is set by frequencies of light.

These frequencies of light come from the sun, the sunlight. And if we don’t get the sun’s full spectrum light, our internal clock gets seriously confused. We need the full solar spectrum’s light because of the red light which powers the mitochondria.

What you should do each morning is go outside and let the sunlight pass through your body.

2. Avoid the blue light

But what can you do if your job requires you to stay in front of the screen for hours?

Obviously, you can’t get that full spectrum’s light, right?

Just like light can help to enhance you mitochondria function, it can hurt them. With artificial light, we barely give our eyes red and infrared light, which is good for our eyesight.

Blue light can slow down the ATP production (energy production) and rise that of free radicals.

With all that artificial light, often we find it hard to maintain our sleep-wake cycle.

That’s why I will tell you another trick to bring your circadian rhythm back in order. Installing an eye protecting software will help you be more productive and sleep better.

I can recommend you trying Iris which is such software.

What it does is match the brightness of your screen to your ambient lighting and also reduce gradually the blue light throughout the day to cope with sleeping and many other problems.

3. Intermittent Fasting

I’m pretty sure most of you have heard about intermittent fasting and there are just a few people that are not or aren’t still into it.

These days, everyone is talking about its benefits- from losing weight by forcing your body to burn fat, not sugars and not losing muscle mass to better overall health.

For those who haven’t heard about it, I’ll explain in just a few words.

Intermittent fasting is a way of eating which cycles between eating and fasting. Throughout the day there are the so-called “windows” in which you can consume pretty much whatever you want and a fasting period in which you drink simply water.

Down below, I’ll show you some programs. Of course, there are a lot more, but these are the most popular and recommended.

The 5-2 Intermittent Fasting program

That one is pretty simple. Five days of the week, you eat whatever you want, whenever you decide but the rest 2 days, you should consume as little as 500-600 calories for the whole day.

The 16-8 program

During the day, you’re allowed to eat only in a window of 8 hours, the rest 16 of the day, you fast. Even if it sounds hard to get used to it, it is possible your first meal to be at 12.00 PM and your last one at 8.00 PM.

Eat-stop-eat

In this variation, 6 days of the week you can eat, the one day that rests, you’re fasting for a whole period for 24 hours. Even if it’s harder to follow, this program remains one of the most popular.

For a long time, we’ve been listening for the benefits of Intermittent Fasting beyond weight-loss. But recently, researchers have found the biological reasons behind that fast-gaining popularity trend.

One of the advantages is exactly that intermittent Fasting is proven to boost your mitochondrial biogenesis which is the creation of new mitochondria. This, in turn, increases out lifespan and energy levels.

3. Cold exposure

Cold baths and contrast showers are actually good for our health. Each time when we’re exposed to a colder temperature, our body switches on to cold thermogenesis.

This is a way to produce heat. Our body uses a form of fat called BAT (Brown Adipose tissue) to burn normal fat for heat generation. This increases the mitochondria function by cranking out more and more ATP molecules.

The more you’re exposed to cold, the more you’re training your body to use fat for fuel. To boost your energy and recovery capacity, add the cold and contrast showers in the daily menu.

In a nutshell

Many of us find difficulties in waking up in the morning or in doing basic daily tasks due to the lack of energy. We try many things to increase our energy but we still feel like we’re hit by a truck each time we try to get up out of bed.

Cold showers, spending time under the sun and avoiding junk light are some of the things that will help.

If you’ve liked this article, share it with your friends on the social media so they can derive the benefits and feel better almost instantly.

If you want to read more about Mitochondria, check this article.

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How I Fall Asleep in Under a Minute

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Sat, 28 Jul 2018 08:26:15 +0000

I also had a lot of problems with getting a good night sleep and spend countless hours trying all sorts of different things.

I tried sleep masks, reducing noises, exercising more, not drinking coffee and alcohol and millions of other things.

Although they this things helped me not to be awake all night I still flipping on my bed more than 30 minutes before I finally can get some sleep.

My routine back then was something like this:

I would eat healthy 3 times per day avoiding meals after 10 pm
I would not drink any caffeine or energy drinks at night
I would exercise at least 1 per day
I would read a book in bed until I get sleepy

This seems like a lot of things to do and it really is. I found a way better and easy way to fall asleep really fast and sleep deeper.

While all the things I talked about will be effective on some level if you are somebody like me who uses a computer or phone during the day or during the night you will still have trouble falling asleep.

One day the electricity at my home stopped.

I was really angry at first because I had some work to do on my computer but then after some time I calmed down.

We lit candles, talked, laughed and ignored all lights and electronic devices for several hours.

Then because it was already late and my girlfriend needed to wake up early for work we went to bed.

Then I strange thing happened.

I was actually sleepy without doing my routines like not eating, reading a book, using a sleep mask and wearing earplugs.

A minute later I fell asleep.

I had one of the best sleep of my life and in the next several weeks I searched what caused this strange thing to happen.

At first, I thought that it was the moments with your closest people before going to bed that caused this and I made a routine to talk with my girlfriend every night before going to bed.

I think this was a great way to make a stronger relationship but sometimes it was actually counterproductive.

For example, if we talked in the living room there was no significant effect on my sleep but if we talked in bed the result was horrible. (well at least for sleep)

Not only that I didn’t get good night sleep but my girlfriend also and we stayed awake almost the entire night.

This has probably happened also to you at one point of your life, right?

Remember the time that you were talking with some friend, boyfriend or girlfriend all night and you didn’t sleep at all?

The reason it turned out is that conversation is engaging not relaxing which we actually need before falling asleep.

This is why reading a book actually helps you to fall asleep faster. It’s relaxing rather than stimulating and engaging.

Same thing with the movies by the way. The reason we can’t fall asleep while we watch movies is because they engage and stimulate our brain and we wait for the next scene with anticipation.

This can happen actually also with a really interesting book so these days I just go to bed and fall asleep without reading.

I tried using candles – No result

I tried by switching the electricity off for a bit – No result

I tried several other things but the first result actually came when I switched the electricity off for the entire day and night.

Pretty radical I know but I guess I somehow found the problem.

There was something in the light and electronic devices which caused me insomnia.

So because I am a night owl as a person I frequently work in the afternoon and a couple of hours after sunset.

After reading a lot about the subject of how light and electronic devices affect our sleep and health I found I a simple and effective solution for improving my sleep.

According to a lot of medical studies and countless others suggestions from doctors and other people blue light affects our body in a way that we stop producing our sleep hormone melatonin.

Basically, in our brain, we have a small organ called a pineal gland which activates in the absence of light and produces our sleep hormone melatonin.

It’s not any light, however. Around 15 years ago one scientist named Ignacio Provencio found a third photoreceptor into our eye which is responsible for the activation and the deactivation of the pineal gland.

This photoreceptor is called Melanopsin and responds to blue and part of the green light.

So if we somehow remove blue and green lights from our homes we can still use all of our electronic devices during the night and fall asleep immediately.

As a programmer, I created a computer program for myself which later become the most popular software for improving sleep and health.

Iris reduces the blue light emitted from your screen and will help you to sleep better.

With Iris, you can use your computer during the night and still fall asleep fast.

You will sleep way better without any other change in your life.

You can still drink and eat everything all the time without worrying that this will affect your sleep.

You can stop doing all kinds of routines to fall asleep faster.

You can also do all of your work late at night without worrying that you will have trouble falling asleep later.

Iris is used by more than 1 million people and everyday people told me that is the most valuable app they have on their PC.

Famous people like Dr. Mercola and Ben Greenfield use Iris:

Download Now

People on Facebook use Iris:

and also on Twitter:

You can see all positive reviews on our Facebook page and famous people who use the software on the homepage.

I also have some collection of e-mails and other reviews on the testimonials page.

You can also try the software 7 days for free.

Click the link below the download the software and have the best sleep of your life tonight:

Download Now

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What is the Function of Mitochondria Cells in our Body?

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Thu, 26 Jul 2018 21:47:48 +0000

Our bodies run on energy. Each moment, even when you’re sitting, reading this, your body generates energy equal to 100W, enough to power seven light bulbs.

But where does this energy come from?

If you remember something from your biology classes, you’ll probably think of mitochondria, and you’re totally on the right way.

Nearly all of our energy is provided by mitochondria. They are tiny structures in the cell that turn macronutrients that we take from food, combine them with oxygen and converting them into energy.

Every living being is made of cells and when we look into them, we can see that they work just like our organs function.

Mitochondria can be found in multicellular organisms with specialized tissues, such as all complex organisms.

So, it’s not hard to get to the conclusion that when mitochondria are wrong, everything else is wrong.

We need their right function for everything from answering the phone, going to the shop or even for your brain to work and so to think well.

Energy is everything and if we don’t have enough of it, bad things happen. So, when your body doesn’t get enough energy it gets into energy saving mode and can’t repair some organ dysfunctions.

To produce all that energy what mitochondria need is oxygen.

What they do is decompose food and if the oxygen lacks, there is no produced energy. Well, we need food for energy and have a satisfying life throughout the years.

What do they do?

Contrary to what we all know, there is a lot more mitochondria do than just produce energy. There are other key tasks which I’ll show to you down below.

Let’s start with what most of us know.

1. Energy

In each of your cells, you have tons of little mitochondria who make ATP.

We can find Adenosine Triphosphate in all forms of life and ATP is produced in mitochondria through a series of processes such as the Krebs cycle.

Mitochondria – the powerhouses of the cell.

2. Dead cells

Here, the mitochondria role is of great importance. As everything, when the cells get old, they start not to function right and die. What those little mitochondria do is to release cytochrome C which activates one of the main enzymes whose function is to cope with the dead cells.

3. Calcium

There are many roles of the calcium so that our body can work well. It’s the most abundant mineral in our body and represents 2% of the total body mass.

Our bodies use most of its calcium to keep our teeth and bones strong and the rest to prevent diseases, for cell signaling, nerve function etc.

Our body should regulate really strictly the calcium and here come the mitochondria again. They absorb calcium ions, store and release them when it’s needed.

Mitochondrial disease

If mitochondria do not function correctly, it can trigger many medical conditions.

DNA dysfunction causes most of the diseases. DNA in mitochondria can be damaged a lot more easily than the rest of the genome, that’s because the Free radicals are produced during ATP synthesis

On the image above you can see how the structure has changed in a healthy and a damaged mitochondrion.

As mitochondria need a huge amount of oxygen to work right, most mitochondria diseases are damaging the cells that need most oxygen, such as those in the heart and the nervous system.

Mitochondria dysfunction can lead to:

1. Heart problems

The heart relies mainly on mitochondria to supply it with enough oxygen so it can pump blood to oxygenate the whole body.

The increasing death rate worldwide originates mostly from cardiovascular problems.

Recent researches have proven that improving mitochondria functions will automatically make your heart healthier and avoid many cardiovascular diseases

2. Hearing loss

Another problem mitochondrial degeneration can trigger is hearing loss

Two parts compose the whole ear-the external which is the visible part and the inner part.

In the inner part of the ear, there is the cochlea which is the part mitochondrial dysfunction affects mostly. In the cochlea, sound waves make tiny hair cells to move.

Where comes the problem with mitochondrial dysfunction?

If these hair cells don’t move, the sound waves have difficulties in traveling from the external to the inner ear.

To save your hearing, most importantly, you should avoid loud noises. Any noise that is too loud may destroy hair cells and even lead to permanent hearing loss.

3. Macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration is in a tight relationship with mitochondrial disease. A research found that retinal cells died a lot faster for people with mitochondrial disease compared to those with healthy mitochondria.

A change in the mitochondria DNA contributes to a person’s risk of developing age-related macular degeneration. To avoid eye-related problems what you have to do is to simply practice just a few basic eye-health habits.

Some changes in your diet such as eating more leafy green and orange vegetables will save you a lot of headaches, for real.

Avoiding blue light is one of the best things you can do to save your eyesight. So, the most obvious thing is to reduce the time spent in front of the screen.

Sounds simple? Not really, especially if you work in front of the computer for long hours each day

Even though it’s everywhere around us (it’s emitted from computer and smartphone screens, actually from all electronic devices, from artificial light and even from sunlight) it can be easily blocked just by installing a proper software for eye protection.

I can recommend you using Iris which is a software that automatically filters the unwanted blue light. For sure, you have other options such as blue light blocking glasses.

Final words

Mitochondria are these tiny parts of the cells with their own DNA which generate energy and make our life possible. Given that they perform a lot of functions, there are tons of mitochondrial diseases.

They may vary widely passing through heart problems, muscle weakness, damaged vision, hearing difficulties and in some cases, even death.

If you’ve liked this article, please share it on the social media, so that more people can learn about mitochondria and some life hacks to boost your energy and be ways more productive.

The post What is the Function of Mitochondria Cells in our Body? appeared first on 💡👨‍💻 Iris - Software for Eye protection, Health and Productivity 🛌👀.

Screen Brightness Program

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Fri, 29 Jun 2018 11:35:02 +0000

We all know the fact that junk food is the worst enemy of our health but have you ever thought about your eyes?

Do you know what’s the worst enemy of your eyes?

The screen of your monitor and all of your digital devices are no less than an enemy to your eyes.

We all at some point in our life have heard people telling us not to use too much of our phones and laptops but we never actually tried to know the reason behind it.

However, today we will be explaining it all to you along with the reason why your monitor screen is dangerous for you.

So, folks, take notes of what we are about to tell you because this article can be very useful for you in the long run.

Why Is Your Monitor Screen Dangerous?

Have you ever noticed that the people who work on laptops and computers all day long, they wear contact lenses or glasses in order to see properly?

In fact, that sad part is that almost all of us know someone who suffers through near or farsightedness.

Now, the major reason behind it again is the excessive use of the screen and the dangerous part is the blue light coming out of it.

Yes, you read it right, blue light is the worst enemy of your eyes and the more you expose your eyes to this light, the more harm it does to your optic nerves which can later cause a headache and eye pain.

What Is Blue Light?

The visible light is a mixture of different colors such indigo, red, yellow, green and blue and among all the other lights, the blue one is the most dangerous one as it comes with a short wavelength.

According to some articles in sites like Wikipedia on these UV light technology and their nature, you will see that the shorter the wavelength of a light is, the more powerful and dangerous it will be.

Also, an interesting thing is that Sun is the major source of blue light and just like the UV rays, blue light is also dangerous for your skin and your eyes which is why it’s always better to avoid direct contact of your eyes with the Sun and wear sunglasses if you have to go out.

The light coming out of the Sun is not as dangerous as the one that is coming out of our screens.

And the reason is that we all use our phones and laptops almost every day for hours and hours which means we expose too much of the blue light to our eyes and this is where all the problem begins.

What To Do?

It would be insane to ask you to stop using your digital devices or throw them away but we do have an alternative for you.

By that alternative, we are talking about none other than an amazing screen brightness filter program that can make your monitor healthy for your eyes.

Iris is the one screen brightness program that is currently being used by thousands of people all around the world and this program is quite beneficial and effective.

What actually happens is that Iris blocks the blue light on your screen and it doesn’t allow the light to hit straight on the retina of your eyes.

This software is pretty intelligent as it can identify the light around you and then regulate the brightness of the monitor accordingly.

With Iris, you will be able to protect your eyes from computer light like never before and the best part is that you will be able to use your laptop as much as you want to without the fear of having blue light eye damage.

The post Screen Brightness Program appeared first on 💡👨‍💻 Iris - Software for Eye protection, Health and Productivity 🛌👀.

Tips and tricks to stay healthy

Daniel Georgiev (CEO) — Sun, 17 Jun 2018 20:10:24 +0000

Most of us want to look good and feel even better.

We wish to be fit and live a long active life but how many of us actually do something about it?

Do you eat right?
Is sport part of your everyday life?
Do you drink enough water a day?
Do you get proper sleep?
Do you enjoy a healthy lifestyle?

Our body is our temple and we should take care of it.

If your health is out of order, everything else that’s going on in your life will be too. From small problems to major ones, they all have a negative effect on overall happiness and life satisfaction.

There are several things you can do to live a better and more enjoyable life, from following a healthy diet to having a regular exercise routine.

The focus should be on living a life that you can be proud of, while also avoiding health problems or making the existing ones worse.

In this article, I’ll share with you some tips and tricks towards a healthier lifestyle TODAY.

Take a look through them and follow the steps to a happier, healthier you.

Stay hydrated

We all know that drinking 2-3 liters of water a day has a lot of benefits for the organism. But why?

As human beings, we need first and foremost water to survive. Our bodies consist of approximately 60% water, that’s why it’s important to stay hydrated in order for the organs to function right.

The amount of water in the heart and brain is 63%, the lungs are 85%, muscles and kidneys are 79%, the skin is 64%, and the bones are around 31%.

Here are some scientifically proven benefits of drinking enough water

Drinking water can aid with weight loss

Good news for those who are trying to lose weight! According to studies, a water intake of half a liter can

increase the metabolism with 25-30%

Furthermore, drinking water reduces hunger. Those who drank water half an hour before each meal lost 44% more weight over a period of 3 months. Sounds good?

Increase your energy and mood

Given that your brain is mostly water, drinking enough of it helps you concentrate and stay focused. Moreover, water boosts your energy levels and reduces stress.

Natural headache relief

Dehydration can trigger headaches and migraines in some people.

A dehydration headache makes the brain contract and pull away from the skull due to fluid loss. Once rehydrated, the brain gets back to its normal state.

Refresh your eating habits

Eating healthy isn’t always easy, but committing to a healthy diet can be one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. Why?

Not only can eating well make you look and feel ways better, also it can also save money on future health costs.

Nowadays, more than 2 billion people from around the world are overweight or suffer from obesity. This causes severe health problems and a rise in the death rate.

But even if you’ve decided to change your eating habits, not knowing from where to start might be a bit challenging.

To follow a healthy diet, you should get enough vitamins, and especially your micro and macronutrients.

As they help sustain your body’s physiological processes, they’re the essentials of a healthy diet.

If you don’t know where to start, here are the basics of a healthy eating.

Just as the Mediterranean diet, which is the world’s healthiest diet, yours should consist of plenty of fruits, whole grains, vegetables and monosaturated fats.

Eat some more fish

The go-to protein in the Mediterranean diet is fish.

Even though fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel are high in fats, they’re rich in heart- and brain-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Leaner fish such as cod that have less fat is a great source of protein too.

Switch to extra-virgin olive oil

Use olive oil to make salad dressings and vinaigrettes. Drizzle it to finish off dishes like fish or chicken to boost flavor.

Olive oil contains monosaturated fats which may improve the good type of cholesterol (HDL), fight the free radical damage and improve heart health.

Fruits and veggies all day long

If you’ve noticed that the greens in your diet lack, now’s the time to make them part of your meals.

Snack on fruits, make a huge veggie salad for lunch or even make some green smoothies.

It’s a great way to get your key nutrients and vitamins for the day.

Eating well also means leaving out or rarely consuming foods that are high in added sugar, saturated fat, and also sodium.

That includes most fast food, processed snacks and anything with too much sodium.

Get Moving

Whether you play basketball, go for a morning run in the park or swim, playing sports can make you healthier and happier because of the physical activity involved.

Playing sports develops our muscles, coordination improves cardiovascular health and has numerous other benefits associated with disease prevention.

Physical activity can help ward off chronic diseases including

Cardiovascular disease

Sport of any kind is an extremely effective way of reducing the risk of several cardiovascular diseases. Being active boosts high-density lipoprotein, (HDL) cholesterol, and keeps your blood flowing smoothly

Obesity

Exercise can help in preventing excess weight gain or help you maintaining weight loss. The more you engage in physical activity, the more you burn calories. The more intense the activity is, the more calories you burn.

Depression

Regular physical activity has an impact on your brain because it releases various chemicals that make you feel happier and relaxed.

You may also have better self-esteem because exercising keeps you fit and improves the skin condition.

Better sleep

Having difficulties falling asleep? Regular physical activity can help you deepen your sleep.

Just try not to workout right before bedtime as you may be too energized to fall asleep.

Another possible reason for problems with falling asleep is the blue light.

Blue light suppresses melatonin production for more than twice as long as other light wavelengths and has a bad influence on the cardiac rhythm.

If you spend long hours in front of the computer, then you should install Iris application-software for eye protection.

Iris will gradually regulate blue light day and night. As a result, your body will produce more melatonin at night. You will fall asleep faster and sleep deeper.

Install now and give it a go.