wellness Archives • New Nostalgia

How Technology is Helping Me Reach My Wellness Goals in 2018

Thank you Nokia for sponsoring this post. Visit the Nokia Body+ site for more info and start the new year off right!

I am constantly looking for ways to integrate health and technology into my daily rhythms. I want the pursuit of health and wellness to become second nature to me. I’ve found that using technology is a great way to create healthy habits that stick!

I am a 2-time cancer survivor, and I have shared several ways I pursue continued health, but I have not told you how simple technology makes it possible for me to move forward toward my health goals.

One of my goals is to create seamless daily systems that are as natural to me as brushing my teeth. Things I do without much thought; decisions so second nature that I make them automatically.

It might sound too good to be true, but this is where technology comes in. Technology keeps it simple, makes it possible and keeps it fun.

Using Technology To Reach Wellness Goals

Energy to pursue wellness goals is often dependent on a good night sleep. Good sleep is important for good health!

I read right before bed. Reading every day is good for the mind and soul! I’m amazed that thanks to technology, I can have my whole library at my fingertips on my Kindle Fire tablet. I make sure it is set on Blue Shade, as this blocks blue light which makes it easier to fall asleep after nighttime screen reading.

I also use my Kindle Fire to set my alarm to wake up in the morning. I love this alarm because when I set it, it tells me (in hours and minutes) exactly how many hours and minutes I have before the alarm will go off. I like the automatic awareness of how many hours of sleep I’m getting each night. I aim for 7 hours of sleep and most nights reach that goal.

When I wake up I do a quick morning yoga flow to get my joints working and blood flowing. I use the Yoga Studio App on my iPhone, or sometimes I grab my laptop and find great ‘good morning’ asanas on YouTube.

I then fill my water bottle with crushed ice with the press of a button–the technology of our refrigerator has been key to get me to drink my water each day. I am a crushed ice lover! My goal is to fill my 24 oz water bottle at least twice a day.

I then quickly set my Instant Pot up, and with another few pushes of buttons, make One-Minute Quinoa. This has been my go-to favorite breakfast for a while now, as it is so satisfying and full of great plant protein. Read about 3 of my favorite ways to eat quinoa for breakfast here.

I grab my cup of coffee that has been brewed automatically for me. I have learned to drink it black in the morning which steers me clear of starting the day out with sugar-laden creamers. Speaking of coffee, have you seen the new intelligent coffee mugs at Starbucks? They use technology to keep your coffee at the perfect temperature. I drool…and digress.

I then take my coffee up to my favorite nesting chair in my bedroom, and this is where technology really comes into play for me.

Using Technology for Emotional Health

I’m going to be dramatic here and say I do not know where my emotional health would be without technology. There are so many apps on my phone that are part of my daily routine that keeps my heart, mind, and soul healthy.

After I make my coffee I sit, sip and open up a Prayer App where I can keep track of my own requests (and those of my loved ones) every morning. I also use an app called Calm to meditate for about 10 minutes and then open up the Bible App — which has been life transforming. I use Notes on my iPhone to keep track of all my daily affirmations and favorite Scriptures, and sometimes use them as prompts to journal my 3 pages a day.

These routines are a part of my everyday morning routine, and I feel “off” all day if I don’t wake up early enough to do them! They are all ways I reach my emotional health goals.

Using Technology for Physical Health

I continue to use technology as I get ready for my day. I step on my Nokia Body+ smart scale and take note of all the information it gives me in just those few seconds of standing on it. It gives the most accurate body composition readings, measuring weight trends, BMI, fat mass, muscle mass, water and bone mass–it even lets me know the weather! I love this thing.

The Nokia Body+ is amazing and beautiful–it comes in white or black and has a sleek, simple, timeless design. This is one scale I do not mind leaving out for all to see.

I use the Health Mate App that sinks automatically with Body+ and provides encouragement and tips on how to best achieve goals. It is so handy and convenient. Automatic syncing is my new crush and any smart item I buy that does this for me is always a fav.

The Health Mate App has the ability to sync with other apps (like one of my favorites that my doctor recommended–the My Fitness Pal App) and lets you view a complete history of your health data, including sleep, activity, weight and more. You can track progress and see your improvement over time. I love being able to check out my health stats at any time using my phone. Usually, for me, it is when I’m lying in bed at the end of the day.

Keeping track of my weight and health stats is super important as a cancer survivor. It is also important (as one that takes 2 medications: one to keep cancer away and one for generalized anxiety) that I keep an eye on my weight. Both medications can cause weight gain, which is not fun, but I feel that both have saved my life in their unique way, so I am very thankful for them.

Keeping an eye on my weight is something my Oncologist tells me to do regularly and she wants me to report any sudden weight changes. It can be a sign that something is off. The stage of cancer I had gives me a high chance of recurrence, so we keep a close eye on these things! I love having a scale that is easy to use daily, has such high accuracy, is so detailed and reliable. It can also track up to 8 users which makes it very family friendly.

Technology For a Healthy Flow to My Day

After stepping off my Nokia Body+ scale (weighing at the same time daily is recommended) I then get ready for my day. Technology helps me here, too. I use wireless headphones that connect by Bluetooth to my phone and allow me to listen to podcasts while I put on my makeup and do my hair.

I used to dread this part of my day, but now I look forward to it because I feel productive while I am getting ready. If I’m not listening to a podcast or music, I will hit record on my Voxer App and talk to my dearest friends, walkie-talkie style, leaving my heart and soul recorded right there on the app for them to listen to whenever they have time. Connection with loved ones, especially when they are across the miles, is so good for my health!

By this time my morning routine is almost over, and I glance at my 30/30 App to see the morning routine I set up for myself there. I look through the things I have already accomplished and glance at what else needs to be done.

The app has shown me how technology really is helping me reach my daily wellness goals in an almost automatic way. Most of the morning routines that I’ve listed in the app, I now do without even needing to look at the app. They are all habits that bring a healthy flow to my day and help me reach my goals.

Wellness is holistic, and an organized flow to the day with systems and routines put into place make me feel productive but peaceful at the same time. Integrating technology has been a key player when it comes pursuing my health goals, and I hope I gave you some good ideas and inspiration for using technology to reach your goals, too!

Get 10% off at the Nokia Health store through December 1, 2018 here with this code: NEWYOU-T0T-R02

How do you use technology to reach your health goals?

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of CLEVER and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

HEALTH/ Nutrition

7 Ways to Be Proactive When It Comes To Health For You and Your Family

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Counsyl. The opinions and text are all mine.

As a 2- time cancer survivor, I am always looking for ways to be proactive when it comes to the health of myself and my family. I try hard to stay balanced and find simple but effective ways to embrace health. Since my diagnosis 7 years ago, I have settled into a balanced approach to health that feels very good for me and my family.

I’m always trying to take small proactive steps to improve our health, without becoming overwhelmed by all the things one can do! There is a fine line between being obsessed with health which leads to fearful living, and being too relaxed and falling into ignorance. I try hard to stay in the balanced middle!

Here are a few simple tips that one can take to be proactive when it comes to health:

7 Ways To Be Proactive With Health:

1. Water

Let’s start super simple. You cannot get more basic than water! I rarely have anything in our home to drink besides water…okay…coffee, tea, and water. I guess I should say I rarely have anything sweet to drink in our home. It just is not necessary. Even 100% juice has a lot of natural sugar in it and can spike blood sugar because it does not have the natural fiber of the fruit in it to keep it balanced. Juice can also be hard on the teeth!

My Todd is an exception to our rule. He embraces a ton of healthy habits, but what he drinks is not one of them. He is a cola-lover, but the rest of us stay away from it. We know that Dad’s cola is Dad’s cola…especially when he is known for drinking out of the bottle! He does not keep it in the refrigerator, which is great so the rest of us are not tempted by staring at it every time we open the refrigerator.

I drink a ton of water thanks to my double-insulated, 24-ounce tumbler. It stays super cold all day and has a large straw. I find I drink WAY more water each day when it is through a large straw. I also love adding a some lemon!

2. Vitamins and Supplements

I have my girls on a multi-vitamin, vitamin D, and fish oil. I’m on the same, plus a few more. Vitamins are a great way to be proactive with your health. They supplement a healthy diet and give me peace of mind that we are all getting the nutrients we need.

I am a big Vitamin D fan, as it is great for so many things, especially immunity. My Oncologist has me on high dose vitamin D, and I get my levels checked regularly. Studies have shown most women are low in Vitamin D, so it might be a good idea to ask your doctor about getting your levels checked

Turmeric is my favorite supplement that I take daily. There are so many studies that talk about the power of this supplement, and I find that it takes care of joint pain that I have due to a cancer medication that I take daily and its side effects. It is a natural anti-inflammatory and a nice bonus is that it seems to give my skin a bit of natural color from the inside out. I will be sharing my favorite Golden Milk (aka Turmeric Tea) here soon, so if interested, subscribe to my mailing list so you won’t miss a post.

3. Balanced Living

We work very hard as a family to keep busyness to a healthy level. It is not always possible with 3 teenage girls, but even on days where everyone seems to be going every which way, Todd and I are learning to keep a slow mindset even during those busiest days. Often that looks like taking a deep breath, recognizing that most of life is not an emergency and that rushing about does not help us get anywhere any faster. I have worked hard on this one, as I am not a naturally calm person.

I do a lot of small things each day to keep stress at a minimum and a slow, balanced living mindset to a maximum. Chill music, candles, a daily walk, yoga stretching, journaling, meditation…the list goes on. On days where there is only time to do a few minutes of one or two of these things, it is still so very worth it! Anything to chisel away stress even for a short time is a great way to be proactive in embracing health, and it also is a great example to your kids, whose eyes are always watching.

4. Screening

Because of my history with cancer, I am passionate about early detection, awareness, and screening. This is National Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer (HBOC) week—September 24-October 1—so it is very fitting to talk about hereditary cancer screening. 10% of the time cancer is linked to a single change in a gene, or mutation, that has been passed down from generation to generation. This is called “hereditary cancer.”

I waited until the worse time to get screened for hereditary cancer, and that was when I was diagnosed with cancer. I remember being apprehensive as we waited for results. I had my sisters and especially my 3 little lovelies on my heart and thought a lot about what it would mean for them if I tested positive. Even though I worried about the outcome, knowledge is empowering, and it did bring peace to be proactive. Testing felt like the right, most loving thing to do.

Fortunately, I did not test positive. It was such a relief to know, and I have taken much comfort in that knowledge all these years. If you want that same knowledge, you can be proactive, too! There is a DNA testing and genetic counseling company that will help you understand your DNA and inform important health decisions called Counsyl. All it takes is a small sample of saliva or blood to look at up to 36 different genes associated with an increased risk of certain cancers. Counsyl’s Reliant™ Cancer Screen is a physician-ordered test, so you can ask your OBGYN about it at your next visit.

5. Sleep

Our bodies love and need sleep. Sleep seems so simple but it is one of the most important things we can do for health! I do several things to make sleep a priority and prepare my body for the best of sleep. I have a cooling-gel pillow which keeps my hot flashes (another lovely cancer medication side effect) to a minimum. I take melatonin and I roll lavender oil on my temples right before bed. I set my kindle to ‘night shade’ screen if I read before bed. I also use an app called Sleep Cycle that can sense my breathing rhythms and tells me how many hours of sleep I get each night and the quality of that sleep. I try very hard to fall asleep and wake up at similar times each day. Remember…when Momma’s rested, the whole family benefits!

6. Walk

Movement is so important for health, and a simple walk can do wonders! It moves the joints, can get the heart rate up if brisk, moves lymph systems —which is very important for cancer survivors and health in general—and gets you out in nature which is always positive for health! As soon as I finish this paragraph, I’m going to take a quick break and take a walk. I’ve been enjoying walks so much lately. I’ve let go of having the perfect amount of time to get all my steps in, and just get up and walk for however long I have, whether it be for 10 minutes or 45 minutes.

I have a pair of shoes (Keen’s) that I can just slip on and go. I used to care about having a whole workout outfit on, which hindered my motivation in walking for short amounts of time, but now I just slip my shoes on with whatever I’m wearing, then get up and go! I may look ridiculous but I feel great! I love listening to podcasts (this one being my favorite right now) or jabbering away on Voxer app to my friends while I walk.

7. Know Your Numbers

There are many numbers to know! Blood pressure, cholesterol, vitamin D levels, iron levels, vitamin B 12 levels (if you are a vegan), blood sugar, and more! Be proactive in your health by knowing your numbers. Even weight is a good number to know. There are many diseases where rapid weight gain is a symptom, so know those scale numbers…just don’t obsess. If you keep up on physicals, most of these numbers will be available to you. Make sure to ask your doctor for your test results and levels. I always ask them to mail results to me so I have a paper form to refer back to and for personal records.

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What about you?

Do you tend to get obsessed about health or ignore health?

Do you have any tips in finding the balanced middle?

What about screening? Have you been screened or thought about being screened?