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      Morning Routine Hacks for Better Digestion Throughout the Entire Day

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      Despite what #GutTok may have you believe, you don’t have to down olive oil shots, nosh on stewed apples, and graze on papaya seeds for the sake of digestive health and beating dreaded bloat. Sure, optimizing gut health is where it’s at, and hot girls have IBS, but the reality is there are no quick fixes or cure-alls to GI issues, even if said olive oil elixir worked for your favorite TikToker (I would know—I’ve had too many digestive drama episodes to count). Instead, start your morning off on the right foot with a few simple habits that can translate to a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed day with only one main objective: a happy gut. I asked dieticians and gastroenterologists for the top morning practices that are (actually) essential for boosting gut health and digestion.
       
      1. Drink water first thing
      Staying hydrated is vital for optimizing your skin, digestion, hormone balance, sleep quality, and mood, so why wouldn’t you kick off your morning with a tall glass of warm lemon water to jump-start the digestion process? “Drinking a glass of water first thing in the morning helps flush out toxins and supports morning bowel movements,” described Tanya Mezher, MS, RD, CDN, Lead Functional Practitioner at Malla.
      If you still need convincing, sip on this: “The most abundant molecule in the cells lining your digestive tract is water, accounting for 70 percent or more of total cell mass,” conveyed Dr. Lance Uradomo, M.D., M.P.H., an interventional gastroenterologist at City of Hope Orange County Lennar Foundation Cancer Center. “Water is crucial for those cells to function properly and for your gut to digest food easily.” So before you reach for your morning cup of joe or bite into your breakfast, wake up and hydrate your body with some H2O. For overachievers, the addition of lemon also helps fight indigestion, heartburn, bloating, constipation, and gas formation. 
       
      2. Prioritize breakfast and make it your largest meal of the day
      They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and when it comes to your gut, it’s true. “Because of the body’s circadian rhythm, we create less stomach acid later in the evening when the sun is down, so when we eat larger meals at night, we might not be able to optimally digest these meals,” explained Paulina Lee, MSHS, RD, LD, a gut health functional dietitian and founder of Savvy Stummy, LLC. “Fueling with a bigger breakfast can help us obtain nutrients optimally when our digestion is more awake in the mornings.”
      Don’t let a hectic schedule or tough work deadline make you skip breakfast, and plan ahead so it’s an afterthought or something you grab on the go. Take time to sit down and eat mindfully, and turn off social media, emails, and TV to eat fully present. “Chewing each bite well without distractions or multi-tasking can help you relax and digest better by setting you into a more ‘rest and digest’ phase,” Lee affirmed. 
       
      3. Eat foods rich in fiber and fermented foods
      Fiber is a type of carbohydrate that the body can’t digest, so it passes through the body undigested and makes its way to the gut, promoting regularity and relieving GI issues. “Fiber, especially prebiotic fibers, are fuel for a healthy gut microbiome,” Lee explained. “These fibers are digested by beneficial gut bacteria so they can make healthful by-products like short-chain fatty acids that support the gut barrier, decrease inflammation, manage the pH of the gut, and keep oxidative stress at bay.” Easy ways to sneak in extra fiber? Sprinkle your yogurt with flaxseeds or chia seeds, top your oatmeal with berries, use whole grain bread for your avocado toast, or whip up a veggie omelet or scramble.
      In addition to fiber, fermented foods are crucial for gut health. “Fermented foods contain and feed healthful probiotics, which are beneficial to healthy digestion,” Dr. Uradomo said. But that’s not all probiotics bring to the table. “Probiotics may decrease gut-associated inflammation, which contributes to poor immunity and other metabolic imbalances,” Lee elaborated. Just how much of this type of superfood do we need? Lee recommended at least 1-2 tablespoons of fermented foods daily. Whether you blend coconut yogurt or kefir into your morning smoothie or incorporate sauerkraut or kimchi into your breakfast burrito, you’ll be doing your gut a major solid.
       
      4. Sip on ginger tea
      Ginger does more than deliver its signature spicy zest to savory dishes and baked goods. Consider it your gut’s BFF thanks to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that can support digestion and combat bloat by stimulating saliva and stomach acid production. “Because ginger has anti-inflammatory and gastro-protective properties, it may relieve digestion, bloating, and inflammation,” Lee echoed. “In Traditional Chinese Medicine, ginger is often used for indigestion, and there’s additional research to show it improves feelings of nausea.”
      But the plant’s good-for-you qualities don’t stop there. “Ginger root contains gingerol, a natural compound that assists with gastrointestinal motility–the contractions and relaxations of muscles of the GI tract and the movement of ingested food and liquid through the gut,” Dr. Uradomo pointed out. Plus, it’s an easy step to add to your morning routine, as preparing ginger tea is as easy as slicing ginger and adding hot water.

      5. Get moving
      Lee said it best: “Get moving to get ‘things’ moving in your gut.” It turns out hot girl walks are more than just a means to get your steps in. “Morning walks or yoga can help contract muscles, which keeps things moving in your digestive tract,” Lee continued. “These activities may also help improve your healthy gut microbiome and diversity. Yoga stretches, like side bending, downward dog, and standing forward bend, involve twisting and bending that massages the digestive tract to relax the gut and stimulate digestive enzymes.”
      Let go of any preconceived notions that your movement of choice needs to be an hour long or intense to get the most out of it. In fact, gentle forms of exercise in the AM are *chef’s kiss* since easing into your morning should be your MO for promoting gut health. “Even if it is just a 10-minute walk or an at-home workout, any form of movement can help with digestion,” Dr. Uradomo expressed. “Exercise increases blood flow to the muscles in the digestive system and helps to move food through the digestive tract.”
      Recent studies have found that there’s a link between the gut microbiome and exercise, according to Mezher. “Exercise can change the composition of the gut biome, increase the number of beneficial bacteria, and reduce the number of harmful bacteria.” She suggested taking your workout outside to enhance your gut health along with your vitamin D intake and circadian rhythm for some added benefits. 
       
      6. Relax the nervous system

      A chaotic morning that calls for rushing to get ready and out the door can wreak havoc on your stress levels, which can also negatively affect digestion and gut health. “When our bodies aren’t in a state of flight-or-fight, AKA sympathetic pathways, we are able to focus more energy and time into absorbing and digesting nutrients optimally,” Lee explained.
      No matter what practice relaxes you or how much time you have in the morning, you can make relaxation a priority. It can be as simple as taking 3-4 deep breaths to set the tone for digesting (and conquering your day) before calmly getting out of bed. “Deep breathing and meditation in the morning help to set your day for parasympathetic pathways that aid in resting and digesting,” Lee explained. You can also try meditation, journaling, getting outside, or a quick breathwork session (Mezher cited a recent study that found breathwork improved digestion and increased the number of beneficial bacteria in the gut).

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      I Tried Pole Dancing Classes for 3 Weeks and My Confidence Skyrocketed

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      As a ClassPass addict, one of the main ways I maintain my motivation to work out is by constantly switching up the type of exercise I’m doing. Pilates? Love it. Bootcamp? Give me a second to caffeinate first, and then I’m there. Spin? Ready to clip in. Lifting? A tried-and-true classic. However, there are some types of physical activity that even I haven’t given a shot, and one of those is the controversial pole dancing. So for three weeks, I consistently took (beginner level!) pole classes, recorded my thoughts, and developed some major arm gains (and confidence) in the process.

      Why take a pole fitness class in the first place?
      It all started at Denver Pride, when a local pole studio had a pop-up where anyone who walked by could have a chance to spin on the pole. Guided by an instructor, I tried out what I later learned to be a “ballerina spin,” and found myself thinking a few things: first, that was way more physically challenging than I thought it would be, and second, that was SO fun. I was hooked, and I signed up for a beginner class right then and there.

      But beyond a physical challenge and a fun new workout, I found myself drawn to the idea of a “sexy workout” for a specific reason. As a 22-year-old woman, it can be hard to feel like my sexuality is something that exists entirely for me; it’s a difficult thing to take ownership of when there are social pressures to “be sexy” for partners and in terms of my general physical experience.
      On the other end of the spectrum, exercise is something I have no problem doing just for me. I’ve worked hard to get to the point where I work out to feel myself getting stronger and for my own physical and mental health, and not for outside perceptions. By combining sexiness with physical activity in a pole dancing workout, I hoped to feel a little bit more like my sexuality was something that exists for myself and no one else.

      My First Impressions
      Before my first pole class, I felt some nerves; luckily, I was headed to a first-impression class offered specifically for beginners, so I wasn’t the only one with no background experience. The class started with pretty standard upper-body warm-ups, like head rolls, arm circles, and a push-up variation commonly known as the “sexy push-up.” We learned how to walk around the pole—always on tip-toes—and the dynamics of a spin. For the final minute of the class, the instructor turned down the lights and allowed us to practice however we liked with no instruction for the duration of the song, giving me hardcore flashbacks to free dance at the end of ballet classes in my childhood.
      The following five pole classes I took over the next few weeks followed a similar structure: warm-ups and conditioning, floor work that was always physically challenging and engaged my core, learning the dynamics of a spin on the pole, and a free dance portion. Though I took a different instructor each time, I never felt judged when I asked for help with choreography. In some crowded classes, I took turns learning spins on the pole with a partner; in other less crowded classes, I received more hands-on instruction.

      Pole Fitness as a Workout

      If you’re looking for a fantastic shoulder and back workout, all I have to say is that you are definitely missing out on the physical benefits of pole dancing. At the risk of stating the obvious, it takes quite a bit of upper body strength to stabilize and hold yourself up on a vertical pole as you spin around it—who knew?! After taking my first class, my shoulders were super sore, and once I became more skilled at the simultaneous push-and-pull motion that comes from having both hands on the pole, I felt a ton of engagement in my back. At the end of the three weeks, I can tell that my upper body has gotten much stronger.
      Beyond the upper body workout that is pole dancing, I found myself challenged by the constant relevé that the activity requires: there’s a reason pole dancers usually wear heels, and it’s not for aesthetics. The act itself requires being on your tip-toes constantly, so heels eliminate a bit of calf strain. Like most dance classes, pole dancing also pushes flexibility and posture, two elements of exercise that I rarely find myself focusing on in more traditional workout classes.

      How Pole Fitness Changed My Confidence and Self-Perception
      To be completely honest, there were a few moments during my 3-week pole dancing journey when I felt self-conscious, confused, or even downright uncomfortable. Pushing myself to connect with a simultaneously creative, sexualized, and strong version of myself in a room full of strangers and an instructor was hard, and required a level of vulnerability I was pretty unfamiliar with.
      However, in spite of the physical and mental challenge of pole dancing itself, I’ve never had so much fun in a relatively low-impact workout class. When I allowed myself to get out of my head and into my body when learning and practicing the different spins, I found myself having a straight-up great time. The music was always on point, the community of the studio I attended felt tight-knit and supportive, and the thrill of perfecting a new skill with each class was incredibly refreshing.
      When it comes to trying out a “sexy workout,” I can’t recommend it enough—though it tested my confidence, pole dancing pushed me to connect with a physically creative side of myself. The instructors encouraged us to record videos of ourselves during each free dance, and looking back at those videos of myself dancing is so fun. Not only do they allow me to see how much I’ve progressed in terms of skill, but rewatching those videos makes me feel totally hot. And the best part? They’re just for me.

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      James Miller of Embody Fitness on getting your body ready for summer

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      Life

      by Amy Sessions
      3 hours ago

      For the Summer Escape Issue, we discuss getting summer ready with James Miller, Founder of Embody Fitness. And no, you haven’t left it too late.
      What do the first 30 minutes of your day look like, your morning routine and how does this differ on vacation?
      My alarm normally goes off around 4.45am so I can jump in the car and start my morning Ironman training by 5.30am which consists of either 2-3 hours of cycling or 3 hours of swimming and running and then a gym session. This is my morning ritual, and it ensures I start the day positively. I feel great when I do this as I train with amazing people, and I am then ready and energised to take on the dayahead. When I am on vacation I do enjoy not needing to roll out of bed before 5ambut I will always start the day with physical or mental exercise but in a more relaxed and probably less demanding manner thanwhen I am training for performance.
      We have eight weeks until we hit summer vacation – how can we shape up in terms of exercise now?
      Eight weeks is a good amount of time to make a very positive impact on your physique if you follow a high qualitytraining and nutritional programme, but it will require a focused approach with littleroom for error. I personally prefer havingthese periods of really dialling in my training and nutrition, especially if I know I’m goingon holiday at the end of the phase. In terms of how training would look – I think many make the mistake of panicking, doing far too much cardio or HIIT classes and eating 500 cals a day in an attempt to radically drop weight. You may drop fat but you are also likely to drop muscle mass and you may feel worse as a result of such a dramatic short term approach. You are going to want to prioritise strength training, specifically compound strength exercises that recruit a lot of muscle mass. Exercises like bench press, cable rows and different forms of squats work all the major muscles in the body and yield a higher stimulus than smaller exercises like bicep curls etc. This will help to preserve lean muscle mass while in a calorie deficit and then by dropping body fat your overall body composition will improve much more and you will see a better physique in eight weeks time. In terms of results that are achievable that will vary depending on individual start points, however if you following basic principles of a calorie defi-cit along with at least three, well structured, strength training sessions you will see your body change on a weekly basis. At Embody Fitness many of our clients achieve very dramatic changes in as little as eight weeks byfollowing our expert coaches and nutritionists with a high level of consistency.

      How important is diet and what should we be eating?
      At Embody we don’t just look at calories, although a healthy calorie deficit is paramount if we are looking to lean down. A healthy calorie deficit would be roughly a 10-20% deficit. So if your maintenance calories were 2000 kcal per day dropping down to 1600-1800 would be safe for the relatively short period of eight weeks. Depending on your start point, any fat loss of between 0.5-1kg per week is considered safe and sustainable. Also making sure you have at least 1.8g of protein per kilo of bodyweight is essential as this helps with muscle building and recovery. We would also go one step further at Embody – we are ascertaining what could be highly inflammatory foodsfor our clients from the start of their journey. We make sure you are eating not only for physique but a healthy gut as well, which is essential to optimal health. One thing I have learned from our coaches at Embody Fitness, who are all qualified sports nutritionists, is the importance of the microbiome. The microbiome is responsible for our immune system, our ability to recover from training and just about every human function. Eating foods that promote good gut health is essential to good metabolic health. Foods like garlic, asparagus and artichokes for example are all prebiotics which will help feed good bacteria in the gut leading to less inflammation (think achy joints) which one could argue would lead to better training performance. At Embody Fitness we are very focused on delivering long term sustainable outcomes, so it’s important to put foods on your plate that not only make you look good but also help you feel great and allow you to perform at your best. Consistency is so important – how does your six-week summer ready programme support staying consistent across all key factors to have you summer ready? Commitment and consistency are two of the most important factors when it comes to achieving lifechanging results at Embody Fitness. Embody’stransformation programmes are all completely holistic and customised to every person to maximise their outcomes. We undertake a very detailed analysis on our clients at the start of any programme so thatwe can build the most effective and advanced programme for every individual. Personalised meal programmes and three personalised training sessions a week with regularnutrition and body composition retests are all performed throughout your two or three month programme. We also want to establish and monitor healthy lifestyle habits to ensure you are on track to reaching your target which we can do through our Embody App. With the launch of our new personalised Embody Meal Plans consistency has never been easier.
      Should we be prioritising sleep as part of this process? Sleep should be prioritised regardless.
      Sleep is our time to recharge, reset and regenerate. There is no such thing as over training, only under recovery. Without sleep, the foundations for everything become disturbedand our metabolism can be negatively affected, the ability to recover between training sessions will be compromised and our hormonal levels will fluctuate greatly. To positively set our circadian rhythm – which is our natural internal body clock – we need to aim to get around 7-8 hours good quality sleep each night and try to get to sleep as close to 10pm as possible. Our bedtime routine is crucial when optimising sleep. Switch off blue light (phone, tv etc) 20-30 minutes before bed and do not consume caffeine any later than 8 hours before scheduled sleep time. Supplements including magnesium, zinc and ashwagandha can be great additional tools to help suppress the nervous system in the eveningand prepare the body for optimal rest.

      What is your take on doubling up on workouts in a day – does it work?
      Personally, I train 2-3 hours a day from 5.30am every morning and then I also do three strength sessions a week at Embody Fitness with one of our sports performance coaches and I take ice baths at Embody around three times a week for recovery. This is a relatively high volume of training a week but it is required to be able to compete at Ironman events which are long and races requiring a high level of endurance fitness. On the other hand, training twice a day for someone that is a complete beginner or hasn’t been training consistently for months isn’t the best of strategies. Let’s take an average client of Embody for example who lives a fairly sedentary lifestyle and doesn’t do any exercise but wants to get in better shape, lose body fat, and have more energy. If that sounds like you, you’re going to see incredible results just from strength training three days a week and being more active throughout the day. Over time you could start introducing more cardio on your non-training days but you’d never have to do more than one workout in a day to achieve those goals. I say this from experience and seeing thousands of clients who have been able to transform their bodies with our Embody Fitness transformation programmes.
      How important is hydration?
      Adequate hydration is crucial and often overlooked because of how simple the advice of “drink more water” might seem. But if you remember that our bodies are made up of 60% water then you’ll appreciate just how vital it is to be hydrated. From regulating our body temperature, lubricating our joints, and improving physical performance, mood, and cognitive function the benefits are countless. What’s the biggest roadblock in getting summer ready in a short timeframe? A lack of commitment and not having the right plan which will lead to results are often two of the biggest roadblocks to achieving results. This is why our clients at Embody Fitness do achieve amazing results… they are definitely committed when they sign up to us and we ensure they are achieving the best personalised programme for them that ensures they see the actual changes in their body on a weekly basis. We have recently launched our Embody Online training programmes which now means for clients who can not physically visit us they can follow our expert guidance in all areas themselves so now all they need is the commitment on their end and watch the amazing results take shape.
      Do you work out on vacation and what would you suggest if you a) have a gym and b) you can only use your own body weight?
      Holidays are important to unwind and relax and recharge so I tend to take a lot off my training schedule during this time. However daily exercise is important to me for both physical and mental wellbeing so even if I take a walk, go for a slow jog or do some deep stretching then this is still important to me. If I am on holiday somewhere quite remote or in the Swiss mountains where I spend a lot of my time in the summer I will do a lot of hiking, cycling and swimming and a few bodyweight “full body” workouts. You can always incorporate the use of bands or suspensioncables like a trx if you needed more variety in your exercise selection. However, I will always look to maintain my three strength sessions a week as this is a ritual for me and helps me maintain my strength and muscle mass on top of all the cardio training I do.
      This is The Summer Escape Issue – where will you be escaping to this summer?
      I spend two months in the summer in one of my favourite places in the world, Crans Montana in the Swiss Alps. I feel like I am in heaven when I am there with my family and I enjoy the outdoor lifestyle and freshclean air in some of the most beautiful nature the world has to offer.
      July/August’s – The Summer Escape Issue with Tania Santos Silva – Download Now 
      – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
      Images: Supplied More

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      Psychologists Say We All Need to “Detox” Dopamine–Here’s What You Need to Know

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      I knew there was something wrong when I couldn’t take a hot girl walk without a podcast, meal prep without a YouTube vlog, or spend a Friday night at home without a Netflix binge. Realizing you can’t go a few minutes without checking Instagram, email, or Slack is a sad reality check, but one I desperately needed. With the rise of iPhone addictions and constant connection comes a wellness trend that promises to counteract. Dopamine detoxes are gaining popularity for their promise to erase–or at least help–the damage that technology can do to our mental health. Keep reading to learn the ins and outs of a dopamine detox: what it is, why it’s so appealing (and challenging), and how it could change your relationship with technology for the better.

      In this article

      What is a Dopamine Detox?
      Before we get into the detox, let’s talk about what you’re detoxing. Known as the “feel-good” hormone, dopamine plays a key role in our reward system and is released by the brain whenever we experience something pleasurable, causing us to pursue that feeling all the more. But our brains operate with greater complexity, and dopamine isn’t the only factor contributing to our mental and emotional well-being. Dr. Anna Lembke, a psychiatry professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine, noted in an article for TIME that because of digital media’s addictive nature, we’re experiencing a near-constant stream of dopamine release. To compensate, Dr. Lembke cited that our brains “downregulate our own dopamine production and transmission, to bring it back to baseline,” creating a dopamine deficit that can lead to symptoms of depression and anxiety. 
      Enter: the dopamine detox or fast. Created by California psychiatrist Dr. Cameron Sepah, the dopamine fast is based on cognitive behavioral therapy, a psycho-social intervention tool used to treat mental health conditions. According to Harvard Health, the goal of dopamine fasting is to allow yourself to lean into boredom and loneliness. Rather than looking for near-instantaneous solutions—and giving into the reward-inducing cues of modern stimuli (texts, emails, notifications, etc.)—we can experience a reset. In other words, we can regain a greater sense of control over our lives and are better equipped to address compulsive behaviors instead of living in a constant state of automatic response. Reaching for the things that provide us with a boost of dopamine is akin to living life on a hamster wheel, and taking an intentional reset to rethink unhealthy habits can boost productivity, creativity, focus, and (most importantly) happiness. 
      FYI, because the brain continuously produces dopamine, the term “detox” is misleading—we can never truly rid ourselves of the hormone. The goal is not to detoxify dopamine but to detoxify the external factors we’re subconsciously using for a dopamine boost. 

      How to Do a Dopamine Detox
      Each person’s approach to and experience doing a dopamine detox will look different (because “feeling good” looks different to all of us, and therefore the feel-good hormone will be different as well), but the goal is to make decisions from mindfulness, rather than impulse. think of it as a reset. Use the following steps to guide your detox:
      1. Identify the focus of your detox.
      In order to do a dopamine detox, you need to identify where the source of your compulsive behaviors is coming from. Depending on your needs, this can be anything from social media to video games to online shopping. Take time to reflect in your journal about what area of your life you’d like to address. For example, do you feel like you have to watch something on TV or on your phone whenever you’re eating? Do you check Instagram or TikTok every so often out of habit? 

      2. Structure your detox in a way that feels supportive, not restricting.
      The goal is to be aware of behaviors that are holding you back without being judgmental. TIME put it best: “If you keep your expectations in check, you may find that a digital detox is a useful tool for self-reflection.” In other words, the goal should be understanding your habits so that you can make positive changes in your life, rather than judging yourself for having them in the first place. Make a plan on what you want to practice and what boundaries you want to set with your technology. This can mean not engaging in one or multiple behaviors for a couple of days or limiting when and for how long you use them. Determine what feels right for you.

      3. Do the detox!
      Once you make a plan such as not using technology while eating or only checking your email twice a day, try introducing healthy habits in place of engaging in impulsive behaviors. For example, if you have a tendency to be on your phone during work breaks, try going for a walk instead. Or if your default is to watch hours of TV at the end of the day, pull out a book, or schedule a workout class. 

      My Experience 
      Because dopamine detoxes can target a range of behaviors, I chose to narrow down my approach to help focus my seven-day detox. Through journaling, I identified social media use, my phone in general, and email as compulsive behaviors I engaged in for that quick dopamine hit. These were my guidelines:
      I turned off all notifications on my phone and computer.
      I could only check email three times a day (morning, afternoon, and at the end of the work day) for a maximum of 30-45 minutes.
      My phone was turned off from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. I could only check texts and any social media three times a day (morning, afternoon, and evening).
      For the sake of brevity, I won’t recount my (at times, harrowing) journal entries reflecting on the week-long experience. But I’ll share what I learned:

      It gets worse before it gets better.
      If you’ve done other kinds of detoxes before, you know this well. In many ways, when I reduced my consumption of my dopamine triggers, my craving became all the more pronounced in the first two days. But if you stick through it, you’ll find that your automatic inclination to reach for your phone every time you experience a moment of silence lessens.

      I experienced the joy of boredom.
      On that note, this is one of the first concrete benefits I noticed during my detox: I actually experienced boredom. Truly, I can’t remember feeling bored anytime after getting my first Motorola Razr in the 6th grade. Outside the windows when I could check my phone or social media, I was forced to get creative and tap into what I really wanted at the moment. Sometimes, it was reading while other times it was a silent walk. 

      I learned more about myself.
      Rather than distracting myself during these periods of quietness, I chose to look inward. I often turned to my journal and even revived my meditation practice to connect deeper with myself. While I understood it in theory, my dopamine detox provided the proof: The answers really do exist within ourselves.

      Being realistic is crucial.
      While some may say that you need to completely rid your routine of your triggers to experience the benefits of a dopamine detox, I’m of the opinion that being a little lenient with yourself (as well as the strict definition of “detox”) can lead to greater success and insight. Going into the experience with the goal and expectation of getting to know yourself better means that you don’t have to go cold turkey. Instead, take note of what feels realistic for your routine and structure your detox in a way that feels both supportive and expansive.

      Mindfulness is key.
      The biggest takeaway should be this: A dopamine detox—like anything we do for our mental and emotional well-being—is a deeply personal experience. Only you can identify what may be holding you back and the healthy habits you want to carry along your path of growth. A dopamine detox isn’t glamorous and it isn’t a quick-fix solution. Instead, it reminds us that everything is a juggling act between balance and priority. What I learned from doing a dopamine detox is that we can have our cake and eat it too—as long as we do so mindfully.

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      5 amazing ice baths in Dubai to keep you cool you this summer

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      Life

      by Sarah Joseph
      1 hour ago

      Looking to cool down during this extreme UAE heat? Here are five of the best ice bath spots to visit in the summer.
      Embody Fitness

      Embody Fitness offers state-of-the art recovery suites, Olympic standard gym equipment, sport therapy treatment rooms, luxury changing rooms and a healthy café. For expert sports therapy, customers can utilise the modern recovery suite including infrared saunas, ice baths and sports therapy treatment rooms to improve their performance to the next level. Located in ICD Brookfield, the session is priced at Dhs130 for 60 minutes and Dhs1,200 for unlimited sessions per month.
      Contrast

      Guests can experience an immersive ice bath to improve circulation, reduce inflammation, aid muscle recovery and strengthen mental resilience, making it the perfect modality to complement the sauna experience. As a sanctuary for recovery, visitors can soothe, switch off, rest and recharge. With both hot and cold therapy, guests have the choice to promote relaxation and detoxification. Located at Golden Mile 6, Palm Jumeirah, the Ice Bath is priced at Dhs95 per 30-minute session.
      ReFIVE Spa

      Plunge into the icy cool waters at the Ice Bath at ReFIVE Spa Palm Jumeirah. After quickly becoming one of the top wellness treatments, this cold-water immersion action has an array of epic benefits including faster muscle recovery, improved sleep patterns, stress reduction and even boosting immunity. With the assistance of the trained therapists, you immerse for as long as your body needs while coaching you through with breathwork and meditation exercises. Located at Five Jumeirah Village, the Ice bath therapy is priced at Dhs125 per session.
      Boxica

      Guests can opt for this regimented training technique to regulate the nervous system and train the vagus nerve which is linked to the parasympathetic nervous system. Beneficial to anyone, ice baths are recommended to be between 10 to 15 degrees Celsius. This experience is designed to improve mood, completemental clarity, reduce inflammation,muscle soreness and conquer fear. Located in Dubai Studio City, the sessions are priced at Dhs100 for Boxica members and Dhs150 for non-members.
      Longevity

      Longevity offers a variety of wellness treatments focused on athletic recovery and performance, including infrared saunas, sports massages, yoga, stretching, and mobility treatments, in addition to ice baths. Founder Dani Afiouni is a passionate mountaineer with extensive experience in endurance sports and brought his expertise to Dubai to allow athletes and health enthusiasts to use cold water immersion to unlock their bodies’ recovery potential. Located at Umm Suqeim, Warehouse #S6, the cold dip is priced at Dhs115 per session.
      July/August’s – The Summer Escape Issue with Tania Santos Silva – Download Now 
      – For more on luxury lifestyle, news, fashion and beauty follow Emirates Woman on Facebook and Instagram
      Images: Supplied More

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      Gentle Nutrition: The Non-Diet Approach to Optimal Health and Happiness

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      In a world filled with conflicting diet trends and rigid rules around what to eat, many women have turned to intuitive eating as a different way to approach their eating habits. But there’s a common misconception that intuitive eating means ignoring all nutritional advice on eating “whatever you want.” You don’t want to have strict rules and are so over yo-yo dieting, but you also want to eat healthy foods that make you feel amazing. Gentle nutrition is probably the piece you’ve been missing. This overlooked principle encourages you to enjoy meals that fuel your body with foods that bring both happiness and nourishment. Read on to learn more about this compassionate approach to eating and discover simple strategies for applying it to your life. 

      What is Gentle Nutrition?
      Gentle nutrition is the final step of the intuitive eating framework, which was developed by Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD, CEDRD-S, and Elyse Resch, MS, RD, CED-s, authors of Intuitive Eating: A Revolutionary Anti Diet Approach. This final step toward food freedom encourages individuals to make food choices based on a combination of nutritional knowledge and their body’s innate cues. Rather than micromanaging what you eat, gentle nutrition considers your desires, like having pizza with friends, along with your nutritional needs, like protein and fiber. This lets you live a life without restriction and also helps you feel your best. In other words, gentle nutrition means honoring how food makes you feel and what food you want. For example, it might look like having a salad with a slice of pizza to get a combination of phytonutrients, fiber, and joy on your plate. 
      Gentle nutrition doesn’t prescribe a one-size-fits-all approach to eating because it recognizes that everyone’s health needs and personal preferences are unique. Instead, it encourages you to ditch the diet mentality, skip counting calories, and throw out your food scale. By eliminating food rules, you’re better able to make healthy eating decisions based on your body’s needs and signals. 

      Is Gentle Nutrition Right for You?
      While gentle nutrition can be a transformative approach to nourishing your body, it’s not for everyone. Before diving into this eating style, it’s important to feel confident in the first nine principles of intuitive eating, such as rejecting diet mentality and honoring your hunger, which means knowing food and hunger are good things that your body needs to survive, and deserve to feel pleasure. These foundational principles create the framework to break free from diet culture and listen to your body’s needs. Mastering these principles will help you approach gentle nutrition from a place of self-love, honoring your health and your taste buds. Note: If you have a history of disordered eating, it’s recommended that you work toward gentle nutrition with a trained expert.

      How to Incorporate Gentle Nutrition Into Your Life
       
      1. Add, don’t subtract, foods
      The beauty of gentle nutrition is that no foods are off-limits and all foods are morally equivalent. However, you’ll likely find that having a box of cookies at breakfast or a bag of chips in the afternoon doesn’t provide the energy you need to feel your best throughout the day. Registered dietitian Megan Hilbert advises against completely swearing off certain foods like cookies and chips. Limiting or depriving foods can lead to bingeing or an unhealthy relationship with food. Instead, she suggests combining foods that you want but doesn’t make you feel good with more nutritionally-dense ingredients, such as healthy fats or protein, to create a more balanced and energizing meal.

      2. Opt for healthy meals that actually taste good
      It goes without saying that a balanced approach to eating doesn’t mean you can eat desserts all day. However, it also doesn’t mean eating bland chicken breasts and unseasoned veggies on repeat. The key here is finding balance, and one of the easiest ways to do that is by discovering healthy meals that actually taste good. This may involve enhancing your typical salad with toppings like dressing and croutons, despite diet culture’s labeling of these foods as “unhealthy,” knowing you’re also filling your body with amazing nutrients from the veggies, or if you don’t like salad, don’t eat salad. It could also look like adding your favorite veggies and protein to a cheesy pot of mac and cheese, transforming it into a flavorful and nutritious dish, or making nutrient-dense versions of your favorite foods like a cauliflower crust pizza or chickpea pasta. 

      3. Tap into your body’s hunger and fullness cues
      Diet culture undermines women’s trust in their own bodies, promoting the use of calorie-counting, macro-tracking, and food scales to determine what and how much to eat. While these tools can be helpful for some women, others find them exhausting and even harmful. So how do you really know how much to eat? Gentle nutrition encourages you to tap into your body’s hunger and fullness cues. Some days your body may need more energy and, in turn, will rev up your hunger. On other days, your body may need less energy, so your appetite will follow suit. Following these cues will help ensure you’re fueling your body with the amount of food that’s truly best for your body. 

      4. Focus on self-care, not self-control
      Gentle nutrition encourages you to reframe your relationship with food and make decisions on how to fuel your body from a place of self-care, not self-control. Nutritionist and intuitive eating counselor, Kara Lydon, encourages gentle nutrition practitioners to check in with themselves: “If practicing nutrition principles becomes rigid and the control you’re exerting is what’s making you feel good, it’s time to re-evaluate because that’s not the essence of gentle nutrition,” she said. 
      Consider how your eating habits make you feel. If they are rigid and you experience guilt when deviating from certain rules or nutritional guidelines, you’re not practicing gentle nutrition. However, if your eating habits feel balanced, allow for a variety of foods, and bring you joy instead of shame, you’re likely making food choices from a place of self-love.

      I Ate Like the World’s Happiest Population for a Week
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      How To Practice Sleep Syncing for Better Sleep and Energy

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      If there’s one thing we can all agree on it’s that sleep is important—and that collectively, we’re not getting enough of it. I’ve been guilty of staying up too late to watch one more episode of the latest show, finish reading a chapter, or scroll through Tiktok without thinking about the consequences (lack of quality sleep). While I love a little self-care time at the end of a long day, I don’t ever want it to translate into a groggy, grumpy kind of morning that leaves me needing coffee in an IV to make it through the day. 
      According to the CDC, more than a third of Americans don’t get enough sleep (read: seven or more hours a day). Sleep is vital for our overall health, and sleeping less than seven hours a day can be associated with a risk of developing chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, and frequent mental distress. Even with the introduction of sleep-tracking devices like the Oura Ring or Apple Watch, we still don’t seem to maintain good quality sleep. Whether you stay up too late, wake up in the middle of the night, or never wake up feeling energized, there’s a new wellness trend that might be the answer to all your sleep woes. You’ve probably heard of cycle syncing, which is syncing with your infradian rhythm; sleep syncing is syncing with your circadian rhythm, and it’s promising everything from the best sleep of your life to optimal energy during the day. Read on for what sleep syncing is and how to try it for yourself. 

      What is Sleep Syncing?
      Sleep syncing is the process of aligning your sleep cycle with your circadian rhythm, or the internal clock your body follows. The circadian rhythm regulates your daily sleep, wakefulness, hunger, digestion, hormonal activity, and other bodily processes. It’s why natural light tells the body it’s time to wake up or having set meal times spark hunger. The circadian rhythm regulates the production of different hormones throughout the 24-hour cycle. In the morning when the sun rises, the body produces cortisol, which makes us feel alert and awake. In the evening, as the sun sets, the body releases melatonin, which makes us tired and ready for sleep. When the body is properly aligned with the circadian rhythm, it makes it easier to have a full and restful sleep, but when it is thrown off this schedule, problems arise. Enter sleep syncing. 
      Unlike the many sleep hacks out there, sleep syncing may be the most effective because it follows your body’s natural biological clock, which regulates the cycle of circadian rhythms. By following the tips for sleep syncing below, you’ll likely feel more rested throughout the day, say goodbye to the midday slump, and no longer reach for a caffeine fix the moment you wake up.

      How to Sync With Your Circadian Rhythm

      1. Wake up and go to sleep at the same time every day
      Many of us are pretty good at waking up and going to bed at the same time Monday through Friday, but the moment the weekend rolls around, anything goes. But bad news for your weekend sleep-ins or late nights out: if you’re varying bedtimes and wake-up times, the body can be unsure when you should be asleep and when you should be awake, so you may feel tired during the day and unable to sleep at night. By setting a sleep schedule such as 10:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., and sticking with it every day, you’re more likely to sync your sleep to your circadian rhythm, meaning having an easier time falling and staying asleep, and waking up feeling refreshed. Realistically, going to bed at 10:30 p.m. every single night probably won’t happen, but try to fall asleep and wake up within the same two-hour window as much as possible to sync with your circadian rhythm.

      2. Be mindful of light exposure
      For most people, sleep doesn’t happen as soon as your head hits the pillow. Setting your body up for a good night’s sleep plays a big role in sleep syncing. Start by ensuring all electronics are turned off and away from you at least 30 minutes before you go to sleep. Any light, including the light that comes from screens, can confuse your body’s circadian rhythm into believing it’s time to stay awake. Dimming all lights in the room can also help prepare the body for rest.
      On the flip side, getting sunlight first thing in the morning is a great well to tell your body it’s time to wake up and halt melatonin. Not only will this give you more energy and wakefulness during the day, but when the circadian rhythm halts melatonin and increases cortisol, it knows that about 12 hours later, it’s time to increase melatonin and decrease cortisol, improving your sleep. Open blinds first thing upon waking up, and try to get outside in the morning.

      3. Eat according to your circadian rhythm
      The circadian diet, which involves consuming all meals during a 12-hour window and fasting during the next 12-hour window, is one most of us intuitively follow in that we eat during the day and stop at night (eating too close to bedtime can disrupt sleep). The circadian diet also says that breakfast should be the largest meal of the day and dinner is the smallest, according to how our metabolism, hormones, etc. change throughout the day, thanks to (you guessed it!) the circadian rhythm.
      Whether or not you want to experiment with when or how much you eat to sync with your circadian rhythm, there are also foods that could be majorly affecting your circadian rhythm. Caffeine causes cortisol to spike, which is counterintuitive to our circadian rhythm if you drink it in the later afternoon (when cortisol levels naturally drop to prepare us to sleep at night). Everybody varies in their sensitivity to caffeine; some people swear they can have a shot of espresso right before bed and others get way better sleep when they avoid caffeine, even in the mornings. Experiment to identify when your cut-off should be to make sure that caffeine is not impacting your sleep.
      Aside from caffeine, there are other foods and beverages that can affect your sleep. Alcohol or spicy foods have been shown to disrupt sleep. Avoiding these before bed and opting instead for complex carbohydrates or a glass of tart cherry juice may be helpful for sleep syncing and improving sleep quality. 

      4. Exercise according to your circadian rhythm
      Exercising according to your circadian rhythm can also positively impact your sleep (they have a symbiotic relationship, just like food and sleep). Engaging in routine exercise is healthy and can promote a positive sleep cycle, encouraging strength and mobility while you work out. However, exercising too close to your bedtime can have a negative effect. Exercise is stimulating and can keep the body awake, so avoid any excessive heart-pumping activities at least 1-2 hours before bedtime. Instead, use exercise as a tool throughout your day to reorient your circadian rhythm and prepare for rest at the end of the day. 

      Enter Your Hot Girl Sleep Era–Here’s How To Upgrade Your Routine More

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      Wellness Experts Are Saying These 5 Trends Are Game-Changers for Your Health

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      Summer is meant to be enjoyed, but not at the expense of feeling your best. Recovering from a long weekend of fun in the sun isn’t as easy as it used to be. Whether you are feeling groggy, could use a supplement or two, or need a nudge to get back into your pre-summer routine, the following five wellness trends are easy to add to your weekly rotation and are so buzzy, experts or studies are saying they could make all the difference in your hot girl summer era. Read on for the five trends that the wellness world is buzzing about right now and how to try them for yourself.

      1. Supplements/Treatments that Focus on Healthy Aging
      When you think of products meant for healthy aging and cellular turnover, your mind probably goes right to skincare. But why stop there when an internal approach makes an even bigger difference? Supplements and treatments take those ideas and encompass the whole body, focusing on a healthy aging mind, strong memory, improved mitochondria function, boosted eye function, improved muscle strength and performance, and increased energy levels. Not only are we improving skin texture and reducing fine lines, but we’re improving our overall health and lifespan. Enter the molecule that all these supplements have in common: NAD (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), which is naturally occurring in the body, but gets depleted with age. While celebrities like Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber swear by NAD IV therapy, you can also take NAD orally through supplement form. Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) or nicotinamide riboside (NR) are supplements that are getting more and more buzz because they are compounds that your body converts into NAD.

      2. Exercise Snacking
      While it’s nothing new, moving your body with moderate intensity once a day for at least 30 minutes is integral to feeling your best, both physically and mentally. But the days of intense 90-minute gym sessions in order to get in a “good workout” is over. Instead, the fitness world is shifting to a more active lifestyle by adding in small bursts of movement throughout the day, called “exercise snacking.” This could mean a quick jog in the morning, stretching while on a conference call, walking to the grocery store instead of driving, and taking a 10-minute workout break. My favorite “exercise snack?” A descending ladder of 10-1 burpees and sit-ups (10 burpees, 10 sit-ups, 9 burpees, 9 sit-ups, etc.) that takes 10 minutes max. 

      3. Airplane Mode
      Modern technology has its perks (side note: are you on Threads yet?), but it’s been proven that too much screen time can affect your mood. As more and more people get addicted to their phones and suffer from repercussions such as increased anxiety or decreased focus, health experts are looking to hacks to set boundaries so your technology works for you instead of being in control of you.
      The simple act of turning your phone on airplane mode to prevent any messages or notifications from coming through can prevent you from getting distracted with a notification or can stop the urge to mindlessly scroll. Try turning it on Airplane Mode before bed (some doctors recommend at least an hour before sleep), and keeping it on Airplane Mode for at least the first 30 minutes in the morning to prevent you from diving into texts, emails, and TikTok first thing. Starting your day on the right (calm and centered) foot will change your mood, productivity, and stress levels for the better.

      4. Cold Therapy
      If you’re like me, your TikTok feed is filled with cold plunges, cold showers, and ice rolling. TikTok’s favorite biohack has some impressive research behind it. Exposure to the cold has been linked to a number of health benefits, including increased metabolism, reduced inflammation, decreased muscle soreness, and improved circulation. If you don’t have access to a cold plunge, spending just one minute in cold water at the end of your shower is enough to give you some major cold therapy benefits. Other options if a cold shower is not your thing: Try a facial ice bath by submerging your face for a few seconds at a time in a bowl of ice water, or simply massaging with an ice roller for major skin benefits.

      5. Prioritizing Protein
      Avocados had their moment (remember when we put avocado on everything 10 years ago?) and then cauliflower was being made into everything (pizza crusts, pasta, ice cream…). Thanks to trending foods like cottage cheese and the focus on blood sugar regulation, the wellness world is now obsessing over an entire macronutrient: protein. Turns out most of us are not getting enough. Experts recommend a minimum of 20-30 grams of protein per meal (for reference, two eggs–what many women consider a serving size–only contain about 12 grams). A good rule of thumb is to consume your body weight in grams of protein each day (for example: if you weigh 150 pounds, try to consume 150g of protein daily).
      Consuming adequate amounts of protein promotes fullness and preserves muscle mass, which ultimately increases metabolism and improves body composition. Additionally, improved protein intake has been associated with a stronger immune system and a more positive mood. Try these hacks to get in more protein and make sure you’re eating an adequate, clean source of protein at every meal, whether it’s organic meat/fish, eggs, tofu, tempeh, or high-protein legumes such as chickpeas and edamame. 

      Please consult a doctor or a mental health professional before beginning any treatments. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical or mental health condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article.

      5 Wellness Trends Everyone’s Talking About This Season More