Curious

How to be ‘big spoon’ without losing an arm

Perhaps the most famous position to sleep in with your partner is the “spooning position“. It has this name because of how it looks: two people hugging looking in the same direction – it looks like two spoons in the drawer. The “hugger” is the “big spoon” and the person being hugged is the “little spoon“.

Paresthesia

But however much we might like this position (especially the small spoon), it can also become extremely uncomfortable as we start feeling that annoying prickling sensation in our arm. It is also known as paresthesia, and occurs when a part of our body “falls asleep”. However, thanks to this invention, spooning will be all you’ll want to do all day long.

The cutest, but not the most comfortable position

Bob Meade, the creator of the invention, was fed up with not being able to “spoon” well. He got tired of losing feeling in his arm when cuddling with his significant other, so he came up with his latest invention: the “Coodle Pillow“.

No more sleeping limbs

The creation allows us to sleep through the night while spooning your partner thanks to its design. The pillow forms a sort of “tunnel” through which you can position your arm without having your significant other squish it.

You can also find it useful on your own

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Una publicación compartida de Coodle ™ (@coodlepillow) el 7 May, 2019 a las 6:17 PDT

The Coodle Pillow is not only made for couples. So, if you’re single and ready to mingle, but still prefer sleeping on your own, you will also find the pillow to be useful.

If you’re one to sleep with your arm underneath your pillow, it is the perfect creation for you. It will allow you to sleep as you find comfiest without losing your arm in the process.

It can obviously have many more uses, even outside of bed: it can be your ally when watching TV in bed or reading on the sofa. It’s just a matter of imagination. The sky’s the limit.

Available online

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Una publicación compartida de Coodle ™ (@coodlepillow) el 7 Sep, 2018 a las 4:42 PDT

You can get yourself a spooning-pillow for 44 euros on this webpage. But you can perhaps give it a go and make your own spooning-pillow. This might take some more creativity, though. Straight forward buying it might be more suitable for you if you’re not really a DIY-person.

Photos: Pixabay and Instagram

Why your lunch break is the perfect time to work out

It’s a no-brainer that regular exercise is good for both our mental health and our physical health. However, it is often difficult to make some time for it in our busy agendas.

What we usually end up doing is either waking up earlier in the morning to exercise, which is something that no one likes; or exercising really late in the evening, when we’re usually already exhausted, and which causes us not to sleep as well.

The right moment to exercise

What now turns out to be the perfect time to train is during lunch. So if you’re one of those who just can’t seem to find the time to exercise, keep reading. Here’s why it’s better to exercise during lunch breaks than at any other time of the day.

1. You’ll boost your endorphins and become more creative

Training in the middle of the day will help you feel energized, as your endorphins will suddenly be given a kickstart. Even just going for a walk will help your digestion and lower your blood sugar. It has also been proven that if you’ve lost inspiration, going out for a walk might just give you the creativity you need.

2. You’ll improve your efficiency

Several studies prove that exercising during lunch time causes you to become increasingly productive during the afternoon. It doesn’t have to be an extensively planned workout routine; with just +/- 15 minutes of training you will improve your concentration, as well as your problem solving skills, because it can have a great meditative effect.

3. Socializing is essential for your health

Besides being extremely positive for your physical health, it can help you improve your mental health through socializing. Social dynamics are essential for mental stability, and going out for a quick run can be the perfect opportunity to strengthen the friendship bonds with your co-workers.

Plus, it is easier to communicate face-to-face than through emails, and will prevent misunderstandings. Keep in mind that even answering your mobile phone outside in fresh air has a positive impact on your mental restoration.

4. No more eating at your desk

It often happens that we stick around at the office during lunch because of built up work and we just can’t seem to stop what we’re doing to have a proper lunch. However, taking a break is just as important, and you are 100% entitled to it.

In addition, it is actually unhealthier than you might think. What happens when we eat at our desks is that we’re more likely to store body fat when we stay seated the whole day.

Plus, working out actually helps you regulate hunger. When exercising, certain hormones that helps us recognize the sense of fullness are secreted, meaning that we won’t be as prone to reach our for snacks when we go back to working.

5. You’ll have the rest of the day to do other things

Regularly exercising during lunch time means you will not have to cancel plans because you have to go to the gym again. Having free evenings means having more “me-time”, which is also essential for a healthy mind, and a healthy body.

6. You’ll be less likely to suffer from diseases

A sedentary life is highly linked to suffering from all sorts of diseases like cardiovascular diseases, diabetes or even different types of cancer. When working out regularly, chances of suffering from such diseases decrease by up to a 30%.

To achieve this percentage, it is key you exercise 150 minutes a week, which is 30 minutes a day. However, this doesn’t mean you have to carry out a full work out for thirty minutes every day: even going for a stroll is enough. The point is to move a bit every day.

Photos: Unsplash and Pixabay

10 tips to gain muscle before summer gets here

Summer is getting closer and closer, and many already started their “bikini body” plans quite some months ago, but you still feel like there’s not the slightest hint of muscle on your own body. If you’re worried because you are still stuck in the same sedentary lifestyle, and stuffing your face with whatever ultraprocessed foods you have in your fridge, worry no more.

We are here to save you. You are still on time to achieve the summer body you have always wanted.

We all like to show off some muscle on the beach when summer shows up around the corner. If you are worried that you don’t look as toned and muscly as you would like, it’s time you follow these 10 tips to look beach-ready.

1. Maximize muscle production

How? The key to success is increasing your protein intake. Michael Houston, nutrition professor at the Virginia Tech University, states “protein synthesis is fundamental“. In other words, eat more protein-filled foods, like for example, eggs, chicken breast, milk, etc.

2. Increase your daily calorie intake

Apart from needing a higher protein intake for muscle production, you also need a higher calorie intake. Despite many being frightened of this fact because they think they will get “bulky”, a higher calorie intake is essential when building muscle because we need to find ourselves in an energy surplus in order for muscle to be produced.

“You can gain muscle strength simply through exercising the muscles more, but usually to gain muscle mass, what you need to do is up your calorie intake“, this is how accredited practising dietitian and sports dietitian, Chloe McLeod explains it.

3. Focus on the biggest muscle groups

If you’re still a rookie, it’s probable that almost any exercise you do will increase your protein synthesis. But if you’ve been at it for years, you will build more muscle mass focusing especially on your chest, back and legs. A good tip is carrying out exercises like squats, deadlifting, bench presses… It’s important you do a couple of series with around 10 repetitions, resting for a minute between each series.

4. The importance of liquids

A study carried out in 2001 by the Texas University concluded that those who drank a shake packed with amino-acids and carbohydrates before training had a higher protein synthesis than those who didn’t drink said shake.

Exercise increases blood flow, so drinking such shakes before training can lead to a higher amount of amino acid intake by the muscles. Also, Kevin Tipton confirms that “liquid meals are absorbed quicker”.

5. Rest when you have to

It has been proven by several studies that training with weights results in protein synthesis for up to 48 hours after you’re done. Your muscles grow with rest, not with exercise. So remember to rest when you need to, and don’t overdo your training; it is not necessary and will just lead to exhaustion and injuries.

This includes sleeping well. It takes roughly eight hours per night for proper muscle recovery to take place. This is because, during your sleep, your body releases human growth hormone. This helps muscles grow and keep stress hormone “cortisol” in check.

6. Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates do have a role in building muscle, however, according to Dr. Larry, it’s just a minor one. The important thing is to realize the importance carbohydrates have on your own body, as each body responds differently to them.

Be careful with carbohydrates, though, too many of them can overwhelm your metabolism. The best carbohydrates to focus on should always be low fat, like for example: sweet potatoes, brown rice, broccoli, lentils and beans, etc. The servings should still be kept to a minimum, if you wish to increase muscle mass. It’s important you make sure you’re eating the right kind of carbs at the right time of day.

7. Eat every two to three hours

Houston points out that “if you don’t eat frequently enough, you can limit the speed at which your body synthesizes new proteins“. Mario Fanzolato recommends eating four to five times a day. However, you shouldn’t stuff yourself if you don’t feel like eating; don’t force yourself if you’re not feeling hungry. It can be counterproductive, as it will make you feel sluggish.

Photos: Pixabay and Unsplash

Why you get angry and how it shapes your life

Anger is one of the most primitive emotions human beings experience, and it seems to have been wired into our systems. From a stranger taking your parking spot right when you were going to park, to a loved one betraying you on a sensitive matter, they all end up at one place: you feeling angry.

The “angriness spectrum”

But anger does not come in just one form. There is a whole spectrum of “angriness”. Anger covers everything from feeling a mild frustration because you haven’t slept enough, to absolute and complete fury where all hell breaks loose.

However, it is often frustrating to feel anger and sometimes even leaves us feeling guilty once it’s over. But is there an actual point to feeling this burning emotion? The way in which we experience anger, and how we act on it is very personal.

Feeling angry is useful

Science seems to be increasingly uncovering ways in which personality, gender, age, and life experiences affect how we feel anger.

Feeling angry is actually very useful when it comes to dangerous situations. It forms part of our instincts, triggering the body’s “fight or flight“ response.

The emotion prepares us for physical aggression. From the evolutive perspective: it’s part of our instincts to fight off threats, compete for resources and enforce social norms. However, we do have the ability to choose between walking away or throwing out a punch.

A different part of the brain is from there on responsible for decision-making and reasoning. This way, we put our emotions into context, and remind ourselves to behave because it is not socially acceptable to slap someone in the face just because they ate our last cookie.

**What anger actually does**

Feeling angry can be dangerous as it alters how we view risk. In other words, something that might be dangerous might look not-so-dangerous through the “anger-glasses“; we become more likely to underestimate the chances there are of having a bad outcome.

Studies have shown that anger makes us more impulsive, and depending on the context, it can make us either brave or reckless.

Anger also affects behaviour in a social context. Feeling angry often means thinking negatively of others, resulting in blaming other people for circumstantial situations. The problem is, if an angry person projects blame onto someone else, it might result in irrational anger, because it is likely to make said person more enraged.

The benefits of feeling angry

Anger has always been considered a negative emotion, and should, at all times, be avoided. It is even considered a deadly sin in catholic religion. However, science now suggests feeling angry does, in fact, have some benefits.

Anger can become a strong motivator, according to this 2010 study. It can also shape the way you are perceived by others. The American psychologist, Lisa Tiedens, found out that outward anger expressions can make you more likable – or at least, make people be more supportive of you.

Anger and social status

She also found that people tied to a higher status position are more likely to describe themselves as “angry” rather than “sad”, and that showing this emotion in a negotiation increases success. This happens because “anger” is an emotion linked to adjectives like “stubborn” and “dominant”.

However, it’s also worth noting that evidence was found that in the case of women, the story changes: females considered angry were thought less of.

Photos: Unsplash and Pixabay

Not sleeping well is worse for you than you thought

It’s a no-brainer that not sleeping enough is unhealthy. But do we really realize up to what point? It has now been proven that little sleep is worse for us than we thought: it not only leaves us feeling tired, it also has serious long-term consequences for our health.

Lack of sleep

The known effects lack of sleep has are feeling grumpy, not working at your best, and overall leaves you feeling very uncomfortable for the rest of the day. However, there is more to it than meets the eye. As it turns out, sleep deprivation has serious health consequences – a bad night’s sleep is more than just lack of focus and bad moods.

Not sleeping enough shouldn’t become a habit

One in three people suffer from poor sleep, because of stress, computers and taking work home. If having poor sleep occurs regularly, it can cause serious medical conditions, like obesity, heart disease and diabetes, as well as straight on shortening your life expectancy.

How it affects your brain

Getting little sleep keeps our brain from regenerating itself because when sleeping less than we should, we reduce the hours our brain has to carry out this “regeneration”. Because of this, we are not able to fix the damage caused during the day. This shouldn’t be a major problem, but we should indeed be careful if it becomes a habit.

Other consequences sleep deprivation has, include becoming prone to acquire illnesses like Alzheimer’s or an increase in probability of cardiovascular diseases. On top of that, we gradually lose the ability to remember things or learn something new.

But how much sleep do you really need?

Seven hours of sleep seems to be the magic number. Which, according to Matthew Walker from the Berkeley University, is the minimum number of hours we should sleep every day. A smaller number would mean less rest than our brains need.

However, some of us need more and some need less. It is often said that eight hours of sleep is a good-quality sleep in order to be able to function properly. It is important to find out with how many hours you function well.

Why you’re not sleeping well

Usually, if you spend your time day-dreaming about taking a nap, chances are you are not sleeping enough, and you should try to increase your sleeping hours.

Sleep deprivation can be caused by several conditions, like for example, sleep apnoea. However, it is often just a case of bad sleeping habits.

What lack of sleep does to you

It’s obvious that occasionally not sleeping well won’t really affect your health other than you feeling irritable and tired. But it does become a problem after several sleepless nights.

The brain becomes foggy, which will cause difficulties focusing and making decisions. You start feeling gloomy and occasionally fall asleep during the day. The risk of injuries and accidents rises. If then you still can’t get a good night’s sleep, consequences will worsen. It will seriously affect your general health, making you prone to medical conditions like obesity, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

All in all, it seems pretty clear that a good night’s sleep goes hand in hand with a long, healthy life, so sleep away!

Photos: Unsplash

Alcohol does help when speaking foreign languages

You have probably often heard people say things like “My french improves when I drink” or “I speak a great german when I get drunk”, but until now you probably thought it was just a myth. Alcohol does help us speak foreign languages. Fritz Renner, from the University of Maastricht, came to this conclusion after carrying out a scientific study.

The experiment

The experiment was pretty straight forward. Renner chose 50 people whose first language was german and had studied in dutch. All of them had a drink given to them, but it had a twist: some of them were alcoholic drinks, and some weren’t, but none of the participants knew who had which.

After, the participants spoke dutch and the conversations were analyzed by two dutch natives who were unaware of what participants had drunk alcoholic drinks and what participants hadn’t.

The assessment of the analysts concluded, funnily enough, that the participants who had consumed alcohol obtained better scores than those who hadn’t, especially regarding pronunciation. So, all in all, we can confirm that alcohol helps when speaking foreign languages.

Alcohol helps, as long as we already know the language

It’s important to realize that the study only applies to those who already had knowledge on the language beforehand. In other words, if you don’t have previous knowledge of the specific language, you will not magically start speaking it however much alcohol you consume.

Drinking alcohol makes you and extrovert

What the alcohol actually does is affect our executive capacities, meaning our ability to remember, paying attention, and inhibiting inappropriate behaviour. This means we lose the feeling of “embarrassment” when speaking a second or third language.

But be careful…!

Note that this only works with “low doses“. In order to loosen up a bit, you should drink low percentage alcohol, or have just one drink. Otherwise, if you start increasing alcohol intake, the opposite effect will be achieved: losing control of your motor skills. This is something you don’t want. Because yes, you do indeed lose fear or speaking, but you also lose the ability of actually being able to speak. Nor is excessive intake good for you health.

Photos: Unsplash and Pixabay