5 Ways Our Zip Code May Influence Our Health More Than Our DNA Code

Owaves TeamHealth & Fitness, Health Risks, Healthy Lifestyle, My Moai, Relationships

There are certain age-old debates that are challenging to get to the bottom of, like, does pineapple belong on pizza? Or what came first, the chicken or the egg? One dispute that science can help us understand is one of nature vs. nurture. When you think of your health and wellbeing, try to imagine all of the factors that come together to support the …

Circadian Rhythms
and Night Shifts

Owaves TeamCircadian Rhythm, Day Plans, Health Risks, Healthy Lifestyle, Routines, Time Hacks, Time Management, Tips and Tricks

As a doctor in training, night shifts are a consistent part of life. This gets especially difficult for someone who is into optimizing their health. The World Health Organization classifies night shift work as a ā€˜carcinogen’. Circadian rhythms dictate specific times at which we are physiologically optimized for performance in different domains. It’s hard to stay alert and productive at night as …

Two Public Health Lessons
from Rio de Janeiro

RoyanHealth Risks, Healthy Lifestyle, Olympics, Productivity, Wellness Planner

In a world where anti-depressants are fast becoming as common as Tylenol, it’s refreshing to run into a culture, an entire population or Blue Zone if you will, that possesses joy as a palpable entity. The Carioca spirit, or “joie de vivre” of the local Rio de Janeiro population, is not only infectious but palpable. It’s something even those living here for …

Recipe for Chronic Disease

RoyanHealth Risks, Healthy Lifestyle, Productivity, Tips and Tricks, Wellness GPS

Sitting is the New Smoking According to recent research from a new cadre of public health advocates, sitting for extended periods throughout the day is an independent risk factor for chronic disease such as heart disease – even with allotments for exercise.Ā Sitting down too much, for too long, is bad for our health. The typical American work day looks pretty much like …

What is Your Metronome?

RoyanApps, Health Risks, Healthy Lifestyle, Productivity, Time Hacks, Time Management, Wellness Planner

Tic-Toc. Lub-Dub. Buzz. What’s the sound of your metronome? What keeps your beat? Guides your rhythm on a daily basis? For mothers it might be a child’s cry that guides them from one moment to the next. For a rural farmer in an isolated region, the rise and fall of the sun. For you? For me? For many of us, the beat-setter …

Do You Plan Your Day?

RoyanHealth Risks, Healthy Lifestyle, Productivity, Time Management, Wellness GPS

Did you plan your day today? Ā If so, you probably found time for that healthy snack, a light jog, or to enjoy the evening with your loved ones. Sometimes we get caught in a trap of poor day-planning, and that can lead to vicious cycles. When we forget to eat a square breakfast or lunch, for example, we might reach for calorie-dense …

Cigarettes, Trans Fats
and Light Bulbs

RoyanHealth Risks, Healthy Lifestyle, Time Management, Wellness GPS, Wellness Planner

It wasn’t long ago that a surgeon might stroll into the operating room with a lit cigarette in tow, as some lauded nicotine’s beneficial effects on focus and attention, but the CDC now considers tobacco use the leading cause of preventable death worldwide. Trans fats used in fast foods were considered a healthy alternative to saturated fats, until further research linked them …

Sleep Promotes Neurogenesis

RoyanHealth Risks, Healthy Lifestyle, Productivity, Wellness Planner

Neurogenesis: neuĀ·roĀ·genĀ·eĀ·sis(nur’ə-jěn’Ä­-sÄ­s, nyur’-) n.Formation of nervous tissue. As recently as 10 years ago, scientists and medical professionals thought it was impossible for human beings to grow new nerve cells. Research from institutions including UC Berkeley, UC San Diego and UCLA are showing that good ol’ sleep helps promote a healthy amount of neurogenesis. This includes areas like the ā€œhippocampusā€ which are essential …