1. Bad days
Maintaining a healthy life does require consistency. This doesn't mean that if you miss one day you will not accomplish your goals. There are a few different fitness enthusiasts who emphasize that cheat meals or missing one day of exercise (recovery day) is a good thing. These are some suggested lifestyle rules:
2. The wrong encouragement
Feedback is great, but can it be counterproductive? A 2011 study identifies that there are comments that are better than others. There is a type of encouragement that works best, and that is the kind that keeps you motivated and focused on doing better. This is called person praise instead of process praise.
Person praise is related to your ability and identity, while process praise is related to your efforts. So which is better? The best comments, based on the study, are process praise. Process praise is: "Awesome, you worked really hard and got it done " instead of, person praise that is: "You are incredible." Find people that will be honest with you throughout your journey, and that will motivate you in positive ways. It is also important to find ways to analyze your progress, be real with yourself, and modify your actions to get where you want to be.
3. Trying too many things at once
Developing a new habit requires focus, so it is important for you to know how much time you will dedicate. If you take on too many new activities you might be more likely to fall behind. To avoid this, it is best to start off with one or two new goals. Develop those activities as much as possible, usually, actions can become habits around 2 months of practicing it. Once you feel like you have established an action as second nature, then you are best equipped to start building a new habit.
]]>According to a study by Phillippa Lally a health psychology researcher at the University College London, it takes an average of 66 days to form a habit, a timeline that varies with every case. Success is possible because there isn't a precise format to follow, there isn’t a specific formula. However, there is a key that will help you achieve new habits, and that is persistence.
The only way to create new habits is by starting. You can and should start small, but all you need to do is start. Here is a list of simple habits that will help you start to make you disciplined:
Exercising regularly
Implementing exercise into your daily routine can be a lot more simple than it appears. Efficient workouts that you can find for free online allow you to enjoy a short workout from the comfort of your home. It can be as quick as a 7-minute workout that you do in the morning, afternoon or night.
Eating cleaner
Improving your eating habits can be as easy as switching, decreasing or removing the intake of certain bad food or increasing the consumption of nutrient-rich foods. Focusing on one food will allow you to manage this habit better. For example, if you want to decrease the amount of sugar you consume, you can start by removing one sugary part of your diet like soda or jam and continue to remove more sugary treats as the weeks go on.
Journaling
Writing is a great hobby to have because it can help you develop creativity and also improve your memory. But you can also use journaling to organize your thoughts, actions, and plans. There are a lot of benefits to writing, and it does not take a lot to get started, all you need is paper and a pencil.
Drinking more water
Staying hydrated is important and it benefits our entire body. Healthy skin, hair, nails and more is the result of drinking enough water. Simply buying a water bottle to carry around with you will help remind you to hydrate. It is ok to start off drinking half or one bottle a day.
These are some habits that you can start implementing today. As simple as they may be, the secret to accomplishing a habit, no matter what size, is by not giving up. Even if you miss a day of exercising or don’t drink as much water as you wanted, you must continue to try. The reason why developing a habit can make you disciplined is that habits require that you keep going no matter how many times you fail. Keep it up, you are on your way to developing a new habit!
Why preventative health is important
The cost of healthcare in the U.S. has been rising over the years. Citizens face large health care expenses, sometimes even for non-life threatening procedures. These high prices can cause financial strain if the individual is not prepared. This is why maintaining a healthy lifestyle is an essential part of reducing your incidence of health-related complications.
Preventative care can come in many forms, from healthy eating to regular check-ups. Although prevention does not guarantee an individual is free from life-threatening diseases, it is worth investing in this practice. Reasons you may want to invest in prevention:
How setting goals can help your health
Prevention requires time and attention, but there are ways to successfully integrate it into your lifestyle if you haven’t already. If you do not take any preventative actions, here is our suggestion to get started:
How technology makes it easy to set goals
Tracking goals is not easy and it can be especially complicated to implement a new element into your routine if you do not plan, coordinate and put it into action. Starting off is the first step, but there are definitely ways to easily make this lifestyle change.
Use technology to your advantage. These are helpful apps you can use based on the goal you are trying to achieve:
For more information about how technology helps benefit you and your health, keep up with our blog. For questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions contact us at info@stellawearables.com and you will get a response within approximately 24 hours.
Image credit thanks to Traineracademy.org
]]>Building healthy habits can be difficult without any accountability. Let’s dive into the 3 steps you should take with your wearable technology so that you can optimize your healthy lifestyle:
1. Set up health goals
2. Monitor your health goals daily
3. Track your progress to stay accountable
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1. Set up health goals
Planning is a very important step in the process. In order to accomplish your goals, you must be very clear about what they are. This is where wearable technology can improve the setup process.
It is common for wearable technology that is health-related to come with a mobile application. These applications collect and store health data as it becomes available. Applications vary, but you can find wearable technology that allows you to set up health goals, especially ones focused on the health aspect that you want to improve. This will likely depend on the type of wearable device that you buy.
If your wearable does not have a goal set up page, follow this guide to learn the best way to plan your goals.
2. Monitor your health goals daily
Manually entering your health data can be a daunting task. Manual input can also be the cause of inaccurate data or irregular monitoring. Wearables are built to collect your data as accurately as possible, and because you are wearing a device that collects your health data for you, the process is improved. Automatic and daily tracking is a great way to increase your chances of an accurate reading.
A daily tracking feature is also beneficial because having more data will give you a better understanding of your health progress. With daily monitoring, you will be more aware of the actions that you repeat frequently, allowing you to enhance your habits.
3. Track your progress to stay accountable
Another advantage is that as long as you are always wearing the device, you will be tracking your biometric data. Because constant tracking gives you a better idea of how your health is and how close you are to reaching your health goals, you are more accountable for your actions. This also will help you feel more empowered when you see the progress you are making and give you more motivation to reach new and bigger goals.
Wearable technology is a great tool that can greatly improve your lifestyle when used correctly. These few simple steps are a great way to ease into a new routine with your wearable device. For more information about how technology helps benefit you and your health, keep up with our blog. For questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions contact us at info@stellawearables.com and you will get a response within approximately 24 hours.
How do you develop your discipline? Entrepreneur suggests the following:
Let’s focus on some of these steps.
Step 3. Having clarity about what area you want to improve is a great place to start. Pick the area you really want to make a difference in. Setting clear and detailed goals is important because clarity helps you to stick to a plan. For example, if you want to lose some weight you would want to be really clear about how you do this.
This template might help you outline your goals. Following the weight loss example, you can say….”This week starting on September 9, 2019, I want to focus on losing weight. Specifically, I want to lose 2 pounds. In order to do this, I will have to do the following: 1. Have a green smoothie with kale, frozen blueberries, frozen mangos, and water in the mornings as my breakfast. 2. Not have added sugar, stay away from jams, candy, juices. 3. Exercise 3-5 times a week, doing cardio like tennis or HIIT workouts that I can find on youtube.”
Better yet, there are other ways that you can track these goals. Using apps and wearable devices can help boost your ability to track these health-related goals.
Step 4. Consistency is key, and having a clear plan will help you achieve your goals. Point number 4 is a great way to start that process. This is because small and simple goals are easier to achieve, and this will help you with number 7.
Step 7. Achieving these small and simple goals will encourage you to achieve more, and will give you the strength to keep moving forward (number 10).
It may seem that it is not easy to start something new and stick to it, but we are here to tell you, that you can do it! You just need the right tools. Continue to read the Stella Blog to learn more about resources and types of technology that will help you stay on track of your goals. For questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions contact us at info@stellawearables.com and you will get a response within approximately 24 hours.
]]>It is important to make the most of your technology to get the best benefit and results for your health. The following are 5 things that you may not know about setting up your health goals with your health app or wearable device:
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1. It is easy to plan your daily goals
Keeping track of our lives can be daunting, and a work-life balance can be difficult. If you run into problems reaching your goals because of planning, tracking, and motivation, then using technology may be the solution you need.
Planning your goals with tech products can help you immensely. The steps to doing it are simple, but first, it normally requires that you have access to an app or wearable device. Then, you choose the activity you want to work on and set up the goal you want to achieve. For example, if you want to improve your activity levels you might focus on the number of steps you take. You would be able to choose the number of steps you want to reach daily, and this number is one you can adjust at any time.
2. You can keep track of your progress over time
An important aspect of reaching your goals is being able to track your progress. Tracking your goals is easier when you don’t have to do a lot of work. Wearable technology, especially, does a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to tracking your biometrics. Wearing a device while you are being active will easily collect your health data and record that onto an app. The ease of collecting your data will make it easier to monitor your achievements. Additionally, you are likely to receive notifications when you reach those goals. That means, its easier than ever before to know exactly when you are improving or when you aren't at the level that you want to be.
3. You’ll be motivated to constantly improve those goals
Access to your daily health information gives you a lot of power. It allows you to make goal-oriented decisions to improve your health levels. When it comes to motivation, Kevin Lee writes “Motivation happens when your dopamine spikes because you anticipate something important is about to happen.” A few suggestions that Lee gives to promote motivation is setting incremental goals. Therefore, setting these goals and slowly improving these goals will stimulate your motivation and encourage you to keep maximizing your health.
4. Sharing your goals can spark friendly competition
Most health apps let you join competitions with your family, friends or other users of the technology. These groups are made up of people that are also working to improve a certain health goal. So being in these groups can really cause you to step up your game.
5. Get better insight into your health
The benefit of having a device keeping track of your health information is having access to it at all times. Daily information about your health goals will give you more understanding of your activity levels. For example, you might get a breakdown of the steps you took in comparison to the calories you burned. Even better you can get the weekly, monthly or yearly view of your goals, which will give you an even better understanding of when you are performing your best, and in what areas you need to improve.
If you are considering investing in health tech tools, there are certainly plenty of great reasons to do so. There are also great tools you can consider investing in. At Stella Wearables, health-focused technology is being built to help users track their health data. Currently, Stella is developing a wearable wristband with features available for activity, UV, heart rate, and more. For more information about how technology helps benefit you and your health, keep up with our blog. For questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions contact us at info@stellawearables.com and you will get a response within approximately 24 hours.
]]>Prevention has been growing as well. Progress has been made in the realm of advocation, awareness, and technology. Prevention is key! A big step towards prevention is knowing what actions can be taken in order to reduce the incidence of skin cancer. Do you feel confident enough about skin cancer and its prevention?
]]>Ultraviolet radiation damage from the sun and other sources like tanning beds can cause damaging effects on the skin that lead to long term health dangers. Skin cancer is a common side effect caused by damage to the skin cells DNA. Technology is taking steps towards tracking UV exposure in order to minimize those effects. These are features that can be found in UV trackers:
UV index tracking
An international standard measurement that tracks the strength of sunburn producing UV rays. This index changes based on the time and place, and can range anywhere from 0 to 11+. What is the importance of this measurement? It indicates the risk of developing a sunburn, given the factors it measures.
Depending on a person’s skin type, the UV index takes into account the wavelengths produced by UVA and UVB rays. Radiation intensity and skin sensitivity are calculated in relation to the UV wavelength to produce the UV index. Below you will find a breakdown of what the numbers in the UV index mean.
UV overexposure
What does it take to be overexposed? Being overexposed to the sun’s UV rays does not mean you will get a visible sunburn. A sunburn is a short-term effect of overexposure but damage to the skin is still a risk even without this obvious indication, especially depending on skin type. The lack of being seen, felt or having an immediate reaction makes tracking your personal exposure difficult.
A lot of factors are needed to determine the best amount of exposure. Therefore, if you are without an instrument, the best option is to take sun safety measures. A way to check when to stay away from the sun is by looking at your shadow...if it is shorter than your height, that indicates a higher UV exposure. There are more ways to stay safe in the sun, and for the best results, we recommend using these sun safe measures along with a UV tracker that indicates when you are close to being in danger of overexposure.
Personalized data
Data is important, for seeing trends, for comparing, for making decisions. We emphasize the importance of data because it helps. Health data? Well having your health data in your control can help you reach goals, track your current progress, and see your history. When used correctly this means you will be constantly improving your health. Technology is advancing more each day, allowing you to get your information in a quicker more accurate way.
For more information about UV technology, keep up with our blog, we update every Tuesday. For questions, comments, concerns, or suggestions send it over to info@stellawearables.com and you should get a response within 24 hours.
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1. They are inaccurate
You might have heard of the articles that point towards inaccuracy from wearables. That includes fitness trackers that don't give exact readings and cause users to think they have been doing less or more exercise than they believe. Why does this happen?
There are a few factors that can lead to a faulty reading. One of the most common reasons can come from the placement of the device. Wrists are the most common spot to wear these devices. Yet depending on the type of reading you are measuring, the wrist may not be the best place to use the device. Other factors like battery life and software issues can also affect accuracy. However, even if there is a possibility of inaccuracy but it is not too significant to label as a misreading.
2. There aren’t many options
UV monitoring is a lot newer than the other features that are more commonly measured, as calories burned and heart rate. Even though UV features are a lot less common, there are a variety of options to measure this, from stickers to other more advanced wearable devices.
Stella is an all-inclusive wristband (which means it has many tracking features), while in use it tracks the time you have been exposed to the sun throughout the day and alerts you when you are close to being overexposed. For just UV tracking there are also wearables out there that can provide that one feature option.
3. They can overheat
If the device is exposed to the sun how can it not get hot? The type of material of the device plays a large role in how it reacts to heat from the sun. There is a low chance that you can get burned by the device itself due to warming because the materials used for devices are usually poor conductors of heat. This can range from rubber to silicone. If your device starts to feel hot it is a good option to take it off, get out of the sun, and contact the company to get further instructions about the overheating.
4. They are invasive
There are two types of invasiveness that you may be thinking when it comes to health technology. That is, physically invasive and data invasive. A way health technology can be physically invasive is that it needs to go into the body in order to work. This is not the case for wearables.
Although having a deeper connection to the body would cause better results, there is a way to get a statistically significant reading by using an accelerometer and gyroscope for contact on the skin. Data invasive is the type that scares most people. Having the fear that someone can hack or see your personal health data is a large concern when tech meets health. Technology must keep up with security measures and do constant actualization of these safety features to keep these hacks at bay.
5. The data is not important
Have you ever thought about tracking your UV exposure? Very unlikely. A 2010 and 2015 study by National Health shows that adults 18-29 are among the most likely to get sunburned, being that 47% reported they did. What factors could cause so many people to get sunburned?
Lack of sun safety or understanding of it can have a big impact. UV damage to the skin can cause many problems, from wrinkles to skin cancer. This data is important, especially if you have sensitive skin or if you want to reduce the incidence of skin cancer or many more reasons to keep your health in good standing.
How do you know when you have been overexposed to the sun, and why should you care? This is something you should be asking yourself year-round.
After reading this blog, you may discover the shocking reason why.
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How do you know when you have been overexposed to the sun, and why should you care? This is something you should be asking yourself year-round. A sunny day is not the only time you can get burned, UV rays are always present, they just vary in strength depending on the time or place. In order to get a better understanding of the effect the sun will have on your skin, you have to pay attention to the UV index. This is the measurement of UV rays in the current environment, and it is what affects how quickly you can be overexposed. Caroline Praderio from Insider states, a tan is one of the signs that you have been overexposed to the sun. Along with feeling flu-like symptoms and getting blisters, there are more effects that you can feel on a short-term level. The long-term effects are a lot more severe, which includes increasing your risk of skin cancer.
Risking health for bronzed skin
The FDA considers a suntan to be an increase in skin pigment known as melanin. Melanin is what changes your skin to that golden tan color and is a sign of damage. After being overexposed to the sun, your skin reacts by changing color in an attempt to protect your skin from more damage. Tanning increases your risk of developing skin cancer due to the risk of getting a sunburn. As the FDA indicates, a tan does not protect you enough from the sun because it only has an SPF of about 2 to 4.
Dr. Stephen Q. Wang, MD talks more about the effect of UV exposure and tanning, answering the question “Is a tan ever a good thing?”. Dr. Wang explains that UV rays damage skin cells DNA, and repair enzymes are almost immediately activated. Cells that have irreparable damage, go through apoptosis (controlled self-destruction). DNA damage or DNA repair signals the beginning of melanogenesis (the growth and spreading of melanocytes, which are the pigment cells where melanoma forms).
What is the difference between spray tans and tanning beds?
In order to compare the two different methods, let us break down each one:
Topical sunless tanners can be applied in a number of ways. Although we believe spray tans are the most common or most popular choice, it can be applied in a number of other ways such as lotions, gels, mousses, wipes, creams, and powders. The bronzed color coats the epidermis of the skin when applied. Among all the ingredients, the most common one found is dihydroxyacetone (DHA), this is the molecule that causes the change in the skin's appearance. Topical sunless tans will develop over 24 to 72 hours and slowly disappear after 3 to 7 days. Although this method is temporary, it does protect you from the dangers of overexposing your skin to the sun. DHA is FDA approved, but not for non-skin areas. Therefore, you must take precautions when using these products. Even though they are approved, the use of these products is limited and does not include spray tan booths. Side effects of DHA include rashes, cough, dizziness, and fainting. Too much exposure to DHA may increase your risk of pulmonary disease and cancer.
Opposed to this UV free option, is a method that exposes you to more risk of negative skin and health effects. Tanning beds or sun-beds are not safer than the sun, due to the fact that the lights they emit include UVA and UVB rays, the same rays that come from the sun and that cause cancer. The purpose of these machines is to produce that artificial tan look, using around 10-15 UV bulbs or lamps. The biggest users are women under 35 years of age, an age that faces the biggest risk of using this method. Using tanning beds at a young age increases the user's likelihood of skin cancer, giving those under 35 years old a 75% increased risk of getting melanoma. Although users in this age group are more at risk, older age groups also increase their risk of skin cancer on average by 20%.
There are different ways that you can get the tanned look, but are you willing to face the risks of the option you choose? If you do, we recommend you opt for the safest option which is topical self-tanners. There are sure to be many different kinds of tanners, and you can choose the ones that have the least damaging chemicals.
Tanning and the beauty industry
If you assume women are more likely to have skin cancer, you are not alone. We believed that the Western beauty industry's idea of tanning would cause women to seek that look and therefore partake in sun damaging activities to achieve it. However, the bronzed look was not always the ideal look, pale skin was once common among the upper class. Before the industrial revolution, outdoor workers or those who worked in the fields were the ones that had the dark skin look. In order to differentiate themselves from them, upper-class men and women maintained a pale aesthetic. With time this changed, and the tanned look became more common among different class types. However, popularity for that tanned look was sought after when the media showcased Coco Chanel in 1923 with her tan look after a vacation. After this photo of the famous fashion designer, tanned skin became trend-like. After this, clothing and cosmetics followed by making products that encouraged this practice. The trend of tanned skin has still not disappeared, many people still partake in tanning practices. The tanning industry has grown over the past 5 years up to 2018, calculating a total of $3bn in revenue. However, as regulations get stricter safer sunless tanning options are being provided.
Who is more likely to get skin cancer?
According to Statista, the number of U.S. skin cancer cases in 2018 by gender indicates that 55,150 males have gotten skin cancer compared to 36,120 women. Based on this statistic the difference between gender results in a total of 19,030 of cases, what is the reason for this difference? As stated by the American Academy of Dermatology, melanoma affects men more than women, so much that at 65 years men are 2 times more likely and by 80 years old are 3 times more likely. Furthermore, when analyzing the reasons men have a higher incidence of melanoma, a few variables were found.
Reasons that men are more likely to have melanoma may be due to:
1. Less knowledge about skin cancer. Therefore, not understanding how to stay safe in the sun can be a big factor that causes men to not practice preventative care
2. Men are less prone to have a skin routine that allows them to practice preventative skin cancer methods
3. Skin type between men and women differ. Men have thicker skin with less fat underneath and have more collagen. These factors make men more prone to UV skin damage.
4. Men’s skin is more affected by UV rays and has a lower ability to repair the damage
Lowering your risk of skin cancer can be improved with easy steps such as using preventative care. This includes sunscreens, hats, UPF clothing and much more. Implementing these sun safe methods into your daily routine can make a large difference, it is the process of remembering to use them on a daily basis that might be the challenge.
Skin cancer awareness
Learning about skin cancer is a great first step toward improving skin care practices. Preventative care is important and can lead you to lower your chances of getting skin cancer. When your body does not repair DNA damage inside skin cells, they divide and grow and these cells cause skin cancer. A few factors can affect this damage to occur, such as genetics, skin type and overexposure to UV rays. The main cause is overexposure to UV light, and the leading producer of this is the sun.
Skin cancer has increased over the years, Elizabeth Siegel from Allure notes that over the past 30 years, more people have had skin cancer than all the other cancers combined and Melanoma is third leading cancer under 49 years old.
Do you feel confident with your knowledge of skin cancer? If you want to learn more, we are here to provide you with helpful information.
Look out for these precancerous skin lesions:
A great way to check your moles is by following the ABCDE’s of Melanoma
What are the types of skin cancer? As Lisa Fayed states, skin cancer is divided into two categories which include melanoma and non-melanoma skin:
If you would like to see images of these, in order to know what to look for when checking your skin, click the link to access a slideshow with relevant images WebMD.
According to the Global Cancer Statistics for the most common cancers released by the World Cancer Research Fund, Melanoma is in the top 20 of common cancers globally for both men and women. In 2018, a total of 287,723 new cases were diagnosed globally. In the United States, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
Should you limit your time in the sun?
The sun provides many benefits that are very important to our bodies. Among the most important is the production of vitamin D. UV radiation from the sun causes your body to react with a production of vitamin D. This vitamin is very important for your body, as it can promote bone growth and decrease your likelihood of illness.
Another interesting study found that good vitamin D levels are linked to a decrease in melanoma. According to the Natural Medicine Journal, the patients in the study that had a vitamin D deficiency were more likely to have a higher stage of disease and mortality rate. Another interesting find in the study compared the results from patients with metastatic melanoma and low vitamin D levels. Both took vitamin D supplements, but those who took vitamin D supplements less than a certain amount resulted in a worse diagnosis than the others who took a large amount of vitamin D.
While spending time in the sun has its benefits, there are still dangers to overexposure. If you seek that bronzed look there are more ways that you can achieve it. Seek out healthy alternatives to tanning such as fake tanners/spray tans. We encourage healthy sun-safe practices, and while having tanned skin is still a beauty standard, we hope that the risk of serious skin damage will incentivize you to be more cautious.
If you are concerned about the dangers of overexposure, Stella Wearables is your solution. The Stella M1 wristband will monitor these aspects of your life. Stella M1 has UV tracking technology, letting you know how long you should be in the sun based on your skin type. This technology will help you check how close you could be to being overexposed to the sun, and decrease your risk of getting dangerous skin damage. Much more features are available, and if you are interested in learning more make sure you review the collections at www.stellawearables.com/collections.
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