How Much Sleep Do We REALLY Need?

It’s a game that I like to play with myself, sometimes. I’ll be binge watching a show (lately it’s been Westworld or The Good Place) and once the closing credits appear, if it’s been a particularly good episode (or a cliffhanger), I decide that one more episode probably wouldn’t hurt me…that is until I pause the feed, check the clock, run the numbers, and see that morning alarms are only a few hours away.

Lot’s of fun, right?

There is solace in knowing that I’m not alone in this behavior. More adults are getting less sleep. According to the CDC, over 40 percent of adults aged 18-60 are getting less than 7 hours of sleep a night. Is it because of the binge culture? They say it’s a variety of factors, but the end result is that fewer sleep is had.

But how much sleep is enough? How do we get the right kind of sleep? Should we just sleep when we’re tired?

It’s Garlic Plantin’ Season

Cash and Dave showing off their garlic bounty, harvested in mid August.

A quick internet search of “garlic benefits” gave in 303,000,000 results.  Need I say more? One of my go-to remedies for just about anything that ails me is raw vinegar and garlic shooters.  In theory the raw vinegar balances stomach pH and rejuvenates the gut microbiome, while the garlic provides beneficial nutrients and compounds that support health. It seems to work, but it could just be the psychology of my brain telling me to get better so I don’t have to suffer through another shooter. 

Eating Healthy During the School Year

Holy smokes. When did summer end? Didn’t it just start? I swear I was just helping my kids clean out their lockers. Now we gotta get back in a schedule? Here’s what we’ve learned that might help out your busy school year.

1) Make Dinner Time a Priority

Sometimes a simple act can have important life-long benefits. According to studies, having a set aside time for meals can do the following:

• Improved grades – It’s not the meat & potatoes. It’s the communication and reinforcement of expectations (like a simple “Got any homework, left?”).
• Foster family bonding – Again with the communication. With busy schedules, dinner time is the perfect time to just reset and be with your family.
• Improve nutrition – This includes picking out more healthy foods, understanding proper cleaning techniques, and proper portions.
• Save Money! – Who would think that eating out costs more money than prepping and cooking every night? There’s a reason that restaurants are so popular! It’s found that a family of four could save over $150 a week simply by choosing to eat dinners at home. Save going out for special occasions. Your pocketbook and kids will (eventually) thank you.