Here at Balance for Life, a holistic health retreat in Florida, some of our team members have gotten creative with their face masks recently. When we connect online for a virtual meeting or a gathering around the virtual water cooler, they’ll show them off, which often makes us smile, if not laugh out loud. And that’s good for our health and our hearts.
We look forward to welcoming you when it is safe to do so (we will get there!), but for now, we hope you remember that you don’t have to be on a retreat in Florida to do something that will have a positive impact on your health and wellness. Find something – or someone – that can make you laugh. Laughing may not be the very best medicine, but it sure is a great way to enhance your health and wellbeing.
The Health Benefits of Laughing
“Laughter is a great form of stress relief, and that’s no joke,” the clever folks at the Mayo Clinic say. “Whether you’re guffawing at a sitcom on TV or quietly giggling at a newspaper cartoon, laughing does you good.”
In fact, there is a growing amount of research indicating that having a good laugh can be an important aspect of your wellness journey.
“A good laugh has great short-term effects. When you start to laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body,” the experts at the Mayo Clinic explain. “Laughter isn’t just a quick pick-me-up, though. It’s also good for you over the long term.”
Laughter has the ability to give your immune system a boost, which is good to know in the age of the coronavirus. “Negative thoughts manifest into chemical reactions that can affect your body by bringing more stress into your system and decreasing your immunity. By contrast, positive thoughts can actually release neuropeptides that help fight stress and potentially more-serious illnesses,” the Mayo Clinic explains.
According to the Mayo Clinic, laughter may also:
Stimulate some of your organs, including your heart, lungs and muscles (so when someone says that laughing at something did their heart good, they aren’t kidding!)
Increase endorphins in your brain
Make you feel more relaxed
Enhance circulation and relax tense muscles
Relieve pain
We can’t welcome you to Florida for a wellness vacation right now, but we can share information with you that can help you stay healthy and happy during these difficult times.
Here at Balance for Life, a holistic health retreat in Florida, we are thinking of you and we look forward to welcoming you to one of our wellness retreats when it is safe to do so. We hope you are all staying safe, following the social distancing guidelines and frequently washing your hands for at least 20 seconds. There are other things you can do to give your immune system a boost, including taking supplements like echinacea.
Echinacea is a homegrown plant. While it now grown all over the world, it is native to North America – specifically, it seems, to the lands east of the Rocky Mountains. Native Americans were using the plant for medicinal purposes as far back as the 17th century. The Great Plains Indians used it to treat a variety of ailments. When swallowed, they believed it helped with pain, coughs, stomach cramps and snake bites. It was also used on the skin to help heal from wounds and burns.
Health Benefits of Echinacea in the Modern Era
“At the beginning of the 20th century, Echinacea was the most frequently used plant preparation in the USA,” K Hostettmann says in a paper posted by the U.S. National Library of Medicine, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.
“The extracts exhibit immunostimulant properties and are mainly used in the prophylaxis and therapy of colds, flu and septic complaints,” the paper reports. Although there are over 400 publications concerning the plant and dozens of preparations of Echinacea in the market, the true identity of the active principles still remains open.”
Today, as the experts at WebMD tell us, “Echinacea is most commonly used for the common cold and other infections.” You can find a wide range of products containing echinacea, ranging from herbal teas to supplements. But not all products that contain echinacea are created equal. “There are concerns about the quality of some echinacea products on the market,” WebMD says. “Echinacea products are frequently mislabeled, and some may not even contain echinacea, despite label claims. Don’t be fooled by the term ‘standardized.’ It doesn’t necessarily indicate accurate labeling.”
The medical experts behind our holistic health retreats in Florida have provided more information to help you heal and stay strong and healthy during this difficult time. We can’t wait to welcome you to a beachfront wellness retreat in Florida in the better times ahead.
Here at Balance Your Life Wellness Retreats, we always see the glass as half full. That means, while we are staying safe at home, we are exploring all the wonderful opportunities to learn and grow with free online offerings.
We were happy to see how many free exercise programs are being offered. So, when you can’t enjoy and health and fitness retreat in Florida, we hope you will enjoy your own home fitness routine.
Fhitting Room, a New York HIIT studio, is offering a 30-day complimentary subscriptionto their digital service Fhitting Room On Demand. (High Intensity)
, the popular athletic clothing brand, is offering yoga, do-anywhere workouts, meditation and self-care tips in free Instagram Live sessions.
Orangetheoryofferspopular endurance classes that focus on intervals and your heart rate. They are now uploading new at-home 30 minute workout routines daily. “You won’t need any special equipment, but the instructors do get creative and have you utilize objects you can find around the house like coffee jugs in lieu of weights,” Good Housekeeping reports. (High Intensity)
is a functional movement fitness program is offering to new members. Good Housekeeping says you can use the code to start your free trial. “They’ll also be sharing free live workouts on Instagram and YouTube three times a day (8AM, 1PM, and 6PM EST),” the magazine says. (Toning and Dance)
Rumble, a boxing studio, is all about what Good Housekeeping calls “social fitnessing.” They are hosting daily Instagram Live videosfeaturing cardio and body weight workouts every morning. (High Intensity)
That’s just a few of the many online fitness programs you can access for free while you are staying home and staying safe. All of us here at Balance Your Life Wellness Retreats in Florida wish you all the very best.
Both Balance for Life and the National Health Association are committed to helping you maneuver through the challenges that we face due to the coronavirus. We gathered valuable information from Drs. Stephan Esser, Michael Klaper, Joel Fuhrman and Balance for Life Health Director, Dr. Frank Sabatino.
Dr. Stephan Esser
#1. According to the data published from China, in less than 80% of those positive for the virus, there were minimal symptoms no more concerning than a mild cold. In a small group of individuals however, the symptoms were severe and catastrophic, leading to death.
#2. Those most at risk of death or severe illness had some interesting commonalities. On average they were over 60 years old and had higher rates of obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and preexisting respiratory issues. Of interest, a recent editorial published in the New England Journal of Medicine questioned the relationship of ACE inhibitors (a blood pressure medication) and possible increased susceptibility to COVID-19. What we do know is that the very same diseases which are directly related to personal habits over decades appear to increase the severity of coronavirus. So, what should that make you do? No, not go out and buy more toilet paper. It should make you follow appropriate CDC-recommended precautions, and then go to the produce section at your nearest supermarket and load up on the fruits, veggies, nuts, seeds, and beans which reduce your risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease (and your risk of common respiratory infections). Then you should throw out all of your cigarettes, vapes, and marijuana joints, and you should begin a daily exercise routine to improve your lung capacity and improve your general health. In as little as three weeks 80% of people can be off blood pressure and blood sugar meds with normal numbers.
If you are off from work or school, this is the time to improve the general health of your body today and take control of the risk factors you can. If you get diagnosed with coronavirus, you want to be like the tens of thousands of people around the world who have already had the viral infection and cleared it with little to no issues. How healthy you really are today partially predicts your outcomes tomorrow.
Consider simple supplementation with products shown to enhance white blood cell function and decrease the risk of other respiratory viruses (ie: vitamin C, echinacea, zinc, selenium, probiotics, etc.).
#3. Get 30 minutes of exercise on most days of the week. Moderate intensity exercise has been shown to improve your immune function and reduce the risk of common respiratory infections.
#4. Manage your stress and avoid spending hours of time on the internet where people struggling with diagnosable anxiety are waiting to send you into a tailspin of despair and sorrow. Maximize your health, avoid unnecessary exposures, remember what you can do and prepare to be healthy. Tens of thousands of people around the world have had coronavirus and had minimal symptoms and are now healthy. That is no reason to be foolish or ignore public health recommendations. It is, however, a reason to be intelligent, act rationally and both reduce your exposure and enhance your immune function and stay positive.
Dr. Esser also recommends seeking medical advice if a person experiences significant difficulty with breathing or has persistent fever, chills, muscle aches, poor appetite, or inability to maintain fluids over more than one or two days. Individuals should try to call their primary care physician or do online telemedicine evaluation rather than seeking care in an emergency department. If symptoms are rapidly worsening or if, as mentioned, breathing becomes notably difficult, then emergency evaluation is appropriate.
If you have mild symptoms, Dr. Esser is recommending a water fast or starting a green juice only program every three hours with 64 ounces of water as well and track your symptoms. Many people will have upper respiratory illnesses in the next several months, and most often it will merely be common upper respiratory issues, including common colds, allergies, and relative detoxification. Not all colds, fevers or coughs are a scary thing. Increase your immunity with excellent food, fresh green juices, fasting, sleep, and adequate hydration.
While it can be helpful if you are trying to lose weight, the practice of mindful eating isn’t just for those who are interested in a weight loss retreat. In the age of constant distraction and motion, when so many of us barely have time to even dream of a Florida retreat, mindful eating can benefit all of us.
“Mindful eating is about developing awareness of your experiences, physical cues, and feelings about food,” the folks at Healthline say.
You don’t need to head out on a wellness retreat to start eating mindfully. Among other things, Healthline says the practice of mindful eating involves the following:
eating slowly and without distraction
taking time to appreciate your food
engaging your senses by noticing colors, smells, sounds, textures, and flavors
listening to physical hunger cues and eating only until you’re full
“Eating has become a mindless act, often done quickly. This can be problematic, since it takes your brain up to 20 minutes to realize you’re full,” Healthline’s Mindful Eating 101 — A Beginner’s Guide explains. “If you eat too fast, the fullness signal may not arrive until you have already eaten too much.”
With mindful eating, the act of eating becomes more intentional. Instead of allowing yourself to be distracted by your cell phone or computer, you focus your attention on really tasting your food, appreciating the color of your vegetables and fruits and experiencing the way the food you are eating makes your body feel.
“By eating mindfully, you restore your attention and slow down, making eating an intentional act instead of an automatic one. What’s more, by increasing your recognition of physical hunger and fullness cues, you are able to distinguish between emotional and true, physical hunger. You also increase your awareness of triggers that make you want to eat, even though you’re not necessarily hungry. By knowing your triggers, you can create a space between them and your response, giving you the time and freedom to choose how to react.”
Just imagine what is possible if you combine the practice of mindful eating with the benefits you’ll gain at an all-inclusive wellness retreat – including a vegetarian weight loss plan – in Florida with Balance for Life Retreats!
When most people think about wellness, they usually turn their focus inward. But the people, places and things you surround yourself with are also important to your wellbeing. That’s why we chose to base our holistic health retreats in Deerfield Beach, Florida.
Deerfield Beach, which is located in southeast Florida, is an ideal wellness vacation destination!
The city’s beach is beautiful and has been designated by the Clean Beach Council as a Blue Wave beach. The Blue Wave program is the first national environmental certification for beaches. To be certified, a beach must not only be clean, it must also be managed with a focus on both human and environmental health.
The Blue Wave Campaign, which established 22 criteria that are used in certifying beaches, aims to promote beaches that are managed to protect their natural assets as well as to assist in identifying the nation’s cleanest and safest beaches for vacationers. We feel the certification process is especially relevant for those seeking a wellness retreat! Among the qualities that helped the beach in Deerfield earn the prestigious designation were:
the excellent water quality
beach conditions
safety services
public information and
habitat conservation policies
And unlike a day at the beach in South Beach or Fort Lauderdale, you can enjoy the beaches in Deerfield without being bothered by large crowds!
A Florida Retreat in Deerfield Beach
In addition to its exceptional beach, Deerfield Beach offers attractive shopping and entertainment opportunities – including the longest “cable ski” courses in the nation, which is located at Quiet Waters Park. A hybrid of surfing, skiing and wakeboarding, cable skiing is rapidly growing in popularity, and you can try it at the park’s 2,700-foot oval course.
Our health and fitness retreats are based at the oceanside Wyndham Deerfield Beach Resort, where the guest rooms and suites boast panoramic views of the ocean or the city from floor-to-ceiling windows. When you’re not learning about the benefits of water fasting or a juice cleansing program, you’ll find yourself just footsteps from the white sands of that gorgeous beach as well as Deerfield’s famous fishing pier, and within an easy stroll of more than a dozen local sights, shops, restaurants, and outdoor adventures.
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