Why Napping May Be In Your Genes, How Coffee Can Help Your Heart, and More — What’s New in Wellness
Welcome back to What’s New in Wellness, where we talk about the latest wellness news and trends on our radars this past month. We’ve learned that our social media addiction is more likely just a bad habit (phew!), why some of us can easily nap while others never do, and the surprising link between caffeine and your heart.
You Probably Aren’t Addicted to Social Media
How many times have you thought to yourself, “I really need to cut back on my social media use?” We’ve all been there, and at times have even thought we had an addiction to break, but chances are, you aren’t actually addicted to social media — you just need to create some new habits. According to researchers who study habits and social media use, since users of social media can sometimes benefit from its use and sometimes suffer from it, it’s more accurate to call it a habit rather than an addiction. Likewise, our habit of using social media is molded by our habits around using it: “If you repeatedly scroll your Twitter feed while riding the bus, for example, then you may find that your Twitter habit is activated merely by sitting down on the seat,” they explain. The good thing about our usage being merely a habit is that we can “reverse-engineer” our way out of them. If we eliminate the things we do that trigger us to use social media, we can eliminate the activation of those habits. So whether it be as simple as turning off your notifications or charging your phone in a different room overnight, we can empower ourselves to use our phones less. Try swapping your nightly scroll sesh with a relaxing evening stretch or bedtime meditation.
Lover of Siestas? It May Be in
Your Genes.
If you tend to feel sleepy midday, or on the flip-side, you’re rarely or never able to take a nap, you can (partially) blame your genes. Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital in collaboration with the University of Murcia in Spain, as well as several other institutions, have identified 123 regions in the human genome that dictate whether or not we are prone to daytime napping, as well as three distinct mechanisms that promote napping: how much sleep people need; disrupted sleep and how a nap can make up for a bad night’s sleep; and early risers, who may be more susceptible to napping. If you’re looking for an energy boost and aren’t a fan of naps, check out our Power Nap meditation on Alo Moves.
Once and For All, What Apple Cider Vinegar Can (and Can’t) Do For You
The health and wellness community has been buzzing about apple cider vinegar for a while now, but are there any actual benefits? According to various research compiled by a registered dietitian, here are a handful of things ACV can, and can’t, do for you:
ACV may help prevent blood sugar spikes, may improve cholesterol levels, and may promote better gut health.
ACV won’t prevent you from catching viruses or from losing weight.
The bottom line? According to the author of the article, the studies that have been done on the benefits of apple cider vinegar have been small and far from definitive, so you may be better off tossing some in your salad than downing a daily shot glass. Looking to cook with apple cider vinegar? We recommend these 3-Ingredient Healthy Toaster Waffles.
Your Caffeine Fix May Lower Your Risk of Heart Failure
When we think of the relationship between caffeine and the heart, we tend to think of how drinking too much can give you negative side effects, such as heart palpitations or high blood pressure. According to new research published by the American Heart Association Journal, Circulation: Heart Failure, it was found in three different studies that those who drink one or more cups of coffee per day have a lower risk of heart failure. So drink up, but make sure it’s not decaf, as these benefits don’t extend to decaffeinated coffee.
Keep up with your wellness here each month, as well as on Alo Moves. Start your free 14-day trial today.