Sleeping is not only enjoyable but also necessary in order for our bodies and minds to function properly. Restless nights can not only lead to some crappy mornings, but also a number of physical and psychological issues over time. If your bedtime often results in hours of tossing and turning, unable to “shut off”, here are some things you can consider:

Put your phone away

There’s a reason why most of us prefer to sleep in complete darkness or at the very least, dim lights. Studies suggest that the bright blue light coming from your smartphone and other devices like laptops, TVs, etc. interfere with the brain’s production of melatonin, the hormone that signals your body when it’s time to sleep. By staring into a screen, you might be confusing your brain into thinking it’s still daytime and thus, staying up longer than you might intend to, so shut off your phone, and give your brain the time to do its work.

Watch your light exposure

Your body has an internal clock, also known as your circadian rhythm, which can be affected by your light exposure. Studies suggest that daytime bright light exposure can improve the quality and duration of sleep, as well as the time that takes to actually fall asleep. And as we previously mentioned, overstimulation by artificial nights can interfere with the brain’s production of melatonin and thus affecting your natural clock. Make sure you are getting adequate sunlight, ideally as soon as you wake up, and ensure that the environment you are sleeping in is as dark as possible, and free of blue light exposure.

Keep your room cool

Although sleeping with a heather on can be comforting, especially this time of the year, it’s best to keep your space cool in order to have a better night’s sleep. The Harvard Medical School, suggests keeping the temperature “comfortably cool” somewhere between 60 and 70 degrees.

Avoid stimulants in the afternoon

That cup of coffee after lunch might feel necessary to get you through the day, but it might backfire later on. As you probably know, caffeine is a stimulant and can keep you up tossing around at night. It is recommended to avoid caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate, sodas, etc.) four to six hours before time, in order to allow your brain to shut off.

Exercise, but not right before bed

Although exercise has been proven to improve your health and sleep, doing it right before might be interfering with your sleep schedule, due to the increase of hormones like adrenaline and epinephrine during exercise. Like caffeine, it can be a stimulant, so try to get your workout in earlier in the day.

Set a schedule

Waking up and going to sleep around the same time aide your internal clock and will likely increase your chances of a good night’s rest. Stick to this routine even on the weekends as much as possible, to avoid that “hangover” feeling when waking up on Monday mornings.

If all else fails, consult with your doctor. While a sleepless night can be normal here and there, long-term sleep deprivation can have some serious effects on your mental and physical health. There are many supplements and treatments that can aid and correct particular issues you might be experiencing.

The post How to sleep better, according to science appeared first on RG Magazines.

Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations

This soul searching and tough provoking podcast delivers insight and inspiration from special guests like Jordan Peele, Stephen Colbert and Salma Hayek, just to name a few. The fact that Oprah hosts this podcast is reason enough to listen to it, but beyond that, this is something to listen to when you’re in need of recharging.

Second Life

If you’re looking for some career inspiration, look no further. Hillary Kerr, goes through the career journey her guests have gone through. From advice, struggles, unique anecdotes and even total career changes, this is a look into how many different roads there is to success. Bermuda’s very own Shiona Turini was recently a guest on the podcast, what better episode to start with? 

Small Doses with Amanda Seales

Self-described as “smart, funny and black”, Amanda Seales tells it like it is every week on her podcast. It feels like having a (very opinionated) conversation with a friend, discussing the side effects of everything from trivial to very serious issues. This is the type of podcast you want to listen to while cleaning your house, or during your morning commute.

Completely Obsessed

Comedian Brent Sullivan takes on a hilarious and light-hearted approach to anything and everything you can think of, from serious topics, to pop culture, to trivial issues and even cults. Much like having a conversation with a friend over drinks, and perfect for when you’re not feeling the same playlist you’ve been listening to for the past 3 years.

Dear Franklin Jones

Storytelling seems to be on the rise in the podcast world, and “Dear Franklin Jones” is one you’ll want to listen to in one sitting, much like a book that you can’t seem to put down. It details the story of Jonathan Hirsch and his peculiar upbringing. While growing up, his family followed and worshiped a controversial spiritual leader, Franklin Jones, whom many considered a cult leader. This is a very interesting story, and a very different type of podcast to get into if you’re not reading feeling the “radio-show” style of podcasting.

Are you into podcasts? Let us know!

The post 5 Binge-worthy podcasts to listen to appeared first on RG Magazines.

Many studies have proven CBD oil to be effective in reducing pain, and although Marijuana has been used to treat pain for centuries, CBD’s accessibility and decriminalization in many countries has made it a very popular and natural way to treat chronic pain. It has also been proven to have anti-inflammatory properties, becoming popular amongst athletes due to faster recovery time, and even those who suffer from acne, as it has made its way into skincare products as well.

But perhaps its most popular use is to treat insomnia, as studies suggest CBD can help with both falling and staying asleep, as well as anxiety and depression. According to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, and 1 in 3 people globally suffer from anxiety. Anxiety and depression are often treated with pharmaceutical drugs that can have significant side effects, so it comes as no surprise why CBD, a natural alternative, is growing in popularity. Many CBD products market themselves as “relaxing” and claim to aid anxiety and depression.

Naturally, everybody is getting into the CBD hype and it’s seemingly anti everything-you-don’t-want properties. But it does come with some side effects. Cannabidiol can cause nausea, fatigue, and irritability, as well as potentially interfering with other medications in your bloodstream.

Currently, it is being marketed as a supplement, rather than medicine. And because we don’t know enough about it, it should not be a replacement for traditional medicine. But with the help of a physician, it can be very useful for relieving the symptoms of serious conditions.

Besides being the latest “it” ingredient, making its way into gimmicky products profiting off the hype, CBD has real potential to be here to stay, as more people prefer the natural way over pharmaceuticals that sometimes do more harm than good. Decriminalization has open the door for some much-needed research, to understand its full potential, as well as side and long-term effects. Taboo-aside, we cannot overlook scientific evidence and the potential CBD seems to have, not only as natural medication but to improve the quality of life for many.

Have you tried any CBD products? How do you feel about it? Let us know!

The post What is CBD and how can it help you? appeared first on RG Magazines.

Reduce the meat you consume

The devastating effects the meat and dairy industry have on our planet are often overlooked. For example, raising animals for food requires enormous amounts of resources like water, food, land, and energy. Livestock and their byproducts account for 32,000 million tons of carbon dioxide per year (51 percent of all worldwide greenhouse gas emissions).

Although choosing a vegan or vegetarian diet is clearly the best option, not only because of health reasons, but because it would entirely cut all animal products out of your life, is not realistic for everybody. However, eating meat-less might be an option. Compromising and cutting meat and dairy out of your diet, even for a day or two, is by far the most significant lifestyle change you can make, so give it a chance! We now also have lots of meat substitutions, so the change doesn’t have to be so drastic.

Buy locally grown food

This is a great way to not only support local farmers and the economy, but also to significantly cut down the miles your food will have to travel, thus cutting down on fuel and excessing packaging as well. This will also mean your food will be fresher and you won’t be supporting huge companies that are often incredibly wasteful. So, consider taking a trip to the farmers market at Botanical Gardens which is open every Saturday from 8am to 1pm, or the Home Farm Market at Wadson’s Farm in Southampton, open Tuesday to Saturdays, before buying that same product at a supermarket.

Carry a reusable straw

During 2018 the no-straw movement really took off, and for a good reason. Did you know that plastic straws are too lightweight to be recycled in most places? Yes, and as of January 2019, they are the eight most-found ocean trash in cleanups, having a very negative impact on ocean wildlife.

We get it, they are fun and a great tool for people with disabilities, but you don’t have to ditch them altogether. You can find reusable straws made out of steel or glass at affordable prices at Naked Zero, The Chef Shop and Brown & Co, to name a few stores. Just ask for no straw the next time you’re ordering ice coffee or a fountain drink, and carry a reusable one instead everywhere you go.

Use reusable shopping bags

Most likely, there is a plastic bag filled with more plastic bags somewhere in your kitchen right now, and you’re not the only one. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, plastic bags are used for an average of 12 minutes, which is pretty wasteful considering how many resources are needed in order to manufacture them (It takes the same amount of the gas required to drive one mile, to produce 14 plastic bags).

Paper bags are not a sustainable option either, it takes 13 percent more energy to make a single paper bag than to make two plastic bags, and because they are heavier than plastic bags, more fuel is required in order to ship them.

So, shop without the guilt and carry reusable shopping bags wherever you go! You can find them at pretty much every store, they are super affordable and can fold small enough to be able to have them on the go.

Get a reusable plastic bottle

Globally, humans buy a million plastic bottlesa minute and that number is expected to increase by 2020. So where does all that plastic go? Plastic is not recycled in Bermuda,  so it is only used once and then discarded, or finding it’s way into our ocean, and because plastic takes around 400 years to naturally decompose, every single plastic item we have used in our lifetime will still be here long after we are gone.

When you take a second to consider how much plastic you use in a day or in a week, and then multiply that by the billions of people on the planet, it’s easy to see why this is such a big issue.

During the 2018 throne speech, the government of Bermuda committed to eliminate single-use plastics by 2022, and to educate the community on recycling and reusable-items, so why not make the switch a little earlier? Even if you only buy one bottle of water a day, you are still wasting over three hundred single-use bottles a year alone.  You can reduce your environmental footprint significantly by simply ditching single-use plastic bottles and switching to a reusable one instead. Not to mention you will save money in the long run so it’s a win-win.

It is too late to look the other way when it comes to your eating decisions. Taking baby steps to live sustainably can be easy and accessible to everybody if we give it a chance, so why not do just that?

The post Small changes to live a more sustainable life in 2019 appeared first on RG Magazines.

Their promotional video was shot on a private island in the Bahamas, Norman Cay, where the festival was set to originally take place, and consisted of top influencers running on the beach, partying on a yacht, and overall having a good time. The video wasn’t giving much detail of what the festival was or what you could expect, but it looked fun. Who doesn’t want to party in the Bahamas surrounded by beautiful women?

For a couple thousand dollars, that could be you. This video, along with a marketing campaign involving top models like Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid promoting the festival, made the fantasy an easy sell. Fyre had it all.

In reality, all they really had was a great marketing team — the brains behind one of the most popular accounts on Instagram, Jerry Media (or F*ckJerry).

The actual festival? It was built on a lie.

A couple weeks before the event was set to take place, there was a last-minute site change from a private Island previously owned by the infamous Pablo Escobar to the not so private Great Exuma, no set line-up, and an understaffed and inexperienced team that knew they were heading towards ridicule.

But fantasy was bigger than the lie. As long as it looked real, that’s all that mattered, sound familiar? Social media sites like Instagram are merely a place to consume entertainment and share sporadic pictures here and there. But for a growing number of people, the site can be a place for insecurities grow.

We now live in a world where people sell work-out plans after having numerous cosmetic procedures, and pay to rent private jets that don’t leave the runway so they can have a photoshoot. Feeds are no longer a collection of in-the-moment shots but rather carefully curated galleries, and people are making six and seven figure salaries off one platform alone.

The problem with this illusion is that we often forget that what we are consuming is not real, half of those beautiful individuals are a result of the right lighting, angles, professionals behind the camera, editing software, and sometimes, plain deception courtesy of apps like Facetune and Photoshop.

It’s unattainable, most people behind those pictures don’t look like that in “real-life”. But the average person is not thinking about the elaborate process behind that influencer’s picture, we simply admire the final product and allow comparison to slip in. Is my life not exciting enough? Am I not attractive enough? How has this teenager accomplished more than I probably will in the next decade?

Beyond all the jokes that surfaced online, Fyre Festival was the perfect example of how far people are willing to go to keep up appearances in order to stay connected (and how fast a viral picture of a cheese sandwich can expose your scam to the world). Guests were completely unaware of the disaster they were headed to, because of the lie that they were sold, just like most of us aren’t aware that most people’s lives are just as average as ours, despite what their Instagram profile might show.

Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Comparison is the thief of joy”, so from this disaster, I hope we can all remember that comparing our hardships to other’s curated highlight reels will always feel belittling. We are more often than not consuming content for entertainment purposes, not a realistic portrayal of somebody’s life.

The post Here’s What We Can Learn from the Fyre Documentaries appeared first on RG Magazines.