I’ve been posting more regularly on the blog, but haven’t done a Friday Favorites in while! I shared a concise version on Instagram this afternoon, but thought this would be a good place to elaborate on things, share more info, and share specific links.
Visiting IOP in March/April
I just got back from Isle of Palms on Monday and had such a good time there for the past week. I wrote about this in my recent travel guide for Isle of Palms, but my favorite time of year to visit is ideally April or in September. However, this past week had the loveliest weather, that I may have to add March to my list!
It wasn’t incredibly busy on IOP (although there was a few spring breakers and it was quite busy in downtown Charleston over the weekend for St. Patrick’s day), but the weather was comfortable enough that you could sit on the beach without a jacket and enjoy some sun by the pool.
Mouth Taping at Night
I just recently wrote a post about mouth taping and why I do it (despite it looking pretty odd). Since I have been using it, I do think I am sleeping better, I am not snoring, and I’m finding it easier to breathe through my nose during the day. There are also apparently aesthetic benefits over time to breathing through your nose? TBD but I’ll let y’all know if I notice any lol
Sprouted Oats
I shared about this recently on my Instagram story, but I recently saw a CBS News article talking about chlormequat in oats in the US. In the article, they reported that in a sample of 25 non-organic oat-based foods from U.S. grocery stores, including Quaker Oats and Cheerios, they found chlormequat in 92% of them. Chlormequat has been linked to potential fertility issues, and given things that I have read in the past about other potentially dangerout pesticides in oats, I decided to make the swap to organic ones.
I ended up buying a 5 pound bag of One Degree organic sprouted oats from Costco (Amazon also sells, but it is a better price from Costco). I really like them! Sprouted oats are a little chewier than regular oats, but I actually really like the texture! They are also higher in protein and magnesium than regular oats and being spouted, they are also easier to digest.
Reading While Cycling
I saw a TikTok recently about the best exercise to prevent Alzheimer’s and it said that dual processing has been shown to be really effective in dementia and Alzheimer’s patients. Dual processing is basically doing something cognitively (like having a conversation, writing/typing, reading, etc.) at the same time as doing something physical. Dual-task exercises can be used to maintain the brain structure and function and improve physical independence in Alzheimer’s/dementia patients, and it is also showing to have beneficial effects for young people as well and improves their cognitive performance.
@robertwblove The Very Best Exercise for Preventing Alzheimer’s. #alzheimers #dementia #aging #aginggracefully #exercise #memory #dualtaskexercise #staysharp @drheathersandison #robertlove #robertwblove ♬ original sound – Robert Love
Recently Finished Book: Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
4.75/5 stars
This one was so interesting. Garrett and I listened to a good chunk of it on our drive home from Isle of Palms on Monday and there were a couple of times where we had to pause it and just sit to absorb some of the information. Some of the topics are tough to sit with, and I don’t know if I 100% agree with everything that Gladwell argues, but he makes really compelling arguments and it is a fascinating book.
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