Small changes to your wellness routine may be just the thing to get you out of a rut and keep you on track toward your goals. You could try taking glycine instead of magnesium glycinate for an effective sleep aid, or switching your morning yogurt to kefir for additional probiotics. Here’s what to try this week.
Air pollution can have a real effect on sleep, causing nasal and throat inflammation, and possibly triggering oxidative stress that disrupts your rest. Regular exposure to air pollution can also impact blood vessels, eventually increasing blood pressure.
That’s where air purifiers can help. HEPA air purifiers, specifically, can remove 99.97% of dust, mold, pollen, and bacteria from the air. This leads to better sleep through the night and improved blood pressure levels over time, research has found. Air purifiers may be especially beneficial if you live in an area with more pollution, such as places with heavy traffic or frequent smog or wildfires.
If you’re looking to improve your cholesterol levels, consider taking an omega-3 supplement. While omega-3 fatty acids are unlikely to impact your LDL cholesterol (the “bad” one), studies show that they can increase your HDL cholesterol (the “good” one). Having high HDL levels can lower your risk of cardiovascular disease.
But before you turn to a supplement, try to get more omega-3s from your diet. Omega-3s found in foods—like salmon, walnuts, and chia seeds—may have a more significant effect on your body than supplements.
Glycine is an amino acid that has shown promise in helping people fall asleep more deeply and wake up more alert the next day. In the brain, glycine acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter and affects NMDA receptors, which promote a calming, sleep-friendly state of mind. It also lowers core body temperature, signaling to your brain that it’s time to rest.
Try taking 1 gram of glycine 30 to 60 minutes before bed, then gradually increase to 2 or 3 grams if you tolerate it well. Just remember to talk to your doctor before introducing a new supplement. Glycine is generally well-tolerated but can cause digestive side effects such as diarrhea, gas, or stomach pain.
If yogurt is your go-to for probiotics, try switching up your routine with kefir. The fermented yogurt drink typically has even more probiotics than traditional yogurt, with up to 30 billion CFUs (colony-forming units) per cup.
You can drink kefir on its own as a snack, mix it into smoothies, or top it with granola and fruit in a kefir smoothie bowl.
Black beans are packed with fiber. A 100-gram serving (a little more than half a cup) can provide 25-39% of your daily fiber needs, depending on your age and gender. Black beans are also a great source of magnesium, iron, and protein.
Just be sure to rinse your canned black beans thoroughly before eating or cooking them. Removing the starchy liquid surrounding the beans reduces the sodium content by about 40%.
