Often neglected and overlooked, sleep is one of the most essential aspects of good health. Most adults need 7-8 hours of sleep on average. Many of us simply get too little sleep or our sleep schedule fluctuates widely, depending on the day of week. Take a look at these sleep tips and compare them to what you currently do.

Establish a relaxing bedtime routine. Think about what you can do on a nightly basis to unwind and prepare yourself for bed. This includes the basics like brushing your teeth and so on, but it can also include rituals for closure of the day and calming yourself. Avoid things that stress you out right before bed as well as activities or thoughts that may activate your mind or body too much.

Maintain a consistent time for going to bed and rising. The reality for some of us is that this is not always possible or even desired, but try to limit dramatic schedule changes from day to day. Your internal clock will appreciate a regular schedule as well as limited daytime naps.

Create an environment that will encourage sleep. For most people, this includes a comfortable bed (not the couch in front of the TV) and a dark and quiet room. What is your room like?

Exercise regularly. Physical activity helps just about everything, including your body’s ability to sleep. Activity helps make us more alert in the daytime and contributes to sounder sleep. Note that exercise right before bed might make it hard to fall asleep for some people.

Pay attention to what you ingest prior to bedtime. While coffee might keep you awake during the afternoon, caffeine can disrupt both falling asleep and the quality of sleep because of its effect as a stimulant. The effect of caffeine is long-lasting: try to avoid it for 5-6 hours before sleep (this includes energy drinks, tea and chocolate). Nicotine from cigarettes or tobacco products is another stimulant that can interfere with sleep. Alcohol can be problematic too. Even though alcohol is a sedative, it can cause you to wake up more often and sleep less productively. Finally, eating certain foods or a heavy meal too close to bedtime can interfere with sleep as well.

You really can stretch anywhere, even at your desk. Try these stretching exercises anywhere to ease back pain and boost energy

• Stand up and sit down over and over without using your hands
  It can be a challenge!

• Shrug your shoulders — to release the neck and shoulders
  Inhale deeply and shrug your shoulders, lifting them high up to your ears. Hold. Release and drop. Repeat three times.
  Shake your head slowly, yes and no.

• Loosen the hands with air circles
  Clench both fists, stretching both hands out in front of you.
  Make circles in the air, first in one direction, to the count of ten.
  Then reverse the circles.
  Shake out the hands.

• Point your fingers — good for hands, wrist, and forearms
  Stretch your left hand out in front of you, pointing fingers toward the floor. Use your right hand to increase the stretch, pushing your fingers down and toward the body. Be gentle.
  Do the same with the other hand.
  Now stretch your left hand out straight in front, wrist bent, with fingers pointing skyward. Use your right hand to increase the stretch, pulling the fingers back toward your body.
  Do the same on the other side.

• Release the upper body with a torso twist
  Inhale and as you exhale, turn to the right and grab the back of your chair with your right hand, and grab the arm of the chair with your left.
  With eyes level, use your grasp on the chair to help twist your torso around as far to the back of the room as possible. Hold the twist and let your eyes continue the stretch — see how far around the room you can look.
  Slowly come back to facing forward.
  Repeat on the other side.

• Do leg extensions — work the abs and legs
  Grab the seat of your chair to brace yourself and extend your legs straight out in front of you so they are parallel to the floor.
  Flex and point your toes five times. Release.
  Repeat.

• Stretch your back with a “big hug”
  Hug your body, placing the right hand on your left shoulder and the left hand on your right shoulder.
  Breathe in and out, releasing the area between your shoulder blades.

• Cross your arms — for the shoulders and upper back
  Extend one arm out straight in front of you. With the other hand, grab the elbow of the outstretched arm and pull it across your chest, stretching your shoulder and upper back muscles.
  Hold. Release.
  Stretch out the other arm in front of you — repeat.

• Stretch your back and shoulders with a “leg hug”
  Sit on the edge of your chair (if it has wheels, wedge the chair against the desk or wall to make sure it does not roll). Put your feet together, flat on the floor.
  Lean over, chest to knees, letting your arms dangle loosely to the floor. Release your neck.
  Now bring your hands behind your legs, right hand grasping left wrist, forearm (or elbow if you can reach that far), left hand grasping the right. Feel the stretch in your back, shoulders and neck. Hold.
  Release your hands to the floor again.
  Repeat three times or as often as feels good.

• Look up to release upper body
  Sit up tall in your chair, or stand up. Stretch your arms overhead and interlock your fingers.
  Turn the palms to the ceiling as you lift your chin up, tilt your head back, and gaze up at the ceiling, too.
  Inhale, exhale, release.

According to the Environmental Working Group (an organization of scientists, researchers and policymakers), certain types of organic produce can reduce the amount of toxins you consume on a daily basis by as much as 80 percent. The group put together two lists, “The Dirty Dozen” and “The Clean 15,” to help consumers know when they should buy organic and when it is unnecessary.

This year’s update of EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce™ reports that USDA tests found a total of 146 different pesticides on thousands of fruit and vegetable samples examined in 2014 (the last year for which data is available). The pesticides persisted on fruit and vegetables tested by USDA – even when they were washed and, in some cases, peeled.

EWG singles out produce with the highest pesticide loads for its Dirty Dozen™ list. This year, the list includes strawberries, apples, nectarines, peaches, celery, grapes, cherries, spinach, tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, and cucumbers. Each of these foods tested positive for a number of different pesticide residues and showed higher concentrations of pesticides than other produce.

Key findings:

• More than 98 percent of strawberry samples, peaches, nectarines, and apples tested positive for at least one pesticide residue.
• The average potato had more pesticides by weight than any other produce.
• A single grape sample and a sweet bell pepper sample contained 15 pesticides.
• Single samples of strawberries showed 17 different pesticides.

EWG’s Clean Fifteen™ list of produce least likely to hold pesticide residues consists of avocados, sweet corn, pineapples, cabbage, frozen sweet peas, onions, asparagus, mangoes, papayas, kiwis, eggplant, honeydew melon, grapefruit, cantaloupe, and cauliflower. Relatively few pesticides were detected on these foods, and tests found low total concentrations of pesticides on them.

Key findings:

• Avocados were the cleanest: only 1 percent of avocado samples showed any detectable pesticides.
• Some 89 percent of pineapples, 81 percent of papayas, 78 percent of mangoes, 73 percent of kiwi and 62 percent of cantaloupes had no residues.
• No single fruit sample from the Clean Fifteen™ tested positive for more than 4 types of pesticides.
• Multiple pesticide residues are extremely rare on Clean Fifteen™ vegetables. Only 5.5 percent of Clean Fifteen samples had two or more pesticides.

It is important to recognize that not everyone can afford an all-organic diet, but just buying organic fruits and vegetables from the Dirty 12 list can greatly reduce your exposure to pesticides.

Check out the EWG’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce:

and take it with you when you go shopping.

For more information, go to www.ewg.org

Water is an essential nutrient. The body needs more water each day than any other nutrient. So much so, that you can survive only a few days without water, whereas a deficiency of other nutrients may take weeks, months, or even years to develop. Water also makes up about 60% of an adult’s body weight and an even higher percentage of a child’s. Because of this, consuming enough water throughout the day is one of the most important things that you can do for your body.

Important functions of water:

• Vital to digestion and metabolism because it acts as a medium for chemical reactions in the body
• Carries oxygen and nutrients to the cells through blood
• Regulates body temperature through perspiration
• Acts as a lubricant and cushion around joints, inside the eyes and the spinal cord
• Removes waste through sweat and urine
• Assists in respiration by moistening the lungs to facilitate intake of oxygen and excretion of carbon dioxide
• Vital component of the body’s tissues and organs
• Maintains blood volume

So how much do you need?

Adequate intake per day is:
• 15 cups (120 ounces) for adult men
• 11 cups (88 ounces) for adult women
• Is based on total water intake from food and beverages, including milk, juice, and tap or bottled water
• Although most water intake comes from beverages, solid foods also make a significant contribution
•  Many fruit and vegetables are more than 80% water
• Water in caffeinated beverages such as coffee and tea counts toward total water intake, even though caffeine may have a diuretic effect on some people

How do you know if you are getting enough?

• One way to monitor water intake is to check the color and odor of your urine
• Dark yellow instead of pale urine is a sign of insufficient water intake
• Urine with a very strong odor is also indicative of insufficient water intake
• When too much water is lost from the body and not replaced, dehydration occurs. Progressive signs of dehydration include:
• Thirst, fatigue, weakness, discomfort, loss of appetite, dry skin and mucous membranes
• Impaired physical performance, dry mouth, reduction in urine, flushed skin, impatience, apathy
• Difficulty concentrating, headache, irritability, sleepiness, impaired temperature regulation, increased respiratory rate
• Dizziness, muscle spasms, loss of balance, delirium, exhaustion, collapse

Try your best to drink water every day! Your body will thank you!