Don’t Make Me Repeat Myself

One of the things that my Sensei used to tell me back in the day, when I was still living on his side of the country is that when you reach a certain level of experience in the martial arts, “once a Sensei, always a Sensei.” I never paid that much heed except that when I take the time to look back over the past decade since closing my dojo, I recognize a number of times where I’ve fallen into the instructor’s role without trying.

Even in my current role of training with my local school of Kempo, I often find myself providing a certain level of coaching and instruction to some of the younger and lower-ranked students. It’s almost a pull or an instinct. But like anyone else who passes on information they may have, I’m not always as clear as I should be.

I’ve written a number of times about how it’s important to stop doing the same thing over and over and to change it up, challenge yourself and go outside your comfort zone in order to progress. The problem is, some folks have taken that message as a meaning that performing repetitive actions such as forms and drills have no value and should be avoided. Not only is this false, but there is an important discernment to be made between repeating specific actions in order to build one’s muscle memory or learn something, and always staying at the same level by repeating the exact same actions. Allow me to explain…

Let’s say that you want to learn a new type of kick… Chances are that the person teaching you will start by having you observe him or her do this kick before having you join in and practice it a number of times before letting you practice the kick on your own. Even once you’re on your own, you’ll need to continue repeating the technique until it becomes comfortable, familiar and you can claim at least some level of proficiency with it. This is a called “muscle memory” and not only is it a good thing, it’s a vital part of the martial arts. And the only way to achieve it, is through repetition.

Muscle memory is an integral part of the martial arts because, let’s be honest, an attack generally won’t come with a warning. So setting yourself up, stretching and being ready to respond never happens. Ever. Sure, we stretch and get ready before a class, but that’s a controlled environment intended for your learning. Your body needs to be able to respond to a potential attack on it’s own without you needing time to put thought into what you’re going to do. If you take time to think about it, chances are the attack has already happened. So repetition for muscle memory is good.

Now, let’s once again assume that you intend on doing… let’s say a light dumbbell workout. You line up a pair of 25-pound dumbbells, because they’re the ones you’ve always used. You take a few moments to stretch, followed by 25 jumping jacks to get your heart rate going. Then you fall into 3 sets of 10 reps of bicep curls, butterfly curls, shoulder presses and weighted squats. You do this exact same workout, every Saturday morning at 9 am. You never increase the weights, never change up the exercises and always repeat the exact same workout. Any exercise is better than no exercise of course, and I’m only using this as an example but this is the bad kind of repetition.

Do you see the difference? The problem is that if you repeat this exact same workout EVERY time you do it, there will be no growth, no progression and no advancement in your fitness. Muscle memory holds no value for fitness workouts, so you need to be able to change it up. Maybe the following week sees you increase your weight. Perhaps you’ll lighten the weights and do sets of a cardio-style dumbbell circuit. Maybe you’ll do that same workout but add 30 minutes of jogging or cycling in the mix. Whatever. As long as you’re building on the base you’ve already established.

In case my explanation was a little too long in the tooth (as it often is), the point of today’s post can be summarized as follows… Long-term repetition for the purposes of learning and/or improving a technique and develop muscle memory: GOOD. Remaining stagnant by constantly repeating the exact same workout without ever challenging yourself or allowing growth: BAD.

Martial arts is actually a very slow-moving creature and it takes years to properly learn techniques. I’ve been doing karate for 31 years and I’m still learning, so that should give you an idea. But while you’re busy learning all the good stuff, keep pushing your body to grow and progress, increase your weights (safely) and keep your fitness fresh and fun by trying new workouts! You’re more likely to stick with it, that way.☯

Why “No Nut November” Is Not A Novel Notion…

The past decade or two have unsurprisingly (given the state of the world) yielded some really strange social trends. Anyone with a modicum of common sense usually looks at these so-called “challenges” and wonders if it’s truly time to lie back and give up on the society.

If we look back as far as 2001, they came out with something called “The Cinnamon Challenge”. This ludicrous trend, which began pre-YouTube, involved the swallowing of a tablespoon of dry cinnamon powder, without the help of liquid. The big problem with this challenge isn’t just the difficulty, but the damage it could cause to your lungs through gagging, asthma attacks and choking. Not to mention that cinnamon contains an chemical similar to formaldehyde and is basically composed of ground up tree bark. So THAT’S what your possibly inhaling. It gained further steam for a while in 2006 when it finally hit YouTube and people started posting it.

Fast forward to more than a decade later, and they came out with something called “The Tide Pod Challenge”. Just to clarify, when I say “they”, I mean a generation of people who don’t seem to have anything better to do and don’t seem to understand the value in picking up a good book or getting a workout in. But I digress…

The Tide Pod Challenge simply involved putting one of the laundry detergent pods in your mouth and chewing on it. Yes, you read that right: LAUNDRY DETERGENT PODS!!! Friends would film you doing it, and possibly get some laughs as spit out soap bubbles and such. The problem, besides being stupid enough to put one in your mouth, is that some people would end up swallowing them, intentionally or accidentally. Considering these bad boys are made of laundry detergent, they’re caustic, toxic and can wreak havoc on your lungs and digestive system. And that’s just a start.

Sometime after Tide Pods were no longer the flavour of the week (see what I did there?), they came out with “The Condom Snorting Challenge”, which involved sticking a condom in your nostril while plugging the other one, inhaling it into your nasal cavities and reaching into your mouth to pull it out of your throat. Considering most people have difficulties using condoms the way they were intended, I can’t imagine why they think THIS is a good idea… The problem is that the condom can become trapped, block off breathing passages, be inhaled into the lungs and cause infections, sepsis and a score of other medical complications.

Really, internet? Most sources agree that the big problem behind all these “trends” is that they’re dare-based and today’s society thrives on how many likes, views and clicks one can get. Some people even make an income through their use of social media, so it’s not surprising that some of this happens. Although I can’t help but feel that this is Darwinism hard at work…

Now, on to my colourful title. Given that the month of November is almost done, I’l cover this one off. Many people have chosen to participate in a challenge called “No Nut November.” It’s pretty straight-forward: it’s simply going without ejaculating for the entire month of November. Although this seems like a pretty benign challenge and we can all agree that having some restraint is good, there are some dark aspects to this one as well.

First of all, there has been no scientific or medical evidence that shows that “going without” for a month has any measurable benefits for the body whatsoever. The opposite however, is that it can improve sleep quality, lower risk of prostate cancer and heart disease in men and can also boost the immune system. Fatherly.com has a good article that outlines all of this: https://www.fatherly.com/health-science/no-nut-november-is-bad-for-men/

But No Nut November can cause certain anxiety and stress issues, cause strife and difficulty in relationships and remember that preventing prostate cancer thing? You lose that benefit if you lose your happy ending…

I focused on this last social trend because it provided me with an entertaining title for today’s post, but the truth of the matter is that due to the popularity of online dares and challenges, we’ve likely not seen the last of this sort of thing.

Folks, pick up a book, go for a walk, spend time with friends or family… Any of those things will provide a much more fulfilling life and provide you with more benefit than getting a heavy number of views for possibly harming yourself online for the sake of some likes! I can’t change the world, but I can guarantee there may be a special school of the military sort waiting for either of my sons, should I ever hear they snorted a condom or ate a Tide Pod. ☯

Conformity Does Not Mean Acceptance

“Pressure’s a privilege and only the privileged get to experience pressure…” – Vernon Adams Jr.

I hate hockey. (Cue every brick in Canada being shat at once) Yes, I hate hockey. There, I said it. There’s nothing inherently wrong with the sport, and it certainly is staple of Canadian culture since, well, you know… it was invented here!

I’m slightly biased against it, since all throughout my schooling the hockey players were the de facto “rulers” of the school. They had privilege, they went to all the parties (and were often the ones throwing them), they had friends and got all the girls. I was a bit more on the “intellectual” side of things… Okay, fine! I was a nerd!

My point is, I’ve never been much of a team sports guy. I grew up with more of an interest in singular physical activities such as cycling, mountain climbing and the martial arts. But I’ve never been into mainstream sports.

But being into these sports is not what makes me Canadian. And no matter what you’re into or what your interests are, you can still learn from these things. For example, the quote I started this post with, was spoken by the Montreal Alouette’s Quarterback.

You’d be surprised at what you can learn if you’re willing to mingle and learn, even from things you aren’t interested in. One of the first activities I did with my co-workers when I moved to Saskatchewan, was sit in one of their living rooms and watch the Grey Cup. I couldn’t understand what was going on, but the energy in the room and the camaraderie was certainly positive. ☯

More Than Words

I’m lucky in the sense that I’ve had 37 years to get used to Type 1 Diabetes and all the associated terminology that comes with it. I often forget that friends and even family don’t usually know what half of the words associated to Diabetes may mean.

I can’t tell you how often I’ve said something about my Diabetes and had my mother or one of my friends cock an eyebrow or wonder what the hell I’m talking about. With that in mind, I thought it would be a good idea to provide some of the basic terminology that everyone who associates with someone Diabetic should know.

  1. Basal Rate: This refers to a constant supply of some given medication that is delivered over time. For someone with Diabetes, one’s basal rate refers to the dosage of insulin, which is slowly delivered throughout the day, usually by way of an insulin pump;
  2. Bolus: Unlike one’s basal rate, a bolus refers to a singular dosage of insulin that is delivered within a fixed period of time, either by manual injection or by way of an insulin pump. For example, before eating a meal, one would “bolus” a specific dose of insulin;
  3. Blood Glucose: This one should be pretty straightforward, but I’ve been surprised at how many people honestly don’t understand what is meant by blood glucose. This term simply refers to the sugar carried through the blood stream in order to supply the body with energy. Having either too much, or too little sugar in the blood stream is one of the main issues with Diabetes;
  4. Carbohydrates: Considering all the “nutritional gurus” and fad diets on today’s market, this one comes as a surprise as far as people not understanding what carbs really are. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel, and includes sugars, starches and fibres. This is why it’s so important for someone with Diabetes to properly calculate their carb intake; because all these components (except fibre) will affect blood sugar;
  5. Fasting: Although not unique to Diabetes, fasting is often required prior to certain blood collection or medical examinations. It basically means that one abstains from ingesting any food or drink for a prescribed period of time;
  6. Hemoglobin A1C: Although more complicated than what I’ll explain, A1C refers to the average of one’s blood sugars over a 3-month period. This is a test frequently used to see if a person’s blood sugars are staying within acceptable range. This test has become less of a favoured method, since one’s A1C can be manipulated through extreme highs and lows. Methods of measuring a person’s “time in range”, such as continuous glucose monitoring have become more of an accurate method;
  7. Hyperglycemia: High blood sugar. That is all;
  8. Hypoglycemia: Low blood sugar. Bam!
  9. Insulin: This is a hormone produced by the pancreas, which regulates the level of glucose in the blood stream. In someone with type 1 Diabetes, this hormone is no longer produced, which causes the need for a synthetically created insulin to be injected;
  10. Interstitial Tissue: This is the tissue that connects your outer flesh with the really bloody stuff underneath. This tissue is important for someone with Diabetes because it is where blood glucose levels are measured using a continuous glucose monitoring system;
  11. Ketoacidosis: This is one of the more common complications of Diabetes. As I understand it, ketoacidosis happens when there isn’t enough insulin in the system to help the sugar enter the cells. Without sugar as fuel, the body begins using fat stores for energy. This causes certain acids to start spilling into the system, which can be spilled out through one’s urine. It’s very dangerous and usually requires medical attention if your blood glucose level won’t come down or your ketones are unusually high;
  12. Subcutaneous Tissue: This refers to the layer of fat and connective tissue beneath the skin and is generally where injected insulin NEEDS to end up once injected.

There you have it; some of the more common terms that Diabetics use. Like most illnesses, the best recourse when someone with Diabetes uses a term that you’re unfamiliar with is simply to ask. That’s often more awkward than we care to admit, but speaking for myself, most people with Diabetes are so used to just talking about it that we often forget to explain it. So don’t be afraid to ask. The worst response you’ll get is that we don’t want to talk about it. ☯

Natural Or Chemical… Both Are Good And Bad…

I hear a lot of talk about the benefits of “natural” products over artificially made products. This is usually followed by some rant about how chemicals are bad for the body and such, and it often leads me to wonder: what exactly do people think a chemical is?

By simple definition, a chemical is simply the combining of two or more elements, either naturally or by artificial means. In fact, just about everything in existence is composed of chemicals. One of the best explanations I’ve found is in an article written by the Science Learning Hub, where they explain: “Matter is everything around you – whether it’s liquid, solid or gas. Atoms are like individual LEGO blocks. […] Matter can also be called a chemical. So if atoms are LEGO blocks, chemicals are the structures you can build with them.”

In fact, some of the most simple things we use in our daily lives are chemicals. One good is example is water. Believe it or not, water is a chemical. It’s called a “pure” chemical because it’s the same throughout its entire structure.

The above-mentioned article goes on to explain that the only difference between synthetic and natural chemicals is that the synthetic ones have been made by people through artificial means. But if we were to artificially create a chemical found in nature, there would be absolutely no difference between them. I’ve kept it pretty simple, but the article touches on a lot of other aspects and can be read here: https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/363-chemicals-everywhere

The bottom line is that we need chemicals in order to live. Especially since EVERYTHING IS MADE WITH THEM. Whether they choose to acknowledge it or not, even the people who claim that they’re “living naturally without the use of chemicals” are using chemicals. I don’t assume that they’re washing themselves and keeping themselves hydrated with rainbows and dreams!

Being natural or synthetic doesn’t make a chemical bad. In fact, there are some very dangerous and deadly chemicals that can be found in nature. Things like arsenic, urushiol (poison ivy) and snake venom are all chemicals found in nature that can harm or kill you.

In closing, this would be a good time to remind everyone that insulin is a chemical and that 415 million people world-wide would be dead without it. As with most things in life, there’s good and bad to everything. Chemicals are just one example. ☯

Symptoms Often Aren’t The Only Issue

It never fails. You get up from a less-than-satisfying night’s sleep. Perhaps your blood sugar levels are low, or you have some unknown secondary illness, like a cold or a persistent cough. You stagger into the kitchen and you prepare yourself some food in order to bring back some vestiges of normalcy, when an interfering lump of 4-year old waddles in and sticks his nose into the food your making. The conversation usually goes like this:

KID: What are you doing, daddy?

PARENT: I’m making food, pal. Do you want some?

KID: (sniffs your food experimentally) No, I don’t like that stuff!

PARENT: Do you want anything else?

KID: No…

PARENT: You’re sure…?

KID: Yeah! (kid runs off)

You walk away with your plate, satisfied in the fact that you covered the bases and that you’re in the clear. You test your blood glucose and bolus with a dose of insulin specifically measured for the food on your plate. Your pump responds and starts pumping the life-sustaining medication into your subcutaneous tissue and you start enjoying your meal. Then, the 4-year old lump returns and eyeballs your plate. The second conversation usually goes like this:

KID: Mmmm, that looks good… (reaches for my plate)

PARENT: Hold it, buddy! That’s daddy’s food!

KID: But I want some…

PARENT: I asked you if you wanted some earlier, and you said no!

KID: But I want some now… (lip starts quivering and a meltdown is imminent)

What do you do? Considering children of this age are often picky eaters to start with, it’s a little difficult to refuse them when they actually WANT to eat! You can either buckle down and refuse, potentially forced to deal with the meltdown that will ensue. Or you can surrender your food and deal with the aftermath on your health, blood sugar levels and let’s be honest… your sanity.

It’s difficult to weigh the best option; especially when it affects your personal health. I’ll admit to surrendering my food since, in my state of perpetual exhaustion I prefer to scavenge for something else to replace the carbs I’ve given up than deal with prospect of trying to eat my food WHILE having a persistent child drooling over my shoulder. Maybe not the BEST way to approach it, but I’m a martial artist, not a child psychologist.

The challenge is when he takes only a portion of what I have, making it all the more difficult to balance and measure how much food of another type I require to replace the lost carbs. Or what I hate the most is to have him take some of my food and leave me to scramble for something else to eat before my blood sugars start lowering to that point of no return, only to discover the plate with almost the entire uneaten portion sitting on the table because he once again decided he didn’t like it. But I digress…

The food analogy (although the most frequent) is only one example. Children provide an issue for Diabetic parents on many fronts. I remember that when I started on my insulin pump, my son was barely more than a year old. As time went by, issues needed to be addressed in relation to recognizing daddy’s “ouchie” and staying away from my tubes and buttons. Not an easy task for a small child as the temptation is great when they see a small device to play with. What’s been even harder is trying to convince your child that, daddy isn’t eating candy because he WANTS to, he’s eating it because he HAS to and it isn’t sharing time.

I was rather lucky in the sense that I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at roughly the same age as my son is now. As strange as that may sound, it was lucky because I’ve never known any different and I was able to grow with my condition and learn to respect it without allowing it to control me.

Conversation and education is important for children. Although they may not be able to understand absolutely everything happening to you, explanations and reinforcement of the rules can mean the difference between maintaining yourself or having your infusion set accidentally ripped out. ☯

Make Sure Your house Doesn’t Crumble

I think we can unanimously agree that no matter what structure you try to build, it’ll never stand on its own without a solid foundation. One of the most famous examples of this, is the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Constructed in the 12th century, the tower was constructed using a too-thin foundation set upon weak sub-soil. Once builders began adding the second floor, the foundation began to sink, leading to the well-known angle of today.

This is why a proper foundation is so important. And this applies to anything one does in life, not least of which is the martial arts. Every style has its own type of foundation. And for karate, that foundation is form.

In karate, forms are called kata, which literally translates from Japanese as “form”. Katas are a combination of specific movements and techniques that are combined in order to develop them. Although katas are meant to be used as a means of training alone, they can be performed in unison in a class setting as well. Katas mostly refer to Japanese and Okinawan martial arts, such as karate, judo and aikido.

Katas are often poorly received by students because they are so structured and fixed. Students obviously prefer the more exciting and “fun” aspects of karate, such as sparring and using punching bags. But katas are what allow a student to develop the skills required to properly do all the fun stuff like sparring and using punching bags.

When doing katas, one should perform a minimum of three repetitions of each form. Some systems only have the one form or kata, and add sub-parts to the one. Other styles, such as mine, have almost a dozen different forms and katas and are all necessary to master the techniques and fighting methods used in combat. The three repetitions are as follows:

  1. First speed: You’re doing the kata at the slowest possible speed. The point to this one is to perform the kata with as much precision as possible. This slower speed allows the student to focus on their stance and proper technique, lending emphasis to form over power. It also allows the student to balance their breathing in time with the striking aspects of whatever kata they may be performing;
  2. Second speed: This is only slightly faster than the previous one, and the student should begin adding a certain element of power and strength behind all strikes and blocks. Emphasis should still remain on proper breathing, control and stance;
  3. Third speed: This repetition is basically an unhindered version of your kata. You basically let yourself off the rails and do the kata as fast and as strong as possible while maintaining proper form and stance. This speed is as close as one can come to shadow boxing while still maintaining the pre-arrange format of a kata.

Every workout should include form or kata, without exception. After all, if you don’t maintain your foundation, the entire structure of your training may start leaning like a failed bell tower! The best martial arts workouts often begin and end with form. Either way, depending on what style you train in, remember to maintain your foundation and keep it strong. ☯

How Sweet It Is…

Having Type 1 Diabetes makes life difficult. No kidding, right? But seriously, most aspects of life are rendered all the more difficult by the onset of type 1 Diabetes, but the aspect that has always affected me the most is my diet.

Like most men in my family, I love my food. I love baked goods and homemade recipes and having them restricted in any way is torture. That’s why, in the early 1980’s my childhood got a significant moral boost with the advent of aspartame and artificial sweeteners.

My mother had purchased a bottle of liquid NutraSweet and found a recipe for chocolate syrup. It was exciting, because there was no sugar content, besides the bare minimum natural occurring sugars in the recipe, and I could use it to make chocolate milk, add to plain sugar-free vanilla ice cream or make hot chocolate. I drove my mother nuts, because she could barely keep up with my demand.

There’s been a significant number of studies and controversy over the past couple of decades about how safe the use of aspartame may be as a substitute for sugar. Although the jury is still out and nothing has been conclusively proven, some studies have claimed that aspartame causes many side effects ranging from headaches to cancer.

As is my usual habit, let’s start by defining aspartame, shall we? Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is chemically designated as E951. It’s so effective because it stimulates the same parts of the tongue as sugar does, causing us to perceive a sweetness. Aspartame is actually WAY sweeter than sugar (taste-wise), which is why a very small amount is required in order to make something taste sweet.

There are a number of sites that speak out against aspartame use and the supposed side effects it may have on the system, but nothing conclusive has ever been proven. One could venture to say that it falls under the same propaganda as anti-vaxxer disinformation. Granted, it is a chemical. So most people are thrown off and assume it ISN’T a good alternative to sugar.

The FDA (US Food and Drug Administration) as well as the WHO (World Health Organization) have deemed aspartame to be safe in certain measured amounts. these amounts have been measured at a significantly higher level than the average person could possibly hope to consume in a day. An article posted by MedicalNewsToday.com indicates that the FDA has deemed aspartame’s acceptable daily intake at 50 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. this means that you’d have to consume over 19 cans of diet soda in order to exceed that amount (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/322266.php#body-weight).

If you’re die-hard against the use of aspartame, healthline.com offers a number of alternatives to the use of aspartame, which include but are not limited to:

  1. honey
  2. maple syrup
  3. agave nectar
  4. fruit juice (not sure how you’d use this one as a sweetner)
  5. black strap molasses
  6. stevia leaves.

I’ve tried some of these alternatives, but they should be consumed in limited amounts as they can still contain a lot of calories with no nutritional values. (https://www.healthline.com/health/aspartame-side-effects#natural-alternatives)

The jury’s still out as to whether aspartame is safe or not, so many people choose to eliminate it from their diet. But like most things that are considered a chemical, it’s all about moderate consumption. Hell, beer is a chemical (it’s C2H5OH, by the way) and we consume that! So don’t take everything you read at face value (he says as he types on his written blog). ☯

Space, The Unneeded Frontier…

One of the biggest issues people have when trying to focus on their fitness is worrying that they’re not set up for it. Most people are concerned about paying high prices for gym memberships, and the difficulties often associated with quitting when necessary. Take it from me, some gyms almost require an offer of a first-born in order to get out of a training “contract”, and I use that term lightly.

But fitness doesn’t have to be that complicated. And you definitely don’t need a bunch of fitness equipment in order to be effective. Considering I study Karate, which translates to “empty hand”, I think I can speak to that, just a bit (hint of sarcasm sprinkled on).

All you really need is a clear, open space of about 10 by 10 feet. That’s it. A small corner of your basement, bedroom or living room will do. If you don’t have access to dumbbells or other weight equipment, you can easily workout your entire body using body-weight exercises within your designated corner.

Sit-ups, crunches and leg raises are great for the abdominals. I enjoy planks, myself. Lunges, squats and “climbers” are fantastic for the legs. The rest of the upper body can be done using a variety of all the classic push-ups, chin-ups and tricep dips. If you study the martial arts, that 10×10 space should be all you need for forms, shadow boxing and practicing techniques.

An intense hour of sweaty, at-home karate in a small corner of my basement (and yes, that’s my insulin pump infusion site on my side)

Don’t get me wrong, training in a gym environment can be great fun and provides a number of benefits. You get to meet people, get out of the house and use some equipment that you wouldn’t have access to otherwise. But if you’re looking to keep it inexpensive, it’s a pretty simple to do so.

You can easily go on the internet and search for “body weight exercises” and find hundreds of different exercises that you can do in the comfort of your home. Then, start doing a number of sets and increase your intensity, reps and variety as you go along.

It’s one of those things where saying that you can’t afford a gym membership or don’t have the space at home is no longer a viable excuse. So as my brother-in-law would say, why put off to tomorrow what you can do today? Get up, get started and get fit! ☯

Bring The Noise

Sleep is something that I’ve had an issue with for as long as I can remember. An elusive thing at best, the quality of my sleep often depends on blood sugar levels, stress, PTSD symptoms, other medical issues (ex: colds, flus and the like) as well as the fact I have two small children in the house.

I’ve written a number of posts that outline the benefits of a good night’s sleep. There’s no getting away from it; sleep is a necessary and integral part of a person’s health, well-being and interestingly enough, their sanity (that last aspect is information for another post).

For Type 1 Diabetics, sleep is a mixed bag, because our sleep is affected BY our blood sugar levels, but sleeping through lows or highs can also be extremely dangerous.

After reading a bit on sleep habits and therapies, and having heard about it from different sources, I started trying something new about a week ago that has improved my sleep: white noise.

Before I start describing some of my experiences over the last week, I should start by explaining what the hell white noise actually is. Not everyone is familiar with White Noise, or its lesser-know cousins, Pink Noise and Red (Brownian) Noise. Let’s do some learnin’…

White Noise is described in layman’s terms as a sound that contains all the audible frequencies that can be heard by the human ear. These frequencies are all at the same intensity, giving the sound an almost “static” quality, which is how many people describe it;

Pink Noise is a sound that contains MOST audible frequencies, except the higher ones, and whose intensity decreases as the frequency increases. This can potentially make it more pleasant than white noise, and a good alternative if white noise doesn’t work for you. The sound of a steady rainfall is a good comparison.

Red Noise, or Brownian is similar to White and Pink but with even fewer high frequencies, described as having more bass notes than white noise, which makes it more tolerable and pleasant to listen to than White Noise. An undisturbed ocean wave lapping on the shore is a good comparison.

All three of these are mathematical constructs that do NOT occur naturally in nature, despite what many people think. Although white noise is often generically described as “background noise”, all three of these sounds need to be carefully constructed in order to qualify for the definition. Some people have tried white noise and noticed no benefit. In cases such as those, it would be to their benefit to try pink or red noise, as these could be alternatives that would work well for them.

There are a lot of benefits to using white noise. First and foremost, white noise will buffer out background sounds that have the potential to wake you during the night. A slamming door, a revving engine outside or a family member going to the washroom all have the potential to at least partially wake you, disturbing your sleep cycle. White noise prevents this. It’ll also help you stay asleep as it will mask noise that may wake you and even if you do wake, it’s usually easier to fall back asleep.

White noise also helps to shut off your brain. Have you ever tried going to sleep, only to have life’s problems replaying in your head? Or upcoming tasks lingering in your mind? White noise will help to prevent this, as well. It can also be a helpful tool while learning how to meditate, as it helps the practitioner focus and shut out the distractions that may prevent them from effectively reaching a level of meditation.

There are plenty of other benefits that I’m only just learning about, and the National Sleep Foundation has a great article that defines white noise and offers different aspects, such as falling asleep with your tv on and managing noise in your household in general. Here’s the article: https://www.sleepfoundation.org/bedroom-environment/hear/what-white-noise

I have all of the issues I’ve described above, so this has been a life-saver in recent nights and even during nap times. You can experience the benefits of white noise in a number of different ways, from downloading free apps on your phone that will produce it, all the way to paying moderate money for an actual “white noise machine”.

I use a free app on my iPhone called Noisli. What’s nice about it (besides being free) is that it allows you to experience a variety of sounds such as rainfall, thunder, leaves blowing, rustling trees and has all three “Noise” options including White, Pink and Brownian. It allows you to blend and mix all these sounds to your liking, which means you can have a rainstorm with thunder and heavy blowing winds, if that’s your go-to relaxing sound.

At the end of the day, sleep is one of those things that will affect every other aspect of your life. If your sleep routine sucks, it WILL affect your health, appetite, work and fitness life… all of it! That’s why it’s so important to have a regular and consistent sleep routine (going to bed around the same time every night) and ensuring your sleep is profound and deep. You can take advantages of the methods I’ve described above without breaking the bank, or don’t be afraid to take advantage of sleep therapy if you find that it still isn’t happening for you.

This is one of those things that you have to try for yourself in order to be the judge. Now if you’ll excuse me, it’s time for a nap! ☯