Friday, October 14, 2022
Revelation, Chapter 14, Verse 6-7
6Then I saw another angel flying
high overhead, with everlasting good news_to
announce to those who dwell on earth, to every nation, tribe, tongue, and
people. 7He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, for his
time has come to sit in judgment. Worship him who made heaven and earth and sea
and springs of water.”
Note
in Revelations [14:6–13] Three angels proclaim imminent
judgment on the pagan world, calling all peoples to worship God the creator.
Babylon (Rome) will fall, and its supporters will be tormented forever.
In
Revelations [14:6] there is Everlasting
good news: that God’s eternal reign is about to begin, therefore, Fear not, for God
is with you! Trust in Him as you would a mighty fortress in adversity.
Fitness Friday-Sleep[1]
Sleep. Something we all need more of, but
never seem to get. (If only we had more time, right?) Today we’re
going to cover how you can. First stop and think!
Sleep is important, and you should get more of it!
“When you lie down, you will not be afraid, when you lie down, your sleep
will be sweet.” (Proverbs 3:24)
Before
we cover why sleep is important,
let’s talk about what happens when you don’t get enough For example: If you manage to only get four hours of sleep, a sleep deprived body can actually
act similarly to
an intoxicated body.
Getting
less sleep than average regularly?
This
is correlated with increased bodyfat
percentage, more issues with insulin sensitivity, and even a disproportionate
decrease in lean muscle mass when eating a caloric deficit. We all know missing
sleep can make us grouchy, miserable, unfocused, and unproductive. I know I’m
going to have a crappy day in the gym when I don’t get enough sleep the night
before. I know not sleeping enough AFTER a workout day can further hinder
the muscle building
process.
So, what else happens when you
don’t get enough sleep?
“One study found that skipped sleep led to a shrinking brain.
The heart and kidneys also take a beating as
does your blood pressure. You, in fact, put
yourself at continually increased risk for a whole host of lifestyle diseases,
including obesity and diabetes.
What
is the logical extension of this pattern?
Numerous studies link partial sleep
deprivation/disruption and increased mortality risk!”
Conversely, let’s talk about the awesomeness that is sleep.
Here are the benefits associated with getting enough shut eye:
·
Sleep
will enhance your memory
performance and creative problem
solving skills.
You know, those things that make you smart.
·
Sleep
can boost your athletic performance.
And we all know appearance is a consequence of fitness.
·
Sleep triggers the release of human growth
hormone (HGH),
which plays a huge role in muscle and cellular regeneration.
·
Sleep
cuts your risk for the common cold and other basic illnesses.
Less sick days at work = more productivity, more awesome, more leveling
up.
·
Sleep
makes you more resilient to daily stress..aka more willpower!
Moral of
the story: Sleep is awesome.
Yes, some
adults can function perfectly on only five hours of sleep, while others need
9-10 hours of sleep to thrive. Most people will fall in that 7-9 range for
sleeping needs. So let’s get to the root of the problem for most: “I know
I need to sleep more, but my day is too busy and I just can’t get to bed sooner
or wake up earlier.” First and foremost, you’re not alone. According to a
recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly
a third of all working Americans get six hours or fewer of sleep a night.
Does any
of this sound like you? I
am always freaking tired, and I need five cups of coffee to get through the
day. Even on days when I get enough sleep, I wake up groggy. I get to ‘bed’ but
I toss and turn and it takes me forever to fall asleep. I hit snooze half a
dozen times before miserably crawling out of bed.
A perfect night of sleep
Let’s imagine a perfect night:
·
You
go to bed at a time that you’re happy with.
·
You’re
not stressed out because you didn’t just watch The Walking Dead.
·
You’re
reading a good book in bed that’s putting you
closer to sleep rather than checking your smart phone or screwing around on the
internet (damn you Twitch.tv).
·
You
sleep uninterrupted through the night
·
.
You have good dreams.
·
When
you wake up, either naturally or with an alarm…you immediately get out of bed,
without a single snooze, and you feel damn good.
·
You
then crush your morning routine and dominate your day.
If you’re looking at your screen and laughing right
now, you’re not alone. I’d
guess this is a pipe dream for a huge majority of our society because they’re
not sure how sleep actually works, and thus have NOT made sleep a priority.
It’s time to start looking at sleep as one of your
most important tasks.
How to get better sleep
We have a circadian rhythm (a
daily biological clock) that ebbs and flows throughout the day. Our body uses outside stimuli and
our own activity to produce certain hormones at certain times to make our body
more prepared for the required functions at that time (alertness vs
restfulness).
·
When the
sun rose, our
bodies are signaled “the day has begun! Get cracking!” We reduce the hormones
that make us sleepy and produce more hormones that allow us to do the things
that need to get done.
·
As the
sun went down, our
body starts to produce more melatonin, which produces that sleepy feeling and
encourages us to rest/recover. Our only option for light back then was a
candle or campfire. If that went out, we’d have moonlight and nothing else.
·
While
sleeping, our
bodies knew to cut back on urine production, decrease body temperature,
decrease heart rate, and muscle activity. Our brains are still highly
active during our sleeping.
Unfortunately,
these days, our bodies aren’t tied to the rise and fall of that giant ball of
gas above us. Instead,
we use electricity, alarm clocks, computer screens, smart phone screens, and
all other sorts of outside stimuli to adjust our natural sleeping schedule. This
means that our bodies often have no effin’ clue what time it is!
Here’s how we can get back to our roots:
Trying to
get to bed sooner or fall asleep sooner? Limit your exposure to the blue glow of your
computer screens, TV screens, and phones later in the evening. Our bodies
look at blue light and think “Sun is up! Sky is blue! Energy! WEEE!” Conversely, lights with a red/orange hue are
more reminiscent of a campfire or candle.
·
If
you are somebody who has to spend time on your computer at night, consider
installing a program like F.lux – it syncs with the sunrise
and sunset in your time zone, gradually shifting your screens hue from Blue and
bright to red and dim. I’ve been using the app for over a week now and
have quickly adjusted to it.
·
Purchase old-man blue blocker
glasses which limits the colors your eyes
are exposed to after the sun has gone.
·
Consider
purchasing red lightbulbs to install in your bedroom.
·
Consider getting black-out curtains for your bedroom
windows, especially if you live in a city.
·
No TV in
bed. This
might be incredibly difficult for you if you’ve been falling asleep to TV for
years. Instead of falling asleep with the blue glow of a TV at the foot
of your bed, read a book – real books or read on a Kindle, no iPads! trust me, it will put
you right to sleep.
·
Buy the right TYPE of
Mattress for you
·
Have allergies? Try a hypoallergenic pillowcase! Your allergies could be
affecting you while you sleep and having the proper pillowcase can make a world
of a difference.
How to get more sleep
So we’ve
covered how to get BETTER sleep, what if you also need to get more of it? In order
to start getting more sleep, sleep must
become more of a priority. If you constantly stay up too late because
things need to get done, evaluate how your time is spent after work. Seriously,
think about it!
Are you
doing the important tasks first?
Are you
watching late night shows long after they’ve become enjoyable, simply
because your DVR records them?
Are you
checking your smart phone while in bed, watching Vine
videos, or using your laptop to watch more shows you don’t really care about on
Netflix?
Here are the best practical tips for giving you the
greatest chance at getting into bed earlier:
·
Don’t
drink caffeine after lunch if possible. Caffeine can have an effect up to 6 hours
after consumption. We love caffeine for many reasons (in moderation);
however, you want to make sure its not consumed too late or your body will
revolt.
·
Turn off
the electronics sooner. I
have to enforce a “laptops closed by 11PM” or a “TV off after 10PM” rule on
many nights or I never get to bed. I get lost in internetland far too easily.
Putting in actual barriers really helps. If you find yourself
checking Facebook and Twitter and other sites incessantly, BLOCK YOURSELF from those sites after a certain time.
·
Stop
watching crap TV shows! DVRs
can be helpful, but it’s so easy to record shows without second thought…and
then we end up spending WAY too much time watching TV.
·
Shift
things by 15 minutes every week. If you want to get to bed sooner,
don’t just try to get to bed an hour earlier than normal. You’ll probably lie
in bed for that whole hour wondering why you can’t fall asleep, stressing
yourself out and making things worse. I shifted my pattern by waking up 15
minutes earlier and getting to bed 15 minutes sooner. Then I repeated that process
over a series of weeks. Eventually, you can shift your bedtime by an hour or
two but do it gradually!
How to wake up better
Is
there any more annoying sound in the world than the “beep beep beep” of an
alarm clock? So here you are, dreaming about riding a dragon with
Daenerys Targaryen, doing improv with Liam
Neeson, and
playing poker with Iron Man and Spock…and that damn alarm clock wakes you up.
You are now incredibly groggy and miserable.
Here’s
what’s happening: Remember
earlier how we talked about different sleep cycles? Depending on which
cycle you were woken up during, your body can struggle to move from “asleep” to
“wide awake.” Wake up in the right phase and
you can feel energized and ready to go. Wake up in the wrong phase and you will
feel lethargic and sleepy. Because
we’re often waking up at times when we’re not ready to wake up, we need to use
technology to our advantage.
This is why snoozing is a horrible idea!
Instead
of snoozing, set your alarm for 30 minutes later and SKIP snoozing entirely.
If this is an issue for you, put your alarm across the room so you need
to physically get out of bed to turn it off!
I’ve been using the Sleep Cycle App to wake up and it’s been really interesting. You
simply put the time in which you want to wake up, put your phone on your bed,
and it will wake you up slowly and quietly in at the best point in a 30-minute
window. Because it also tracks your sleep incredibly accurately, it’s probably
the best 99 cents I’ve ever spent on an app. Try a dawn-simulator alarm clock. Rather than waking yourself
up in the pitch black with a disgusting beeping noise, why not gradually rise
as if there was a natural sunrise in your room?
Still
feeling groggy? Go for a walk first thing; a mile every morning, if you can. Walking
outside and seeing that blue sky can trigger your body to release the hormones
that encourage you to feel more awake and alive.
What about naps?
Although generally not part of a day here in the
states, we’re actually programmed to desire a quick nap in the early afternoon.
In other countries,
naps are more socially acceptable (Siesta? Si, por favor!). If you
feel bad that you get tired in the early afternoon, it’s not because you’re
lazy. It’s because you’re naturally wired for naptime. Now, you might
still be lazy, but it’s not related to your nap schedule.
What about second sleep? Biphasic Sleep is sleeping in two distinct periods. We’re gonna go back in the day again: during
winter months, night time could last 12-14 hours. With our bodies
production of melatonin (the “sleepy time” hormone) kicking into high gear when
that sun drops, people had nothing else to do (no TV, PS4, or iPads) and would
fall asleep early. Then they would wake up for an hour or two in the
middle of the night to read, pray, or think, and then fall back asleep for
another 4-5 hours before waking up for the day.
If
you’ve ever gone to bed at a normal hour, and then woke up in the middle of the
night without being able to fall back asleep for an hour or so, you know what
I’m talking about. Here’s
the thing: this is actually
quite natural! Rather than freaking the heck out
and lying in bed wondering why you can’t fall asleep…consider it something that
is more common than our current sleep schedule. Don’t be afraid to turn on the
light and read a book or use the time for meditation until you can fall back
asleep. This one ‘mental shift’ alone can keep your stress levels down and let
you get back to sleep faster and provide you with BETTER sleep.
Fish on Friday
Why
Fish on Friday?[2]
Many major world religions have dietary rules which are meant to be
followed for a period of time (e.g., Ramadan, Lent) or are prescribed
lifestyles (e.g., Kosher, Halal). The practice of eating fish on Friday –
still followed by many Catholics today – was written about in the first century
A.D. According to Christian teaching, Jesus died on a Friday, and people
fasted as a sacrifice in his memory. While
fasting is part of many religious traditions, it does not always mean abstention
from all food and drink. In this case, fasting meant that people stopped
eating the flesh of warm-blooded animals on Fridays; cold-blooded fish could
still be consumed.
Fish has been an important part of human diet from the time of Stone Age
hunter‐gatherers, who ate the meat of warm-blooded animals, plants and fish. Some
of our earliest cookbooks are clay tablets from the 18th century B.C.
(housed in Yale University’s Babylonian Collection) that include recipes for
preparing fish. Fish has always been a primary ingredient in Jewish
cookery because it was plentiful, easy to prepare, and symbolized fertility and
prosperity.
Additional symbolism has been attached to fish (the Old Testament’s claim
that God created fish and marine life on the fifth day (Friday), most of the
apostles were fishermen who then became “fishers of men” who gathered converts
to Christianity, and the use of the fish symbol in early Christianity). Fish
were also important to the Greeks, Romans, and other pagans who used the fish
symbol prior to its adoption by Christians. This meant that early
Christians could use the mark without drawing undesired attention to themselves.
The 4th century Council of Nicea formalized the tradition of 40 days of
Lent (from Ash Wednesday to Easter), during which only weekdays are counted as
fasting days when it was forbidden to eat meat (including poultry), animal
fats, milk, or eggs. The medieval Christian calendar named even more meat-free
days: Fridays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, Advent (the weeks before Christmas)
and Lent (the weeks before Easter). Some suggest that the medieval
Catholic Church increased the number of fasting days/fish days to prop up the
fishing economy dominant in monasteries, however Brian Fagan (UC Santa Barbara)
and Michael Foley (Baylor University) both discredit
this theory.
It has also been suggested that the timing of fasting from meat and dairy
products in Spring is not coincidental. Rather, it comes at a time when stored provisions
might be running low, fields are bare, ewes are not lambing, and hens are
laying fewer eggs. Fasting in Spring also pre-dates the Christian era. In
addition, many fish varieties are high in B Vitamins, Niacin, and Folate, which
would offer nutritional benefits after a winter of weak sunshine and a
declining choice of vegetables.
The fish industry was well-established and vital to
the medieval economy. Descriptions, depictions (including 130 churches
with relevant wall paintings, and artifacts of fishing are plentiful from the
Middle Ages (5th - 15th century). The use of fishhooks, spears,
nets, traps, and even fish farming was widespread throughout Europe.
Sometime around 1000 AD, there was a shift from the consumption of locally
caught freshwater fish to ocean caught fish. While this might have been a
response to overfishing of local fish, dried Scandinavian cod appears as an
important traded commodity. The drying and smoking of herring and cod as a
way of preserving them for eating later, in the centuries before refrigeration,
made fishing a growth industry. Vikings, who were expert at preserving cod,
were sailing first to Iceland and Greenland, and then onto Newfoundland to fish
where Atlantic cod were plentiful.
Vikings were thought to have developed an early sun
compass, allowing them during mid summers to measure the declination of the sun
to keep them on latitude courses, thus able to steer relatively straight
courses to and from these areas across the North Atlantic. In this way, the
growing demand for fish spurred advances in Medieval navigation and the
discovery of new lands.
Fish fasting continued to stimulate growth in
seafood right up into modern times and played quite a role here in the
development of North America’s cod and other fishing industries.
Fast-forwarding to the twentieth century, when an early McDonald’s franchise
owner wrestled with the challenge of selling burgers on Friday, he developed
the solution in the ever-popular Filet-O-Fish sandwich. Indeed, when the Pope
scaled back Fish Fridays in the 1960s to just the 40-day period of Lent, cod
prices dropped dramatically as demand fell for a period of time.
Catechism
of the Catholic Church
PART THREE: LIFE IN CHRIST
SECTION ONE-MAN'S VOCATION LIFE IN THE
SPIRIT
CHAPTER ONE THE DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN
PERSON
Article 2-OUR VOCATION TO BEATITUDE
Article 4 THE MORALITY OF HUMAN ACTS
IN BRIEF
1757 The object, the intention, and the circumstances make up
the three "sources" of the morality of human acts.
1758 The object chosen morally specifies the act of willing
accordingly as reason recognizes and judges it good or evil.
1759 "An evil action cannot be justified by reference to a
good intention" (cf St. Thomas Aquinas, Dec. praec. 6). the end does not
justify the means.
1760 A morally good act requires the goodness of its object, of
its end, and of its circumstances together.
1761 There are concrete acts that it is always wrong to choose,
because their choice entails a disorder of the will, i.e., a moral evil. One
may not do evil so that good may result from it.
Daily
Devotions
·
Unite in the work of the Porters of St. Joseph by joining them
in fasting: Today's Fast: Catholic
Politicians and Leaders
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: October
·
Litany of the Most Precious
Blood of Jesus
·
Offering to
the sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
[1]https://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/are-you-making-these-mistakes-with-your-sleep/
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