The Official Blog of The GEM.

SHINE BRIGHTER. Our goal is to live better and be better.

Category Archives: Sleep


SHINE Smarter with Original G·E·M·S Life! (Smarty Pants Series Part IV)

Posted on August 18, 2021 by diamondsonyourinside and currently has Comments Off on SHINE Smarter with Original G·E·M·S Life! (Smarty Pants Series Part IV)

Take time for a little self-care so you can operate at your brightest this school year and keep stress levels low! Try out these SHINE Original G·E·M·S Life practices with your family for a Smarty Pants Semester.

START. COMMIT. GROW. JUMP INTO ORIGINAL G·E·M·S LIFE!

Starting Your Day with Original G·E·M·S Life

Our health is impacted by so much more than what we eat or whether or not we exercise. Mental health plays just as big a role as these practices in our overall wellness. Because of this, our daily habits have a HUGE impact on brain health—an important fact to remember as we begin this new school year! 

Do right by your body and brain this semester by embarking on your own Original G·E·M·S Life — a playbook formed from our founding nutritional and lifestyle practices. Get started by checking out our tips on practicing GRATITUDE for a new school year, ways to EAT CLEAN to boost brain power, and our MOVE practices for a Smarty Pants Semester. 

To round up our back-to-school series, here are our top practices to help you Shine smarter this school year!

6 Back To School #SelfCare Tips to Help You SHINE Smarter!

  • Get a full 8 hours of SLEEP! Deep, quality sleep helps with memory consolidation, where the brain processes events of the day, making memories and links. A good night’s rest helps you remember and process things better—crucial for smarty pants GEMs. Shine smarter by prioritizing your shut-eye time nightly! 
  • Start a morning WATER therapy regimen. Here’s your new morning ritual: drink 32 oz of water upon waking. That’s it. SUPER beneficial to your overall long-term health, and an easy way to detoxify your system. We GEMs do it every day. Staying hydrated makes us more focused and keeps us energized throughout the day. Try it and see for yourself!
  • Cut down on screen time. Excessive time in front of our screens can cause parts of our brain to shrink—crucial parts that help us with empathy, planning, prioritising, organization and impulse control. Too much screen time can also make us feel disconnected from others, which is detrimental to our mental well being. Take a 10-minute break every hour spent in front of your device to keep you Shining Brighter all day long. 
  • De-stress & detox with bath salts. Our GEM At Home Detox Bath Salts relax tense muscles, replenish magnesium, and reduce inflammation. Plus, their healing properties can help moisturize your skin, decrease stress, and help you sleep better. Give yourself a little R&R bathtime to soak away school stresses. Order now! 
  • Relax & drink Natural Calm Tea nightly to help quell anxiety and promote a more restful sleep. It works by balancing your magnesium levels and calcium intake, helping you to feel less stressed and more relaxed. We recommend starting with just a little at first (half a teaspoon daily), and gradually increase to two teaspoons per day from there. 
  • Stock up on supplements. Want optimal brain function? A stronger immune system? Better overall health? Look no further than our top GEM-approved daily supplements. Good news! We now carry the incredible Thorne brand. Give your body the turbo boost it needs to stay healthy and strong by supplementing your way to SHINE. Stop by and stock up today!

Make these daily SHINE practices part of your back-to-school routine, and you’ll set off a chain reaction of mental and physical well-being that will lead to a bright, shining, Smarty Pants Semester!

But don’t stop there; commit to one practice in each Original G·E·M·S Life category (Gratitude, Eat Clean, Move, and Shine) and reap the benefits of a healthier, happier mind, body and soul. Add in more practices as you go, and watch the transformation begin! Jump in today!


Healthy Begins at Bedtime: Go to Sleep!

Posted on March 27, 2019 by The GEM and currently has 3 Comments on Healthy Begins at Bedtime: Go to Sleep!

Listen up, Sleeping Beauty: When it comes to health, QUALITY SLEEP just might be the most overlooked element there is. While optimized nutrition changes are an integral piece of vibrant health, sleep is another critical one to heal and restore your body.

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Restorative, blissful sleep is often hard to come by—but oh so critical to your health and well-being. Even more importantly, a LACK of sleep can cause serious damage, affecting your body’s ability to maintain:

MEMORY & FOCUS – Deep sleep helps with memory consolidation—where the brain processes events of the day, making memories and links. More quality sleep helps you remember and process things better. STAY SHARP: SLEEP!

WEIGHT LOSS – Poor sleep patterns mess around with your appetite, which control hormones. The rise in cortisol can cause adrenal fatigue and also make you hold fat around your middle. STAY SLIM: GO TO SLEEP!

RECOVERY – The sleeping body works hard repairing protein breakdown and damage caused by stress, ultraviolet rays, and muscle exertion. Your cells produce more protein while sleeping. STAY YOUNG & STRONG: SLEEP.

DISEASE PREVENTION – The connections to lack of sleep and heart disease, diabetes, and cancer are profound. Sleep also helps your body stay in a calmer state, reducing stress and anxiety. STAY CALM & SLEEP ON.

You can improve virtually every function of your mind and body by making a few small tweaks to your bedtime routine:

TIPS FOR HOW TO SLEEP BETTER:

  1. COZY COMFORT. A quality mattress, good sheets (we love Peacock Alley), soft blankets and cool temperature will reduce annoying distractions and help you relax.
  2. TURN OFF TECH at least 1 hour before going to bed. That type of light really affects your sleep….which leads me to:
  3. COMPLETE DARKNESS. If your room isn’t completely dark, consider a sleep mask. This will also increase your natural production of melatonin, a sleep inducer and cancer fighter.
  4. SKIP OR REDUCE CAFFEINE. Caffeine not only prevents you from falling asleep at night initially, but also decreases the amount of restful sleep.
  5. EASY ON THE ALCOHOL & SUGAR. Alcohol feels like a sedative at first as it slows motor and brain function, but as it’s metabolized acetaldehyde is produced, which acts like a stimulant.
  6. BATHS.  Bathing with Epsom salts (and lavender oil) is a great way to prepare for a restful night of sleep. An evening bath is a beautiful ritual that nourishes mind, body and spirit, and disrupts less healthy habits.
  7. EXERCISE. Fit in 20-30 min of moderate exercise daily, but several hours before bed. Try simple yoga stretches daily.  It can dramatically increase your sleep quality.
  8. CLEAR YOUR MIND. Hit the reset button on your mind. Before going to bed, journal. Try a guided sleep meditation from HeadSpace. If you can’t fall asleep after lying in bed for 15 minutes, get up and do something relaxing for 15-30 minutes before returning to bed.
  9. SLEEP ENHANCING SUPPLEMENTS like magnesium (CALM Tea). It is a great way to stay regular, quell anxiety, treat menstrual cramps, allay menopausal symptoms. Also, 300mg of passionflower or 320mg of valerian root extract before bed can relax and help you sleep better.

Bottom line? Get at least 7 to 9 HOURS of sleep every night. You really are NOT one of those people who only needs 5 hours of sleep. It’s just not possible. Good sleep helps you shed fat, keep disease at bay, and stay focused. When it comes to your overall health, focus, weight, and immunity, radiant GEMs know SLEEP IS WHERE IT’S AT!