I found these facts fascinating and handy to know (especially #1); I thought you would too…

1. Sleeping on your right side helps activate the vagus nerve.

Whereas, sleeping on your back is results in lowest vagal tone activity. The vagus nerve is what stimulates parasympathetic activity (i.e. our “rest and digest” relax mode, which we obviously want when sleeping); read more on vagal tone here.

Source(s):

2. Long-term calcium use is linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease and other health risks.

Meanwhile, there is not strong evidence that it actually helps to strengthen bones. Don’t supplement; get your calcium from foods like fish with bones, dairy, bone broth and dark leafy greens. (And for bone-building look to Vitamins D, K2 and C; magnesium; etc.)

Source(s):

3. Americans, on average, take just 5,117 to 5,815 steps a day.

This is far fewer than those in other countries. Although, some U.S. states have higher daily step averages (varies with the seasons); click here to see how your state’s steps stack up. (Fun fact from Tawnee: I tend to average 10k-20k steps a day, mostly walking these days. What about you?)

Source(s):

4. Caffeine content bought from you favorite coffee shop can vary greatly, even when ordering the same beverage!

One study showed caffeine concentrations ranged from 259mg to 564 mg per 16oz in the same coffee beverage obtained from the same outlet on six consecutive days.

Source(s):

5. Bentonite clay isn’t just an amazing face mask. Ingesting it can help your body expel environmental toxins, improve immunity, reduce inflammation, and relieve digestive/GI problems.

In one study, chickens were exposed to aflatoxin and ochratoxin–two of the most potent carcinogens out there–and one group had bentonite in their feed and the other had regular feed. The birds eating bentonite showed significantly less harmful effects on their immune systems.

If you’d like to incorporate bentonite into your routine, start by adding 1/2 teaspoon to your water once a day.

Source(s):

 

… I know what you’re thinking: Mind blown 😉