• I find myself always looking for new information where I can gain knowledge to improve my health, and spiritual being.  The year 2000 is when I really became interested in learning how I could benefit by changing my eating, and lifestyle habits.  This is the year I was diagnosed with ductual carcinoma in-situ breast cancer.  Prior to this I actually thought I was eating fairly healthy and living a good lifestyle.  Little did I know I had a lot to learn.
• I thought I would share some of my favorite books that I have read and use for reference whenever I have a question regarding how I feel, or to improve how I live my life.

Suggested Reading:

Prescription for Nutritional Healing; Phyllis A. Balch, CNC

• This book is a great reference from A-to-Z on drug-free remedies using herbs, food supplements, vitamins, and minerals.  It starts out explaining the elements of health and then goes into a breakdown of disorders.  The last part of the book discusses different options of remedies and therapies that can be considered.  The part I appreciate when looking up information regarding a disorder is the explanation of the disorder, a list of supplements to consider, suggested herbs that can be used, along with recommendations and considerations to think about.  I refer to this book often.   Continue Reading »

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Are you one of those people that just can not sleep?  Or you find yourself wide awake in the middle of the night?  There are many factors that cause disturbance in getting a good sleep.  Poor nutrition, stress, and anxiety can be a cause for insomnia.

• Ideally a person should go to bed at the same time every night.  By doing this you allow your body to be on a schedule which may give you optimum sleep.  Try to be in bed before 10-11pm.  Allow yourself at least 7-9 hours of sleep a night.  From the hours of ten to two in the morning the immune system does its most regenerating, while we are asleep.

Eating late at night, drinking alcohol, caffeine, and sugar can interfere with a good night sleep.  Some medications such as sedatives, stimulants, cold medication, steroids, antihistamines, and headache medication containing caffeine can affect a persons sleep. Continue Reading »

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• I would like to share some eating habits that can be changed to improve the mind, body, and spirit. 
• The way we eat is important and can make a big difference in our nutrition.  Eating slowly and completely chewing the food starts the digestive process in the mouth and saves stress on the stomach and digestive tract. 

Some eating habits that can be changed are:

• Overeating:  We all overeat, and this is one of the most common dangerous dietary habits of all.  When people get together it is mostly done around the idea of eating.  The more food that is consumed makes it harder to reach the state of feeling satisfied all the time.  A way to change this into a good habit is to eat smaller meals throughout the day instead of 1 or 2 large meals.  Incorporate 2 healthy snacks and 2-3 meals a day.  Make sure you have a variety of flavors, textures, and types of food to help satisfy you and lessen the desire to eat more.
• Eating Late:  Due to many people having busy schedules eating late is another common habit.  Food acts as a sedative and can help us physically relax.  Late eating can contribute to poor sleep and digestion.  This can cause a person to wake up feeling full and sluggish.  The best suggestion is to eat earlier in the evening.  My rule is to eat no later than 7:00p.m.  Try to keep the meal on the lighter side.  If possible get some type of activity, both physical and mental, after dinner, limiting yourself to very little food two to three hours before going to bed. Continue Reading »

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 Photo by:  rajatt2010

I want to wish everyone a Happy New Year!

 How does one make their year happy?  You should live throughout the year being happy with yourself  in mind, body, and spirit.  Happy with the way you think, feel, and love life.

Have you been promising yourself to loose weight, be a better person, or become healthier?  You can succeed in all areas of improvement by first taking “baby steps”, not jumping into a changeover with full force.  By trying to make a difference too fast you will burn yourself out and not stick with the changes you would like to make.  I continue to take “baby steps” after 10 years of replacing my past lifestyle with  new alterations.  I always look to see what I can do different to live healthier.  It is an everyday challenge that I turn into a game.

My number one rule in loosing weight is DO NOT diet!  You want to make lifestyle changes.  Diets do not work. Continue Reading »

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You are going to see in the papers, on television, and even on the computer advertisements for sales, sales, sales, during the holiday season.  Does this make you feel like you “have” to go out and buy “stuff” because it is on sale?  Do you realize this causes stress?

Stop and think about what the true meaning of the holiday is.  Okay, so you feel the need to give a gift to Aunt Sue, the mailman, Mary’s teacher, etc.  There are ways to go about gift giving that can be fun, rewarding, and very much  appreciated without a lot of stress.  Have you ever thought about making a gift?  If you are like me I would want it to be something easy and stress free. Continue Reading »

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• Are you able to get out and get some exercise, walk at the mall, go to a gym, or do some yoga during the winter season?  Are you eating  fresh unprocessed foods?  Are you getting out in the sunshine or taking a Vitamin D supplement?
• These are a few things to consider while trying to stay healthy during the winter and all year round.

The following are suggestions on helping keep yourself healthy:

• A person does not have to do strenuous exercise to receive the benefits of staying healthy.  A 30 minute walk will raise the heart rate helping pump blood and oxygen throughout the body.  When exercising toxins that build up in the body are released by sweating.  Releasing a toxic build-up is beneficial to improving the immune system which helps keeps us well.  One of the risk factors for atherosclerotic coronary heart disease and stroke is the lack of exercise.  Exercise and optimum nutrition helps a person be less susceptible to type-2 diabetes. Continue Reading »

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• Could it be possible sickness and unhappiness are nature’s way of telling us to embrace a proper diet and better lifestyle, and that the problems we have are unnecessary if we lived in harmony with our environment?  This is what a macrobiotic theory suggest.
• A macrobiotic diet consist of a diet of whole grains (barley, buckwheat, corn, brown rice, and wheat) and traditional foods such as nuts, fruits and vegetables, and beans.
• By using proper cooking methods nutrients and enhanced flavors of food are preserved in a macrobiotic diet.
• Macrobiotic way of eating helps control cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and fat intake.
• By adapting to a macrobiotic diet and exercising you can reap the benefits of an intelligent, active, energizing attitude to life.
• With a macrobiotic diet you do not consume processed foods (only traditional processed methods) and refined foods which can have a harmful effect on our physical and mental health.
• A macrobiotic diet doesn’t have to be completely a vegetarian diet.  Shellfish and white-meat fish are sometimes included. Continue Reading »

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• Happy New Year!
• So did you make a New Years resolution to diet?  Haven’t you learned by now diets don’t work?  Seriously, all a diet does is cause a yo-yo affect.  Yes, you may loose some weight, and then do you notice gaining that weight back, plus some?  When the body goes through the loss of weight, you gain that weight back, plus some extra, this damages your metabolism.  A damaged metabolism makes it more difficult to become healthy.  You can heal your metabolism, and when you do, you are primed to lose fat weight.  Making healthier food choices and getting up and moving will help you be successful in the new year.  This should be your New Years resolution…..Healing Your Metabolism.  Continue Reading »

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• I thought I would share some ideas on ways you can get a “warm fuzzy” feeling during the holiday season.  It isn’t all about buying that expensive gift…remember it is “the thought that counts.”  Be creative, maybe you can come up with your own idea.

Tips for a Soulful Holiday Season

1. When wrapping gifts use old newspaper, magazine pages, and reuse good condition gift bags.  By recycling paper you will help save the trees of the world.  The soul will feel feed by changing the way you wrap those gifts. Continue Reading »

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• The reason we feel so stressed mainly has to do with the demands forced upon us from family, work, and our lifestyle.  We also impose upon ourselves, causing stress in the desire to have high accomplishments.
• When we allow high levels of stress it can create a break down of the immune system, changes in hormonal function, digestive tract complications, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and neurological difficulties, along with disease. Continue Reading »

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