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Benefits of Echinacea

6/12/2019

Echinacea has had a rich history of contributing to the lives of the people who cultivate it. With hundreds of years of use and experimentation, the benefits of echinacea have become firmly established by both science and history.

Here are some of those benefits.

Reduces Pain

Perhaps one of the most overlooked of the attributes of echinacea is its ability to arrest the body's natural pain reception. The two best ways to use echinacea for pain relief would be to either make a tea from the plant, or to apply it topically directly to the area affected. Native people learned that the plant could be chewed or drank in a tea to reduce toothaches, and this use for pain relief began to extend beyond dental application.
In ancient times, echinacea was used to treat all sorts of injuries, but it is believed that the practice came from using it to tend snake bite, and was extended to use for the purpose of treating pain associated with venereal diseases.

Immune Support

The most common way that echinacea is currently used is simply for immune support. Usually found in pill form, these supplements can be bought over the counter, but it's debatable as to what percentages are in each supplement. Many of these will be in gel caps, and companies have been known to cut their purity by adding fillers. It would probably be preferable to ingest the plant in a tea or chewed form to get the maximum benefits that come from echinacea.
It has been noted that those who regularly consume echinacea generally experience colds and flu for about half of the length of most people. It also reduces the severity and chances of getting colds.

Kills Infections

Another way that echinacea is a great ally to your immune system, is that it can directly fight off infections. When microorganisms get into the body, a weak immune system could expose you to the possibility of being overrun with illness. Echinacea helps the body by killing these agents, and some have even noted that it can kill serious viral infections. It can’t eliminate these viruses, but it can keep them low enough to reduce appearances of some of the more serious symptoms that are caused by these illnesses.

It Can Reduce Inflammation

One of the most important parts of healing the body is the reduction of inflammation. This part of the process is meant to protect the wound while it heals slowly or until you take action to heal the area. Echinacea can take down the painful swelling that can work against you in the need to speed up the healing process.

It Can Help Fight Cancer

A benchmark of a great healing plant is its ability to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. Given that echinacea has all of both of these important factors, it should be no surprise that it can extend to protect you against some of the most serious illnesses. Cancer thrives on genetically damaged areas of the body.
The stresses placed on your DNA can cause anomalies, tumors and cancers in the body because the damaged DNA is unable to construct tissue properly. These destructive malformations can spread resulting in serious damages and death. Ingesting echinacea works to help your body protect itself from these genetic issues.

Helps Your Skin

Few people think of the skin an organ, but it is one of the largest organs in the body. As you go through life, you are exposed to a massive array of pollutant, and irritants from every side. Skin is sensitive, and can easily become inflamed when you get to close to something that your skin doesn’t particularly like. Echinacea has the ability to reduce and protect against the agents that cause these responses.
You can mash the plant into a paste that you apply directly to the site of disturbed skin. You can also make a poultice that you press against the area.

Helps Your Breathing

Have you ever had issues with asthma, strep throat, or a croupy cough? Echinacea is especially good at dealing with upper respiratory issues. In recent years, studies have revealed that echinacea has performed comparably to traditional medicines for asthma, because it was quick to reduce inflammation of the bronchial tubes and lungs. Some of the other respiratory illnesses it has been used for having been diphtheria, tuberculosis, and whooping cough.
In these cases however, much higher doses were needed, so you may want to try an essential oil, or supplement rather than drinking a tea, because the agents needed should be higher in dose than tea can provide.

Fights Depression

New information made available by scientists who have been carrying out studies on echinacea have discovered another interesting effect that it can dole out. Apparently, echinacea angustifolia can help fight depression. It was observed that taking small doses of echinacea supplements around 15 - 25 milligrams can help alleviate some symptoms of anxiety and depression.
This great news for future research in natural ways to deal with depression. This opens up a host of new possibilities for people who would like to manage their emotions, but much more information is needed before a study can be set up to test drugs that are developed using this route. Typically, licensing obstacles prevent companies from wanting to do experimentation using natural products.

It Can Be a Laxative

Echinacea is truly a wonder herb. Studies have acknowledged that drinking 2 cups of echinacea tea a day can help make you more regular, but it should be noted that consuming more than the recommended amounts could lead to some relatively unpleasant illness. Echinacea is apparently very effective as a laxative, so being careful about what amounts are taken could change the outcome of your entire week.

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Simple Approaches For Depression

6/5/2019

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People experience periods of sadness, feeling out of sorts,
a bit blue, detached and other variations of mood at different points during their life. Depression occurs when these feelings become a persistent state of being rather than a passing mood.

Clinical depression can eventually affect a person's physical health and ability to perform regular daily activities.

When searching for information on how to keep depression at bay, you will come across many suggestions, the trick is finding what works for you.

These may range from getting enough sleep, meditation, and exercising, to striking a healthy balance in your professional, social and personal life.

Symptoms of depression can be mild to extreme and physical as well as mental:

Sadness, irritability and anger; angry outbursts with little provocation
Unexplained aches and pains; headaches; backaches
Low energy; small tasks sap energy
Extreme weight gain or weight loss
Disengaged from daily activities especially ones previously enjoyed
Changed sleeping patterns--from excessive sleeping to insomnia
Poor concentration and memory

Depression can occur for a variety of reasons. Some cases of depression are caused by nutritional deficiencies. Others cases of depression are the result of environmental factors, such as lack of sunlight in the case of seasonal pattern depression, or the body having an overload of toxins

Remedies may be as simple as making lifestyle changes or dietary adjustments. In extreme cases of depression, prescription medications may be required to alleviate the condition.

It is important to be proactive in your treatment and that means using various natural remedies that can help improve your condition on a day-to-day basis.

A few options in natural remedies for depression:

Physical activity
Exercise relieves symptoms of depression and alleviates stress, which can contribute to depression. During exercise, the body releases endorphins, which diminish the perception of pain and act as a sedative. Exercise is considered a natural mood elevator.

Eat well
Nutritional deficiencies can trigger depressive symptoms in some people. People deficient in one or more of the B-Vitamins, Calcium, Magnesium, and Vitamin D may be especially vulnerable to depression as a people with thyroid imbalances; the thyroid releases hormones, which regulate the whole metabolism.

Herbal supplements
Supplements derived from the active components of various herbs have been used successfully to help depression. An herb commonly recommended for depression is St. John’s Wort. (It seems to be most effective when used to treat mild to moderate cases of depression.) Saffron also shows promise for depression.

Establish healthy sleep patterns
The quantity and quality of sleep a person experiences directly impacts their health and mental status. Getting enough sleep and completing a full sleep cycle (sleep without interruption) supports good physical and mental health.

Stay engaged in daily activities and set goals
Depression has physical components, but is primarily a mental illness. In order to combat mental illness, the mind needs to be engaged in ways, which offset the symptoms of depression. Sticking to a routine of daily activities and setting small goals alleviates some of the cyclical negative thinking,
which often accompanies depression. It keeps people from “getting down on themselves.”
In other words, maintaining routines and attaining daily goals that counter the negative
self-talk that can accompany depression and make it worse.

Explore various mind-body connection practices
Yoga, Tai Chi, Meditation, Biofeedback, Aromatherapy, Acupuncture, and other alternative therapies offer relief from the symptoms of depression. They offer relief from fatigue, anxiety, and lack of focus.

Many people live with mild to severe depression without seeking medical assistance. People in depressive states don't need to suffer with the illness there are many options for the treatment of depression. It can be managed and in some cases completely alleviated.

The newsletter this week gives you 5 mood lifting foods to test to see if they might help you with depression. Don't miss another tip or tidbit, you can sign up at the top of the page.

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5 Ways to Reduce Stress

5/29/2019

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You probably know that meditation is a great stress-reliever. You also realize that when you exercise, and afterwords, you feel great. This feeling of personal accomplishment is actually triggered by a release of hormones that fight stress and make you feel good about yourself. Additionally, the power of taking frequent breaks throughout your day is a commonly known stress-reliever as well.

So, what happens if you try all of these and other well known stress busters, and you are still feeling anxious, and stressed out?

Perhaps you should try some proven, little-known techniques for reducing the amount of stress in your life. Take the following lesser-known steps for stress-relief and see if you will experience more peace and tranquility, and less anxiety in your daily routine.

1 – Break Out the Nail Polish or Permanent Marker

Don't worry men, you are not going to be painting your nails. Using nail polish, or some other type of permanent marking device, place a small dot of color on your cell phone, where you can't miss it. Tell yourself this is a reminder to calm down and relax before you answer your phone. Seemingly endless telephone calls and text notifications can create high levels of stress. When you see that colored dot, pause, take a deep breath, and smile before you answer your phone or text.

2 – Rubber Band Your Wrist

Have you ever seen someone with a rubber band around their wrist? Aside from being a possible fashion statement, they may be using this as a stress-reliever. It is easy to condition yourself, and you can use a rubber band to do so. Every time you feel stressed or anxious, pull the rubber band away from your wrist and release, letting it give you a light snap on your arm. This attaches mild pain to stress, and over time, can condition you to avoid the things which cause you to snap your wrist.

3 – Up Your Vitamin C

The physiological process that happens inside your body when you ingest vitamin C naturally lowers stress levels. Just 2 glasses of orange juice each day can significantly lower your cortisol level. Cortisol is known as the stress hormone, and regulating it can significantly reduce the possibility of stress.

4 – Start Chewing Gum

Chewing a stick of gum does more than freshen your breath, chewing gum can also "reduce anxiety and depression". It also increases your alertness, so keep some gum handy.

5 – Blow Up a Balloon

This activity may draw stares, but it works great for relieving stress. The deep breathing required to blow up a balloon calms you down. Besides, how can you feel stressed out and anxious when you are performing a fun, childlike activity like blowing up a balloon?

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10 Uses for Essential Oils

5/22/2019

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If you’re new to using essential oils, you might want to do some research before you dive in. There are many different ways to get the health benefits out of essential oils and some methods work better than others.

1) Ease Anxiety
There are many essential oils that can help to treat anxiety disorders and even soothe anxiety as it crops up. The two most useful methods for these benefits are infusing a bubble bath with a few drops of an essential oil like lavender or diffusing them into a small room, breathing deeply.

2) Treat Migraines
Essential oils can be used to treat migraines, relieving the harsh pain that plagues migraine sufferers frequently. Peppermint oil, lavender oil, and a few others can all help to relieve stubborn migraine pain.

3) Treat Inflammation
Some essential oils work great to ease and minimize inflammation. Typically, it works best when applied via a topical ointment or lotion to the inflamed area. This can help to minimize and ease inflammation, which might also result in less pain.

4) Treat Insomnia
Like a soothing glass of warm milk, certain essential oils can help to induce or encourage sleep, helping those struggling with insomnia. The best method to reap these benefits is by diffusing the oils and breathing in deeply, allowing the aromatherapy to do its thing.

5) Lessen Stress
Essential oils can help to lessen the effects of stress. By breathing in the oils, you’re absorbing them quickly, letting the relaxing effect soothe away your stress.

6) Ease Joint Pain
Many essential oils can provide relief from pain when applied topically to the join with an infused ointment or lotion. This is a good natural alternative to the harsh pain medications those with chronic joint pain typically rely on.

7) Treat Arthritis Pain
Arthritis is a huge problem for many people and treating the pain without narcotics is rare. Essential oils applied topically to the affected area can provide relief from arthritis pain naturally and decrease the inflammation.

8) Improve Focus
Some essential oils help to improve your focus. The best way to get the most benefit out of these essential oils is to breathe deeply while diffusing them. For the best results, do this while doing the task you’re trying to focus better on.

9) Treat Skin Irritation
Many essential oils will treat a range of skin conditions, from acne to irritation and dryness. By applying them topically to the affected areas, you can reduce irritation and inflammation, decrease acne, and even stop itching on dry or irritated skin.

10) Improved Immune Health
You can use many essential oils to promote your immune system health. Applied topically, absorbed through aromatherapy practices, or consumed in a beverage or food, essential oils can help ensure your immune system is functioning at its best.

There are many uses for essential oils to help improve your life, mood, health, sleep, etc. Essential oils are a natural, affordable, and effective alternative that many people rely on as the sole treatments for these conditions.

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Backyard Science Adventures

5/15/2019

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Your backyard is a great place for your child to get outside in play. In addition to swimming and playing outdoor sports, your child can also use your backyard as a science experiment. If you are interested in helping them achieve this, you may want to familiarize yourself with some popular backyard activities, especially those that have a focus on nature and science.

Exploring your backyard is not only a fun activity, but it is also educational. There are a large number of living, breathing creatures that can be found outdoors. All children love exploring nature, but there are some who may enjoy this exploration more than others. Those children are likely to be toddlers or elementary school aged children. Since young children may need your assistance, you will want to pick backyard activities that you will also enjoy.

One of the many ways that you can incorporate science into your backyard is by studying the plants that can be found in your yard. While all backyards are likely to have a number of different plants or flowers, yours may have more. For the best type of environment, you are encouraged to explore areas of your yard that have yet to be mowed.

Your backyard is also likely full of a number of different insects. Like plants and flowers, your child may enjoy examining these bugs. It is not only fun to see what bugs live in your backyard, but it is also exciting to learn about how they survive. There is also a good chance that your children may leave your yard with a new pet.

In addition to the living things that can be found in your backyard, you and your child may also want to examine the weather and the impact it has on the yard and everything inside of if. Backyard conditions change as the weather changes. By examining your backyard after a rainy day, your child may find that many of the plants, flowers, and bugs have either changed or retreated to safer grounds. Examining the effect the weather has on the things in your backyard is not only fun, but educational.

To make the most out of your child’s next backyard adventure, you may want to consider purchasing them some science supplies. These supplies may include, magnifying glasses, picture books, and resource guides. If your child is planning on capturing a few insects, a small cage or breathable container may be just what they need. These supplies, along with others, can be purchased from most retail stores.

To keep your exploration focused on education, science books and nature resource guides may be a nice addition to your child’s science collection. Many books and resource guide have a focus on insects, birds, plants, and flowers. Many of these resources will provide you with information and pictures.

When examining the plants, bugs, and flowers in your backyard, you and your child may want to document what you see. This can easily be done with a notebook or a camera. By taking pictures, your child will always be able to remember their exploration adventures. Those pictures could also be used for other crafts. Scrapbooks and collages are a great way to turn traditional photographs into something much more.

Whether your child plans on exploring your backyard or they do so without intending to, it is likely that they will interested with what they see and learn. Incorporating science into your next backyard adventure is just one of the many things that you and your child can do outdoors; however, it may be the most beneficial.

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Different Ways to Use Edible Flowers

5/7/2019

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Edible flowers work great in a range of recipes, from soups and stews to salads. But their vivid colors and pretty appearance can also help you create a whole new level of interest and flavor as you produce more exotic-looking dishes, or use the flowers as vibrant garnishes. Here are a few ideas for using your edible flowers.

Ice Cubes
Place a flower or two in each compartment of an ice cube tray. Add water and freeze. Add to clear drinks. Also uses fresh flowers as garnish. Depending on what flowers you choose, they can add a lemony tang, taste of cucumber, and more.

Popsicles
Add flowers to your popsicle containers, fill with liquid, add the stick and freeze. You can have a colorful array of sunny-looking popsicles laden with flowers and interesting tastes, such as lemon mint or lavender.

Lollipops
You can make your own lollipops with sugar syrup and sticks. Try to find one perfect flower per pop. You can then arrange them on a stand and dazzle people with the colors.

Candied Petals
Candied violets have been used for centuries, both as a sweet treat and as an elegant way to decorate cakes. Create a box of your own to pass around when guests come, or give as gifts.

Jellies/Turkish Delight
Clear gelatin and some sugar can be the foundation of vividly-colored jellied candies. You can also add rosewater and rose petals if you like, to make your own Turkish delight. Make a tray of it, chill well, and cut into small squares. Toss the squares in some powdered sugar to stop them sticking together.

Cake Decorations
Fresh or dried edible flowers can dress up any cake. You can also use candied flowers. Some people use buttercream frosting and place the flowers around the top and sides of the cake.
Other cooks use fondant icing, a soft sugar paste that you roll out until it is large enough to cover the cake you wish to frost. Consider scattering flowers and petals onto the fondant as you give it a last roll out before you place it on top of the cake.
Use edible flowers as charming cupcake toppers. You can also make frosting from the flowers, such as rose.

Cookies
Make your usual sugar cookie dough. Roll it out, cut into cookies, and roll a fresh flower into the top of each cookie. Use a variety of blossoms and you will be able to create a stunning-looking cookie platter.

Garnish for Serving Platters
Garnish can really make your platters stand out, such as cheese and fruit or dessert platters.

Cocktails
Some liquors can be enhanced with flowers, such as adding them to a bottle of vodka. You can also create various syrups out of edible flowers to add color, flavor and consistency to cocktails and mocktails (you can use seltzer instead of alcohol in most cases).
Some edible flowers and botanical's like hibiscus and rose hip are actually the basis for most commercial herbal teas on the market, so you can have fun experimenting with different blends. The most basic herbal tea can be made with fresh or dried chamomile flowers. It's not just pretty, it's good for your digestion.

Yogurt Parfaits
Layer the flowers with layers of yogurt, and perhaps some granola or nuts, for a light, refreshing dessert or breakfast.

Try these ideas to brighten up your dishes with edible flowers.
Do you use these yummy special additions? Please share your recipes with the rest of us.

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40 Exercise and Fitness Tips for the Gardener

5/1/2019

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Gardening is one of the best activities for your mind and body. Whether you’re mowing the lawn, planting seeds or reaping a bountiful harvest, your body benefits from the stretching and bending. Your mind benefits from helping to create life and beauty on the planet and from the connection to the earth as well as the chemicals produced by the brain when you exercise.

As much fun and rewarding as it may be, the bending and stretching can wreak havoc on your knees and lower back and unless you practice the proper ways to perform the most common gardening movements, you could become stiff and sore in the joints.

I am going to share all 40 tips but work with the ones you feel comfortable with to exercise and stay fit while gardening so you can enjoy it more and make your gardening efforts more productive.

Building Strength for Bending
Standing with legs slightly apart, use two lightweight dumbbells (one in each hand) and take turns sliding each dumbbell down each leg. Keep back and shoulders straight so spine doesn’t bend forward. Repeat 10 times on each side.

Hand Strength to Grip Gardening Tools
Holding a hand exerciser (gripper) in one hand – flex your fingers toward your palm, squeezing the two handles together like you’re going to make a fist. Repeat five times for each hand.

The Proper Way to Bend
Keeping your knees slightly bent, tighten your leg muscles as you’re bending forward in the garden. You’ll be using your abdominal muscles as well as your leg and back muscles, so it’s important you perform bends properly.

Rows for Raking and Mower Starting
Perform rows (inverse push-up) for abdominal muscles. Keep your body straight and push up using your abdominal muscles -- with 90 degree bend in elbow. Tighten abdomen while lifting calves and feet from ground. 10 repetitions.

Simple, But Effective Warm Up for Bending
Standing straight, relax your shoulders and torso. Lean back slightly (engaging your abdominal muscles) and bend your knees slightly at the same time. Slowly repeat this exercise for about 15 to 20 seconds.

Loosen Your Shoulder Muscles
Standing straight, raise both shoulders toward your ears. Relax. Now, raise arms straight above your head and grasp your hands together. Relax. Repeat each exercise five to ten times.

Balance and Leg Strength
In a standing position, place your left arm out straight for balance. Raise your left leg backwards at the knee and grasp it with your right hand. Hold for a few seconds. Repeat with right leg. About 5 repetitions.

How to Push a Wheelbarrow
First, don’t place a lot of weight in the front of the wheelbarrow. Keep back straight and push with your core rather than your legs so you’ll maintain balance and keep from slipping.

Squats for Leg Strength
Put your weight on heels (you can point toes up to ceiling if necessary) and keep lower back in alignment. Squat without letting back round toward front. This one will also strengthen gluts and thighs.

Carrying Buckets and Bins
Keep abs tight while carrying large water bottles (1 gallon to 3 gallon – up to 25 pounds) back and forth across the yard to get ready for carrying buckets and bins during gardening time. Work up to the higher weights.

Pulling Weeds and Staking Trees
This is a diagonal exercise, performed by diagonally lifting a weight from outside one knee, then over and above the opposite shoulder. Bring the weight back down and repeat on the other side for 5 to 10 times.

Strong Core for Chopping Wood
Chopping wood is similar to the “Pulling Weeds” exercise, except you can vary the benefits by performing it dynamically and increasing your cardiovascular workout – plus squatting at the same time.

Lunging for Weeds
Lunge by using your entire torso to work your butt and thighs as you move forward. Don’t lean down or let your knee touch the floor, but keep your back straight. Do the same when you’re weeding the garden.

Mowing with a Hand Mower
The proper way to hold your body is straight, but standing a few feet away from the mower’s blades. Push with your entire body as you walk across the lawn for a great cardio workout.

Better Balance in the Garden
Using a Swiss ball, place one hand on the ball while standing with leg (same side) behind ball. Other hand holds a dumbbell, palms upward. Hold opposite leg off floor about 12 inches and bend at hips with flat back.

Aerobic Gardening
Raking, mowing, digging and weeding can all get your heart rate up, but alternate between the movements every few minutes to keep your back from suffering from the exertion in one area.

Bend the Knees – Not the Waist
When you lift heavy objects or use long-handle tools such as a hoe, avoid bending at the waist to accomplish the task. Bend at the knees to keep from straining your back.

Warm Up Stretches
Before embarking on gardening chores, take some time to warm up by stretching your muscles (arm, torso and legs) for five or ten minutes. Then, repeat the stretching warm-up after you’ve gardened for 15 or 20 minutes.

Mix It Up
Vary your gardening chores rather than working for an hour at one chore such as weeding or hoeing. It will be less of a strain on the muscles and will provide a full body workout rather than just one area.

Always Cool Down
Especially during the dog days of summer – be sure to walk around after gardening exercises. Pick flowers, vegetables or simple enjoy the beauty of what you’re accomplishing.

Torso Twist
Standing with legs slightly apart, hands on waist – twist to the right from the waist (upper torso) as far as you can. Your shoulders and head should also be engaged in the twisting motion.

Rear Deltoid Raises Using a Resistance Band (Shoulders)
Begin on all fours and place the resistance band in front of you. Hold one side of band with left hand and grasp other side with the right. Lift the right arm (with band) to shoulder level. Repeat with left side for 3 to 5 repetitions.

Glut and Thigh Stretches
Sit on floor with legs out in front of you. Cross a leg over the other – foot perpendicular to the quad, using your elbow to lean on and stretch as you’re looking away from the upward knee. Repeat two times for each leg.

Wrist and Forearm Warm-up Stretch
Standing or sitting, extend your right arm in front of you, palm facing out and fingers up. Use the left hand to lightly pressure your left hand, pulling your fingertips toward your face. Keep shoulders relaxed.

Stretch Your Neck for Comfort
Begin seated with legs crossed. Bend your neck to bring your right ear towards your right shoulder and hold. Now, roll head toward ground, bringing chin to chest and hold. Roll head to left and repeat twice.

Butterfly Exercise for Hips and Thighs
Sitting on floor with back straight and shoulders down with feet together and knees bent to side, engage your abs and pull the heels slowly toward you while relaxing your knees to the floor. Hold for ten to 30 seconds.

Abundance of Fresh Air
Take deep breaths of fresh air for lungs, circulation and optimal health while gardening. Breath in through you nose deeply, filling your lungs. Breathe out through your mouth, slowly releasing the air.

Yoga Child’s Pose to Stretch Back
On hands (shoulder-width apart) and knees (hip-width apart) be sure back is straight and abs are engaged. Shift weight over your heels while lengthening spine. Relax head and neck as you reach forward with fingers.

Keep Hamstrings Stretched
Stand with back straight, shoulders down, with feet hip-width apart. Engage your abs and bring right leg forward with heel down and toes up. Bend left knee like you’re sitting back as you’re supporting yourself with hands on thighs.

Advanced Stretch for Long Reaches
Lying in plank position, lift right foot from floor and slide right knee toward the left hand (ankle and knee are on floor). Slide left leg back as far as you can, keeping hips forward and square.

Hip Rotation Stretches
Lie on back, legs and back straight. Bend left knee and place left foot flat on floor. Cross right ankle at left knee. Now, grasp the back of the left thigh, hugging leg toward chest. With right elbow on right knee, push knee to side.

Increase Stride Length
Facing wall (about a foot away), extend arms, placing hands flat on wall (elbows bent). Keep feet flat and step out with your right foot while lengthening your left leg. Feel the stretch in your calves.

Stretch Knee Muscles
Stand with right side of body an arm’s length from wall. Cross left leg in front of right leg. Relax shoulders. With opposite hands on hip, bend left elbow and push right hip to wall. Hold 10 to 30 seconds. Repeat on left side.

Use Medicine Ball to Strengthen Legs
Lie on left side, body in straight line. Hold medicine ball between legs, above ankles -- head in one hand and other hand on floor to support. Squeeze ball with legs while slowly lifting both legs off floor. Lower legs and repeat.

Shoulder, Arm and Hand Stretch
Three way stretch – holding arms straight out from shoulders, interlace fingers, knuckles pointed toward face. Stretch arms out from shoulders, flexing fingers/hands forward.

Keep Your Knees Safe
When kneeling during your gardening chores, be sure to use a knee pad. Also, make it a point to kneel on both knees simultaneously to avoid twisting or straining.

Keep Tabs on Your Time
It’s easy to get carried away with gardening chores and work at one task too long. Vary the tasks from planting to mowing or hoeing to harvesting. Take frequent breaks and drink lots of water to stay hydrated and fit.

Lateral Stretches for Shoulders and Back
Stand, feet together and knees slightly bent. With left hand on hip, stretch right arm over your head next to your ear. Engage abs and lean torso to left and slowly reach left with the right arm. Repeat on other side.

Stretch It All Out – An Overall Stretch for the Entire Body
Feet together and legs bent slightly, bend forward – arms behind back and fingers laced together. Weight should be even on each foot. Relax head, shoulders and neck and lift arms over head and line up with shoulders. Breathe.

Don’t Overdo It
Gardening exercises should be performed to the point of discomfort -- not pain. Perform all motions slowly and make these exercises part of your gardening chores. Gardening is a great way to reap beauty and bounty – and, keep fit.

When you mimic the motions of the above tips and exercises in your gardening tasks, your body will gain strength and you won’t suffer the pain which some gardeners feel after a day of working outdoors. Gardening is a great way to get fit – and enjoy your creativity.

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The joy of simple pleasures

4/24/2019

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In the fast-paced world that we live in, we all need to experience the joys of simple pleasures. It can be a great stress-reliever to take a few moments to enjoy the sensory pleasure of the beauty around us. With life so full of stress you need to take time to have some fun, and take joy in the simple things. See if these ideas can give you a head start in the direction of simple, joyful living.

* Smell freshly cut grass. This activity is a pleasure to the senses. It causes the feeling that summer has arrived, and brings you back to nature.

* Walk in the rain. Do this once and you will begin to make plans for another every time you see the forecast calling for rain. It is a beautiful feeling to have the rain against your face and soak you to the core as you get outside for a stroll. Jump in a few puddles while you’re at it.

* Have a candlelit bubble bath. This enhances your feelings of sensuality. It brings you back to the basic pleasures of treating yourself gently and with care. Everyone deserves to feel this way.

* Watch the sun rise. Whether you stay up all night to watch this happen or simply wake up early enough to see it, make this an occasional part of your schedule. It is amazing to view.

* Swim in the ocean. Pools are fun, but swimming in the ocean feels like the way it is truly supposed to be. Even if you are doing more playing than swimming, it is a special feeling to splash around in the beauty of the ocean.

* Blast and sing your favorite song alone in the car. Don't try this with other people, though, because it will be difficult to feel free enough and you risk annoying everyone. When you are driving alone, turn up your favorite song and sing like you are Whitney Houston.

* Have a dance party with disco lights. Whether you are doing this with your family or alone, there is no feeling like putting on a disco ball and having a dance party at home. This is where you can be free to explore all your cheesy or funky dance moves to a variety of music.

* Wake up without an alarm clock. Many of us are constantly waking up early to get ready for jobs and extracurricular activities. Make sure you get at least a few mornings per month to sleep in and wake up when your body tells you to.

* Choose the extra-large size. We are constantly telling ourselves to make healthy decisions. If you are someone who chooses the small milkshake and refrains from the big ones, give yourself one opportunity to make the switch. This is not something you should make a habit of, but it certainly feels satisfying to do at least once in a blue moon.

* Have a wrapping paper fight. Whether you are celebrating something or not, scrunch up all the wrapping paper and have a fight. This is a crazy little game that is fun enough to end up becoming a tradition.

* Make a snow angel. This is not just for kids. If you live in a climate that is suitable for this activity, put on your snow pants and get to it. You will love how it feels to look at your completed snow angel and know that you created it.

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4 Tips to Help You with Positive Thinking

4/17/2019

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Having a positive outlook in life is a choice. You can choose to see the brighter side of life instead of letting depressive and negative thoughts take control of your mind. Doing so can have a positive impact on many levels of your health and well-being. Optimists are better skilled at coping with stress, have lower risk of cardiovascular disease and they also tend to develop a stronger immune system.
Although optimism has been associated with many health benefits, the truth is positive thinking does not come naturally.

So, if you are more of a skeptic, what can you do to lean into that optimistic thinker? Getting on the path to positive thinking may require different approaches, but they all revolve around identifying negative thoughts and replacing them with those that are more positive and hopeful. While it may take some time, with continued practice you will find that positive thinking will start to become second nature. To get started with this important character-molding endeavor, here are 4 tips to help you think more positively.

1. Cultivate Positivity
The best way to develop any virtue is to adopt behaviors that reinforce that trait, and this applies to positive thinking as well. So, if you want to become a positive thinker, it is helpful to engage in activities that cultivate those emotions. Relaxation techniques such as meditation and yoga are effective ways to ease your mind and cultivate positive emotions. Even the simple act of smiling seems to boost a positive affect. You might even try developing a positive mindset by reading, reciting, and looking at, daily inspiring affirmations.

2. Stay Away from Pessimists
The people you associate with can influence your behaviors, beliefs and overall perspective on life. It is therefore imperative that you choose your friends and associates wisely. If you hang around with negative people, eventually some of their negativity will begin to rub-off on you. So, if you want to develop optimism, you should surround yourself with positive people and spend less time around negative individuals. Pessimists will only feed your mind with doubt while optimists will inspire and encourage you.

3. Tame the Fear of Failure
Negative thinking often stems from the fear of failure. It takes root when thoughts of a bad outcome become deeply rooted in your expectations. To think more positively, you should not fear failing because in doing so, you are inviting failure itself. Instead, view mistakes and failure as opportunities to learn. It becomes much easier to maintain a positive outlook when we have forgiving expectations for ourselves.

4. Listen to Music or Read Books that Feed Your Positivity
What we feed our minds tends to manifest in our thoughts, words or actions. Therefore, if you want to be a positive thinker, you need to be careful of what you expose your mind to. You can increase optimism by listening to music or reading books that encourage positivity. Positive messages and stories can shape your thinking and lead to a more upbeat attitude toward life.

There are many other approaches to improving positive thinking. The four methods shared above serve as a good starting point on the journey to mastering optimism. Remember that being a positive thinker does not happen overnight. It takes time to nurture this trait and therefore a consistent effort will be required.

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SMOOTHIES: A QUICK AND EASY WAY TO ADD MORE FRUITS AND VEGGIES TO YOUR DIET

4/3/2019

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If you are looking for a way to add more fruits and veggies to your diet, smoothies are one of the quickest and easiest ways to do it. And the great thing about them is that you can get as creative as you want - adding this and that - coming up with unique tastes to suit you and your family. But if you don't feel comfortable just 'winging' it and creating your own, look online for recipes - you'll find lots to choose from.
Using smoothies as a way to add more fruits and vegetables into your diet is also great because some people don't like the texture or taste of certain vegetables, for example kale, but find mixing it in a smoothie is delicious.
Another benefit of smoothies is that if you have picky kids who make faces at just the mention of fruits and veggies, you can ensure that they're getting more of them by 'sneaking' them into a smoothie. Because the flavors all blend together, they'll never even know they drank something they didn't like.

Now that we've touched on the benefits, let's look at a few of the fruits and vegetables you can use in a smoothie.

Spinach
Lettuce
Tomatoes
Cucumber
Carrots
Kale
Strawberries
Bananas
Pineapple
Plums
Peaches
Nectarines
Kiwi

This is definitely not an exhaustive list of the fruits and vegetables you can use in smoothies. It's just some of the basic ones to give you an idea of what you can use. You should also get creative and experiment with some exotic fruits and vegetables such as papaya, mango, and beets.

There are a few things you should keep in mind when creating smoothies.

1. Avoid fruit juices - instead use things like water, almond milk, coconut water, etc. for your liquid. Fruit juices add a lot of unwanted calories and sugar.
2. Preparation of fruits and vegetables - if you want your smoothie to be a smoother consistency, chop/dice them.

And in case you need a recipe to help get you started, the one below is an easy combination of a fruit and vegetable smoothie.

Strawberry Kale Smoothie Recipe
Couple handfuls of strawberries (frozen or fresh)
1-2 cups chopped kale
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon flax seeds
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend on high until desired consistency is reached.

There you have it, an overview of how quickly and easily you can add more fruits and vegetables into your diet simply by adding them to a smoothie. Try drinking a smoothie every morning for breakfast or replace one snack a day with a smoothie to help guarantee you'll get more of the fruits and vegetables you need in your diet.

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