This Could Have Caused It!

Stress can be caused by some "forces" that might never have occurred to you. Did you know that air pollution, cigarette smoke, too little humidity, travelling or even sleeping in an uncomfortable bed can put you in a bad mood. It´s so true!

Sweet Dreams

The Japanese have an unusual way of inviting sweet dreams. They have their feet massaged before retiring.

Put an end to late-night TV

Your immune system gets to work building cells to fight off disease and rebuilding tissue as you sleep each night. A disturbed sleep cycle, often experienced by the over-stressed, the non-exercisers, and those with a substance dependency problem, robs you of energy the coming day and can actually shorten your life span! Decide on a reasonable time to get to sleep each night and stick with it. You'll be more energetic when you wake up and have a healthier body to show for it.

Too Quiet...

Still can´t sleep? There are great little machines on the market that mimic the sounds of the ocean, a gentle brook or even the woods in the early afternoon. The timer feature of these great little gadgets allows you to pre-program the sounds and the machine will shut itself off, long after you are asleep.

Reducing Your Chances of a Stroke

A recent study conducted by Harvard found, that you could reduce your chances of a stroke by 30% if all you do is increase your fruit and veggies to nine servings a day. Just imagine how this would affect your calorie intake, and most fruits and veggies contain great anti-oxidents. We stay healthy and slow down the aging process at the same time!

More Vitamin C

A study completed by the U.S. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute found that adequate Vitamin C in your diet can reduce your risk of dying by cancer by a whopping 62%. Sounds like a great reason to include oranges on your shopping list next week.

The Calming Effect of Scent

Doctors at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center have discovered that certain scents when filtered through an MRI room, calmed the patients down!

Bad Moods

The next time you are in a bad mood, snack on nuts, seeds, grapes or berries. All are found to help in lifting a bad mood.

Drink Up

Research as of February 2002 shows that a glass or two of wine or spirits reduces cardiovascular risk in post menopausal women. While information on wine has been reported previously, ´spirits´ has been added to lessen risk. This research comes from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

More Fibre

Are you getting enough fibre each day? You should be consuming 25-35 grams and most of us don´t!

Do You Really Want It?

From this point on, every time you put anything into your mouth, ask yourself... do I really want this food to become my face, hair, energy, reflect in my moods etc.? It does make a big difference in how you will look and feel.

Stretch Away Your Stress

Stress can be reduced by practicing yoga. Hatha yoga, for example, incorporates slow, stretching movements that not only tone your muscles, but soothe the mind as well. If you find it difficult to relax (as I do), this is an excellent program.

Make a List

Can´t sleep? Lots of little things running through your mind could be the problem. Instead of solving all of life´s little problems when you should be asleep, write them down and then put them out of your mind until tomorrow. Believe it or not, the process of writing them down helps to sort things out in your mind. What is even better is the fact that your subconscious will work on the problems while you are asleep and in the morning... a lot of the problems won´t seem quite so bad. Solutions have already occurred to you.

The Nutrients We Need

Free radicals are something we can´t seem to avoid. They are everywhere, but we can try our best to minimize them as best we can. One particularly nasty area is the stress in our lives. Believe it or not, our bodies go to work and create more free radicals. Our best defense is a diet rich in Vitamins A, C, and E.

Stress Buster

Here is one of my favorites. Do something totally different. Today, I cleaned the house and baked before coming anywhere near the computer. Believe it or not, it was just what I needed! My house is clean, the scones look and smell incredible and my mood... is blissful. Who would have thought?

Lifestyle vs. Genetics

It is becoming more and more apparent that lifestyle and diet play a bigger role in how you age than we once thought. That´s even more reason to eat the best foods you can and learn how to deal with any stresses that you face.

Spruce Up The Bedroom

Still can´t sleep? Maybe it´s your bedroom. Give it a thorough cleaning, clear off the dresser, change the sheets, spray the pillows with your favorite scent and chances are, you will be asleep the minute your head touches the pillow. How will this help? You have fallen in love with your bedroom and relaxing is suddenly so easy.

Best Stress Reducer

One of the best stress reducers is plain laughter. Do you remember the last time you laughed? And here is something else to think about. Go to a playground and listen to how often children laugh. Does this tell you something?

Drink Up

Eight glasses of water a day may seem like a lot, but if you fill a water bottle and carry it around with you throughout the day, you will be amazed at how much you can actually drink.

Refill your tank – with water

Your brain is composed of 95% water, your blood is 82%, and your lungs are nearly 90% water. Replenishing the moisture that is lost throughout the day is critical to your short and long term health. Drinking eight, 8 oz. glasses of water per day will improve your memory, fight against irritability, help you think more sharply, ward off disease, ease joint and back pain, and enhance the health and glow of your skin.