Total Body Wellness

Earth Day, celebrated in the US on April 22, is a day designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth’s environment. It was founded by U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson as an environmental teach-in in 1970 and is celebrated in many countries every year. (Definition by wilkpedia).

I would like to write just a moment about 5 easy things that we can do for our earth that doesn’t take a lot of time or money and may not seem like much but if everyone does it together it will make a huge difference and really is part of choosing to be healthy.

1. Don’t litter. It drives me crazy when someone driving in front of me just throws a bottle or a cigarette or anything out the window as though the street is a trash can. They really don’t care who has to pick it up or if any one does. It is so simple to hold on to your trash until you find a receptacle.
2. Recycle. Clothes, furniture, plastic bottles, newspapers, glass. Anything that can be used again. Takes no time at all. Compost what you can.
3. Use less paper. Take your own shopping bag to the store. Don’t print something out unless you really need to. What ever paper you have to use. Recycle.
4. Drive less. Ride your bike, walk. Share a ride. Take the train.
5. Use non-toxic products in and around your home. Very easy to do nowadays because going green is popular. You can find green products every where. I recommend the Shaklee Get Clean Products

Pretty simple. And anyone can do it. Do it with your kids.
Taking care of our planet equals taking care of ourselves and others.

Filed by Jeanette at 2:37 pm under Pilates
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Did you know that you can reduce your stress level by practicing gratitude?

Two psychologists, Robert Emmons, PhD, of the University of California, Davis, and Michael McCullough, PhD, of the University of Miami, conducted a study on gratitude and thankfulness. (Emmons & McCullough, 2003): They divided hundreds of people into three groups, each of which was instructed to keep a different type of journal. One group recorded what they were grateful for, another recorded hassles. The third group simply listed five events that had occurred in the last week, but not told to focus on positive or negative aspects.
People who were in the gratitude condition felt fully 25% happier – they were more optimistic about the future, they felt better about their lives and they even did almost 1.5 hours more exercise a week than those in the hassles or events condition.

In the world we live in, the economy and our busy lifes, it is very easy to think more about what are problems are and not focus on what makes us happy. Think of your own experiences, just the simple act of saying thank you or thinking of or looking at someone or something that you are grateful for can change your mood drastically.

Don’t believe the Emmons and McCullough study?
Create your own study. Why not create your own journal. A gratitude journal. Before you go to bed just take a moment to jot down all that you are grateful for that day. It can be as simple as no traffic when you were running late to a bed to sleep in to a your families health. By placing these thoughts in your mind before you sleep, it will help you sleep better and help you to have sweet dreams and wake up rested.

When you are grateful on a regular basis, people recognize it and feel valued so that you will soon find that you are surrounded by happier people.

Try it for one week and see what happens, you may want to make it a habit.

By the way, I am grateful for all you who are reading this. Thanks for visiting my blog!

Filed by Jeanette at 10:10 am under Lifestyle
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Saturated fats are those fats that are hard at room temperatures such as lard, butter, cheese. It also includes fatty beef like lamb, pork, poultry with skin, whole milk and 2% milk. Saturated fats increase your risk for heart disease and stroke.
Trans fat is another name for Partially Hydrogenated Oils. Companies like to use these fats in their foods because they are easy to use, inexpensive to produce, they last long and they give food a great taste and texture. Fast food companies can re-use this oil to cook in all day. Trans fats raise your Lousy Cholesterol or LDL -low density lipoproteins and lower your happy or good HDL Cholesterol -high density lipoproteins. Trans fats increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, obesity and Type 2 diabetes.
Stick to good fats like olive oil, flaxseed oil, anchovies, cabbage, halibut salmon, walnuts almonds, pumpkin seeds, oysters, cloves, soybeans, tofu. Take an Omega 3 supplement. Your body will be happy and you will feel so much better!

Filed by Jeanette at 6:44 pm under nutrition
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