Download PDF version: The Navigator - May 2010 (30)

The sun is shining for more hours during the day and the rain is letting up. It’s the perfect time to start walking or work in the yard. Spring and summer bring with it a greater variety of fresh produce to eat. Start thinking of ways you can add some healthy habits to your routine this spring.

Get Ready For Spring-Fitness Tips

It’s such a pleasure when the icy temperatures back off and the snows start to melt: proof positive that spring will soon be here! Unfortunately, it’s also a time when many of us realize that warm weather clothing will soon be in order yet we will still be carrying a winter spare tire around our mid-sections. If this rings a bell of familiarity, don’t panic: just get moving! Here are some fitness tips to help you get ready for spring.

Rethink your menu

The old adage really is true: calories in, calories out! You cannot get fit and lose weight for spring through exercise alone. You simply have to rethink your menu choices at every meal; the problem with this is that attacks of “the hungries” can serve to sabotage our best efforts. Choose foods that are filling, but low in calories to stave off those attacks: oatmeal for breakfast, low calorie soups for dinner, raw vegetables and fruits for snacks.

Start slowly

If you’ve been lazy with your exercise routine all winter long, don’t expect to be able to segue right into your fitness regimen from last summer: it will only lead to discouragement and even injury. Start with walking 20 minutes a day for a few weeks then start pushing yourself further until you are back to your regular exercise routine.

Join a gym

Being around other committed fitness-a-holics will give you built-in workout buddies who will support you in your efforts. A great fitness club also offers certified trainers and instructors who can give you the personal attention and motivation you might need after a long, lazy winter.

Don’t put off getting in shape till you want to fit into that sun dress: do it now and you’ll be ready for warm weather when it finally gets here in earnest.

The Energy Club ( http://theenergyclub.com/ ) is a friendly neighborhood gym in Arlington that offers premium services; expert personal training; fun group exercise classes; sports teams; and outdoor adventures.
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Download the print version: The Navigator - April 2010 Volume VI, Issue IV (38)

How can you take care of your family or your work without first taking care of you? When you don’t take care of you, and you keep giving of yourself, you’re giving dregs. What you want to do is fill yourself to overflowing, so others get the extra and you’re not depleted. This article will give you tips on how to keep you to overflowing.

Lifestyle – How to Maintain a Healthy and Balanced Lifestyle

1) Eat the right food rich in fiber, green veggies, more fruits but less in red meat, fats, carbohydrates and sweets. Always keep a balanced diet as your top priority for the day. Take note that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away.”

2) Sleep regularly at least 6.5 hours and not over 7.5 hours a day to be more productive at work and so as not to weaken your immune system.
An effective sleep is during nighttime starting from 9 o’clock when body’s adrenal system is recovering. How well we sleep can seriously alter the balance of hormones in our body. A good night’s sleep can improve the memory by 30%.

3) Exercise daily for at least 30 minutes; outdoor exercise enhances oxygen circulation to the blood and allows sunlight’s natural Vitamin D effect to build bones, to strengthen immune system thereby, healing diseases caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi.

4) Pray, think on something to thank God for and meditate on His Word, the Bible before you start and end your day. This will help you clear out your negative energy and your unnecessary worries. It will promote a placebo effect of wellness in your spirit, mind and body.

5) Schedule your “To Do’s” and arrange them according to its priority of importance. The best time to do this is during the night before going to bed when you’re not in the rush.

6) Develop a good study habit or reading good quality books.

7) Set a time to recreate with family and personal interests such as pertaining to music, sports, hobbies, cuddling with pets, crafts, travel, livelihood programs, community or church service together.

Keep yourself and your family healthy by maintaining proper hygiene such as: daily bathing, brushing/flossing the teeth after every meal and frequent hand washing with an anti-bacterial or sulfur soap.

Author: Rose Jane- ESL/IELTS Tutor Online; Exporter of Fashion Accessories; Artist-Songwriter http://www.heartycreations.com  Skype: rosejane10; MSN LIVE: englishlife Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rose_Jane

By Jerry Ryan
In order to perform all the functions of life, our physical bodies use a variety of energy forms. The most common energy used is derived from the food that we eat each day. The variety of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats that make up our daily diet are processed by our digestive system and converted into energy that can be used at the cellular level. The metabolic energy contained in foods varies from food type to food type. Some foods contain components necessary for repairing the cells. Some foods contain ingredients that are needed for regenerating replacement cells for those that are dying. But the majority of our food is converted to chemical energy that is used by our body to perform its day-to-day activities.

The second form of energy that is used by our physical bodies is electrical energy. Action within the human body is caused by a transfer of information from one location to another. The line of transmission that is used is primarily our nervous system. The transmission itself is achieved by firing of electrical impulses from nerve to nerve. Although there are thousands of electrical impulses being fired at any given point in the day, there is a method of prioritization by the brain in order that it may address the most critical body needs prior to those that are less urgent. The more rapidly in nerve fires its signal, the higher the intensity that is perceived by the brain. If the firing rate of a nerve is slower, the brain interprets that signal as less serious. Research has shown that cells are similar to integrated circuits that are found in computers and other electronic devices. There is now a field of medical research known as bioelectronics that is studying the cellular information transmission systems.

Light is the third form of energy that our body uses to communicate information. Each of the cells in our body puts out a small pulsation of light. Although it is extremely weak, these pulses of light are measurable in the ultraviolet range. Researchers have found that the small bursts of light emitted by living cells increases when a poison has been introduced to the cell culture. An experiment performed by Russian scientists almost fifty years ago demonstrated how the ultraviolet light pulsations transmit information across a distance. Cell cultures were placed in separate quartz Petri dishes placed side by side and a toxic substance was added to one of the Petri dishes. Both cultures died. When an identical set of cultures were placed in glass Petri dishes and the experiment was repeated, all in the culture that contained the poisonous substance died. Because ultraviolet light passes through quartz but not glass, these results suggested the transfer of information between the two cell cultures that resulted in cellular death for both was transmitted by ultraviolet light emitted from the cells.

To get the best performance possible from your body, it is important to take care of all the energy needs. Proper nutrition, exercise, and exposure to the sun are necessary to recharge your batteries that are drained by the daily stresses of life. If your energy level is down and you feel like your batteries are drained, try recharging your diet, your workout plan, and your time in the sun.

Jerry Ryan, Ph.D. is a Natural Health Coach who teaches individuals and group classes on the scientifically documented benefits of natural health techniques. He is also an internationally published author and has been a guest speaker at such places as NIKE World Headquarters. For more information, his website is http://www.JerryRyanPhD.com
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By Joe Love

The better care you take of yourself, the more calm, positive, and creative you will be. This is why often your best thinking, your best ideas and your best decisions come after a holiday, vacation or period of rest.

You can increase the quality of your life by eating right and getting the right amount of rest. You’ll also find that by taking more time off you’ll create more opportunities for high quality thinking time which will have a positive affect on your life, career and income.

The phrase that “you become what you think about” is never truer than when it comes to eating and exercise. The way you think about food and exercise determines how much you eat and how much you exercise you get. If you change your thinking about food and exercise you change your behavior toward both.

Everyone wants to enjoy high levels of health and vitality. Your current levels of energy and physical well-being are perhaps the best indicator as to how well you are currently doing in your life.

Here are seven keys to maintaining high levels of vitality and physical health:
1. Maintain a proper diet. Eating a proper diet requires that you eat more fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals, and more lean sources of protein. Eat more fish, chicken, prime cuts of meats, egg whites, low fat yogurts, and soy products. When you eliminate most fats from your diet and replace them with high-quality vegetables and lean-sourced protein you’ll increase your levels of energy, clear your mind, and lose weight.

2. Eliminate the three white poisons. The three white poisons that are common in most diets are white sugar, white salt and white flour. These three poisons are inert substances. In other words they contain little or no food value and are mostly used as preservatives in canned goods, soft drinks and snacks. If you reduce or eliminate foods that contain sugar, salt, flour and replace them with more fruits, vegetables and lean-source proteins your will feel happier, healthier and more energetic almost overnight.

3. Maintain proper hydration. Water is one of the greatest aids to good health that you can possibly consume. Studies show that you should drink eight glasses of water daily and more if you’re doing physical labor or exercising. In fact medical studies have shown that as much as 70 percent of all health problems can be eliminated or reduced by increasing your water consumption. This is mainly because of the tremendous amount of toxins and impurities that you flush from you body when you drink water.

4. Maintain the proper weight. This simply means that you should eat less and exercise more. The way you think plays a dominant role in your eating and exercise habits. For example, people who are overweight often think about the pleasure of eating and give little or no thought to how they will look and feel afterwards. Whereas people who are never overweight are usually very thoughtful about how they will look and feel after eating. They don’t like the feeling of being full or looking fat, so they eat less and stop eating sooner.

5. Get the right amount of exercise. Studies show that on average you need to get 210 minutes of exercise weekly or about 30 minutes per day to maintain a high level of fitness. You can get daily exercise from a variety of activities such as, walking, swimming, cycling, golf, tennis and exercise equipment. Perhaps the best exercise you can get is doing aerobics for 20 to 30 minutes, 3 to 5 times per week. One important note on exercise: Before you start an exercise routine you should get a complete medical check-up.

6. Get the right amount of daily vitamins and minerals. It’s almost impossible to get the right amount daily vitamins and minerals that you need from diet alone. This is why you should at the very least take a multi-vitamin each day. Opinions vary widely on which vitamin, mineral and herbal supplements are good and how much of each you should take. You should consult your doctor or a nutritionist before you start taking other supplements in addition to a multi-vitamin.

7. Get the right amount of rest and relaxation. You need 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night to be fully rested. It’s important that you give your body, mind and emotions time to recuperate from the day. If you can take a short 20 minute nap during the day. Have at least one day set aside during the week just for your family and recreation where you don’t think about your work at all. Here’s an important rule to remember: The time when you most need time off is when you don’t have time to take time off.

You should think of your body as a machine that is designed to last 100 to 120 years with the proper care and maintenance. Take good care of it. Feed your body the proper foods and nutrients. Drink lots of water. Exercise regularly. Rest and recuperate, and give your body a chance to recharge on a regular basis.

Your body is the best investment you can make. It pays for itself over and over again, every minute, every hour and every day. As you develop the habit of good health, nutrition, exercise and overall proper care for your body it affects every other area of your life in a healthy and positive way as well.

Copyright©2008 by Joe Love and JLM & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and success coaching programs (http://www.jlmandassociates.com/resources.php?). He is the founder and CEO of JLM & Associates, a consulting and training organization, specializing in career coach training (http://www.jlmandassociates.com/resources.php?). Through his seminars and lectures, Joe Love addresses thousands of men and women each year, including the executives and staffs of many businesses around the world, on the subjects of leadership, achievement, goals, strategic business planning, and marketing. Joe is the author of three books, Starting Your Own Business, Finding Your Purpose In Life, and The Guerrilla Marketing Workbook.

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By Caroline Selfe

Holistic stress relief methods heal the root cause of tension and worry. By eliminating the stressor as opposed to the stress-related symptoms, permanent healing is achieved.

Holistic healing delves into all aspects of a person to find stressors. Lifestyle, nutrition, emotions, thoughts and belief systems and spiritual life are taken into consideration.

Holistic stress relief methods correct physical, mental, emotional and spiritual imbalances. Even if the imbalance is unknown, healing can still take place.

Here is how holistic stress relief methods can work in your life.
· Physically – Through nutrition and exercise, physical stressors can be relieved. Poor eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle prevent us from living our best life. Proper nutrition and regular activity can also prevent serious conditions and illnesses. Also, taking care of yourself physically will increase your resiliency from stress.

· Mentally – Negative thoughts and belief systems cause stress and negative behavior. By transforming negative thinking, your whole life can turn around. Anxious thinking can be tamed which will greatly relieve mental fatigue. After all, your life is a product of your thinking.

· Emotionally – Fear, anger, worry and all negative emotions can cause physical conditions and illnesses. Healing emotions is a powerful way to improve well-being. Holistic practitioners use the energy system or chakras to heal negative emotions. These feelings can build up from childhood and never be released. Healing negative emotions gets rid of the baggage that brings you down.

· Spiritually – Many holistic healers believe illness is a result of spiritual detachment. Being incongruent with one’s Essence can cause physical, mental and emotional turmoil. Ignoring your passions, enjoyment and intuition keeps you from being your true self. Developing your spiritual nature allows you to live a more purposeful and stress-free life.

Achieving holistic health means discovering the highest aspects of yourself. Utilizing the many holistic stress relief methods will help you lead a more balanced, healthy life. Many people turn to holistic healing out of frustration with conventional medical practices for stress-related conditions. Conventional medicine treats symptoms. Holistic health focuses on cause for lasting relief from stress.

To receive a valuable free report and newsletter click here: Free Report (http://www.stress-relief-for-well-being.com/free-report.html)
Discover holistic stress relief methods at: Holistic Stress Relief (http://www.stress-relief-for-well-being.com/holistic-stress-relief.html)
To check out more ideas, click here: Stress Relief Ideas (http://www.stress-relief-for-well-being.com/stress-relief-ideas.html)
Caroline Selfe has been a passionate seeker of natural and holistic stress relief methods for the past 25 years.

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By Dr Barry L Marks Dc

Most patients end up in their doctor’s office because they have broken one or more rules.

Every sport has rules. Break them and you are penalized. God has created rules for our universe. Break them and there are consequences, ie: the Law of Gravity. Falling off a ladder is breaking this rule that says we should keep our feet on the ground or else it can lead to a hospital visit.

There are also rules for Life and health. Break these rules and you will find yourself in my office more frequently. Obey these rules and you will enjoy better health and fewer doctors’ visits.

Symptoms such as pain, stiffness, and fatigue are merely signs or signals that we are breaking the rules. They are a gentle reminder that if we continue to break the rules we may face a stiff penalty. How often have you had a minor ache that you put off because it was “small” and could wait a few days only to find yourself hunched over and barely able to walk? The red light on your dash isn’t your car telling you to speed up! It means, “pull over and check me out, there is a problem.” Same for your body.

The rules…
Thou shall breathe. The intake of oxygen fuels our entire body. Quality is more important than quantity. Take deep breaths through your nose and exhale slowly. Most people breathe too shallowly, failing to get enough oxygen into the lungs and blood stream. Avoid airborne pollutants as much as possible. Use the little “recycle” button on your car air conditioning unit and roll up your windows while driving. Nobody needs more carbon monoxide.

Thou shall ingest nutrition. Your body needs adequate vitamins, minerals, enzymes and fiber to operate, repair itself and grow. Quality foods and supplementation are necessary to fuel our bodies properly. Avoidance of foods that “feel” or taste good, but provide no positive benefits should be avoided.

Thou shall expel wastes. Touchy subject. Here are the medical facts, regardless of what Aunt Dolores tells you. What goes in must go out. Elimination takes two routes; liquid and solid. The more you eat the more is eliminated. A normally functioning gastrointestinal system should expel solid waste at least twice each day. If you are once a day or less, you are breaking the rules!

Thou shall have adequate hydration. Feel thirsty? You’re already dehydrated! Drink up my friend! Every one should carry a water bottle or cup and drink at least 8 cups of water a day. Without water nothing works right. Want to lose weight? Drink more water. Have headaches? Drink more water. Have wrinkles? Drink more water. Want to be rich? Drink more water and then open up a water store!

Thou shall move. “…Baby, we were born to run!” Movement of all of our joints and muscle is crucial to preventing premature degeneration (arthritis). Movement also increases blood and lymph flow, which is essential for proper health. Staying in one place more than an hour causes muscles and joints to tighten up and circulation to slow down.

Thou shall rest. All this running around, drinking water, eating and eliminating can make a body tired. Your body needs time to re-charge itself and to repair tissues that are constantly breaking down due to use. If you fall asleep in less than 15 minutes or are yawning during the day you are sleep deprived. Go to bed a little earlier and when you can, take a nap.

Thou shall love. We are communal people who need and crave contact and love of others. Don’t be selfish, give your love to others and receive love from others to keep in balance. Hermits are rarely healthy or happy. That’s why they are called “crabs!” Sorry.

Thou shall forgive. “Unforgiveness” is a sin. Everyone blows it now and then. When we do, we may hurt others. When that happens, don’t we want forgiveness? Of course, so why not begin by forgiving others.

Thou shall serve others. True value in life comes from helping others. Centering our lives on selfish pursuits will only isolate us and prevent us from health and happiness. If you are not in a service industry, find a way to help others. The more you give of yourself the more you are rewarded.

Thou shall see life as a journey. Carry a light load and smell the flowers along the way. Don’t get too caught up in accumulating things. You will eventually leave this world with what you started with. Nothing.

Thou shall perish. It’s inevitable. Modern medicine has miraculous ways of extending the date, but it is a date certain. Rather than thinking of it as a disease, embrace it as a natural process of our life. We are here, we give to others, we enjoy life and then we are gone, at least from this life.

Your physical, emotional and spiritual well-being depend on adhering to these rules. Break them and there is a price to pay. Break some rules and the penalty is swift and severe. Others are less swift, but over time they will exact their penalty.

There is one last rule. I have saved it for last because it is the most important and also the most controversial. If I put it in earlier, you may not have read this entire message because I offended you.

Thou shall take responsibility for following the rules and paying the consequences. Don’t blame me or any other doctor when your x-rays show you are severely degenerated. I/we didn’t do that. Only your breaking of the rules over a long period of time can do that. It is up to you to adhere to these rules.When you see your x-rays, lab results or other medical diagnostic tests, you are seeing a scorecard. The scorecard tells you how well you have been following the rules. Or in some cases how badly you have broken them!

No one can do anything about time past and health lost due to breaking the rules previously. What can be changed though, is how you play the game starting right now. Are you going to continue breaking the rules and suffering? Or are you going to play it clean and follow the rules and be the best you can be tomorrow and the next day?

Dr. Barry L. Marks, DC…chiropractor, author and lecturer on disc herniation, sciatica, whiplash and carpal tunnel. He is a former Associate Clinical Professor and has been in practice since 1986. You may reach Dr. Marks at his Orange, CA office at (714) 938-0575. His articles and ebooks can be found at http://www.drmarks.com and a Free Consumer’s Guide to Severe Back, Disc and Sciatica Pain can be found at http://www.cureforlowerbackpain.com

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By Glenda Sparling

It seems like even those of you who generally sleep well most nights can often experience occasional, transient insomnia during the holiday season. As we move into Thanksgiving and Christmas, there is all the stress, strain and tension surrounding getting it all done. Gifts to buy, extra food preparation, making that special dessert, having company, throwing a part, attending parties and that’s on top of all the regular activities of job and family responsibilities. All add up and can often wreak havoc with your circadian rhythms. We’re burdened with thinking it all needs to be perfect and you try to make it all happen. Your system gets overloaded with stress, not to mention extra food and beverages.

The following 10 tips are offered to help you maintain your sanity:
1. Normal Routine. Try to keep to your normal routine as much as possible. That means going to bed as close to your regular time and rising at around the same time each day. Of course, this will be challenging on party nights, but try to keep these to a minimum.

2. Plan Ahead. If you’ve got company coming, try to alleviate some of your ‘ last-minute stress’ by purchasing groceries, gifts or even doing advanced food preparation ahead of time. Get the gifts wrapped. That was always my job and mom loved it that it was one less thing she needed to do.

3. Regular Exercise. Exercise is one of the precursors to achieving good sleep. Besides, it’s just simply healthy for you. Try to maintain your regular routine. Hit the gym or at least get out for a walk. You mind will be refreshed and your body thankful, and you will sleep better.

4. Ask for Help. The holiday festivities don’t need to be your total responsibility. Ask family members to assist in the preparations. If you don’t ask, they may not know how stressed and burdened you feel. And, there is a very good chance they will be very receptive to pitching in to make this a joyous time for all. Enlist your family to clean and decorate the house, wrap the gifts and prepare the meals.

5. Reduce Caffeine. Keep your caffeine intake to a bare minimum or not at all. Caffeine can have a very long half-life, particularly in those who sleep lightly to begin with. Adding caffeine to increased stress levels is a sure-fire way to disrupt your sleep even more.

6. Watch your Alcohol Intake. Alcohol, even in small quantities, can induce a false sense of sleepiness. But falling into an alcohol-induced sleep state will be anything but satisfying. Your slumber will be restless and it is doubtful you will enter deep delta sleep, which is needed for that energized feeling the next day.

7. Water – Drink Lots. Dehydration can be your worst enemy, particularly if you are having more than your usual amount of alcohol. Make sure your body is well hydrated with at least 8 – 10 8-oz. cups per day. Water makes up 85% of your blood, 80% of your muscles, and 75% of your brain. Make sure you don’t dry out.

8. Be kind to Yourself. Before your shoulders end up bunched up into your ears, seeming never to get unstuck, reward yourself and take a break. Plan a relaxing massage, facial or manicure. A massage is great for you guys too.

9. Breathe Deeply. Diaphragmatic breathing is an excellent way to induce relaxation throughout your entire body. Test whether you are a chest or belly breather by putting one hand on your chest and one on your belly. Look down as you breathe (normally). Whichever hand rises first indicates your normal breathing pattern. Most people are ‘chest’ breathers by habit. Just for 5 minutes focus breathing letting your diaphragm rise first. Your breathing will be slow and deeper. Even 5 minutes of deep belly breathing will induce relaxation. Plus it simply relaxes you and feels good.

10. Talk to your Brain. After you’ve done some deep diaphragmatic breathing ( this really helps to relax you), then have a chat with your brain. Tell it you will sleep soundly tonight. Tell it you deserve a restful peaceful night.

The mind-body connection is really significant. Make use of this amazingly powerful tool.

Practice these behaviors and you will sleep soundly and have pleasant dreams of sugarplums and Christmas Kringle making everything just right and come visit http://thespiritofsleep.com for more useful information on sleep.

Author and Sleep Coach, Glenda Sparling, can help you address and overcome the challenges you face around sleep issues and insomnia. Glenda has authored the e-book, The Spirit of Sleep which offers effective natural tools, techniques and behaviors for eliminating sleep anxiety and insomnia. Read the book’s Introduction: The Spirit of Sleep – Introduction Additional information is offered at The Spirit of Sleep.

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