Recipe of the Month

Tips for the Organic Gardener

Herbs to the Rescue

Erleen's New BLOG

The Successful Organic Gardening workshop went great! For those of you who could not attend, the manual will be available on the site soon in the Healthy Lifestyle Store. I will keep you posted. Growing a garden is a great hobbie and family activity, and its not too late to begin!

Anyone looking forward to Spring Break like I am? That's the time we like to head to the cabin for the week and catch up on scrapbooking, hiking, reading, and watching old movies! How about you? Do you have plans for Spring Break? If so Send me an email and let me know what you like to do.

Feature Article

Stress: The Facts and The Solutions! We all have too much to do within the hours of each day. With so many opportunities available, it is hard to not over do and put more into our schedules than we can handle. There are also many unforseen situations that come up in life that we have no control over: loss of employment, accidents, health problems, loss of a loved one, etc. And because of stressful situations, we can become angry, frustrated, feel rejection and depressed which can lead to health problems such as high blood pressure, heart attacks, headaches, loss of sleep, indigestion, strokes and more. We will always have stressful situations - a part of life - but we can learn to manage them as we become aware of what is causing the stress, and choosing to face the situation instead of reacting to it. Does stress have anything to do with nutrition and what we eat? It actually has everything to do with it in the way it is handled and managed. When we get so involved in life's activities, we often times forget about eating well. In fact, we usually tend to grab empty calorie, prepared foods, turn to sweets or caffeinated beverages, or even forget to eat at all. Stress can also create a yearning for extra snacking on high calorie, high fat foods which actually creates more stress on the body. However, stress can be managed by establishing good eating and healthy habbits, good daily planning initially, and not worrying about situations that you have no control over. If you plan, organize and do not over schedule your day, you can manage better. If your days include the following suggestions, you can eliminate or manage stress so much better. 1) Make sure you get adequate sleep. If for some reason you do not get the rest you need during the night, take a 15-20 minute power nap. You will be amazed that taking time out for a power nap, you become recharged and have the energy to accomplish more in much less time than without the nap. 2) Set aside time each day to exercise. Exercise is the absolute best medicinal cure for stress. It is so necessary for the body functions to work optimally, and exercise can correct or manage stressful situations within 20-40 minutes. 3) Set aside adequate time to prepare good nutritious meals (not prepared junk foods). You need good nourishing meals for the body to perform properly, and you need to take the time to eat. Give yourself at least 20-30 minutes to eat, sitting down and relaxing while you do. 4) Always have good foods to grab for those unexpected times that you need food in a moment's notice: fresh fruits, veggie sticks, raw nuts, whole grain rolls or crackers, dried fruits, trail mixes, etc. There is a lot you can grab that is still healthy for you to eat. 5) Turn on peaceful music to soothe, calm and relax you. You need times of relaxation throughout the day. Also take time to meditate and focus on worthy goals, your blessings, and the peaceful things of life. Sitting outside watching the flowers and grass sway in the breeze, and reading, is so much more relaxing than watching television. These exercises help put life into the perspective of what's really important. We cannot simply eliminate all stress, yet we can learn to manage it so we are not affected by it. Stress is a choice. With good habits of daily planning and management and finding a good balance in our activities, and applying these principles of good eating and taking care of ourselves, we can cope, manage and eliminate the effects of stress! To a Healthier Lifestyle, Erleen

We can reduce the emphasis on foods in many ways. There are many other social activities other than eating: physical activities, games, contests, outdoor recreation and creative activities (treasure hunts, road rallies). For incentives and rewards, read a story, go on an outing, go to Grandmas, buy something non-edible, go to the park or a professional league game, or pick out a movie. Place emphasis on other kinds of rewards: certificates, recognition, and feeling good about a job well done.

In other words, instead of turning to foods for incentives, rewards and comfort, focus on the non-edible achievements and activities. We would all benefit by eating less and become more active anyway!

There will be more teleseminars (classes on the phone) to come! Are you interested in a 2 week Healthy Babies / Healthy Children teleseminar series, or a 3 week Weight Management teleseminar series, or one on any other topic? If so, contact Erleen here and let her know your interests.

If you want to start out right with some seeds, we also have alfalfa, lentil, mung bean, clover, radish and sunflower. These are all organic too! Check out The Sprout Master and seeds here!

Erleen loves teaching people down-to-earth principles of nutrition as she sees the positive changes in others lives as they live the principles of good health and eating. She has a passion for wholesome foods and their life giving qualities. Her many personal experiences and years of study and research qualify her as an expert in health education, speaking, and consulting. Contact her now for your next conference, for health consultations, or for an upcoming event!

YOU CAN PUT YOUR AD HERE TOO! For information, send an email to Erleen.