Sample Content Preview Step 3 - Stay Hydrated Drinking plenty of fluids will help your body flush the toxins that could cause sickness. 75% of people a dehydrated consistently, and that’s probably one of the main reasons why most of us get sick or don’t recover fast from illnesses. Water is critical to flush any toxins from our body. If we don’t have enough water, we can’t get rid of the toxins fast enough. Toxins can be in the form of viruses or bacteria. Drinking plenty of water can fight off infection. You can start increasing your water consumption by always having a bottle with you that you can refill. It is recommended to get around 2 to 3 liters of water per day. Step 4 – Implement a Bedtime Routine To ensure that your immune system is functioning optimally, you need to make sure that you get adequate sleep. Since sleep is critical to our immune system, it is recommended to get between seven and eight hours of sleep per night. That number of hours is adequate and regenerate the body. Having plenty of sleep will increase the ability of the body’s white cells to fight illnesses and reduce symptoms connected to the common cold and flu. To get a good rest, try to implement a bedtime routine that allows you to get your hours of sleep. Here are a few ideas to help you improve your sleep. Create a Routine It is proven that a routine will trick your body into falling asleep at a specific time. Try to observe yourself, is there a time when you are tired? If so, make sure you go to bed before that time. Create a routine that allows you to complete everything before that time and go to bed. You can also set an alarm that will tell you that it’s time to prepare yourself for bedtime. That way, you are less likely to forget what time it is and be more successful at implementing a routine. A bedtime ritual is an excellent addition to your schedule. A good bedtime ritual is one that allows you to relax, disconnect from the stress of life, and slowly tell your body that it is time to shut down. Set a Comfortable Atmosphere It might be time to look at your bedroom and try to find ways to improve the atmosphere for a good night’s sleep. Don’t underestimate the comfort of your bed and pillow and the power of fresh linen. If you are uncomfortable, you will likely have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep. Another aspect of comfort is the temperature of the room and the level of noise around. Try sleeping with a fan on or a white noise machine. Having a constant sound in the room could help you maintain your sleep. If you like essential oils, try a drop of lavender on your pillow, this will help the brain relax. Avoid This Avoid any alcohol, cigarettes, caffeine, or a large meal from 2–3 hours before you go to bed. Talk to an Expert If you’ve tried all those recommendations and you are still struggling with sleep, it might be a good idea to consult your doctor or a sleep expert. There are other solutions that they can provide you to improve your sleep situation. Step 5 – Manage Your Stress Stress is a significant contributor to illnesses. One person out of three reports feeling very stressed in their daily life, which tends to put us at risk of activating harmful viruses that may be in our system. When we experience stress, we harm our body’s ability to fight antigens with antibodies. Daily stress and stressful situations can be detrimental to our immune system. The more stress reduction activities you can bring in your life, the stronger your immune system will become. Here are two tips to help you reduce your stress and increase your immunity to viruses. Change Your Mindset You can change your mindset by being more positive and live in the present moment. According to studies across the world, positivism is a trait that increases your health and reduces your chances of being sick from a virus. Not only is the immune system of optimistic people more robust, but they also show signs of being healthier in general. Whatever happens around you, you always have a choice of how you respond to that situation. You either see it with half-full glass or half-empty glass. An excellent way to start improving your attitude is to focus on gratitude. Finding things that you are grateful for will help you see the best in everything. You can do so by writing in a journal the daily gratitude that you want to express. Practice Mindfulness To manage your tensions, you can adopt a new perspective on life by adding a mindfulness practice. Mindfulness is the ability to stay in the present moment and stop worrying about the past or the future. Less mental stress also means less physical stress and give more power to your immune system. Try mindfulness breathing by taking three deep breaths.

Sample Content Preview Signs That Freelance Writing Is Right for You To become a freelancer of any kind, including being a freelance writer, you need to have specific characteristics in your personality that you are willing to display or learn. Characteristics such as self-reliance and practical writing skills are essential, not to mention a willingness to find your own customers and audience without needing someone to tell you what to do at every moment of the day. You Are Self-Motivated You don’t always have to be the cheerleader in the room, but you do need to have the ability to tell yourself to get to work and complete a certain amount of work each day so that you can get paid regularly. You’re not going to be able to rely on motivation that doesn’t exist. If in the past, you’ve had a hard time sticking to doing something without someone telling you to do it, evaluate this about yourself before you start. You Have the Time If you already have a job and other responsibilities, you’ll need to dedicate some of your time regularly to not only the writing process but also on the marketing process so that you can find clients. Even if you have only an hour a day, you can still become a freelance writer, but this limitation will inform what type of writing you can do, and for whom. A lot of other factors will come into play too, and as you make a choice of the kind of writing you’ll do as a freelancer, all these issues make a difference. You’re Confident about Your Skills You need to be sure that you can write at least to the level you need to write for the projects you want to work on. You don’t need to write at a PhD. level if you’re writing young adult fiction as a freelancer, for example. You only need to write at the level the audience is reading at. Most of the time, writing at about an 8th-grade level is good enough. You don’t even need to be the best at grammar if you’re writing copy to sell someone’s widgets. Poor grammar is often used in copywriting because it’s about how it looks and how it persuades – not how the English teacher wants it to look. Each skill set is slightly different for the various writing genres, but you only need what you need. Don’t make it harder than it must be. You Are Flexible If you’re willing to start in one place because you know that you can work toward the place where you want to be, then you’re flexible enough for freelance writing. For example, you may want to freelance as a recipe creator for a famous chef, but right now, the best work you can find is writing recipes for an unknown blogger. This is perfectly fine and probably the best thing for you, because you’ll learn how to develop your process to be faster and better over time. You Have the Financial Resources to Get Started As a freelance writer, it will likely take you some time to get paid. It takes time to perform the service and finish the project as well as time to get clients. Even if you choose to write for yourself, publishing your own work on a blog or publishing print on demand books or digital books, it takes some time to get a product ready to sell and to start earning income. Therefore, you need to be able to support yourself in the meantime. You Have Received Positive Feedback Regarding Your Skills as a Writer If you’ve ever written at any level before, freelance writing might work for you. If you’ve written correspondence as a secretary or receptionist (or the PTA president), if you’ve updated blogs or websites, or if you’ve written a paper in school and someone told you that you’re a good writer or complimented your work, then you may have the skill to be a writer. If you’re not sure, write something right now in the field you want to work in, ask someone to read it and see what they say. You Have the Education to Become a Writer Even if you’ve done nothing other than writing to get your degree, it’s essential to understand that you can become a writer. You just need to figure out which genre you want to write and get started. You already know the skill now. It’s time to put it into practice. While there are differences between learning to do it and doing it, you will be able to proceed. You Have Writing Experience If you have any writing experience, then you already know more about the process of writing as a freelancer than most. Use your experience to help steer you in getting started working for yourself. Even if you have no experience yet, you can begin gaining experience right now just by starting your own blog or writing in your journal. You Have Business Experience and Knowledge If you have any type of business experience, life experience, or knowledge about something that you’re passionate about, you can write about it. Whether you can turn that into a freelance writing career or not depends on the niche, of course, but it’s always possible. If you can write about it and someone’s interested, it can usually be monetized. But do remember that a freelance writing career is still a business, and all rules of business apply. If you are willing to work on your writing skills, learn about marketing, and deliver clients the work you promised on time and on spec, you can become a popular freelance writer. As mentioned, many freelance writers earn six figures and more. How much you make will depend entirely on the genre you choose and how hard you want to work. Freelance Writing Genres and Formats to Consider There are many different genres that you can get involved in as a freelance writer. It really does depend on your desires, your skillset, and whether you’re willing to do the work necessary in the genre. You also need to be able to produce the formats asked for by the client or that are needed for the system you use. Magazine and Newspaper Writing Every magazine and newspaper that you pick up need writers. You can look inside the magazine or newspaper to find the directions for how to get writing gigs for that publication. Follow the information correctly so that you don’t waste your time, because they won’t waste theirs by looking at incorrectly submitted information. Journal Writing Some journals take paid work as well, from medical journals to mechanical journals, and in every single trade and niche you can imagine. You can see a list of journals on the government website called ERIC. Each journal has information inside about how to write for them. The good thing is, if you do get hired, you’ll likely get hired more than once. (https://eric.ed.gov/?Journals)

Sample Content Preview 6 – Copper Copper is one of the essential ingredients needed for firm skin. It is used in almost every skincare product available. Products are being created now where copper is the main ingredient. Buying and using copper fortified skin care products builds firmness of the skin and makes it look younger. Toned and fortified skin won’t stretch too fast, resulting in stretch marks. Rub all over where you may get (or want to get rid of) stretch marks: thighs, butt, hips, stomach and arms. 7 – Moisturizers Moisturizers are available everywhere from dollar stores to luxury skin care chains. The price range is $ 1 all the way up to thousands of dollars per ounce. Do they work better? Not necessarily. The important part is you take care of dry skin. The cream, no matter what quality, will have some vitamins and hydrating ingredients that you will benefit from. Keeping the skin moisturized will increase your chances of preventing the dreaded stretch mark. 8 - Retin –A Cream Retin A cream is a type of moisturizer that prevents wrinkles and stretch marks on the skin. The Retin A is a protein used to build collagen in the skin. The belief is that adding this on top of your skin builds the collagen even further. The more collagen you have, the more elasticity your skin has too. With more elasticity, you have less wrinkles and stretch marks. The Retin A cream can be used as a preventative tool and also to combat existing wrinkles and stretch marks. Retin A creams can be moderate to expensive in price. 9 - Emu Oil Using Emu Oil to treat stretch marks is one hot new trend in the skin care fight. It contains fatty acids, which have been found to help many skin ailments, not just stretch marks. It is an all-natural product that is healthy for every individual to use. The Emu Oil can be purchased in liquid form to drink, pills to take daily and as a cream to apply topically. The Emu Oil will repair any damaged skin and keep it healthy. Another way to prevent stretch marks is by exercising. Exercising keeps your muscles firm, but your skin firm too. Firm skin is healthy skin, and healthy skin stretches naturally, without causing stretch marks. Exercises: 10 - Sit Ups Sit on the floor and with your legs straight in front, bend your knees and bring your feet flat to the floor. Slowly, lay your upper body down so your back is resting on the floor. Lower legs slightly. Put your hands behind your head and raise your upper body as far as you can manage. Do 25 sit ups per day to keep the skin taut. In addition to helping the skin, your abdomen muscles will be flatter. 11 – Crunches Crunches are similar to sit ups, but in reverse. Lay with your back on the floor. Pull your legs up so your knees and thighs are pressed against your chest. Slowly release legs down and straight out, and then bring them back up to your chest. Repeat this process 10-20 times, or as many as you can do. This exercise helps prevent stretch marks in the abdomen and hip area. 12 – Leg Lifts Leg lifts are great for the hip, thigh and buttock area. Lie on one side and use your hand to support your head. Brace the other arm in front of you on the floor for additional support. Bend your knees slightly. Raise the top leg and hold for two seconds, then lower. Repeat this process 25 times. Then roll over and repeat for the other leg. 13 – Squats Squats will build up your muscle tone in the thigh, hip, abdomen and buttock areas. Muscle tone in these areas will keep fat deposits from occurring, which then leads to stretch marks. Stand tall, with your feet parallel to your shoulders. Put your hands on your hips and slowly squat down, keeping your butt perpendicular to the floor. After a few of these, your thigh muscles will begin to protest. If they do too much, aim for ten a day and build up your tolerance. 14 – Push Ups Push-ups are good for preventing stretch marks in the upper arm and breast area. Lay straight down on the floor, with your palms down on the floor. Use either your knees for balance or your feet and push up with your hands. Hold for two seconds and then lower to the floor again. If you need to build up strength in your upper body, start with ten a day and increase to 25. 15 – Walking Walking is great for your entire body. It keeps your legs, arms and cardiovascular system in good working order. Walking also keeps the muscles and skin in your lower body firm and stretch mark free. Walking doesn’t have to be at a fast pace, just regular speed and for 20 to 30 minutes, three or four times a week. 16 - Jogging Jogging is for the more trained athletes. Jogging will work the muscles in the hips, legs and thighs a little faster. Jogging tones the skin and helps keep stretch marks away from the high prone areas. If you aren’t used to jogging but would like to start, begin slowly. Walk at a brisk pace for several weeks to build up strength and tolerance. Then try jogging for short periods of time and extend out to longer periods of time when you are comfortable.

Sample Content Preview Now, what do you think those triggers says about your internal reality? What is the source of that emotional reaction that is sometimes dramatic? Trigger Internal Reality It’s not always easy, but when you face your emotional triggers, you bring it to light and immediately allow yourself to shine brighter than ever! It gives you the space to heal deep wounds and claim your personal power. Step 4: Heal Your Wounds Wounds from the past are significant barriers to claiming your powers. According to a French author named Lise Bourbeau, five wounds can limit us in our life if we don’t take the time to recognize and heal them. Those wounds are abandonment, rejection, injustice, humiliation, and betrayal. Let’s explore each one of those wounds and see if you related to some of them. Rejection Rejection is a profound wound because the one who suffers from it feels rejected in his being and especially in his right to exist. In terms of behavior, they often doubt their right to exist. They seek solitude because if they receive a lot of attention, they would be afraid of not knowing what to do. They don’t know what to do with themselves when they get too much attention. It is not unusual for them to live in ambivalence; when they are accepted, they won’t believe it and often create a self-sabotaging situation so that others reject them. Injustice People with the injustice wound are usually rigid and lack flexibility. Often a perfectionist and envious. These persons tend to cut themselves off from their feelings and often cross their arms. They try to be perfect and justifies themselves a lot. They find it difficult to admit that they have problems. They often doubt their choices. They like order and tend to control themselves by demanding a lot from each other. They can be angry and cold and has difficulty showing affection. It is often difficult for people with the injustice wound to accept compliments, help, or gifts from others because they feel in debt toward the person after. Humiliation People with the humiliation wound are often ashamed of themselves and others or afraid to shame others. They think they are dirty or unclean. They don’t want to recognize and assume their sensuality and their love of the pleasures associated with the senses. That is why they often compensate and reward themselves with food. And they gain weight quickly to give themselves a reason not to enjoy their senses. They are also afraid of being “punished” if they enjoy life too much. So, they ignore their freedom by putting the needs of others before their own, so that they stop enjoying life. Abandonment The wound experienced in the case of abandonment is the second deepest after that of rejection because they both affect the being at a profound level. Those who suffer from abandonment do not feel emotionally nourished enough. They need constant help and support. They think that they cannot do anything on their own and regularly needs someone to support them. They tend to dramatize a lot: the smallest little incident takes on gigantic proportions. In a group, they like to talk about themselves and often brings everything back to them. Besides, they usually seek the opinion or approval of others before making decisions. Betrayal (or Treason) The wound of betrayal is intimately related to the wound of abandonment. Very uncompromising, they want to show others what they are capable of. They often interrupt and respond before a person is finished. When things don’t go fast enough to their liking, they become angry. They hate not being trusted and do not always keep their commitments and promises or forces themselves to keep them. It is essential to know what your wounds are to identify your limits and what obstacles stop you from claiming your power. By being aware of your behaviors and wounds, you are getting to know yourself better and also understanding why you tend to behave in specific ways. Step 5: Connect With You Authentic Self Authentic people are genuine, real, and mostly, in integrity with themselves. They don’t try to be someone they are not or please people they don’t know. For them, being different is not an issue nor something they thrive to be; they are just themselves, and that’s where personal power comes from. Authentic people also love doing what they enjoy and don’t try to copy others’ ideas for the sake of being successful. Their success comes from doing what is in their heart, what drives them, as opposed to what inspire others or the majority.

Sample Content Preview 7. Status You need to know where you stand with the situations in your life. This status helps you to understand who you are and exactly what’s expected of you. If you’re unsure of your status in your life, depression can easily set in. DEFINITIONS Let’s go over some definitions of terms and conditions that are commonly used together. Hopefully one of these will strike a cord and help you to understand your condition. 8. Depression There are several types of depression, but it basically means being sad or down for more than a few weeks at a time. Depression can be made manifest by lack of energy, and motivation interest in normally pleasurable activities. 9. Shyness According to wikipedia.com, the definition of shyness is “a feeling of insecurity or awkwardness that certain people experience while being among others, talking with others, asking favors of others, etc.” 10. Social Anxiety 5.3 million adult Americans suffer from social anxiety. Again, wikipedia.com’s definition of social anxiety is an experience of fear, apprehension or worry regarding social situations and being evaluated by others. It’s also sometimes described as "crippling shyness." Many people that have social anxiety have had it all of their lives. 11. Low Self-Esteem Low self-esteem is seeing yourself in a negative way. It can lead to shyness and depression. Not all people who suffer from low self-esteem are shy, however. Many people try to hide their low self-esteem by being funny, talkative, and loud. START SMALL Now that we have our definitions, let’s talk about some things we can do about them. This first set of tips will give you some ideas on simple things to start doing on a daily basis. 12. Graph Your Days Graphing your days is a great way to get an idea about your self-esteem. Every day before bed, get a piece of paper and graph your day from the time you get up until you go to bed. If part of the day was good, make your graph higher accordingly. If part of your day was bad, make your graph lower. This can give you a pretty good idea of how you view your world. 13. List Good Qualities Getting a piece of paper and listing all of your good qualities is a great way to raise your self-esteem. It may be tough at first, but as you start acknowledging that you have some good qualities, you’ll be on your way to feeling better about yourself. 14. Positive Thinking Start thinking positive. Rather than playing the “what if” game, thinking of bad things that could happen, start thinking of good things that could happen. When not-so-great things do happen, try to think of a positive spin on it. 15. Stop Comparing Yourself To Others One of the most self-destructive things you can do is compare yourself to others. The only person you should compare yourself to is you. This is important, because you need to have a clear view of your own talents and abilities. 16. Stop Putting Yourself Down How many times have you thought to yourself, “I’m so stupid,” or “I never do anything right”? This kind of self-talk is very self-destructive. Try to make a conscious effort each day to add positive self-talk to your thinking. 17. Affirmations Giving yourself positive affirmations throughout the day is a very important way to raise your self-esteem. A great way to do this is by making it a habit to constantly acknowledge your good points. 18. Accept Compliments A person with low self-esteem finds it very hard to accept compliments. Practice saying “thank you” in the mirror. Learning to accept compliments sincerely will start you on the road to higher self-esteem.

Sample Content Preview 6 - Sesame Street The characters on Sesame Street have been educating and entertaining children for decades. Their bright colors and vivid textures even aid in motor development in children! To make a Sesame Street theme, get a stuffed animal of each character. On the other hand, if you have a lot of talent, paint them on the walls imitating a scene from Sesame Street. 7-ABC The alphabet will be drilled into their heads as a preschooler, but in the infant years, they can enjoy the pretty pictures of the letters coupled with animals or other objects. A letter theme can be easily carried from the bedding to the walls with wallpaper or a paintbrush. Make posters or paint large letters and spread them all around the room. Add words to the letters or leave them how they are – baby will learn them quickly and easily from seeing them everyday. 8 - Jungle This is a theme you can go wild with! Use an artificial or painted tree in the corner of the room. Paint or hang jungle stuffed animals in the tree and surrounding area to make a vivid picture. Little feather butterflies from the craft store can be nailed to the ceiling and walls. Other bugs and jungle references can be painted around the room or hung up on posters. 9 - Farm Old McDonald had a farm…EIEI…O. Every child loves the song and the images that go along with the farm. Bedding and wallpaper usually have many options depicting farm life for you to choose from. If you can’t find one you like, find the trusty paintbrush and create your own décor. One wall can be painted red to simulate a barn with open stall doors with animal head peering over the top. If that’s too artistic for you, buy toy tractors and stuffed animals and place them around the room with farm posters. 10 - Baby Animals If you want animals, but don’t want to commit to a farm or jungle theme, use baby animals. That way, you can use any animal from any continent or climate. From polar bears to kangaroos – you can use a baby version of it. There are usually many styles of wallpaper with baby animals to pick from. The bedding may or may not correspond, but a neutral shade will coordinate just fine. Use posters to add a realistic touch or stuffed animals to make it a whimsy room. 11 - Sea Life is better, down where it’s wetter…is from the Little Mermaid. Your baby may love to be under the sea, so come up with a nautical room. Sea animal themes can be found in wallpaper and decorations. Use blue bedding to simulate water, regardless if you have a boy or a girl. Hang posters of animals found in the sea and buy stuffed animals to match. If you feel very creative, or have a friend who is, paint a mural along the walls of swimming fish, starfish and underwater creatures. 12 - Pink or Blue? These themes are traditionally used for either a boy or a girl. However, with today’s modern thinking, some lines are being crossed and any theme can be used for anybody, it all depends on what you want! 13 - Sports Sports themes are traditionally saved for a boy’s room. With a sports theme, one sport can be focused on or it can envelop a medley of equipment. Bedding and wallpaper can contain footballs, baseballs and basketballs. Or you could paint an infield on the floor and only hang major league teams on the wall. You can even take sports one step further and use all of the teams from a particular city or state. Love Detroit – use the Lions, Pistons and Redwings logos to decorate. 14 - Cars Cars are another fond passion for many a man. The love starts early, and even from the crib for some! Cars can be grouped into an automotive theme or one that uses any kind of vehicle with four tires and is cool. Posters, paintings on the wall and wallpaper are all ways to flesh out this theme. Add a collection of hot wheel cars, placed up out of baby’s reach, can add to the car feel. 15 - Western Western themes invoke cowboys and images of horses and cattle ranches. Paint the walls a shade of beige and add things that would be on a ranch in the west with a stencil. Items may be a mini-lariat, a cow, a horse, or even a Sheriff star. Place them randomly over the wall or in a pattern. Bedding and wallpaper can coordinate or just be a different hue than the paint. After all, the West was full of dirt. 16 - Frogs Frogs and toads, that’s what little boys are made of comes to mind when thinking about boys. A baby boy might grow up playing in the pond or ditch and find that frogs are his best friend. Start his love off early with a frog themed room. Specialty wallpaper and stencils can decorate walls and stuffed animals can give it character. Bringing real frogs is a little extreme, but could even be done if you so desired. 17 - Garden A garden full of flowers would be perfect for a baby girl’s room. Wallpaper made to look like a garden is available or you can paint your own. Make the bottom half of the room green and a lighter color for the top. Add silk flowers or save the garden until you can make the flowers with your baby’s handprint. Make sure to add bees, bugs and birds, whether they are the painted form or stuffed animal form. 18 - Princess Most little girls dream of being a princess at one point in their lives. Mothers like to carry this on for their daughters and make a castle out of the nursery. The theme can carry over to bedding and wallpaper or just with a few simples pictures hung on the wall. Paint a castle tower on one wall or a scene from inside the castle. Find a tiara and use it in a shadow box or on a shelf as a knick-knack. Who knows, it may be used in future costumes or during beauty pageants. 19 - Tree House A tree house used to be a boy club thing, but girls are getting in to them know too. So, if you want to draw a tree house in your baby nursery, adapt it to your child. Make it a girl’s only or boy’s only hangout. Paint branches on the wall and what might be inside a tree house for your baby girl or boy to paint n the wall. Place animals that might be found in a tree around the room on shelves or in the toy box.

Sample Content Preview WELLNESS You pick up the magazines each day, and you’re bombarded with health and fitness information. Advertisements and articles that are designed to impart much needed informa- tion to the reader about the state of fitness and health in America today, and what we as responsible citizens should do. I want you to stop, and think for just one moment. How do you determine your current fitness and wellness levels? Does your regular doctor as you each time you go if you believe yourself to be fit and well? Probably not. Nor does he give you any method for determining the status on your own. Fitness centers abound in this country, and most are staffed with counselors who can test your fitness level. What about your wellness level? Are they one and the same? They are not one and the same, yet they rely heavily on each other to keep you healthy. Being fit and being well are totally different conditions. Your well-ness rating is dependent upon your immune system, and what vita-mins, supplements, and nutrition you provide for your immune system. Fit people can sometimes be unwell. And well people can sometimes be unfit. However, when you do combine the two, and use sound principles based on clean living, exercise, and healthy eating, you attain a state of equilibrium where you are both fit and well. Most individuals do not take the time to completely understand the advantages of being both fit and well. We read and absorb the information we’re given through the media and health organizations, without ever pondering if we’re receiving all the information we need, or simply the part that is profitable to be seen or heard. Fitness gyms need your monthly fees in order to remain operational. They have no real concern about the condition of your immune system. Physical fitness is a condition of the body alone. Hospitals and doctors need you as a patient in order to remain operational; they want you to know you need to be fit and well, but often leave out important pieces that affect your wellness and, therefore, your ability to be fit. What about eating habits? What about vitamins? What role does our daily intake play in our health, our wellness, and our fitness? More than you have been lead to believe or understand. The body’s ability to remain well under anything other than ideal conditions is a direct result of the nutrition received on a daily basis. The mind’s ability to remain well is, again, a direct result of our nutrition intake. For instance, the human brain doesn’t develop well without the necessary input of protein in our daily diet. No protein, no intelli-gence. No intelligence, then none of the other states is attainable. Our spiritual input is a determining factor when establishing our wellness level. We all need the benefit of spiritual reflection, as a way of cleansing ourselves of the toxins of our daily life. Spirituality is a way of assuring ourselves of a renewing, and rebirth of ourselves as caring humans. Wellness encompasses our state of being, mind, and health. It is a condition of the whole. Wellness is a condition of the mind, body, and soul. INFORMATION ON WELLNESS What is wellness and where do we go to learn about wellness? Wellness is defined as our overall good health, and the condition sustained by healthy eating and fitness habits. We have so many places to turn for wellness infor-mation, that it would be impossible to cover all the possibilities in one article. However, we’ll cover the most common places to look, and let the reader take it from there. The major sources of wellness information are available to every-one, everywhere. Libraries, the internet, your physical fitness instruc-tor, and your health teachers are all viable avenues of information sources. The library contains more information about health and wellness than you could possibly read in a year’s time. There are magazines, periodicals, medical journals, and all sorts of books written on ways to become fit, to maintain fitness, or to participate in fitness activities. There are sources of information that explain the benefits of being well, the physical benefits, the mental benefits, the social benefits, and the self-esteem and emotional benefits. The library will also usually have video and audio information available on almost any topic covered by the reading material. They may even have wellness tapes available for viewing. Often, the library provides the opportunity for the low-income to access materials that otherwise would not be available. Video and audio tapes are examples of this opportunity. The internet opens more windows on wellness than the library, since the internet is a compilation of many libraries, news articles, newspapers, and individual input. You have only to type in the word wellness using one of the available search engines, and suddenly you’ve got more sources of information than you can research. The search engines often return information in the order of actual rele-vance to your search words. So bear that in mind as you search. The first couple of pages will contain the most relevant information on wellness. You can locate information about wellness, local wellness programs, and instructors who specialize in one-on-one wellness evaluations and personal attainment plans. Your local school physical education instructor and health teachers are invaluable sources of wellness information, in that they have an education in health and well-being. They are privy to the most sought after reliable sources of real wellness benefits. Many of the articles you will find, and much of the information you read, is not 100% accurate, ask a teacher, or instructor actually involved in wellness programs, and you are going to receive much more accurate feedback Your federal government publishes massive quantities of informa-tion about the health and wellness in this country, from many different perspectives. The United States Department of Agriculture is responsible for determining our daily recommended allowances, and as such, accumulates much information about wellness programs, the state of physical and mental wellness in the United States, and how well we participate in wellness programs.

Sample Content Preview 24. Grocery List Keep a magnetic pad on the fridge to write down things that you need on your next grocery trip. Then, before going to the store, check your list against your pantry, fridge and freezer to avoid buying duplicate items. 25. Custom Design Organizing tips are great, but the bottom line is that you need to organize your kitchen to best fit your needs. For example, if you don’t cook much, alphabetizing spices may not be a necessity. On the other hand, if you entertain often, the use of your serving space will be very important. So decide what you need from your kitchen, and organize accordingly. MEDIA We all have magazines, books, music and movies in our homes. This next set of tips will show you how to best organize your entertainment. 26. Throw Out The first thing you need to do is go through all of your magazines and newspapers and throw out everything that you’ve already read. If you’re saving a magazine just for one article, tear out the article and throw the magazine away. 27. Categorize by Subject It’s best to categorize your magazines and books by subject. Put cooking magazines together and entertainment ones together, etc. Do this with your music and movies also. 28. Labeling Labeling is a great way to keep all of your media where it needs to be. You can get white sticker labels at the store in white, or you can color code them to make finding what you need quicker. 29. Magazine Storage Storing magazines can be tricky, because they don’t stack very well. A great solution to this is to get plastic, vertical magazine holders. Each one will hold ten to twelve magazines. You can also label them by years. 30. Notebooks What do you do with the magazine articles that you tear out of those magazines? Put them in a three-ring notebook, and store them with your books. You can also get notebook dividers to store articles on different subjects. HOME OFFICE More and more homes these days have a home office. Without proper organization and upkeep, however, your home office can become cluttered and unproductive. This next set of tips will help you organize your home office so that everything runs efficiently. 31. Desk Position The position of your desk can make a big difference in the efficiency of your office. Arranging your desks or tables in an “L” shape or a “U” shape is best. This allows you two or three work areas. 32. Supplies Office supplies are important to keep handy in your home office, but be careful not to hoard them. Keep only what you need in desk drawers, otherwise clutter will start to build up. 33. Control Paper It seems like the flow of paper in your home office never stops. Handling this paper problem on a daily basis is important. Make sure you allow yourself time every day to clear off the papers on your desk and put things where they belong. 34. Folders Folders are a great way to organize your home office. Even if you don’t have a filing cabinet yet, using folders can really help organize. Here are a few ideas of things you can put in these folders: - Bills - Budget - Research - Records 35. Filing System When you are ready for a filing system, make sure that you get one that best fits your needs. Here are a few things to keep in mind: - Make sure to get a quality filing cabinet that has easily sliding drawers. - Use both hanging files (for broad categories), and manila folders for subcategories. - Make sure that all of your files are labeled well. - Maintain a consistent alphabetical system. 36. Calendar Having a master calendar is important for organizing not only your office, but your life as well. Make sure your calendar is big enough to write all of your important activitieRoper, and that it’s put in a place where you’ll always see it.

Sample Content Preview 10. Sweep Entryways Most entryways are small and take less than a minute to sweep. Grab your broom and dustpan and you’ll be finished before you begin. You can even cheat and sweep dust onto the carpet, then use the carpet-sweeper to clean it up. 11. Shake out a Floor Mat Floor mats are sometimes forgotten during cleaning. If you have an extra minute, grab a mat or two and shake them out outside. This will reduce the amount of dust in your home as well as keep those mats fresh and clean. 12. Collect Garbage in a Room If you don’t have time to clean a whole room but want to make it look a little bit better, clear out the garbage. Grab a trash bag or a waste paper basket and start stuffing. You’ll find that this improves the look of a room dramatically. GOOD HABBITS TO START As you start developing simple housecleaning habits, you’ll notice that your work will get easier and easier. This next set of tips will give you some great ideas of good habits to start. 13. Delegate Housework can be a huge job. Learn to delegate. Make chore charts for everyone in your house. Even small children can help pick up toys and other things. As you learn that you don’t have to do it all, housework will become much easier. 14. Fill the Sink A good habit to start is filling your sink with hot soapy water every time you start to cook. This way you can “clean as you go.” As you get done with each pot or dish, wash it quickly. This makes clean-up a snap. 15. Spray the Oven Time for take-out? If there’s a day when you’re not using your oven, give it a quick spray of oven cleaner and forget about it. The next day, before you turn on your oven, give it a quick wipe down. You’ll find that the baked on stuff comes off much easier. 16. Have a Charity Box It’s a good idea to keep a box or bag in your front closet that you put things you don’t need anymore. This really helps get rid of clutter in your home. When the box is full, simply drop it off at your local good will store. 17. Rinse Your Plate This may be a small tip, but it can help in big ways. If you simply make it a habit to rinse your plate after dinner (and have all family members do the same), it will make washing them a lot easier. No one likes trying to wash dried food off of dishes. 18. Tackle the Small Jobs Housework can be overwhelming. Learn to break it down and tackle the smaller jobs first. As you do, each job will become easier. Also, if you clean the small messes before they get big, it’ll be a lot easier to clean up. 19. Keep Cleaner in the Shower A great shortcut for cleaning your tub and shower is to keep a bottle of shower cleaner handy. After you take a bath or shower, spray it down. You can take it a step further and keep a squeegee in it as well. 20. Fast Pick Up Before Bed If you make it a habit to do a quick pick up before going to bed, it’ll really help. You’ll find that it’s easier to wake up and feel good about the day if even one room is clean. 21. Line Your Fridge If you make it a habit to line your fridge shelves with paper towels, it’ll make it a lot easier to clean. This will work especially well in the crispers, as the paper towels will soak up any extra wetness. 22. Take a Trash Bag With You As you leave the house, make it a habit to take the trash out. This is a simple tip, but why make extra trips if you don’t need to? This is also a great job to delegate to a teenager. They’re always coming and going anyway. KITCHEN Your kitchen gets used every day. Without maintaining small messes, you can have a big cleaning job every day. This next set of tips will help you keep your kitchen clean and manageable. 23. Microwave Here’s a good shortcut to cleaning your microwave: Fill up a cup of water and put it in there on high for a few minutes. The steam from the cup will loosen any stuck-on food, and then you can just wipe it away.

Sample Content Preview According to Jennifer Moll of about.com, oatmeal lowers cholesterol. The oat fibers mix with cholesterol in the small intestine and carry the cholesterol out of the body instead of it being absorbed into the blood. The Food and Drug Administration is also convinced of this, as oatmeal was the first food to carry the distinction on its label to lower cholesterol levels. 19. Switch to Tea According to an article on www.prevention.com, in late 2003, USDA scientists reported that 15 people cut their cholesterol by 7% and their bad LDL cholesterol by 11% after just three weeks of drinking five daily cups of black tea. "A cup or two a day for a longer period should also work," says Joseph Judd, PhD. 20. Honey Get out that sticky stuff! Studies have shown that honey can lower your cholesterol. It slows the oxidation (dangerous plaque deposits in blood vessel walls that can lead to heart attack and stroke) of bad LDL cholesterol in human blood. 21. Fruits and Vegetables Make sure and get in five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. It’s easier than you think, and it’s probably the simplest way to lower your cholesterol. 22. Beware of Trans-Fat Foods Trans-fat foods are foods with the wrong types of fat in them – the fats that can send your cholesterol levels soaring. Here’s a list of ten bad ones: - Cake mixes - Cereal bars and energy bars - Chips and crackers - Dried soups - Fast food - Frozen entrées - Margarine - Nondairy creamers and whipped topping - Packaged cookies and candy - Packaged doughnuts, pies, and cakes GET MOVING Eating the right foods goes hand in hand with exercise. Getting your heart pumping is a great way to get healthy. Here are some good things to do to get that cholesterol where it needs to be. 23. Golf Now you have a great reason to hit that golf course. According to Michele Stanten, Prevention.com's Fitness Director, when 55 sedentary, middle-age men started playing golf two or three times a week, over a five month period they Increased "good" HDL cholesterol by 5%, and lowered "bad" LDL cholesterol and triglycerides by 4%. 24. Walking Walking is a very effective exercise for getting healthy. In fact, taking a 15-20 minute walk every day can reduce your bad cholesterol by up to 8%. 25. Yoga According to www.yoga.com , yoga can be very beneficial at getting cholesterol levels where they need to be. Practicing yoga on a regular basis improves the blood and oxygen flow in the body, which aids in the removal of toxins and waste. GO NATURAL There are lots of vitamins, minerals and herbs that can help get those cholesterol levels where they need to be. Below are some ideas to help you. 26. Pantethine Pantethine can significantly reduce LDL-cholesterol (the bad) while increasing HDL (the good) levels in several clinical trials. While you can get pantethine in supplement form (you can read more and order some here:https://www.loweringcholesterol.net/supplement-category/Pantethine), Pantethine also occurs naturally in these foods: - Vegetables - Dairy - Eggs - Grains - Meat - Liver - Salmon - Yeast 27. Artichoke Extract This heart healthy extract can help lower your cholesterol levels. In studies, it’s been proven to lower cholesterol up to 18%. You can find out more and get some here: www.HerbsPro.com. 28. Vitamin C Vitamin C is great at reducing bad cholesterol. Says Sudhir Kurl, MD, “Vitamin C minimizes artery damage from free radicals, reduces blood pressure, and helps control cholesterol.” 29. Vitamin E Taking Vitamin E each day may help keep the bad cholesterol out of your diet, which in turn helps your heart to be healthy. Vitamin E also raises the level of good cholesterol. 30. Calcium Research shows that calcium can help reduce cholesterol. It attaches to cholesterol-carrying bile acids and expels them from the body as waste, thus lowering the total cholesterol and the LDL cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol).