A Letter To My Husband

I Love My Husband - - - I tell him this every day - - - but I wanted to put my 'love' into words on paper [computer] so that he could read them. . . . . often. . . . . especially during difficult times.

Ron -

Have I mentioned lately how  your support makes my day-to-day life easier or how it's such a relief knowing I can depend on you whenever I'm feeling frustrated, worried, or when I need to talk?

Have I mentioned lately how much I appreciate your encouragement or thanked you for the way any one of your countless compliments have reassured me and made me smile?

Have I mentioned lately how much your love means to me and how blessed I am to have you in my life?

I love you, appreciate you, and hope you carry this with you in your heart - especially during difficult times.

All My Love,  Your Terrie

I Like This Challenge

Happy Monday Morning -

I'm in a Biggest Loser's Group [just to keep me on track with more healthful food choices] and the challenge this week is to eat at least 3 vegetables per day.  I really like this challenge but started wondering about in what 'form' to get these veggies.....i.e., fresh, frozen, or canned???  This will become increasingly important as winter choices in the produce aisle [in terms of quality and price] offer 'slim pickings' for those on a budget.

So - After some research - this is what I've found - AND DID NOT KNOW:

• Advances in food technology - such as 'flash freezing' traps nutrients immediately after harvest.
• Packaged fruits and vegetables that have been flash frozen offer similar taste and health benefits to fresh produce.
• In some instances, frozen and canned produce may actually deliver 'more' of a particular nutrient.
• Frozen spinach, for instance, typically contains 80% 'more' beta-carotene, a cancer-fighting antioxidant, than fresh spinach! 
• Fresh produce, can lose nutrients during shipping and display.
• Processed tomato products contain a 'higher level' of the antioxidant lycopene than fresh tomatoes.
• Levels of vitamin C are significantly increased when ascorbic acid is added to both frozen and canned produce to preserve color.
• Fresh items begin to lose their nutrients after 3 to 4 days.  So stock your pantry and freezer with packaged fruits and vegetables for times when fresh produce is scare, expensive or inconvenient.
• When selecting 'healthy' canned and frozen produce - look for "reduced sodium" or "no salt added" on the label.
• Choose canned fruit packed in its own juice with no sugar added.
• Find plain frozen vegetable medleys without sauce - add your own seasonings at home.
• Buy packages of frozen vegetables in which the contents 'move freely'; they are less likely to have lost nutrients through thawing and refreezing.

Hope you join me in this week's CHALLENGE to eat at least 3 vegetables per day.  You might even lose some weight in the process - BONUS!!!

Have a great day.  As Always, Terrie

YES!  IT'S MONDAY!!!

I Forget!!!!

Good Sunday Morning:  I am now 55 years of age and sometimes - "I just forget stuff!"  Here is one example:  I notice during a conversation [usually at Friday night dinner] that my husband and kids will be talking about a movie they watched and it sounds so good that I too want to see it.  However, my husband or children will 'quickly' point out to me that I've already seen it!!!  Not Good!!!

 

So today - I want to talk about possible ways to 'set our brains to 'REMEMBER' instead of FORGET!

A Little Bit About FOLATE:

• Research suggests that 'FOLATE' protects against DNA malfunctioning. 
• Folate may enhance the body's ability to repair cellular damage that's caused by certain 'carcinogens'.
• It may also regulate the body's concentrations of an amino acid called 'homocysteine'.
• People with elevated 'honocysteine' levels have nearly 'double' the risk of developing Alzheimer's AND heart disease.
• Without folate, enzymes that usually break down 'homocysteine', lose their potency - thus leaving cells vulnerable.

Some FOLATE Facts:

1. Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for folate = 400 micrograms per day;
2. Foods you can get folate from include:  1 c wheat/bran flakes = 530 mcg, 1 c raisin bran = 400 mcg, 1 c wheat chex = 400 mcg, 1 c lentils = 358 mcg, 1 c spinach = 263 mcg, 1 c black beans = 256 mcg, 1 c kidney beans = 230 mcg, 1 c collard greens = 177 mcg, 1 c chickpeas = 161 mcg, 1/2 c peanuts = 106 mcg, 1 c peas = 101 mcg, 1 c enriched spaghetti = 98 mcg, 1 c broccoli = 78 mcg.
3. The longer fresh produce is stored - the more folate is LOST;
4. Cooking vegetables in water leaches out folate, so STEAM or stir-fry.

Enjoy this Sunday and remember to get your FOLATE in.

As Always, Terrie



 This just makes me laugh - so I thought I'd share......

What Brings You Joy?

It's Friday afternoon - and I'm 'stealing' away to write this blog post while my youngest grand baby sleeps in the room next to me.   After we have read our usual nap time books and I have rubbed her back while she falls asleep - I take a moment to watch this precious babe 'nap' and I knew that today's post had to be about JOY!

Here are just a few of the things that personally bring me JOY:

• Watching my oldest grand daughter [Caitlyn 8] read to her younger brother [Evan 6] and her youngest cousin [Bella 2].  Actually puts a lump in my throat to see these precious children love each other and nourish each other.
• Taking nature walks with the 'grands'.  We not only come back with lots of bugs and leaves and flowers - but also pick up the trash along the way because they know that it's important to the environment.
• Doing anything involving 'crafts' with my little ones.  This has been my job as 'mother', 'auntie', brownie, cub scout and girl scout leader, and now as 'grandma'.  We bake [just made pumpkin spice cupcakes this morning with Bella], we paint, we collect, we dig for treasures.  Not a day that I have the kids goes by that we don't craft something for someone.
• Most recently I find JOY in watching my grandson Evan writing his letters, his name and the pride that he gets from sharing that with me. 
• My children are my other JOY - my Patrick Garrie and my Christina Teresa.  I love that they share their 'time' - their 'children' - their 'Friday nights' with me and my husband.  After 8 years - I know this is asking a lot.....I'm happy they 'want' to be with us.  It especially brings me JOY to see them with their spouses [Jen and Pete] interacting with their beautiful children.  That love alone FILLS MY SOUL.  I am happy to be a part of it......ANY part of it.

"Whatever it is that FILLS 'YOU' WITH JOY - - - - -
Immerse yourself in it - - - - - as often as possible".

As Always, Terrie

P.S.  I'd love to hear what brings YOU JOY.  Have a wonderful weekend.

Confessions Of Someone Who Is Not Perfect!

Good Beautiful Thursday Morning Everyone -

"I AM NOT PERFECT!"  Okay, I've said it - and I OWN IT [as Oprah would say!]  I have some confessions also.

• I am 'average' - not beautiful or pretty - just 'average looking'.  [My husband and/or mother might disagree - but - I'm just your 'average looking person'.]
• I get 'jealous' of those who have more 'self will power than I do'!  YEP!  It's not pretty - but that's the absolute truth of it.
• I make MISTAKES - and have made some 'real doozies' in the PAST!
• Sometimes - I'm a 'little' lazy;
• Sometimes - I'm a 'little' 'full of myself' - [usually when I'm being overlooked or discounted].
• Sometimes I 'elaborate' to make a story a little more exciting!!! 

Despite all my 'imperfections' - I'm still "OK".  .  .  .  . AND SO ARE YOU. 

Sometimes I will read things on Facebook or Blogs that others write and think - "WOW!  That looks and sounds like a PERFECT life."  But guess what?  There is no PERFECT.  "I'm OK and You're OK".  Just the way we are.  Not PERFECT here!!! ......but always trying to do better every single day.

Have a "not so perfect' day everyone.  As always, Terrie

Angry Much ???

Here are some "Pearls of Wisdom" for those times when you find yourself ANGRY about something.

• For every minute you are angry, you lose sixty seconds of happiness.
• Ralph Waldo Emerson
• Swallowing angry words is much  more palatable than having to eat them.
• Unknown
• When angry, count to ten before you speak.  If very angry - a hundred!
• Thomas Jefferson
• Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else - but you're the one who gets burned.
• Buddha
• Let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger.
• James 1:19
• Have patience with all things, but mostly with 'yourself'.
• St. Francis de Sales
• You cannot shake hands with a clenched fist.
• Indira Ghandhi
• To be wronged is nothing unless you remember it.
• Confucius
• Shoulds and should nots - the more you have, the angrier you will be.
• Arnold & Clifford Lazarus, Ph.D.
• Anyone can become angry - that is easy.  But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose and in the right way - this is not easy.
• Aristotle
• A chip on the shoulder indicates that there is wood higher up!  LOL!
• Jack Herbert

Here's hoping your day is filled with HAPPINESS.  As Always, Terrie

Friendships and Happiness

I have a 'bestie' that I have known since we were both 5 years old.  I have known her and confided in her for over 50 years now!  I have known her longer than I have known my 'husband' and she has always 'been there for me' - and I have always 'been there for her'.  Fifty years..........she is IMPORTANT to MY HAPPINESS.

This beautiful woman in my life once wrote me the following - "I don't know what I did to get so lucky, but I know my LIFE would feel incomplete without 'your' friendship."

She went on to say "I thank you for every MEMORY [and we have many] - and every SMILE we share, and I want you to know how much you mean to me.  My 'forever' friend."

You may wonder how I can remember 'exact' quotes from her?  Well - as I said - she is IMPORTANT in my life.  I keep everything she has ever given me.  She is more than just 'my bestie' - she is part of my FAMILY.

"I love you Barb - I am here for you - always will be."  Love your bestie - Terrie

  Thought this would put a smile on your face.

Stress Management - Famous & Not-So-Famous Quips & Quotes

We ALL go through 'STUFF' in Life - - - yesterday was a 'particularly' stressful day for me personally.  So the following is for ME as well as any one out there who is having STRESS touch their lives right now.  

*  A crisis is a shortcut to the future - NOT the end of the world.

*  If you can't go around it, over it, or through it, you'd better learn to negotiate it.

*  Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.  (Parkinson's Law)

*  I've had a lot of trouble in my life, most of which NEVER happened.  (Mark Twain)

 

*  Speak when you're angry - and you'll make the best speech you'll ever regret!  (SO TRUE)

*  The time to relax - is when you don't have time for it.

*  People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one!!!  LOL!

*  To err is human, but when the eraser wears out ahead of the pencil, you're overdoing it!

 

*  We hope 'vaguely' - but dread 'precisely'.

*  Why not put off worrying about today until tomorrow?  By then, it will be yesterday.

*  Not to decide - is to decide!  (LOVE THIS!)

*  The time you 'enjoy' wasting, is NOT wasted time.                                                                           

*  An optimist expects dreams to come true.  A pessimist expects nightmares!

*  Remember, no one can MAKE you feel inferior without YOUR consent.  [Eleanor Roosevelt]

 

 

 

 

*  The best thing about the future is that it comes 'one day at a time'.  [Abe Lincoln]

*  Do not take life too seriously.   You'll never get out of it alive!                                                       

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 "I wish you sunshine, clear skies, happiness and peace". 

As Always, Terrie

 



More On The Glycemic Index

Happy Sunday Everyone -
Today's blog post is dedicated to a good friend of mine who just lost her beloved Golden Retriever. 
Thinking of you.

 

 

Yesterday I talked about symptoms of 'blood sugar imbalance' - today I'd like to share more on the Glycemic Index and describe some foods and their release rate of glucose into the bloodstream.  This just might help you keep on a more 'even keel' and give your brain balance.

 



DID YOU KNOW? ? ?

• that 'mood' is essentially linked to two particular brain messenger molecules called "neurotransmitters" . . . they are 'serotonin and dopamine'.
• when either your serotonin and/or your dopamine levels are too low - - - your mood unfortunately is likely to follow.
• when blood sugar levels are low, serotonin and dopamine also fall and it is during this time that you are less able to handle stress.
• that 'fiber' plays an important role in managing your blood sugar levels.
• that the more fiber in your meal, the slower the glucose is released into the bloodstream and thereby blood-sugar levels increase gradually.

Some common foods and their 'release' rates:

 

Slow-releasing foods include:  Fish/seafood, meat/poultry; eggs, whole milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, soy/tofu, seeds/nuts, tahini, green vegetables, tomatoes, mushrooms, raw root vegetables, grapefruit, plums.

 

Moderate-releasing foods include:  Whole rye bread, oatmeal, barley, basmati rice, buckwheat, pita bread, apples, pears, grapes, peaches, kiwi fruit, carrots, beets, lentils, kidney beans, garbanzo beans, skimmed milk, low-fat yogurt.

 

Fast-releasing foods include:  All pasta, oranges, peas, baked beans, potatoes, muesli, popcorn, whole wheat bread.

 

Very fast-releasing foods include:  Cornflakes, cooked root vegetables, rice cakes, white bread, white and brown rice, whole-kernel corn, bananas, dried fruit, apricots, mangoes, honey.

 

Think about the foods you eat - - - you might find that the list of above rings true when you think about how you feel after eating each one and how it affects how quickly 'sugars' are being released into your body.

 

Choose your foods carefully to avoid that steep rise in blood sugar and you will stay more 'balanced' in mood and energy level and the effects of the 'blood sugar seesaw'. 

 

HAVE A BEAUTIFUL - HAPPY - HEALTHY DAY!  As always, Terrie

 

Keep Your Body Balanced

HAPPY SATURDAY TO ONE AND ALL :-)

Today I want to talk a little bit about 'keeping your body balanced' and I'll start by having you answer a few questions:

Have you ever had recurrent dives in your mood? 

Is your concentration a little 'off'?

How about your energy level?

Feeling a little 'blue'?

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, you may be experiencing 'blood sugar imbalance'.

If you drink that cup of coffee or tea in the morning and feel 'great' for a while, but then begin to go into a 'slump' - - - chances are you are suffering the effects of the 'blood sugar seesaw'.

DID YOU KNOW - - - ?

• when blood sugar plummets - lethargy, irritability, light-headedness or headaches may set in;
• that when you automatically reach for that extra cup of coffee or grab that sugar-loaded snack, you've just hopped on to the 'blood sugar seasaw' again.

So - how do I get off the seesaw you may ask????

• First recognize which foods or drinks 'cause' the blood sugar levels to rise the quickest.  [The easy ones to spot are cookies, candy, doughnuts, chocolate, coffee and tea.  But the more insidious culprits may be:  bread, baked beans, fruit juice, sugary breakfast cereals, catsup and 'most' convenience meals!]  You can begin to see just how easy it is to 'over indulge in sugar'.

To stabilize your blood sugar levels - follow these simple rules:

1. Eat, regularly;
2. Don't skip breakfast;
3. Never go more that four hours without food;
4. Try eating 5 or 6 smaller meals in you have any of the symptoms listed above;
5. Choose food 'carefully' to avoid steep rises in blood sugar.

Tomorrow I will talk about the 'Glycemic Index' - also known as GI.  You are going to want to become familiar with this index if you answered yes to any of the symptoms listed above. 

Until then, "Good health and wellness to everyone".  Terrie

Laughter May Just Be 'The Best Medicine'

This post is dedicated to my daughter who reminded me today that laughter - real belly hurting, fall out of your chair laughter - might just 'heal all'!

DID YOU KNOW THAT LAUGHTER - - -

1. works faster than any medication and is free of any side effects;
2. has many health benefits;
3. is physically good for you - it's a 'super vitamin';
4. relieves muscle tension, improves memory and the immune system;
5. enhances your intake of oxygen-rich air and stimulates your lungs;
6. helps your mind perform faster and better.

 We all know we feel better once we've laughed - that's because it helps us replace distressing emotions with pleasurable feelings.

We adults need to look for humor around us and stop taking ourselves too seriously. 
Did you know that kids under 5 years old laugh an average 400 times a day?  However, that number drops to 3 - 5 times a day by the time we reach age '37'! 

A wise person once said, "Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone".

Have a great day........and I hope you LAUGH.  As Always, Terrie

Practicing Positivity

If you want to make those around you 'feel good' and have people 'want' to be around you - practice 'POSITVITY'.

Here's how: 

• Be generous with praise;
• Be quick with a smile;
• Always be on the lookout for the positive in a situation;
• Look at things 'light-heartedly';
• Be enthusiastic - it's contagious;
• Inject drama into every project you pursue;
• Find ways to make everything more exciting;

Okay - so there may be a few 'cynics' that you run across while you're practicing being positive.
Don't let them 'drag YOU drown' though - stick to YOUR convictions that:

- "IT IS GOOD TO BE ALIVE" -

- "WORK CAN BE FUN" - and

- "NO MATTER WHAT - YOU WILL NEVER LOSE YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR!"

Don't take MY word for it.  Try "practicing positivity" on your own.  Pretty soon the world will look better around you.  You'll have more energy and optimism AND others will wish their glass was half as full as yours!

CHEERS AND GOOD HEALTH TO EVERYONE.

Terrie

 

 

Once There Was A Little Girl

A LOT IS GOING ON IN MY LIFE - - - [I mean a LOT!]

I am normally - a really 'happy' 'content' 'giving' person.  I wanted to write this blog to share some of my JOYS and HAPPINESS in hopes that I could help 'lift others up who may need it' - cause let's face it - LIFE IS TOUGH sometimes.

Anyway - when I am having a 'hard time' with whatever difficulty may be presenting itself - I find myself feeling a little bit like that 'little girl I was growing up' who didn't know quite how to wade through the 'hard stuff' to get back to Happy......thus the title of this post.

So today's post is simply a reminder to get myself - to get 'focused' on THE GOOD STUFF I HAVE IN MY LIFE and HOW TRULY BLESSED I AM.

Have a Wonderful Day.  Terrie

In Life - - - Somedays You Just Have to Create Your Own Sunshine!

"IT IS GOOD TO BE ALIVE!"

Want to feel better about your life?  Incorporate the following into your life and you'll feel BETTER very soon.  I promise.

1. Put yourself at the TOP of the list.  Love yourself.  Take care of you so that you can be there for others. 
2. Get your priorities straight.  Stop 'reacting' to life and take 'control' over setting your own priorities that are meaningful to you. 
3. If something or someone is 'draining you' or 'sapping your energy', figure out what or who it is and "FIX IT".  Ex:  Is it a cluttered house?  Organize it and get rid of the clutter.   Or - downsize your material possessions.  Is it a co-worker or family member who constantly complains?  Tell the person you are 'busy' and be less available so that they might move on to their next 'victim'.  It isn't bad to give yourself this 'break' sometimes from negative energy, it's healthy.
4. Invest in YOUR health.  See some of my earlier posts which elaborate on this. 
5. Figure out what gives YOU 'great pleasure' - "for ME - it is my FAMILY".  For you, it may be 'alone time' or 'creating' or 'learning' or 'whatever'.  Whatever that 'thing' is for you - make sure you get a 'healthy dose' on a regular basis.  I DO.
6. Surround yourself with 'high quality' relationships that support YOU.  Pick those people that encourage you to be your best.
7. Take time to connect with yourself.  Whether you need to meditate to do this or go for a long walk or sit quietly - "nurture and honor your spiritual well-being".

Words of Wisdom

• The best way to get even is to forget!
• Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death.
• The mighty oak tree was once a little nut that held its ground!
• To forgive is to set the prisoner free, and then discover the prisoner is YOU!
• It's oaky to sit on the "pity pot" every now and then.  Just be sure to flush when you finish.
• You are richer today if you have laughed, loved, given and forgiven.

 

What's So Great About Water?

Water is an essential element of LIFE and a very important component of any serious weight-loss program.

Water makes up 80% of our blood and brain - and about 50% of your body tissues.  It is vitally important to your good health.

Water regulates the body's temperature and aids the liver and kidneys in processing body waste (toxins). 

Water is also necessary for nutrient and oxygen transport in your body and for absorption and utilization of vitamins and minters.

So Drink Up!

Promised some good water recipes:  Note:  You can make a pitcher of any of these, store in refrigerator over night and drink the entire contents the next day to get your daily water needs.
Just fill a large pitcher with whatever fruits or herbs you like from the selection below, add ice half way and the rest with H2O.

1. My favorite is frozen pineapple tidbits and mint leaves.  YUMMY!
2. Orange slices, lemon wedges and lime wedges.
3. Orange slices with a cinnamon stick thrown in.
4. Cucumber - plain.
5. Cucumber - fancy - throw in some mint.
6. Lemon - plain.
7. Lemon - fancy - thrown in some basil. 

You get the picture.  Let your creativity flow here and create some of your own.   Some organic grocery stores are now selling single glasses of some of the above and charging $1.99 per serving.

I'd love to get some feedback on these if anyone comes up with something so that we can share it.

Thank you and have a wonderful FRIDAY [wrote this Thursday night because I have my grandkids tomorrow]!  LOL!

October Self Care Tips

Just got back from the gym on this rainy 'beautiful' day.

Here are some helpful self care tips for you for the Month of October.

• Increase your daily activity.  You can do this slowly and progress to bigger and better things.  Just stay consistent and you will reap 'HUGE' benefits health wise.  For instance - take the stairs instead of the elevator.  Make this a supplement to other forms of exercise.  Or - park your car the further distance away from your grocer so you have a little bit of a jaunt to get back and forth.  These little 'life' changes will bring you 'big' benefits if you do them regularly.
• Don't forget to perform your monthly exams [ex:  self breast checks] - and GET THE FLU SHOT!  Just remember - 'an ounce of prevention' - may save your life.
• Instead of drinking your calories - why not eat them?  A large orange contains 80-120 calories, the same as one cup of juice.  Eating the fresh fruit gives you the added benefit of fiber and takes longer to each which just might be more satisfying to you.
• Listen to your back!  I learned this one the hard way.....  If you are having twinges of pain at the back of the waist, down one leg [or both] - see your doctor.  These symptoms are not normal to a healthy back and should be checked out.
• Finally - hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.  Lubricate that body of yours so that it works better for you. 

A little bit about 'bottled water' - DID YOU KNOW? 

• Most bottled water actually comes from tap water???  To improve your drinking water experience, try a carafe-style water filter to filter chlorine, rust, sulphur, sediment and copper.  Yep - that can all be in your tap water - and your bottled water!  A filter can also reduce water's lead level by 93%!!!  I have seen re-usable water bottles now that also have a filter in them so you can fill and bring them to the gym.   Love that!
• If you just HATE drinking water - [as I used to] - you can add a slice of lemon or orange to it so that it is tastier.  I'll include more recipes for 'home-made' flavored waters in my next post.

HAVE A GREAT DAY - Terrie

Paying It Forward aka Random Acts of Kindness

Today I am going out to "Pay it Forward" to someone out there . . .
I don't know who it will be, where it will be, or when it will occur - but I'm going to
try to make someones life just a 'little' bit happier today.

You may have heard about the little boy in some movie that I can't recall the title of right now,
whose teacher assigned the class that they go out and do a "Random Act of Kindness".  The
moral of the story is - - - that in the end - - - the GIVER of the ACT gets back 'two-fold' what they originally GAVE! 

With what is happening right now in our government - ie., the SHUT DOWN, non-resolution, the bickering and the ego's,  I thought this an appropriate time to get out there and show just one other human being - that 'WE THE PEOPLE' can make a DIFFERENCE. 

I hope that MANY OF YOU WILL JOIN ME TODAY.

THANK YOU.

Choose Health

Everyone experiences stress as a part of life. 

The pressures of time, money, and relationships ensure that stress will ALWAYS be with us.

Reactions to stress vary and can take their toll, both mentally and physically.  Some of the common stress symptoms include:

• Tense muscles that cause headache, backache, neckache, or jaw ache;
• Stomach pain, indigestion, bowel upset, ulcers;
• Anxiety, nervousness, tension, depression;
• Anger, irritability, restlessness or exhaustion.

Managing stress is IMPORTANT not only for your health, but also for successful relations in your personal life or at work.

Here are some coping skills for Stress Management:

• Get organized - organizing the details of daily life reduces stress.  Plan, schedule, and keep good records or a calendar or a 'to do' list.
• Do it now - doing the most difficult or least pleasant tasks at the beginning of the day when you are fresh can avoid the stress of worrying about them all day.
• Know YOUR limits - be realistic about what you can accomplish.  Planning you goals can even out those stressful peaks and valleys.
• Change YOUR attitude - train yourself to see stressful situations as 'challenges' rather than obstacles.
• Talk it over - talking about difficult issues with a friend or family member can help reduce stress and also possibly help you form a 'solution'.
• Take a break - a little break in the middle of a stressful situation can give you a new prospective on the problem.  Take a moment to clear your mind.
• Learn to say "NO" - "I have a hard time with this one, so you're not alone".  There will always be some demands over which you have no control.  However, separate these from activities over which you DO have control and learn to say "no" to unreasonable demands.
• Use positive self-talk - in the face of a stressful situation you can manage with positive statements, such as, "I CAN handle this ONE STEP AT A TIME".
• TREAT YOUR BODY RIGHT - "I can't say this enough".  You will be better equipped to handle stress if you each a balanced diet, get enough sleep and exercise REGULARLY.  "I know it's not easy - but - try, try, try again".
• Take charge - take RESPONSIBILITY for making YOUR life what YOU want it to be.

Strategies To Improve Your Sleep

To enhance your sleep, consider the following suggestions:

• Avoid rigorous exercise, nicotine use, alcohol and caffeine consumption before bedtime.
• Make the temperature and noise levels comfortable for sleeping.
• Go to sleep when you are drowsy.
• If you are unable to sleep, get out of bed and go to another room.  Occupy yourself with a peaceful activity.  Return to bed when you are drowsy.
• Get up at the same time every day.
• Avoid daytime napping.

Mindfulness

Ever wonder where our good and enjoyable times go as we rush through life???

Do you find that you are spending a great deal of time thinking about the future or the past . . .while the present slips by???

Is your mind racing, thinking ahead, worrying, judging and you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed?

Do you often put yourself on 'automatic pilot'?

Mindfulness is strategy to keep your attention in the present moment. 

Here are some tips to practice Mindfulness. . . . .

• Remember to turn off the automatic pilot response!
• Focus on the sensations you are experiencing
• Live each second as fully aware as you can. . .
• Attend to the here and now
• Observe when your thoughts wander - refocus to the here and now.
• Practice mindfulness as a way to think before responding to someone
• The goal of mindfulness is to 'observe'.
  
  
  

Managing Stress

• Change your Attitude!
• Focus on the Positive and the Good.
• Hope for the BEST - yet Prepare to be Flexible if the situation calls for it.
• Adopt the Belief - that YOU ARE 'in Charge' of YOUR Destiny.
• Have a sense of Spiritual Optimism.
• Choose your Struggles carefully - aka - "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff"!
• STOP Blaming Yourself.
• Try not to control everything and everyone.

Nine Secrets to Happiness

• Stay Flexible
• Live in the Moment
• Make Happiness Your Mantra!
• Be Generous
• Take Responsibility
• Find the Positive in Problems and Disaster
• Be Centered!
• Know Thyself
• Tell the Truth