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Spring Into Spring

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March 30, 2009

 Energize! (8 EASY ways to increase your energy)

Notice the word EASY.  Let's not kid ourselves.... If it's not easy, I won't do it, and I imagine you're the same way.  So, here are some EASY ways to improve your health and general well being.

1.  Drink lots of water.  8 full glasses a day.  Everyone is different but on average 8 glasses is what is recommended.  Water is the body's principal chemical component.  We are approximately 60% water.  Every system depends on water.  Water flushes toxins out of our organs and carries nutrients to our cells.  Even mild dehydration can drain energy.  This is an easy one.  Make sure you always have a cool bottle of water on hand and drink up.

2.  Eat good stuff.  Fruits and vegetables are good for you.  Spring is here and soon we will be able to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables from our own gardens, but for now, stock up on some in season fruits and vegetables at your local market.  Be colorful with your choices.  Lots of greens but add some yellows (squash), oranges (carrots) and reds (tomatoes).  Food is fuel, make sure you are using the right blend.

3.  Stay away from "white" food.  Limit your intake of sugar and refined carbohydrates.  If it comes in a box, it probably tastes good, but it is not so good for you.  Read the label.  If you can't pronounce it, and you don't know what it is, you probably don't want to be eating it.  Fast food restaurants may be convenient and inexpensive but cutting down on fats, sugars and refinded carbs will give you more energy.

4.  When and how you eat can be just as important as what you eat.  You don't need to follow the clock, breakfast at 8, lunch at noon, and dinner at 6.  Breakfast really is the most important meal.  You need a good breakfast in order to have the energy to perform well during the day.  A doughnut and coffee is not a good breakfast (see numbers 3 and 5).  Good proteins and carbohydrates will give you the fuel you need.  Not sure of the difference between a "good carb" and a "bad carb", ask a personal trainer or nutritionist.  Try eating several small meals instead of 2 or 3 big meals.  You'll find that your energy level is more consistent.  You may even eliminate that 3 p.m. slump altogether.

5.  While we are limiting things, limit caffeine.  Caffeine may be good for a short jolt but in the long run, an herbal or green tea much better.  Coffee isn't the only culprit.  Chocolate, colas and energy drinks can have high levels of caffeine.  Caffeine is a drug and too much of it can cause anxiety, dizziness, headaches, the "jitters" and can interfere with normal sleep patterns.  Caffeine may also contribute to bone density problems and aggravate certain heart problems.  Cutting back or stopping is a good idea but cut back slowly or you could suffer headaches and irritability.

6.  Speaking of sleep, getting enough, good quality sleep is essential.  Create a good sleep environment.  You can't sleep well if the TV and lights are on.  A hectic day can follow you so clear your mind.  Learn some easy meditation or yoga techniques or read a book.

7.  Exercise.  Exercise is one of the easiest ways I know to increase energy.  It is a common misconception that exercise makes you tired.  Working out in the morning may help you sleep better at night, but exercise refreshes rather than tires.  Exercise can be EASY.  You don't need to join a gym and lift weights or run miles every day, although it is a lot of fun.  Simply walking for 15 or 20 minutes a day and taking the stairs instead of the elevator are easy forms of exercise.

8.  Adopt a positive mental attitude. Attitude is a choice.  You can choose to be happy or not.  I choose happiness, I hope you do also.  Stuff happens to all of us, and we need to deal with it, but we don't need to dwell on the negative things in our lives.  Start the day off with a positive thought paste a smile on your face and go.  Surround yourself with positive people and ideas. Distance yourself from negative people.  Find the good and the fun in everything. 

Now, that's wasn't so difficult.  I even kept it at 8 tips instead of the usual 10 because I wanted to make it easy for you to learn ways to increase your energy so that you can enjoy Spring.  Choose one or two to start and get going.  It's been a long Winter, let's make the most of a beautiful Spring. 

Having Fun With Holidays

The other day a friend asked me why I choose the "holidays" that I do for the Dates to Remember section of my newsletter.  If you search the web for "holidays"  you'll see that there is a holiday or observance for almost every day of the year.  Even some desk calendars list a holiday every day.  Most of the holidays are pretty obscure and some are pretty humorous.  The site, www.brownielocks.com  has a great collection of very unusual "holidays" broken down by month.  I'll scan the site, first choosing the very common holidays, the ones most people recognize, like Passover and Easter and even April Fool's Day.  Then I'll choose others because they are fun or have a special meaning for me.  For example, April 14th is Children with Alopecia Day.  Alopecia or alopecia areta is an autoimmune disorder, which causes hair follicles to shut down resulting in long-term medical hair loss.  Many children suffering from Alopecia areta are clients served by Locks of Love which is one of my favorite non-profit organizations.  I added International "Louie Louie" Day because my friend, Barney Kalman, was the drummer with the original Kingsmen. I thought Barney would get a kick out of it.

Here is the list of Dates to Remember for April.  See if any of these are among your favorites!

April Dates to Remember

 

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