Healthy Eating and Super Foods - 4 Health Benefits of Watermelons

Think back to when you were a child and when during the summer months, the pinnacle of cookouts and family gatherings was always the cold juicy watermelon that was for desert. When you were young, eating watermelon was about taste, but now that you’re older it’s more than just taste that should inspire you to eat lots of watermelon each year when the season arises. This is because watermelons have tremendous health benefits that anyone who lives a healthy lifestyle should be determined to take advantage of every year. With that said, let’s take a closer look at some of these health benefits this fruit has to offer. Health Benefit of Watermelons #1: LycopeneLycopene is an antioxidant found in most red-colored fruits, with the exception of a few, such as strawberries. Scientific studies have shown that Lycopene reduces the risk of prostate cancer and heart disease in people, especially men, the sex most prone to these diseases. Men who eat a diet high in lycopene are much less likely to suffer a heart attack then men who don’t. Health Benefit of Watermelons #2: Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 is an important attribute to have in a healthy diet because it promotes chemicals in the brain that help people to cope with anxiety and panic, two psychological disorders that are on the rise in America today. Health Benefit of Watermelons #3: Vitamin CIf you thought oranges were the only fruit that could provide you with Vitamin C, think again. Vitamin C is important to not only being healthy, but remaining attractive all your life. Vitamin C boosts the immune system so that you get sick less often and it also slows down aging and medical conditions such as cataract. Health Benefit of Watermelons #4: Vitamin AVitamin A works much like Vitamin C, in that it helps boost immunity, but it also help your body fight off infection. It also prevents blindness. As you can see, eating watermelon is almost tantamount to taking a multivitamin every morning, but with a much better taste. Watermelons are seasonal, which means that they are not available all year long, like fruits such as apples, which also means that when they are in season you should make sure and take advantage. When you go to the store to purchase one you want to try and find one that is ripe and ready to eat. The best way to do this is to knock on the outside of the rind. If you hear a hollow sound then melon is ready to eat, but if you hear solid thud put it back. The fruit is over ripe and you won’t be getting very good flavor from it. Buy you water melon and eat it within the first few days of getting it home. Everything about it is healthy, and in addition, it won’t leave you feeling over stuffed if you eat too much. So the next time the weather becomes warmer and summer is approaching, don’t forget about watermelons. Eat up and get the extra boost they will add to your healthy lifestyle.

There is an array of prescribed arthritis medications which doctors can provide to treat rheumatoid arthritis. While these arthritis medications may not provide a cure for, they can bring pain relief, alleviate symptoms, and even slow down the development of rheumatoid arthritis.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can reduce pain and assist with inflammation. These drugs may be used as an arthritis medicine and can be purchased over the counter and via. (Most everyone is familiar with aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen sodium.) The only negative issue with these arthritis medications is they can lead to stomach problems, such as indigestion and bleeding. They can also raise blood pressure in a person and make them prone to fluid retention.

COX-2 inhibitors are a kind of Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs which result in less issues with the stomach. This class of arthritis medication works by suppressing an enzyme called cyclooxygenase which is involved in inflammation. However, fluid retention and raised blood pressure are side effects of COX-2 inhibitors. Reports are also coming in that those who take this class of drug may be at higher risk of a stroke or heart attack.

Corticosteroids are arthritis medications which are able to lessen pain and reduce inflammation. They can also slow down the damage to joints brought on by rheumatoid arthritis. In fact, many arthritis patients who take corticosteroids have claimed that they feel substantially improved. However, after a period of time the effectiveness of corticosteroids may wear off. There is also the possibility of suffering significant side effects such as diabetes, weight gain, and decreased bone density, after continued use of corticosteroids.

It is crucial to see a doctor at the earliest signs of rheumatoid arthritis. While modern medicine has not been able to provide a cure for arthritis, they are making strides in pain relief and reducing the pace of rheumatoid arthritis.

Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease. Immunosuppressants can be used as an arthritis medication to help control the immune system. Without such treatment, the immune system in rheumatoid arthritis patients is out of balance and it is not in control. TNF blockers are sometimes given in tandem with an immunosuppressant. TNF blockers serve to block the protein which inflames the joints. People who use TNF blockers have reported that pain was lower and stiffness alleviated.

Those diagnosed promptly with rheumatoid arthritis can be prescribed arthritis medications referred to as disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs. These drugs slow down the development of rheumatoid arthritis. So, if the arthritis is caught early, a good deal of damage to the joints can be avoided.

Everyone who smokes asks how effective the quit smoking laser therapy is before getting treatment to quit smoking with the quit smoking laser. Let me tell you how effective the quit smoking laser really is. Quit smoking laser is absolutely effective as no physical desire for smoking takes place in the client when he has been treated with the quit smoking laser. It is a fact that 80 percent of people quit smoking after having the quit smoking laser therapy treatment.Stop smoking laser is effective because during the stop smoking process, the production of endorphins is increased in the body. Endorphins are your body’s natural healers. The increased production of endorphins reduces your depression and the desire of smoking automatically decreases. As a result, no desire of smoking takes place in your body. After 3 to 4 days, the nicotine is eliminated from your body and you begin to feel better immediately. Your lungs will expand and your chances of heart attack and stroke will decrease. You can now conclude that the quit smoking laser is very effective for helping people to eliminate their addiction to cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco and other forms of nicotine. Keep in your mind that you will come to know about the effectiveness of the quitting smoking laser on the very first day of your treatment. When you leave the office for the quit smoking laser, you will not have a desire for nicotine. You will feel calm and relaxed as your body produces endorphins that mimic the effects of nicotine. You must not think that if the stop smoking laser is effective, you will surely feel a lot of pain during the laser therapy process. You do not feel any pain during the laser therapy for quitting smoking because no drug is used during the laser therapy. The process of laser therapy for stopping smoking habit is a very simple process and you do not feel any kind of pain during the process. The laser is a cold laser and you cannot feel it when it touches the skin. There are many people who have been treated for stopping smoking from the low level laser therapy. If you are a smoker, you may get rid of your smoking habit permanently by the laser therapy. Just think about the disadvantages of smoking, you will surely like to get rid of your smoking habit. The only solution for getting rid of your smoking habit is stop smoking laser because the physical cravings for nicotine will be eliminated if you are treated by the laser therapy for stopping smoking.If you do not like the habit of smoking of anyone who is present in your surroundings, you should tell just once the price of the laser therapy for stopping smoking which is less than the cost of 1 to 2 months of smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. Tell him the disadvantages of smoking as smoking can easily produce harmful diseases in your body which can permanently disable or kill you. Tell him about the effectiveness of the laser therapy. He will surely like to have the laser therapy for quitting smoking when he will come to know all this.

Hypothyroidism weight gain is caused by an under active thyroid. It afflicts millions of people every year. It is a result of a decrease in the production of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). The pituitary is the gland that produces this hormone. The thyroid regulates the metabolism which helps to control weight. Without TSH in inadequate amounts, weight gain occurs.

Although hypothyroidism weight gain is very easy to treat with medication, symptoms of gaining weight are often very subtle. As a result, physicians do not look to the thyroid first as the cause of weight gain. Often hypothyroidism weight gain is overlooked or attributed to some other underlying ailment.

In order to get weight gain under control, you will need to work with your doctor to develop a medication and exercise plan. The two are interconnected, meaning that one will not work without the other. The good news is the symptom of weight gain is one of the most treatable afflictions of the disease. It is just a matter of finding the right medication and exercise routine.

When you suffer from hypothyroidism weight gain, it is possible to lead a normal life. Your doctor will order blood tests usually every month for the first six months, then after six months and at one year intervals unless there is a change. This will help to make sure that the disease is being properly controlled.

It is important to notify your doctor if you experience any sudden weight gain as it could be a sign that your medication needs to be adjusted. It is important to notify your doctor if you feel that you are loosing too much weight, as this could be an indication that your medication dosage is too high. This is also very dangerous to your health.

Whether your medication is too high, too low or you are not taking any at all, the possible consequences are the same – heart attack or stroke. So you need to be sure that you follow up on regular blood tests to be sure your dosage is at the right level and stay on a strict schedule with it.

While you want to stop, you might not know what happens to your body when you quit smoking. In addition to nicotine, cigarettes contain many chemicals that affect your health in very damaging ways. It might be difficult to believe, but healing begins within 20 minutes when you quit smoking.

Within the first 20 minutes of quitting, your healing process begins. Your blood pressure decreases, your pulse rate drops, and the body temperature of your hands and feet increases. These benefits will continue to improve your health for years.

After eight hours of quitting smoking, the carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal and the oxygen level in your blood increases to normal.

At 24 hours, your chance of a heart attack decreases.

At 48 hours, your nerve endings begin regrowth and your ability to smell and taste improves.

And the benefits of quitting smoking are just beginning.

Between two weeks and thee months of stopping, your circulation improves, walking becomes easier, and your lung function increases.

Your worst nicotine withdrawal symptoms subside within the first month. After that, you learn how to decipher and reprogram the psychological urges to smoke that you’ve all built up over the years.

Starting as early as a month after you quit smoking, and continuing for the next several months, you may notice significant improvements in coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, and shortness of breath.

At one year smoke-free, your excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker.

Once you put a year between you and the last cigarette you smoke, congratulate yourself! Be grateful for the freedom you have created for yourself. The benefits of the positive choices you’ve made will continue to grow as you move forward from here.

For all of the work it takes to shed your addiction to nicotine, the incredible feelings of freedom and control you’ll be rewarded with when you quit smoking are just the beginning of the benefits headed your way.

At two years smoke-free, your chance of achieving long-term success with quitting tobacco increases significantly. Smoking relapse rates drop off sharply after two years.

At five years after quitting tobacco, your stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.

At 10 years smoke-free, your risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers and your risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases. Your risk of ulcers also decreases.

At 15 years smoke-free, your risk of coronary heart disease is similar to that of people who have never smoked, and your risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked.

It may be difficult to imagine yourself as an ex-smoker with 15 years of freedom from the habit. It is possible, and it starts with a first step of making the commitment to quit, and then taking action. From there, it’s just a day-by-day process.

Now that you’ve seen what happens to your body when you quit smoking, you’ll want to stop as quickly as possible. Don’t let smoking waste any more of your life.

Many experts believe smoking is only about 10 hysical addiction and a whopping 90 sychological addiction. Your body will recover fairly quickly from nicotine withdrawals (the worst symptoms usually abate in three days or less), but your psychological dependency on cigarettes can be much more difficult to defeat.

One way to combat this is to do a bit of self-analysis before giving up cigarettes.

Make a list with two columns. Label column one “Why I Started Smoking” and label column two “Why I Want To Quit Smoking.”

In column one, list all the reasons you can remember as to why you started smoking in the first place. Was it peer pressure? Rebellion? Did you think it made you look cool? Did it make you feel like a grown-up? Really try to remember the exact reasons why you started smoking and write them all down.

Now look over that list. Do any of those reasons still apply in your life today? Probably not.

If you’re like most people, you will see that your reasons for becoming a smoker are no longer valid, are often just silly, and are easily outweighed by the risks to your health and your family’s well-being.

So let’s move on to column two… Why do you want to quit smoking?

This one may seem obvious, but it can be a bit tricky. You really need to take some time and think hard about this. Don’t just list the obvious health reasons. You’ve been reading the Surgeon General’s warnings for years with little effect, so you need to come up with reasons that truly have meaning for you.

The things most people write down will NOT help you quit smoking…

- I don’t want to get lung cancer.

- I don’t want to have a heart attack or a stroke.

- I’d like to live long enough to see my grandchildren grow up.

Those are all good reasons to quit smoking, certainly… but they deal in “possibilities” rather than in specifics.

Sure you MIGHT get lung cancer, you MIGHT have a heart attack or a stroke, you MIGHT die young and miss out on seeing your grandchildren grow up…

…or you MIGHT NOT! You’re not likely to break a strong psychological addiction based on what MIGHT happen. Your mind will work hard to convince you that it won’t happen to you! Instead, list health problems that you are already experiencing.

Your list should point out things in your life that you are actively unhappy about and are STRONGLY MOTIVATED to change. In order to break your psychological addiction, you need an arsenal of new thoughts and desires that are stronger than your desire to smoke!

Here are the types of things you want to put in column two…

Why Do I Want To Quit Smoking?

1. Health Reasons

- I get so out of breath when I exert myself even a little bit. Just vacuuming the house makes me pant and gasp.

- My feet are always cold. This could be due to high blood pressure and poor circulation associated with smoking.

- I have a nasty wet cough and I have to blow my nose way too often. Mucus build-up is the body’s reaction to all the toxins and chemicals in cigarette smoke and could be a precursor to serious respiratory disease. Even if I don’t get cancer, I don’t want to be one of those people who has to tote oxygen bottles around everywhere.

- I’m always tired. Could it be that my body is using up all its energy trying to eliminate the toxins and chemicals from cigarettes?

2. Vanity Reasons

- Smoking causes premature aging and drying of the skin. I don’t want to look like a wrinkled up old prune!

- My fingers, fingernails and teeth are all tobacco stained. Disgusting! How embarrassing.

- When I get on the elevator after a smoke break at work, everyone wrinkles their nose and tries to edge away from me because I reek of cigarette smoke. I feel like a pariah. It’s embarrassing to always be the big “stinker” on the elevator. I feel like I have no self-control.

- My breath is awful. Kissing me must be like kissing an ashtray. I spend a fortune on breath mints.

3. Financial Reasons

- If I save all the money I used to spend on cigarettes, I’ll have enough to take a vacation in Cancun (or some other warm tropical place) every winter!

- I could use the money to pay off my credit cards!

- I could donate money to my favorite charity or sponsor a child. My cigarette money could make the world a better place!

4. Family Reasons

- My family can stop worrying about me.

- My spouse will have to find something new to nag me about. Just kidding, honey!

- My children will be proud of me and (hopefully) they’ll never start smoking themselves, having seen firsthand what a nasty destructive habit it is.

5. Cleanliness Reasons

- The walls used to be white. Now they’re a nasty dirty-looking brown. I need to repaint… again!

- I stink, my car stinks, my house stinks, everything I own reeks of cigarette smoke. I can’t even lend a book to a non-smoking friend because they can’t stand the smell of smoke permeating the pages!

Do you see yourself in any of the items listed? You may have many more reasons of your own. Find as many compelling and emotion reasons to quit smoking as you can think of and write them all down.

If you can re-train your mind to think of smoking as a silly and self-destructive thing to do, then you’re almost sure to succeed. And if you need something to do with your hands… try knitting!

If you answered no, are you absolutely sure? Because your life may literally depend on it.

Almost one in three American adults has high blood pressure. For black Americans, it’s closer to four out of ten adults.

These numbers are even more alarming when you realize that only a third of people with high blood pressure have it under control and another third don’t even know they have it.

**The Silent Killer**

Although it has no symptoms, high blood pressure can cause stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure. That’s why it’s called “the silent killer.” It’s also considered a risk factor for developing dementia.

Blood pressure is the force pushing against the artery walls by the flow of blood. It’s measured as two numbers given in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg), such as 140/90 mm Hg (which is said as “140 over 90″).

The top number, 140, is the systolic reading, or the highest pressure reached when the heart beats. The bottom number, 90, is the diastolic reading, or the lowest pressure when the heart relaxes between beats.

The medical community used to define normal adult blood pressure as below 140/90.

Now they’ve revised that to less than 120/80. Anything between 120/80 and 140/90 is considered to be prehypertension. Supposedly, this indicates a high risk for developing hypertension.

So it was a surprise to many people when they went from being healthy to being prehypertensive simply because doctors had changed their blood pressure classifications.

**The Surprising Killer**

But here’s a shocking fact that kills no matter how the doctors classify it.

Did you know that a person who usually has normal blood pressure can experience a sudden spike that can kill him?

It’s true.

Strenuous weightlifting - e.g., bench-pressing more than half your body weight - can cause your systolic pressure to spike to 300 mm Hg or more. Especially if you hold your breath while lifting.

Other risky activities are vigorous sports like squash or racquetball.

Weightlifting and other vigorous sports don’t cause permanent high blood pressure. So how does a temporary surge in pressure kill you?

Well, it could cause a stroke, a deadly tear in your aorta, or aortic dissection.

A tear in your aorta, the main artery in your heart, usually occurs if you have an undetected aneurysm, which is a bulge in the aorta. Most people with an aneurysm don’t know they have one.

Aortic dissection happens when the walls of the aorta split and blood enters between the layers. You’ll feel an excruciating, knife-like pain. Only immediate surgery can save your life.

So if this type of weightlifting or intense aerobic activity can kill a person with normal blood pressure, it can be even more dangerous if you already have high blood pressure.

**Get Yourself Checked**

That’s why it’s so important that everyone, whether healthy or not, have his or her blood pressure checked regularly by a physician or other healthcare professional. You should also discuss your exercise routine with your doctor to make sure it’s safe for you.

There are two types of persistent high blood pressure, essential hypertension and secondary hypertension. Only your doctor can tell you which type you have.

**Weight Can Be a Factor**

Essential hypertension is high blood pressure for no apparent reason, although diet, excess weight, and heredity may be contributing factors. About 95% of people with high blood pressure have essential hypertension.

The second kind of high blood pressure, secondary hypertension, is caused by some other medical disorder such as kidney disease. If your doctor can treat the underlying condition successfully, secondary hypertension will often disappear.

If the underlying cause can’t be eliminated, then doctors often treat secondary hypertension the same as essential hypertension.

The use of blood pressure-lowering drugs is recommended at levels of 140/90 mm Hg or higher.

**Watch Out for Side Effects**

But the medications can have unpleasant and possibly dangerous side effects, especially at higher dosages or if a combination of drugs is used.

And it may take a few tries before your doctor finds the dosage or drug combination that is right for you.

In my family, we know the dangers of these medications firsthand. We also know the tragedy that high blood pressure can cause.

My maternal grandmother had high blood pressure for decades. Even with medication, it was never completely controlled. She died of a stroke at 85.

So when my mother developed high blood pressure, we knew we couldn’t wait to treat it. But she didn’t want to take drugs. Instead, we tried a dietary approach.

In just 7 weeks, her blood pressure dropped to 132/68 from 168/88. Without medication or exercise.

And eventually, her blood pressure declined to 112/64.

But everyone is different. You should consult your doctor to decide which approach - medication, diet, exercise, or otherwise - makes the most sense for you.

**Important Disclaimer: This information is presented for educational purposes only. This isn’t medical advice and it’s not a substitute for any advice or treatment from your physician. You should always see your doctor before starting any treatment - drug, diet, exercise, or otherwise - for high blood pressure or any other medical condition.

Copyright (c) 2006 Debbie Fontana

As a nurse I learned if you want to lose belly fat and you’re carrying a little or a lot of belly fat around, it’s important to lose it, especially for the health of your heart. Studies have shown that people with pear shapes or who are carrying extra pounds around the waist have more incidences of heart attacks than those who don’t. Weight loss problems and dieting failures do not help your middle section either.

1. But what you can do is first of all completely understand that you’re headed for some serious health problems if you don’t lose not only your belly fat but any other excessive fat you might be carrying around. Your body and its health should be a top priority if you plan to be around for a long time and live a healthy quality of life also. Keep this first and utmost goal in mind that you must lose the weight or suffer some serious health consequences. Many people never think about the possibility of chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes, stroke, heart attack and many others affecting them. Plaque from fatty diets can collect around all the organs, not just the heart and blood vessels.

2. Next start an eating or food diary and start immediately to document what you eat every day down to the last morsel. Make this exact. Look it over after a couple of days or so and see what you can eliminate. Eliminate any food that you are indifferent about. Food that you nibble on or chow down on that you don’t care that much about should go first. Immediately stop drinking any soda or diet pops, which really aren’t foods and pack a lot of calories. If you can cut down or eliminate meat and dairy products. That may seem hard but they are acidic and have high concentrations of fat and dangerous added hormones, pesticides, herbicide and growth factor in milk. Start eating a ton of veggies and fruits every day - go for a diet that includes a lot of raw or living foods. These will nourish your body, provide you with a lot of nutrients, give you plenty of fiber and natural water and help you lose weight fast. If you drink beer, quit. This is a sure way to develop a beer belly from excessive calories. If you do this you will not need any fad diets, diet pills, expensive weight loss plans or programs. Most are designed to part you with your precious hard-earned cash. Focus on buying fresh fruits and fresh veggies and make huge salads (red-leaf lettuce, green leaf lettuce or romaine, not iceberg lettuce which has few nutrients).

3. Belly fat is resting on top of the abdominal muscles of course. I see many articles claiming that you can lose belly fat by exercising, but this can’t be true. You can strengthen your abdominal muscles and this will help BUT you must make an effort to lose weight to get rid of your belly fat. Sit-ups are one of the best approaches to tightening the abdominals. Practice sucking in your stomach to tighten the abdomen throughout the day when you’re driving or watching television or anytime.

You can lose your belly fat and experience a lot of other weight loss too. Just get started today. Even one little change is a start in the right direction. Do make one change in your diet and lifestyle today and add one change or more each day for the next week and you should start to see your belly fat disappear. Continue your diet and lifestyle changes to keep the weight off! YOU can do it!

For more info on weight loss, losing weight, belly fat loss and weight loss diets go to my nurse’s website www.Best-Weight-Loss-Secrets.com for the best dieting tips, natural diets, advice, help and FREE info on weight loss pills, diet pills, surgery and weight loss programs

How Niacin Lowers Cholesterol
by Chris Daino

It has been known for years that increased levels of niacin in the blood stream is a very effective way of reducing cholesterol levels without the need of additional drugs. Numerous medical and university studies have shown that niacin lowers overall cholesterol levels.

These studies show that niacin reduces the bad cholesterol (LDL) by 10-20%, reduces triglycerides (fat in the blood) by 20-50% and raises the good cholesterol (HDL) by 15 to 35%.

Niacin accomplishes these changes naturally in the following ways:

1) It reduces the breakdown of fat from fat cells which is the source of raw material used by the liver to create excess triglyceriedes.

2) It inhibits the liver from converting sugar to triglycerides.

3) It inhibits the liver from creating the building blocks of the bad cholesterol (VLDL) and thus as a result the bad cholesterol drops naturally.

4) Virtually every study done on niacin has shown it to increase good cholesterol and which then picks up the excess bad cholesterol in your blood and takes it back to your liver for disposal. The higher the good cholesterol, the less bad cholesterol youll have in your blood.

In a study called the Coronary Drug Project which ran for 6 years and included 3908 patients to study the effects of niacin besides lowering both triglycerides and cholesterol levels there were other astonishing results:

The study found that the use of niacin led to a 14% reduction in non fatal heart attack, a 26% reduction in damage to blood vessels in the brain (stroke or blockage) and a 47% reduction in the need for coronary artery bypass surgery.

Unfortunately, the use of niacin to bring down cholesterol levels never became popular due to the high amounts of niacin needed, which created side effects due to niacin flush. (Niacin cannot be confused with niacinaide or nictoinamide which does not cause flushing and does not lower cholesterol levels).

Herbs for Stress and Seven Essential Elements of Lowering Your Stress Level

There’s good stress and there’s bad stress. Herbs for stress may be the answer. Your body is under stress when you encounter a new and exciting challenge, or when you face sudden danger. Stress is part of what helps you embrace an exciting or dangerous situation and overcome it. Stress becomes bad stress when it stops being occasional. If you’re frequently or continually stressed, then you may develop health problems: high blood pressure, heart attack, stroke, or cancer. Stress can lead to depression or even suicide. Stress is one of the most significant health factors we face today. What To Do About Stress Those of us who routinely feel stressed (which may be most of us) have a problem. The solution is fairly obvious: we need to reduce our stress. How do we do that? There is no one way to eliminate stress. Herbs for stress will go a long way. A blend of rainforest herbs for stress can soothe and relax you, with no side effects and no dependency. Yet you’ll lower your stress level more effectively if you combine herbs for stress with some relaxation techniques and changes in your lifestyle. Here are seven essential tools for lowering your stress level. #1: Think about your life. If you can identify what is stressful in your life, you may be able to reduce your stress. Maybe your job is stressful because you’re taking on too many obligations, and you need to learn to say no. Maybe you could spend another hour in the city at the end of the day (and exercise in the gym!) and miss the stressful rush hour on the way home. Stress doesn’t create itself, and most problems have solutions. Look for them. #2: Take time for yourself. In our busy lives, it’s extremely hard to keep time for yourself a priority. But it’s absolutely essential. You need a lot of time—just 15 or 20 minutes of quiet a day will make a huge difference. Take breaks during your day to walk outside or just think about something pleasant. Drink some herbal tea. #3: Exercise. Exercise is the most effective medicine there is. Exercise lowers your blood pressure, boosts your immune system, regulates your moods, and generally looks after your body and spirit. The secret all regular exercisers know is this: give time to exercise, and exercise will give time back! When you exercise, you feel happier and have more energy, which means greater efficiency. #4: Get a massage. Sound like a luxury? It’s not. A massage releases stress in your muscles and eases your mind. Take a little time for yourself and spend it in a massage. You’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. #5: Practice positive thinking. Practice seeing problems as opportunities. Let go of the things you can’t change. Concentrate on the present and the positive. #6: Practice relaxation techniques. Three good relaxation techniques are visualization, autogenic relaxation, and progressive muscle relaxation. All of these can be practiced for short periods of time while sitting at your desk. When you practice visualization, you visualize a peaceful location, maybe a garden or your family’s cabin. Bring up all the sights, sounds, smells, and textures that you can, and immerse yourself in your happy place. With autogenic relaxation, you focus on a peaceful image and then consciously breathe slowly and relax your muscles. With progressive muscle relaxation, you slowly tense and relax each muscle group. This is very helpful for people who have difficulty relaxing. #7: Eat well. Don’t smoke. Watch the alcohol. And go to sleep! Our body is stressed by more than emotions. Overeating, over-drinking, smoking, and lack of sleep stress the body. Consider a cup of tea from herbs for stress instead. They also affect your body’s ability to deal with external stress. Consider a cup of herbs for your stress. You’ll be better off if you eat just enough, drink just enough (one glass of red wine may help lower your blood pressure), don’t smoke, and get enough sleep at night. Some of us want to practice relaxation, but we can’t lower our stress enough. We sit still and try to think of pretty things and all the quiet time does is remind us of how stressed we are! Don’t panic! It’s hard to change your life, and you don’t have to try all at once. A blend of relaxing rainforest herbs is an easy addition. Hopefully, herbs for stress relief and twenty minutes in your “happy place” will encourage you enough to go to the gym. Step by step, you’ll find yourself more relaxed, happier, and healthier.