Laugh - It will make you feel better!

Just a little something to put a smile on your face....why? Because the act of smiling and laughing will actually improve you mood, attitude, health and social life! Get healthy! Laugh!

Daily Stress Relief - Slow Down

Here's a great tip to de-stress.  Slow Down.  Sounds too simple, right?  But have you ever noticed that sometimes you eat faster than you should?  Does anyone ever comment that you walk like you're in a race?  These things are totally sub-conscious...we do them a few times and then our brain takes over and assumes that they need to be everyday, all the time, habits.

Slow down.  Take a deep breath.  Make a conscious effort to relax while walking.  Put the fork down in between bites.  Chew.  Have a conversation.  Slow down.  Take the time to mentally and physically relax.

Remember, when you move through life so quickly, you miss out on so many of the things that bring joy, comfort, beauty and enjoyment to life.  Take time to smell the flowers.  Don't go through life so quickly that you forget to live!

If you have an example of how you have re-trained your brain/body to slow down, I'd love to hear about.  Please share it in the comments for this post...your experience may help someone else on their path to true health!

Believe in Yourself - It's a Powerful Choice!

Sometimes it is so easy to doubt our abilities, to minimize our talents, to believe that we will never achieve our goals, dreams and desires.  But remember, whatever you believe will come true...so make a decision to BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!

Healthy Skin is Sexy Skin - Potatoes

Skin Super Food #3 - Potatoes (be sure to leave the skin on!)

Who doesn't like potatoes?  Even the most picky of eaters usually like potatoes.  I have a niece who doesn't like to try anything new but one of the few foods she knows she likes, is potatoes.  That being said, there is a big difference between a commercially prepared french fry and a real potato.

For the sake of you being sexy, be sure to leave the skin on your potato, as the layer just below the skin, is the where most of the potato's nutrients are found.

So how does the world's favorite vegetable help give you healthy, sexy skin?  One baked potato (with the skin)  provides about 75% of your body's daily copper need.  Copper is involved in formation of connective tissue.  Your body also uses copper, along with Vitamin C and Zinc to produce the elastin fibers that support skin structure.  In English, this means that if you don't get enough Copper, your skin's ability to heal itself is greatly diminished and your skin can become rigid and lifeless.

Rigid and lifeless....those two words are definitely not part of healthy or sexy!

Tips for adding potatoes (with skin) into your diet:

• Bake in the oven, just don't over-do the butter, sour cream and salt!  I like to top plain baked potatoes with turkey chili.  This way you get the benefits of a plain baked potato without it being too dry to eat.
• Potato based breads and cakes are delicious!  As long as you don't peal the potato before using it, you should be taking advantage of the all the nutrients it has to offer.
• Homemade, seasoned baked potato wedges are easy and beat the pants off of frozen potatoes...if you want the recipe, let me know...I'll be happy to share!

I choose to live!

Everyday, we make decisions.  Will we make the most out of our life? Will we rise up and be all that we can be?  Will we get back up when life knocks us down?  Or....will we lie there, broken, watching life pass us by?

I choose to live!

Daily Stress Relief - Enjoy

To help reduce stress in your life, do enjoyable activities whenever possible!  Try taking a walk outside, playing a game with your kids or developing a new hobby.  The more time you spend doing things you enjoy, the less time you have to stress.

Do you have a favorite stress-relieving activity?  Leave a comment and tell me about it!

Healthy Skin is Sexy Skin - Acerola Cherries

Skin Super Food #2 - Acerola Cherries

The second food that we are featuring in our "Healthy Skin is Sexy Skin" series, is the Acerola Cherry.  I know what you're wondering....a cherry, is a cherry, is a cherry, right?  And while I will agree that all sweet, fresh cherries are delicious, they are not all created equal when it comes to providing you with sexy skin.

Just one, that's right...I said one...one single acerola cherry contains more Vitamin C than an entire orange!  Not only does it contain more Vitamin C than an entire orange, the Vitamin C content of one tiny little acerola cherry is 65x times that of an entire orange.

WOW!!!  One acerola cherry provides you with the equivalent Vitamin C of 65 whole oranges!  That is a whole lot of antioxidants packed into a little bite!

Ok, so it's a Vitamin C powerhouse...but what does that mean for your skin?  I'm glad you asked.  Vitamin C plays an integral role in the production of collagen, the structural protein in your skin, thus increasing your body's ability to repair skin tissue quickly.

As if the Vitamin C content alone wasn't a good enough reason to start eating acerola cherries, they also contain high amounts of Vitamin A.  This combination of antioxidants makes the acerola cherry a free radical fighting machine.  Free radicals are the number one cause of skin damage, but they don't stand a chance against the acerola cherry!

Tips for adding Acerola Cherries into your diet:

• My favorite way is to eat them fresh!
• Dried or dehydrated acerola cherries are delicious alone as a snack or added to a salad.
• Fresh or dried, try baking them into muffins or brownies.
• Cherry pie...no further explanation needed.
• Be sure to top your ice-cream sundae or banana split with fresh or dried acerola cherries!