Healthiest You Ever

“I did not become a vegetarian for my health, I did it for the health of the chickens.”

If you have access to a deck, a roof, or even a small patch of ground, you can grow your own produce. Herbs can be grown on a windowsill, and tomato and bell pepper plants can thrive in a container on a balcony or patio. Hanging containers are a great way to grow smaller vegetable and fruit plants or herbs without taking up any floor space.

The best thing about backyard organic gardens is that you’re in control of the fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, and growing aids you use. You can opt for all-natural alternatives that will not harm the soil, animals, or your family. Limit weeds and reduce the need for chemical-laden weed killers by weeding regularly and using natural or reclaimed ground cover between your food plants. Store-bought weed prevention products are also available in ready-to-use natural and organic versions, including Preen Organic Vegetable Garden Weed, Perfectly Natural Weed N Grass Killer, Weed Pharm Organic Weed Control, and Green Light Organic Spot Weeder. Here’s a list of resources that can help you get started.

ORGANIC GARDENING RESOURCES

For complete details and lots of encouragement on growing your own backyard or patio organic garden, check out these helpful websites:

• www.the-organic-gardener.com

• www.your-vegetable-gardening-helper.com

• www.organicgardening.com, the companion site to the magazine Organic Gardening

“We either make ourselves miserable or we make ourselves strong. The amount of work is the same.”

A kettle bell is a weighted ball with a handle that can be held in the hand and lifted, swung, flipped, and thrown. You can move it in an infinite amount of angles and directions, which makes it an interesting and dynamic tool to train with.

The foundational movement of kettle bell training is what’s called a kettle bell swing. It is very much like a vertical jump and an upper-body plyometric combined into one exercise.

1. Begin with your feet hip width apart or slightly wider while holding the kettle bell or weight in front of you with two hands.

2. As you move your hips back down into your squat, the weight will swing back slightly between your legs.

3. As the weight you are using begins to swing forward and up, you must drive your heels and legs down into the floor and burst upward.

4. The weight should propel upward rather than being lifted solely by your shoulder muscles. Think of your hips like an engine and your arms like ropes with hooks on the ends.

5. Power is generated from the ground up through the legs, forcing the bell up and away from you. The bell has to be slowed down with control on the way down and redirected to travel back up again. The same exercise can be performed with one hand at a time as well.

“Oh, sweet sorrow, the time you borrow, will you be here when i wake up tomorrow?”

SAMe (pronounced “Sammy”) is a form of the amino acid methionine that occurs naturally in the body and is used for many essential functions, including making cartilage. SAMe appears to increase the levels of certain neurotransmitters, and may thereby affect moods and emotions. In nine studies, SAMe compared favorably with antidepressant drugs, including imipramine, amitryptaline, and clomipramine. Some researchers have found that SAMe supplementation has improved mood disorders, without the side effects of other antidepressants (such as weight gain, headaches, sleep disturbances, and sexual dysfunction). And, SAMe works faster than some prescription antidepressants, often in four to ten days compared with two to six weeks for drugs.

When it comes to taking SAMe as a relief from psychological problems, never attempt to self-medicate—always consult your doctor. Absolutely do not take SAMe when you are already taking drugs for bipolar depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, or addictive tendencies, as it has been known to worsen symptoms.

“People who had high daily levels of sitting (7.4 hours or more) were significantly more likely to be overweight or obese than those who reported low daily sitting levels (less than 4.7 hours a day).”

Walking or running up stairs is an inexpensive and effective way to work on strength and endurance. Here are a few ideas that you can use to changeup your workouts, bolstering your overall endurance:

• Add stair lunges: To do stair lunges simply walk up stairs taking two- or three-step lunges at a time. Doing so puts your legs at a mechanical disadvantage, which forces them to become stronger to overcome this disadvantage.

• Increase the number of step strides: If you have mastered taking two-step lunges at a time, move it to three steps. That one extra step makes a big difference and will challenge almost anyone, with perhaps the exception of very tall people. Don’t go as high as four-step lunges as they move you into the danger zone.

• Put your hands behind your head: This challenges your balance and increases the work your legs have to do.

• Go up sideways: Stand parallel to the stairs and lift your left or right leg, whichever you’ve chosen to work first, to mount the stairs. Do sets with both sides and this will help you identify which leg is weaker so you can focus on improving strength on that side. Start with one-step lifts until you feel ready to add that second step.

• Do crossover stair lunges: Once you’ve mastered the two- to three-step lunges, add crossover lunges. It’s as simple as crossing your legs as you go up, moving from side-to-side, and with rotation. These will improve your dynamic flexibility and strength balance. Start with one-step lunges until you’re confident with this move.

“When asked what gift he wanted for his birthday, the yogi replied:‘I wish no gifts, only presence.’”

Most yoga taught in the United States is a form of Hatha Yoga, which is comprised of physical postures, breathing techniques, relaxation, and meditation. Hatha Yoga is the umbrella under which most of the subspecialties of yoga fall. What makes the styles different from each other is their emphasis and technique.

Ashtanga Yoga is a dynamic, fast-paced, challenging series of sequential poses linked together by ujjayi breath (a specific breathing technique that sounds like Darth Vader) and a flow of postures called vinyasa. It is a heat-producing, detoxifying, and flowing practice that creates strength and flexibility and increases stamina. It is a style that appeals to athletically inclined individuals who enjoy intense and challenging exercise. The system is based on six series, each increasing in difficulty.

An Americanized hybrid of Ashtanga Yoga is Power Yoga, a term originating from Beryl Bender Birch, Ashtanga Yoga teacher and author of Power Yoga. Most Power Yoga is a vigorous, flowing series of postures based upon the Ashtanga Yoga system. Many health clubs have embraced Power Yoga as a transition from aerobics to yoga.

IF FIREFIGHTERS DO IT …

Firefighters in Los Altos, California, originally incorporated yoga into their fitness routine to increase their strength and flexibility. But after eighteen months, they’ve discovered additional benefits. The team has become closer and they have more fun together. They’ve also noticed that they are calmer and more connected during emergencies.

One fabulous way to become an asset to your community, provided you can qualify, is to help support the first line of defense that protects your community in the case of a fire. Pledge your time, hard work, and willpower to your local volunteer firefighting force. Check out www.nvfc.org for more information on the volunteer force.

If that’s a tad too strenuous or too time-consuming, volunteer to participate as a part of your town’s disaster relief team. When a natural disaster has hit or is about to hit your hometown, you can help out. Whether it’s building sandbag walls or volunteering at evacuation centers, you can play an important role in everyone else’s safety.

Or, get involved in your community’s Citizens Corps Council. The council keeps communities safe from disasters, terrorism, and crime. A component of the U.S. Freedom Corps and coordinated by the Department of Homeland Security, the council encourages local citizens to participate in setting up programs, developing plans of action, locating local resources, and assessing threats to their communities. For more information, visit www.citizencorps.gov.

The point is to spend your time productively, get some physical exercise, make some new friends, and be an asset to your community.

DISASTER PREPARATION

Prepare for a disaster. Check out the Department of Homeland Security’s disaster preparedness website and find ideas to prepare your kids and your business for unexpected disaster. See www.ready.gov.

“Sleeping alone, except under doctor’s orders, does much harm. Children will tell you how lonely it is sleeping alone. If possible, you should always sleep with someone you love. You both recharge your mutual batteries free of charge.”

• Don’t drink or eat anything with caffeine after lunch. That includes coffee, tea, cola, and many other sodas (check the label); certain over-the-counter pain medications and cold medications (check the label); stimulants designed to keep you awake; and even cocoa and chocolate.

• Eat a healthy, light, low-fat, low-carbohydrate dinner. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains instead of refined grains, and low-fat protein like fish, chicken, beans, and tofu will help your body to be in a calmer, more balanced state come bedtime. Avoid high-fat, overly processed foods in the evening.

• For an evening snack, eat foods high in tryptophan, an amino acid that encourages the body to produce serotonin, a chemical that helps you to sleep. Foods high in tryptophan include milk, turkey, peanut butter, rice, tuna, dates, figs, and yogurt. A light snack about thirty to sixty minutes before bedtime that includes any of these foods can help promote restful sleep.

• Don’t drink alcohol in the evening. While many people have a drink thinking it will help them get to sleep, alcohol actually disrupts sleep patterns, making your sleep less restful. Alcohol may also increase snoring and sleep apnea.

• Get enough exercise during the day. A well-exercised body will fall asleep faster, sleep longer, and sleep more productively.