Apache Blessing

May the sun bring you new energy by day

May the moon softly restore you by night

May the rain wash away your worries

May the breeze blow new strength into your being

May you walk gently through the world and know it's beauty all the days of your life

R&R

Now with the craziness of the holidays (the traveling, the shopping, the baking, the running around…you name it) behind us, what sounds better than some q-u-a-l-i-t-y R&R.  We all deserve and need rest and relaxation every so often, sometimes more so than we actually set aside for ourselves. It’s rewarding both mentally and physically to take a day (or even just a few hours) and kick off the shoes, make some hot tea, pour yourself a glass of wine or whatever your favorite calming beverage is and put the feet up! 

Here are a few of my favorites ways to unwind. 

• Drink green tea and listen to light music – Make some of your favorite green tea and pop on some jazz or classical tunes.   Sit back and relax!
• Read a good book. -  Burry yourself in a good classic or pick a new favorite.
• Write in a journal – Writing down your thoughts is known to reap a lot of benefits, such as reducing stress, creating personal awareness and growth, to name a few.
• Go for a walk (pending the weather – might be more relaxing when it’s warm and sunny or a cool spring evening) - Walking at least 30 minutes a day adds years to your life, clears your mind, and directs your focus.
• Stretch your muscles – Stretching not only increases your range of movement, but also increases your circulation, reduces stress, and muscle tension.
• Have your significant other give you a massage – Getting a massage relaxes injured, tired and overused muscles, releases endorphins, lessens depression and anxiety, and much more.
• Cook and or bake - Cook a fun meal or bake your favorite dessert.
• Turn on some fun music and dance – Though this one initially doesn’t fall under the category of rest and relaxation it can afterwards.  Here’s a five minute workout:  Rock out to your favorite song and then wind down with some light stretching and then a good book.  Dancing reduces stress, improves strength, and decreases blood pressure. 
• Light some candles (or lights that look like candles for those with confined space) and take a bath - Warm water dilates your blood vessels and improves circulation, relieves aches and pains, helps you sleep.

Here’s to you and relaxing. You deserve it!

I think I’ll relax right now with a good book, some green tea and light music. =)

Avoid Energy Crashes and or Cravings!

Confused on what to eat to avoid energy crashes or cravings?

Constant energy can be obtained by eating a complex carbohydrate (a short term quick energy store), a protein (a medium energy store), and an unsaturated fat (a long term energy store) with every major meal.  This way of eating will keep you free of those crashes and cravings because your blood sugar will remain constant. 

For good sources of each type of energy check out the table below. 

Complex Carbs	Proteins	Unsaturated Fats
Whole grains (oats, brown rice, buckwheat…)	Meat, poultry and Fish	Olive or Sunflower oil
Skim or soy milk	Dairy products (yogurt, cottage cheese…)	Fresh Tuna or Salmon
Legumes	Egg Whites	Nut butter (almond, peanut, cashew…)
Fruit (oranges, plums, pears, grapefruits…)	Soy foods (edamame, tofu…)	Nuts (almonds, walnuts…)
Veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, spinach…)	Skim or soy milk	Avacado and olives

Get your Zzzzzzz's

Are you getting enough sleep? I know I'd like to.

Some of us get enough sleep, though more of us aren't.  That’s an obvious statement, wouldn’t you say?  It’s difficult to get the recommended 7 to 8 hours (for adults) of sleep a night that specialists tell us we need.  I know this, and I know it well.  I fall into the category of working long hours.  So whether it’s being a work-a-holic, taking care of the kids, or just being overly busy, we all at one point or another experience lack of sleep. 

Thing is…..we each need to do something about it.  Eating healthy and exercising is just not enough to keep us going.  Here are a few reasons why getting more than 5 hours of sleep is a good idea.

Reduces stress. 

Boosts your concentration

Keeps your immune system strong

Keeps off unwanted weight

Prevents you from being Mr. or Ms. Cranky Pants

Keeps a healthy heart

In addition to the few examples of listed above that can affect sleep, here are a few others;

Alcohol

Diet

Caffeine

Jet lag

Stress

Substance abuse

Exercising late at night

Light and temperature

With a little planning and rearranging of your schedule, you can get those 7 to 8 hours of sleep you need.  Start with small changes, even if it's 30 minutes, and see how that effects your week.  Once you see and feel the difference it makes, you’ll make it a habit to get those recommended hours.  

We all know... no one likes a Mr. or Mrs. Cranky Pants.