Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 19

Spirituality

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-relief/SR00035

'Taking the path less traveled by exploring your spirituality can lead to a clearer life purpose, better personal relationships and enhanced stress management skills.'

Each morning I read my Bible and pray for guidance through the day.

I'm thankful for church, family, friends, sunny skies and high tides.

Service

http://www.serve.gov

An official site of the United States government, '"United We Serve" is a nationwide service initiative that will help meet growing social needs resulting from the economic downturn. With the knowledge that ordinary people can achieve extraordinary things when given the proper tools, President Obama is asking us to come together to help lay a new foundation for growth. This initiative aims to both expand the impact of existing organizations by engaging new volunteers in their work and encourage volunteers to develop their own "do-it-yourself" projects. United We Serve is an initial 81 days of service but will grow into a sustained, collaborative and focused effort to promote service as a way of life for all Americans.'

Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 18

Service

Sweets for Soldiers

Do you still have Halloween candy? Troop 504 will package candy to send to soldiers,

who graduated from our local high school and who are stationed at home and overseas.

Prayer Shawls

Do you know someone in need of prayer? Aren't we all?

Please contact me. Prayer shawls are knit or crocheted with hugs and prayers.

Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 17

Service and Spirituality

'As Mahatma Gandhi said, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”'

Me to We

http://www.metowe.org/

Mentors Day: thanks to Hilton Brown and Gerry Applebaum.

Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 16

Last Fun Roundup

Hobbies

Happiness Project

http://www.happiness-project.com/happiness_project/start-.html

Gretchen Rubin 'A “happiness project” is an approach to changing your life. First is the preparation stage, when you identify what brings you joy, satisfaction, and engagement, and also what brings you guilt, anger, boredom, and remorse. Second is the making of resolutions, when you identify the concrete actions that will boost your happiness. Then comes the interesting part: keeping your resolutions.'

Clean the basement for exercise for the body, mind and soul.

Join an online outdoor club for fun:

camping, canoeing, hiking, biking, xcskiing.

Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 15

The fun continues...

'Host a closet raid' is a fun way to swap gently used clothing,

especially as you continue to drop a size.

Invite your guests to wear bathing suits as underwear to make it easy to try on new outfits.

Play back episodes of Sex in the City or your favorite chick flick.

Add some healthy snacks and drinks.

http://www.learnsomethingeveryday.co.uk/

'Learn something new every day.'

Was Thomas Edison really afraid of the dark?

Do snails sleep for three years?

http://www.inventionatplay.org/inventors_hob2.html

'Invention at play'

How did Chuck Hoberman invent the Hoberman Sphere TM?

Play is an important part of every day.

Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 14

More Fun Activities to Explore

Activity 4 Guess-the-google http://grant.robinson.name/projects/guess-the-google

What fun! Guess the keyword before your time runs out...

Activity 3

Facebook, YouTube increase productivity Metro - New York (NY) - Thursday, April 2, 2009 Author: REUTERS

"Caught Twittering or on Facebook at work? It’ll make you a better employee, according to an Australian study that shows surfing the Internet for fun during office hours increases productivity."

http://www.facebook.com

Social networking made easy: are you my friend?

Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 13

Time for Some Fun!

Those of you still obsessed with food that may be seen but is not good for you to eat on a daily basis,

check out Cake Wrecks

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

"When professional cakes go horribly, hilariously wrong"

which I find entertaining without the calories.

For more active fun,

kayak, canoe, boogieboard,

preferably with kids and dogs of all ages!

For less active fun, watch a funny movie with your favorite friends and family; here's my recommendations:

Caddyshack

A Christmas Story

50 First Dates

Groundhog Day

History of the World, Part I

9 to 5

The Nutty Professor

Spaceballs

Some Like It Hot

When Harry Met Sally

Serve popcorn in small but exquisite individual bowls,

with cold unsweetened sun tea.

Enjoy!

Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 12

Moving right along!

Outside Magazine

http://outside.away.com/outside/bodywork/200511/strong-bones-1.html

'Osteoporosis? Isn't that something that afflicts the elderly? Yes, but not exclusively: If you maintain your fitness level solely through non-impact sports like cycling and swimming, you could be at risk for waking up at age 50 with the bones of a person 20 years older. Despite Holland's rigorous exercise habits and healthy diet, his bones had grown weak—and ripe for failure.'

The Shatter-Proof Skeleton Deep-Impact Workouts

by Roy Wallack

'Jogging or jumping rope daily will also prompt bone growth... as well as a weight-lifting program where you pump enough iron to reach muscle failure after eight reps.'

'For most, anything over 2,000 milligrams [of calcium] is overkill; 1,200 a day is plenty for a recreational athlete, says Klesges, and you can meet your needs through milk, dairy products, calcium-fortified orange juice, and tofu. Each serving contains about 200 to 300 milligrams of calcium.'

Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 11

Keep Moving! We're half way through the challenge! It's July: a time for me to be outside, on the shore, in the ocean, kayaking the bay, canoeing the rivers. Hooray for summer!

Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify. Henry David Thoreau US Transcendentalist author (1817 - 1862)

http://zenhabits.net/ Simple productivity: How to live without the clock reminds me of the more simple life of my grandparents, who took time to sit on the porch and walk on the beach. There was a clock above the fireplace, a windup Big Ben on the nightstand and a timer for the oven. PDAs, cell phones, digitial readouts were nonexistent. Schedules were realistic and stress was relieved by a hard day's work, play and fun.

Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 10

Vacation

http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/fitness_articles.asp?id=839

Active Vacation Ideas Breaking Out of the Beach Rut By Leanne Beattie, Health & Fitness Writer

As Leanne Beattie suggests, walking is a great way to see Rome, Florence, Venice and Paris. Chasing after teenagers increases your pace and removes unwanted pounds painlessly.

Once at home, walking for 20 minutes 20 minutes after eating keeps the pounds away. Replace fast food, freezer entrees and snacks with sit down meals.

Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 9

Exercise at Work

Phone pushups and phone sprints are my favorites from

http://www.joanprice.com/articles/25ways.htm

Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 8

Exercise

"Exercise, exercise, come on everybody exercise, do your exercise!" from Bob McAllister's Wonderama TV show.

Activity 3

http://www.sparkpeople.com/

will send you daily email hints, exercises, tips and inspiration stories.

Activity 5

Make exercise the first activity of the day! Walk with a friend, human or dog, through your neighborhood and soak up some vitamin D while planning your new landscape for your yard.

Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 7

Stress Free Zones

Activity 3

Bubble Wrap is a registered trademark of Sealed Air Corporation. Visit these sites to virtually pop bubble wrap and other stress relieving games.

http://www.bubblewrapfun.com/

http://www.bubblewrapfun.com/assets/games/bubblePop.html

Activity 8

My favorite cat sound is the cat scream followed by the diary entries! http://www.yuckles.com/catsounds.htm

Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 6

Stress Therapy

Activity 3

Practice yoga at your desk. Wow, what a great idea! Visit http://www.lhj.com/health/fitness/yoga-at-your-desk/?page=1

for ten easy exercises.

Activity 5

Aromatherapy works. Lavendar is calming. Try EO's organic lavender hand sanitizing spray on the job.

http://www.aromatherapy-at-home.com/aromatherapy-for-stress.html

Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 5

Workplace Stress

Activity 3

Burnout: Is It Happening to You? http://www.covenanthealth.com/Features/Health/stress/stre5132.cfm Whew, I barely passed the test but still feel tense at the shoulders. A friend and I have made a pact to meet several times a week to exercise. Add a new yoga DVD. Each day brings new challenges and new opportunites to have fun! Worst Food Today was warm enough for the beach. Think swimsuit and what not to eat! Visit this site: http://www.menshealth.com/eatthis/Worst_Swimsuit_Foods/index.php

Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 4

Stress

Activity 2

Since we just finished working on conscious Eating, check out this slideshow of stress reducing foods.

Tea relaxes me. I can understand why ceremonies have been celebrated in the sharing of tea through history.

My current favorites are Celestial Seasonings Tropical Grapefruit green tea and Tazo's Decaf Chai.

Activity 3

Eliminate caffeine.

When I do not consume wheat, white food, coffee, sugar, dairy, Coke, dark chocolate,

I feel calmer, lighter, freer.

When I am not as careful about eating, usually as a reaction to too much stress,

I'm cross with myself for making poor choices.

Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 3

Conscious Eating One More Time

Activity 2

March is National Nutrition Month.

March is also Hamburger and Pickle Month and, my personal favorite, March is Chocolate Month!

Thank you, Daily Plate website, see earlier post, for guiding me toward better, healthier choices. More fresh veggies and less "food in a frozen box".

Activity 5

April is Emotional Overeating Awareness Month.

Yes, I'm aware that I eat too much when stressed.

Yes, celery with cocktail sauce can be as crunchy as chips.

Make the switch from premium ice cream to frozen yogurt!

Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 2

Conscious Eating

Activity 2 How to Cook Your Life: a cooking class with Zen priest and chef Edward Espe Brown Activity 3 Try a new health food each week. I've shared http://www.thedailyplate.com/ with friends at school. Accounting for each and every bite daily is eye opening. This site gives nutritional info at a glance with clear charts and graphs. Activity 4 Substitute a healthy snack food rice crackers, grape tomatoes, cucumbers with a spritz of dressing, a small square of dark chocolate

Health and Wellness Challenge

Round 1

Status quo has been challenged. Complacency is endangered...and it's time for change! Flexibility, strength, motivation, endurance, prayer,

spiritual guidance will lead to peace.

Activity 1 = Stop when full.

When I was a small child, my china plate had an image of a clown's head, shoulders and arms in the middle. I was always told to clean my plate to see the clown. I've added this plate to a Vintage 1940s 1950s 1960s display showcase at school. Walking by it each day reminds me that I'm an adult who need not clean her plate but who chooses to use smaller plates when sharing food with my family.

Activity 2 = Adjust your portion size.

Body parts are most useful as a reminder of portion size, though I mourn the size of cheese servings...

Activity 3 = No eating between 8:00pm and 6:00am

Some nights are easier than other nights!