Ten ways to make exercise a habit

1. Do a variety of activities you enjoy. There is no rule which says you have to go to the gym or buy expensive gym equipment. Having a variety of activities such as yoga, soccer, tennis, cycling, and aerobics classes will help ensure that you will always have something to do regardless of the weather or time of day.

2. Commit to another person. It is easy to let yourself off; agreeing to work out with a friend makes it harder to let yourself off at the risk of letting them down.

3. Make exercise a priority. It has to be a non-negotiable.

4. Exercise first thing in the morning. Experts agree that a morning schedule is best.

5. Or, exercise on your way home from work/class. The next best thing to exercising first thing in the morning is to do it on your way home from work/class. Don't go home first, there aren't a lot of people who are so motivated that after they go home and change clothes will go back out again and exercise."

6. Exercise even when you're "too tired." Chances are you'll feel better after exercising.

7. Log your activity. Write down the things that are important to you. It could be how much time you exercise each day, how many steps you walked, how far you ran or cycled, what you weighed, etc. Some people make a game of it. You may have heard of runners calculating the miles it would take to run from their homes to Boston (home of the famous marathon), figuring how far they run in an average week and setting a target date for "arriving" in Boston.

8. Be aware of all the indicators of progress. It's great when your clothes fit better and you can lift heavier weights or work out longer without getting exhausted.

9. Walk -- with a pedometer. "If you enjoy walking and haven't exercised for awhile, 10 minutes three times a day will give you 30 minutes. Use a pedometer, and work up to at least 10,000 steps a day. Nobody starts out with 10,000 steps. Find out what your daily average is, and, strive to increase the number of steps each week.

10. Reward yourself. Experts say that making behavior changes is hard, and rewards motivate. So decide on a goal and a reward, and work toward it. Rewards can be anything from a new pair of shoes to a night out with friends, do whatever works for you.

Adapted from:http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/guide/exercise-habits?page=1

Botanical Facts

Native to North America, CRANBERRY (Vaccinium macrocarpon) vines are grown on acidic, peaty soil in bogs that are flooded at harvest to collect the floating berries. Cranberries are high in vitamin C, and the juice can prevent recurrent bladder infections by interfering with bacterial adhesion.

The cultivated APPLE (Malus spp.) originated in Kazakhstan, from which it spread widely. The Romans found prehistoric Celts already manufacturing cider. In colonial America, hard cider was the most popular alcoholic beverage, often preferred to water because fermentation kills bacteria. Unfermented “soft cider” is simply unfiltered apple juice.

Nobody is sure where OLIVE (Olea europaea) was first domesticated, but by biblical times it was treasured from Italy to Egypt for Its oil which was used for food, medicine, ointment, lubrication, lamp fuel, and soap. Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fat, a "good" fat that may reduce the risk of several chronic diseases and contribute to the health benefits of the "Mediterranean diet."

Adapted from Botanical Facts by Wendy Applequist (2005)

Home Remedies

HOME REMEDIES

Home remedies are natural cures made at home from natural ingredients such as fruits and vegetables. One main advantage of most home remedies is the lack of side effects, relatively low cost plus the added satisfaction of being able to treat yourself! This month we will be exploring several different easily made home remedies.

 

PETROLEUM JELLY TO SOOTHE LIPS

Petroleum jelly is inexpensive and readily available at most retailers selling groceries and other household goods. It may be smoothed onto the lips by itself, or it can be flavored with small amounts of honey or vanilla. To flavor the petroleum jelly, briefly heat it up in a microwave and then mix in the flavor. Make sure you cool it before applying to the lips. Petroleum jelly is a lubricant, and it soothes lips. It also sits on top of the skin and seals in moisture whilst also keeping out irritants. It does not, however, heal the skin.