1. Try alternative medicine. Yes, you heard me. Step outside the corporate-driven box of symptom suppression and medications and consider forms of healing which are tried and true in many parts of the world outside of mainstream America. Among the possibilities you explore should be: homeopathy, herbs, therapeutic massage, acupuncture and chiropractic, all of which are forms of holistic healing ('holistic' meaning taking into consideration the entire person, not simply a set of symptoms). Homeopathy, for instance, has been around for over 200 years. Both professional and medically trained homeopaths treat individuals for a range of medical problems worldwide. Homeopathy is very well established in Britain, India, Germany, France and the Netherlands. It is also gaining ground in South and Central America, Eastern Europe and here in the United States. Get on board with some of these 'new', effective treatments.

1. Hydrate. This is such an easy step to include in our daily lives, yet many of us continue to overlook the importance of drinking water. Rather we turn to sodas when thirsty, which can upset the body's pH balance and lead to cardiovascular and heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, kidney stones, urinary incontinence, arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes and obesity! Instead, let's all have a glass of water; in fact, let's have 6-8 glasses each day. Drink a little water before you get especially thirsty and thereby keep at bay dry mouth, headaches and drops in energy.

1. Diet. I don't mean starving yourself, I mean making mindful food selections; taking the time to stop, sit down and enjoy a healthy meal. Keep out of those fast- food/salt-and-fat drive-through restaurants. Go for fresh vegetables, fruits, fish and poultry as often as possible. If your goal is to lose weight, enjoy your favorite healthy meals, but in smaller portions. Give yourself the gift of time, attention and a well-balanced meal.

1. Move it. Get out for a brisk 20 minute (or longer) walk 4-5
   Why College Education is so Crucial for Success
   At this point in life I am a self-sufficient and independent person ready to take the next step in life. As I am finishing high school I clearly see my future goals that I can potentially derive from college education. The high school experience helped me understand that education is not all about reading textbooks and writing research papers. Even though those components are also extremely important and without them education would not live up to its definition, I understand education as a gradual process of learning that has a far greater scope than simply attending lectures and doing homework assignments. There are much m
   alternative medicine. Yes, you heard me. Step outside the corporate-driven box of symptom suppression and medications and consider forms of healing which are tried and true in many parts of the world outside of mainstream America. Among the possibilities you explore should be: homeopathy, herbs, therapeutic massage, acupuncture and chiropractic, all of which are forms of holistic healing ('holistic' meaning taking into consideration the entire person, not simply a set of symptoms). Homeopathy, for instance, has been around for over 200 years. Both professional and medically trained homeopaths treat individuals for a range of medical problems worldwide. Homeopathy is very well established in Britain, India, Germany, France and the Netherlands. It is also gaining ground in South and Central America, Eastern Europe and here in the United States. Get on board with some of these 'new', effective treatments.

1. Hydrate. This is such an easy step to include in our daily lives, yet many of us continue to overlook the importance of drinking water. Rather we turn to sodas when thirsty, which can upset the body's pH balance and lead to cardiovascular and heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, kidney stones, urinary incontinence, arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes and obesity! Instead, let's all have a glass of water; in fact, let's have 6-8 glasses each day. Drink a little water before you get especially thirsty and thereby keep at bay dry mouth, headaches and drops in energy.

1. Diet. I don't mean starving yourself, I mean making mindful food selections; taking the time to stop, sit down and enjoy a healthy meal. Keep out of those fast- food/salt-and-fat drive-through restaurants. Go for fresh vegetables, fruits, fish and poultry as often as possible. If your goal is to lose weight, enjoy your favorite healthy meals, but in smaller portions. Give yourself the gift of time, attention and a well-balanced meal.

1. Move it. Get out for a brisk 20 minute (or longer) walk 4-
   A Bodybuilding Back Routine Day
   May 14, 2007 - Its competition time! Get ready for a killer back routine day in the life of a pre-contest bodybuilder.A tale of stacks and carbs - Two weeks out from competition:4:30AM-Kick-in-the-chest! I rip the covers off and swing my arm over to turn off the fan that has been sucking the moisture out of my brain all night. There's got to be an alarm tone that won't induce a mild heart attack every morning. It takes a minute of clutching my chest to make sure my heart doesn't make a run for it. I can never figure out if I am going to sleep in a pool of sweat or have cold chills all night, I usually know hal
   n around for over 200 years. Both professional and medically trained homeopaths treat individuals for a range of medical problems worldwide. Homeopathy is very well established in Britain, India, Germany, France and the Netherlands. It is also gaining ground in South and Central America, Eastern Europe and here in the United States. Get on board with some of these 'new', effective treatments.

1. Hydrate. This is such an easy step to include in our daily lives, yet many of us continue to overlook the importance of drinking water. Rather we turn to sodas when thirsty, which can upset the body's pH balance and lead to cardiovascular and heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, kidney stones, urinary incontinence, arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes and obesity! Instead, let's all have a glass of water; in fact, let's have 6-8 glasses each day. Drink a little water before you get especially thirsty and thereby keep at bay dry mouth, headaches and drops in energy.

1. Diet. I don't mean starving yourself, I mean making mindful food selections; taking the time to stop, sit down and enjoy a healthy meal. Keep out of those fast- food/salt-and-fat drive-through restaurants. Go for fresh vegetables, fruits, fish and poultry as often as possible. If your goal is to lose weight, enjoy your favorite healthy meals, but in smaller portions. Give yourself the gift of time, attention and a well-balanced meal.

1. Move it. Get out for a brisk 20 minute (or longer) walk 4-
   What To Expect From Your House Appraisal
   Having your house appraised can be a scary step in the moving process, especially if you don’t know what to expect. Will your house pass muster or will they find some hidden defects and problems lurking in the basement and attic? Should you scrub the house clean?Don’t worry – this isn’t a test of how clean you keep your house or even if your house has problems (that will be for the home inspector to find out). The appraiser is there to determine a fair market value for your home. Whether you are selling the house or refinancing, this is a common part of the process and the inspector is quite used to traipsing abou
   k the importance of drinking water. Rather we turn to sodas when thirsty, which can upset the body's pH balance and lead to cardiovascular and heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, kidney stones, urinary incontinence, arthritis, osteoporosis, cancer, diabetes and obesity! Instead, let's all have a glass of water; in fact, let's have 6-8 glasses each day. Drink a little water before you get especially thirsty and thereby keep at bay dry mouth, headaches and drops in energy.

1. Diet. I don't mean starving yourself, I mean making mindful food selections; taking the time to stop, sit down and enjoy a healthy meal. Keep out of those fast- food/salt-and-fat drive-through restaurants. Go for fresh vegetables, fruits, fish and poultry as often as possible. If your goal is to lose weight, enjoy your favorite healthy meals, but in smaller portions. Give yourself the gift of time, attention and a well-balanced meal.

1. Move it. Get out for a brisk 20 minute (or longer) walk 4-
   Clutter: A Tale of Pigs and Neatniks
   When my partner Ev and I first started a cleaning business we frequently underestimated the time it would take for us to clean a house, because we looked past the clutter while giving the estimate.Okay, some people are pigs. But bless their hearts, because there's your job security. Besides, I know from personal experience that pigs are rarely even aware of their condition. However, when you first start a cleaning business you'll need to use careful powers of observation when bidding jobs in order to discern whether your potential client may in fact be one.Here's why: They need to get what they want,
   iet. I don't mean starving yourself, I mean making mindful food selections; taking the time to stop, sit down and enjoy a healthy meal. Keep out of those fast- food/salt-and-fat drive-through restaurants. Go for fresh vegetables, fruits, fish and poultry as often as possible. If your goal is to lose weight, enjoy your favorite healthy meals, but in smaller portions. Give yourself the gift of time, attention and a well-balanced meal.

1. Move it. Get out for a brisk 20 minute (or longer) walk 4-5 times each week. It's so easy to build exercise into your day. Head over to the gym, basketball court, aerobic class, yoga, Tai Chi, dance class -- whatever it is that brings you joy as you move about, do that.

1. Get touched. Massage is such a wonderful gift to give yourself. Time on the massage table is not really a luxury -- it's time and money well spent. For one thing, you're letting yourself know that you are worth the 'time out'. There are also very real health benefits to be enjoyed from a regular massage, which include increased circulation and lymphatic draining, soothing and smoothing of contracted or injured muscles, and calming of the central nervous system. Another way to ensure a daily portion of touch is to offer hugs to your loved ones, friends or pets. Massage, cuddling, touching, hugging -- easy, healthy, and good for your mind, body and spirit.

1. Zzzzzz. Get plenty of rest. Winter months and shorter daylight hours switch our bodies, and all of nature around us, to rest mode. We humans often resist this natural gearing down, especially with all of the holiday happenings to take into consideration. If you take a moment to look at all of the busyness in your life at this time of year and to sort through the party possibilities and family obligations, you can then make kinder choices for yourself as you factor in your new food and drink choices, commitment to exercise, pampering time for yourself and extended seasonal rest and slumber.

In our fast-paced lives there are more ways to ignore our own needs than we can shake a turkey leg at. Here's an invitation to choose this holiday season to start being loving and generous with yourself. Taking advantage of alternative medicine, coupled with a more self-aware and self-loving lifestyle, will improve the flow of this holiday season and enhance your quality of life. Wishing you a peaceful heart, a healthy body and a joyful, balanced life.

Cathleen Springer

Copyright 2006 Take Action Healthcare, LLC