* One of the best things you can do to enable you to get the sleep you need is to follow a bedtime routine. Go to bed at the same time every night and get up at the same time each morning. Your body will fall into a rhythm, which may make falling asleep easier each night. Even if you’re tempted to change your sleeping patterns on the weekend, avoid that temptation. It may take until Wednesday for your body to get back into the groove of sleep.

* Avoid watching television prior to going to bed. Television stimulates the mind and that’s not conducive to getting to sleep at a decent time. And you definitely don’t want to have a television in the bedroom.

* Drink some herbal tea prior to bedtime. This will calm your nerves and enable you to relax. Certain herbal teas such as chamomile, lemon balm, and valerian are good for helping you fall asleep.

* Warm milk has long been given to people to help them sleep. Rather than having plain warm milk, add a teaspoon or so of honey to it. The warm milk relaxes you and the honey has recuperative properties.

* You may have been told to avoid eating prior to bedtime. However, some research indicates that having a high-carbohydrate snack can help. You may want to eat two cups of air-popped popcorn, fresh strawberries over a slice of angel food cake, half of a whole-wheat English muffin with honey drizzled over it, or a baked potato with salsa. These foods contain nutrients which help induce sleep.

* Take a bath as part of your bedtime routine. Use two to three drops of lavender, chamomile, rose, or sandalwood essential oil in the water. Not only will the oils help you relax, you’ll also smell nice when you do drift off to sleep. Combine a couple of the essential oils to create your own special mixture.

* Put a few drops of lavender or ylang ylang essential oil directly on your pillow case if you’re having an especially difficult time falling asleep. These essential oils will help you fall asleep quicker and sleep more restfully than without them.

* If you have a lot of things weighing down on your mind, keep a notebook and pen near your bed. This will enable you to write down everything you’re afraid you’ll forget during sleep, will help you plan your day, and give you a place to jot down things in the middle of the night if you happen to wake up. Once you have written down everything you think you need to remember, it will allow your brain to relax and you’ll be asleep before you know it.

You may be tempted to reach for an over-the-counter sleep aide if you’re having problems falling asleep. These may be good occasionally, but they can become addictive. Using one of these natural top sleep boosters will bring you the sleep you need without using unnatural or synthetic means.

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Nearly every culture in the world has some type of drumming. It can be seen in ceremonies and rituals, and some cultures use drumming during rites of passage. Drumming has also been used extensively in music, to guide dancers, and as a means to celebrate.

In recent years people in the medical profession have started realizing the importance of using a holistic approach to healing. Many physicians are using drumming therapy with senior citizens in co-ordination with otherwise traditional means of healing.

Why drumming therapy? It could be partially due to the fact that drumming reaches down into a person’s psyche to touch patients in a non-verbal way. Drumming therapy is being used with people of all ages. From patients as young as four to those as old as 104, drumming therapy has many benefits. Some of the benefits of drumming therapy include:

* Drumming has been proven to reduce anxiety and depression in patients over the age of 80. A study also noted the increased self-esteem of the patients following their weekly drumming session.

* During one study on drumming therapy, participants had blood samples drawn before and after a one-hour drumming session. Doctors found a marked decrease in the hormonal stress response and an increase in activity of natural killer cells.

* Alzheimer’s patients have been shown to respond favorably to drumming therapy. They are able to connect better with their loved ones as a result. Therapeutic drumming can also increase their cognitive ability.

* For patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease or stroke, moving can be difficult. Therapeutic drumming, when done with deliberate slow, steady rhythms, enabled these patients to move more steadily.

Medical studies have also proven that drumming can greatly increase the production of T-Cells which are responsible for building the immune system. It accelerates physical healing and gives those in therapy a sense of wellbeing and being a part of something larger than themselves.

Some other research has shown the effect of drumming therapy to produce deep relaxation. It lowers blood pressure, and reduces stress, as well as aiding patients in overcoming chronic pain. Drumming has also been found to release negative feelings which can remove emotional blockages.

Therapeutic drumming can be done by an individual, but research has proven the added benefits of drumming with others. Therapeutic drumming is the sound of healing music; it will continue to be studied and new benefits are likely to be found.
Do you have a loved one you feel could benefit from this form of therapy? You may want to discuss this option with your loved one’s doctor.

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It’s important for people to learn to unwind and release some of the stress they feel. This can be done in a number of ways. You may not have a long weekend to help you relax, but you can learn to relax in shorter periods of time.

If you’re really tense and need to calm down quickly, take a few deep breaths. This is one of the easiest and quickest ways to reverse the effects of stress. Since you’re probably not using very much of your lung capacity while you’re tensed up, you’ll be surprised how much this action helps. Take a deep, long breath in through your nose. When you can’t take in any more, open your mouth and let the air go through. Making an “hhhhaaaa” sound while releasing the air helps. Do this several times and you’re guaranteed to feel less stressed.

While you’re in a stressful situation, you may not be able to easily get away. As soon as you can, take a short walk outside to get fresh air. The change of scenery, sunshine and fresh air can do wonders to help alleviate the stress you’re feeling.

If you have a break during the day, even if it’s only fifteen minutes, take the time to meditate. Play some soft music and concentrate on relaxing images or places. Of course, if you have longer to spend meditating your results might be better, but even a short time can do wonders for your outlook.

Take a book along with you and read that during your planned breaks. While it’s true you may not be able to read very much, the important thing is to take your mind away from the stressful things in your day.

Play quiet, soothing music during your day. Music has been proven to have much health and stress-reducing benefits. If you can’t listen to music at work or it’s too hectic to hear it, find a compact disc you can listen to during the ride home or while you’re doing other things such as cooking, shopping, or exercising.

Take time out of your day to laugh. Laughter is one of the best ways to release stress. The stress hormones epinephrine and cortisol reduce while the hormone oxytoxin increases. Oxytoxin is sometimes called the ‘happy hormone.’ Laughter also gets more oxygen into your body which makes you feel better.

You can undoubtedly find other stress busters for busy people, but these may give you some ideas you can try. Learning to unwind is important for not only your mental health but also for you physical health. What are you doing to unwind and reduce stress in your life?

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No longer are citizens of one country simply content to live in that country all their lives. They want to see and experience the world in which they live. One way to do this is to try different foods while at home so you’ll be familiar with them when and if your family travels.

Perhaps you can take your cue from your child’s school work. Are they studying a particular country for geography? While at home, learn about what foods are traditionally eaten in that country. Then find a recipe for some of those foods and prepare them for the family to try.

Grocery stores generally have a large ethnic food section, so you may want to check out that area of your store. Some of the ingredients may seem unusual, so keep an open mind. After you try some of these foods, you may need to find additional recipes because your family enjoys the flavors so much.

Maybe you’re unsure of the reaction to ‘different’ foods, in which case you probably don’t want to try too much culturally different food all at once. Start with a dessert recipe; those are usually flavorful and sweet so even if the taste is unusual to your family, they may be more willing to give it a try.

You can also find restaurants from many different cultures these days. Rather than going to eat at the local fast food restaurant, choose one from a different nationality. In most areas you can find several Mexican, Chinese, or Italian restaurants, for example. You may also be able to find ones which specialize in German, Greek, Indian, Israeli, or Japanese cuisine.

Keep an eye out for festivals in ethnic communities. These generally happen in early spring or during the summer when the weather is warm. They will have music, dances, and food for the public to sample. You may also be able to find art museums which are showing artwork from another culture; they may also have a reception offering foods from those cultures.

Your family may feel most comfortable eating foods they’re familiar with; however, you want them to try something new. Use some of these ideas when figuring out how to introduce your children to culturally different foods. Once your family tries one new food, they may be willing to give others a try.

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Healthy, balanced meals are important for everyone but they’re especially important for active children. Young athletes often have different nutritional needs than children who aren’t athletic. Providing healthy food choices can do more than fuel your young athlete; it can actually help them perform better.

Talk to the experts. It’s hard to instinctively know what a young athlete needs to eat to maximize their performance. However, you child’s coach and doctor will know. Ask them what your child needs to eat during training and while participating in their chosen sport. Their nutritional needs will likely change if it’s off-season or if they’re in the midst of playing.

If you’re unsure what foods are most healthy, all you have to do is look in your child’s health book. They’ll have a picture of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food Pyramid. It will explain how many servings of each food group your child needs on a daily basis. Your child’s coach and doctor will let you know if your child needs more of certain foods and less of others.

Be sure to provide your young athlete with plenty of brightly-colored produce each day. These are packed with vitamins, minerals, and nutrients which are important for growing children. Of course, you may have to come up with inventive ways to get your child to eat them.

Everyone has heard the commercials stating how good milk is for growing children. You’ve heard it, “Milk, it does a body good.” With this in mind, it’s important to provide your children with plenty of foods containing calcium. This would include milk, cheese, and yogurt.

Iron rich foods are also important. These would include meat, eggs, broccoli, and green leafy vegetables. You’ll also want to provide healthy carbohydrates. Offer whole grain breads and pastas rather than white versions.

Try to get your child to drink more water than sugary soft drinks. The body needs hydration but the amount of sugar in soft drinks is entirely too much. Of course, you may offer them 100% juices, too. Staying away from artificially sweetened drinks is also a good idea to ensure your child is healthy.

Follow these healthy food tips for young athletes and you can be sure you’re providing them with the fuel they need to perform well. Having healthy foods in your home, and leaving the junk food at the store, will be difficult to begin with but the effort will lead to your child, and possibly the entire family, being healthier.

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One of the most important things to do if you notice a loved one showing signs of alcohol abuse is acknowledge it; don’t ignore it. If they think they can get away with their drinking and any unbecoming behavior it might encourage them to continue drinking. You can let them know you’re concerned by saying “I’m worried about the amount you’ve been drinking. Could you have a problem?”

Offer your help in whatever way possible. Find out when and where the local Alcoholics Anonymous chapter meets. Pass that information to them but don’t be surprised if they don’t use it, at least not right away.

If they do decide to go to an AA meeting, find out if they have any open meetings which allow family to attend. Having someone with them who is in their corner can be instrumental in getting them to the meeting. Some chapters have family meetings which will give you more information about the disease and what you can do to help.

Remove any temptation from your home. If a family member is having problems with alcoholism, remove all alcohol from the home. They can’t drink if they don’t have access to it. Other family members who enjoy a drink on occasion don’t have to become teetotalers, but they may want to only drink when that person isn’t around.

Don’t believe everything they say. Some alcoholics will tell you anything you want to hear as long as it gets them what they need. They may promise to go into treatment if you’ll help them, but don’t believe them. They’re not trying to hurt or deceive you; their illness is causing them to act that way.

Set specific boundaries and help them stick to those boundaries. The most important boundary to have is that they quit drinking. It won’t be an easy boundary for them to stay within but for their health, and maybe yours and your children’s health, that’s the one boundary that they need to adhere to.

Practice ‘tough love.’ Sometimes all you’ll want to do is take over and solve some of the predicaments your loved one gets into. This won’t help them recover; in fact, it may enable them to continue drinking and become more mixed up with alcohol. Sometimes it’s important to realize you may be able to help them most by not helping them at all. They need to come to the point where they realize they need to stop drinking, and they’ll never learn that if you’re always bailing them out.

If your family has been affected by alcoholism, knowing how to give support to a loved one isn’t easy. It’s a fine line you’ll be forced to walk. However, if you continue to show them that you love them but don’t love what they become when they drink, they may learn that they don’t need to depend on alcohol.

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It’s important to use the right equipment when playing sports. Each one has its own – cleats for baseball, football, and soccer and a tennis racquet and specialized shoes for tennis. If they don’t have the right equipment, your teen won’t be allowed to play. Why not help them with the right nutrients to give them the muscles and energy they need to play?

Sports medicine doctors and nutritionists know that eating healthily is important for athletes, and everyone else for that matter. But, if your teen is playing sports, it’s even more vital that they use nutrition to their advantage. Good nutrition is just one more tool your teen can use to do their best at their chosen sport.

Everyone needs to eat a variety of foods including proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. These can be found in foods such as meat and eggs, fruits and vegetables, and dairy and grains. They also need some fats, but not as much as some Americans eat each day.

If your teen is lifting weights, either as a sport or to build muscle for other sports, they may want to increase how often they eat. As well as eating three meals a day, they may also want to incorporate small, healthy snacks. It is also important to be sure not to eat too close to a workout. Eating at least an hour before working out will give their body an opportunity to digest their foods and provides the energy they need.

Proteins are an important part of their meal. Choose lean sources like chicken, fish, or turkey. Complex carbohydrates are also needed as they help provide energy and replace nutrients used during a workout. Round out their meal by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables to provide the vitamins and nutrients so important to good health.

You also want to be sure your teen is staying hydrated, both during exercise and throughout their day. Some athletes who play football have bananas before training and playing, along with a lot of water. The potassium in bananas gives their muscles needed potassium which will keep muscle cramping at bay. Extra carbohydrates before a game would give your teen’s body much needed energy.

Athletes would do well to avoid sugar the night before a game. Some nutritionists and coaches claim too much sugar can actually slow your teen down rather than giving them the boost of energy they think it will.

Foods high in calcium are suggested to help your teen’s bones stay strong, which is important for every sport. Their bodies may require over 1,300 milligrams of calcium each day. To get those 1,300 milligrams, your teen may want to eat milk, cheese, yogurt, white beans, or dark leafy greens like kale. Rather than drinking soft drinks, your teen may want to choose 100% juice instead.

As an athlete, your teen wants to be at the top of their game. Help them reach that goal by offering them wholesome, healthy meals and snacks. Encourage them to skip the sweets and concentrate on eating proteins, fruits, vegetables, leafy greens, and dairy products to give them the energy they need to do well in sports.

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a) Can people still enjoy weight loss and effective weight management even if Mediterranean diet is high in fat?

It is true that Mediterranean diet is high in fats. However, these are healthy fats consisting of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. The American diet is rich in saturated fat which is unhealthy. Generally, the fat content of a diet does not determine weight loss. It is the calorie intake of people that is decisive. Mediterranean diet provides plenty of healthy benefits but if you will not reduce your caloric intake, then you will never lose weight.

b) What makes the Mediterranean diet different from the common American diet?

Americans consume high numbers of red meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy, while the Mediterranean includes very little. The diet also differs from the typical American diet through its dependence on fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, olive oil, beans, breads, cereals, and potatoes.

c) Why people in the Mediterranean have lower heart disease?

Research has indicated that the foods in the Mediterranean diet play an important role in lowering heart disease. Research also indicates that the Mediterranean diet requires a more holistic approach to a healthy lifestyle than most other diets.

d) Does regular exercise has a place in the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle?

Exercise is always essential no matter what type of diet you follow. The best thing about the Mediterranean diet is that it encourages daily regular exercises as part of the holistic approach to achieve a healthy lifestyle. When this type of diet was introduced in the sixties, exercise and physical activities were already part of the culture of the Mediterranean people. For your minimum exercise needs, you have to take a daily one-hour walk and weekly full body exercise.

e) Is there a difference between a Low Carb Diet and Mediterranean Diet?

Mediterranean diet is substantially different from Low Carb diet. For one thing, the Mediterranean program has lower protein component. You will only get 15 percent calories from the protein of Mediterranean diet.

f) Wine has always been part of the Mediterranean diet. What is the recommended daily amount for wine?

The rule of thumb is to consume wine in moderate amounts. Men should get 5 percent of their daily calorie intake from wine. For women, the calorie consumption from wine should be 2.5 percent.

g) A word of advice for dieters

The Mediterranean lifestyle is most effective when including a range of root vegetables, foods high in omega-3 acids, and vegetable oils such as flaxseed or canola. Along with fruits, breads, and cereals, these foods may lower your risk for cardiovascular disease.

About the Author – Eva Alexander writes for mediterranean diet weight loss , her personal hobby blog focused on tips to eat healthy on the Mediterranean way.

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Even though we know the dangers of smoking and that it isn’t good for us or anyone around us, many of us still choose to keep smoking. And while some may say it’s not a choice but an addiction, it’s important to not let that be the reason (or get-out clause) for continuing to smoke.

Yes, it is true that quitting may be difficult and that you are addicted to nicotine, but you can still change your life – the sooner the better.

Here are some tips to help you stop smoking and take charge of your health:

#1 – Go cold turkey. This may sound easier said than done, but many experts believe that a little of something bad isn’t necessarily the right thing when it comes to smoking. Research has proven that many of those who try to quit slowly don’t end up quitting at all.

Take a few days off work or away from the family. Accept that you will go through very low moods and severe cravings. And quit the habit. Keep all cigarettes out of the house and make a pact not to buy any more. This will be challenging but it can be done; others have done it and so can you.

#2 – Stay away from temptation. It’s never going to be easy to quit smoking if you’re surrounded by smokers. If you’re trying to quit, stay away from situations and people that may make it too tempting for you to go off track. You won’t have to do this forever – only in the initial stages until you feel more in control.

#3 – See a hypnotist. Hypnosis has helped many people quit bad habits. It’s worth a shot considering what you can gain if it does actually work. Go into the session thinking this will work rather than doubting it. If you go in with a positive attitude, ready to change your life, you stand a better chance of success.

#4 – Chew gum. Psychologically you’ll experience the need of needing something to do when you quit smoking. Instead of opting for that cigarette, try chewing gum. Stay away from nicotine gum as this may make things worse, and opt for regular gum instead. By chewing you stay busy and avoid the temptation to smoke.

#5 – Exercise. This is the time to do some real heavy physical exercise. You’re going to get cravings and you may experience mood swings and a pent-up energy that absolutely needs to be released. Go for a quick fast run, use a punch-bag, do an aerobics class – the more physical, the better. By replacing physical activity for smoking, you’ll not only reduce your cravings but you’ll help your overall health too.

While there’s no denying that quitting smoking is difficult, it is very possible. Use these tips to help you gain control and stay on track.

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Putting the health effects (good or bad) of alcohol aside, there’s another side to this issue that’s not always looked at thoroughly – mood.

Alcohol affects your mood; that is a given. The problems arise when a person drinking that one or two glasses of wine a day is affected severely by alcohol. While you may not see the inner health effects of alcohol on a daily basis, you will experience the effect drinking has on your mood right away.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when consuming alcohol.

How does it affect your mood? Keep track of how you feel when you have the occasional glass of wine. It’s normal to feel the tension from your body release and more relaxed, but how do you feel the next morning?

For many, alcohol is a depressant and while they feel better temporarily, they end up feeling worse once the “feel good” effect wears off.

If you find that alcohol makes you feel down or depressed the next day, then it may be time to limit your drinking. In the worst-case scenario, a low mood after drinking may lead to more drinking. This is a vicious cycle to get into.

Also, if you have the occasional drink because it’s a nice social thing to do or to unwind, that may be okay. But if you find yourself looking forward to that glass of wine as a method of de-stressing daily, then that’s not so good. If you find that you’re getting into this cycle, try substitution the alcohol for a quick exercise session instead. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy. A simple walk around the block will do.

Exercise will work wonders to de-stress you while making you healthier overall – something alcohol can’t really claim to do.

Alcohol affects the mood, and many times in a negative way. By keeping track of your moods after you have a drink or two, you’ll be in a better position to know whether the alcohol is having an ill effect on you.

If you find you end up feeling worse rather than better from drinking, it may be time to substitute that glass of wine with something less mood altering.

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