I’m new at blogging and so far I love it.  It combines my passion for  talking about health & wellness and writing.

I will be posting a blog at least once a week for all of 2011.

It will be fun, inspiring, awesome and wonderful.  Check out other bloggers on  The DailyPost with similiar goals.

If you already read my blog, thank you and  I hope you’ll encourage me with comments, likes, and goodwill along the way.

Brenda the Happy Blogger

I like flowers but I LOVE trees.  And since I’ve moved to Maryland 10 years ago  I love them even more. 

Years ago a friend of mine had a book on trees which at the time I thought was so strange and boring.  But my  mind has completely changed and NOW  I have a book on trees.

Trees are amazing.  We can learn a lot from them. 

 They …..

• bend
• breathe
• grow
• change
• give back so others can benefit
• shelter
• produce
• beautify the world

                                                                  

                       Trees are grounded to the earth but reach towards heaven. 

Resiliency is like a  tree branch bending in the wind, not breaking but bouncing back.

 

Tree Oils–wonderful oils to help you breathe

Lemon

Sandalwood

Cedarwood

Pine

Balsam Fir

Spruce

Cypress

Melaleuca

I know you must be asking yourself “she’s training for a 5K”? Did she mean marathon or even a half-marathon. No I mean a 5K. I’m almost 50 years old and I haven’t run a 5K since I was in my 20s and back then I was slow. But it’s on my list of things to get back into doing. It’s a twofer, get in shape and support a great cause.  It’s Jeremy’s Run to benefit Drugfree. org and the Kolmac Foundation.

The run will be on Memorial Day in Olney, MD,  so I have 3 months to get in shape enough to run ~3.1 miles.   I exercise pretty regularly but running is quite different from walking and gliding on an elliptical.  For me running takes not just physical energy but mental energy. Every step says “stop”.  This time I plan a different physical and mental strategy.  I”ll start out running a 1/2 mile then 1 mile, 1 1/2 miles then 2 miles until I reach 3 miles.  Mentally instead of whining and crying I’ll encourage myself and challenge myself to go further and tell myself  that I feel fine.  My mindset is so different now than it was 20+ years ago.  I criticize myself less and encourage myself more.  

I could walk it but I want to run it, that’s what everybody else is going to do and I want to run while I still can.  My knees still work great and my back feels ok.   I might be slow but as long as I finish  I’ll be happy.

YOU GO GIRL…….

Anyone who knows me knows I love Luna bars.  I could be a spokesperson for them.  They are about 180 calories with 10 grams of protein.  A perfect snack or breakfast.   They are 100% natural,, almost all organic,  no high fructose syrup. They come in a variety of flavors.  My favorite are  White Chocolate Macadamia, Nutz Over Chocolate and Caramel Nut Brownie.  Some of the newer bars are gluten-free. They’re very reasonably priced, usually around $1, found almost everywhere,  Target, Wal-mart, Safeway, Giant, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, etc.

Part of the profits go to fund breast cancer, healthy homes and LunaFest (short films about women by women).  You can give a “shout out” to someone on their website and maybe you’ll get your saying printed on one of the bars.

Check them out…….

                                                    http://www.lunabar.com

Sleep is better than gold!!  It can’t be bought, stored up or borrowed.  It’s precious. 

Humans have a natural circadian rhythm.  We were made to sleep at night and be awake during the day.   One of the roles of the hormone cortisol is to wake us up. It peaks about an hour before sunrise and falls in the evening when the sun goes down.

 How can you improve your sleep and wake up feeling refreshed?

• go to bed as early as you can and wake up as early as you can, keep in rhythm with daylight and nightfall
• get sunlight into your eyes as soon as possible, step outside for a few minutes before you leave the house, open all the curtains, blinds or shades, turn on the lights in your house
• do the reverse at night, keep lights low and noise low
• make your bedroom as dark as possible, comfortable room temperature
• stop eating at least 2-3 hours before bedtime
• stay hydrated during the day, 
• practice living in the here and now, leave work problems at work, they don’t pay you when you get home so don’t give them  any more of your time
• 30 minutes before bed, have a routine, listen to relaxing music, take a warm bath, read, write a letter,  but no tv or internet
• try aromatherapy oils  like Lavender, Peace & Calming® or Valerian

When needed take a natural supplement like Melatonin (short term), Valerian Root with passion flower,  Sleepesssence™ or herbal teas,  Kava Stress from Yogi™ or  SleepyTime from Celestial Seasonings®.

The National Sleep Foundation has more great  tips for getting a good night’s sleep. And Lights Out is one of the most informative books on sleep and how it relates to health conditions like diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure.

 

                                   

  Sleep in peace

Can the scent from grapefruit really lead to weight loss? It is true that smell affects our sense of fullness. Dr. Hirsch, a neurologist, psychiatrist and the founder of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago has conducted several studies on smell, taste and appetite. In the early 1990s, he gave 3,193 patients inhalers containing aromatic ingredients, which they inhaled whenever they were hungry. They were instructed to keep their normal diet and exercise routines, and each month for a period of six months they were given new inhalers. The participants lost an average of 5 pounds a month. “A large part of the reason that you feel full is your brain interpreting that you’ve smelled it and tasted it,” said Dr. Hirsch.

It would be inconvenient to smell a grapefruit any time you felt hungry.  What about a bottle of grapefruit oil? That would be really convenient.  Any time you felt hungry you could bring it out a take a whiff.   Or the grapefruit oil can be put in a Whiffer™.  A Whiffer™ is a beautifully designed necklace that allows you to put drops of the oil on a wick and wear it all day long.  Other oils to suppress appetite are peppermint,  orange, and tangerine.

Whiffer

Watch a short video about the Whiffer™

A new study suggests that diet sodas lead to heart disease and vascular events.  Could it be the sodium content? Most diet sodas contain 35mg of sodium in 8 oz, so in a 12 oz can of soda that’s 52.5 mg.  Diet soda drinkers drink about 5 0r 6 cans a day.  That would add up to ~300 mg sodium daily.  A healthy amount is 3,000mg total.  So the sodium amount is not that high, but definitely something to watch.  Also the caramel color of some diet drinks may lead to vascular events like a stroke. Overall diet drinks are a poor choice for hydration.  Most people drink them for the taste and caffeine pick-me-up.   The artificial sweeteners in diet sodas can actually have an opposite effect of weight loss by increasing sugar cravings.

I have always been a proponent of water and herbal teas, which are a great way to hydrate the body naturally. Some even contain  a small amount of caffeine.  Quench your thirst with wonderful herbal teas like chai, green tea, and chamomile.  Give the body what it really thirst for.  Don’t sabotage your weight loss efforts by drinking beverages that will make you crave more sugar.  Add a small amount of natural sweeteners to herbal teas like stevia, agave, or honey.

Welcome to sunflowerhw.wordpress.com.   Curious about the most current health and wellness topics?  If yes, then this is the blog for you.  Health and wellness is my passion.  I love writing and reading about ways to improve health and well being.  Join me as I comment and blog about current topics and topics of interest especially for women.