Nine Healthy, Proactive Ways to Prepare for a Mega Flu Season

Here are Nine ways to proactively prepare for the upcoming flu season. With the return of the H1N1 flu, Swine Flu, are you ready? (Additional CDC Tips, Click here) Swine flu has become the world’s dominant strain of influenza and the World Health Organization predicts that within two years, nearly one-third of the world’s population will have caught the swine flu.

Consider taking these 9 steps now, before you or your family comes down with swine flu.

1. Make a plan. Both medical and workplace experts suggest you create your plan now; know your company or child’s school flu policy.  Schools and workplace will be stricter in preventing the spread of illness.  Don’t be surprised later due to poor planning.  Does your company have a leave policy? How to keep up with class work?

2. Do you recognize the signs of illness? The CDC recommends you stay at least 6 feet away from people with flu-like symptoms, and you stay the same distance if you become ill. In fact, avoid others until you’ve been free of fever for 24 hours.  Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Have your doctor’s phone number and current medication easily located.

Children should get medical attention if they:

• Have fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Have bluish or gray skin color
• Are not drinking enough fluid
• Are not waking up or not interacting
• Have severe or persistent vomiting
• Are so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Have flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and a worse cough
• Have fever with a rash

Adults should seek urgent medical attention if they have:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms that improve but then come back with worsening fever or cough

3. Stock up now. Get in the habit of taking your laptop home daily.  Do you and your children have portable sanitizers to use when washing is not available?  They are available at local drug stores. (These sanitizers are drying, so make sure to also carry lotion!) Stock up now with food supplies and comfort foods – electrolyte drinks, household cleaners, soft foods, pudding cups, extra canned soups, tissues and toilet paper.  Also make sure you have a thermometer to take your temperature. Here is the link to the Pandemic Mask.

4. Decide who the care-giver is if/when children become ill. One parent to take care of the ill, one to maintain normal household duties. If you live alone, fatten up your social network now and create “flu-buddies”

5. Don’t Go to Work Sick or Send Sick Children to school. Always be ready to work from home. DVD, magazines and Books - keep a few light, uncomplicated diversions for the down time.

6. Preventive steps: Get vaccinated. Get the regular seasonal flu shot and the swine flu shot when available.  Check your local listings for availability.

7. Don’t touch your face.  The virus enters the body through the eyes, nose and mouth. Keeping your hands clean is a huge preventive step.

8. Be healthy, take vitamins, eat healthy, exercise and reduce stress.
9. Enjoy time in a sauna a couple of times a week, the steam and heat can supposedly kill off viruses (if it’s over 80 degrees).

Although the outbreak may be milder than anticipated, it would be irresponsible to completely ignore all the warnings.  One of my favorite quotes is: “Four steps to achievement: plan purposefully, prepare prayerfully, proceed positively, pursue persistently.” William A. Ward

Comments are appreciated. I love feedback.Thanks.

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September is National Yoga Awareness Month

September is National Yoga Awareness Month.  This is a great month to increase your awareness of wonderful benefits of yoga.  Take this time to explore why millions enjoy practicing yoga.

Are you curious? Learn the therapeutic benefits of different yoga poses, how to use yoga for healing, fitness, preventing chronic diseases, and being more in tune with your body.

There are actually different types of yoga styles that are being taught and practiced. Choosing the right type of yoga style will depend on your specific needs and your own fitness ability. Whereas Hatha, Vinyasa, and Iyengar yoga styles can be safely practiced by anyone and are ideal for beginners.

If you need to read up before taking the plunge, spend a few minutes reviewing these articles: Yoga Self-Taught by Andre Van Lysebeth, Yoga For Beginners, Yoga Anatomy by Leslie Kaminoff.

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Review: Yoga Self-Taught by Andre Van Lysebeth

Review: Yoga Self-Taught by Andre Van Lysebeth

Do you want to learn yoga, specifically Hatha yoga, with the help of a book? Then Yoga, Self Taught (Amazon affiliate link) is probably the best book available. And the interesting thing is that it’s not a new book.

In fact, this book has acted as a guide for yoga beginners around the world since the 1970s and it is still considered as one of the easiest to understand and the best possible book for someone who has developed a new found interest in learning yoga poses.

In simple and easy to understand language, Yoga, Self Taught (Amazon affiliate link) presents the basic premises of Hatha yoga and then goes on to discuss the benefits one can expect from its regular practice. Even though it was first published so many years back, the illustrations and the photos of the different yoga poses or yoga asanas are clear and provide useful knowledge in understanding how exactly each posture is to be performed.

The book describes a sequence of yoga asanas and a few breathing techniques. If you are a yoga beginner, you can include this sequence and the breathing techniques easily within a 30 minutes practice session.

• It explains the significance and the benefits of the different yoga poses in a scientific way. Each step of the yoga posture is described with the help of clear instructions and great photography.
• And if you think that a particular pose is too difficult for you, you don’t have to give up on it. This is because the author also describes certain modifications that you can do with a yoga pose so that it becomes easier. This proves especially useful for a yoga beginner.
• And it doesn’t just describe the correct steps involved in performing the pose. In fact, it also shows how not to do a pose and the common mistakes which one makes while doing a particular yoga pose.
• These mistakes are also described with the help of pictures, so the reader can clearly understand how he/she can avoid making these mistakes. It even discusses how an incorrectly done yoga asana can harm an individual. Now, this is something which you will not find in any yoga book.

The focus of the book is definitely on the physical aspect of yoga. But it doesn’t ignore the importance of yogic breathing. This is why it has an exclusive chapter on yogic breathing. It describes a few breathing techniques and discusses how proper breathing can actually help in managing stress.

Clear instructions, clear photos for each step of a yoga pose, and modifications to make it easier. These are the things which make this book perfect for yoga beginners. So, if you are looking to learn yoga through a book or if you are just looking to add a good yoga book to your library, choose Yoga, Self Taught . (Amazon affiliate link)

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Review: Santosha.com – A Site for All Your Yoga Needs

Whether you are a yoga beginner or an advanced yoga practitioner, you sure cannot forget to buy some wonderful yoga accessories for making your yoga and meditation sessions a more peaceful and more healing one.

Santosha.com provides an opportunity for you to go through their online shop and choose from among a wide range of yoga products right in the comfort of your home. So, you may choose to do as many yoga poses as you want during a yoga session, but don’t forget to get some great yoga supplies from Santosha.com .

Their wide range of yoga supplies include eco-friendly yoga mats and rugs made from cotton. And if you have yoga mats, you need a place to keep them. So, buy the very stylish yoga bags and totes from Santosha.com to make storage easier or to carry your yoga mats while you are traveling.

If you are a yoga beginner, Santosha.com has bricks, wedges, and blocks made of lightweight foam, and eco-friendly cork.

• Bricks can help the yoga beginner to modify poses depending on their individual flexibility levels.
• Wedges come as handy tools to help you perform squats and forward bends. They also have a complete set of shoulder stand foam set.
• And of course, stretching is made easier for a yoga beginner with the help of yoga straps. You can also buy yoga bolsters and cushions and yoga blankets to make your yoga session a more comfortable one.
• And then there are books, videos, and yoga music and audio. You can learn yoga asanas or yoga basics through their books and videos.
• For the accompanying music during your yoga and meditation session, you can choose from a wide range of dance music, healing music, and instrumental music products, all available on Santosha.com.

For making your meditation session a more peaceful and more healing one, don’t forget to buy some meditation cushions, aromatic incense, and meditation timers. There are also gongs and chimes available. You can use them for your various cleansing rituals or as decorative items. And don’t forget to pick some instructional and inspirational guided meditation audios and videos from meditation experts and books on meditation.

Santosha.com has a wide range of products available to help introduce the magic of yoga into your everyday life and make it more peaceful. There are jewelry and mala beads, decks, charts, and posters, essential oils, soy candles, and aromatherapy supplies. You can buy gift certificates for your loved ones or choose gift items from their “gifts from the heart” section. These include Om symbols, greeting cards, shawls, wall-hangings, statues, and chakra-inspired tea bags.

Their wellness and bodycare section includes neti pots, herbal eye bags, and soaps made from rose, sandalwood, and jasmine among many others. They also have a range of fresh, organic, and contemporary textiles to make sure that you get a peaceful sleep and are aptly called the Sleeping Buddha Bedding.

So, if you are looking for some wonderful and natural supplies for yoga and meditation or some products to make your life more peaceful, don’t forget to check out the wide range of products available on Santosha.com.

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Popularity: 39% [?]

Review: 90 Day Body By Vi Challenge

Most of us have at one time or another, tried an exercise program, a fad diet or even a combination of both because of different reasons. Whatever your body’s needs are, The ViSalus Sciences Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge is geared towards helping you achieve your goals. People have different needs for their bodies. Some people are clinically obese and need to lose weight. Some just want to lose a few pounds. Some want to get fit and toned and there are those who just want to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Unlike other programs, which turn out to be fad diets, Body by Vi “is based on nutrition that helps you burn fat, keep lean muscle, boosts your metabolism and helps control hunger.” Formulas and ingredients are patented and will help achieve an individual’s goals on his/her terms with guaranteed results. The program includes fitness tips and plans, nutrition guides and tracking tools that you can download from the website.

There are three kits in the Body by Vi Program:

1. Body by Vi “Balance” Kit - helps you begin your journey by providing your body with good nutritional balance
2. “Shape” Kit - will help accelerate your results in achieving a slim and trim body
3. “Transform” Kit - the ultimate power of the ViSalus product line which will help you see and feel maximum results
4. Program Guide - contains information, recipes and a journal to help you track your  success.

An online “Health Membership” is included in the kit which will give you access to different online tools you can use to help you succeed. Upon joining the challenge, you can log into the online community where you will meet other people who have participated and who are presently participating in the challenge. They will be your support group and they will help you achieve your goals.

When starting the Body by Vi 90 Day Challenge, follow these steps:

1. At the beginning of the program, take your body measurements and your “Before” Photo, upload these into your Health Membership Profile and show your results as you move towards your goal.
2. Using the ViSalus recipe database, you can enter your dietary needs and preference into the database and you get a customized meal plan. Your shopping list is then sent directly to your email or phone.
3. You can also customize your fitness plan. You can find a plan that will match what goes on in your life (i.e. your schedule, your goals). You can choose an exercise plan from available videos.
4. Track your progress. Always update your Vi-Net profile, so you can share your progress with the rest of the ViSalus community. As you go through the challenge, celebrate every little success that you have.

There are available video testimonials of different people from different walks of life who have succeeded in improving their lives through the Body by Vi Challenge. Their “Before” and “After” photos are very powerful visual aids that show the average person that anybody can do this challenge.

There are so many available health programs out there. Many have made promises from helping a person lose weight, helping others look beautiful, helping people look feel good, etc. Many are effective, some are not. But what makes Body by Vi stand out?

With Visalus Body by Vi:

• Body by Vi offers a comprehensive health program that has a simple nutritional program with menu plans and recipes that you can customize to your body’s needs.
• You get to keep track of what you eat and get to understand how your diet choices will accelerate your progress. You can also customize your exercise program according to your needs and your goals.
• You can then choose a workout program from the exercise and video programs available at ViSalus. These are simple exercises that can be done at home or at the office. Some exercise can be done outdoors or at the gym.

Perhaps, most important of all, would be the ViSalus Community. When you join the Body by Vi Challenge:

• You will join an online “Health Membership” and you will have instant access to online tools to aid you in your success.
• You will also get to meet other people who are also participating in the Challenge and people who have already finished the Challenge. The Community is always there whether you just want answers to some questions or you need to have some encouragement as you go through the program.
• You have access to many pointers from experts and regular people like you who just want to have a better life.

So, if you want to have a better, healthier life without the hassles of doing a health program that does not suit your needs, or involves fad diets and watching endless exercise videos, just make things simple.

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