I Corinthians 3:16 SAYS, “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”  I know this but life stress, fatigue and poor decisions haven’t helped my diet.  I too need to get back on track, eat my My Plate – ½ my plate if veggies and I get at LEAST 3 servings of veggies and 2 of fruit a day for better health.  Optimal health requires even more, so trying to have a plant-based diet, with raw, fresh, non-GMO, organically grown foods is paramount to make my temple it’s best.  God can heal, but I also need to make better choices!

I’d love to invite you to my 5-A Day Challenge! The goal of this challenge is to eat 3 servings of veggies and 2 of fruit each day of the challenge.

Tips …Make veggies the main part of the meal. Create fun salads that are topped with fruits and protein. Experiment with color and make it a beautiful thing to eat. Salads like a chef salad can be any mix of ingredients. You can also puree veggies to make filling soups or stir fries to incorporate veggies in a different way.

I read a great article about climbing stairs and wanted to add my 2 cents to it. Outdoor stairs are a great way to increase the heart rate and rev up an outdoor hike or walk. This is an example of an interval of a high intensity cardiovascular activity being added to a flat trail walk or hike to spice up your workout. It usually leads to an amazing view, so in the late summer and fall can also provide for spectacular views seeing everything greened out or the changing colors in the fall.

There’s the simple formula to figure out what your target heart rate range (THRR) is. You may have a wearable that you rely on to tell you when you are in the THRR, it’s still good to know information.

Static or not moving stretches are a great cool-down after a workout or activity. Stretching is like the dessert after activity or a workout.

Walking or hiking is a great form of exercise that most people can do. It’s not about how fast or how many steps, everyone can benefit from working to their person target heart rate range levels (THRR).

We understand that maintaining a balanced, healthy diet is easier said than done — especially since the flavor suffers the most, but healthy eating is no longer bland and boring! Spices and aromatic herbs are a great way to reduce salt in meals and amp up the taste. Your taste buds won’t know what they are missing, and your body will be grateful.

It’s “Be Kind To Humankind Week”. It’s an annual worldwide celebration of kindness that is observed from August 25 to August 31. This week is a time for us to reflect on what we can do to make this world a better place.

So, today, on National Relaxation Day, take 5-10 minutes to relax. If you find that difficult use an app like CALM or put on some relaxing music. You can even try relaxation breathing with your eyes shut sitting or lying down. Adding this as a daily practice can help you bounce back when life happens. Relaxation, why is it important?

Let your JOY show through your smile all this week! It is National Smile Week. Or, in the words of the very funny and talented Will Ferrell, who played Buddy in the holiday movie Elf: “I just like to smile! Smiling's my favorite”.

Holidays and other crazy observances have been established in August. I was amazed at all the fun days when I looked, and even created a Celebrate Life Challenge for August from my research.

I am encouraging you to develop your own bucket list today! Then, for the rest of the month, do things off your summer list! It doesn’t need to be big, grand, or cost much money.

If you find plain water boring to drink, then infusing your water with fruits, vegetables, and herbs can help increase your likelihood of reaching for a glass of water instead of juice or soda.

When we attach value to something, we are more apt to give attention to it. Do you value your water?

Five statements to avoid and my “INSTEADS” - ways to look at changing your lifestyle that can help you sustain healthy habits for a lifetime.

Think that having a plot is too much work or expense? Live in an apartment or town with very little space? Why not do container gardening. Instead of planting flowers, plant tomatoes, lettuce and spinach, herbs, and other veggies in containers.

We spend time in God’s creation and can see His majesty manifested in everything we see. It’s really sad to me that people are so connected to social media, city life or other distractions that have nothing to do with getting outside that they think “ecowellness” is something a guy created.

Create infused waters adding fruit 24 hours before serving. Lemons, cut strawberries, adding herbs or cucumber slices. Use the color in the water to decorate for outdoor parties or entice others to drink more water!

Being in the sun generally makes us feel good! When the sun is out, our disposition can change to a more positive outlook on life. Sunlight is essential for human health and well-being.