Is now the season of our discontent?

Are we dreading making those New Year's Resolutions because we already know we won't live up to them? Are we setting ourselves up for failure before we even leap? Well, we've got a deep dish of inspiration to help you stay on track and be motivated to complete the goals you set after the ball has dropped.

We know everyone makes those simple lists that are all too generic: lose weight, quit smoking, be a better spouse, etc. The list can go in. But a few moments of introversion can be the right dose of reality you'll need before you go making your checklist for 2009.

Be a better person to others, but more importantly, be a better person to yourself. Love yourself. How can people respect you when you don't even respect yourself? People will take note of your change the moment you allow it to happen. It will make you feel good, help you be more productive, and can even help you drop those desired pounds.

Treat your body right. Rid your body of harmful toxins that have plagued it for eating food that has hidden additives we have not been alerted to. These additives can be processed and artificial, leaving your body with a "What do I do with this stuff?" mentality. When the body doesn't know what to do, it puts it to the side and lets it sit. Those harmful toxins can develop into things worse than a chubby tummy; disease and cancer can grow from these toxic additives left sitting in our digestive tract. So next time you think about chowing down on that fast food burger, practice "WWMLD," or What Would My Liver Do?

Most pharmaceutical companies want to keep their customers sick and coming back for more. Why give them the pleasure of lining their pockets with your hard-earned dollars. Simplify your eating habits and your body will thank you when it has less to process, less bad food to work through and detoxify and make healthier choices to give you energy, a better immune system and a better physical workflow.

But why wait for the ball to drop and the confetti to shower your hair? You can start right now, with a pledge to yourself. Instead of devouring two holiday brownies, devour one nice and slow, savoring every morsel. Be a glass half-full kind of person with your egg nog (optimistic and only half a serving, compared to a full cup). Your body will thank you by the springtime, perhaps with a few pounds lost, cleaner lungs, lower cholesterol but most of all, the breakthrough and achievement that if you can put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything.

I'll raise a glass to our good health in 2009. Cheers!!

Simple, Secure, and Inexpensive Natural Health...

Looking for supplements, that hard-to-find cold remedy, or a new kind of natural toothpaste but don't want to pay natural food store prices? Well have I got some information for you...

As a avid consumer of natural health products ranging from shampoos to vitamins, I am always looking to keep some money in my wallet, purchase a reliable product, and support a good company.

Several months ago, I stumbled upon the company site for iHerb.com and have been forever impressed by their product selection, prices, shipping, and overall customer satisfaction. I cannot say enough great things about the company and especially the incredible savings they offer on products. For instance, I've been looking to purchase a specific supplement for several months and have not been able to afford its price with other websites and companies. Yet an exciting day came when I discovered that iHerb.com carried this product for 40 % off!!!!!!!!!! I was sold from that point on.

They've got hard-to-find products, easy-to-find products, and down right thousands of fantastic products. It would literally take hours to look through all that they have and of course they're adding more all of the time!!

This is no ploy to get you to their site but merely an educated consumer's opinion about a company that cares about their customers in more ways than one.

This a gift to the natural health community and in my opinion, an untapped resource. Their site is safe and secure with simple navigation and check-out.

iHerb.com is number one in my book for purchasing my natural health, beauty, and nutrition products...any way to save money, support an earnest company, and keep healthy---I'm there!

Give it a look and if you'd like to try something at check-out enter code ARA461 to receive $5.00 off your first purchase. www.iherb.com

Its Your Wake Up Call.

Do you know only a drug can provide a cure to a disease, according to the Food and Drug Administration of this country?

No natural herbs, home remedies or vitamins can help your health, according to our government. It is fixated on keeping us sick and begging for quick solutions compared to long-term care. How many people think aspirin actually takes pain away? It does not. It simply blocks the pain receptors to the brain. This is a temporary fix and not a solution for what could really be aching you (no pun intended).

No one else will stand up for you in the examination room. Most doctors have quotas to meet; kickbacks from major pharmaceutical companies to collect and only your voice stands in the way. They speak that they know the human body; but they don't know your body.

A colleague, 24 years of age, was given a prescription for her high blood pressure. We won't include the name of the drug here, but after careful research through places such as WebMD and Wikipedia, we learned that this drug lowered blood pressure by weakening the heart so it pumped slower, thus de-pressurizing the flow of blood. After years and years of this drug, said colleague could easily develop more heart problems on account of this drug and is denying her heart of working at its capacity and potential. Luckily, our colleague stopped taking this drug only two months in.

So next time you're in the doctor's office and they're ready to write you a prescription, take a moment to look at yourself and think about what you are paying to put into your body. Advocate for yourself and do your own research. Research what they want to give you before swallowing it on a whim. Its your life, its your body and no one can take that away from you!!

Why does the pH scale matter to my health?

Healthy living begins with an alkaline environment in our bodies. The pH scale ranges from 1-14, 7 is neutral below that is acidic and above is alkaline. It is true that our bodies need both acid and alkaline for processing of different foods. However, if we go too far into the acid side of the pH scale that is where physical trouble begins. The human body is generally 80 percent alkaline and 20 percent acidic.

Viruses, colds, flus and bacteria cannot thrive in an alkaline environment. As they always say, "an ounce of prevention equals a pound of cure" and in this case that remains to be true. Nutrition and supplementation is the answer to bringing our bodies out of the acidic state. We've been plagued with preservatives, antibiotics, hormones, and environmental toxins. All of this elements are attacking our internal organs creating a toxic environment for cell functioning.

Many of the common health problems that Americans face stem from the lack of balance between acid and alkaline in our bodies. Yet the allopathic medical community does not seem to address this issue. Acidosis, the state when the acid level of our bodies increases, is a thriving environment for disease and illness. Some symptoms of acidosis can include but are not limited to: heart problems, obesity, immune deficiency, urinary tract issues, cancerous mutations, premature aging, fatigue, and osteoporosis.

Be mindful of food and product labels and be conscious of where you food and products come from. Look for any of these prominent harmful chemicals in your food and products and try to eliminate them:

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate - known to be carcinogenic - found in toothpaste, shampoo... etc.

Cocaminde DEA - know to be carcinogenic to animals

Propylene Glycol - this is in antifreeze

Phenol - coal tar, causes nausea, convulsions, coma, etc.

Iodopropynl Butyl Carbamate - adversely affects liver, etc.

Organophosphate is an insecticide used to kill spider mites from agricultural fields. Farmers, their families and pets are warned to stay out of a sprayed field for a minimum of forty-eight hours.

All forms of paraben - a known carcinogen (Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, Butylparaben, Benzyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid, Methyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid, Ethyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid, Propyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid, Butyl-parahydroxybenzoic acid, Parahydroxybenzoic acid and Parahydroxybenzoate.)

Blue #1, Yellow #5, and Red #40 - all coal tar derivatives.

Think organic, organic, organic!! It's important that our diet consists of as many preservative, antibiotic, and hormone free foods as possible. If you cannot pronounce it, then you shouldn't ingest it! Be mindful of food labels and be conscious of where you food comes from. American stores are full of processed foods that increase the acidity of our bodies. Consume as much organic vegetables, fruits, soy products(edamame, tofu, tempeh) and free-range vegetarian fed poultry/meats and fish for protein as you can.

Water is also essential to our body's functioning especially when it comes to the pH scale. Lemon water (water with a squeezed lemon) is especially helpful in alkalizing our bodies. Try to stay away from carbonated, caffeinated drinks with lots of sugar. Try caffeine-free herbal teas to supplement your water intake.

The information is out there, you just have to look for it. Continue to be mindful of the things that you put in your mouth, put on your skin, and in your environment. We are given one body in this life, start alkalizing your life today!