Action for Healthy Kids works with schools and families to help children learn to eat right, be active every day and be ready to learn. They give these tips for celebrating a healthier February 14th:

Celebrate healthy hearts throughout the day:

· For breakfast, add frozen raspberries to hot oatmeal for a pink bowl of heart-healthy goodness. Or, make heart-shaped buckwheat pancakes topped with strawberry yogurt.

· A whole wheat bagel with strawberry cream cheese makes the perfect mid-morning snack. For extra zing, dot with dried cherries or cranberries.

· Surprise kids with heart-shaped sandwiches. Use a large heart cookie-cutter to shape whole-grain bread. Include slices of red bell pepper and grape tomatoes on the side.

· The entire family will love a heart-healthy dinner. Serve whole-grain pasta with a festive red tomato sauce; add a can of tomato paste to the sauce for an extra nutrient boost. Or, broil heart-healthy salmon and top with a spoonful of cranberry sauce.

Use classroom parties to demonstrate that celebrations can still be healthy:

· Model nutritional balance. Offer low-fat milk, water and fresh fruit alongside Valentine’s Day treats.

· Teach moderation. Offer one Valentine’s Day treat per student, rather than a buffet of sweets.

· Offer healthier, yet tasty, options. Have kids top graham crackers with vanilla yogurt and fresh strawberries. Offer strawberry applesauce. Make pink, yogurt-based fruit smoothies served in kid-decorated cups.

· Get moving! Clear the desks and hold four-legged races, play musical chairs, or dance to some hip tunes.

· End the party with a heart-healthy stress reducer. Invite a parent to teach basic yoga moves, or simply lead students in deep breathing exercises.

About Action for Healthy Kids
Action for Healthy Kids® is the nation’s leading nonprofit and largest volunteer network fighting childhood obesity and undernourishment by working with schools to improve nutrition and physical activity to help our kids learn to eat right, be active every day and be ready to learn. We provide expertise, volunteers, programs and resources nationwide through a unique collaboration of thousands of professionals, parents, educators, community volunteers and students, in partnership with more than 65 professional associations, government agencies and corporations. More information is available at ActionforHealthyKids.org.

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Here are ten quirky tips from the book for everyday green living!

1)      Create smoother, younger-looking skin with a green tea face pack. Grind up used green tea leaves into a powder, then mix with water and flour until it forms a paste. Wash your face, and then apply the pack for 10 minutes. Rinse off with water and follow up with your favorite lotion.

2)      Drink green tea to lose weight. Drinking five cups of green tea a day can burn up to 80 extra calories!

3)      Use wet green tea leaves to clean your house. Green tea is not only an eco-friendly cleaning option, but will leave your rooms sparkling and smelling fresh! Squeeze most of the water out of wet tea leaves, and then place on dirty floors or dusty surfaces. Brush the leaves back and forth in small strokes, allowing the tea leaves to pick up dust and dirt. Sweep everything into a dustpan when finished.

4)      Use vinegar for even the most heavy-duty cleaning! Vinegar will shine up sinks and counters, as well as kill bacteria. Scrub the slime out of your bathtub, disinfect cutting boards; even combine 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar to wash your floors. Simple, cheap and most importantly, not harmful to the environment.

5)      Mix your own vinegar conditioner for soft, shiny hair. In an empty plastic bottle combine 16 oz water, 4 tbsps white or rice vinegar, and 3 or 4 pieces of fresh rosemary or sage. Just as effective as expensive conditioner, but far more economical.

6)      Make your sweaters look like new. Rub a sweater with the rough edge of a dry sponge to easily get rid of pilling fabric.

7)      Repair dry or damaged skin with a soothing green tea bath. Steep one green tea bag in boiling water for 15 minutes, then pour the tea water into your bathwater. The vitamins and catechins in green tea will kill bacteria on your skin and smooth away imperfections, not to mention contribute to a relaxing bath!

8)      Mix homemade sake lotion. This simple lotion and moisturizer only requires two ingredients and some time in the fridge. Mix 7 oz cold sake and 1-½ pints water, then allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for a few days. Dab onto skin with a cotton ball. (Make sure to test this out on your hands before applying it elsewhere!)

9)      Drink vinegar and water for better health. Just sipping a little vinegar every day can improve your digestion and skin complexion. Combine 1 part rice or apple cider vinegar with 7 parts water.

10) Relieve chapped lips in the sweetest way. Forget chapstick—just spread honey on your cracked lips for a natural (and delicious!) cure.

Available at Amazon.com

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We welcome the leadership and formation of Partnership for a Healthier America, to be chaired by the First Lady, to unite the public and private sectors, other organizations, business and thought leaders, the media, and states and local communities to make meaningful and measurable commitments to fighting childhood obesity. Combined with Surgeon General Regina Benjamin’s recent statement on the urgent need to address obesity, the Obama Administration’s commitment to a strong Child Nutrition Reauthorization bill, and $10 billion in additional investments in the President’s budget, we believe it is more possible than ever before to truly make a difference in the lives of millions of children.

With more than 12,000 volunteers in communities nationwide and partnerships with leading national organizations and governmental agencies in health, education, nutrition and physical activity, we stand ready to contribute to this new national campaign. During the 2008-09 school year alone, Action for Healthy Kids reached nearly 4 million children in 8,000 schools around the country.

About Action for Healthy Kids
Action for Healthy Kids® is the nation’s leading nonprofit and largest volunteer network fighting childhood obesity and undernourishment by working with schools to improve nutrition and physical activity to help our kids learn to eat right, be active every day and be ready to learn. We provide expertise, volunteers, programs and resources nationwide through a unique collaboration of thousands of professionals, parents, educators, community volunteers and students, in partnership with more than 65 professional associations, government agencies and corporations. More information is available at ActionforHealthyKids.org.

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If you’d like to celebrate Valentine’s Day in a way that’s less commercial, more environmentally responsible, and infinitely more meaningful, let these ideas inspire you.

1. Make a fancy dinner at home. Spend some time in advance pouring over your favorite recipe books or searching recipe sites for elegant, lavish choices that you wouldn’t ordinarily splurge on. To make it even more special, treat yourself to a bottle of nice wine or Champagne, start out with a course of fantastic artisanal cheeses, and make or buy a decadent dessert. Be sure to buy all the groceries a day or two in advance and allow enough time to be able to cook together in a leisurely manner – sharing in the cooking process is half the fun. Pull out your fine china and linens, then light some candles to set the mood.
2. Give a living plant instead of cut flowers. A dozen red roses are a quintessential Valentine’s gift, but they’re not exactly good news for the environment – the flowers could be heavily sprayed with pesticides and other chemicals (bad news for you and the workers who pick and handle the flowers.) Many are flown from South Africa or Latin America, travel that uses resources and causes pollution. Instead, find an eco-friendly florist or garden shop and give your sweetie a living plant that will stay green long after those red roses wilt.
3. Make your own truffles. Don’t waste your money on fancy commercial chocolate brands – instead, head to the kitchen and make your own truffles. Recipes can easily be found online for a delicious, thoughtful gift that also helps the earth.
4. Or, buy chocolate responsibly. If playing chocolatier in your own kitchen is beyond your skill set, try to do a little research and find sweets that are organic, fair-trade and made locally so you’re supporting small business people in your community.
5. Shop for gifts at thrift and antique stores. Your local flea markets, thrift stores or even eBay can be a treasure trove of one-of-a-kind, meaningful gifts for your honey. Look for vintage purses, a pretty glass vase, or some beaded necklaces that you can take apart to make your own personalized piece.
6. Take a jewelry making class to make a handcrafted bauble. If you plan far enough in advance, you can take a jewelry making class (or, for the time-pressed, even a one time only afternoon workshop) so that you can make a piece that’s truly unique and from the heart.Look online for a class and you might even find someone who teaches you about giving new life to old objects, like this one taught at New York City jewelry store Lunessa.
7. Splurging on a diamond? Go conflict free. Most commercial diamonds are mined in ways that harm the environment and the workers. If you are going to splurge on a diamond, make sure it’s a conflict-free gem. There are plenty of eco-responsible jewelers, such as Green Karat who specialize in recycled precious metals and responsibly mined sparklers.
8. Create a home spa experience. Instead of a gift certificate to a fancy spa, create a luxurious spa experience in your own home. Find recipes for homemade bath salts, scrubs or facials, then light some candles and put on some Sade.
9. Make your own Valentines. Whether they’re for your child’s classmates or for friends and loved ones, making your own valentines can be a satisfying way to use the things you’ve been hoarding, such as scraps of fabric and ribbons, random buttons, and old greeting cards and magazines. Gather up all the materials you think you might need, buy some construction paper or card stock at your supermarket, and get to work.
10. Go risqué responsibly. Looking for some sexy underthings to spice up your night? Stay away from synthetic fabrics like polyester satin, and seek out lingerie made from natural and environmentally responsible fabrics like bamboo, organic cotton, hemp and silk.Green Cheeks Boutique has romantic options ranging from colorful thongs made from silk remnants to lace-trimmed, organic cotton babydolls.

For more great tips from Jessica Harlan,  visit online at www.recyclebank.com

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Vitamin D plays a significant role in the cellular structure of the heart and its pumping ability, and deficiency can lead to heart disease and stroke. Although Vitamin D is created after direct exposure to sunlight, our appropriate efforts to protect our skin from cancer can block this path. It’s difficult to get enough Vitamin D from food, short of drinking four glasses of milk daily. Ask your doctor to check your blood level of Vitamin D and ask whether supplements are appropriate.

Avoid “bad fats” like hydrogenated and saturated, and eliminate trans-fats altogether. Replace them with vegetable oils such as olive, canola, corn and soy, and those supplemented with omega-3’s. Do recognize that all fats have the same number of calories, so use even “good” fats sparingly.

Lose that belly fat as it increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain types of cancer. Belly fat is usually the first area to shrink with moderate-intensity aerobic exercise and strength training with weights.

Exercise has other heart-healthy benefits: it can help control blood lipid abnormalities, blood pressure and diabetes, as well as make the heart work more efficiently during exercise and rest. Even after suffering a heart attack, people who embark on a graduated exercise program have better rates of survival, as well as a better quality of life.

Note package labeling in prepared foods and look for the types and amounts of fats and sugars. Choose foods absent in trans-fats and low in other ‘bad fats’; and look for “no added sugar” or “unsweetened” products.

Take time each day for relaxation. Stress contributes to heart disease by turning on hormones that cause a rapid heartbeat, rise in blood pressure, increased turbulence in the bloodstream, and – some scientists believe – speed up the process of fatty material collecting in the coronary arteries. Relaxation techniques such as yoga, meditation and t’ai chi can break the cycle.

Be Informed about your blood pressure, blood sugar and lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides). If you’re not in optimum ranges, discuss with your doctor how to get there.

Nix sugars. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar daily for women (9 for men). This isn’t much – for example a bottle of cola with 44 grams of sugar contains 10 teaspoons! (Be aware that “naturally sweetened” products often contain added fruit juice or lactose from milk, which are added sugars.) These recommendations do not include natural sugars, like in fruit.

Eat a diet high in fruits, vegetables and grains.

Stop smoking – the major preventable risk factor for heart disease. It increases blood pressure, decreases exercise tolerance and increases the risk of abnormal blood clots leading directly to heart attacks and strokes.

Don’t just limit healthy heart habits to National Heart Month – extend them to every day of the year. But, on Valentine’s Day, you’re allowed to have that one piece of chocolate!

About Dr. Margaret Lewin
Chief Medical Director of Cinergy Health
Board-certified in Internal Medicine, Hematology and Medical Oncology, she is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. She is affiliated with New York-Presbyterian Hospital and The Hospital for Special Surgery.

A graduate of Case Western University School of Medicine in Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. Lewin’s undergraduate degree from Purdue University is in Aeronautics, Astronautics, and the Engineering Sciences and she holds an M.S. in applied mathematics from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

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Make some magic this year with LUSH Magic Mushroom Bubble Bar ($4.95). The enticing scent of a bath filled with strawberries and vanilla cream bubbles is a sure fire way to get high off each other’s love or entice the one you’ve been pining over.

Valentine’s Day isn’t just for couples; spread the love to all your friends and family this year with LUSH Love Soap ($3.95). This red, glittery heart-shaped soap will put a smile on everyone’s face as it’s jam-packed with aphrodisiacs and skin smoothing ingredients.

Ceremoniously let go of a broken heart with the LUSH Ex Factor Bath Bomb ($4.95). This blue gingerman with a little pink heart will fizzle down the drain along with any lingering feelings. If emotions get high, tear off his arms and legs or just smash him up in the tub – we won’t tell anyone.

Better than a bouquet of roses, LUSH Be Mine Gift ($24.95) is filled with pampering goodies for your sweetheart. It comes with three pleasurable products, all wrapped up in rose printed paper, to help relax, rejuvenate and release her inner vixen. Flying Fox Shower Gel soothes skin and sets the mood, Shimmy Shimmy Massage Bar massages away the stresses of the day and Honey Trap Lip Balm leaves lips in a soft and sensual state.

If you’re in the mood to seduce your sweetie, try LUSH True Love Gift ($44.95). This no fail temptation kit is filled with our aphrodisiac-infused Sex Bomb Bath Bomb, our equally appetizing red glitter Love Soap and moisturizing Yummy Yummy Yummy Shower Gel. Outside the shower, lather up with our light and luxurious Vanilla Dee-Lite Lotion or show your partner heavenly bliss with a little Heavanilli Massage using our sexy vanilla bar.

Available at lush.com

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2. I SHOULD WORKOUT ON AN EMPTY STOMACH SO MY BODY WILL BURN FAT.
You must put glucose (food) in the system before you exercise. If you are exercising with no glucose in the system, it sends your body into Emergency Mode. Emergency Mode = hold on to body fat for as long as possible because it is valuable energy and will be necessary to survive. Instead of fat, your body will break down muscle tissue and use that as energy. It does this for two major reasons:

1) Muscle is metabolically active tissue. For this reason it’s viewed as costly when there is not enough energy coming in. Your body is “doing you a favor” by getting rid of really needy, high maintenance cells. Emergency Mode is all about energy conservation: Get rid of muscle, hold on to fat.

2) Losing muscle mass slows down your metabolism, which conserves energy. This is your body’s goal when you are in Emergency Mode.

If you are working out – or even physically active – and there is no glucose in the system, your primary fuel source is muscle, not fat. Get your body out of Emergency Mode by making sure to keep adequate glucose in the system by eating several small meals and snacks throughout the day.

3. IF I DON’T HAVE AT LEAST 30 MINUTES TO EXERCISE I SHOULD JUST SKIP IT BECAUSE I WON’T GET ANY BENEFIT.
Science has shown that you do not have to do long, continuous workouts to get benefit. Studies have taken two groups of exercisers and divided them in to ‘30 minutes of continuous exercise done in one session’ and ‘30 minutes done in 3 bouts of 10 minutes each, spread throughout the day’. Guess which group got more benefit? The second group that spread out their three 10 minutes sessions reaped more benefit, and here’s why: Every time you exercise, your metabolism increases. When you finish exercising, it takes a while for your metabolism to slow back down. This means free extra calories being burned! I like to think of this as the “Afterburner Effect”. The group that did 30 consecutive minutes got only one “afterburner effect”, whereas the second group got three!

Another benefit to splitting up your workouts is that it may be more do-able from a time management perspective. Finding a big block of time can be very challenging, but finding 10 minutes in the morning, 10 minutes mid-day and 10 minutes in the evening definitely has possibilities. Instead of bagging a workout because you don’t have 45 minutes or an hour, see how much you can accumulate throughout the day or week.

4. IF I STOP EXERCISING, ALL MY MUSCLE WILL TURN TO FAT.
Muscle cannot turn into fat. Molecularly the two are as different as oil and water. As you begin to exercise your muscle fibers hypertrophy (grow), causing your metabolism to increase. This increase in energy expenditure creates an energy deficit, and so your body uses stored energy from the fat cells causing them to shrink in size. When you stop exercising the muscle fibers atrophy (shrink), causing your metabolism to slow. This decrease in physical activity and energy expenditure coupled with eating the way you did when you were working out creates an energy surplus, which is stored in the fat cells and they grow larger. It is just a matter of taking up space, not turning into something else.

5. WORKING MY ABS ALL THE TIME WILL GET ME A SIX-PACK STOMACH.
Physical activity – including resistance training – will help reduce body fat, but not specifically or exclusively in the isolated muscle group being worked. Current theory shows that a reduction in calorie intake coupled with exercise results in fat reduction throughout the entire body, not in localized spots. You cannot “spot reduce” fat on specific areas of the body. Body fat decreases in an all over body sense – your body genetically decides where the fat goes to or comes from first and unfortunately you can’t control it. Reducing body fat is best accomplished through a combination of cardiovascular activity, resistance training, and a healthy diet.

6. I’M TOO OLD TO HAVE A FIRM STOMACH OR TONED LEGS.
Although studies indicate you may lose muscle mass as you become older, you can slow or even reverse the process through exercise. There is no reason why you cannot improve the strength, flexibility, and overall appearance of your body no matter how old you are. The old adage “Use it or lose it” applies here. Most people lose muscle mass because they stop exercising, not because they are old. They become sedentary. Depending on your present level of fitness, you can add muscle mass to some degree or another. You’re never too old to receive the health benefits of exercise and to look great!

Meet Jenny Evans, Stress/Exercise Physiologist & Founder of PowerHouse Performance Coaching

For more information please visit www.powerhouseperformancecoaching.com

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Offering “Fashionable Fitness You Can Wear Like Jewelry,” Kim and Annie are both busy moms who appreciate any type of product that makes their lives easier. Through that concept they invented Banglz, which are fashion ankle and wrist weights light enough to wear all day, yet substantial enough to feel the difference!

The Center for Disease Control & Prevention notes that even when at rest, one pound of muscle burns up to 30-50 more calories a day, compared to one pound of fat, which only burns 2-5 calories a day. “Everyone begins to lose muscle around age 25 if they are not proactive about their health. When you begin adding muscle back into the equation, you almost effortlessly lose fat and burn more calories!”

Banglz Wrist Weights
½ lb. weight bands that come in a variety of fashionable prints, allowing you to wear them like jewelry or be ahead of the crowd at the gym. They maximize upper body muscle tone and develop new, lean muscle during your regular day. By providing ongoing resistance, they help to strengthen arms, shoulders, chest and core. Price: $24.95

Banglz Ankle Weights
1 lb. weight bands available in fashionable prints that can be worn like anklets all day long. With each step, slight resistance helps to tone the legs, hips and glutes. They maximize low-impact exercise time and allow for exercise to be added into everyday activities to increase the number of calories burnt. Price: $27.95

Both Banglz Wrist Weights and Banglz Ankle Weights are safe to wear everyday. Annie suggests that women who have an already existing fitness routine can add them to optimize their workouts. For those who consider themselves inactive, Annie recommends a gradual addition of Banglz for everyday toning and muscle development. According to Annie, “physical inactivity has been noted as one of the greatest health concerns our country faces today. By adding Banglz, an inactive person can begin to live a healthy, fit lifestyle without the added burden of scheduling

For more information, visit www.banglz.com.

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But contrary to our Western notions, karma is not about personal payback for the good or bad we have done in our lives, according to Nancy Deville, author of the new novel Karma.

“Conventional wisdom tells us that karma is cause and effect,” she says. “Something you’ve done has caused all of your problems. You do something bad and something bad happens to you. But that’s not the true meaning of karma. And this is a very healing revelation.

Karma is what each one of us adds to the world based on how we respond to the experiences we are dealt in life, says Nancy, a student of Buddhist and Hindu traditions.

Nancy offers the following four tips for how practicing good Karma can help people live happier, healthier lives and make the world a better place:

· Choose to react in a positive way in the face of negativity, hardship, and adversity.
· Share sympathetic joy with those who are experiencing good fortune.
· Offer compassionate phrases to those who are more unfortunate than you (May you be safe. May you be happy. May you be healthy. May you be peaceful.).
· Offer compassionate phrases to yourself when you are in pain (May I be safe. May I be happy. May I be healthy. May I be peaceful.).

When Bad Things Happen, It’s Not Your Karma — Nancy explains how practicing self-compassion makes us more compassionate with others and enables us to live with joy.

To learn more about Nancy and her work, please visit her online at www.nancydeville.com

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The Obagi Professional-C Serums are designed to neutralize free radicals, prevent skin cell damage and fight anything that is thrown its way.

With a superior delivery system, it provides up to two times greater penetration to protect against present and future damage.

Each serum is formulated with stabilized ascorbic acid, the only form of Vitamin-C that can be effectively absorbed by the skin to guarantee you will always get your dosage!

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