Stress, oh the havoc it wreaks. It can cause serious damage to your health, body, and skin. Unfortunately, stress is unavoidable and overtime can cause frown lines while also making you look older, tired, angry, upset, worn out and can exacerbate rosacea, eczema, or psoriasis. The [Link Removed] are detrimental to every aspect of your being. Maintain healthy skin while relieving the tension from your face with some simple lifestyle changes. Yes, stress is a part of life but it doesn't have to show in your face.

Exercise does a body good as well as your skin. Exercising relieves tension in your body while facial exercise programs are [Link Removed] has the ability to soak into your skin where the light wavelengths heal and repair damage. Light therapy helps your stress slip away while working wonders on your skin.

Listening to a [Link Removed] is a powerful way to let go of any stress in your life. It's a powerful tool that can help you get into a state of deep relaxation. By simply listening to an mp3 or CD you can erase the tension while empowering yourself to improve other areas of your life.Pamper yourself with home facials which will help you relax and will help your skin look more beautiful. Place a few drops of essential oils, such as lavender, in a bowl filled with hot water. Drape a towel over your head and let the steam carry the relaxing and beneficial properties into your skin.

Consider adding yoga or meditation into your life. These two powerful activities will dramatically help balance your body and mind while giving you the opportunity to relax and escape your worries for a little while. Stress is all around us and it's up to you to do things to release some of the tension from your life, body, spirit, and face. Taking the stress out of your face will help smooth out your frown lines, give you more [Link Removed] and lift your spirits.

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Lose the sugar-packed and expensive store-brought energy bars, and make these homemade ones instead.

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Whether you've resolved to hit the gym more or your busy afternoons require a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, energy bars are a full of foods that provide slow-burning fuel, such as dates and sunflower seeds, that will keep you going through a 12-mile run or that 3 p.m. slump. The problem? Commercial versions are overpackaged and full of sugar, and the tab for keeping my college-age runner supplied with brand-name individually wrapped energy bars would rival his tuition.

I actually found it pretty easy to re-create some of our favorite bars at home, using nothing more than a food processor. Tasty enough to challenge the likes of Clif and Larabars, these energy bar [Link Removed] can be whipped up in practically no time for a fraction of the price.

Raw Lemon-Coconut Bars
These tasty bars are similar to Lärabars, but contain no added sweetener and are gluten free.

Ingredients:  

-3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon almond meal OR 1 cup sliced or slivered almonds
-1 1/2 cups pitted dates OR 1 1/4 cups chopped dates or raisins
-1 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut
-Zest of 1 organic lemon
-2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:  

1. If using chopped dates, cover them with warm water, let them soak for about 5 minutes, and drain. If using sliced or slivered almonds, put them in your food processor and whir them into meal.
2. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of almond meal evenly over the bottom of an 8-inch-square baking pan.
3. Add the remaining ingredients to the food processor and whir until well mixed.
4. Press into prepared pan.
5. Chill for a couple of hours until firm, then cut into 12 squares, and wrap each in wax paper or store in an airtight container.

These will keep at room temperature for a month...if you can resist them for that long.
Makes 12 bars.

Variations: Don't like lemon? You can substitute any nut, seed, or dried fruit in this recipe and change the seasonings to reproduce just about any bar out there. Here are a few tasty alternatives.
Cherry Pie Bars: Substitute 1 cup of dried cherries or cranberries for the coconut.
Apple Pie Bars: Substitute 1 cup of diced, dried apples for the coconut, omit the lemon zest and juice, and add 1 teaspoon of powdered cinnamon.
Chocolate-Cashew Cookie Bars: Use 2 cups of cashews instead of the almonds and coconut, omit the lemon zest and juice, and add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add ¼ cup of mini semisweet chocolate chips once everything else is well blended.
PB & J Bars: Use peanuts (or shelled sunflower seeds) instead of almonds, substitute 1 cup of dried cherries or cranberries for the coconut, and omit the lemon zest and juice.
Mostly Raw Oatmeal Energy Bars
The only cooking involved is heating the wet ingredients to make them smoother and easier to blend with the dry ingredients. The end result is similar to Clif Bars.

Ingredients:  

-2 cups old-fashioned oatmeal, uncooked
-1/4 cup flaxseed meal
-1 cup total dried fruit (coarsely chopped), chopped nuts, and/or semisweet chocolate chips
-1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
-1/8 teaspoon salt
-1 cup natural nut or seed butter (peanut, sunflower, cashew, almond, tahini)
-1/2 cup brown rice syrup
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl. Put the nut or seed butter and the syrup in a saucepan and heat slowly, stirring until the mixture is hot and well blended; then add the vanilla.
2. Pour the mixture over the dry ingredients, and stir until well mixed (you may need to use your hand).
3. Pack firmly into a greased 9-x-9-inch baking pan.
4. Chill for a couple of hours until firm, then cut into 12 squares, and wrap each bar in wax paper.
5. Stored in an airtight container, these will keep at room temperature for a month.

Makes 12 bars

ChocoBean Power Bars
The cooked beans in this recipe add lots of protein and fiber without overpowering the banana and chocolate flavors. If you buy canned beans, there is no cooking involved. Just buy Eden Organic brand, which uses cans that aren't lined with the toxic chemical [Link Removed] 

Ingredients:  

-1 1/2 cups cups cooked black beans, drained and rinsed (one 15-ounce can)
-3/4 cup dried banana slices
-1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
-1/3 cup (packed) raisins or dried cranberries
-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-1/2 cup brown rice syrup
-1/4 cup oatmeal whirred in the blender until very fine
-1/4 cup ground flaxseed
-1/2 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips (optional) 2 tablespoons almond mealfine

Directions:
1. Whir the beans, banana, cocoa powder, raisins, vanilla, and syrup in a food processor until very smooth.
2. Add the oatmeal and flaxseed (and chocolate chips if using).
3. Pulse until mixture is well blended and forms a dough.
4. Sprinkle almond meal over the bottom of a 9-x-9-inch cake pan.
5. Press the mixture firmly into the prepared pan.
6. Chill for a couple hours until firm then cut into 12 squares.
7. Wrap each in wax paper and refrigerate in a closed container for up to four days, or freeze for up to a month.

Makes 12 bars

Variations:  Add 2 tablespoons of dry instant coffee for chocolate-mocha bars, or add ½ teaspoon ground hot pepper to give bars a Mexican kick. These are also tasty with pureed overripe banana (or pumpkin puree, prune puree, or even apple butter) instead of the dry bananas; you just need to replace the brown rice syrup with a dry sweetener, such as raw sugar or powdered stevia, to add sweetness while keeping the dough dry enough to form into bars.

Think Outside the Bar
While bars suit the packaging needs of commercial manufacturers, there's no reason you have to get your energy boosts in slabs. Make "energy balls" from any of these recipes by sprinkling almond or other nut meal (or even shredded coconut or unsweetened cocoa powder) on a plate, dropping spoonfuls of dough onto it, and rolling them around with your fingers to shape and coat them. Balls one-inch or smaller are perfect for popping into your mouth whole and make a great substitute for candy if the kids (and that includes your inner one) clamor for it.

Farm gal, library worker, and all-around money-pincher Jean Nick shares advice for green thrifty living every Thursday on Rodale.com.  

For more snack ideas from the Nickel Pincher, check out her column on [Link Removed] 

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Rosie says, "READ My Story of how I went from THEN to NOW... A "Fat Feeling, Frumpy, Fifty Year Old" to a "Fabulous, Focused, Confident Fifty Year Young Woman..."  

Well, Jackie and I have seen her in person and she is a slim, vibrant woman with a sweet heart. Her lifestyle adjustments can create a sexy, healthy body without starving or spending hours in the gym. Check out her blog - [Link Removed] for up to the moment information about this dynamic gal.

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After I read this article, I contacted our cosmetic manufacturer to get his take on what he had read. Even though it was a costly endeavor, we have diligently removed parabens from most of our products when we reformulated them. I believe it was the right decision.

Our manufacturer's response:
The article clearly states that no causal relationship has been shown to exist between parabens and breast cancer. The Personal Products Council and other consumer safety groups have also stated that there is no link between parabens and breast cancer. If you look at the sidebar you will also see that parabens are used to preserve foods and medicines and are naturally found in some foods including Blueberries. To detect the presence of parabens in the deeper tissues of the body, one could surmise that it is more likely to be present as the result of ingestion than from topical use. I was under the impression that the issue of parabens and breast cancer had been put to rest some time ago.

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Yay! A clean, disinfected surface using odorless peroxide. We've been using peroxide for countertops, bathrooms, sinks and more for years here. It's very affordable and doesn't have a use by date.

From [Link Removed] 

Here's another one from the "everything old is new again" file: Plain old hydrogen peroxide is about to make a big-time comeback.

Hospitals have spent billions fighting the germs and superbugs responsible for some 100,000 deaths each year due to infections people acquire AFTER they're admitted.

But while the strongest meds and harshest chemical cleaners have proven to be no match against these bugs, the real answer has been right under our noses all along: hydrogen peroxide (H202).

Now, scientists have mixed H202 with ozone to form a gas that can penetrate every nook and cranny in a room and kill every germ — and sterilize every instrument — in an hour flat.

As a bonus, the peroxide-ozone blend even kills that "other" bug infesting hospitals and nursing homes: bed bugs. (Naturally, the hotel industry is even more eager to get its hands on this stuff than the hospital business.)

The gassed-up H202 has the potential to be a game-changer — but only if hospitals actually USE the stuff. If they start cutting corners or simply don't want to take each room out of commission for an hour between patients, we'll be right back to square one — and 100,000 deaths a year is only the beginning.

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Growing up as a very active athlete in the Southern California area one of my favorite teams to watch was the UCLA Bruins men's basketball team. I even had the privilege of attending a week long basketball camp on the campus hosted by the UCLA coaching staff. I remember when I was there the way people at UCLA would speak of Coach John Wooden, he was held in such high esteem by all. He was revered, loved, respected and admired, and not just as a coach, but as a man.

As I grew up my father would buy me books to read that showcased great coaches and athletes, and focused on their attitudes, beliefs, and determination to give their best everyday. As I read the books about John Wooden it was so clear that he was not just a basketball coach, he was a life coach. To his players, to his family, to his friends, and to all of us that want to learn from his lessons.

Thus in this article I want to highlight some of those great life lessons that Coach John Wooden passed along to us during his lifetime.

-Time lost is time lost. It's gone forever. Thus, people should always do their best. If they can work twice as hard tomorrow, then they should have worked twice as hard today, because that would have been their best. Catching up leaves no room for them to do their best tomorrow. Those who are putting off and then working twice as hard later are just cheating themselves from being their best tomorrow.

-Try to read and learn something new every day. Stay on top of, and ahead of your game, so that you can operate to the best of your abilities. Do the best you can with what you have. Don't stand still. Always try to move forward. Keep learning so you can function as well as you are capable of functioning. Then whatever comes out of that comes out of that, and will be a by-product of always striving to be the best you can be.

-"Love" is the greatest word in our language. When we have love, many of our problems disappear. We can give without loving, but we can't love without giving.

-Don't let making a living prevent you from making a life. People don't spend enough time with their families. They get caught up in material things, thinking those make up life. Don't allow the lesser values to raise havoc on your family.

-God is far greater than I am and to see that I must accept His actions, even if I do not understand them at the time.

-There is nothing stronger in the world than gentleness.

-There is a verse by Henry Van Dyke that John Wooden always carried with him on a note card: "Four things a man must learn to do, If he would make his life more true: To think without confusion clearly, To love his fellow-man sincerely, To act from honest motives purely, To trust in God and Heaven securely."

-On the other side of his note card was the seven point creed his Dad had taught him to live by: "1. Be true to yourself. 2. Help others. 3. Make each day your masterpiece. 4. Drink deeply from good books, especially the Bible. 5. Make friendship a fine art. 6. Build a shelter against a rainy day. 7. Pray for guidance and count and give thanks for your blessings every day."

-"Balance" is one of the most important parts of life. We must always keep things in perspective so that we can maintain emotional control.

-John Wooden's formula for success: "Don't lie. Don't cheat. Don't steal. Don't whine. Don't complain. Don't make excuses."

-If you never lie, you'll never have to remember what you said.

-Never stop trying to do what's right. And don't do the right thing to earn favor with God or anyone else, do it because it is the right thing to do.

-Doing our best really does define success. Never try to be better than somebody else. Always learn from others and never cease trying to be the best you can be.
The most important profession in the world is parenting. The second is teaching, and everyone is a teacher to someone.

-The more concerned we become over the things we can't control, the less we will do with the things we can control. Abraham Lincoln said "We'd all be much happier if we magnified our blessings rather than our disappointments."

-A leader's most powerful ally is his or her own example. There is hypocrisy to the phrase "Do as I say, not as I do." You should refuse to make demands on others that you are not willing to live out in your own life. Leadership from a hypocrisy undermines respect, and if people don't respect you, they won't willingly follow you.

-You must have the drive to develop your abilities and become the best you can be so that you'll be ready. You must be prepared when your chance comes. Because if you are not primed, you will miss your opportunity. You have to think as if you are going to get one shot, so you must be ready.

-Find your Olympic spirit of competition, but for the sake of competition, not for the -outcome of winning and losing. Put your sights on the desire to excel, not on the outcome. Be fiercely competitive, however the best competition is against yourself – to become better.

-It is more blessed to give than to receive. There is always great joy in learning that something you've said or done has been meaningful to another, especially when you do it without any thought of receiving anything in return. Your gift doesn't have to be material as a smile, a nod, a pat on the back all warms the heart.

-Don't use foul or abusive language. Make your words be an encouragement to those who hear them to be good and helpful.

-Don't consider yourself superior to anyone else, but never feel inferior.

-Always keep your word. "Later's", "until's", "if's" and "when's" are really nothing more than "but's" – don't let yours keep you from keeping your promises.

-We shouldn't compare ourselves to others. We get in trouble when we start trying to measure up to someone else. We should focus on striving to become the best we are capable of becoming.

-Happiness comes from the things that cannot be taken away from you. Appreciate the things that last, especially faith, family and friends.

-Never encourage anyone to pray for a win. Our prayers should not be directed to the scores on the boards. That seems way too selfish. Honor God by doing your best, controlling your emotions, and asking for protection.

-God hears all of our prayers and answers them, but sometimes the right answer is No.
There is a wonderful axiom about the three things most people really want out of life: happiness, freedom and peace of mind. Interestingly, these things are usually attained when we give them away.

-The smallest good deed is better than the best intention. Lots of people talk it, but they don't walk it. You should always try to act upon your intentions.

-Your individual strength of character will shape how you react to both praise and criticism. If you let either one affect you, it will affect you adversely.

-No matter how tall you might be, don't ever look down on anyone.
Be thankful for what you have. Be appreciative. Don't ever think "why did this happen to me?" but instead count your blessings every day.

-Wake up each day and tell yourself "this is going to be a good day!"

-You can't antagonize people and then expect to get positive results.

-Criticism and correction differ, especially when it comes to methods and motives. Criticism puts someone down. Correction means I want to help. Be slow to correct and quick to commend. No one likes correction, but we learn from it. If we commend before we correct, the person will accept the correction better. And don't ever give correction in a way where the other loses face. Only make corrections after you have proved to the individual that you highly value them, because if they know you care the correction won't be seen as a judgment.

-If we listen to others, they will be more apt to listen to us.

-If we are ever through learning, then we are through. You either have to go forward or you'll go backward. Learn as if you are going to live forever, but you ought to live as if you're going to die tomorrow.

-The worst thing you can do for the ones you love are the things they could and should do for themselves. If people are hungry, give them fish. But after they have eaten, teach them how to fish. Don't keep giving them fish. That makes them dependent on you for their food. It's never good to take away anyone's independence.

-Failure is not fatal, but failure to change can be.

-The person who is afraid to risk failure seldom has to face success.

-You are never a failure if you gave it your all, unless you blame others for your mistakes. When you place blame, you're making excuses; when you're making excuses, you can't evaluate yourself; and without self-evaluation, failure is inevitable.

-Time spent getting even would be better spent getting ahead.

-Harboring thoughts of revenge is a bad thing. Forgiveness is much better. We can choose to forgive. When we do that, it sets us free.

-It would be a dull monotonous world if we all agreed on everything, but we should never be disagreeable just because we disagree.

-Lastly; "Success is peace of mind as a direct result of self-satisfaction in knowing that you did your best to become the best that you are capable of becoming – in all areas of life."

These are words to live by. Words to be studied and more importantly applied in your life. These lessons will not only help you live a more fulfilled, happy life but all those around you as well. The more we can learn from the examples Coach John Wooden gave us, the more we can become teachers in our own right.

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