Thanks to everyone who came to the Wellness Meeting on the 30th of September. We had some great snacks and relaxing time away from our desks! Lots of folks wanted references and recipes so here is coverage of what we had at the meeting. For those who didn't make it or who are in Spanish Fork or Mona, these are some great suggestions on a couple of new foods to try and some great healthy snacking ideas.


Kashi TLC Crackers
In a few different flavors, the Kashi Crackers are multi-grain snacking with amazing flavor. They come in Original 7-Grain, Fire Roasted Vegetable, Honey Sesame and Country Cheddar. Why eat this over a Wheat Thin?

• TLC Original 7 Grain has half the fat of a Wheat Thin
  
• TLC has no saturated fat (present in Wheat Thins)
  
• 15 TLC crackers have the same calories as 9 Wheat Thins
• TLC has twice the fiber present in Wheat Thins
• TLC is made from whole wheat flour and 6 other whole grains (while Wheat Thins are from enriched bleached flour, which is vastly nutritionally inferior)

And for my money, the TLC crackers taste MUCH better. Wheat Thins taste okay, but ever notice that greasy feeling inside your mouth when you eat them? Those people who tried the TLC Crackers at the meeting would agree that they taste great, so try the different flavors and find one you love. They are available at most grocery stores, costing around $2.50 a box at Walmart.

We also tried some cereals.
First sample was a granola from Good Earth, right on main street in American Fork. It is from the bulk food section and is called "Strawberry Vanilla Hempseed." No processed sugars or marshmallows shaped like rainbows, this cereal is so good that my kids will sit around munching it all day if I leave it where they can reach it. Once you put milk on it, the dried strawberries plump right up. Great for breakfast or snacking!

We also sampled a few Kashi cereals, the Strawberry Fields and the Cnnamon Harvest.

The Strawberry Fields is a nice 7 grain cereal with the same freeze-dried strawberries in the granola I just mentioned. Light flakes, great in milk, super tasty. This cereal is readily available at most local grocers and all the big chains.



The Cinnamon Harvest reminds of old-school Shredded Wheat, but with lots more natural sweetness. This is another cereal you will find yourself snacking on, right out of the box. I adore cinnamon so this on is a favorite of mine as well. Also available at most grocers.

I also introduced a lot of folks to a grain they weren't familiar with, called Quinoa (say KEEN-wah).


This is available at the bulk section of health food places and is a very cost-effective way to eat well. It cooks up like rice, and texture-wise it is somewhere in between rice and cous cous. Quinoa is the only grain that has a complete protein, meaning you don't have to combine it with other foods (think beans and rice, which only meet the complete protein requirement if they are together). You can use it in soups, served hot with stir fry, with warm apples and cinnamon for breakfast, and any other way you can think. It's extremely nutritious and a near-essential food for any vegetarian. Meat eaters will find it's subtle flavor a great way to get non-animal protein into their diet. When you buy this, be sure and soak it in water or rinse it 2-3 times before you cook it, until the water runs clear. One of the great things about quinoa is that it has its own natural pesticide, which is a bitter coating called saponin. Birds and insects won't eat it, so no need to pollute the earth with chemicals! You need simply rinse it a few times before you cook it and the saponin is gone, releasing that subtle nutty flavor and goodness.

We served some almonds. Raw, unsalted, and available in the bulk food section of the health food store (or, for a little more money, in regular grocers baking isle).

Almonds can help lower your cholesterol and are a great source of good fats in your diet. The recommendation is for 23 almonds a day, which would cover a single post-it note (the standard square ones). Be cautious and look for the raw variety, unsalted if your cholesterol is high.



I also shared a green dip made from edamame, or soy beans. Just take some raw garlic, peeled, and shred it good in your food processor (maybe a clove or two). Add some sun dried tomatoes (I prefer the ones packed in olive oil) and pulse a time or two, taking into account that the tomatoes bring a lot of sweetness (go slow adding them). Then add the soybeans/edamame, pulse until its chunky, then drizzle some of the olive oil from the tomatoes into the mix. Grind coarse sea salt over the top and serve! Works great with the Kashi crackers above.

So get out and try some of these great new foods. A few subtle changes in your eating can yield big results in terms of your health. You'll feel better, look better, and have more energy.

Controlling your Cholesterol Levels

The Young Living Health and Wellness Fair was a resounding success. Lots of folks at corporate took time out of their busy day to come and check in on their health; glucose screenings, bone density checks, body mass index checks, and of course cholesterol screenings. I had lots of questions about cholesterol that day and thought it might warrant a posting here, to cover all the bases.

The American Heart Association lists the following ranges for ranking your cholesterol health: 200mg/dl and below is healthy, 201-239mg/dl is borderline high risk, 240mg/dl and above is high risk meaning you are twice as likely as someone in the healthy range for a heart attack. In your overall cholesterol score you have two different numbers: your LDL, or bad cholesterol, and your HDL, or good cholesterol. I recommend that if your score was high when you were tested at the health fair, check with your doctor and have it retested so that he can evaluate BOTH of your scores. You may have your LDL levels in an acceptable range and just have high scoring HDL numbers, which can be good. That being said, your results could also be worse if your LDL levels are very elevated and your HDL numbers are low. There is a specific fat form called a triglyceride that comes into play here as well, and your doctor can help you understand your numbers best.

A number of Young Living employees approached me after the Fair, asking what they can do to lower their numbers. Your doctor can evaluate your particular needs best, but a few things we can all do for healthy levels include: modifying your diet, getting regular physical activity, and avoiding cigarette smoke.



As for eating better, here are a few suggestions. First, pay attention to your fiber intake. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends between 25-30 grams of fiber per day (note: one serving of Balance Complete has 11 grams of fiber!). Next, watch your sodium intake. The AHA recommends less than 2,300 mgs per day with high risk folks targeting more like 1,500 mgs per day. Again, if you are high risk it is worth consulting your health care professional. Also, keep your alcohol intake low, restrict/eliminate trans fats, and keep your saturated/animal fat intake low. Whole grains, lots of fruits and vegetables, and eliminating heavily processed foods are just good general guidelines for heart health whether you are high risk or not! Try to eat fish twice a week if you don't already as that helps to boost your HDL levels (Young Living Omega Blue is also critical here, loaded with heart-healthy omega 3 oils).

The AHA recommendation of exercise is at least 30 minutes a day 4 days a week, but we all benefit from more days if you can work that into your schedule. Find something that you genuinely love doing, whether it be walking, biking, dancing, yoga, rowing, martial arts or whatever works for you. Keep it in your schedule like an appointment that you just don't miss. After all, this is keeping your body healthy and happy and is critical to every aspect of your quality of life.

There are also several foods with strong correlations to cholesterol reduction, easily worked into your eating plan. The Mayo Clinic has five recommendations: oatmeal and oat bran, walnuts and almonds, fish and omega fatty 3 fatty acids (Omega Blue, Young Living's amazing blend of essential oils and fish oils, is perfect for this application), olive oil, and the foods fortified with plant sterols or stanols (these are naturally occurring compounds found in plants, and have been shown to have as much as a 10% reduction on cholesterol levels. You'll find them in some orange juices, for example). These are quick changes that can get your numbers moving in the right direction. Feel free to post questions!

Simple Step #5: Consider a Meatless Day

In the world of wellness, there are myriad opinions on the virtues and vices of animal protein and meat's role in a healthy diet. There are vegans and raw food advocates, the extreme all protein diets, those who abstain from meat for ethical and/or environmental reasons, and everything in between. Rather than getting into all those ideologies, I will simply acknowledge that the majority of us eat meat and could possibly do so with more awareness on how it impacts so many things.

For starters, our meat intake probably involves more red meat than it should (meaning lots of cholesterol and potentially artery-clogging saturated fats). We also tend to eat meat before other items in a meal, meaning we may get full on that rib eye while the broccoli on the plate remains uneaten and our vegetable intake remains low. And finally, the meat we do eat can be cooked in a variety of ways that can drastically alter its nutritional value; deep-fried anything becomes toxic to the body, batter coatings can take a sound choice and make it disaster, and sauces and marinades can be full of sugars and sodium.

So if you take meat out of your meals, what do you have left? Carbohydrates and fats. Are those in the form of processed grains and breads,refined sugars, and harmful fats? Or do you get the amount of fruits and vegetables that you need? When you take meat out of your meal, it easy to assess your carbs. That alone is worth doing on occasion, as so few of us eat enough fruits and veggies. Going to the other extreme and just eating carbs isn't the best option either (especially processed carbs).

As for the toll that meat takes on the environment, I found some sobering information. Americans eat an average of half a pound of meat a day. It takes about 4.8 pounds of grain, fed to cattle, to produce a single pound of beef. In the underdeveloped countries of the world, most people consume grain directly and certainly don't have enough to eat. It's a simple logic leap to see that eating great amounts of beef can contribute, indirectly, to world hunger. In his book, Diet for a Small Planet, author Francis Moore Lappe states, "Imagine a room filled with 45-60 people with empty bowls in front of them. For the 'feed cost' (meaning grain used to raise the beef) of your steak, each of their bowls could be filled with a full cup of cooked grain cereals." Meat production also generates more than 1.4 billion tons of animal waste, as reported by the Environmental Protection Agency, polluting American waterways more than all other industrial sources combined. Also, more than one third of all raw materials and fossil fuel consumption in the U.S. are used in animal production. Chicken and fish take a much lower toll on the planet and are lower in saturated fats, but eating beef sparingly is a personal choice.

I have had a high animal-protein diet for a long time and didn't give it much thought until I made a close friend who is a vegetarian. I started to read up on it and found there are tons of different reasons why people choose to go meatless. As I looked into recipes, I decided to eat vegetarian whenever I went anywhere with my friend. It was a respect thing at first, then I got thinking there are some other sound reasons to take a break from meat periodically. Give it some thought. Imaging the profound impact it would have on our health AND the environment if we all took one day a week and abstained from eating meat. Consider it!

Success Stories

Below are just a few of the success stories coming out of the Young Living Health and Wellness program. Please take a moment to read these stories and make a commitment to improving your health and taking the next excellent step.

Story 1:
Reflecting back on the past few months that I have worked for Young Living I can see quite a few positive changes in my life. After Russell explained the Wellness Program to me in March I decided to give it a try. Being a recent graduate, exercise had somewhat fallen by the wayside or taken a back seat to studies, thesis writing, different jobs etc.

Starting the program was tough, I began working out with my manager (the infamous Shayn Stavens) and sore muscles were an understatement. However, after a few weeks the initial soreness passed and I began to enjoy working out again. During this time I started using Pure Protein Complete, Omega Blue, Ningxia Red, and of course our True Source vitamins. I am happy to say I have never seen such quick gains as I did working out with my coworkers and taking our quality products.

Currently I am still working out at least 4 times a week and I ride my bike to work 3 days a week to help get more cardio (not to mention the money saved on gas). I think it is a huge benefit to work for a company that is focused on health and encourages their employees to live a healthy lifestyle.

-Jared Gower

Story 2:
My personal step toward wellness began 2 years ago. After being overweight for 19 years I was finally able to lose 56 pounds! After I was diagnosed with Thyroid cancer last fall, I truly believe that losing the weight helped me recover from the 2 surgeries and the follow up radioactive iodine treatments that I had to undergo. Unfortunately, weight gain is one of the side effects you have when you are taken off of your thyroid medicine for the radiation treatment. It was so discouraging to see some of the weight come back on after working so hard to get rid of it, but considering the alternative, I can’t really complain. During the last year I have had to endure so many emotional highs & lows, the wonderful feeling of coming within 20 lbs of my weight loss goal, and the terrifying feeling of being diagnosed with cancer and not knowing if I was going to be around to see my children grow up. Emotional wellness goes right along with physical wellness, you really need both. Now that I am back on my medication, and cancer (and thyroid) free, I am ready to get my weight loss back on track! I am slowly getting my energy back, and starting to feel “healthy” again. It is exciting to wake up in the morning and know that you have another chance, a chance to be healthy, a chance to make a difference, and a chance to live life to the fullest!

-Valarie Scarpino

Story 3:
My parents visited my grandpa and my two aunts in June up in Washington State. Before they returned home I received a phone call saying that my aunt was dying of heart disease due to complications of diabetes. She had been put on hospice and only has less then a month to live. My other aunt was diagnosed with a complex from of heart failure, fibromyialgia, high cholesterol, and other complications due to diabetes. I was scared because I knew that my dad’s side of the family had a lot of health problems, and this news only added to my fears. My uncle died of heart failure, and my other uncle has suffered from complications to 3 massive heart attacks. In other words this past month confirmed the fact that I have “bad blood” that puts me at risk of heart disease and diabetes.

When my dad talked to me on the phone that day we decided to make a plan together to do everything in our power to fight this “bad blood”. We made a game plan of prevention. My mom’s side of the family has hypoglycemia, and if you know anything about this you will know that hypoglycemia can turn into diabetes if you don’t take care of it. Well, with both of those odds against me this game plan was a necessary for me. My dad and I decided we would exercise 3 times a week, and change our eating habits. We decided we would run at least 3 miles 3 times a week, and go on walks the other three days. And in June all three of us bought bikes and go on bike rides every Saturday.

I am the kind of person that needs goals to look forward to, so I went a step further. I found a half marathon at the end of August and signed up for it with a co-worker of mine. I needed motivation and also some one that could hold me accountable for my goal. I found a training guide on line for “How to Train for a Marathon in less then 8 weeks”. I have been following it religiously. I also have decided that I need to change my eating habits. I talked to a lot of people about the benefits of Power Meal and decided to eat it every morning for breakfast. It isn’t the tastiest change, or the easiest one (who likes giving up bacon and eggs) but it will be worth it in the long run.

I know these are just little steps, but my co-worker and I have already started looking into training for a sprint triathlon for next spring. I can’t control genetics. I can’t stop what is in my blood, but I can do my part in prevention. The best prevention for any disease is exercise and better eating. And as long as I know I have done my part, come what may, I can say I fought for my health!

-Angie Clark

Story 4:
I am going to talk a bit about stress. The word in itself doesn’t seem that bad – right? Everyone has stress – whether it has to do with your job, family or just life in general. Well for me stress was mentally draining me to the point that I felt as though I just existed. I couldn’t sleep at night, I had stomach problems that even Dr. prescribed medication wouldn’t touch, my eating habits consisted of pop and junk food, but worst of all was the way that I was pushing away people that I loved and cared for including family, friends and co-workers because all I wanted to do was crawl under a rock and hide.

Well, I decided to take control of my life. I made some serious choices that were probably the hardest that I have ever had to make in my life. Choices that not only affected me but people that I loved dearly. I made these choices because I came to the realization that this life is too short to be miserable and that you can be in control of your own life and do things that truly make you happy. After I realized that, I felt like a completely new person. I started actually sleeping through the night, eating a low carb- high protein diet, exercising regularly and just focused on enjoying my life, my family and my friends.

In conclusion, I believe that the next excellent step that I have chosen to take in terms of health and wellness is to have a positive outlook on life and to take the time to smell the roses and enjoy what I have been blessed with.

-Laci Mayer

Story 5:
My story: When I first started on the Wellness Program, I was very "gung-ho" and got my whole family involved... We had passes to a Rec. Center, so on weekends we would go swimming, and on week days, my hubby and I went to play racquetball or lift weights, or both... Sometimes we would get on the treadmills also. It was amazing to feel the results, and if you must have the whole story, almost every morning we would come home from the gym "feeling more attraction for each other", if you know what I mean... It was a great PERK for the program. I was happy, he was happy, and my daughter was getting more movement than just sitting and playing video games and computer games all day....

I also noticed, since it got me more points, I started looking for people to serve in my life (Community Service). It was amazing how many different opportunities presented themselves to our family for serving the community. There were several neighbors, friends, and family members that have been blessed by what we have been able to do for them. One thing that brings me a lot of joy, is I volunteer almost daily to babysit my neighbor's daughter so her mother can clean the house and get caught up on other things, and we love having the little girl at our house. She brings me great joy!!

I started dropping a little weight and getting more tone in my muscles during the first few months, and noticed I had more energy at the end of the day after work for my family, which is important to me. Just before YLEO convention in June, and since then, we have dropped off on how much we exercise as a family. Time is a precious commodity, our passes at the Rec. Center expired, and we are saving up $$ to renew our annual passes, and our lives got incredibly more busy with a career change with my husband's work and his schedule changes... (he works graveyards now, so we only see each other for an hour each morning during the workweek)....

I am starting to get back whole-heartedly into getting out every day to walk, jog, or lift weights.... It has been a lot more tricky to work out, now that my "work-out partner" is no longer available since his work schedule changes. Having someone there to work out with is vital to success, if you ask me. I am re-motivating myself to the Fitness Program, as I am realizing that fitness is a long-term necessity, not just a couple of months commitment.... Besides, with Shayn Stavens leaving YLEO and quitting the Fitness Program, I might have a chance at Hawaii!! :)

I have also noticed that my health is greatly affected by how I feel about myself mentally, so I am very focused on all aspects of healing, improving, and changing my body formation and energy levels. I have been using a lot of "psychological" essential oil blends, getting bodywork treatments (massages, etc.), and also putting a lot of oil blends on my husband. We are both noticing that we have more hope in the future, more hope in our abilities, more determination to lead healthier lives so we can bless others with our skills, and our relationship is so much closer than it has been previous to starting the Fitness Program.

Thanks for the encouragement on making our families' lives, and those who work for YLEO, so incredible. Thanks for the free product, both through the Fitness Program and through the Employee Store. My life has truly been changed by the oils and the experiences I have had here at YLEO for the past 10 1/2 years! Thanks for making being healthy "normal" in a world of synthetic chemicals, fast everything, and lack of personal experiences. I love being healthy!! I am a work in progress, inside and out!

-Paula Thompson

Runner's Up

Ryan Shay died at age 27 on November 3, 2007 at the Olympic marathon trials in New York. He was an Olympic hopeful and experienced a major coronary event during the early stages of a race that he had run several times. As I reflect on this tragedy I recall the old adage, “There but by the grace of God I go”. It could have been me. It could have been anyone of us. We can find a small measure of comfort to know that Ryan was the exception. Many more will die (or experience major health impacts) due to chronic heart disease. In most cases heart disease takes a life time to develop and can be prevented. It is those “little steps” that add up. A busy schedule, a donut and soda to go, and so it goes…

A new chapter in my life began with open heart surgery the week prior to Thanksgiving in 2007. I officially began cardiac rehab in January of 2008. I began the YLEO Health and Wellness program in February 2008. I slowly began to walk. I was on oxygen and required a walker. Weights consisted of a series of lifts with my size 14 shoes. The YLEO program offered the chance to minimize cardiac risk factors (eliminate the negatives from diet, lifestyle) while maximizing good wellness factors (exercise, nutritional supplements, education). And who would have thought that I would already be back to running a 5k, lifting free weights on the incline press at 230lbs or machine bench pressing 330 lbs, or doing 200 push ups during a short lunch period? Not bad for an old fogy.

The immortal Jesse Owens said; “One chance is all you need”. All we need is a chance to capitalize on our opportunities. I would add; “Thank God for second chances”. With the second half of the Health and Fitness Program underway we all have been granted a second chance to win the big one to Hawaii or even more importantly to experience that excellent next step at whatever level of health we choose. Take this chance to do your best. Have fun. Love life.

-Bill Popin

The Young Living wellness program makes me a better person...Since I started working out, my body has changed in the good way and my attitude has also changed...I understand that when you work out you get more oxygen to the brain which makes you think better..Since I started taking the true source I feel my energy level goes up and helps me get through my work out... This program teach me how to eat better , rest , drink 64 oz of water daily , work out , help the community and much more and these are things I want to do for the rest of my life..This it the best prize from the wellness program your health. thank you Young Living and everybody the made this program possible thank you again...

-Carlos Martinez

I have always been an active person. I play volleyball and basketball in the winter. Water sports, softball and golf in the summer. I have never watched my weight or worried about what I should eat. But, with the years creeping up on me I decided to take the wellness challenge seriously. I stopped drinking pop and having pink cookies for breakfast. I replaced it with fruits water and veggies. But I could not get full. O started gaining weight; six pounds in one week so I talked to the doctor. He said to count calories. I gained more weight. I tried watching my carbs, I gained more weight. I was getting very frustrated and then Rachelle sent an email with a free website. For once I could see how many calories I ate in one day. How many calories I burned with exercise. Most of all what percent of bad fats I eat in one day. Between this website and Ningxia Red for energy I have seen a great difference in my life. Thanks so much.

-Angela Morgan

My little "next step" was inspired recently by Gary, Mary, Marcie, and the fabulous distributors at Distributors Week there in St. Maries, ID. I noticed during that week that daily meditation, not only veggies and fruits, but also only whole grains and no refined sugars, in addition to positive thinking made a world of difference. So now my personal fitness record has all the normal, wonderful point categories affixed as well as an additional few columns to see how I am doing at eating whole grains, no refined sugar, and maintaining a positive atmosphere and attitude of gratitude. Thanks for helping us be our best!

-Tiffany Covington

Simple Step #4: Getting real with what you're eating

In an effort to make positive wellness changes, people often talk to me about their eating habits. The conversation goes something like this:

"So I have been working out and have stopped eating fast food. I feel a lot better but I am not losing any weight. Any ideas?"

"Well, how many calories a day are you eating? How does it break down into carbs, protein and fat intake?"

"Um, I don't know."

It's not terribly compelling dialogue unless you dig a little deeper. There is simple math at work here, meaning if you want to lose weight you need to eat fewer calories than you burn (roughly a deficit of 500 calories a day equates to 2 pounds lost a week). Conversely, if you want to gain weight then you need to eat an excess of calories (and many of us do that with very little effort!). So, here's the "a-ha" moment: you can't target the ideal caloric balance without knowing exactly what you are eating.

I don't advocate counting calories as a long-term lifestyle change as honestly, it does take some work. That being said, few of us have any idea what we eat in a given day and tracking your food intake for a few weeks is extremely insightful. There's an excellent free website that tracks your food for you, breaking down exactly where your calories fall in terms of carbohydrates, fats, and protein. It's http://www.fitday.com/ and is completely free.

When I first started getting my eating in check, I was shocked to realize that I was under eating on a massive scale. I was 225 lbs and I couldn't lose weight because my calories were so low that I'd thrown my body into starvation mode! Also, all calories are not created equal. A 5 ounce filet mignon and a snickers bar are both around 275 calories, with the filet being primarily great protein and some fat , the snickers bar is simple carbs from sugar with no vitamins (empty calories in the very literal sense). Keeping track of your food can also alert you to seemingly insignificant habits that may be sabotaging your progress.

As an incentive for you to take the time to track your food intake, you can earn 100 bonus wellness points for up to two weeks if you create an account, log your food, then print the results (in the reports menu on the site, simply select "calories eaten" and then choose the "two weeks" option). That's 200 extra points for the month! Also, if you set an appointment with me to review these results you can get an additional 50 points and I can help you with a plan to eat better. For those trying to make gains, I can give you calorie dense food ideas and sound eating strategies to add lean muscle mass and not fat. Those who want to lose weight, I can help you find your baseline calorie goals and then help you taper them off to maximize results. Even those who are where they want to be in terms of weight, I can help you to diversify your eating and increase your nutritive calorie values.

So have fun with this, and log EVERYTHING. This is to help you see what you are eating, not to change it (that comes next!). You'll be amazed at how much you can learn about yourself and your health!

Saving Cash on Gas

Record gas prices have forced us all to think about travel and budgeting wisely. I commute 25 miles each way to Young Living and am fortunate enough to drive a small car, though I am still amazed at the amount of little things that can contribute to fuel efficiency and a lower bottom line. I did some research online and in real life and came up with some suggestions that may help you squeeze a few more miles out of each tank this summer! A quick wrap-up from http://www.fueleconomy.gov/:

1) Keep your maximum speed below 60 mph. Yes, I can hear you cringing. For most autos, every 5 miles an hour you drive over 60 means you are basically paying an extra $.30 a gallon for your gas. Gas mileage takes a huge drop at any speed over 60, and staying at 60 can increase fuel economy by as much as 23%. You have to do a mental downshift as well when you drive 60, and be advised that people tend not to see you when you set the cruise and stay in the right lane. Be aware of merging traffic!

2) Hard breaking and aggressive acceleration can cost you big bucks at the pump. Almost 50% of an autos gas consumption is getting you up to speed. If you can get to that speed and stay there, it is a very efficient use of energy (so resist tailgating and darting in and out of traffic). Use your cruise control once you get to 60 and stay there on the freeway.

3) Avoid idling. You're basically getting 0 miles per gallon if you sit still with your engine running, so keep that in mind if you're in one place for any length of time.

4) Keep your tires properly inflated. This one is minor but basically free and will also help keep your tires wearing evenly over time so they last longer.

5) Use your overdrive. This 5th gear keeps your rpms lower on your engine and is an efficient use of gasoline at higher speeds.

6) Remove excess weight from your vehicle. 100 lbs can reduce your mpg by 2%. This is minor unless you have a larger vehicle and are toting around a lot of unnecessary weight. On a road trip of any length or for a commuter, this is a simple fix and can save you cash.

7) Keeping your car tuned and filters clean can give you a 4-10% gas savings.

Simple Steps #3: Drink More Water

There is no simpler or cheaper way to increase your wellness than by drinking more water. As condensed from the site http://www.health-benefit-of-water.com/, the benefits are broad and signifigant:

"water helps to keep skin healthy and keeps the eyes clear and moist

water helps to lubricate the joints and internal organs

water plays a key role in the metabolic breakdown of proteins and carbs, and can assist in weight loss plans

water can help balance ph in the body, which can boost the immune system and help prevent disease

drinking lots of water prevents the retention of fluids

water helps to eliminate body wastes and toxins

water can help maintain muscle tone

water is key in regulating body temperature

water assists in transporting oxygen to the cells"

Getting hard numbers on exactly how much water you should drink is difficult, as there are many variables. Are you active daily at work or do you have a desk job? Are you subjected to extreme heat variables? Lots of water is found in many fruits and vegetables, so if your diet includes lots of produce then that can certainly contribute (or detract if you don't eat those foods). Drinks besides water can count toward your fluid intake unless they are heavily caffeinated or contain lots of sodium, then they may actually work against you in terms of hydration. I would recomment anywhere from half a gallon to a gallon per day as you factor in your level of activity and your body size. Those who exercise regularly will want to consider water as part of their workout, as the toxins produced by hard activity are flushed efficiently from the body with water.

If you don't consider yourself a fan of water, try using lemon oil or peppermint oil in your water as well as lots of ice (cold water seems to be more favored in America than tepid water, in terms of drinking). Avoid sugar laden juices in large quantities as they tend to add up to lots of calories and will spike your blood sugar levels. Also be EXTRA cautious about drinking vitamin waters, fitness waters, or Gatorade. Some are loaded with calories and carbs, and they are not meant to be consumed on a casual basis.

If you just can't drink plain water, Propel fitness water only has 10 calories per serving and comes in a ton of flavors (including the single serve packs that can be easily added to a water bottle). Make educated decisions about compromises in regard to water; you can load up on sugars or caffeine if you drink anything but plain, pure water unless you read labels.

Take a few days and make note of everything you drink. You may be shocked to realize how dehydrated your body is! With warmer weather finally here, be sure and drink lots of water and feel the benefits to your health.