It’s time for week 9 of the Simple Steps program. Each week the program introduces 4 new habits, one each for nutrition, fitness, home and self. The trick is that they accumulate, so obviously, you have to keep doing the ones from the previous weeks. This week’s habits are:

1. Find creative ways to use herbs and spices.

• Spices and herbs are a healthy alternative to salt.
• Eating hot and spicy foods can sometimes rev up a slow metabolism.
• Spices add flavour without adding calories.
• Many herbs and spices have health benefits. A USDA study indicated that one tablespoon of oregano delivers the same antioxidant dose as a medium sized apple. Garlic protects your heart and reduces blood pressure.
• Herbs can be used in aromatherapy.
• You can grow your own herbs outside, in a window box, or even in small planters in your kitchen.

2. Add new physical activities each week.

Cross training adds variety and helps us fight boredom. It can help us work out more muscle groups, balance us and develops our entire body. Make it a family event and try something new with the children; a game of soccer, jump rope, roller blading, surfing, tennis, skiing, kayaking, hiking. Or try a new class, something that you’ve always been curious about.

3. Do one repair or improvement project every week.

This doesn’t mean that you have to be a home improvement expert. Just fix the little things before they become overwhelming; replace a light bulb, fix a leak, sew a loose button, or tighten a doorknob.

4. Rediscover your passions.

Our passions define and nourish us. They help us have a more enjoyable life, and often a healthier life. They motivate us, bring us joy, stimulate our minds and help keep us young. If you’ve forgotten some of your passions, make a list of your favorite things! Take a class that will enable you to enjoy a new passion.

At our house, one of our loved ones is fighting a particularly nasty virus this season. I notice that the oils that I prepare have eased some of the symptoms. Here is a new recipe to try:

This blend can be used to clean floors and surfaces, and disinfect and clean doorknobs, toys, and every nook and cranny.

3 drops Eucalyptus
4 drops Lavender
7 drops Lemon
2 drops Rosemary
2 drops Tea Tree

Mix all oils together. Add 8 drops of the blend to 1 quart of water. You are cleaning your house & fighting colds in one spritz!

Thanks to simple steps, I’ve resumed my daily yoga practice with my ashtanga DVD, which I previously reviewed here. Sometimes when I’ve been away from it for awhile, I notice my legs ache when I first get back to it. This time it feels really comfortable; probably because of my daily weights and walking. For me, having a daily practice boils down to making the decision to do so. There are many reasons to skip a day, many excuses and other priorities, but once I have decided to make it a part of my day, it works for me.

I’m enjoying the standing poses. Practice is never boring, always fluid. There are so many things to focus on and challenge me; breathing, posture, alignment, lengthening, relaxing… My entire body feels strong, particularly the legs. As Mark keeps reminding throughout the DVD, “The strength of this posture is in the legs.”

“The standing poses are invigorating. They refresh the body and mind by removing tension, aches, and pains. They stimulate digestion, regulate the kidneys, and relieve constipation. They improve circulation and breathing. The back, hips, knees, neck and shoulders all gain strength and mobility through practice. The standing poses also teach the principles of correct movement. This is fundamental for the postures and also in everyday life, where they develop awareness of the right way to sit, stand, and walk.”

Ref: Yoga the Iyengar Way by Silva, Mira & Shyam Mehta

It’s time for week 6 of the Simple Steps program. Each week (well, actually I’ve taken a little extra time to incorporate some of the steps) the program introduces 4 new habits, one each for nutrition, fitness, home and self. The trick is that they accumulate, so obviously, you have to keep doing the ones from the previous weeks. This week’s habits are:

1. Find healthy alternatives to processed carbohydrates
This sounds complicated, but it just involves simplifying. Instead of boxed, canned, packaged dinners, buy more whole grains, fruits, vegetables and legumes. When you’re buying pasta, rice, cereal, or bread, choose whole grain varieties. This makes it easier to get the daily dietary fiber we need, helps us look and feel better and gives us more energy.

2 . Do a few minutes of crunches every day.
Crunches are not a full sit up, just raising head and shoulders off the ground. Remember to breathe, and keep your head and neck relaxed. There are many different techniques so find one that you are comfortable with.

3. Clean out your car.
A clean car is a reflection of the driver, a wise investment, and gives us a sense of control and power. Keep the things that you need in the car organized (maps, cds etc.), and emergency tools in the trunk. Once your car is clean, pick one day a week to maintain it.

4. Update your look and your closet.
Most of us have lots of clothes in our closets that we never wear. Give away the clothes that don’t fit, or that you don’t like any more. Once your closet is cleaned out, you can see what you actually have, and then refill it if necessary with new clothes that really fit you, look fabulous and help you feel good about yourself

Children’s Cold Cure:

10 drops Eucalyptus

10 drops Lavender

10 drops Tea Tree

Mix together. Use in any of the following ways:

• Put 3 drops in a diffuser.
• Put 2 drops on a piece of cotton and slip inside child’s pillowcase.
• Put 2 drops in a bath. The steam will clear nasal passages, and the mixture will also calm child to help rest.
• Add 3 drops to 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, and massage into chest and back.

Ref: Seasons of Aromatherapy

“Everybody deserves to be beautiful,” and beauty is what you will see in the contestants of the Miss Landmine Angola 2008. Although the competition has received some criticism, I think their manifesto indicates that the organizers’ hearts are in the right place. From the website:

* Female pride and empowerment.

* Disabled pride and empowerment.

* Global and local landmine awareness and information.

* Challenge inferiority and/or guilt complexes that hinder creativity- historical, cultural, social, personal, African, European.

* Question established concepts of physical perfection.

* Challenge old and ingrown concepts of cultural cooperation.

* Celebrate true beauty.

* Replace the passive term ‘Victim’ with the active term ‘Survivor’

All contestants will receive assistance from the government, and the winner will receive a custom made prosthesis from Norway. Contestants also may have the opportunity to act as representative in their own province, to spread awareness and support for other women survivors, and monitor methods of empowerment such as specialized health care and education.

One of the things that really struck me, when clicking on the contestants profiles, was that underneath their favorite colors and dream jobs, were listed the countries of origin of the mines that maimed them (most of them as children). It’s horrific to me that these things are being manufactured and sold. I’m grateful that there are countries and organizations that are now working to rectify some of the damage that is being created.

Tomorrow, April 4 ‘08 is National Landmine Awareness Day. Find more information on mine action at this site.