Here are a few of my own tricks and tips to de-stress:

self-help guide - diet tips, recipes

Make warm, comforting bath of 4 tbsp each of dried lavender, chamomile and violets and 3 tbsp of star anise or vanilla – this bath can wash away the stress and anxiety that make you a nervous wreck.

Peppermint is an excellent revitalizer as it clears the head and can increase alertness by stimulating the central nervous system. It relaxes tense muscles, reduces muscle spasms and can ease nausea.

There a many ways to enjoy the aroma of peppermint or spearmint but one of the best ways is as an inhaler: 25 drops of peppermint, 15 drops lime and 10 drops of cedarwood.

This is one of the best for mental clarity: 20-drops of lemon balm, 15-drops sweet basil and 15-drops of bay (laurel). All these can be used to make a soothing and relaxing bath or you can add any group to a glass bowl of hot water and lean over the container covering your head with a bath towel and inhale the steam.

Try eating steam vegetables and fish (brain food) which would be less stressful on your digestive system. Also, add berries you like to plain yogurt with molasses or honey if you want a sweeter taste than the fruit will provide as your snack.

Finally, make your own mood booster or fragrance oil to inhale whenever you want to deepen your feelings of harmony and keep the mood lasting throughout the day: 8-drops of jojoba oil, 4-drops bergamot oil, 4-drops neroli oil, 3-drops rose oil and 2-drops of orange oil – mix well together and pour into a dropper bottle.

You can dab any of these on the tip of your nose, under your lower lip or add a drop to your handkerchief to use as a refresher at certain periods during the day.

Self-help guide to lose weight: diet tips, recipes that focus on eating unprocessed food

self-help guide - diet tips, recipes

There’s a lot of talk about obesity and the obese – there is even a plan to replace the food pyramid with a new icon – the new food pyramid is now a dinner plate.  Change is good but what if you were told relax, you should focus on eating unprocessed food and you were given  tips and recipes that you could learn from to achieve this new success?  Would you be more interested if you were told that this new approach was started by me in February 2010 and 25-pounds lighter, I haven’t looked back since.

Would you be surprised if I told you that I had high blood pressure and took diuretics for one-year but today I am prescription-free and have completely normal blood pressure readings today?  Would you be any more surprised if I told you that I went from size 15 to size 8 during this same period?  This is a self-help guide to lose weight it is not a diet – it is a lifestyle change that you can achieve without counting or watching calories but the one thing that you need to do is get moving daily for no less than one-hour of physical activity every day.

Can you follow easy diet tips and recipe instructions that focus on eating unprocessed food, do you get inspired easily when you have a successful example as your guide and all you need is an imagination and ability to experiment with your food?  Do you have a computer and internet access?  Do you have a credit card with at least $7 on it?  If you answer yes to these questions, you have all it takes to get started immediately so what are you waiting for?

#tweetyourdiettips: Play online games to reduce stress

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#tweetyourdiet-tips: If you spend a lot of time on your computer constant steering at the screen can result in eye fatigue, tensed shoulders and muscle aches.  Find ways to reduce and relieve stress: play FREE games online like paintball, bug on a wire at exclusively.

Remember that stress and the way you handle and/or cope can lead to many life-threatening diseases so coping mechanism are very important.

#tweetyourdiettips: Stroke risk make a list of high Vitamin K Foods

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#tweetyourdiet-tips: If you have already had a TIA or are susceptible to strokes, then it is imperative that you make a list of high vitamin k foods and know that some vegetables like carrots and spinach are good for your eyesight but could clot you to a stroke.  Good health is all about knowledge and prevention.

#tweetyourdiettips: Avocado great substitute for mayo in tuna/chicken salad sandwich

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#tweetyourdiet-tips: chicken salad on light rye use avocado in place of mayonnaise to make your chicken salad – this is a healthy monounsaturated fat that’s good for your heart health.

Knowing which fats raise good LDL cholesterol is one of the first steps to lower your risk for heart disease.  Cholesterol has to be transported to and from your cells by carriers called lipoproteins they can’t be dissolved in the blood.

#tweetyourdiettips: Detox each time the season changes

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#tweetyourdiet-tips: Detox every time the season changes – Toxins build up in your body from the air and food so as part of any diet and health regimen, it’s important to detox at least seasonally to rejuvenate your body.

Detoxification is your body’s oil change – it keeps your engine running smooth and problem free.

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#tweetyourdiettips: Walk to Good Health it’s FREE

#tweetyourdiet-tips: Walk your way back to good health, it’s free. If you live in the warmer parts of our country, you have no excuse – get off the couch and get moving everyday.

Start slowly and each day add more distance. If you walk too far to walk back, take a bus back to your original destination. Take in the sights as you walk to good health – the trees, the flowers, the birds, dogs, people and enjoy it – take along a bottle of water to sip as you go.

#tweetyourdiettips: An Apple a day lowers bad cholesterol 23-percent

#tweetyourdiet-tips: An apple a day keeps the doctor away is more than just a proverb.  Florida State University study found that post-menopausal women who ate an apple a day achieved a reduction in bad cholesterol by 23% in as little as 6-months plus their good cholesterol rose by 4%. This is probably true for other members of the population so make apples your new miracle fruit.

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#tweetyourdiettips: Laughter is good medicine

#tweetyourdiet-tips: I love to laugh and they are those amongst us that are trying to kill my “funny bone”.  This is why I love Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, Russell Peters and all the others like them.  Laughter is food for the soul – Learn that there’s nothing that can wipe away stress like a good laugh and sexercise!

#tweetyourdiettips: How to get Omega-3 Fats – eat four ounces fish 2x week

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#tweetyourdiet-tips: How to get Omega-3 fatty acids that lower triglyceride levels and may also help reduce your cholesterol levels thereby slowly the growth of plaque in your arteries - eat four ounces of fatty fish two times each week.

Choose mackerel, tuna, herring, salmon or sardines as these are good for your heart. You can also take a good omega-3 or fish oil supplement but unprocessed food is better and it allows you to be creative and experiment with your food.