When selecting foods, we should eat from a variety of whole, unprocessed foods…the more variety, greater pallet of vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients we will be ingesting. Try to ensure that you eat at least one leafy green salad and a piece of fresh fruit daily. While this is still below recommended standards, it is a great place to start. Reduce or eliminate preprocessed, prepackaged, chemical laden food as well as foods that are high in refined sugars, including white bread and white rice.

When preparing meals, I always ask myself, is any of food I am serving fresh? Fresh fruits and vegetables have enzymes in them that are essential to good health. Fresh fruits and vegetables are best, followed by frozen ones, with canned foods following poorly behind. Food processing of any kind destroys vitamins and phytonutrients, so frozen foods while still having some nutritional value, are nutritionally inferior to fresh. Canned foods have little to no nutritional value left. Limit canned food purchases to items such as tuna, tomatoes and beans.

Many of us don’t always have time to cook hardy nutritious meals. When time is short, I look to my crock-pot to do cooking for me. If that is out of question, it is a time in which you will have to choose “the lesser evil”. For example, you are running late and don’t have time to cook dinner, instead of opting for fried chicken or a greasy burger, select roasted chicken or opt for a hearty salad instead. When looking for something quick and healthy to make at home, prepare sandwiches served on whole-wheat bread or in a whole-wheat pita with lettuce and tomato. Try serving it with a few slices of fruit. If something pre-made seems to be way to go, select foods that feel good, or at least seem like best choice for your health and well being.

Following same vein, we are not perfect and sometimes a Quarter Pounder with cheese will just hit spot. Whether you eat this meal at home or out, point is, be aware that you are eating devitalized foods and try to limit it to a once in a while kind of thing. Now granted, while eating healthy may be your plan, give yourself permission to have bad weeks too. At times, we all end up eating on run. So don’t get discouraged. I like to think of it this way, each time you eat a healthful meal; you are improving your health that day. Thinking of it this way affirms changes that you are making.

When looking for a quick pick me up, many of us turn to snack foods such as cookies, candy or chips. Selecting healthy snack foods can be a problem all by themselves. There are, however, many healthful alternatives that you can eat. Go-Gurts – these handy yogurt snacks are always a crowd pleaser. String cheese never lasts long at our house. Baby carrots and ranch dressing is another favorite. Remember little gold fish? They are baked, not fried. Even nuts, although high in fat, they are also high in protein and other nutrients our bodies needs. While many snacks do not fall into same category as fresh fruit, there are many food items that can be bought or prepared that you can feel good about eating. Weeding through all of total junk to find a healthy food choice can be time consuming but well worth effort

Taking first steps toward a healthy lifestyle is always hardest. At first, you may feel a bit intimidated by these changes, but armed with this information, you will have a better opportunity to make more responsible choices. As time goes on, you will also find that it will become easier and easier to incorporate healthful food choices into your life.

We’re so busy when we’re young, and so many of roles are proscribed, we can forget it’s an open and flexible system.

Lamenting my “last baby,” I was reminded by an older friend that she went weekly to neonatal unit at hospital and sat and rocked newborns.

On a recent flight to Seattle, I met an 80 year old woman with her foster baby. She took newborns to their adoptive parents, usually a plane ride. There she was with infant seat, bottles, diaper bag, and whole thing. How she did it physically I don’t know. It must’ve been drive of her heart, satisfaction she got, and physical condition she had to be in to do it. The heart will motivate.

Emotional Intelligence involves flexibility and being able to generate new solutions. Just as teenager must one day have her first job, you will one day have to move into new territory, one way or another. Re-creating roles is one thing you can do for better aging. If you are “stuck” on a certain definition and in “yes, but” mode, consider something different. CLIENT: I miss so much being a mother. ME: Then go mother someone. CLIENT: That’s not same thing. That’s not being their REAL mother. ME: Says who?

I have had, when working at children’s shelter, a child tell me, “I know you’re my real mom.” Yes, it’s heart-rending. Yes, that’s part of it. Wasn’t it part of it first time round?

As a volunteer director, I relied on many people who were starting new roles, and more they considered it their job, their real job, more helpful they were to me.

Managing kitchen of shelter can be as much a real management job as you make it, and if you think it isn’t “real” and isn’t needed, on what do you base your judgment?

Does money have to change hands? There are other things to work for, and other rewards, and if being important is one of them, you will, if anything, be more important, because many volunteers call in at slightest whim to cancel, or don’t show up at all. They don’t take it seriously. Taking things seriously is a personal decision and totally within your control. Molly has “adopted” her niece and nephew by-marriage, who are very young and going through some very difficult times. Notice these people are not even related to her. With a newborn in house, their toddler has been diagnosed with a heart defect, possibly terminal, and requiring lots of care, while one of their parents is also dying. No one told them Molly wasn’t their mother. And believe me, no one asked for her credentials when she showed up at door of this overwhelmed young couple.

Somewhere there’s someone who needs you in role you value most, and if you haven’t found them, you’re being lazy. Don’t be lazy. You’re needed. Get out there!