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Is it just me or has anyone else noticed the massive onslaught of commercials and ads that push medicine? Wouldn’t you notice it if they were ads for cocaine?

Are you longing for balmy summer days? Are you dreaming of a winter holiday to Florida? Do you need to read The Long Winter just to encourage yourself for another cold season? Before you start your packing, your flip flops, sit back, make a warm cup of coffee and consider that there is a purpose for cold. You may even find it something you actually enjoy.

There is an old saying that says…if I knew I was going to live this long; I would have taken better care of myself. No one expects a car to maintain itself. No one expects a house to never need repairs or maintenance. Yet, when it comes to our human frame, we are filled with shock and wonder at the thought that some care is required. Like a new car and a new house, when we are younger, we can get away with a certain amount of neglect without major repercussions. There comes a time when that is no longer true.

Deep down….waaaaay deep down…..we all know that we don’t eat as healthy as we should….When it comes to eating right, there are controversial subjects, un-proven theories, flat out lies, areas we don’t know about and things that require too much work for us to comply with or are too expensive

Besides, “Don’t play ball in the house,” haven’t we all heard growing up that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”? Yet, from our teen years until you hit the senior age bracket, up to 40% of Americans don’t eat breakfast. Some figures have this number as high as 50%. Of those that do actually eat breakfast, less than 20% get a truly healthy breakfast.

As temperatures drop, we all hunker down and try to stay warm and cozy indoors. In fact, most Americans spend more than 90% of their time indoors. Some have called it the human zoo syndrome. Some call it an epidemic of inactivity. Regardless, very few still heed their mothers sound advice, “Go outside; it’s good for you.” There are some excellent reasons for spending time outdoors, even in the winter, even if you are older, even if…, well, you get the picture.

I use coupons. I shop based on store specials and plan my menu accordingly. Each week, I am more and more annoyed at the advertisements and specials taking the place of useful food sales for cleaning supplies. I especially hate air freshener ads. I have been in houses that try to mask their filth with air freshener smells. I do not advocate slovenliness, but I think most cleaning supplies are unnecessary and many are downright dangerous and harmful. Did you know that it is less expensive and healthier to clean with natural products?

It may be common knowledge to some that people need essential fatty acids, but the why and how to apply the known need is a mystery to most people. Some people run from fat all together; some consume the wrong kind of fat. Neither extreme is correct. Essential Fatty Acids are known as Omega 3, 6, and 9. They are essential because we need them for health, but cannot produce them on our own. We must consume these fats through diet or supplementation.

It is a wild concept that you should willingly swallow billions of bacteria each day and that this might be good for your health. It may be even harder to believe that doing so can prevent allergies, eliminate irritable bowel syndrome, reduce bloating, treat female infections, prevent colds, enhance our immune system and eliminate diarrhea. As difficult as this is to believe, there is a growing body of scientific evidence stating just that. It is being touted as a new wonder for your health, but when you look around the world, cultures have always used natural-occurring bacteria in their food to promote health. I am speaking of probiotics.