America is one of the most technologically advanced nations in the world, yet we are fast becoming the fattest and sickest nation as well. In a CDC state by state survey, it was found that nearly one third of Americans are obese. On top of that, childhood obesity is on the rise. In a related article, the newspaper also reported that "This could be the first generation to lead shorter, less healthy lives than their parents," and stated that "Obesity rates among adults rose in 23 states over the past year and didn't decline anywhere."

At a Congressional hearing in March, Martin M. Yadrick, president of the American Dietetic Association testified on the state of obesity in the US. He stated "U.S. public policies could do more to address overweight and obesity in the United States." One of the key elements lies in nutrition education. The article stated "Yadrick noted that nutrition and diet are known to be associated with seven of the top ten leading causes of death in the United States today including the top three: heart disease, cancer and stroke." Yadrick said, "I am asking our elected leaders to make the paradigm shift in which prevention plays a more balanced role in our health system. And nutrition is the cornerstone of prevention."

Our modern culture has become so efficient at producing the quick meal that we've overlooked the value of quality in a meal. It's easy to fill a belly, but it's much more difficult to feed a body. Consider the quality as well as the quantity of the foods you're putting in your body, get exercise, and rest, for your body and mind. This can be difficult when there are so many easy, and usually unhealthy options facing us at every turn.

One of the best ways to jumpstart yourself into better habits and break the cycle of poor eating is through nutritional cleansing. Feed your body the nutrients it is starved for and eliminate those unhealthy cravings that "weigh you down!" Check out www.fit.org to find out more about it.

Not long ago, I was in a regular pattern of going jogging for 30 minutes or more, at least five times per week. I worked rigorously through nutritional cleansing and physical exercise to successfully shed 60 pounds of excess weight. Of course, I was thrilled! Being free of all that excess weight made it easier, and easier for me to workout, to move my body in ways I had forgotten, and to feel the exhilaration of what is termed "runners high." And then as with anything, the "new me" turned into the status quo. After the shiny wore off, I became complacent and started to let my habit of exercise wane here and there. I was able to keep my weight consistent through nutritional cleansing and proper nutrition, and pretty soon I didn't feel the desire to exercise at all.

Contemplating the myriad of reasons my attitude has been a little "off" lately, I discovered this week that regular exercise is about much more than just fitting into my favorite pair of jeans. I realized that a big reason for my erratic moods lately was the fact that my body had not known serious physical exertion for an extended period of time. Study after study shows that the endorphins released through exercise enhance mood and feelings of general well-being.

In an online article about an exercise study, USA Today writes:

"Researchers found that people in the exercise group experienced a significant improvement in mood immediately after the exercise. They also had improved moods after two, four, eight and 12 hours compared with the people who didn't exercise, says Jeremy Sibold, an assistant professor in the university's Department of Rehabilitation and Movement Science."

So next time you feel there is a dark cloud hovering over you, go out for a nice walk, get your blood pumping, your lungs workings, and give your brain a great shot of feel good endorphins. You will be happy you did.

If you've ever heard the phrase "there are two sides to every story (or coin)" or "for every up there is a down, for every in there is an out, for every left there is a right," etc. then you may be familiar with how applicable this idea can be to so many situations. In fact, I would say that this can be applied to any area of life, but here, I am going to discuss the difference between meditation and prayer.

Some people seem to feel that meditation and prayer are the same thing, or that meditation is the act of contemplating a particular idea or thought. However, consider for a moment that meditation is the opposite of prayer, that it is the other side of the coin. Generally, when we pray we are speaking to God or Creation or to whatever we may be praying to for something in particular. There is a stated purpose to the prayer, something we wish to be or some thanks we wish to give back. In essence, prayer is a projection of ourselves outward.

Meditation on the other hand is the opposite of a projection -- it is an allowance. We allow our mind to be aware of our surroundings inner and outer. We allow ourselves to be the accepting. Usually in our day to day lives, we are all projecting ourselves out into the world whether we realize it or not. We assert our will, we find ways to manipulate those around us, we are usually moving out into the world. With meditation, we are putting that part of ourselves to rest for a short period. We are practicing being silent in our intentions, our feelings, our thoughts, and by doing this, something new becomes present to our consciousness. We begin to listen to the world around us and are more easily able to find peace within it.