What is Your Antioxidant Score?

The definition for Inspiration is to be mentally stimulated to do or feel something, especially to do something creative. In Latin the word is inspiratio which means to be in-spirt. To truly live in the creative spirit of life, would mean finding joy in everything you see. To jump up out of bed each day stimulated and excited. To say yes to the morning. Declaring “I am back”. To wake up alive is a good thing. The alternative could have been the opposite. When your feet hit the ground to smile and welcome the day. To be inspired by all life brings your way. Yes I said all that life brings. And yes I know some of what life brings does not always look or feel like what we may want at the time.

What do you do when the dark days of winter lay heavy on your heart? Those dark days can be the loss of someone or even the way of life you once had. I have found that when my heart is heavy it is the best time to release, and surrender my way to the higher way of spirit. My grandmother use to say “go out and find someone that could use your kind words today.” There is always someone out there that hurts as much or even more than you. How amazing it is to see a person’s sadness leave as you take the time to acknowledge their presence. We all want to know we matter in this life. That someone cares we are here. When I was having a hard time after my father’s death, I took a morning to walk around the block and talk with my neighbors. On listening to what they had to share I found that I have some very creative neighbors.

This inspired me to call my photographer friend who was also having some difficulties in shifting his moods. I told him I had been inspired by my walk, and heard the message to start a Healing Art Tour. That is how Healing Art Productions got started. On our first interview we saw a woman who was struggling with health issue transform in front of our eyes. Her head ache went away and color came into her face as she shared her story. With moisture in our eyes we thanked her for the gift she shared with us. All three of us where touched in that moment with the inspiring gift of spirit.

When you look around you will see gifts everywhere. All you have to do is be open to seeing them. I recommend that you look from a place of gratitude and love. Choose to be inspired by the beauty of a flower and the song of a bird. Let the sun of a new day warm your soul. These gifts come to us without our even asking. They are free and yet often we forget to see them and say thank you. Living an Inspiring life will not only bring joy into your life, it will also touch the lives of everyone on you meet. Take the time today and write ten things that inspire you, ten things that you are grateful for. Then go out and offer a kind word to another. You will be amazed at how good you will feel. May we always live in love, light and learning.

Moab Regional Hospital is hosting its first ever tandem Dinner with a Doc! Join Dr. Paula Marchionda and Christina Myers, CMHC, on Monday, February 6th from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm as they discuss ‘Living Beyond the Big 3: Preventing Heart Disease, Cancer, and Diabetes’. This prevention- and wellness-based educational dinner will provide information on preventative lifestyle changes that may help you reduce your risk of developing chronic illness and will give you the tools to help you stick with them.

We’ve all heard the “scary” statistics before: one in four people die of heart disease; one out of four people with diabetes are not aware they have diabetes; and approximately 39.6% of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime. It’s easy to become desensitized to these numbers; what may be shocking, but perhaps empowering, is that these diseases can oftentimes be more easily prevented than treated.

The evening will be split into two presentations. Dr. Marchionda will share the science and background as to why preventative medicine is effective and how one can incorporate preventative medicine measures and tactics into their daily routine. Christina Myers, CMHC, will share how to make these lifestyle changes sustainable and long-lasting. She will also discuss how to identify roadblocks to a lifestyle change as well as the strategies on how to overcome them.

Moab Regional Hospital is extremely excited to host both Dr. Marchionda and Christina, as they each have extensive experience in the fields of prevention and wellness. Dr. Marchionda is board certified in Preventive Medicine and has special interests in cancer survivorship, wellness and integrative oncology. She leads the Cancer Survivorship and Wellness program at St. Mary's Regional Cancer Center in Grand Junction. Christina Myers is Clinical Mental Health Counselor. She has worked as a counselor, bodywork practitioner and educator for over 35 years, helping individuals, couples, and adolescents heal from anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions. She provides “whole person care” - where the psychological intersects with the physical, biological, and spiritual.

There’s the old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

If you go:
WHEN: Monday, February 6th, 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
WHERE: Moab Regional Hospital’s Education Rooms
Dinner is free! Seats are limited!
RSVP with Susan Toth at susant@mrhmoab.org
or (435) 719-5580.

More information at:
www.statisticbrain.com/new-years-resolution-statistics/
www.cdc.gov/
www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/statistics

Valentine's Day is second only to the holiday season with regard to gift giving. Although this day devoted to love and exchanging gifts can be wasteful, that does not mean those with a mind toward green and simple living should ignore the holiday altogether. In fact, there are plenty of different ways to celebrate Valentine's Day with conservation in mind.

• Bee mine: Give a loved one the gift of a jar of raw honey from a nearby bee farm with a pun-themed love note that says "bee mine."

• Smart greetings: When choosing greeting cards, select those printed on recycled paper using all-natural inks. Otherwise, create your own paper or digital greetings. If making your own paper greeting, be sure to make it with a reusable material that can be repurposed once Valentine's Day has come and gone.

• Purchase an artisan gift. Gifts don't have to be mass-produced items made in factories. Looks for handmade gifts designed by local artisans who don't need fuel to deliver their creations around the world. Or look to gifts that help support a cause, such as crafts made by indigenous people to support their independent living.

• Homemade meal: Take to cooking a meal at home for your valentine. Once you settle on his or her favorite foods, be sure to source out local, organic and free-range ingredients.

• Give the gift of a massage. Massages can help relieve stress and pain. Because massage is a service rather than a product, there will be no residual waste. Other service gifts include manicure/pedicures, spa treatments and hair salon services.

• Adopt an animal. Work with a local kennel to adopt a pet or speak with a favorite conservation group about financially supporting an animal. Sweethearts who are animal lovers may find this to be the ideal gift.

• Offer living plants. Cut flowers certainly look beautiful, but they may require many resources for planting, cutting and transporting. That's especially true for non-native, out-of-season flowers. Potted plants can live indefinitely as long as they are cared for properly.

• Purchase Fair Trade™ chocolate. Make sure the chocolate or other gifts being purchased are in line with fair trade policies. Fair Trade Certified™ products are made with respect to people and planet. Rigorous social, environmental and economic standards are employed to promote safe, healthy working conditions, protect the environment, enable transparency, and empower communities to build strong, thriving businesses.

Valentine's Day celebrations can be enjoyed in an eco-friendly way that can make this special day even more meaningful to eco-conscious couples.