Wheather Christmas is white or blue, this holiday is beautiful. You give and receive surprising gifts. You find them under a beautifully decorated fir tree, shining with sparkling lights and smelling with green forest. You enjoy your communion with your close family and friends. Do you know that the word ‘communion’ is derived from Latin communio which means ’sharing in common’?

Enjoy your holidays and traditional Christmas vacation–a happy time when people around the world are preparing to say “Goodbye” to 2009 and have high hopes for a good and healthy life in the New Year which is rapidly approaching.

New Year, New You. In a couple of days you’ll start it with New Resolutions for 2010. You’ll come up with new dreams and big plans for the future. You’ll also begin your constant search for new opportunities. But now just relax and listen to these two very popular songs, Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” and Elvis Presley’s “Blue Christmas, which became classics of all time.

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“If you would create something, you must be something.”–Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Happy Holidays! Healthy and Happy New Year!

References: http://www.youtube.com

Remember a common saying, “It’s music to my ears?” You say it when you want to make a point about some pleasant news or music that you just listened to and you feel good about it.

Great music shines in all its facets: emotional, physical, social, mental, aesthetic and spiritual. Music helps us to improve and maintain our health and deal with our emotions, stress and mood. Music therapy experts say that music can treat aging, communication and psychiatric disorders, and many other medical conditions. It also improves learning abilities, reduces stress, gives relaxation, builds self-esteem, supports exercise, and motivates other health-related activities.

Do you know that music therapy was mentioned in the “Meanings of the Intellect” by Alpharabius (al-Farabi, 872-950), Persian scientist, philosopher, psycologist and musician? Many centuries ago, the ancients already understood an excellent power to expel many diseases and improve health.

Now relax and listen to a beautiful music in the beauty of nature.

References: “David with the harp” (circa 950), Paris Psalter (Paris, Bibliotheque Nationale, MS, gr.139) from Byzantine illuminated manuscript;
Julian Johnson (202) Who Needs Classical Music?: Cultural Choice and Musical Value, Oxford University Press;
http://www.youtube.com Relaxing Musica. Relax. Sanidos del Bosane Monasterio de Piedra

Move your body and exercise! Walk or jog. Swim or run. Find a sport or activity that moves you–and move! Dance, dance, dance as often as you have a chance! Dance is a pleasant physical exercise which allows us to express our emotions through movement.

A popular aphorism in Europe is: Those who dance a lot live a lot. When we feel comfortable in our lives and with ourselves, we win the fight with distress, gaining/loosing weight and aging. Remember how often you have been dancing in front of the mirror in a privacy of your home where no one could see you?

It looks like a guy in the video “Evolution of Dance” did the same. Now you can see from a side how he turned boring exercises  into a real fun time. Have fun, too. Dance your weight and age off!

Do you feel any regrets sometimes? Probably you don’t like an action that has been commited by you the past week, or you regret that you did not act when you should. Many people wish that they had done something in a past situation. “Make it a rule of life never to regret and never to look back,” said once British author, Katherine Mansfield (1888-1923). “Regret is an appaling waste of energy; you can’t build on it; it’s only for wallowing in.”

Make it one of the rules of your life: never regret. If it’s good, it can turn into something wonderful. You never know. If it’s bad, consider it as your experience and learning, and be positive and optimistic. 

“When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see which has opened to us.” Alexander Graham Bell (1847-1922), American inventor and educator, said this wise truth long ago.

Open a new door in your life and forget about any regrets. Go ahead with your life and hope for the best. Now just relax and enjoy a timeless song “Non, Je ne regrette de rien”( I don’t regret about anything) singing by a legendary French singer Edith Piaf. She definitely never had any regrets.

Music has long been used as a healing remedy for centuries. Even in the Bible you can find mention of the healing powers of music. Do you know that ancient Greeks also believed in music as a healer?  Their most popular and gorgeous god, Apollo, was the god of music and healing.

The powerfully emotional effect of music can treat anxiety and depression, soften anger into affection and romance, and also to heal disorders of the mind, body, and spirit.  Now watch this video, listen to relaxing music, and be happy.

References: ww.youtube.com

The Wise Woman, Susan Weed is a well- known expert in herbal medicine for women. Watch and listen to  what she tells  about how you can stay healthy, keep yourself at the best, and be creative in adapting  natural lifestyle.

Source: http://www.youtube.com

Did you have your cuppa of coffee today? Coffee can be a remarkable stimulant, energy booster and mood elevator, we all know that. What about coffee as a substitute for paints in creating a great art. There are no limits in art for talented people! Look at the photos below.

Timeless Mona Lisa…  Artist’s assistants stand next to 3,604 cups of coffee which have been made into a giant Mona Lisa in Sydney, Australia. The 3,604 cups of coffee were each filled with different amounts of milk to create different shades!

Do you complain you cannot afford to buy organic, whole, health foods and make them part of their everyday diet? Other people think that you cannot afford eating junk food and ignoring organic products. This video will help you to come to a healthy conclusion.

Source: www.youtube.com

Is Halloween a cherished holiday or the nightmare before Christmas? Anyway, have this evening fun and collect lots of candies!

Pumpkin is a main hero of Halloween. You know why, so I’ll not go into writing a long story about it. Briefly, I would like to offer you an easy-to-make recipe for your Halloween diner. This side dish is delicious, Cumin Pumpkin.

One and a half cups peeled seeded pumpkin, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
One and a half tbsp olibe oil
One tsp cumin seeds
Salt and freshly ground pepper or sweet paprika

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C/Gas 5. Toss the pumpkin in the oil and cumin seeds. Then place on a baking sheet. Roast for 35-40 minutes until tender. Season to taste. Serves 2.

Contains 7 grams carbohydrates per serving.

Source: www.youtube.com, Mondo Media; Photo of pumpking by Petr Kratochvil
The Big Book of Low-Carb Recipes by Nicola Graimes, 2005, Duncan Baird Publishers, London