Mind, Body and Spirit - By Steviva - Stevia Powder and Stevia Blend

You build the power to accomplish your goals when you educate yourself.
This power comes from knowing how to do something. Power is the product of understanding.

The most successful people in life are the one's with the best information. People with power are people who know how to get things done. Knowing how to do something is sometimes virtually the same as having done it.

Knowledge will come to you by having your eyes and mind always open. There is no knowledge that is not power.

Summer's is nearly here and that means bathing suit season is right around the corner. But even if you've been a little neglectful about your workouts, there's no need to panic about having to face the world nearly naked - you still have plenty of time to get in shape before you hit the beach.

Most fitness experts agree that it takes four to six weeks to see results from any new exercise plan, so if you start today you'll have five weeks before the those lazy, hazy days officially start. Here are 10 things that can help you reach your beachy best.

Lift weights and do aerobics. Building muscle will raise your metabolism and tone and strengthen your body; cardiovascular exercise strengthens your heart and burns calories. Just do it.
Visualize. Every time you think of skipping a workout, picture yourself in a bathing suit - the way you look now and the way you know you can look. Now go workout.
Cut down on fats. Summer brings a bounty of juicy peaches, plums, berries and sun-ripened tomatoes plus a wide variety of crunchy, colorful vegetables that are low-calorie, nutrient-rich and loaded with fiber. Enjoy.
Drink lots of water. If you exercise for an hour a day you lose 20 percent more fluid than you would if you just sat still and it's even higher on hot, summer days. Dehydration can cause headaches, diarrhea, muscle cramps, and exhaustion, and water is the best (no-fat, no-calorie) way to hydrate.
Exercise outdoors. Research shows that being exposed to natural light can make you feel more energetic. Now that the weather is cooperating and the days are longer, go to a park or beach and run, walk, cycle, rollerblade or swim. The varied terrain will challenge your body in ways that indoor exercise machines can't.
Steer clear of salty snacks. They're usually packed with fat and often leave you feeling bloated, dehydrated and generally sluggish.
Divide and conquer. If you're very busy during the day and can't work out for a full hour at a time, break it up into two half-hour sessions. For example do a half hour of aerobic exercise at lunch and a half-hour of weight training after work or vice versa.
Wear sunscreen. Try to avoid exercising outdoors between the hours of 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. when the sun is at its peak, but no matter when you choose to do an outdoor workout make sure you slather on the sunscreen. Choose one with an SPF (sun protection factor) of 15 to 30 and put it on at least 20 minutes before going out so it has time to penetrate your skin.
Workout in water. Take advantage of your visits to a pool, lake or the ocean by incorporating exercise into your leisure time. Tread water while chatting with friends, jump over ocean waves or walk laps in the pool. The added resistance of the pool water will give your legs a great workout and burn lots of calories.
Make lemonade. Drinking iced tea or coffee may seem like a great way to quench your summertime thirst but these beverages may end up doing just the opposite. Both act as diuretics and can cause dehydration, especially if you've been perspiring. A better choice is a tall, frosty glass of lemonade or any fresh fruit juice poured over ice - you'll get extra vitamins too. What I suggest is adding the juice of half a lemon to 32 ounces of water with a sprinkle of Steviva Brand Stevia Powder . Aside from being less than 2 carbs, you will get the health benefits that the stevia provides along with the vitamin C and electrolytes that lemon have. You can substitute limes for lemons if you get bored. Click here to order stevia powder.

This information and other information is intended for general reference purposes only and is not intended to address specific medical conditions. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Prior to participating in any exercise program or activity, you should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional. No information on this site should be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition.

YOUR SPIRIT

Embracing Your Core
When it feels as if your world is falling apart, know at your core that you are a strong being of light.

There are times when our whole world seems to be falling apart around us, and we are not sure what to hold onto anymore. Sometimes our relationships crumble and sometimes it’s our physical environment. At other times, we can’t put our finger on it, but we feel as if all the walls have fallen down around us and we are standing with nothing to lean on, exposed and vulnerable. These are the times in our lives when we are given an opportunity to see where we have established our sense of identity, safety, and well-being. And while it is perfectly natural and part of our process to locate our sense of self in externals, any time those external factors shift, we have an opportunity to rediscover and move closer to our core, which is the only truly safe place to call home.

The core of our being is not affected by the shifting winds of circumstance or subject to the cycles of change that govern physical reality. It is as steady and consistent as the sun, which is why the great mystics and mystical poets often reference the sun in their odes to the self. Like the sun, there are times when our core seems to be inaccessible to us, but this is just a misperception. We know that when the sun goes behind a cloud or sets for the night, it has not disappeared but is simply temporarily out of sight. In the same way, we can trust that our inner core is always shining brightly, even when we cannot quite see it.

We can cling to this core when things around us are falling apart, knowing that an inexhaustible light shines from within ourselves. Times of external darkness can be a great gift in that they provide an opportunity to remember this inner light that shines regardless of the circumstances of our lives. When our external lives begin to come back together, we are able to lean a bit more lightly on the structures we used to call home, knowing more clearly than ever that our true home is that bright sun shining in our core.