Blog Posts by Tips on Healthy Living

We waste a great deal of money and precious storage space on specialty cleaning solutions when we actually only need a handful of versatile nontoxic products to clean an entire home. From Green This! by Deirdre Imus

Back to the Basics: Essential Cleaning Products
… I want you to go look under your kitchen sink, or inside your utility closet, or wherever you keep your household cleaning products. You probably have a lot of different bottles stashed away -- most Americans do.

So, what did you find in there? Window/glass cleaner, toilet bowl cleaner, spray bleach, detergent, fabric softener, dryer sheets, spot remover, spray starch, automatic dishwashing detergent, hand dishwashing liquid, furniture polish, oven cleaner, scouring cream, shower cleaner, tub and tile cleaner, carpet shampoo, and probably several other products you can no longer remember why you bought in the first place.

When we greened Hackensack University Medical Center, the janitorial staff had been

I Don't Have a Thing to Wear authors Judie Taggart and Jackie Walker share the secret to making easy work of everything from corralling pocket change to storing sweaters to packing quickly for a trip -- an organized closet. Here are 9 practical and easy-to-implement ideas to help you transform your closet into an oasis of organization.

1. Keep a laundry pen handy to mark items on tags or inside shoes, belts or bags, to help you quickly discern black items from inky navy or brown. A simple B, N, or BN is a time-saver.

2. Light-colored carpet on closet floors makes finding things easier and keeps dust under control.

3. Always have a full-length mirror installed near your closet.

4. A step stool in your closet makes access to top shelves a breeze.

5. Wooden pegs, hooks, or a retractable bar are handy for bathrobes, clothes selection while getting dressed, packing, and coordination.

6. If quarters are really cramped then consider purchasing a bed frame at least

Changing your thinking about what it takes to be fit is more important than the whys, whens, and wheres of how you're going to do it. Here's how to get started and stay motivated, from T.O.'s Finding Fitness by Terrell Owens.

Everything starts with the mind. Everything! If you set your mind on high things, you'll achieve high goals. Of course, the opposite is true as well. Lack of ambition and negative thoughts will deliver negative results in every area of your life.

Once you overcome your mental weaknesses, affirm that your body can do remarkable things, and tap into the spirit within yourself, you will be one step closer to making a complete transformation that will lead you to a lifestyle of fitness forever.

GAME TIME
Steps to Finding Fitness

1. Identify which mental challenges have been holding you back from discovering your true path to fitness.
2. Write them down and use them as your mental playbook for conquering your fitness goals.
3. Spend ten days

Organizing and time management don't come naturally to many people, but they can be learned. Julie Morgenstern, author of SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life, offers tips on getting yourself organized and managing your time for your own benefit.

When you're physically organized and good at managing your schedule, you make the most of your time, space, energy, and money. And of course, being organized makes almost anything possible, because all of your resources can be invested in the pursuit of your dreams.

Some people believe organization is about neatness or rigidity or a "one-size-fits-all" solution, but if your system is designed properly, the opposite is true. Organizing isn't about neatness; it's about function. And organizational systems can be as unique to an individual as his own fingerprint. The key is to custom-design your system around your natural habits and the way you think so that it brings out your best self, rather than restricting you. A good system will

Get out the big bag for Goodwill, because with author JJ Virgin's cardio program, soon your shirts will look like sacks and that great skirt you shimmied and tortured yourself to zip up last season will have the people in your life saying, "Did you lose weight? That skirt is hanging off you." From Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy

Bursting is the key to your cardio workout on this program. This special type of training will get you fit in just minutes each week. It's the most effective and efficient way to teach your body to become a fat-burning machine. It's short but intense intervals of exercise done for just 30 to 60 seconds each. You won't get the limbs of your dreams just by lifting weights because you "hate cardio." I promise that you won't hate it anymore because my cardio bursting takes very little time and the intense portion is over with before you can blink. Think about it this way: don't you have four hard-core bursts in you? I know that most of you do.

Your

Make your home sparkle by turning five everyday items into powerful homemade, all-natural cleaning products. From Linda Cobb, author of Talking Dirty With the Queen of Clean

WHITE VINEGAR
Use white vinegar to remove heavy soap scum and mineral deposits from showers, tubs, and sinks. Warm the vinegar and put in a spray bottle. Spray on showers, tubs, and sinks and let soak for 10-15 minutes. Then use a nylon scrubbing sponge to remove scum. Re-spray if necessary. To remove mineral deposits from around drains, close drain and pour in enough white vinegar to cover the drain area. Let soak overnight, scrub with a nylon scrubbing sponge, drain vinegar, and rinse.

To remove scum and mineral buildup from showerheads and keep them free-flowing, put undiluted white vinegar in a plastic bag. Tie around the showerhead overnight. Scrub head and poke any loosened mineral deposits with a toothpick, rinse, and enjoy your next shower.

To remove soap scum and mildew from plastic

Despite all the advertisements to the contrary, skin truly needs the barest minimum. You may love your eye creams, toners, face masks, and other beauty products, says Dr. Ellen Marmur, author of Simple Skin Beauty, but they're unnecessary luxuries.

They sure are fun to buy and lovely to use, and all the jars and bottles look pretty in your bathroom, but these cosmetic options are far from essential. If they're not in your budget and you don't have the time for a twenty-minute face mask or an added step in your nightly regimen, then skip them -- and don't feel guilty about it. When it comes to cleansing, moisturizing, and protecting, these three things won't do anything more for your skin than your three essentials. If you want to treat yourself to a special skin care purchase or an at-home facial, go for it. I don't blame you, and I do it too. But please don't be tricked into thinking you need it.

Eye Cream
If you're going to cancel one item from your shopping list,

When you don't have the time or place to fix something to eat, these are great, healthy food options. From Drs. Susan Mitchell and Catherine Christie, authors of Fat Is Not Your Fate: Outsmart Your Genes and Lose the Weight Forever

Here is a list of No-Prep foods to pick up at the grocery or convenience store. These are great when you don't have the time or place to fix something or can't sit down in a restaurant to eat. No-Prep means just that -- open and eat. Be sure to think about the number of protein, carbohydrate, and fat servings on your diet plan for the meal or snack you choose.

You will have to estimate the correct portion size using your hand. Product sizes vary all over the country. Your serving size is the amount allowed in terms of your hand size. Item location will vary by type of store.

Bakery

• Bagels (top with low-fat cream cheese or peanut butter) -- Palm
• Raisin bran muffins (even better if made with liquid oil rather than hydrogenated oil) --