Stress Kills.

Stress kills. Unfortunately, it really does.

From heart attacks, diabetes and certain cancers to a myriad of psychosomatic illnesses, a close examination of personality type and lifestyle, will show an individual who is unable to cope with the various stressors in his or her life.

Like the finely tuned machines that they are, if we do not make changes to enable ourselves to deal with our stress, our bodies will.

The busy executive who won’t slow down long enough to smell the roses? Bang! A heart attack for you. The wife who turns a blind eye to her husband’s infidelities? A dose of cancer is just what you’ve ordered The mother who tries to be super mom, a career woman, a friend and a lover too – how about a side helping of depression?

Learning how to manage, cope and remove stress is not a simple process. Taking a pill can help initially, but for real and lasting relief you need to undergo a Lifestyle Assessment. However, that is another topic for another time.

Alleviating stress is not a single approach, rather it is a multi-pronged approach that will have the greatest benefit. In an ideal world we would quit the job we hate, start a regular exercise routine and never allow a glass of wine or that dreaded nicotine to ever cross our lips or lungs again! Yeah right. No doubt we will win the lotto next week too!

So for many of us the problem is that we are human. And fallible. So maybe we try. We tell ourselves that this week we’re going to go for a walk at least three times. We make it twice and then something happens. It doesn’t have to be a big thing. If you’re anything like me a little bit of rain will do it.  And then we stop trying because we have failed. But really, the only time we have actually failed is when we stop trying

 I believe that every little bit helps and regardless of whether your effort is directed at your diet, exercise, or lifestyle changes you are to be commended for making the effort!

So let me show you the effort I made today. All sorts of raw goodies! Because they are raw they contain no eggs, flour sugar or anything else that is toxic to your body and your emotions. They do contain a lot of love! This is what they look liked before going into the dehydrator – I’ll add pics of what they look like when they are ready for tummies!

These are pumpkin seeds which have been soaked and have been covered in a carob and date mixture. They are going into the dehydrator and when they come out they are going to be a chocolatey snack that kids and adults will love! And of course it is super healthy! The health benefits of pumpkin seeds are so vast that they should be a staple part of your daily diet. The chocolate disguises them beautifully!

These are definitely adults only! They are spicy, hot and will bite you!

These are Jam Bites. Totally raw cookies with a totally raw jam filling. They are absolutely delish!