A Summer Water HEAD'S UP!

This morning we're going to take a reflective moment to focus on the importance of water. Why? Mainly because your humble blog writer stumbled upon a Yahoo article about our drinking water this morning. And it's a great reminder of how much we depend on it. After all; we bathe in it, we drink it, we cook with it, we lounge by it, we play in boats on it, we snorkel and explore within it AND it is one of the MOST VITAL items we NEED to survive. So here's a few fun water tips for the summer!

Drink smart! Do lots of water. Not soda. Not beer. Not kool aid. Do water tinted with mint leaves from the garden...or with lemon or lime...or with green tea...or with ice and a cherry. Be smart about your water.

Cook smart! Doing a lot of outdoor BBQ's this summer? Remember to have a fast access source of water nearby. Even if some just sits in a kitchen pot right next to your grill. Better safe than sorry.

Work smart! Stuck indoors too much this fine summer? Refresh yourself occasionally. Step into the bathroom, take a two minute break and splash your face! You'll be amazed at how revived you'll feel!

Play smart. If you're going to lounge and soak sun all day by the pool, make sure you take an occasional dip to cool off your body temperature.

Water is a great BIG part of our lives. Taking a moment to be grateful might just amp up greater awareness as to how and if we are efficiently using one of Mother Earth's greatest resources.

Rebuild Your Health On A Summer Tea Diet

Tea therapy has been around for centuries and everyone knows it has healing properties. But what does it really do? Recent studies declare black tea a potential heart tonic, cancer blocker, fat buster, immune stimulant, arthritis soother, virus fighter and cholesterol detoxifier. Wow! Not bad for a shrub that needs only be steeped in hot water.

The Boston University School of Medicine has had heart patients drink either plain water or four cups of black tea daily. In a month, impaired blood vessel functioning improved about 50% in the black tea drinkers. TF-2, the newly discovered anti-cancer compound in black tea, suppresses the Cox-2 gene that triggers inflammation, says research at Rutgers. And Milton Schiffenbauer of Pace University found that black and green tea deactivates viruses, including herpes.

So it doesn't matter that you pig out all summer long - as long as you drink your daily brew of tea. Boil it, fridge it, drink it and pee out all life's impurities! It doesn't take a scientific experiment to figure out that a little iced tea brew this summer can do your body a whole lot of good!

Where Will YOU Be on July 4th?

The wonderful thing about a holiday is that we are collectively FORCED to take a break, despite whatever stress is going on in our everyday lives. A 'holiday' gives us a great excuse to goof off and re-gain inner peace and tranquility - sans guilt. It doesn't matter that the Friday night turnpike to the shore is jammed to the max, or that the serene beaches are suddenly saturated with ant-like crawling creatures called 'other humans'; or even that there's an hour-line-wait at the concession stand just to get a Coca Cola.

No siree, when humans party on a holiday they go all out. And funny thing! They do it all together - all at once. Maybe the Hundredth Monkey Syndrome IS an actual scientific fact. After all, does anybody do ANYTHING different for a change during holiday time? If it's not a backyard picnic, or a jaunt to the shore cottage or an attempt to remain incognito as one snoops thru the neighbohood's garage sales - what else CAN a person do?

If you're not one of the lucky ones and you're limited to the backyard this year, that's ok! Just grab a few lounge chairs, a few friends, a few beers and swat knats all night. Lucky thing it's the fireworks holiday, cuz no matter where we may be stationed in life -we'll all be looking up on the 4th. Happy Independance Day y'all!