Gettin' Fit & Healthy with Rickie

 Meditation? not for me...     Has anyone ever said to you 'Have you tried meditating?'  I am sure many of you have thought no that is not for me or you envision sitting in an awkward position, humming 'om' or spending 30 minutes just sitting in one spot. Meditation is not about religion unless you wish to introduce it to your session.  None of those things are required to reap the benefits, meditation just like exercise can be adapted to your needs.  You don't need to spend a lot of time just find a few minutes out of your day, find somewhere quiet to sit without being disturbed.  You can sit on a chair, on the floor or a cushion on the floor.  Just be comfortable with the spine long and tall with the crown of the head reaching up towards the sky and the body relaxed.   Your meditation session can be as  short as 3 minutes up to as long as 30 minutes.  I do recommend beginning with short sessions and as you get more comfortabl...

  The power of sleep Sleep...we are all guilty at some point in our lives in underestimating the power of sleep and it's relevance to improved health and well being.  I have always been a terrible sleeper, my mind does not want to shut down so I have a tough time falling asleep and it seems any little noise or movement wakes me up.  Maintaining a regular sleep schedule is just as important to our health as eating healthy and exercising.  On average a good schedule is 7-9 hours with regular sleep & wake times.  Sleep deprived individuals tend to consume more calories than a good sleeper leading to weight gain.  A good sleep can improve concentration and productivity.  For all those athletes out there a good sleep can improve athletic performance, let's face it secretly we all think we're athletes.  Sleeping less than 7-8 hours per night is linked to increased risk of heart attack and stroke. Poor sleep is linked to depression and reduce social ...