by

Tips to Enjoy a More Peaceful and Healthy Holiday Season

The holidays may be happy and joyful for some, but not all. For many, the holidays can also be a time of added stress

Some Tips to Enjoy a More Peaceful and Healthy Holiday Season – 

#1. Moderation. Moderation. Moderation. Simply your life, especially at the holidays. Moderation in everything, eating, drinking, shopping, and holiday parties and gatherings. Don’t feel like you have to do everything and accept every holiday invitation. L

#2. The 80/20 Rule. Also known as the “Pareto Principle,” named after founder, Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto, back in 1848. Pareto found that people can achieve 80% of success with 20% effort. Knowing that we cannot do everything, and perfection is a myth, Instead of trying to do the impossible, a Pareto approach could be, deciding which holiday projects or events are most important to you. Then, consider 20%  of the specific tasks to focus on to achieve those goals that make you happiest. Do those, then drop the rest.

#3. Learn to say ‘no” and loose the guilt. Overextending oneself, even for fun activities, can lead to frustration, stress and even exhaustion and illness. Guilt weights heavy, both literally and figuratively. Make heart-centered, healthy choices, with a me-first attitude, knowing that taking care of yourself, physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually, allows you to be more present for others, when needed.

#4. Make Time for Yourself to Relax Each Day. Breathing relaxation, mindful meditation, guided imagery and meditation, self-hypnosis, self-reiki can all be learned and put into daily practice. Even 3, 5, 10, 15 or 20 minutes can make a difference and promote health and wellbeing. Treat yourself to an acupuncture, massage, reflexology or reiki session. Take a gentle, yin yoga class.

#5. Make Time to Exercise Each Day. Research shows that exercise (especially aerobic) helpfully boosts our mood and make us feel better by releasing healthy hormones and raising healthy neurotransmitter levels (i.e.endorphins, serotonin). Mantras for Healthy Exercise: “Exercise energizes me.” “Exercise makes me feel better.” Exercise makes me smile.” “A day without exercise is like a day without brushing my teeth.”

#6. Healthy Holiday Eating/Drinking. Eat a healthy meal or snack before the party. Small plates and bowls allow for healthy portions. Maintain healthy thoughts around healthy eating. Guilt-free holiday eating from Harvard Health Publishing. Mantras for Healthy Eating: “Healthy, balanced, nutritious meals energize me.” I make healthy choices in line with my highest good.” “Healthy is as healthy does.” “A sliver instead of a slice.” “One is enough, two is too many.” “One and done.” Another 80/20 Rule – Stop eating when 80% full. From the teachings of Hyakuten Inamoto Sensei, Buddhist monk and Founder of Komyo ReikiDo™  – “It is advisable to eat frequent, small amounts rather than two or three big meals, and to leave the stomach 20% empty. A feeling of slight hunger goes a long way toward many health benefits.”

#7. Create Special Holiday Memories. Rather than purchasing material items, consider making the holidays about making fun memories with family, friends and neighbors, at low or no cost. Consider a movie, music, cooking baking or scrap booking night. Walk or drive to view holiday decorations. Enjoy an evening of star gazing. Material things can get lost, broken or discarded, but memories live on. 

#8. Do Something for Those Less Fortunate. Research shows that helping others is actually beneficial for your own mental health and well being. It can help reduce stress, improve your emotional wellbeing and even benefit your physical health. Consider gifts and/or letters to those serving in the military overseas. Visit someone in a nursing home. Volunteer at a shelter or soup kitchen. Offer to bake, cook or decorate for someone who is not able.

#9. Maintain and Daily Attitude of Gratitude. Keep a daily gratitude journal; find one to three things you are grateful for each day. Think about or meditate on people and things you are grateful for. Recommended reading: Simple Abundance, by Sarah Ban Breathnach.

#10. Seek Professional Help. The holidays can lead to increased thoughts and feelings of depression. If that is the case, seek support. Talk to your doctor. Reach out to family, friends, neighbors that live alone, and offer support. 

For Information on and Services for Relaxation and Stress Relief – Emaildreamtimewellness@gmail.com or phone 978-283-4258.

Wishing you a happy, healthy and memorable holiday season,   

~ Karen Pischke BSN, RN

Sources and More Information:

 

 

 

by

Acorn Squash Stuffed with….

Through the lens of Ayurveda, we are now in the heart of the Vata season, time to think of adding more sweet, sour and salty taste to our diet to balance and pacify the Vata imbalance brought on by the cooling temperatures and winds.

Ayurveda Wellness Healing loves this wonderful recipe that blends the sweetness of acorn squash. (although any squash is great) with nuts and quinoa. Feel free to also top with a little ghee for extra warming support.

ACORN SQUASH STUFFED WITH QUINOA AND ROASTED ALMONDS:
recipe adapted from Whole Living
serves 2-4 depending on how many squash you have

Ingredients

• 2-4 acorn squashes, halved and seeds removed – if you’re serving 2 people get 1 squash,
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for brushing on the squash
• sea salt and fresh ground pepper
• ½ cup dry, quinoa, rinsed –1 cups filtered water
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup feta, crumbled
• 1/2 cup raw almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar

Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees, Cut your squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Brush each squash half with a bit of olive oil, and season with some salt and pepper. Roast the squash cut-side down on a baking sheet until tender when pierced with a fork, and caramelized, about 30 minutes.

While the squash is cooking, bring the ½ cup well rinsed quinoa and 1 cups water to a boil in a small sauce pan.

Once the quinoa has come to a boil, give it a stir, cover it and reduce the heat to simmer. Cook the quinoa until all the water is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. Let the quinoa cool just a bit and then fluff with a fork.

While the quinoa and squash are cooking, wash and chop up your parsley and toast up the almonds. Coarsely chop up the almonds.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chopped almonds to the skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer the nuts to a paper towel lined plate to get the grease off. Sprinkle the almonds with some fine sea salt. Set them aside.

In a large bowl, combine the quinoa, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 1/2 cup feta, almonds, 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Fill up your squash halves with the quinoa and dig in.

Got leftover quinoa? Just reheat it in a skillet with a touch of coconut oil or add almond milk and raisins for a yummy breakfast cereal the next morning.

“Blockage is disease/Flow is health” 😊

www.ayurvedawellnesshealing.comAWH_Logo_RGB_sm

by

Looking for a cool stocking stuffer? We have Chic Flics for $20.00 @HarborCoveDenta l

hcd3

What’s a Chic-Flic?
Chic-Flic is a unique double-sided and portable whitening & lip hydrating solution. Maintain your bright, white smile while on-the-go with the easy-to-use whitening mint-flavored gel and keep your lips soft and smooth with the clear, lip-plumping gloss. The built-in illuminating LED and mirror helps to precisely guide application anywhere!

Carbomide Peroxide: Powerful whitening agent removes deep stains quickly.
Peppermint Oil: Freshens breath and invigorates the mouth for a clean feeling.
Potassium Nitrate: Protects teeth from sensitivity commonly associated with bleaching.
Polyacrylic Acid: Helps strengthen and harden tooth enamel.

by

Scams Increase During Holidays

Scammers Prey on Us During Our Busiest Days – What You Need to Watch For

Scams occur any time within the course of the year however the following scams appear to be more prevalent during the holiday season:

Online Shopping / Internet Scams

With the advances in technology, it has become easier than ever before for scammers to trick unsuspecting shoppers. They design websites that so closely mimic valid merchant websites it can be nearly impossible to detect that it is a fraudulent site. Unfortunately, in this scam, shoppers fall prey during their online shopping sprees whereby they check out and provide their credit card information but the goods purchased are instead sent to the scammer or the scammer just takes the money. No goods are delivered to the shopper however the money they “spent” has been taken.

Similarly, one of the most popular internet scams involve seniors downloading fake anti-virus software. This appears on your computer via a pop-up alleging that your current anti-virus software is out-of-date which allows scammers to access personal information on your computers. Seniors might also respond to phishing emails that look like legitimate communication sent by their bank or a merchant they recently ordered from which is actually sent by scammers. Through these phishing emails, the senior may be asked to confirm or enter bank information or update their credit card information but, in reality, all of this information is being confirmed for the scammer to take full advantage.

With regard to internet scams, it is always better to be safe than sorry.  You can find more information about current scams and helpful tips helpful tips for determining whether a website is fake, fraudulent or a scam at our website.

The IRS Scam
Scammers use fear and intimidation in this type of scam whereby they claim to be from the IRS and state that the senior owes back taxes and urges the person to “pay the amount owed” via a prepaid credit card to avoid possible legal action.

Don’t be fooled by these con artists that pretend to be from the IRS. The IRS does not call about collections nor would they ever ask for payment via a prepaid credit card or threaten arrest.
Disaster Relief / Charity Scam
The holidays are a time for giving. Scammers know this and try to take advantage of this generosity by pretending to be someone who is part of a disaster relief program or someone soliciting donations for a charitable organization.

There are many ways to make charitable donations during the holiday season through reputable sources. You will often see someone from the Salvation Army ringing the bell outside department stores and grocery stores. You may see a “Giving Tree” at your local house of worship that collects items for needy children around the holidays. Do not provide credit card information to anyone over the phone claiming to be from a charitable organization. Instead, end the call, research the organization and then make a donation via a secure website. To find a charity or to check the validity of a charitable organization, visit www.charitynavigator.org or check the Better Business Bureau website for more information

The Grandparent Scam
In this scam, a scammer calls a senior pretending to be their grandchild. The person on the other line asks the elder if they know who is calling and when the grandparent guesses the name of one of their grandchildren, the scammer pretends to be that grandchild. The “grandchild” then makes a plea for money after telling the elder that they are in some sort of financial trouble, that they need help affording gifts for the family, they need money to pay for their college tuition etc. The scammer on the other end of the phone asks their “grandparent” if they can send money using Western Union or MoneyGram to help them out.  They plead with the “grandparent” not to tell anyone about their situation. Once your money is received by the scammer they consider it a successful transaction. The scammers will usually call again in the future to take advantage for as many times as they can.

You know your grandchildren. Pay attention to the voice of the person on the other line and the story they are telling you. If you say to yourself, “that doesn’t sound like my grandchild’s voice” or if you can’t imagine that your grandchild would have ended up in a scenario quite like the one you are being told, don’t fall for it. Instead, hang up the phone call and call the alleged grandchild directly and ask them if they just called you.

Sweepstakes or Lottery Scams
“Congratulations, you’re a winner!”
This scheme usually involves a scammer contacting seniors by mail or telephone and telling them that they have won a prize. However they must pay  in order to receive their prize. Scammers send a fake check to the senior to deposit in their bank account. The scammer knows it will take some time for the bank to reject the check. Meanwhile, the victim has sent the scammer money through wire transfer for fees or taxes on the prize earnings. When the check doesn’t clear, the “winner” realizes they were victimized and that the money they sent to the scammer is gone.

If you get this kind of call and feel it is “too good to be true” because you can’t remember ever entering a drawing for a prize or raffle, that’s because it IS too good to be true- it’s a scam! Had you really won a prize, no up-front payment of fees or taxes would be necessary. If you get a call like this, what you need to do is plain and simple…hang up!

Are you a victim of a scam? Take action! Learn more>>>

by

This Week at Angel Wings

This weekend, we will be extending our hours until 8:00pm Thursday through Saturday. Treat your loved ones with health and wellness for the holidays! A friendly reminder that we offer 10% off all of our products for Veterans, active service members, police officers, fire fighters, school teachers, and senior citizens.

This Saturday we will have local psychic Annette Dion, back by popular demand! From 1:00-3:00 she will be on sight to provide $10 “mini-readings”, so make sure you come prepared with a question you would like to ask her. Participants will be eligible to sample some of our premium pain creams and tinctures.