"If you don't have your health, you don't have anything." You've probably heard the expression many times throughout your life, and it's a wise one to contemplate. What you may not realize is that 'health' doesn't just refer to your physical well-being. Indeed, that is a major part of it, but there are other

essential elements in your life that must be healthy in order to ensure happiness and, ultimately, success. This month's newsletter will help you to build and maintain every aspect of your health - including financial and emotional -- in the various fundamentals of your life.

As always, we encourage you to e-mail us with your comments, suggestions or contributions about our "Paths to Success" e-letter, your ideas for possible

story topics, news items, sponsorship suggestions, advice for novice students - anything you think would help us bring you relevant and timely information that's useful to you! Ideas can be e-mailed to submit@almedauniversity.org.

Do you pay attention to the origin of the products you buy in the average month? The food, clothing, electronics and even home décor each have their own history before they arrive on store shelves where you find them. What many are now starting to recognize is that the place of origin of your products can actually make a difference in the quality of your life and in your wallet.

Buying locally is one of the best ways to support your community, with many benefits that couldn't be achieved any other way:

Price - In terms of food and other locally grown and manufactured products, buying locally typically means that you're spending less money every time you buy. However, there are times when large corporations open chain store locations in your town offering lower prices. Indeed, it's your right to take advantage of those benefits; just make sure you continue to be a good steward of your community, and make reasonable choices in how to purchase goods.

Of course, these are only some of the many benefits of shopping locally. The more you pay attention to where a product comes from, the greater your ability will be to make a difference in the economy, environment, and standard of living just outside the walls of your own home.

Every little bit counts, so the next time you head out to the store, try to do your part for your community.

We all want our children to grow up happy and healthy, but that's not always easy when fast food and junk food are so available and fun. Nor does it feel possible when kids whine and squirm and simply refuse to eat healthy meals we serve at home. The temptation is strong to either let them have what they want - healthy or not - or to begin yet another lecture about the importance of healthy food and how vital it is for their growing bodies.

However, if you've let yourself get to that point, then you've handed the control over to your child and bad habits will begin forming. Keep in mind that it's much easier to build a good habit from the start than to correct a bad habit that has already formed. If you establish control over the food that your children eat, including the preparation and serving styles, then you will be able to effectively help your kids develop their own healthy eating habits from the very beginning.

You can still make foods that you choose more appealing to your kids by giving them the feeling that they are involved in their meals. For example, allow your children the choice between two possible vegetables for dinner. This way, they'll still have the satisfaction of having made their own food selection and aren't simply being forced to eat what you tell them to. It's empowering for them to believe they had a 'say so' in the meal planning.

Furthermore, the more your children are involved in the preparation process, the more they'll appreciate what is being served each night. Many kids love to assist with the cooking. This assistance might include washing foods before they are prepared, breaking up lettuce for a salad, or helping to measure or add ingredients to a dish. Not only will this make meals more appealing to your children, but it will also teach them healthy cooking skills that will be essential when they start choosing and preparing their own meals.

One of the most important things you can do to instill healthy eating habits in your kids is to be a good role model. If you're making your children eat only healthy foods but they see you regularly snacking on junk food - or not eating your veggies - then you won't be building a healthy lifestyle for your children; in fact, you might even create resentment because they're missing out on

the "fun" foods that you're getting to enjoy. And when the time comes that your kids need to make their own food choices, they'll likely reach for the items they weren't allowed as youngsters but that you were munching on without them.

You certainly don't need to be a drill sergeant about cutting out all sugary and salty treats. No matter how healthy your children eat, there will be times when they will indulge in chips, candy and soda. The trick is to ensure that your children understand that these items are treats that are to be enjoyed only occasionally, not on a daily basis.

Remember, eating healthy isn't just one choice that happens one time. It's a lifestyle that progresses throughout the lives of your children. As a family, every member should participate in this healthful lifestyle to make it work.

Have you been trying diligently to earn that promotion or climb the very tall ladder at work but are wondering how much longer you can handle the heightened stress levels? Or have you already been awarded your much-sought promotion, but the new responsibilities have only added more stress to your life? Is it possible to maintain your edge without constantly losing sleep at night because your mind won't shut off?

Your challenge isn't to slow things down on the job - you probably won't get ahead that way. Instead, you need to learn how to manage increasing stress levels so that they don't make the rest of your life a misery, hurting your health and relationships, and eventually burning you out so that you can't even handle your responsibilities at work.

Some stresses actually help us to get ahead in our work life. A certain degree of stress at the right time can help us to be awake, sharp and alert when we need to make a good impression and get the job done.

The dangerous form of stress occurs when you're not just feeling a bit of adrenaline during that department audit, but when you're living in a continuously

frustrated condition.



When stress is constantly held in your body, your system will produce higher levels of cortisol, which will actually impair your thinking abilities and weaken your immune system - the exact opposite of what you need when you're trying to perform at work. You'll become unpleasant, unhappy and unhealthy, and your productivity will surely suffer.

Long-term success and stress management go hand-in-hand. It is the person with the positive outlook in stressful times who will enjoy life to a fuller extent and decrease his or her risk of heart disease and cancer. On the other hand, people who suffer from high stress levels may suffer from feelings of rage and put their health in serious danger.

The ideal stress balance means that you'll have enough stress on the job to keep you motivated,

focused and productive, but not enough to take over your life. Achieving this balance is simpler than you might think, but it requires some stick-to-itiveness.

Most doctors agree that people suffering from high levels of stress can benefit from practicing meditation. But not everybody is comfortable with meditation. Therefore, it is also recommended that you learn any kind of technique that allows you to manage your mind and your emotions. Make sure that you're getting enough exercise every day, as this is one of the most effective ways to keep your emotions and stress levels in check.

You may choose to ask your doctor about a progressive relaxation technique (also known as shavasana) to decompress. This involves lying quietly without distraction and, starting at your toes, contracting and relaxing each muscle group until you've reached the top of your body. It takes a great deal of concentration, but it allows you to connect with your body -- while breathing slowly -- and to let go of your troubles temporarily. This technique takes just a few minutes and has a surprisingly soothing and lasting effect.

It's strange how backward the priorities of today's world sometimes seem. Though we technically have our jobs to pay for our livelihood, there seems to have been a shift in values, whereby we see hard work on the job as important, but spending a lot of time on the activities we enjoy is considered to be "wasting time." It's a good time to get our lives back on track and recognize that recreation time is just as important as the time we spend at work.

Indeed, we do work to fund our personal lives, but we mustn't lose sight of the fact that enjoying our personal lives with proper relaxation and fun actually makes us better at our jobs when we're back at work. It's a win-win situation.

If you want to make the most out of your life - both at home and at work - then you'll need to ensure that you take the time to deliberately and consciously release the stresses that build up in your body throughout the work week. As a result, you'll be able to manage stresses at work with much more ease, allowing you

to remain focused, clear-headed and relaxed -- even in the more tense times. Your performance will improve and your job will become more appealing to you.

And don't forget that besides relaxation, laughter is important, too. You may have heard a popular expression: "Laughter is the best medicine." There is much truth to this wise old adage. Humans are animals who simply need to laugh, and laugh often. Even if you are laughing deliberately, the experience provides you with emotional satisfaction as well as important physiological benefits.

Laughter is simple, inexpensive and natural, without any side effects except for the occasional 'tears of joy' or sore belly muscles. To add laughter to your life, spend more recreational time with your friends and family. Enjoy funny novels, watch comedy films, and learn to find the funny side of yourself. Sometimes being able to laugh at yourself is just what you need to make all the difference in your attitude and outlook. By make all

the difference in your attitude and outlook. By accepting that relaxation and fun weigh in with just as much importance as success on the job, you'll find yourself smiling more, enjoying the people around you, appreciating and thriving at work and perhaps finding it easier to get up in the morning, ready to take the world by storm!

If you've been working hard and playing hard but still feel that something's missing that will complete the life you've been building, maybe it's time to refresh your skills or learn some new ones -- and ultimately rejuvenate your work life. Check out the many offerings Almeda University provides to see what's awaiting you by clicking here.