The last month of summer is here, and I plan to make the most of! I’m also keeping on schedule with my personal goal of falling back into healthy habits to prepare for fall.

I’ve been going back to the gym as regularly as my schedule has allowed, and I will be sure to incorporate core strengthening training to my regimen as suggested by Fitness Coach Willie Ray. My gym doesn’t offer any spinning classes like the one Jan Ross describes participating in, Spinning Away the Pounds, but it does have many stationary bikes that I may begin paying more attention to. Making a fresh and delicious yogurt and fruit drink before heading to the gym has really boosted my energy; see my personal recipe in the Healthy Hedonist column. I’m even more committed to concocting delicious drinks in light of Dr. Roach’s Feeding Health with Food article. Food related issues also played a role in the maximizing of my healthiness when I took Jamie Lober’s Eating Healthy While Traveling advice on my many July road trips.

I have also taken many preventative measures and heeded health suggestions to stay on top of my health and stave off any future problems. I bought a new pair of sunglasses that better protect my eyes, thanks to the information in Sunglass Safety: Prevent Eye Damage by Selecting the Right Shades by Jamie Lober.  I made sure I was well hydrated and used sun protection while gardening and playing outdoors, as directed in Jamie Lober’s Talk Health column. I have resolved to find the time to schedule an eye exam, thanks to Martha Evan Spark’s Glaucoma: The Silent Blinder and Erin Jensen’s Eye Degeneration with Aging articles, and although I am no longer a student, The Back to School Physical Jamie Lober details is a good idea for all of us, even if we’re well past our growth development stages!

I have learned many things; such as The Mixed Blessing of Blinking in Dr. Sharon Napier’s Looking Good, Feeling Good article, what Lymph edema is, why I have more facial blemishes than I ever did as an adolescent, how to stay safe in the water, and ways I can contribute to stopping sexual assault. I thought of a dear friend of mine who has put her life on hold as she takes care of her ailing father fulltime after reading Martha’s Journal: Taking Care of the Caregiver. As to my mental and emotional well being, I will be incorporating some aromatherapy into my routine, thanks to Erin Jensen.                      

I am more mindful and vigilant in protecting myself from the damaging effects of UV rays from researching and reading feature stories on the sun.

I hope each of you will also take away as many beneficial action plans and information.  Enjoy these last days of summer in health and wellness!

Cheers to our good health,

Angela S. Hoover