The Winter Olympics have me thinking about winter sports.  Many people spend the winter huddled on a warm couch.  It is easier to get out and bike and run when it’s summer. In the winter, especially in Michigan, there are so many outdoor sports you can try.( I'm not speaking from experience.  I spend my time in a warm gym or on an indoor tennis court.)  My wife loves to cross country ski, snowshoe and is looking forward to the day she can take our daughter sledding. 

Cross country skiing offers a great, low impact cardiovascular workout.  It works the upper and lower body, and helps improve balance.   Snowshoeing offers a similar workout, as long as you go at a good clip.  Sledding may not seem like much of a workout, the down part is easy.  It's getting back up the hill that burns the calories, more so if your hauling a little one on the sled.

The advantage to these sports over, say snowboarding, is that they require very little instruction to participate and are all relatively safe.  It is easy to tip over cross country skiing, the spills are nowhere near as bad as downhill skiing.  Sledding is safe if you use common sense.  Don't sled towards a road and sit up facing forward, never head first.  Of the three I mentioned, snow shoeing is the trickiest because you have to modify how you walk.

One last tip, it's easy to forget how hard your working in cold weather.  It may not feel like you're sweating because you don't feel hot, but you will be.  My wife has a skinny water bottle that she keeps inside her coat while skiing or snowshoeing.  Not only does this remind her to hydrate, it keeps the water from freezing.

I hope my daughter will inherit my wife's love of winter sports.  I know my wife will start taking her with as soon as she's old enough.  I will happily have hot cider waiting for them when they get back.

It has been a while since I posted a new blog, and I apologize.  As many of you know, I am a new father.  The added responsibility of having a baby combined with the end-of-year tasks that come with owing a business have left me with little free time.  That is why I want to talk about relaxation in this article,  specifically, taking it slow.

In today's society, we often feel pressed to rush everywhere and everything.  We work through lunch, run errands after work and by the end of the day we can think of a million things that still need to be done. We use organizers and electronic planners to keep track of our various obligations.  The problem with this is people literally need to disconnect from their Blackberry’s so they can reconnect with themselves.

Set aside a few minutes of nothing time each day.  This really helps at work when we're feeling stressed.  Although this sounds counter-productive, it's not.  Stop what you’re doing right now.  Close your eyes and take a few deep breaths.  Now count backward from 20 to 1.When you reach 1, give yourself a great big stretch.  When you’re done, open your eyes.  How do you feel?  Calmer?  More focused?  It only takes 1-2 minutes and the benefits for mind and body are great.  It relaxes your eyes, reducing redness and irritation.  The deep breathing and the counting stops the barrage of thoughts that are interrupting your concentration. The stretch restores circulation and helps to relax your muscles.

 “Every now and then go away, have a little relaxation, for when you come back to your work your judgment will be surer. Go some distance away because then the work appears smaller and more of it can be taken in at a glance and a lack of
harmony and proportion is more readily seen.”
~Leonardo da Vinci

Organic farmers produce crops without chemical pesticides, fungicides and fertilizers.  Instead they  use traps or beneficial insects, like ladybugs, to reduce pests, till or mulch to prevent weeds and apply natural fertilizers or use crop rotation.  Organic farming livestock is grown without growth hormones and antibiotics.  Animals are generally fed an organic diet and given room to move about and graze.  Organic food production is a heavily regulated industry, distinct from private gardening. Currently, the European Union, the United States, Canada, Japan and many other countries require producers to obtain special certification in order to market food as "organic" within their borders.

So what are the benefits of choosing organic foods?

Environmentally, fewer chemicals end up in the water supply.  Pesticide or fertilizer runoff from farmlands washes into rivers, lakes, and streams, contaminating waterways, and destroying habitat Those chemicals also harm the soil by killing the tiny living things in the soil that keep it healthy. This makes the plants weak and unable to fight diseases, resulting in more chemicals being added to prevent disease and repel insects.

Health-wise, the jury is still out on whether organic foods are more nutritious. However some organic produce contain more vitamin C and higher quality protein content. There is also evidence that animals grown with organic feeds tend to be healthier than animals fed conventional feeds.  The real difference lies in how the food is produced, processed and handled. Organic fruits and vegetables aren't treated with waxes or preservatives.

I know organic foods  tend to be expensive, and even my family doesn't eat 100% organic.  Focus on those foods that come with the heaviest burden of pesticides, additives and hormones, the so-called "Dirty 12".  I've included a link to a slide show explaining each of these foods on our Facebook page.

1.  Peaches                                         7. Cherries

2.  Apples                                           8. Kale

3. Bell Peppers                                   9.Leafy Greens

4. Celery                                           10. Grapes

5.  Nectarines                                    11. Carrots

6.  Strawberries                                 12. Pears