The biggest drinking night of the year is upon us! Undoubtedly there will be millions of people hungover tomorrow, unless of course we take care of ourselves tonight. When we down too many glasses of champagne we lose essential vitamins, minerals and drain our cells of vital water. Luckily there are several natural hangover cures (basically vitamin packets) that will prevent or lessen the wrath of any hangover you do get. Here are some awesome natural fixes to try tonight.

First let’s start with your choice of drink:

Champagne: The bubbly has been known to cause horrendous hangovers (at least in my case) in large part due to sulfites. Sulfites are naturally occurring in all wines, but most wines have extra added for preservation. Organic champagnes have no added sulfites and therefor lighten the impact of a hangover. Try these:

• Fleur de l’Europe Brut - A rich pinot noir-and-chard, biodynamic blend served at the Nobel Prize awards ($70).
• Fleury Carte Rouge Brut - soft, delicate, biodynamic, all-pinot noir champagne ($30).
• Prosecco Perlage Riva Moretta - crisp, fruity, and totally within our budgets. Made with organic grapes, from Italy ($16).

Now onto the kicker, those natural hangover fixes:

• EmergenC or Airborne: These two are packed with tons of vitamins including those essential B’s. Works everytime… I like to take two with plenty of water before I hit the sack. Better yet, both can be found at any drug or convenience store.
• Ola Loa: Tasty vitamin packets with electrolytes to help you rehydrate ($34/30 packets).
• Jigsaw Activated B w/SRT: This sustained-release formula replaces the vitamin B your body loses when you drink ($30/120 caplets).
• Nature’s Way Opuntia: Contains prickly pear extract, which helps minimize inflammation - one reason we get hangovers ($20/100 caplets).
• Hangover Helper- Fight Back: The Artichoke and sarsaparilla extract in this little packet helps the body deal with alcohol and protect the liver ($15).

Helpful Strategies:

1. Stick with one type of alcohol all night: Mixing types of liquor especially is a garaunteed hangover. Any cocktails with sugary syrups will do the same in large quantities.

2. Drink water: Stay hydrated by sipping on water inbetween drinks. It might take you longer to feel a buzz, but your body will thank you tomorrow.

3. Sleep: The best way to avoid a hangover is to sleep through it! Let’s just hope it’s not in your friends tub.

I hope everyone has a kick ass time tonight and wakes up feeling better off than last year. Happy New Year!

Source: Ideal Bite

Say goodbye to 2007…. and welcome the potential of 2008. With only one day before the new year you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn’t have a resolution. Personally 2007 was a year of growth and change in my life. I learned a lot and now feel like 2008 will be the year to make it all come together.

Every year, month, day and moment have the ability to be stellar, the hard part is making it happen. I like to think of our lives and personalities as molding clay. We spend our entire existence shaping who we are through our choices. And every year at this time we sit back and examine what we did and didn’t do and then create goals and hopes for the new year. Fantastic! But, what if we did this all the time? If every moment has such great potential then I ask you, why don’t we use it? So let’s start 2008 out right by living it up every moment and by setting goals we’ll stick to!

Just take a look at the Top Ten Resolutions for 2008:

1. Get out of debt or save money
2. Lose weight
3. Develop a healthy habit… eg.) healthy eating, exercising 
4. Get organized
5. Develop a new skill or talent
6. Spend more time with family and friends
7. Other
8. Work less and play more
9. Break an unhealthy habit… eg.) smoking, alcohol, overeating
10. Change job or career 

This survey of over 15,000 people also found that a whopping 35% of those questioned admitted to dropping their resolution by the end of January, while a mere 23% actually stuck it out all year. The remaining 73% who broke their resolutions either weren’t committed from the get go or were too busy to follow through. No wonder January is the most profitable month for gyms, yet their number of memberships drastically decline after only a few months.  

Let’s erase those sad percentages from our minds and look forward to all the success we’ll have this year. Here is a fabulous 10-step motivation worksheet I found from Real Simple magazine that should help us stay on track and stick to our lofty goals. Download and print a worksheet from here.   

 Now that our goals are set it’s time to crack some bubbly. Happy New Year!

From the first startling buzz of the alarm clock our minds launch us into the day full force. The constant internal script of to-do’s that early is enough to make anyone want to crawl back under the covers and forgo everything. While we need to be prepared for the day ahead, we miss out on all the luxuries the morning has in store by living in our thoughts. In my case my 10 minute shower is the only event that truly wakes me up in the wee hours. But, it’s also the time I tend to plan out my day. For most of us the warm water rolling over our scalps and down our body is the closest we’ll get to a relaxing bubble bath, so why not take advantage? I’m getting chills just thinking about it.

Mindfulness Tip: Instead of rushing through your shower take 2 minutes every morning to clear and calm the mind and body. Stand still with your eyes closed and take several deep breaths. Focus on your breath and the water flowing over you. Listen to the water and what it sounds like as it hits you, from the inside out. Allow your muscles to relax as you exhale. Awaken all your senses by opening your eyes slowly and breathing in any sweet shampoo or soap fragrance. Be in the moment entirely.

If you can be mindful and present for a few minutes everyday that’s fantastic. Being truly aware of life takes practice and will only get easier. Life is meant to be enjoyed and fully experienced! If you agree with me check out these other mindfulness exercises and tips.

I do believe it’s crunch time! With Christmas less than a week away panic has set in and we could all probably use some more gift ideas. While some of you are getting to the bottom of your shopping lists, others of us (including me!) are just now starting to buy. I’m trying to stay calm, but it’s hard when you want to give thoughtful, and hopefully health and eco-conscious gifts and you’ve only got a few days to do it! Deep breaths. But seriously there are still some fantastic wellness gifts out there that will work for just about anyone on your list.

Here are my picks for awesome wellness gifts starting with the least expensive:

Meditation Music: Give the gift of relaxation! Whether the person meditates or not, a CD full of calming nature sounds and gongs is enough to help anyone fall asleep or just relax and calm the mind after a long day. Try anything from “Music For Deep Meditation.” This group has several highly rated albums on iTunes for $9.99. Download it, burn a copy and write a sweet message on the CD.

Fingerless Knit Gloves: A fun and fashionable accessory that will keep those hands nice and toasty. I bought two pair this year and will never buy a full-fingered glove again. I love em! Buy this colorful pair at Urban Outfitters for a sale price of $10 bucks.

Cooling Eye Mask: Any woman would adore an eye mask. This baby works wonders for all those puffy eye mornings, headaches and strained eyes. I purchased one about a month ago and it has become the best tool in my pursuit for relaxation. Perfect for those Zen moments of quieting the mind. Bucky makes this spa mask filled with flax and scented with lavender for $17.95.

Tea Set: There’s nothing like a warm cup of tea to get your morning going. If you’ve got a tea lover to buy for consider a cute Japanese inspired tea set with some organic fair-trade loose leaf tea. Beyond the high antioxidant content in tea, a steaming cup of certain types, like chamomile, will have you relaxed in no time. I love this mint green ceramic set from Wild Leaf Tea Company. Buy it on Amazon.com for $29.99.

Handheld Massager: Who doesn’t love massages? Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on a 1-hour massage from a luxury spa, give a quality handheld massager that will last for years. I like this Handheld Percussion Massager from Sharper Image because it has tons of settings, a heat option and adjustable knobs so you can target just the right spot. Any athlete on your list will thank you. Pick one up for $80.

Memory Foam Mattress Topper: Adding a foam topper to any mattress is an inexpensive way to create a supportive, and simply heavenly bed. Touted as the best way to finally get a restful night sleep, memory foam cushions the joints and contours just the way it’s advertised (I’ve never slept better!). A foam mattress is obviously fabulous and ideal, but comes with a hefty price. With a topper you’ll get the benefits of the foam support without forking over thousands of dollars. Overstock.com sells several brands and thicknesses. The thicker the better. Check out the Serta 4″ thick topper for $180, down from $550!

I hope these ideas have sparked your imagination and maybe some credit card swiping. There is no better feeling than knowing your gift will be well used and appreciated. Happy shopping and wish me luck!

Today more and more jobs are online or computer based which means we find ourselves stuck in a chair in the same damn position all day long. I’m sure I am not the only one who has to get up and take movement breaks. Interjecting some “wiggle” time into your workday will actually keep your energy levels more stable, especially during that common afternoon blood sugar dip. Plus, stretching and getting blood to all your muscles will have you walking out of the office without stiffness and body aches.

So how do we make sure we get that much needed movement break? Well, now we can get all the reminders we need with FLOW Software. FLOW comes with 7 different 5-minute movement videos that you can schedule to pop up on your desktop at varying intervals. Along with the videos, quotes and reminders inspire you to stay on track with your dietary and fitness goals.

The Wave Corporation created FLOW software specifically for people who work on computers and thus have to deal with the repercussions of sitting for long periods of time, like poor posture and compression of the spine and joints.

Every pre-set interval, a small window pops into your screen inviting you to “sit-exercise.” You can engage in as many 5-minute exercise sessions as you wish, while sitting at your desk. All exercises are designed to be performed in a sitting position and cover all big muscle groups including chest, abdominals, biceps/triceps, shoulders, back, legs, and full body stretching. Just think, if you were to schedule the videos every 5 minutes you could get in 30-45 minutes of extra movement in, all while at work!

For only $30 bucks you could change your workday for good! For more info check out their site here. It would sure be a great gift or stocking stuffer!