Caribbean Living Lifestyle Blog - Healthy Living

New Year’s Resolutions – Easy to Make, Easy to Break?

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:32:59 -0600

It seems that every year as the days of December are fading away, people get into a contemplative mood about what the New Year can bring. This is a time for the great declarations of intentions that, whilst seeming noble and achievable from December 31st until Jan 4th, become boring and failed from Jan 5th!

So is it worth making a New Years resolution if they are so easy to give up on? I still think it is. Thinking about making a fresh start for the New Year offers us the opportunity to meditate on what is possible in our lives and be expansive in our ideas for us to be better in some way. It is a chance to step outside the norm of our everyday existence and dream about self improvement or improving the lives of others. Maybe it won’t last for more than 5 days but heck that’s better than nothing! For those thinking of their 2009 New Years resolutions there are a few things we can do to make it easier to set ones that are realistic to keep and to stick with.

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A Natural Spa Destination - Caribbean Health and Wellness

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:00:00 -0600

What could be nicer than getting a sweet-scented, warm-handed, deep-pressured massage as the soothing sound of the waves crash against the shoreline? Surely such an experience can make all stresses and tension float away on the warm breeze. This is what is like to enjoy a truly holistic massage Caribbean style.

With the increase of spa destinations in the Caribbean region you don’t have to just stop at a massage. Today’s menu is bursting with flavourful treats that expand upon the traditional mani/pedi and facial combinations to offer gourmet wellness options at your fingertips.

How about a body scrub and reiki session in Jamaica, a candlelight couples massage in Anguilla, a mud wrap and deep sulphur water soak in Dominica, a yoga retreat in Costa Rica or a full on personal development package with Omega Institute in St John?….The choices are almost limitless.

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A Caribbean Childhood

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:01:12 -0500

If you are a regular reader of my blogs, you may have noticed the decreased frequency of my postings. Having had a baby 8 weeks ago, I am in baby land and on baby time. I am sure anyone that has been there knows that baby land is a destination off the map and baby time has its own rhythm that does not correspond with GMT, EST, or any other time zone! However the joys of motherhood are a tremendous reward and I’m very happy that I’ll be raising my child in the Caribbean.

Richard Louv in his book “Last Child in the Woods” identified a phenomenon affecting young people which he called ‘Nature Deficit Disorder.’ This disorder which has many subsequent negative effects is due to a lack of time spent in the natural world caused by increasing urbanization and the popularity of television and electronic games.

I grew up in the English countryside but almost every natural area I used to play in has now been converted to housing estates and car parks! Now I live in Dominica, I know that my baby girl will be able to experience the many joys of the untamed natural world and be stimulated by the birds, trees and butterflies. Whatever island, the warm weathers of the Caribbean make it possible for a child to play outdoors year round which is vital for their health and wellbeing.
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Eat and Rub it in - The Many Uses of Avocados

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 08:12:00 -0500

Last week I could hardly contain my excitement at the return of avocados. Although they are still fairly sparse as the season warms up, I’m scouting for them everywhere in order to delight my taste buds, stomach and skin with their goodness.

Because they are so high in fat and fibre avocados add a filling depth to salads. I also love them as a snack on roasted plantain or spread onto breadfruit with a little hot pepper sauce. These are very simple ways and there are thousands of other, more complex and creative, recipes to try. I just found a new recipe to make guacamole in a Caribbean style which I am definitely going to experiment with as soon as I can. Interestingly, I just found out that guacamole will keep well in the freezer, something I had not really thought of doing before. So there’s no doubt what my little freezer space is going to be crammed with in a few months time as I attempt to extend the duration of my darling avocados oh-too-short seasonal appearance.

Avocados also make a great starter food for babies after 6 months of age as they are slowly introduced to solid food. This is useful to know as my bulging 8-month pregnancy nears its culmination and in a few more months I’ll have a baby to feed with something other than breast milk. In the meantime I've read that all the good nutrition I’m getting from eating the nutrient dense avocados will enrich the breast milk too!

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Natural Health and Fitness - Caribbean Style

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Tue, 20 May 2008 18:03:20 -0500

The warm sunshine and beautiful scenery of the Caribbean islands make them a naturally healthy and healing environment. But you still have to do more than just sit in the sun to keep fit and well! Big gymnasiums with a full range of technological equipment are not always available on small islands but don’t let that stop you from enjoying a hard and sweaty work out! There are still many ways to stay fit and well naturally, and with minimal expense.

Firstly get in the garden. I have seen visitors to the islands whose jaws drop when they see the six-pack abs and bulging biceps of bare-chested farmers coming back from a hard days work. These men with their simple tools get more muscle bulk and definition than most of those guys in city gyms pumping iron and chugging back protein drinks! There’s a lot to be said for manual labour especially since much of our work has become based around offices and computers and it’s only our fingers that get a work-out! So make sure you take some time out to dig in the soil, cut back on weeds and plant some food. And all that gardening pays off in double dividends when you have cultivated a variety of produce and also have the health benefit of eating vitally nutritious local foods.

Okay, gardening done, now let’s hit the road – but not in the car! Walking and hiking provide a great source of natural exercise. It’s a typical Caribbean scene at dusk to see small groups or individuals walking on the road in an attempt to lose weight and keep healthy. The American Heart Association recommends that for optimal effectiveness, one should walk at a vigorous pace for 30 to 60 minutes, 3-4 times per week. Of course walking up hills increases the work out and the varied terrain of a nature hike provides extra balance, coordination and mentally soothing scenery. To make it even more fun you can always play hide-and-seek among the trees!

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