When you clean out your refrigerator, do you ever find old, wilted, mushy food you would not eat? Do you toss the old food into your garbage can? This thrown-out food, unfortunately, ends up in landfills, usually in plastic bags.

Throwing away old fruits and vegetables, scraps, or even rotten apples is an unfortunate waste of resources. Reclaim micronutrients through composting.

Recycling unprocessed food, plant scraps, leaves, and grass clippings makes an easy-to-create compost.

Compost bins are available for purchase, and comprehensive "how to" information is available online. Bought or homemade composting bins are not the only option. In-ground composting is simple, easy, and costs nothing.

Thirty years ago, I planted my first successful garden. I went to my next-door neighbor for pointers. Her garden soil was rich, dark, and soft. My soil was grey and hard. I needed her help.

Expecting complicated advice that I would not follow, she showed me simplicity instead. She taught me how simple it was to have nutritious soil. I have followed her technique for the past thirty years whenever I had a plot of dirt. This process is simple, easy, and cost-free. The only equipment needed is a gallon glass jar with a tight-fitting lid - an old gallon pickle jar or something similar. Expensive, bulky compost bins are not necessary.

WHAT TO DO: I use a gallon, glass, pickle jar with a tight-fitting lid. I keep it convenient, on the floor near my pantry. I add scraps or pieces of unprocessed foods, such as potato skins, rotten apples or tomatoes, avocado peelings, rinsed eggshells, wilted greens, used coffee grounds, loose tea leaves, and other similar foods.

When the jar becomes full, I dig a hole in my garden or flowerbeds and empty its contents and old leaves or wood chips into the hole. I then fill it with the dirt I dug to make the hole. I put a large rock or three or four bricks on my newly filled compost hole to "mark the spot." I leave it like that for months before I move the rock and dig to check how it is composting. If you throw an avocado pit in the hole, it grows into a fledgling avocado tree that needs removing. It will not survive North Carolina winters. Either throw the avocado pit in your garbage or be willing to pull the fledging twig and toss it.

WHAT NOT TO DO: Do not compost meat, bones, or foods processed with preservatives and unwanted chemicals. Do not compost the entire rotten egg. Only compost the rinsed eggshells. I now crush, dry, and grind my eggshells into powder for my chickens. Most people do not have chickens but have dirt waiting to become fertile soil. Also, be careful if you have dogs that will dig up your composted scraps and eat rotten food. A large rock or two or three bricks placed over freshly buried compost helps keep critters out of your recycled nutrients.

This composting process requires nothing but a glass container with a tight-fitting lid or a container that will not absorb the smells, nor will it rust.

Try it. This easy composting method will cost nothing and is available year-round, even if a bit of snow needs moving. It recycles valuable nutrients for your future fruits and vegetables or your flowers.

Karen Best Wright, B.S., M.A., Holistic Health & Wellness Coach

Eight Tips for Summertime Wellness With winter over and spring passing, the full force of summer will soon be here. Summer can be exhilarating and an excellent time to focus on our wellness.

Tip 1: Enjoy the beauty of summer; Notice the sunrises, sunsets, and all the beautiful colors of summer. Summer is a time to let all life permeate your soul.

Tip 2: Eat fresh, healthy foods and go light on the heavy grilled meats that are often associated with summertime. Foods grown in your garden or purchased from a farmer's market are healthier than processed foods or foods fed with pesticides and added sugars.

Tip 3: Stay hydrated in severe heat. High temperatures and high humidity can cause heat exhaustion, which can result in heatstroke, also called sunstroke. Heatstroke is dangerous and can result in organ failure and even death. Older adults, infants, and those with chronic illnesses are at the highest risk. Do not count on coffee and highly caffeinated beverages for proper hydration.

Tip 4: Get your vitamin D from the sun when possible. Vitamin D can stay in the body for months. It can benefit the body even after summer has passed. Some people may still need a vitamin D supplement, but good old fashion sunshine is beneficial.

Tip 5: While getting enough sunshine is beneficial, do not get too much and get sunburned. Cover up with a hat, comfortable long sleeves, and long pants when exposed to the sun for an extended time. Cloth is safer for your skin than many sunscreens, which get absorbed into the bloodstream.

Tip 6: Protect yourself from insect bites. Mosquitoes and ant bites can ruin a beautiful summer day. Look for a natural insect repellant or make your own. Various mints and lemongrass essential oils make excellent insect repellants. Mix essential oils with a carrier oil such as coconut or almond oil. Some people can use oils in their concentrated form. Just be cautious.

Tip 7: Take the time to be physically active. When the temperatures are high, early mornings or evenings are excellent for walking or bike riding. Remember to stay hydrated.

Tip 8: Protect your skin with the right foods. Sunburn is a type of inflammation, and foods influence inflammation. Eating plenty of anti-inflammatory foods can reduce sun sensitivity. Foods rich in Omega-3 fatty acids found in salmon, flaxseed, walnuts, and eggs help reduce inflammation. Antioxidant foods such as vegetables, berries, beans, and nuts also help reduce inflammation.

Be active, eat healthy, stay hydrated, protect your skin while getting enough sunshine, and have a great summer.

Karen Best Wright, B.S., M.A., Holistic Health & Wellness Coach

Springtime Wellness continued...

WellnesswayForWomen.com

April's wellness article focused on the many benefits of springtime, such as warmer weather, beautiful colors, and a time for more outside activities that benefit the body and soul. April's article also mentioned new life through gardening. Container gardening or a full-size garden producing fresh vegetables for a healthy summer is encouraged.

We continue Springtime Wellness with aromatic herbs that will grow in our area. Fresh herbs enhance the taste of almost any food eaten. Some herbs also have medicinal purposes and are even added to household cleaners, adding a pleasant smell to a freshly cleaned area.

A novice gardener who does not know the best place to plant herbs (some need more sun than others) should start with containers that are moveable around the flower bed until experienced. Herbs mixed among the roses and flowers add a delightful array of colors and beauty. It also promotes a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. There are few things better than going out into one's garden and picking fresh herbs that enhance the taste of dinner.

Some people prefer to start their herbs from seeds indoors and transplant them when the chance of frost is over. Others buy small plants from the garden center and transplant them. It depends on your interest, time, adequate space, and proper lighting to start plants indoors. Buying small plants from a garden center is more predictable. Some herbs are perennials – they grow year after year. Others are annuals – they last only one season. Know what you are buying and plan accordingly.

ROSEMARY: Rosemary is easy to grow and usually a perennial, except in extreme winters. Rosemary has a woodsy pine-like scent with a strong flavor. Its appearance is a cross between sage and lavender. Rosemary is used to flavor poultry, meats, stews, and casseroles. Long rosemary stems can be hung in the kitchen to dry, giving the kitchen a country look and a pleasant aroma.

BASIL: Basil is a universal favorite widely used in Italian cuisines. It is an annual, so be prepared to replace it in your garden next year. There are different types of basil, from sweet to spicy. Basil is also healthy as it adds vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to foods.

OREGANO: Oregano is a staple in Italian and Mexican cuisines. Oregano's spicy flavor can season beans, spaghetti, poultry, and homemade pizza. It is an easy-to-grow perennial that flourishes easily.

LAVENDER: Lavender is usually a perennial that has a calming floral scent. It is used in recipes and drinks though commonly used in bath salts, sachets, and potpourris for calming emotions. Lavender grows well in hot, dry conditions.

THYME: Thyme is an easy-to-grow perennial that can grow outside or indoors. Its robust flavor seasons meats, roasted vegetables, and soups. Also, add thyme to teas, cocktails, and marinades.

SAGE: Sage is a culinary herb that combines pleasantly with rosemary, thyme, and bay leaf. It seasons meats, root vegetables, and soups. It is a hardy plant and best grown outdoors.

MINT: There are numerous types of mint; peppermint, spearmint, chocolate, and pineapple mint. The pineapple mint plant provides beautiful red flowers as the weather cools into autumn. The benefits of various mint plants have numerous health benefits, such as a digestive aid and an insect repellant. Freshly made mint tea straight from the garden beats hands down the processed little packages purchased from the grocery store.

Karen Best Wright, B.S., M.A., Holistic Health & Wellness Coach

Springtime Wellness

Springtime can be a time that fills our lives with warmer weather, beautiful colors, and enthusiasm. Spring is a time for outside activities that lift the soul and strengthen our bodies. Walk fifteen to twenty minutes daily, and focus on the first signs of spring, such as the colorful flowers and the blossoming trees, to promote mindfulness and relieve stress. Spring brings the beginning of new life.

Spring can also fill the air with pollen and other allergens that trigger headaches and sinus issues. Allergies can ruin a beautiful spring day. Prepare ahead of time with either natural or medicinal remedies. Do not wait; prepare now.

To help springtime promote wellness, focus on eating fresh vegetables and fruits, staying hydrated with plenty of water, and avoiding heavy, greasy, processed foods. Incorporate clean air into your wellness plan. If the pollen is thick, with your car covered in yellow powder, have your air conditioner set to recycle the inside air, keeping the outside air outside your car. Room air cleaners can help clean the air inside the home. Make sure to change home air conditioner filters as needed.

Springtime brings life, so plant flowers and a small garden if possible. Even a few potted plants by the front door will be inviting. For those with allergies to coveted flowers and plants, wear long sleeves, long pants, and the dreaded face mask to help avoid rashes and sinus complaints. For those with no allergies to nature, enjoy.

What you think about can make or ruin a wonderful spring day. Whether walking or driving, daily notice the beauty of spring. Notice the colors, the variety, and the regular changes in nature. If you only notice the cracks in the roads and the mess of dogs left unattended, you will miss the beauty and feeling of renewal. Enjoy Spring 2023.

Karen Best Wright, B.S., M.A., Holistic Health & Wellness Coach

 Holistic Health & Wellness – Personal Goals for 2023

Every January, millions of Americans make promises to improve themselves - better health, improved organization, more money, better relationships, and more happiness. Most of these individuals will not stick to their resolutions. Why is that? One reason may be that New Year resolutions rarely consider how all six areas of wellness create balance and well-being, which improves the ability to achieve the desired goals.

Goals such as "losing 20 lbs.," quitting smoking," or "obtaining better employment" are worthy goals, but rarely are they accomplished without the influence of all areas of wellness. Holistic wellness includes physical health, emotional health, social health, intellectual health, spiritual health, and environmental health. These six areas of wellness factor into the success of accomplishing any important goal or resolution.

The three examples of losing weight, quitting smoking, or getting a better job are all influenced by physical health, emotional health, social health, and even intellectual well-being.

This process is called holistic health and wellness. All areas work together to create a synergistic well-balanced life. If a person wants to lose weight, she most likely will not thoroughly study all areas of wellness that could affect her success. However, it is possible to recognize the most apparent areas of wellness that will impact progress. In the example of losing weight, one's overall health is likely the first thing a person will consider. Emotional wellness is also vital because emotions often drive people to overeat or eat the wrong foods simply from habit. Social interactions often influence how and what a person eats. Intellectual wellness is also involved, as it allows a person to learn proper nutrition.

No matter which goals a person chooses to improve during 2023, they will all be influenced by other areas of wellness. When writing down goals for the New Year, note all areas that will impact your ability to accomplish these goals. Those who have become discouraged and don't want to make any resolutions could start with something relatively easy. It may be as simple as walking around the block three or four times a week. Whatever your situation, do something.

Karen Best Wright, B.S., M.A., Holistic Health & Wellness Coach

December is a month that celebrates multicultural, spiritual celebrations. Christmas is the most common celebration in the United States. However, it is not the only spiritual celebration. December can bring awareness to our multicultural society and focus on personal spiritual and social wellness.

Christmas, a Christian religious holiday, celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Christmas Day is on December 25th. Celebrating Christmas includes giving gifts to others and decorating homes with Christmas trees, lights, and other festive decorations.

Hanukkah is the Jewish eight-day, wintertime "festival of lights." The nightly lighting of the eight Chanukah candles, the menorah, is part of the celebration. There are special prayers and holiday foods such as latkes and sufganiyot. In 2022, Hanukkah begins at sunset on Sunday, December 18th, and ends at nightfall on Monday, December 26th. Hanukkah celebration dates vary from year to year.

Winter Solstice / Yule is the oldest Winter holiday in existence. The Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year and celebrates the days getting longer, bringing more light to the earth. The festivities traditionally were lighting the Yule log, singing songs, giving gifts, and sharing a special meal with friends and family.

Kwanzaa is an African American holiday; that celebrates family, community, and culture. It focuses on seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. The Kwanzaa celebration is from December 26th until January 1st. Individuals and families decorate with candles, colorful lights, and African-themed art.

Regardless of the December holiday celebrated, it is a season for giving and sharing with friends and loved ones. It is also a time of reverence for one's spiritual beliefs. It is truly a time to strengthen one's spiritual and social wellness.

Karen Best Wright, B.S., M.A., Holistic Health & Wellness Coach

Experiencing the benefits of gratitude is much more than enjoying a Thanksgiving dinner with friends or family. Practicing gratitude in life can improve physical, emotional, and spiritual wellness. While thinking positive, thankful thoughts is beneficial, writing them down is more effective. Even more, verbally expressing thoughts of gratitude can be empowering.

There are two aspects of gratitude. The first is to think, write, or speak thankful thoughts, which is necessary. The second aspect goes a step further. It is to live a life that expresses gratitude through one's behavior.

The first aspect of gratitude is activities (thinking, writing, speaking) that help develop it as a personality trait or state of being. The more one thinks, writes, and speaks words of thankfulness, the easier it is to achieve a disposition of gratitude.

For example, when one leaves the house in the morning and encounters a torrent of rain, what thoughts immediately come to mind? Thankful thoughts might be, "I am so glad it's raining. My flowers need the water." Or, if it's been raining for days and more rain isn't needed, the thought might be, "I'm sure glad I have good windshield wipers."

A beneficial activity to build a life of gratitude is to write down your thankful thoughts. It can be a family activity or a solo one. If for a family activity, tape a large piece of paper on the fridge or some other convenient place and encourage family members to share a thankful thought each day. If this is a private activity, then a simple notebook works well. Verbally sharing your thoughts of gratitude helps cement this entire process.

It is unrealistic to believe one can always be positive. However, it is realistic to see how focusing on the positive improves personal well-being. It also benefits those around you. Just ask a friend.

Karen Best Wright, BS, MA, Holistic Wellness Coach

Do you get stressed when looking for a lost item, knowing you just saw it but now cannot find it? Do you buy things you do not need and then shove them in a cabinet or the back of the closet? Do you keep too many things due to sentimental value? If this feels familiar, it is time to work on the four Rs. Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

Refuse: This means to stop getting things you do not need. Just because something is on sale or is "cute," does not mean it is necessary. However, that does not mean everything you get has to be necessary, but it does warrant thinking two or three times before adding it to your home or life.

Reduce: This simply means having fewer items of things you do need or want. Everyone needs dishes, but how many dishes? Everyone needs shoes. Again, how many pairs of shoes does one person need? Your space and how organized you are may determine how much stuff is too much.

Reuse: Finding creative ways to reuse items rather than buying everything new can be rewarding. Using cloth bags, rather than plastic, reduces toxic garbage. Buying concentrated dish soap with reusable dispensers reduces waste and saves money.

Recycle: Recycling means making something new out of something old. A creative craftsman can take something completely apart to make something different. However, recycling is often available at the commercial level. Take advantage of local recycling centers.

Simplifying life using the four R's can reduce stress. Reducing stress improves one's well-being. So before purchasing something or receiving someone else's unwanted items, determine if you need them and where you will store them, or else you may just add to more clutter and stress.

We read a lot about toxic substances in the environment and even in our foods. Most of us would not willingly ingest toxic chemicals or inhale toxic fumes.

What about toxic people? How do we identify them, and how do they affect our lives?

Six Characteristics of a toxic person

1. A person who belittles you or lies to you.
2. A person who does not follow through with commitments.
3. A person who is physically abusive (that’s the easiest one to recognize).
4. A person who acts nice to you to your face and then gossips about you behind your back.
5. A person who blames everything on you until you begin to believe it.
6. A person who focuses only on negativity and victimhood.

It might be easy to simply avoid the toxic person if you are not in a relationship of any sort. Put up your mental barrier and move on or away from the person. It’s not so simple if you find yourself in a relationship with a toxic person.

Learn to set boundaries. You are not someone’s emotional punching bag. If you feel stuck, you may need help from a supportive person, whether a good friend or even professional help. When you realize that a person in your life is toxic and is harmful to your emotional wellbeing, you need to be the one to take the first step to protect yourself from their toxicity.

The healthiest way to live is to learn to recognize toxic people in the first place and learn to avoid them or do what you need to do to protect yourself from them.

Never believe you deserve to be treated poorly. Just like toxic substances harm the body, so do toxic people harm one’s emotional health or peace of mind. If you find yourself dealing with toxic people, make a change. Don’t wait until your self-esteem or mental peace is all but destroyed.

Don’t wait until you are sick to get well. What the heck does that mean? It basically means prevention. Many illnesses and diseases are long in coming and may not manifest until the later stages of the illness. We may have an imbalance in the body which leads to an illness.

Take a cold sore for example. The cold sore seems to pop out of nowhere. One minute we don’t feel. The next our lip is tingling, and we soon have a full-blown case of a nasty cold sore on our lip. Stress is often the cause that triggers a cold sore. Why wait until the painful sore appears to treat it? Why not prevent it in the first place? There is a prescription medication for a cold sore, but there are also natural remedies that work just as well for many people. When I feel a cold sore coming on, I immediately reach for my L-Lysine and tea tree oil to keep from having a major break-out. If I know I am going to face something very stressful, such as a trip (even a vacation can be stressful for me), any type of crisis, or even house guests, I can prevent the cold sore outbreak by being proactive with taking the L-Lysine and focusing on relieving the stress of the upcoming event – when possible. This is just one simple example of preventing an illness before it happens.

Many illnesses are silent such as diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, and even cancer. They have a process that develops over time. Focusing on eating healthy foods and living a healthy lifestyle with the intention of preventing these diseases gives one a better chance of avoiding them. Prevention is a much better option than treating an existing disease with drugs, that will likely have side effects. If you have lived a healthy lifestyle and still get ill, you have a better chance of overcoming and surviving and maybe even reversing the disease. Maintaining a healthy body is the key to most illnesses.