Nancy Marie Allen

August 31, 2018

Autumn “Power” Perennials

Asters, Rudbeckia and Sedum create a long-lasting autumn flower show!

Chrysanthemums are undoubtedly the flowers most people think of when Labor Day weekend rolls around. They come in a variety of colors and sizes and you can purchase early, mid and late season bloomers to keep the show going for weeks. Left in their pots they are easily moved around to add late season color where needed; and when combined with pumpkins, cornstalks and gourds, they make splendid fall arrangements for our front entryways. Although I love chrysanthemums, they have two major drawbacks – they need to be watered religiously to keep them from drooping and, although called “hardy,” they are not reliably perennial here in New England. So what autumn bloomers meet my criteria for “power” perennials or plants that are drought tolerant, care-free, and perform over a long period of time?

At the top of my list is Sedum, “Autumn Joy,” one of those rare perennial plants that looks beautiful spring, summer and fall. Because sedums are succulents – plants whose leaves hold water – they require no special treatment other than a sunny site in your garden. What makes “Autumn Joy” so remarkable is its chameleon personality during the growing season. It starts out in early spring with rosettes of leaves clustered close to the ground. Slowly, over the spring and summer, the broccoli-like flower stalks become the focus, changing color from the palest green to soft pink to a deep russet by late fall. At 12 to 24 inches tall, “Autumn Joy” is the perfect middle-of-the-border plant.

Sedum in summer — Sedum “Autumn Joy” in my late August garden (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

Taking up the back of the border are the tall asters which can easily reach three feet tall. I have two New England asters that have staggered bloom times – one a deep purple that blooms in September and the other a softer purple-pink that blooms into October. Aster frikartii “Monch” is one of the earliest to bloom in a pleasing periwinkle blue that blends well with its neighbors. By adding different varieties of asters, you can extend the flowering season until frost. Taller asters look amazing planted behind sedum which incidentally helps to keep the long stems from falling over – no staking needed! Though they can be susceptible to downy mildew, I haven’t found that to be a problem, instead finding them quite vigorous and trouble-free. They can even take a bit of shade but will bloom more abundantly in the sunny border.

Close-up of Aster — Aster frikartii “Monch” (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

The classic Black-Eyed Susan known as “Goldsturm” rounds out my trio of autumn “power” perennials. Blooming starts here in July and continues through September if plants are deadheaded. The golden yellow blooms light up the garden like nothing else and last over such a long period of time that they bridge the summer garden into fall. They are stunning planted en masse and combine well with other late summer and fall bloomers. “Goldsturm” prefers full sun but will tolerate some shade.

rudbeckia, aster and sedum — Aster “Monch,” Rudbeckia “Goldsturm” and Sedum “Autumn Joy” (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

There are many varieties of these plants available, just find ones that will grow in your hardiness zone and light conditions since we all lose some garden sunlight in the fall. Remember also to group your autumn plants together for best effect and a dazzling grand finale!

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August 23, 2018August 24, 2018

Embracing Changes in Garden Light

Life-giving sunlight changes over time and affects how our gardens grow.

If there’s one thing we can count on in life, it’s change. We live in a constantly changing world of seasons – spring, summer, autumn, winter – and each season has its own light.

As September approaches, the available sunlight in my foundation garden dramatically diminishes. The once partially shaded garden on one side now enjoys nearly full shade, while the sunny side of the garden receives a fraction of the sunlight that radiated down in May, June and July. The vegetable garden, sited for maximum sun exposure, manages to keep producing vegetables into fall.

In the spring, there’s an abundance of light everywhere as the days grow longer. Early bulbs quickly bloom and then fade, making way for spring perennials such as hardy geranium, Lamb’s Ears, allium, Lady’s Mantle and peonies. Later, sun-loving daylilies, “Moonbeam” coreopsis, “Rozanne” geranium and coneflowers take over the show, happily blooming through the long days of summer.

Early Morning Sun in June (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen) — Early Morning Sunlight in June (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

Of all the gardening seasons, it’s the fall that gives us the most challenges in terms of light. When planting fall blooming perennials it’s important to make sure that any sun lovers go into your sunniest spots. Otherwise you’ll be left with plants that live but don’t thrive, and after doing all the hard work of planting, you want the most blooms for your efforts. On the other hand, if you’re planting spring or summer perennials in the fall, you’ll have a lot more leeway as to where to place them, knowing that the spring and summer months provide the most abundant sunlight over a wider area.

Trees also change the light that reaches our gardens. A partially sunny area five years ago becomes more shaded over time as the trees in our yards grow ever larger, blocking valuable sunlight. An addition to the house or a new outbuilding can also affect the light in nearby gardens. When the light changes around our gardens, we have to change our gardens to accommodate the new growing conditions; otherwise, we are left with gardens that survive but don’t thrive!

The small garden below is a work in progress as the plants are still filling in. Many years ago I had sun-loving roses planted here, but over time a large evergreen to the left has almost completely shaded the area. Now, with only morning sun, this space is perfect for the ferns, hostas, brunnera and ajuga that appreciate the shady site.

Shade Garden in August (Photo by Nancy Marie Allen)

Taking yearly photos of your garden is a great way to see how light changes over time. By planning ahead, and growing plants in places that have the best light conditions for them, we can make the difference between a garden that just hums along and one that sings out loud!

August 18, 2018

Welcomed Weeding

How much do I love weeding? Let me count the ways!

For starters, weeding is good exercise. When I’m out in the yard, bending, stooping and pulling at unbidden greenery, I end up getting a pretty good workout. And then there’s all that walking to and fro, covering each area of the yard as I move. The thick layer of mulch that’s applied in the spring keeps most weeds under control but there are always stragglers popping up, especially at the garden’s edge where there’s plenty of light for germination.

There’s a certain satisfaction in weeding, that job-well-done kind of feeling. While working I take heart in knowing that I’m rescuing my beloved perennials from a pack of bullies. As all gardeners come to know, weeds tend to be thugs. They have no respect for their neighbors, usurping valuable moisture and crowding everybody around them. If left to go to seed, they will return again and again, so it’s always best to pick them young if you can.

Another side benefit of weeding is that we get a close-up look at how our gardens are doing. Since you’re already near to the ground you can easily spot any insect or critter damage. You can see which plants are thriving and which may need to be replaced. It’s an opportunity to assess which plants needs dividing or where additional plants could be added to fill in gaps.

Weeding is also meditative work but I find this to be true of gardening in general. When I’m outside working in my garden, I lose myself completely in the act. I forget my troubles and focus only on the here and now, immersed in my precious chunk of real estate and constantly tweaking the garden design in my mind.

When we look upon weeding as a chance to be closer to the natural comings and goings around us, it becomes a gift rather than a chore, and who doesn’t love to feel rewarded with a well cared-for garden after a satisfying day’s work outdoors!

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August 15, 2018August 22, 2018

Putting Food By

It’s now mid-August, a time in the vegetable garden when everything is really BIG and I have to step carefully between towering tomato plants, giant zucchini and a teepee covered with dangling pole beans. Grandpa Ott morning glories climb every available structure with blooms of deep purple velvet. Yellow marigolds add a touch of sunshine while sprawling “Milk Maid” nasturtiums soften the garden edges. Every day there are more vegetables to pick, the bounty coming in faster and faster.

In a couple of weeks I’ll be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of fresh produce pouring into my kitchen, but right now I’m savoring every delicious bite! It’s a bittersweet time when all our gardening labors come to fruition just as autumn lies in wait to end it all too soon. However, in spite of our short growing season, we can carry some of our harvest into the coming months and enjoy our homegrown veggies and fruits all winter.

Garden produce can be pickled, frozen, dried or canned. There’s nothing like opening a jar of homegrown tomatoes in January and experiencing the flavor of summer all over again. Small cherry tomatoes dry well and the “chips” can be added to winter stews and soups. The drying process actually concentrates the sweet flavor! Fruits and berries can also be preserved this way, or how about homemade jam? Peas, corn and green beans can be easily blanched and frozen. Many vegetables such as carrots, beets, potatoes and winter squash can be simply stored in a consistently cold room. Not too long ago most homes had a “root cellar” just for this purpose.

Putting food by, or preserving it for the future, is something that we should teach every school age child. Once a part of everyday life, our ancestors had to insure there was food put away for the lean times or perish. Today we’ve become so dependent on our huge grocery stores that we’ve lost touch with how food should be grown, prepared and stored. If you already garden, food preservation is simply the next step. By taking the time to do so we extend our gardening season well into the winter months AND get to enjoy our own produce that was picked at the peak of perfection and taste!

Before you run down to the local hardware store and purchase a box of Ball canning jars, get a good handbook on the subject to make sure you’re preserving food safely and correctly. I’ve included a few links below to help get you started and encourage you to try the art of putting food by!

blur focus jam jars — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

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August 9, 2018January 16, 2020

Into The Blogosphere with Lyme

“Are you in the Blogosphere?” my husband calls from another room. As much as I would like to give a resounding “Yes!” to that question, it’s not always the case. More often than not, I’m lost on Twitter or Facebook or “just browsing” the internet, ever searching for inspiration. When I do blog, however, it’s a source of great enjoyment for me because it’s something I can do whenever I like from the comfort of my home. It’s also something I can do with Lyme disease.

Blogging takes a lot of time, research and work but it also requires the blogger to have one very important tool at his or her disposal – energy! – that precious spark of life that keeps us rolling through our days. For people with chronic Lyme disease, that spark can sometimes be hard to resurrect. It gets buried under the aches, pains and profound fatigue that are a constant when living with Lyme. There are days when I just have to rest and nothing else is going to happen, but even on those off days, I still find myself thinking about blogging and what I’ll be writing about next. Blogging inspires me to keep moving forward in spite of my problems.

Because blogging (and writing in general) can be picked up and put down at any time, it’s the perfect career for people like myself who can’t depend on feeling well every day and for whom the typical 9 to 5 situation is just not going to happen. It’s also a great pastime for retired folks who have so much life experience to share. It can be a form of mentoring where others can turn to our blogs for help with their own issues of daily living. We learn through the practice of blogging and by reading other people’s blogs – they’re a wonderful resource!

When I first thought about blogging earlier this year, I had no idea where to begin. I knew that I enjoyed writing and wanted a platform where my writing could be seen but making that happen was more than a little daunting for this old gal who was not particularly computer savvy. The good news is that by consulting other bloggers, I got all the information I needed to start. By chance I happened upon Amy Lynn Andrews, an amazing woman and veteran blogger, who shares all her hard-won information on her website. I was astounded by how easy her step-by-step tutorials were to follow and in a very short period of time I was up and running with my own blog. It was a confidence-building turning point for me!

Today, I regularly check out other bloggers and have found many writers with Lyme disease and other chronic illnesses. Like me, blogging has given them a new lease on life. It’s a place where we can share our stories, encourage each other and provide inspiration to keep going through whatever life throws at us. So here I go once again, into the Blogosphere!

person woman apple hotel — Photo by Stokpic on Pexels.com

To see the many blogging tips Amy Lynn Andrews has to offer click on this link: https://amylynnandrews.com/

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August 6, 2018January 16, 2020

Watering Wisely

There’s no denying that this has been one hot summer not only in the United States but in Europe as well. Record high temperatures, when the weather men put a “heat advisory” in effect, can be dangerous to our health. We are advised to seek shade, air-conditioned rooms and increase fluids. Even those of us in good shape are told to avoid vigorous outdoor exertion. Our pets also need extra attention during hot spells. We’ve all heard the horror stories of pets (and children!) being left in closed cars and dying from exposure. Since high temperatures can adversely affect us and our environment, they need to be taken seriously.

Severe heat, like intense cold, can drive us inside for the duration. But unlike cold snaps in the winter months, intense heat has a more devastating effect on our outdoor environment. Weeks of high temperatures combined with lack of rainfall, a typical summertime scenario for many of us, take their toll on our reservoirs. Small ponds quickly dry up, leaving fish stranded. As we drive through neighboring towns we see the familiar signs banning outdoor watering and sprinkler use. In particularly dry years, the leaves on the trees and shrubs actually droop, looking exhausted after their ordeal!

Our town has private well water and so we are immune to the signage warning us away from summer water use, but even though we can water, I prefer not to. For one thing watering during a heat wave is kind of like running through a sprinkler – the moisture only lasts for that very short period of time and the heat evaporates it almost immediately. It’s counterproductive since the much-needed moisture never really gets to where it’s needed most, the plant’s roots, and shallow watering leads to shallow roots which can compromise a plant’s health. Also, when all we do is wet the leaves and soil surface, we leave our plants open to disease-spreading fungi.

Many experts say that to maintain a healthy garden we should water deeply, about an inch of water, at least once a week. When you have a large garden and summer water restrictions in force, this can be impractical. Soaker hoses are a great alternative to sprinklers because the water goes directly to the plant roots but, again, watering restrictions and drought conditions may limit the time you can use them. Just as our climate is changing, so our watering practices must change. We have to learn to water wisely.

So, how do we care for our gardens in the hot and often dry conditions of high summer? Take a good look at your garden on a very hot day. You’ll notice some plants drooping under the intensity of the heat while others seem to just shrug it off. As time goes by, you’ll want to plant more of the “shruggers” or those plants which can take the heat and still thrive. Additionally, don’t bother planting a garden without mulching it since mulch is the best water saver of all. For more on the benefits of mulching, see my previous blog, An Ode to Mulch.

Because hot summers are spreading far and wide and water is now such a precious commodity, xeriscaping has become popular in recent years. According to Wikipedia, “Xeriscaping is landscaping and gardening that reduces or eliminates the need for supplemental water from irrigation.” In other words, plant your garden with heat and drought shruggers! I talk about some of these plants in my blog, Summer Power Perennials. Look for plants that will grow in your hardiness zone but I’ll also list a few that you may already be familiar with and may already have in your garden.

Herbs such as lavender, oregano, thyme, rosemary and sage tolerate tough conditions with ease. Prairie wildflowers such as coreopsis, rudbeckia and yarrow make excellent choices as do perennial grasses. Daylilies, once established, are remarkably drought tolerant. In the shade garden, hostas, ajuga, lamium and many ferns continue to look cool and serene even on the hottest and driest of summer days.

By gardening with heat and drought tolerant plants, we can create easy care gardens that will not only look fabulous all summer long but will help us conserve precious water as well.

purple bee insect violet — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

August 1, 2018January 26, 2020

The Vietnam Years Revisited

Recently my husband and I have been watching the 10-part series, The Vietnam War, written by Geoffrey C. Ward and directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. Although we’ve enjoyed it immensely from a historical point of view, this series is not for the faint of heart. There’s a lot of raw, powerful imagery as well as many interviews of people who fought on all sides of the war. In spite of the intensity of the material used in the making of the series, I still highly recommend it.

Watching The Vietnam War got me thinking about the 1960’s in general and how those years affected me as a young girl. If you ask a Baby Boomer to describe the 60’s, chances are they will talk about the amazing music, free love and drugs that permeated our culture during this time. We like to think about the 60’s with nostalgia, gingerly skipping over the bad parts, because the darkness of the Vietnam years is still too painful to remember.

When John F. Kennedy took office in January of 1961 I was 7 years old. It was a golden time in America then and the Kennedy years in the White House were often referred to as “Camelot.” We adored the dashing new President and his charming First Lady; we loved their children, Caroline and John-John. The horrors of World War II were far enough behind us and Vietnam was not yet a household word. The future of our country looked so bright with the Kennedy’s at the helm!

Sadly, “Camelot” did not last long. The Kennedy administration had many serious issues to deal with such as the Cold War, the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis. Former President, Dwight D. Eisenhower, believed the threat of Communism in Southeast Asia was a top priority, and Kennedy increased the number of American military advisers and special forces in South Vietnam.

On November 22, 1963, John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. I’ll never forget the look on my teacher’s face when she heard the news which came to our 5th grade classroom early that afternoon. We all sat there, incredulous and shocked! When Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as our 36th President later that day, we barely even noticed.

And now the 1960’s turned very dark indeed. Under the Johnson administration, the Vietnam war exploded, consuming us and becoming the beast we all hated and feared. There were nationwide protests, draft card burnings and anti-war songs on the radio. Every night we “watched” film clips of the war on TV and heard the dreaded body counts. And, somehow, when our brave boys started coming home, we began to hate and fear them, too! For many Americans, this was the cruelest aftermath of Vietnam.

When I look back at the 60’s now I see only loss – loss of our innocence, loss of our sons and brothers, loss of our great leaders. On April 4th, 1968, Martin Luther King, Jr., was shot while standing on a hotel balcony in Memphis. Although rushed to surgery, he died shortly thereafter. On June 5th, Bobby Kennedy was shot in Los Angeles after winning the California presidential primary; he died the following day. My own family had suffered the loss of our father to lung cancer in February of 1967 but it was hard to embrace our very personal grief while the whole country mourned their own terrible losses!

While Richard Nixon took office in January of 1969, it wasn’t until 1973 that the war in Vietnam finally ended, bringing to a close all that defined the preceding decade. And even though 45 years have passed, the darkness of the Vietnam years will always remain with those of us who lived through it.

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July 27, 2018January 21, 2020

Killing Ticks with Diatomaceous Earth

We have to face the fact that we cannot stop the deer, mice, chipmunks, squirrels, and raccoons from bringing disease-carrying ticks into our suburban yards. We can only work to kill the ticks that are already here and try to do so with safety in mind for all living things.

animals cute deer fawn — Photo by Artur Roman on Pexels.com

What is Diatomaceous Earth and how does it work:

According to the National Pesticide Information Center (NPIC) website, “diatomaceous earth is made from the fossilized remains of tiny, aquatic organisms called diatoms. Their skeletons are made of a natural substance called silica. Over a long period of time, diatoms accumulated in the sediment of rivers, streams, lakes, and oceans. Today, silica deposits are mined from these areas.”

“Diatomaceous earth is not poisonous; it does not have to be eaten in order to be effective. Diatomaceous earth causes insects to dry out and die by absorbing the oils and fats from the cuticle of the insect’s exoskeleton. Its sharp edges are abrasive, speeding up the process.”

How we started using Diatomaceous Earth:

About four years ago my husband sent out an email to friends asking if anyone had suggestions for getting rid of ticks in the yard. One person suggested trying diatomaceous earth (DE) since it had been used successfully in kennels and the “food grade” type was considered safe and non-toxic. This was good news for us since we drank water from a well and were against using chemicals. We immediately did an online search and purchased a 10 lb. bag of what looked like white talcum powder.

At that time we could not go out into our yard without finding deer ticks crawling on us. Both my husband and myself had been bitten many times and I had already been diagnosed with Lyme disease. Although we took every precaution such as wearing light-colored clothing, tucking our pants into socks, using Deet repellents and religiously checking our clothing and bodies after being outdoors, it still wasn’t enough – the ticks were winning every battle!

It was late spring, prime deer tick season in our area of northeastern Massachusetts. Before using the DE outside, my husband decided to try an experiment. Using the “white sheet test,” he dragged a sheet over the grass in our yard to see how many ticks would cling to it, thus getting a tick count. There were 22 ticks in a three hundred square foot area! In addition, he took some of those ticks and placed them into a small container with the diatomaceous earth overnight. In the morning they were lying on their backs with legs up, completely dried out and looking very dead. This was all the encouragement we needed to put the diatomaceous earth to the back yard test!

After checking online for a recipe of sorts, my husband mixed a ratio of about 1 1/2 cups of the DE to one gallon of water in a large watering can. This was then “sprinkled” over the areas in our yard where ticks congregated. It left a fine white powder on the grass, plants and rock walls that surrounded our lawn. After a rain, the powder disappeared but we hoped it would not lose its effectiveness. It turned out we were not to be disappointed. Two weeks later a second “white sheet test” in the same area came back with no ticks attached. Although we were still waging war, we had won our first battle!

The Continuing Saga:

Over the course of the last four years, we’ve applied diatomaceous earth to our yard twice a year, in the spring and fall. We’ve since upgraded to using a sprayer which makes the application faster and easier, but a watering can is fine for small areas. Each spring has brought fewer tick sightings until this spring when, amazingly, we found no ticks at all! Is it the DE or just environmental changes that are affecting the tick population? We can’t say for sure. All we know is that this is the first year in many that we haven’t had to deal with deer ticks and we are very pleased with the results!

What you need to know about using Diatomaceous Earth:

The DiatomaceousEarth.com website suggests purchasing food-grade DE. They state, “Generally, this is the best grade to use. For almost all the uses described in our articles, we recommend using food grade. It’s a multipurpose product that can be used in your home, yard or garden.” They also recommend wearing a dust mask when using the product to avoid inhaling the fine powder and wearing gloves to protect the skin from the drying effects of DE. Visit their website for more information.

You can purchase 2 lb. and 10 lb. bags of food grade Diatomaceous Earth here:

You can also purchase appropriate dust masks here:

July 21, 2018January 16, 2020

Summer “Power” Perennials

I’ve been gardening most of my adult life and have some favorite plant “vignettes.” One of my most beloved plantings for high summer includes perovskia (Russian sage), purple coneflower (Magnus) and white daisy (Becky). I call them “power” perennials for good reason. All three are easy to grow and take up a lot of space quickly, making them perfect for the beginner or someone starting a new perennial bed with a big area to fill. They are hardy, drought tolerant and pest resistant. In addition, each flower shape is different from the others – perovskia has long slender flower spikes, coneflowers have a shuttlecock shape and the daisies sport a round flat disc.

All of these plants enjoy full sun and average soil. On the tall side, they’re perfect for the back of the flower border, creating a living fence of sorts. They quickly become large clumps and bloom prodigiously for weeks. If you choose, you can extend the blooming season by dead-heading spent flowers, thus continuing the show well into fall. I give a brief description of each plant below:

PEROVSKIA ATRIPLICIFOLIA, commonly known as RUSSIAN SAGE:

Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. Low maintenance and drought tolerant member of the mint family. Deer, rabbits and insect pests tend to avoid this plant. Shrub-like in proportion, perovskia can easily reach 3 to 5 feet. The flowers are a lavender blue held on long panicles that look like exclamations points in the garden. Blooms July to October.

ECHINACEA PURPUREA, commonly known as PURPLE CONEFLOWER:

There are many purple coneflowers to choose from but I like the tall variety, “Magnus.” Hardiness Zones 3 to 8. Low maintenance and drought tolerant member of the aster family. Deer and pest tolerant. Can easily reach 3 to 4 feet tall. The flowers are a rosy purple-pink with striking center cones of golden orange-brown. Attracts butterflies and birds love the leftover seed heads. Blooms late June to October.

LEUCANTHEMUM SUPERBUM, commonly known as SHASTA DAISY:

Again, I like the tall variety, ‘Becky.’ Hardiness Zones 5 to 9. Low maintenance and drought tolerant. Formerly included in the genus chrysanthemum, now considered part of the aster family. Deer and rabbit tolerant. Can easily reach 3 to 4 feet fall. The typical daisy blooms have bright white petals with a yellow center. Attracts butterflies. Makes a long-lasting cut flower. Blooms July to September.

Once you have these plants in place as a foundation for your garden, you can easily add other low-maintenance and complementary summer perennials including black-eyed Susan and daylilies; then, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy your beautiful, easy-care garden. And, that’s what summer gardening should be all about!

July 19, 2018January 16, 2020

Healthy Aging

A doctor I know once said, “only floss the teeth you want to keep.” The older we get, the more important it is that we take good care of ourselves. In order to do this in a meaningful way, we have to put ourselves first. Sounds obvious, doesn’t it, but because so many of us fall into the pattern of putting ourselves last early on in life, it can be a difficult pattern to change.

Once we 18 to 20-somethings leave our parent’s home (where most of us got the best care of our lives!), we tend to begin the downward spiral of overworking, overdrinking, stressing, eating sporadically and depriving ourselves of much-needed sleep. Weekends are usually reserved for partying down and even more self-abuse!

In our 30’s and 40’s, during the childbearing and rearing years, our children come first. We make sure they get the best care we can provide while most of us continue speeding down the same fast lane we began in our 20’s.

Is it any wonder that by the time we reach our 50’s and 60’s, our unhealthy habits have taken a toll. This is the age when high cholesterol and high blood pressure make themselves known, and being overweight can trigger serious health problems as well including heart disease, diabetes and osteoarthritis.

For most Americans, reform only comes after that fateful doctor’s visit when we hear “you’ve got to make some lifestyle changes” which we all know is really code for “shape up or ship out!” But how do you change a lifetime of bad habits? Try incorporating these five simple steps into your life now to get back on the self-care track and start feeling healthy again:

(1) WALK Walking is undeniably the best exercise to do as we age. Why? It doesn’t cost anything, almost anyone can do it and you can easily fit walking into your schedule. Good walking shoes help but any comfortable pair of sneakers will do for starters. Walking outside is preferable because then you get the benefit of fresh air in your lungs, but mall or grocery store walking works just fine. If you’ve never exercised, are 65+ and/or have health concerns, check with your doctor first. You don’t have to push yourself here; the important thing is to walk regularly to achieve the many health benefits.

(2) EAT MEDITERRANEAN STYLE Not only is a Mediterranean diet healthy, it’s delicious! AND you can have a glass of red wine! There are many foods you can choose from here, just try incorporating more into your diet over time. Think of it as a healthier way to eat, pay attention to portion size and you may lose a few unwanted pounds.

(3) NIX SOFT DRINKS Get away from all the sugar and artificial sweeteners. Drink more water instead. You can add slices of lemon, lime or orange for a burst of flavor. In addition, try eating more water-laden fruit such as watermelon, honeydew or cantaloupe. Peaches and nectarines are also good choices. You should notice an immediate improvement in your skin and in elimination!

(4) PRACTICE MEDITATION OK, I know this is probably the last thing you want to do. But let me tell you how easy meditation really is. Find a comfortable and quiet place to sit, close your eyes and focus on your breathing. Your mind will ramble all over the place while you do this and you may feel like you’re getting nowhere, but just keep returning your focus to your breath and stick with it. Breathe in, breathe out, repeat. Use a kitchen timer and try it for 1 to 5 minutes to start, working up to 10 minutes a day. The more comfortable you become with meditating, the longer you can go with it. I’ve been meditating for years and it has helped me cope with anxiety, stress and even chronic pain.

(5) GET A GOOD NIGHT’S SLEEP I know this is easier said than done but a regular bedtime routine can help improve bad sleeping habits. Try flossing/brushing your teeth and washing up about a half hour before actually going to bed. Get into your PJ’s or at least put on something comfortable. Turn the house lights down and, if you’re watching TV, turn the sound down, too. This will help your body tune out and prepare for sleep.

What changes have you made to improve your health? I’d love to hear your story so please feel free to comment and share.