How About a “Natural High” Instead Of Those Mood Altering Drugs?

A few years ago I retired from a very active management position and suddenly found myself spending most of my time at home. I sat at the computer, read my email, played ten different kinds of solitaire, read food recipes which made me hungry and I ate a lot. I read, I watched TV and did all the crossword puzzles I could get my hands on. Not only was I bored; I had become boring. I was terribly depressed and was given Paxil, a mood altering drug. I hated the way it made me feel so I stopped taking it.

A lifesaving friend called one day and said “Let’s visit the senior community center and see what classes they offer.” My response was, “Hang out with old people, are you nuts?” You have to realize what a ridiculous response this was since I was in my 70’s. I did remember receiving some mail recently from my HMO. They had a program called “Fit for Life” that would pay for any kind of exercise class so I gave in and visited the center.

It turned out that most of the seniors were younger than I. The age was 50+ and everyone seemed lively, friendly and in great shape. They had low impact aerobic classes at low-cost; it included light weight training and a cool down with lots of stretching. I must admit I had a wonderful time. They talked me into joining the line dance class too. I had forgotten how much I loved to dance; there’s something about moving to music that makes you feel so good. The best part is you don’t need a partner!

Here comes the moral to this story. I had a doctor’s appointment about 6 weeks later. I stepped on the scale and had lost quite a few pounds. He took my blood pressure which was now normal. My cholesterol dropped below 200, triglycerides dropped 70 points and best of all he noticed the difference in my demeanor. He sat back in his chair, looked at me with a big smile and said, “What’s going on?” My chart now says ‘exercising 3 times a week’.

It’s three years later, I’m 75 years old, still taking exercise classes twice a week and teaching line dancing to all age groups (not just seniors) three times a week. I get so motivated because there’s so much energy out there. I need the group setting; I know I would never exercise on my own

My doctor laughs when I tell him I want to form a task force to pull people out of their beds and bring them to these centers. So please, don’t give up. Do it for your depression, your boredom, your anxiety and your whole sense of being. It’s invigorating!

Green light for Environmental Stewardship

Nature is our biggest asset and a gift of God to us. But unfortunately we are slowly losing it due to our ignorance. We do not give much thought when we through litter pollute our air or make too much noise. All these and other factors are the main reasons which are damaging the nature. And the sad part is that none of us is taking responsibility of this act. There are only a few organizations who are working towards preserving the nature. Most of the organizations that are working towards preserving the nature are doing so privately. But there are few like Natural England who is backed up by Government as well. This shows that the organization is really committed towards achieving its goals.

Environmentalists are becoming more and more concerned about the decrease in the greenery around the world. We all know that we need greenery as much as we need water. Recently, governments from around the world have also started taking steps to protect the environment. The England Government recently announced Environmental Stewardship scheme. The scheme has been accepting applications from 1 January 2007.

This scheme is open to every farmer and land manager. Almost 3.5 millions have been brought in by 25,000 Entry Level Stewards (ELS) under environment management. There is also another targeted scheme under the name of Higher Level Scheme (HLS). This scheme only supports the highest quality applicants. Recent years have seen Natural England accept almost 1,000 HLS which covers 65,000 hectares. All ELS and HLS applications need to be approved from the new Rural Development Programme.

Natural England is actually an organization that works for conservation of people, natural beauty, wildlife and biodiversity. The organization is working towards managing the nature in such a way that it is preserved for our present as well as future generations. Natural England has divided its goals into four strategies, these are stated as below:
Conserve and enhance the natural environment of England
Make the natural environment such that people enjoy it more.
Manage and use the natural environment.
Make such decisions that they secure the future of the natural environment.

Environmental organization plans and manages its practices in such a way that they will benefit the natural wildlife. Due to all the contributions Natural England have made to the conservation of nature it is now considered as the statutory adviser of the Government. It responsibilities include natural parks, Heritage Coasts and Areas of Natural Beauty. Natural England is not only responsible for conserving the landscapes and wildlife but also the marine and coastal life. It is running many natural programs that focus on different parts of nature.

It is up to us as well to ensure that these and other such organizations keep working. We can also contribute towards their cause by helping them. You do not need to do much even planting a small tree is more then enough. It is also our moral duty to ensure that our future generations are able to enjoy the nature as we are able to do today.