Did you know April is National Stress Awareness month? Stress is something we all experience on a daily basis and it affects each one of us differently.  Simply put, stress is anything that causes strain on the body, regardless of its origin. How many times have you told a friend “I’m so stressed out” or “I’m under a lot of stress right now?” What would you most attribute this source of stress?

For most of us our lives are a non-stop dance from one task to another. Americans work more now than ever before. According to a study done by the International Labor Organization, 85.8% of males and 66.5% of females work more than 40 hours per week. When compared to other industrialized nations, Americans work 137 more hours per year than Japanese workers, 260 more hours per year than British workers, and 499 more hours per year than French workers. What does that mean? We are not taking enough vacation days.  

The best time to visit Central Market is between noon and 5pm if you want to take advantage of the tasty samples at the kiosk in the produce area.

The kiosk (in Produce) is staffed 9 am-5:30 pm daily (10 am start on Tuesdays), with sampling noon to 5 pm.

It is time for the Mill Creek Garden Club's annual basket sale. Each year the Mill Creek Garden Club offers lush baskets with free delivery to a Mill Creek residence or business.

Orders are due by April 25, 2013. Baskets will be delivered to Mill Creek addresses on Thursday May 9th, just in time for Mother's Day!

Got Ama (toxins)?, by Kate Towell.

You may be wondering what the heck is Ama? Well you know when you are feeling heavy, experience low energy, have mental fog, chronic headaches, poor digestion, uncontrolled cravings and your immune system seems to be on the fritz? If you experience one or many of these symptoms, then you’ve got Ama.

According to Ayurveda Ama is toxic sludge that accumulates in our digestive track. It consists of undigested food and emotions that accumulate when we are making poor food choices, stressed-out, quit exercising and forget to drink water. Ama also accumulates due to natural seasonal energies.  I know it sounds gross and it kinda is. Don’t worry you are not alone. We all experience varying levels of Ama, especially this time of year. Over the Winter the heavy Kapha (earth and water) energy builds in our system and can create Ama. The good news is as Spring approaches the energy is perfect to cleanse Ama out of our bodies.