WHILE Kobe Bryant and the rest of the Los Angeles Lakers enjoy the spoils of their victory, not everyone in the National Basketball Association is having their vacation.

This time of the year is very busy, especially for assistant coaches, retired stars, and the regional office executives.

Last month, I was fortunate to have been invited to watch and cover the NBA Basketball without Borders program in Singapore.

This is an outreach endeavor that uses basketball to influence positive social change and they showcase past and present NBA players, with this year’s edition having Atlanta’s Al Horford, Houston’s Trevor Ariza, Minnesota’s Corey Brewer, Sacramento’s Francisco Garcia, and Chicago’s Taj Gibson, and former hoopster’s Bob McAdoo and Joe Wolf.

The program incorporates basketball instruction and educational programs that create a forum for important social issues like HIV/AIDS prevention, while emphasizing the importance of education, health, and wellness.

It has been staged in 10 countries and territories on five continents since its start in 2001. They have traveled to Johannesburg, South Africa; Rio de Janeiro and San Paulo, Brazil; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Beijing and Shanghai, China; Vilnius, Lithuania; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Paris, France; Istanbul, Turkey; Mexico City, Mexico; and New Delhi, India.

This year, they brought together 44 of the top players, aged 19 years and below, in the FIBA Asia zone, Australia, and New Zealand.

It was a four-day event that included daily clinics and full-court games, coupled with visits to an orphanage and teaching the less privileged.

* * *

This week, Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra will visit Manila and stay until next Friday, as part of the NBA FIT program.

Started in 2007, NBA FIT is the league’s comprehensive health and wellness platform promoting healthy, active lifestyles for children and adults. It promotes physical activity, nutrition and healthy choices through partnerships, events, and products that motivate and inspire a balanced, healthy lifestyle at school, work and home.

Together with local health, fitness and wellness experts, as well as experts from the NBA such as Spoelstra, it aims to educate individuals and families on the physical, mental and emotional benefits of healthy living; and motivate and inspire kids and adults to live healthier lives through events like the Clinic, Development Camp, and Fun Run.

* * *

Finally, next month, the NBA will stage another Asia Challenge, with former cage greats Gary Payton, Glen Rice, Chris Webber, and Mitch Ritchmond suiting up with D-League players versus past and present Philippine Basketball Association superstars. Last year’s edition had Vlade Divac, Robert Horry, Tim Hardaway and Dominique Wilkins and the Filipino fans were thrilled to no end, so this year’s game should be even better since the format will have the teams split evenly. Last year, the NBA group were pit against the PBA squad.

So, we will still get our NBA fix even during the off-season!

* * *

Listen to Real Sports later today on Wave 891 at 2:15pm! We will air our interview with Dean Cooper, an assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves, who is the camp director of the NBA-BWB. It is a very interesting chat as he discusses the camp, and the difficult life of an NBA coach. Have a great weekend! God Bless! Email me at realsports891@yahoo.com

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Dr. Sodusta has been teaching people how to prevent illness and be disease free for over three decades after surviving thyroid cancer using natural remedy.  According to Sodusta, “Enhance your health, extend your life and in the process free yourself from debilitating effects of illness”.  The seminar will cover areas on how herbs, fruits, vegetables and their proper combination can “reverse the destruction caused by years of dietary abuse, medication overdose and exposure to pollutants and toxins.” Using natural remedies she says may even help one balance the family’s food and medical budget.

THIS IS NOT A MULTI-LEVEL MARKETING SEMINAR NOR IS SODUSTA SELLING MEDICINES.

Some of the topics that will be included:

• Breakthrough in alternative medicine in stopping heart attack in 30 seconds.
• Two fastest ways to remove dengue fever within 48 hours.
• Practical and zero budget techniques to manage stress.
• A miracle plant that proved to be 10,000 times stronger than Adriamycin, a chemotherapeutic drug in killing cancer cells.
• Family Health Education so parents can teach children about nutrition and the importance of maintaining acid/alkaline balance and bowel management.
• And more…

The Natural Remedy Seminar is priced at Php 500.oo with early bird discount at 450 if you register on or before August 22, 2010 Registration and reservation may be done online at http://www.lovingabundance.com or contact Michelle or Wilma at  2543780 – 2540761.  Choose the day August 28 or 29 and register today or reserve a slot.

Sodusta holds a Ph.D. in anthropology from UCLA, MA in anthropology and a BSE Biology from the University of San Carlos and was associate professor at the University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City.  She was a research coordinator for  a regional program based in Singapore and as a senior program director in Hongkong.

Her books include “Natural Remedy”, Graham Brash Singapore 1986, Scotland 1991 and may be purchased online at http://www.lovingabundance.com and  “Health Comes First”, Quezon City 2010, which could be purchased during the seminar.

In the Philippines, the DepEd’s Essential Health Care Program (EHCP) has been recognized internationally as one of the best practices in primary health care among children (www.deped.gov.ph). It is time we complete the picture and include the very people nurturing our children in school—the teachers.

We do know that teachers are one of the school’s valuable assets but too often they easily fall prey to stress. Handling students day in and day out may sometimes take its toll thereby affecting their health and well-being and consequently their performance and productivity.

It is a workshop that will assist them in the following areas: Increase their mental and physical health; increase their productivity and reduce absenteeism; increase job satisfaction and loyalty as well as strengthen the organization’s values and culture.

EMPOWERING:  create positive changes

HEALING:  find balance within

NOURISHING:  feel the joy of nurturing oneself as we nurture others

The Wellness Training Program includes:

• Relaxation Techniques:  Learning how to connect with one’s breath from the quietness that lies within to become refreshed and re-energized.
• Throat & Voice Care: Unlocking the secrets of using the voice more effectively.
• Finding Ease with Your Eyes: Exploring ways to relieve tired eyes and improve eyesight.
• Soothing Self-Massage: Using the sense of touch to release tension and relax the muscles.
• Sound Healing:  Experiencing the magic of sound and music to calm oneself.
• Laughter Yoga:  Calling out our happy cells to bring about positive energies.
• Motivational and Inspirational Talks

Health impacts every aspect of life. Wellness programs are now gaining popularity in the workplace. Let us join the wellness campaign as we empower our teachers to create positive changes, find balance within and feel the joy of nurturing themselves so they in turn can also nurture happy and healthy students.

Get a professional edge by cultivating teachers who are well in mind, body and spirit.

Because happy teachers make excellent life coaches.

Contact us to schedule your Teachers’ Wellness Training today.

To obtain the benefits of Yoga, practitioners must practice the combination of Pranayama (breath control), Asanas (physical activity), and meditation.

Tests proved that Yoga increases the right functioning of the body and is synchronizing with mind. The balance is created in endocrine and nervous system and directly influences all the systems of the body.

Spiritual Benefits

Practicing Yoga can helps mind discipline attaining peace mentally, it improves concentration powers that give us enlightened living state, plus you become emotionally and mentally centered. Yoga makes a purified heart and away from vices like envy, hate, greed, attachment, and other bad feelings. It actually changed my perspective in life and helped me understand my being me and how my life works. In fact, yoga practitioners started to look at things differently and made the world as part of their family.

Yoga also helped in the development of social and personal values; the feeling of well-being is so real that a person becomes kinder, compassionate, and more ethical. Yoga practitioner sees connections between him and the environment and recognizes that the lives of all the people are conjoined.

According to studies, most illnesses are due to intoxication. Yoga actually helped a lot of people to cultivate positive attitude to correct life style and has developed feelings such as harmony, brotherhood and equality. This attitude helped to liberate yoga practitioners from all physiological and psychosomatic diseases.

Physical Benefit

In any physical level, yoga in fact is very effective for cases of disorders. Yoga exercises helps practitioners to treat illnesses like blood pressure, diabetes, arthritis, digestive disorders, fatigue, bad posture, heart conditions and asthma. It revitalizes the heart, brain, muscles, nerves and increases vitality.

Yoga is the best way to tone muscles and make you stronger. Practicing of yoga gives a healthy habit to improve respiration and prevents muscle pain. It also maintains metabolism and promotes flexibility, discipline, awareness and ease of movement.

In short, Yoga makes you feel better.

If you would like to pick up yoga, you would need a good yoga mat. You can find the best yoga mat deals at http://www.bestyogamatsale.com.

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Does your corporation have an onsite fitness club that employees have access to? If not, offering free or discounted fitness club memberships to a local fitness club may be an effective method for getting employees to exercise. Whether the fitness club is on or off-site however, authorizing employees to use the facility during work hours, such as on their lunch break, will increase the likelihood that they’ll exercise.

Rewarding employees’ achievements is another way to keep them excited and living a healthful lifestyle. Establishing corporation objectives like collectively walking a certain number of miles, supports team building. Offering incentives like gift cards, certificates of achievement, and even a day off work could be effective ways to keep participation levels up.

Since there will likely be less sick days being used due to disease, your corporation could be able to afford to offer a day off pass as an incentive. These incentives do not have to be expensive, just valuable to the worker.

Providing a healthy lunch once a week for employees participating in the corporate health plan, is a great way to promote healthy consuming. Offering an incentive of healthy, scrumptious, free food is one way to reward employees for their efforts while supporting their new healthy lifestyle.

Having a Employee Wellness program in place will provide long term benefits to both the corporation and the workers. This is one corporate plan that is certainly worth your time and money!

Advantages of Employee Wellness Programs

Employee Wellness programs have been shown to reduce absenteeism, staff member turnover rates, and healthcare costs. It’s a key piece of a organization’s success. the results of these programs lead to higher productivity, which in the end leads to a more profitable company.

In order for these programs to run properly and produce results they must’ve a clear operating plan with an attainable and measurable goal. the programs must also encourage all staff members to lead a healthful lifestyle while at work and at home.

Employee Wellness programs have been introduced to businesses all over the United States to make workers healthier and in turn happier. Companies which implement these programs do so to varying degrees. Some simply offer literature about how to live a healthy lifestyle and reduce stress while at work.

Some corporations offer health screenings and health risk assessments for free during the year to help employees understand what’s going on with their health and what they are able to do to improve it.

At the top of the list, there are the companies which offer free, on-site health clubs and aerobics programs to be used at lunchtime breaks or after work. No matter what is offered it would be a waste not to take advantage of these Employee Wellness programs.

It requires cautious planning and thought to begin Employee Wellness programs. Once a program is put into place it is very important to reassess and analyze it several times in order to reach the primary goal – healthier workers.

All the programs that are put in place ought to be assessed after a determined time frame to help the business understand what needs to be changed or kept in place to maintain Employee Wellness.

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For the past five years, Northwestern employees have participated in a health risk assessment as part of the employee health and wellness programming. The assessment occurs at the beginning of each calendar year and is recommended for all employees on Northwestern’s health insurance plan.

Once the assessment is complete, employees are encouraged to participate in at least one of the online or phone coaching health programs offered by HealthPartners — Northwestern’s insurance provider. This qualifies employees to receive a discount of roughly $300 on their premiums for the next year.

The ultimate purpose of this assessment is to reduce health risks through identification and health and behavioral education. “Health and wellness education can hopefully help employees obtain a better quality of life,” said Hogenson. Northwestern is committed to continuing on the path of improving health risks.

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In August of 2007, Northwestern received an Active Workplaces grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. The Active Workplaces grant provides funding for small and mid-size employers to create programs or company policies to help increase employee physical activity during the work day. Other employers that also received this grant ranged from the City of Apple Valley to the Girl Scout Council of Greater Minneapolis.

• The grant has four requirements that must be met in order to receive the funding:

• Involved assessment of the current environment;

• Development of a strategic plan for increasing physical activity;

• Implementation; and

• Development of a sustainability plan.

Currently, Northwestern is in the middle of step three, implementation. Since last year, the Mind, Body and Spirit Committee
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has been leading the development and implementation of health and wellness initiatives. Many initiatives were funded by the Blue Cross grant including:

•Workplace fitness kits for all employees;

• Fitness classes including Nia, Qigong, yoga and kickboxing;

• 10,000 steps program;

• The Back in Shape employee program;

• A variety of hands-on workplace fitness demonstrations; and

• Lawn game equipment (croquet, bocce ball) for employees to use at work.

The health assessment results for 2010 show an overall improvement in employee health risks. This year, 202 Northwestern employees were invited to take the assessment and 77.7 percent of those employees completed it. Some key findings:

• A 1.5 percent decrease in number of sedentary participants;

• A 1.27 percent decrease in overweight or obese participants from the previous year; and

• An area to improve for next year – 4.4 percent increase in participants that reported diabetes or heart disease.

Other findings include:

• Decrease in tobacco use;

• Decrease in unhealthy food choices;

• Decrease in unhealthy stress;

• Decrease in high risk alcohol use;

• Increase in physical activity; and

• Increase in frequent back pain.

“By assessing our health risks, we won’t have to battle as many health concerns in the future,” said Hogenson.

The final phase of the Blue Cross grant is developing and implementing a sustainability plan. Currently, the wellness committee is working on a physical activity policy that will ask the university to support healthy activities and events. The committee hopes to receive support in encouraging work schedules that allow for physical activity.

“A higher level of wellness leads to a higher level of job satisfaction,” says Hogenson.

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The Master Cleanse can help you lose up to 20 pounds, look younger, ease chronic pain, cleanse your body of internal waste, and boost your energy levels in 10 days but…

Most People Don’t Last 1 Day On The Master Cleanse

You know the saying – “if it was easy everyone would be doing it”. Well dear reader that saying holds true with the Master Cleanse as well. Now don’t up and leave this site just yet because I’m going to be showing you how to make the Master Cleanse much more “doable”.

I’ve shared these tips with people who could never come close to finishing the Master Cleanse, and they went on to breeze right through the entire 10 days.

Read more about The Master Cleanse E-book

0 Days To A Whole New You

As soon as you start the Master Cleanse your body will begin a process of rapid detoxing and rejuvenation. The changes you’ll experience happen fast–so fast you’re bound to get the WOW! response from the people you know.

Don’t be surprised if a few people pull you aside and secretly ask if you’ve had some “work done”.

Like I said the changes happen FAST.

Here’s what you can expect:

• You’ll normalize your appetite and metabolism so your body can comfortably adjust to it’s ideal weight for your size naturally
• Your suppressed hormone levels will be restored so every cell in your body will be charged with youth giving and feel good hormones
• There will be a natural shift away from unhealthy habits–without will power
• You’ll cleanse and detox your entire body–the pounds of waste built up over the years will be released in just 10 days
• Reduced internal inflammation, which will ease aching joints
• Your energy levels will sore
• And much more…

I want to know more about The Master Cleanse Secrets

Loving Abundance & Wellness

A Heart to Heart
Soul to Soul experience

Releasing
Forgiving
Loving and just being loved

Abundantly & Unconditionally
by a Good and Wonderful God.

A beautiful and deep spiritual experience
of healing the body and spirit as well.

My deep gratitude to the wonderful facilitators Daisy and Michelle …

BY:  Mena Asuncion A. Boltron

Principal, St. Benedict Childhood Education Center

Cebu Philippines

These words written by Tita Mena, the principal of St. Benedict Childhood Education Center, touched us deeply.   The Wellness Workshop/Training was held at their school last June 3, 2010.  We came in and transformed one of their biggest classrooms and created the ambiance fitted for our workshop.

A lot of wonderful things took place that day.  Realizations took place in the mind and heart, gratitude  expressed and shared, meaningful discussions ensued, healing and reconnecting with the self and God.

IN A NUTSHELL: (WHAT SOME OF THE ST. BENEDICT TEACHERS HAD TO SAY)

Liza:  ” … it made me laugh!”

Tessa:  ” got sick the following day … I think all the toxins came out, hehe”

Mila:  “I was impressed!”

Linda:   “Exhausted, but in a good way.”

Joy:   “Tired … in a positive way …”

Jonnah:   “Exhilarated!!!”

Malou:  ” Full of practical advice … with a touch of the divine!”

It was a joy to conduct the Wellness Workshop for these wonderful teachers at Saint Benedict Childhood Education Center.  We wish you all the best as you continue to touch the lives of your students.

PHOTOS:  A SNEAK PEEK

Listening intently to the motivational talks

Learning to be quiet and still

Going beyond the self to care for another

The Circle of Gratitude

Loving the eyes

Eye exercises to improve eye function

The Saint Benedit Teachers together with the facilitators Ms. Daisy Ba-ad and Ms. Michelle Simtoco

Our deepest gratitude goes to the following sponsors whose generosity allowed us to launch the Wellness Workshop for Educators in order to jump start the promotion of wellness to our community: A-Plus Towing Services, Innoland Development Corporation, Surigao Simber Trading, Dynamic Minds Learning House, Dr. Diana Hatague Dental Clinic, We Love Organics, SIBS Publishing House, Brightwoods School, C&E Publishing House.

The following schools responded enthusiastically by sending out a representative(s) to attend the said event: Sacred Heart- Hijas De Jesus, Dynamic Minds Learning House Inc., Saint Anne Learning Center, Gawad Kalinga-SIBOL Eversley, Santa Isabel Child Development Center Inc., Saint Teresa’s College, Cebu City Seventh Day Adventist Elementary School, Visayan Nazarene Bible College and a preschool coordinator who came all the way from Brightwoods School (Angeles, Pampanga).

Here are some of the photos of the activities from the Wellness Workshop for Educators.

“I experienced God’s loving abundance through the Wellness Workshop, recognizing the vital role I have as an educator in the Gawad Kalinga Sibol School.”—Teacher Lilibeth Basilad

“This seminar has helped me bring positive things in life and appreciate the life God has given me and the life of my baby in my womb.” – Teacher Rosana Rojo

“…a truly wonderful, liberating and affirming experience!” – Theresa Pescadero, Guidance Counselor

“As a cancer survivor, I was very grateful to attend the Wellness Workshop.  The activities helped me release my worries and stress in life.” – Teacher Edelita Mantos

“I have learned to value myself more.”—Teacher Dyan Pimentel

“Workshops for teachers are mostly aimed to make us better teachers focused on how to go about our work.  The Wellness Workshop was focused on how to do better by giving attention to ourselves; thus will result to being excellent teachers as well.” – Teacher Lecy Dizon, Preschool Coordinator

“I felt a renewed sense of freedom, peace with myself and the sense of having so much love to give to others.” – Teacher Stella Cabilao, Director of Academics

The teachers left the retreat house with their wellness kit and more importantly, with a renewed sense of energy!  Their faces glowed because they were rejuvenated, refreshed, inspired and uplifted.  They were more than ready to face the new school year with zest and the knowing that their presence is vital in a life of a student.  It was a beautiful experience.

Having designed and conducted behavioral workshops for corporate groups for years, Ba-ad thought it was time to create a module focusing on the well being of teachers that could keep the body, mind, heart, spirit and even finances  of these educators healthy and fit especially with elections on the way and the preparations for the next school following suit. Sessions include Relaxation Techniques, Sound Healing, Soothing Self-Massage, Eye Exercises, Throat & Voice Care, Laughter Yoga and Mindful Eating interspersed with motivational talks on Self Acceptance, Overcoming Self Limiting Beliefs and Functioning with an Abundant Mindset.

Studies conducted abroad have shown that wellness programs for team members have benefited all parties concerned as it helped increase the mental and physical health of members; increase productivity by reducing absenteeism; increase job satisfaction and loyalty as well as strengthen the organization’s values and culture.

Ba-ad reveals that promoting wellness began as a personal mission that she carried out with dentist-turned-educator, Michelle Simtoco, who co-authors the site www.lovingabundance.com where principles used in the wellness training are discussed.  Blessed with the gift of healing, Simtoco adds, “Wellness is the awareness behind the choices we make and then consciously moving toward making more positive choices to live a more balanced healthy lifestyle.”  Both Ba-ad and Simtoco studied Quantum Healing and are practitioners of Emotional Freedom Technique or EFT, a process gaining mainstream acceptance abroad.

Booking the Teacher’s Wellness Training is open for groups of 10-20 on a first come first serve basis and can be done by contacting Wilma at 2543780 / 2540761 or emailing info@lovingabundance.com