Greetings, and for anyone new to our publication, welcome to the September edition of
Your Healthy Life—our first anniversary issue! September is a strong month for health observances—far more than we can expand on here. Many may be of special interest to our readers.

Let me start with one of special significance to me having a 7-month old—Baby Safety Awareness Month. These reminders will serve us all well. You can find a comprehensive range of safety tips to better protect your precious cargo at: www.health.state.ok.us/program/shcc/prov/september.2003.pdf. You can also contact the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association for Safe and Sound for Baby, a free 16-page safety brochure. Visit www.jpma.org.

September 8 is International Literacy Day, a day that individuals, organizations and countries throughout the world renew their efforts to promote literacy and demonstrate their commitment to providing education for all. The International Reading Association estimates that 860 million of the world's adults do not know how to read or write (nearly two-thirds of this number are women), and that more than 100 million children lack access to education. What can you do to help? For more information on this important day, visit www.reading.org/meetings/ild/fact_sheet.html.

On a nutritional note, National 5-A-Day Week is September 7-13, inspiring you anew to enjoy the season's fresh produce and boost your wellness in the bargain. For more information, visit www.5aday.gov. For creative hints on how to better incorporate your 5-9 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables into your daily diet, browse our Easy and Delicious Ways to Get Your "5-9 a-Day" at www.aboutnhs.com/tips.htm. Also, scan the "Tips on Getting Your 5-9 a Day" under Health Tips and Updates, compliments of the National Cancer Institute.

September 15-21 is National Prostate Cancer Awareness Week, which provides a chance to build our awareness for preventing this serious health issue. Visit the National Prostate Cancer Coalition at www.pcacoalition.org, and on behalf of yourself, or your husbands, fathers and brothers, take the time to read our article "5 Keys to a Healthy Prostate" found at www.aboutnhs.com/article_5prostate.htm.

Other health observances include:

• Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month, thanks to the Gynecologic Cancer Foundation: www.wcn.org
• National Cholesterol Education Month, from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute: www.nhlbi.nih.gov
• Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, brought ot us by the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition: www.ovarian.org
• The American Lung Association's Cold and Flu Campaign: www.wcn.org.

We close out this month with a poignantly important observance we should all take time to consider, International Day of Peace on September 21. This day is celebrated each year on the opening of the regular session of the Unitied Nations' General Assembly. For more information, visit www.peaceday.org/unpcday.htm.

On that note, I would like to wish you all a healthy and peaceful September. Don't forget to hug those you love today, more than once!

Cheers and wellness,

For September event information, call Kiki Powers at 408.364.9742 or e-mail kiki@aboutnhs.com.

Tips on Getting Your 5-9 a Day, compliments of the National Cancer Institute

• Have fresh fruit or juice at breakfast daily.
• Have a fruit or vegetable snack each day.
• Make fruit and vegetables visible in your home.
• Stock up on dried, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables.
• Grab an apple, orange, banana, pear, or other piece of portable fruit to eat on the go.
• Snack on raw veggies, like baby carrots, pepper strips, broccoli, and celery.
• Pick up ready-made salads from the produce shelf for a quick salad anytime.
• Pile spinach leaves, tomatoes, peppers, and onions on your pizza.
• Add strawberries, blueberries, bananas and other brightly colored fresh, frozen, or canned fruits to your waffles, pancakes, or toast.
• Stash bags of dried fruit in your car and at your desk for a convenient snack.
• Stir fresh or frozen vegetables into your pasta, noodles, or omelet
• Whip up smoothies made from fresh or frozen berries, ice, and yogurt.
• Jazz up your soups or sauces with a can of kidney beans, peas, corn, or green beans.

~ John F. Kennedy ~

“Our task must be to free ourselves…
by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures,
and the whole of nature and it's beauty.”

~ Albert Einstein ~