The Institute for Vibrant Living - You're source for a vibrant life

When fuel prices soar we have choices to make. We can take public transportation to work. We can downsize our vacation plans or cancel them altogether. When food prices rise, our choices are limited. Knowing how important a nutritious diet is to our overall health, we can’t cancel dinner or fail to prepare a healthy breakfast for our kids. After nearly two decades of relatively low food inflation, prices for staples such as bread, milk and eggs are rising sharply, surging in the past year at double-digit rates, according to the US Department of Labor. In the past year milk

Knee pain is the most common musculoskeletal ailment that afflicts Americans. Each year, hundreds of thousands of Americans go to their doctors because of knee discomfort. Pain can occur in the knee from diseases or conditions that involve the knee joint, the soft tissues and bones surrounding the knee, or the nerves that supply sensation to the knee area. In fact, the knee joint is the most commonly involved joint in rheumatic diseases. Many causes of knee pain, especially those related to overuse or physical activity, respond well to self-care: Rest and avoid activities that aggravate the pain, especially weight

What if there was one single activity that could reduce stress, increase your fitness level, encourage proper nutrition, increase your social skills and boost your self-esteem? There is such an activity and it is as near as your backyard. Gardening has been proven to provide a vast array of physical and mental benefits. And it’s fun! Many people find working out in a gym to be tedious, time-consuming and boring. Gardening, on the other hand, coaxes our winter-weary bodies out into the fresh air and sunshine where we are surrounded by the beauty and wonder that only Mother Nature can