A fragrant flower in the garden. The smell of salt at the beach. The unmistakable odor of corn dogs and cotton candy at a county fair. The world is full of smells. While we take in the bulk of our sensory information through our eyes, smell remains one of our most powerful senses. A particular smell can brighten our mood, dredge up old memories or even raise old fears we thought we’d gotten over.

Because smell affects us in such a primordial way, it can also be used to promote the health of the mind, the body and the spirit. That’s where aromatherapy comes in. It’s both an art and a science that utilizes naturally extracted aromatic essences (usually, but not always from plants) to enhance an individual’s innate healing process. Common aromatic essences include: lavender, peppermint and rosemary and many more.

Aromatherapy doesn’t heal the body directly. Instead it boosts the body’s natural defenses and regenerative abilities. It helps the body help itself by:

• Kicking the immune system up a notch
• Getting rid of toxins more quickly
• Enhancing new cell growth
• Increasing digestion and circulation

You can take in the aromatic essences in one of two ways: through inhalation or through the skin. In other words, breathe it in or rub it in. In either case, it’s absorbed into the body and makes its way into the circulatory system where its benefits are distributed to the rest of the body.

Whatever your ailment or mood, with a little research you can find just the right essence to help. So if you’re looking for something a little different, give aromatherapy a try. Good health never smelled so good.

It’s summertime and, as much as you might want to ignore it, there’s one simple fact of life right now: school’s out soon and the kids are home. The question now is what you’re going to do with them. Here are a few suggestions:

Your town has cheap or free attractions. Use them. Smaller less popular museums may seem like old hat to you, but the first time may be the charm for your kids. Less busy sites may offer them more personal attention or the opportunity to take their time and learn more. If the entrance fee is a struggle for you, check out the free passes at your local library.

Encourage your children to put away their cell phones and play traditional card or board games. There is a higher level of interaction with these types of games, and remember these days they’re not old-fashioned, they’re called retro.

There’s always camping. Now you may be thinking about summer camp, and that’s always an option, but you don’t have to spend money to pack them off. Take them camping - even if it's just in the backyard.

Let them express their inner artist. Everybody had a creative streak somewhere in them, and summer is a great time to let it out. Whether it’s painting, writing, music or something even more avant garde, give your kids the chance to see what they can do.

These activities are more than just something for your kids to do. They’re chances for them to grow. School may be out, but the opportunities for learning never stop.

One aspect of many health care plans that doesn’t get a lot of attention is health savings accounts, commonly known as HSAs. If your coverage has a high-deductible attached to it, an HSA may be just the thing to save your wallet from an unexpected (and unexpectedly expensive) medical bill.

An HSA is basically a savings account, but unlike ordinary savings accounts that you might open at a bank, the funds you place into an HSA are tax free. Like a savings account, you can contribute to them throughout the year. The only real catch is that you can’t use them to pay for that Florida vacation you’ve been dreaming about or a new car. Instead you must use them to pay for unreimbursed qualified medical expenses you incur. The list of what counts as a qualified expense is pretty broad, although as of 2011 you can no longer use them to pay for over-the-counter medications.

That’s not to say the funds are locked up. You can still access them if you choose to. If the funds are not used for qualified medical expenses, distributions are treated much like early distributions from an IRA for tax purposes, meaning you may have to pay a tax penalty when you withdraw the funds. And, like an IRA, you can keep your HSA account until you retire.

If an HSA sounds like it might be right for you, contact your employer and see if they offer the option. If you participate in an HDHP or high-deductible plan, you can also open an HSA on your own by going to your bank or financial institution.

Good luck and good health.

Have you ever been walking out on the foot trail and been passed by one of those sleek joggers in their fancy running suits? It can make you feel a little intimidated. They seem to be the ones getting all the great exercise. It isn’t too long before you’re counting calories and wondering how much more they’re burning than you.

It may surprise you to learn that it’s not that many. True, running burns more calories faster, but a 50-minute walk will get you the same calorie burn as a 20-minute run.

There are also some other benefits to walking:

Not everyone can run.Walking provides many of the same benefits as other forms of exercise without requiring the same level of physical exertion.

Walking is easier on your joints.Running may burn calories faster, but it also stresses your knees, ankles and hips. It’s the reason why walking is the first choice for older exercisers.

Walking is cheaper.To enjoy the benefits of walking you don’t need to spend a bundle on fancy exercise equipment. All you need to walk is a good pair of shoes, some comfortable clothes and the willingness to get started.

If all these other benefits weren’t enough, walking is a great way to start an exercise regimen. One of the mistakes many people make is that they try too much too soon, and then give up when the inevitable injuries hit. Walking is great to tone your body up so you’ll be ready to take on increasingly greater challenges.

New baby? Happy Mother’s Day! Spending quality time with your new baby is one of the best things you can do for both yourself and the baby. In fact, it’s one of the most important things you can do. New research is showing that a strong mother-baby bond may help ward off disease, strengthen immunities and increase a child's IQ.

The creation of a bond between mother and child starts from birth, so there’s no such thing as getting too early a start.

Here are some ways you can create that bond:

Spend plenty of time with them so you can get to know their likes and dislikes. These preferences are formed very early on, and the better you know your child, the stronger your bond will be. It works the other way too, so now is the perfect time to hum your favorite Beatles song.

Reach out and make contact. A baby’s senses are limited at first, so touch is one of the most important ways they gather information. It becomes almost an early form of language. In a very real sense, when you hold them or bathe them, you’re talking to them.

Start the day with a smile. Facial recognition is one of the first things a baby learns, long before they can process other objects. So even if it is three o’clock in the morning, greet them with a smile.

Remember that bonding is a process. As your baby grows, that bond will continue to get stronger.

Now that spring has come, you may have noticed your supermarket produce section looks a little more cheerful. The plums are bigger, the broccoli’s fresher and the cucumbers seem a lot less shriveled. Warmer weather means an abundance of food choices that were hard to come by during the winter months, are once again available to you.

Here are a few tasty ways to enjoy them.

Sweet and Sour chicken is a classic any time of year, but give it a spring twist with this sweet and sour chicken bowl.

Or take the traditional lasagna in a new direction with these alfredo roll-ups.

After months of dull brown, spring is the time to celebrate the return of green hills and trees, and what better way than an all-green salad?

You don’t have to give up your Vegan ways just because spring is here. If you’re looking for a vegetarian main dish or just a scrumptious side try these broccoli-cheddar rice cakes.

So what would you like to drink with this tasty smorgasbord of spring? In keeping with the warm summer season, how about some grilled pineapple lemonade?

And finally, what about dessert? Well, fruit is best when it’s in season, so take advantage of the season with some strawberry pie.

If you’re looking to put a little spring in your diet as well as your step, give these recipes a try today.