Spring is here. Your arms are now visible – isn’t it great when they’re toned and show a little muscle definition? And you don’t have what we lovingly refer to as “bingo arm?”

(You know bingo arm… when you raise your arm up to shout “bingo!” and the bottom part of your arm swings up and slaps you in the face – it’s almost as if your arm is telling you “Start working out! Now!” Oh, so you don’t play bingo? You probably will, someday. And then you’ll wish you’d spent your youth working your triceps.)

Time to burn some calories, tone some muscles, make your body do some work.

At least do some wall push-ups.

Click the green arrow and go.

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Focus this Easter weekend on a new, healthier holiday tradition of lighter food and healthier activities.

Instead of the usual baked ham or lamb, how about serving a grilled fish like salmon, snapper, or halibut? Serve it with a whole grain pilaf, some grilled asparagus, and a huge salad of spring’s freshest veggies.

And make this holiday less about the food and more about fun, with traditional activities like coloring eggs, having an Easter egg hunt, or walking in the parade. Try something new – draw chalk pictures on the sidewalk or driveway or plant flowers or herbs in pots or in the yard.

Stay away from the candy – especially the yellow marshmallow chicks and family-sized milk chocolate rabbits. (You know, the ones with the teeth marks in them.)

If you’re filling Easter baskets, choose some non-candy items, like colorful t-shirts or tank tops, socks, a CD, lip balm or lip gloss, jump rope, yo-yo, harmonica or recorder, toy cars, small dolls, a stuffed animal, books, jewelry, new toothbrush, seed packets, etc. You don’t have to spend a lot of money, and you can find things for all ages.

Image by Billy Alexander

How old is your toothbrush?

If it’s older than 4 months, it’s time for a new one.

Another option is to boil your toothbrush for 10 minutes to kill off the bacteria – but the bristles don’t last too much longer than 6 months anyway.

Take care of your teeth. Take care of your health. Get a new toothbrush!

Photo by Sanja Gjenero

Learn to love the food that loves you.

~ Marilu Henner

Food that loves you won’t make you sick. It won’t keep you on (or away from) the toilet. It won’t make you break out. It won’t give you diabetes or heart disease. It won’t make your eyes puffy, or bloat your belly.

Food that loves you is easily digested. It gives you energy and vitality. It strengthens your body and helps fight off disease and sickness. It gives you glowing skin and clear eyes. It’s fuel for your body as well as your soul.

Food that loves you *

• vegetables and fruits in all colors – eat the rainbow!
• whole grains
• legumes
• nuts and seeds
• lean proteins

Kugel is traditionally made with potatoes, but this zucchini version is delicious. Give your holiday a twist and try it. (If you don’t celebrate Passover, try it anyway!)

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Passover Zucchini Kugel
from Healthy Holidays, by Marilu Henner
Green * Serves 6

2 pounds organic zucchini
salt
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cage-free organic egg plus 4 egg whites
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh organic parsley
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh organic mint leaves (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
1/2 cup matzo meal
freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Trim the zucchini and cut on the diagonal into 1/4-inch thick slices. In a large pot over high heat, bring 2 quarts of salted water to a boil. Boil the zucchini until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain the zucchini in a colander, rinse under cold water, and drain again. Blot dry with paper towels. Place the zucchini slices in a mixing bowl and set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet over medium heat, heat the oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft but not brown, about 4 minutes. Add the onion mixture to the zucchini in the bowl.

Beat the eggs and egg whites with a fork in a small bowl. Add the herbs and stir. Pour the eggs into the zucchini mixture, and toss gently. Stir in the matzo meal, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the mixture to a lightly oiled 8×8-inch baking dish. Bake until the kugel is set, and the top is golden brown, about 45 minutes. Cut into squares for serving.

One of the preparations for Passover is to remove all crumbs of leavened bread from your home – this is spring cleaning at its finest. Every drawer and cupboard, the fridge and pantry, the shelf, and (you know it’s true) under every seat cushion, next to the bed, all around the computer… wherever there’s been food, it must be cleaned.

We’ve come to find that every belief system has something we can borrow, and cleaning out all the crumbs is a really good practice we can all adopt.

• Take 15 minutes today to clean out a drawer in your kitchen. Empty it out completely – wash out the trays or dividers, and wipe out the drawer. Get rid of all the crumbs (and whatever else shouldn’t be there).
• Take 20 minutes to vacuum under your seat cushions. Finding money or lost jewelry is a bonus.
• The next time you take out the garbage, wash out the wastebaskets with hot, soapy water. Let them dry before you replace the liner.
• Clean out the toaster or toaster oven. Don’t use water – remove the crumb tray from the bottom. A toaster oven can take a little scrubbing from a damp toothbrush, but don’t stick anything in your toaster (really).

Here’s a favorite poem to ponder on this Spirit Sunday. Be your best, today and every day.

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
‘ Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!

~ Rudyard Kipling

It’s a fact that people are more successful in meeting their goals when they have support, information, and a plan. Join Marilu.com to get all of that, for only pennies a day.

Our online classes are led by coaches who give you daily personal support. Coaches are people like you who have made changes in their lives by following Marilu’s Total Health Makeover® and who have been hand-picked by Marilu to share what they’ve learned.

The member community is friendly and supportive. Many of our members have followed THM® for more than 5 years, and have lots of experience to offer. You’ll never be alone, and your questions will be answered (no question is a dumb question; we’ve probably already asked it ourselves!).

Join now to get two amazing Total Health® classes in April, and don’t miss Booty Camp in May if you want a hot bikini bod for summer.

• THM on a Budget * Good Health ~ Smart Money * April 5-15 * You don’t have to spend more on groceries or break the bank to live a healthy lifestyle. Coach CindyR shares her tips for being a good steward of both body and bank account.
• The Role of Your Life * April 19-30 * A Marilu.com exclusive! Using exercises from acting classes, you’ll learn how to live as the star of your own show. This is a Total Health® class, where you’ll make connections between how you think about yourself and how you eat, dress, and project yourself. Fight self-sabotage with this class.
• Booty Camp ~ Get Ripped with the Jills * May 6-26 (pre-camp warm-up May 3-5) * Coaches Jill and Jill are pumped up for hard-core booty kicking. Join the fun, challenge yourself, and get results in this 21-day class. The class includes a meal plan, recipes, and more.

All members are automatically enrolled in every online class. Become a member and take a class each month (sometimes two classes) – meet your goals for your health.

You can make a beautiful spring centerpiece without spending a fortune.

This one uses three dishes that you probably already have – a serving bowl (a footed one is nice, but not necessary), a saucer, and a small bowl.

1. Put the saucer upside down in the serving bowl, and then put the small bowl on top of that.
2. Fill the small bowl with blown and dyed eggs.
3. Fill the large bowl with marbles or stones used in flower arranging.
4. Tuck inexpensive bouquets of spring flowers into the stones until the arrangement is full, and then add water to the large bowl for the stems.

Easy! And beautiful.

Thanks to Mary Beth, one of our staff members, for this example.

Have a more effective workout by following a few simple guidelines.

• Be sure you’re well-rested. If you’re tired, you may fall victim to sloppy technique, poor judgment and even injury.
• Be sure you’re well-hydrated. Your body moves better when it’s hydrated, and the chance of injury is reduced. It’s like your car engine running better with motor oil.
• Keep your knees slightly bent – even when lifting free weights. Locking your knees can lead to injury.
• Warm up and cool down. Yes, you’ve heard it a million times – warm up before you start a workout and stretch when you’re finished. This is not the place to save a few minutes.