We’re finally heading into spring and out of cold and flu season. Have you survived the winter without getting sick? If so, hooray! If not, you might want to learn a secret or two from Gene Stone, author of The Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick.

As someone who is constantly sick throughout winter, spring, summer, and fall, I’m probably the last person who should be sharing their secret. But believe it or not, I do have a secret to not getting (as) sick: hand sanitizer.

Wait! My secret isn’t to use hand sanitizer, it’s to not use it. The idea was planted in my brain when I first moved to New York City. My friend would compulsively squeeze a drop of Purell into her hands before, during, and after every subway ride we took. At first, I held out my hand every time I saw her reach into her bag, but I quickly stopped using hand sanitizer when we both came down with swine flu in early October.

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Someone knocks into you on the subway. A car cuts you off on your way home from work. The friends you’ve gone out to happy hour with stiff the bill and leave you to pay double.

Why are you so mad right now?

I’m sure you’ve asked yourself that question a million times.

Now take a cleansing breath.

Better?

We’ve all felt angry before. Anger knows no boundaries and touches every person in every corner of the world. Anger is universal and luckily Workman has THE book to combat this feeling.

The Cow in the Parking Lot: A Zen Approach to Overcoming Anger has been stretching its helpful pages across the globe; and now that Cow is printed in 11 different countries worldwide, we really are taking the bull by the horns (pun intended) to beat anger.

Below are some of the best foreign edition covers so far, and we hope to see many, many more in the future! Which one is your favorite?

Brazil, Published by: Objetiva

Portugal, Published by: Sinais De Fogo

Italy, Published by: De Agostini

Germany, Published by: Goldman Verlag

Netherlands, Published by: Lannoo

I have to say, I’m partial to the Italian cover. That is one relaxed cartoon cow!

Cow in the Parking Lot is now printed in Portuguese (Portugal and Brazil), Complex Chinese, Czech, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Dutch, Spanish, and Turkish.

–June, International Department

What do you suppose the people below have in common…besides the fact that they’re attractive actors and actresses?

If you guessed, “THEY’RE GOING TO BE IN THE FORTHCOMING MOVIE WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU’RE EXPECTING!!!” …you are exactly right!

Last week Heidi Murkoff herself came into the office for the official celebration—10 years of What to Expect When You’re Expecting on the New York Times best-seller list! That’s 520 weeks (13 gestation periods!) for all you math geniuses. We had ice cream, champagne, and toasted the success (past, present, and future) of the ever popular bible for parents-to-be. Heidi has helped over fourteen million women get through the unknown, sometimes scary, but always exciting, territory of pregnancy. 

While she was here, Heidi regaled us with tales from the set. Much like Love Actually and Valentine’s Day (you saw that, right?), the movie will be a compilation of intersecting stories about… well, you can probably guess. Though Heidi couldn’t reveal who will be pregnant with whose baby, she was excited about the film’s star-studded cast.  We anticipate that the stork will deliver What to Expect just in time for Mother’s Day 2012!

I remember when the little munchkins we’re catching up with below were just peas in a pod. Now they’re all grown up and turning 1. So today we’re checking in with a few of the Workman babies of 2010 (and their moms) to see what they’re looking forward to in that magical second year:

• Mama Andrea reports that Lorca, who turns 1 in July, just took her first steps last week, but is looking forward to zipping around the apartment and the park without holding onto Mom or Dad. Mom and Dad are looking forward to the day when Lorca is more excited about reading her bedtime books than eating them!

• Mama Barbie, whose son turns 1 in May, shares that Vallen’s favorite thing to do is climb stairs. She is sure that the jungle gym at the park will be his favorite thing in the world in the coming months–he already pumps his legs to get moving down slides. She’s also looking forward to Vallen talking more and asking questions. So far he uses four words regularly. He is very inquisitive and has to see how things work–like doors, containers with tops, latches and knobs–over and over again. Mom and Dad’s task will be avoiding any major injury to their little adventurer!

• Mama Peggy is looking forward to so much… Evie, who turned 1 in February, is already walking and talking up a storm, so Mom’s  most looking forward to the day she can use a spoon and fork to eat–and, most importantly, to the day Evie finally says “Mommy”!

• Mama Michele’s son Trey turned 1 in April, and is already such a Chatty Cathy, but only speaks baby-talk. She’s looking forward to hearing real words (other than mama and dada) to help get some insight into his conversations with his stuffed animals. Although Trey’s palate is quite varied (he loves cod with a side of lentils), his 1^st birthday cake tasting didn’t go over as well–Mom can’t wait for Trey to say “cookie” and devour one!  Trey also loves a good tune to groove to. The minute the radio is turned on, he sits down and shakes his booty to the beat. Mom and Dad can’t wait for him to be more secure on his feet to show off his dancing moves!

And so begins “the wonder year”—12 jam-packed and jam-smeared months of memorable milestones, from first steps to first words, first scribbles to first friends, lightning-speed learning, and endless explorations driven by insatiable curiosity. Here’s to our four young whippersnappers–and their parents–as they navigate the always exciting second year!

Last month acclaimed meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg conducted a 28-Day Meditation Challenge that followed the program set out in her new book, Real Happiness. Among the participants, Keith Villanevva, a New York City firefighter. Above is a photo of the book in Keith’s firetruck. Keith also blogged during the challenge. Here are a few excerpts:

…It has been brutal weather these past few weeks in NYC. A lot of us firefighters are being over worked due to the city’s low budget. So even though we were running around all day and night for 24 hours I managed to squeeze in a meditation session while we sat at a manhole fire for 3 hours.

…The breath is like the emergency eject button in a fighter plane. It gets us out of trouble and brings us back to earth. Thank goodness for the breath. We always have it with us wherever we go.

…The mind is like an anxious dog. When you let go of the leash it tends to run around like crazy checking out everything in sight and getting into trouble. Once you notice it, you whistle to get its attention so that it can come back to you and behave.

…Another great thing is that Sharon right away teaches you to have compassion for yourself while trying to meditate. She shows you right away that it’s ok and perfectly fine to start over again and again and again. I love that. There is no need to beat yourself up while trying to do something that is meant to help you. This is what Real Happiness is about. Going with the flow without judging yourself and allowing yourself to experience the experience. This is the way we achieve self inquiry. Meditation is the true path to the “Self”.

Thank you, Keith, and everyone else who participated in the challenge.

February is American Heart Month, and I’m not talking about romance (although, yes, that too). In the spirit of maintaining your most important muscle, read below for one of the 109 surprisingly easy—and potentially life-saving—tips found in Prevent, Halt & Reverse Heart Disease, by Joseph C. Piscatella and Barry A. Franklin, Ph.D.

Heart Saver #109: Brush and Floss Your Teeth

A number of studies show a link between periodontal (gum) disease and an increased risk of heart attack. In fact, it’s estimated that a person with periodontal disease is two to three times more likely to have a heart attack than one without periodontal disease.

Here’s the theory. Plaque that builds up on the teeth produces chronic inflammation of the gums, causing irritation, redness, swelling and bleeding when you brush. If the plaque isn’t removed, the gums separate from the teeth, leaving pockets that fill with bacteria. The most common strain found in these pockets is Streptococcus sanguis. When it enters the bloodstream, this bacteria may be a significant causative factor in heart attacks and strokes.

Dental bacteria seem to undermine cardiovascular health in three ways. First, infections from dental plaque can cause injury to coronary artery walls. Second, people with gum disease are more likely to produce an inflammatory response that may place them at elevated risk  of suffering a heart attack. And finally, gum disease can initiate blood clotting.

Given all of the above, it seems prudent to:

• Brush your teeth at least twice a day. Electric toothbrushes, rinses, and toothpaste help to prevent periodontal disease.
• Floss at least once a day.
• See your dentist for regular cleaning.
• Be sure your diet includes plenty of complex carbohydrates, especially fruits and vegetables. Reduce sugar and highly refined carbohydrate foods such as baked goods.
• Chew sugarless gum to help fight dental decay. Gum containing xylitol, a sweetener made from birch bark, has been shown to partially suppress the growth of cavity-promoting bacteria in the mouth.

—Avery, whose favorite tip is #37, Get a Massage.

I’m decidedly bad at sitting still. I fidget at my desk, can’t watch TV unless I’m sorting junk mail at the same time, and my least favorite yoga pose is savasana, a.k.a. the “corpse pose,” because, well, you’re not actually doing anything! Even if I’m relaxing on a beach, I’m also likely making a list or mentally organizing something.

Needless to say, I am not the meditating type.

But lately there’s been so much buzz about meditation—actual studies that have shown how it may reduce stress, curb heart attacks, strengthen your relationships, change your brain to make you more compassionate, and improve your overall happiness. These seem like pretty huge rewards for just taking a few minutes a day to sit and breathe.

Thus, I’ve been inspired to take Sharon Salzberg’s 28-day meditation challenge. During the month of February, a diverse group of people (including a firefighter, a comedian, a teacher, and an investment banker) will be trying out the program from Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation and blogging about their meditation experiences on Sharon’s website. I’ll be playing along at home and keeping track of my own experiences here on the Workman blog.

My first session is tonight, and the first challenge in the challenge will be figuring out a place in my apartment where I won’t be distracted by the plant that needs watering, the shelf that needs dusting, or the overdue phone call I’m supposed to make to my mother—a space where I can just be still and breathe.

As for now? Time to run for more coffee. I’ve been sitting far too long.

Ugh. Cold and flu season has hit, a time of year no one relishes. But hope is on the horizon with Gene Stone’s The Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick, which offers a peek inside the habits of incredibly healthy people. One chapter is devoted to chicken soup and its restorative powers, which leads me to wonder: is the chicken or all the other ingredients in the broth that make the difference?  Or is it all in our heads?  You can make up your own mind, but Gene Stone gives us the science behind the soup:

• Some spices such as curry, pepper, and garlic can help ease a cough by thinning mucus; these flavorings have been used for centuries to treat respiratory diseases due their antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal properties.

• When chicken soup contains vegetables, such as onions, turnips, celery and parsley, it ups the ante even further.

• Onions contain protein, calcium, sulfur and several vitamins including C, E, and the B complex, and A, which helps fight off infections by enhancing the actions of white blood cells that destroy harmful bacteria and viruses.

• Carrots are an excellent source of beta-carotene, which the body converts to vitamin A.

• Turnips are also rich in beta-carotene and protect mucous membranes (especially in the lungs and intestinal tract) from cancer cells and free-radical damage.

• Celery has long been used to promote restfulness and sleep, and also has high iron and magnesium content, which is beneficial for lung conditions.

• Parsley contains two components that seem to provide health benefits: volatile oils and flavinoids, a type of polyphenol.

• Chicken releases an amino acid during cooking that chemically resembles the drug acetylcysteine, prescribed for bronchitis and other respiratory ailments.

• Steam from chicken soup opens up congested noses and chests, which is why doctors recommend hot liquids to alleviate cold symptoms.

Ultimately, there is no absolute proof that chicken soup can prevent a cold, but there is plenty of evidence that it can alleviate its symptoms.  Next time a cold strikes, I know what’s on the menu…

Check back tomorrow for a chicken soup recipe from Andrea Chesman’s Recipes from the Root Cellar

Welcome to Part 2 of the 2010 Workman Holiday Gift Guide Extravaganzaaaa! If you missed Part 1: Kids and Kids-at-Heart, check it out here. Then see below for part 2 of the list: The Grown-Ups’ Table. What do you get for your parents, your aunts and uncles, and those other adult relatives who can be a little tricky to shop for? Here’s what Workman employees had to say…

The Grown-Ups’ Table:

• “My husband and I just had our first child, a daughter, so I will slip From Father to Daughter into his stocking.” —Selina
• “I’m giving The Crabby Cook Cookbook to my mother, who no longer has to worry about cooking for a family but will get such a kick out of remembering what it was like to put dinner on the table every night … though she will be sorry that she didn’t have those simple recipes back then when she needed them. For all the hypochondriacs in my family (and that would be everyone on one side of the family, though I can’t say which)—The Secrets of People Who Never Get Sick. I think our phone calls may get more interesting when they realize there are concrete steps they can take to reduce their susceptibility to illness.” —Suzie
• “My parents are getting copies of Younger Next Year and Younger Next Year for Women, since they’re both recently retired and I want them to stay healthy and happy.” —Randall
• “I got the Islands Page-a-Day Gallery Calendar for my mom, because she loves tropical beach scenes.” —Claudia
• “Last year I gave my father-in-law The Miniature Book of Miniature Golf, which brought Christmas morning to a complete halt for a good hour, because he and my husband just had to play through the whole book (they’re very competitive, so it got a little intense)… He brought it to work and it is a huge hit in his office too. 1,000 Recordings to Hear Before You Die was a huge hit with MY dad, who is a serious music buff. (Brought that gift-opening session to a standstill as well, as he became totally engrossed in the book!!)” —Melody
• “My step-dad is getting the Nuns Having Fun Calendar—perfect for an ex-Catholic School Boy who loves the Three Stooges. And I’ll probably give my mom a copy of The Cake Mix Doctor Bakes Gluten-Free, in hopes that she’ll send some tasty treats this year that are suitable for my glutard self.” —Emily
• “Anything golf-related goes over well with my old man.” —Tom
• “I’m giving a copy of Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy Melt-in-Your-Mouth Cookies to my Aunt Betty. She’s an amazing baker, and the best part is that she always loads me up with baked goods whenever I see her (and my co-workers benefit because I bring them to the office).” —Laura
• “I’m going to give The Love That Dog Training Program to my mom, because she’s convinced that our old dog can’t learn new tricks.” —Avery
• “I got Cooking Jewish for my sister, who is constantly trying to expand her repertoire of Jewish recipes. Also, there’s a reason that Ad Hoc at Home comes wrapped in plastic. Do not open it! Or you will do what I did, which is decide that it was such a beautiful and enticing book, with such mouthwatering recipes, that, although my sister or father or best friend would have loved it, it was time I rewarded myself with a gift.” —Kathy

Hope that was helpful! And don’t forget to come back tomorrow morning for Part 3: Might-as-Well-Be-Family Friends.

Start fresh in the new year by sharpening focus, improving your health, and feeling calmer through meditation. Real Happiness by Sharon Salzberg gives beginners a complete guide on how to meditate–basic techniques, dealing with problem areas, FAQs, plus a CD with four guided meditations. Listen to two audio samples from the CD and read an excerpt below.

Breathing meditation introduction:

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Breathing meditation:

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