Chocolate. It’s Good For You, Right?

Chocolate. It’s Good For You, Right?

Chocolate, long considered the Food of the Gods, has a 4,000-year history. The Olmecs in Mexico were most likely the first peoples to consume chocolate, originally as a drink. And that culture, way back then, knew it was on to something healthy. But it took many...
Emotional Eating

Emotional Eating

What is it? Is this your pattern? If so, how can you make changes?  While I was in India this past January at the Panchakarma retreat (see my December newsletter), one of the surprising lessons I learned centered on food. At the clinic I was enrolled at, there...
Need a Change In Your Workouts? What About TRX?

Need a Change In Your Workouts? What About TRX?

Back in 1997, while Randy Hetrick was stationed as a Navy Seal in Southeast Asia, he was determined to maintain his workout schedule by using some materials at hand. Employing, among other things, parachute webbing and a ju-jitsu belt in ingenious ways, Hetrick was...
Standing Desks To the Rescue!

Standing Desks To the Rescue!

Recently, I was working with a client who mentioned that some in her  office had just converted to stand-up desks. Emily Flax, (my client), not only busts out her workouts, but also runs a rocking real estate office here in town. As they are for many of us,...
It’s Time To Talk About Thighs

It’s Time To Talk About Thighs

It’s spring…and it’s almost “The Season.” This means that for many of us on the East Coast—just emerging from winter chill—the time to break out the shorts is coming up fast. Are you quite ready to reveal your legs? If not, here is one easy to do thigh exercises to...
MY 2019 VISIT TO INDIA – PANCHAKARMA

MY 2019 VISIT TO INDIA – PANCHAKARMA

As some of your may know, I had the great good fortune to spend three weeks at an Ayurvedic clinic in Coimbatore, India, in January of 2019. Panchakarma, one of the best-known applications of Ayurvedic medicine, was a major part of my experience. It’s a five-step,...
Panchakarma

Panchakarma

As you read this issue of the newsletter, I’m planning to travel to India to participate at a clinic to learn about the practice of panchakarma. For the uninitiated—as I was until recently—panchakarma is a fivefold detoxification treatment involving massage, herbal...
Holiday Joy!?

Holiday Joy!?

Ho-Ho-Ho, and, yes, it’s that time of year! Some refer to the season as “the holiday trifecta” It’s an expression that doesn’t exactly convey the joy of happy gatherings with friends and family. Born of great traditions and rituals and wonderful memories, the season...
How Can Acupuncture Help with Anxiety

How Can Acupuncture Help with Anxiety

A while ago I was talking to a long-time friend, describing my experience with acupuncture. She turned and looked at me and asked, incredulously, “So they actually put needles in you?” It was her pure, honest response that made me smile in recognition of my own...
Anyone Want to Know How to Live to Be 100?

Anyone Want to Know How to Live to Be 100?

The longer I stay in this career of mine, I realize that my focus on my own health and wellness comes down to the goal of living a long, healthy life. And as I hit a ripe old age, I still want able to do the things I enjoy. Needless to say, this is also what I want...
Two Exercises That Can Help Keep You Fit For Life

Two Exercises That Can Help Keep You Fit For Life

Wanna live forever? Okay, how many of you out there said YES!? If you did, perhaps these two exercise options can help you achieve an impressive fitness level without the hours and expense of gyms, personal trainers, FitBits, etc. Sounds good, right? Improving fitness...
Can Loneliness Be Less Healthy Than Obesity?

Can Loneliness Be Less Healthy Than Obesity?

It’s a provocative question, and well worth exploring. The easy response is “Maybe.” Health is a complicated, sometimes quirky, concept. It may be easy to conclude that the body builder in the skimpy bathing suit with a hunky bod is the healthier person …...
Can Ice Cream Be “Good For You”?

Can Ice Cream Be “Good For You”?

Wow, I mean, Come On! —Who doesn’t like the taste of ice cream, especially on a hot day! I clearly remember the magical sound of the ice cream truck as it came around into our neighborhood after dinner (yes, I am that old … and around here you have to try to catch...
Would Someone Please Pass the Blueberries?

Would Someone Please Pass the Blueberries?

What is the one fruit you need to add to your diet this season? The pick this summer is the almighty blueberry! By the way, if you are on the Cape, we abound in wild blueberries, so slap on some bug repellent and go out and pick your own. Small in size and blue in...
Can Women Over Forty Lose Weight?

Can Women Over Forty Lose Weight?

Here’s the question: is it really hopeless for women over 40 to try to lose weight? Nope. Not at all … In fact, the same principles followed by younger people who wish to shed a few pounds also apply to us, even as our bodies age … okay, with a few modifications....
Let’s Talk About Pillows—Yes, Pillows

Let’s Talk About Pillows—Yes, Pillows

Have you ever woken up in the morning with either neck pain or shoulder pain? It’s likely you’ve experienced these from time to time. But when this happens do you make the connection that this pain contributed to your bad night’s sleep?  “I must have slept wrong” is a...
Weights Rule – Especially Weight Loss

Weights Rule – Especially Weight Loss

Weights Rule * Okay, okay, so you’ve begun a walking regimen, and that’s wonderful! (By the way, there’s more and more evidence that using something like a FitBit when you’re walking can be very motivating.) * And you are eating breakfast now and finding that you have...
Avocados – Why I Love Them

Avocados – Why I Love Them

WHY I LOVE AVOCADOS and WHY YOU SHOULD TOO So what food has 500 varieties from around the world, is great for your skin, lowers LDL cholesterol and boosts HDL, is gluten free, is high in fiber, and in Brazil is added to ice cream? Spoiler Alert Oh, never mind, I know...
Valentine’s Day Hints for Love and Health

Valentine’s Day Hints for Love and Health

So here we are in February. This is the month when many of us celebrate Valentine’s Day, that uniquely United States holiday that celebrates love with flowers, wine and chocolate. They can be beautiful ways to convey one’s love. As far back as the 14th century, the...
What to Know About Personal Trainers

What to Know About Personal Trainers

What Can You Expect From A Personal Trainer? Hey there, campers! It’s nice to check in with you. This week I want to talk a bit about what it is I actually do as a personal trainer. And what you can expect from working with one. The first thing is to identify a “What...
Batch Cooking

Batch Cooking

BATCH COOKING—a New Concept? Food planning, preparation, and actually sitting down to eat a nutritious meal are some of the biggest challenges (impediments) for many people as they address issues affecting their health. Unfortunately it seems as though just about...
Hot Fitness Trends for 2018

Hot Fitness Trends for 2018

Hey there fitness pals..look at you with almost another year under your belt! And how did you do in your fitness plans in 2017? How did it measure up for you? What fitness goals are left for you to conquer in 2018? I am here to say that there is much help and support...
Couch Potato or Not?

Couch Potato or Not?

How to Stay Motivated During the Winter Months The subject of this newsletter can perhaps be best expressed in one long sentence: How not to be a couch potato after Daylight Savings Time is gone and winter is closing in. Some Massachusetts officials, by the way, are...
How to Not Gain Weight Over the Holidays

How to Not Gain Weight Over the Holidays

Supposedly most people only gain one or two pounds or sometimes five 🙂 pounds over the holidays. The danger is that very few of us seem to lose it afterwards, so over a period of time there can be that dreaded slow climb. In the Eastern US, the early darkness combined...
Think About Healthy Recipes for Thanksgiving Dinner

Think About Healthy Recipes for Thanksgiving Dinner

Did you know that, in fact, the average American consumes more than 4,500 calories and 229 grams of fat during a traditional Thanksgiving Dinner? Don’t take my word for it—this is according to the Calorie Control Council. Yikes! Good Grief!  And “Holy Smokes Batman!”…...
How to Navigate the Holidays

How to Navigate the Holidays

So here we are: just about to head into the period that many of us consider “the holy trinity” of holidays. Starting with Thanksgiving, and ending with the gong of midnight on New Years Eve, a whole bunch of party can happen during that stretch of time. How can you...
10-Minute Hotel Workout

10-Minute Hotel Workout

So what’s usually the first thing to go out the window when traveling?  Well, if you have 10 minutes, it doesn’t have to be your workout! Here is what we suggest you do to keep your heart pumping and your body moving, before—or even after—a tough day: • Find an open...
This One Thing Can Help With Pain—and It’s Fun

This One Thing Can Help With Pain—and It’s Fun

OMG—do I love my bed! (I mean I really do!)  How many of you can say that and actually mean it? With all due respect, I’m guessing not many. So what if the act of buying a new bed could immediately address your lack of sleep, which might be your number one health care...
YOU’RE Going to LOVE THIS HEALTH TIP. I PROMISE!

YOU’RE Going to LOVE THIS HEALTH TIP. I PROMISE!

Taking care of your health often requires doing things you don’t necessarily like to do. Such things as strict adherence to a healthy diet can feel like denying yourself. And an exercise regimen can seem like a chore or an obligation.  However, another approach to...
My New Fitbit

My New Fitbit

I have a friend who generously gave me a new Fitbit. You might have thought I would already have one… Anyway—this thing is cool, a marvelous device— and I rarely suggest or promote products to others. Fortunately, it’s so easy to set up, (I promise it is, but YouTube...
YOGA – The Secret to a Long Life

YOGA – The Secret to a Long Life

From the article: Four Gentle Yoga Poses, by Maggie Finn Ryan “We all know that chronic stress can do a number on our bodies because it causes our hormones—specifically, adrenaline and cortisol—to go haywire. Among other not-so-fun symptoms, too much cortisol can...
Laughter and Losing Weight

Laughter and Losing Weight

So many things contribute to overall health and laughter is certainly one of them. If you are looking for a path to weight loss, i usually see true change when people’s lives  are in balance and can also laugh easily. Need proof? Don’t just take my word for it—here...
Stress and Weight Loss

Stress and Weight Loss

Is Stress Making You Gain Weight? Do any of these apply to you? •    Trouble sleeping •    Feeling overwhelmed •    Problems with memory •    Difficulty concentrating •    Changes in eating habits •    Feeling nervous or anxious •    Feeling angry, irritable, or...
Sleep Apnea and Weight Loss

Sleep Apnea and Weight Loss

What is Sleep Apnea? From WEB MD: “Sleep apnea is a serious sleep disorder that occurs when a person’s breathing is interrupted during sleep. People with untreated sleep apnea stop breathing repeatedly during their sleep, sometimes hundreds of times. This means...
Spring is Coming – Spring is Coming – F.A.S Alert

Spring is Coming – Spring is Coming – F.A.S Alert

I’m betting that you—and just about everyone I can think of—want to develop arms that look really toned and don’t sag? Instead of the arms you sometimes see—and feel—while waving good-bye to people leaving you on a train/plane/car?  Sure, you want to make changes …...
Ketogenic Diet Trend Examined

Ketogenic Diet Trend Examined

Source: WebMD The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that in medicine is used primarily to treat difficult-to-control (refractory) epilepsy in children. The diet forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates.  The diet is...
Kombucha – Fad or Fantastic

Kombucha – Fad or Fantastic

The fermented tea drink has been around for centuries but recently became popular in the U.S. because of its purported health benefits. Regular drinkers of the tonic claim it aids digestion, sleep, weight loss and detoxification; stimulates the immune system, prevents...
7 Minute Workout

7 Minute Workout

NY Times – Gretchen Reynolds May 9, 2013 Hey All….I Double Dip Dare you to try this 7 minute workout right now! Exercise science is a fine and intellectually fascinating thing. But sometimes you just want someone to lay out guidelines for how to put the...