For Felix’s tenth birthday, we surprised him with 4-day trip to Disney World with his cousins (who are his favorite people on this planet—he was actually more excited to see them than he was to be at Disney World, if that’s possible!).My husband and I are not theme-park people, but we can appreciate the magic of Disney, and decided that we had one trip in us before the kids were too old to
Weight Loss & Fitness
Easy Cleanse for Busy Moms
If you follow me on Instagram, you've probably gotten sick of my stories about my Sakara meals. (Sakara is a plant-based, organic meal-delivery service). They are so delicious and obviously very healthful, that I find myself wanting to snap a picture of every one.I've done a bunch of different versions of Sakara: four-week programs, three-day programs, a ten-day DIY program, and,
Mindfulness in Movement: How to Do Yoga Without Actually Doing Yoga
I have done yoga as a form of exercise for many years. However, in the last two years I have discovered a new way to bring yoga into my everyday life, and my body feels healthier, younger (at 64 that can be a challenge in itself!), stronger, and more flexible. My yoga teacher, Amber Burke, has been responsible for that change. I’ve been so impressed with her expertise and the way she brings a
Healthy Nutrition Bar Guide
When I was a young mother there was no such thing as healthful bars of any kind, let alone nutrition bars! These days, there are a million different ones available at health food stores, drug stores, and even gas stations. Different bars fit different diet trends: Paleo; high protein/low sugar; athletic fuel (high carb); gluten free; whole foods; raw foods; macrobiotic; etc. It’s amazing how much
In Defense of Grains
These days, there is a cult-like enthusiasm for high-protein diets (hello, Paleo). Carbs are getting a bad rap, some of it well deserved. I meet many clients who limit their intake of grains in the name of health and weight control. I am all for limiting simple carbohydrates like refined sugar and heavily processed grains. Simple carbs cause unstable energy and add a lot of calories but few
Sip Your Way to a Springtime Glow with Green Smoothies
Today it's 70 degrees here on the East Coast! The spring green onions are starting to peek out of the grass. My grandson and I took a long walk and we were delighted to find lots of little purple crocuses, one of my favorite spring flowers. It’s only March, but spring is coming, and you can feel it in the air. The strength of the sun has increased and the songbirds are more exuberant. They too
You Don’t Need a Personal Chef to Eat Like a Superstar: 6 Tips for Healthy Eating! (Plus a Soup Recipe)
As a health coach, I hear a lot of excuses (most of which are valid!) for why people don’t eat more healthful food. But lack of time and money is by far the most common. My clients say, “I don’t have time to shop and cook, and healthy food is so expensive!” Sound familiar?Recently, football superstar Tom Brady’s personal chef was interviewed about Brady’s organic, mostly plant-based diet.
My #1 Tip for a Healthy New Year
There is so much information out there about how to eat for weight loss or for improving your health. It can be overwhelming. When I work with health coaching clients, I start with one simple idea: Instead of focusing on what not to eat, I tell them to add in more Good Stuff so that you begin to crowd out the Bad Stuff. The more healthy food you eat, the less room there is in your diet for
How to Manage Your “Creamy” Cravings (with Hugs & Tapioca!)
I work a lot with clients on getting a handle on their cravings, whether they are cravings for sweets, alcohol, salty, crunchy, or creamy foods, to name a few. The Wisdom of Cravings I learned in my training as a holistic health coach to honor our cravings and think of them as a critical piece of information that can help us understand what our bodies needs. The body is smart. It tells you when
Back-to-School Energy Bars
If you’re a regular reader, you know how much I try to avoid processed sugar. I am very busy, and I like to keep my energy level consistent and high throughout the day, without resorting to caffeine. In the summer, I will sometimes have an ice cream cone, and even less often I will order a dessert in a restaurant. As a health coach, I advise my clients to limit their sweets, and to focus on
