• • • Everyone’s microbiome is slightly different, but for this week’s Healthy Habits, here are some ways to support it in general. ◊ Remember that old song where Judy Garland sings, “Just me and my shadow ...
Read MoreIt’s no secret that the best way to improve your running is to run more. The rule of training specificity still applies—you practice what you’re looking to improve. There’s no way around that. But that doesn’t mean other workout plans don’t have a place in your training program....
Read More◊ If you’ve been feeling “off,” a commitment to getting better sleep may be the first step toward restoring hormonal balances. Cognitive ability, physical energy, alertness, and basic bodily functions are all influenced by sleep quality. The link between these capabilities and sleep may be a no-brainer,...
Read More↓ CBD can help ease the pain and trouble that comes with an inflamed gut, whether it’s IBS, leaky gut, or some other problem. Two-thirds of Americans suffer from inflammatory gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, gas, bloating, stomach pain, frequent bowel movements, and unexplained weight loss. Can CBD...
Read More♠ Prepare for success by turning your refrigerator into a lean, mean, clean machine. If you’ve ever seen the 1984 film “Ghostbusters” movie, you’ll remember the scene where Sigourney Weaver’s character hears growling coming from her refrigerator. She opens it to discover a supernatural scene inside, complete...
Read More↓ Dig out of your paper piles and feel lighter, freer, and more creative Of all the clutter in our homes, paper pileups are some of the biggest bugaboos. According to Fast Company writer Jane Porter, “It’s not just stuff, it’s emotional baggage and unfinished business that’s standing in...
Read More↓ Our days are filled with a constant stream of decisions. Most are mundane, but some are so important that they can haunt you for the rest of your life. A recent study from Columbia University found that we’re bogged down by more than 70 decisions a...
Read MoreSelf-compassion can make a person feel more energetic, alive, and optimistic. Right up there with being able to make spaghetti and wash your own socks, practicing self-compassion rates as a vital life skill. With self-compassion, we are able to accept that though we are imperfect...
Read MoreBy pausing to notice the way we respond to others, we can open ourselves up to more honest communication. Recently my friend Nancy, who I haven’t seen in years, sent me an email with some photos attached. “You’ll love these,” she wrote. The photos circulating through the...
Read MoreTraditionally, we associate flowers, chocolates, Cupid and other Valentine’s Day sentiments of devotion with February. But there’s another reason to celebrate this “month of love.” It’s American Heart Month. With heart disease being the leading cause of death in the U.S. – at 165 deaths per 100,000...
Read MoreDepression is a leading cause of poor health, affecting an estimated 350 million people worldwide. In the U.S., nearly 7 percent of the population has had at least one major depressive episode, defined as lasting more than two weeks, according to the National Institute of...
Read MoreCold-water swimming might sound unpleasant, but research suggests regular dips in cold water can improve health and longevity. Bare early March trees rake a pale blue sky, patches of snow surround the bay, and the chilly Salish Sea undulates gently in front of us. Usually I would be...
Read MoreThe most important habit to start with is the one that will help us listen to our bodies more. “The patterns of our lives reveal us. Our habits measure us.” Mary Oliver We all know that there are things we should be doing more of in our lives. We...
Read MoreLet’s look at gratitude through a few different lenses. I’ve never been a big fan of Thanksgiving as a holiday—all the cooking, cleaning, turkey… But this year, I’ve made November my gratitude month, instead of focusing on a specific day or eyeing the to-do lists. More...
Read MoreFor optimal health, make regular sleep patterns a habit. Getting the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night can be challenging enough. Kids come pussyfooting in and wake us up at 2 a.m. Or we stay up too late binge-watching TV, or...
Read MoreDon't let your holiday stress accumulate. ↓ Who designs gingerbread kits? That is what I would like to know. And do they not understand gravity? My kids and I struggled mightily to assemble our house, using a lot of a precious Saturday and consuming entirely too much...
Read More↓ Feeling like you might throttle someone? Try these tactics instead. Ah, difficult people. There are passive aggressives—the ones who “forget” and put pork in a vegetarian’s dinner. Then there are the grumpy misanthropes, the abusive yellers, the self-centered narcissists, the Debbie Downers or Woe-Me-ers. If we’re...
Read More↓ Writing is a vital personal expression—a way to both share who you are with the world, and to delve deeper into your own psyche. Congrats! You want to start a daily writing practice. Excellent. Writing is a vital personal expression—a way to both share who you...
Read More↓ Seize this midlife point as a mile marker for better heart health. “This midlife trauma is not a cruel joke set upon us by an all-powerful god,” writes author Lisa Arnold in her book, For Sanity’s Sake: Devotions for the Temporarily Insane, Otherwise Known as the Menopausal...
Read More↓ Here are six tasty ways to boost your intake of lutein. ↓ If you’ve been meaning to eat more greens, a new study out from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign may give you the extra nudge you need. It found that middle-aged people with higher levels...
Read More↓ Achoo! Want to reduce seasonal allergies? Try these methods. Allergy reactions always remind me of a roll call of the Seven Dwarfs: Sneezy, Grumpy? Here. Dopey and Sleepy, if you need to take strong allergy medicine. Doc is here if you need an appointment with the...
Read MoreFor optimal health, make regular sleep patterns a habit. ↓ Getting the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep a night can be challenging enough. Kids come pussyfooting in and wake us up at 2 a.m. Or we stay up too late binge-watching TV, or we burn...
Read More↓ Here are five new ways to make peace with your pillow. My husband and I once saw a coffee shop called Insomnia that oddly, closed at 4 p.m. If only it were so easy to knock out for the 60 million Americans who suffer from this...
Read MoreTake your (edible) pulses. ↓ Lentils have been gathered and eaten for about 60,000 years, and farmed for 10,000 years, making them one of the world’s oldest food sources. They are technically an edible pulse in the legume family that grows on a bushy plant. But I...
Read More↓ Help to rebalance your body’s schedule, gently. Last summer, I was dealing with a bad case of jet lag and said to a friend, “Having jet lag is like having David Lynch direct an episode of your life.” He replied, “Red room backwards talking Lynch, or...
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