Rumi, the 13th century mystic poet, was fond of saying, "Beauty surrounds us, but usually we need to be walking in a garden to know it." I get it. So many times I whiz back and forth in my car, covering the same areas time and time again. It's not until I get out there on my feet and slow down with a walk that I'm able to notice and take in the beautiful and minute details of my … [Read more...] about Why Walking is Good For Your Health
Diet & Exercise
Why We All Need to Strength Train (and a giveaway, too!)
Having celebrated a big birthday recently has made me more sentimental about aging than normal. But with sentimentality comes complaints. Granted, they're not in a a "woe-is-me" kind of way- but with a bit more humor and irony attached to them. Humor? My feeling is that if we don't laugh about creaky joints, gray hair, diminishing eyesight, hearing and skin tone, then all that bitching becomes … [Read more...] about Why We All Need to Strength Train (and a giveaway, too!)
Can You Prevent Breast Cancer?
"You have cancer." Those three words hold so much power. They're life-altering in too many ways to measure. They're words that every women hopes they'll never have to hear. And as a survivor who has heard those words, I'd like to be able to say that you'll never, ever have to hear them. But there's no sure way to do that. What I can do is tell you ways to reduce your risk - and be aware … [Read more...] about Can You Prevent Breast Cancer?
Five Steps to a Healthier Meal While Dining Out
While my children were growing up, I insisted on cooking most nights. Ever the health-conscious mother, I knew that my meals would be more nutritious than takeout, even though during the busy sports and after-school activity season, the convenience of pulling into a parking lot and ordering through a microphone would have made my life so much easier (and probably would have made my boys much … [Read more...] about Five Steps to a Healthier Meal While Dining Out
In Defense of Eating Right
In my last post, I suggested things that might be able to keep you at a good, healthy weight. In case you’re wondering if they were just a figment of my imagination, I’m here to tell you the answer. No, they’re not. There are good, legit reasons they work. Eating right is a delicate balance. You want to eat enough to nourish and fill you up, but not so much so that you gain excess weight. … [Read more...] about In Defense of Eating Right
Ten Surefire Ways to (not) Be Thin
"How do you stay so thin?" I overheard one woman ask another at the gym today. The (skinny) woman shrugged. "I dunno," she said. "I just...do." Well, she might not have been able to put her winning strategy into words...or maybe she had a secret she was not willing to divulge. It might have been easier for the other woman to ask, "What things don't you do so you can stay … [Read more...] about Ten Surefire Ways to (not) Be Thin
Five Easy Ways to Take Good Care of Yourself
In just a few days, hubby and I are taking off for Italy (so excited!), our first big vacation together in many years (did I mention that I'm so excited?) Although I've been fortunate enough to travel to some great places recently, he has not. That's what happens when you are too busy to get away. And did I mention that not getting away is making someone very, very cranky and stressed? Don't tell … [Read more...] about Five Easy Ways to Take Good Care of Yourself
Do You Moan and Groan?
Or just put up and shut up? I got the best phone call this at around 8:00 this morning from my older son Jonathan. (Of course. when the phone rang that early, my first inclination was to think "Uh, oh. What's wrong??" But that's just...me. Or a lot of us, most likely). It went something like this: "Mom, a woman got into the elevator and another woman asked her 'how are you?' Oy, she said, my … [Read more...] about Do You Moan and Groan?
Why I’ll Never Win a Blogging Award
While watching the Oscar awards last week, I got to thinking. There are so many fabulously talented actors and actresses, directors and producers, animators and screenwriters out there. There are so many others behind the scenes who I don't even know about or will never quite understand what it is they do. They all work so hard. Their work consumes them. And they've likely been at it for a very, … [Read more...] about Why I’ll Never Win a Blogging Award
Is Surrender and Acceptance the Same?
Seems that in this so-called midlife I've been fighting surrender on a lot of fronts. But lately, I’ve been at the losing end. For instance, I have a bum left knee. I first realized something was wrong a little over ten years ago, while visiting Paris. It was my first European trip and I was determined not to let anything ruin it. Not the torrential rain we had. Not the record cold … [Read more...] about Is Surrender and Acceptance the Same?