In the wee hours of Sunday, March 9, it will be time to change the clocks once again. At 2 a.m. most of the states in the country spring ahead. While the morning birds—which I have miraculously become after a lifetime of being a night owl—lose an hour of light in the morning, we can all enjoy the extra hour of daylight in the evening. More sunlight boosts serotonin, our “happiness hormone,” which … [Read more...]
It turns out that today’s post is going to be a more personal one. Yesterday, the uncontrollable muscle movements returned after a pretty significant absence. Yes, it certainly is a pain in the neck (and face and legs). Yet I haven’t been as disheartened as frustrated. So many plans have been canned due to the greedy movement monster: Dystonia. Last night I couldn’t go to the book club I was … [Read more...]
Toward the end of February, in honor of Love Your Pet Day, I wrote about the healing power of pets for another publication. Much of the research on pets’ effects on human health focuses on dogs, and I was curious if any researchers had taken the time to look into cats. I was pleasantly surprised to find out they indeed have. In fact, the proof is in the purr. As some of you readers already … [Read more...]
It shouldn’t surprise me that the beginning of my 28-day commitment to #VionicWalkabout Quest for Good Health would begin in the midst of some of our coldest days of winter. This is New England after all. I figure there are four options to start on the right foot with my new Zen walking shoes: 1. Hit the gym (or my parents’ house) – Claim a treadmill and walk nowhere for a half-hour. As long as … [Read more...]
I was born with what one physician noted in his doctor notes as “grossly flat feet.” While they aren’t the prettiest feet in the world, I believe what my doctor meant by “grossly” was that I had completely flat footsies, with no hint of an arch at all. What this really meant for me was years of shin splints, as well as foot, knee and, sometimes, even lower back pain, when standing or running … [Read more...]
Today is the last day of Heart Health Month, but there is no less need for greater awareness. Heart disease is the number one cause of death for men and women in the country. Yet according to a recent Heart Health Survey by Cleveland Clinic, 74 percent of Americans do not believe that they will die of heart disease. The survey also found that 32 percent are not doing anything to prevent heart … [Read more...]
Though it didn't get nearly as much of the spotlight as National Wear Red Day yesterday, National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day also took place on Feb. 7. The day was started 14 years ago to bring much needed attention to the disparity in education, diagnosis and treatment of the HIV epidemic in blacks and African-Americans. Why single out black people with HIV/AIDS? According to the Centers for … [Read more...]
February is not only a month to celebrate romance, love and candy hearts. It is also a time to draw attention to heart health. On the first Friday of February, join people all over the country in celebrating National Wear Red Day to raise awareness of women's fight against heart disease. This will be the 11th year of the Go Red for Women movement. Dubbed "the silent killer," heart disease often … [Read more...]
Src: Flickr Creative Commons/Don Hankins "iPod Yoga Stretch"If you're at all like me, the music you listen to while you exercise can make or break your workout. If music is too mellow while you're trying to race for time, your pace can start to drag. If tunes are too uptempo while you are moving through a yoga flow, you may find it difficult to keep your breath and heart rate slow and even, making … [Read more...]
Some of you may look at me now and wonder—what could I possibly know about the struggle to lose weight? What do I understand about what it is like to look at myself in the mirror and not like the image reflected back me, what it’s like to feel a prisoner in my own clothes, to feel my self-worth defined by my body shape and to have my activities restricted by my size? The truth is, this was how I … [Read more...]