When 71-year-old Ray Fougnier was in his late teens and early 20s, he dreamed of competing internationally in weightlifting, specifically in the Olympics. Then work, marriage and a family took over as top priorities. Little did Fougnier know that a half-century later, he would get to see his vision for international competition come true—he will be competing at the 2014 International Powerlifting … [Read more...]
Living with chronic illness for so many years, I’ve learned what it takes for me to not only survive but also thrive. Self-care is at the very top of the list, and it encompasses so many things—from eating right, exercising, getting enough sleep, listening to your body and pampering it when it needs it, as well as making sure you have a strong support team. Having a knowledgeable doctor who … [Read more...]
After a lifetime of imagining the day, West Hartford native Elizabeth Lynch was awed as she stood at the starting line, ready to compete in her first Boston Marathon last year. Ever since she watched her mother first run the race when Lynch was 7, she dreamed of the day she too would tackle the route. At 15, she sprinted Heartbreak Hill with her older brother as he ran the marathon. Then in 2013, … [Read more...]
Recent studies appear to back what child nutrition experts have been saying all along—the secret to getting kids to eat their greens is to see their parents consuming vegetables as well. However, one reason for this seems to be significantly more complicated than young children simply modeling adults. Yale psychological scientist Annie Wertz speculates it might be an evolutionary holdover from … [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...]
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...]
The holidays can be the most magical time of the year, but they can also be the most stressful - emotionally, physically and financially. Conscious planning and self-care are crucial to being able to fully and healthfully enjoy the holidays. Commit to Your Health This Holiday Season As my gift to you, I'm sharing my top 10 Tips to Stay Healthy Through the … [Read more...]
Sweet potato pudding is a favorite dish at the Thanksgiving table. Coming from a long line of Southerners, meals with the extended family have always showcased sweet potato pudding packed with brown sugar and topped with fat marshmallows, butter and toasted pecans. Yet my mother has always served a far healthier version that is easily my favorite. Sweet potatoes have a creamy consistency that is … [Read more...]
While the month of October drew a great of attention to breast cancer, November sheds the spotlight on diabetes, the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. As of 2011, according to the American Diabetes Association, 25.8 million, or 8.3 percent of the population, had diabetes. It is estimated that 90 to 95 percent of patients with diabetes have Type 2 diabetes. Type 1 vs. Type 2 Diabetes … [Read more...]
The last couple weeks have been landmark ones for me in terms of marking progress in my healing journey. Last week, I began the move into my first home away from my parents in several years. This past Wednesday, I made a trip to the DMV and came away with my license to drive again after 3 1/2 years. These two things alone are huge indications that, after a harrowing journey that sometimes seemed … [Read more...]