That’s right.  Got the results from my physical last week, and they were awesome. I am never sure–at least not since my bout with breast cancer a few years back–how the test results are going to come out.  But I felt pretty good going in, and I have been working hard to change my diet, de-stress whenever possible, and just plain take care of myself.
After meeting with my doctor, one message came through loud and clear–my diet is doing amazing things for my health.  I grew up a die-hard, meat-eating carnivore.  In my late 20s I changed that up somewhat, my thirties, even more so.  …read more

My sister is a nutritionist who is so meticulous about food that sometimes I need to take a nap before going to a family dinner at her home. 
She asks so many questions about what I’m eating, I feel like I need to be read my rights :-). But this weekend’s “serving” of  nutritional knowledge may just alter my shopping habits a bit.  Just a bit…
She told me I am at an age (thanks a lot–and no, I am NOT–and to all her friends out there, she’s only a year younger than me) where I need to be stocking up on “functional foods.”  Sounded kind of painful to …read more

It’s a common belief that many of my friends share–if you follow a vegetarian diet, you won’t be able to get as far with strength training and athletic pursuits.
Wrong. True, it is going to be a bit more complex to attain the level of protein in your diet that your body looks for when you’re undertaking a strength traning regimen. But it isn’t impossible.
Many experts recommend 1.6 to 1.7 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.73 grams per pound). There are ways for you to get enough protein to reach this recommended amount with low-fat dairy products and …read more

 
As promised, World Vegetarian Day is just a few moments away, and I wanted to take just a few of those moments to share some words of encouragement, and a nudge to you to go out and explore your local groceries and stock up on ingredients you’ll need if you decide to take the plunge and celebrate beyond today. As more of us decide to take the plunge and try going vegetarian, it’s important to note that you have to start with the basics, and that means the ingredients.
If you shop alot, or even a little, it’s hard to miss the soymilk, tofu and veggie …read more

Chakra Four: Breathe Deep, Breathe with Love
Ironically positioned right in the center of the seven chakras is the fourth Chakra, Anahata.  Both ironic and important, because the fourth Chakra is located at the heart.  It’s primary function is love, it’s element is air (or breathing).  The verb for this chakra is “I love.”
The body parts tied to this chakra are the lungs, heart, arms, hands and thymus gland. When this chakra is not functioning properly, all types of diseases may potentially result, including high blood pressure, heart and lung disease. For meditation purposes, the color linked to this chakra is green, as are the concepts of love and balance.
The best …read more

I’ve been inspired by in past few days by a lot of people to makie a very important change.  MizFit’s call for Random Acts of Kindness, and Susan’s decision to give up caffeine, as well as Scott’s post about overweight people got me thinking. 
I spend a lot of time in my own little world, stressing over deadlines and schedules, but when I take a step back, I’ve got it pretty good. My bills get paid, there’s enough left over for fun, I have a great job, home, family and groups of friends.
There’s more to living a healthy lifestyle than your …read more