What do the December holidays mean to you?  Do you think of them with delight or are they often a daze- each gift, party, obligation, meal and tradition a have to vs. a want to?  Let’s make this December, one to remember because of feeling and doing the things that are most meaningful to you.

What do the holidays represent to you?  Is it about family, friends or faith?  Is it about you? What is your emotional connection to this time of year?  Take some time and ask yourself, “ what is my holiday Why?”  Once you’ve done that, keep and make it a priority throughout the holiday season.  Write it down and keep it with you, post it on Facebook , make it your home screen on one of your electronic devices, find a picture that captures your Why? and display it or just share it with those that you love.

This holiday season give yourself the gift of purpose and meaning by finding and living your Why? 

When November and December come, so does the holiday frenzy filled with parties, shopping, decorating and simply being “on.”  This year give yourself some of the benefits of meditation without spending hours in a cross-legged position.  Pick one of the following mind-body methods that makes you feel the most comfortable:

Mindfulness – The practice of being aware of your experience in the moment – not the past or the future – right now.  Recognizing the joy of a moment or pausing for a few breaths are ways to begin to cultivate mindfulness.

Mantra – Repetition of a simple or inspiring word or sound can help re-focus your attention and simplify things temporarily.

QiGong – a mindful movement practice coupled with breathing.  It’s relaxing has been shown to help with balance – physical and mental.  Look for a class in your area.

Zen – Similar to mindfulness, but more general.  “Being” Zen creates an awareness of one’s present experience.

Taking time to pause and reflect might be the best gift you can give yourself and in turn others.  Try making it a mindful and meaningful holiday season.

We often focus on our physical muscles, but what about our mental muscle?  Strengthening our brain is a vital thing to do for your overall wellness.  Here are some smart secrets to try:

Hydrate.  The brain is 80% water.  To keep your brain functioning at it’s best, stay hydrated by drinking water throughout the day. 

Breathe.  Stress hormones can negatively impact the brains prefrontal cortex, which can affect memory, attention and decision-making.  Next time you feel frazzled, take several deep breathes or meditate for a few minutes.

Eat Smart. Blueberries, salmon, walnuts and flaxseeds have compounds that strengthen neural connections.  Fill your plate with these and other healthy foods. 

Move.  Getting up and moving, being at a gym, outside or in your house has proven beneficial to improving memory.  Shoot for 3x/week for at least 30 minutes at a time.  You’ll feel good and so will your brain.

Sleep.  Have you ever noticed that when you are short on sleep, your grasp on vocabulary and even reasoning is slow or “off”?  You need 7-8 hours of sleep for optimal cognitive function.  Go to bed when you are tired, not when every last thing is done or taken care of.  Turn off any screens an hour prior to bedtime and make your bedroom a sanctuary for rest, relaxation and rejuvenation for body, mind and spirit.

Learn. Try something new and your mind will flourish.  What have you always wanted to try or learn, but haven’t – answer that and you are on your way.

Hang. With your friends and family.  Get together often, take classes, go to parties – interact with others.  Being social has been proven to help slow cognitive decline.

Make exercising your brain a part of everyday.  You may already be doing many of the smart steps outlined above- keep doing them and maybe try some new things as well.  Your mental muscle will be healthy and happy.

September brings the subtle change of seasons and the not so subtle change of schedules.  Even those without school-age children can get a sense that it’s time for a change.  We challenge you this month to simplify your schedule, stop over-scheduling and take some time for your self.  Here are a few recommendations on how to get control of your schedule from High Octane Women by Sherrie Bourg Carter, PsyD:

Book like a therapist.  Make appointments that are 50 minutes long, leaving 10 minutes of flex time to return calls, e-mails or to simply take a few minutes to stop and pause.

Get real.  Trim the obligations that are causing you more angst and pain than they are worth.  Ask yourself, “What was my original goal when I signed up for this?” If this task or obligation doesn’t answer that question, it’s time to drop it.

Focus.  Put an end to multi-tasking and focus on one thing at a time.

Put yourself on the calendar.  Write or type yourself in, even if it’s just for a 10-minute break, walk, talk or laugh.  And DON”T cancel it!

Use this month’s momentum to make the changes that really can make a difference in both your personal and professional life.

When you're trying to reach health and wellness goals, it's common to experience plateaus.  If you have a setback, you may have to give yourself a motivation boost. You can to strengthen and clarify your reasons for making healthy lifestyle changes by painting a picture of your future.

Try this great idea from Duke Diet & Fitness Center: Visualize what you want your life to look like three months, six months, or one year from now. Take out a sheet of paper and sketch your vision — whether in images or in words. Make your "picture" as detailed and specific as possible. Focus not only on what you look like but on where are you are and who and what are surrounding you. Be creative – dream big!

When you're done, take a look at what you came up with. Which parts of your current life are in the picture, and which aren't? Did you include anything that surprised you? Did the exercise bring something new to your consciousness?

Save the paper and go back to it when you need motivation or a reminder of what matters to you. Use it as a vision of what your life will become through your efforts.


If you can imagine it, you can do it!

Summer is officially here.  The sun is shining, no jackets required, flip-flops are the shoe of choice, strawberries and watermelons are in season, umbrellas perch on the sides of drinks and many of us will head to the beach.  To truly enjoy this season you should keep in mind the following beach health tips to have a truly safe and spectacular summer.

Sunscreen, sunscreen and more sunscreen – Don’t leave home without it on. Slather it on from your face, to your toes.  Lather on more than you think you need and you’ll still probably be shy of doctors recommended amounts.  Having the same tube or can of sunscreen all season is not a good thing and yes, you need to re-apply frequently. 

Safe swimming – Remember to swim in areas that have Lifeguards, and never ignore a warning sign for unsafe waters.  The myth of waiting an hour after you eat before you go swimming is just that – a myth.  But be careful to not be too quick to enter the water if you had a really big lunch – you might experience cramps or nausea.  If you are swimming laps, a small nutritious snack (think less than 200 calories) eaten 10 minutes before your swim might actually help fuel your workout.

Creatures of the Sea - Jellyfish stings hurt!  But don’t make it worse by having someone pee on the sting.  Vinegar is what you need to deactivate the venom.  According to Mark Schick, collections manager at Chicago’s Shedd Aquarium as you pour the vinegar, scrape off any barbs with the edge of a credit card.  If you feel nauseated after being stung, head to the hospital for a thorough exam.

Hold the Mayo – Nothing ruins a beach picnic worse than spoiled food.  Ok, maybe sand in your food that then crunches between your teeth can put a damper on things, but that is only annoying – spoiled food is sickening.  Pack foods with lots of ice and be mindful to create a spread that doesn’t have mayo or many refrigerated items.

Summertime is the season for easy, carefree times.  Keep it that way by following the tips listed above.  Now sit back, sip and relax.

Do these sound familiar?  “I forgot to get that at the store” or “ I can’t remember their name/phone number or e-mail.”  If so, it’s time for some cerebral strength training.  Here are a few ways from Health magazine to protect your memory:

Join or start a Book Club – A 2009 study found that reading books led to a 30-50% decrease in the risk of developing memory loss.  Reading coupled with social interaction is a win-win, because those who participate in social activities may be 40% less likely to experience memory loss.

Move! – Dance, work out or do any activity that makes you break a sweat.  Exercise increases the blood flow to your brain and helps neurons grow there.

Play on Your Computer – Now you have a reason for playing Boggle, Word with Friends or Scrabble on your computer.  A North Carolina State University study found that seniors who played an online computer game for more than two weeks improved their cognitive functioning.

Cross- train your Brain  - To optimize your memory, you need to strengthen both sides of your brain (Left = analytical, verbal and Right=visual, emotional).  Not a number’s person?  Try balancing your checkbook or playing Sudoku.  If you are not usually the social type, make a lunch date with an old friend.

Challenge yourself to incorporate one or all of these into your daily routine.  You’ll get the brain-boosting benefits and will have some fun in the process.  Just don’t forget to give it a try 

It’s that time of the year for many.  The time for tissues, scratchy-throats, watery eyes, sneezing and general discomfort from seasonal allergies.  Consider trying something new with edible medicine and you may get some natural relief.

According to the medical director at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine the following foods may be your new super foods:

Oranges – these juicy gems get their orange color from quercetin, which can keep your body from reacting as strongly to pollen.  An added anti-allergy benefit also comes from the vitamin C found in this citrus powerhouse.

Salmon – what can’t this fabulous fish do?  It’ omega-3s have anti-inflammatory properties that may ease your runny nose and itchy eyes.  Try incorporating salmon into your weekly meal plans. (Vegetarians can get similar benefits from walnuts and ground flaxseeds)

Greek Yogurt – the “it” yogurt can soothe seasonal allergy symptoms (thanks to the live cultures) according to a study from the University of California Davis.

Green or White Tea- either of these teas contain compounds called catechins, which block the creation of histamines (the chemicals that cause allergy symptoms).

Tumeric- this spice (best known for its role in curries) packs a potent anti-allergy kick.  It has some of the strongest natural anti-inflammatory properties that we know of.

So, how about a dinner tonight with all of the foods listed above?  You’ll sip some white or green tea as you eat your salmon topped with an Indian-inspired Greek Yogurt sauce and then have a sweet, juicy dessert of oranges(maybe with a square of dark chocolate).  Give it a try – it could be the natural relief you are looking for this time of year.

Have you found an exercise routine that fits you? When you work out, what messages are running through your head? How you think about exercise greatly influences how you feel about it — and how likely you are to stick with it, according to a study at Duke Diet and Fitness. If your self-talk during exercise is negative, your experience with exercise will be negative, too.

Do any of the following thoughts sound familiar?

I hate to exercise.

I'm not a athlete.

I stink at this.

Everyone is looking at me.

I missed a workout, so I may as well stop trying

I'm too exhausted to exercise.

I'm never going to reach my goal.

If any of these — or any other — negative messages come to mind during your workouts, try replacing them with the following:

I will keep trying new things, until I find an activity I enjoy.

I will get better at this over time.

I don’t care what others think of me.

I may have missed a workout, but today is a new day and I can get back to it.

I'm tired, but I'll try for just 10 minutes of exercise and then see how I feel.

I can and will reach my goal.

After I exercise, I really feel accomplished and good about myself.

This week, pay attention to the thoughts you're having during exercise and focus on replacing negative thoughts with positive ones. Doing so will make your workouts less work and more enjoyable.