Seven years ago, my husband and I decided to put a swimming pool in our backyard. It was something that we (actually I) had contemplated for many years. I wanted a pool so badly that I went out and bought myself a kiddie pool! If you were ever looking for me on a hot day, I could be found sitting in 12 inches of cool water in a plastic structure shaped like a zoo animal. I must tell you, it was quite a sad sight! After nearly 18 years of repeatedly bringing up the idea of having our own pool, my husband finally agreed that we could “explore” the topic. His resistance was based on very real concerns: “the weather isn’t great in the northeast”, “it’s a very short season”, “our kids are too small”, “we are so busy, we won’t have enough time to use it.” I did what any good researcher would do and I started interviewing every single person I knew who owned a backyard pool. I asked them every question I could think of, from the type of liner they used, salt vs fresh water, maintenance costs, concrete or vinyl, and the most important question of all - “Do you feel as if you use it enough?” Not only did I get the answers to my many pool-related questions, I also learned a valuable life lesson. Read More

By now, you have probably seen the television advertisements for Snickers candy bars that feature their marketing catch-phrase “you’re not you when you’re hungry.” I believe they first made their debut during the 2010 Super Bowl. They are all quite memorable but I am particularly fond of the one that features Betty White as an extremely cranky, whiny and weak member of a pick-up football team who is clearly not “himself” because he is trying to play the game on an empty stomach.The commercials end with the Snickers bar being featured as the hero by satiating the weak, irritable, hungry person and sparking a transformation back into someone resembling their former self. According to the ads, there is no problem that cannot be cured by eating the calorie and sugar laden bar. The marketing ad was extremely successful, appearing across all platforms - television, retail, print and social media - and became a global sensation that lasted for over 6 years. The campaign garnered so much attention and appeal because it capitalized on a universal assumption, namely that when you’re hungry, your abilities, as well as your mood, are negatively impacted. You know it’s a great commercial when you not only remember the ad, but you actually recall what they were selling.   Now I like a Snickers Bar just as much as the next gal, but I don’t agree that it’s the cure-all. I am not going to get into the ultimate crash that results after a sugar-high....you already know that. I do agree, however, that when hunger and dehydration set it, it is a safe bet to say that you are not going to be feeling or operating at your best.While raiding the vending machine may be the closest, easiest and most affordable options, it is not the most viable from a health perspective. Feeling hungry is quite normal and something that most people experience at some point during the day.Hunger is like the “low fuel” light that comes on in your car when your gas tank is getting dangerously low and is a signal for you to provide more energy to your body. Your hunger is impacted by more than just calories in/calories out...various circumstances may contribute to you feeling more hunger, for instance if you are under stress, following a weight loss diet or if you are not eating the right combinations of foods. My advice to you today pertains to the ways in which you can keep your energy balanced, your hunger at bay, and your metabolic fire stoked. Read More

This past week, ABC aired an exclusive television news event featuring 30 hours in the life of our President. It was advertised as “unprecedented access - where cameras never go - no question off limits.” ABC’s Chief Anchor George Stephanopoulos was given the opportunity over the course of two days to spend 30 hours with the President, doing everything from traveling in his armored limousine, hitching a ride on Air Force One, sitting in on a day of meetings in the Oval Office, greeting him in his West Wing residence, and conducting a sit down interview in the Rose Garden of the White House. When you spend so many hours with someone “behind the scenes”, you are bound to get answers to many questions, including the large ones of national importance as well as the small ones covering the personal details of one’s life. We learned from the 1,800 minutes of unprecedented access that the President only sleeps four hours per night and that he starts each day without participating in what many consider “the most important meal of the day.”   What would we find out about each other if cameras were allowed to follow us around for a day and a half? Are you getting enough sleep? Is breakfast part of your routine? Are you snacking on M&M’s all day? Is your energy buoyed by caffeinated drinks or protein smoothies? Would the cameras show you spending any time exercising or would they reveal that you have an extra strong relationship with your phone? If you shudder at the thought of what the cameras would reveal, then perhaps now is a great time to turn the spotlight on your daily routine. Read More

Recently, I brought a contractor into my home to redo the “under the cabinet” lighting in my kitchen. While he was rewiring and reinstalling, it was the perfect opportunity to switch out the old halogen light bulbs for LED replacements. Well over a decade ago, halogen lighting was the big thing and was considered a much better option than traditional incandescent bulbs. Now, almost 20 years later, LED is definitely the way to go. I wasn’t surprised by the higher cost of the bulbs...we have heard a lot about that in the news over the past several years. What did come as a revelation was the many options that LED lighting affords you. I never imagined that I could have color-changing lights in my kitchen! My contractor’s enthusiasm was contagious as he demonstrated how I could bathe my kitchen in green light for St. Patrick’s Day, red for Valentine’s and Christmas, and blue when I want to create a spa-like atmosphere in my home! As if the kaleidoscope of colors wasn’t enough, the light from the LED bulbs appeared brighter, warmer and crisper. We were also told that our new bulbs come with many benefits - they are low heat which makes them safer, they last way longer (50,000 hours!) and consume far less energy than halogen or incandescents, they produce little to no UV radiation, contain no fragile filaments and have no gases or toxic elements! Are you as surprised as I am that I now know so much about LED light bulbs? The big take-away for me is that it takes 80% less energy to produce the same level of light from my new bulbs! I finally feel like I am doing my part to save the planet.   My recent immersion into the world of lighting got me thinking about my own personal energy and that of my students and clients. As a Health Coach and Qi Gong Instructor, I spend a lot of time talking about ways to increase energy, have more power and strength, working smarter not harder, and finding something that you are passionate about that will light you up. Read More

You have probably heard the phrase “the sky is the limit” many times in your life and you know what it means: “anything is possible - there is no upper limit.” Today is the 75th anniversary of the D-Day invasion by Allied forces of Nazi-occupied Normandy in northern France. As we all well know, this became the turning point of World War II and halted the advance of Adolph Hitler’s Third Reich. The heroes and heroines who fought in this war (and those who worked tirelessly at home to keep our nation productive) are defined as the “Greatest Generation.” They fought tirelessly and bravely to save the world from the most powerful, dangerous and ruthless military war machine ever assembled. The men and women of the Allied Forces knew absolutely no limits that day and in their honor, I think we need to reword the phrase to say: “the sky is NOT the limit.” Read More

July 20th this year marks the 50th anniversary of when the American astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first person to ever walk on the moon. The crew of Apollo 11 lived out President Kennedy’s pledge to “land a man on the moon and return him safely” before the 1960’s came to a close. There is so much we know about the voyage that was successfully completed by Armstrong and his fellow astronauts, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Michael Collins, including the first words that were spoken by Neil Armstrong as he made the first-ever footprints on the lunar surface. But way before “one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” there were many years of baby steps that came first. Armstrong was a naval aviator and test pilot before he joined NASA and became an astronaut and aeronautical engineer. His love of piloting started at a much younger age when he flew with his father when he was only five years old. He actually got his pilot’s license before he even got his driver’s license, earning his student flight certificate on his 16th birthday. He was most proud of earning the rank of Eagle Scout and among the few personal items that he carried with him to the Moon and back in 1969 was his World Scout Badge.The many years of training and hard work that Neil Armstrong did before he boarded Apollo 11 are a great reminder to us all that you cannot skip the small steps and go straight to the moon.   Read More

It really begins to feel like “spring has sprung” when seemingly overnight, everything turns green. The temperatures are finally on the rise, and the many April (and May) showers have left our lawns and landscaping looking lush and green. It is a good time of year to go outside and “take inventory” to see how your trees, shrubs and plants survived the long, cold winter. You may notice that there are a few in need of some TLC. The ones that seem to survive the best are the evergreens. Not only do they remain green throughout the year, they are able to adapt well whether we have had an especially cold, wet or dry season. I recently heard a radio interview between Jimmy Kimmel and Howard Stern. The fact that Howard’s show is on satellite radio is one of the reasons that the interviews are so interesting. When you do not have to break for commercials, you are afforded the opportunity to ask the really deep questions and the conversations are often riveting. One of the things that I learned from this recent interview is that “evergreen” does not always refer to the botanical plant that remains green all year and does not lose its leaves. Jimmy Kimmel was telling Howard how he is able to manage his demanding talk show schedule while raising his young family and running several other businesses including restaurants. He mentioned that he and his staff always have segments prepared and ready to go. These previously recorded comedy sketches are called “evergreens” and like the tree variety by the same name, they are fresh and green and always ready to go. I really love this concept. I once had an extra blog written and ready to be published. Several months ago, I was having a particularly busy week and it was a great comfort (and relief) to know that I had that piece “on ice” and ready to post. The key to the “evergreen” concept, as explained by Jimmy and Howard, is that the segment has to be written in a way that it will be relevant and fresh whenever it is used. What if we applied the evergreen concept to other aspects of our lives? Read More