Do you find yourself getting stressed during the holiday season? This time of year is filled with parties, shopping, spending, entertaining, and a list of other demands that can easily lead to overwhelm. Read More

This is the time of year when many of us are on either the giving or receiving end of a Christmas Cactus...the very popular houseplant that produces colorful, tubular flowers. If you have ever had one, you know that there are instructions that must be carefully followed in order to not kill your cactus. I don’t have the “greenest thumb” so I usually panic when I receive a gift that requires my attention to keep it alive. I even need Alexa to remind me daily to feed my son’s pet fish so I don’t get distracted and miss his feeding time.    The Christmas Cactus directions are very clear: “keep it well lit, have the proper amount of humidity, add fertilizer to assist with growth, and water with care.” These suggestions sound like they were written by a Health Coach! It turns out everything your new plant requires is also just what you need to grow, thrive and bloom!  Read More

Last week, California Highway Patrol (CHiPs) Officers stopped a Tesla Model S car that was being driven by a driver who was sound asleep. According to the police report, after following the sedan for about seven miles and unsuccessfully getting the driver to respond to their lights and sirens, the officers figured that the Tesla's Autopilot Driver Assist System had been engaged. They pulled in front of the car to get it to slow down and safely come to a complete stop in the middle of the highway. Not surprisingly, the officers found the driver asleep and drunk. This whole episode gave a new (literal) meaning to the idiom “asleep at the wheel”.   The phrase was originally intended to mean “failing to attend to one's responsibilities or duties; not doing or paying attention to that which is important or for which one is responsible.”    Can you recall a time when you or someone you love was “asleep at the wheel”?  Read More

Cravings. We all have them. Food cravings are a common response to what we’re going through and can cause the desire to munch on foods we wouldn’t normally eat, such as salty potato chips or sweet chocolate brownies. Studies have shown that cravings for certain foods come from a variety of reasons, including memories, emotions, weather, and stress.  Read More

Thanksgiving is now in our collective rear-view mirrors. It is my favorite holiday for so many reasons, one of which is the fact that it is all about giving thanks, showing gratitude and counting our blessings. The rapper, singer and songwriter Snoop Dog was in the news this week for finally receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame after a successful career that has spanned three decades. His acceptance speech received a lot of attention because after he thanked the important people in his life (his parents, wife, Dr. Dre, Jimmy Kimmel and Quincy Jones), he took the time to thank himself saying:   “Last but not least, I want to thank me for believing in me, I want to thank me for doing all this hard work, I want to thank me for having no days off, I want to thank me for never quitting, I want to thank me for always being a giver and trying to give more than I receive. I want to thank me for trying to do more rights than wrong, I want to thank me for just being me at all times.”  This part of Snoop’s speech made headlines and got people talking about the appropriateness of self-gratitude.  Why does it strike us as unusual and noteworthy when someone thanks himself? Does it seem narcissistic? Is it a humble-brag? Or is it a great reminder of what it takes to be successful? Read More

I very clearly remember the times I spent as a child washing the dinner dishes at my Grandparents’ house. On one such occasion, my grandmother suggested that I use some “elbow grease” to get the baking pan scrubbed clean. I started opening up every one of her kitchen cabinets. She asked me what I was looking for and I replied “I am looking for where you keep the elbow grease.” She laughed so loudly and for the longest time! My grandma had to explain to me that “elbow grease” isn’t a product that comes in a container, it is the amount of effort that you put into getting a job done properly. I have never forgotten that moment and the very important lesson that I learned that day in my Grandmother’s kitchen! I recently heard the wrestler/entertainer John Cena being interviewed on the radio. When he mentioned the title of his new children’s book, I was brought right back to my grandmother’s kitchen. The storybook he wrote all about cartoon car characters is called “Elbow Grease” which is the name of the story’s monster truck and main character. Elbow Grease the truck is determined to prove to his four older and bigger brothers that he can keep up with them. He enters the Demolition Derby and throughout the story, displays his determination and can-do attitude. The little monster truck’s hard work and perseverance show that he is not only able to keep up with the bigger and stronger cars, he also lives up to the meaning behind his name - Elbow Grease. Read More

When you hear the two words “dear diary”, does it conjure up images of teenagers doodling hearts and writing about their latest crushes in a book that comes with a lock and key? Or perhaps you think of Oprah Winfrey who got us all gratitude journaling in the 1990's and has said many times over the years that she made her BFF Gayle King promise that in the event of Oprah’s untimely death, Gayle will immediately destroy all of Lady O’s diaries before they can fall into the wrong hands. It turns out that diaries are good for everyone, not just teenagers and famous talk show hosts. A recently released study supports the idea that there are many benefits of journaling to both our physical and mental health. This is such an important topic that I even had to take a few classes on journaling when I was studying to become a Certified Health Coach!If you are interesting in reducing your stress, clarifying your thoughts and feelings, resolving conflicts, solving problems more effectively and getting to know yourself better, then you are going to want to jump on the journaling bandwagon. Read More

There’s nothing better than crawling into bed after a long day. It’s incredible how rejuvenating a good night’s sleep can be, but for many of us, a restful night isn’t always a guarantee. Read More

A few weeks ago Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary released their list of newly added words. Among them are....generation z, tent city, mocktail, hangry, instagram, airplane mode and my personal favorite - nothing burger. For years I thought that a “nothing burger” was the sandwich that I used to make when I was a teenager and we were out of cold cuts. I used to slather mayonnaise between two pieces of white bread and call it a day. I loved those sandwiches filled with a whole bunch of nothing!   Lately, the words “nothing burger” have been used by both sides of the (political) aisle to describe something that has been over-hyped and has high expectations but turns out to be insignificant, average or absolutely nothing. One of my friends has a very interesting parenting approach with her toddler that has worked out quite well. Instead of over-hyping every little thing that goes wrong, she treats every issue as a nothing burger. Whenever she senses a tantrum coming on, she meets the impending outburst with the phrase “nobody cares, Leo!”Her brilliant strategy works every time. The little guy ends up putting his tantrums on hold as soon as he realizes that no one is listening to his demands. Read More

If you ever need a quick attitude adjustment, just play the song “Happy” written and performed by Pharrell Williams. You’ll be up and on your feet with a huge smile on your face within seconds of hearing the chorus “clap along if you think happiness is the truth, because I’m happy!” I have been using the song this month in my Qi Gong for Breast Health classes and it is perfect for a pre-routine warm-up. It’s been hard to get the catchy lyrics and beat out of my head which is one of the reasons why a recent video of Pharrell performing “Happy” at a children’s hospital fundraiser immediately caught my attention. The video clip features Pharrell’s performance, but he is most definitely not the star of the show. That title belongs to an extremely sweet nine year old girl named Eliana who is a patient at the hospital and was pulled on stage to dance during the song. Her exuberant attitude and lively dance moves impressed the crowd and then she asked Pharrell to hand her the microphone.  Read More