Healthy Living

In honor of Declaration-of-Independence Day, I've been thinking about happiness. For me, pursuing happiness has been a marathon. Sometimes I've felt I was running backwards, or crawling, or flat on my face in the mud. And sometimes I make some forward progress. Twenty years ago, facing my fortieth birthday, I decided to make a list of what I was afraid of in my life and figure out how to improve those situations. The birthday gift I craved was freedom from fear. I'd coped with depression for years and I wanted a break from the anxieties that led so easily to discouragement and then to ... Read Full Story

I was a veteran dieter by high school, anemic from crash dieting and frustrated that my naturally sturdy frame seemed shameful in that era of the idolization of Twiggy. Five thousand or so diets later, I gave up on trying to be skinny and compromised on working to be medium-sized and healthy. These were reachable goals. But the heritage of self-condemnation and nervousness around food caused by decades of dieting has been slow to heal, so I was thrilled to discover The Slow Down Diet: Eating for Pleasure, Energy, and Weight Loss by Marc David in a bookstore a few years ago. It was ... Read Full Story

So, I decided that we'd take a look at something that is hitting home for a lot of people right now. With the economy in chaos and businesses in increasingly difficult situations, more and more Americans are finding themselves out of work. This can be a very stressful situation, especially around the holidays. I'd like to go over a few things that can help you prepare for the possibility of a job loss, and the options you have after. We'll also take a look at things that you can do to keep your sanity after losing your job. Preparing for the possibility: The worst ... Read Full Story

As I was sitting on the couch this morning with my Rottweiler on my lap watching CBS Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood , I realized two things. First, I realized that I have a hundred and twenty pound lap dog. Second, I realized the importance of balance in my life. You see, I love CBS Sunday Morning. I have for years... I'm not really sure if it was my Grandparents or my parents that I watched it with as a kid, but I know that my parents still watch it to this day. The reason I love the show is that it's the only news program during the ... Read Full Story

Only 30 percent of Quebec elementary school children walk to school, and of those who do, eighty per cent live less that 600 meter (less than half a mile,) a new Quebec study suggests. Paul Lewis, professor of urbanism at the University of Montreal's school of urban studies, led the research group, which interview parents of 1495 children attending 67 schools in central areas and suburbs of Montreal and Trois-Rivières. The difference with the results of a similar study done in 1971 are striking. Then 80 per cent of kids aged 7 and 8 walked to school. Among the reasons for the big change, ... Read Full Story