You've been considering "getting healthier" because the last time you walked up the stairs, you were huffing and out of breath by the top.  And everyone else passed you by in the meantime.

But now, it's midnight and you've been cramming to get that last report done for the big presentation tomorrow.  You're not really hungry, but you deserve a reward for working so hard.  So...you grab a bag of chocolate chip cookies and a glass of milk.  After the fourth or fifth cookie, the guilt starts to set in.  Not again!

As with any change of habit, getting started with - and maintaining - a healthy lifestyle proves really challenging for many people. It’s understandable if you find it exceptionally difficult to cut ice cream treats to only twice a month if you’ve been indulging in it almost every day.

One key thing to remember is to work on improvements gradually. The best and most significant changes you can make will take time. Don’t rush...

Picture this: a busy working mom, a harried dad in the office, and a hungry kid craving for mac and cheese. The easiest choice would of course be, sadly, instant mac and cheese. Mashed potatoes? Canned chicken noodle soup? Almost everything is available in an instant. Child bored at home? A smartphone, the latest games, and WiFi would be the easiest solution.

Happy child, happy parents, right?

Let’s face it: The rise of technology and the digital age have brought so much convenience to humans - and along with them, a number of negative health habits. Food choices have become more “convenient” as almost every kind of edible stuff comes in packages and is labeled as “instant.” Add to that the fact that kids these days are more often seen holding gadgets and smartphones than actual toys or books, or running and playing with other kids outside.

It All Starts In the Home

When I was 7 or 8 years old, I remember one Saturday morning as I was watching...

Fact or fiction:  It’s possible to lose weight, curve cravings, boost immunity, and, perhaps, help you live longer…all without changing whatyou eat. 

You may be pleasantly surprised to know it’s FACT.  It’s called intermittent fasting.  And the key change is when you eat.

Intermittent fasting, which means fasting discontinuously or sporadically, has become mainstream due to its achievable requirements and moderate restrictions. Now a popularly known form of diet, it requires programmed periods of fasting – not entirely withholding yourself from any caloric intake, but simply limiting it on some days of the week or some hours during the day.

Different Forms of Intermittent Fasting

The most commonly practiced form of intermittent fasting is what Dr. Michael Mosley (author of The Fast Diet: Lose Weight, Stay Healthy, and Live Longer with the Simple Secret of Intermittent Fasting) calls the “5:2 plan.” Under this diet...

Vitamin D is Critical, Yet Overlooked 

• Decreased adrenal function
• Decreased immunity - the "I catch everything going around" person
• Depression and anxiety
• Poor wound healing
• Increased allergies and systemic inflammation
• Increased risk of high...

A week or so into the New Year - perhaps you, as many others, have made resolutions, despite the fact that over 50% of people will abandon them by February. As an example, consistent gym rats tend to avoid the gym during peak hours for these first few weeks as machines, classes, and pools are flooded with those who have made exercise resolutions. They know that by March, the wannabes will have weeded themselves out and the gym will be back to normal.

Instead of making sweeping, global changes that are unrealistic, let’s look at four aspects of our lives that make the biggest difference in our health, appearance, and happiness. Small, consistent changes in any of these will help us move closer to the optimal version of ourselves that causes us to make resolutions in the first place: What we eat, how we move, what we do day to day, and how we grow spiritually.

In simple terms, Eat Well, Move More, Live Wisely, and Love Divinely.

Before I go into any detail, I want to say that...

When you look in the mirror each morning - before your makeup, no cheating! - can you honestly say your skin is glowing? During the day, if you happen to brush against your face or arms, do you enjoy how smooth and soft they are? Is the skin on your arms and legs well-hydrated, even without heavy-duty moisturizers?

If your skin is healthy and you can say yes to all, read no more. If you have room for improvement though, like most of us, here are some (mostly!) easy and fun-to-incorporate tips for recapturing the glowing skin of your childhood.

Determine Your Skin Type

You’ve probably got a good idea already what type skin you have, but be aware that it may be different in different areas (face vs legs, for instance) and different seasons such as winter vs summer. This part is pretty simple: Is the area of concern too dry/scaly, oily/blemish-prone, or variable?  

Excess? Get More of the Opposite

Now that you know what your skin type is, let’s figure out how to get it...

Have you ever noticed how many holidays in different religions and cultures happen during the winter? Whether it’s Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Chinese New Year, or the Winter Solstice, chances are that you are preparing to celebrate and gather with loved ones over the coming months.

While being with friends and family can be fun and fulfilling, the opposite can be just as true. Here's a list of FIVE actions that can kill your holiday bliss and what to do instead: 

1. Big Meals and Binge Eating

Yes, that juicy apple pie with the flaky crust tastes as succulent as it looks.... so does the ham, the mashed potatoes, the baked chicken, the cranberry sauce, the mac & cheese, the dinner rolls, and the sparkling cider. We know you've spent hours in the kitchen churning out a feast and you rightfully deserve to splurge, but from a digestive perspective, unless you're an Olympic swimmer, your body isn't prepared to eat 4,000 calories in one sitting. 

It may take days or...

Vegetarian | Pescatarian Overview 

Is there a stark difference between vegan and vegetarian? What's pescatarian and where does that fit into the mix? Vegetarians typically eat what vegans do in addition to eggs and dairy. Pescatarians add fish to the vegetarian palate. We'll look at more notable differences in these diets and how they compare overall. 

Cost of a Vegetarian/Pescatarian Diet

Quality eggs and dairy are excellent sources of protein. If these are going to be the staple of your dietary protein, you need to make sure they are beneficial to your body. Although free-range eggs and grass-fed milk are typically more expensive, their cost isn't exorbitantly high. In comparison to buying red meat and poultry for a family of four, eggs and dairy may be a pennywise option. In addition, the bulk section is still chalked full of plant-based protein selections.  

A similar approach can be taken for pescatarians. Wild-caught fish over farm raise may be...

Vegan | Plant-based Overview

No meat? No cheese? No eggs? …No fun? Not exactly. Before we dive too far into any particular diet, we’re going to need to check our pre-conceived notions at the door. Every nutritional lifestyle comes with its own reputation, whether good or bad. My job is to introduce you to the most unbiased version of each.

Vegan diets consist of eating only plant-based foods and avoiding foods from animals or animal by-products. Some people have a moral conscience against eating animals, while others simply can't digest meat, dairy, and eggs easily. Instead of the latter, vegans opt for fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and seeds.

Cost of a Vegan Diet

The criticism against veganism comes from two corners: "It’s only for rich people"; "You’ll become protein deficient." Our focus for this section is the prior. It’s not only for rich people. Taking into consideration that meat was historically reserved as a...

There’s more than one way to skin a potato. That’s not the saying, but you understand the meaning. So why don’t we take the same approach when discussing nutritional lifestyles? We’ll be taking an in-depth look at four dietary plans, their benefits, drawbacks, and how they rank according to what's most important to you.

Throughout the week, we’ll spotlight each of these nutritional profiles:

Vegan/ Plant-based

Vegetarian/ Pescatarian

Paleo

                                         
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