~ wellness, wonder, words ~
This year marked our first spring planting season at our new home.
I was intent on growing herbs and getting a vegetable or two into the ground. So with a deep breath and a huge leap of faith, I kept my ambitions low, stayed focused and started small.
My husband built me two wood boxes and with that, our adventure was underway. …
I’ll admit to feeling a little torn between lovers these days.
It’s a spring thing, you know.
With each passing day, I find myself surrounded by new and ever-growing possibilities. …
In simple terms, our metabolism is the rate at which our bodies utilize calories. The higher our metabolic rate, the faster our bodies expend calories.
Our metabolism may be influenced by a number of variables including our age, gender and genes – factors which may seem completely out of our control. The good news is that there are certain things we can do to help maximize our body’s calorie burning potential and improve our global health.
The strategies I set out in this feature are science-based. To be sure, I know of no magic pill, pouch or bullet that will do for you what exercise and sound dietary choices can. …
The best part about the limited variety of produce found at my neighborhood Safeway is that it requires me to make the occasional trip to Whole Foods. (I say occasional because no matter how narrow a mission I set out on, my grocery bill is anything but lean by the time I walk out the door).
On this particular visit, the first display that caught my attention was a stunning pyramid of blood oranges. California grown and still very much in season, their soft orange skin streaked with red blush appeared like little globes of sunlight beckoning me to take them home. Some neighboring golden beets, freshly pulled from the spring soil, decided to hitch a ride and jumped into my basket too. …
In my last nutrition feature I talked about the importance of sleep and discussed dietary/lifestyle strategies for achieving it. The piece generated some good discussion in the comments section so if you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, be sure to drop by to take advantage of that information as well.
One of the most common concerns I encounter in my nutrition practice is low energy levels and fatigue. Whether it’s difficulty getting out of bed in the morning, the classic afternoon slump, crashing early evening or low energy levels persisting throughout the day, fatigue can strongly impact our work productivity, mood, motivation and the quality of our interactions with others. …
Our youngest stumbled upon his first four-leaf clover when he was barely six years old.
We were getting out of the car and walking across a stretch of indecipherable greens when he looked down and said, “Mommy, look, it’s a four-leaf clover.”
Just like that. …
March has finally arrived and I know that comes as a great relief to many.
Spring buds, longer sunlit days and warmer temperatures on the way to caress those weary winter bones (and not a moment too soon if I’m reading the collective temperament right)….
I’m finding my groove after some time away in the quiet mountains of the Lake Tahoe region.
It’s a strange thing harvesting lemons from your backyard one moment, and then finding yourself at a 9000 foot elevation surrounded by snow the next. Strange as in unfamiliar, but certainly not unwelcome….
I’ve always been mystified by the characterization of weight management as a simple matter of ‘calories in vs. calories out’ – a reductionist approach that leaves plenty unsaid.
Our weight may be influenced by a myriad of factors including metabolism, hormones, medication, sleep patterns and stress. And while none of these factors absolve us of personal responsibility for our health, they may mean that the picture is more complicated than we are often led to believe….
I knew as soon as I unmolded these little hearts that they were ruined.
Rough edges, jagged lines, cracks, crevasses, chips and divots. You name it, they wouldn’t make the cut. I’ve been operating in the blogging world long enough to know this is not what people want to see….