As we enter the holiday season, it's a good time to talk about healthy eating. About a year ago, I read a terrific letter to the editor that led me to the Web site of the American Heart Association (AHA). In the letter, which appeared in the Record, a newspaper…
I was at a wellness lecture recently on the subject of diabetes. There are 24 million people in the U.S. with the type of diabetes linked to lifestyle. Overweight and inactivity are known as lifestyle factors because they can be impacted by the choices you make—your lifestyle choices, such as…
According to a report I read in the New York Times, the share of Americans who say they would like to lose weight has fallen recently. “The focus has now been on the health aspect, not the cosmetic aspect,” according to a professor of nutrition interviewed for the article. This…
Last year, as part of our corporate wellness program, we bought Fitbits for everyone (for anyone who wanted one, the cost was a $5 donation to charity.) I wrote about it in September in my monthly newsletter and received some great feedback, so I want to share it here as…
More than ever, restaurants are accommodating regarding the dietary needs of their patrons. Gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, and other options appear on many menus. To paraphrase an old Burger King commercial, the theme at most restaurants these days has become, "Special orders don't upset us." Long before these options began to…
Making time for exercise is a big challenge for many people. Whether it's about exercise or anything else, time management is about making time for your priorities. As I've written before, if someone says they don't have time to exercise, I like to challenge them by explaining it's not that…
During a trip to Nashville for a speaking engagement, I was in a gym where each piece of aerobic exercise equipment had its own TV and there were no large screen TVs. Usually those big-screen TVs are blaring, and half the time they are on a channel I find unappealing…
I’ve worked in the insurance business for over 25 years, and one of the best developments during my time in the business has been wellness programs connected to corporate health insurance programs. For me, as a writer and speaker on topics along the wellness spectrum, the marriage of my vocation…
Last week, new healthy eating guidelines were released by the US departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services. The big message was to consume less sugar. Specifically, the recommendation is to limit to 10% the maximum daily calories from added sugars. In addition, less than 10% of calories should…
The following is a guest post by Stacey Marshall. As a child, I was always active. I was into competitive gymnastics for 10 years. I was into track and field, cheerleading, and basketball. I never watched what I ate. Weight loss or weight gain or anything of that nature were…
A bunch of years ago, when my company moved into the office building where we still reside, a number of people began using the stairs to get to our offices on the fifth floor. I had not been a part of that group until returning from a vacation in Positano,…
I received quite a few notes after a recent newsletter article about feeling overwhelmed by the many “rules” about staying healthy, especially healthy eating rules. There are many rules, and there seem to be more each day. It can certainly feel daunting. If you review the “rules” carefully, they don’t…