General

I read a lot about health, how to improve our lives and the psychology of change. I wanted to share with you some of these resources, in case you are interested in learning more about how to be healthier and happier. My favorite video series on diet & health: I get a free short video every morning from Dr Michael Greger at www.NutritionFacts.org. If you have some time, definitely watch his longer Nutrition Year in Review videos for the last 4 years. Dr Greger’s voice is a little irritating, but I forgive him for it because I respect his brain so much. Some very inspiring books about how to cultivate good habits: The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg This Year I Will by MJ […]

One of the biggest reasons why people do not exercise is lack of time. I empathize. Kids, full time job, responsibilities around the home – all these are overwhelming. So how can we fit exercise in? I often multitask when it comes to exercise. Not only does it make working out more enjoyable, but it allows me to get other things done. When I ride the stationary bike, I read things I might not normally read for fun, like non fiction books and political articles. I get educated in the process of strengthening my heart! If you tend to watch tv in the evenings, why not see your favorite shows while on a treadmill or doing floor exercises? When I have a conference call, I […]

Who and what we surround ourselves with shapes our life. A study showed you had a 171% greater chance gaining weight if your friends were fat. This may be partly because of social norms (there is less social pressure to lose weight if people around you are heavy), because of lifestyle (we might adopt the habits from our friends that lead us to gain weight too) and perhaps because your microbiome becomes similar if you hang around someone a lot, and microbiomes have been shown to correlate with weight. Moods are contagious too. Have you ever found that when you are around negative or gossipy people you become that way too – you don’t even see it at first, but one day you hear yourself […]

Each summer, I help my husband Ian with ocean swim training for triathletes participating in the Malibu Triathlon. I know, having been one, that what occurs with most triathletes is a metaphor for what we all do in real life: since a triathlon consists of swim, bike and run, triathletes tend to train most in their 2 best sports, conveniently forgetting their least favorite one. They will undoubtedly get through their race just fine, but not nearly as well as if they had concentrated on their weakness. In life, we can slide by ignoring a few bad habits if we have more good habits, but we miss out on a real opportunity to grow this way. I was a case in point, even as a […]