General

It is Spring, with its April showers, May flowers and the refrain Oh my gosh I have to get in shape before summer. I can help. Let’s start with you being more specific: what does “getting in shape” really mean to you? Does it mean losing 5 lbs, or having arms that are more toned? Write down your desired outcome as specifically as you can. Yes, grab a pen and paper – studies show people are more successful when they write down their goals. Then, decide what 3 things you need to be doing consistently by the time Memorial Day comes around to get to this desired outcome. Is it going to the gym 3 days a week? Or drinking 80 ounces of water a […]

Most of us have one body part we dwell on more than others, wishing it could be different. For me, it’s my stomach. I have very little body fat overall, but my tummy sticks out like a 5 year old – unless I get really thin, and then I lose my ass completely! The Star tabloid once mused I was pregnant because a photo of me in a short dress at a premiere showed a protruding abdomen. Nope, just a regular day for Alexandra. Because of 5 surgeries that cut through my abdomen, my belly button looks weird. When I appeared in a magazine in a bikini a couple years ago, one reader commented the photo was retouched because “no one has a bellybutton like […]

Is it best to eat perfectly 80% of the time and splurge 20%? Should there be “cheat days” built into my regimen? Is intermittent fasting better than small meals throughout the day? Must I eat breakfast? Is it OK to eat after 7pm? How you eat is not really the issue. Unfortunately, we get sidetracked by trendy techniques on how to lose weight and get healthy, and we forget the basic truth: the most vital component to your health and weight is what you eat. And here my recommendation is simple: Eat whole foods – beans, fruits, vegetables, nuts, grains. In their whole, simple states. 90% of Americans eat fewer than the US government recommended 5 servings of fruit and vegetables each day. If we […]

Super Healthy People: Balance Selflessness with Selfishness – Studies show that helping others provides an immediate boost to mood levels. However, I spent a lot of time volunteering when I was in my 20s, but I was still unhealthy. Why? Because I had not created proper boundaries and was giving away too much of myself doing things and being ways not authentic to me. When I learned to be more vocal about what I wanted and who I was, my 12 year struggle with bulimia went away. Now, I still volunteer, but I also stay true to myself, which creates a very happy balance. Get Back on the Horse – We all get off track once in a while. However, healthy people get back on […]