It's been a rough few months for me. My husband's dad died. Then my dog died. Then my dad died. And then my husband broke his back. Yup. All since October.

I am not telling you this to gain sympathy.

I am telling you this because I know, personally, how hard it is sometimes to keep focused on self-care when our world is falling apart and we are busy taking care of all of those around us. 

When starting to meditate, it doesn’t matter if you meditate for a minute or for an hour; just that you take the time to commit in whatever way you can to this beautiful practice. For my clients that are new to meditation, I recommend they start by simply sitting comfortably in a quiet place and breathing deeply in and out for a minute. Rather than thinking about their to-do lists, I have them just focus on the words “IN” and “OUT” as they breathe in and out. That’s it!

That's what I used to say to myself every year on November 1st.
It usually started with me wanting to innocently sample a piece or two of my kids' halloween candy, but it usually ended with a pile of wrappers, a dizzy spell, and a friggen "don't come near me or I will be forced to hurt you" sign emblazoned on my forehead. It was the one day of the year that I would become a full blown screamingWicked Witch of the Metrowest!  

I had been meditating on and off for a few years when my husband finally agreed to try joining me for a session. Deepak Chopra and Oprah's latest 21-day Challenge was about to start and I casually implied that it might be fun to experience it together. Once I got past the shock of his acceptance, I was almost giddy with excitement. The student was ready, but could the teacher deliver?  I knew the best I could do was bring him to the water and then it was truly up to him to take the drink.  So we began. Three days after we started, I was out of town for a girls' weekend, and was floored when he called me to make sure I wasn't falling behind in the challenge. The rest is history.

When it’s dark and cold outside, would you rather head out for an after dinner walk or curl up with a good book and a glass of wine by the fire? Truth is, that as the leaves start changing, we start getting ready for hibernation and slowing down. Sadly, small changes in activity can add up to big differences in our bodies over the course of the winter. Before you reach for the flowy sweaters and baggy sweat pants, however, check out these tips to help you avoid packing on the extra pounds this winter!

You see, I was getting into my pajamas and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Unlike the old days when a weekend of indulgence only tightened my rings and my jeans, these days the infractions are almost instantly imprinted onto my hips, belly, and thighs. I kind of gasped at my reflection which caused my husband to turn around and look. He saw what I saw only worse because I was frozen in an awkward, highly unattractive pose that highlighted my altered state. "Put on a few?" he innocently asked. And of course, like any intelligent woman, I could read between the lines and know what he really meant was that I LOOKED FAT!!!  

Today is my birthday. I love my birthday. Ever since I was a little girl I counted down the days. The hours. The minutes.  My mom was great with birthdays. Favorite dinner. A nice gift. Extra hugs. And MOST important to me - a Birthday Cake!!

Just in time for swimsuit season, another “cleanse” diet book has been hovering near the top of the best-seller list. This one, called the “10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse” promises to help you “lose up to 15 Pounds in 10 Days!” So it’s no wonder that it is selling better than the Green Smoothie Bible, the Detox Diet, or the 3 Day Juice Cleanse, all published within the past six months.

When you’re on the run—whether you’re doing errands, going to work, or managing family responsibilities—it’s not uncommon to put all thoughts of healthy eating on the backburner. A candy bar can’t possibly hurt, right? Wrong. To live a healthy lifestyle, you need to create good eating habits.

Today I woke up 5 pounds thinner.  At least, in my mind, I did. I didn't get on the scale. I didn't scrutinize my peri-menopausal pooch in the mirror to see if it had changed shape since yesterday. And, I didn't try on the old jeans in the back of the closet. I woke up 5 pounds thinner because I wanted to remember why I liked being that weight and I was wondering if it was worth the effort to get back there. This is what happened:

Did you know that today, the average American consumes 2-3 pounds of sugar each week? Sugar is added to so many foods that we would never suspect like ketchup, bread, and even some peanut butter. Not only can too much sugar cause weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, impaired immune function, and a whole bunch of other chronic diseases BUT…it can also put you in a VERY BAD MOOD. Once you start making the “Food-Mood” connection, saying no is simple. It’s not that I can’t have it, I JUST DON’T WANT IT!

Don't beat yourself up if you've eaten too much recently. Now is the perfect opportunity to try again, equipped with a new useful tool. Practicing mindful eating can help you avoid the typical holiday weight gain (and the guilt that often follows), but to do it well it does take "training," just as with anything else.