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Three ways to practice and express gratitude inspired by Sonja Lyubomirsky's book The How of Happiness.

Instead of focusing on our circumstances, Lyubomirsky’s research shows that we should focus on our behaviors.

What does it mean to be "outdoorsy"? I used to worry that it had to be something more—something bigger, than what I could accomplish. I carried with me this unspoken expectation of what it meant: the right gear, peak fitness, dramatic mountain vistas. Not just me in old sneakers walking the trails behind my house. That definitely didn't feel outdoorsy. But that's exactly why I love the Nordic concept of friluftsliv and I'm so drawn to understanding friluftsliv more fully. F

Exploring the concept of Friluftsliv, outdoor living, in the city.

Friluftsliv translates into outdoor living. Learn more about its benefits and how to incorporate it into your every day life.

In honor of the Nobel Prize, explore how Walter Hess' research on stress and cortisol impacts our health and how exercise helps manage it.

“Your purpose in life is to find your purpose and give your whole heart and soul to it.” ― Buddha What is going on with my body? This was a question I seemed to ask myself everyday for the past couple of years. As you hit a certain age your life seems to start to change quickly (again) and I am wondering if finding your new purpose in a changing world may be the key to unlocking your motivation. Getting lost on my way into middle age As I enter middle age, or maybe at this

What I'm reading this November: Anti-Inflammatory Diet Solution by Professor Stig Bengmark (2022) and Food Pharmacy by Lina Nertby Aurell and Mia Clase (2016) Inflammation literally means on fire. It is a topic that is hotly debated and written about today as a cause of many of our biggest health concerns; cardiovascular diseases, Alzheimers disease and even cancer. I read the book Food Pharmacy a few years ago (it came out in 2016) and when I saw that Professor Stig Bengmar

DC Capital Striders https://www.dccapitalstriders.com/ DC Road Runners https://www.dcroadrunners.org/ DC Running Collective https://www.districtrunningcollective.com/ Washington Running Club https://www.facebook.com/groups/18989979204 Montgomery County Road Runners https://mcrrc.org/ Kensington Park Run https://www.parkrun.us/kensington/ Silver Spring Run Club https://www.silverspringrunclub.org/ Kensington Running Club Meetup https://www.meetup.com/Kensington-Running-Club-Me

Exploring Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis To Reach Your Exercise Goals And Live a Healthier Lifestyle. According to the CDC adults should aim to get 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week and add muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days. This may not seem too unreasonable but according to the CDC barely 24 percent of adults over the age of 18 met the guidelines for both aerobic and muscle-strength activities in 2020. Many of us think of exercise a

How much control do you have over your own lifestyle choices?

Did you know that most of our body's immune system is in the gut? I didn't either, but it changes how I think about both my gut and my immune system. Let me share how. Research has established that our immune system is mostly in our gut, in the lining and walls of our intestines. (See the bottom of this blog for specific references.) When we eat foods that our body doesn’t recognize, such as ultra processed foods or foods with additives, there is a lot of wear and tear in o

We hear a lot about antioxidants and we know that they are supposed to be good for us. But do you know why and how they can help you age well? Let's dig a little deeper into this compound. I actually don’t like the term anti-aging. Aging is a natural part of living and changing. What I mean by anti-aging is aging without the aches and pains we so often associate with aging. One reason for these ailments is inflammation in our bodies that cause a whole range of “itis” illn

Welcome to my personal blog where I share my own health journey; the ups and downs and the good and the bad. A scene from the Åland...

I am not a breakfast lover. I don't wake up hungry and excited about cooking up a nutritious breakfast. I am more of a "coffee and more coffee now" kind of girl. But as I have been working on my health coaching certifications I have learned that breakfast is an important meal, especially for kids and for everyone who is getting ready for a busy day. Breakfast helps fuel our days, setting us up for success at school and work. Research also shows that eating breakfast great

Why a wellness vision is a great first step in setting up health goals for the new year and hitting the mark. Have you noticed that there is often a gap between what we want to do and what we actually do? You have every intention of exercising more, eating less and reading more, but when it comes to actually doing it you may fall short. The result may be that you blame yourself. If you only had tried harder, stuck to the program, weren't so lazy or had more motivation. We

Have you ever found yourself mindlessly grabbing a bag of snacks and just eating? What about finishing off that big plate of chocolate chip cookies or going back to get more treats without even realizing it? I have. Many times. And every time I ask myself, why am I eating this? Don't be so hard on yourself, there are bigger forces at play here. Let's explore! Too much information? It is said that as consumers we need information to make educated choices. But when it comes

We see the prompt “eat real food” everywhere. Hey, it is my first pillar of health as well : “Enjoy Real Food”. But what does it mean? With all the advice on food and diets out there it is easy to get confused. Real food, to me basically, means non-processed foods. Think of foods that come straight from nature or the farm to you. Real foods are not altered or processed in a factory. To make things a little more complicated, not all processed foods are bad . Humans have al