​            Hello everyone!  I have had mindfulness at the forefront my mind lately, specifically in relation to food.  I noticed after the holidays, I was being less mindful about what I was eating.  I was making pretty good food choices, but not listening to the internal cues as to when enough is enough, regardless of how much might be left on my plate. It brought me back to when I was in yoga teacher training, when we were asked to take part in what were called yogi meals.
 
            Yogi meals are a way to practice mindfulness while you are enjoying a meal.  It’s an opportunity to really pay attention to how the food looks, tastes, smells and how it makes you feel.  It’s also a way to practice portion control while being able to fully enjoy each bite.  Lastly, it is a way to remind you that you need to slow down and enjoy the moment, and feel gratitude for what you have before you.

​            Hi everyone!  I hope you are enjoying the beauty of our first major snow storm, and that you are staying toasty.  I’m writing this week to talk a bit about goal setting.  This is something that is a cornerstone in health coaching.  I hope it can keep you from feeling discouraged if you struggle with aiming high, and falling short in the long run.
 
            In my work with my clients, this is a big focus.  I want to be sure they do not feel defeated within weeks of getting started.  It’s good to keep in mind these five words when setting goals.  Your goals should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.  Another important thing to realize is that a coach does not set these goals for you, you set them for yourself in a way that inspires you, rather than weighs on you.

​Hello everyone! How are all the New Year’s resolutions going?  If the answer is, not well, you are certainly not alone.  Sometimes we think we need to make major changes, but maybe a few smaller ones might be a better idea.
 
            I worked with a client who was frustrated that he had made strides with eating better, but the workouts were non existent.  When I asked why, he said he found it boring, and hard to make a commitment to it.  He was, however, a very social guy, and he loved tennis but never made time for it.  Combining the two, he made the realization if he met with his 3 buddies for a game twice a week, he felt that was more motivating.  He ended up being more consistent knowing his friends were involved and they could get in a good workout while enjoying each other’s company.  After a few weeks, he decided to ask another friend to go biking on the bike trails once a week.  It’a win win if you can do what you like with people who you like to be around socially.  It takes away the drudgery of say, a treadmill, and you get a chance to catch up with the people you enjoy. So, if you thrive on time with friends, try combining the two so exercise will feel like something you look forward to, instead of something you dread.
 
            Just a thought for all you social butterflies out there, grab a friend to make your workout more fun, and maybe even something to look forward to.  Also, it’s easy to skip a workout if you do it on your own.  But if you know your friend will be waiting for you,  you’ll be less likely to skip it.  

    ​When coaching my clients in the Boston area, I worked with busy professionals whose schedules were jam packed, leaving them little down time.  Even when they walked in the door at home, a new set of responsibilities would be there to greet them.  They would lament how stress was an inescapable part of life.  The question was, how can peace be found in a world with seemingly endless demands?
 
        We all know how stress can railroad us into endless thought patterns, that prevent us from finding times of peace.  The idea of calm in the storm can feel like something only a Buddhist monk can achieve.  The truth is, this is a practice not an elusive moment that always feels beyond your grasp. 
 
            Vispassana meditation is the practice of having pointed attention on the breath.  The translation means insight.  There are 10 day retreats which can teach this method in its entirety.  Most of us will, most likely, not have the time or dedication to do this.  However, there are basic practices that can fit into even the busiest schedules. 
 
            Try to find a place this is quiet and without interruptions.  This might be in your parked car with your cell phone silenced, or a quiet corner of your home.  All you need is quiet and patience, and no attachment to outcomes. Just sit comfortably, close your eyes, and pay attention only to the inhale and exhale of your breath.  When you notice your mind wandering, bring yourself back to the breath.  Even a 5 minute practice can leave you feeling more harmony from within.  Paying attention to the moment you are in takes patience, but its benefits are immeasurable.  Life is a gift, and sometimes we move too fast to even notice that it is also fleeting, and this moment we are in is our only guarantee.  Use a few of these moments to allow your mind to calm, and to appreciate the moment you are experiencing.
 
            To learn more about vispassana meditation, check out a book by William Hart called, The Art of  Living -Vispassana Meditation as taught by S.N. Goenka.  I hope you will find peace in it, as my clients and I have.  Namaste.

 
       Hi everyone! I hope you had a peaceful holiday.  After enjoying all the delicious sweet treats and meals, you may be starting to consider how you can get healthier in the coming year.As a health coach, I help people find solutions to challenging issues in trying to become a healthier version of themselves.  So, I’d like to explain a bit about how the process works. 
 
            First off, we focus on you exploring various areas of your life, that come together to paint a picture of how to uncover a healthier you.  This encompasses much more than how much you eat and exercise, or what goes on your plate.  Many of those decisions hinge on how fulfilled your are in all areas of your life.  We will investigate this and ultimately each plan gradually unfolds, as you examine how satisfied you are, and in what areas you can find room for improvement.

​In our never-ending pursuit of the smoothest, tautest, brightest and clearest skin, there’s always room for a little niacinamide. It’s one of those much-buzzed-about super ingredients (like vitamin C, hyaluronic acid and salicylic acid) that transforms your skincare regimen into a proactive defense against signs of aging. Think of it like the age-old adage: if the best defense is a good offense, niacinamide is your power forward.

Niacinamide is a form of Vitamin B3. When applied topically, it can produce noticeable results that range from more resilient skin to a reduction in dark spots, as well as tempered oil production. Read on to learn the benefits of niacinamide, how to use it most effectively, and the best niacinamide products for experiencing these anti-aging perks.

The Benefits of Using Niacinamide1. Boosts barrier functions: Niacinamide improves skin’s core barrier function, which is to lock moisture inside, according to a study published in 2005. This effect also helps to prevent outside irritants from wreaking havoc on your skin.
2. Decreases the appearance of pores: Niacinamide can make the pores appear smaller, thus improving the surface texture and clarity of the skin.
3. Increases skin resilience: Niacinamide makes skin more buoyant and durable by boosting keratin production, which improves your skin’s firmness and ability to heal.
4. Controls oil production: Niacinamide can help regulate overproductive sebum glands and tone one’s overall complexion.
5. Reduces inflammation: Niacinamide has been proven to calm extreme cases of inflammation, as with severe acne or eczema.
6. Brighten complexion: Niacinamide can help reduce dark spots. High concentrations of niacinamide can also reduce stubborn sunspots and hyperpigmentation. (You’ll typically find these results in formulas that include over 5 percent of the ingredient.)
7. Universal application: Niacinamide works on all skin types. It also works alongside almost all other active skincare ingredients, too (even the volatile vitamin C), making it an easy addition to your regimen.

By Brittany Burhop Fallon, Beauty Director · Jan 28, 2021
Ask a skin-care expert to name their favorite ingredient (aside from SPF), and nine times out of 10 you’ll hear retinoids. The praise stems from more than 30 years of research and clinical trials demonstrating the active’s seemingly endless benefits for healthier, more youthful skin. “Like a Chanel purse, I don’t think retinoids will ever go out of style,” says Hamden, CT dermatologist Mona Gohara, MD. “They are the original, and thus far the most effective collagen builders we have in our cosmetic armamentarium.”
The Two Types“When we talk about retinol and retinoids, what the skin is actually using is retinoic acid,” explains New York dermatologist Dendy Engelman, MD, noting that all retinoids are derivatives of potent antioxidant vitamin A. “Retinoic acid is extremely effective at communicating with the skin’s cells—it has the ability to connect to almost any skin cell receptor site and tell it to behave like a healthy, younger skin cell. Prescription retinoids contain retinoic acid, whereas over-the-counter topicals contain retinol, which converts to retinoic acid in the skin.”

 by Erin Madigan-Fleck NMD
A better breakfast, It is a general consensus among nutritionists that breakfast should represent a collection of core nutrients that supply the body “fuel” to seize the day. For many, breakfast is an afterthought or simply a snack on-the-run laden with calories, fats and sugar. Many multi-tasking individuals gravitate towards eating the same foods over and over – citing convenience as the reason for their choices.
Nutrient deficits will eventually lead to imbalances or nutrient deficiencies and inadvertently may impact the skin.  Most functional nutritional programs focus on the balanced benefits from foods and emphasize nutrient density. The ANDI score system ranks the nutrient value of foods on the basis of how many nutrients are delivered to your body for each calorie consumed. ANDI scores scan thirty-four important nutritional parameters and foods are ranked on a scale of 1-1000, with the most nutrient-dense cruciferous, leafy green, vegetables scoring the highest.

Your body and your skin deserve the best, and putting more emphasis on breakfast is a great start to getting more glow. Nutritional and dermatological research has demonstrated that specific and key nutrients are required to ensure the physiological functioning and overall health of the skin.

Proteins at Breakfast For Healthy Skin
Protein is great at breakfast for healthy skin. One-third of the protein content in the body is made up of collagen, which is the major fibrous protein found in the extracellular matrix and connective tissue of the skin. Collagen is formed by the triple helix of amino acids – glycine, proline, and hydroxyproline – and, along with keratin and elastin, give the skin its strength. Amino acids are essential for both dermal and epidermal structures and produce the extracellular proteins and enzymes needed for the synthesis of the epidermal barrier.

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