It’s been almost 5 1/2 years since my beloved husband died suddenly of a heart attack.  Over the years since our painful parting I have taken what seemed like a bi-zillion baby steps moving through all the stages of grief and letting go.

Recently I bumped up against the biggest challenge of all, our beautiful house.

I recently woke up in the middle of the night and after some introspection realized it’s finally time to let go of the house and really move on for good.

Letting Go Of My Cozy Abode

It’s not so much that I didn’t want to let go of our cozy abode.  It’s just I didn’t want to invest the time in cleaning out the attic, the garage and the zillion of boxes of clippings, books and mementos.  Plus getting the house ready to show, sell and move out of.  UGH.  Too many little details. (more…)

Science Revealing Obscure Benefits Of Obscure Food Group

Mushrooms, long a popular food group, has reached new levels of popularity as a result of being hailed by some physicians as offering powerful health benefits.

Dr. Marvin Hausman, M.D., the CEO of Total Nutraceutical Solutions, is such a forerunner in the medical science of mushrooms, that his industry has organically labeled him with the nickname “Dr. Mushroom.”

(Image of mushroom from Haap Media, LTD – All Rights Reserved)

Mushrooms are being hailed as a new way to treat some forms of cancer or other immune-dysfunction diseases.

The venerable Dr. Mushroom has expertise and knowledge of some of most exciting breakthroughs in medical science that can be attributed to the rather underestimated ‘shroom.’ (more…)

Often the changing of the seasons can usher in scalp and strand problems.  Once common problem is dry scalps which can result in itchiness, flaking and other issues such as limp or misbehaving tresses.

When the scalp is stressed the rest of the hair will suffer as a result.  It’s like having a crumbling foundation of a house.  No matter how great the rest of the house if, it the foundation collapses you know the rest of the story.

(Image of naturally curly model – Barbara Lhotan – All Rights Reserved – HairBoutique.com and Barbara Lhotan)

Natural Curls, Waves & Kinks Often Have Dry Scalp Challenges

Although all types of textures of hair can experience dry scalps, those with natural textures such as waves, curls and coils may have more challenges with a dry scalp from time to time because of the natural shape of their hair and the way moisture is naturally lost from their tresses.

Combat Dry Scalps Both Internally And Externally

You can combat dry scalps both externally and internally.  If you want to approach a dry scalp from a holistic viewpoint, you may want to design a program which combines both internal as well as external treatments. (more…)

Clover FOR^TM Announces the Launch of The Lunch Bunch!

Glendale, CA (July, 2010) – What do you get when you mix a foodie mom with 40 hungry preschoolers? The Lunch Bunch!

In 2008, Kelly Anderson, founder of Clover Public Relations Inc., decided to pursue a dream of hers: to attend culinary school.

She soon became a Certified Culinarian and began testing recipes for her daughter’s preschool in her spare time.

The other parents discovered that their kids were actually eating their vegetables and asked Kelly to develop a lunch program that would create healthy and tasty recipes for them.Delicious mini pizzas. (more…)

BRAVO WORKS IT OUT WITH NEW DOCU-SERIES, “THINTERVENTION WITH JACKIE WARNER” PREMIERING MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6 AT 10 P.M. ET/PT

NEW YORK – Bravo announces the series premiere of “Thintervention with Jackie Warner,” an emotional and lifestyle changing new docu-series inspired by renowned fitness expert Jackie Warner’s mission to change lives through healthy habits. “Thintervention with Jackie Warner” premieres Monday, September 6 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo.

(Image of Jackie Warner – Bravo/TV – All Rights Reserved)

In “Thintervention,” Warner of the Bravo series “Work Out” will do what she does best – kick butt and inspire drastic lifestyle changes for her overweight clients who are struggling to lose weight and get healthy for good.

Warner will push them to their limit at her gym and inspire them with intense workouts at amazing locations. Not sent to a weight loss camp or facility, instead Warner works with them in their real lives surrounded by the everyday distractions and stresses of family and work, making the chances for long-term success greater. (more…)

Raven Tyshanna Goodwin (born June 24, 1992 in Washington, D.C.) plays the soulful Becca on ABC Family’s Huge.

The series itself is hilarious, heart breaking, poignant, joyful and sad.  It is well-written and gives lots of great insights into the lives of teens dealing with obesity at a summer camp.

(Image of Raven Goodwin as Becca on Huge – ABC Family – All Rights Reserved)

Raven’s portrayal of the painfully shy Becca is haunting.  Her expressive eyes telegraph her inner turmoil, emotional pain and sense of self while she transforms into her own person right in front of our eyes.

Becca is Willamina’s (“Will”) camp sidekick and best friend which is not easy.  Will, played by the talented Nikki Blonsky is sardonic and opinionated.  The camp troublemaker, Will resents being sent to fat camp by her parents. She thinks “fat camp” teaches campers to hate their bodies.  Rather than hate her extra weight, she’d rather embrace it. (more…)

Research has shown that taking a mixture of Vitamin B taken on a consistent basis can halt a common type of vision loss that occurs in older people.

Macular degeneration is thought to effect over 2 million people in the United States, especially over the age of 50.

(Image from Haap Media Ltd – All Rights Reserved)

Although some macular dystrophies affecting younger individuals are sometimes referred to as macular degeneration, the term generally refers to age-related macular degeneration (AMD or ARMD).

Folic Acid Plus Vitamins B-6 And B-12

Researchers at Brigham And Women’s Hospital in Boston discovered that people who took folic acid and vitamins B-6 and B-12 were able to reduce their risk of macular degeneration by approximately a third.

Macular degeneration manifests as blurred vision which makes it difficult to read, drive and even recognize faces. (more…)

Although Geneen Roth, author of, “Women, Food, and God,”is Oprah’s new non-dieting weight guru, I’ve been familiar with her theories and previous books for many years.

Yes, I think Geneen Roth has important information to share, but like a lot of self-help gurus I personally believe her philosophies about food addictions and related behaviors is somewhat oversimplified.  While I applaud the fact her latest book is being embraced by Oprah, I don’t believe it is the ultimate weight management miracle Oprah has proclaimed it to be.

Who am I to say this?  I am a woman who has struggled with food since I was 10 years old and my Irish farmer genetics kicked in.  By the time I was 18 years old I had binged, starved, exercised and diuretic overdosed myself into oblivion living through constantly revolving thin and fat periods.

It wasn’t until I had suffered the agonies many other food addicts have suffered that I found my way to a 12 step program and ultimately found serenity from all my dysfunctional food related behaviors.   That serenity has lasted non-stop for the past 24 years.  It has been part of my life core even during times of great loss such as the sudden and devastating loss of my beloved husband five years ago. (more…)

World of Green ® Celebrates Earth Day 40 Different Ways

Daily Eco-Giveaway Commemorates Earth Day Anniversary

N. Palm Beach, FL – In celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day this year, World of Green is excited to announce their 40-Day Eco-Giveaway. Starting March 14th, World of Green visitors will have the opportunity to win a different eco-friendly product everyday leading up to and including Earth Day on April 22nd.

Hand-picked by World of Green founder, Roberta Modena, each giveaway will offer a trendy, unique eco-product that reduces the Earth’s carbon footprint aligning perfectly with Earth Day’s mission.

For more information on World of Green, the one-stop shop for all things green, visit www.WorldofGreen.com.

The 40-Day Eco-Giveaway will kick-off with the giveaway from SodaStream, an innovative home soda maker that not only cuts down on purchasing can and bottle products, but also reduces landfill waste. According to the US Recycling Institute, more than 80% of bottles in the US does not get recycled and end up in the landfills. (more…)

AUSTIN, TX. –  Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFMI), the leading natural and organic foods supermarket, is pleased to announce that it has been recognized on the Ethisphere Institute’s 2010 “World’s Most Ethical Companies” list.

Whole Foods Market is one of only three companies named in the “Food Stores” category.

The annual “World’s Most Ethical Companies” list is developed by Ethisphere Institute, an international think tank dedicated to the creation, advancement and sharing of best practices in business ethics, corporate social responsibility, anti-corruption and sustainability.

Through comprehensive research and a multi-step analysis, Ethisphere reviewed thousands of nominations from companies in more than 100 countries and 36 industries in order to determine the 100 winners in various categories. (more…)