I will admit to not having much “down time” most days. On the rare occasion when I am not scheduled to be away on assignment, in a meeting or on my computer frantically trying to meet a deadline, the default forms of relaxation I turn to involve physical movement outdoors. And while exercise is crucial to maintaining one’s health, our…
Have you had a joy-filled July? I sure have! But it’s good to be back in front of the computer crafting this week’s blog. One TOPS member had requested I find out nutritional information on alligator while I was in New Orleans earlier this month. And lucky for me, it ended up being on the menu of the first restaurant…
I have now officially been a part of the TOPS crew for six months. And thanks to all of you, it’s been an overwhelmingly positive experience so far! I very much appreciate all the feedback and questions sent via email or posted weekly on the blog and social media. So keep the comments coming, because I read each one, plus…
Being fit and fabulous at any age requires being attentive to changes in spatial awareness and basic body mechanics. The importance of foot placement, hip mobility and range of motion also become increasingly vital as you age. So training yourself to notice whether you frequently shuffle rather than step, in addition to how your body subtly shifts while transitioning from…
Staying present is much easier for me to do when I’m physically active. The exact opposite is true in regard to when I’m eating. I often power through meal and snack times standing up—especially when I’m working from home and attempting to squeeze in a couple of bites between Zoom meetings, walking the dog and frantically typing on the computer…
I don’t know about you, but I’m certainly ready for some “fun in the sun”! Thankfully, my current travel plans in the months ahead involve going to a couple lakeside communities for writing assignments. This also means I’ll be dining out quite a bit. Being vegan, it’s a struggle sometimes to find a variety of plant-based options when I’m on…
Modifying meals to meet multiple dietary needs in one household can feel like a perpetual struggle. Even for those living solo, having to come up with substitutions for familiar recipes to better suit current nutritional goals may take more time than can be spared on a daily basis. The five swaps below are simple to execute; plus, they’ll help you…
Eating out frequently is often not an option when working on achieving health goals—and sticking to a budget. But it’s equally common to start to crave the ambiance of a café or restaurant, since dining at home day after day can become a solitary repetition that makes mealtimes far less enjoyable. If you’re bored by the idea of consuming yet…
Spring is here (or quickly approaching). This means there will be a steady increase in the variety of locally-grown and -produced foods that will be at local farmers markets and many grocery stores over the coming months. If you’ve got a little extra cash or free time to put to good use, consider stocking up on more produce, dairy, bread…