It’s easy when you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed to forget the importance of taking care of yourself. When you take care of yourself first, you have more to give to others in your life - family, friends and co-workers. When you treat yourself well, you are naturally more productive, motivated and energetic and have more to give to the world. What are some easy ways to nurture yourself?

• Eat Breakfast and Lunch - Skipping breakfast and working through lunch is a recipe for afternoon slumps and late night binges.
• Get your Beauty Sleep - Whoa, dark circles! Sleep 7-8 hours a night to look and feel your best.
• Active Relaxation - Take 5-10 minutes every day to meditate, do yoga, stretch or just breathe.

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Although my mom force-fed me healthy food when I was growing up and I’ve been a vegetarian or pesca-tarian (fish-eating vegetarian) of some sort since college, I wasn’t always the healthiest eater. My vegetarian diet was filled with pasta, bread, cheese and unbearable sweet cravings. In 2002, in my Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) class at Boston Shiatsu School I was introduced to the book Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford. I began studying this veritable bible of nutrition and TCM knowledge and making changes to my diet. (more…)

Hooping is one of my favorite hobbies and fitness activities. I am part of the Boston Hoop Troop, a group of hoopers who meet weekly, teach classes and perform in the Boston area. I was introduced to hooping in the summer of ‘05. I could never hoop as a kid and the first time I attempted to keep a hoop around my waist at a festival I couldn’t do it either. I called myself a ‘hooptard’ for 2 months until my friend Jose got me to try it again. Success!
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Last April I decided that my bicycle would be my sole means of transportation. I have 2 offices, each of them are just 4 miles away from my home which makes bicycling a great option. It is faster than taking the bus, I don’t have to worry about the bus schedule and parking is not an issue. I don’t have to pay for gas and I feel good about doing my bit for the environment. Best of all, it’s fun!
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I finished off the summer with a visit to my mom’s on Eastern Long Island. I always joke around that I’ve been to Mom’s Fitness Camp, as we eat really healthy and exercise a lot. My mom is very active, especially in the summer. It is inspiring to see her swim for 50 minutes at a time in the bay.  I don’t try to swim as much as her, but I do get in the water for at least 25 minutes. We also play a lot of tennis. We’re not great tennis players, but it is so much fun and of course good exercise to run around the court. My mom can keep playing endlessly. After 2 hours on the court I told my mom I couldn’t possibly hit another ball! We went to the ocean every day where we took long walks and played in the waves.
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