When thinking about nutrition, I’d like to highlight the importance of including whole grains and complex carbohydrates into meals and snacks. While many diets may encourage the restriction of carbohydrates, they’re actually essential to our health and found in many different foods, including fruits, vegetables, bread, pasta, rice, quinoa, oatmeal, cereal and more. When we restrict ourselves from eating carbohydrates, we might find that we’re craving and consuming foods that are more savory and higher in calories and saturated fat, in order to feel satisfied. However, when we include healthy carbohydrates (with whole grains and not refined grains) in our meals in a balanced way, such as in reasonable portions within meals and snacks that are earlier in the day, we increase our fiber intake and energy levels, feel more

Metabolism is a complex scientific system of energy generation and expenditure and is impacted by various functions in the body and brain. It can also be impacted by hormones, stress, genetics, lifestyle choices and more. Four ways to positively impact your metabolism include: 1. Eating every 3-4 hours and focusing on foods high in fiber, lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats and avoiding processed and enriched foods 2. Moving your body on a daily basis through cardiovascular and strength training to create energy outputs that allow you to burn fat vs. having your body store fat, especially visceral fat in the mid-section 3. Getting sufficient sleep of 7-9 hours per night in order to maintain a healthy metabolic rate and a regulated circadian rhythm 4. Reducing stress through

With the New Year in full swing and spring on the horizon, it’s a great time to consider adding some new wellness practices to your daily or weekly schedule to lead a holistically healthy lifestyle that focuses on your physical and mental health. Here are four health and wellness trends to try this spring, that I shared with NBC California Live in a TV segment  recently! 1. Sculpt workouts According to the Wall Street Journal, data from ClassPass and direct feedback from large gyms such as Lifetime Fitness and Crunch, show that bookings for sculpt workouts increased by 280% over the last year. Many people want a challenging, yet gentle workout that builds strength, mobility and flexibility. Sculpt workouts stem from a combination of Pilates, barre and yoga, and focus

The advent calendars are out; radio stations are digging out the Christmas classics; and the shops are in full-blown selling mode. It can only mean one thing: The holiday season is well and truly upon us. But while there’s much to celebrate and be grateful for, most people endure a great deal of stress during this time of year as well. According to a recent survey in Healthline, 60% of respondents said they experienced some level of stress during the holidays. And with workplace stress at an all-time high, the cost of living rising, Covid-19 still impacting the world and a recession looming, employees are unsurprisingly feeling under pressure. So what is it that companies and leaders can do to improve employee wellbeing at this specific time of the year? Here

According to Global Newswire, the virtual fitness market is expected to reach $80 billion by 2026, with a growth rate of almost 50%. While many fitness enthusiasts have been enjoying being back at gyms and studios for in-person classes, the hybrid model seems to be here to stay, creating continued growth opportunities in the virtual fitness space. If you’re a fitness entrepreneur and want to tap into this growing market, here are six tips to start running a virtual fitness studio, based on my experiences as a health, wellness and fitness entrepreneur, business professional, certified fitness, yoga and dance instructor and having my own virtual fitness studio.  To read the full article in Young Upstarts, click here.

Often when we refer to wellness, we assume that we are talking about physical wellbeing. But one can be physically very healthy but still be unwell, emotionally or mentally. What are the steps we can take to cultivate optimal wellness in all areas of our life; to develop Mental, Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Wellbeing? As a part of our series about “How We Can Cultivate Our Mental, Physical, Emotional and Spiritual Wellbeing,” I had the pleasure of interviewing Reena Vokoun. To read the full article in Authority Magazine, click here.

On June 2, 2022, I unfortunately tested positive for Covid for the first time. I had managed to escape it for over two years, from when we first went into lockdown on March 13, 2020, until this point. I frequently read up on the latest medical research and developments with the pandemic, was vaccinated, boosted and never really stopped masking indoors, especially as new and more contagious variants continued to emerge. My family and I also only dined outdoors when going to restaurants and continued to socialize with friends and family outside in backyards, at the beach and at outdoor events and gatherings. But somehow I got Covid and didn’t see it coming. My husband, sons and I took at-home tests the Tuesday morning after Memorial  Day weekend before the

In the past, having an employee wellness program was a nice perk for companies to offer. But as we enter the third year of the pandemic, mental and physical health are stretched thin. Amid the Great Resignation, having a comprehensive employee wellness program has now become essential in attracting and retaining top talent. Now more than ever, companies need to create more effective wellness programs, as employees need these wellness programs in order to be resilient and still succeed during these difficult times. According to a 2020 survey conducted by Deloitte, 80% of 9,000 surveyed respondents identified well-being as being important or very important to the overall success of their organization. Employees are some of the greatest assets an organization can have, and designing a workplace culture along with programs that

According to The Future Workplace 2021 HR Sentiment survey and Forbes, 68% of HR leaders gave employee mental health and wellbeing a top priority rating. This survey also revealed that the corporate wellbeing market is expected to reach approximately $20.4 billion in the U.S.  and is predicted to reach $87.4 billion over the next four years. Based on these findings, investing in an employee wellness program is now essential for most, if not all, organizations. Below are five important reasons why. To read the full article in CEO World, click here.

With 2022 just days away and the pandemic continuing to impact us all, even after it first began nearly two years ago, many may wonder what’s in store for the health and wellness industry in the New Year. Based on my experiences as a certified health, wellness and fitness entrepreneur and professional and working with various individual and organizational clients and business development partners in this space, here are my predictions below. Mental health will continue to be prioritized: While people are being encouraged through their healthcare practitioners to manage their physical health through exercise and nutrition to protect their immune systems from Covid-19 and its variants, mental health has and will likely continue to have a major focus as well. According to a Gallup research study reported in the