Americans are experiencing elevated levels of depression, anxiety, fear and social isolation during the pandemic, according to recent data from Healthline. This is truly an unprecedented time, and the path forward remains unknown. Medical experts, scientists, researchers and government and business leaders continue their efforts to make sense of the coronavirus, figure out how to get it under control and eventually rid the nation and world of its negative health, economic and social impacts. In the meantime, while it’s critical to obey the shelter-in-place orders and protect our physical health, it’s equally important to safely maintain personal connections amid the pandemic to protect our mental and emotional health. Following are four ways to do just that. To read the full article in the Los Altos Town Crier, click here.

Journaling is such a powerful tool to have in life and now more than ever, it has the potential to help us get through the challenging times we’re facing in the world today. According to Pyschology Today, journaling is beneficial for our mental and emotional health and it can also have a positive impact on our physical health as well. Journaling can reduce stress, anxiety and blood pressure and can boost our immune systems, moods, mindset and self awareness. I’ve been journaling for over 20 years. I recently went through all of my old journals for inspiration as I’ve been working on writing my first non-fiction book this summer. It was a deeply emotional, sentimental, enriching and motivating experience and really took me down a path of self discovery and

Happy Wednesday! Since we’re at the mid-week point, I wanted to talk a little bit about productivity. With all that’s happening around us in the world, many of us working from home and having our families home with us this summer as well, it can often feel hard to be productive. A typical day for me often involves teaching a livestream fitness class for my students in the morning, then doing a video conference call with one of my wellness consulting/coaching clients and spending the rest of the afternoon and early evening working on my marketing plan for my company, writing for my book and blog, taking a call with a vendor or business development partner and preparing for and doing a virtual speaking engagement. On top of that, I’m planning

Two important elements of any healthy eating plan include vegetables and protein. Therefore, I love marinating and baking chicken and making healthy salads, as these are staples you can build into any lunch or dinner meal and are easy to make when you’re busy trying to balance work and home life. And if you’re vegetarian or have any other dietary restrictions, you can always substitute any of the foods you see here with alternatives that fit your preferences. The recipe for this meal includes a low-sugar, Hawaiian BBQ marinade, paired with organic, boneless, skinless chicken. After applying the marinade to each piece, you bake the chicken in the oven for 20-25 minutes on each side at 425 degrees. The salad includes organic spinach and mixed greens, sliced cherry tomatoes, avocado and

Happy Monday! If the last few months have caused you to put on some weight in quarantine, there’s no time like the present to start making healthier choices. I love smoothies and I’m always playing around with different recipes that minimize sugar and calories and maximize nutrition and taste. The key is to keep it simple and incorporate whole and natural foods from the key food groups rather than including processed foods that are likely high in artifical ingredients and are loaded with sugar. Here’s one of my new favorites that I made this morning. Combine the following ingredients: 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk 1 cup of organic blueberries 1 cup of organic baby spinach 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter 1 tablespoon of dark chocolate chips And then

Happy Friday, Passion Fit Crew! Did you know it’s important to eat within 45 minutes of working out in order to refuel your body, boost your metabolism and repair your muscles? Therefore, here’s a great post-workout meal or snack idea for you guys: egg cups! I love making them and it’s a creative way to eat eggs and get in some protein and vegetables. You start by mixing several organic eggs together in a bowl and slicing, adding and mixing in whatever organic vegetables you’d like along with salt, pepper and garlic powder. I added cherry tomatoes and broccoli florets in this example here, but you could also add bell peppers, spinach, zucchini, mushrooms and more. Then you lightly grease a cupcake pan and pour the eggs and vegetables into

In many cases, these challenging times – COVID-19 pandemic, economic strife and racial unrest – can be impacted by our behaviors, especially with regard to education, collaboration and action. There are also other health, medical, social and financial changes and shifts we all may need to con-sider making over the next several months and years, which will take time and effort. Following are tips on behavior change, based on my certifications in this area, that may help you continue to survive and thrive during these challenging times and beyond. To read the full article in the Los Altos Town Crier, click here.

I love this picture. It represents what life should look like — a diverse group of children holding hands, smiling, playing outside and peacefully enjoying life together as friends. Unfortunately, we aren’t always seeing pictures like this in 2020. We’re in the midst of a global pandemic, economic crisis, political upheaval and continued racial tensions and injustices happening across the country on a daily basis. The reality of our country and world right now truly breaks my heart. And while we can’t control everything happening around us, we can each do our part to control what we can, which includes education on important topics such as African-American history, pandemics, medical science and economics, practicing empathy and kindness towards others and standing up for causes we believe in. Education: In addition

Coronavirus diagnoses and deaths are still on the rise in parts of the U.S. The statistics are changing every day, but one thing remains certain: It’s more important now than ever before to take care of our holistic health to protect ourselves and our loved ones from contracting the virus or to en-sure a quick recovery if we do. Below are ways to do just that. To read the full article in the Los Altos Town Crier, click here.

According to the NY Times, over 10 million U.S. jobs no longer exist and there are over one million Coronavirus cases worldwide. We’re facing extremely difficult times and it can be easy to be overtaken by fear, anxiety, grief, sadness and negativity. However, as a world, nation and society, it’s important that we stay strong, resilient and hopeful. Therefore, here are five positive mindset shifts we can make to help cope with the Coronavirus outbreak we’re currently facing. To read the full article in Thrive Global, click here.