Cat Smiley runs a successful weight loss retreat in Whistler, Canada. (Whistler Fitness Vacations) where women undergo a healthy boot camp for 1-12 weeks. But for anyone who can’t make it to Canada, Cat has just released “The Planet Friendly Diet: Your 21 Day Guide to Sustainable Weight Loss and Optimal Health” (New Society Publishers). I like this book’s practical approach, easy recipes and no nonsense approach. Here are a few of Cat’s tips that I am taking to heart:
Read more →
Many women assume that heart disease affects only older women, but that is not true according to the American Heart Association’s “Go Red for Women Campaign.” Heart disease can affect women of all ages and ethnic backgrounds, and often with more lethal results because many women ignore the signs of a heart attack or stroke. Here are some heart stopping statistics:
Read more →
According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) 1 in 4 women experience thinning hair. While 40% of women experience thinning hair at time of menopause due to lower estrogen, it’s common for women to start losing their hair in their 20s and 30s. On the average we lose 50 to 100 hairs a day. If you notice your hair is thinning more or falling out in larger quantities you may be experiencing “alopecia,” which is the term for hair loss. There are many types of hair loss and causes. Sometimes it’s reversible; sometimes it’s not. However, it is manageable, and
Read more →
Some women want diamonds. But this Diamond shares her sparkle to help women….and animals…and veterans. This Diamond shares her brilliant energy from a life driven by purpose and commitment to making a difference. She’s beautiful, bright and funny. I am proud to call her my friend, When I first met Wendy Diamond in the mid 1990s we connected instantly. I was running my eponymous public relations firm, and she was launching a cookbook entitled “A Musical Feast.” This brunette bundle of energy with the blue-green magnetic eyes had managed to secure recipes from everyone who mattered in the music business, from Aerosmith to Madonna
Read more →Women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant and who experience symptoms of anxiety or depression should think twice about taking prescription antidepressants due to ongoing concerns about potential birth defects associated with these medications. An estimated 15% of women in their reproductive years take antidepressants. Depression, a debilitating condition, affects 30% of women between 18 and 44 years. Left untreated, depression can lead to additional mental and physical health risks such as heart disease. The Centers for Diseases Control (CDC) Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report stated January 28th “Antidepressant use is common among women of reproductive age, and research
Read more →You’ve heard this line before probably: “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” It was a lesson I learned a few years ago facing cancer and my father’s death in the same year, all while rebuilding a business. I believe these four things formed the foundation that kept me grounded: Faith, Fortitude, Focus and Fearlessness. They also helped lift me up and re-channel my energy to become an advocate for putting your self-health first and self-worth first. “Advocacy” is a sensitive word with a powerful backbone. People who become advocates are driven by a passion usually inspired by a turning point that impacts
Read more →I’m a list maker. I make “To Do” lists every day to manage my time. I rely on lists to stay organized when I plan professional events. In my first book, “Getting Things Off My Chest: A Survivor’s Guide To Staying Fearless & Fabulous in the Face of Breast Cancer,” I provide handy check lists to help newly diagnosed women channel their emotions and stay focused and less stressed. But my favorite list of all is my “Bucket List” outlining all the things I want to do, places I want to visit and whatever I dream of accomplishing. I update
Read more →
I’ve known Lynn Fredericks for years and have admired her work to promote a nutrition and healthy eating curricula in schools through her nonprofit Family Cook Productions. A fellow member of Les Dames d’Escoffier, Lynn left the PR world in 1995 to pursue her calling to make more family time cooking time. The decision came at a time when Lynn was going through a divorce, and cooking with her two young sons was her recipe to reduce tension and bind the small family together. Lynn is an example of turning an adversity into opportunity. Family Cook Productions has grown into a national program reaching 200,000 parents and
Read more →I’ve been an exercise fanatic since my mother took me with her to her fitness studio in Chattanooga when I was a young girl. I’d roll around the mats and stretch with bands while my mother jiggled on machines. I started ballet at the age of 5, modern dance at 12 and performed in my high school modern dance troupe, Terpsichord. Over the years I’ve joined both fancy gyms and YMCA’s and taken numerous classes and personal training sessions. I have Dancercized and aerobicized, practiced Pilates and various kinds of yoga. But the fitness program I believe delivers the best
Read more →When I first met Wendy Diamond in the mid 1990s we connected instantly. I was running my eponymous public relations firm, and she was launching a cookbook entitled “A Musical Feast.” This brunette bundle of energy with the blue-green magnetic eyes had managed to secure recipes from everyone who mattered in the music business, from Aerosmith to Madonna to Mick Jagger, for her book whose sales raised money for charity. The next time I saw Wendy she was in People Magazine with Hootie and the Blowfish (recipe contributors) and embarking on a multi city book promotion. A second cookbook with recipes from
Read more →I used to dread going home to Chattanooga for the holidays when I was single. My mother would always invite eligible men to various dinners to meet me. Most often they were soft, menschy types and this gal liked athletic, preppy boys. Some were interested in meeting other men and not me. I sighed with frustration hearing comments from family friends like, “Such as shame she hasn’t found a nice man yet.” Note, “she” was usually in the room within earshot. My worst holiday dating experience was when I brought my sophomore college boyfriend home after Christmas. My mother came out
Read more →My cousin, the Artist Hunt Slonem, is a Collector with a capital “C.” His various and beautifully appointed homes are filled with carefully curated collections from gothic furniture to butterflies to top hats and harps, not to mention his own amazing paintings. I admire his passion for collecting and for the fact that his things bring him Joy. Check out this recent Architectural Digest piece on Hunt. I have a mother with a house filled with art, various stuffed animals, purple ephemera of every shape, size and hue, gifts from friends and fans, and souvenirs from her travels, charity fundraisers,
Read more →