Women used to complain about their hips and thighs. Now, it seems, it’s all about belly fat. I suppose this could be my imagination since I have, in recent years, joined the post-baby ranks…and now share this particular preoccupation. Or maybe it’s the attention paid to apple vs pear-shaped physiques. Which is an important distinction, actually. […]

Most of us have good intentions. Great intentions, even. And many of them are health-related. Usually to the tune of: I want to lose 10 lbs, exercise regularly, quit smoking, floss every day…dammit (while we’re on this: why is flossing such a hassle anyway? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve made this a […]

How much free, stale popcorn would you eat in a movie theater? Does it depend if it’s served in a medium-sized bag or a jumbo tub? And what about candy: how much would you eat if it was sitting on your desk? Would it matter if the glass dish was opaque or clear? If it […]

I’ll admit it: I’m a little obsessed with Europe. In the past I’ve written about the French Paradox , and there’s a big part of me that would like to be reborn in this life as a French woman (and not only because spa treatments are considered part of the French healthcare system). Also, I […]

Getting healthy as a mom is a major challenge. There are a lot of reasons for this. Primarily, there’s the time issue. Also, we tend to do the martyr/nurturer thing of taking care of everyone first. But here’s the deal: you are no good to anyone if you are not healthy. I liken it to […]

In recent years, you might have heard rumors about chocolate being good for your health. And you promptly dismissed said rumors as being way too good to be true. But this week a study was published that is seriously validating the idea of chocolate as health food. According to the folks at the British Medical Journal, chocolate is […]

I love yoga. There are so many reasons yoga is good for you. And it’s interesting that physicians are increasingly “prescribing” it as a therapeutic intervention for their patients. Count me as one of those physicians! Yoga has been shown to be beneficial for a wide variety of health concerns. Not to mention the somewhat […]

A study was published last week with some intriguing results. The researchers looked at the effect of music therapy on patients with cancer. This was a review study, which meant they analyzed data from multiple studies–30 trials in this case–and drew conclusions from the collection of results. They found that music therapy (“music medicine”) improved mood, anxiety, and quality […]

Everywhere I look these days I see something about the Dukan Diet. it’s the diet that, famously, Kate and her mother went on prior to the Royal Wedding. And it’s touted as the new French woman’s secret. Apparently it swept Europe after it was first published in 2000, and now it’s come to North America. […]