For the past two weeks I’ve been eating a raw diet. With the exception of two days (I ran a half marathon and decided to eat a piece of fish and some whole grains), I have been following a strict raw regimen and I feel great. With all the raw foods and snacks available at health food stores, it’s been way easier and much more enjoyable than I thought. Centuries ago in the late 1800s, the benefits of eating raw were realized and made public by a Swiss medical doctor, Maximilian Bircher-Benner, when he cured himself of jaundice by eating raw apples. This encouraged him to conduct experiments …

A few weeks ago I wrote an article about the Slow Movement. In our fast-paced environment, going from the speed of the hare to the crawl of the tortoise may be quite a challenge, and it may not even be a realistic move at this point in one’s life.  But if you are yearning for more free time and less financial burden then there is a movement accessible to everyone that aims to help with just that: downshifting. Downshifting is a choice we all have. It’s the choice to make slow gradual changes to result in more leisure time, less work and less stress. The first step to downshifting is assessing…

I will admit it; I’m addicted to tabbed browsing.  I don’t even want to think about going back to the days of only having one website open at a time.  It’s simply a necessity for today’s successful multi-tasker.  I always have at least three web pages open.  I can comfortably work with up to 12.  I have worked with over twenty-something tabs open but I don’t recommend it.  I also usually have three to four programs running as well such as Thunderbird, Microsoft Word, Adobe Photoshop and iTunes.   What would I do without all of these multi-tasking abilities the 21st century has bestowed upon …

There’s not much in this world that makes me feel better than a good, hard exercise session. Throughout my life, I’ve always been an active person looking to challenge myself; through dancing, gymnastics and sports in high school, I was always involved in something active and invigorating. Since I left New York City in November of last year and moved back to my roots in Monmouth County, I’ve stepped up my exercise game and am now training for various races, including a half marathon and a triathlon. There is something special about training and pushing myself that keeps me inspired, motivated…

I tend to rely on the same few grains in my cooking all the time. Brown rice, couscous and barley have been the three staples in my diet for quite some time now. However, the newest addition to my repertoire of grains is quinoa. Not that this is a newly discovered food by any means, but I’ve been incorporating it more and more into my diet for the past few years and it is deserving of an in-depth description. Relatively new to the United States, quinoa has been cultivated in the Andean mountain regions of Peru, Chile and Bolivia for more than 5,000 years and has long been a staple food in the…

In recent years, salmon has received a lot of buzz in the health world, and for good reason. Not only is the color of salmon absolutely gorgeous, but also it is a very unique fish with exceptional nutritional value. People have been enjoying salmon as a food ever since this beautiful fish appeared in the Earth’s waters – basically, forever. It is always a favorite among fish lovers and enjoyed even by those who are not always fond of fish. It’s a great option to get people into eating seafood in place of other proteins, like red meat and chicken. It has a distinct taste that is not too “fishy…

Life throws curve balls– this is undeniable. But we have options. We can stand rigidly and take direct hits or maneuver to minimize the impact. It’s the ability to move gracefully with the punches that minimizes the impact. This ability is the beauty – and the art – of flexibility. Increased flexibility creates opportunity. A flexible mind and body will guide you through challenges by revealing pathways unseen when you remain unmovable. A supple mind allows for creativity while a willing, pliable body promotes and sustains overall wellness. Flexible Mind There’s a tension in New Jersey …

Coconuts are a very special and unique fruit. It seems that in recent years they are becoming more and more recognized for their culinary versatility and unique nutritional benefits. Various coconut products are filling shelves of not only specialized health food stores, but in regular food markets as well. This is not surprising at all. Coconuts’ versatility can be noted simply in its name. In Sanskrit it is kalpa vriksha, which means “the tree which provides all the necessities of life.” In Malay it is pokok seribu guna, which means “the tree of a thousand uses.” In the Philippines, the …