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How can I lower my risk of heart disease? There are many, many (simple!) ways you can adjust your diet and lifestyle to lower heart disease risk for you and your family. That’s a good thing because heart disease stats can be scary. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it’s the leading cause of death for both men and women in the US. In fact, one in every four deaths is attributable to heart disease. Don’t freak out: All you’ve got to do is understand the disease, read up on the risk factors, and start making tiny tweaks...

The Benefits of Hydrating Let’s talk about why staying hydrated is so, so important – both mentally and physically. Were you always told to drink your water? Did you always take a few sips and then forget about it? Same. Drinking enough water throughout the day is such a discipline. But after feeling tired and sluggish towards the end of the day, I knew I needed to make some changes. So, I decided to challenge myself to drink at least four water bottles a day, and before I knew it, this practice was integrated it into my everyday routine. Now,...

Exercising is a key component of any healthy lifestyle. But it’s easy to fall off the bandwagon and lose your fitness, only to have to start back at square one. Since the gym can be an intimidating place — even if you used to go all the time — going to the gym becomes a barrier to a healthy lifestyle. According to trainers, feeling anxious about being unfit and having to go back to the gym is one of the most common reasons for not getting into exercise — or not getting back into exercise after time off. Luckily, since they see...

When looking to lose or maintain weight, exercise along with a healthy diet is an important part of the equation. The intensity of exercise helps determine how many calories you burn, which is why not all activities are created equal. For example, if you weigh 165 pounds, you can burn roughly 300 calories in an hour, if you walk briskly. Or, you can burn an equivalent 300 calories in just 24 minutes, if you run at a 10-minute-mile pace. But deciding between going for a long walk versus a short run is more nuanced than just the calories burned. “It depends entirely on the individual,” says Jacque Crockford, certified strength and conditioning specialist and exercise...

Minimalism has become a bit of a buzzword lately. As we choose to live more mindfully, it is natural to take stock of what we have. When we are no longer merely going through the motions in our daily lives, we begin to think more deeply about the objects that surround us in our homes. We realize how much we need and, in turn, how much we don’t.  What Is Minimalism? According to Leo Babauta, author of several books on how to be more Zen, minimalism isn’t about living with as little as possible. It is about discovering what is important....