The new Federal Drug Administration food labeling rules are a big win for the consumer. According to their May 20, 2016, announcement, the new Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods will “reflect new scientific information, including the link between diet and chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease.” In essence, you will be able
It is pretty shocking that most of us miss about half of our lives. That’s right. If you are 42 years old, for instance, chances are you have missed about 21 years of your life already. Your body has been alive but your mind has been disconnected. Your mind has been thinking about the past
How many of you eat even when you’re not physically hungry? My guess is that would be all of you. And, from time to time this is not a problem. Once in a while it is nice to have a special treat just because something tastes good. I particularly savor my first trip to the ice
We often regard stress as something to be avoided. Ultimately though, stress is inevitable…from the moment our alarm clock rings, we experience a “fight or flight” response and continue to experience stressors for the remainder of our day. Although people generally regard stress as negative, stress is actually adaptive in that it helps us to
I regularly teach meditation to people who have never meditated before and one of the common misconceptions is that meditation is the same as “relaxation.” While meditation may have a side benefit of helping you feel relaxed and peaceful, it is not the primary intention of meditation. The primary intention of meditation is to teach
I have been reading and practicing with some teachings on mindful speech recently and it seems to be an area of great difficulty for most people. I know it is for me and it is something that I am sure I will work on for the rest of my life. What is mindful communication? Mindful
If you’ve had a job for any length of time, it is not lost on you that your supervisor can have a significant impact on your day. Your relationship to your supervisor can make you feel like being more or less productive and empowered. As a leader, it is important to know what brings out
Having just finished an 8 week Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) this summer with faculty and staff at the University of Missouri, I noticed a particular common outcome for many of the participants. “My relationship with my husband/wife/partner/co-worker is better.” There were a number of reasons why these relationships had improved. 1. I listened to
With the current Fitbit craze, you’re probably aware of the health benefits of getting in 10,000 steps a day. But are you aware of all of the health benefits of smiling? I’d like to invite you to do a little experiment. Put a smile on your face right now and leave it there for 30
Research indicates that mindfulness is one of the most important skills for changing how you eat and how you feel about your body. Mindfulness is a skill that helps you focus and attend to sensations like hunger, satiety, and taste, as well as increases kindness and self-compassion. Meditation practice is a method for strengthening your
