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I have to admit, I never feel as alive or inspired as I do when I get in touch with nature. So, on a beautiful day like this, I head out to the Berkeley Marina, which is only about 5 minutes from my home.

The Marina has got it all – a large variety of wildlife, gorgeous skies, and water, aside from often amazing views of the City of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. What more could a girl ask for?

Being a marina, it’s oftentimes a very windy place which attracts people of all ages to bring out their amazing kites. Every year in July there is the annual Berkeley Kite Festival which draws thousands of people and is quite amazing.

So here’s that strange creature I sighted in the sky today. It’s rather confusing as it looks a bit like an octopus but it’s flying in the sky. I think it must be a new species. Do you have any idea? Have you ever seen something like this before? It looked rather friendly, so I wasn’t afraid in spite of its enormous size.

I enjoyed a brisk walk and taking many pictures. Today was an absolutely perfect day including the sun, temperature, breeze, and sky.

I hope to post some more experiences and especially pictures from the Berkeley Marina in the near future. In the meantime make sure you visit the Berkeley Marina when and if you are in the area!

The opinions have always been divided whether coffee is good for your health or not.
As with just about everything you eat, drink, or do, the secret is in balance and moderation.

In the past, research often didn’t set apart the negative effects of coffee from smoking, because so many coffee drinkers were also smokers. This has now changed and given us information we didn’t have in the past.

We also need to keep in mind that the health benefits described in this article refer to drinking coffee as a whole, not just caffeinated beverages.
Coffee is only 2% caffeine and 98% other bio-active ingredients.

Coffee may protect against diabetes, liver cancer, cirrhosis and Parkinson’s disease.

Diabetes – Coffee, regular and decaf, can lower the risk of Type 2 diabetes. The ingredients in coffee slow the uptake of sugar in the intestines,  boost insulin, and help slow glucose absorption.

Liver Cancer – While research hasn’t come up with much on the prevention of cancer in general, liver cancer has been the exception. Research is very consistent in showing a drop in liver cancer risk with coffee consumption. There is some evidence that it may lower colon cancer risk as well.

Cirrhosis – Here researchers aren’t sure whether it is coffee or caffeine that might protect the liver from cirrhosis, especially when caused by alcoholism.

Parkinson’s Disease – It is definitely the caffeine that protects from this disease and more effectively in men than in women (when not on hormone replacement therapy). All it takes is one cup of coffee a day to cut your risk in half.

Athletic and Mental Performance – Caffeine has always been known to improve athletic performance, but has a better effect if not used regularly. The same applies to better mental performance. So drink up before athletic events or tests at school.

Enjoy a cup of coffee a day guilt-free!

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Traditionally we are told that we should be free of any distractions while eating, so that we can focus on what and how much we are eating, notice when we are full, and properly digest our food.

I personally eat very slowly, chew my food thoroughly, and oftentimes put my utensils down between bites. I would consider that a healthy way of eating. However, I usually am not that focused or free from distractions when I eat.

Now I’ve tried eating free of distractions, but what happened was that I would finish my meal in record time. I would eat bite after bite without putting my silverware down and be finished in 10 – 15 minutes, when the same meal would have taken me 30 minutes under “normal circumstances.”

Therefore I don’t believe that the focused way of eating is better, and I also don’t think that I can begin feeling full in 10 minutes.

What is your experience? What works better for you? Let me know what you think and in the meantime, I will stay distracted while eating slowly.

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As the name implies, you are breaking a fast when you eat breakfast. Glycogen and insulin levels are low when you wake up in the morning, since it has typically been 8 – 12 hours since you last ate.  A breakfast of 400 – 500 calories will replenish those glycogen levels and give you the energy you need to begin your work day. In order to raise insulin levels slowly instead of having them spike and then drop dramatically – as in a sugar rush and the weakness you feel a little later – you should combine carbohydrates, protein, and fiber in your breakfast. This will insure slow digestion and long lasting energy levels.

Remember, breakfast can be a large meal for you because you have all day to burn the calories from it. On the other hand, dinner should be your smallest meal, since it’s typically only a few hours before bed time during which you might not even be physically active.

Following is a video I shot explaining what I currently eat for breakfast and why. No cooking involved. Quick, easy, and healthy.

If you liked the video, I’d appreciate your feedback and any suggestions for future videos you’d like to see here. Thank you!

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In the past everybody thought cardio was the way to go for a lean body. Then we ended up with a bunch of “skinny fat” people with lots of endurance (and oftentimes overuse injuries) and no muscle to be toned and shaped.

Do you want to look like a marathon runner or a Hollywood starlet? Yup, their Personal Trainer doesn’t just stand there while they are running on a treadmill. Far from it! They lift weights and do body weight exercises like squats and pushups. Lot’s of them.

Weight training will enable you to increase your metabolism in two ways and thereby accelerate your fat burning. When you work out with weights, your metabolism increases, and unlike after a cardio session, after a weight training session your metabolism remains elevated for another 24 hours! Also, for every pound of muscle you put on, your body burns about 30 calories more every day.

For maximum fat loss it is best to combine weight training and cardio. You will burn calories during your cardio sessions as well, and they have an effect on your heart that weight training does not.

Beside an increase in metabolism, weight training can help increase your strength, energy and bone density. And as mentioned above, you can only tone muscles that exist.

Perform anywhere from 30 – 60 minutes of weight training 3 times a week and cardio 3 – 5 times a week.

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