BERGEN COUNTY MOMS

If you haven’t had a tasty farm-fresh egg, you are really missing out. Egg whites get thumbs up from kids! Egg whites are a complete protein and kids will have fun getting some exercise by whisking them to be super-fluffy. We added fresh spinach and parsley from the garden for some greens. Next time you’re at the farmer’s market, look for eggs! Ingredients: 2 large egg whites 1 tablespoon low-fat (1%) milk 1 tablespoon chopped baby spinach ½ tablespoon shredded 50% reduced

I was first introduced to essential oils when my son was six months old. From my first moment of seeing how powerful and effective they were, I was hooked. Fast forward twelve years and I’ve acquired quite a collection. It’s rare to find me without a few oils in my purse and I always travel with an arsenal of oils . My friends like to joke that I couldn’t survive without my oils (they’re probably correct!) but if I absolutely HAD to choose only one essential oil (for the hypo

When you think of the term “self-care,” a woman in a bathrobe lighting candles and painting her toenails might come to mind. While this may seem amazing to some, most men would probably have different desires. The truth is, men need to work especially hard to take charge of caring for themselves. After all, is there anything more manly than being independent in your ability to care for yourself, not just physically, but emotionally and tangibly? We also need to change the way

Fatigue... low mood... insomnia...mood swings… inattention… agitation…rapid heartbeat…racing thoughts. Sound familiar? These symptoms often times result in a prescription for an antidepressant or antianxiety medication. But what if I were to tell you that these symptoms may be a message that something else may be awry besides a “chemical imbalance “in the brain? In the six decades that psychotropic medications have been studied, the conclusions about their use and effective

Your New Year’s clean eating resolution doesn’t start in 2018. It starts now. With Thanksgiving and other holidays around the corner, I encourage you to get ahead of yourself before the mistakes happen and the pounds creep up. Research shows that people mimic the eating patterns of the people they’re in company with. By simply reading this article, you are aware of the potential pitfalls of holiday eating; Instead of reaching for a third helping of that delicious pumpkin pie,

The world has a weight problem, and it’s getting worse. A 2014 study in The Lancet from the University of Washington, analyzing data from 188 countries, found that more than 2 billion people are overweight or obese—some 25% more than in 1980[1]. This unhealthy surge illustrates a striking new reality. Changing lifestyles, aging populations, advances in technology and increased international travel make it more likely than ever that the things that cause disease—whether unheal

Dinner at 4:00 pm? Yes, if your kids are starving after-to-school! It’s a new back-to-school season, so it’s a perfect time to create new habits to keep kids happy and healthy. A trend that I’ve been tracking for some time are kids appetites after the school day is over. Many parents complain that their kids are “starving” after-school and then, after a “snack” they continue there ravenous appetites through dinner and up to bed-time. As I explored this situation further,

Fuel your kids right! Sounds easy enough… We all know the reality is feeding our kids is fraught with decisions, opinions, endless choices and worry. To help sort through the confusion, we asked a renowned sports nutritionist - Coach Elizabeth Inpyn - for her best ideas to help us make our kids stronger and healthier, and to take out some of the guess work. What are your favorite snacks for pre- and post-game fueling? Simple is always best. Kids are particular with the thin

We all know it’s fun and feels great, but did you know just how good sex is for you too? Admittedly, the topic may be a bit provocative, but given its seemingly endless health benefits and with Valentine’s Day looming, I figured it wasn’t completely inappropriate. That is as long as I can keep my 14-year old from reading over my shoulder! Less Anxiety Stressed about a presentation at work? Are your kids driving you crazy? Then find some time to get it on because endorphins

Are you killing yourself at boot camp 5 times a week but haven’t seen the numbers on the scale budge? Is your belly bigger than you’d like? Believe it or not, you could be exercising too much! Because when it comes to weight loss, what you eat (or don’t eat) is more important than how much you exercise. Weight loss specialist (and my little sister!), Amy Geant Mackenzie, RD, says of her clients, “Sometimes we ask them to cut back on exercise initially to create an environment

We knew the mild weather was too good to be true; the winter cold is finally here! And with these single digit temperatures comes extra layers, cold hands and feet, and believe it or not, a big risk of dehydration! The Mayo Clinic enumerates the body functions in which water plays a critical role. Among other things, the kidneys use water to help flush out waste, it controls blood pressure, lubricates joints and regulates body temperature. According to Paige Holm, R.D., water

How do you handle holiday stress? Do you skip exercising to make time to buy just one more gift? Do you double up on the coffee in the morning and the red wine in the evening just to get through your day? There is plenty of data to suggest that a just a few minutes of daily meditation will help you better manage the stress of the holidays and any other challenges you may be facing at this, the most wonderful time of the year! Meditation has been practiced for thousands of yea

Next time you’re on the checkout line at the grocery store, look around you. How many people are standing with their weight to one side, with one knee bent and the other straight, like they are holding an invisible infant on their hip? I’ll bet just about everyone, including you! So how are your hips feeling today? Your back? Your feet? How’s your posture? If any of these could “stand” (pun intended) some improvement, the solution could be as simple as a few small changes in

Let’s face it, there are some exercises that just don’t feel good when we do them. No matter our fitness level. Here are three that I think have little redeeming worth for most exercisers and moreover, can be downright dangerous. The Burpee I’ve mentioned this in a previous article. This is the exercise in which you squat down, place your hands on the floor next to your feet and immediately thrust your legs behind you into (ideally) a plank position. You then jump your feet b

This past Sunday, Mother’s Day, kicked off National Women’s Health Week. Led by the US Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health, this is a wonderful and empowering opportunity to encourage women to take steps to improve their overall health. I love this idea because, let’s face it, taking care of children, parents and others often takes priority over ourselves. I think we all need a gentle reminder that to effectively take care of others, we must take

People are usually surprised when I answer this question, but the answer is YES! The problem is that there are way too many myths out there about why women should not be strength training. First and foremost, you will NOT end up looking like a man if you lift weights and you will NOT get big and bulky. There are a lot of factors that come into play such as hormones, nutrition and genetics that affect how your body responds to training. If you apply basic, proper principles w

How many times do you lose your car keys amid that pile of “To Dos” on your desk? Or spend extra time looking through your purse to find your keys? Or miss the deadline for Bingo Night so you and your family miss out again this year? I could go on, but then you’d know a whole lot more about me than I’d like. The truth is we all have a lot on our plates and keeping an organized, clutter- free home can help us keep focused…. and help make our deadlines. Clearly, home organizati

You hear it everywhere…. strengthen your core, use your core, feel your core! Does anyone ever really define the core? Many people think your core primarily comprises your “abs,” as in that area that used to be your six-pack. But it goes much deeper than that. In Pilates, we define the core, otherwise known as the Powerhouse, as the area four inches above and below your belly button around and through your body…. It includes the abdominals as well as the pelvic floor, the mu

Ever hurt yourself during a workout? Exercising incorrectly can ultimately be worse for you than not exercising at all! There are countless preventable injuries caused by poor form each day as people head to the gym or the boxing class or down to their local CrossFit session. It’s even easy to get hurt doing yoga, Pilates or swimming! So how do you know if you have good form? Here are some things to check: Be a square Look in the nearest mirror. Your shoulders and hips for

Back Pain? Tight Shoulders? Do You Have Text Neck™? How often do you find yourself slouching during the day? You’re probably doing it right now as you’re reading this on your phone or iPad- I caught you, didn’t I? And I’m also willing to bet you’re seeing the same thing with your kids! “iPosture” and “Text Neck™” are quickly becoming commonplace terms for the hunched over position people take when on their electronic devices. In this position, you actually stretch out the l