Tag archives: health

My daughter and I have an ongoing joke that isn’t a joke, that we are always nice to Siri or our Google clocks – just in case some form of Artificial Intelligence takes over the world, and they might favorably remember we were the ones who always said please and asked them how their day […]

Fictional detective Harry Bosch, the star of more than a dozen best-selling books by Michael Connelly and two TV series on Amazon Prime, operates with a credo he adopted early in his career: “Everybody counts, or nobody counts.”  That’s basically the same philosophy behind Savie Health, the nonprofit free clinic in downtown Lompoc. It’s the […]

“Permission to move granted.” When I read that line in, I Know I Should Exercise But, the new release by Dr. Diana Hill and Katy Bowman, I was intrigued. To find out more, I went to a workshop they were hosting at Yoga Soup, where the authors put their movement where their mouths are. The […]

A surgeon enters the operating room and sits on a stool in the corner. They lean in and rest their forehead on a cushioned viewfinder before placing their fingers in the appropriate loops. The surgeon begins the operation while the patient is just feet away. They’re using the Intuitive da Vinci 5, an advanced robotic […]

The splashing of the fountains and the stunning backdrop of Santa Barbara created the perfect setting for PALMA Colectiva’s Wellness Faire on January 18, held on the rooftop of the Kimpton Canary Hotel. I had the good fortune of being there not only as a writer covering the event, but also as an exhibitor offering […]

My beloved 50-year-old nephew, Dan, had no idea he was having a heart attack, and didn’t recognize the symptoms – but eventually did several very crucial things which ultimately saved his life. He was so wise to write down what happened while lying in the hospital, when things were still fresh in his mind. I’m […]

For this week’s wellness feature, I dove into the pool of health offerings at the Montecito YMCA with its Executive Director Ryan Power. He said, “This is a great time to join the Montecito YMCA. We are currently running a membership promotion, if you sign up by January 31st the joining fee is $0. Your […]

I can always tell when my husband is texting with his main group of friends (aka, The Core), his smirk and the mischief in his eyes give him away every time. They shamelessly partake in a level of silliness normally reserved for the enviable obliviousness of 10-year-olds. Their level of creativity, wit, and friendship toward one […]

I have always taken an odd amount of pride in the fact that I am not a competitive person, often even a bit smug about how primitive and foreign I find the very concept. I am just not that interested. Nope, not bothered at all. Until I compete, that is. Some years ago, a dear […]

When my sister’s fifth and youngest child was about to leave for university, she and my brother-in-law made a plan. They knew that after he left, they couldn’t face their once full, noisy and vibrant home. So, they packed the car and when he took off, they took off.  It turns out that this wasn’t […]

Last week, my daughter and I both had tests to study for, so I suggested we go downtown to the library, a place that holds many fond memories for us both. Years ago, they had an incredible program where young children could sit with therapy dogs and their companions and read together. It was transformative […]

Both sides of the political divide cast this past election as an existential moment for our democratic way of life. Each side pitching its own version of freedom and well-being. Each side casting the other as the enemy. Yet, when the sound bites fade away and the dust settles, we’re all in this together. But, […]

The MJ had a seat at the table, and we witnessed the power of giving back. The Santa Barbara Wine Auction was back at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara in Goleta this past weekend, drawing hundreds of oenophiles who dressed up, showed up and raised their paddles up. This is a biennial party put on by the […]

Some years ago, I was at a friend’s dinner party where I had the good fortune to be seated next to the late philanthropist, Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree. At the time, she was 92 and clearly had no intention of slowing down anytime soon. As I was in graduate school studying healthy aging, I used this […]

Before I became a mother, I had some pretty run-of-the-mill, irrational fears; snakes, heights, and flying cockroaches, to be exact. Well, not really heights, per se, but falling from great heights was a big concern. And did I mention the snakes? Many years later, when we had our first child, these irrational stressors I had […]

A movie producer named Gary Binkow (Finding Neverland, The Nanny Diaries, V/H/S, etc.) stopped in for a routine physical, at whose conclusion his doctor blandly recommended a preemptive cholesterol med. “I was prescribed Lipitor,” Binkow says with a puzzled half grin. “It was so easy for my doctor to say, ‘…Look, you’re very early and […]

“This place saved my life.” A sentiment I heard from not one, but two different women while I was staying at the Desert Hot Springs oasis last month. One of whom was a Montecito resident celebrating her 50th birthday. This was her sixth visit to the spa and even after not having eaten solid food […]

I am sitting in the shade of military-grade netting that has been – carelessly but effectively – erected to protect us from the relentless midday sun. The camouflaged men and sole woman are readying their weapons. Hip Hop blares in the background; more distraction than entertainment, but it also aids in dulling the soundtrack of […]