I recently wrapped up my course “Creating your Owner’s Manual for Health” - and as always, it’s the segments on nutrition - exploring the power of food - that most strongly resonate with everyone.

Because when you think of the powerful benefits that the food we eat delivers, the billions of chemical processes that the food we eat triggers, and all the ways our food is health protective … you take notice.

Take in the following powerful observation from Dr. Mark Hyman:

I like thinking about lifestyle habits …

Because, you know, it's our habits that make us who we are.

And it’s our habits that can make a huge difference in not only how we feel today, but our health trajectory.

I’d like to share a quick story.

The other day I was at a small gym that focuses on strength training. One thing I like about it is that it merges the idea of personal training with a community who is working together on their own personal goals.

I recognize that having a community of support, vs. me trying to figure it out on my own, is crucial to my success.

So up to six of us are working through the same routines at the same time, but obviously the weights are individually customized.

The ongoing casual banter, an energetic and fun trainer, and loud music certainly kick up the energy and motivation to get through a few routines. I leave feeling accomplished and happy that I’m making progress on a goal that I set for myself.

I also remind myself that building strength, stability and balance is one of the most important things I can be doing for my long term health.

But let me get to my main point here.

As we’re in the middle of a set, a guy across from me casually mentions the fact that about a year ago he was a hundred pounds heavier and confronting a diabetes diagnosis.

Fast forward to the present - he had recently left his doctor’s office, with no diabetes markers identified, and off all of his diabetes meds.

Longevity. It’s not something we think too much about when we’re young.

In fact, when we’re young, we just want to get older. And when we’re “old,” we just want to be young again.

Those middle years creep up fast … and come with the realization that we’ve perhaps lived more than half our life.

So logically, at this point in time, the idea of longevity might be something that enters our brain a bit more frequently.

And really what we all want is to live as long as possible, in a way that feels good and healthy.

Unfortunately, reality is harsh. Aging is the biggest risk factor for every chronic disease.

The statistics are staggering - 80% of adults over sixty-five have one chronic disease, and 77% have two chronic diseases.

”If you want to change the world, make your bed every morning.”

This quote by Admiral McRavin garnered some chuckles when he first offered this advice to graduating seniors at the University of Texas … later leading to the publication of his best selling book, “Make your Bed.”

I’ve always loved this quote (and repeat it to my teenagers often 😅).

The idea is simple. Start your day doing just one simple task. This will make you feel accomplished, and will encourage you to do another task, and so on, throughout your day. Have you read the book When you give a Mouse a Cookie? Then you get it. One thing leads to the next.

And the first thing you choose to do, matters. Obviously the mouse didn't make as good a decision as Admiral McRavin!

Making our bed is a strategy in productivity; a strategy in accomplishment. And we know, both of those things feel really good.

To set the scene for this fine salad making recipe …

I’m on the French Riviera in September with college friends …

And after a day of touring, rather than heading out into town for dinner, we decide to eat the French way …

At “home” relaxing - with a view of the sea - and some delicious french cheese, a simple salad that I made, and a roast chicken from the market.

When a couple of those friends recently reached out and said “WE NEED YOUR SALAD RECIPE!,” I thought that maybe my salad making story was newsletter worthy.

So here we go.

I do receive compliments on my salads quite frequently. And I have to laugh.

Because, bottomline, it’s basically just a salad with olive oil, vinegar and a little salt.

But, I admit, there are a couple strategies that I use that do take a salad to a new level. I like to call it the upside down way of making salad.

It’s how my mom always made a salad. So of course it’s what my sister and I have always done.

We’ve joked about bottling and selling it, because we do always get those compliments. But then we think, there’s nothing to it, and typically end up laughing.

Usually I make a big salad for lunch, and most often a dinner salad, sometimes at breakfast as well … and having that salad creates an easy way to account for a majority of those vegetable servings we require (see more on that below).

I just returned from a short trip to Maine … a place that I have traveled to almost every year of my life … and a place that is extraordinarily special.

This coast of Maine provides a connection for me above all else - a connection to family, my family’s history, and the ongoing beauty of our natural environment. 

It is like a magnet with a strong force field, always pulling me back, and I know it casts the same spell on so many connected to it.

What I also like about my visits there, is that it always seems to generously provide space to slow down and be grateful.  

And to be mindful in the moment of the beauty that surrounds me, and hopefully the beauty that any of us can find if we take the time to look around. But, I admit, Maine does make it easy.  

I know that one of the greatest fears held by many is that of developing some form of dementia. Some may even think that this disease is practically an inevitability that comes along with aging.

This prospect can feel daunting and overwhelming … but as most of you know that have been following me for awhile, I am constantly in “go mode” of curating content that can empower us to make good decisions.

Figuring out all the positive steps we can take can make a huge difference for our health - both our mental attitude and the way we feel.

So much of our health … and our health outcomes … are within our control. We just need to be aware.

So let's think about our brain.

As we age, sometimes a good night’s sleep becomes elusive.

We know how important sleep is for our health; in fact, many health experts believe it’s the most important thing to pay attention to.

Hitting a minimum of 7 hours of solid sleep is the goal.

Seems like it should be easy, but it’s not for many, including me.

And when it’s not, you have to really pay attention, and start experimenting with a long list of things that can help achieve a better night’s sleep.

Because we’re all unique, what works for one person, may not work for the next. But as it relates to me, I’ve observed that there are 3 things that can mess around with my sleep quality:

September is the notorious “Back to School” month. There's a palpable energy in the air. Everyone seems to be “starting up” again.

Did you know, according to organizational behavior experts, September and October tend to be our most productive months?

So I figured, why not put our best foot forward and figure out how to seize that opportunity of productivity and activate it for ourselves.

For those who have been on my mailing list for awhile, you know I write about goal setting from time to time.

Because it is easy to get lazy with goal setting, I like to occasionally tee it up, and offer new ways of thinking about how to achieve our goals.

While most of us are probably not headed back to school, the “back to school” mentality provides a tidy process for enabling us to think through and activate our goal planning process.

If you recently tried out the Mexican Fiesta menu from my last newsletter, there's a good chance you now have an open can of chipotle peppers sitting in your fridge.

For many, including me, that can of peppers probably ends up in the trash because, let's face it, how often do we really need chipotle peppers?

Frankly, this bothered me enough to seek a solution.

So, here's what I've started doing: I wrap each pepper in plastic wrap (I wish I could find a more eco-friendly alternative, but that's a challenge for another day) and pop them into a freezer bag.

Problem solved.

The next time I have a recipe calling for chipotle peppers, I can simply open the freezer and grab one or two peppers.

I recently I had this wonderful little conversation with a couple of friends over a cup of cappuccino.

As we were sitting there catching up, my friend asked, what is your “word” for the year?   

Ironically, I had been thinking about “my word.”  

If this is unfamiliar territory, sometimes thinking of one word which represents you and your aspirations for the year can be useful.  It’s a word that can be grounding and purposeful, and keep you on track - in spaces that you've identified as important.

The word I chose for this year is INSPIRE.  

Let's reverse engineer this a bit. Rather than give you a list of questions to ponder to help you set your goals, I thought I’d provide some guideposts to help ensure your success in what you set out to achieve.

But I will tee up a starter exercise to get you thinking about what’s important … since things just don’t happen without some careful thought and intention.

I love the way celebrity chef Seamus Mullen looks at the notion of health.

As a person struggling with Rheumatoid Arthritis who almost died in his thirties, he had to push away the perception that he was doomed by this disease.

He knew he could manage his illness better than what he was doing.

The starting point for him, in his words, was this:

“The first step to becoming a healthy person is believing you can be healthy.”

Fall welcomes in the brisker weather … and there is no better time to put a warming soup on the stove. Try this bright, flavorful and most delicious curry vegetable soup. It promises to be the highlight of your day!