Empower Your Inner Architect: Building a Life of Epic Wellness

I love the dentist.  Said absolutely no one.  Like EVER. I have large teeth…so much so that my husband, Ray, breaks into a horse’s “neigh” when I crack a sizeable smile. (Our 30-plus year relationship is extremely unique in that we can laugh at ourselves, and each other, about just about anything. So please don’t hate him!) I am also meticulous when it comes to my oral hygiene—brushing several times a day, and I cannot fall asleep if I do not floss. I think I wore my retainer for 20 years, until I decided to get a lingual bar placed behind by bottom teeth.   I conscientiously floss around that too, despite the difficulty and extra time it takes. My husband? He’s the standard brush two times a day, toothpick to the front teeth kinda guy. And when we go to the dentist every six months, who comes out with the problem? Me.   And he laughs.   And “neighs” some more. What a poop. On the flip side, my husband likes to wait till the day before his appointment ...

My sister (your financial blogger) and I enjoy the mutual torture of one another by introducing (ok…maybe forcing) each other to participate in exercises at which the other, to be honest, completely sucks. I was introduced to a bunch of yogis (and my CORE) during my last visit to Utah. They are a pleasant brood, but why someone would want to hold strange (and distressing) pretzel positions for long periods of time, muscles burning and trembling like plucked guitar strings, is beyond me. With smiles on their faces and legs straight out in front of them, they all reach for their toes and kiss their knees. Dude. My hammies aren’t that long, and diaphragm is trapped in there. I. CAN’T. BREATHE. But the next day, my sister gets to ditch the mat and actually put ON some shoes for a little respiratory therapy. Coming from the Maryland humidity, my lungs LOVE the dry Utah air, and our run/walk interval session commences. Five minutes in, I am thinking I will need yoga neck stretches late...

Ok team! It’s Family Feud! Top six answers on the board. Here’s your question: Name something that is considered a nutrient. Your team has now answered 5/6: proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, and vitamins, but you are all receiving that big blasted red X on that last one. And then the audience laughs when your 16-year-old brother says “water”. Dude. Your brother just won you 20 grand. Short and sassy--you may love water.   You may hate it.   But here's the deal. Your body needs it. It simply functions 1000% better when you consume the proper daily amount of water (which, for most people doing normal daily tasks, is half your weight in ounces). Not enough water, or dehydration, affects the brain, muscles, kidneys, skin, and cardiovascular system, but sometimes, speaking generalities doesn't convey the seriousness of the message. Let’s get specific. When you don't get enough water, your mouth cannot produce the saliva it needs to fight off bacteria, resulti...

I am sitting in my dining room, watching the snow fall onto the deck.  I am also watching my stupid cat, Yukon Cornelius, who has ventured his way out there to get a closer look at two birds that apparently forgot to fly south for the winter. White speckles cover his gray fur. And his butt is planted in an inch of snow. One would think such a sensitive area of the body would tell him it’s 27 degrees outside.  The cold weather got me thinking about the heart—not like the coldhearted Grinch with a heart that was “two sizes too small”. But with February being American Heart Month, I was actually wondering how long it would take Yukon’s heart to turn into a paw-sized popsicle. Wait. That sounds kinda mean. I meant that from an anatomical heart-pumping, physiological blood flowing perspective.   I paid 4K to surgically fix that feline last year, so I am not wishing his demise any time soon! There is a point… I am betting that everyone that reads this has experienced hi...