My Little Friend, Cooper

There's a new celebrity at my downtown office building.  His name is Cooper.  He's white, fuzzy, full of beans and vinegar and wears a smile that could melt the hardest of hearts.  He's a 3.5 month Golden Retriever puppy who puts a smile on everyone's face.  Most difficult to resist, I've volunteered to doggie sit this wonderful bundle of happiness.  I hope I have the opportunity to do so; I know my patients will love to see this little guy, as most remember the smiles they had when my own therapy dog, Sooki, "worked" (ha! that was a joke...work!) with me in my office for years.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  If you should come in for treatment at the downtown office, don't be surprised if you meet my little friend and neighbor, Cooper, who might be visiting and assisting me for a day here and there.  Uh oh....Henry the Bear is going to be jealous!

Running and Jumping and Looking at the Flowers

Yesterday was beautiful...75 degrees in Manhattan and I had a break of a few hours.  I got motivated and got into my running shoes and took to the park.  It was the first time I've run since my running buddy, Sooki, passed on to Doggie Heaven, so the run was a bit lonely, a bit sad, indeed.  Thinking about how she'd always set the pace to 'fast', I was lumbering along slowly; trying to get my breathing into rhythym, and just trying to focus.  Because I wasn't looking for anything the dog would have swept up into her mouth if we had been together, I started to look around me.  I realized it's finally Spring.  There were crocuses of all colors, mountain heather and baby bells jumping up all around me-as if they were waving hello and welcoming me back after such a long absence of 9 months.  My sadness began to dissipate; Sooki's off to other adventures and it's up to me to find the joy of running in the park again.  The run wasn't completely successful - run, walk, run, walk....but that's o.k. after such a long time off.  Returning home, my doormen encouraged me to jump rope (something I always did after running with my dog).  They said 'just try it'...something I always tell my patients.  So, I got my rope and jumped and jumped and jumped.  Some neighbors and people who work on the street stopped to say it was good to see me jumping again.  Sooki would be glad I didn't give it all up and got back into the game again.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  Whatever it is in life, if it's something you love...don't give up!  Keep trying. We all experience obstacles in life; whether physical, emotional, or social.  Like a trainer once told me, "winners don't quit; quitters don't win...losers never try".  I'm glad I had a little push of encouragement today; it wasn't perfect, so tomorrow can be nothing but better!

Keeping It Simple In My Own Words Today

 Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  "Greatness should not be measured by one's material wealth, but by the the enormity of positive differences a man can make in another living organism's life."
- Kelley Mondesire'
...have YOU made a positive difference in anyone's life today?  Start with giving a dog a bone.  There will be no blog tomorrow; I'm taking the day off for a creative experience!  Have a great weekend and stay tuned for more Healthy Tips next week!

The Beauty of Getting Acupuncture and Doing Your Physical Therapy

Yesterday, I had some downtime....yippee!!  It was a beautiful day and the PERFECT day for an outdoor run.  Time to test all that acupuncture I've been self-administering and the physical therapy I've been torturing myself with for the past several months to strengthen my knees and quads.  Up to this point, I've been running at a slow and steady pace on a treadmill for 45 minutes at a clip; speed walking 5 to 10 minutes before and after the runs.
Yesterday, I warmed up, turned on my favorite outdoor running tunes and took off for a run along the Hudson River.  The air was fresh, the sun was shining, the temperature perfect!  I took it easy - I ran approximately .25 mile, walked about a block, then ran for .25 mile.  All told, I ran a total of 2 miles and felt great!!  It's always so different to run outdoors.  Your gait elongates, your breathing patterns are different and unlike the treadmill (where I feel like Astro the Dog), you actually GO someplace!!  Bittersweet....it was the first time I've run in over 10 years without my trusty dog, Sooki by my side.  She always set the pace and most likely why I always ran so fast.

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  It's really nice weather coming our way this week.  Get out there and do SOMETHING!!!  And if you have a trusty dog...get them outside and sing songs, play games and run like the children we always are! And...write in and share your own stories; I just love to hear about what everyone is doing!!

It's Monday and I Have Not Much to Say Today

This weekend, I raised over $1100 for two charities.  I spent much of Saturday walking around the grounds of a local event with a money/ticket apron tied around my waist asking for donations to benefit a worthy music student's scholarship.  About 8 hours later, I drummed up approximately $900.  On Sunday, I donated my deceased dog's toys to a rural volunteer-based animal shelter.  My dog always shared her toys, and being a rescue dog herself who never had a toy until she met me, I didn't think she would mind if I gave the same opportunity so other homeless dogs who might like a toy to play with.  I was then invited by the director of the shelter to a local 'Dog Derby' event, where they would be raising awareness for their shelter.  So, they gave me a boatload of brochures and a plastic container and asked me to go see what I could do.  About an hour or so later, I returned with $200 in small bills and coins and promises and pledges from many animal lovers in the crowds that they would bring blankets, towels, brushes, treats and food to the shelter in the coming months.  Needless-to-say, the nearly impossible has occurred....I've talked myself into silence.  I've actually gotten tired of moving my lips and making noise.  So, today, I don't have much to say here, but I will share this with you....

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  It ain't easy working a crowd to ask for money.  It's not easy to donate your best friend's toys posthumously, nor is it easy to then walk through a crowd of about 100 dogs and their owners after you've lost your own best-est dog.  But sometimes, you just need to step up to the plate if you've got what it takes to make a good cause happen.  At the end of the weekend, I had many mixed emotions...happiness, gratitude, sadness, completion, and also emptiness.  All in all, though, there was synergy....the sum of the parts was greater than the whole.
Do something this week that forces you out of your comfort zone...volunteer to step 'out of your box'.  It might be uncomfortable, but your perspective and scope of vision will benefit and so will those whose lives you will touch.
Happy Monday.  I'll shut up now.

Fitness Buddies

Sometimes, it's a bit difficult to stay with your fitness program.  Many people join gyms, Weight Watchers, hire personal trainers, nutritionists...just so that the road to wellville isn't a lonesome journey.  The patients that enroll in my wellness program are given an individualized program that encompasses the psychology of wellness to what exercises and food choices over the longrun will create better health and overall wellness in their lives.
Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  There's a SECRET WEAPON that's FREE and readily available for you to use on your fitness journey.  It's called A BUDDY!  What's a buddy?  It's your dog that needs his/her exercise that's the cheapest and most fun exercise machine.  A buddy is a friend who also wants to get healthy and joins you for a pot luck healthy dinner on your rooftop garden, while you both plot your wellness plan for the upcoming week.  Your buddy is someone you see in the park or gym everyday, also alone, who you might engage into a fitness session together.  Your buddy is your personal computer which is a plethora of worldwide information on exercise, nutrition and other healthy information.  Ever go onto Twitter and explore organic food groups?  There are people all over the world willing to share their experiences and knowledge.
Get a buddy and get fit!

The Heat's On - Take Care of Fido

Here's Your Healthy Tip of the Day:  It's going to be 80 degrees or more today in Manhattan.  Summer's here, so be smart.  Drink plenty of water and if you're out with your favorite furry Fido friend, don't forget that dogs need more water than you do!  Their foot pads are sensitive to the hot asphalt and can burn.  Dogs are also sensitive to sun and can get sunburnt, so don't leave them out to bake.  Make certain your favorite friend has shade and if in an apartment during the day, turn on the a/c and leave plenty of water for them.  Leave the bathroom door open, so if your pet is hot, he or she can go lie down on the cool tiles.
We love our dogs, so let's take good care of them!

Friday's Gonna Be MY DAY!

It's Friday and it's been a long and busy week.  I'm sure many of you feel the same as we all see the finishline ahead of us this afternoon.

Make Fridays YOUR DAYS!  Do something nice for yourself today, no matter how small or large.  Treat yourself to a latte if that's what kicks your sticks.  Go for a mani/pedi or 10 minute massage.  Go hit some golf balls or take a run in the park.  Play with your dog.  Whatever it is, make sure it's something JUST FOR YOU!

Today, I'm making Friday MY DAY and going to get my hair done.  I've been neglected my locks of late and I'm starting to look more like Carmella from 'the Sopranos'.  For once, it's not the dog going to the beauty parlor!!!

Happy Friday!  :)

Rainy Mucky Monday Can Be a FUNDAY!

It's Monday morning, and after a spectacular weekend filled with friends, laughter and warm weather, we're back to Mucky Monday weather here in the Big Apple.
The doggie cut her foot so, she's grounded for the day; her foot being bandaged.  Even the doggie isn't happy when it rains.
Sitting down to the computer and wondering what to write about today, I've got FR2 (the French television station) playing their version of the Today Show.  One segment is showing how you can purchase some really beautiful wallpaper prints (remnants) and by mounting them on coreboard or canvas, you can create some amazing wall art!  The show continues throughout an Parisian apartment (very much akin to a Manhattan flat) and how just color change, a new pillowcase and a few small and inexpensive items can transform a space from blah and boring to fun, exciting, sensual and contemplative.
I spend a fair amount of my life either at my downtown home office or my new space uptown on 57th St.  I find that even moving my potted plants around creates interest and stimulates ideas.  In my home, I quite often change off fruit bowls, coverlets and move artwork to break up boredom.
We are going through a tough recession at the moment.  Many of you have lost your jobs, afraid of losing them or just plain running scared.  Treat yourself today on this Muckey Monday and go purchase a really beautiful flower, or a house plant or buy yourself a scented candle or new pillowcases.

Here's Your Tip of the Day:  Do something small and nice for yourself today and make Mucky Monday into a FUNDAY!!
I'm going to give myself a laser facelift!!  And of course, the doggie will get an extra cookie!