This month has been all about managing my emotional health. After my grandmother passed away two weeks ago, I’ve been doing my best to be present and allow myself to experience my feelings. Historically, whenever I’ve been challenged with anything too real or too upsetting, I’ve immersed myself in work as a distraction. The busier... Read more »
My grandmother has passed away, but she taught me so much about a life well lived — and finding peace in the end.
Midwest winters can be brutal, and this season has been particularly long.
I tend to be a bit of chatty Courtney, er, Cathy, a trait I credit to each of my lovely grandmothers. Both Marie and Isabel have been blessed with the gift of gab, and I do my darnedest not to spoil my inheritance my making pointless conversation or rambling incessantly (although I’m guilty of both).... Read more »
Sometimes I feel like Uncle Rico from Napoleon Dynamite. “Oh man, I wish I could go back in time. I’d take state.” For me, I’d take my old weight. A svelte 129 pounds. But that was seven years ago. And even though I was slim, I wasn’t necessarily healthy. The road I took to get... Read more »
The week after New Year’s is my favorite time in the gym. People feel like turning over a new leaf, and health and fitness seem to fall at the top of everyone’s list. Of course, there are those who overdo it, pushing themselves too far too fast, like the 20-something man that required assistance from... Read more »
Last weekend’s record-threatening snowfall allowed me some free time to try a few new recipes. Kyle made lasagna and pot roast, both classic winter comfort foods, and I tried out a recipe for cajun rainbow trout I found on Whole Foods Market’s Web site. I’ve been shopping around Minneapolis and St. Paul for the best... Read more »
For those living in the Midwest or Northwest, a good, heavy snowfall gets the top slot on the evening news. I’ve grown up in Minnesota, so I’m not usually startled by a deep freeze, and this weekend’s record-threatening snow accumulation — while nothing to sneeze at — didn’t do much to upset me. Some inconveniences... Read more »
Last year’s Thanksgiving meal was a turning point in my holiday-food consumption. Historically, I’d use the holidays as an excuse to eat anything and everything in sight. Thanksgiving, in particular, was about how much food I could get onto one plate and how many times I could return to the buffet. And I wasn’t going... Read more »
My muscles have been feeling all kinds of sore in the past few weeks of training on the TRX, but the biggest hindrance I face is weak hands. The desire is there — I know my body can handle it and my mind is in the right place, but my grip gives out on me... Read more »
Tonight I am invigorated. I just completed a workout with trainer Shane Kinney at Life Time Fitness, and I’m feeling strong. Not sure how I’ll feel tomorrow, but this evening, I’m a conqueror. After focusing most of my efforts on stress management and diet for the past several months, I’ve decided it’s time to get... Read more »
In Minnesota, summer officially ends on Labor Day. The kids go back to school the following day and there’s usually a crispness in the air (this year was particularly fall-like with temperatures in the 60s). For many, myself included, the closing of season involves a trip to the Minnesota State Fair. This year was another... Read more »
Making Mark Hyman’s UltraSimple Detox Diet work for my busy schedule required smart preparation. I would’ve loved to take the week off to journal and take leisurely walks, nap when my body needed it, visit the sauna every day and take hot baths before bedtime. Dr. Hyman recommends this in chapter 8 of his book,... Read more »
During the month of July, I was on Mark Hyman’s UltraSimple Detox Diet, which you can find in the July/August issue of Experience Life magazine. Even though this program is only seven days, I say month because there are some crucial steps involved in order to have success. According to Hyman’s plan, I needed to:... Read more »
How a detox led to simply eating better.
Courtney explores opportunities to find more mindful ways to add meditation into her days.
I'm finding the easiest way to eat more colorful fruits and vegetables for this week's Take Action Challenge is with a crunchy salad, which I love in the summer.
I wouldn't consider myself a pack rat, but I definitely have a problem.
One of my favorite discoveries in the past few years was Google calendar. I came to it a bit late (as I do with most technology), but I quickly embraced it.
I didn't have any preview to our Take Action Challenge prior to the calendar that was sent in Week 1, but it almost feels like its creators knew what I struggled with most so that I would be forced to raise my sword to my lazy ways and shout en garde.
For most of my life, I've danced along a duality. I'm biracial -- my father is black and my mother is white.