ArcaMax

Of all the things America worships -- the luxury car, the happy family, the high-paying job -- the flat stomach is one of the hardest to achieve. We know it's possible because look at all those magnificent Olympians -- super-strong, terrifically tight and belly fat-free.

Michael Phelps! Misty May-Treanor! The adorably named Destinee Hooker! ...Read more

These days, most of us have a vague sense that, yes, our bodies and minds are somehow connected. Difficult day? Crushing headache? Reach for the Tylenol.

But when Dr. Candace Pert, a molecular biologist and pharmacologist studying and mapping brain peptides, worked as a research scientist in the early '70s -- the mind-body connection was, well,...Read more

Getting kids to eat their fruits and veggies wasn't a problem when that was all there was to eat. Whatever the family grew outside the cave came to the table, along with the entire family. No child stayed in his room with his headphones, listening to the Naked Brothers Band, and wild celery roots were relished by teens as a reward for good ...Read more

Sleep is the new black. It's trending up, and if you haven't woken up to how essential it is -- for your physical and mental well-being -- that's probably because you're not getting enough of it.

And what is enough? Aim for 8 hours or more a night. WHAT? It was easier before, when humans just naturally rose with the sun and bedded down with the...Read more

This is the time of year I get to kayak on a small wilderness lake in the North Woods of Wisconsin. Think loons, eagles, otters, herons, brats and fried cheese curds.

I love paddling Walter, my well-worn 17-foot Solstice, and not just because it's an inspiring upper body workout. In less than a minute, kayaking transports me into the silence, ...Read more

Vacations make us happy, but when we get back home, the ho-hum takes over. One week, we're bicycling in France, free as a breeze, and the following Tuesday, we're back to carpool and a messy kitchen. Were we ever away? That feeling of fun is buried under loads of emails and a to-do list as long as a barbecue fork.

Do you wish you could prolong ...Read more

It happens every summer in mid-July. I'm at the farmers market, scooping up the baby tomatoes, the adult kale, the homegrown beets with leafy tops that I should be using but never do. Suddenly, Strawberry Panic Disorder overtakes me, in spite of everything I know.

What? Pay double for strawberries just because they're organic?

It freezes me, ...Read more

Summer is a great time to be getting away from it all. You can slip into escape mode the fast way with multiple margaritas, or you can slow down and figure out a plan to get back to nature, into the woods or on a lake, up a mountain or down a river -- paddling, hiking, camping, fishing, whatever suits your soul.

Your fitness goal? Renewal of ...Read more

Going on vacation this summer? You'd better! But let me warn you: It's a jungle out there, even if you're headed to the beach, the mountains or the museums.

Temptation is everywhere, usually fried or coated in chocolate. Without an action plan in place, even the strongest of us will wind up with Pop-Tarts and margaritas for breakfast.

At home,...Read more

It's summer. Yippee. Run to the hammock and let's play a game. I want you to lie back and relax into thinking about something you want to accomplish this summer. Here's the sentence. Fill in the blank:

"This is the summer I want to ..."

What? Name your heart's desire. Keep it clean. Think about your own well-being.

Want to run a 10k? (Great ...Read more

Wherever you happen to be on the rewarding and rocky road to a healthier lifestyle, you'll travel more gently and feel more joy if you learn to make friends with your Inner Critic.

We all have one. Well, maybe not Donald Trump. He just says what he says, does what he does, amazingly free of self-doubt.

But in most of us, the Inner Critic is ...Read more