…Gratitude This saying sounds like a trite nursery rhyme and gets on my nerves like nails scraping on a chalkboard (is that still a thing?). At the same time, grateful people are psychologically and physically healthier than the ungrateful, making gratitude worthy of exploration and pursuit. Whatever For? When asked this question, our thoughts naturally turn toward our possessions –...

Remarkably, I may have selected a subject more perilous than faith, but 52 Steps Forward would be incomplete without a message concerning one of our greatest preoccupations: sex. For those expecting tips to improve your bedroom performance, you will be as disappointed as the person who told me in Will Smith to Chris Rock terms, “Keep my name out of your pen.”   Since I am no Dr. Ruth, and it is...

They Got it Together! Researchers have discovered Blue Zones, where people enjoy long, healthy lives, and identified the factors contributing to their longevity: consumption, movement, purpose, and social connection. More important than the number of years is the quality. Blue Zoners are generally free of the commonly expressed concern, “I do not want to outlive my good health.” Blue Zoners do...

This message is not entitled “exercise” because it is only part of the movement needed for well-being and to overcome the harmful effects of our sedentary lifestyles.  The Recommendation We obtain substantial health benefits by following the recommended 75-150 minutes (depending on intensity) of weekly aerobic activity and more benefits by adding twice-weekly muscle-strengthening sessions.    ...

Consumption Today, we address consumption - what we put into our bodies.      Strict eating programs like keto, intermittent fasting, vegan, or Daniel are effective but unnecessary.  The revered Mediterranean diet lacks a rigid structure or prohibition against any particular food.  Even Michael Pollan’s famous declaration is imprecise - "Eat food, not too much, mostly plants." “Balanced” or...