Category: Health and Fitness

Getting Yourself into High Gear

Four effective ways to break the running slump. Consistency is the nirvana of any discipline. Putting in the miles is truly the only way to reap the benefits of endurance running, especially as your body continues to adapt to more strenuous workloads and milestones. But eventually, the mile log might start to feel like a […]

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Coping with Anxiety

Who’s not dealing with anxiety these days? In 2016, Edmund Bourne, the former director of the Anxiety Treatments Centers in California, and writer Lorna Garano put forth Coping with Anxiety — a book that seems more relevant than ever as sudden environmental changes have spurred an uncertain-feeling future and each day can seem like a […]

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Why Plant-Based Eating is the Issue We Need Right Now

  • by Les Ottolenghi
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A reinvigorated view of our exchange with the world. Veganism has given way to a much more trendy sister term, “plant-based,” that was coined by nutritional biochemist T. Colin Campbell around four decades ago. Removing some of the stringent formality of the vegan practice while being based in many of the same principles, whole foods […]

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How Endurance Running Continues to Fuel Our Evolution

  • by Les Ottolenghi
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Over two million years ago the Australopithecus, was naturally selected for evolution because of their bipedal ability to run on two feet. Over the passage of time, human anatomy was honed into more efficient, uniquely qualified traits that favored endurance running. “Running has substantially shaped human evolution. Running made us human – at least in […]

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Waves of Calm: Mindful Practices are Changing How the Brain Copes with Pain

  • by Les Ottolenghi
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Zen mantras are not just for yoga class and memes. Doctors are turning to meditation and mindful activities as a treatment for people suffering from chronic pain. Meditation enhances not only how the brain functions but also how people are able to process and cope with pain. Meditation comes with all of the feel-good physiological […]

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“One Team, One Fight”

This weekend, a friend of mine, shared a Facebook essay by Dr. Joshua Lerner, an Emergency Medicine Physician in Southbridge, Massachusetts. It was a message from the “trenches” at the Leominster campus of UMass Memorial HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital. Dr. Lerner’s post — which has been shared over 3,500 times at the time of publishing — is […]

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Our Connection to Plants in Times of Uncertainty

  • by Les Ottolenghi
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“The garden suggests there might be a place where we can meet nature halfway.” — Michael Pollan, an American author, and professor. The humble carrot, the mighty spinach leaf, the utilitarian black bean. A fresh sweet kale salad livens up a plate. A bowl of miso broth with spinach comforts at the end of the […]

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Routine and Processes: Thriving Through Social Distancing and Quarantine

  • by Les Ottolenghi
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“My barn having burned down, I can now see the moon.” ― Mizuta Masahide, 17th-century Japanese poet and samurai 2020 will be the year that we will remember as a forced catalyst for change — undoubtedly, we will all arrive on the other end of this with an even deeper, more profound understanding of virtualization. […]

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Planning Offers Best Route to Nutritional Success

  • by Les Ottolenghi
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Strategies to simplify and empower mealtime. I’m sure we all share this experience: It’s been a long day. You’ve either spent it in the air, in a high energy conference, meeting with teams on-site, speaking to large groups, or working through a heavy agenda in the boardroom. Most days, more than one of these activities […]

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The Competitive Advantage

Participating in athletics positively impacts the workplace. As a former collegiate track and field athlete, I often think about the parallels between dynamics on the oval and in the workplace. It is not just about achievements, the big wins, and the big headlines, it’s also about what happens day-in-and-day-out that shapes a fulfilling experience. It’s […]

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How to Overcome the Airport Food Challenge

  • by Les Ottolenghi
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Pass on the stroopwafel, and say yes to plant-based options. A lack of nutritious and satisfying food has been a confounding reality since the beginning of the modern-day airport. Based on my experience and trends in travel and airport competition, we are seeing some culinary improvements in higher volume international airports. But if you don’t […]

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Nature Prescriptions Are On the Rise

The annual report reminds everyone of the power of fresh air. The Global Wellness Summit is a conference where experts and visionaries from all parts of the world gather to solve shared problems. Each year representatives convene to discuss movements that are transforming the $4.5 trillion wellness industry — culminating discussion materials into the top […]

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