I love talking about dreams. In a nutshell, here is my philosophy on dreams:

Dreams are big and beautiful and they come true by setting and getting a series of goals. You reach your goals by mastering healthy habits. And as I wrote in my post, “The #1 way to achieve your dream life,” healthy eating is a cornerstone habit. You can read that post here.

I love to be future-focused, but I want to be clear. What you do now determines what you will be in the future. What you eat now determines how you will feel in the future. Start now. Your dream is not sitting around and waiting for you. So, why would you wait to eat healthfully? 

Don’t wait! Take care of yourself now and everyday. Eat well now and everyday. And this routine of healthy eating will help you reach your dream. More than that, when you do, you’ll have a body and mind fit enough to enjoy it to the fullest.

Healthy eating is everyday self-care.

In a previous blog post, called “What is self-care?,” I offered the following de...

Put on your oxygen mask first.

I vividly remember my first flight. I was 17. My mom, who is notoriously afraid of flying, and I flew to North Carolina to visit Duke.

My mom was a nervous ball of energy. I, always the student, was oh-so-conscientiously following the flight attendant’s instructions. My eyes were darting between the attendant and the plane manual that she was referencing. I was excited and comfortable.

That is ... until I heard that line about the oxygen mask. You know the one. It’s something like, “Please put on your oxygen mask first before assisting anyone else.”

Do you remember how you felt the first time you heard that?!

I do. I felt … uncomfortable. Selfish. Nervous. Worried. Even scared.

Of course I would help my mom first! How could I help myself and leave her struggling by herself? And then I got it - if I pass out, I’ll be no help to her … or anyone else. I realized, I have to help myself first so that I’m then able to help others.

Putting your oxygen...