Blog Posts by Healthy Living The Shine

The holiday season can be one of the most challenging times of the year to stick to a healthy diet. With endless holiday parties and family get-togethers, it’s a question of will power, for sure, but it’s also about making small, yet effective changes to cut calories when you can. Joy Bauer, nutrition and health expert for the TODAY Show, stopped by The Shine to give our viewers realistic diet tips for the three holiday sweet spots: hors d’oeuvres, beverages, and dessert. Joy’s general rule of thumb is to follow her “rule of one” meaning enjoy one of each delicious appetizer, one plate of food, one alcoholic beverage, and one dessert. Harder said than done? If so, adhere to her advice below for more simple ways to curb calories at your next holiday soiree.

DESSERT

Dessert, especially for ladies, is a real treat, and it’s very hard to pass it up no matter how full we may be (right ladies?). It often feels like there’s a separate compartment for dessert, but to

Have you gotten your flu shot yet? Well hear this: a new study from the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress found that the influenza vaccine may reduce the risk of heart disease by up to 50%! Is that more reason to get the vaccine? NY-based allergist and five-time New York Times “Super Doctor” Dr. Morris Nejat stops by “The Shine” to break down the reasons why we all should get the flu shot this season.

What sort of flu season is expected this year? Dr. Nejat says “I don’t think it’s going to particularly bad compared to other years, but a lot of people will get the flu, a lot of people will get sick, and unfortunately, some of the people who get sick can be hospitalized and possibly die.” Dr. Nejat stresses that everyone should get the vaccine, but in particular, the elderly, pregnant women, and young children especially need to get vaccinated.

As for this new study out of Toronto, which found that people who were vaccinated to the flu virus were at 50% less

If you think bullying is something that only happens on a playground and among kids, think again. From bosses who bully, to neighbors who bully, bullying can continue way beyond the playground years, and sadly, experts say adult bullying is on the rise. Recently, a popular television news anchor made national headlines after a viewer bullied her over her weight! And singer Adele was reportedly cyber bullied after the birth of her son. While adults are more likely to engage in verbal bullying over physical bullying, the fact of the matter is, adult bullying exists, big time.

To talk about adult bullying, how to identify it, handle it, and stop it, national anti-bullying speaker and psychologist, Dr. Joel Haber stopped by “The Shine”.

[Related: The Kind Of Bullying We Don’t Talk About]

How does one identify a bully? Dr. Haber says “If you find yourself being excluded, marginalized in some way, or made to feel less than a person that you shouldn’t have

Leah Odze Epstein and Caren Osten Gerszberg are the editors of a fascinating new book entitled “Drinking Diaries”, a compilation of stories about women and drinking. While some entries are tragic, many shed new light on a woman’s relationship with drinking. What we found most interesting deals with drinking taboos associated with women, and how the stories in the book put the stigma associated with these taboos on their ear. Leah and Caren took a deep dive into these social taboos and gave some new thoughts about the role that alcohol plays in women’s lives.

The first taboo is “over sharing”. According to Leah and Caren, people tend to hold themselves back but the real you can be more appealing than you might think. Speaking your mind when you’re under the influence may lead you to your true friends; it can help you discover your authentic self and allow others to see you that way too. 

This next one seemed very questionable: stumbling while drinking.

Patricia Krentcil became infamously known as “the tanning mom” after being accused of putting her 6-year-old daughter into a tanning bed. Patricia has denied the accusations, but her case has created a storm of criticism. Now, nearly five months later, the next chapter in this bizarre case may shock you even further…Patricia has become the face of a skin care regime. In her efforts to heal her damaged skin, Patricia is following “The Skin Regime”, a skincare routine developed by Westchester-based skincare enthusiast Dana Ramos.Patricia stopped by “The Shine” to talk about her rollercoaster of a life these past couple of months, how she’s doing now, and why she decided to change her ways.

In this episode, The Shine's Host Allison Fishman is wearing:
Dress, Express
Necklace, By Boe (www.byboe.com)
Bracelet, Jessie Lane Jewels
Shoes,BCBG                                                                                                                                                           

It’s easy to feel like a snack from the vending machine is always the wrong decision. What’s YOUR vending machine guilty pleasure? When we asked our Shine Facebook community that question Frito-Lay’s Cheetos, Twix and Snickers, were some of their faves. Of course they are! Who doesn’t love a high sweet, high calorie snack in the middle of the day for a little pick me up. But how about instead of picking (insert your guilty pleasure here) for your next vending machine visit, why not choose the healthiest option from all those choices? Nutrition expert and author of "Chill Out & Get Healthy" Aimee Raupp came on "The Shine" to help us separate the good from the bad of vending machine snacks. Some of the best choices may even surprise you.

In this episode, The Shine's Host Allison Fishman is wearing:                                                                        Shirt by Aqua
Bracelets and earrings by Finn Jewelry     

When it comes to the vending machine, Aimee

Carol Alt, one of the most famous supermodels in the world, says eating raw food is what has kept her slimmer, healthier and more energized for two decades. Carol stopped by The Shine to talk about her raw food lifestyle and how it’s cured her headaches, stomach problems and fatigue. In her book, “Easy Sexy Raw”, Carol shares raw food recipes and explains how to follow the raw food diet on a budget. If any of you are wondering: what exactly is raw food? Raw food is food that hasn’t been cooked over 115 degrees. Carol notes that “when you cook food, you basically destroy the food. You destroy the bonds between the vitamins and minerals. You destroy the enzymes, so really raw food is food that is good for the body and very nutritious.                                                                                                                                                                                  

In this episode, The Shine's Host Allison Fishman is wearing:                

The birth control pill continues to be the most popular form of contraception among women, but there have been some new advances. Ob-gyn, Dr. Rebecca Brightman, gives a rundown on what’s new in female contraception. Starting with IUD’s, intrauterine devices, Dr. Brightman says today’s IUD’s are drastically different from a generation ago, and their use is on the rise.  She discusses two IUD’s currently on the market. One is hormone free, and good for 10 years. The other contains hormones and is effective for up to 5 years. Dr. Brightman says a new IUD will soon be available. The new IUD, pending FDA approval, will contain a lower dose of hormones, have a smaller configuration, and will be good for up to three years. Dr. Brightman also explains the differences among birth control pills on the market, and how there's no such thing as the perfect pill.