My friend Julie and I have been close since the third grade, so there isn’t much we don’t know about each other. Recently, Julie came to Portland, Oregon to play. I had just moved to the Northwest a year ago to start a new life after living in Atlanta for nearly 15 years and working in corporate America. In my new city, I was still eager to try new things and see a familiar face.  Read more>

Looking for some great aerobic exercise that not only firms and tones, but will put a smile on your face? The hula hoop is back and bigger than ever, literally…these hoops are 35-40 inches plus in diameter and come weighted, typically two to ten pounds. There’s even a whole line of “sports hoops” that weigh 100 pounds or more.  Read more>

The Newest Way to Keep Hydrated

So summer is upon us with a vengeance. These past few days in LA – like everywhere else it seems – have been real scorchers and I am sweating up a storm.  And yes, I know, I know – horses sweat, men perspire, women glisten. So I’m glistening up a storm.  Read more>

Extra baby weight. I thought I could get rid of it. It would never happen to me. I would schedule jogging stroller trips with my newborn and iPod in between breastfeeding and doctor visits. I envisioned people running up to me and telling me about how quickly I lost the pounds, that I never even looked pregnant. And then my sweet cherubic child was born.  Read more>

I live in Los Angeles. I wanted a bike to ride on the beach. But not just any bike, I wanted the absolutely sweetest 3-speed cruiser ever, cost be damned. She’s called Super Deluxe and she’s a show stopper. By Electra Bicycle…the company credited with re-popularizing beach cruisers, and yes, it’s love.  Read more>

Ah…yoga. I am Indian. I am supposed to know everything about yoga. My parents grew up in India and have been practicing yoga for their whole lives. They even teach it in Connecticut. But yoga and its different types have baffled me for years. Can Yoga really do anything for me other than Zen me out? Should I choose a Power yoga class over a Hatha class if I am trying to change my body? Can yoga actually help my immune system? The answer to all of these questions is YES.  Read more>

Seattle – it’s May, gorgeous, wish you were here. For some reason, every time I visit the Emerald City it’s sunny, warm,and positively sparkling. I’d like to think it’s because I bring the weather with me from sunny L.A., but I know better. I’m not here to kick back though, I’m here to kick butt on a mountain known as Eldorado Peak, elevation 8,868.  Read more>

It is amazing to me how often I see women (and men!) come and spend two whole hours in the gym, five days a week and still have the same body that they have had for years. I am the General Manager of Crunch in Los Angeles and have been working in gyms for over fourteen years, have held certifications with the American Council on Exercise and now hold the toughest job of all – being mother to a very active 15-month old boy named Lucas. When I was first approached to write a column on fitness and lifestyle, I had to write about nutrition mistakes that women make on a daily basis.  Read more>

Mammoth Mountain is one of the premier mountain resorts in California. Sure, you think of California as a warm and sunny place to visit, not a “winter” destination, but Mammoth is sure to surprise. The resort defies the notion you have to freeze your tail off in order to get your snow groove on. If you like to ski or ride, you’ve got to try Mammoth in the Springtime.  Read more>

With the holiday season coming to an end, many of us are gearing for the New Year. What are we looking forward to and what do we wish to leave behind us? What do we resolve to change and what are we hoping will stay exactly as is? Are we going to revert to the same old resolutions (I will lose weight, I will start exercising, I will be more motivated) or will we try something new?  Read more>

Here we are, in the middle of fall, with the leaves turning and that crisp, cool air signaling that we can basically run any time of the day without having a heat stroke. It is a welcome climate in the Midwest and we cherish every minute of this meteorological window. Why? Before we know it, the snow will come.  Read more>

If my junior high school track coach knew I was writing a blog about sports & fitness, he would probably think hell had frozen over.  I was the girl that had to be carried off the track during the State Championship because she tripped over the last hurdle, landing flat on her face and injuring a knee.   In high school my family moved to Canada and I only made the basketball team because the Canadians thought, “She’s American, she’s MUST know how to play this sport!”  Boy were they wrong!  After jamming a couple fingers because I couldn’t quite grasp the notion of actually catching the ball, I found myself warming the bench more than heating up the court.  Read more>