Healthy Living, Healthy Diet
Brian Teeter
Slender People Eat Different. You Can Too.

Let’s get this out of the way: It’s fun to hate slender people. They have it SO darned easy. Oh, to be one of the fortunate born with great metabolism or a hole in their feet. For the rest of us who didn’t win the genetic lottery, life is a constant struggle.

But we say, if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Okay, how do you do that? Read on the find out.

Slender People Eat Different. You Can Too.
Healthy Living
Brian Teeter
On the Horizon: Cures to Alzheimer’s and Autism?

I normally would not write on scientific research. That seems miles away from a blog post about healthy travel. But two major discoveries in medicine I read this week were simply too compelling not to share: For the first time, in two separate studies, researchers have apparently found the causes of Alzheimer’s Disease and Autism. Once there is discovery, there can be a path to a cure. And that is huge.

On the Horizon: Cures to Alzheimer’s and Autism?
Smart Travel
Brian Teeter
How The Equifax Breach Could Affect Your Travels

What a nightmare. It’s bad enough that Equifax, one of the nation’s three largest credit bureaus, was badly hacked. The breach exposed critical data on more than 143 million U.S. consumers. What you may not know is that the Equifax hack could also ruin your next business trip or vacation — or worse.

How? Thieves can not only use your identity to take out new credit cards mortgages, and loans, even file tax returns in your name. By stealing your identity, criminals could also put a black mark on your traveler profile in databases maintained by the FBI, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees both the TSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agencies.

How The Equifax Breach Could Affect Your Travels
Smart Travel
Brian Teeter
Flight canceled or delayed? Freebird to the ...

It’s inevitable. You absolutely, positively must reach your destination. But a storm, a mechanical failure, or missed connection is turning your flight into a classic travel nightmare. But there’s a way around this: Freebird, a simple mobile solution that lets you skip the line and instantly book a new ticket if you encounter a flight cancellation, significant delay of four hours or more, or a missed connection. Read on to learn more.

Flight canceled or delayed? Freebird to the rescue.
Healthy Exercise
Brian Teeter
Planks. You're Welcome.

What can you do to get those six-pack abs you dream of having? We recommend something safer and more effective than sit-ups: plank exercises. Planks build your core muscles and sculpt your body by utilizing isometric strength. Done properly, planks can also improve your body posture, while strengthening your shoulders, arms, glutes, and hamstring muscles. Read on to find out how.

Planks. You're Welcome.

Watch what you eat over the holidays

Watch what you eat over the holidays

It's holiday time again! Time to reward yourself for another year of hard work at the office, and if you're smart, at the gym, in the pool or like me, on your bike. Too many of us let down our guard, throw caution to the wind and totally pig out on Christmas and New Years, not to mention the days in between. 

Here's a fun fact: On Christmas day, the average American eats more than 7,000 calories. You read right. 7,000. Calories. An adult male should be eating no more than 2,000. Dwell on that one for a moment. What can you do? We have some ideas.

How to get healthy on your next vacation

How to get healthy on your next vacation

This time of year, you’re probably dreaming about escaping fluorescent cube farm enslavement, fleeing the oncoming winter gloom and finding yourself under warm sunny skies, likely on the beach. With a few simple steps, you can use your next trip to create healthy habits you follow after you return. If you do, your vacation will be forever.

Happy Thanksgiving. But watch those darned calories.

Happy Thanksgiving. But watch those darned calories.

Ah, Thanksgiving. That great American family tradition, a gathering of loved ones, a chance to celebrate, binge and fall asleep watching football. For many, this annual culinary orgy is one of the great days of the year.

Is it worth it? And what can you do to prevent adding pounds of fat, while wanting to have fun? We have some suggestions for both having fun and keeping on track. So read on.

The hard truth about soft drinks

The hard truth about soft drinks

With the long, stressful hours you put in at work and on the road, we're often fighting for a little boost. For a burst of energy, many people turn to an old standby in response: a can of Coke, Pepsi or other favorite soft drink. There's just one problem: that soda is not your friend. Read more to learn why, and what you can do.

Surf Into Yoga With Rochelle Ballard

Surf Into Yoga With Rochelle Ballard

Dynamic. Fearless. Inspiring. Insightful. Healing. Spiritual. These words describe Rochelle Ballard, one of the greatest female professional surfers ever, a film and TV star from hits such as Blue Crush, Step Into Liquid and Beyond The Break. Rochelle is an educator, a successful entrepreneur, expert on yoga, healing, wellness, massage and more. She is a legendary big wave surfer, and has been instrumental in the growth of women’s surfing. And today, Rochelle is owner of Surf Into Yoga. 

Vitaly Caffé: An Italian gem in Southern California

Vitaly Caffé: An Italian gem in Southern California

Many epicureans consider Bologna, the provincial capital of the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy, to be the exemplar of what Italian food should be. This tradition of incredible food was brought to Southern California by Bologna natives Maurizio and Barbara Cocchi, owners of Vitaly Caffé in the unique Camp complex in California’s Orange County town of Costa Mesa. From rich imported Italian coffees, to hand-made artisan pastas, piadina flatbread, pastries and gelato, Maurizio and Barbara serve only the freshest food using the best ingredients. 

Zucchini & Carrot Zoodles Primavera with Grilled Chicken

Zucchini & Carrot Zoodles Primavera with Grilled Chicken

We all love pasta. It’s one of nature’s perfect comfort foods. The problem is that pasta can be pretty fattening. So if you want to have noodles with dinner, what can you do? Eat zoodles instead, the healthy new low-calorie, low-carb, gluten-free food trend.

Cheer the fat man

Cheer the fat man

When I see a fat man struggling with all his might to climb a hill on a bike, an overweight woman beet red in the face as she jogs in obvious pain on a hot day, or a fat couple willing to be seen in a gym full of young hard bodies, I don’t sneer. I feel nothing but empathy. I cheer them on. Because not long ago, I was that guy.

We can all be better. Instead of showing scorn to the fat man or woman, cheer them on. Show them support. If they can do it, we all can.

Like suntanning? We have some bad news.

Like suntanning? We have some bad news.

We all love a suntan. It makes you look healthy and sexy. Or so you think. The truth is that to your skin, there’s no difference between a healthy-looking suntan and a severe sunburn. 


BS, you say? Think again. The ultraviolet rays of the sun that make that nice, dark tan are hard at work trying to create genetic mutations in your skin cells, which lead to melanoma, or skin cancer. And this damage is cumulative and irreversible. Here’s what you need to know, and how to protect yourself.

Beat the summer heat. Go ice skating.

Beat the summer heat. Go ice skating.

Summer. It’s a great time of the year. The days are longer, winter’s finally over, and it’s time to get outside for exercise. But when it’s 99 degrees and 99 percent humidity out, the thought of running in the blistering heat feels impossible. So instead of burning up this summer, be cool. Look for an indoor ice skating rink in your city and go skating. 

That’s right. Ice skating. In the summer. 

Support the little guy.

Support the little guy.

All across America, you can discover amazing little businesses with great ambition and big ideas hidden behind small town storefronts, overlooked websites and farmers’ markets. On my recent journey to the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, I was deeply impressed with the creativity, quality and service of many local small businesses. They typify the dynamic enterprise and hard work of countless small companies across the United States. 

Read on to find some fascinating examples...

 

Monkeypod: Quite possibly the best jam on Earth.

Monkeypod: Quite possibly the best jam on Earth.

There’s jam, and then there’s outrageously wonderful jam. We’ve searched far and wide in our travels, and have enjoyed some incredible jams for breakfast with our toast or yogurt. But at a farmer’s market on the Hawaiian island of Kauai, we met our match: the out-of-the-park home run array of hand-made preserves from Monkeypod Jam, an incredible little local company creating some of the biggest flavors on the planet. If you can imagine tropical breezes, breaking ocean waves and unbelievable fruit flavor in a jar, then you'll have to try this.

Dispatches from Paradise: On Kauai, life's a beach.

Dispatches from Paradise: On Kauai, life's a beach.

Kauai overwhelms your eyes and senses with extraordinary beauty everywhere you look. Not the least of which is the island’s beaches. Varying from rugged lava rock coastline and crashing waves, to favorite surfing beaches, beaches graced with palm trees and miles of sand, incredible snorkeling havens and beaches gentle enough for a baby to wade in their parents’ arms, there is something for everyone to discover. 

Whatever you seek in a beach, it awaits you on the island of Kauai. 

Greatest. Treat. Ever.

Greatest. Treat. Ever.

Every now and Zen we come across something with such an amazing taste that it should be banned. Well, sort of. Such is the case of a treat we found at the Hanalei Farmers Market on Kauai from the Heart Flame Bakery, a very health conscious and outstanding little business on the island. We sampled their breads, pizzas and other absolutely delicious and very healthy baked goods, and were simply blown away. How could organic, gluten-free and vegan products be so healthy and taste so damned good?

Going to Kauai? Get to know ActivityKauai.com.

Going to Kauai? Get to know ActivityKauai.com.

We could not have succeeded with our research trip to Kauai for our upcoming book, The Healthy Trekking Guide to Kauai without the help of Aaron Martin of ActivityKauai.com. Everybody and their sister on the island is a tour guide, but as you quickly learn, it’s often a sideline to another business they might have. It’s simple enough to help a visitor book a dinner, tour, helicopter tour or zipline experience on the island. But it’s something else again to meet and work with a genuine expert on Kauai who can safely guide you to activities and destinations that are ideally suited for you.

Aaron is that man. Rather, when it comes to Kauai, he is THE MAN. Read on to learn more...

A day at the Spa or how I found heaven on Kauai

A day at the Spa or how I found heaven on Kauai

My husband Brian, the writer of this team, is busy on yet another adventure kayaking and hiking. All this activity has tired him out, so he has not been able to blog thus far on our trip to Kauai. So please bear with me (Rita, the wife, and designer) I am attempting to write a blog on my own!

The Club at Kukui'ula, is a private club for owners of the fabulous new homes and cottages at Kukui'ula on the south shore of Kauai, just west of Poipu. And let me tell you, membership has its privileges (sorry Am/Ex it really fits here).

Tripus Interruptus

Tripus Interruptus

We're on our way to Hawaii to research and photograph everything we can for our upcoming book, The Healthy Trekking Guide to Kauai. Well, sort of. At this moment, we should be at 30,000 ft. half way across the Pacific Ocean. We would be if not for a mistake by an American Airlines gate agent in Terminal 4 at LAX. Her error caused us to miss our flight, and now, we won't be able to leave LAX until this evening on a different flight. Continue to learn more...