How does one thrive in life, business and relationships? I want to share with you my personal experience of how I was able to thrive in life. This is about a decision I had to make many years ago. Now when I look back on my life I can see how huge and impactful this decision was on my life from that point forward. Before I share what the decision was and what I chose, let me give you a little background information. I grew up in Ireland the eldest of 9 children. I was what is now known...

Hi Dana: One of my financial resolutions is to save more, especially for retirement. How do I know where to save? A new year brings a sense of clarity and the fresh opportunity to take action and set better habits in motion. While many of our resolutions (think – diet or exercise) are sometimes difficult to stick to, a financial resolution like saving more can be set up for success quite easily. Saving more for retirement is a simple, yet powerful resolution for most of us because it can have a positive impact for many years of our lives....

I admit it. I sipped many virtual happy hour drinks and binged on comfort foods to initially cope with COVID-19. I regularly rationalized my choices. They offered enjoyment and relief during a stressful time. However, by late summer when my favorite summer dresses did not fit for special backyard barbecues with my husband, I painfully realized that my short-term decisions might have longer-term consequences. Seeking more than weight loss, I signed up for my first ever nutritional detox program. The experience was profound. Not only did I learn how to adjust my eating and improve my self-care for optimal...

Biomagnetism is a revolutionary, scientific, and therapeutic approach to wellness. Practiced internationally, it is a method to balance bioenergetic energy in the body. First, the body is screened for pH imbalances that could cause dysfunction. Then, powerful ceramic magnets are precisely placed on specific points to support the regulation of pH in these areas, allowing for homeostasis so the body can heal itself. After treatment, the body can return to normal immune function, increased circulation, oxygenation, and normalized inflammation. The Discovery of Biomagnetism Biomagnetism was discovered in 1988 by Dr. Isaac Goiz, a medical surgeon, after attending a seminar...

At the turn of the new year, a lot of media attention is directed at replacing habits that drag us down or getting rid of unwanted pounds. Why is it that so much of our awareness becomes centered on losing something in favor of gaining something else? It seems to be a part of our human nature to long for something new and better and the new year is the perfect time to work toward it. But what if that very longing has the capacity to undermine us by hijacking the first and most essential step in any change...

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”      ~ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.   When asked to write an article about forgiveness, I felt hesitant. With so much contention in the world, why would anyone willingly surrender their strong position and forgive? I consider forgiveness to be a superpower, right up there with gratitude. They both require a capacity to hold negative feelings in a larger perspective; touching the grace beyond suffering. Anger and fear are intelligent emotions signaling that a boundary has been crossed....

Considering the pervasive use of preservatives and the increase in modified foods in our diet, is it any wonder why we have more digestive problems than any other generation on Earth? Our high sugar and carbohydrate intake feeds the fungus and molds (like Candida) that we don’t want in our gut. The preservatives in food that are designed to kill bacteria in the bread, cereal, canned and dried foods are killing the good bacteria that we do want in our gut. We all know that antibiotic use disturbs the bacterial balance in a terrible way. Get Rid of the...

Cupping (aka Vacuum Therapies) has been widely used for centuries to treat a variety of medical conditions ranging from muscle tension to insomnia. A glass or silicone cup is placed on the body to create a negative pressure, lifting the skin, fascia, and muscle tissue to create an effective way to release tension, pain, and muscle “knots.” Localized circulation is improved and vascular dilation helps to draw out toxins and inflammation. Scar tissue and adhesions are softened and released, soft tissue is lifted and stretched, and range of motion is improved. Cupping helps to move lymph stagnation and relieve...

Platelet Rich Plasma injections (PRP) are regarded as a revolutionary modality of care in the field of anti-aging/regenerative medicine. Due to the long-term complications that surgical interventions may entail, less invasive procedures like PRP are becoming extremely popular as a safer alternative than surgery in the optimal management of soft tissue injuries and chronic pain. Platelet Rich Plasma, or PRP, is blood plasma with concentrated platelets. The concentrated platelets found in PRP contain large reservoirs of bioactive proteins, including growth factors that are vital to initiate and accelerate tissue repair and regeneration. These bioactive proteins initiate connective tissue healing...

With the new year brings new goals and for many people those goals mean weight loss. 2020 was such a difficult year for nearly everyone and the added changes may have resulted in stress eating. To add to it, so many of our holiday celebrations mean we may partake in larger meals, plentiful desserts, and maybe more eggnog than we would care to admit. All of these indulgences can leave us sluggish and, very often, feeling guilty. Once the new year hits, we try to find the motivation to drop those extra pounds with gym memberships and fad diets....

Do you like to eat out? I do! Of course, cooking at home is more cost effective and can be the healthier choice but eating out is fun, relaxing and can be a delicious culinary treat. I have to admit that I am pretty picky about the restaurants that I choose however, because I will only go if I can eat real food made with the best ingredients. So I thought that I would share how I figure that out and create a list of Connecticut restaurants that are getting it right. In the coming months, I will spotlight...

Autism is the fastest growing medical condition in our children today. From 2002 to 2016 the rates practically tripled. Approximately 17% of children have a developmental disability, based on CDC data. Therapies and treatments have improved to help these children speak, socialize, learn, and eventually recover; however, the most controversial part of autism isn’t the treatments, it’s the cause. The Cause of Autism Identifying and treating the cause of disease is one of medicine’s most important breakthroughs. Treating anything else (a symptom) is a band-aid, whether it is ibuprofen to relieve the headache from drinking too much or the...

Completely frantic and beside herself, a young mother of two came to see me for fatigue. Once she sat down with me, the floodgates opened and she admitted to being completely burnt out, exhausted from juggling her daily routines along with her obligations to her family, and unable to get a hold of her emotions. She was having trouble keeping calm with her kids, sleeping, and remembering little details about her day. After spending a great deal of time listening to her, not only did I prescribe her some supplements to help her manage the stress and fatigue she...

Twenty years into its role as the leading accredited institution for holistic studies on the East Coast, The Graduate Institute has charted a unique course in higher education. Our mission is to provide transformative education based on an integrative and holistic perspective designed to enable students to reach their full potential both professionally and personally. Our renowned Masters and Certificate programs offer a new model for education which is steeped in a holistic worldview, seeing individuals, communities, families, organizations, and countries as whole integrated interrelated systems, a view which is increasingly relevant for the uncertain, worrying COVID-dominated times we...

I can’t remember how far back our family adopted the old British tradition of opening Christmas crackers when sitting down for our holiday meal. The festive poppers usually contain a colored tissue-paper crown and a small toy and are sold in novelty stores. In spite of the fact that the kids are now adults, we still eat wearing these silly regal hats every year. In 2014, the cracker took on a new meaning for me as, of all things, a divination tool. That was the year everyone around the table opened their popper to discover that each Christmas cracker...

Many patients come to see me because they are concerned that they may have a cavitation. A cavitation is an area in the bone that is dead or dying and is caused by trauma, infections, and decreased blood supply to the area. Although commonly found in the jawbone, cavitations can occur in any bone in the body. The most common site is the wisdom tooth area where teeth have been extracted. Jawbone cavitations, recognized as far back as the 1800s, go by several names, such as Neuralgia Inducing Cavitational Osteonecrosis (NICO), Jaw Osteomyelitis, or Jaw Ostitis. These lesions characteristically...

Can we actually “boost” our immune system? We don’t want a weak immune response but we also don’t want an overactive response either. What we want is balance. So, how do we do that? Here are the most important things we need to do to get healthy and stay there. Get enough sleep, the body restores while sleeping. Eat a diet high in fruits and vegetables, they are filled with antioxidants and vitamins. Limit added sugars, artificial sweeteners, processed foods, trans fats, and refined carbohydrates which can cause inflammation, yeast, and lead to weight gain. Eat more healthy fats...

In my youth, I remember feeling so stressed I could not breathe. Feeling so stressed I could not think, sleep or eat. My heart felt like a brick, my head hurt and my shoulders were up around my ears with tension. I’m not sure if it is just stress management skills that developed or if age mellows us out, but that doesn’t happen anymore. We are all having some sort of COVID stress; months of somewhat isolated lives, no getting together with friends. Trips to the store are something we now plan and think about with organization. I am...