HappierHealthier.Blog
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An Easter Feast in Romania
And other aspects of celebrating Easter as Orthodox Christians in Romania in 2026 Article originally published in Middle-Pause on Medium on April 17, 2026 On April 12, we celebrated Easter Sunday as Orthodox Christians. It’s the most important religious holiday here in Romania, even more so than Christmas. In preparation for it, I have fasted for 40 days, eating only vegan foods, I have done some general cleaning around the apartment, and have helped my…
10+1 Reasons Why I Like Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting can be a boon for menopausal women, helping redress many body imbalances Article originally published in Middle-Pause on Medium on March 27, 2026 Sometimes there are easy solutions to some of our problems, but we’re stuck in a rut and don’t change our ways, and then we wonder why our health, happiness, or both are failing. Intermittent fasting can be the answer to many health problems I thought intermittent fasting helps the body…
Lily King, ‘Heart the Lover’, A Story of Love in Young and Older Age
A tender, fragile book by a talented writer (this book review includes some spoilers) Article originally published in Counter Arts on Medium on March 25, 2026 You’d think that with all the suffering in the world, we would like to read only happy books. And some of us women are, indeed, addicted to romance novels. But for all those women, there are many who read horror fiction, which is hard for me to countenance, especially…
Losing Weight with Tasty Food and Moderate Exercise at 50
Weight loss can be easy with the right mix of nutrition and exercise. Article originally published in Middle-Pause on Medium on March 11, 2026 I’m almost fifty years old and, despite my interest in health and wellness, I have fatty liver disease and dyslipidemia. I eat healthy, but with my body making less estrogen, my cholesterol levels went up, and so did my triglycerides. True, I do eat my share of sweets, even though fewer…
‘Altered Traits’: The Goals of Meditation and Some of Its Risks (Part 2)
Article originally published in Counter Arts on Medium on July 29, 2024 In Part 1, I introduced the book Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body (Avery, 2017), by science writer Daniel Goleman and psychologist and neuroscientist Richard J. Davidson, and I discussed the general goals of meditation, types of meditation, and health benefits of meditation, some of them arising through lasting changes on the brain. Here’s Part 2 The authors…
‘Altered Traits’: The Goals of Meditation and Some of Its Risks
Article originally published in Counter Arts on Medium on July 29, 2024 Part 1 I’ve been wondering for many years about meditation styles and their effects on biology and behavior. After about eight years of daily practice, I still am, because I’ve been picking my way through meditation more by spending time with myself than learning about it from others. This had a lot to do with the fact that I kept coming across books…
We’re Not Getting Any Younger. Or Can We?
Dr. Kara Fitzgerald’s research on DNA methylation (lowering your bio age via nutrition and lifestyle) suggests we can, actually, get younger. Originally published in Middle-Pause on Medium on January 3, 2026 I’ve written elsewhere a long review of Dr. Kara Fitzgerald’s book Younger You: Reduce Your Bio Age and Live Longer, Better (Hachette Go, 2022), but I feel that review has not found enough readers, and so I’d like to reiterate some of its points…
Some Recent Modern, Elegant We’ve Moved Photo Announcement Cards
I love experimenting with colors and creating photo collages. The result this month is a series of photo moving announcements featuring multiple photos, accompanied by the text “We’ve Moved! Come visit us soon!” along with the new address, phone number, and names of family members. The colors I have chosen are wine red, two shades of turquoise blue, ocean blue, aquamarine teal, plum pink, and others. Here are some of the designs, some more minimalist…
How My Weakness for Chocolate Led Me to Better Health Choices
Originally posted in Middle-Pause on Medium on June 1, 2025 I have only a few weaknesses when it comes to food, but one reigns supreme: chocolate. I don’t have to have it all the time, at least not daily, but if I buy chocolate, I will eat it rather quickly. If it’s not dark chocolate, I may eat the whole 100-gram tablet in one day. If it’s dark chocolate, then I’ll eat one, two, three,…
OpenAI Model Writes Literary Metafiction on Grief and AI. An Analysis
Sam Altman said he was “really struck” by it. I was more confused than struck, which is why I was driven to unpick it. Originally published in Counter Arts on Medium on March 20, 2025 I admit I was mesmerized as I started reading “A Machine-Shaped Hand,” because the machine dove in with a powerful voice. And it wasn’t that of a robot either — at least not the way Ishiguro imagined it in Klara and the Sun.…
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