Month: January 2012

The no nonsense diet: watch what you eat

You see them everywhere: articles, books and programs suggesting you will be able to lose weight without changing your eating habits. Some ask you to modify your diet for a while, but promise you can get back to eating that delicious cake you crave in no time. These programs must assume that in the process of dieting, your will power will undergo a drastic transformation that will keep you from craving more chocolate after you eat the first piece of congratulatory pie for the 10 pounds you shed. Here is my two cents: it will not happen! The subject of…

Pondering death, spirit and the wrath of God

Happy New Year everyone! Mine is off to a shaky start. After spending quality time with family and enjoying the mountains and beaches of my Caribbean homeland, I'm back to the cold reality of winters in the heartland... pondering death and new beginnings. A close family member died unexpectedly the day I came back. My family is feeling sadness and the strange emptiness of losing someone you thought would be around for a long time. This death was preceded by my first experience of an earthquake. It is nerve-wracking not knowing when the next one will strike and whether the…