By Melanie Robitaille, Sr. Staff Writer Humans are more than mere flesh and bone. There’s a reason why we’re built to breath the air; why our bodies are made of water and are nourished by the warmth of the sun and the fruits of the earth. We aren’t just designed by nature, we’re a part of it. The societal shift […]

This is the 2nd installment in a 6-part series by Staff Writer, Maegan Carrasquillo, on living with diabetes. One of the first things you learn about when you’re diagnosed with diabetes is carbohydrate counting. You learn that sugar is counted in the carbohydrates, a factor that determines how much insulin you administer, and most nutritionists will tell you to avoid […]

In the book Moby Dick, Captain Ahab is so obsessed with catching the infamous whale that he loses sight of what’s important and sails off to a catastrophic end. This story rings true for the of people seeking a purposeful life, where the struggle to find meaning produces an assortment of negative emotions and health ramifications under the blanket term […]

Some people loathe daylight savings time and feel like the Monday immediately following is a rough one. Others revel in the brighter days and gain a renewed sense of hope. Most of us fall somewhere in between. As the days get warmer and longer you might find that you are inspired to dust off those shelves covered in old magazines […]

A commentary by Staff Writer, Maegan Carrasquillo Every year I look back on what I’ve accomplished and what I could work on in the coming one and create a list. 2018 for me, was not a particularly wonderful year so the “what I could work on” part of the list seemed a lot longer than usual. Instead of feeling defeated […]

Only a certain few dare to ask themselves whether they can accomplish the ultimate of both physical and mental challenges, and for three daring individuals, the answer was “yes”. One small but deliberate word united them on a crisp fall, New York morning where they stood together, amidst 52,000 others, on the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge at the starting line of […]

In 2018, 59-year-old grandmother, Lou Yerxa, placed second in the Grandmaster Women’s Bikini category (for women 45 and older) at the 2018 GNC Allmax IFBB Pro Flex Lewis Canadian Classic competition in Moncton, New Brunswick.  In the second of our two-part series, we look at Lou’s workout and read her final thoughts on elite-level body building. THE WORKOUT In preparation […]

THE COMPETITION The Canadian Physique Alliance (CPA) is a group of amateur athletes who compete in bodybuilding, physique, figure, fitness, and bikini categories. On June 16th of last year, they held the 2018 GNC Allmax IFBB Pro Flex Lewis Canadian Classic competition in Moncton, New Brunswick, featuring men’s and women’s competitions in more than 30 categories. Lou Yerxa, a 59-year-old […]

Despite knowing what we should be doing, procrastination is pervasive, with “chronic procrastination” afflicting twenty percent of the population. How does the siren call of the snooze button continually overpower our good intentions? Research suggests that when a task is not intrinsically rewarding, is boring, frustrating, ambiguous, unstructured, or lacks personal meaning, the brain’s emotion-driven limbic system senses displeasure and […]

A common misconception is that acquisition creates a positive mindset. If that were true, there wouldn’t be any wealthy people who are unhappy. If you make the mistake of seeing a healthy psyche as something dependent on acquiring status or wealth, it can lead to the thinking trap of, “Once I get ____, then I’ll be happy,” whether it’s a […]