On upper-body days, McKenna advises doing cardio either before or after your weight training session—whichever you prefer. Choose a form of cardio that primarily engages your legs (like running or using a stair stepper) rather than your arms.
On leg days,“I recommend a 10-minute walk beforehand to loosen your muscles and prepare your glutes, thighs, and hamstrings for strength training,” McKenna suggests. “The last thing you want is to go for a run after deadlifting 150 pounds.” If you opt for more intense cardio on these days, do it after your weight training session to avoid compromising your lifting performance.
You may have seen him on the website, you may have seen him on social media. You may have even seen him on the Fierce Whiskers
“Take Me Home” bottle of whiskey!! But Clef keeps getting passed by and
we all keep wondering, what do we do to get this boy in his adoptive
home? Why not try something new? 🎶”I have seen the end of the world and it looks like this.” Change
is comin’ and Clef is ready to reinvent himself! He’s taken to Bob
Schneider’s music to help him through his soul-searching. No, he’s not
stealing a famous musician’s identity –simply modeling himself after a
popular Austinite we all know and love.
In a study published by the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry4, a positive association between elevated levels of homocysteine and mood concerns was found, indicating that subpar folate metabolism and methylation have direct implications for neurological well-being. While research on the exact mechanisms of B vitamins, brain health, neurotransmitters, and methylation is ongoing, the science is clear—healthy methylation makes for a healthy nervous system.*
Love after 50: Navigating the Heart and Mind Connection
You can read the blog below or watch it on YouTube by clicking here.
My friend Suzanne experienced a profound heartache in her 40s that few can truly understand—she endured the devastating loss of her soulmate.
In those dark moments, she shared with me how it felt as though her heart had shattered into a million pieces.
It was a crushing blow that turned her whole world upside down.
The wound was so deep that it took her almost 10 years before she was willing to dip her toe into the dating pool.
She eventually did and ended up meeting a very wealthy businessman.
I can remember her being so drawn to his mind and intelligence.
Well, they ended up marrying; had a beautiful wedding, white dress and all and lived a lifestyle many would envy.
They traveled first class around the world.
They dined at the finest restaurants.
They bought a gorgeous old home and a lot of money renovating it.
They had tickets to the symphony and the ballet and travelled all the time to see the latest Broadway plays appearing in New York.
About 5 years into their marriage, she decided to retire from her high power corporate job just as her husband decided to expand his business.
The money was flowing and on the outside, they looked like the perfect couple with the perfect life.
It wasn’t until after they divorced that Suzanne told me the truth about how lonely she felt being married to someone whose mistress was work.
She’d been missing an intimacy you can only get on a soul level when your hearts connect.
Notice I said connection comes from your heart not your mind – it was her ex’s mind that Suzanne was so attracted to from the get go.
Fast forward a few years later and Suzanne meets another wealthy businessman.
And guess what the first words out of her mouth were . . . if you guessed I loved his intelligence than you would be right.
When she used intelligence to decide if a man was right for her, she was sending up a red flag that kept her in the pattern of dating the wrong men who at the end of the day left her feeling lonely in a relationship.
I asked my Suzanne if I could share an observation with her both as her friend and as a dating coach.
She said, “of course!”
I told her that even though she was thrilled by this man’s intelligence, it was going to keep her from getting to that place of intimacy she had so craved in her 2nd marriage.
Then I asked her the MOST IMPORTANT question . . .
“Suzanne, Are you protecting your heart?”
Like many of my clients, she, was afraid of getting her heart crushed again.
She’d go on a date and instead of looking for the good qualities in a man, she’d quickly find his faults so she could protect her heart.
And she chose a quality she desired in a man that would keep her heart safe . . . an attraction to his intelligence; a quality that keeps someone at arms length and at a distance.
I gave her my Secret Attraction Formula, which I want to share with you too.
A man’s personality + His appearance = Attraction.
When I asked if she liked a man’s personality, the only thing she could say was the dating world is messy.
Yes it can be messy and scary because it makes you so vulnerable.
Men love your accomplishments, they love your intelligence but what they love most about you is your heart, your passions in life and your vulnerability.
When you’re able to trust a man, you are triggering his hero response that wants to always keep you safe, protected and happy.
Like my friend, many women block their hearts because they are afraid of getting hurt again.
But if you block your heart, you can’t get the closeness and deep connection you want with a man.
So here’s my question for you . . . Is YOUR HEART open to love?
If it is, great!
But if its not, here’s what you can do about it.
I’ve created a Free Love Gift from my heart to yours to help you start the process of opening your heart to the perfect man for you. Click here to access it now.
One more thing . . . If you’ve been waiting for a sign that its time to jumpstart your journey to love, consider this is it.
Let’s dive into the heart of your dating life and unlock the patterns and possibilities that await.
It’s just a click away — share a bit about your dating adventures hereand let’s schedule a session to map out your next chapter.
Your love story is waiting to happen, so let’s start crafting it together.
Believing in You!
Your Next Steps to Love after 50. . . .
💞 Feeling like you are on a merry-go-round of mismatched dates? Lets press pause and talk about how we can write a new love story for you. Click here to start our conversation. Tell me your story – I am here to listen and guide you towards meeting someone truly special.
If you are still gearing up for that step, I have plenty of insights and inspiration for you:
1. Subscribe to my YouTube Channel for heartfelt dating wisdom and uplifting success stories from women who have been just where you are. They found love, and so can you. Click here to watch and learn.
2. Discover a new chapter in your dating life with my book, “The Winning Dating Formula.” It is more than a book; it is your journey to love mapped out. And it is just a click away on Amazon. Click here and start attracting the love you deserve.
3. Join our Finding Love after 50 Facebook group to find camaraderie and connection. It is a warm and welcoming space to share your journey and receive support every step of the way. Click here to become part of our community.
4. On the lookout for a dating site that resonates with you? Browse through my personal selection of the best dating sites tailor-made for fabulous over 50s. Click here and say goodbye to guesswork.
Let these resources be your steppingstones to a love life filled with promise and joy. When you are ready, I am here to take that journey with you. Together, lets find your Mr. Right! 🌹
Love this article? Sign up by clicking here to receive my weekly blog.
A healthy heart is imperative for better health. The heart requires a clear and constant blood supply to work efficiently. Both high stress levels and high cholesterol levels are detrimental as they restrict the blood supply to the heart. Moreover, there is a link between stress and cholesterol. Know more about this and how to manage their levels to keep your heart active and healthy. ~ Ed.
Stress and high cholesterol are two common health issues that often occur together. Research shows that there is a correlation between stress and cholesterol levels – stress can contribute to high cholesterol which can in turn cause stress. By understanding their connection and taking steps to manage both stress and cholesterol, you can improve your overall health and well-being.
The Impact of Stress on Cholesterol
Stress triggers our bodies to produce hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These hormones trigger a “fight or flight” response, increasing blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar levels. Cortisol also signals the liver to produce more cholesterol. This reaction helped our ancestors survive immediate physical threats, but modern stress is often psychological and prolonged. Chronic stress keeps cholesterol production high, causing unhealthy LDL or “bad” cholesterol levels to rise.
High cholesterol doesn’t always cause noticeable symptoms. But over time, it can lead to a buildup of plaque in the arteries. This narrows the interior walls, restricting blood flow to the heart and brain. It increases the risk of heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular issues. Studies show that people with high stress often have elevated LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Managing stress is key to maintaining healthy cholesterol levels and improving heart health.
The Effects of High Cholesterol on Mental Health
Just as stress negatively impacts cholesterol, high cholesterol can also trigger stress in a vicious cycle. High cholesterol is damaging to blood vessels everywhere, including those in the brain. Plaque buildup in cerebral arteries limits oxygen supply, which can impair cognitive skills. It also reduces the production of serotonin, an important neurotransmitter that regulates mood.
This disruption to blood flow and brain function can cause varied neuropsychiatric symptoms. People with high LDL cholesterol often report increased anxiety, irritability, and feelings of depression. There is also an increased long-term risk of dementia. For those already dealing with mental health issues, high cholesterol presents another challenge while exacerbating existing symptoms. Knowledge of how lifestyle habits affect both the mind and body empowers people to take control of their health.
8 Lifestyle Changes to Manage Stress and Cholesterol
The good news is that many of the same healthy lifestyle changes can target both high cholesterol and high stress levels. Here are some practical, evidence-based ways to reduce stress while improving cholesterol profiles:
Get Active
Regular exercise is one of the most effective stress relievers while also lowering LDL and raising HDL cholesterol. Aim for 30-60 minutes per day of activity like brisk walking, swimming, cycling, or rowing. Yoga and Pilates can also relax the mind and strengthen the heart.
Eat a Healthy Diet
Limit saturated fat, trans fats, and cholesterol by eating more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, fish, and lean protein. Be sure to get ample fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and probiotics. Avoid excess sugar and salt. Limit alcohol, which stresses the liver and raises triglycerides.
Lose Excess Weight
Carrying excess body fat, especially around the abdomen, puts more stress on the heart and promotes inflammation. Losing even 5-10% of your body weight can significantly lower cholesterol while boosting mood.
Quit Smoking
Smoking damages blood vessels while increasing the risk of lung disease, cancer, and heart attack. Kicking the habit reduces stress and improves cholesterol.
Get Adequate Sleep
Lack of sleep is linked to higher cholesterol as well as increased cortisol production. Strive for 7-9 hours per night, going to bed and waking at consistent times to regulate your circadian rhythm.
Practice Relaxation Techniques
Meditation, deep breathing, Tai Chi, and yoga have proven benefits for psychological stress. They activate the parasympathetic nervous system to initiate a relaxation response, lowering blood pressure and cholesterol.
Manage Medications
If lifestyle changes aren’t enough, cholesterol and blood pressure medications may be needed. Anti-anxiety or antidepressant drugs can also help in some cases, but their effects should be monitored. Be sure to take any prescribed drugs regularly to reduce strain on the cardiovascular system.
Get Screened and See Your Doctor
Have your cholesterol levels tested regularly and get screened for heart disease risk. If the numbers are very high, your doctor may recommend more aggressive treatment. Discuss any mental health concerns as well so underlying causes can be addressed.
By relieving stress and keeping cholesterol levels in check, you can break the unhealthy cycle between mind and body. Caring for both is essential for improving heart health and enjoying a better quality of life.
When we talk about cholesterol and liver health, it is important to know that the liver plays a central role in regulating cholesterol levels and metabolism. It removes cholesterol from the bloodstream and excretes it into bile. The liver also synthesizes cholesterol for the production of cell membranes and hormones. When we consume foods high in cholesterol and saturated fats, the liver churns out more LDL particles, which elevate cholesterol further.
This extra burden on the liver also creates oxidative stress, compounding the negative effects. Supporting liver function through a healthy lifestyle is therefore important for maintaining normal cholesterol range and reducing cardiovascular risks.
Conclusion
Stress and high cholesterol often coincide, fueling each other in a destructive loop. By eating well, exercising, getting enough sleep, managing medications as needed, and implementing stress-reduction techniques, you can target both issues simultaneously. Caring for your mind and body together through a holistic approach helps relieve pressure on the heart while also enhancing mental health and wellbeing.
Addressing stress and cholesterol through positive lifestyle changes leads to improved physical and emotional health over the long term.
Over to you
How do you manage your heart health? What are your tips to keep the stress and cholesterol levels under control? Share them in the comments below.
Disclaimer: We’re not offering any medical advice here. These ideas are for educational and entertainment purposes only. Always seek a professional medical opinion from a physician of your choosing before making any medical decision. The information provided here is not intended to be a substitute to the advice given by your physician or another healthcare professional.
Disclaimer: Though the views expressed are of the author’s own, this article has been checked for its authenticity of information and resource links provided for a better and deeper understanding of the subject matter. However, you’re suggested to make your diligent research and consult subject experts to decide what is best for you. If you spot any factual errors, spelling, or grammatical mistakes in the article, please report at [email protected]. Thanks.
If you’re the type of person who has three beverages on their desk at all times, listen up: A new meta-analysis compared how six different types of popular drinks impact cardiovascular health and mortality risk. The findings could influence your go-to bev lineup, so let’s dive in.
Happy Valentine’s Day everyone! Valentine’s Day has a whole different meaning now that I’m a parent… in the past, it was all romance and flowers and fancy dinners, and now it’s paper hearts and stuffed animals and little paper Valentine’s cards. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The bean and I love crafts, so a holiday is a great excuse to get creative. Here are a few of our favourite Valentine’s Day crafts:
– Cutting out paper hearts. This is a great exercise for little hands that are learning how to use scissors. Fold paper in half, draw half a heart, and let your child cut it out, open it, and decorate or colour it.
– Suncatchers. You can fill a plastic yogurt lid with school glue, add a few drops of food colouring, and swirl with a toothpick. When it dries punch a hole in the top of it and hang it in a window. You can also do a cool suncatcher with crayon shavings: sandwich different coloured crayon shavings between two pieces of wax paper, and then iron (on the lowest setting). It will immediately melt in a super cool swirly fashion. Then we cut ours out into hearts.
Paper plate cardholder. Take two paper plates and punch holes halfway around the outside of the plates. Lace yarn in and out of the holes to affix the two plates together. Cut a flat opening across the top and decorate with hearts. Add a string so your little one can carry their cardholder over their shoulder.
Simple store-bought cards. We went to our local dollar store and picked up a few packs of Valentine’s Day cards, then came home to write them out, colour on them, add stickers, etc.
Love animals. We have a bag of differently-sized foam hearts that we’ve used to create all sorts of Valentine’s Day-inspired animals. We made fish and used the hearts as fins and lips, we made butterflies and used the bigger hearts for wings, and we even made little lovebirds with heart-shaped tails.
A full-time work-from-home mom, Jennifer Cox (our “Supermom in Training”) loves dabbling in healthy cooking, craft projects, family outings, and more, sharing with Suburban readers everything she knows about being an (almost) superhero mommy.
The Vienna man chose to take his winnings home all at one, claiming a $2.5 million prize, according to the Ohio lottery. After taxes, the man will receive $1.8 million.
He told lottery officials he and his wife plan to build a new home and invest the rest of the winnings.
The man bought the lottery ticket at the Beverage Depot in Youngstown while heading home from work, officials said.
He purchased a $30 scratch-off, which has a top prize of $200,000 for 25 years.
Youngstown is about 75 miles southeast of Cleveland.
Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.
Kate Linderman covers real-time news for McClatchy. Previously, she was an audience editor at the Chicago Tribune and a freelance reporter. Kate is a graduate of DePaul University where she studied journalism and legal and public affairs communication.
Health technology is inching closer than ever to Star Trek’s sickbay. The Withings BeamO combines a digital thermometer, a stethoscope, a fingertip electrocardiogram, and a blood oxygen meter in one small gadget. It can help detect and track various health issues and upload and share data to your doctor. It’s expected to drop later in 2024 for around $250.
If you’ve ever felt like your partner’s health impacted yours, you probably weren’t imagining things. Especially if you live together, couples share many of the same foods, lifestyles, and habits that can all impact health outcomes—including blood pressure.
According to a study published in the journal Heart Rhythm, middle-aged adults who have a history of using cannabis are not at an elevated risk of experiencing atrial fibrillation (AFib), aka an irregular heartbeat, NORML reports. The relationship between cannabis and heart disease is currently under close scrutiny and attention.
This longitudinal study was conducted by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco. The team looked at the connection between cannabis use and AFib in a very large sample size, a group of over 150,000 individuals aged between 40 and 69. This group of people was made up of people who didn’t use cannabis, occasional users, and frequent cannabis users. They monitored participants over six years. The findings reveal no significant evidence suggesting that people who used cannabis had a bigger chance of developing atrial fibrillation compared to non-users.
“Among a large, prospective cohort, we were unable to find evidence that occasional cannabis use [defined as more than 100 times] was associated with a higher risk of incident AF,” the study writes. “To our knowledge, this is the first longitudinal cohort study to assess such recreational use and the first to report an absence of a relationship between cannabis use and risk of AF.”
AFib is a heart rhythm disorder identifiable by a rapid and irregular beat of the heart’s upper chambers, aka the atria. This arrhythmia can cause disruptive, settling, and potential dangerous symptoms like heart palpitations, shortness of breath, fatigue, dizziness, or chest pain. Some people may not experience any symptoms at all. AFib is dangerous because it increases the risk of blood clots forming in the heart. These can then develop into strokes. Over time, AFib may also weaken the heart, which could result in heart failure. Before you panic and have an anxiety attack that you mistake for AFib, know that it needs to be diagnosed by a doctor and is done so using electrocardiograms (ECGs). The treatment for AFib is focused on controlling the heart rate to return to a normal heart rhythm using medications or medical interventions, in addition to lifestyle changes.
As NORML reports, in October, research findings suggested that middle-aged folks who use weed don’t have a higher risk of atherosclerosis, aka which is the hardening of the arteries, compared to those who have never used cannabis. This conclusion was backed up by a meta-analysis published in May, concludeding, “Cannabis use insignificantly predicts all major cardiovascular adverse events,” referring to conditions like myocardial infarction and stroke. However, at times, the data is conflicting. A contrasting report from September of 2024 in the journal Addiction highlighted that adults involved in problematic cannabis use do have a heightened risk of adverse cardiovascular outcomes.
As High Times reported, the research analyzed medical data from nearly 60,000 adults in Alberta, Canada. It specifically looked at diagnostic codes for “cannabis use disorder,” keep in mind, this is a publication with a focus on addiction. As High Times reported, they define cannabis use disorder as an inability to cease cannabis use despite negative consequences.
They compared these with codes for various cardiovascular issues, including heart attacks, heart failure, and strokes, occurring between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2019.
The study’s findings were a bit alarming: “Canadian adults with cannabis use disorder appear to have an approximately 60% higher risk of experiencing incident adverse cardiovascular disease events than those without cannabis use disorder,” it reported. “Importantly, this evidence suggests that cannabis use may place a healthier population at increased risk of major cardiovascular events. As a result, our study points to the importance of educating our patients about the potential risks associated with cannabis use and cannabis use disorder,” reads the study.
It additionally revealed that people diagnosed with cannabis use disorder who were otherwise deemed ‘healthy’ (having no co-occurring mental health disorders, doctor visits in the past six months, prescribed meds, or no other medical conditions) were at a greater risk for these cardiovascular events.
But, to end on a more reassuring note, know that this too has conflicting evidence. Research published in August of 2023 in the American Journal of Cardiology indicates that middle-aged adults using cannabis are not at an increased risk of heart attack. The study, which compared people who used cannabis with non-cannabis users, found that individuals who consumed it monthly over the past year did not face a heightened risk of heart attack.
Analyzing data from participants all over the world, the researchers looked for both fatal and non-fatal coronary heart disease, including things like heart attack, stroke, cardiac arrest, and more. They also took into account things like family history, dietary intake, and notably, fatty acid levels.
There are a number of factors that contribute to a person’s risk for heart disease, and belly fat is one of them. New research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutritionsought to find out how those with excess belly fat can lower their risk and protect their heart. Here’s what to know.
Based on their findings, the earlier a CAD diagnosis, the greater the risk of cognitive decline. More specifically, participants with CAD had a 36% increased risk of developing dementia, a 13% increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s, and a 78% greater risk of developing vascular dementia, compared with participants who did not have coronary heart disease.
Norman Lear popped up on my computer screen at the designated time, wearing his signature bucket hat. I’d waited weeks for the interview and knew I had to think fast, because Lear was busy — as always — juggling projects.
That was the point of the interview. He was 98 in 2020 and still working like an ambitious upstart. I was 30 years younger than him, contemplating retirement and researching a book about how to know when it’s time to go.
I’ll admit to being more than a little nervous. Lear, who died Dec. 5 at age 101, was a legend, for one thing, a pioneer in the realm of prime-time TV shows that delivered social commentary along with entertainment. As a much younger guy, I half feared Lear might tell me to quit wasting his time.
California is about to be hit by an aging population wave, and Steve Lopez is riding it. His column focuses on the blessings and burdens of advancing age — and how some folks are challenging the stigma associated with older adults.
I asked Lear if he ever thought about retiring. He appeared to be in his kitchen, snacking on something, but he didn’t hesitate.
“Not for a second,” he said with an exclamation point, making me feel like maybe I should go get my own bucket hat, pull it down to my ears and get to work.
I had already talked to another Hollywood legend and Lear contemporary, Mel Brooks. I wanted to know if working, for them, was oxygen. If you stop working, you suffocate.
“When I go to sleep at night,” Lear told me, “I have something that I’m thinking. Among other things, it’s about something I’m doing tomorrow … a day in which there are things I wish to do. So today is over, and we’re on to the next.”
Here I was, making the vagaries of human existence more complicated than they needed to be as I tried to make sense of where I’d been and where I was headed in a year, in five, in 10.
Lear obligingly played therapist, saying he lived in the moment, which really is all any of us can do. He said that he was certainly grateful for all the accolades and awards tossed his way in an epic career, but that he didn’t dwell on the past as much as what was in front of him right now. Imagine you’re in a hammock, he said, and you’re swinging.
From over, to next. Over, to next.
Norman Lear joins actor Marla Gibbs at a ceremony to award her a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Gibbs was a cast member on Lear’s TV sitcom “The Jeffersons.”
(Chris Pizzello / Associated Press)
“So long as I am interested in the next, I’m moving,” Lear said. “And there have been, for 98 years, a lot of wonderful nexts.”
Lear had an insatiable intellectual and spiritual hunger, and that, along with the luck of physical health, is key to a long and happy life. Recently, I hiked Griffith Park with a 100-year-old gent, Pete Teti, who is all about embracing change. As one friend explained: “He’s made two violins, he does engraving, he’s a painter, he’s currently creating animation, he’s constantly learning about physics, geometry, fractiles.”
At age 93, Lear once asked, in a New York Times interview, “Aren’t you expected to grow, learn more about yourself, learn more about the world? Why would you be less expected to grow when you’re 80? The culture dictates how you behave, and maybe the elderly buy into it, the way they grow old. My role here now is to say wait a minute. That’s not all there is. There’s a good time to be had at this age.”
Marty Kaplan, director of USC’s Norman Lear Center — established in 2000 by the Lear family to study the impact of entertainment on society — said Lear was attending writers’ meetings and giving notes on current projects right up until the end. Kaplan said in a tribute on the center’s website that Lear “moved our hearts and minds to embrace our common humanity and live up to what is best in us.”
But there was more to the man than work.
“The list of things associated with longevity — with centenarians — all apply to him,” Kaplan told me. “Family and love in your life is paramount, and for him, it always has been. And then, purpose, an awfully important thing. The sense that you matter.”
Another critical ingredient in the Lear recipe for aging well was gratitude, Kaplan said, citing Lear’s wartime service as a radio operator and gunner on dozens of World War II combat missions.
“He wasn’t just swinging in the hammock. He was reveling in the pleasure of being alive, in existence, and the sheer miracle of anything existing,” Kaplan said.
In our conversation, Lear wondered why I’d be contemplating retirement, given how much I loved my job. Well, I told him, there might be other things I’d love, but I’ve never had time to try them. I’d like to travel more, and maybe live in different places.
Lear suggested the best of both worlds was within reach. Maybe I could travel more, have new experiences, and write about it.
“It’s not retirement,” he said. “It’s on to the next.”
I took inspiration from Lear’s zest. Work might well have kept him breathing, but it was all of life he embraced. He kept probing, shining a light, speaking out about ignorance and division. He once had a pen pal relationship with President Reagan because he thought it was important to hear the perspectives of political opponents.
Kaplan wrote that Lear “moved our hearts and minds to embrace our common humanity and live up to what is best in us.”
He said that in the hours after Lear’s death, he was looking through his biography, “Even This I Get to Experience,” and was struck by the epigraph. It was a quote from George Bernard Shaw.
“You haven’t overcome the fear of death until you delight in your own life, believing it to be the carrying out of universal purpose.”
At 6:30 a.m. on Oct. 7, the piercing sound of sirens woke up Naama Weinberg in her Tel Aviv apartment. As she always did when sirens warned of an incoming missile attack, she immediately checked her family’s WhatsApp group chat for messages from relatives living in a kibbutz near the Gaza border.
“Please pray for us,” her aunt wrote, describing the sounds of screaming and shooting.
Then a red heart emoji.
Then silence.
Itay Raviv, left, and sisters Naama and Ofir Weinberg attend a dinner in Beverly Hills to share the stories of relatives who are being held hostage by Hamas.
(Ringo Chiu / For The Times)
Weinberg, 27, would later learn from Israeli government officials that her aunt, Orit Svirsky, was murdered that day — shot while hiding under blankets — during the attack by Hamas militants. Her uncle, Rafi Svirsky, was found dead in a nearby house with his three golden retrievers, all shot. Her 97-year-old grandmother, Aviva Sela, somehow survived, but the body of Gracie Cabrera, her longtime caretaker from the Philippines, was found mutilated near the home.
Her cousin, 38-year-old Itay Svirsky, was gone. The family was told by Israeli government officials that Svirsky was kidnapped and is being held by Hamas somewhere in Gaza.
And he remains in captivity — failing to win release in the exchange of Israel hostages for Palestinian prisoners that began during a cease-fire last week. So far, Hamas has released about 105 hostages — most of them Israeli women and children — and still holds about 135. Israel has released about 240 prisoners.
Weinberg and her sister Ofir, 24, came to Los Angeles last week to share their story about the attack on Oct. 7, which killed at least 1,200 Israelis — the deadliest assault in the nation’s 75-year history. More than 15,500 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed during Israel’s retaliatory strikes, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.
The Weinbergs came to urge the world not to forget their cousin and the other hostages who remain in Hamas’ hands. They were joined by Itay Raviv, whose great-uncle, 78-year-old Avraham Munder, remains a hostage; all three spoke at a dinner in Beverly Hills on Saturday with representatives of the American Jewish Committee and other supporters of Israel.
Raviv, 27, and the Weinbergs asked the dinner guests to do one thing to help the hostages — appeal to elected officials, share a social media post, contact nonprofits and charities. They shared photos of their relatives and the necklaces they carry with them inscribed with the phrase in Hebrew, “Our heart is captive in Gaza,” and, in English: “Bring them home now!”
The family believes Svirsky is still alive, based on accounts of hostages who saw him before they were released. They said he had not been physically harmed but was under extreme mental duress because Hamas captors were telling hostages that Israel had been destroyed, they had no home to return to and no one was fighting for them. His relatives also live with the daily fear that he could be executed while in captivity.
Itay Raviv, left, and siblings Naama and Ofir Weinberg show necklaces inscribed with the phrase in Hebrew, “Our heart is captive in Gaza,” and, in English: “Bring them home now!”
(Ringo Chiu / For The Times)
“We are very worried that the damage could be irreversible,” Ofir Weinberg said. “That is why the clock is ticking.”
Three of Raviv’s relatives — his great-aunt Ruthi Munder, her daughter Keren Munder and 9-year-old grandson Ohad Munder-Zichri — were released as part of the hostage deal. But their house in the Nir Oz kibbutz in southern Israel less than a mile from the Gaza Strip was partly burned, Raviv said.
Raviv said his relatives were not beaten and managed to survive on meager portions of rice and bread. They told him they were moved from place to place — sometimes to below-ground tunnels — and slept on the ground without the ability to wash. He considers his family lucky for being able to reunite with three of his relatives — but he worries constantly about his great uncle, who walks with a cane and suffered bruises falling off a motorcycle during his abduction, according to reports from released hostages who saw him during captivity.
“He doesn’t have that much time,” Raviv said. “He will not be able to survive. Even though some hostages were released, we must do everything in our power to speak out. I’m not a politician. I don’t know what the best solution is. I just know that they need to be out.”
Raviv and the Weinbergs said their relatives had sought to live in peace with their Palestinian neighbors — collecting monthly donations for those who used to work in the kibbutz but no longer could after Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005. The Weinbergs’ aunt, Orit Svirsky, had attended an international women’s peace conference three days before she was murdered. Raviv said his great-uncle, in his younger days, would volunteer to drive Palestinians north to Israel for medical care.
Itay, the sisters said, had started work as a “life coach” focusing on mental health after studying philosophy, psychology and economics. He loved guitar and yoga and grew up in the Be’eri kibbutz, co-founded by her grandparents 77 years ago in southern Israel near the Gaza Strip. Her grandparents, whose family had escaped the pogroms of Russia in the early 20th century, started the kibbutz as a lifelong mission to create a communal, safe place for Jewish people in Israel, she said.
Despite the decades of bloodshed and bitterness, the young Israelis say they refuse to give up their dream of peace.
“It’s really hard to imagine right now, but I still believe the conflict can be solved with words and without violence,” Ofir Weinberg said, referring to understandings with the broader Palestinian people and not Hamas.
“I understand the Palestinian people should stay. I recognize this is their home,” she said. “I just want us to coexist in peace.”
Naama Weinberg, left, holds a picture of her cousin Itay Svirsky, who is a hostage in Gaza, as her sister Ofir shares her story during a dinner in Beverly Hills.
(Ringo Chiu / For The Times)
For now, however, Weinberg said her world has narrowed to one overriding goal: to see the return of her cousin. She has stopped her studies and taken time off from a part-time job at a prominent Israeli tech firm. She has put off a vacation to the Philippines with her partner. She’s moved back home to stay with her parents, who are building a small unit in their garden for Weinberg’s grandmother to live.
Her only dream now is to see her cousin alive, sitting with their grandmother and sharing their favorite treat: a cup of cold coffee with a scoop of ice cream.
The Summary: In today’s divisive world, fostering critical thinking requires questioning ingrained beliefs. The challenge, of course, lies in separating oneself from the mind, a skill seldom taught. The burden of societal expectations hinders our pursuit of true joy. Reconnecting with inner wisdom and questioning the mind leads to slow but transformative progress, offering a path to health and happiness amid external distractions. Embracing joy becomes a rebellious act, unlocking individual power and connection to one’s heart.
How badly do you want those knots of anxiety and worry to untangle? To not wake up feeling overwhelmed with the weight of the world (and your household needs) on your shoulders? What would it be worth to you to rise most days feeling loved, appreciated and with a sense of deep peace? It is all possible but there is a catch. To experience true joy in our lives requires us to live against the grain in just about every facet of life. Finding our way to such thriving requires that we question the accepted paradigms of the culture as it is today – that happiness ultimately will come one day when we earn more, spend more, have more, do more and be more. Too often this extends to the idea that in order to have it all, others must also have less.
The short version: Turn off the news, shut off your phones and live your life. The more deep you go down the rabbit hole, the more you drag your spirit down, the less joy you embody. Th equation is that simple.
This doesn’t mean we are to ignore the absolute horrors and tragedies of our world. Not at all. But we also can’t let it all overwhelm us and determine the energy we conduct our lives with.
To be joyful becomes rebellious.
We are trying to survive but have forgotten what it means to thrive. Our natural state of being is to be joyful, well, healthy, vital, brave, optimistic and experience a true sense of belonging, connection and unity. This is a human in the full expression of humanity. We are born here and as we exit childhood, forget too quickly.
We can remember what it is we have always known but it requires that we take radical responsibility for where we are today, have the bravery to accept what isn’t working and the discipline to do the work to change what needs changing in both our minds and the moment-by-moment choices we make in our lives. Like shooting for the stars, adjusting the trajectory even slightly can land us somewhere entirely different.
This of course is no simple task. It’s not as simple as deciding it to be so.
To thrive and live joyfully means we are not eating the same food, working with the same goals, watching the same movies, reading the same news, shopping at the same stores, or valuing what we’re supposed to value in the ways in which we’re expected.
This is why living joyfully might be our greatest act of rebellion.
To be joyful is in direct contrast to the norms. We meet up with friends and instead of gossiping, expelling on the chaos of our lives, or how we aren’t enough, we spiral up, we share, engage, hope and dream. We look for solutions for our challenges and how we can be part of the unity solution for the world. We live today as we planned for yesterday and continue planning to level up tomorrow. We think critically and question everything. Is this (still) working?
To live joyfully is shifting the metrics used to measure success
Doing this in our world today, amidst the divisive influences that surround us, requires us to deeply know our own minds and hearts, to learn to question just about everything, and of course, to brave real answers, even if the result could be a shattering of the foundational values we have lived from.
We have not been trained in our culture to separate the self from the mind, let alone be able to know one’s own mind and question whether what it tells us to be true. We may have heard wisps of the words that we are not our minds, but who actually practices this? To question what our minds tell us, that voice inside your head, is at the root of critical thinking.
Is this actually true?
What if the opposite is true?
Do I truly believe this, or is this just what I’ve been told my whole life?
To make the teaching of critical thinking standard practice would undermine a system that requires, for its own survival, that we follow blindly and accept the division as normal.
We get carried with the tide. We lose our joy. We wire into the fear and become lost to ourselves.
We pack our bags, and carry them on our shoulders, full to the brim with intergenerational trauma, the stories we are told by our parents and grandparents, the blatant lies and false beliefs we’re bombarded with from educators, headlines, government, and society in general.
We carry these packs around with us as the anxiety, fear and longing for peace bubbles up within without knowing how to touch it. We keep adding to the burden we carry and the joy slips further away.
We were never given the keys to access this place within us, to get back what we lost.
In general, we have forgotten the skills we need, the work we need to do, and that it is available to us always. What we need to do is simple: amplify the whispers of our own hearts and follow the path of being well and joyful. We tap into our intuition, the heart wisdom that only knows the signs and signals of the present moment we are in. Can it really be that simple?
Simple? Yes. Easy? Not at all.
The challenge, why most are scared away, is because that inner knowing does not lie and cannot be denied. Once you listen to those whispers, they get louder, more powerful, and you see the accuracy of it all. We start to see that we can’t achieve the goal of joy, peace, love, health and happiness with aggressive action, followed by instant gratification. It’s a slow creep of progress where one day we feel more joy in a single minute of the day then we did the day before. One drop at a time.
But when we can do this– ask the questions of our mind, and live with the exquisite intention of living joyfully, the work is being done. The baggage we carry falls away, slowly to be sure, but it’s happening, and we soon become buoyed by the tidal wave of both insight and compassion. We remember that all of life is connected.
Looking around. Is this working?
We are tired, overwhelmed, burnt out. Health in mind, body and spirit is achieved by the few who have the mind to break free, while too many remain plugged into the screens that continuously highlight the lack in their lives, and that filling that void comes from everything other than the true solution of looking within and summoning the discipline to do the work.
In time, we may find ourselves on the brink of it. The distractions have gone quiet for a moment. The momentum and motivation is building but then– BOOM.
We’re pointed in a new direction. Pointed at a new distraction. THAT is the cause. They are to blame. We remain plugged in to the frequency of fear and make that our reality. Find the evidence to prove it to be true. Me versus them. Blame and shame so responsibility is never taken.
We must keep asking: What is mine? What have I collected that is not? What is true and real? What beliefs are beneficial to me and others, and which are harmful?
The one truth we can trust is that which is truly good and beneficial to the full expression of the human, is also good and beneficial to our collective.
To live joyfully in a world pushing us to be sick, divided, forever wanting, othering, heads down working, and relinquishing any sense of personal responsibility is truly the greatest act of rebellion.
We each individually have more power within us than we’ve been led to believe. Now is the time to tap into it. Your health is your wealth. Your connection to your heart is your super power. This could change everything. Joyful living, tuning into your heart’s wisdom is what will make us wildly powerful, empowering and magnetic.
Free Resource Library
Enjoy more than 40 downloadable guides, recipes, and resources.
The Summary: In today’s divisive world, fostering critical thinking requires questioning ingrained beliefs. The challenge, of course, lies in separating oneself from the mind, a skill seldom taught. The burden of societal expectations hinders our pursuit of true joy. Reconnecting with inner wisdom and questioning the mind leads to slow but transformative progress, offering a path to health and happiness amid external distractions. Embracing joy becomes a rebellious act, unlocking individual power and connection to one’s heart.
How badly do you want those knots of anxiety and worry to untangle? To not wake up feeling overwhelmed with the weight of the world (and your household needs) on your shoulders? What would it be worth to you to rise most days feeling loved, appreciated and with a sense of deep peace? It is all possible but there is a catch. To experience true joy in our lives requires us to live against the grain in just about every facet of life. Finding our way to such thriving requires that we question the accepted paradigms of the culture as it is today – that happiness ultimately will come one day when we earn more, spend more, have more, do more and be more. Too often this extends to the idea that in order to have it all, others must also have less.
The short version: Turn off the news, shut off your phones and live your life. The more deep you go down the rabbit hole, the more you drag your spirit down, the less joy you embody. Th equation is that simple.
This doesn’t mean we are to ignore the absolute horrors and tragedies of our world. Not at all. But we also can’t let it all overwhelm us and determine the energy we conduct our lives with.
To be joyful becomes rebellious.
We are trying to survive but have forgotten what it means to thrive. Our natural state of being is to be joyful, well, healthy, vital, brave, optimistic and experience a true sense of belonging, connection and unity. This is a human in the full expression of humanity. We are born here and as we exit childhood, forget too quickly.
We can remember what it is we have always known but it requires that we take radical responsibility for where we are today, have the bravery to accept what isn’t working and the discipline to do the work to change what needs changing in both our minds and the moment-by-moment choices we make in our lives. Like shooting for the stars, adjusting the trajectory even slightly can land us somewhere entirely different.
This of course is no simple task. It’s not as simple as deciding it to be so.
To thrive and live joyfully means we are not eating the same food, working with the same goals, watching the same movies, reading the same news, shopping at the same stores, or valuing what we’re supposed to value in the ways in which we’re expected.
This is why living joyfully might be our greatest act of rebellion.
To be joyful is in direct contrast to the norms. We meet up with friends and instead of gossiping, expelling on the chaos of our lives, or how we aren’t enough, we spiral up, we share, engage, hope and dream. We look for solutions for our challenges and how we can be part of the unity solution for the world. We live today as we planned for yesterday and continue planning to level up tomorrow. We think critically and question everything. Is this (still) working?
To live joyfully is shifting the metrics used to measure success
Doing this in our world today, amidst the divisive influences that surround us, requires us to deeply know our own minds and hearts, to learn to question just about everything, and of course, to brave real answers, even if the result could be a shattering of the foundational values we have lived from.
We have not been trained in our culture to separate the self from the mind, let alone be able to know one’s own mind and question whether what it tells us to be true. We may have heard wisps of the words that we are not our minds, but who actually practices this? To question what our minds tell us, that voice inside your head, is at the root of critical thinking.
Is this actually true?
What if the opposite is true?
Do I truly believe this, or is this just what I’ve been told my whole life?
To make the teaching of critical thinking standard practice would undermine a system that requires, for its own survival, that we follow blindly and accept the division as normal.
We get carried with the tide. We lose our joy. We wire into the fear and become lost to ourselves.
We pack our bags, and carry them on our shoulders, full to the brim with intergenerational trauma, the stories we are told by our parents and grandparents, the blatant lies and false beliefs we’re bombarded with from educators, headlines, government, and society in general.
We carry these packs around with us as the anxiety, fear and longing for peace bubbles up within without knowing how to touch it. We keep adding to the burden we carry and the joy slips further away.
We were never given the keys to access this place within us, to get back what we lost.
In general, we have forgotten the skills we need, the work we need to do, and that it is available to us always. What we need to do is simple: amplify the whispers of our own hearts and follow the path of being well and joyful. We tap into our intuition, the heart wisdom that only knows the signs and signals of the present moment we are in. Can it really be that simple?
Simple? Yes. Easy? Not at all.
The challenge, why most are scared away, is because that inner knowing does not lie and cannot be denied. Once you listen to those whispers, they get louder, more powerful, and you see the accuracy of it all. We start to see that we can’t achieve the goal of joy, peace, love, health and happiness with aggressive action, followed by instant gratification. It’s a slow creep of progress where one day we feel more joy in a single minute of the day then we did the day before. One drop at a time.
But when we can do this– ask the questions of our mind, and live with the exquisite intention of living joyfully, the work is being done. The baggage we carry falls away, slowly to be sure, but it’s happening, and we soon become buoyed by the tidal wave of both insight and compassion. We remember that all of life is connected.
Looking around. Is this working?
We are tired, overwhelmed, burnt out. Health in mind, body and spirit is achieved by the few who have the mind to break free, while too many remain plugged into the screens that continuously highlight the lack in their lives, and that filling that void comes from everything other than the true solution of looking within and summoning the discipline to do the work.
In time, we may find ourselves on the brink of it. The distractions have gone quiet for a moment. The momentum and motivation is building but then– BOOM.
We’re pointed in a new direction. Pointed at a new distraction. THAT is the cause. They are to blame. We remain plugged in to the frequency of fear and make that our reality. Find the evidence to prove it to be true. Me versus them. Blame and shame so responsibility is never taken.
We must keep asking: What is mine? What have I collected that is not? What is true and real? What beliefs are beneficial to me and others, and which are harmful?
The one truth we can trust is that which is truly good and beneficial to the full expression of the human, is also good and beneficial to our collective.
To live joyfully in a world pushing us to be sick, divided, forever wanting, othering, heads down working, and relinquishing any sense of personal responsibility is truly the greatest act of rebellion.
We each individually have more power within us than we’ve been led to believe. Now is the time to tap into it. Your health is your wealth. Your connection to your heart is your super power. This could change everything. Joyful living, tuning into your heart’s wisdom is what will make us wildly powerful, empowering and magnetic.
Free Resource Library
Enjoy more than 40 downloadable guides, recipes, and resources.
With the uptick in wearable devices hitting the market, heart rate variability (HRV) is becoming quite a hot topic. As WHOOP founder and CEO Will Ahmed shared on a recent mindbodygreen podcast episode, this powerful metric can help you understand your body’s current state at any given moment. In general, the higher or more stable your HRV score, the better. But how do you elevate your own levels?
To come, three underrated ways to raise your HRV, plus a quick refresher on why it matters.
At a glance, HRV is a measurement of how much variation between the timing of your heartbeats. Having a higher HRV is a sign you are fit, well-rested, and recovering well. Having a lower HRV means that you could be stressed, burnt out, or sick.
HRV is starkly different from resting heart rate, as the former doesn’t have one ideal range to shoot for. Instead, improvement is all about increasing your personal HRV, measuring success against your former HRV rather than comparing your levels to others.
