Author Archives: Lisa

Has Binge-Watching Hijacked Your Dopamine?

by Lisa Martinovic I don’t trust anything that I look forward to…too much. Topping that list is the double-edged sword of prestige television. For over half a century critics have railed against what we used to call the “boob tube,” …  Continue reading →

What Gets You Sober—God Or Your Neurons?

Cutting-edge 21st century neuroscience and a certain Depression era, Christian-based self-help fellowship might make strange bedfellows, but they have one thing in common: when it comes to the treatment of addiction, both rely on the brain’s innate capacity for transformation. …  Continue reading →

One Salve to Heal Them All

Wouldn’t it be great if you could make your own salve for healing gashes, abrasions, lesions and the occasional inexplicable skin condition—a salve that can minimize or eliminate scarring? Rest easy, DIY health seeker, for your answer lies on this …  Continue reading →

Enjoy Poppy Season on the Wellness Trail

Some people get high on poppies. Other people’s poppies get high. Ten feet high to be precise, here in Tilden Park in the Berkeley hills on one of my favorite Wellness Walks.  Known colloquially as the fried egg poppy, for …  Continue reading →

Choosing How We Move Through Life

There is so much in life over which we have no control.  In truth, no matter how responsible we are, and how well we care for ourselves and our families, life will rear up to challenge us from time to …  Continue reading →

Whiten and Nourish your Teeth Naturally

Do your teeth stain easily? Are you afraid to eat blueberries because they’ll give your smile a dingy purple hue that lasts for hours? Say hello to your new best friend: Vitamin C That’s right, forget about drugstore concoctions and …  Continue reading →

It’s Halloween on the Wellness Trail!

Seasons in the Bay Area may not differ as dramatically as they do back East (nod to the current nor’easter/hurricane combo), but each has its own distinct personality.  And here in the Berkeley hills Autumn marks the beginning of mushroom …  Continue reading →

Make This Mistake on a Wellness Walk and You’ll Miss Out

Over the many years that I’ve been enjoying Wellness Walks from California beaches to Ozark mountain trails, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend. Ever more people are tuning out nature and tuning in to whatever it is they simply must hear …  Continue reading →

The Safe and Skin-Nourishing Sunscreen Alternative

Now that you’re aware of the known dangers and potential risks of sunscreen use, you may well be freaking out. Understandably so. While excess sun exposure can certainly cause skin cancer, commercial sunscreens compromise our health in equally insidious ways. …  Continue reading →

How is your Sunscreen like Asbestos?

If the dog days of summer have you doubling down on sunscreen, do your health a favor and get informed before you slather up. The other day a fellow swimmer floored me with this confession: “I’m terrified of the sun,” …  Continue reading →