Education

Let’s Take the Competition Out of Halloween

By Shirin Yadegar

Halloween should be one of the easiest nights of childhood to love. You dress up, spend time with friends, knock on a few doors, and come home thrilled about a bag of candy. Somewhere along the way, we have added a lot of expectations to that simple formula.

There are coordinated family photo shoots, elaborate decorations, expensive costumes, and the pressure to make this year bigger than last year. For tweens, even choosing a costume can become a social obstacle course: Who is included in the group? Who gets to be which character? What happens when everyone changes their minds after one parent has already bought the outfit? (more…)

Education

Tips for Setting Our Kids Up for Success

By Shirin Yadegar

Every August, we buy the backpacks, sharpen the pencils and promise ourselves that this will be the year we stay organized.

Then September happens.

Experience has taught me that a successful school year isn’t really about having the perfect planner or color-coded calendar. It’s about establishing a few simple habits early and sticking to them.

Whether your child is walking into kindergarten or driving themselves to high school, here are some basics that can set the tone for the entire year. (more…)

Education

America at 250: Celebrating Freedom, History, and Civic Responsibility

By Shirin Yadegar

Freedom is one of America’s greatest gifts, but it is not something we can take for granted. The liberties we enjoy today were shaped by the vision of our nation’s founders, protected by the Constitution, and defended by generations of service members who sacrificed to preserve the ideals of a free society.

As our nation approaches its 250th birthday, we have a unique opportunity to reflect on our shared history and pass along the stories, values, and lessons that have shaped America. While Independence Day is often celebrated with barbecues, parades, and fireworks, it is also a meaningful time to gather with family and friends to discuss the principles that unite us and the responsibilities that come with citizenship. (more…)

Education

A Mother’s Day Reflection: Honoring the Women Who Shape Us

By Shirin Yadegar

Mother’s Day is often seen as a time for us moms to be spoiled and adored by our children. It’s a beautiful tradition, but it’s also an opportunity to pause and express gratitude for the women who came before us: our mothers, grandmothers, and the many women who have empowered and shaped who we are today.

This year, I’ve embraced a simple yet deeply meaningful Mother’s Day practice that I’d love to share with you, one that has brought me clarity, gratitude, and a renewed sense of connection.

Step 1: Reflect with Intention
I began by making a list of the women who have influenced different areas of my life over the past 49 years, those who have shaped my spirituality, wellness journey, parenting style, marriage, self care, work ethic, discipline, philanthropy, and joy. (more…)

Health

Lights Out: The Nighttime Supplements I Actually Take Before Bed

By Elissa Goodman

My body took years to figure this out. Here is what I landed on — and why yours deserves the same patience.

The question I get asked most constantly in my practice is about my nighttime routine. And I want to be incredibly clear before I share anything: this is a protocol built over years of testing, adjusting, and working closely with my own practitioners. It is not a prescription. It is not a suggestion. It is simply what works for my body, at this point in my life, and I share it because transparency is something I believe in deeply.

Your nighttime routine will look different from mine. It should look different from mine.This is where I want to start, because so many of us make the mistake of copying what someone else is doing without understanding why they are doing it. I watch this happen constantly in my practice, and it concerns me deeply.

With that said, here is what I am currently taking at night. (more…)

Education

Beyond the Checklist: Creating a Meaningful Summer for Your Children

By Shirin Yadegar

April is the time to pull out the summer calendars and start putting the puzzle pieces together. Our children need to stay engaged to create, to be challenged, and to be inspired by coaches and peers to reach their highest potential.

At the same time, summer is a season of exploration and joy. It’s when kids try new things, build friendships, make lasting family memories, and, of course, enjoy the simple pleasure of slowing down and sleeping in.

So how do we balance it all? How do we thoughtfully plan for families with multiple children, varying interests, and demanding work schedules while still leaving room for both structure and spontaneity? (more…)

Health

All About Peptides – The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!

By Dominique Fradin-Read, MD, MPH | Medical Director

A Major Public Health Concern, and our Children are at Risk

The Good about Peptides 

Peptides are interesting because they’re something your body already understands. At their core, peptides are small chains of amino acids, which are the same building blocks that make up proteins. You can think of them as fragments of proteins that act like messengers. Instead of doing the heavy structural work that full proteins do, peptides often send signals that tell cells how to behave. Because of that, they tend to work in ways that feel more “natural” to the body.

One of the biggest advantages of peptides is how targeted they can be. Many peptides are designed to communicate with very specific receptors on cells, which means they can encourage certain actions—like repairing tissue, producing collagen, or regulating hormones—without affecting everything else at once. (more…)

Education

Redefining Valentine’s Day: A Tradition of Love at Home

By Shirin Yadegar

shirinValentine’s Day can often feel commercial, flashy, and centered on grand romantic gestures. But as a mother, I’ve come to see February 14th as something far more meaningful: an opportunity to root our families in the deeper foundation of love as action.

In Judaism, love is not just a feeling — it is a mitzvah, a sacred responsibility. The Torah teaches, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Rabbi Hillel famously said that this principle is the essence of the entire Torah; the rest is commentary. Love, in our tradition, is not passive. It is something we choose, something we practice.

And what better place to practice it than at home? (more…)

Health

AN EGG IS NOT A EGG: Why Source Matters

By Lauren Rashap

Those of you who have joined me at the Farmers Market—either in person or virtually—know I always begin my shop replenishing my favorite foundational food: the egg.

Let me be perfectly clear: I will not buy eggs at the supermarket. And no, it’s not just because I have a soft spot for Farmers Market freshness (although that absolutely plays a part). I buy from small, local producers because I want control—control over knowing what the hens eat, what’s in the yolk, and ultimately what ends up fueling my body.

Commercial eggs, even some labeled “pasture-raised,” often come from hens fed corn and soy as the primary components of their diet. Those feeds are naturally high in omega-6 fats, especially linoleic acid, and very low in omega-3s. That imbalance gets reflected directly in the egg: the more omega-6 (linoleic acid) in the hen’s diet, the more omega-6 ends up in the yolk, and the less favorable your omega-3 to omega-6 ratio becomes when you eat it. (more…)

Health

2026 Skin Care Dinner

By Lauren Rashap

What is a Skin Care Dinner?

It’s not a 14-step topical routine. It’s not another “miracle” serum. It’s a “Michelin Star” meal, yet simply prepared and designed to support vibrant skin from the inside out—paired with connection, intention, and a little ritual.

If you’ve read my book Vibrant Skin at Any Age, you already know my philosophy: Your skin is not separate from your health—it’s the messenger. In nutritional science we refer to the this as the gut-skin axis.

In fact this is how I advise and treat my clients by scrutinizing the GSA pathways, biomarkers and lifestyle factors for inflammation, blood sugar balance, digestion, mineral status, sleep, stress, and detox capacity. So when your skin feels dull, reactive, dry, breaking out, or suddenly “older,” it’s not always about finding a new product. Sometimes it’s your body asking for support. (more…)