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Coming September 2022
How adverse childhood experiences or ACEs impact your current wellbeing
Feb 18, 2021
4 Min read
Often, people who have a history of trauma in childhood find themselves struggling to flourish in adulthood. Trauma affects the brain in ways that can make you more likely to experience difficulty when faced with emotionally stressful and demanding situations in your relationships, at work, and as a parent. Throughout my life, both
How to care for yourself during difficult times
Feb 2, 2021
4 Min read
Many people with #ACE’s (Adverse Childhood Experiences) are finding that the early #trauma and sense of unsafety they endured growing up are being re-triggered during these fear-laden times, amidst the #Covid #pandemic, political upheaval, and feeling isolated. Stress and uncertainty can trigger old, sticky feelings of fear, anxiety, or loss from
Paperback Release of The Angel and the Assassin: The Tiny Brain Cell that Changed the Course of Medicine
Jan 14, 2021
2 Min read
When I sat down in my attic to write THE ANGEL AND THE ASSASSIN: The Tiny Brain Cell that Changed the Course of Medicine, I never imagined that it would be so needed in our world! 2020 has been chock-full of adversity, uncertainty and distress on so many levels: the worst
Your Healing Narrative: Write-to-Heal With Neural Re-Narrating™️
Jan 5, 2021
3 Min read
Happy 2021! 2020 was a year unlike any other. But it also brought home for many of us what matters most, including the importance of nurturing and harnessing the power of our nervous system and brain toward equanimity so that we can flourish even in the face of adversity. Your Healing
Quiet Your Body and Mind
Apr 3, 2020
5 Min read
Hello Friends. As a SciComm journalist with 30 years of reporting and 6 books under my belt, which focus on how our stress response governs our immune health, I’ve been thinking about what I have learned, and how I might help you quiet your body and mind during this #pandemic.
Big Women, Little Women, Small Oscars
Feb 8, 2020
7 Min read
The Oscars are this Sunday, and as war movies and films about repressed male feelings take center stage, I’ve been thinking about why Greta Gerwig’s Little Women had me wiping away tears during the last 30 minutes of the film – something that also happened to me while watching another Gerwig
The Angel and the Assassin: The Tiny Brain Cell that Changed the Course of Medicine – now available everywhere!
Jan 25, 2020
2 Min read
Dear Readers, Friends, All, I’m thrilled to announce that THE ANGEL AND THE ASSASSIN: The Tiny Brain Cell that Changed the Course of Medicine in now on bookshelves and available everywhere! When I first told you, my readers, that I was setting out to tell the story of these tiny brain cells,
The Angel and The Assassin: Book Launch and Tour Info
Jan 15, 2020
1 Min read
Dear all, The Angel and the Assassin: The Tiny Brain Cell that Changed the Course of Medicine will be out in just 6 days! If you haven’t yet, I hope you’ll consider pre-ordering from your local bookstore or seller of your choice! You can also check out this review in Kirkus,
The Angel and the Assassin: The Tiny Brain Cell that Changed the Course of Medicine
Nov 16, 2019
4 Min read
My new book, THE ANGEL AND THE ASSASSIN: THE TINY BRAIN CELL THAT CHANGED THE COURSE OF MEDICINE will be out in just 2 months, on January 21st, 2020! After two years of reporting, researching, writing, factchecking, I can’t wait to share it with you!
Why We Need to Talk About the Unique Biological Effects of #ToxicChildhoodStress and #FemaleAdversity on Women’s Bodies and Brains.
Apr 1, 2018
7 Min read
The Female Body and Brain on Toxic Stress (CRUCIAL NOTE HERE BEFORE YOU READ: Boys’ immune systems become dysregulated in response to #toxicstress too, and that leads to disease and changes to the brain that we also need to talk about more openly AND compassionately. Today I’m focusing on girls’ unique
Why Girls Who Face Toxic Stress are More Vulnerable to Adult Illness: The Shocking Relationship Between Being Female, #ACEs, Autoimmune Disease and Depression
Mar 31, 2018
8 Min read
Hi All, This blog is about WHY Adverse Childhood Experiences are a #METOO ISSUE. I want to talk about how and why toxic childhood stress – also as #ACEs — is a #metoo issue of the greatest magnitude. For girls and for the adult women they become. One thing readers know
Female Adversity: The Female Body and Brain on Toxic Stress
Mar 30, 2018
5 Min read
Hi All, Three things I wanted to let you know about: later this weekend I’ll be posting a three part essay about women, toxic stress, and the female immune system — and why this topic matters now more than ever (more on that below!); an update on my next book, The
Hope You’ll Come Say Hi at One of My Upcoming Talks
Sep 25, 2017
3 Min read
Hi Friends: First I want to say a heartfelt thank you to the hundreds of women who reached out to me, offering to be interviewed for my next book, THE ANGEL AND THE ASSASSIN: The Tiny Cell That Changed the Course of Medicine, and Gives us a Radically New Way of Looking
Want to Be Part of My Next Book Project?
Apr 29, 2017
3 Min read
Hello friends: For my next book, I’m interviewing women and young adults experiencing mood, anxiety and/or learning/cognitive issues, who are curious about the concept that brain based symptoms have neurobiological, immunological, physical roots. If you are, or know, a woman in mid-life, for whom this resonates, and are in an extended
How to Win The Doctor Lottery
Apr 5, 2017
0 Min read
Hi All, and Happy Spring! I’m proud to share this very personal essay I wrote for the April 2017 issue of the journal, Health Affairs, “How to Win The Doctor Lottery: Not every doctor-patient encounter is healing, and it can seem a game of chance. One patient explores what it takes
Childhood Trauma Leads to Lifelong Chronic Illness — So Why Isn’t the Medical Community Helping Patients?
Jul 29, 2016
0 Min read
Hi All, I hope you’ll enjoy this essay I wrote for Huffington Post, “Childhood Trauma Leads to Adult Chronic Illness — So Why Isn’t the Medical Community Helping Patients?” I put my heart into it. My team has also gathered some of readers’ favorite articles and video clips in which I
Updates and Reader Feedback!
Jul 16, 2016
1 Min read
Hi All, I wanted to update you on recent events, and ask for a bit of advice as my team gears up for the paperback release of Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, And How You Can Heal — which will be out on July 26th. Earlier this week
Paperback Giveaway!
Jul 11, 2016
0 Min read
In two weeks (July 26th) Childhood Disrupted will be out in paperback! To help spread the word about how the book can help individuals who are suffering find healing, our team is offering a free book giveaway! Three winners will receive a free signed copy and a second free copy for
Early Trauma and Adult Chronic Illness — VoiceAmerica Talk Radio
Aug 26, 2015
0 Min read
Why do childhood traumas — like being frequently put down, losing a parent, living with a mom or dad who is depressed, or alcoholic, emotional neglect, and other early adversities — leave permanent physical “fingerprints” on our brains? In this VoiceAmerica Talk Radio interview, I share my thoughts with host Katherine
How Adverse Childhood Experiences Affect Adult Illness
Aug 25, 2015
0 Min read
Hi All, Here is a recent video interview, in which I share my thoughts on How Adverse Childhood Experiences Affect Adult Illness, why our new understanding of this science must change the way we do medicine, and why I wrote my book, Childhood Disrupted. Produced by Studio4. Hope you’ll enjoy! Donna
Childhood Disrupted – Pub Date Has Arrived!
Jul 8, 2015
1 Min read
I can’t believe it’s finally here: Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal hit stores yesterday and has been steadily climbing on Amazon (as of this afternoon, it was the #1 best-seller in Developmental Psychology and #787 overall!) and gaining traction on Facebook, Twitter, Reddit,
Is depression caused by inflammation?
Jun 17, 2015
1 Min read
Increasingly doctors are looking at depression as an inflammatory reaction, rather than a standalone neurological disorder — and in some cases depression may even be exacerbated by an allergic reaction. This theory could lead to never-before-prescribed methods that can be used in conjunction with traditional antidepressants to combat inflammation. This new
Come Join Me For Talks & Booksignings in July 2015 on Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal!
Jun 6, 2015
0 Min read
Hope you can come join me on Tuesday July 7th at 7:00 at Baltimore’s lovely Ivy Bookshop for a talk, chat, and booksigning! Tuesday, July 7th, 2015 7:00 p.m. Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal — a Discussion & Book Signing with Donna Jackson
My Next Book! Childhood Disrupted: How Your Biography Becomes Your Biology, and How You Can Heal
Nov 10, 2014
5 Min read
Every once in a while, as a writer, I sort of “disappear” — taking a break from blogging and social media to fully immerse myself in finishing a new book. I’m happy to say, in 2015, you’ll be able to see what I’ve been so busy working on (and why I’ve
The Art of Doing Everything Twice
Jul 4, 2014
3 Min read
My mom said something recently that really stuck with me. She’s 82. “It used to be that we did everything once, and now we have to do everything twice!” I kind of brushed it off as a subtle sign of aging, but then I noticed, over the next forty eight hours:
Come Join Me on June 8th at Breathe Bookstore!
May 29, 2014
0 Min read
Hope you can come join me on Sunday June 8th at 1:00 at Baltimore’s lovely Breathe Bookstore and Cafe for a chat and booksigning! Sunday, June 8th, 2014 1:00 to 2:30 The Last Best Cure — a Discussion & Book Signing with Donna Jackson Nakazawa
What is the Green Solution for Toxic Thinking?
May 26, 2014
8 Min read
Is Someone Driving you Nuts? Fifteen insights on how to stop thinking about someone who’s driving you crazy. Have you ever found that you just can’t stop thinking about someone and what they did or said, and how bewildered or hurt you were by their actions? When someone hurts us, our
A Q. and A. with “Between the Covers” on What Compelled me to Write The Last Best Cure
Apr 11, 2014
4 Min read
I recently spoke with Melanie Brevis, blogger at Baltimore County Public Library System, and we had a great chat! Between the Covers with Donna Jackson Nakazawa Baltimore author Donna Jackson Nakazawa discusses her latest book, The Last Best Cure, on Wednesday, April 16 at 7 p.m. at the Perry Hall Branch,
Not Cured, But Healing
Mar 2, 2014
8 Min read
Hi All, I wrote this for the PBS website, Next Avenue, and have recently had a number of requests to share it. So, I’ve included the essay here, and a link to the original below. I’m Not Cured, but I Am Healing After years of pain and chronic illness, an author
Thank You Readers – The Last Best Cure hit #10 in Bestselling Books in Health Memoir
Feb 28, 2014
0 Min read
Thank you readers, I just found out that last night THE LAST BEST CURE hit #10 on AMAZON in BESTSELLING BOOKS IN HEALTH MEMOIR! That made me smile, and I realize I have all of you to thank for spreading the word, one woman, one reader at a time! In gratitude,
Talking on NPR about The Last Best Cure
Feb 27, 2014
0 Min read
I really enjoyed a great discussion today with Dan Rodricks, the host of the NPR show, Midday, on WYPR, Baltimore’s Public Radio station. Dan is smart, genuine, and asks great questions. We really delved into why I wrote The Last Best Cure, the science behind it, and how I hope it
From Point A to Point A
Jan 7, 2014
0 Min read
We all grow up thinking that a successful life is about trying to get from Point A to Point B. From right here where we are to some distant point or goal in the future. And yes, having goals and aspirations is important. That’s why we set so many resolutions in
Two Wise Teachers
Dec 15, 2013
1 Min read
I spent this weekend at a two day meditation event with one of my dearest friends, and together we soaked in the amazing wisdom of Syliva Boorstein and Sharon Salzberg, who came together to teach as a duo on this snowy, rainy weekend in Washington DC. My favorite nuggets: Sylvia Boorstein’s
Big News Coming! The Next Book!
Sep 19, 2013
0 Min read
I’m just about to announce my next book project — which I’ve signed for with Atria/Simon & Schuster. I’m going to be looking for interviewees for this one! So, stay tuned…I’ll be reaching out to you, my amazing, faithful readers. Subscribe to get my blog posts (option on the right) to
The Ones Who’ve Helped us Along the Way
Sep 11, 2013
8 Min read
Yesterday I was struggling to manage a few swirling mind states — you know, those fears, resentments and regrets that well up, or at least they do for me. I just could not find any inner compassion for my own life mistakes. My suffering was mind-wrought, and doing me no good,
My Emergency Mental Repair Plan
Jul 27, 2013
4 Min read
Hi All, What a lovely week. On July 17th, I went to speak at the Arlington Central Library in Arlington, Virginia. I just wanted to say thank you to all of you wonderful readers who came out despite the record heat. I was so happy to see you. I loved telling
A Long Ago Story
Jun 27, 2013
4 Min read
Hi All, It has been a busy month. My son graduated from high school, my daughter graduated from middle school, I turned in my story for MORE Magazine on women, chronic illness and friendship (I’ll keep you posted on when it will appear — a mega thank you to all of
A Thought Challenge
May 24, 2013
4 Min read
Today I came across a “Thought Challenge” from meditation teacher and writer Jack Kornfield, whose work I so admire. Kornfield talks about separating ourselves from our tightly gripped sense of our “self,” and seeing what happens. Selflessness, Kornfield teaches, is not about seeing “how selfless I am.” It’s about stepping away
Distressing Thoughts and Stressing Our Cells
May 7, 2013
4 Min read
What is the direct relationship between letting our mind drift — ruminating about the past, worrying about the future, focusing on distressing thoughts, what’s going wrong, what isn’t fair, or what we’re afraid will happen next — and our cellular and physical well-being? Although we can’t peer inside our cells in
The Last Best Cure Virtual Book Club Tour
Apr 18, 2013
1 Min read
I’ve received a number of so sweet requests to come talk to book clubs who are reading The Last Best Cure, or join in small group chats, and answer questions about both the book and my journey. I treasure meeting my readers — there is nothing, really, that I love more
Raising Autoimmune Awareness with AutoimmumeMom.com
Apr 17, 2013
2 Min read
Most of you know that I’m always looking to help raise awareness for chronic disease and for autoimmune disease in particular. In hopes of helping more women who suffer from autoimmunity have even more resources in their toolbox, I’m partnering up with AutoimmuneMom.com, a website for moms struggling to manage their
MORE Magazine Story — Women, Friendship and Illness — Looking for Interviewees
Apr 10, 2013
2 Min read
Hi Wonderful Readers, I wanted to tell you that I’m writing a feature on women, friendship and illness for MORE Magazine and ask for your input. The piece will focus on what friends need from their friends when they are facing a chronic condition — whether it’s lupus, fibro, RA, Lyme,
I’m Not Cured, but I Am Healed
Apr 4, 2013
0 Min read
Hi there — today PBS’s wonderful online web magazine, Next Avenue, published my OpEd on how we can journey toward healing in the face of chronic illness… and the important distinction between being “cured” and being “healed.” I so hope you’ll check it out, and that you enjoy. Links below! I’m
How We Handle the Wear and Tear of Today’s Stress Predicts Whether We’ll Be Depressed Ten Years From Now
Apr 3, 2013
2 Min read
The way we manage our emotional responses to the stresses we meet in day-to-day life — to what is happening right now, right here, in our life — predicts whether we’ll suffer from depression and anxiety ten years from now, says a new study in today’s Psychological Science. Researchers examined the
Forest Bathing, Green Music
Apr 1, 2013
4 Min read
This past Easter weekend, we spent many afternoons in the woods, walking trails, going on photo expeditions. My husband, son and daughter and I are great lovers of what I call “green music” — the music of the rustling trees. We all enjoy the hum of how nature nurtures. I think
A View of the Week that Was
Mar 29, 2013
1 Min read
Some of you have inquired why my blog has been so quiet. Here’s why: book tour! This has been a busy week. it started with a conversation with Montel Williams on Joy Behar’s (of The View) show Say Anything, which we taped in New York. Montel is working hard to bring
Double Book Giveaway C*O*N*T*E*S*T!
Mar 23, 2013
1 Min read
Are you ready? Today I’m announcing my Double Book Giveaway contest! This time, 1 lucky winner will receive A Double Giveaway Book Set: one signed copy of my new book, THE LAST BEST CURE, and one signed, first-printing hardcover
“Joy Factor” vs. “Fear Factor”
Mar 16, 2013
2 Min read
A new Harvard study out today indicates that in the past several decades our general mood and sense of well-being have declined, making it harder for us to stay on what I call, in THE LAST BEST CURE, The Life Channel. I’ve written a great deal about rising rates of stress-reactivity,
Let Go of Regret
Mar 8, 2013
5 Min read
Today I had an unexpected conversation with a lovely woman, whom I’ll call K, who trims my hair. It began when I walked into the salon and the sweet receptionist, whom I’ll call A, surprised me by having a copy of THE LAST BEST CURE in her hand so I could
I’m Blown Away by Your Comments
Mar 7, 2013
7 Min read
Thank you, dear readers, for these comments. To know that the book is helping you to change your own life story is the greatest gift an author can receive. Mary Sometimes I have to re-read a line or close the book, it is that powerful to my soul. Someone understands what
Your Advice?
Mar 3, 2013
1 Min read
I know THE LAST BEST CURE has only been out for a week but some of you have (so sweetly!) already emailed to tell me you’ve read cover to cover with highlighter and sticky notes in hand, and are buying a copy for a friend or family member who you think
Play Back!
Mar 2, 2013
3 Min read
Being able to call up positive and detailed memories helps us to deepen our inner sense of well-being and joy. And we know that a greater sense of well-being and joy is oh so good for our body and cells. I found that out — and so much more — during
What Are You Cooking?
Feb 26, 2013
1 Min read
Today, my friend Mark Hyman, MD, author of The Blood Sugar Solution, has come out with a much needed cookbook that can help all of us who want to learn more about utilizing “food as medicine.” Many of you, like me, eat gluten and dairy free — but cooking gluten and
Babies Get It, Grade Schoolers Get It, So Why is it So Hard For Us?
Feb 25, 2013
4 Min read
Several studies over the past few years have found that kids as young as 18 months old possess deep feelings of compassion. One study found that when toddlers show kindness to others, it’s motivated by innate feelings of compassion — not just a desire to please the adults in their lives.
Contest Winners!
Feb 21, 2013
0 Min read
Thanks to ALL of you who have been joining in THE LAST BEST CURE conversation on my blog. I’ve been so heartened to hear your stories, thoughts and well-wishes, it’s been lovely to hear from you all. As promised, today is the day we announce the winners of the raffle for
Countdown Reason # 1: PUB DATE IS TODAY!
Feb 21, 2013
0 Min read
Hi Friends, Today is the day! The Last Best Cure: My Quest to Awaken the Healing Parts of My Brain and Get Back My Body, My Joy, and My Life is now in stores! LIKE my Facebook Fan page or post here on my blog by March 15th and you’ll be
Countdown Reason #2: Because We Need This, and We Need it Right Now
Feb 20, 2013
1 Min read
In just a few hours it will officially be February 21st, 2013 — pub day! Everyday I pick up another study which reminds me why I took on this challenging quest and wrote up my journey in THE LAST BEST CURE. The book I hope you’ll soon be holding in your
Countdown Reason # 3: Gratitude.
Feb 19, 2013
0 Min read
I’ve heard from so many of you who’ve reached out to share your well-wishes, as we get close to THE LAST BEST CURE hitting bookstores (both real and online) and becoming available for download. Just 36 hours to go! I’m SO grateful for your enthusiasm and support. Just today, I’ve heard
Countdown Reason # 4: “Look Who’s Reading Mom’s New Book!”
Feb 18, 2013
0 Min read
My daughter took this photo. I just had to share it, just for fun. When she showed it to my husband, she said, smiling, “Dad, look who’s reading mom’s new book!” It made me smile. I can’t believe that on Thursday — in just 4 days — THE LAST BEST CURE
Countdown Reason #5: Look What’s Sitting On My Desk!!!!
Feb 17, 2013
0 Min read
Guess what just arrived at my house? My very own box of “author copies!” My daughter was so excited that she stacked them up on my desk and took this photo this afternoon. If you look carefully you’ll see a photo
Countdown Reason # 6: What Stress Does to the Gut, and What the Stressed Gut Does to the Brain
Feb 15, 2013
2 Min read
Two new studies tell us an interesting story about stress, the gut and the brain. We have a LOT of organisms in the gut. Cell for cell, we’re largely made up of bacteria. In fact, single-celled organisms, mostly bacteria, outnumber our own cells 10 to 1. Most of these live in
Countdown Reason # 7: Life Channel or Pain Channel?
Feb 13, 2013
2 Min read
Research tells us that although 70 % of our day is relatively good, 28 % of it neutral, and only about 2 % of what happens to us is actually bad, we think about that negative 2 % almost all the time; it’s what we ruminate over as we shower, drive,
Countdown Reason # 8: How Did We Miss This Chronic Disease Epidemic?
Feb 12, 2013
3 Min read
How did we miss the chronic disease epidemic now facing America? And why are we so behind in meeting the needs of the 1 out of 2 adult Americans who suffer from them? I wanted to find out the answer to that question. So I reached out to Laurie Edwards, author
Countdown Reason # 9: It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way
Feb 11, 2013
2 Min read
Today I was listening to NPR as I was driving. The discussion centered on new approaches to addiction — and the fact that addiction is now being classified as a “chronic brain disease.” Experts said that 22 million American’s suffer from it. (Add this to the 133 million Americans suffering from
Countdown Reason # 10: Turtle Wushu, Anyone?
Feb 10, 2013
2 Min read
A week ago I wrote this at the end of a blog on joy, memories and the brain (see Countdown Reason # 19: Why Emotional Memories of Joy Matter so Much): “I’m going to think of how to make a joy memory today. I’ll let you know how that works out
Countdown Reason # 11: How This Journey Began
Feb 9, 2013
10 Min read
Sneak Preview! Here is the first half of the introduction to THE LAST BEST CURE, for those who had trouble reading the preview on my Penguin author page. It tells you about the place I found myself in when this journey began…. Introduction This book began with my own sudden
Countdown Reason # 12: The Number of Kids with Chronic Conditions is Skyrocketing
Feb 8, 2013
1 Min read
I’ve written about how chronic pain is on the rise, as are rates of chronic disorders. But two new studies extend our knowledge about the prevalence of chronic conditions among Americans into an area that’s quite troubling: America’s children. One study, published in the journal PAIN found that “recurrent chronic pain
Countdown Reason # 13: The American Stress Crisis
Feb 7, 2013
1 Min read
A new study released today by the American Psychological Association found, after studying 2000 Americans, that the day-to-day stress the average American is living with surpasses healthy stress levels. Americans say their daily stress is at a 3.6 on a 10-point scale. Just think of that for a minute in terms
Countdown Reason # 14: The Autoimmune Epidemic Was Just the First Half of the Journey
Feb 6, 2013
2 Min read
THE LAST BEST CURE will be in stores, on Amazon, Indiebound, and everywhere else in two weeks. I can hardly believe it. Many of you are fans of The Autoimmune Epidemic (now in its 5th printing!). Which, as you know, talks about all the environmental stressors and toxins we encounter in
Countdown Reason # 15: YES, True
Feb 5, 2013
3 Min read
I don’t know why I thought of this today. Maybe because as I walked past my son’s room this morning it hit me, ping (really, I guess the word is pang), how empty his room will be when he leaves for college. Standing there, with my hand on the door, I
Countdown Reason # 16: And Gratitude Helps with Pain
Feb 4, 2013
2 Min read
I have a good friend, a dear, dear friend, really, who I’ll call “K.” “K” suffers from an autoimmune disease. In the past five years she’s gone from daily injections of a multiple sclerosis drug that packs difficult side effects to taking no meds at all. She carries the most grateful,
Countdown Reason # 17: Grateful at Home
Feb 4, 2013
2 Min read
A new study in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology evaluated the relationship between how much partners felt appreciated, and how likely a marriage was to last over the years. They found that appreciation and gratitude between two people spirals up or down; the more a partner shows gratitude, the
Countdown Reason # 18: Bless
Feb 3, 2013
1 Min read
Recently, Stanford researchers put folks into two groups. One group went through a 9-week compassion course, the other didn’t. Afterwards participants who had taken the course were not only found to be more compassionate to others — they had more compassion for themselves. They liked themselves better by learning to be
Countdown Reason # 19: Why Emotional Memories of Joy Matter so Much
Feb 1, 2013
3 Min read
We’ve learned so much in the course of our lives. Math problems, how to punctuate a sentence, set the table, use an iPhone, hit the right buttons on our blog dashboard or twitter (okay, the latter three are still not so easy for some of us!). But can you remember exactly
Countdown Reason # 20: The Empathy Thing
Jan 31, 2013
2 Min read
If you’ve read all my posts you know that I sometimes write about the amazing women who talk to me at my lectures, or who email me their stories about wanting to wrap in more joy in the face of life’s hurdles. And how I thought of them so much as
Countdown Reason # 21: An Excerpt From The Last Best Cure!
Jan 30, 2013
0 Min read
For me, this is huge. You’re finally getting to see what I’ve spent the past two years of my life doing — researching, journeying, writing. I’ve described the book to you in a dozen ways but nothing can give you a better sense of what this book is about than delving
Countdown Reason # 22: This is Hard Work, And We Need Help Along the Way
Jan 30, 2013
1 Min read
I am sitting here in an odd position. I am in bed with the flu, but the stomach flu can also mean all sorts of very un-fun things for me with my autoimmune condition. If you know my work you know exactly what I’m talking about. So I am trying really
Countdown Reason # 24: Hugs, the Flu, and 25 Steps Down the Hall
Jan 30, 2013
2 Min read
Every night we have a ritual at our house. I walk the ten footsteps down the hall to my son’s room, hug him as he sits in his desk chair, doing his forever-homework, and say, “Good night, I love you!” He sometimes mumbles the words back to me, but his arms
Countdown Reason # 25: How my Friend “S.” Shifts Her Mindset to Joy
Jan 26, 2013
0 Min read
My dear friend S. shared this with me. I saw her a few days ago. S. faces her own daily health challenges — her own and her partner’s. She’s started taking a meditative walk each day, at sunrise, and marking each walk with a photo. She looks back at the scene
Countdown Reason # 26: Because This Matters
Jan 25, 2013
1 Min read
In my last post I asked the question, what do we mean when we say “cure?” Can a cure be the same as “healing?” And if so, what do we mean by “healing?” Many “chronic” conditions may not be “cured.” But we can change the quality of our moments and our
Countdown Reason # 27: A Cure by Any Other Name
Jan 24, 2013
3 Min read
What do I mean when I use the word, “cure?” I struggled with that, to be honest, as I set out to research and write The Last Best Cure. My friend, who I’ll call J, challenged me on that. J. is a breast cancer survivor, who has faced a tough road.
Countdown Reason #28: The Cane in my Closet
Jan 23, 2013
3 Min read
I was just reading a lovely novel, To The End of the Land, by David Grossman (finalist for the National Book Critics Circle award for fiction). And in it the main character quotes an obscure book by Nahum Gutman, called The Path of the Orange Peels, in which the main character
Countdown Reason # 29: True Refuge
Jan 22, 2013
1 Min read
In my own search for The Last Best Cure, I knew that if I wanted to gain a state of mind that was healing for my body and cells — and reclaim joy — I needed help. The best help on the planet. Tara Brach, one of the most gifted insight
Countdown Reason # 30: Everyday Stress Shrinks the Brain — Making us Less Able to Cope
Jan 21, 2013
2 Min read
Yale University researchers have found that even among healthy individuals, stressful, adverse life events lead to shrinkage in the parts of our brain that help us to manage our emotional reactions. If we’ve had a lot of stress in our lives — financial hurdles, chronic illness, loss of a relationship, you
Countdown Reason # 31: For Women Like Amy
Jan 20, 2013
1 Min read
I just received this website email, from a reader friend named Amy. I asked her if I could excerpt a little bit of it in my blog. Amy is 46-years-old, a dynamo really, who suffers from quite a few chronic conditions. You would never know it to see her. She is
Countdown Reason # 32: How is Your “Life Force?”
Jan 19, 2013
2 Min read
A new study on women in mid-life finds that women who have an inner sense of “Life Force” have lower levels of cell-damaging stress hormones and cytokines, such as IL-6. “Life Force” may sound like something out of the annals of Star Wars’ Jedi training, but it’s up-to-the-minute neuroscience (in this
Countdown Reason # 33: Take The Women’s “Life Orientation” Test!
Jan 18, 2013
1 Min read
In 1994 the Women’s Health Initiative set out to do the largest study of the relationship between our state of mind — an optimistic state, or a pessimistic world view — and cardiovascular disease to date – on ninety-seven thousand women. These women, who were healthy at the start of the
Countdown Reason # 34 “A sad soul can kill you quicker, far quicker, than a germ.”
Jan 17, 2013
1 Min read
“A sad soul can kill you quicker, far quicker, than a germ,” John Steinbeck once wrote. Steinbeck’s words are more true than we might ever have imagined. The neuroscience I unveil in The Last Best Cure shows how our state of mind dictates the state and health of our cells. When
Countdown Reason # 35: My Friend Says…
Jan 16, 2013
2 Min read
… that I need to make sure to tell you what she had to say when she read an early copy of The Last Best Cure. When I finished writing The Last Best Cure I asked my friend P., who is a well-known neuroscientist, to read the manuscript and make certain
Countdown Reason # 36: The Last Best Cure — it’s in my Hands!
Jan 15, 2013
1 Min read
There is a big moment in every author’s life, and it happens only once, with each book we publish. Today my friendly UPS guy knocked on the front door and smiled as he handed me a package. I peered at the return label and saw my publisher’s address: 375 Hudson Street,
Countdown Reason # 37: “Let’s Make a Memory”
Jan 14, 2013
5 Min read
Today’s post is something of a P.S. to yesterday’s. When I was growing up, my Dad had a saying: “Let’s make a memory.” He’d say it right before he’d take us off on some impromptu adventure, like sailing out from our creek into the Chesapeake Bay on a Friday evening, so
Countdown Reason # 38: Magical Journey
Jan 13, 2013
6 Min read
A few days ago, Katrina Kenison’s new book, Magical Journey: An Apprenticeship in Contentment, hit stores. (She’s also the author of another magical book, The Gift of an Ordinary Day.) I just picked up my copy and can’t wait to delve in, especially after reading the excerpt she’s posted on her
Countdown Reason # 39: A Cup of Tea
Jan 12, 2013
3 Min read
It happened again yesterday. I had a cup of tea with a friend of mine. I’ll call her Gail — a fifty-ish-year-old woman with soft blue eyes, cropped auburn hair and black-rimmed glasses. I hadn’t seen Gail in a while; she’s been struggling with Crohn’s for some time. She told me
Countdown Reason # 40: As Americans We Live Shorter Lives and We’re Sicker
Jan 11, 2013
1 Min read
In an earlier post I talked about how the numbers of Americans with chronic conditions has been escalating so fast it’s frightening. We may tend to brush these sorts of statistics aside, telling ourselves we’re sicker simply because we’re living so much longer. But a new study tells us that’s not
Countdown Reason # 41: In Sickness As in Health
Jan 10, 2013
2 Min read
Here’s another reason why I set out on my journey to find The Last Best Cure. When you are dealing with a chronic condition, as are one out of two American adults, it can’t help but impact family life. When we are distracted by pain or fatigue or worry it’s hard
Countdown Reason # 42: The Tiger in the Lifeboat
Jan 9, 2013
0 Min read
Illness is a catalyst in the search for wholeness and wellness. It is similar to Pi’s experience in Yann Martel’s novel, and the movie, The Life of Pi. After struggling to stay alive in a lifeboat with a ravenous tiger for months, Pi realizes that living with the tiger has forced
Countdown Reason #43: An Exciting New Area of Scientific Research Has Been Taking Off – Yet Most of us Know Nothing About It!
Jan 8, 2013
4 Min read
As I started my quest for The Last Best Cure, I interviewed neuroscientists and pioneers in the brain-body field in hopes of learning everything I could about how we can search for joy despite a persistent history of pain, loss or illness. We know that stress, pain, fear and fatigue —
Countdown Reason # 44: I Went in Search of Answers Because of My Conversations With You
Jan 7, 2013
1 Min read
I’ve been listening to what you have to say. For years, as I’ve traveled around giving talks, and as I’ve corresponded with many of you by email, I’ve heard your message, loud and clear. Pain, fatigue and fear, so many of you have confided to me, are terribly distracting. They narrow
Countdown Reason # 45: More Adults Suffer From Chronic Health Problems than Ever Before, Numbers are Rising, and More Women Suffer Than Men
Jan 6, 2013
2 Min read
It’s hard to believe that after my year-long journey exploring the newest neuroscience on how to activate the healing responses of the brain, The Last Best Cure will finally be in stores in 45 days! As pub date grows closer, I’ve been thinking a lot about how essential taking this journey
The Last Best Cure
Jan 1, 2013
1 Min read
Welcome to my new website and blog. I’m excited to announce my upcoming book, The Last Best Cure: My Quest to Awaken the Healing Parts of My Brain and Get Back My Body, My Joy, and My Life, to be released by Hudson Street Press on February 21st, 2013. Writing this