Month: May 2020

Education

Colleges Go Test Optional

Do your kids still need to take the Sat/ACT?

By Erik Klass

First of all, and most importantly, I hope everyone is healthy and keeping safe. As you may have heard, an increasing number of colleges are changing their admission requirements to “test optional” (regarding the SAT/ACT). Many of our clients have been asking about how this may impact their own SAT/ACT planning. I hope the following information answers the common questions.

Do I have to take the SAT/ACT?
Many colleges, including the UC schools, are now making the SAT/ACT optional for fall 2021 applicants (current high school juniors). I suspect many other colleges will follow suit. However, be careful: as of this writing, most colleges still require one of the standardized tests. My advice: unless you are sure all of your target colleges will go test-optional (which, I admit, is hard to figure out while things are still changing quickly), I think you should plan to take one of the tests. (more…)

Health, Health & Beauty

Permission to Say YES to Your Desires, Because it Makes You a Better Mom

By Gina DeVee

When mothers hear about my lifestyle of running my business while traveling the world, the thought arises: “Well Gina, YOU can do that because you don’t have kids.” Admittedly, the second part is true. However, the idea that my lack of children is the enabling factor for my fabulous lifestyle couldn’t be more false. I know because I’ve worked with hundreds of mama-preneurs who have proven the opposite: in the 21st century, a woman can truly have it all (including elite frequent flyer status), even with toddlers and teenagers in the house.

At the same time, I completely understand why most mothers are convinced their dreams must wait until retirement (or at least until pre-k starts). From the moment we give birth till long after the kiddos are dressing themselves, it’s expected that we put ourselves last. In fact, the average woman tends to fall near the bottom of her own priority list even if she’s never thought of getting pregnant. It’s simply how we’ve been conditioned to survive and stay “safe” in the world. In our male-dominated culture, we’ve been taught that we must give tirelessly to prove our worth. We’ve learned that taking care of ourselves or indulging our desires is “selfish.” And thanks to all these untrue stories, we’ve unnecessarily cut ourselves off from receiving what we really want in life. (more…)

Fitness, Health

Proper Supplementation How to boost your immune system during the Covid pandemic.

By Daniella the Dietitian

I have always been a strong believer that food is medicine. Balanced nutrition with abundance of fruits and vegetables should always be the forefront of any diet. However supplements can also play an important role in not only enhancing your bone, heart and immune health but reversing conditions such as elevated triglycerides, anemia, hypertension, diarrhea, bariatric deficiencies and vegan B-12 deficiency.

People are always asking me about what supplements I recommend (prenatal, immunity, heart health, energy etc.). Since the FDA does NOT regulate supplements, like they do medicine, it is very important to find a company that does purity testing and that’s proven safe. After extensive research I have discovered Shaklee. This Californian company has been around over 60 years, more importantly they have surpassed US pharmacopeia screening standards for contaminants, pesticides and impurities. Scientist, peer reviews and the famous Landmark Study have shown that their supplements have increased biomarkers of heart, brain, and cognitive health in their users. Shaklee follows a non-GMO policy and produces over 100,000 quality control tests yearly! Plus the majority of the nutritional line is Kosher Star-K. They also stand behind their products with a 100% money back guarantee. For these reasons, I feel confident as a dietitian recommending this product line. (more…)