As I age and read hints about what to keep and what should go, I cringe every time I read “Digitalize your photos; get rid of/destroy photo albums.” Not me. Here’s my rationale. Paper, in one form or another, has been around for at least five millennia; tablets and memory stick for less than 40 years. How long before something else takes its place and makes them obsolete? Browsing through my albums brings back many happy memories of childhood, family and community events. No way will my albums go; my children are already discussing who should get them!

Looking for a quick, nutritious and tasty breakfast or snack? Try this delicious Aronia Berry Smoothie! Brimming with anti-oxidants, the Aronia berry is a powerhouse for health. This smoothie tastes delightful and takes only a minute to whip up. Your body will love it! INGREDIENTS: *1 cup frozen Aronia berries from Berry Up!, *1 banana, *1 cup plain yogurt, *½ cup apple juice, *½ cup crushed ice, *½ cup soy milk or almond milk. INSTRUCTIONS: Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend on high for 1 minute. Enjoy!

We had cool, wet weather out here on the island this spring, which was in contrast to the expectation. This can lead many people to start to focus on regrets and lost possibilities of what “could have been”. The challenge with focusing on what “could have been” is that it never can be, so starts a negative thought pattern of rumination. One way to avoid constant and repetitive thoughts about what could have been is to shift the regret into disappointment instead. When we acknowledge the disappointment, we can focus our attention on what we will do instead.

Pilates corrects your posture, addresses muscle imbalances, and mobilizes your joints. Pilates helps you manage pain, recover after an accident or rehab an injury. It can be adapted for any ability, fitness level, size or medical condition. Complement your Pilates with cardio, like running, boxing, swimming, or biking. Pilates is for injury rehab, not weight loss. Adding in other exercise, especially cardio, can help make your heart stronger and improve your endurance. Cross-training makes your Pilates practice stronger. Pilates can help people with arthritis, vertigo, migraines, knee injuries, brain trauma, ADHD, Erb’s palsy, Graves’ disease, dyslexia, clinical depression and diabetes.

Learning to use a mobility aid after a fall or injury is very important for maintaining independence, ability to enjoy leisure tasks and to perform household tasks. In order to prevent re-injury, the mobility device must be used correctly and have appropriate adjustments for posture, seating and gait. Once an assistive device is prescribed to a patient, we can make adjustments and corrections to the fit and then prescribe exercise based on the client’s mobility goals. Goals may include navigating stairs, curbs or opening doorways. An exercise prescription, in conjunction with a prescribed assistive device, produces much greater mobility progression.