tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-723149752459170842011-07-07T17:53:11.312-07:00Live, Learn, Love, Laugh...a little easier!Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.comBlogger291100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-58609390071497007432009-07-02T13:31:00.000-07:002009-07-02T13:35:58.356-07:00

If you're interested in more articles on health and happiness, please visit my column on the Examiner.com where you can read, learn and post your comments.

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-70075419214826662042009-06-29T19:03:00.001-07:002009-06-29T19:07:17.633-07:00

While an occasional dessert is the ultimate mood lifter, too much sugar in your diet will be detrimental to your health. Enter agave: the healthy and delicious alternative to sugar.When you consume sugar, insulin is produced in your body, and too much insulin has been linked to all kinds of problems such as depression, lethargy, hypertension, heart disease, type II diabetes and even Alzheimer’s

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-20450505760662129222009-06-29T18:56:00.000-07:002009-06-29T18:58:52.589-07:00

Cellulite is not a medical term or condition. The word was coined by European spas several decades ago and later took hold in the U.S. in the early 70’s. Now that beauty icon Kim Kardashian has said, “So What!” to her cellulite, can we all finally agree it’s natural and not nasty? Ninety percent of women have dimpled skin around their thighs and hips that is referred to as cellulite. And we’

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-28397570390433867922009-03-25T10:59:00.000-07:002009-03-25T11:02:42.381-07:00

Cell phones ringing, text alerts beeping, kids crying, dogs barking, TV blasting. Sound familiar? In our technologically advanced culture, filled with stimuli to keep us going twenty-four hours a day, there is no encouragement for silence or reflection—unless you’re a three-year-old child in time-out! Being still, even for a moment, seems totally unnecessary and, even more so, detrimental to

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-33924240717504853832009-03-19T14:13:00.000-07:002009-03-19T14:37:11.164-07:00

If you’re a food lover like me, chances are you’ve stayed away from the whole raw food movement. After all, what could replace the flavorful aroma of a simmering pot of chicken soup on the stove or the tangy spiced tomatoes in a homemade marinara sauce? But what if you could enjoy the best of both worlds—cooked and raw? I’ve found it’s very easy to do by following a simple mantra: everything

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-36447129125471213242009-02-02T13:37:00.000-08:002009-02-02T13:38:44.329-08:00

Music has an amazing ability to affect our spirit. I’m sure you have your own special songs that instantly bring back good memories and feelings of peace or happiness. One of my favorites was on the top of the charts when I was only seven years old—“Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In” by The Fifth Dimension. I had no idea what the song meant, but I sang it constantly. It made me feel good. It made

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-47845046337245603312009-01-20T14:12:00.000-08:002009-01-20T14:13:30.819-08:00

I don’t enjoy watching violent or scary movies anymore. They keep me up at night. They tense my nerves. They make me angry. They make me sad. None of this is entertaining or enlightening to me. None of this makes me feel good. Life is stressful enough. A movie shouldn’t make it more stressful. Yes, I know…it’s just a movie. It’s not real. But our lives, moods and actions are influenced

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-58142470861429985132008-12-29T20:03:00.000-08:002008-12-29T20:06:20.041-08:00

If we believe Aristotle who said, “Human happiness is so important it transcends all other worldly considerations”, then we should strive to make happiness the first priority on our “to do” lists. Below are nine ways (based on the nine letters in the word “happiness”) you can bring more happiness and inner peace into everyday life. 1. H = Humor. Don’t you love being around someone who makes

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-82461121211570350192008-11-29T14:07:00.000-08:002008-11-29T14:08:57.763-08:00

If you haven’t read Gary Renard’s book, The Disappearance of the Universe, yet, I highly recommend it. I read it in 2006 and it led me to other books and information over the last couple of years that have changed my perception of life in general. Regardless of your religion or your belief in channeled information, this book will change the way you see the world in a positive yet inquisitive

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-85938426716516416752008-11-05T16:00:00.000-08:002008-11-05T16:02:41.553-08:00

If you grew up in an Italian family as I did, you would’ve learned early on that the main attraction for any holiday or special event was the FOOD! The food served was ultimately more important than Santa at Christmas, the bride at her wedding, or even the deceased at his funeral. These celebratory and solemn gatherings provided the perfect venue for the real reason everyone got together—to eat

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-31116358038623468422008-10-30T14:40:00.000-07:002008-10-30T14:43:25.551-07:00

Tomorrow is Halloween, which means we’ve officially entered the 2008 holiday season…the time of year for loving family gatherings, singing carols around the fireplace and all kinds of happy endings. Well, maybe if you had a personal staff of 100 and lived in the Land of Oz, you can pull off the perfect holiday that the media so easily portrays for us in ads, movies and music. But, let’s face it

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-25387130952318952002008-10-20T11:47:00.000-07:002008-10-20T11:48:53.052-07:00

Do you remember your first best friend? Mine was Diane DiGasso. We were both eleven years old when she moved into my neighborhood with her mother, siblings and new stepfather right after her parents got divorced. We bonded instantly over commonalities such as sweaty hands, curly hair and a growing interest in boys. Over the years we've shared much of our lives together-from double dates to

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-22976682496179701772008-09-30T10:18:00.000-07:002008-09-30T10:20:42.055-07:00

Dogs bring us so much joy in life, why not return their love by giving them a few extra comforts in home and yard. Below is a newspaper article I wrote titled “Beyond the Doggie Door”. Maybe it will inspire you to change up a few things around your house! Murphy is a 13-year old golden retriever who insists on seeing all visitors from the inside of her front door. Huskies, Roxy, Bandit and

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-17570962934920228532008-08-31T13:28:00.001-07:002008-08-31T13:29:40.767-07:00

Have you noticed that most of the current news on TV or in the papers is bad news? Don’t you ever wonder if there is any good stuff happening in the world? Of course there is, but the media typically doesn’t like going to the “happy place”. Good news apparently doesn’t sell newspapers or increase ratings. In Barbara Walters’ memoir, Audition, she says, “Give us a good rape, give us a good

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-71662267662728718052008-07-30T14:40:00.000-07:002008-07-30T14:42:48.361-07:00

People buy me cookbooks because I love to cook, but the truth is, I rarely follow recipes. I prefer to be creative and if I happen to look at a recipe, I usually change it anyway. So, why am I so baking challenged??? Even at an early age, the dichotomy of talent between my cooking and baking skills started to surface. At nine years old, I knew how to make homemade meatballs, but I was burning

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-45474316547418927642008-06-27T11:31:00.000-07:002008-06-27T11:34:32.271-07:00

The mere thought of a vacation makes me smile. It reminds me of all those carefree summers of childhood when the school year was done and vacation officially started. Long, lazy days with endless sunshine. Late nights and even later mornings. Five hour Monopoly games. Singing ice cream trucks. Pajama parties. Bike riding. Hula dancing. Oh, what fun! By the end of August, I was indeed

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-37464974864870270352008-06-14T18:36:00.000-07:002008-06-14T18:37:34.467-07:00

About a year ago, I was on the red carpet at a Hollywood premier shaking hands with people like Debra Messing, Fran Drescher, Eric McCormick and Marcia Cross to name a few. I was decked out in a sparkly turquoise sequined dress, silver spiked sandals, sexy long hair extensions and make-up done by a celebrity artist. It was the last night of a five-day trip during which I was lavished with first

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-83391106880622945062008-05-28T08:55:00.000-07:002008-05-28T08:59:40.615-07:00

Robert Holden, Ph.D., ,Director of Success Intelligence and The Happiness Project, has a new book called "Success Intelligence" which I thought might be of interest to you. It will increase your capacity for success in life, work and relationships. I have partnered with his publisher, Hay House, to get the word out about this inspirational new title. They are offering a special program with

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-82941374973842608092008-05-01T19:58:00.000-07:002008-05-01T20:07:52.096-07:00

As Mother’s Day approaches, it’s bound to stir up all kinds of emotions from joy to sorrow. Mother-daughter relationships can be complementary or complicated, vibrant or non-existent, friendly or oppressive. And, what a tangled web you can weave when you add step-mothers, mother-in-laws, deceased mothers, biological mothers, or adopted mothers to the mix! So, instead of wishing the day after

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-88786539279517809612008-04-15T14:47:00.000-07:002008-04-15T14:49:15.684-07:00

Whenever my business line rings, I often joke and say, “I’d better get that. It might be Oprah.” Words are truly so powerful in creating reality. Last spring my phone rang and listed on the caller ID was “Harpo Productions”! The caller introduced himself and said he worked for “The Oprah Winfrey Show”. He asked if I had a moment to talk. I chuckled and said, “Would anyone ever say ‘no’ to

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-9195333149549568992008-04-02T14:24:00.000-07:002008-04-02T14:25:35.296-07:00

In the last couple of years, I’ve had the pleasure of discovering the works of Esther and Jerry Hicks. Their books, CDs and workshops are based on information that Esther has received from a group of spiritual beings called “Abraham”, which she has been downloading for over twenty years. Whether or not you believe in people’s ability to gather information from the spiritual realm really doesn’t

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-12015320604515512022008-03-15T15:19:00.000-07:002008-03-15T15:21:03.450-07:00

When I’m in a gloomy mood or find myself agonizing over decision, I think of the saying, “SNAP out of it!” I use the word “SNAP” as an acronym for the following:S = Surrender control. Shit is gonna happen that is totally outside your control. Deal with it without controlling it. You can’t win against the tide of life. Ask yourself if you’re going with the flow or fighting it. You’ll be a

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-35005631793535625692008-02-25T17:03:00.000-08:002008-02-25T17:05:00.735-08:00

Italians know how to “do lunch”! If you’ve ever been to Italy, you know what I’m talking about. You can start your meal in a restaurant at noon and still be sitting there at 3PM, without ever feeling rushed by the waiter to give up your table or being brought the check without asking for it. Starting with an appetizer followed by pasta followed by meat or fish (sometimes served with or

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-70850164519748734462008-02-11T11:53:00.000-08:002008-02-11T11:55:15.845-08:00

Despite the ever increasing desire to decorate our lives with the most expensive luxury items we can afford (or not), there are still free gifts that can make many women happy. If you’re a woman and this list resonates with you, give it to your partner for those upcoming birthdays, anniversaries and holidays. If you’re a man, note the simple things in life that will definitely increase your

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-89479365074178230542008-01-29T13:12:00.000-08:002008-01-29T13:14:16.986-08:00

Last month I was interviewed by a student at Santa Clara University (Daniella) for an assignment she had. During the conversation, my work at a homeless shelter came up. Daniella mentioned a project she was organizing with a group of classmates called “Meals on Heels”. Being the shoe addict AND food lover that I am, my interest was immediately peaked! I start thinking about what I’m going to

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-84587434226301929482008-01-25T13:26:00.000-08:002008-01-25T13:28:22.092-08:00

Whether it’s a colleague at work helping his daughter reach her quota, a friendly neighbor going door to door, or a niece who calls to remind you, it’s nearly impossible to miss the big Girl Scout cookie selling season. It’s going on right now. And I love cookies! Any kind—gooey, crunchy, chewy, nutty, crispy…you get the picture. I also love to support organizations that empower young women

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-54021274325758145752008-01-07T14:30:00.000-08:002008-01-07T14:32:47.306-08:00

I bet more diet, exercise and quit smoking programs are sold in January and February than the entire rest of the year—all because of New Year’s resolutions. Those initially well intended resolutions end up trapped in a vicious cycle of unstoppable commitment followed by mild distraction followed by waning interest followed by complete apathy, which is then followed by the biggest guilt trip you’

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-59253479922700408842007-12-11T07:39:00.000-08:002007-12-11T08:00:15.617-08:00

Exactly one year ago today at about 6AM, I boarded a plane from San Jose to Burbank with three friends to see a live taping of The Ellen Degeneres Show during her 12 days of free gifts to the audience. It was supposed to be a fun day trip with cheap airfare being our only cost…or so we thought. It turned out to be quite an adventure—one I don’t think I’d want to repeat, yet looking back it was

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72314975245917084.post-56438088676940960262007-11-27T12:51:00.000-08:002007-11-28T17:53:05.133-08:00

I once read that the average person thinks about happiness at least once a day. It’s only noon and I can already tell you that I’ve been happy and unhappy about at least a dozen things today.On the happy list today : I took an invigorating Pilates class. I ate fruit instead of cake for breakfast. My new boots arrived from Zappos. On the unhappy list: My “silent” meditation was eclipsed by rampant

Debbie Gisonnihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960873160953465734noreply@blogger.com4