If there was a Hall of Fame for bad hairstyles, the Mullet would deserve a special place of honor.  With its own catchphrase - "business in the front, party in the back" - this shaggy cut was popular with many guys at my South Carolina high school back in the 1980’s. Heck, I still see some gents walking around with the ‘do, so maybe it has an eternal appeal.

The reason I’m thinking about mullets right now is because today I managed to wear the fashion equivalent of one. My turquoise silk blouse was nice enough and it’s usually paired with a suit. But the jeans and sneakers that accompanied it pretty much obliterated any semblance of elegance.  Didn’t have any client meetings or social interactions planned beyond the time spent getting ready at the gym.  But that wasn’t the reason for my lack of sartorial splendor.  You see, I am approaching almost a year anniversary of a nasty case of plantar fasciitis. Sneakers with orthopedic inserts have replaced my cute sandals and low heels of yore.

Now I’ve had plantar before and dealt with it easily enough.  Somehow, though, this time was more stubborn. It spread to both feet despite going to physical therapy. The doctor told me to wear splint boots at night, prompting my boyfriend to lovingly nickname me “clumpy.” Anti-inflammatory meds and creams didn’t help. By January, I was banned from spin class and any form of really challenging workouts. After a bad case of inflamed nerve bundles and more physical therapy, looks like I’m finally starting to get a little better. Got cleared to go back to the elliptical machine for 10 minutes at a time, and you would have thought I won the Pulitzer Prize from my cheer.  If all goes well, I might even be able to branch out of the sneakers again in a month or so.   

I’m not the most patient person in the world. Just ask anyone who has known for me for longer than 20 minutes. But in seeking meaning amongst the chaos – something we upbeat types are prone to do – I discovered an unexpected benefit. For years, I maintained my healthy weight loss by counting calories and working out. A lot. Having exercise taken away meant that I needed to pay more attention to food. Like if something was processed or not, or how nutritional denseness mattered a whole lot more than calories ever did.

So here’s my philosophical question to you. Has a setback or challenge ever forced you to pause and completely rethink a belief or practice…and ended up making you happier or healthier in the long run?

Pop singer Alanis Morissette might have thought a fly in your chardonnay or rain on a wedding day was ironic. But how about the fact that my name means song – when my singing voice is akin to a jackhammer outside of your window at 6:00am. That lack of talent doesn’t stop me from belting out favorite tunes, though…you know, while alone in my car or the shower. I just love great music.

Music helped jumpstart my healthier lifestyle back in 1992. I’ll never forget joining a group of friends headed to a step aerobics class one Friday night. I was the biggest girl in the room but once the great tunes started, that self-consciousness melted away. It felt like dancing in a club, except without the drunks, background smoke and strobe light effects. Yes, I was hooked.

Today, I use music to make everything better. It deafens the sound of my dentist replacing an old filling. A great song motivates me to file office papers or organize my closet. And of course, it remains essential to my workouts. An admitted iTunes addict, I try to download a new playlist every month to keep things fresh. Now I’d love your help in making my next workout mix!

What songs – old or new – are always guaranteed to raise your heart rate and enthusiasm?

In 1988, musical group Alphaville topped the charts with “Forever Young.”  The plaintive chorus of this one hit wonder proclaimed “I want to live forever. Forever. Forever Young.” Still in college, probably dancing to the tune with a beer in one hand and chicken wings in the other, I didn’t pay much attention to the lyrics.  Back then the prospect of aging did not hit my radar much. Now that it does, I’m glad that getting older isn’t what it used to be.

In a time where fifty is the new thirty, or at least my peers fervently cling to that hope, people are leading longer, healthier lives. Semi-retired TODAY Show meteorologist Willard Scott regularly salutes people who have hit the century birthday mark.  The new world record holder for oldest living person is 114 year old Eugénie Blanchard of France, and experts estimate there are about 55,000 centenarians today in the U.S.  

On July 3, scientists announced they are closing in on genes that help people live to be 100  http://tinyurl.com/38mq97y. Although your DNA helps, a healthy lifestyle and other factors are significant. The ramifications of more of us living to the ripe age of 100 and beyond are significant.  It redefines retirement, parenting, health care, relationships and just about every other part of your life.  My desire to learn Spanish, pick up the piano lessons abandoned when I was eight years old or see the Northern Lights in person now seem very achievable.

Jane Smith, a personable motivational speaker I admire, talks about the concept of A Life in Four Quarters. At age 63, she has been an educator, social entrepreneur and a non-profit executive. Now Jane helps people over fifty use their previous experiences to have a second chance at a good life moving forward.  It is never too late to reinvent yourself, overcome challenges or adopt a healthier lifestyle.

If you could live to age 100, what changes, goals or dreams would you start pursuing now?

Is there anything more inviting that a huge, freshly opened box of crayons? Back in 1975, mom bought me the downright groovy pack of 64 colors that featured its own sharpener in the box. Talk about a deluxe set! I especially dug the Sky Blue and Blue Violet crayons while my little brothers fought over the standard navy, green and red ones for their coloring books. Poor Burnt Sienna – that crayon was never high on any of our lists.   

It turns out that attraction to colors was a good thing, especially concerning our diets as grown-ups.  From the musings of Alicia Silverstone to Michael Pollan, a spate of recent books discuss the importance of eating something fresh and colorful at every meal.  That is because the colors of many veggies and fruits reflect the different antioxidant phytochemicals they contain…which is a whole bunch of good stuff that protects against chronic diseases.  

I studied history in college, so don’t expect me to get further into the chemistry or science of the situation. But it is perhaps most eloquently explained by this recent video from Sesame Street - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JGIJa0fUZA. We’ve come a long way from the days when adding colors meant collecting a spoonful of pink, blue and yellow marshmallow shapes in my Lucky Charms cereal.

How do you add colors to your diet?

P.S. Because of your help, my Oprah audition video is in the top 10% of votes! We're trying to add another 3,000 before the contest ends on Saturday, so feel free to click here if you'd like to check it out - http://tinyurl.com/28kamzk

Some of my favorite television moments come from special episodes. You know, like when the Brady Bunch went on vacation to Hawaii and 30 years later, the hilarious cast of Modern Family did the same. The recent Madonna-music themed episode of Glee rocked. Last week’s edition of True Blood featured a clever musical homage from Snoop Dogg as an unexpected add on. Well, this marks my first Saturday blog post.  Typically I take the weekends off. But I’ve been up since 3:00am to attend the mass auditions for Oprah’s Win your OWN Show contest in Atlanta. So I had to share this special edition while the story is still fresh.

Per Oprah’s website, no overnight camping was allowed. The line officially opened at 6:00am and I planned to arrive by 5:30am. My anal retentive streak came in handy when I decided to check with the Kohl’s location hosting the audition. A helpful store clerk explained that they would begin assembling people around 4:00am and I should arrive before that time in order to definitely be seen.  Now I’m an early morning girl, often up before 6a to hit the gym. But as my cool British boyfriend Justin quipped, “that time is just silly o’clock.”

Worried about getting enough sleep, I tried to turn in early for a Friday night. Which in a lovely moment of Murphy’s Law, meant I didn’t doze off until 1:00am. That’s right, two hours before the alarm claimed my butt once more. Justin accompanied me, comatose from the lack of sleep but supportive nonetheless. Have I told you how much I adore that man?

We arrived just as a glut of people were starting to assemble. As number 290, per my wrist band assignment, I got to engage in some great people watching. One woman looked like a 1978 Barbie doll, with the big blonde perm explosion and clothes so tight she probably used a shoe-horn. A  slender guy at the front of the line wore a strange, bedazzled face mask reminiscent of Lady Gaga. Weirdest of all, though, were two women dressed in pink tights and sparkly dance recital outfits akin to what I wore in the first grade. The younger one, in her forties, strummed a guitar while her  sixtyish companion remained somewhat covered up with a flimsy plaid bathrobe. Perhaps they planned to pitch a talk show about Cirque du Soleil rejects embarking on new careers?

I bonded with the woman behind me in line, Tamika. A 35 year old cervical cancer survivor, she has a television show already in DC on a government public access channel. Today is Tamika’s birthday and her energy was great.

By 7:30am, I advanced in a group of 15 to do a 30 second idea pitch to the talent coordinator. Some people were present to hear themselves talk, or publically proclaim their love for Oprah. A couple stood out, like an idea for a show on mentorship and a guy who reforms deadbeat dads.  Felt I gave it my best shot and will know later if they’d like to learn more. Whatever the outcome, I know this gives my audition tape and message more exposure with the producers.

Thanks for all of the great emails, Facebook posts, comments and tweets about this journey! Any words of advice to share now that it is out of my hands?

I’ve seen a lot of cheesy television ads over the years. But one of the most memorable came from the Hair Club for Men. The company helped guys who were going bald creatively repopulate their scalps. What really stood out, though, was the founder’s catch-phrase – “I’m not only the Hair Club president, I’m also a client.”  That kind of strong passion for a product or service can change your entire career.   

The same is true for people who have made major transformations and then redefine their life moving forward. Just ask Nicole Anagnos. Almost a decade ago, she lost 70 pounds in a healthy manner.  Nicole embraced exercise with open arms and became interested in nutrition. Even being put on bed rest while pregnant with twins didn’t diminish her passion for being active.  The Williamstown, Massachusetts resident continued to focus on eating smaller portions more times each day, resumed her workouts after giving birth and fell back into her normal weight. 

Bolstered by her own success, Nicole decided it was time to give back. She became a certified Holistic Health Coach and today her practice (www.zentreewellness.com) supports others in achieving their health goals.  Turning her passion for good health into a career has made a big impact on Nicole.

“It is amazing to get feedback from my clients that their health is improving,” she explains. “I think we all live in a world today where it is downright difficult to know what is really healthy! It’s such a path of self-discovery and I love being there as a support through what is a very life changing experience.”

If you could turn your passion into a career, what would that look like?

I’ve always been fascinated with outer space. As a child, it was thrilling to hear “space is the final frontier” during the opening credits of Star Trek reruns. Drinking Tang instant breakfast powder brought me one step closer to being an astronaut.  My 10-year-old birthday present was a telescope that let me gaze intently at craters on the moon. During my one and only childhood television appearance, captured in my audition for Oprah’s contest http://tinyurl.com/28kamzk, I confided my dream of being a space engineer.

Okay, now that I’ve outed myself as a complete geek, let me share what’s prompted this intergalactic trip down memory lane. I read a headline this morning http://tinyurl.com/37qqp5o that a group of 7^th graders discovered a new cave on Mars. Think about it…these diligent 12-year- olds noticed something overlooked by scientists with umpteen degrees and four digit IQ scores.  It just proves that with an inquisitive mind and persistence, you can always discover something unexpected.

The same happened to me recently, albeit on a different level.  I might have lost weight years ago, but  never stopped turning to desserts or other treats during high stress situations.  Since March, I’ve been diligently trying to break my sugar “addiction,” or more accurately, the long-ingrained habit of junking out on sweets when the chips were down.   About two weeks ago, I was having a bad day. Two major client deadlines caused me to work until midnight the evening before.   A long awaited check from my insurance company still hadn’t arrived. Worked non-stop on the Oprah video, only to see the first upload appear with technical glitches and no way to pull it down. That was the final straw. I was done…irritable, pissed off and generally wallowing in self-pity. All of which would have sent me down the upscale chocolate aisle in a tirade in the past.

Sure, I paced around my office, broke down and cried and complained to a few close friends. But I didn’t turn to food to deal with this eruption. It didn’t even occur to me to seek out sweets. And in retrospect, that is a pretty amazing discovery 17 years into life after the diet.      

What is your final frontier on the health and wellness horizon?

Thomas Edison became famous for inventing the light bulb and Alexander Graham Bell gave us the telephone. Instantly recognizable, their names will ultimately appear on every junior high student's history test. But how about those unsung inventors who toil away creating unique fitness devices? Don’t they deserve some recognition too? 

After all, Suzanne Somers didn’t have an engineering degree when she unveiled her Thigh Master. Someone had to conceptualize the Shake Weight Exerciser for arms, which was parodied in a hilarious Saturday Night Live skit.  One of the newest gizmos is the Hula Chair, which claims to help you lose weight while sitting down. Personally, it reminds me of the Tea Cup ride at Disney World. The infomercials advertising these products all make it sound so easy and indispensable.  Dial the toll-free number and in three easy payments, you’ll be on your way to a size four body in no time.

The problem is that once you get these items, most people inevitably get bored. I remember embracing a mini trampoline for a month or so during college. Lost a few pounds after a couple of weeks but then the monotony got to me and I stopped. It was only when I started going to a gym to take classes and later add things like strength training and core work that the weight loss became permanent. 

Have you ever tried one of the devices, or secretly wanted to? Let us know! 

BTW, thanks for checking out my audition tape for Oprah’s contest –  http://tinyurl.com/28kamzk!  I appreciate your support and votes!

My first exposure to a voting process took place in the fifth grade when my friend Deana Key ran for student council.  Anointing myself her campaign manager, I cut photos of celebrities like Charlie’s Angels and the Bionic Man out of magazines and created a series of posters with their images endorsing her. It worked. Deana won and I saw how good it felt to communicate about something I cared about.

So now, 30 years later, I’m embarking on a “get out the vote” campaign of my own. It’s for the Win Your OWN Show contest on the Oprah Winfrey Network. You see, I figured out that helping others have a lighter, healthier, happier life really floats my boat. I started this blog last September in the hopes that my random digressions might entertain, motivate or inspire you in the pursuit of a healthier life.  Beyond wellness, I’m also interested in helping people claim a lighter life in all areas – family, relationships, career, sex, spirituality and more.  (If we had music, this is where you would cue in a heartfelt but off-key rendition of Kumbaya).

That’s why I’ve submitted this video audition – http://tinyurl.com/28kamzk. Bet it’s the only one that features a ventriloquist dummy decked out in 1977 apparel. If you like what you see, please vote for it as often as possible and tell your friends, family, neighbors, your hairstylist and that cute guy you see at the gym but never have the guts to approach, to vote for it too. You can literally vote hundreds of times each day and it’s not considered stuffing a ballot box - although I might tell you to get another hobby if that turns out to be the case.    

Let me know what you think about the audition and thanks for helping me spread the word! Am sending you lots of good karma in return!

In Las Vegas, everything is over the top. Elvis impersonators appear on just about every corner. Showgirls have breast implants bigger than my living room couch. High rollers can lose $1 million in the blink of an eye and then keep on playing. Food buffets seem to span city blocks.

The one and only time I visited “Sin City” nine years ago, I felt like a stranger in a strange land. As a speaker at a conference, my agenda was packed with business, not pleasure. Didn’t have time to drink or gamble. I’ll never forget cutting through the Bellagio’s casino one morning on the way to a 6:00 a.m. workout. Scores of crusty, overnight gamblers blinked at me disdainfully like vampires avoiding an errant ray of sun. This was their home turf and I didn’t belong.

On Friday, I’m headed to Vegas for a fun weekend with my boyfriend. We’re excited about seeing shows, relaxing by the pool (I’ll be the pale one slathered in SPF 70 underneath the umbrella) and generally getting away from it all. I’m sure I’ll play $20 worth of slot machines alongside senior citizens with oxygen tanks. Am not much of a drinker, so I’m not worried about having a bender. But I’m curious about the food. How do I balance eating reasonable portion sizes when buffets and such are screaming more, more, more?

Any thoughts on how to survive a city where the food choices are bigger than Celine Dion’s voice or Dolly Parton’s wigs?