By: My Papa Ed The tragic murder of John Lennon left an irreplaceable void in the world of music. There are very few people that leave an...

Generous organizations and people create Foster Care Closets for foster parents. They consist of donated items meant to offset the costs...

By: My "Papa Ed" DeRosa November 22, 1963 was a dark day in American history. No matter what your politics were, the moment that...

By: My Papa Ed Veterans Day always brings back memories of my Grandfather, Daniel Goffredo. He was an immigrant from Naples, Italy who...

Staying hydrated is foundational to optimal health. As a rule of thumb, Dr. Mary Pardee recommends drinking 1/2 of your body weight in ounces per day. It's also important to try to consume most of your liquids between meals + not with your meals because this can dilute your stomach acid + enzymes, making it harder to digest your food. Tired of drinking straight water? Dr. Pardee recommends also hydrating with hot water, homemade green juices (without fruit), herbal + green te

“Jolly” Jerry Boulding, also known as “The Doctor of Radio”, was a radio industry pioneer who developed the country’s first urban format...

It was February 9, 1964 and it felt like below zero on Marion Ave in the Bronx. Our crowd hanging out each night on the corner grew to 20...

I recently learned that October 10th marks World Mental Health Day, observed by the World Health Organization since 1992 to raise awareness, honor those affected + encourage global action in support of mental health. Life is challenging, with the pandemic, ongoing social justice movements + the state of the world taking a toll on both our mental well-being + the availability of mental health resources. I firmly believe that everyone deserves happiness + wellness, no matter w

New Jersey is packed with things to do and spots to see, whether you’re interested in discovering hidden gems or exploring local hotspots. We've got it all...mountains, lakes, beaches, farms, cities, small towns, museums, vineyards, historic landmarks, skiing, entertainment...I could go on and on. Best of all, nothing is too far away! Life in the Garden State may be wonderful but, along with all the perks, there are a few downfalls. If you can afford it, it's definitely worth

In Part 2 of my New Jersey Travel Guide, I'll take you from Hamburg ( the northernmost county in the State of New Jersey + the epitome of a small town ) to Holmdel ( where I grew up ) which is full of parks with rolling green hills + vineyards to Bell Works which is an urban hub; a little metropolis in suburbia. A one of a kind destination for business, culture, technology, retail, wellness, dining, hospitality + more! Bell Works is the reimagination of the historic former Be

Tuesday Tip # 1: To Refrigerate or To Not Refrigerate? Fun Fact: Lemons + Limes should ALWAYS be used at room temperature. The natural enzymes are turned off when the fruit is cold. REFRIGERATE DON'T REFRIGERATE Fruits: Fruits: Apricots Apples Blackberries Avocados Raspberries Bananas Strawberries Kiwis Cherries Lemons Cut Fruits Mangoes Figs Oranges Grapes Papayas Peaches Veggies: Veggies: Green Beans Cucumbers..

The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, the air is fresh and seasonal allergies are back to wreak havoc once again. Don't worry - I have you covered! We need way more support as the weather changes than we think, and I'll explain why. It's common knowledge that we tend to catch colds towards the end of summer, just as the windy nights and unpredictable temp changes roll in. We intuitively know that the changing of the seasons and subsequent weather extremes

Once a calf is born, handlers usually remove the calf from their mother within 24 hours of birth. There is ample documentation of mother cows fighting to prevent their calf being taken, crying out, and even chasing the vehicle taking her calf away. Instead of their mother's milk, calves are fed an artificial formula. Modern dairy cows have been genetically modified and selectively bred over time to increase milk production. These cows used to produce about 1 gallon of milk pe

What’s the one thing men dislike doing the most? To be fair, that's a pretty open-ended question. But if you said going to the doctor, you’re probably right. Apparently, June was Men's Health Month, but honestly, we should always be on top of our health. Encourage the men in your life to see their doctor for an annual visit (no, you don’t just see a doctor when you’re sick), have preventive care such as screenings + vaccinations, maintain a regular exercise routine + eat a he

Mama Joy + I are gearing up for the OWL Reset (OWL = One Whole Life) + I’m excited to take you along for the journey! I’ll be diving deeper into why we chose to do the Reset + what it means for us in my next blog post. For now, let’s focus on preparing your mind + body before starting. Below, I’ve gathered all the essential pre-Reset tips from Health Coach Lillian Jacobs to help you get ready. Your diet, lifestyle + environment leading up to the Reset will influence how you

Assertiveness is communicating and expressing your thoughts, feelings, and opinions in a way that makes your views and needs clearly understood by others, without putting down their thoughts, feelings, or opinions. Assertive communication is the ability to express positive and negative ideas and feelings in an open, honest and direct way. It recognises our rights while still respecting the rights of others. It allows us to take responsibility for ourselves and our actions w

Things that go through the mind of someone with an Anxiety Disorder : Why we don't get help I can't control it, it controls me. I don't always know why I'm anxious. Even I think the things I worry about are ridiculous. No matter how irrational it all sounds, it's not a choice and it feels real to me. People will think I am doing it for attention. It's awkward. People will think I'm weak. People will think I'm crazy. People won't understand, they'll minimize it by saying, "get

Shawn Leyden, of Maplewood, New Jersey was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2016. A busy executive at the state's largest electric and gas provider, Shawn was on an aggressive every-other-year colonoscopy schedule due to a family history of colon cancer. However, he had missed a scheduled colonoscopy that might have caught his colon cancer earlier. He eventually scheduled his colonoscopy at Saint Barnabas Medical Center with Mark Gilder, MD, a colon and rectal surgeon and an

I learned cue-controlled relaxation a few months ago during virtual therapy and it has worked wonders for me. It is not something that worked overnight, it is something that I continue to practice each and every day to calm myself and check in with myself. What is cue-controlled relaxation? Read on... Cue-controlled relaxation reduces the time you need to relax even further: down to two or three minutes in most cases. In this stage, you will focus on your breathing and condit

I’ve experienced panic attacks both in private + in public + both are terrifying because they can come without warning + it’s hard for those around you to know how to help. Thankfully, I haven’t had a panic attack in quite a while. Through one-on-one therapy + practicing coping techniques, I’ve learned how to manage them. I’ve “done the work,” + I’m proud of myself. My first panic attack as a young adult happened during a period of depression. I remember rocking back + forth