Good Living with Aprilanne

San Francisco, CA - Mount Livermore (at the top of Angel Island State Park) is the absolute BEST place to take in the sights during the Blue Angel’s Fleet Week happening October 7 - 12 in the Bay Area.

Views from the top of Angel Island State Park's Mt. Livermore are out of this world!

Getting there:  For the most scenic route and your overall convenience, head to Tiburon, CA and take a ride with the -  Angel Island Tiburon Ferry to Angel Island State Park, where you can hike up to Mt. Livermore (approximately a 2 hour round trip - moderate intensity adventure) or arrange to take a tram ride to experience the incredible sights this “top of the world” destination delivers!  Please call Angel Island Company for tram tour information at:  415.897.0715, or the Cove Cafe @ 415.435.3392.

CA Insider Aprilanne Hurley, CN takes in a specialty cruise on SF Bay with Captain Maggie and the Angel Island Tiburon Ferry Company..."now this is the life!"

Make a great day of it - and reserve your tickets for one of  Angel Island Tiburon Ferry’s Fleet Week Specialty Cruises scheduled on Saturday October 9th and Sunday October 10th for the best seats on SF Bay for viewing the Annual “Parade of Navy Ships” and Blue Angels Air-show taking place in Northern California!  Both cruises will offer a stocked bar with beverages and snacks for purchase.  Appetizers and a complimentary beverage are included with Angle Island Tiburon Ferry’s Saturday, 10/9 Blue Angels Fleet Week Cruise which runs from 11:30 - 4:30 PM - Tickets are $100.00/Adults, and $$75.00 for children ages 6 - 12.

HURRY - space is limited and will sell out quickly!  For more info. and to reserve your tickets please call 415.435.2131 ext. # 5  - and/or visit:  CaptainMaggie.com

A ferry ride with Angel Island Tiburon Ferry also offers some unique health benefits thanks to the fabulous negative ions present in the ocean and bay air!  For more information read my post on “The Positives of Negatives - Ions that is” on this site and Enjoy!  Aprilanne

Aprilanne Hurley, CN, is a Certified Nutrition Professional specializing in Public Nutrition Education and Weight Management in the Lifecycle. To pre-order Aprilanne’s dynamic new diet and lifestyle book (title to be announced October 2010) coming out on Amazon.com and book outlets globally November, 2010 contact Hope Gilmore @ pr@insidelooktv.com.

Aprilanne gets into the Stand-Up Paddle Boarding craze in Half Moon Bay, CA

How can you strengthen your core, burn mega calories, and have a ton of fun in the process?  Stand-Up Paddle Boarding offers a serious workout burning an average of 800 to 1,000 calories and hour for men and 500 - 700 calories an hour for women!  The best part is - Stand-Up paddle Boarding makes exercise FUN while you are enjoying the great outdoors!  Check out my day in Half Moon Bay, CA with world renown Big Wave Rider and Maverick’s Surf Competition Founder Jeff Clark in the video below for the California Insider’s Guide to Stand-Up Paddle Boarding on boards crafted by Jeff Clark himself:

According to Extreme Sports Guru Steve Merrifield of DemoSport, San Rafael, CA - Stand-Up Paddle Boarding works every muscle in your body - and I can tell you from experience it is a great way to sneak in an awesome workout while enjoying yourself in the process!  I had a great time meeting Jeff Clark - and hope this post inspires you to give Stand-Up Paddle boarding a try!!!  For more information on buying or renting Stand-Up Paddle Boards visit Jeff Clark’s official website:

MaverickSurfShop.com

If you are looking to try out Stand-Up Paddle Boarding in the North Bay, check out one of our favorite sports equipment rental/retail spots:  DemoSport.com and tell them Aprilanne sent you! 

For ideas on where to dine in Half Moon Bay, CA watch California Living’s show segment on Sam’s Chowder House now online at CAInsider.com 

Planning a getaway to Half Moon Bay, CA?  Check out our primetime look at the Oceano Hotel & Spa now online atCAInsider.com

Aprilanne Hurley CN - is a Certified Health Professional specializing in Public Nutrition Education and Weight Management in the Lifecycle.  Please forward your nutrition, dieting/weight loss questions to Aprilanne @ info@insidelooktv.com or post a reply below - thank you!

Site Disclaimer:  The content on this site is for informational purposes and is not intended to cure or treat any disease or illness.   Please consult with your doctor or health care provider prior to starting any new diet or exercise regimen.

Depending on who you are - a new experience can be worth much more than a new object - and will also be better for your health.

Research suggests people will gain more lasting benefits from spending on  experiential purchases than from buying material objects - interesting huh.   Some may disagree pointing out that taking a ride in the country in a spankin’ new BMW will bring far more enjoyment that taking a ride in the country in an old pick-up, and that a picnic on champagne and caviar will give you more happiness than a picnic of bread and water.  In both examples, the amount of money invested in the “objects” enhanced the “experience” proportionately.  While these may “technically” be valid points - proponents of this line of thinking may be missing the basic point.

AcumulatingMoney.com explains it quite simply: “people receive more enduring pleasure and satisfaction from investing in life experiences than material possessions.”   “We don’t get bored of happy memories like we do with a material object.”

For example, taking a surfing lesson will give you much more to remember and chat up with your friends about than buying a new shirt or pair of shoes will - which can easily cost the same amount.  New experiences such as taking a cooking class, a horse back ride on the beach, or going scuba diving for instance, will provide more residual positive memories to share with others than a new car ever will.

That said, other factors do come into play when we are dealing with a person’s desire or need for material things - such as a person’s development level of thier self-worth, and where they find themselves on the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Pyramid.

For instance, a person seeking “self-esteem” and “respect by others” -qualities listed on the green tier in the pyramid,  may not buy into the notion that “experiences are better to invest in than material things” since they are still trying to achieve “self-actualization.” Perhaps that new “benz” is the just the “vehicle” that will get them where they need to be (in their mind anyway).  A person without a job, or lacking the security of a safe home environment cannot be expected to lay out the ching for a “beach getaway” over investing in a new outfit for job hunting, or paying a higher rent in order to live in a safer neighborhood.

My conclusion on the concept that ” Buying Experiences, Not Possessions, Leads to Greater Happiness” is that it really depends on where a person is in their lives in order to be able to acknowledge, understand, and appreciate the simple pleasures of everyday life. On any given day we can experience the  sound of singing birds, see the beauty of the sun rise, inhale the sweetness of a rose, and feel what it’s like to be in love….all free experiences for the taking.

A  homeless person on the street may not enjoy a sunset the same way a person would enjoy the same exact sunset from their steamy hot tub sipping a cold drink.   To the person on the bottom tier of Maslow’s pyramid  - this suset may represent the closing of another day in hell on earth, with the anticipation of yet another cold, homeless night ahead to endure.  To a “self-actualized” person - this sunset could symbolize the perfect ending to another day in paradise, with the promise of more great things to come - it’s all about “perception” really.

Stress, among other factors, can take a toll on a person’s happiness, and the act of getting out and “experiencing” in itself is a great way to take one’s mind off some of those things bogging them down.  Since “money” or the lack of it is a common theme these days - spending “quality time” with nature, family, and friends may be a great way to enjoy life ~ without the guilt spending money can bring.  So maybe it’s time to take that hike you’ve been meaning to go on, enjoy that ride in the country, or spend a day at the beach…or do what ever it is that makes YOU happy - because after all is said and done one age old adage still rings true - “the best things in life are free.” Enjoy ~ Aprilanne

CA Living features Sam's Anchor Cafe Crab Cioppino

Originally crowned the ultimate “brain food,” Omega 3 Fatty Acid rich fish such as salmon, trout, and halibut to name a few offer numerous health benefits due to their Omega 3 Fatty Acid properties. 

According to the Harvard School of Public Health – in addition to providing protection against heart disease and possibly stroke, higher does of omega-3 fatty acids are used to treat depression, and “new studies identifying potential benefits for a wide range of conditions including cancer, inflammatory bowel diseases and other autoimmune disease such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.” 

Omega-3 fats have been linked with health benefits such as lowering the risk of heart attack and may reduce irregular heart rhythms. Omega-3 fats work to prevent disease by regulating blood clotting and the contraction and relaxation of artery walls.  They also lower blood pressure and heart rates, improve blood vessel function, and at higher doses, lower triglycerides and may ease inflammation.

Since our bodies don’t produce Omega-3 fatty acids we need to rely on food sources containing them for numerous normal body functions, such as controlling blood clotting and building cell membranes in the brain.  It is however, always recommended that you seek to get your omega-3 from foods choices and not from supplementation.  Note of caution about supplementation - always, always, I repeat - ALWAYS check with your doctor or health care provider before taking a fish oil supplement. 

So what foods can you find Omega 3-fats in?  Omega 3- fats are found in fish such as salmon, tuna, and trout, herring, halibut, and sardines, as well as Omega-3 eggs that have been fortified with DHA.  Omega-3 fats in the form of ALA’s (alph-linolenic acid) can also be found in flaxseeds, walnuts, and soybeans.  ALA can be found in olive oils, canola oils, and in dark green leaf vegetables such as kale, spinach and Brussels spouts, as well as in some animal fats such as grass-fed animals. 

What about the health concerns regarding mercury and other environmental contaminants  found in some fish species?   According to JAMA - The Journal of the American Medical Association, “Overall, the health benefits of eating fish greatly out-weight the potential risks - especially when guidelines are used to reduce the small chance of being affected by these risks.”  “For men and women not of childbearing age, it is not clear that mercury exposure from typical levels of fish intake has any adverse health effects.  In contrast, fish intake has significant benefits for reducing the risk of death from heart disease, the number one cause of death.”  Pregnant and breastfeeding women should “avoid the 4 types of fish that are higher in mercury content:  shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and golden bass.”   In light of these cons however - research shows there are a multitude of beneficial health benefits associated with Omega-3 Fatty Acid rich fish and food sources and everyone should really strive to include two servings of fatty fish a week into their diets.  So why not start today?!  Try making the Authentic San Francisco Crab Cioppino Recipe we are featuring on the link below -compliments of Sam’s Anchor Cafe in Tiburon, CA (which also includes antioxidant rich tomatoes, garlic, rosemary, and olive oil) - and you’ll discover a great tasting way to get more “fish” into your family’s diet - Enjoy!  Aprilanne

Sam’s Anchor Cafe Authentic Crab Cioppino Recipe on CAInsider.com   

Havard Reserch on Omega-3s

Pubmed.gov Research on health benefits and potential risks related to consumption of fish or fish oil.

JAMA - Benefits and risks of fish consumption 

Sam’s Anchor Cafe - Tiburon, CA

Aprilanne Hurley, CN - Aprilanne Hurley is a Certified Health Professional specializing in Public Nutrition Education and Weight Management.  Please forward your nutrition and dieting/weight loss questions to Aprilanne @ info@insidelooktv.com or post below - thank you!

Site Disclaimer: The content on this site is for informational purposes and is not intended to treat or cure any illness or disease.  Please consult your Health Care provider prior to starting any new exercise or diet regimen.

Make it a "Green Getaway" at the Oceano Hotel & Spa, Half Moon Bay, CA

While the Oceano Hotel & Spa’s “walk everywhere” location, chic guest suites, and new Coastal Spa are everything you could want in a vacation getaway on the coast - an impressive feature of this Half Moon Bay, CA resort property is that they are the “only full service hotel in San Mateo County to be certified by the San Mateo County’s Green Buisness Program.” 

Now “being green” does not mean one needs to sacrifice luxury - in fact some of the “eco-friendly”  touches such as the Oceano’s organic Bamboo bed linens and all-organic custom spa treatments  made me feel quite indulgent!  Get the CA Insider’s Guide to Princeton-By-The-Sea and the Oceano Hotel & Spa now On-Demand below -which recently aired primetime Bay Area wide on California Living:

Want to see more?  Check out the show clip of my custom milk and honey bath and Acaci Anti-Aging body Mask and Massage treatment I received during my spa day at the Oceano Coastal Spa below for the Insider’s Guide to the Bay Area’s hottest spa destination on the coast:

Growing up on the East Coast - I had the pleasure of experiencing a few key good things in life - one of them being “clambakes on the beach” - which are probably the best experience you can have when talking about cooking and eating food on the beach.

Now, as luck would have it, I’ve discovered a special place in Half Moon Bay, CA - Sam’s Chowder House - where they do Lobster Clambakes right on their oceanfront property in large, traditional, authentic wooden steamer boxes.   You can also order the Lobster Clambake for 2 off the menu - which is beyond incredible - yet for entertaining - I think the whole idea of “let’s sit around and eat and drink while the dinner is steaming experience” Sam’s Lobster Clambakes offers on their beachfront property location is the ultimate in good living.

I meet a lot of people in my line of work - many very interesting - many very successful - and many very talented - that said - I am thrilled and honored to have had the opportunity to meet and interview Big Wave Rider and Mavericks Surf Competition Founder Jeff Clark for CA Living’s Travel Special on Princeton by the Sea, Half Moon Bay - and even more excited to share  this interview with you this weekend!  Why?  well, for one thing - it it all very timely as our CA Living TV Special with Jeff Clark airs Saturday, October 31, 2009 @ 7 PM - the night before the official opening of the Mavericks Contest Season which begins November 1, 2009.

To sum it up - Mavericks Surf Competition is the “Super Bowl” of Big Wave Riding - wherein the best surfers in the world are invited to take on the biggest waves on the planet - which just happen to be in the Princeton by the Sea area of  Half Moon Bay, CA.   Jeff Clark discovered this “Everest of waves” and founded the Mavericks Surf Competition held annually at Mavericks.

I have never met a more passionate, genuine, and likable person as Jeff Clark  - and we  had a ton of FUN filming with him at his Mavericks Surf Shop in Half Moon Bay and riding with him on his hand crafted SUP”S - Stand Up Paddle Boards for this show.

You can check out a sneak peek of our interview with Jeff Clark here - which is really cool if you want to see our Prime Time TV feature on him but don’t live in the Bay Area to catch the show …which delivers an intimate look at the man who discovered the biggest wave spot on the planet - Jeff Clark  - in “Princeton by the Sea,” Half Moon Bay, California - CA Living’s featured destination this weekend!  Enjoy!  Aprilanne