Julie Ann Sullivan is a local Certified Laughter Leader (CLL).  Yes. There’s really a certificate for teaching people how to laugh!  These sessions aren’t based on humor or jokes …. but instead how to create true meaningful laughter from within.

Steve Wilson, a licensed psychologist and Karyn Buxman, a registered nurse, created The World Laughter Tour, Inc. in 1998. Together with their combined expertise and experiences they created the foundation for the Laughter Workshop experience. There are now over 6,000 Certified Laughter Leaders around the world!

“There are many documented benefits of laughing out loud, ” Julie Ann told me.  ”Spontaneous laughter has been shown to reduce stress, increase attentiveness and lower your cholesterol, just to name a few.”

“People who laugh together in the workplace find heightened creativity and productivity.  Connecting through laughter allows people to work together with more synergy,” she added.

Perhaps, that’s why I love working with the crew on Action News This Morning.  We laugh a lot together.

Julie Ann explained that to create a new habit, you need consistency and repetition, so she recommends that you experience 4 to 6 Laughter Workshops before their concepts become a part of your daily life.  Her sessions include a warm-up which involves breathing exercises.  The voice is readied by practicing different “H” sounds.  Once the audience is prepared, Julie Ann begins the laughter exercises. After that shares “Good Hearted Living”© which is a technique to carry the good feelings you experience in the workshop into your everyday life.

Click here to check out her website.

Julie Ann says employing laughter for your mind, body and soul changes your perspective, improves how your body functions and above all makes you feel good!   Julie Ann gave me permission to repost some of her workshops tips ….. Here’s the first on on gratitude:

Thanks Julie Ann for sharing these thoughts!

Gratitude –You Can Never Have Too Much

I awoke this morning thankful to see another day.

If we take the time, we all can think of things to be thankful for, but do we?

The more we express our gratitude, even to just ourselves, the better our attitude will be toward all circumstances in life. A recent article in Scientific American Mind, states that showing gratitude can increase your own happiness by as much as 25%.   

When you open your eyes in the morning remember that there are those who thought they would receive the gift of a new day, but did not. 

So many of us actually live in ABUNDANCE, but without the keen sense of gratitude that concept may not be clear. I look at what I consider basic needs to initiate my barometer of abundance. Take clean drinking water for instance. For most of us, when we are thirsty, we need only turn on the water in a sink to quench our thirst.  Food is a basic need.  Just think of how much food we throw away and waste while over 33 million people starve to death each year.

When you awaken to that precious new day, are you in a bed, with sheets, blankets and pillows?  Did you have new pajamas to put on before you climbed in the night before? Did you even think about the security you have in your house or the fact that you have heat to keep you warm while you dream?   Many of these comforts go unnoticed by us while others sleep in refugee tents for decades. 

I have proclaimed this my year of gratitude. Every day I strive to remember all that is good in my life. When I take the time and intensify my senses, the gifts in life are overwhelming. 

I challenge each of you to do some brain training and find all you have to be thankful for each day. The world will be a better place for each of our efforts.

More Gratitude = Better attitude

Between now and then I have a lot of catching up to do on all the nominees.  I was particularly excited that one of the nominations was for a role filmed right here in Pittsburgh!  The Academy honored Nick Nolte for best supporting actor for his performance in Warrior.  I went on set at the Peterson Event Center on Pitt’s campus and interrupted the filming for an interview with both Nolte who plays a father and Kurt Angle who plays the mean Russian cage wrestler.  It was amazing to watch a few of the scenes!  When there was a break in the action, Nolte was gracious enough to give me an interview … and he refused to be serious! What fun!

Click here for more information on Lights! Glamour! Action! and here’s a list of all of the nominees for you to catch up for Oscar night!

Best Picture


The Artist
The Descendants
Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
The Help
Hugo
Midnight in Paris
Moneyball
The Tree of Life
War Horse

Best Director
Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Alexander Payne, The Descendants
Martin Scorsese, Hugo
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Terrence Malick, The Tree of Life

Best Actor

Demián Bichir, A Better Life
George Clooney, The Descendants
Jean Dujardin, The Artist
Gary Oldman, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Brad Pitt, Moneyball

Best Actress
Glenn Close, Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis, The Help
Rooney Mara, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep, The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams, My Week With Marilyn

Best Supporting Actor 
Kenneth Branagh, My Week With Marilyn
Jonah Hill, Moneyball
Nick Nolte, Warrior
Christopher Plummer, Beginners
Max Von Sydow, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

Best Supporting Actress

Bérénice Bejo, The Artist
Jessica Chastain, The Help
Melissa McCarthy, Bridesmaids
Janet McTeer, Albert Nobbs
Octavia Spencer, The Help

Best Original Screenplay

Michel Hazanavicius, The Artist
Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig, Bridesmaids
J.C. Chandor, Margin Call
Woody Allen, Midnight in Paris
Asghar Farhadi, A Separation

Best Adapted Screenplay

Alexander Payne, Jim Rash & Nat Faxon, The Descendants
John Logan, Hugo
George Clooney, Grant Heslov & Beau Willimon, The Ides of March
Aaron Sorkin & Steven Zaillian, Moneyball
Peter Straughan & Bridget O’Connor, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Honestly, it was a bit creepy.  Wax Troy looks exactly like Real Troy.  Freaky.

The gracious people at Madame Tussauds and sponsor Head and Shoulders brought this exact replica in wax of Troy Polamalu into the studio during our morning show to promote the fact Wax Troy is in town and making appearances at four places.

Here is video I took during the commercial break when they were wheeling him in:

You can get your photo with him, too! Here are the locations and times:

1/20/2012 Carson City Saloon 1401 E. Carson St, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 3pm-8pm

1/21/2012 Giant Eagle Store #8 200 Tarentum Bridge Road New Kensington, PA 15068 Noon-3pm

1/22/2012 1613 Saloon 1613 Brownsville Rd, Pittsburgh, PA 15210 4pm-8pm

1/23/2012 All Star Sports Bar & Grill, Heritage Square 6302 Robinson Town Centre Blvd, Pittsburgh, PA 15205 2pm-8pm

John Meyer talked with Adam & Brian who are responsible for Wax Troy. They told us only his head is made of wax… the rest is fiberglass. To travel, they take off his head and put it in a special container to protect it from damage. Thank goodness we didn’t get to see the beheading!

Watch to John’s interview:

“WAX TROY” FACTOIDS:

Due to the length of Troy’s hair, Madame Tussauds had to specially order in extra long real human hair, in two different shades, which they then permed to achieve the exact curl Troy has in his hair

· The team at Madame Tussauds had to use almost double the amount (600g) of hair than any other Madame Tussauds’ wax figure, ever! It took 4 weeks to insert a maximum of four (individually) into each hole.

· A tape measure was used to get the exact length when cutting Troy’s hair to get it the same as it was at the sitting, which is hard considering three different curls had to be used.

· The hair used for his hairline is much softer than that used for the rest of his head. It took an extra three days to insert the hairline, one hair at a time to match his exactly

And if you haven’t already seen it… this video is hilarious. When Wax Troy was unveiled the Real Troy played some fantastic pranks on people getting their picture taken. Watch as Wax Troy comes alive!

He doesn’t like drawing attention to it (despite the fact Sam Hall is calling it his “sympathy sling”) ….. but since everyone is asking about it, I got his permission to share what’s going on with his arm.  First of all and most importantly, he’s getting better and is going to be fine. Second of all and selfishly, it’s great to have him back at work!

Demetrius had shoulder surgery to repair a former sports injury (torn labrum & bicep tendon) He’ll be in a sling for 4 more weeks…. but he was able to tie his own tie this morning which is great progress!

I hope it continues to heal quickly for his sake —- plus, I can’t wait to spend most of March teasing him about this contraption

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Click here to watch a story I did with Colombe a while back. And click here to get to her website to contact her with any health concerns you’re facing.

They agreed to let me share with you one of the recipes they prepared.  It includes quinoa which is like rice but is packed full of powerful protein.  I love it!

Quinoa Salad with Minced Vegetables and Herbs

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa

1/4 cup minced carrot

1/2 cup minced Bermuda onion

1/2 cup scallion

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

Kosher salt and pepper

1 1/2 cup water or stock

1/4 cup minced celery

1/2 cup de-stemmed parsley

1 cup fresh spinach

4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method

- Thoroughly rinse quinoa under cold water and drain.

- Place quinoa in a pot and add water, bring to boil, uncovered

- Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to minimum.

- In a bowl, have the minced vegetables ready.

While the quinoa cooks:

- In a blender add parsley, scallion, spinach, lemon juice and olive oil.

- Puree until very smooth, season with salt and pepper

Place hot quinoa into bowl with the vegetables, mix, add dressing and mix.  Allow to rest. Adjust seasoning.

Thanks Colombe and Adam and a big thank you to Seven Springs for inviting me again this year. I’m already looking forward to next year!

I was honored to help present Women of Integrity Awards for The Pittsburgh Professional Women’s group.  We have some amazing women in Western Pennsylvania!

Here I am with PPW founder and executive director Beth Caldwell presenting the honor to Mary Lee Gannon (pictured in the center) who was one of four women who received the 2012 award.   Mary Lee  now has a life-coaching business called Starting Over Now.   And that’s something she knows about all too well.  Once a wealthy stay-at-home-mom, a divorce put her on public assistance with four small children.  But she didn’t let that keep her down. Instead, she worked her way up and now, in addition to her own business, she  serves as CEO of UPMC’s St Margaret Foundation. She volunteers with several other organizations and is a wonderful example of the spirit that embodies our region.

Read more about Mary Lee Gannon here.

To order Mary Lee’s book Starting Over click here. 

To order Beth Caldwell’s book, I Wish I’d Known That for women starting their own businesses click here .

He told me, “I love Primanti brothers my old college roommate was from North Allegheny in Wexford and I used to go back there for college winters actually.”

Now, Ben is a winemaker in Sonoma, California. He told me his sister signed him up on the Bachelorette (he proposed and she turned him down if you remember that) but ABC asked him to be the next Bachelor….. after thinking about it for a while he finally decided to go for it. He told me, “When an opportunity has presented itself like this it’s sort of a once in a lifetime deal so you have to, you don’t have to, but you almost have to say yes.”

As for all of those commercials showing all of the broken-hearted sobbing … he’s seeing all of that for the first time. ”It is surprising a lot of that stuff I don’t see so I watch with America and I start scratching my head like oh man I missed that one!” he said.

Ben is very laid back and told me he tried to stay out of all that drama.  But he also admitted to me that juggling all those women was not easy…. he even called them by the wrong name while on individual dates!  I hope the show producers decide to show us how that went over!

This is Miss Pennsylvania Juliann Sheldon.  She’s getting ready for a big weekend with the Miss America Pageant at the Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas this Saturday night.  Juliann is a Plum resident and a junior at Point Park University. She’s obviously beautiful but I wanted you to know that she has a beautiful personality to match.  Juliann’s platform during her reign is mental health awareness…. and that’s why she helped kick things off at our annual NAMI walk in October.  She smiled and was so helpful (even when the cameras were off) despite the cold temperatures and pouring rain!

My friend Darcey Garda joined us for this picture. She works with NAMI which is the National Alliance on Mental Illness. It’s a great group helping those who suffer from various mental health issues and helping their families cope.  One in four people will need some type of help this year for a mental issue ranging from temporary depression to bipolar to OCD to schizophrenia.  So if you need help, don’t be embarrassed because a lot of others are going through something similar. Click here to get to NAMI’s website to get more information on help available.

Break a leg, Juliann!!!!  You’ve already made us proud!!!

So there it is, Denver. Debt paid.  We’re good sports in Pittsburgh and we’re counting on being on the other end of this bet next season!

(** Side note: There is A LOT  of geese poop along the Clemente Memorial Park on the North Shore and you really need to watch where you stand or kneel while there!)

Cathy and Chef Brie Rock worked together to demonstrate several delightful cupcakes …(including a Maple Bacon one!) I’ll post Cathy’s cupcake recipe soon but I wanted to start with Chef Jay Seghi from Point Brugge which is one of my favorite restaurants in Pittsburgh.  It’s in the charming Point Breeze neighborhood and is known for its mussels.  At first the restaurant only planned to offer them on Saturday nights but patrons demanded them all the time and now you can find them on the menu whenever you go.  There are various ways you can order them at the restaurant but this Thai Red Curry recipe is one of the most popular.

Chef Seghi says if you’re going to prepare this try and buy Prince Edward Island mussels if possible because they tend to be sweeter and slightly meatier. First you need to clean the mussels in a clean sink under cold running water. Discard any open mussels that do not close when tapped or squeezed. Next,  pull any little hairs that stick out from the crack in the shell and scrub the mussels lightly with your hands or a vegetable brush if the are excessivel dirty.  This can be done a few hours or even a day ahead of time and the mussels can be stored in the refrigerator covered with a damp towel.  Now for the good part…. Here is his magical Mussels sauce!

THAI RED CURRY MUSSELS

Curry sauce:

1 1/2 Tbsp ginger root, peeled and minced 2 1/2 – 3 Tbsp red curry paste

3 Tbsp brown sugar

1 1/3 cups heavy cream

1 Tbsp shallots, chopped fine

1 1/4 teaspoon curry powder

1 can (14 oz) coconut milk

1 lime, juiced

1. Sweat ginger and shallots in vegetable oil until shallots are translucent

2. Add curry paste and powder, stir over medium-low heat for 2 minutes

3. Add brown sugar and stir until dissolved

4. Add fish sauce and bring to a simmer

5. Label, and store in refrigerator. Yield about 3-4 cups

*curry paste – find at Asian specialty stores (Seghi uses Mae Ploy brand)

*coconut milk – find at Asian specialty stores (Seghi uses Chaokoh brand)

MUSSELS:

1 Tbsp minced garlic

1 lb mussels, about 18-24, cleaned

1/2-3/4 cup curry sauce

2 Tbsp minced shallots

3/4 cup dry white wine

Crusty French or Italian bread, for mopping up the sauce

Few springs cilantro and basil for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook mussels, garlic and shallots in a small amount of vegetable oil, stirring fequently, until garlic and shallots are aromatic and the first few mussels begin to open.

2. Add wine, bring to a boil, cover and steam 5-7 minutes or until mussels are open and the meat has pulled away from the sides of the shell and is firm to the touch.

3. Add curry sauce; bring to a boil and cook just until the sauce begins to thicken but remains brothy (just thick enough to begin to coat the shells.)  Add a little water if the sauce becomes too thick.

4. Toss with cilantro and basil if desired, and serve with crusty bread for mopping up the flavorful sauce.

Or if you want to enjoy them without having to do all of this yourself just Click here to check out the Point Brugge menu!

Emile agreed to share with me his family recipe which includes homemade dough (but you can also easily cheat with the pre-made stuff).     Enjoy!

Manoush (a personal Lebanese style pizza)

Ingredients
* 6 cups of flour
* 1 tbsp of sugar
* 1 tsp salt
* 1/3 tsp of Mahlab (optional)
* 2 tbsp of yeast
* 2 cups of water
* 3/4 cup of milk
* zaatar ( oregano, thyme , sumac , sesame seeds, salt) mixed with olive oil until it become like paste

Directions

1. Mix the dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar, Mahlab and yeast) then add water and milk.
2. Kneed the dough very well leave it slightly sticky. If it is too sticky add about 1 tbsp of flour at a time and kneed .
3. Cover and let it rest after 1 hour the dough should double the size now pushit down and kneed again for a little bit.
4. Now divide the dough into 8 small round dough and dust them with flour ( you can cover with a plastic bag and let it rest for another 30 minutes but if you are in a hurry you can skip this step).
5. Bring out the rolling pin and on a clean dry surface sprinkle flour and start rolling the dough one by one into a round mini pizza size. If the dough is sticking to the rolling pin just sprinkle more flour over it.
6. Place 2 pieces of the dough side by side in a baking tray and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile heat the oven at 400 degree.
7. Spread the Zaatar/olive oil paste on top of the dough (you can put as much as you want, I like extra Zaatar on it) then bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, check the bottom of it if it is golden brown that means it is ready .

Tip #1: It is great with tea.

Tip #2: Do not bother Kelly or Michelle while they’re eating it.

Dr Nicolas Perricone

I interviewed Dr. Nicholas Perricone about his research, and he agreed to give viewers a look at his three-day diet.

“It essentially works by reducing inflammation that we really can’t see. It’s on the cellular level. But when that inflammation comes down, what results is the skin becomes absolutely radiant, pores get tighter and there’s increased tone on the skin,” Perricone says. “It’s very noticeable — something that you can photograph, or if you walk in a room, people will say, ‘Have you been on vacation?’ or ‘What have you done?’ It’s that different, and it only takes three days.”

Salmon is a big part of his meal plan.

“Salmon, of course, contains essential fatty acids which are natural anti-inflammatories, and the skin needs essential fats to look its best. In addition, it’s high in protein,” Perricone says. “It also contains an anti-oxidant called astaxanthin, and astaxanthin is an amazing anti-oxidant because it not only reduces inflammation but it also gives us appearance of radiance, and does it very quickly, so salmon’s the key here.”

Perricone says this can help slow down the skin’s aging process and even reverse existing damage. He says it can also lead to better overall health and longer life.

Perricone can be reached on Twitter @DrPerricone for direct questions from you.

Here’s his diet… if you try it let me know how it works for you!

Breakfast 
3 egg white omelet cooked in olive oil (with mushrooms and avocado)
2-inch wedge of cantaloupe
Handful of almonds (raw or dry roasted, no salt)
12 oz of spring water (must drink at least eight 12-ounce glasses of water each day)
Cup of green tea

Lunch 
4 oz grilled salmon
2 cups watercress salad with a couple of sliced strawberries
Salad dressing: 1 tablespoon olive oil with freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste
2-inch wedge of cantaloupe with 1/4 cup of berries
12 oz of spring water
Cup of green tea

Dinner 
6 oz grilled salmon
2 cups watercress salad w/ sliced strawberries
Salad dressing: 1 tablespoon olive oil with freshly squeezed lemon juice to taste
1/2 cup steamed vegetables (broccoli, asparagus or spinach — dressed with 1/2 teaspoon olive oil)
2-inch wedge of cantaloupe with 1/4 cup of berries
12 oz spring water

Click here for Dr Perricone’s website to check out his skin care line and books with more skin care tips.

The new study from Harvard shows a strong link between working a swing shift and developing type II diabetes, especially if you’re a woman. (Click here to watch my video) The in-depth study looked at the health of 240,000 women over a 20-year period. The study found that those who worked odd and irregular hours for long periods of time were at a 60 percent greater risk for developing diabetes.

Jeri Lynn Tagg told me that she loves her work at a hospital, but she hasn’t always loved the hours. When Tagg heard about the diabetes risk study results, she said she wasn’t surprised She developed diabetes during her pregnancy. ”I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. And then, after I had Adam, it went away for four-and-a-half or five years. Then it came back,” Tagg said.

When it came back, Tagg said she finally requested not to work the rotating overnight shifts. ”You just felt so terrible,” Tagg said.

Dr Kamala Rajupet

“What they saw was in nurses who were doing at three, three-night shifts per month, in addition to day and evening shifts. They were at a higher risk for developing type II diabetes”, said Dr. Kamala Rajupet of the Joslin Diabetes Center at Forbes Regional Hospital.

The study was headed by Dr. Frank Hu, of Harvard. Hu’s group found that after just a decade of shift work, the risk of developing diabetes for women is 40 percent greater. After 20 years or more, that risk skyrocketed to 60 percent.

Now, researchers are looking for a more precise reason for that jump. Doctors speculate stress on the body from three things; poor eating habits, disrupting the body’s circadian rhythm sleep cycle and not getting enough sleep, may be to blame.

For those who have to work swing shifts, doctors say there are preventative measures workers can take. ”I think the key is to try to be as disciplined as possible in terms of a healthy lifestyle in spite of the change in the shifts,” Rajupet said. “You have to be very strict on what you do, when you eat, what you eat (at) what times. It’s very, very important.”

Here’s some helpful tips from Panthro Fitness on how to get your energy back.  Launched by fitness expert Reggie Dulaney in 2008, he and his team are helping Western Pennsylvania get healthy.  Reggie agreed to share with me some motivation and the one thing you can do to get that energy back: sweat.  Thanks Reggie!

 A few weeks ago, when the holiday season was under way, you were feeling energized and pepped up, looking forward to all the festivities and celebrations. But now, as you begin the countdown to 2012, all that vim and vigor might have given way to sluggishness and exhaustion.

Does this sound like you? If so, you are not alone. The period between Thanksgiving and the New Year is always hectic. We overschedule and overextend ourselves, so it’s no wonder that we may feel totally wiped out by the time January rolls in.  To make matters worse, we often eat badly and don’t exercise as regularly as we should, all of which can lead to that “weak and weary” feeling.

If you are like most people, you probably overindulged in heavy fats and refined sugars, which is a typical fare at holiday parties. It takes a great deal of energy to digest a large and heavy meal. It’s no secret that eating this kind of food and not getting enough healthy nutrients will sap your energy.

Not only that, but when you are tired, your immune system is weakened and more receptive to all kinds of ailments, such as cold and flu viruses, and even depression. When you feel like this, the last thing you probably want to do is exercise, but that’s exactly what you should be doing – no matter how “worn out” you are.

There is plenty of evidence indicating that physical activity is one of the best remedies to combat the after-holiday crash. One study, conducted a few years ago by the researchers at Georgia University, has revealed that even low-intensity workouts can reduce fatigue by 65 percent and boost energy levels up to 20 percent.

To pack the most fatigue-busting benefits into your workout choose vigorous and brisk activities that will make your heart work harder than it does when you are inactive.

While you work out, your heartbeat increases and more oxygen-rich blood flows through the brain and as a result, you feel more energetic and invigorated. It’s really quite simple.

So if post- holiday “blahs” make you listless a sweat session may be just what you need to recharge your batteries and rev up your engine for the New Year! 

Click here for more from Panthro Fittness.