Cancer. It's most people's worst nightmare. Imagine having a family stricken twice with the illness. Steve Sevchuk is all too familiar with that scenario. He lost his father, George, in 2006, to prostate cancer. A mere two years later, he lost one of his three sisters, Laura Sevchuk Al Nader, to breast cancer. She was 42 years old. She left behind a husband and 7-year-old daughter, 5 siblings and a wealth of family and friends who loved her. "It was an extremely painful set of loses for my whole family and we are all still healing," revealed Sevchuk. After receiving a startling health …

A popular quote attributed to Dale Carnegie states, "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." Bernadette Armiento took that statement literally. After spending more than a decade in the advertising and marketing industry, Armiento experienced a layoff. "When my corporate job was eliminated, it ultimately was a gift, because it gave me time to reflect on what I wanted to do for the next phase of my professional life. It was an 'if not now, when?' moment for me, so I decided not to jump back into that world, and to pursue my passion." Armiento always had been passionate about health, wellness…

When I first heard about the AlterG Anti-Gravity Treadmill, a treadmill using NASA-based anti-gravity technology, I could not wait to check it out. I'm thankful I didn't have to fly to Houston to do so. MCRC Physical Therapy on Pleasant Valley Way has the only one available for public use in New Jersey. I was greeted by Dr. John Wolkstein, director of fitness and post rehabilitation, who gave me a tour of the facility. It was easy to spot the AlterG since it was pretty big and seemed very government-like. Wolkstein explained that they added the AlterG to their practice in April. "We wanted to…

After recently completing two 5Ks, I was feeling more and more like a runner. I enjoyed running in the mornings and passing along other fellow runners. We would nod at each other as we crossed paths. I felt like I finally belonged in the ever-so-elusive runner's club. Then, one morning, everything changed. As I began my 6 a.m. run, I quickly realized that I was having a hard time breathing. Within minutes, I was soaked in sweat. I couldn't understand what was going on. I slowed down my pace but continued to struggle. For the first time in months, I slowed down to a jog and then succumbed to …

Clinical psychologist Dr. Rob Handelman may be somewhat new to West Orange, having moved to the area from Brooklyn a year ago in July with his wife and 6-year-old son, but he certainly is not new to psychotherapy. "I've been practicing therapy for 15 years," he said. Handelman practices what is known as  "mindfulness-based" integrative psychotherapy. If you are shaking your head in confusion, you're not alone. He explains, in simple terms, that being mindful is being aware of one's feelings at that specific moment instead of denying those feelings even exist. For example, if a mother loses …

West Orange resident Amy Witmyer is one passionate yogini. She's been practicing yoga since her teens and, now, decades later, she is sometimes still mistaken for one. "The other day I was at the West Orange pool and someone approached me. He said I had to be 18 years old in order to be swimming in that lane," laughed the 37-year-old. Is yoga the secret to the fountain of youth? It may very well be the answer. When Witmyer grew up in South Orange in the 1970s, the area was not very holistic. "As a teen, I read and studied lots of books on everything from health, nutrition to spirituality. …

As a mother of 7- and 3-year-old sons and a 21-month-old daughter, 35-year-old West Orange resident Jen Maidenberg is familiar with taking on a firm tone to discipline her children. Her new role, though, as The Wellness Bitch, has required Maidenberg to take on a different position. "I am done being too gentle," she said. This new moniker may be shocking to those around her. Maidenberg is most known around town as the founder and creator of Mindful Living NJ, a company that offers public relations and marketing support to wellness and holistic practitioners. The organization runs the annual …