Month: February 2020

Publish Don’t Perish: Tip # 7 — Don’t Forget the Chocolate

Since February is the month for love and heart health, this is the perfect time to share Tip#7 — Don’t Forget the Chocolate! Although any kind of chocolate can show love, only the right type of chocolate is healthy for our hearts and mind.

What’s the Right Type of Chocolate

Theobroma cacao is the botanical name for chocolate and it means “food of the gods.” As with most food items in today’s society, chocolate is processed every which way. Processed chocolate is high in sugar and fat with very little nutritional value. The right type of chocolate is dark chocolate with a high concentration of cacao (at least 70%).

Chocolate: Are You a Cacao or Cocoa Writer by Kathryn Ross

Kathryn Ross wrote a wonderful article, Chocolate: Are You a Cacao or Cocoa Writer? This article delves deeper into the differences between chocolate and cacao, and in her creative and talented manner, Kathryn applies it to your writing.

Potential Health Benefit

If you combine the right kind of chocolate with a healthy lifestyle, research shows that potential health benefits include:

  • improved blood pressure;
  • enhanced heart health;
  • decreased LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol); and
  • increased blood flow to your brain.
Valentine's Day, American Heart Month, Heart Health,Dark Chocolate, healthy lifestyle, February, love, candy, flowers, cards
Dark Chocolate – Good for Your Heart and Mind

Studies also show that dark chocolate may reduce the risk of diabetes by improving insulin sensitivity and blood sugar levels. Diabetes is a growing problem and a known risk factor for heart disease, with an even higher risk for women. Keep in mind, a healthy lifestyle is critical. For more information, check out my article, Dark Chocolate & Love’s Heart Healthy Month.

Karen Van Den Heuvel Fischer

Your writing and life can benefit from the “food of the gods” so long as you combine it with a healthy lifestyle. Tip #3 — TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF will provide you with guidelines to make that a reality. Remember, your best writing, your best work, your best time happens when you’re at your best self.

How are you taking care of yourself?

Publish Don’t Perish: Tip #6 – Writing is Work

Writing is work. As writers, we understand what that means, however, our friends and family may not. This is especially true when you work at your craft from your home.

A number of writer friends have often shared their frustration with the constant interruptions they encounter from people they know. I confess to experiencing the same frustration as a writer. However, unlike the writers I know, I found myself in the perfect position for an experiment. With a Master of Science degree, I am quite familiar with experiments.

I joined a law firm as one of their attorneys in the areas of estate planning, business, and real estate more than a year ago. I confess to enjoying the practice of law more than I ever have in my entire career (I won’t reveal how many years that is, but suffice it to say it’s more than 20). I work with an incredible, brilliant group of attorneys and support staff. Another plus, is that although our main office is fully staffed (with 3 satellite offices), unless I am meeting with a client, I work from my home office — where the experiment begins.

I don’t write full time, but, I never did. I have practiced law since I graduated law school, however, when I moved to Colorado, I practiced more part time until I started with this firm. With the exception of my clients, my family and friends saw me as a writer, and interruptions were a constant problem. Once I joined this firm, while I worked out of the same home office, the interruptions ceased.

writing, publishing, legal iissues,
Writers Beware of the Legal Pitfalls

What does that tell us? That others considered my work as a full time attorney as a “real job” while my work as a writer was not. To say that is frustrating is an understatement, however, there are things we can do.

  • Treat writing as a “real job.”
  • Go to your workplace, whether it is a separate room in your home, an area of your home, the library, a picnic table in a specific park, or Starbucks.
  • Let your family and friends know your work schedule.
  • During your writing (work) hours, shut off your phone, do not answer your door, and do not check your email.
Karen Van Den Heuvel Fischer


Once they realize you are not available during work hours, they will understand that you are working. Fortunately, I am an early bird and my writing time takes place before most people rise. My “workday” for writing begins around 4:30 a.m. with my workday as a lawyer around 8. For me, a perfect solution.

What is your perfect solution?

(c) 2020 Karen Van Den Heuvel Fischer