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Valerie Latona

Valerie Latona

Valerie Latona is the former editor in chief of Shape—and one of the leading writers/editors on the topic of living healthy with confidence. Find more about Valerie, and read more of her blogs, at valerielatona.com.

Blog Posts

  • April 10, 2012

    A Letter to My 8-Year-Old Son

    Respect: The #1 Lesson I Want You to Learn

    Dear Adam,

    It’s becoming harder and harder to explain to you why someone has just been killed.

    Most recently, it was Trayvon Martin, a boy not too much older than you. “Why did that guy have to kill him, mom?” you asked after reading the newspaper headlines. I didn’t know how to respond, but the truth is: I don’t know why. I don’t know if anyone really knows why.

    But I’ve been thinking a lot about it—and I realize there is a reason why killing and violence against babies, kids, and people of all ages is happening so much more these days.

  • February 28, 2012

    How I Derailed My Career and Discovered My Life

    I can vividly remember the moment. I was sitting with my financial planner shortly after leaving my job as the editor-in-chief of a top women’s magazine. I explained my desire to have another child—and spend more time with my two kids—as part of the reason for me finally getting up the courage to leave the security of a high-paying, 60+ hours-a-week glam job after five years.

    “Boy, having kids really derails your career, doesn’t it?” were the words this younger very obvious career-driven woman said to me, barely looking up at me as she typed numbers into the computer.

    I just looked at her, not knowing exactly what to say in response. I had heard it before, just not straight from another woman’s mouth: Having kids “ruins” your career trajectory, your life. That's really what she was saying.

  • January 23, 2012

    Mental Toughness: The Secret to Success at Just About Anything

    It was several months before the recent birth of my child that I became interested in the topic of mental toughness: the idea that you can almost will yourself through pain, difficulty, and discomfort—no matter how bad it gets.

    I believed that this would get me through a natural, no drugs birth. And while the no-drugs birth did happen, it was not because of any mental willing on my part. (I was reduced to practically begging the doctors to give me drugs, but they couldn’t because of how fast the labor had progressed.)

    While in the hospital, I came to the “conclusion” that I just didn’t have a great deal of mental strength or willpower (if any at all).

  • December 20, 2011

    Amazing Gifts of the Holiday Season

    Subject: AMAZING GIFTS! MOST FREE!

    Imagine seeing this e-mail pop into your inbox one day amid the flurry of last-minute, pre-holiday sales and deals that stores are sending out this season. You’d open it pretty quickly, right? I know I would…even just out of curiosity.

    But the irony is we don’t need to wait for an e-mail reminder; there’s stuff just sitting under our proverbial nose this festive month—and all year long—that we so often forget about and never fully appreciate.

  • October 24, 2011

    What Do You Want Your Legacy to Be?

    I’ve been struck (as so many people have) by Steve Jobs’ death -- in part because I own just about everything he’s ever developed (iPhone, iPad, iMac, you name it) but also because his life has truly impacted each of our lives. No matter whether you’re a fan or not, there’s no denying how he changed the world in which we live. As a former Apple VP, Jay Elliot, said: “No other CEO has had wreaths laid in memory of him where people bought his products.”

    And it got me thinking: what will my legacy be?

  • September 16, 2011

    5 Simple Ways to Make Over Your Life (Before Holiday Craziness Sets In)

    I don’t know about you, but every September I start to feel that unmistakable chill in the air that signals the onset of fall and I start organizing -- my inbox, my closets, my life, my day-to-day schedules. Unlike any other change in seasons, the switch from summer to fall brings a sense, at least for me, of anticipation and relief at getting back to some sort of routine.

    I’d be lying, though, if I didn’t tell you that part of me is sad to say good-bye to the long, carefree, and relaxing, days of summer. But the other half of me is looking forward to getting back to a sense of structure in my days. This feeling probably dates back to being in school, when the slight temperature drop meant heading back to the classroom.

  • August 24, 2011

    How (and Why) to Get Back to the Sacred Ritual of Meals: 5 Simple Steps

    Have you ever noticed how much of a rush we’re all in these days? Nowhere is it more evident than during our meals: we gobble down a few bites of breakfast and coffee before sprinting out the door in the mornings; we eat lunch while typing away at the computer, reading the news, or taking care of some other urgent business; we stand up while nibbling on a snack (or a meal)…often typing away at our iPhones or Blackberries while we’re doing it. Talk about mindless eating!

    And we wonder why the obesity rate is skyrocketing: it has to do with more than just with what we put into our mouths. It also has to do with how we put that food into our bodies: eating as an all-important ritual has been lost to us—and we desperately need to get back to it. Doing so will not only help reduce obesity rates, but will also help calm the indigestion, sour stomachs, and other digestive ailments (not to mention stress) that plague so many of us. How to return to eating as a soul-nourishing habit? Some simple steps:

  • July 14, 2011

    It's Time (Now) For Your Body's Oil Change

    Chances are, like most other Americans, you take pretty good care of your car. I do: I regularly take it in for washes when the pollen (or just plain dirt) starts marring its shiny black surface. Every 7,500 miles, like clockwork, I take it in for an oil change (after all, this is critical to keep its engine humming along). And most important: I fill it up with premium unleaded. Inferior gas just won’t do.

  • June 14, 2011

    The True Meaning of “Success” for Women Today

    When most of us think of being successful, we think of having plenty of money, maybe a big house, a luxury car, a gorgeous guy, and the ability to travel frequently. But happiness -- and personal fulfillment -- is left out of the equation. So often I see and talk to women who can be considered “successful” in the eyes of the world, but who are inwardly unhappy.

  • May 31, 2011

    5 Reasons You Need to Work Out -- Starting Today!

    Sure, summer is almost here and working up a sweat will take off those extra pounds we all put on during the cold-weather months.

Maria Shriver © 2012. All rights reserved.

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