My Favorite Essential Oils and How to Use Them
*This post contains affiliate links. I use to think essential oils was just another marketing scheme designed to take all my money. And although I’m not so sure about some of the claims behind oils, I’m more of a believer in them now that I’ve actually used some. My first experience with essential oils was during a study abroad trip across the world to New Zealand. A few of the girls, myself included, had some digestion issues (oh the joys of sitting on a plane for 14 hours) and were desperate for something to get things, well, moving again. One of the girls suggested essential oils and gave us a…
What Are the Healthiest Sugar Alternatives?
We all know that we should reduce our sugar intake. Too much processed sugar is linked to inflammation, disease, bad skin, weight gain, and lowered immunity. But let’s be honest. It’s not fun or easy to give up our favorite sweet treats. Trust me, as a certified nutritionist and girl with a MAJOR sweet tooth, I understand the struggles of wanting to eat ALL the sweets but also wanting to avoid all that processed sugar. That being said, I’m a huge believer in moderation and never depriving yourself of things you love. After all, you want your healthy choices to become a lifestyle, not just another short-term crash diet or…
7 Easy and Affordable Ways to Sneak More Veggies into Your Meals
It’s recommended that we aim for about 5-9 servings of fruits and veggies per day, or roughly 2.5 to 6.5 cups of fruits and veggies each day. Sadly, only a measly 10% of American’s will actually get enough fruits and veggies each day. Why does this matter? Will eating more fruits and veggies really improve your health that much? YES! Research studies for the past several decades have found that eating a sufficient amount of fresh fruit and vegetables improves health, decreases your risk for obesity, and lengthens your lifespan. Plants like fruits and veggies contain critical ingredients that fight off disease, keep our organs functioning properly, help us have hormonal balance,…
5 Natural Skin Care Tips for Radiant Skin
The winter months can leave your skin feeling dry, patchy, and far from glowing. You’ve tried everything from expensive creams to face massages but nothing seems to help that glow you’ve been looking for. Luckily, there are some natural remedies that you can do each day that can dramatically improve the look of your skin. I’m talking a beautiful glow that will even get you your dermatologists nod of approval! Here are five natural skin care tips for radiant skin. *This post contains affiliate links. 5 Natural Skin Care Tips Eat more fruits and veggies. If you’ve been breaking out lately, you can probably blame your diet. And when it…
The Tomorrow Hybrid Mattress Review
Did you know that 1 out of 3 Americans don’t get enough sleep? And by “enough” sleep I mean at least 7 hours for adults ages 18-60. Frankly, I’m not surprised. I hear all the time from co-workers, friends, and family about frequent late night outings and waking up far too early. I get tired just hearing about their lack of sleep! For me personally, sleep is a HUGE priority. I don’t say that to brag. I just get really, really cranky when I don’t get enough sleep. It’s nothing personal, I just need my sleep! I should probably take this moment to apologize to my roommates over the years for banging…
I Tried Floor Sleeping. Here’s What Happened
It’s amusing how one can go literally years without getting sick or injured, then all of the sudden your body decides to give you hell. That was me this entire month of August. And now that I think of it, amused might be the wrong word choice. From terrible back strains, multiple doctor visits, a minor health scare, and a cold with a cough so violent you have to run to the bathroom just so your coworkers don’t give you weird looks, It’s been a rough month. I don’t mean to complain, I know others have it MUCH worse. Despite all the stress and discomfort, I’m actually really grateful because…
The Dangers of Sugar Addiction and How To Overcome It
When you hear the word “addiction”, what comes to mind? Maybe some scary drugs like meth, tobacco, cocaine? Ever thought of sugar? Few would think to include sugar in the list of terrible substances and destructive behaviors that are addictive and devastating to lives. However, current However, current research has shown that processed sugar can be just as addictive as the most harmful drugs. Yikes, who would have guessed that innocent bowl of Captain Crunch I just ate is so terrible. via GIPHY Why is this such a concern? Sugar ingested in large quantities can cause serious health defects. Sugar intake has been linked to hypertension, chronic heart disease, chronic inflammation,…
Why I Started Standing At Work (And Why You Should Too)
This post contains affiliate links. Did you know that sitting for 8-12 hours each day can be just as harmful to your health as smoking? Ya. I was shocked when I heard that too. Sitting for prolonged periods of time increases our risk for chronic disease (just like smoking). This hardly seems fair when our society requires us to sit all day. We have to sit at work. We sit in a car to drive to work. We sit to eat. We sit to relax after work. Sit, sit, sit. All. Day. LONG! Even if we manage to get in an hour of exercise each day, it’s still may not…
Holiday Fitness Tips You Won’t See Anywhere Else
With Thanksgiving coming up and Christmas only a month away, the most festive time of year is here! With the holiday season comes family gatherings and other social commitments. For the fitness fanatics and health nuts this time of year can be more stressful than fun. Cakes, cookies, and other sweets seem to be everywhere taunting us. Time with family and friends conflict with time spent at the gym. For those of us trying to live a fit lifestyle, the holidays are often viewed as a type of sabotage on our hard-earned health and physique. The holiday season also seems to bring a large amount of “holiday fitness tips” from all sorts of…
How To Be More Optimistic (In Any Situation)
I once had a school assignment from my alternative medicine class that changed my life. Sounds dramatic, but hear me out. Our assignment was to keep a gratitude journal for the whole semester. We had to write down three different things each day, and they had to start with the sentence, “I’m grateful for…” We were challenged to find three unique things every day rather than just the generics. As the semester continued and my gratitude list grew, I began to notice something. I was less stressed, less worried, and more hopeful. In short, I was happier! I learned an important lesson that semester: Optimism may come naturally to some people,…
