I must say…. adjusting my shopping, cooking, and eating habits during a drawn out global pandemic that started just one WEEK after having a total knee replacement, has been challenging, to say the least.  It all has had a SIGNIFICANT effect on my overall eating and exercise habits.  It became easier to stock up on shelf stable food like pasta and rice and store bought canned tomatoes for my sauces rather than fresh veggies.   

And a few other shelf stable treats snuck in there along the way (hello Boom Chicka Pop popcorn!)  so I recently decided to take stock of my stock (no pun intended) and refresh my fridge and pantry with what I know is the best mix of fresh and shelf stable foods for me to have on hand.

Here’s what I know for sure: if the unhealthy food is there, you’re going to eat it. Once that bag of Boom Chicka Pop popcorn is open, it becomes a single “serving,” so you need to stock your kitchen for...

Even if you love the holidays and await them all year long -- we can all agree there's a significant uptick in stress during this season. Especially in 2020.  Even if the visits have shifted to virtual meetings, Facetime dinners, and Zoom gatherings with family and friends, our schedule has no “white space” left during this season.  

I thought it would be so much emptier at the store this year, but with so many people working from home, they are finding a way to run to the store during what used to be “off hours”, so traffic is more hectic than usual, stores are packed, and it can be pretty easy to send you, an otherwise calm person, into overwhelm.  

The most wonderful time of the year comes with a price that goes beyond the extra calories and frantic holiday shopping. 

Let this year be different.  Putting a focus on lowering stress can help you enjoy the season without the added pressure. Taking a natural approach to...

It’s no secret that the best workers are workers who think like the owner. Imagine the difference between an assistant who just completes the tasks at hand, and an owner who is constantly asking herself, “What’s next? What can I do better? What’s coming down the pipes? How can I turn this corner to get more value?”

When you adopt the attitude and practice of a successful business owner, you practically guarantee your own health and happiness. You will also eliminate the mentality of, “I work from 9 to 5 and then I go home.”

Do you want to live your life on a 9 – 5 basis? Or do you want your life to be like a Jack-in-the-box that’s so full of excitement that it literally can’t be contained? That’s how I want to live! Take a look at these 5 steps to live like a boss.

Step 1: Always Ask Why Not

Most people ask, “Why?” I want you to ask, “Why not?”

For instance,...

Everyone faces challenges in life. And every one of us has to crawl through periods of adversity to come out the other side a winner. And in our current global crisis, we all seem to be facing challenges at the same time.

But that's not what this blog is about. I’ve recently been helping people overcome migraines, and a common trigger has been stress due to certain humans in their life who are draining them to the point of causing migraines and sleep issues. So in today's blog, I want to give you five ways to deal with an energy thief who is piling on stress during an already stressful time in history. And an energy thief can show up whether the world is in crisis, or in glorious abundance, so keep these tips in mind for all future situations.

You know her (or him). She's the one that thrives on negativity, drama and being the victim. She blames everyone else for everything that has happened in her life.

Enter: Debbie Downer!

1. Don't Engage Her.

...

How do you get motivated to cook when takeout is calling your name? It's hard but I'll tell you how we stopped dialling for delivery and started eating healthier without missing a step.

How many of us have a list of take out restaurants at our fingertips at home and at the office? It often feels so much easier to reach for the phone and order pizza, Chinese, subs..whatever. So how can you get motivated to cook when all you want to do is dial out for dinner?

First, you have to make it easy to make a healthy choice and second, you have to make it fun.

There are three basic ways I make cooking at home more appealing than ordering out.

1. Get Motivated to Cook by Planning Ahead.

First, I plan ahead.

I know, I know! It sounds awful and demanding and “how can you possibly plan a full week of dinners!” but let me tell you, meal planning is your friend! From your waistline to your pocketbook to avoiding migraines from preservatives...

How many times have you told yourself that you’re going to “eat better?”

You’re not going to eat any carbs or treats. You’re going to do nothing but drink water and eat kale for the next month?

And how often have you been successful following that “all or nothing” mentality?

My guess is never. Maybe that’s because it’s never worked for me but studies prove that when you make sweeping proclamations denying yourself entire food groups, you increase your weight loss failure rate exponentially.

Just sayin’…

Because of the “all or nothing” approach I took to dieting in my 20s and 30s, I didn’t just have the emotional diet mentality failures…I actually crashed and burned my endocrine system and ended up gaining 90 pounds in 2 years in my mid 30s!  Yikes!  There is a lot more to that story that I’m sure I’ll share another day, but I learned a...

Before we dig into this topic, let’s start with a quick guessing game. 

Read the following ingredients and try to guess what it is:

Soy Protein Nuggets (Soy Protein Isolate, Tapioca Starch, Salt), Peanut Butter Fudge (Corn Syrup, Invert Sugar, Peanut Butter [Peanuts, Sugar, Salt], Sugar, Palm Kernel Oil, Peanut Flour, Milk Protein Isolate, Soy Lecithin, Salt, Vanilla Extract, Xanthan Gum, Carob Seed Gum, Beta-Carotene), Chocolate Flavored Coating (Sugar, Fractionated Palm Kernel Oil, Cocoa Powder, Whey Powder, Nonfat Milk Powder, Soy Lecithin, Natural Vanilla Flavor), Corn Syrup, Acacia Gum, Fructose Syrup, Peanut Butter, Peanut Flour, Peanuts. Less than 2% of the Following: Glycerine, Soy Protein Isolate, Natural Flavor, Calcium Phosphate, Salt, and Vitamin & Mineral Blend (Calcium Phosphate, Ascorbic Acid [Vit. C], Magnesium Oxide, dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate [Vit. E], Niacinamide [Vit. B3], Zinc Oxide, Calcium Pantothenate [Vit. B5], Ferrous Fumarate...

Thanks to much of what we hear in the media, detoxing and “cleansing” has earned a reputation for being unhealthy and even unsafe. When you hear the word “detox,” many people immediately think of all-liquid diets, expensive supplements and short-term deprivation for short-term gains. 

The truth is, a detox or cleanse doesn’t have to involve any of the above—and if you detox in a healthy, supportive manner, you can achieve lasting results in weight loss, energy gain, and full-body health.

The following are four myths you may have heard about detoxing. Understandably, these myths may cause you to be hesitant to try a detox.

Keep reading to find out the truth behind these myths and why detoxing might be just what your body is craving.

Myth # 1: You won’t enjoy anything you’re eating while on a detox.

While you might have to eliminate certain foods that you enjoy, detoxing isn’t all about eating...

Win your morning; win your day!

I know that this topic has been covered by dozens of thought leaders and success gurus around the world, on hundreds of occasions.  It might even be such old news to you that you skip over this short article with a dismissive “Yeah, yeah…I get it!”  But how many times do you follow that thought with “But you don’t understand the craziness of my life!  Being a (fill in the blank) is different!  It’s nearly IMPOSSIBLE to own my morning without constantly being interrupted by my phone or an urgent text that completely undermines my plans for the day.  My livelihood is DEPENDENT on me being the quickest to respond to a potential customer or sale.”

This is where I will challenge you a bit.  If you intend to consistently perform above standard norms for the long term, and count yourself among the world’s highest performers, then it really is essential that you win your...

A night of peaceful, deep and quality sleep is a blessing that only the sleep deprived and insomniacs can truly appreciate.  To have not just one, but plenty of your nights filled with rest and sleep, try adding the following foods to your diet, especially if you find yourself tossing and turning or wandering aimlessly around your house at night instead of sleeping.

1. Chamomile:

Chamomile tea is a popular sleep-inducing tea that helps eliminate stress and anxiety. Before you go to bed, take a moment to sip a warm cup of chamomile herbal tea to relax, unwind and de-stress.

2. Pistachios:

Pistachios are not only tasty, but they are a jackpot for sleep. They are rich in magnesium, protein, and vitamin B6, which all have a major role in inducing sleep. Consuming a healthy amount of pistachios before going to bed will knock you out like nothing else. You can eat them raw or add them to a glass of warm milk.  However, more than one ounce of pistachios will have a...