Not only is decreased muscle mass the first sign of aging… Less muscle means a lot of things: less strength, stamina, and independence, as the ability to complete simple ADLs (activities of daily living), like grocery shopping, dressing, and bathing becomes unmanageable. It leads to a greater risk of developing type 2 diabetes, obesity, coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, and stroke.

Now this is just my story…. So why are Dairy Free alternatives on the rise? Most people are quick to lay claim that it is a new trend. But wait until you find out what I discovered during my research. Here’s 6 reasons why choosing to be Dairy Free is a Lifestyle choice rather than some trendy gimmick.

While you may not be running, jumping, biking, swimming or competing at a high level, most of us can't get through the day without moving our body that was specifically designed for dynamic motion. Lifting groceries out of the car, suitcases when traveling, even the Olympics of yardwork - believe it or not - you were designed to not just move but be athletic. For most people however, more movement, especially movement their body isn't used to equates to more pain. So, how do you bring out your "inner athlete" without bringing out the "new" aches and pains? 

Years ago when it was more common to eat a whole chicken than just a chicken breast, these leftover meat bones were boiled and made into broth.  This broth was a nutritious part of our diet.  It was the base for soups, sauces or used in place of water for cooking grains.  Periodic fasting on broth was an age-old method to let digestion rest, heal, and repair.

How’s your breathing? Is that a weird question? The day you were born, your lungs ballooned with air and they haven’t stopped working since. At this point in your life, you’ve taken hundreds of millions of breaths. With so many years of practice, you might even consider yourself an authority on the matter. But if you could humor me for just a second, I’d like you to take a deep breath, the biggest breath you’ve taken all day, and pay attention to where it travels in your body.

There's a difference between getting older, and feeling "old". Ones not optional, but the other is. I’m not shy to admit that I was never a gym rat. That might seem strange to those of you who know me or have worked with me in the gym, because I’m pretty passionate about strength training. I think every single person should participate in a weekly strength routine –and, as my poor, pestered husband will acknowledge, I’m definitely not shy to tell you that.

And for good reason–many good reasons actually.

Ah, the pursuit of a healthier lifestyle! It's like trying to ride a unicycle while juggling oranges—a commendable challenge, but one that becomes exponentially more difficult without a supportive network by your side. Yes, my friend, when you decide to take the plunge into a healthier lifestyle, prepare for a rollercoaster of awkward moments, mishaps, and a few embarrassing encounters along the way. But fear not! We’ve got you! And as long as you choose to focus on the positives and find humor in all the mishaps, then you’re in for an adventure of a lifetime.

In today's fast-paced world, it’s common to experience moments when you feel like your brain is buffering—moments of mental lag where your thoughts seem to slow down, and you struggle to process information or engage in activities. These episodes can be frustrating and perplexing, leaving you wondering, what’s going on with your mind?

On average Americans consume 160 pounds of sugar every year.  Wow!  You could say that we are in a critical need to lower blood sugar.  Why is this topic so important?  High blood sugar puts stress on our body, depleting vitamins and minerals like B vitamins, vitamins C and D, magnesium, calcium, and sodium.  Excess glucose, or blood sugar, turns into fat, raises triglycerides, and is inflammatory, leading to many other potential health conditions. 

As I reflect on 2022, I realize many of my thoughts, emotions, actions, and results are the culmination of staying focused on putting my time, energy, focus and attention on things that matter the most.  

First off, I am so grateful to you, our clients for putting your health as a top priority in your life and choosing us to be part of your wellness journey. By doing so, you are helping us with our vision to create a healthier, more knowledgeable, stronger, and vibrant community to live in. We love you as clients as we do extended family. Thank you for being in our lives! 

As cold weather approaches, feeling “under the weather” may come with it. Colds, flus and other viruses can knock us down for days. So how can we protect ourselves and support our body as we recuperate?

Here are some strategies to shorten recovery time and symptoms.

• Rest as much as possible. This helps our body to recover and heal while under stress, as it fights being sick and supports our immune system.

• Get outside in the sun for natural vitamin D and take light walks to help with lymph flow. Our lymph nodes filter out bacteria and viruses. The lymph system doesn’t have the same kind of propulsion in our body as blood flow does, therefore, walking (and massage) are great ways to support our lymph.

“It’s going to be a beautiful day with a perfect temperature.”

Said no weather forecast ever.

Maybe if you’re in Ron Burgundy’s sunny “stay classy” San Diego area!

But even then, is the temperature ever perfect? You can’t say that anymore! Someone will be cold and someone else will be hot with the same temperature!

There’s no doubt that what we eat affects our mood and how we feel. The Standard American Diet is full of refined sugars and flours, trans-fats and other chemicals and preservatives. This causes inflammation and disrupts our neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers in our body. This in turn can cause our mental health to suffer. So, what can we do to support our bodies with feeling good and maintaining positive mental health?

As much as I like science, this is more of pure and simple uncommonly practiced common sense. Understand this from a scientific perspective first: aging is cell division. It’s normal. Increased lifestyle stress (smoking, lack of physical activity, obesity, stress, exposure to pollution, etc.) can and will potentially increase the pace of aging. So, don’t worry, be happy and live a longer, fuller life, right!? OH, if it were only so easy!

What separates the top 1% from the rest of the population? Is it luck, is it determination, is it having the right connections, the right values, making extreme sacrifices, the right mindset, the right upbringing? It seems to be a combination of some of those things, but not necessarily all of them.

And why wouldn’t we all choose that path? Is it because many of us see beyond the glimpse of fame, into the real lives of the top 1% and realize, “wow, good for them, but that’s not for me!” It’s probably not because we’re lazy, or unmotivated, or even unlucky. In most cases I think many of us would rather be good at multiple endeavors rather than dedicating all our time and energy towards one or two!

Hurray for summer! I hope you have been able to get outside and enjoy some gardening or yard work with our beautiful weather. While we often remember to stretch before or after exercise, but what about before we work in the yard? Yard work can sure take a toll on our posture which makes it important to stretch before. Please try incorporating a few of these simple stretches before you head out to tackle those weekend chores in the yard and let us know if you can feel the difference.

How does quality sleep support your body? What happens while we sleep other than dreaming? Why do we need good sleep? Did you know, quality sleep is needed for memory anchoring, tissue repair, the ability to focus, concentrate, and to be able to handle daily stressful situations. It’s our bodies’ way to re-establish balance.

Given the choice between comfort and growth, most everyone chooses comfort. But comfort is cruise control, it’s coasting, and after a while coasting without added effort leads to slowing down, and it becomes much harder to get started or re-motivated.

So that got me thinking, and reflecting on my own life…

Our lives these days are busy and chaotic. We are being pulled into a million directions by family, friends, work and social commitments. Busyness is being glorified, but how long can you really sustain late nights and early mornings? How many more meals can you eat from the drive thru? What is all of this doing to your emotional and physical health? And the real hard question is: although you please everyone, are they really getting the best of you? Are they getting the true authentic person you are? Chances are the answer is no.

While being busy and living a somewhat chaotic lifestyle is trending on the popular side right now; it is doing more damage to you than you probably know.