Boosting Immunity: Why the Best Time to Strengthen Your Immune System Is When You're Well

It’s easy to take our immune system for granted until we find ourselves feeling under the weather. However, the best time to work on strengthening your immunity is when you’re feeling well. Why? Because it’s much harder to optimize your immune system while you’re already sick. Your immune system is constantly working to protect your body from harmful pathogens. While your body does a remarkable job of defending itself, it needs support to function at its best. This is where proactive immunity-boosting practices come into play. If you wait until you're sick to focus on boosting your immune system, you’re playing catch-up and may not see the results you need right away.

Staying Active in the Cold: Movement Tips for Icy, Freezing Weather

When the temperatures drop and winter weather sets in, it can be tempting to stay indoors and curl up under a blanket. However, staying active during the colder months is essential for maintaining both physical and mental health. Movement doesn’t have to stop just because it’s freezing outside. With the right mindset and preparation, you can stay active even when it’s icy and cold. Plus, spending at least a little time outdoors can do wonders for your well-being.

Hearty Italian Vegetable Soup with Bone Broth – A Nourishing Winter Recipe

As the days get colder and we find ourselves craving something warm and comforting, there's nothing quite like a hearty bowl of soup. This Italian Veg Soup is packed with nutrient-dense ingredients, loaded with veggies, and infused with rich bone broth, making it the perfect winter dish to nourish your body and soul. What’s even better is its versatility—you can easily swap ingredients depending on what you have on hand. Plus, it’s a great way to use up seasonal produce.

Karen’s Favorite Health Practices and Why They’re Beneficial

Over the years, I have picked up many different practices that have had a profound impact on my physical and mental health. Grounding, Gua Sha, sauna therapy, dry brushing, tongue scraping, and red light therapy have all benefited me and I’m elated to see these holistic practices becoming more mainstream, allowing more people to reap their benefits too. Today I’m going to spend a little time talking about each practice and how they can positively impact your health.

Understanding Yeast and Bacteria Overgrowth and the Impact of Fermented Foods and Probiotics

When it comes to gut health, a delicate balance of microorganisms is crucial for our overall well-being. However, when there's an overgrowth of yeast or bacteria in the gut, this balance is disrupted, leading to uncomfortable symptoms. Today we are going to explore the symptoms of yeast and bacteria overgrowth, why fermented foods and probiotics might not always be the best solution, and how to manage these issues effectively.

How your gut health and nervous system impact each other

Today's blog post is a little different from what we're all used to, but it's going to be fun and informative. I've invited Jessica Addeo to co-author on my usual gut health musings. Today, we're going to discuss the relationship between gut health, the nervous system, and how to support both in a holistic, easy way. But before we get started, I want to give you a little background on Jessica.

Mindfulness for Adrenal Health Support

Chronic stress can take a toll on our adrenal glands, leading to fatigue, mood swings, and other symptoms of adrenal dysfunction. While lifestyle changes and nutrition play crucial roles in supporting adrenal health, cultivating mindfulness is another powerful tool for managing stress and promoting balance. Let's explore how mindfulness practices can support your adrenals and enhance your heatlh.

Nutrition for Adrenal Support

Stress has become a constant state for many of us, taking a toll on our bodies, and particularly our adrenal glands. These small, but mighty glands play a crucial role in our response to stress, producing hormones that help us adapt and cope with life's challenges. However, chronic stress can overwhelm the adrenals, leading to symptoms of fatigue, mood swings, and more. While lifestyle changes and stress management are vital, nutrition also plays a significant role in supporting adrenal health. Let's explore how you can nourish your adrenals through your diet.

Adrenal Fatigue Signs and Symptoms

Have you been feeling tired, overwhelmed, or just not like yourself lately? You might be experiencing adrenal fatigue. Chronic stress has become a common part of life for many people, and it can take a toll on our bodies in more ways than one. Adrenal fatigue, also known as HPA Axis Dysfunction or adrenal burnout, is a condition that occurs when the adrenal glands are overworked and unable to keep up with the body's demands for stress hormones. In this blog post, we'll explore the signs and symptoms of adrenal fatigue, and what you can do to support your adrenal health.

Adrenal Gland 101: What Are Your Adrenal Glands and What Do They Do

Have you ever heard of the adrenal glands? These tiny powerhouses play an important role in keeping our bodies in balance, yet many people aren't fully aware of what they do or where they're located. In this blog post, we're going to dive into the world of the adrenal glands, exploring what they are, what they do, and why they're so important for our overall health and well-being.

The Best Smoothie Recipe Ever

Last week we talked about breakfast swaps you can make to help reduce the amount of additives you’re consuming. After thinking a little bit more about it, I realized that my easiest, go to breakfast is a smoothie. Here is the best smoothie recipe ever! It’s my favorite because it is so customizable, but also makes sure your breakfast packs a nutrient dense punch.

Healthy Breakfast Swaps to Avoid Food Additives

Last week we talked about snack swaps, this week I wanted to discuss easy breakfast swaps to help you reduce the amount of food additives you’re consuming. I noticed, through conversations with my clients, that besides snacks, having a healthy, nutrient dense breakfast is sometimes difficult. Getting themselves and the kids ready to and out the door can make mornings hectic so quick breakfasts at Dunkin’ or Starbucks is sometimes all they have time for. I totally get that! There are other quick and healthy options, so that is what we’re going to discuss today!

Healthy Snack Swaps to Avoid Additives

Last week we discussed what food additives are, the most common ones found in our food, and why their impact on our wellbeing.  You can find that blog post here! This generated a lot of discussion around healthy food swaps we can make to reduce the number of food additives in our diets so I wanted to provide some examples of food swaps you can make to cut back on consuming food additives. This week we are talking about snacks!

What You Should Know About Food Additives

What You Should Know About Food Additives

In our fast-paced world, convenience often trumps caution when it comes to our food choices. With so many options for processed and packaged foods lining the shelves of supermarkets, it's easy to overlook the ingredients that make up our snacks and meals. One group of ingredients that deserves a closer look is food additives. While they serve various purposes like enhancing flavor, texture, and shelf life, the extensive use of food additives raises concerns about their impact on our health. In this blog post, we dive into what food additives are, the most common ones found in our food, and why their impact on our wellbeing. 

Understanding AutoImmune Issues: Risk Factors, Symptoms, and Management

I  was recently reading an article and saw a statistic that blew my mind! Over 80 million Americans are affected by autoimmune issues and over the span of the last 25 years, there has been a 50% increase in autoimmune issues among adolescents (children between 12-19 years old). Those are BIG numbers and a massive increase among adolescents. In this blog, we will define what autoimmune issues are, discuss autoimmune risk factors, symptoms of autoimmune issues, and how to manage autoimmune issues. 

Hormonal Harmony: Balancing Women’s Health

Hormonal Harmony: Balancing Women’s Health

From puberty to menopause (and beyond), women experience a rollercoaster of hormonal fluctuations that profoundly impact physical, emotional, and mental health. Hormones play a pivotal role in regulating menstrual cycles, fertility, mood, metabolism, and more, making hormonal balance essential for overall wellness. In today’s blog post I am going to focus on explaining the foundational principles for achieving hormonal balance.