Growth can be defined as changing for the better. And since the only constant in life is change, it's important to embrace it. But , what happens if you are not growing, learning or expanding?  The opposite of growth is stagnation, decline or destruction.

And you may even feel like you are dying inside. I've felt that way, and it's not fun. Incredibly painful actually.

A few years ago, I was SO stuck and stagnant that my life started to fall apart around me. I knew something had to change and shift but I was beside myself as to how.

Thankfully, I got help from several coaches and healers and was able to pull myself out AND stay out for good. Instead, I began to see my life shift and I began to grow.

It took a lot of mindset shifts for me and still to this day I am re-learning things from being so religiously conditioned. One of the shifts was to focus on possibility versus the circumstances in my life that I did not like. Instead of seeing the lack, I decided to choose to see...

How do you cope? I know it's not something we all feel comfortable talking about, but I believe it's an important conversation worth having. To cope better in life, you can't ignore your challenges you have to face them. But sometimes you may need a little understanding and support.

Listen to episode #93 : How Minerals Help You Cope : Find A JOY TO BE ME on iTunes, iHeartRadio, Stitcher or Spotify 

When I graduated the Nutritional Therapy Association in 2012, my eyes were opened to the decline in mental health and how nutrition played a big role. I was so impacted by this, that 3 of my colleagues and I created an online course called; A Calm Mind. We tackled how we believe we were supposed to have sense of well being and be better able to cope in life than we are today. We covered all the nutrient deficiencies quite thoroughly.

A couple years later,  I began to work with hair tissue mineral analysis in my practice, and saw the many connections to our ability to...

In my last post, 'Why Detoxing in the Fall will actually make you energetic', I explained why detoxifying your body can actually help to boost your energy. The same is true for detox baths. They help to deeply clean out toxins to encourage deeper healing so your cells can function optimally. And when your cells function optimally, YOU will have more energy. It's a win-win!

So, I thought in this post I'd share with you the top reasons I do detox baths and what I use in them to support my body being able to heal deeply. Detox baths are also really great for relaxing, releasing tension and encouraging deeper sleep.

Detox baths are an excellent way to promote cleansing and can be done regularly -even daily. Any form of chronic illness or fatigue, allergies included, is a sign of a sluggish and overloaded liver. Sweating is your body's natural way of detoxifying. Soaking in hot water can assist in pulling harmful toxins from your skin.

You can assist elimination of toxins through the...

Fall is my favorite season. It's a season of transition, perfect for a gentle detox to reset your body and mind, increase your energy, as well as to prime your system for winter wellness. That's why I've been doing a short fall 'detox' every year for the past 9 years.

I personally look at autumn as more of a transition into a new year than I do January. January is just the transition of the calendar year. But in September, we can learn from nature. In my area, the harvest is winding down. It's time to prepare to clear out the fields. It's an opportunity to till the soil and plant the seeds for next year's harvest.

And the same is true for your body and overall health. Once you do this 'clearing' for yourself, you can recommit to what is working for you and set yourself up to get more of what nourishes you in your life.

This is why fall is a great time to set aside some time for a detox, so you can clear out the 'old' (or toxins). When you detox you free up your cells and organs to...

I can still hear my good friend Patty’s voice from a conversation years ago. ‘Shoulda, coulda, woulda’, she stated, with a bit of  snark in her voice.

We were discussing a lot at the time, but the overarching theme was shedding guilt of expectations or obligation. Basically, we both wanted to stop ‘shoulding’ all over ourselves, and letting other people do it to us too.

The shame of the 'shoulds' is very real and very powerful and not in a good way. Let’s talk about what this means and what you can do instead so you can be incredibly empowered.

First, let’s discuss why believing ‘you should’ do anything is a problem.

I‘ve spent a lot of mental energy on allowing the shoulds to eff with me. You?

The belief we “should” do or be something is rooted in other people’s expectations—not our own.

When we think we should do something it’s because our family, friends, religion or society has convinced...

Just a little over 7 years ago, I faced an incredibly difficult challenge. I was about to be homeless.

I had gone through a separation and was working out my divorce. Dividing property, money, coming to agreements. With the house sold it was time to move.

I was raising and caring for 4 young kids (with NO help) and no job and exhausted beyond all comprehension.

Because I did not have a job or good credit, it was incredibly difficult to find a place to rent. No one wanted to take a risk on me.

Thankfully, I found a place to rent, but had to pay a year of rent in advance. However, the timing to move in didn’t match up to my needs. With the house sold and the move-in date 6 weeks away, I needed a temporary shelter.

A kind friend with a large home, extended us an invitation to stay during our time of transition. It was a godsend. There was more than enough space for all of us.

I remember the panic that ensued leading up to that time. I was so worried we would have no place to go,...

Ladies, listen up! This is how you step more fully in to YOUR radiating power!

What on earth is your radiating power you ask?

Let me explain.

Self-Empowerment & Purpose

I believe every woman can be empowered. She can exude confidence and independence. She knows how to direct her energy wisely and she believes in her own capabilities. Her greatest skill in life is knowing that she is an empowered creator.

A woman radiating her own power is ready to take action, the right action. Not out of stress, but out of purpose and intention.

She pays attention to what she already has, shows gratitude and uses her gifts instead of letting them gather dust. She doesn't sit around waiting for life to happen to her. SHE gets the fuck out there and SHE happens TO life.

That's when she's radiating her true full power!

She also knows she is capable of unlimited potential and creativity. She trusts that the Universe (God/Spirit -whatever you want to call it) has her back, but that doesn't make her...

It's back-to-school time and that means getting back into a routine, including meal planning. I have a love/hate relationship with meal planning. I love the benefits meal planning provides me, but I sometimes resent the work involved, it feels daunting. I mean, why can’t the meal fairy just show up every time it’s time to eat?

The truth is, once I start the process I’m so grateful I took the time to be prepared and it’s really not that hard once I get into a groove. Meal planning saves me so much time and energy. Even though I’m an intuitive cook who knows my way around the kitchen well, I still need a little help getting inspired and planning.

So, if you are on a mission to eat the healthiest foods possible so you can make sure you feel your best and have energy every day… BUT you can’t seem to figure out what on earth to make for dinner every night because you forgot to plan. Sound familiar?

Life’s just too busy, right?

Here’s...

Over the years, I've learned a hard but valuable lesson, and that is; it's harder to regain health than it is to keep it.  Maybe I should re-frame that, it's harder to be healthy in the first place. I know perhaps you may feel like you never were very healthy to begin with. I know I never knew how truly good my body could feel, until now.

I now believe my health is my most valuable and precious asset, and I no longer take it for granted. I am on a mission to help you love yourself enough to prioritize your health that way too.

Now that my perspective has shifted, I find it interesting that many of you take better care of your cars (or your house) than you do your own bodies. The thing is cars are machines and are replaceable, whereas your body is not, it's the only one you get to have.

I know for me, it was hard to really prioritize my own well being radically because I never saw it modeled to me. I believe that is largely in part due to how our culture lives and views health.

...

I'm a bit of an addict when it comes to getting out on a hike as often as I can. I love to move my body, because I feel so good when I do.  I also enjoy finding new trails close to me and changing them up as well.

Today we headed to Chestnut Hill and hiked the Forbidden Drive trail. The weather was a crisp 70 degrees and it seemed like the entire community also had the same idea as us.

Brett and I figured out a way to make our hikes a little more challenging when we are ready using some body weight movements (more in a future post). We also decided to bring cash and do a longer version of the trail next time and stop for lunch at the Valley restaurant.

If you live in the area, I highly recommend you plan a date to get to Wissahickon Valley Park  and trek over Pennsylvania's trail of the year; Forbidden Drive Trail. We only did a section of the trail and hiked about 5 miles total. There are side trails off the main trail as well so the possibilities are endless.

We only...