My Body: Learning to Love it Exactly As It Is
The number of years I’ve spent hating my body is a sad testament to the times we live in. Practically from birth, we’re bombarded with messages that we’re supposed to…
How to Believe in Yourself: Crossing the finish line!
I recently completed my first-ever half-marathon! Going into this experience, my mind was filled with doubt and fear. My inner critic’s voice was loud and clear – it was hard…
My Weight Loss Battle and Why at Fifty is it Time to Step Up?
Please be aware that this article discusses bulimia. If you or someone you know struggles with an eating disorder, please call the National Eating Disorders Association Helpline: 1-800-931-2237, or text “NEDA”…
Strengthening and Protecting Your Bones at Any Age
Don't Take Your Bones For Granted I have to admit, I've taken the bones in my body for granted. Yes, I know that they support me and allow me to…
A Community Garden Fairy Tale
I wish I could afford to buy organic produce. Dealing with chronic fatigue and digestive issues while living in a trailer park and mothering a toddler and a four-year-old, I…
My Favorite Gluten Free Salad Recipes
Summer is a great time to enjoy a variety of salads. But unless you’re talking about a lettuce-based salad, it can be difficult to find great a gluten free salad.…
How Do We Prosper all of Our Interests?
Prosperity can mean material wealth as well as non-material benefits. When all of my interests prosper, life is expansive, balanced, and satisfying. What does it mean to prosper? The year…
7 Tips That Help You Make Self Care a Priority
How often do you make self care a priority? If you are the average person, probably not very often. In this chaotic, high tech, fast paced world we live in,…
7 Things People with an Invisible Illness Want You to Know
Having an invisible, chronic illness is difficult. Honestly, that’s putting it mildly. The truth is, it SUCKS. Being sick is hard enough, but when you have an invisible illness, it’s…
How My Meditation Practice Is Impacting and Changing My Life
Before I begin my journey into meditation, I will provide a definition and science-based information. Oxford’s Dictionary defines meditation: as the practice of focusing your mind in silence; as well…
Fiery girl
Living Authentically: Rising From The Ashes of Your Past
Because this is my first blog post with The We Spot, I wanted to introduce myself. But I’m not talking about your run-of-the-mill intro. I want to introduce myself in…
What the Heck is Intuitive Eating Anyway?
What the Heck is Intuitive Eating Anyway? As an Intuitive Eating Counselor and Coach, I get this question a lot. I’ve written a couple of other articles about Intuitive…
5 Reasons to Get Outside This Winter
Brrrr. It's cold and windy and miserable outside. Time to find a comfy couch, a cuddly blanket, a cup of warmth, and a remote control or book and stay inside…
Self Sabotage: How I Learned to Break the Cycles of Bad Habits
Self sabotage showed up big in 2020 for many of us. Food and alcohol and all the other things we tend to "over" do are quick easy soothers for hard…
Gluten Free Solutions to Holiday Meals: You Can Still Enjoy Thanksgiving
Enjoying holiday meals after a celiac or gluten intolerance diagnosis can be difficult. I know personally those first few years I just didn’t eat that much because I didn’t know…
How Body Neutrality Taught Me to Appreciate a Body I Don’t Like
Every body is different. And yet I know I'm not alone in having this image of how my body should look. For years I've worked to love my body. For…
Deleting Social Media: How it’s Improved my Mental Health and Productivity
I finally had had enough. I deleted social media from my phone. The mindless scrolling was taking a toll on my mental health and my productivity. We read all about…
Hate Cleaning? Find Relief in the Art of Slow Homemaking
Slow homemaking isn’t being lazy. It’s having the power to realize that you determine what needs to be done. The power to make your own space feel clean. It’s taking…
How Do I Find My Fun Me Again? 5 Ways to Bring Your Smile Back
This past year has been heavy. Ok let's be honest, for many of us, it has just plain sucked! The pandemic, social unrest, dehumanization, political division, virtual school, it has…
I’m not Super Woman, I’m Anxious. – Why I do all the Things all the Time.
I often have people tell me, “You are superwoman. I don’t know how you do it all.” The reality is, I am not superwoman, I'm anxious. The truth of it is…
Excuses are Overrated – You are the Solution to all Your Problems
Here’s the thing I am most frustrated about as of late. Excuses. Excuses are overrated. When we complain about everything on social media, posting the houses you wish you had instead…
Afraid to Talk About Masturbation? 7 of Your Self Pleasure Questions Answered
Masturbation. Even the word itself conjures up discomfort for many women. The guilt, fear and anxiety that surround masturbation in our society is astounding. Of course this makes sense. Growing…
There is Beauty in Giving! But Do You Have Limits?
I write a lot about how the beauty of giving is a gift itself, literally and figuratively. What about boundaries or cut-off points to your extended hand? If you do,…
Eat the Foods That Bless Your Body And Love Them: Recipes Included!
I Love Food! I am a foodie. Always have been, and always will be. I try not to let food determine my day, but I have been known to cry if…
Trisomy 18 Awareness Day: Sharing My Family’s Journey
March 18 was selected as Trisomy 18 Awareness Day because it is the 18th day of the third month. I'm sure this is a day you've never heard of. Just…
In Honor of My Beautifully Broken Brain: My TBI Journey
March is Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Month. My TBI story begins on a perfectly beautiful, bluebird-sky day in early February 2013. While driving my son's acting friends to their drama…
Why Try a Plant-Based Diet: Will it Help or Hurt Your Health?
What is a plant-based diet? A plant-based diet is meals planned specifically around foods that consist of plants and no animal products. Also, a plant-based diet is not the same…
My High-Risk Pregnancy & Journey with a Chromosome Abnormality
For women with a known chance of a high-risk pregnancy, finding out you’re expecting can be a terrifying experience. I am one of those women. It's difficult to share such…
A Day in the Life of a COVID Long Hauler
COVID has changed most of our lives in one way or another. It changed our world in what seemed as though overnight. I know that there has been so much…
Time to Prioritize Heart Health — What Survival Teaches Us
Every woman should treat heart health as an important part of living. Why? Because heart healthy living means you understand the risk and preventative measures of heart disease and coronary…
Detox and Recharge! Self Care Spa Recipes to Make at Home
The wintery days are upon on us, and we are very likely still somewhat limited in where we can go and what we can do, due to the pandemic. So,…
Does Brain Health and Physical Health Relate: Can the effects be reversed to live a healthier life?
Turning 40 recently has me thinking more about the status of my health. Also where I want it to be at this stage of my life. My interest in the…
New Year’s Resolutions: What 2020 Can Teach us About Goal Setting
Each year around half of Americans set a New Year's resolution. In contrast, less than 10% stick to it or remember the goal past February. However, I think most people…
Enjoy Your Holiday Food Without Guilt! Busting Myths and Answering Your Intuitive Eating FAQ’s
If you’ve been following me for even a short time, you probably know that I am passionate about Intuitive Eating. It is my absolute delight to help my clients free…
Black Mothers Matter: Addressing Deadly Healthcare Disparities
I believe that it is important to continually educate ourselves on the prevalence of racism that plagues our society. Recent events have created a new awareness surrounding the treatment of…
This is What 59 Looks Like: Redefining the Aging Process
Old Before My Time I thought I was old at thirty-nine. Through no fault of our own, my husband and I had suffered a devastating financial setback that left us…
My Meditation Journey: Sitting Still and Listening for the Answers
My first experience with mediation was in my 20s. I had recently begun attending a spiritually-based recovery program for my food and body issues, but I no longer connected to…
Three Ways to Overcome The Challenges of Being a Caregiver
Being a caregiver can be very challenging and sometimes difficult to overcome but it can be done. On January 31, 2017, the rest of mine and my mother's lives changed…
Sensitivity and Imagery: The Meaning and How They Impact You
Are you someone who is sensitive? If you are, do you sometimes ask yourself or just question, "Why am I so sensitive?" I have many times throughout my life, so…
Self Connection: 5 Tips to Knowing Who You Are
Self connection is an ongoing journey. As we change through the years each phase of life has its own effect on how we connect to ourselves. Sometimes we may not…
Chronic Pain is a Real Pain: Awareness, Coping, and How to Help
Chronic pain is maybe not the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the word pain. However, it’s the first thing that comes to mind when anyone…
Transformation Above the Neck: A Journey to Mindful Eating
Transformation. I can’t even tell you how many times in my life I have worked to change my form, my appearance. How can I alter, modify my body? What do…
Lessons I’ve learned From My Curly Hair: Wisdom for Navigating Life
Lessons I've learned from my curly hair. Where do I begin? Curly hair. Love it or hate it, it’s mine. There’s no escaping it. Since the moment my hair began…
Life With Adrenal Fatigue Syndrome: The Modern Day Stress Disorder
Life with adrenal fatigue syndrome means managing stress in a healthy way
Intuitive Eating: The Fear and Freedom of Giving up Dieting for Good
If my memory is correct, I was put on my first diet around the age of seven. Looking at pictures of myself back then, I see I may have been…
Five Mental Health Benefits to Growing Your Garden
Long ago, in a time far far away... My grandfather was an avid gardener. In the acre behind their home he had created a small oasis of vegetables and fruits in…
Three Unexpected Ways to Expand Your Life Through Stretching
I started out on my wellness journey in May 2018. As you can imagine, when I first started, there was an overwhelming amount of information given to me on how…
What my Failed Tampon Experience Taught me About Period Poverty
I stood there waiting for the airport terminal train, breathing slowly in and out, squeezing my legs together so tightly my muscles were shaking. I was trying to hold back…
Bonus Benefits of a Low-Carb Diet NOT Related to Weight Loss
The low-carb lifestyle may not be for everyone, but I encourage you to do some research and see if perhaps reducing your sugar and carbohydrate intake would improve your overall…
Leaving the Fitness Industry: What I Learned About my Body and Soul
After more than 15 years of working in the fitness industry, I recently walked away from teaching indoor cycling classes. Leaving the fitness industry was one of the most difficult,…
My love of all things natural: Embracing essential oils and their benefits
My love of all things natural. I was very young when my love of all things natural began. My parents were instrumental in this, although neither them or I knew…
An Intuitive Eating Introduction — And How It Can Change Your Life
There has been a lot of buzz in the media lately about intuitive eating. More people are waking up to the fact that the "wellness culture" so many Instagram influencers…
Healthy Ways to Boost Your Mind and Body Out of the Mid-Season Funk!
Ever feel like you need a little mid-season boost after the holidays? During the final quarter of the year, we are celebrating with lights and laughter, spending time with loved…
Sleep Deprivation: Affecting Your Daily Function, Relationship and Sex Life
What is it about you having a lousy night’s sleep that makes everyone else seem so awful? Sleep deprivation is no joke when it comes to having children and the…
Ditching Diets and Embracing Self-Acceptance Instead: The Healthiest I’ve Ever Been!
This year I’m turning 40 and I have one intention for the year: to be the healthiest I have ever been. I would venture to guess that when most people…
My first Zumba class!
I Hate Going to the Gym: 5 Tips For Making Working Out Fun
Finding Joy in Going to the Gym I have loathed going to the gym my entire adult life. I do not get that “high” that many people feel during and…
Step Up Your Winter Self Care with Ayurveda: What You Need to Know
Learn how to be well this winter with these five self-care tips from yoga's sister science, Ayurveda. Also includes basic Ayurceda and dosha types.
A Christmas Love Story: How A Dog Became My Greatest Gift Ever
All good love stories start the same way...a brain injury and cold noses. Get some hot cocoa and a snugly blanket and let me tell you all about the Christmas…
Soup’s On: Delicious and Easy Butternut Squash Recipe
As the wind whips around, red, orange, and yellow leaves swirl around into a frenzy. Large snow clouds roll in across the horizon, threatening to release white, fluffy flakes by…
Wake Up Girl: Your Body Size Doesn’t Define your Worth
"Dear Body, You were never a problem. There is nothing wrong with your size, your curves, your scars, your flaws, your stretch marks or you. It's not your job to…
5 Natural Ways to Manage PTSD- Simple Habits for Daily Life
How to manage PTSD in a healthy and constructive way can feel impossible. There are so many unknown things happening inside our brains that it seems daunting to try and DO anything about it. I hear you. I understand.
Middle Aging: What the Hell is Happening to Me?
The more wisdom and knowledge I gain by growing older, the more my physical body starts to get quirky. Just when I feel like I'm starting to really know and…
Three Ways to Deal with Rejection and Live a Healthy Life
No matter what form it comes in, rejection carries side effects that can throw us off track. Rejection can take away precious moments with loved ones, distract us from doing…
A Smoothie Love Affair: How Green Smoothies Changed my Life!
My Smoothie Love Affair I've been a lover of a good, wholesome smoothie for as long as I can remember. Well almost! It was 1998 when this love affair began,…
Be the Dog: Lessons I Learned from my Greyhound
Cat people vs. dog people I am not...strike that. I WAS not a dog person. It's been said that there are two kinds of people in this world...dog people and…
Confessions of a Yoga Teacher: The Honest Truth
Yoga teachers have it all together, right? Not me. Just because I teach yoga does not mean I have it all figured out. Far from it! I have been teaching…
Stop the Meal Plan Mayhem! 3 Ways to Make Meal Planning Do-able Even With a Busy Schedule
Raise your hand if you have a busy schedule and you find it challenging to get healthy meals on the table every night—especially ones your kids will actually eat! My…
Happy Gut, Happy Life: My Journey to Good Gut-Health
Gut Health? Gut-health. Is it just another ‘buzz-word’ or ‘fad’ that's recently hit the world stage? I put my ‘curious hat’ on when I first heard about it. I’ve always…
It’s a Hill of a Life- Lessons From my 450 Mile Bike Ride
I have a problem...I love an epic adventure. I love a new challenge...a physically-draining, heart-wrenching challenge where you have to dig down to the deepest bit of your soul to…
What’s Eating You? The Secret Affect Stress Can Have on Your Health
Stress. We all have it, in one form or another. Whether it's running around making sure our kiddos get where they need to be or cramming to meet that deadline,…
Family Fitness Outside: My Five Favorite and Easy Denver Area Hikes
Admittedly, I don’t do this enough with my own kids, but I am still a huge proponent of getting out into nature and experiencing our beautiful state of Colorado! And…