Everyone’s least favorite “holiday,” Daylight Savings Day is coming up on March 13th of this year, when we *spring* forward an hour and lose an hour of our day. To help offset that time change sleep deprivation, it’s ideal to prioritize your sleep in the days leading up to Daylight Savings Time– so here’s my little recipe for success on how to get that good rest ahead of the time change, so your body is well-supported!

Endometriosis symptoms, severity, and experiences vary WIDELY amongst those of us who have this disease, aka 1 out of 10 women. Here, I am sharing all that I have learned about Endometriosis, how Endometriosis is diagnosed, how to manage Endometriosis symptoms, and other resources that I have found along this process.

In the past when I’ve gotten asked about my supplement routine, I’ve hesitated sharing because my specific regime is specific to me— but the truth is, supplements can benefit everyone. It’s nearly impossible for most people to get all of their daily requirements of vitamins and minerals solely through food these days, so it’s important that we supplement our daily routines with those vitamins needed for our bodies to optimally function for our individual health needs. I’m sharing what supplements I currently take to support my health, and why!

Aside from the one time I used a tanning bed in high school (temporary insanity, otherwise known as peer pressure as a 15 year old girl), I’ve always been pretty aware of the importance of sun safety. My dad, a sun-worshipper, had a few cancerous moles removed, so I knew that sun safety was important.

But the problem was, I had (and still have) pretty temperamental skin with my hormonal acne. So it'd be pretty frustrating for me to wear sunscreen that made me break out or to reluctantly wear sunscreen without the cleanest ingredients in it. BUT before we dive into details about that, I wanted to share my tips on how to practice proper sun safety, and what to look for in a clean sunscreen:

Elderberry has become one of the cool kids on the block for its immunity-boosting benefits— but like many of the homeopathic health remedies that have become so popular in recent years, the European Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) has been used in syrups and juices for centuries for its powerful properties. Nowadays, you find them as syrups, in lozenges, gummies, and in foods.

I’m no stranger to health problems. 10 years of being a competitive athlete with countless sprains, concussions, broken things, and stitches, followed by facing a decade-long struggle with an eating disorder, a hip surgery, and an autoimmune disease diagnosis of Hashimoto’s and hormonal imbalances is a colorful collection, I’d say. As of last week, I’ve got a new, unexpected chapter to add to the list and one more pending epilogue— I found out I have adenomyosis, and as the cherry on top? I’m scheduled for a biopsy on Thursday for a lump found in my breast.

For a product that is now commonplace in the aisle of grocery stores and all over social media, there is an extreme lack of in-depth knowledge or education about what CBD is and its uses. After a lot of personal research, I’ve been using CBD in my life for about 4 years now for reasons spanning from my inflammation from my autoimmune disease, menstrual cramps, to anxiety and sleep. I wanted to answer all the questions I’ve been asked about CBD, why I use CBD, and what the best CBD is, for once and for all.

I'm sure my mother is going to be a little shocked somewhere because I'm about to say the word "period" and "menstrual" and "uterus / vagina" about a million times in this blog post, but that's exactly the point. To little fault of her own, but rather the societal culture around us (particularly in our generation), women's reproductive health and menstrual cycles were never something to be talked about openly without some sense of shame and an "ew gross" attitude around it. Because of these stigmas, I felt the same way and I failed to understand my cycle, my hormones, and my reproductive health in a real way until my mid-twenties.

Struggling with health is not a foreign concept to me. I've had countless sprains, breaks, stitches, 3 concussions, bad allergies, a hip surgery, and an eating disorder. But my Hashimoto's autoimmune disease and journey has been an entirely different animal to live with, for me personally. There are 26 million of you with autoimmune diseases out there, so it is no small crowd. I love the phrase, "autoimmune warrior," as the noun to describe us-- because that is exactly what we are. I'm sharing my story with you today in hopes that anyone who is struggling to find out what is wrong with them, struggling with a new diagnosis, or whatever, can feel a little less alone and a little more hope...

Happy hump day and first day of March, everyone! It's been awhile since I've done a Wellness Wednesday, and what's a better topic to jump back in with, than talking about how to get back on the fitness wagon?

I'm a big proponent of doing the little bits of effort everyday to stay on the wagon, because it is much easier to maintain being on the wagon than it is to get back on it. But sometimes life and shit happens and you go through phases. And suddenly, you find yourself on your butt, off the wagon. A basic principle of behavioral modification that my Precision Nutrition coaching taught me to teach my clients, is that you need to master a goal before you can add a...

'Tis the season for sniffles and a whole lot of germs! This back and forth weather is not doing us any favors either. I think nearly everyone knows someone who is sick right now (oh hey, me right now) in their office or amongst friends.

Which leads me to the topic today- this is probably one of my most frequently asked questions that I receive as a trainer: should you workout when you're sick?

Being sick is no fun. Aside from the obvious reasons of suffering through irritating symptoms, it's also the toll it has on your usual sleep, nutrition, and workout routine. Some people immediately head for the bed to stay immobile for a few days while they're sick, assuming all exercise must stop; then there are others who still go to their HIIT classes. Neither of which really does you much good.

So back to the question of if you should exercise when you're sick: The answer...

Before you start jumping down the rabbit hole of 0 to 60mph New Years resolutions, a juice cleanse/detox, or any type of “health reset” I want you to pause for a moment.

If you're in need of some bigger changes with your health that you've been scared or reluctant to start, ask yourself these 4 questions to help you roadmap your way to lasting success. But if you're generally pleased with where you are and just have a couple habits you'd like to improve upon or if you just want to start one little step at a time, I've got 8 easy hacks to kickstart your health.

Staying healthy during the holidays. Haha. Ha. Hahaha. 

I know, it might seem like a faraway dream or false reality, but I promise you can actually enjoy yourselves during the holidays AND stay on track with your nutrition without choking down a kale salad while wistfully looking at people devouring holiday treats. All it takes is 3 simple tricks in order to stay healthy throughout the holiday season...

I think most women and a good chunk of men have thought this at one point or another:

"I'm doing all the right things: mostly eating well and working out, but why does my fitness progress always seem to fluctuate and yo-yo?"

Have you or anyone else found themselves in a constant, never-ending state of "trying to cut those last few pounds?" It is so understandably frustrating to feel like you are constantly fighting an uphill battle, and never being satisfied for too long.

I've noticed...

How many of you guys feel like you're working really hard in the gym, but your progress is stalling? It can be extremely frustrating to put in the work and not reap the rewards you're supposed to be getting. What if you’re forgetting about the one really important thing here that could kickstart your progress again? Recovery is as important (if not more so) than working out and your time in the gym— here’s how to maximize recovery: