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.

I know there is so much confusion around what fertility even means, the cost of egg-freezing, who is eligible, when is best to freeze your eggs, what the process entails, etc. It can all be overwhelming enough to be like, “I’ll deal with this later.”

BUT! I hope this post + video shines some new light on the topic and makes you feel empowered to WANT to seek out your options sooner rather than later. Because this part is actually WAY more simple to do and far less confusing than you might expect— and timing is indeed a very important factor.

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...

You hear it's good for you, that you should do it to take care of your joints, so you don't get stiff, etc etc etc. This seemingly simplistic thing is actually far more complex than a simple sit and reach, and it doesn't help matters that every other trainer, instructor, and physical therapist is saying something different.

At the end of the day, every person has different needs, restrictions, and abilities, so this post is not to tell all the best stretch poses-- it's more about giving you the information you need to be able to strive for your goals more efficiently and safely. 

Here are 5 important things you might not know about stretching:

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...

Everyone's new years in full swing?

I've talked before about how I don't believe in New Years resolutions (here's what I do instead), particularly when it comes to health and fitness, but what I am not at all opposed to is kicking the new year off with some cute new workout gear.

Admit it: there's nothing quite like having a new outfit or workout gear that helps get your butt back in the gym after some time slacking off.  And I think we all could use a little extra kick in the butt to...

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.

Hey Santa,

Gift Guide #3 (check out #1 and #2) is here, I've been really good this year, and this fitness chick wants everything on this list for some extra holiday cheer!

Okay, I promise, I'm done with rhyming for the rest of this post😂 I carefully narrowed down my ultimate favorites for this gift guide, compiling all my must-have gym accessories to help you get the perfect gift for your fitness-loving gym-rat loved one.

In addition to nicer items like the fitness tracker, compact hairdryer, and the best yoga mat in the industry, I've also included stocking-stuffers that you normally might not think to gift, like the pampering facial wipes, washable tote, or athletic socks. But trust me, these are things everyone is thankful to have in their gym bags after a good sweat session!

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...

There's nothing worse than feeling healthy going into a trip, then arriving at your destination feeling like you got sick on the plane. Not only is that a good way to ruin a vacation or travel trip, but in some cases on work travel, you can’t afford to be sidelined at all. Whether it's too cold, too hot, or you're eating crummy airplane food, stiff from sitting for hours, nothing about flights do you any favors when it comes to staying healthy, honestly.

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:

A question I get frequently from newer clients and on social media especially, is HOW I manage to workout 6 days a week and lead a healthy lifestyle. Because it's the never-ending chase for most people, right? How to manage chasing a healthy lifestyle and a consistent...

As a trainer and nutrition coach, I frequently hear these inaccurate "facts" based in the worst antiquated weight-loss theory all the time: Calories in, Calories Out.

"Just eat less, move more and you'll lose weight."
"1200 calories a day and cardio at least 3x/week!"
"All my meals are...

It's taken me ten years of rollercoaster ups and downs to hell and back, and I'm sure I'll encounter more challenges in the road ahead of me when it comes to this, but after feeling prisoner in my own body for so long, I finally, finally feel free. Liberated, from the chains I allowed to be put on myself and from the chains I put on myself too. Maybe it is...

Happy Wellness Wednesday! This week's edition is all about nailing that morning routine, because let's face it, many of us can improve on this one. How many of you have thought this, first thing in the morning: