As we come to the end of the year when gift giving is popular, there is nothing kinder than making something special for family, friends and loved ones. It’s a double win because many products on the shelves today contain chemicals or harmful substances that our bodies are unfamiliar with
As we approach the winter season along with all the other happenings in the world, boosting immunity is important and accessible to everyone. In the lens of Traditional Chinese Medicine, qi (pronounced chi), assists the body in fighting off pathogens and building immunity. While many have heard and perhaps experienced
I'm not sure when it started, but I've had this lifelong situation that began small, I'm sure, and then grew! While I've encouraged it to become a friend, some days it is not. You may ask who or what this friend is. It's a little thing called perfectionism. It can
I’m a Leo and love the sun and the sea! There is something magical about the ocean breeze, the sand between my toes and the glistening sun on the ocean waves as they easily flow in and out in a rhythmic, calm manner. I imagine the seaweed beneath the water’s
The nervous system! What an amazing and complex superhighway within us all! While we may not think of what’s going on underneath the surface, this system delivers information to and throughout the brain and is composed of the brain, brainstem, cranial nerves, spinal nerves, spinal cord and the enteric nerves.
I had heard of oil pulling before starting naturopathy school but as we dove into the world of oral health, I became fascinated with incorporating ancestral methods into modern life. We learned about the history, how it promotes a clean mouth (which is the entry system to our gut) and
Red light therapy (RLT) is pretty amazing! Although it may seem like a new technology in recent years due to more mainstream articles, it’s not. I’ve been using it for a couple of years and have found it beneficial on many levels. Over 25 years ago astronauts discovered that red
Sleep...we all require it. While some say they don't need lots or they don't have time for it, I challenge them to reconsider. Sleep, quality sleep that is, is critical for optimal health. It allows the body to recover and repair, helps boost immunity as well as memory filing and
Our world has changed tremendously over the last seventy plus years with more toxins in our environment that I care to speak about. When I sat down to write this article, I was perplexed in where to begin. There are so many environmentally unfriendly exposures that many of us may
As I sit and write this blog, the rain is coming down. The rain absorbs into the plants and Earth and supplies its liquid goodness to the aquifers in the ground promoting life above. Earth is a water planet and our bodies are 70% water. We started our beginnings in
The skin is the largest organ in the body. Although many might not think of it as an organ, it accounts for ~15 percent of our body weight and it protects us. We may consider just the outer layer since that's what we see, but there are two main layers
I’ve dabbled in the energy meridian system for fifteen years. I’ve personally experienced acupuncture for much of those with great success. While I’ve learned about prana or qi/chi (energy) in yoga and have created class sequences to open those channels, it wasn’t until the last few years that I started
If you’ve decided to make some changes this year, but you have yet to start or your resolution is fizzling out after a couple weeks of going strong, you are not alone. Even when we have the best intentions, stubborn old habits, day-to-day responsibilities and unexpected life events can sometimes
Cinco de Mayo is a little over a week away, ole! Simply translated to the “fifth of May,” for most of us Cinco de Mayo doesn’t mean much more than a great excuse to have fun with friends while indulging in nachos, burritos and of course margaritas!
I love the world of science because it’s measurable and can be replicated. I’m also a strong believer in natural remedies because they have been documented for centuries and grow on our beautiful Mother Earth...you just have to know what you’re looking for. While I certainly appreciate pharmaceuticals and believe
As we wrap up an outstanding year at the RFC, we want to take a moment to celebrate a year of innovation and creativity and thank YOU for joining us to take care of your health and wellness and have LOTS of FUN along the way. Here’s just a few
If there’s one thing that we’ve learned from working from home, it’s the value of wellness. Not leaving our homes for work has collectively meant less steps (aka daily activity), easy access to the family fridge, and blurred lines between work and home life…and even the days for that
Did you know that 75-90% of visits to a health practitioner are related to stress? We all experience stress and not all stress is bad. Short-term stress helps us be motivated, but when it becomes chronic it can take a toll on our health and our quality of life. In
As we have changed the clocks to let the morning light shine a little earlier, we now have more darkness in the evening which, in my opinion, is better for the circadian rhythm. Our ancestors, when no electricity existed, rose with the sun and retired by the moon. In today’s
Have you heard of Thai Yoga? It often gets confused with Tai Chi, but Thai Yoga is a modality of healing that is an Ayurvedic (Ancient Indian Medicine) tradition. During the time of Buddha, monks went to Thailand to set up temples and practiced healing arts which consisted of a
We’re taught the rainbow has 7 primary colors - red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet - and in this occasional series, we’ve discussed the unique set of nutrients and health benefits each of these colors provide. But what about the other colors that exist in nature?
The spring is a time of rebirth and renewal. The birds are singing, plants are emerging from the ground and flowers are blooming in their brightness. For me, I feel better when I'm immersed in nature. What’s even better is bringing nature inside. In honor of Earth Month, I
Do you have a love-hate relationship with cookies, chocolate, potato chips, fill-in-the-blank? It’s important to know that there is nothing inherently wrong with you if you crave these foods. In fact, there’s plenty of science that explains why we reach for sweet, salty or savory foods over and over, but
The summer months are approaching rapidly and that might mean it's time to reassess and cement plans for warmer days, travel, and barbecues. This might include optimizing lifestyle habits and even hormonal health. Yes, that's right...hormonal health. It's often openly discussed in women's health but over the last several years,
Many of us feel stressed at times. We may have a large to-do list, varied personal or professional tasks and so on. While short-term stress serves a purpose to get things done, a sense of overwhelm is a red flag that we are reaching our emotional capacity. As we recognize
I can vividly remember the way flowers made me feel when I was a child. There was something magical about a plant that emerged from the ground, reaching for the light to finally bloom into pops of color. I feel the same way today and want to share what I've
I'm grinning as I type this post. I’m sitting in my office, sweaty from a run with a fan blowing in my face. Today, I have time to grab a shower later, but most days I don’t. I go from teaching to meeting with a client to covering our fitness
If you're like me, you hate all those pop-ups you get suggesting (or sometimes forcing) that you install an upgrade such as Windows, Java, browsers, phone apps, etc, etc. And quite often they don't convince you why you'd want to upgrade (will life be better?) ... they just tell you to
