New year, new you; new years resolutions; most resolutions are broken by February; and here we are. We’ve all heard the same thing every single January but why should you actually stick to your goal’s of “getting healthy, looking better, and feeling better” this time around? 
 
Exercise releases positive endorphins, and positive endorphins make you feel better about yourself as well as increases energy.
 
Exercise itself increases energy, stamina as well as mental alertness.
 
Exercise makes you want to eat better in order to “perform” better, which in turn increases your overall health.
 
Exercise, whether it is indoors at a local gym/group classes, or outdoors at a park/ trail is a great way to engage with new people with positive life goals.
 
Exercise has been proven time and time again to decrease and even alleviate depression, anxiety, stress, negative self-esteem and cognitive function.
 
Exercise is a great way to...

Love going out in my backyard and picking all of my garden goodies!
But not all “gardens” are created equal...
Why go organic?
One word: toxins
Where do toxins come from?
-GMO‘s (genetically modified organisms)
-Preservatives
-Chemical Fertilizers
-Pesticides/DDT
-Herbicides
-Fungicides
-Insecticides
-Rodenticides
-Hormones in animal products
What’s so bad about toxins anyways?
Well they just don’t go away. A study done by the Center for Disease Control showed 99% of people tested had byproducts of DDT(DDE), banned 40 years ago, in their blood.
Long term damage from what’s been sprayed on our “healthy” food includes: birth defects, ADD/ADHD, reproductive issues, male infertility, nervous system damage, autoimmune issues, brain deterioration, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leukemia and even cancer. It also allows chemicals to become free radicals which poison our cells and wipes out our good gut bacteria needed for digestion as well as immunity!
All...

Did you know your gut is also called your second brain!?
In order to break down all of the important nutrients from our food, you know, the ones we need to keep our bodies in balance to better protect ourselves from the common cold, the flu, Alzheimer’s, dementia, and even cancer (yes even cancer!), we have got to get our guts right!

Want a little more energy? 1/3 of our daily energy goes towards digestion! Get that gut right!

My morning love your gut routine looks like this (yes before my ):
- 1 organic lemon (juiced)
-1 TBSP apple cider vinegar
-1 Scoop of an organic greens powder
-1 probiotic
-8oz warm water
-1 drop lemon essential oil
-pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt (beneficial for adrenals!)

Don’t believe me? Try it for 30 days and let’s talk ;)

Quote of the day:
”The man who earns a million but destroys his health in the process is not really a success.“ -Zig Ziglar

True story: I’m laying in bed at 1 AM wide awake.

True story I wrote the same story years ago…

2020 has been a tough year for us all, for me personally it started with losing a pageant I had poured my heart and soul into literally, physically, mentally, and emotionally.  Per usual I bounced right back And through my efforts into taking my business online developing this new website and my brand even deeper. And then Covid hit. So I threw myself into another pageant to distract me/numb the pain (I have realllly weird way of coping, well avoiding coping). Here in North Carolina gyms were shut down for six months after six months of trying to stay afloat I finally gave up. I meanwhile found out I was pregnant after years of trying (also knowing I can’t keep it going pregnant/as a new mom)
Fast forward to my 10 week ultrasound, all alone with the ultrasound tech (thanks Covid) in a cold, empty, sterile room hearing the words “ I’m sorry there is no...

Zinc supplementation has been a game changer for me specifically in improving gut health, boosting my immune system and helping to regulate hormones.

SIGNS OF ZINC DEFICIENCY
Lowered immune system
Loss of taste and/or smell
Digestive problems
Hair loss
Chronic fatigue
Poor concentration
Nervous system dysfunction
Hormonal imbalances
Low testosterone (in Men)
Change of appetite (increase or decrease)
Worsening memory
Infertility
Change in weight gain or loss
Slowed ability to heal
Aging skin
Poor muscle tone

BENEFITS OF ZINC:
Improved immune function
Boosted metabolism
Balancing health inflammation
Hair growth
Antioxidant benefits
Balances hormones
Helps regulate healthy blood sugar levels
Assists in digestion and gut function
Decreases loose stool (diarrhea)
Improves fertility
Increases testosterone & sperm count
Supports liver health
Boosts muscle tone

Ok, lets see if we can get through this as this blog has deleted more than once.... bah.... but as promised here are my “Keto conclusions” after thirty days on the ketogenic diet (high fat, very low carb, moderate protein) and around thirty days back on the carbs (lowered fat, higher protein compared to keto). Am I a fan? Well yes and no. For me no, not at all, however I have seen wonderful success from a ketogenic diet and if I or another loved one was diagnosed with cancer or epilepsy I sure as heck would give it a shot again.
I decided to give keto to fight off inflammation, increase energy and improve my mental clarity. No such luck for any of the above. Weight loss was not my main goal but I was looking forward to loosing the 2-3 pounds I put on over the holidays, no such luck there either. In fact I feel like I put on 2-3lbs (nothing major, not complaining, but still interesting). My first conclusion is the reason I didn’t seem to feel any better could be...

Sitting here in my massage chair, my new favorite spot with Bella Grace since Christmas.... I figured now was a good time to untangle my ketogenic diet conclusions (side note: ketogenic shows up as a misspelled word without any suggestions). As I mentioned, or at least I think I mentioned, I decided to drink the keto Kool-aid and see what this bacon and butter diet, that is supposedly curing inflammation, casing drastic weight loss, helping depression, curing migraines, fixing blood sugar issues, giving you more energy, repairing your cells even curing cancer and diabetics, blah, blah, blah is all about. Oh and in case you were wondering Wikipedia defines keto or the ketogenic diet as: "a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. Normally, the carbohydrates contained in food are converted into glucose, which is then transported around the body and is particularly important in ...

Hey y’all so I know I haven’t updated everyone in like forever (ok well I did but then the post got deleted... oops hitting that save button is quite important but It’s official! I finished up my integrative Health Practitioner training.
As an Integrative Health Practitioner I work with you one-on-one to find the underlying root cause of your body’s *dis-eased* state, remove toxicities and replace deficiencies through:
-Diet
-Exercise
-Stress
-Rest
-Toxins
-Emotions
-Supplements
-Success Mindset
In order to balance your body *whole-istically* through an integrative approach of: Orthomolecular medicine, Ayurvedic medicine, Functional Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Naturopathy, Bioregulatory Medicine and Eastern Philosophy.

If you are interested in working with me you are in the right place! Click on the get started page on the top of this site and it will take you to a health intake/application form!

Quote of the day:
”I will take care of me for you, if you...

I've been asked this question a lot; "can I still exercise while I am pregnant? The answer is yes! Within reason, Of course consult your doctor first! I highly advise working with a certified trainer with experience training through pregnancies.

-Avoid contact sports

-Monitor heart rate

-Make sure you stay hydrated

-Immediately stop if you feel faint or dizzy.

-Avoid lifting heavy weights (which increases intra-abdominal pressure. Excess intra-abdominal pressure can be a serious matter causing muscle injury or even early labor or bleeding)

-Avoid multi joint exercises. (Low-blood pressure during pregnancy and changes in the hormones which help lubricate your joints)

-During the last trimester:

-Avoid balance exercises (that baby belly will through off your center of balance)

-Avoid any exercises the require you to lie on your back (personally I avoid these during the entire pregnancy with my clients). 

Don't let this scare you off though! There are many reason to...