Category Archives: Self-Health Survival Guides

The road to optimal health can seem daunting—and even impossible—depending on which fork in the proverbial road you’re at. Whether you’re losing that last ten pounds or trying to stave off a disease, getting down on yourself and giving up happens pretty regularly. If this sounds like you, baby steps could very well be the […]

Water, water, water. We’re all dehydrated and need more of it. That seems to be what I hear whenever I see one of our family’s holistic practitioners. I walk out kicking myself for not keeping up with this simple, healthy habit and vow that it won’t happen again. The thing is, I feel like I’m […]

School is about to start, and you’re getting ready to cross items off your child’s classroom supply list. If your kids brown bag it rather than reach for the plastic trays at lunch, don’t forget to add a new lunchbox to the list. Making sure you have everything you need when the school year begins […]

This is the time of year when I rarely feel like partaking in a hot meal. It’s almost like my body is whispering to my brain, Don’t cook…it isn’t necessary. I often give in. But we still need to eat, and our three boys don’t let us forget this fact. Ever. When Mother Nature turns […]

Our family has arrived safely in our new home. Our truckload of boxes arrived the following day. And now, other than hanging pictures on the wall and finding homes for a few things, we’re pretty settled. It’s hard to beat how that feels in these situations. Right? Time for the next list of decisions to […]

You can search any topic that pops into your head online. Type it in your browser and watch a plethora of links pop up. But before you start clicking away, digging deeper and deeper into the subject, ask yourself a question: how do you know which links will take you to credible resources? Of course, […]

Summer has officially started, and with it comes more and more outdoor activities. Whether that means sitting at a baseball tournament all weekend or weeding your garden for an entire afternoon, the sun will be at its peak—and getting too much of it can completely wipe out the health benefits of exposing yourself to its […]

My family has relocated a few times over the years, and now we’re in the midst of doing it again. Even though each of these moves was beneficial for us in many ways, they also brought a fair amount of stress. While stress can be a good thing, too much of it for too long […]

A recent trip back to Wisconsin reminded me how much farmland and pasture-roaming cows affect my psyche. I grew up on a dairy farm, so these sights simply feel like home, and they bring a certain calm to me. I want to breathe as deep as possible and go for a walk across the ridge […]

I hit the snooze button this morning. I’m not proud of it, but I had a later night than usual because of our son’s choir concert, and the thought of getting up at that moment seemed impossible. If I’m being honest here, I’ve become a snooze button hitter lately—and now something I’d never felt the […]

Push ups work your whole body—that is, when you do them properly and without modification. A well-executed push up uses the muscles in both your upper and lower body and engages your core. It’s an “old school” exercise that means business, and since it doesn’t require any special equipment, you can “drop and give me […]

A favorite neighbor mentioned to me the other day that she’s bored with exercising on her own. Half an hour in, and she’s ready to walk away. This surprised me because she’s a very fit momma with two young kids. I always assumed this level of physical fitness was achieved by health nuts who exercised […]

With the school year winding down, the number of standardized testing days seems to be never-ending. And when our kids are taking tests, they aren’t moving their bodies. Rather, they’re sitting in front of a screen, plugging away at the questions in front of them—sometimes for hours on end. What effect does this have on […]

My hair has gone through all sorts of ups and downs over the years—and I’m not just talking about its varying lengths every time I leave the salon. No, what I’m referring to is the overall health of my hair. From thick and shiny to frizzy and lackluster, our hair weaves a tale about our […]

My tonsils were removed when I was in kindergarten, so I never had to put much thought into what my life would be like if I still had them. But after a recent “wee hours of the morning” visit to the ER with my hubby, Al, and his peritonsillar abscess, I became curious. What exactly […]

The high-intensity interval training (HIIT) I committed to awhile back was great. It offered up some variety to the workout routine I’d been using, and I didn’t need to carve out another big chunk of time in my day to make it happen. I also noticed a change in my physique—enough changes to keep me […]