Category Archives: Self-Health Survival Guides

If you’ve ever had to deal with chronic headaches, you know what to expect when one hits. Opening your eyes, standing up, and even eating becomes virtually impossible. Headaches can be debilitating and last from a few hours to a few days. Boy, do I wish I’d discovered this headache tool way back when…but I’m […]

Back in the day, keeping track of your fitness progress was a pretty manual thing. Depending on how in-depth you wanted to go, it could involve using a basic pedometer, taking your pulse, keeping track of everything in notebooks and spreadsheets, etc., etc. All of it required your time. You had to measure your stride […]

For years now I’ve had a love/hate relationship with my morning cup of joe. While my senses love everything about the ritual of coffee, it can leave me with an upset stomach and/or feeling irritable. Not exactly the way I want to spend a good chunk of my day. So rather than coffee, I’m always […]

As an avid self-healther, I’m always checking out stories about health and nutrition online. Today I was struck by a couple of headlines that seem to indicate the powers-that-be are taking a step in the right direction when it comes to the health of the masses. So if you’re interested in taking a break from […]

With the beginning of the school year for our family, I’m reminded of the importance of simplifying our morning routine. Establishing some good morning habits can take a little time, but it’s well worth the effort. It’s a great way to get the kids off to school and the adults off to work with minimal […]

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 […]