Showing posts from June, 2017

Her newborn kept getting sick because she was ingesting placenta, CDC says

The baby was born healthy and without complication in September, but then its health began to deteriorate rapidly. Doctors — scrambling to uncover the cause of the infant's respiratory distress — transferred the baby to the neonatal intensive care unit and began a series of tests, according to a report released this week by the Centers for […]

Related:
Fresh polls find Republicans’ health-care proposal is still a clunker
A heart transplant gave her another chance to live. Hours after giving birth, she died.
One politician’s solution to the overdose problem: Let addicts die

Fresh polls find Republicans’ health-care proposal is still a clunker

A slew of new national surveys completed during the past week shed light on how voters are reacting to Republicans’ bills to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. The surveys show opposition continues to outpace support by a wide margin, with tepid support among Republicans and overwhelming opposition among Democrats. Comparing polls, there is […]

Related:
A heart transplant gave her another chance to live. Hours after giving birth, she died.
One politician’s solution to the overdose problem: Let addicts die
The U.S. fertility rate just hit a historic low. Why some demographers are freaking out.

A heart transplant gave her another chance to live. Hours after giving birth, she died.

Not long after Megan Johnson gave birth, her husband posted a picture on social media, welcoming their daughter into the world. Years earlier, Johnson had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure and given a new heart and another chance to live. Her husband, Nathan, announced early Tuesday on Instagram that “her heart worked perfectly” during the […]

Related:
One politician’s solution to the overdose problem: Let addicts die
The U.S. fertility rate just hit a historic low. Why some demographers are freaking out.
President Trump wants you to know he actually does care about HIV/AIDS

The U.S. fertility rate just hit a historic low. Why some demographers are freaking out.

The United States is in the midst of what some worry is a baby crisis. The number of women giving birth has been declining for years and just hit a historic low. If the trend continues — and experts disagree on whether it will — the country could face economic and cultural turmoil. According to provisional […]

Related:
President Trump wants you to know he actually does care about HIV/AIDS
A mother’s response to the health-care debate: Her 3-year-old son’s $231,000 hospital bill
John Oliver blasts Trump as a ‘human megaphone’ for the anti-vaccine movement

my blogging journey & tips for getting started with YOURS!

hi my angels!

writing to you from the beautiful, magical, sun-soaked island of MAUI in hawaii! i am currently sitting on my balcony, cross-legged (duh), overlooking the ocean, listening to the rolling waves crash into the shore, and spying down on my cute parents, sister, and niece chillin’ by the pool while i chug kombucha and type out this post.

( fun fact: i have been told that i have an unusually loud typing-noise, and i think it’s because i type like an absolute maniac. my fingers move PSYCHOTICALLY fast, not as fast as my brain, but i have had a lot of practice over the years so it can sound pretty wild… lol. just thought of this because i was just in ojai with some of my best girlfriends + this came up a LOT! )

i have so much i want to share with you about ojai, my insanely amazing spiritual experience with energy alchemy while i was there, maui so far, and more, BUT today is somethin’ special and i want to get right to it.

( i’m working on posts about everything else that will be live while i am here in hawaii! )

my blogging journey!

so i recorded a solo podcast episode before i left town the other day, which you can listen to here.

it is all about my blogging journey…

including the details of how i stumbled into even starting a blog / instagram, what my life in New York looked like when i first started blogging (while in grad school!), the first product i developed, the second/third/fourth products i developed and how they worked / didn’t work (because trust me, some did NOT!), WHY i decided to start blogging full-time, some deets of my eating disorder (i mean, it was happening at the same time so…. couldn’t avoid talking about it! #OPENBOOK), what i’ve learned, how to prevent burnout, etc.

it was a really fun episode to record because sometimes it can be so nice to just talk directly into the microphone and share with you guys in that way. there are no other energies to balance (as much as i love / adore / am obsessed with my guests) and i can just SHARE. from the heart & soul. one of you awesome humans told me it was like having a long, deep chat together. and that is ALL i want, so that made me very happy.

sharing my blogging journey with you guys and hearing HOW MANY OF YOU are into starting your own blog, have started blogs and are thinking about diving in full-time or more seriously, or have an idea for another creative business really got me thinking.

i want to provide really tangible, helpful info for those of you who are diving into this awesome industry. so i will definitely be doing a lot more podcasts on the topic (woo!) and can’t wait to share more on that front.

huge tip below, one of the juiciest & biggest and i don’t talk about it that often so let’s dive into it!

let’s talk about MENTORS!

i have a lot of mentors. i am really lucky, as you’ll learn in the podcast episode, because i am surrounded by successful, driven individuals from my BFF / business guru brandin, to my boyfriend / business guru / teacher extraordinaire jonathan, to my entrepreneurial & extremelyly business-savvy dad (in fact, all he wants to ever talk about is business lol), to my longtime idol & spiritualality-meets-branding mentor gabby bernstein, to my agents and managers, to BOOKS (so avail to all of us), and so much more.

i believe that having a valuable, trustworthy, confident mentor is one of the most tangible and realistic steps that you can take when it comes to formulating ideas and a plan for your new business. it also makes things more FUN, because you have someone to bounce ideas off of (or a whole community, depending on whether your mentor has a community or social presence to join in on!!) and someone to learn from.

in many cases, having a mentor helps prevent some of the errors in the inevitable trial & error process of starting a business. not all, because they ARE inevitable and you’ll want them because you’ll learn from them — but the big no-no’s that could crash and burn your excitement and your ideas are the ones they’ll help you avoid.

AN OFFER, for those who are ready to take the next step with their business + ideas!

one of my top mentors, the beautiful and beyond successful & abundant gabby bernstein, offers an annual Spirit Junkie Masterclass Digital Course that can be done in the comfort of your own home & will legit rock your world.

if you’ve been reading along lately, then you know i’ve mentioned it a lot, but TOMORROW is the final day to sign up. so really, i’d do it today. (who has time to fret about doing it at the very, very, very last sec?)

it’s rockstars like GB who have paved the way for so many of us wellness-obsessed entrepeneurs to create businesses off of the things we love most!

gabby’s masterclass signup link is open for ONE more day, and you can sign up here!

there are a lot of things that set this course apart from so, so many other business + spirituality courses out there that are similar.

in general, i don’t promote business courses. i had a few bad experiences and i even had a bad-ish experience in grad school (#gradschooldropout), so if i’m going to tell you about something it’s going to be because it’s different, BETTER, more practical, and more spiritually aligned with my mission (and hopefully yours too!).

a huge thing that makes gabby’s course different is that there is LIIIIVE energy within the course!! although it’s all online, it has been filmed in ultra-crisp HD video and audio beforehand with the super fun, electric energy of a LIVE crowd because that’s how she filmed the entire thing with her amazing rockstar guests! you’ll feel like you’re right in the room, with the best seat in the house.

it’s truly one of a kind. she is goals.

by the way you’ll also have lifetime access, so if you’re like me and you’re terribly fearful to commit to something big like this for fear that “it’s not the right time, i already have SO MUCH GOING ON!!” then you don’t have to worry about that. the course will be available to you at ANY time throughout the year. but you can only sign up now!

more amazing deets:

gabby, like me, believes that the fastest path to business success starts with enriching your spiritual practice. in my opinion and in my experience, you really truly cannot create something meaningful & huge & abundant without first having that deep, authentic, spiritual relationship with yourself.

and I’m not talking about religion. i’m talking KNOW YOSELF! meditation! yoga! journaling! DEEP. DIVE. discover what it is that makes your heart beat a little faster, and go after it.

throughout the course you’ll learn techniques and methods that will help you tune in to your inner wisdom and really hear what’s calling you. we all have access to that, but so many of us are shut off to it.

this course is about SO much more than just getting stellar business training — it’s also about creating the kind of spiritual experience that allows you to embrace your purpose and take action with conviction and confidence you’ve never felt before.

you don’t need any pre-requisites or a pre-existing business, and it’s totally cool if you do or don’t! the only, only, only requirement is your willingness to grow and serve.

boom! yes! do ittttt. signup is here, and it’s available until tomorrow, june 29th, and 6pm EST.

that is my TOP tip for creating the business + life of your dreams. to commit to something bigger than yourself. learn firsthand from someone as knowledgeable and incredibly successful as gabby B (new york times best-selling author and so much more!).

my other top tips for starting a blog & growing a business…

+ stick to what you’re passionate about // if you’re going to create a blog, make sure it is relevant to a topic you could talk ENDLESSLY about! you never know what this might turn into for you and you don’t want to set yourself up to get burnt out or to run out of ideas.

+ join a passionate community of likeminded individuals! // this could be anything from a Facebook group (the soul on fire podcast tribe on FB is on FLEEK, just sayin!), a fitness or wellness community or studio in your area, a blogging network online, a newsletter where you can chat with other people who are on a similar path as you, or even make friends on instagram!

+ engage with others, support, and don’t compare yourself // i think what really sets successful bloggers apart is the non-competetive and non-comparison factor. there is room for all of us. there are billions of people on the internet. support your fellow bloggers and they will do the same in return!! engage authentically with their posts and content. and don’t get too wrapped up in what they’re doing and/or try to imitate, you do YOU and that’s all you need to focus on!

+ MORE !! listen to the pod episode to dive deeper with me, and head to my GABBY landing page for full info on the spirit junkie masterclass and to join this journey of a lifetime while it’s still available!

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A council member's solution to his Ohio town's overdose problem: Let addicts die

Under a plan by an city council member in Ohio, people who dial 911 seeking help for someone who's overdosing on opioids may start hearing something new from dispatchers: “No.” In response to the opioid epidemic that swept the nation — including the small city of Middletown, population 50,000 — Council member Dan Picard has floated an idea that has been […]

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President Trump wants you to know he actually does care about HIV/AIDS
A mother’s response to the health-care debate: Her 3-year-old son’s $231,000 hospital bill
John Oliver blasts Trump as a ‘human megaphone’ for the anti-vaccine movement

President Trump wants you to know he actually does care about HIV/AIDS

The White House has issued an earnest statement attributed to President Trump about HIV/AIDS in America. It is technically accurate, apolitical and strikes just the right notes in terms of being somber and optimistic at the same time. There's nothing exciting about the content of the four-paragraph statement. It simply reminds people that today is National HIV […]

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Teenagers are as sedentary as 60-year-olds by age 19
Senate GOP bill would gut critical public health funding this fall
Our gut talks and sometimes argues with our brain. Now we know how.

A mother’s response to the health-care debate: Her 3-year-old son’s $231,000 hospital bill

Alison Chandra's unborn son faced daunting odds of making it to his first birthday. And keeping him alive meant risky, expensive surgeries that their small family couldn't afford. Still, Chandra admits, she felt a bit of shame as she walked into the welfare office. “I remember sitting across the desk from the woman in the office,” […]

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John Oliver blasts Trump as a ‘human megaphone’ for the anti-vaccine movement
Teenagers are as sedentary as 60-year-olds by age 19
A doctor prescribed so many painkillers, she’s been charged with murdering her patients, authorities say

John Oliver dubs Trump a ‘human megaphone’ for the anti-vaccine movement

Late-night host John Oliver took on anti-vaxxers over the weekend and made a passionate case for immunizations. “Despite their success, small groups are both skeptical and vocal about vaccines, which is nothing new,” he said Sunday on “Last Week Tonight.” “But these days their voice has been amplified by the human megaphone that is the president […]

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Teenagers are as sedentary as 60-year-olds by age 19
A doctor prescribed so many painkillers, she’s been charged with murdering her patients, authorities say
Senate GOP bill would gut critical public health funding this fall

Teenagers are as sedentary as 60-year-olds by age 19

The adolescent years are when people's bodies are supposed to start the ascent to their physical peak. Teenagers are growing like beanstalks. Their hormones are raging. They're eager for new experiences. By all accounts, this should be among the most active periods in a person's lifetime. Except it turns out it's not. In an eye-opening study […]

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Senate GOP bill would gut critical public health funding this fall
Our gut talks and sometimes argues with our brain. Now we know how.
More U.S. counties are finding mosquitoes that can spread Zika

A doctor prescribed so many painkillers, she’s been charged with murdering her patients, authorities say

On Nov. 21, 2012, Sheila Bartels walked out of the Sunshine Medical Center in Oklahoma with a prescription for a "horrifyingly excessive" cocktail of drugs capable of killing her several times over. A short time later, she was at a pharmacy, receiving what drug addicts call “the holy trinity” of prescription drugs: the powerful painkiller Hydrocodone, the anti-anxiety medication […]

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Senate GOP bill would gut critical public health funding this fall
Our gut talks and sometimes argues with our brain. Now we know how.
Not quite half of American teens have had sex by 18. That’s actually low.

Fitbit eyes sleep apnea space for next digital innovation | MobiHealthNews

Sleep apnea is not a benign problem. People who are overweight, loud snorers and even normal people can be at high risk of sleep apnea.

Sleep apnea is correlated with higher risks of hypertension, stroke, and sudden death. Sleep apnea causes poor sleep, chronic fatigue by interrupting normal REM sleep.

Normally most patients are referred to specialty sleep labs for testing. This entails an overnight stay where blood oxygen saturation levels, movement, and respirations are measured. The recordings are reviewed by a physician.

If sleep apnea is diagnosed a CPAP device may be recommended while sleeping.

Fitbit has made increasingly targeted moves to wedge itself deeper into the healthcare ecosystem. No longer able to rely on the consumer market alone to stay financially healthy, the company has continually upped the ante to prime itself as a digital health company in its own right.

There have been many efforts as of late, including developing more sophisticated wearables to enable tracking of more varied biometric data, participating in a large amount of clinical research, making itself a regular fixture in many corporate wellness programs and merging their digital health and enterprise health sectors into one. And now, as CNBC reports, the company is working to make itself a part of the booming “sleep tech” market by developing tools to help diagnose and monitor sleep apnea, a common condition that is marked by shallow breathing and pauses in respiration during sleep.

While it isn’t yet known exactly what form that will take, Fitbit already has much of the technological capabilities to start building such a device. Conor Heneghan, the company’s lead research scientist told CNBC they are exploring the use of heart rate monitoring and optical technologies to track changes in oxygen levels. By shining a light into the skin, the technology can detect the difference between highly oxygenated red blood and that which is more blue due to less oxygen saturation. If the levels fluctuate during the night, it could indicate sleep apnea.

"We'd perform a useful public service by alerting users to the fact that they have a problem," Heneghan told CNBC.

It’s obvious why Fitbit, which has suffered declines in sales and products shipped in the last few quarters, would want to get into sleep tech. The space has been heating up for the last year, and it was decreed the hottest topic at CES 2017. Even Apple is betting on it, with the acquisition of Beddit in May. The market for sleep apnea is expected to hit $6.7 billion in the next four years, and many digital health companies such as ResMed have enjoyed considerable success with their connected, medical-grade devices to diagnose and treat the condition.

It’s also unknown whether Fitbit would seek to develop a diagnostic device, one that works as a prompt to get people to seek medical attention. Additionally, they could be working on something that monitors treatment adherence and effectiveness, and any such device would require different regulatory pathways.

Heneghan told CNBC Fitbit is currently working with sleep labs to learn how prototypes to detect sleep apnea are performing. If they can develop a device that stands up to accuracy standards of existing sleep apnea-detecting tests and devices (digital or otherwise), the company expects to bring a product to market within a year.

It may be some time until this device is on the market. It will require FDA approval as a medical device.

Fitbit eyes sleep apnea space for next digital innovation | MobiHealthNews

Senate GOP bill would gut critical public health funding this fall

The health-care bill that Senate Republicans released Thursday would eliminate critical funds for core public health programs that make up about 12 percent of the budget for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The money supports programs to prevent bioterrorism and disease outbreaks, as well as to provide immunizations and screenings for cancer and heart […]

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Why a single gunshot to Steve Scalise’s hip can be a life-threatening injury

Our gut talks and sometimes argues with our brain. Now we know how.

Scientists finally have a better idea why certain meals send you running for the bathroom. The discovery provides insight into the connection between your gut and brain and may point toward new therapies for intestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome. The team behind this is led by Holly Ingraham and David Julius of the University […]

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Not quite half of American teens have had sex by 18. That’s actually low.
Their daughter died of a ‘brain-eating amoeba.’ A year later, they are suing for $1 million.
More U.S. counties are finding mosquitoes that can spread Zika

Not quite half of American teens have had sex by 18. That's actually low.

American teens may be becoming more conservative about sex. According to a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report reflecting data from 2011 to 2015, about 42 percent of girls and about 44 percent of boys ages 15-19 reported that they'd had sex. Both numbers continue a gradual decades-long decline: In 1988, 51 percent […]

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Their daughter died of a ‘brain-eating amoeba.’ A year later, they are suing for $1 million.
More U.S. counties are finding mosquitoes that can spread Zika
U2’s The Edge talks up food as an anti-cancer weapon

Their daughter died from a ‘brain-eating amoeba.’ A year later, they are suing for $1 million.

Soon after graduating high school in 2016, Lauren Seitz joined her Westville youth music ministry group to sing at churches and nursing homes around Ohio, West Virginia and North Carolina. The 8-day trip included a white-water rafting experience in North Carolina that would prove deadly. Colin Evans told WBNS he shared a raft with Seitz that day at the U.S. […]

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More U.S. counties are finding mosquitoes that can spread Zika
U2’s The Edge talks up food as an anti-cancer weapon
What an autopsy could tell us about Otto Warmbier’s death

U2's The Edge talks up food as an anti-cancer weapon

The lead guitarist of U2, the popular rock band playing at FedEx Field Tuesday night, has more on his mind than music. In 2006, The Edge's 7-year-old daughter was diagnosed with leukemia, something that he says sent him “into a complete tailspin.” Sian recovered and is now 19. The experience heightened the legendary musician's interest […]

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Teenagers’ tobacco use hits a record low, with a sharp drop in e-cigarettes
UNC oncologist and researcher named head of the National Cancer Institute
Cancer drug prices are so high that doctors will test cutting doses

More U.S. counties are finding Zika-carrying mosquitoes

With the summer mosquito season in full swing in many U.S. states, a new report shows a significant increase in counties across the South that have reported mosquitoes capable of spreading Zika and related viruses. Two types of mosquitoes are the primary transmitters of Zika, dengue, yellow fever and chikungunya viruses. Based on updated data […]

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200 scientists call for new restrictions on antimicrobial chemicals in personal-care products
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Environmental watchdog group warns of lead in baby food

What an autopsy could tell us about Otto Warmbier’s death

Otto Warmbier's death and the events in North Korea that led up to it remain a mystery. North Korean officials said that during his 17 months in detention for “hostile acts against the state,” Warmbier had contracted botulism, was given a sleeping pill and never woke up. Last week, after nearly a year and a half […]

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200 scientists call for new restrictions on antimicrobial chemicals in personal-care products
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In just one year, nearly 1.3 million Americans needed hospital care for opioid-related issues

The coast-to-coast opioid epidemic is swamping hospitals, with government data published Tuesday showing 1.27 million emergency room visits or inpatient stays for opioid-related issues in a single year. The 2014 numbers, the latest available for every state and the District of Columbia, reflect a 64 percent increase for inpatient care and a 99 percent jump […]

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More than half of adults misuse medications, study finds

200 scientists call for new restrictions on antimicrobial chemicals in personal-care products

The Food and Drug Administration took the bold step late last year of banning 19 chemicals in hand and body soap because of questions about their benefits and concerns about their impact on human health and the environment. What many consumers don't know is that these ingredients are still commonly used in other personal-care products. On […]

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an update on the TBB food + gut health journey A.K.A. the ever-evolving saga & my new experiment

STORY TIME.

one day very recently i woke up and i was sick of being controlled by food.

and maybe you think i’m talking about three years ago when i transitioned away from veganism and took control of my eating disorder (orthorexia) by letting go of the labels and learning to eat intuitively and bountifully.

or mayyyyybe you think i’m talking about my health journey post-veganism with the long road of dedication to balancing my hormones and trying to treat and cure various parasites, imbalances, gut issues and infections through functional medicine, ayurveda, acupuncture, restorative yoga, all sorts of diet changes and lifestyle adjustments, supplements, probiotics, alternative treatments and therapies, and the thousands of other things i’ve dabbled in.

(for the record, i still love & do/use all of those things.)

if i were you, i’d think i was talking about one or both of the above too.

but the truth is, i am talking about something far more recent. i am talking about a shift that is taking place in me RIGHT NOW, even after all this time.

well, after a whole lifetime really of stomach problems.

i have considered myself mostly recovered from full-blown orthorexia for a while now. i feel very grateful that my brain tends to work in the way that once i realize something and become intensely aware of it — i can begin to let go, work on it and move forward.

after i started introducing more foods into my life post-veganism i struggled a lot, but my orthorexia shifted into something else. it shifted back into what it was pre-veganism for me — which was a general discomfort about & around food because for my entire life, food has made me feel rather shitty.

so even though that’s not nearly the same as the depths of my former orthorexia, it has been similarly difficult albeit way more manageable and balanced.

i have an insanely sensitive stomach. trust me, it’s textbook undiagnosable

i have spent two full decades and then some wishing that i had an answer that came in the form of a diagnosis so that i could treat it and live comfortably without food fears, anxiety about what i am putting into my body, major stomach pain and bloating, IBS, hormone imbalances (post-eating disorder… newer problem), lethargy after eating, indigestion and constipation, acid reflux, etc.

in the realm of all things gut-problems… you name it, i’ve experienced it.

so as much as i have recovered from the eating disorder i once seriously suffered from, i have still had a lot of trouble with food for the last three years. just want to keep it real with you guys. mentally, i’m GOOD. physiologically, my gut issues are a beast of their own.

i keep it to myself most of the time because who wants to be “THAT girl” who still has all of those food intolerances, can barely touch what her friends / family make her or want her to try, avoids alcohol 99.9% of the time because it makes her feel hungover for an unusually extended period of time, and on top of all of that… now people worry that i still have an eating disorder if i express too much concern about ingredients or meal times or alcohol or what have you.

so i really don’t want to go too into depth about all of the above (even though i sooooo could) because this is NOT a “woe is me” post about my stomach problems. at all. been there, done that.

this is about the revelation i recently had that i really think is going to help me, a lot. and hopefully it will help you too!

so let’s talk about that revelation…

it pretty much started while i was having a super open heart-to-heart convo (the best kind) with my dear assistant + friend christina while at the GOOP health summit last weekend. (so yes, gwyneth was indeed just a few seats down from us while this convo took place. important #sidenote.)

we have BOTH (christina and myself) experienced straight up turmoil with our stomachs over the years. it’s just a hard way to live — and i know a lot of you have been here and know exactly what i am talking about. (although i do understand and know things could be way worse!)

i was expressing to christina how sick i am of feeling this way — of trying so hard to do what feels right for my body, only to have my body backfire on me and feel inflamed to the bone with total rejection of what i’m eating / drinking / fueling myself with.

she gave me a ton of good insight that i won’t even go into at this exact moment… but her words inspired me to take a deeper look at my approach.

she reminded me that as far as setting myself up to feel good, my lifestyle is on POINT. i make all of the self-care choices my heart desires, i live an unapologetically wellness-oriented life full of yoga, healthy food, positive friendships and relationships, and even a wellness-focused career.

my exercise and sleep are pretty darn good too. it’s just that food component. that one tricky thing that always sneaks up on me no matter how hard i try to avoid that happening.

for the last several months i have tried to follow the “wait 4-6 hours between meals, intermittent fasting, bulletproof in the morning” type of dietary structure for the most part. i have NOT been crazy rigid with it because as we know that doesn’t work for me — but eating that way made me feel good for a long while so i stuck with it.

then i started feeling not so bueno again. just really imbalanced and not good. my skin is always a good indicator of how my gut health is doing — and for the last two months, my skin has been inflamed and breaking out like a mofo.

so now i am trying a new approach.

i realized i got really attached to the way i’ve been eating for the last year or so because in the beginning, it was working. just like veganism!

but i truly believe, time and time again, that doing the same thing every day and expecting my body to want/need the SAME type of fuel each day just doesn’t work for me.

so now i am focusing on something a bit different.

it doesn’t have a name, or a label, or a cult following, and it’s not the answer to everyone’s gut health problems – but i have a feeling it might be the answer (or part of the answer) to mine.

my hormones are out of whack. i know this because i am a highly sensitive person and i KNOW what’s going on in my body even if i can’t pinpoint why or what exactly is going on (if i could, i think i’d be a medical medium, so i wish i could!!!).

but i do know generally what’s going on. and it ain’t pretty.

so instead of skipping breakfast every day for bulletproof coffee and living that intermittent fasting life, i am going to focus on really nourishing my body from the inside out. i am going to make it my mission to LISTEN to my body… eat when I’m hungry, and eat three square meals a day to balance out my hormones and let my body know and trust that nutrients will be coming in at normal times of day.

( nothing against bulletproof, i will still be having it when i feel like it!!! it’s PART of my lifestyle, but it doesn’t have to be the end-all be-all everyday go-to. )

maybe some days that will mean i wake up and I’m not hungry for a few hours. i will listen to my bod and won’t force anything. other days that might mean more snacks and eating smaller meals than usual, which is also cool.

i remember a brief window of time a few years ago — between starting to eat plant-based and becoming a full-blown food-eliminator… when i felt really normal. my gut health was at bay, and my hormones were nice and balanced. what i did back then was LISTEN TO MY BODY, cook almost all of my meals at home, focus on healthy, whole, real foods from the earth, eat smaller meals more often (so i was never overly full or overly hungry), and trust my intuition about what would / wouldn’t feel good.

i had no dependency on things back then like coffee and dark chocolate and kombucha and coconut butter and certain other things that these days i feel freakishly addicted to because i know things are just off inside of me.

for a brief little period of time in my life, things were REAAAAL good with my stomach. just normal.

and i want to get back to that. i know that for ME (and i keep specifying this because we are allllll different and i just simply have no idea if this is good for YOU or not) never getting TOO hungry or TOO full is also a key.

eating smaller meals throughout the day. not letting my stomach get inflamed and bloated from eating just two main meals a day, full of variety and nutrients during those times only.

more of a balanced, spread out approach.

i also really resonate with the ayurvedic approach to eating, which is also rooted in ancient indian cultures. in that culture and approach, keeping it SIMPLE is the way to go. not a ton of wild sauces, superfoods, over the top ingredients (even when they’re healthy), and not a ton of mixing foods together.

keeping it simple — two to three things at once. protein and rice, beans and quinoa, chia pudding by itself and not buried in toppings, fruit by itself and not slathered in nut butter… you feel me.

not always the most exciting, especially for a foodie like me, but it IS exciting to feel good in your own body.

with minimal caffeine ( not cutting it out entirely, because that ish does make me feel good! i can use it like medicine, as we do in ayurveda, if i don’t rely on it fully ), minimal to no sugar because it just doesn’t work for me, and a few other things i won’t go into detail about because – again – we are all diff and i don’t want you to feel like my plan is YOUR plan.

this is just my own personal experiment, and i’m crossing my fingers it really starts to do good things for me.

i will say, for the last week… i’ve been doing this and i have been feeling good. my friend laura hadn’t seen me in weeks, and she told me yesterday that i am looking so BALANCED and GOOD and HEALTHY… which i took as a huger than life compliment. because i am trying, and that is all that i want – to feel good and to radiate that outward.

i am also reincorporating running and HIIT into my life after being rather fearful of them for a while when i was in my very, very low-impact phase of working out. i don’t want to be afraid of anything, and i know that variety is good for my particular body, so i am doin’ it and it feels really, really good so far. still a lot of yoga too, always.

sooooo that’s where i’m at, peeps.

i am not a doctor and i don’t ever want to be considered an expert with these little experiments that i do because our bodies are so intensely personal. it’s all US, and we are all different. i want to feel good and i want YOU to feel good, and i will keep sharing my story in hopes of inspiring you to dig deep within yourself to do the same.

i will keep you all updated, but if nothing else i wanted to share this because its a very big and important side of who i am, and i never want to withhold info and act like everything is perfect in TBB land when my gut health is truly just out of whack.

thoughts?!? love getting real with you guys. excited to see where this takes me… so much love. xx

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inspiration // tips for finding your flow + LIVING in your most inspired state of mind

inspiration is such a funny thing.

it can come in so many shapes and forms, and it can last for however long or however short it wants to.

sometimes i feel like i am living in a bright, white, radiating halo bubble of inspiration that is just there and allows me to be in true inspirational flow and feels like it will never go away. in that state of mind, i feel ALIVE and clear and excited about every new idea that flows through my body, knowing that i am connected to my deepest core and to something beyond myself.

that is when i come up with new ideas for the blog, my brand, the podcast, yoga sequences to teach, etc. and when questions i have about my personal life + my career are resolved in my mind with crystal clear clarity.

then on the flip side, inspiration can dwindle and sneak away just as curiously as it came. for me, that inspiration-suck usually happens when i am overtired, overworked, and moving through life at a super rapid pace that doesn’t allow me to slow down and reconnect. it also happens when i don’t listen to my gut, ignoring it in favor of pleasing someone else or trying to go with someone else’s flow when i know that “flow” is not right for me.

those are some key reasons why my personal inspiration tends to fade, but it can happen for other reasons too. like for seemingly no reason at all! that is the most frustrating – when i am alert, rested, and ready to kick ass and create – and the ideas just don’t flow.

that definitely happens to the best of us. we can call it writer’s block, energy blocks, lack of focus, feeling blah, lack of clarity, whatever it is you connect to the most… but it happens. ALL of it happens to me, and quite often!

i’ve learned over the years to ride the wave of inspiration and not get too attached to the when, why, or the how long questions about what it is or how long it will stay. luckily i have a flexible lifestyle where i am able to ride that wave, so that when i am not feeling the creation process i can get other stuff done that is still productive – but anyone in any lifestyle can do the same.

it’s all about trust, instinct, and living on a soul level.

what i call a soul on fire lifestyle.

finding your flow & maintaining that inspired state of mind //

i am no expert on harnessing your inspiration and using it to its fullest (because we are all so different!) — but i feel like in my own personal life and in my own personal body, i am. because really that is my top priority in life, to figure out how to be the best version of myself, where i am nearly *always* in my flow, so that i can inspire others to do the same.

that’s pretty much my mission these days but that’s a story for another day.

so i have a few techniques for how i find my flow and maintain it more and more often. some of my personal techniques may seem a little spiritual & woo-woo to you, so just know that you can tone them down and turn them into something meaningful for YOU because we are all different!

START BY ASKING YOURSELF THESE QUESTIONS?

+ are you an extrovert or an introvert?

and this is not a question asking “are you social or antisocial?” but rather do you gain energy reserves off of being around others, or do you build up more energy and inspiration when you’re alone? do you leave big groups feeling inspired and full of ideas, or totally mentally depleted and ready to crawl into bed? when you’re home alone, do you get bursts of creativity and feel inspired to get shit done or do you just feel like a lazy couch potato?

chances are, you can relate to all of the above at certain times or another. we all get tired and want to veg the F out sometimes.

but whatever you feel the MOST of, that’s what you are. i am a cross between the two… as i am definitely an introvert in the sense that my best work and creativity happens when i am alone and have endless hours to just do ME, and also in the sense that big groups and events that last for long periods of time deplete the living shit out of me.

HOWEVER — sometimes my biggest, hugest bursts of inspiration come from bouncing energy and ideas off of someone else, or in deep conversation with someone who just gets it. this week i had the pleasure of having lots and lots and LOTS of soul-on-fire moments and experiences with people, and all of those situations left me SO FULL of inspiration. so i do have that extroverted side of my personality where i can take in other’s energy and harness it to feel inspired + alive, but it has to be a certain type of person. a “high level communicator,” as my therapist would say — someone who GETS it and can go deep.

+ whichever answer you had to the above, can you move forward without too much attachment to it?

the reality is, we are a society that LOVES labels. i felt amazing when i learned that i was an introvert and an HSP (highly sensitive person!), but getting too attached to those labels isn’t necessary. i do sometimes love, love, love spending the entire week soaking in other people’s energy. in fact, what i love most right now about my job is not the being home alone writing (which is sometimes my favorite), but rather the connecting with inspiring humans and interviewing them for my podcast.

i can’t get enough of it, or of them!

and everything i am learning from these amazing humans from gabby bernstein, to morgan haley, to jason & colleen wachob of mbg, to people i have spoken to super recently who’s pod episodes are coming out soon (emma mildon, kelsey patel, maryann dimarco, and so many more!) is REALLY opening me up to so much more that is so far beyond the surface.

and that is what is really exciting to me right now — everything there is to learn. i am in a spirituality phase, and feeling crazy inspired and open to all of the beautiful things the universe has to offer when we open ourselves up to it. so i think that means that my life right now is meant to be more extroverted than usual, and i’ll take it.

i spent several years in an introverted, writing bubble which was awesome and so fulfilling – but life is always shifting and evolving, so i am embracing the RIDE.

+ does the way you spend your time excite you and fill you with aliveness, or does it deplete you and fill you with dread? in simpler terms: does it liberate or, or does it hold you back?

it might seem like a silly question, but so many of us spend time doing things we DON’T want to do! i was a “yes” girl for so long — i didn’t want to disappoint anyone. it lead me to end up spending so much time doing things i did NOT want to do, which made it almost impossible to say “yes” to what i really, truly, DID want to do.

i think a lot of us are filled with fear about making changes. cutting toxic people out of our lives, saying no to toxic situations, staying in vs. going out, admitting to ourselves that we don’t like our job or our boss… it’s all scary and hard. so we avoid it.

but that means we are ignoring our authenticity and our deepest desires to move forward and create MORE and be in our flow! we all deserve to feel that true liberation vs. the limitation.

so… how do you spend your time?! does it excite you? especially your free time – who are you spending it with? are you carving out time for yourself?

i am finally at a place where i wake up full of excitement and ease for the day ahead of me – even my crazier days with tons of commitments. because i simply do not allow myself to do things that i don’t like or be with people i don’t like… it’s just a waste of my time and makes it impossible for me to live in the flow.

+ do you have spiritual or self-care practices? what are they, and are you consistent enough with them that they can make a difference in your life?

the second part of this Q is the most important! consistency! i am working on a whole, huge post about spiritual and self-care practices, because they have changed my life. and the consistency with them is truly what changed and shifted things for me.

i’ll just get into it briefly now, but here are some of the things i have been doing that have awakened a whole new, FAR more inspired and excited side of me: kundalini yoga, reiki, acupuncture, meditation, crystal healing and crystal meditation, breath work, vinyasa yoga (always a staple for me), saging my space and using palo santo, essential oils (this is my fave diffuser), speaking with intuitives & mediums and tapping more into my intuitive side, taking long baths with essential oils, infrared sauna, cryotherapy, therapy, reading, reading spiritual texts, journaling, and becoming super aware of what i want + what i need.

so, yeah. that’s a LOT of self-care, and that’s not even the half of it. living my life this way awakens my soul and makes me so happy. it makes me feel connected to the universe and so aware that there is so much more out there for us… so much more. we just need to connect to ourselves in order to connect to the light that is meant for every single one of us.

and then find that consistency — so set yourself up for success by signing up for a program, a fitness / yoga studio, a meditation series, what have you!! there is so much out there to learn & soak in.

+ do you have a community or tribe around you that supports you finding your flow & living your most abundant, radiant, fear-free, beautiful life?

this is BIG!!

whether you’re a natural introvert or extrovert, we all need our tribe. our people. they are everything. we are creatures of community, and without that stable community around us – we are missing out on a huge, gorgeous part of our fullest lives.

a few suggestions…

+ the soul on fire podcast tribe on Facebook is SUCH a fun, open, wellness-minded, fitness-loving, AWESOME group of people that has been really exciting to be a part of and watch grow. join & introduce yourself here! people have been meeting up in diff cities, doing yoga together, making friends, and hanging out. i LOVE IT & i also post all the soul-on-fire podcast new-ness in there, and more!

+ gabby bernstein’s free video training that will intro you to a whole new world of creating abundance for yourself, dropping the fears, and living your most authentic life. check it out & opt into her mailing list for ALL OF THE FUN STUFF! she’s amazing, and on a personal and professional level she has profoundly impacted my life and my worldview.

+ gabby’s SPIRIT JUNKIE masterclass!! you can get on the waitlist *NOW*! this will help awaken you to your purpose in life, and is for those of you who are READY to make the shift but don’t know where to begin. gabby & i will be with you every step of the way. if you sign up before june 29th, you will get a ONE ON ONE Skype call with me to discuss your goals and set up a step-by-step action plan to bring those goals to life. go here to check it out, opt in & step into your light.

+ come to the GOOD fest in LA next february! i am teaching yoga, some of my favorite humans are leading guided meditations and teaching kundalini, and i am teaching yoga AGAIN (with my babe sophie jaffe) and there will be so much fun community stuff, yummy food, and people to meet. it’s going to be incredible and i can’t wait! use code TBB10 at checkout for $10 off of your ticket!

+ join a gym or yoga studio in your neighborhood! my orangetheory LA community has changed my entire life and social circle here in LA, and same with all of the yoga studios i go to (especially habitat where i teach and corepower which i LOVE!). studios have events and workshops that are great places to meet new friends who have likeminded interests and will keep you inspired on and your A game.

post-orangetheory fitness last night with my bex! bestie since college turned total fitness nut with me.

i know this was a long post!! and i so want to keep going. but i will save the rest for another day and leave you with… gabby’s spirit junkie master class (do it with me – it’s going to be a HUGE game changer!), her free video training, the GOOD fest in feb, the soul on fire podcast tribe on FB, & of course my podcast + this bloggy!

i will always try to keep bringing the inspirational content that sets your soul on fire — i hope. comment below & tell me your thoughts on this style of post and if you’d like more of it! X

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