The pH of our body is so important to our overall health. Diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and cancer all occur in acidic conditions. The more we can bring our body into an alkaline state, the better it will be for our overall health. 

On a scale of 0 to 14, 0 is completely acidic and 14 is completely basic, or alkaline. 7 is neutral. 

We aim for a value of a blood pH of 7.35-7.45, which is slightly alkaline. 

Why does it matter? 

When our bodies are acidic for a few months or years, it creates issues in all parts of our body. This occurs because as our body works hard to restore the balance to an alkaline environment, it is unable to keep the immune system as strong while it is doing so.

Common issues we see with having an acidic body are: 

• weakened immune system 
• osteopenia or osteoporosis 
• delayed muscle recovery 
• slowed healing 
• lack of detoxification processes in the body

What contributes to acidic vs...

I have been chatting with many people lately about how to reduce knee pain. I know people who have pain going up and down stairs, walking for prolonged periods of time, or when they try to start running. In this post we will talk about easy ways to reduce to knee pain. 

What causes knee pain?

The first thing to think about is why is this knee pain occurring? This question can be answered in multiple ways. We need to look at all the factors: 

• Shoes 
• Anatomy 
• Muscle Imbalance 
• Muscle Weakness 
• Muscle Hypertonicity 
• Current load or improper training
• Diet 
• Stress 

As you can see there are many factors that a play a role in what can be leading to knee pain. This means that there are also various ways to improve knee pain, depending on the root cause. 

Don't just put a band-aid on it

This is why just taking an NSAID, or anti-inflammatory medication will not, and should not, be the "cure" to your knee pain. 

This is simply a...

The real secret to how to lose weight is by helping your body process food and get rid of fat through your hormones and metabolism.

There are many key factors that play a role in weight management and initial weight loss, and I am here to demystify them for you right now. 

Myth 1: Eating fat makes me fat. 

Wrong! Unhealthy fats do, but healthy fats actually help you lose weight!

Unhealthy fats include saturated fats, vegetable oil, corn oil. 

Healthy fats: 

• olive oil
• avocado oil 
• coconut oil 
• salmon
• walnuts
• almonds 
• flaxseeds

Myth 2: I need to count calories in order to lose weight. 

Incorrect! Calories are not created equal. This means that it is impossible to just count calories and lose weight.

Things like diet sodas and sugar-free processed foods are actually much worse for you and will make you hold onto weight! 

This is because the body cannot process these types of artificial chemicals. 

Myth 3: It's just my genetics...

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Running a marathon is no easy feat. I'm just going to come out and say it. It takes months of training, time dedication, and a powerful mindset. 

However, once you accomplish it, you get to celebrate, as seen in the picture below!

Let's start at the beginning

I decided to run my first marathon in August of 2019 and the marathon was only a few months away in November 2019. I had a quick few months to prepare and boy was it worth it! 

Because it was my first marathon, I really had to come up with a plan that fit my schedule. I know that many people will end up training 5-6 days per week for a marathon, but I felt like there had to be another way. 

Want to start running? Check out my Free Training Program, Couch to 5k!

With balancing work, taking care of my dog, and having time for household chores and spending time with friends, I knew that I needed a plan that felt doable...

Gut health has gotten more buzz recently because of talk in the media including probiotics and leaky gut. This article will discuss 5 simple ways to improve your gut health today. 

Gut health is the foundation of a healthy body.

If you want to lose weight, balance hormones, improve your mood, boost your immune system, then you are in the right place. 

There are many simple, easy ways to boost your gut health to have a positive impact on your mind-body health. 

What is the gut? 

The gut, also known as our digestive system, goes all the way from our mouth down to our large intestine. 

Did you know if you spread out your intestines, its surface area would cover a tennis court?   

Wow - that's a lot of area!

When spread out, our intestines cover a lot of ground and many important functions occur in this area of our body that we often don’t think about. 

Your gut controls absorption and digestion of nutrients, playing a large role in...

Coronavirus has impacted everyone in the past couple of months. One aspect of the situation that might bring us more anxiety and worry is not knowing if we had the virus already. Uncertainty and the unknown often make us feel anxious and unprepared.

Related posts: 

8 Botanicals to Boost the Immune System and Reduce Virus Activity 

How to Boost Your Gut Health Today

What To Do While Quarantined at Home 

Since the symptoms of coronavirus are variable and differ in severity for many people, getting tested for antibodies is an excellent way to know for sure if your body has already had and fought off the virus. Some people have had coronavirus and did not show any symptoms!

On a Navy cruise ship, 60% of the people tested were positive for coronavirus, yet did not show any symptoms!

This could be true for you as well. 

What is antibody testing? 

Antibody testing shows if your body has already had a specific infection. Getting tested for coronavirus...

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When we put food into our bodies, it impacts our mood, our mind, and our energy. Food can either lead us to feel tired, wired, anxious, and depressed, or it can invigorate us and improve our energy, mood, and focus! 

After suffering from anxiety myself,  I did extensive research into how I could help my own mind and body calm down. 

My symptoms of anxiety included

• a racing heart
• sweating
• feeling irritable or having a short fuse
• feeling tense. 

I found it very hard to relax. 

This is when I found out that certain foods impact our neurochemical pathways and can help active our parasympathetic nervous system, or the rest and digest portion of our body. 

We need specific nutrients to promote healthy neurotransmitters that make us feel calm, happy, and motivated. Two of the main ones that bring about these positive emotions are dopamine and...

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Self talk is key to having a positive life.  We need to uplift ourselves through our thoughts on a daily basis.  Our self talk influences our health mentally,  physically, and emotionally. 

Lately we have been bombarded with news that creates fear, worry, and stress. All of these stressful emotions wreak havoc on and weaken our bodies. 

The American Institute of Stress states that in situations of acute stress, "it takes about 90 minutes for the metabolism to return to normal when the response is over." 

This shows that our thoughts directly impact our metabolism and physiologic functioning of our bodies. 

As stress can be real, or perceived, danger, anxious or stressful thoughts can impact our physiology for over an hour and a half!

Some physiological changes include: 

• increased blood sugar 
• faster heart...

Struggling being inside during quarantine? A great way to relieve stress, lose weight, and get healthy is to start running! Let's go over 5 Simple Ways to Become a Runner while you're at home! 

What does it mean to be a Runner? 

Being a runner means you get moving - it's as simple as that. I want people to be aware that it is still running if you are going a little faster than walking. Being a runner is all about consistent improvement, even when you don't focus on trying to get better!

One of the great things about running is that as you do it, you improve. It is so satisfying to be able to see yourself getting better the more you go out and try. 

So, if you've tried running in the past and you didn't like it or felt intimidated, try to brush that off and give it another shot. 

Running outside is open to the public. All you need are some comfortable shoes and flexible clothes. 

Want to start running? Check out my Free Training Program, Couch...

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Did you know that the products you put in and on your body impact your weight and health? Yes, it's true. The chemicals and synthetic toxins in many skincare, makeup, and even cleaning products can create hormone imbalances and often lead to weight gain. Learn how to get clean products in this post that benefit your health rather than harm it!

You're probably thinking "how can my makeup foundation lead to weight gain? That's crazy!" 

Right? We have to think again, sister. 

Our skin is our biggest organ. This means that what we put on our skin gets absorbed into our bloodstream. These chemicals and toxins get into our bodies and have to be detoxified by our liver. 

What if our liver is already burdened? 

The liver is our main detox organ. This means that it is working around the clock, filtering our blood and working to keep us healthy....