I grew up during the 70’s and 80’s…

In the summer and on the weekends, I went outside to play in the morning and generally didn’t go back inside until my mom yelled from the front door that dinner was ready (all the moms of that era were known for their ability to summon their children home with a single holler…and you knew to heed the call)! If the weather was warm enough and it wasn’t a school night, I often went out again after dinner to play flashlight tag or hide and seek in the dark.

I found myself reflecting on Pooh's unwavering composure in the face of various predicaments – even the stickiest of situations. Regardless of the challenge, Pooh's response remained the same: a simple and resigned "oh bother." It struck me then that Pooh's serene attitude led to his contentment – a quality we all strive to achieve.

Yay summer, I’m here for it all…extra long days for the beach, lake, pool, woodsy adventures, dusk BBQ’s, warm nights by a fire, family vacations or staycations…so many possibilities await! However, amidst all the fun and relaxation, it's essential not to neglect your health. So, here are five strategies for staying healthy and vibrant throughout this summer season while still allowing for max enjoyment.

There's something magical about embarking on a road trip adventure, where the possibilities are endless, and every mile holds the promise of new discoveries. And let's be honest – no road trip is complete without a stash of tasty and nourishing snacks to keep us fueled along the way.

Even at my thinnest and fittest I still felt fat. And I had no problem looking in the mirror and telling that girl in the reflection that she was imperfect and lazy and needed to workout more and eat less. I said cruel and hurtful things to myself I’d never say to anyone else.

It seemed as if almost overnight I started gaining weight for no reason. So, I did what I always did in the past, I ate less, and I exercised more. Only this time it didn’t work. In fact, the more I exercised and the less I ate, it seemed more weight I gained. It didn’t make any sense. How could I be eating healthy and exercising a lot and still putting on weight?

Diet is a very important piece of the puzzle when it comes to helping your body heal. Each person has unique nutritional requirements based on genetics, physiology, environment, and lifestyle and therefore specific macronutrient (fats, protein, and carbs) requirements for optimum functioning. You can be eating a clean, healthy diet, but if it’s the wrong diet for YOU then it will not help your body and in fact can be a huge, internal stressor.

The problem is we’re not adapted to the burden of chronic stress we place on it today. When we’re under chronic stress, the adrenals will continuously attempt to produce the amount of cortisol that’s necessary. They will work to put out 100% of what they can, but eventually it may not be 100% of what the body needs.

Functional lab testing isn’t looking for a diagnosis, but instead allows me to identify imbalances within the hormonal, immune, detoxification, digestive, energy production and nervous systems (HIDDEN) of your body. There are likely internal stressors in these systems that will highly correlate with your symptoms and health complaints.

Healing your body is possible but it takes time and trust in the process. I’m still a work in progress, but for the first time in a very long time, I have hope that I can rebuild to a place of optimal health.