The Case for Carbohydrates

“Carbs make you fat.” That’s what we’ve all heard. For years, carbohydrates have been blamed for everything from weight gain to inflammation to preventing fat loss. Somewhere along the way, they became the nutrient everyone was afraid of.

And honestly, I understand why. If someone lives a sedentary lifestyle, sits behind a desk all day, comes home, watches television all evening, and rarely challenges their body physically, then eating large amounts of carbohydrates probably isn’t doing them many favors. Whether those carbohydrates come from soda and candy or even healthy foods like rice, potatoes, and oats, if your body doesn’t need that much energy, eventually the excess calories have to go somewhere.

That’s where I think carbohydrates got their bad reputation. People started noticing that when they drastically reduced carbohydrates, they lost weight. And they did.

Part of that is because eating fewer calories often leads to weight loss. Another part is because every gram of glycogen your body stores is accompanied by water. When you drastically reduce carbohydrates, your glycogen stores decrease, and you lose some of that water along with them. The scale drops quickly, and people naturally assume carbohydrates were the problem.

But here’s what often gets left out of the conversation. The scale may go down, (especially in the beginning) but it’s mostly water and the shape of your body doesn’t change. You just look like a smaller version of yourself. I get so frustrated because so many come to me with a number that they want to attain because it’s what they used to weigh in high school. The difference is that they were just naturally maintaining more muscle mass due to age. So when I have a client come to me with that mindset, I shift the conversation. I start the conversation with… “Tell me what you want your body to look like.”

What if you want shoulders that look athletic, legs that look strong enough to crush the souls of your enemies and a chiseled stomach?

Me specifically…I want an hourglass figure and to do that, I know that I need to have strong shoulders, a narrow waist and thicker hips… so when I do my programming, I program specifically towards those goals. I was never happy with my body when I just cut carbs or when I just cut calories or when I just lost weight. I would lose all the weight and still complain because what I was really after (and didn’t know it at the time) was a different body shape.

I have never known a person that was not happier with their body after starting a weightlifting routine and seeing those muscles pop.

Building muscle requires more than simply eating enough protein. It requires giving your body a reason to build that muscle in the first place. It requires challenging your muscles with resistance training. It requires recovering well.

And yes… It requires fuel.

Stick with me for a second because I’m about to use an analogy I actually know something about. 😂

Imagine hiring a tree crew to remove a dozen huge oak trees from your property. They show up with experienced workers, ropes, climbing gear, helmets, sharp chainsaws, and every piece of equipment they need. There’s just one problem. Nobody brought any gasoline.

Could they still get the job done? Sure. They could grab hand saws and start cutting. Eventually, those trees would come down. But would it be the smartest, fastest, or most efficient way to do it? Absolutely not. The crew would wear themselves out.They’d spend far more time on every tree. They’d accomplish much less over the course of the day because they simply didn’t have the fuel needed to power the equipment designed for the job.

That’s exactly how I think about carbohydrates. Protein gives your body the building materials. Carbohydrates provide much of the fuel. Those are two completely different jobs. Protein supplies amino acids, which are the tiny building blocks your body uses to repair damaged muscle fibers after you train. Carbohydrates don’t become muscle. Instead, they give you the energy to create the stimulus that tells your body it needs more muscle. Without that stimulus, your body has very little reason to build anything.

So what actually happens when you eat carbohydrates? Your digestive system breaks carbohydrates down into glucose, which enters your bloodstream. Some of that glucose is used immediately for energy. The rest is stored primarily in your muscles and liver as something called glycogen.

Think of glycogen as your muscles’ fuel tank. Every squat. Every push-up. Every pull-up. Every Romanian deadlift. Every shoulder press. Every one of those movements pulls from those glycogen stores. The harder you train, the more fuel you use.

Now imagine walking into the gym with a full tank versus walking in almost empty. Which workout do you think is going to be better?

When your muscles have enough stored glycogen, something interesting happens. You simply perform better. The weights don’t suddenly become lighter. You’re still working hard. But you have the energy to push through those last few difficult repetitions instead of quitting early. You recover faster between sets. You maintain better performance throughout the workout.You often lift more weight. You often complete more repetitions. And every one of those things matters because muscle isn’t built by showing up. It’s built by progressively asking your muscles to do more than they’ve done before. (That’s called progressive overload.)

If you curl twenty pounds for twelve repetitions this month, maybe next month you curl twenty-five pounds. Maybe instead of twelve push-ups, you eventually do fifteen. Maybe your assisted pull-ups become easier until one day you’re doing them without assistance.

Those improvements are what tell your body, “Hey…we need to adapt. We need to get stronger.” That’s how muscle is built.

Not because you drank a protein shake. Not because you ate chicken. Not because you bought the latest supplement everyone is advertising online. Your body builds muscle because you’ve consistently given it a reason to. And carbohydrates help give you the energy to create that reason.

I’ve experienced this myself. On days when I haven’t eaten enough carbohydrates before I lift, I can always tell. The weights feel heavier than they should. I get tired sooner. I don’t have the same drive during my workout. It’s not that I can’t finish. I can. Just like the tree crew could eventually cut those trees down with hand saws. But it isn’t nearly as efficient.

Then there are the days when I’ve fueled my body well. I walk into my home gym feeling strong. I can push harder. I can get another rep. I recover better between sets. By the end of the workout, I know I gave my muscles a much stronger reason to adapt and grow.

That difference matters. Because you’re not just exercising. You’re training your body to become something stronger than it was yesterday.

Now do carbohydrates matter in the scheme of things? Do we have to take them seriously at all when it comes to weight gain or weight loss? Absolutely. Carbohydrates can contribute to weight gain, just like protein can and just like fat can. Why? Because all three contain calories.

If you’re consistently eating more calories than your body burns over time, your body stores that excess energy. That’s true whether those calories came from brownies, olive oil, chicken breast, or sweet potatoes. Carbohydrates aren’t unique in that regard. They’ve just become the nutrient everyone loves to blame.

Let’s compare two different people.

Person number one sits at a desk all day, rarely exercises, and doesn’t do much that challenges their muscles. Person number two strength trains four or five days a week, walks regularly, progressively lifts heavier weights, and is intentionally building muscle.

Should those two people eat the exact same amount of carbohydrates? Probably not. Because their bodies have completely different energy demands. The second person is constantly emptying and refilling those glycogen stores. They’ve created a reason for their body to use that fuel. The first person hasn’t. This is where I think so much confusion comes from. The advice given to someone who’s largely sedentary isn’t always the same advice you’d give someone who’s intentionally trying to build muscle. Context matters.

The truth is, nutrition is rarely as black and white as social media makes it seem. No single food is responsible for your success. No single food is responsible for your failure. It’s your overall lifestyle that determines your health. How much you move. How much muscle you build. How well you sleep. How consistently you train. How often you choose nourishing foods. How well you manage stress. Those habits matter far more than whether you ate a potato with dinner.

Food is not your enemy. Carbohydrates are not your enemy. Your body was designed to move. It was designed to adapt. It was designed to become stronger when you ask it to. So don’t be afraid to put a little gas in the chainsaw.

If you need help, figuring out how many carbohydrates you should be eating a day, I can do that for you. Just shoot me a message and we’ll talk about your lifestyle and talk about what macros are right for you.

Why Motivation Isn’t Enough and What Finally Helped Me Stop Quitting

Why do so many people fail to reach their goals? It’s not because we don’t have the information. Most of us know what’s needed to be the person we want to be or to get the life that we want. We lack follow through. Why do we struggle to stay consistent with anything that matters to us? Why do we make all of these New Year’s resolutions and two months into the year, we’ve already quit?

Almost every one of us has experienced the excitement of a new beginning. We buy the planner. We sign up for the gym. We clean out the pantry. We buy the books. We create the budget. We tell ourselves, “This time is going to be different.”

And for a little while, we’re motivated. We’re inspired. We’re excited about the possibilities.

Then life happens. Work gets busy. The kids get sick. We’re tired. We have a stressful week. The scale doesn’t move as quickly as we hoped. The business isn’t growing fast enough. The relationship still feels difficult.The motivation that carried us through those first few weeks quietly begins to disappear.

For many people, that’s where the story ends. The workout gets skipped. Then another one. The healthy meals slowly disappear. The savings account stops growing. The book gets put back on the shelf. And eventually we tell ourselves the same thing we’ve probably told ourselves dozens of times before.

“I just don’t have enough discipline.” …“I always quit.”…“I’ve never been consistent.”…“This is just who I am.”

But I’d like to challenge that belief. I don’t think that’s actually what’s happening. I think something much deeper is taking place. Your brain is doing exactly what it was designed to do.

One of the most fascinating things I’ve learned through studying psychology is that your brain is constantly trying to predict the future. Our brains are still pretty primitive and running on the same system that they have for millions of years. Your brain is trying to help you survive.

Your brain is always asking questions like:“What usually happens next?”…“What should I expect?”…“What pattern have we experienced before?”

Imagine you’ve tried to lose weight five different times. Every single time you’ve eventually regained it. Your brain notices. Maybe you’ve started a workout routine every January only to quit by February. Your brain notices. Maybe you’ve promised yourself over and over that you’ll stop procrastinating, but every stressful season sends you right back into avoidance. Your brain notices. After enough repeated experiences, something begins to happen.The brain starts making predictions.Not because they’re objectively true but because they’re statistically familiar.

So instead of saying, “I’ve struggled with consistency before,” your brain quietly changes the story into, “I’m just not a consistent person.”

Do you hear the difference? One is a description of previous actions. The other is tied to your identity. That’s an incredibly important distinction because the moment your brain begins treating a repeated experience as part of your identity, every future decision becomes more difficult.

If you believe you’re someone who always quits, then every difficult day feels like confirmation. If you believe you’re someone who isn’t disciplined, every skipped workout feels like proof. If you believe you’re someone who can never lose the weight, every fluctuation on the scale reinforces that belief. Eventually the belief becomes so familiar that it doesn’t even feel like a belief anymore.

It feels like a fact BUT IT ISN’T. It’s a learned prediction. And learned predictions can change. Your brain is way more flexible than you think. One of the most exciting discoveries in neuroscience is something called neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity simply means that your brain has the remarkable ability to change throughout your life. Every thought, behavior, skill, or habit you repeat literally changes the structure and efficiency of your brain. The neurons that fire together repeatedly begin wiring together more efficiently.

Think about learning to drive. At first, it feels impossible. You have to consciously think about every little movement. Mirror. Turn signal. Brake. Gas pedal. Steering wheel. Looking for traffic. Watching your speed. It feels overwhelming. However, months later, you’re driving home while carrying on a conversation, listening to music, and somehow arriving in your driveway with very little conscious effort.

What changed? Your brain became more efficient because of repetition. Every repeated behavior strengthens the neural pathways responsible for that behavior.Your brain begins to automate what you practice consistently.

Here’s the tricky part though. Your brain doesn’t just automate healthy habits. It automates unhealthy ones too. It automates procrastination. It automates avoidance. It automates negative self talk. It automates emotional eating. It automates people pleasing. It automates perfectionism. It automate freezing when life feels overwhelming. Whatever you consistently practice, your brain becomes better at doing.

I used to get so discouraged by all of these behaviors that felt so automatic, until I learned that if the brain can learn a behavior or pattern, it can learn a new one. So the goal is not to work against the old pattern or old belief. It’s to learn a new one. You’re not stuck because of your past. Your brain has just been repeating a pattern.

This is why I don’t believe motivation is the answer. Motivation is also incredibly unreliable. Motivation changes with sleep, stress, hormones, work, relationships or even the weather. If your entire plan depends on feeling motivated, then your progress is going to rise and fall with your emotions. And emotions, by their very nature, are temporary. I think one of the biggest misconceptions in our culture is that successful people somehow wake up every day excited to do difficult things. I think they’ve simply learned that emotions don’t always deserve the final vote.

That doesn’t mean emotions don’t matter. They absolutely do. Our emotions carry important information. Sometimes they tell us we need rest. Sometimes they alert us to danger. Sometimes they remind us that something meaningful needs our attention. But emotions were never meant to become the decision makers for our entire lives.

So if motivation isn’t enough…If repeated failures have taught the brain to expect more failure… If our brains are capable of changing… Then what do we do instead?

That question completely changed the way I think about lasting change. And it all started with a book I read years ago that introduced me to a completely different way of making decisions. The book is called “The Happiness Trap” by Russ Harris and is based on a psychological approach called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Unlike many self-help approaches that focus on trying to eliminate negative thoughts and emotions, ACT teaches something very different. It teaches us that difficult emotions are a normal part of being human, and instead of letting those emotions dictate our decisions, we can learn to acknowledge them while still choosing actions that align with our values. In other words, our feelings don’t have to be in charge. Our values can be. One of the exercises Russ Harris recommends in The Happiness Trap is taking the time to get brutally honest with yourself about the kind of life you want to build. Not the life other people expect from you.Not the life social media tells you to chase. Your life. Then write down the values that you want to guide the decisions you make every day.

I wrote this list years ago, but here are mine…

For me, integrity is one of my highest values. I want my words and my actions to match. My relationships are incredibly important to me, and I want the people I love to always know they can trust me. Education is another value. I never want to stop learning, asking questions, or challenging what I think I know. Open-mindedness matters deeply to me because I believe every person has a story, and I want to approach people with curiosity before judgment. I also value cleanliness because my environment affects my mental state. A peaceful space helps me feel peaceful. Health is important to me. I want to look and feel my best, even into old age. Honesty is another one of my core values. I don’t want to be someone who tells people what they want to hear simply to avoid discomfort. I want to tell the truth. I also believe truth should be delivered with kindness and compassion, but I never want fear of someone’s reaction to determine whether I’m honest.

Once I had written those values down, something interesting began to happen. Whenever a strong emotion showed up or an impulse tried to pull me in another direction, I stopped asking myself, “What do I feel like doing?” Instead, I started asking, “What choice moves me toward the person I want to be?”

For example, I share a lot of my life online, so I occasionally receive messages from men. Because integrity is one of my core values, I don’t respond in a way that could be interpreted as flirting or leading someone on. I also value relationships and because I value my partner, I always act in a way that honors him. There’s nothing that another person could do… There’s no temptation that could make me act outside of that value of integrity. Even when I’m mad. Even when we go through difficult seasons. I always act with integrity. Integrity has never been something that I have struggled with, but there are a lot of gray areas when it comes to male-female interactions, and after doing the work in this book, I hold very strong boundaries with myself on those interactions, that I probably didn’t before. I no longer have to stop and think about it, because I’ve already decided the kind of person I want to be. My values make that decision for me.

Another example is something much more ordinary. Sometimes I’ve cooked all day, the kitchen is a disaster, and I’m exhausted. Everything in me wants to leave the dishes until tomorrow. But cleanliness is one of my values because I know how much a clean environment contributes to my peace of mind. So instead of asking whether I feel like cleaning the kitchen, I ask whether cleaning it aligns with the life I’m trying to build. Most of the time, the answer is yes.

The beautiful thing about values is that they remove hundreds of little decisions from your life. You don’t have to renegotiate every choice every day. You’ve already decided who you want to become. Now your daily decisions simply become opportunities to practice being that person.

I’d like to challenge you to set aside an hour sometime this week. Turn your phone off. Grab a notebook and a pen. Then ask yourself some questions that most of us rarely slow down long enough to answer. Who do I want to become? When people experience my life, what do I hope they experience? What kind of parent, spouse, friend, coworker, neighbor, or human being do I want to be? What qualities do I admire most? What kind of character do I want to be known for? What kind of life am I actually trying to build?

As you answer those questions, you’ll begin to notice certain themes. Write those values down.Then write yourself a short values statement. Not a list of goals. Not a list of accomplishments. A description of the person you’re choosing to become. Keep it somewhere you’ll see it often. Put it in your journal. Take a picture of it and make it your phone wallpaper. Fold it up and keep it in your wallet or your pocket. Read it often because you have to remind yourself what matters most before life gets loud.

Then, when one of those big emotions shows up(and it will)pause before you react. Instead of asking yourself, “What do I feel like doing right now?”

Ask yourself, “What choice best reflects the person I’m trying to become?” Then make that choice. It might not feel easy. You might not feel motivated. The emotion may not disappear… but you make the choice anyway because you’ve already decided what matters most.

Those tiny choices matter far more than the big ones. Every time you choose your values over your emotions, your brain is learning. Every time you follow through when you don’t feel like it, you’re strengthening a new pathway. Every time you refuse to let a temporary emotion make a permanent decision, you’re teaching your brain a different way to respond.

This is how neuroplasticity works. The brain changes through repetition. One choice won’t change your life. But hundreds of tiny choices, repeated over weeks, months, and years, absolutely will. Eventually something incredible begins to happen. You no longer have to remind yourself to operate with integrity. You simply do. You no longer have to force yourself to clean the kitchen. You simply do. You no longer have to remind yourself to approach someone with an open mind before judging them. You simply do. The decision becomes easier because you’ve practiced it so many times that your brain has built a new default.

One day you’ll look back and realize you aren’t pretending anymore. You’re simply living in alignment with the person you’ve wanted to be all along. That’s how real transformation happens. Not through one grand decision or a brief period of motivation… but through thousands of small choices that slowly become your character.

And one day you wake up and realize you’re simply living the life that once felt impossible because, choice by choice, you’ve become the person who naturally lives it.

I can honestly say that that one book changed my life. I’m so proud of who I am as a person and how I operate in this world now. It took some soul-searching for me though, and I really had to determine what I value apart from what my family values or what my peers value. I had to authentically look at my internal landscape and dig deep. That self realization work was worth it as were all the thousands of tiny little choices I’ve had to make so that my daily actions line up with those values.

One of the best things you will ever do for yourself is to sit down and get really honest. Stop letting your emotions control your life or you’ll end up old, looking back, and never having lived the life that you wanted or never having become the person that you wanted to. You only get one life folks. I hope you make it one that you’re proud of.💗

Also, I can’t recommend this book enough. I have several more book suggestions that I’ll make in future posts but this is a good place to start.

If you’d like to read the book that introduced me to ACT therapy and values-based living, you can find it here:

The Happiness Trap: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PLYVTYS

Before You Buy Another Protein Powder, Read This

People often ask me what protein powder I recommend. My answer usually surprises them.

Most of the time, I don’t.

If I were only a massage therapist, I’d probably spend all day talking about tight muscles, posture, and movement. If I were only an herbalist, I’d probably spend my time talking about plants, inflammation, digestion, foraging and the incredible ways nature supports healing. If I were only interested in bodybuilding and nutrition, I’d probably focus on protein totals, training volume, and progressive overload.

But I’m not just one of those things. I approach the body from a whole-health perspective. Everything affects everything else. Your muscles don’t exist apart from your digestive system. Your digestion doesn’t exist apart from your nervous system. Your hormones influence recovery. Your sleep influences muscle growth. Your stress changes the way your body heals. That’s why I almost always recommend getting your protein from whole foods before reaching for a supplement.

Can you build muscle with a protein shake?Of course you can. But that’s not the question I ask. The question I ask is, “What choice nourishes the entire body?”

This is something nutrition scientists call the food matrix. Food isn’t simply a collection of isolated nutrients. It’s a complex package of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and thousands of naturally occurring compounds that interact with one another. Researchers are still discovering how these compounds work together, but one thing has become increasingly clear… our bodies often respond differently to nutrients consumed as whole foods than they do to those same nutrients consumed in isolation.

Think of it like this. A symphony isn’t just violins. It’s violins, cellos, trumpets, percussion, timing, acoustics, and the conductor. Take one instrument out and play it by itself and it’s still music, but it’s not the same experience.

Whole foods work much the same way. In other words, you aren’t just eating protein. You’re eating information that your body has evolved to recognize.

A cup of Greek yogurt doesn’t just provide protein. It also provides calcium, potassium, beneficial bacteria in many varieties, and a food matrix your body recognizes. Eggs bring choline, healthy fats, vitamins, and highly bioavailable protein. Lean chicken, turkey, fish, cottage cheese, beans, and other minimally processed foods give your body far more than isolated protein ever can.

When I recommend whole foods, I’m not just trying to help someone reach a protein goal. I’m trying to help them build meals that provide magnesium for muscle contraction, potassium for fluid balance, calcium for bone health, iron for oxygen delivery, zinc for immune function, omega-3 fats for inflammation, choline for brain health, and fiber to nourish the trillions of bacteria living in the gut. Those things matter just as much as the protein itself.

Many protein powders, on the other hand, are highly processed. Some contain gums, artificial sweeteners, fillers, sugar alcohols, and long ingredient lists that can cause digestive discomfort for some people. While they certainly have a place, I don’t believe they should become the foundation of someone’s nutrition.

There is also something psychologically satisfying about sitting down to a plate of grilled chicken, roasted potatoes, and vegetables. Whole foods generally require more chewing, take longer to eat, and often keep us fuller for longer. A shake can absolutely be convenient, but convenience doesn’t always equal satisfaction.

And it’s worth thinking about something else too. A lot of the people you see recommending specific protein powders or bars are doing so because they’re being paid, sponsored, or earning a commission. That doesn’t automatically make the product bad, but it does shape the conversation. I’m not in the business of selling you a product. I’m in the business of helping your body heal and function the way it was designed to.

One of the most common things I hear is, “I just can’t eat that much protein.” I understand. Protein takes effort. It requires planning. Sometimes it means choosing cottage cheese instead of chips, Greek yogurt instead of dessert, or grilled chicken instead of grabbing something convenient. Whole foods aren’t always the easiest option. But easy isn’t always the goal. Health is.

When I recommend nutrition, I’m not simply asking, “Will this help build muscle?” I’m asking, “Will this help support your muscles, your gut, your hormones, your immune system, your energy, and your long-term health?” Those are very different questions.

Protein supplements absolutely have their place. There are seasons when a protein shake is convenient after a workout, during travel, or when life gets busy. I don’t believe they’re inherently bad. I simply believe they should remain what they were intended to be. A supplement. Not the foundation of your nutrition.

We live in a culture that loves shortcuts. We isolate nutrients, package them in colorful tubs, and convince ourselves health can be scooped into a shaker bottle. But your body wasn’t built on isolated nutrients. It was built to recognize food.

How Authenticity regulates the nervous system

As a massage therapist, I spend every day talking about the nervous system. We talk about stress, anxiety, sleep, inflammation, chronic pain, breathwork, meditation, exercise, nutrition, and all the things that help our bodies move from surviving to actually healing. I believe every one of those things matters. I encourage them every day. But the older I get, the more I wonder if one of the greatest nervous system regulators isn’t another supplement or another meditation app. I wonder if it’s authenticity.

Not the kind of authenticity that’s become trendy on social media where people announce they’re “just being real” before saying something rude. I’m talking about something much deeper than that. I’m talking about the quiet peace that comes from no longer pretending to be someone you aren’t. I honestly think our bodies know the difference.

One of the things I love about the human body is that it’s incredibly honest. Our minds can rationalize almost anything, but our nervous system usually tells the truth. You can smile while you’re hurting. You can tell everyone you’re fine. You can convince yourself that you’re happy operating as a version of yourself that doesn’t fit with who you really are. But your body has a way of whispering, “This isn’t us.” Sometimes that whisper sounds like chronic tension in your shoulders. Sometimes it’s the knot in your stomach before walking into a room full of people. Sometimes it’s lying awake at night replaying conversations over and over. Sometimes it’s the exhaustion you feel after spending time around people, even though all you did was sit and talk.

For years I assumed people were simply tired because life is busy. Now I wonder how many of us are tired because we’re performing. Think about something simple. Do you have a customer service voice? You know exactly what I’m talking about. You pull up to the drive through and suddenly your voice changes. It’s sweeter. Higher. Maybe a little more cheerful than your normal voice. That’s harmless, and honestly most of us do it. But what if your entire life starts looking like that? What if your personality changes depending on who’s standing in front of you? What if you soften your opinions because you don’t want anyone to disagree with you? What if you laugh at jokes that aren’t funny because everyone else is laughing? What if you rewrite every Facebook post five times because you’re worried someone might judge you? What if you never wear the clothes you actually like because you’re afraid they aren’t “you” enough or maybe they’re too much? What if you’ve become so good at reading the room that somewhere along the way you stopped reading yourself?

That kind of living is exhausting, and psychology actually has a name for it. It’s called self incongruence. Self incongruence simply means there’s a gap between who you truly are and the version of yourself you’re presenting to the world. The larger that gap becomes, the harder your brain has to work. Imagine trying to run two versions of yourself all day long. One version knows exactly who you are. The other version is constantly editing. Don’t say that. Don’t wear that. Don’t admit you like that. Don’t disagree. Smile. Act interested. Be quieter. Be stronger. Be softer. Be more successful. Be less emotional. Fit in.

Every time you edit yourself, your brain spends energy monitoring your behavior. Your prefrontal cortex is constantly deciding how you should respond while deeper parts of your brain continue scanning for signs of rejection or disapproval. From an evolutionary standpoint, that makes sense. Human beings survived because we belonged to a tribe. Rejection once carried real consequences. Our brains still carry pieces of that ancient wiring. Social acceptance still feels incredibly important because, deep down, our nervous systems associate belonging with safety.

The problem is that somewhere along the way many of us stopped asking, “Do I belong here?” and started asking, “Who do I need to become so they’ll let me stay?” Those are two very different questions. The first invites connection. The second creates performance. Performance is expensive. It costs energy. It costs peace. It costs authenticity. And eventually, I think it costs joy.

I know because I’ve lived it. Somewhere along the way I realized I was never going to fit neatly into one little box, and for a long time I thought something must be wrong with me because of that. I honestly have so many interests that some people would probably think I have the world’s worst case of ADHD. I love lifting weights because I love feeling strong. I also love getting massages, having my hair done, and feeling feminine. I love sewing. I can spend hours making something with my hands and completely lose track of time. I love climbing trees. I love shooting my bow. I love hunting arrowheads. I love digging old bottles out of the woods. I’m an herbalist who loves science. I can spend an hour talking about fascia, muscles, and the nervous system, then get ridiculously excited because I found some “treasure” in the dirt. I love hard work. I love quiet mornings. I love coffee on the porch. I love learning. I love staying busy. I’ve realized I don’t have one passion. I have a hundred of them.

For years I thought I had to organize all of that into something that made sense to everyone else. Around certain women I felt like I needed to lean into my feminine side because that’s what was expected. Around certain men I felt like I needed to prove I could work just as hard, lift just as much, and keep up with them. Around different groups I found myself adjusting my opinions, my personality, even my beliefs just enough to fit whatever philosophy that group valued. Looking back, I don’t even think I realized I was doing it. I just wanted to belong. But pretending never gave me belonging. It only gave me exhaustion and anxiety.

The funny thing is that the more I’ve become myself, the more peaceful I’ve become. Not because life got easier. Not because everyone suddenly approved of me. Actually, some people probably understand me less now than they ever have. But something inside me got quieter. There’s a feeling that happens when you’re completely yourself, and I don’t know that I’ve ever heard anyone talk about it. It’s almost like your whole body exhales. Your breathing gets deeper without you trying. Your shoulders drop. Your jaw unclenches. There’s this warm feeling somewhere deep in your chest and your stomach, almost like sunshine from the inside out. It’s difficult to describe unless you’ve felt it. It’s the feeling of coming home. Not to a place. To yourself.

I think that’s what nervous system regulation often looks like in real life. It’s not always sitting perfectly still with your eyes closed. Sometimes it’s laughing so hard you snort because you’re no longer worried about looking silly. Sometimes it’s wearing the clothes you actually love instead of the ones you think you’re supposed to wear. Sometimes it’s admitting that you’d rather spend Saturday hunting arrowheads than shopping. Sometimes it’s realizing you can deadlift in the morning, sew in the afternoon, spend the weekend doing tree work, come home filthy, take a shower, put on a dress, and go to dinner. None of those things cancel each other out. They’re all me.

And maybe your list looks completely different. Maybe you love accounting and painting. Maybe you’re a mechanic who cries during movies. Maybe you’re a grandmother who secretly loves heavy metal. Maybe you’re an executive who spends weekends gardening. Maybe you’re deeply spiritual and deeply scientific. Human beings have never been simple. We’re beautifully contradictory. I think one of the greatest mistakes we’ve made is believing we have to fit into categories. We’re so busy asking ourselves, “What kind of person am I?” that we forget we’re allowed to be many things.

I’ve also noticed something in my massage room over the years. The clients who begin healing the most aren’t necessarily the ones doing everything perfectly. They’re the ones who slowly begin trusting themselves. They stop apologizing for taking up space. They stop asking permission to have boundaries. They stop trying to earn love by becoming who everyone else wants. Their bodies soften. Their breathing changes. Their muscles stop guarding so much. It’s like the body and the mind have finally come into agreement.

I’m not saying authenticity magically fixes anxiety or trauma. Life is far more complicated than that. Trauma deserves compassion, and sometimes professional support. But I do believe authenticity removes one unnecessary burden from the nervous system. When you’re no longer carrying around a character, your brain has one less job to do. Instead of managing appearances, it can spend that energy living. Creating. Connecting. Learning. Laughing. Loving. Being present.

To me, that’s what regulation really is. It’s not just feeling calm. It’s having access to yourself again. When your nervous system feels safe, you’re more patient. More creative. More curious. More resilient. More playful. You think more clearly. You solve problems better. You connect more deeply. You’re finally available to your own life instead of spending all your energy managing your image.

So how do we begin? Start paying attention. Notice when your voice changes. Notice when you say yes even though every part of you wanted to say no. Notice when you apologize for something that doesn’t require an apology. Notice when you’re dressing for approval instead of joy. Notice when you leave a room wondering whether people liked you instead of wondering whether you liked being there. Notice the places where you’re editing yourself. Don’t judge yourself for it. Just notice. Awareness is always the first step.

Then begin asking yourself one simple question. “If nobody was watching, what would I choose?” What would I wear? What would I believe? What would I spend my Saturday doing? Who would I spend time with? What would I say? Little by little, let those answers become your life. Not all at once. Just one honest decision at a time. One honest conversation. One honest boundary. One honest hobby. One honest opinion.

Eventually something remarkable happens. The gap between who you are inside and who you are outside begins to disappear. Psychologists call that congruence. I call it freedom. Your nervous system is begging you to stop pretending. The peace you’ve been searching for isn’t hiding in becoming someone better. It’s waiting for you underneath everything you’ve been doing to fit in.

Because I honestly believe this. The safest place your nervous system can live is in the truth. Not the polished version of you. Not the filtered version. Not the version that changes depending on who’s in the room. Just you. Beautifully complicated. Wonderfully curious. Strong and soft. Feminine and adventurous. Logical and creative. Imperfect and real.

If something in this resonated with you, I’d genuinely love to hear it. What are the moments where you’ve caught yourself performing, and what did it feel like to let that go, even just a little? Share your a-ha moments, your small shifts, your honest choices. I want to see who you really are, and I’d love to celebrate that with you.

But Do Thick Thighs REALLY Save Lives?

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Thick thighs save lives.” In fact, I use that phrase all the time because, as far as body shapes go, I’ve always been built with a smaller waist, broader shoulders, and thicker thighs.

Now, you guys know I’m a complete nerd when it comes to nutrition, the human body, and health. I’m constantly reading research and learning something new. Lately, as I’ve been working hard to grow these legs in the gym, I came across some really interesting information.

As it turns out, there actually is some truth behind the saying… just probably not in the way most people think. The research doesn’t suggest that simply having bigger thighs means you’ll live longer. What it does suggest is something even more interesting. People with stronger legs and more muscle mass consistently have better health outcomes as they age and are associated with a lower risk of premature death.

When I started reading about this, I found the research fascinating. If you’re anything like me and enjoy nerding out over health and longevity, I’ve linked a few of the studies that inspired this post at the bottom.

So why would leg strength matter so much? Your legs contain the largest muscles in your body. Your quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes aren’t just there to help you walk around or climb stairs. They’re incredibly metabolically active tissue that plays an important role in regulating blood sugar, improving insulin sensitivity, supporting your metabolism, reducing inflammation, and helping your body stay resilient as you age.

Researchers have found that muscular strength, particularly lower body strength, is one of the strongest predictors of healthy aging. Large reviews of multiple studies have shown that adults with greater muscular strength have a significantly lower risk of dying from all causes than those with weaker muscles. This isn’t just true for elite athletes. It’s true for everyday people who prioritize maintaining strength throughout life.

One reason is that muscle acts almost like your body’s savings account. As we age, illness, surgery, injury, or even a short period of inactivity can quickly lead to muscle loss. People who have built and maintained muscle have a larger reserve to draw from during those difficult seasons, making recovery easier and helping them maintain their independence.

Strong legs also help protect against one of the biggest threats to healthy aging: falls. Lower body strength improves balance, stability, walking speed, and coordination. It helps you get out of a chair without using your hands, climb stairs with confidence, carry groceries, play with grandchildren, hike trails, and catch yourself if you trip. Maintaining those abilities dramatically affects quality of life as we get older.

One of the most fascinating things I learned is that researchers have found muscle strength may actually be a better predictor of longevity than muscle size alone. In other words, it isn’t just about having muscle. It’s about using it, challenging it, and keeping it strong throughout your life.

I also came across research looking specifically at thigh circumference. Researchers found that people with very small thighs had a higher risk of cardiovascular disease and earlier death. The takeaway wasn’t that bigger is always better or that everyone should strive for larger thighs. Instead, it highlighted the importance of maintaining enough healthy muscle mass to support lifelong health.

As we get older, especially as women moving through perimenopause and menopause, we naturally lose muscle if we don’t intentionally work to keep it. That muscle loss affects so much more than how we look. It impacts our balance, our bones, our metabolism, our blood sugar, our energy, and our ability to continue doing the things we love.

There is nothing that feels better than working hard to build muscle. I want to become the strongest version of myself. I want to hike mountains when I’m seventy. I want to carry my own groceries. I want to continue doing massage therapy with a healthy, capable body. I want to get up off the floor with ease. I want to travel without worrying whether my body can keep up. I want to play with future grandchildren one day without thinking twice about whether I’m strong enough.

So… do thick thighs really save lives?

Maybe not. But strong thighs might.If you’ve been intimidated by the weight room or you’ve convinced yourself that strength training isn’t for you, let me encourage you to start somewhere. You don’t have to become a bodybuilder. You don’t have to lift the heaviest weights in the gym. You simply have to begin.

Every squat, every lunge, every deadlift, every walk, every step up a hill, every moment you challenge your muscles is an investment in your future. Your future self is counting on the choices you make today.

As always if you’d like help with programming your workout routine or pretty much anything related to health, fitness nutrition, herbs, or massage therapy, reach out 💗

If you’d like to read some of the research yourself, here are a few excellent places to start:

Muscular Strength as a Predictor of All-Cause Mortality in an Apparently Healthy Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29425700/

Thigh Circumference and Risk of Cardiovascular Morbidity and Mortality
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2737606/

Thigh Circumference and Risk of All-Cause, Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Mortality
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7549877/

Associations of Muscle Mass and Strength with All-Cause Mortality
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5820209/

Living With Arthritis? What You Eat Matters More Than You Think

After my last blog post about arthritis, one of the biggest questions I received was, “What should I actually be eating?”

I love that question because nutrition is one of the few things we have complete control over every single day. With every client that I work with, lifestyle changes are always where we start. Think about the amount of food you consume on a daily basis. What you are consuming will either bring you closer to whole health or further away. The really wonderful thing about that is that your eating habits are determined by you and only you. While there isn’t one food that cures arthritis, there are absolutely foods that help support healthy joints and foods that can contribute to a more inflammatory environment in the body.

One thing I always tell my clients is this: food is more than calories. Every bite you take becomes information. Your body takes the nutrients from your meals and uses them to build hormones, repair tissue, support your immune system, maintain healthy joints, and keep you moving. Every meal is an opportunity to either nourish your body or simply fill your stomach.

So let’s talk about what your joints are really hungry for…

One of the biggest changes I encourage people to make is reducing ultra-processed foods. I’m not talking about enjoying birthday cake or having pizza with your family every once in a while. I’m talking about the foods that make up the majority of your diet. Packaged snack foods, sugary drinks, fast food, candy, pastries, and many convenience foods often provide plenty of calories but very little nutrition.

Our immune system is constantly communicating with the rest of the body. Diets built around ultra-processed foods have been associated with a more inflammatory environment, while also crowding out many of the vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats your joints depend on. If your joints are already inflamed, giving your body fewer of the nutrients it needs to regulate inflammation makes it harder for them to function at their best.

Your joints are also hungry for healthy fats. Every cell in your body is surrounded by a membrane made largely from fat. The types of fats we eat help determine the building blocks our bodies have available to maintain those cells. Omega-3 fatty acids have been studied extensively for their ability to support a healthy inflammatory response and are one of my favorite nutrients for overall joint health.

Some of my favorite sources include wild-caught salmon, sardines, mackerel, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseed, avocados, and extra virgin olive oil.

Your joints are hungry for protein. This is one area that I think gets overlooked, especially as we get older. Protein isn’t just for athletes or people trying to build muscle. Your body uses protein to repair and maintain muscles, tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues. Strong muscles help support and stabilize your joints, taking some of the workload off joints that may already be affected by arthritis.

I encourage my clients to include a quality source of protein with every meal whenever possible. Chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, lean beef, beans, and lentils are all excellent choices.

Your joints are hungry for collagen-building nutrients. Bone broth has been enjoyed for generations and naturally contains collagen, gelatin, and amino acids that provide the building blocks your body uses to support connective tissues. While it isn’t a cure for arthritis, it can absolutely be part of a joint-supportive lifestyle.

There are also several excellent collagen supplements available today, and I’ll be sharing some of my favorite brands in a future post.

Your joints are hungry for antioxidants. Every day our bodies create something called oxidative stress. Think of it as the normal wear and tear that happens as we breathe, move, exercise, respond to stress, and simply live life. Antioxidants help protect our cells from that damage.

One of the easiest ways to increase antioxidants is to eat more color. Blueberries, cherries, strawberries, blackberries, leafy greens, broccoli, bell peppers, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, green tea, turmeric, ginger, garlic, rosemary, and other colorful herbs and vegetables are packed with compounds that help support your body’s natural defenses.

And finally, your joints are thirsty. Many people don’t realize that synovial fluid, the body’s natural joint lubricant, is made up primarily of water. Staying well hydrated helps your body maintain healthy joint lubrication and supports normal joint function. While drinking more water won’t cure arthritis, it’s one of the simplest ways to support the tissues that help your joints move comfortably.

One of the things I love most about herbal medicine and nutrition is that we don’t have to chase perfection. We simply have to give the body the tools it was designed to use. Every healthy meal, every colorful vegetable, every serving of protein, every glass of water, and every nourishing choice becomes another opportunity to support your joints from the inside out.

Small choices made consistently are almost always more powerful than dramatic changes that only last a week.

Your body is working hard for you every single day. Feed it accordingly, and it will often thank you for years to come.

Living With Arthritis? Here’s What I Tell My Clients.

I had a client call me the other day after having an MRI on her knee. Her doctor had told her she had significant arthritis, and she wanted to know if there were any supplements that might help, whether massage therapy could make a difference, and if there were any creams or topical products that people tend to find helpful. She also had another issue going on with her knee, so the arthritis wasn’t the whole picture, but our conversation got me thinking.

Arthritis is something so many people are living with, yet there’s still a lot of confusion about what it actually is. I thought it might be helpful to put together a simple guide explaining what’s happening inside the body, the two most common types of arthritis, some natural approaches that may help support healthy joints, and where massage therapy fits into the picture.

So, let’s start with the basics…

Arthritis is a general term used to describe inflammation or degeneration within a joint. It isn’t one single disease. In fact, there are more than 100 different types of arthritis, but the two most common are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is what most people think of when they hear the word arthritis. It’s often called “wear and tear” arthritis because, over time, the cartilage that cushions the ends of your bones begins to break down. As that protective cartilage wears away, the bones have less cushioning between them, which can lead to pain, stiffness, swelling, and decreased mobility. Osteoarthritis most commonly affects the knees, hips, hands, spine, and shoulders.

Rheumatoid arthritis is very different. Rather than being caused by wear and tear, it’s an autoimmune disease. That means the immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of the joints, creating inflammation, swelling, pain, and stiffness. Because rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition, it’s important to work closely with your healthcare provider for proper diagnosis and treatment. Rheumatoid arthritis is a tricky one to address with natural medicine. There are a lot of diet modifications and healing protocols that have to be done. We would approach leaky gut and food allergies because they are typically involved in rheumatoid arthritis. Once a person develops an autoimmune disease, they usually compound one on the other. What that means is that if you have one autoimmune disease it’s only a matter of time before you have another one so getting the cause of the autoimmune disease under control is really important. (If you’d like to discuss any of this further, just send me a message and let’s talk about working together on this issue.)

One of the questions I’m asked most often is whether there are natural ways to support joint health. While supplements aren’t a cure for arthritis, several have been studied for their potential to support joint comfort and a healthy inflammatory response, including turmeric (curcumin), Boswellia serrata, ginger, omega-3 fatty acids, glucosamine sulfate, and MSM.

In my experience working with clients over the years, the products I’ve seen be the most consistently helpful are Terry Naturally Curamed®, Terry Naturally Boswellia, Cannabis Care topical cream, and Hyland’s Arthritis formulas. Every body is different, and what works well for one person may not work the same for another, but these are the products that have come up again and again in my treatment room.

As for massage therapy, I always like to set realistic expectations. Massage therapy doesn’t treat or reverse arthritis itself, but it can be incredibly helpful for the muscles surrounding an arthritic joint. When those muscles relax, circulation improves, movement often becomes easier, and many people notice less stiffness and greater comfort. I can’t change the arthritis, but I can help address everything around it that may be making it feel even worse.

Another incredibly effective tool is gentle range of motion exercise. Range of motion exercises are exactly what they sound like…slow, controlled movements that take a joint through its comfortable, natural movement without forcing it or pushing into pain. If your knee is affected, that might simply mean gently bending and straightening it several times while you’re sitting in a chair. For your shoulder, it may be making slow circles or reaching your arm overhead only as far as it comfortably goes. If your hands are stiff, gently opening and closing your fists or touching each fingertip to your thumb can help.

These gentle movements help circulate synovial fluid, your body’s natural joint lubricant. Unlike muscles, cartilage doesn’t have its own direct blood supply. Instead, it depends on synovial fluid to deliver nutrients and remove waste products. Every time you gently move a joint through its natural range of motion, you’re helping circulate that fluid and nourish the cartilage that remains. That’s one of the reasons movement is so important, even when your joints feel stiff. As we often say, “motion is lotion” for the joints.

I also don’t want to overlook the basics because they’re often some of the most powerful. Staying active, building strength to support your joints, maintaining a healthy body weight, eating an anti-inflammatory diet, getting quality sleep, and managing stress can all influence how your joints feel from day to day.

If you’re living with arthritis, my hope is that this helps you better understand what’s happening inside your body. Knowledge is empowering. When you combine good medical care with healthy lifestyle choices, thoughtful movement, massage therapy, and the right natural support, you’re giving your body every opportunity to stay active and continue doing the things you love.

As always, if you have questions about massage therapy, herbs, or supporting your body naturally, I’d love to help point you in the right direction.

The Real Reason We Keep Running to the Refrigerator

Weight loss is usually discussed as a nutritional problem. We debate calories, carbohydrates, meal timing, protein intake, and exercise programs as though human behavior can be explained entirely through physiology. Those variables matter, but they don’t explain why someone who understands nutrition perfectly can still find themselves standing in front of an open refrigerator after a difficult day. If knowledge alone were enough, very few of us would struggle. Most people already know what constitutes a healthy meal. The more interesting question is why that knowledge so often loses its influence in moments of emotional distress.

I suspect the answer has very little to do with food. Human beings have always searched for reliable ways to change the way they feel. Throughout history we’ve turned to alcohol, drugs, gambling, shopping, work, relationships, and countless other distractions to escape discomfort, even if only for a little while. Food belongs in that same conversation, although we rarely think of it that way because eating is biologically necessary and deeply woven into our culture. We celebrate with food. We comfort with food. We gather around food. We reward ourselves with food. We even grieve with food. It is one of the few coping mechanisms that can hide in plain sight because it is both necessary and socially accepted.

The problem is not food itself. The problem is what we ask food to do for us. I think we’ve quietly adopted the belief that emotional discomfort is evidence that something is wrong. We expect ourselves to be happy, motivated, productive, and emotionally steady most of the time. When anxiety appears, we rush to eliminate it. When sadness surfaces, we assume we’ve failed in some way. When loneliness or frustration arrives, we instinctively search for relief.

But none of those emotions are abnormalities. They are part of being human. A healthy nervous system experiences disappointment. It experiences uncertainty. It experiences grief, frustration, loneliness, and stress. These emotions are not annoyances to be silenced. They are evidence that we are alive and responding to life. The question is not whether uncomfortable emotions will come. The question is what we will do when they arrive.

For many of us, the answer has become food. Food changes the way we feel. It offers comfort. It provides distraction. It activates the brain’s reward pathways and gives us a temporary sense of relief. For a few moments, the discomfort softens and the brain thinks it’s found the answer. That temporary relief is exactly what teaches the brain to repeat the behavior.

This is why I don’t believe emotional eating is primarily a problem of willpower. I think it’s often a problem of emotional regulation. When we haven’t learned another way to relate to our inner experience, food becomes one of the quickest and most socially acceptable ways to change it.

What changed everything for me wasn’t another meal plan. It was meditation. Not because meditation is mystical or “woo woo.” Because it is profoundly psychological. Before I developed a consistent meditation practice, my thoughts carried the authority of facts. If my mind suggested that eating would make me feel better, I experienced that suggestion almost as an instruction. The thought and the action were fused together. Meditation slowly introduced a distinction I had never experienced before.

A thought is simply a mental event. It is not necessarily true. It is not necessarily wise. And it is certainly not a command.

That realization created something I had rarely experienced before: space. Once that space existed, I learned to take a moment and look at the thought objectively. If my brain told me that I was feeling really big emotions and that a doughnut would make me feel better, I learned that the brain is doing what it’s been conditioned to do and that I didn’t need to necessarily take the advice seriously.

Next time you hear those rapid fire thoughts or you have really extreme emotions and you notice yourself craving something processed, salty or really sweet…take a moment and put one hand on your belly and one hand on your chest. Take a few deep breaths and instead of asking, “What do I want to eat?” begin asking, “What is happening inside of me that makes food seem like the answer?” “What do I really need in this moment?”

Am I exhausted? Did I have a stressful day?Am I anxious about something? Do I simply need ten quiet minutes before I ask my nervous system to keep going? Do I need a conversation with someone I love? Do I need to grieve something I’ve been avoiding? Am I trying to comfort an emotion that has nothing to do with hunger?

Those questions changed my life far more than counting calories ever did. The irony is that food often works, at least temporarily. That’s precisely why the behavior is reinforced. But when the moment passes, we’re usually left with both the original emotion and the consequences of trying to outrun it. The stress is still there. The grief is still there. The loneliness is still there. Only now we’ve added guilt, physical discomfort, or the feeling that we’ve somehow failed ourselves.

For me, sustainable weight loss stopped being primarily a nutritional project. It became the practice of increasing my capacity to remain present with my own experience. To sit with discomfort without immediately trying to escape it. To recognize that an urge does not require an action. To understand that not every thought deserves my obedience. And a really beautiful thing happened. I stopped fighting myself, and food had less power over me.

My sweet friends, whatever you’re searching for in the refrigerator, I don’t believe it’s actually there. Food can comfort us for a few moments. It can distract us, soothe us, and even help us forget for a little while. But it cannot resolve loneliness. It cannot process grief. It cannot quiet an anxious mind or heal an old wound. It cannot give us lasting peace because it was never designed to.

What I’ve found is that the answer isn’t becoming more disciplined with food. It’s becoming more present with yourself. Meditation gave me something no diet ever could. It taught me how to notice my thoughts without immediately believing them. It taught me that an urge doesn’t require an action. It taught me how to sit with the beautiful, messy experience of being human instead of constantly trying to escape it.

If you’ve never learned how to do that, I’d be honored to help. The practice that changed my relationship with food is the same one that changed my relationship with my own mind. If you’d like to learn how to quiet the constant mental chatter, create space between your thoughts and your actions, and approach life’s challenges with a little more steadiness and compassion, please reach out. I’d love to help you begin.💗

The Real Reason That Knot Between Your Shoulder Blades Keeps Coming Back

If I had a dollar for every client who pointed to the same spot between their shoulder blade and spine and said, “It’s right there,” I’d probably be retired by now.

It really is one of the most common complaints I see, and the funny thing is, it’s almost always the exact same area. Most people think that muscle just gets “knotted up,” but that’s usually only part of the story.

The muscles that tend to get blamed are the rhomboids, which sit between your shoulder blades and help pull your shoulders back. They work closely with the middle trapezius to keep your shoulder blades stable, while another muscle called the levator scapulae runs from the upper shoulder blade into your neck and helps lift the shoulder blade. If you’ve ever had pain that seems to travel from the top inside corner of your shoulder blade up into your neck, there’s a good chance that muscle is involved too.

Now think about how you spend your day. You’re driving. You’re typing. You’re looking down at your phone. Maybe you’re carrying a child on one hip, working in the yard, or sitting at a desk for eight hours. Almost everything we do puts our arms out in front of us. As our shoulders slowly roll forward, the muscles between the shoulder blades are constantly pulling backward, trying to keep us upright. They don’t really get much of a break.

Eventually they get tired. A tired muscle doesn’t always become weak and floppy. Quite often it does the opposite. It tightens. It becomes sore. It develops those tender little spots that everyone calls “knots.” Then we spend weeks trying to dig them out with a massage gun or a tennis ball, but because we’re never changing why the muscle is overworking, the knot comes right back.

This is also why stretching doesn’t always solve the problem. Sometimes those muscles don’t need to be stretched nearly as much as they need the muscles around them to start sharing the workload again. Opening the chest, strengthening the upper back, improving shoulder mobility, and simply getting up to move throughout the day can make a tremendous difference.

We also have to think about what’s happening on the front of the body. As the shoulders round forward day after day, the pectoralis major and pectoralis minor gradually become shortened and tight. It’s almost like they’re pulling the shoulders farther forward while the rhomboids, middle trapezius, and levator scapulae are pulling just as hard in the opposite direction, trying to keep you upright. It’s a constant tug-of-war. That’s why, when I treat this area, I don’t just focus on the muscles that hurt. Releasing the muscles across the front of the chest is just as important. As the pecs begin to lengthen and open, the muscles between the shoulder blades finally get a chance to relax instead of fighting that forward posture all day long.

One of my favorite treatments for the upper back area is therapeutic cupping. Unlike massage, where I’m compressing tissue with my hands, cupping gently lifts the tissue. That negative pressure helps increase circulation, allows the layers of fascia to glide more freely, and often gives those overworked muscles a chance to finally relax. I especially love combining cupping with massage in this area because it lets me work deeper without having to use painful amounts of pressure. Clients are often surprised that they leave feeling looser, even though the treatment was actually more comfortable than someone digging an elbow into the knot for an hour.

Of course, muscles aren’t the only piece of the puzzle. I can usually tell when someone has been carrying a lot of stress before they ever say a word. Their shoulders are elevated, their neck is tight, and their breathing stays high in the chest instead of down into the diaphragm. The rhomboids, trapezius, and levator scapulae end up working even harder because they’re helping stabilize a body that’s been bracing itself all day. Our nervous system and our muscles are constantly talking to each other, and one almost always affects the other.

Most people don’t realize how much their breathing pattern contributes to tension in this area. When you breathe shallowly into your chest, your neck and shoulder muscles have to assist with every breath. Over time, that constant extra workload keeps those muscles in a semi-contracted, overworked state.

Instead, try shifting your breath down into your diaphragm. As you inhale, let your ribcage expand outward and your belly gently rise. Your shoulders should stay relatively relaxed and quiet. This allows your diaphragm to do the majority of the work, taking pressure off the muscles around your neck and shoulder blades.

It might feel unnatural at first, especially if you’ve been breathing this way for years, but with a little practice it can make a huge difference. Slowing your breathing down and making it more efficient not only reduces muscle tension, it also helps calm your nervous system, which further decreases that constant bracing pattern.So the next time you catch yourself rubbing that spot between your shoulder blades, stop for a second and check in with your breathing.

If this has been a trouble spot for you for years and you feel like you’ve tried everything without getting consistent relief, it might be time to take a more complete approach. Instead of just chasing the knot, let’s create a plan together that actually addresses what’s causing it. That can include improving your posture, building a simple routine of stretching and strengthening exercises, and learning how to breathe from your belly so your neck and shoulders aren’t doing all the work. When you start putting those pieces together, that stubborn spot between your shoulder blades finally has a chance to calm down for good.

Why Eating More Helped Me Lose Fat

If you grew up in the 80s and 90s like I did, you probably remember the low-fat craze. Everything was “fat free.” SnackWell’s cookies flew off the shelves. Margarine was supposedly healthier than butter. We bought frozen diet meals, rice cakes, and anything with the word “light” on the label. We were taught that hunger was simply part of being healthy. If you were hungry, the diet must be working. I spent way too many years on that roller coaster.

I’d lose weight. I’d gain it back. I’d get frustrated, tighten the reins even more, lose some weight again, then eventually end up right back where I started. The entire approach wasn’t sustainable.

There’s actually a reason fad diets almost always fail. From an evolutionary standpoint, your body wasn’t designed to thrive during long periods of food restriction. For most of human history, food wasn’t guaranteed. When calories become scarce, your brain doesn’t think, “She’s trying to lean out before summer.” It thinks, “Food is becoming scarce. We need to protect her.”

Your hunger increases. Food becomes more rewarding. You think about eating more often. Your body becomes more efficient with the energy it has.

I used to think I was just weak. I thought everyone else had more willpower than I did and that I simply wasn’t strong enough to push through the hunger pains, the lightheadedness, the constant thoughts about food, and the exhaustion that came with dieting. I truly believed it was a character flaw. Every time I “failed” another diet, I’d beat myself up and promise myself I’d try harder next time. There was so much guilt and shame wrapped up in the fact that I couldn’t seem to starve myself or survive on processed, fat-free diet foods. Looking back now, I realize I wasn’t failing because I lacked willpower. I was trying to fight millions of years of human biology, and that’s a battle none of us are meant to win.

Then there’s the psychological side. When we constantly tell ourselves that certain foods are “bad,” that we’re only successful if we’re hungry, or that eating more means we’ve failed, food begins to take over our thoughts. We become trapped in an exhausting cycle of restriction, guilt, overeating, and starting over on Monday. That cycle is mentally exhausting.

Eventually, I reached a point where I thought, “I can’t do this for the rest of my life.” Honestly, I almost decided I’d rather carry a little extra weight than spend another decade obsessing over every bite I ate. Constant restriction wasn’t giving me a healthier life. It was stealing my peace.

So I started asking a different question. Instead of asking, “How little can I eat?” I started asking, “How much can I eat while still reaching my goals?”

I’m 5’9”. It takes a lot of fuel to run this machine. I lift weights four days a week. I spend long hours working as a massage therapist. Some days I’m also outside doing tree work, hauling brush, moving equipment, and working in the Georgia and Florida heat. I’m not willing to spend my days feeling lightheaded, exhausted, irritable, or struggling to remember basic words because I’m trying to convince my body it isn’t hungry. I wanted a way of eating that I could actually live with. That’s when I stopped focusing on eating less and started focusing on eating better.

Protein became my priority. Not because I wanted to look like a bodybuilder, but because I wanted to build a stronger, healthier body. Protein helps repair muscles after exercise. It helps preserve lean muscle while losing body fat. It keeps you feeling full longer, supports recovery, and makes it much easier to stick with healthy eating because you’re no longer fighting hunger every waking minute.

Instead of filling my plate with low-calorie foods that left me hungry an hour later, I started building my meals around lean protein, fruits, vegetables, potatoes, rice, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, eggs, and other whole foods that actually fuel my body. Ironically, I’m eating more food than I used to. Not more junk food. More real food.

I don’t binge or restrict anymore. I consistently eat anywhere from about 2,000 to 2,400 calories a day, and I’m able to do that while staying pretty lean as long as my protein is high and I’m staying active and exercising. I used to try to survive on 1,200 calories a day, which means I was missing out on an additional 1,200 calories my body actually needed. My body looks and feels so much better now. I can confidently say you can eat way more food than you think you can. You just have to be intentional about your protein and the quality of your food.

I don’t spend nearly as much time thinking about food anymore. When your body is getting enough protein and enough calories to support your activity level, those overwhelming urges to eat everything in sight often become much quieter. I didn’t suddenly developed incredible willpower. I finally started giving my body the calories and nutrition that it needed.

Today, I still have goals. I want to build muscle. I want to lose body fat. I want to stay strong as I get older. But I’m no longer chasing the smallest number on the scale. In fact, I weigh in the mornings now in hopes that my scale number doesn’t move because I know that if that number stays the same but my measurements go down, that’s just beautiful strong muscle that I’m putting on. I’m chasing strength. I’m chasing energy. I’m chasing consistency. I’m chasing habits that I can still be practicing ten years from now.

Switch your thoughts from, “How little can I eat?” to, “How well can I nourish the body I’m trying to build?”

If you’re struggling to figure out your protein needs, your calorie goals, or how to fuel your body without feeling deprived, I’d love to help. Whether you need guidance with your nutrition, your workouts, or just someone to encourage you along the way, I’m here. The path to becoming healthier isn’t necessarily eating less. It’s finally learning how to eat enough of the right things that fuel your body.

Before Electrolyte Powders, There Were Nourishing Herbal Infusions

Walk into just about any store this summer and you’ll find an entire aisle dedicated to hydration. Electrolyte powders, sports drinks, hydration packets…there are more options than ever, and honestly, there are times when those products make perfect sense. If you’ve been working outside all day, running a marathon, or you’ve been sick and losing fluids, they can be incredibly helpful.

Heck, just last week I was doing tree work in Florida, and the heat and humidity were absolutely brutal. I was going through electrolyte packets like they were candy because I simply couldn’t replace fluids as fast as I was losing them. I drank a gallon of water, still barely had to use the bathroom, and by the end of the day I knew my body had taken a beating. So if there’s anybody who understands summer dehydration right now, it’s me. That experience got me thinking.

Before electrolyte powders, sports drinks, and hydration packets were sitting on every store shelf, people were still working outside. They were farming, building homes, tending gardens, raising children, chopping firewood, hauling water, and spending long days in the summer heat. So how did they do it?

The answer isn’t one magical herb. They simply lived differently. Food wasn’t something that came from a drive-thru or a freezer aisle. Meals were made from vegetables grown in the garden, fruit that was actually in season, beans, eggs, meat, fish, homemade soups, nourishing broths, fresh bread, and foods prepared from scratch. Without even thinking about it, they were eating meals rich in protein, healthy fats, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and countless plant compounds.

Many cultures also understood something we’ve forgotten. You don’t always fight the heat. In many warm climates around the world, people traditionally started working early in the morning before the hottest part of the day. As the afternoon heat became intense, they slowed down, rested, shared a meal, drank water or herbal infusions, and returned to work later in the evening when temperatures became more manageable. They were working with nature instead of against it. I have a lot of respect for communities that consider their bodies in respect to their work. An exhausted, depleted worker is no good for work the next day. They also were much more acclimated to warmer temperatures because they didn’t live with the luxury of air conditioning like we do.

These days, most of us do the exact opposite. We stay up too late. We rely on caffeine to keep going. We eat whatever’s convenient because life is busy. We spend all day inside and then suddenly expect our bodies to handle hours in the blazing summer sun without missing a beat. Then we wonder why we’re exhausted, our muscles cramp, our recovery takes forever, and we never seem to feel completely recharged.

As a massage therapist, I hear people say all the time, “I’m just so tight.” Sometimes they are. But sometimes I think their body is asking for more than just a massage. Sometimes they’re just dehydrated or malnourished. Sometimes it’s asking for protein. Sometimes it’s asking for better sleep. Sometimes it’s asking for a little more rest. Sometimes it’s asking for nourishment.

Massage absolutely helps improve circulation, calm the nervous system, and decrease muscle tension. But muscles also need protein to repair. Your nerves rely on minerals like sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium to function normally. Your connective tissues need the nutrients that allow them to recover over time. We can’t expect our bodies to perform well if we never give them the raw materials they need.

Now, before somebody jumps into the comments, no…I’m not saying a cup of herbal tea replaces an electrolyte packet after you’ve spent ten hours working outside in July. That’s not what I’m saying at all. I’m talking about nourishment. I’m talking about the little things we do consistently that help build a healthier, more resilient body over time.

That’s one of the reasons I’ve loved herbalism for so many years. Herbs aren’t magic. They don’t replace healthy food. But they are another way to nourish the body. Herbs are to be taken in addition to your already healthy lifestyle. You can’t take an herb and expect it to work like a standard allopathic medication.

One of the herbs you’ll almost always find in my cabinet is nettle. Herbalists have treasured nettle for generations because it’s naturally rich in minerals like magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, and silica. When I drink nettle, it doesn’t feel like taking a supplement. It has this really earthy flavor that feels nourishing.

I also love oatstraw. Oatstraw naturally contains minerals like calcium, magnesium, and silica and has traditionally been used as a deeply nourishing herb. After several days of massage clients or a long day working outside, it’s one of the first herbs I reach for. Oatstraw tastes exactly how it sounds. It smells and tastes like a dried grass.

Red raspberry leaf is probably one of the most misunderstood herbs out there. Most people only associate it with pregnancy, but it’s a wonderful everyday herb for almost anyone. It naturally contains minerals like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and manganese, and it blends beautifully with almost every nourishing tea.

During the summer, I almost always add hibiscus. Besides turning the tea the prettiest deep ruby color, it has a bright, refreshing flavor that’s perfect over ice. It also naturally contains vitamin C and antioxidant compounds, making it one of my favorite herbs for hot weather. Hibiscus is the base for a lot of herbal teas because it has such a nice flavor and adds so much color.

Sometimes I’ll include a little alfalfa, which has long been appreciated as a nutrient-dense herb with a broad range of naturally occurring vitamins and minerals. It adds another layer of nourishment without overpowering the blend. This is another one that tastes just like grass so be prepared not to love this one.

You’ll also notice I only use a small amount of sage. Most people think of sage as something that belongs in Thanksgiving stuffing, but herbalists have traditionally used it to help support the body’s natural response to summer heat and to help with excessive sweating. It’s a very cooling herb. It has a very bold flavor, so a little goes a long way, but I think it adds something really special to this blend.

If I’m making a larger batch, I sometimes add just a touch of horsetail. Horsetail has traditionally been valued because it’s naturally high in silica, a mineral that’s important for connective tissues. Since I spend my days working with muscles and fascia, that connection has always fascinated me. I keep it optional simply because a little is all you need. The added bonus that horsetail offers is that it’s also excellent for hair growth.

Finally, I finish the blend with either peppermint or spearmint. Besides making the tea taste amazing, they add that fresh, cooling flavor that just feels right on a hot summer afternoon.

Wildcrafted Wellness Studio “Beat the Heat” Herbal Tea

2 parts nettle leaf

2 parts oatstraw

1 part red raspberry leaf

1 part hibiscus

½ part alfalfa

A small amount of sage

A small amount of horsetail (optional)

Peppermint or spearmint to taste

Pour just-boiled water over the herbs and let them steep for at least four hours, or overnight if you’re making a nourishing infusion. Strain, chill, and pour over ice. I love adding a squeeze of fresh lemon after a long day outside.

This tea keeps well in the refrigerator for a couple of days, so I’ll usually make a big batch and keep it ready to grab after working in the Georgia or Florida heat.

I used to think that I had to drink my teas hot, but honestly, I really only like hot tea during the winter. Once I started making big batches of tea and refrigerating them, I started being more consistent with getting my daily herbs in.

A quick note before you start brewing… Just because something is natural doesn’t automatically mean it’s right for everyone.

Some herbs can interact with medications or may not be appropriate for certain medical conditions. For example, hibiscus may lower blood pressure in some people, and herbs like nettle or alfalfa can interact with certain medications. If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, have a medical condition, or take prescription medications, it’s always a good idea to check with your healthcare provider before making herbal infusions a regular part of your routine.

At the end of the day, this isn’t about finding one miracle tea. Our bodies thrive when we consistently give them what they need. Real food. Plenty of protein. Good sleep. Movement. Rest. Water. But a nice mineral rich tea sure does help!

If you decide to make this tea, I’d love to hear what you think. Did you change anything? Add a favorite herb? Love it? Hate it? Let me know! I’m always curious to hear how other people make these recipes their own.

The Real Reason Your Sciatica Won’t Go Away

If you’ve been dealing with sciatic pain for weeks, months, or even years, you’ve probably asked yourself, “Why does this keep coming back?”

Maybe you’ve stretched every day. Maybe you’ve taken pain medication, used a heating pad, bought a massage gun, or had a massage that helped for a few days, only to have the pain slowly creep back.

In my experience, that’s usually because we’re focusing on the symptom instead of the cause.

One of the biggest misconceptions is that sciatica is actually a diagnosis. It isn’t. Sciatica simply means the sciatic nerve has become irritated. The real question is, why is the nerve irritated? Once we answer that, we have a much better chance of finding lasting relief instead of simply chasing symptoms.

The sciatic nerve is the largest nerve in your body. It begins in your lower back, travels through your hips and buttocks, then continues all the way down the back of each leg into your foot. When that nerve becomes irritated, you might notice burning pain, tingling, numbness, weakness, or even a sharp, electric sensation running down your leg. Some people feel it mostly in their hip or buttock, while others feel it all the way into their calf or foot.

One thing I tell my clients all the time is that pain isn’t always where the problem is. Just because you feel pain shooting down your leg doesn’t necessarily mean that’s where I need to spend all my time.

Yes, a bulging or herniated disc can absolutely irritate the sciatic nerve, but that’s far from the only possibility. One of the most common things I see in my practice is a very tight piriformis muscle. The piriformis is a small muscle that sits deep in your glutes. In some people, the sciatic nerve travels underneath that muscle, and in others it actually passes right through it. When that muscle becomes tight or inflamed, it can compress the nerve and create symptoms that feel almost identical to a disc problem. This is called piriformis syndrome.

Our bodies are incredibly good at compensating. Usually sciatic pain isn’t caused by one dramatic event. It’s years of sitting too much, driving long distances, weak glutes, a weak core, tight hips, lifting incorrectly, old injuries, or muscle imbalances that slowly add up until your body finally says, “Okay, I’m done.”

Have you ever noticed your sciatic pain gets worse after a long drive, sitting at your desk all day, or spending an afternoon on the couch? That’s because those muscles stay in the same shortened position for hours. When you finally stand up, they’re stiff, tight, and if they’re already putting pressure on the sciatic nerve, you really feel it. Sometimes something as simple as standing up every 30 to 60 minutes and walking around for a couple of minutes can make a surprising difference over time.

When someone comes into my studio with sciatic pain, I’m not really chasing the nerve. I’m trying to figure out why the nerve is unhappy in the first place.

I usually begin around the middle and lower back, working through the erector spinae muscles and the quadratus lumborum before moving into the glutes. Then I spend quite a bit of time around the sacrum and the ischial tuberosity, better known as your sits bone, because that’s where I often find some of the biggest areas of muscle tension.

From there I work through the gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and especially the piriformis muscle. I continue toward the greater trochanter on the outside of the hip, then down through the hamstrings and into the tissues surrounding the iliotibial, or IT, band. It’s amazing how often this entire chain of muscles becomes tight together. So, to offer real relief from sciatic nerve pain, the whole muscle chain must be addressed.

As those muscles begin to relax, they’re no longer placing as much pressure on the tissues surrounding the sciatic nerve. Many of my clients tell me they can feel the difference before they even get off the table. That’s why I don’t just massage where it hurts. I treat the entire pattern that’s contributing to the problem.

Once we calm everything down, the next goal is keeping it from coming right back.

One of the best things you can do is simply keep moving. Years ago people were often told to stay in bed with back pain, but we now know prolonged inactivity usually makes muscles tighter and recovery slower. Start with a five to ten minute walk at an easy pace. The goal isn’t exercise, it’s movement. As your symptoms improve, gradually increase your walking time. A little movement several times throughout the day is often better than one long walk.

Stretching can also be incredibly helpful, as long as it’s gentle. None of these stretches should create sharp, shooting pain. You should feel a gentle pull through the muscles, not pain traveling farther down your leg. If a stretch makes your symptoms worse, back off and let your body tell you what’s too much.

One of my favorite stretches is the Figure Four Piriformis Stretch because it targets one of the muscles most commonly involved in sciatic pain. Lie on your back with both knees bent. Cross the ankle of your painful side over the opposite knee so your legs form the number four. Reach behind your supporting thigh and gently pull that leg toward your chest until you feel a comfortable stretch deep in your buttock. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds while breathing normally, then slowly release. Repeat two or three times.

Another excellent stretch is the Single Knee to Chest Stretch. Lie on your back with both knees bent. Bring one knee toward your chest and gently pull it in with your hands until you feel a comfortable stretch through your lower back and hip. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds before switching sides. Repeat two or three times on each side.

Tight hamstrings often contribute to pulling on the pelvis and increasing tension through the back of the leg. For a Gentle Hamstring Stretch, lie on your back and place a towel or stretching strap around the ball of one foot. Keeping a slight bend in your knee, slowly raise your leg until you feel a gentle stretch along the back of your thigh. Don’t worry about getting your leg perfectly straight. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and repeat two or three times.

I also love the Cat Cow Stretch because it keeps the spine moving without placing a lot of stress on it. Start on your hands and knees with your hands under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. As you inhale, slowly arch your back while lifting your chest and looking slightly upward. As you exhale, gently round your back toward the ceiling and tuck your chin toward your chest. Repeat this slow movement eight to ten times.

People also ask me all the time what supplements they can take between appointments to help with sciatica. While there isn’t one magic supplement that fixes sciatic pain overnight, there are several things I’ve found helpful over the years.

If muscle tightness seems to be part of the problem, magnesium glycinate is one of my favorite supplements. Magnesium plays an important role in normal muscle and nerve function, and muscles that are low in magnesium often have a harder time relaxing after they contract. If you constantly feel tight, or you deal with muscle cramps, magnesium glycinate may be worth discussing with your healthcare provider.

I also like herbs that support the body’s normal inflammatory response, including turmeric, ginger, boswellia, and meadowsweet. They aren’t a replacement for proper treatment, but they can be another helpful tool when used appropriately.

Clients also ask me what products I personally keep around for aches and pains. One of my favorites is Curamin® by Terry Naturally. I’ve had wonderful experiences with it over the years for pain support. For topical relief, I also like Hyland’s Arnica®, Orthosport by Young Living, Cannabis Care®, and several quality CBD creams. These don’t fix the underlying cause, but they can make moving around much more comfortable while everything continues to calm down.

The biggest takeaway is this, lasting relief usually doesn’t come from one magic treatment. It comes from putting several pieces together. Massage therapy releases tight muscles. Gentle stretching helps maintain mobility. Walking keeps everything moving. Herbs and supplements may help support your body’s recovery, and topical products can make you more comfortable while you heal.

Of course, not every case of sciatica should be treated with massage. If you develop significant leg weakness, lose control of your bladder or bowels, experience numbness around your groin or saddle area, develop a fever with your back pain, or your pain follows a major fall or accident, those are signs you should seek immediate medical care.

One of the things I love most about massage therapy is getting to play detective.

Every body tells a story, and no two clients are exactly alike. That’s one of the reasons I still love what I do after all these years.

My goal isn’t just to help you feel better for an hour. My goal is to help you understand your body, identify what’s contributing to your pain, and give you the tools to keep it from coming right back.

If you’ve been dealing with sciatic pain, I’d love to help. Together we’ll figure out what’s contributing to your pain and create a plan to help you move more comfortably.

Why You Might Be Feeling Puffy (And What Your Lymphatic System Has To Do With It)

One of the most common things I hear this time of year is, “I just feel swollen.” Rings don’t fit quite right, ankles are puffy by the end of the day, your face feels fuller than normal, you’re uncomfortable in your clothes, and you just don’t feel like yourself. With the Georgia heat and humidity, long days on your feet, vacations, road trips, restaurant food, and a little more sodium than usual, it’s no wonder.

A lot of people immediately assume they’ve gained fat overnight. The truth is, most of the time what they’re’re noticing is fluid.

Our bodies are made up of trillions of cells, and every one of those cells sits in a fluid called interstitial fluid. Think of it as the “neighborhood” surrounding your cells. Oxygen and nutrients leave your bloodstream and enter this fluid to feed your cells. Then your cells release waste products back into that same fluid.

That fluid has to go somewhere.

Some of it returns directly to the bloodstream, but a large portion enters your lymphatic system. Unlike your circulatory system, your lymphatic system doesn’t have a heart pumping it. It depends on muscle movement, breathing, hydration, and the natural contraction of lymphatic vessels to keep everything moving. When we’re sitting for long periods, recovering from surgery, dealing with inflammation, experiencing hormonal changes, traveling, or just living in this summer heat, that movement can slow down.

When lymph isn’t moving efficiently, people often notice swelling, heaviness, stiffness, bloating, and sometimes they just feel sluggish. That’s where lymphatic drainage massage can be incredibly helpful.

Lymphatic drainage massage uses very gentle, specific techniques to encourage that fluid to move through the natural pathways your body already has. I’m not forcing toxins out or making your body do something it wasn’t designed to do. Your liver, kidneys, lungs, digestive tract, and lymphatic system already work together every single day to process and eliminate waste. What I’m doing is helping move the fluid so those systems can do what they were designed to do more efficiently.

One of the tools I use is my Medi-Cupping machine. This isn’t the same thing as traditional cupping that leaves large dark circles. (Although I do that type of cupping too but that serves a different purpose) Medi-Cupping uses a gentle rhythmic vacuum that lifts the tissue instead of compressing it. That lifting action creates space between tissue layers, helps soften areas that feel tight or congested, improves circulation, and encourages lymphatic flow. Most people are surprised by how relaxing it feels.

One of my favorite parts of this work is seeing how differently everyone responds. Some clients notice they’re making frequent trips to the bathroom for the rest of the day. Others tell me they sleep better that night or wake up feeling less swollen the next morning. I’ve had clients lose as much as seven pounds of retained water after a single session. That’s not seven pounds of body fat disappearing overnight. That’s their body letting go of excess fluid it had been holding onto.

As an herbalist, I also love supporting the body outside the treatment room. Staying hydrated is one of the best things you can do because dehydration actually makes the body more likely to hold onto fluid. Herbs like nettle, cleavers, parsley, dandelion leaf, and red clover have all traditionally been used to support healthy fluid balance and lymphatic function. I always remind people that herbs work best alongside healthy habits, not instead of them.

If you’re reading this thinking, “Yep…that’s me,” let’s get you in this week. Sometimes your lymphatic system just needs a little extra help getting things moving again.

The Outcome Mindset VS the Process Mindset

I’ve been thinking a lot about the difference between an outcome mindset and a process mindset, especially when it comes to changing your body. I honestly think this is one of the biggest reasons people either transform their lives or spend years starting over.

I know because I used to be an outcome mindset girl.

Every diet I ever did was about the outcome. Lose the weight. Look different. Get skinny as fast as possible. Every decision I made was based on whether I thought it was working. If the scale didn’t move fast enough, I changed the plan. If I didn’t look different after a couple of weeks, I got discouraged. If I had one bad meal, I’d figure I’d already messed up and I’d start over on Monday. And you know what happened?

I stayed heavy.

Not because I didn’t know what to eat. Not because I wasn’t capable of working hard. But because I was always chasing a quick fix instead of changing the habits that actually create lasting results. I wanted my body to change before I was willing to change my life. The truth is, real change takes time. Your body doesn’t care that you’re impatient. It doesn’t build muscle because you had one great workout. It doesn’t lose fat because you tracked your food perfectly for three days. It adapts to what you do consistently over weeks and months.

That was a hard lesson for me to learn.

At some point I realized I had to stop making my happiness dependent on whether I liked what I saw in the mirror that morning. I had to accept my body exactly as it was while still believing it could become something different. I had to stop asking, “Is my body changing?” and start asking, “Are my habits changing?” That changed everything.

From a psychology standpoint, our brains are wired to repeat behaviors that are rewarded. This is called reinforcement. The problem is that visible body changes are delayed rewards. You don’t see muscle after one workout or even a couple of weeks of workouts. You don’t see fat loss after one healthy dinner or even a couple of weeks of healthy dinners. Sometimes the scale even goes up because of water, hormones, inflammation from lifting, sodium, stress, or your cycle. So if your only reward is seeing a different body, your brain starts believing your effort isn’t paying off. Eventually motivation fades because your brain isn’t getting enough evidence that the work matters. That’s why so many people quit after two or three weeks. They aren’t failing. They’re simply asking their body to provide proof before enough time has passed for the proof to exist.

Now, when I start feeling discouraged, I ask myself completely different questions.

Did I hit my protein target?

Did I train today?

Did I stay within my calorie goal?

Did I drink my water?

Did I get enough sleep?

Did I keep the promises I made to myself today?

Those questions matter because they’re the only things I actually control.

One workout doesn’t change your body. One high-protein meal doesn’t change your body. One perfect day doesn’t change your body. But hundreds of those choices stacked together absolutely do.

One thing that has helped me tremendously is creating a daily checklist. Mine has things like hitting my protein, staying within my calorie goal, getting my workout in, drinking my water, and whatever else supports my goals. Every night I look at that checklist instead of the mirror. If I can check those boxes, I had a successful day. Whether the scale agreed or not is irrelevant.

That’s the process mindset.

Instead of measuring your success by what your body looks like today, measure it by whether you lived like the person you’re trying to become today. The beautiful thing is, when you string enough of those days together, your body eventually has no choice but to respond. You cannot fail living this way. You may not get results on your timeline. You may not get them as quickly as you’d like. But if you consistently eat well, train hard, recover, and keep showing up, your body will adapt. That’s what the human body was designed to do. Eventually your identity changes.

You’re no longer someone trying to lose weight. You’re someone who trains. You’re someone who prioritizes protein. You’re someone who keeps promises to yourself. Once your identity changes, your habits become much easier to maintain because you’re no longer acting like someone chasing a finish line. You’re acting like someone who simply lives this way.

If you’re stuck in an outcome mindset, stop asking, “How much weight did I lose this week?” and start asking, “How many promises did I keep this week?” Stop asking, “Why doesn’t my body look different yet?” and start asking, “Did I give my body what it needed today?” Stop chasing perfection and start chasing consistency. Because lots of days of consistency add up to results.

Ironically, the minute I stopped obsessing over the outcome and started focusing on becoming the kind of person who simply does the work, my body finally started changing. My identity shifted. Now I’m a person who works out. I’m a person who eats healthy. I’m a person who works hard. I tried for about 5 years to lose weight with the outcome mindset and it never stuck. When I decided that I’d accept my body as it is and just commit to daily habits, I lost the weight…and I’ve kept it off for 10 years now. I’ve gotten stronger and leaner and that’s who I am now.

Do the work. Keep the promises. Stack the days. Let the outcome catch up.

July Availability (Massage Therapy)

One thing about me… I’m always on the move. 😊

Between trips to Florida, family, school, tree work, and all the adventures life seems to bring my way, my schedule can fill up pretty quickly. I wanted to go ahead and put my July availability out there so you have a clear picture of when I’ll be in Georgia and available for appointments.

If you’ve been meaning to schedule, now is a great time to grab a spot before the calendar fills up.

I always appreciate you guys working around my sometimes unconventional schedule and allowing me to live a life that I truly love. It means more than you know.

Message me if you’d like to get on the schedule for July.

This is just my availability for massage therapy. I’m always available to schedule for herbal consults or meditation guidance.😊

The Best Buffalo Chicken Dip (low calorie, high protein)

I actually stumbled onto this recipe by accident.

One day I was making a protein wrap and decided to use plain 0% Greek yogurt the same way I would normally use mayo. I spread a thick layer on the wrap, added some chicken, topped it with hot sauce, and took a bite.

It was ridiculously good.

My next thought was, “What if I just mix all of this together and make a dip?”

Now, I’m sure somebody somewhere has made buffalo chicken dip with Greek yogurt before, but since I discovered it completely on my own, I’m claiming it anyway. 😂

I’ve been making it regularly ever since because it’s easy, high in protein, and tastes like something that shouldn’t fit so nicely into my macros.

Ingredients

2 oz cooked chicken

½ serving plain 0% Greek yogurt

Louisiana Supreme Chicken Wing Sauce

A few shakes of ranch seasoning

Mix everything together and you’re done.

Macros

Per serving:

139 calories

27.2g protein

3.5g carbs

1.8g fat

I’m pretty picky about buffalo sauce, and this Louisiana Supreme wing sauce is my favorite. It’s got plenty of heat and great flavor. If you have a different favorite, use whatever makes you happy. Just check the calories because they can vary quite a bit from one sauce to the next.

Most of the time I eat this with celery sticks or cucumber slices, but it’s also really good rolled up in a protein wrap for lunch.

As I’m heading into Week 3 of my recomp, recipes like this make life a lot easier. I don’t need every meal to be fancy. I just need food that tastes good, helps me hit my protein goals, and doesn’t leave me standing in front of the refrigerator wondering what to eat next.

Low Calorie Cinnamon Pita Chips

A lot of you asked what I was dipping into that Fluffy Cinnamon Spice Dip, so here’s the answer…

These little Cinnamon Pita Chips are ridiculously simple to make and have become one of my favorite sweet snacks lately.

I use the Joseph’s pita bread, cut it into triangles, give it a quick spray with cooking spray, sprinkle it with cinnamon and a zero-calorie sweetener, and toss it into the air fryer for just a few minutes. On my particular air fryer two minutes was plenty of time and three minutes was borderline burnt But you’ll have to figure out the exact time based on how your air fryer cooks.

That’s it.

One whole serving is only 60 calories, makes a surprisingly generous portion, and pairs perfectly with the Fluffy Cinnamon Spice Dip recipe I shared.

I’ve been eating them with the dip, fresh fruit, baked apples, roasted blueberries… honestly, whatever sounds good that day.

And if you’re not in the mood for something sweet, these pita chips work just as well as a savory snack. Just skip the cinnamon and sweetener and sprinkle them with your favorite flavored nutritional yeast instead. Frontier Co-op makes some great options. The nutritional yeast sticks best if you give the pita a light spray of cooking spray first before seasoning.

I also have a really good savory dip that I make with them, so if you’d like that recipe too, let me know and I’ll share it.

The recipe card is in the photos. If you make them, let me know what you think!

Wildcrafted Fluffy Cinnamon Spice Dip

I’m heading into Week 3 of this body recomposition journey, and this little recipe has become one of my go-to favorites.

At this point, most of you know I’ve spent years in the wellness world, and I’ve done enough rounds of tracking food, calories, and macros to know how to get the most bang for my buck out of what I eat. If I’m going to spend calories on something, I want it to be delicious, satisfying, and actually keep me full for a while.

Fluffy Cinnamon Spice Dip has definitely earned a permanent spot in the rotation.

The best way I can describe it is this:

A light, fluffy cinnamon-spiced dip that tastes like the filling of an apple pie and a slice of cheesecake had a baby.

I’ve been eating it with baked apples, fresh fruit, roasted blueberries, and even these little homemade cinnamon pita chips that are only 60 calories per serving.

One thing I play around with is whether I use fresh fruit or baked fruit. If I want something that feels a little more indulgent and dessert-like, I’ll bake the fruit first. Baking doesn’t change the calories, but it does concentrate the flavor and natural sweetness, making it taste richer and sweeter than it does fresh.

What I love most about this dip is that it helps me keep my protein high, my calories reasonable, and that sweet tooth completely happy. It’s creamy, comforting, tastes like something you’d bring to a holiday gathering, and somehow still fits into my goals.

Honestly, it feels a little fancy for something that’s basically Greek yogurt, spices, vanilla, and sweetener.

The recipe card is in the photos if you’d like to make it. And if you’d like the recipe for the cinnamon pita chips, let me know and I’ll share that one too.

The Great Hair Recovery Project😂

A little over a year ago, I decided I was going blonde.

Not just blonde. Blonde blonde.

The kind of blonde that makes you feel like a total bombshell. I got extensions, had long flowing hair, and honestly felt absolutely gorgeous. For a while, I loved it. I felt feminine, glamorous, and a little bit like the peaches and cream Barbie that I adored growing up.

The problem was that my hair hated every second of it.

Between the bleach, the extensions, and all the maintenance required to keep everything looking good, my hair was completely destroyed. Then summer rolled around, and if you’ve ever lived in Georgia or Florida, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The heat and humidity were relentless. I felt like I was constantly washing my hair, constantly dealing with extensions, and constantly fighting with it.

After my niece’s wedding, I finally had enough. In an act of pure frustration, armed with a bottle of olive oil and the dedication of my 23-year-old daughter, we spent hours in the hotel that night removing every last extension from my head. There was olive oil everywhere, and by the end of it we were both exhausted. When it was over, I looked at my poor damaged hair and genuinely thought, “Well, that’s it. I’m never going to have pretty hair again.”

Thankfully, I was wrong.

Instead of looking for another quick fix, I decided to go back to what I know best. I returned to my natural color, stopped putting harsh chemicals on my hair, and focused on supporting my body from the inside out.

That’s when I started taking Horsetail and Biotin consistently. Horsetail is an herb that has been used traditionally for centuries and is naturally rich in silica. Silica is a trace mineral that helps support the production of collagen and keratin, which are important building blocks for healthy hair, skin, and nails.

Many people use horsetail because it may help improve hair strength and reduce breakage. While it doesn’t magically make hair grow overnight, stronger hair tends to break less, which can make it appear thicker and longer over time.

Biotin is a B vitamin, sometimes called Vitamin B7, that plays a role in how the body converts food into energy. It’s also involved in keratin production, which is the primary protein that makes up your hair.

People who are low in biotin can experience thinning hair, brittle nails, and skin issues. While biotin isn’t a miracle cure for everyone, it is one of the most commonly used supplements for supporting healthy hair growth and stronger nails.

For me, these two supplements seem to work well as a team. Biotin helps support keratin production, while horsetail provides silica, which helps support the structure and strength of the hair. My thinking was that if I could support both growth and strength, I’d have a better chance of growing healthier hair instead of just longer damaged hair.

Now, I should probably mention that I’ve spent years working in an herb shop and around supplement companies, so I’m pretty picky about what I take. I’ve seen all the flashy labels, miracle claims, and marketing promises over the years, and not every supplement company is created equal. There are plenty of products I walk right past without giving them a second look.

These two brands, however, are companies I’ve trusted for a long time. I’ve had good experiences with them over the years, both personally and professionally, which is why they’re the ones I reached for when it came time to help my own hair recover.

When you’ve worked with herbs and supplements for as long as I have, you learn that quality matters. You also learn that there usually isn’t a magic pill for anything. Most of the time it’s about giving your body consistent support, being patient, and allowing it to do what it was designed to do.

That’s exactly what I’ve done, and these two supplements have become staples in my routine. The difference in my hair has been significant enough that friends, family, and clients have started asking what I’m doing differently, which is what inspired me to share them here.

Now, before anyone thinks I’m claiming these are miracle supplements, I’m not. Hair growth is influenced by a lot of things. Hormones matter. Stress matters. Sleep matters. Genetics matter. Nutrition matters. But after several months of consistency, I’ve noticed my hair becoming longer, thicker, stronger, and healthier than it has been in years.

I also think a few other things deserve some credit. Protein is incredibly important because hair is made primarily of protein. If you’re not getting enough, your body has bigger priorities than growing long, healthy hair. Collagen can also be helpful, whether that’s through a supplement or something simple like bone broth. Iron, zinc, and omega-3 fats are all nutrients that can support healthy hair growth as well.

More than anything, though, I’ve learned that hair growth requires patience. I wanted instant results. I wanted a miracle overnight. What actually worked was consistency. Consistently supporting my body with good nutrition. Consistently being gentler with my hair. Consistently leaving it alone long enough to recover from all the questionable decisions I’d made in the name of beauty.

Today my hair is healthier than it’s been in a very long time. Do I occasionally miss my blonde bombshell era? Absolutely. But I also love having healthy hair again.

As always, this isn’t medical advice, and I’m not sponsored by either company. It’s simply one woman sharing what worked for her after a season of bleach, extensions, and a few questionable life choices. 😉

Protein Cottage Cheese Wrap (My current obsession)

I originally saw this recipe floating around online, and honestly, I have no idea who the original creator was. It’s one of those viral recipes that seems to be everywhere right now. What I do know is that it has become one of my favorite meal-prep staples.

This isn’t trying to be bread. It isn’t trying to be a tortilla. It’s its own thing, and once you get the texture right, it’s surprisingly versatile.

I usually make one batch and split it into two wraps. I’ll have half earlier in the day and save the other half for later. With over 40 grams of protein in the recipe, it keeps me incredibly full and satisfied. Some days I’ll add chicken, turkey, or another protein source, but honestly, I don’t always feel like I need to. It works just as well loaded with vegetables.

This morning’s version was a barbecue chicken wrap and came in under 300 calories for breakfast. I was absolutely stuffed afterward.

One of my favorite tricks is using it as a pizza crust. Just top it with sauce, cheese, and whatever toppings you like, then pop it back in the oven for a few minutes.

The biggest tip I can give you is this:

Do not undercook it.

You want to blend the cottage cheese until it’s completely smooth. No cottage cheese texture. No curds. Just a smooth batter.

When it bakes, don’t pull it out when it’s still pale or egg-colored. The wrap needs to get deeply golden brown, almost to the point where you think it might be getting too dark. That’s what gives it enough structure to actually hold together as a wrap.

About halfway through baking, I carefully remove it from the oven, place another piece of parchment paper on top, flip it over, and continue baking. Browning both sides makes a huge difference in the final texture.

As always, every oven is a little different, so use the timing as a guideline and watch the color more than the clock.

Protein Cottage Cheese Wrap

Ingredients

• 225 g low-fat cottage cheese

• 2 large eggs

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.

2. Blend cottage cheese and eggs until completely smooth.

3. Line a baking sheet or baking pan with parchment paper.

4. Pour mixture onto parchment and spread evenly into a thin rectangle or circle.

5. Bake for approximately 20 to 25 minutes.

6. Carefully flip onto a fresh piece of parchment paper.

7. Return to oven and bake another 20 to 25 minutes, or until both sides are deeply golden brown.

8. Cool slightly before filling and rolling.

Recipe Macros

• Calories: 324

• Protein: 41 g

• Carbohydrates: 8 g

• Fat: 14 g

Makes 1 large wrap or 2 smaller servings.

I’ve been having a lot of fun experimenting with higher-protein recipes while working through my body recomp. The biggest surprise has been how satisfying simple foods can be when they’re built around protein and volume. This wrap is one of those recipes that makes healthy eating feel easy instead of restrictive, and those are the recipes that tend to stick around in my kitchen.