what I’d do differently if I were starting my health journey today

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Chatting about what I’d do differently if I were starting my health journey today.

Hi hi! And hello from San Diego! I’m here for some mastermind adventures and getting quality time with my bestie Betsy, which is the best combo.

For today’s post, I wanted to talk about something I’ve been reflecting lately: what I’d do differently if I were starting my health journey today.

what I’d do differently if I were starting my health journey today

I’ve had a few major transition points with my health over the years:

– In college, when I first decided I wanted to “get healthy.” I tried everything: different eating styles, workouts, routines. Some worked… some very much did not.

– A few years into marriage, when I stopped taking birth control and realized how much it had been masking symptoms and quietly depleting me. I needed daily naps and lived on multiple cups of coffee just to function.

– During fertility struggles, when I made big shifts in exercise and nutrition and found functional medicine (which was very much considered hocus pocus back in 2009, let me tell you).

– Postpartum, while dealing with intense postpartum depression and anxiety.

– Later, when eye issues and autoimmune symptoms started showing up.

And now… here I am.

Am I perfect? Absolutely not 😉

But I feel better now than I did in college… and it definitely didn’t happen overnight. It took time, mistakes, certifications, experience, and a lot of learning about nuance and personalization.

how to stress less this holiday season

If I were starting over today, here’s what I would do first:

I would stop under-eating

I under-ate for years and couldn’t figure out why my hair was falling out, my energy was nonexistent, and my body felt stuck. I wasn’t eating enough protein, fiber, or overall calories, and my body was constantly trying to survive instead of thrive.

I’d regulate my nervous system before chasing protocols

I was in fight-or-flight from about age six until… honestly, just a couple of years ago. I didn’t realize how deeply my nervous system was affecting everything: hormones, digestion, immunity, sleep. It’s taken therapy, supplements, habits, and a lot of awareness to come out of that state. I still remind myself multiple times a day: “This is not an emergency.” Most of us wildly underestimate how much our nervous system drives our health.

I’d test sooner

If you’re not testing, you’re guessing…. and guessing gets expensive. I w

Lazy high-protein dinners I make when I don’t want to cook

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Sharing a roundup of lazy high-protein dinners I make when I don’t want to cook.

Hi friends! How are you? I hope you’re having a great morning so far. I’m here getting ready for a work trip to San Diego and have coaching calls all morning today.

For today’s post, I wanted to share a roundup of dinner options – specifically high-protein dinners I always come back to when I don’t feel like cooking. The Pilot is gone fairly often, which means I need meals that are nourishing, easy, and realistic after school pickup, basketball shuffles, and general end-of-day chaos.

These are the dinners that save me when I don’t want to think, chop a million things, or be in the kitchen all night.

My go-to staples

I keep these on hand almost all the time:

Rotisserie chicken

Ground beef

Frozen wild salmon (always from ButcherBox)

Frozen or roasted veggies (I’ll roast a big pan once and use them all week)

Easy sauces (I love Kevin’s sauces from Thrive Market)

Rice and gluten-free noodles

Salad kits (lifesaver when you’re in a pinch)

And now… my top 10 lazy, high-protein dinners. Please steal these and then help a girl out by sharing your favorites in the comments.

Lazy high-protein dinners

1. Salmon bowls

I make rice in the Instant Pot (rinse rice, add equal parts rice and water, cook on manual for 12 minutes – perfect every time). While the rice cooks, I air-fry frozen salmon with salt and pepper. I’ll chop a cucumber, microwave edamame, and grab seaweed snacks. Top the rice with salmon, edamame, cucumber, seaweed, and drizzle with tamari and sriracha.

2. Egg roll in a bowl

The kids go crazy for this, and it makes great leftovers for lunch the next day. Easy, fast, and packed with protein.

3. Easy tofu + noodle stir fry

The kids love tofu, so I try to include it about once a week. I drain the tofu, wrap it in paper towels, and put a heavy pan on top for 10–15 minutes. Then I sauté it with veggies and toss with cooked noodles and an easy sauce, like a homemade peanut butter sauce or a Kevin’s sauce.

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Top posts and pages from 2025

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Sharing my top blog posts and pages of 2025.

Hi friends! How are you? How was the weekend? Ours was a good one. The kids had lots of friend time, P had a basketball game, I had an NCL meeting and taught a barre class.

For today’s post, I’m sharing a roundup of my top blog posts and pages from the past year. It’s always fun to go through analytics and see which posts perform well, and almost all of these are posts I created to try to give a ton of value, like a recipe, a how-to, full review, etc. I’m also interested to see how this changes in 2026 since everything in the blog world has changed with AI search. SEO doesn’t quite work like it used to, so I’ll just be here doing my thing and always appreciate any feedback or things you’d like to see here!

Here’s the full roundup!

Top posts and pages of 2025

1. The blog homepage

This one means the most to me because it means that a majority of readers are my internet besties who click directly to the blog without finding it through Google. I love hanging out with all of you each day and it means that world to me that you check in to see what’s going on. <3

2. Healthy Homemade Dog Food

Maisey’s dog food recipe! I loved putting this post together because she LOVES this dog food so.much, and so many people have let me know that their pups love it, too! I make a huge batch every two weeks or so and freeze it in blocks. We introduced Lola to it and she goes absolutely WILD.

Healthy homemade dog food recipe

3. Homemade gelatin gummies for gut health

This is a recipe that the kids ask to make all the time; they love it and it’s such a good way to get in some gut-nourishing ingredients.

4. Homemade protein ice cream

This protein ice cream is so good if you want a sweet treat with a lil protein in there!

5. Easy enchiladas with rotisserie chicken

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1.9 Friday Faves

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Hi friends! Happy Friday! How are you? What are you up to this weekend?

We’re just hanging out here and home and I’m looking forward to a low-key weekend after lots of holiday activities and adventures. It’s suddenly winter here in Tucson – rainy and freezing!- and we’re enjoying lots of puppy snuggles in between trying to keep Lola from destroying all of the furniture.

(I keep trying to get a pic of Maisey and Lola together but they’re always moving at lightning speed together)

Liv turned 14 yesterday and I can’t even believe it. Thank you so so much to my OG reader friends who have been there since the early days. I had a couple of you reach out on Instagram yesterday to tell me you were reading the blog while I was shaking it teaching Zumba with her in my belly. It really feels like yesterday and 14 lifetimes ago at the same time.

Her birth story part 1 is here and part 2 is here.

I post less of the kids here on the blog – I ask for permission before I post anything – but she’s the wittiest, sweetest girl with a heart of gold. She’s also obsessed with K Pop, which is a big reason why we’re going to Seoul this summer. We just had cake here at the house since we’re heading to San Diego and Disney next week to celebrate!

For now, it’s time for the weekly Friday Faves party. This is where I share some of my favorite finds from the week and around the web. I always love to hear about your faves, too, so please shout out something you’re loving in the comments section below.

1.9 Friday Faves

Fashion, beauty, random:

Always the Farm Rio! They’ve had so many great sales this season, but this one is from Rent the Runway. I’m still using and loving the Unlimited membership. It’s amazing for events and travel, and also helps keep me from shopping *quite so much.* Read more

198: Longevity Goals, Strength & Sustainable Health Habits for the New Year

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Hi friends! I have a brand new podcast episode live and today we’re kicking off 2026 with a conversation all about longevity – not just living longer, but living better.

This episode is your realistic, no-extremes roadmap to building habits that support strength, energy, resilience, and joy for the long haul. If you’re tired of all-or-nothing New Year’s goals and want something that actually sticks, this one’s for you!

Here’s what we chat about:

  • Why longevity goals matter more than vanity goals (and how to anchor your habits to a deeper “why”)
  • The sweet spot for daily movement, including step count targets that actually support long-term health
  • Functional strength benchmarks every woman should work toward for independence and resilience as we age
  • The non-negotiable role sleep plays in inflammation, hormones, metabolism, and overall longevity
  • How chronic stress and nervous system dysregulation can stall healing and impact long-term health
  • Daily and weekly nervous system practices that support recovery, digestion, and emotional resilience
  • Longevity-focused nutrition guidelines that prioritize protein, fiber, metabolic flexibility, and simplicity
  • How to habit-stack your way into sustainable change—without overhauling your entire life

198: Longevity Goals, Strength & Sustainable Health Habits for the New Year

This episode is practical, empowering, and designed to help you feel strong, energized, and capable not just this year, but decades from now.

Take a listen and tell me which longevity habit you’re starting with first .

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For my free Autoimmune Healing ebook, click here.
Detailed show notes here: Read more

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