Hi friends! I have a new podcast episode live and I’m hopping in today with another solo episode all about morning routines!

184: Crafting a Morning Routine That Works For YOU

Here’s what we discuss:

Why morning routines are so powerful and how they can impact your mood, energy, and productivity throughout the day.

My previous “rat race” morning routines and how I’ve evolved to a more sustainable, habit-stacked approach.

“Non-time-structured” morning habits, including avoiding phone scrolling, getting sunlight exposure, and prioritizing hydration.

My go-to, autopilot breakfast that’s packed with nutrition and protein.

Incorporating PEMF, red light, and binaural beats into her mornings for optimal well-being.

The power of journaling and gratitude, and how to manifest your goals by writing them as if they’ve already happened.

Book recommendations for cultivating a positive mindset and effective habits

Creative ways to use AI (like ChatGPT) to optimize your daily routine and maximize productivity.

The importance of consistency over intensity and finding what truly moves the needle for you, rather than comparing yourself to others.

and so.much.more!

Partners:

Check out We Feed Raw! Maisey goes crazy for this! I use it as a topper for her kibble or mix it into her pup loaf. You can try the raw version, the raw dehydrated kibble, and they’ll help you customize a plan for your pup. Use FITNESSISTA30 for 30% off your Meal Plan Starter Box here!

The Lifewave X39 patches have been a gamechanger for my energy; the Pilot is obsessed, too! Check them out here. 

Check out my new favorite red light device here, and use the code FITNESSISTA for a huge discount.

I’ve been using Nutrisense on and off for a couple of years now. 

Sharing a recap of our experience with the Barcelona gluten-free food tour.

Hi friends! How are you? I hope that you’re having a great week. We’re enjoying being back at home even though we’re definitely missing our Spain adventures. After 5 weeks in Europe, I definitely got used to that life 😉

Something we learned during our trip: how much we all LOVED Barcelona. It was our first time and since the Pilot wasn’t able to make it to the part of the trip – he was there for the last four days of our time there – we told him we just have to go back.

A major highlight: the gluten-free food tour, lead by Dvir Bar.

As you guys know, we’re major foodies and love checking out new foods and restaurants locally and when we travel. I’ve been strict gluten-free for two years now as part of my healing journey, and back in January, we learned that P had a severe gluten sensitivity. While I’ve been around the gluten-free block for a while, P is still learning.. and is sometimes (very understandably) disppointed when there isn’t a gluten-free option for her.

To brighten her Barcelona day, I did some research for gluten-free options, and discovered that Barcelona is a HAVEN for gluten-free food options and that they had popular gluten-free food tour. I signed us up instantly.

When the day arrived, P and I were pretty pumped about it. Liv was a good sport and excited to try some new foods.

Our guide, Dvir, was absolutely wonderful. He spoke English (our group of 11 people wer

Sharing some of the habits that helped with my hormones, mood, sleep, energy, and life!

Hi friends! How are ya? I hope that you’re having an amazing morning so far. We’re living up some pool time and just getting caught up on the routine now that we’re back in town. While I love vacation mode, there’s something so lovely about getting back into your routine and the habits that make your feel your best.

I think I pay even more attention to these things now because there was a LONG time when I felt completely off. I was tired but wired, dealing with constant bloating, mood swings, horrible fatigue, and while most of the tradition labs looked *normal* I knew something wasn’t right.

Through my journey of becoming an Integrative Health Practitioner, and especially after dealing with my own autoimmune symptoms, I discovered something powerful: small, consistent daily habits have the ability to heal you from the inside out. These tools have made an enormous difference in how I feel throughout the month, my energy levels, sleep, and mood.

Here are 10 things I do on a daily basis that genuinely have changed my life.

Please note that affiliate links are included below and allow me to earn a small kickback from any purchases. These are all companies I love and products I’ve used for years, so I’m thrilled to partner with them as an affiliate. Thank you so much to those of you who shop through my links – I appreciate your support so much. 

10 Daily Habits that Changed my Hormones and Life

1. Morning sunlight (before screens )

This is one of the most underrated biohacks. Getting sunlight in your eyes within the first 30–60 minutes of waking up helps set your circadian rhythm, which regulates everything from cortisol production to melatonin release at night.

Why it matters:

Cortisol should spike in the morning (that’s your natural “get up and go” hormone), and gradually decrease throughout the day. When we skip morning light and go straight to artificial blue light from screens, we disrupt that rhythm, which can lead to fatigue, anxiety, and poor sleep later.

What I do: I step outside when I let Mazer out in the morning (even if I look like a zombie), stand in the grass barefoot, take a few deep breaths, and just soak it in for 5–10 minutes. I also open all of the curtains and blinds as soon as we wake up to let sunlight into the house.

2. Dry brushing before showering

Dry brushing is a gentle, non-invasive way to stimulate the lymphatic system, which is crucial for detoxification and immune health. It also promotes blood circulation, exfoliates skin, and gives your body a natural energy boost. My favorite one is here. 

Why it matters:

Hormones are processed and detoxed through the

Sharing a recap of the books I’ve read lately and if they’re worth adding to your collection. 

Hi friends! How are you? I hope that you’re having a lovely morning!

We’ve been enjoying all of the Sevilla adventures, going to bed at at least midnight every might, and then sleeping in every day. It’s.been.amazing. I’ve managed to get in some reading time before bed and have blasted through four books. Two were horrible, and two were excellent. I’m sharing recaps below and I’d love to hear what you’ve been enjoying this summer!

Books I’ve Read Lately

The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer

This one absolutely wrecked me. It’s set in WWII Poland and follows a teenage girl who starts smuggling Jewish children out of the ghetto. The writing is beautiful, and even though the subject matter is heavy, it’s the kind of book that sticks with you long after you finish it. Highly recommend if you’re in the mood for something emotional and powerful. 9/10

From Amazon:

In the spring of 1942, young Elzbieta Rabinek is aware of the swiftly growing discord just beyond the courtyard of her comfortable Warsaw home. She has no fondness for the Germans who patrol her streets and impose their curfews, but has never given much thought to what goes on behind the walls that contain her Jewish neighbors. She knows all too well about German brutality–and that it’s the reason she must conceal her true identity. But in befriending Sara, a nurse who shares her apartment floor, Elzbieta makes a discovery that propels her into a dangerous world of deception and heroism.

Using Sara’s credentials to smuggle children out of the ghetto brings Elzbieta face-to-face with the reality of the war behind its walls, and to the plight of the Gorka family, who must make the impossible decision to give up their newborn daughter or watch her starve. For Roman Gorka, this final injustice stirs him to rebellion with a zeal not even his newfound love for Elzbieta can suppress. But his recklessness brings unwanted attention to Sara’s cause, unwittingly putting Elzbieta and her family in harm’s way until one violent act threatens to destroy their chance at freedom forever.

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Hi friends! Happy Friday! How are you? I hope that you’ve had an amazing week. I’m sorry for the crickets over here this week – I only managed to publish two posts because we were living up our last few days in Sevilla. One of the biggest gifts to myself during this long trip was that I pre-wrote 12 blog posts before we left. It gave me the chance to truly unplug and enjoy, and now we’re home and it’s back to the routine!

I’m pretty proud of myself because for almost the entire trip, I was solo parenting. The girls and I flew across the ocean to Barcelona, enjoyed some days before our cruise and after our cruise there, did the Disney cruise, flew down to Sevilla, spent 4+ weeks there, and the Pilot was able to join us for the past few days.

He was finishing up training since he headed back to the airlines, and while we were hopeful the timing would work out with the trip, I didn’t work out that way. Since he was going to be gone anyway, the girls and I went for it and I’m so so glad we did. They’re older now which makes things easier, but it was definitely a core memory girls’ trip! I still have some Spain posts on the way, including some of my tips, Airbnb recipes, how I travel with zero jet lag, Barcelona’s gluten-free food tour, and the food, so stay tuned for those!! If you have any questions for upcoming posts, please lmk!

In the meantime, I’m here in a hoodie from the copius air conditioning (bless it) and snuggling with Miasey. I’d love to hear what you’ve been up and what you have going on this weekend!

Some pics from our last week:

An incredible dinner at Petra. This spot wins for my favorite tortilla, and I tried a LOT of them while we were there 😉

Pollo Asado aka Chicken Man. We had pollo asado SO many times while we were in Sevilla, since it was right down the street from our Airbnb. They had chickens roasting and you just had to tell the guy how many you’d like, he’d get your chicken, cut it up and put it into a container, and drizzle with juice from the roasting dish. It was $11 and the BEST chicken. I’m going to miss it!

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