My Cold Porridge

  We all know it's important to get our blood levels checked. Depending on where you are in your health journey, blood labs can be useful and give you some insight about what's going on "under the hood", so to speak. You can have a basic metabolic panel, a complete blood count (CBC), lipid panel...the list of common labs that can be run is extensive and can help you decide what direction to take with your health. However...blood labs, alone, cannot show you the big picture. Without the guidance from those who know not only how to read blood labs, but can look deeper into your overall health, you may be getting the runaround and not targeting your true issues. Many doctors, while trained to read the numbers from the blood work results, can't give much more thoughtful insight as to WHY your levels are like that to begin with. They simply look at the results and tend to prescribe something to get those numbers back within a "good range". Additionally, they ...

  No one likes the stomach bug. Not one single person. This virus rears its ugly head every year and - with school/daycare starting back soon - this mama is already stressed for what's about to come. Very soon, everyone will be posting their woes on social media. Families will be hit with this virus left and right. Kids will be down for the count. Parents will be pushing through with whatever strength they have left and they will be warning everyone to take precautions. Trust me, I am already taking precautions. While I know our family will be hit with the inevitable bug - whether this year or sometime during our existence - I have implemented these 3 tips to reduce the chances of the stomach virus attacking our home and bodies. If you are a parent - or someone who simply wants to be as prepared as possible - this post is for you. Keep reading!     1. Wash your hands  This is common sense, but the critical importance of this habit is always worth mentioning. The sto...

For as long as I can remember, I have always been fascinated with health and nutrition. I never went as far as becoming a doctor or medical professional, but when I reflect on my life's journey thus far, I realize that I have always enjoyed learning about health, wellness, and nutrition.  I loved reading health and science textbooks in school, watching food documentaries, collecting recipes, etc. Now, to be fair, I have been led astray on many occasions when it came to these topics and never took time to properly research beyond what was being fed to me through Netflix documentaries or biased articles. One minute I was told that a keto diet was the supreme choice over plant-based alternatives, then the next minute I'm watching Game Changers and am being told that meat is terrible and that eggs are worse than cigarettes. I'll be the first to admit that I am naive and gullible. I am quick to take things at face value and I am slowly working on this trait. Over the past few y...

Let me start this post by saying I am not your typical blogger.  I don't have the desire to travel all over the world. I don't have "wanderlust" and I definitely tense up at the thought of boarding an airplane. Travel, to me, is a nice treat once in a blue moon, but it is not something I strive to participate in on a regular basis. I am quite content staying close to home. It's cozy, peaceful, and budget-friendly! All that to say, despite my homebody-tendencies, I decided to explore our local area for a unique getaway for our 6th year wedding anniversary. I wanted to branch out a bit and see what interesting adventures could be found in our own backyard (or nearby, at least)! Not everyone wants to go to Bali or travel across the globe. Not everyone can afford to live an extravagant lifestyle consistently on the go. Honestly, it sounds more stressful than it's worth sometimes! I wanted to see if it was possible to create fun and cherished memories close to hom...