Wellness Wildflower

Fitness

The Toughest Workout I’ve Ever Done… In 4 Minutes!

Yes, 4 minutes and I found myself dripping in sweat, gasping for air, and pretty much throwing out the white flag.

Meet Tabata. This is going to be your new best friend that you love to hate. Tabata is a form of high intensity interval training that originates from Japan. It takes just 4 minutes to complete, but rest assured, you are working to your absolute max and will see results.

Depending on what you fitness goals are (fat loss, muscle endurance, strength gains, etc.) you will pick several exercises and work at maximum intensity for 20 seconds with 10 seconds of rest between each for a total of 4 minutes.

Here’s a sample of a Tabata workout that I have used myself: Continue Reading

May 7, 2015

Mind/Body

How Acupuncture Saved My Life

Acupuncture saved my life. That is a bold statement, but one that I stand behind. Having been chronically sick and battling debilitating depression for years, I had become a slave to my medication and supplement routine. I was trying to do everything as naturally as possible, but I was literally setting three alarms on my phone as reminders to take supplements and carrying around the same pill holder that my grandmother used. All the while, I was still terribly sick and horribly depressed. Something was not right here.

Two years into this, after nearly dying in the hospital from liver failure caused by a medication I was taking, I was told to immediately stop taking every prescription and supplement that I was on. This horrified me. “I can’t stop taking all of this stuff! I am going to get so sick and so depressed. I need these pills!” Continue Reading

May 1, 2015

Nutrition

The Perfect Pasta Replacement in One Easy Step

Whether you are die hard Paleo or someone just looking to cut back on your carb consumption, this is the number one mistake I see being made time and time again. I have seen hundreds (literally!) of pictures of people making this same mistake. Don’t worry, I’ve cleared out my inbox to make room for all the thank you emails that are about to come my way!

April 30, 2015

Nutrition

How To Detox Your Body in 5 Minutes

We often associate cleansing with the change of the seasons. Every few months or so we’ll do a one or two week cleanse (or even a 30 day if we’re feeling extra toxic!). This is an amazing thing to do for our bodies. It is a great way to get rid of all that unavoidable toxic junk that we breathe, drink and eat.

But what if you could be more proactive in ridding yourself of these toxins? And what if I told you it would only take FIVE MINUTES? Not five days. Not two weeks. Not a whole month. Interested?

Every single day, I take 5 minutes of my morning to detoxify my entire body. It’s something so simple that doesn’t take up too much time and anyone can do. It’s a great way to keep your body functioning in tip top shape every day in between those oh-so-exciting seasonal cleanses that we love doing so much.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

April 21, 2015

Nutrition

Eat This Fat To Lose Belly Fat- And More!

Coconut oil, once demonized for its saturated fat content, has finally begun to make a resurgence in the American diet. With nearly 90% of the fatty acids in coconut oil being saturated, there are still many that would shy away from this now coined ‘superfood’. But, newer research is showing the endless health benefits to be had from consuming coconut oil on a regular basis and that it will not cause heart disease as once thought.

Allow me to re-introduce you to coconut oil!

April 14, 2015

Fitness

Preventing Chronic Disease Simplified

Chronic diseases, which include asthma, diabetes, cancer, obesity and heart disease are sadly a widespread epidemic in the United States. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “chronic diseases were responsible for five of the six leading causes of death in the United States in 2006”.

Americans are spending more hours in the office where they remain seated at a desk for most of the day. Between this and all of the advances in technology that require us to move less, we are becoming a nation of sedentary, under-active and unhealthy people.

The minimum recommendation of physical activity is a mere 30 minutes of moderate activity on 5 or more days out of the week.

March 27, 2015

Mind/Body

5 Benefits of Infrared Sauna Therapy

Many of us have tried using a sauna before. They have them at lots of spas and gyms. You get in, determined to stick it out a full 30 minutes and sweat out the other night’s less than perfect decisions you made-or drank- until that inevitable voice in your head starts talking. “Am I baking in here?”, “Should I feel this hot?”, “If I pass out, I wonder how long until someone finds me”…… Sounds fun, right?!

It wasn’t until I discovered an infrared sauna that I realized I did not have to have these conversations in my head and didn’t have to wonder if I’d survive the 30 minutes I set out to “relax” in the sauna for. And not to mention, I found out infrared saunas not only were way more comfortable, but they had a slue of health benefits to go along with it. Yes please!

March 26, 2015

Pet Health

Top 10 Human Foods Toxic to Pets

Our pets are like part of the family, but should you feed them that way? We’ve all felt the stares and the longing looks from our cats and dogs as we prepare a delicious meal for ourselves. They’re just so cute! Just one little scrap won’t hurt, right?

In some cases, wrong! While our pets may feel like just another member of the family, their digestive systems are very much unique to them. They cannot tolerate certain foods that would otherwise be seen as healthy foods for humans.

Here’s a rundown of the top 10 foods that are toxic to dogs and cats.

March 25, 2015

Mind/Body

Parabens: Your Beauty Routine May Have Ugly Consequences

The skin is the largest organ of the body. Most of us understand how important it is to rid our bodies of toxins through our skin via sweat, but have you thought about what toxins are entering your body through your skin? We often associate toxins with the food we eat and the air we breathe, but what about the long list of products that we are slathering all over our bodies? From soaps to lotions to shampoos and eye makeup- if you’re not careful, you may be introducing your body to more toxins than you realize. One common, highly toxic ingredient in many of our everyday toiletries is parabens.