Not all sleep is created equal. Just like not all components of cooking a meal are the same. Washing produce, chopping it, cooking it and serving the meal are the different (and necessary) stages that happen for a complete meal. Each stage of sleep has a purpose and role in sleep.

“There isn’t enough time for sleep”. I hear this. It’s a very real modern day barrier to getting enough sleep. It’s the number one barrier for exercise also.

There is so much to do. We are a busy species. Thankfully, research has examined this topic and can let us loose from this misconception. Sleep is worth our time.

How do you dodge a cold? “Oh, I just take this mushroom supplement when I feel a tickle in my throat and I don’t get sick.” Wow, that would be amazing! Everybody’s got their go-to illness prevention and remedy strategy. Echinachea, zinc, vitamin C, etc. Whether these are placebo effect or real, most of the time - they can’t hurt.

I realized this week that my favorite immune system related remedies are not just to avoid and get away from being sick, but also about enjoyment, rest and self-care.

Find out if I ate the cake my neighbor brought over to my house the other evening…

You don’t have to “fall behind” when the clocks change on Sunday. Anyone else show up an hour too early when you could have been sleeping in? Bummer!

Feeling groggy and “off” after the time change is to be expected.

We have been mislead. We misunderstand. But now we know...

7-9 hours is the “gold standard” recommended sleep for adults. The problem with this seemingly simple guideline is that some adults need all 9 hours. Not the bare minimum.

I often hear people say they don’t like sleeping too much because they feel groggy afterward.

What follows is often, “I don’t need a lot of sleep” or “See, too much sleep isn’t good for me”.

Too much sleep can be problematic, but only if it’s chronic over-sleep, like every single night for years.

There’s a misunderstanding of what your body is telling you with an acute episode of “too much sleep”.

10 years ago I was volunteering in the home office for Idea Health and Fitness Association with a mouth-watering craving to become a presenter myself someday. I wanted to be as inspiring, as captivating, and as skilled as the presenters I admired.

Getting there has been quite the journey. And this year is more special than ever.

I've always loved birthdays. Any excuse to celebrate! And I've gone BIG on many of mine in the past. Not this year.

Sleep has the potential to help people lose weight, but not just any sleep will do. It’s important to get an adequate amount of deep sleep every night, as it is the most restorative, providing both mental and physical recovery benefits, which supports the weight-loss journey.

Raising prices is scary for many personal trainers. The fear is clients might get angry and quit. Don’t be scared. Think through it and handle the change appropriately to be successful. Here’s how…

There is a completely different energy when a day is shorter than the one before it vs. longer than the one before it. 

There are pros and cons to shorter days. I prefer to focus on the positive. Here it is.

New years resolutions are all the buzz right now. How to. How not to. Is anyone else feeling the pressure? How about instead of resolutions that last an ENTIRE YEAR, we work on setting intentions that last a month, a week or even just a day! 

My approach this year is simple. Partially because I'm a new mama that views a hot shower as a luxury vacation and also because of a book I recently read...

It happened to me. My abs separated while pregnant. Stretch marks took the place of my six pack. It's something I've heard about many times in my years as a fitness teacher. When I stepped into the role of anatomy educator, the questions arose even more frequently during abdominal muscle courses and workshops.