Busy Women's Health

Today is a good day. No, a GREAT day. This morning, I stepped on the scale and was amazed and ecstatic to see that I am officially 21 POUNDS LIGHTER since beginning my Intermittent Fasting journey at the end of January 2018. See the difference? I've talked before about how I found IF and started my weight loss journey if you want to check it out. The day I started IF, I weighed in at 149.8 lbs, the heaviest I'd ever been in my life. Today, I am 128.8 lbs. I haven't been close to this for almost a decade. I never thought I'd get back to 130 lbs, much less BELOW it! And I did it without depriving myself, without sacrificing my favorite foods and without ever once feeling guilty about anything I ate. Sure, I probably could've reached this milestone sooner had I been a bit stricter with myself, but that kind of defeats the purpose of what IF is all about. Dr. Jason Fung, who's books on Intermittent Fasting can be found on the Resources page , say

Oooohhhh It's a doozy...now these are the words that tend to leave my child’s mouth as he leaves the bathroom. And trust me, not the words I want hear knowing I have to go in after him.  A little background. Our child has had gastrointestinal issues, including an emergency life flight, since he was 18 months (he’s now 10 years), and we have seen every doctor you could possibly think of for these issues, as well as, all the medications, rubs, exercises or, whatever else "Dr. Google" and your neighbor's second cousin's aunt has told you to try.   Been there....done that...found tea. And trust me, this was even a hard lesson for me to swallow as a mom. At some point we have to realize, we know ourselves and our loved ones better than any other forces that be. (Again, let me r eiterate, I believe in medicine, but I also believe there are some home remedies that really work, as well).    Where am I going with this? Probably to a bottle of wine.

Having a hot drink on a cold night is one of my favorite things... Especially when I'm feeling a little under the weather.  Having a drink a little more adult oriented with ick-fighting properties? Even better! With this recipe, there are almost no exact measurements. Just add everything to taste, alcohol tolerance and number of servings.  In my opinion, a good medicinal Hot Toddy will always include water, whiskey, cinnamon, honey, and some form of lemon, whether it's the fruit, juice or tea. I give you, my Hot Toddy Tea recipe, of which I have affectionately named, the Apple Cinnamon Hot Tah-Tea. For this recipe, I used Bigelow's Lemon Ginger Plus Probiotic Tea. You can get it from Amazon here or find it at your local grocer.  I loved the extra zing it added to the flavor and I'm always a fan of including probiotics when possible since I'm horrible at remembering to take my supplement daily. Ingredients: Water Whiskey (or bo

Every year, without fail, I'm sure to come down with some sort of respiratory illness. That's why, some years ago after researching different home remedies for just such an occasion, I concocted this recipe to give myself some relief from that icky mucus and respiratory inflammation. First, if you don't already have a tea infuser, I highly reccomend adding at least some simple ones like these from Amazon to your stock of kitchen gadgets. If you're already battling the crud and don't have an infuser, a coffee filter and a rubber band over a coffee mug or tea cup will work just fine as a strainer. You'll want to be sure to pour slowly after steeping, so as not to spill the hot tea. Besides the infuser, you'll need: Lemons  - for their antibacterial properties and vitamin C, which strengthens the immune system  - Or substitute 2 drops pure food grade Vitality Lemon Essential Oil Bay leaves - to reduce mucus Thyme

It’s that time of year.  The time that, to me, is worse than spring. The time that brings the fall cough!  You know the one. The one that never really goes away and you’ve had so long you’re not sure when it first appeared. It’s the same one that you don’t want to go to the doctor for because you’re positive it’s just something that has blown about with the change of seasons.  I like to call it the “allergy faker.”  Like Carly with her constant sinus fight, I have the constant cough fight. And although I always win, the shorter I have to deal with it the better.   I also have to think about the fact that I have a child and he and his friends are in and out constantly, and I’d really prefer they not share anything with me. Lord knows no parent wants to start that viscous circle of sick.  So, that’s where my favorite cough-away recipe comes in. It’s delicious, aids sleep and it’s for adults only!  Wellness Tea  and Whiskey, two new best friends.   Th

Fall... Mere mention of the season always conjures thoughts of cozy sweaters, changing colors, and pumpkins for me, but, as we all know, the changing weather also brings a wide array of germs and viruses, hellbent on infecting anyone and everyone in their path. Hello, Cold and Flu Season! As I write this, I'm working hard on staving off a sinus infection. Something I've fought at least once a year, every year since I was a kid. Thankfully, I've found a mix of over-the-counter meds and an arsenal of home remedies usually does the trick before I have to run to my doctor for the big guns. Besides being a firm believer in the power of "nasal lavage," aka rinsing my sinuses with a netti pot and saline solution ( here's a great, affordable starter kit that I would reccomend from Amazon. It's the same one my boyfriend uses. Or, if you'd rather let it flow than squeeze, take a look at this one. ),  I'm also a firm believer in the power o