Clarity Wellness

  2020 has been great in some ways, but it’s not a year I’d like to repeat in the near future. I find that the best antidote to anxiety and helplessness is to make a plan, challenge myself, and accomplish something each day—no matter how small. You asked...I answered! When I asked members of my Facebook group what they would like help with, many said that motivation to work out was a major challenge. I hope a little friendly competition and accountability will help! So here’s the challenge: 20 reps of 6 simple exercises, with bonus points for 20 minutes of cardio. Start today and continue for 20 days, or start tomorrow and go as long as you like. It’s up to you. Click here for a copy of my handy checklist to keep track of your exercises each day. Jump in at whichever day of the month it happens to be. Print out at least two copies (for November and December) and start checking off your exercises. Checklists can help with accountability, but an even more effective way to build a...

I have tried every type of diet out there--from vegan to carnivore, low-fat, high-fat, paleo, keto, etc., and here's what I've discovered:  every body is different, our bodies are different at different times in our lives, and if you just cut out the processed crap you are doing your body a world of good right there. Here's what works best for me, as a 50 year-old, pre-menopausal woman: 1.  No sugars :  200 years ago the average person ate two pounds of sugar a year. Today the average is about three pounds per week!  Sugar consumption is linked to diabetes, heart disease, Alzheimer's, cancer, and many other health conditions.  The biggest thing I noticed when I cut back on sugar was that I was able to get off the blood sugar roller coaster and stabilize my mood, energy levels, and tummy troubles.  I didn't feel hungry all the time, I didn't feel comatose every afternoon around 1:00, and my brain just seemed to function better.  These days when I indul...

It’s that simple. When buying vegetables, fresher is better , although frozen is a close second and pretty convenient.  Choose organic, unless it has a thick skin already to protect it,  and if you can buy produce directly from the farmer, even better.  Look for humanely raised meat, wild-caught fish, eggs that come from pasture-raised chickens (remember--they like to eat bugs, not grain!), and if you're going to buy processed meats, go for the highest quality with the least about of additives. Choose dairy products that come from organically fed cows . If you prefer to drink almond or coconut milk, that's fine, but choose the unsweetened kind, or you might as well be drinking chocolate milk. And don't be afraid of whole milk and full-fat cream.  The fat in dairy products balances out the naturally occurring sugar, lactose. If it comes out of a box or a pretty little wrapper, it's probably not real food .  Ok, there are exceptions, like the nut butter...

 I turned 50 this year, and I had big plans:  Travel to Greece Get a tattoo Run a 50 mile race Laser my armpits I feel like 50 gives you the excuse to do some of the things you've always wanted to do, and the confidence to do whatever the heck you feel like because you don't care what other people think anymore. (Hence, the tattoo.) So, thanks to Rona, I've done one out of four.  I'm happy to say that because of the hair removal laser my husband bought me for my birthday, my pits are pretty bald. We spent months planning our trip to Greece, but since Greece won't let Americans in, and I really don't want to spend 18 hours in an airplane right now, we'll have to reschedule for another year. The biggest impact on my day-to-day life, besides the disappointment of all our cancelled plans, has been the lack of direction in my running.  I don't necessarily need a race goal to get me out the door each morning--my body craves it and my mind requires it--but it d...

 I have to say that there were some advantages to the pandemic.  I had my mornings free to sleep as long as my body wanted, enjoy a leisurely coffee, do a little reading, meditation, and exercise, and set my intention for the day.  Now that I have to be to work by 7:00 am things have changed.  Instead of reading the newspaper I skim the headlines or my Google feed.  I only manage to get half a cup of joe before my morning run, and my run has been cut from 6 miles to 3.   Honestly, that’s probably for the better.  I’ve been working on my long slow distance, at a heart rate of 130-135 (based on the Maffetone method ), for 5-7 miles at a time, but I have a feeling it's time to change it up a bit.  In the past, three miles hardly seemed worth lacing up my shoes, but unless I want to wake up at 4:30 (which I don’t—prioritizing sleep is number one these days!) that’s all I have to work with.   Anyway, this week I decided to shake things u...

I was a sick kid.  Not the kind with a life-threatening illness that made you think, "Oh, that poor kid!"  No, I was the kid who was always sneezing, or stuffed up, or had a cold or a sore throat. I even had that "cute" little crease in my nose from rubbing it too often. In my late teens, despite years of allergy shots, I had my tonsils removed (which helped immensely, by the way) and then had polyps removed from my sinuses (not fun, but it certainly cleared things up--for a while).  I can't tell you how many rounds of antibiotics I was on throughout the years, and I tried every type of mind-numbing allergy medicine out there.   I distinctly remember wanting to try things that involved a lot of speaking and realizing that I couldn't rely on being able to speak clearly on any given day.  I ended up being a teacher, which of course, involves a lot of speaking, but every September I could count on my allergies spiraling out of control and leading to sinus infe...