Clarity Wellness

needs? My husband and I are constantly harping on our kids about the difference between needs and wants.  Do you really need the newest iPhone, or do you just want it?  Do you need the coffee flavored Oreos (maybe?) or do you just want them?  Do you need another Squishmallow crowding your bed or do you want another one because they're on sale at Fry's and they're "just soooooo cute!"? Yes, there are things that we need to have and do in order to stay healthy.  We need to eat real, whole, food.  We need to move our bodies on a regular basis.  We need to sleep well and manage our stressors.  But I would argue that we only need to do these things if we want to be healthy. Sometimes the "need to's" camp out with the "shoulds" and the "have to's," waiting in the wings to bring us down and make us feel bad about what we're doing, or more likely, not doing.  Those little words in our head fill us with shame, and shame is not...

  I've been cleaning out my closets again.  My oldest is leaving the nest and going off to college on Saturday, (I'm sure that will inspire several other posts down the road, but for now we're not going to talk about it) so her clutter clearing is inspiring my clutter clearing and leading to the eruptions of small piles of random things around the house. Some of it's easy--things we know we don't need and will never use again, but with two kids moving out in the next few years, there are a lot of "just in case" things we've been holding onto.  We have extra dishes and silverware, "just in case" the girls want them for their first apartment.  We have multiples of several  tools, bedding, school supplies, etc. "just in case" we need them someday.  Charging cords to unidentified objects, "just in case" we ever figure out what they belong to.  Travel books "just in case" we visit those places again.  Wall décor we mi...

If you ask most people why they want to try a low-carb diet, they will probably tell you they want to lose weight.  Great.  Most of us want to.  But what is your true why behind losing weight? Why number one:  I want to fit into my jeans.  Is this because you want to save money and be able to fit into all the clothes in your closet so you don't have to go out and buy new ones?  Or does the thought of trying on jeans in a fitting room fill you with dread?  Are you tired of looking at your closet and realizing that half the clothes in there don't fit you anymore? But why? Is it merely financial, or is it because you feel frumpy and unattractive? Are you afraid your husband doesn't see you as beautiful anymore?  Are you holding back from intimacy because of the extra weight? But why?  Go deeper... Are you afraid that your health is deteriorating because you're carrying extra weight?  You can't do the physical things you once did?  You ...

College move-in day Wow. I look at my Facebook group and blog and realize I’ve been quite the slacker lately. What’s going on? Well let me tell you… Life’s been going on. My oldest went off to college a few weeks ago, and though you might think that would free up more time for me (it technically has) I’ve also been having a hard time sitting still with my feelings or sitting still at all. The realization that my children are leaving the nest and my role as their mother is changing is throwing me for a loop. I’m not quite sure I’m ready for this. What does it mean for the rest of my life? Instead of thinking about that, I’ve been keeping quite busy-- cleaning the house, cleaning out closets, painting her room, planning band events, and planning an Alaska cruise. All things that need to be done eventually, but also things that can be parceled out after I’ve done the things that are really a priority to me, like writing and coaching—and maybe a little introspection. room makeover ...

  It's easy to get frustrated when it comes to health and nutrition.  We try so hard to follow a healthy eating plan.  We work out as much as we can.  We try to do all the "right" things, and sometimes they work for a while until they don't.  At that point it's easy to just give up and skip the workout, stay up late eating popcorn and ice cream, and have that extra margarita with your friends.  You get down on yourself, you feel like nothing will ever work, and you're resigned to holding on to that Covid 19 that you gained over the last couple of years. For me it often happens after I've lost a few pounds during the week, then go out for dinner and drinks Saturday night.  Sunday morning I wake up having gained back everything I lost, and sometimes more.  Was it the wine?  The salad with cheese and questionable ingredients?  Was it the little piece of bread I snuck from the bread basket, thinking that one little slice wouldn't hurt? Inste...

  My husband and I went to band camp last week with our youngest daughter and 160 or so of her closest friends.  We handed out Band-Aids, ice packs, and Tums like there was no tomorrow. We dealt with vomit at 6:00 am (and 11:15 pm), the bloodiest noses I've ever seen, and a rifle butt to the eye. It was intense and unpredictable, and here I am several days later still feeling like I could sleep 10 hours a night. We had a blast, however, and loved seeing how their music progressed throughout the week. At their parent performance on Saturday I got a little teary-eyed, feeling parental towards all 160 of them, and just so darn proud of all the hard work they put into it. So how does one eat low-carb at band camp, you ask?  I gotta admit, it's pretty tough unless you want to bring all your own food.  Here's what I did, as well as some things I should have done better. 1.  I chose my carbs carefully .  At this particular camp they make their own bread, and oh my...

I am truly like a toddler sometimes. If I can't eat something everyone else is eating, I throw an inner tantrum. (Cheese! I want cheese!) If I don't get enough sleep, I can be quite grumpy.   And if I'm upset, I may just want my binky (in the form of whatever snack is handy--usually mixed nuts or raw almonds). At 52 years old, you would think I'd have that figured out by now, but the hormonal roller coaster ride I'm on right now is actually making it harder.  So what's a girl to do?  Well, remember back to when your kids were toddlers?  What did you do with them?  Do the same thing with your adult self! Make sure you have healthy and easy food choices in the house. Make sure you are drinking enough water. Have a consistent bedtime routine and get enough sleep.  If you can make it work, naps are pretty awesome. Make time for play.  If you want to call it exercise, that works too. Preferably go outdoors. And most importantly, get lots of hugs and cu...