A Life Review Can Help You Redirect

December 24, 2024/in Goals, Healthy habits, Self Care/by Kelly Lutman

What has been your practice at year end in recent years? Do you float along on the river wherever it takes you, or use your paddle to direct your path? You can take a different approach this year. Starting with a life review can help you redirect if you aren’t where you want to be.

As we close out one year and begin another, it’s a great opportunity to take some time to reflect on the past twelve months. What have you accomplished, both small and large? What were your highlights and lowlights? What did you learn?

Taking a good, hard look at your life can be challenging, but it’s also incredibly powerful. It allows you to see where you’ve been and where you want to go. It gives perspective on your choices and helps you learn from your mistakes. And perhaps most importantly, it allows you to set realistic goals for the year ahead.

6 Underrated Sleep Hacks For Better Rest

November 12, 2024/in Breathing, Healthy habits, Sleep, Stress/by Kelly Lutman

Do you find yourself frequently tossing and turning, struggling to get the restful sleep you crave? It might feel like you’ve tried everything—cutting back on caffeine, creating a bedtime routine, limiting screen time. But some lesser-known approaches may make all the difference. Here are 6 underrated sleep hacks for better rest.

Give some of these more unconventional strategies a try:

Time To Bone Up On Bone Health

August 6, 2024/in Aging, Goals, Self Care/by Kelly Lutman

As midlife approaches, many women become concerned about their bone health. Rightly so, as our bones are a vital part of our bodies and a broken hip can lead to other complications. Let’s take a look at our amazing bones – there’s more going on in there than you realize. It’s time to bone up on bone health.

I had always thought of bone as being solid and strong, yet it is actually flexible and strong. Bone is a composite of minerals dispersed in a protein matrix of mostly collagen. That matrix gives bones some flexibility, similar to the pine trees that I see in south Louisiana. They are able to sway in the wind without breaking.

How Alcohol Affects Your Sleep

July 23, 2024/in Beverages, Nutrients, Sleep/by Kelly Lutman

I know many who enjoy an alcoholic beverage at the end of a busy day. It may be a regular habit or an occasional one, but they use it to wind down. And then there are days of celebration when there may be even more alcohol involved. If you enjoy an alcoholic beverage to wind down, have you ever considered how alcohol affects your sleep?

Snack Ideas For Your Summer Road Trip

June 25, 2024/in Diet, Healthy Eating, Self Care/by Kelly Lutman

simpWherever your summer travels take you, finding healthy snacks for long car rides can be challenging. If you’re planning on spending an extended period in the car, you’ll want to plan for healthy options that will curb hunger without causing a sugar high. Here are some great snack ideas for your summer road trip.

The key to balancing your snack options is not to go for the flour-based processed snacks. These are designed to be appealing, but they boost blood sugar followed by a crash.

Consuming these carb-heavy snacks will make you hungry before you reach the next exit. The key to road-trip satiety is focusing on snacks that offer protein, fat, and fiber. Read more

Adopt Active Hobbies For Fitness

May 28, 2024/in Exercise, Healthy habits, Self Care/by Kelly Lutman

Keeping ourselves moving goes way beyond routine gym sessions or obsessing over the number of daily steps you take. It’s about discovering the sheer joy that movement can bring to our lives.

Active hobbies provide a beautiful mix of pleasure and physical benefits. They turn what might often feel like a chore into something we look forward to. Whether it’s dancing in your living room, hiking through nature, or playing a sport just for fun – these activities add a vibrant layer of excitement to staying fit.

Choose To Reduce Your Toxin Exposure

May 14, 2024/in Diet, Healthy habits, Self Care/by Kelly Lutman

When you hear the term “toxin” what do you picture in your head? It would be easier for us if all toxins were labeled with the skull and crossbones symbol, but that’s not the case.

Sadly, we all encounter toxins every day. Pursuing wellness means that you must choose to reduce your toxin exposure.

The unfortunate truth is that our world today is not set up for optimal health. There are many who are fighting for policy change, but it’s a challenge thanks to the incentives that flood our political system.

Build Resilience Into Your Wellness Plan

February 20, 2024/in Healthy Eating, Healthy habits, Self Care/by Kelly Lutman

What does resilience have to do with your health? It is actually foundational to navigating life well. When I speak of wellness, I don’t mean a total absence of sickness, but rather the body being able to rebound after a short period of sickness. This is very different than the experience of many who live with chronic disease which makes them more susceptible to germs that are shared in their communities. Follow these ideas to help build resilience into your wellness plan.

10 Areas To Optimize Your Healthy Life

February 6, 2024/in Diet, Exercise, Healthy Eating/by Kelly Lutman

What does a healthy life mean to you? For most people, “healthy” means not having nagging symptoms and having energy for life’s activities. There is a lot going on in our bodies that is not on our radar, yet we can influence its function positively with our choices. Yes, your choices make a huge difference!

Did you know that the average American spends the last decade or more of their lives in what I call the 4 D’s: diseased, depressed, disabled, or demented? Americans rank 83rd globally for living a healthy life. Yikes! That’s not the “norm” that I want to live, and I’m sure you would agree. Here are 10 areas to optimize your healthy life.