I was recently talking with a student who struggles with hip pain. Like no joke, they can't walk when the pain hits type of pain.

So we're chatting it up after an Awareness Through Movement class, and they shared their insight into how shifting their attention from their hip to their head helped them to understand their pain better.

"Do tell," I asked, "what did you discover about your hip pain?"

What is this one single thing that profoundly impacts your brain and body, both in the short- and long-term?

It's simple: sleep.

Would you be shocked to know some researchers say that "good sleep guarantees well-being and mental health"?(1) 

Why is sleep so crucial? What is sleep, and how do we do it? How much is "enough quality sleep"? How does it do these incredible things for health and wellness? And, most importantly, how can you get better sleep?

This recipe is one of my favorite summer Polish dishes! Traditionally, Chłodnik is served with warm mashed potatoes. Together they create a combination that is rich with flavors, varying textures, and contrasting temperatures. Every bite is a sensorial delight. 

Chłodnik (pronounced h-wo-d-neek, meaning cooler) is perfect for those hot summer days. Plus, this lacto-fortified bowl of flavor will nourish your gut with each bite. Thanks to those wee microbes, the soup is in a lacto-fremented kefir or buttermilk base, it keeps well for nearly a week as the live probiotic bacteria feed on the sugary starches in the veggies. It's one of those great dishes that can nourish your palate for days on end. 

This dreamy recipe will tantalize your tastebuds and nourish your dream-state.

Tart cherry juice is one of the powerhouse ingredients that live up to the ‘food as medicine’ hype. Research has shown that it can help to improve sleep, reduce muscle soreness & inflammation, and may even reduce belly fat. That’s a lot of goodness packed into these little antioxidant nuggets of juicy joy.

Sleep is an active process. Your body might be still, but your biology is bustling with activity. All of that internal nocturnal activity is crucial for living well.

Sleep also plays a massive role in detoxification. Your body has been using sleep to recharge and repair itself since before you were born. It’s no surprise that many sleep disorders are now linked to chronic pain, decreased cognitive function, depression, chronic pain, and neurological diseases, like Alzheimer’s.

Do you find yourself holding on to tension? If you suffer from complex pain, then you know what it's like to feel tense. Maybe it feels like you're muscles are gripping and aching nearly all of the time. Everyday activities like cooking or tending to your home can feel like a strenuous process. For some, everything feels like it takes excessive physical effort.

Omega-3s get a lot of notoriety — and for good reason! Not only is one of them essential for good health, but it can also be a powerful part of your chronic pain plan.

Pause right now and find one pleasant or neutral sensation in your body.

Got it? Find out why this is crucial if you live with chronic pain.

A friend recently requested a Quinoa recipe and I instantly thought of this super-duper yummy Quinoa Breakfast. In fact, this is my favorite summer breakfast meal. It is simple, and I always feel ready to take on the world after eating it. I hope that you do too!

A Few Quinoa Facts

Quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) is actually a species of Chenopodium grown as a crop primarily for its edible seeds. Yum! It is a pseudocereal rather than a true cereal as it is not a grass and its leaves are also eaten as a leaf vegetable.

The Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has officially declared that the year 2013 be recognized as "The International Year of the Quinoa." Yay!

Forty years ago, my life was abruptly altered. It was my last year of college, and I woke up one night with so much pain in my ribs – both front and back – that I had difficulty breathing.

It continued to happen night after night, and I knew that I’d better get it checked out.

Chronic inflammation has been on mind. Why? Because recently, I’ve been working with A LOT of people who are struggling with chronic pain and depression. No surprises that those two who up hand-in-hand. But the truth is, they’re not alone.

The video, Understanding Pain + What To Do About It In Less Than 5 Minutes, offers an excellent overview of understanding pain, especially chronic pain. I help people with complex pain implement the lifestyle changes necessary to help them to move beyond pain. 

Most people who experience complex pain do best when addressing their pain on many fronts — most of which are in this video. This video highlights many of my professional perspective on working with pain. It's spot on with a Feldenkraisian approach to moving, learning, growing, and healing.

Blood sugar is literally that: the sugar in your blood. Your blood contains all kinds of important nutrients and other substances that you need to be healthy, including glucose (i.e., sugar), a crucial energy source for your brain and your red blood cells. Blood is the liquid transporter that distributes these compounds to all parts of our bodies.

Sugar (a type of carbohydrate) is one of our body’s main fuels. The other two fuels are fat and protein. I call it “fuel” because our cells literally burn it to do work. It’s this “biochemical” burning of fuel in all of our cells that is our metabolism.

So, How Does Blood Sugar Get Too High?