Positively Anti-Inflammatory

047. Why is self acceptance hard? Why do so many of us struggle with accepting ourselves? Tune in as I explore the concept of self-acceptance, why it can be challenging, and the role it plays in shaping your emotional wellbeing. Self-acceptance enables you to recognize and understand your actions, traits, and limitations, and not attach negative emotions or judgment to them. I give you 4 ways to n...

046. Join me today as I discuss self-awareness. Self-awareness is a critical emotional intelligence skill that shapes and impacts our relationship with ourselves, others, and the world. The truth is, we might not be as self-aware as we think. Tune is as I delve into the concept of what self-awareness actually is, it’s benefits (some of which may surprise you), signs of low self-awareness and why s...

045. “What’s the big deal about self-care?” “I really don’t think I need it.” “Self-care seems frivolous.” “I wouldn’t have time for it anyway.” If that sounds familiar, I invite you to tune in today as I address self-care for skeptics. I explain exactly what self-care is, why it’s important, and how self-care does apply to you. No matter where you fall on the self-care spectrum, pursuing self-car...

044. Are you too proud to ask for help? Do you pride yourself on being self-reliant? Do you have a fear of appearing ‘needy’ or a fear of reaching out only to be rejected? Trying to do life all by yourself may be your way of asserting to the world, "I have no needs. I can do it all.” Tune in today as I explain dysfunctional independence and how it may be defining your life. I will provide exp...

043. Have you ever been in a conversation and felt unheard? Or spoken to someone who seemed as if they were only half listening to you? Have you ever “listened” to someone and found yourself planning your response the entire time? Healthy communication is active listening; it is an important part of living a positively anti-inflammatory life. In today’s episode I explain what active listening is,...

042. Do you ever get caught in a thought loop of asking yourself questions like, “What did I do wrong”? or “What’s my problem”? Asking questions like these, while quite common, is not helpful and may keep you feeling disempowered, inadequate or helpless. Join me today as I propose 4 sincere, constructive, and empowering questions for you to ask yourself and reflect on. The questions I am recommend...

041. What does the healing process mean to you? How do you react when healing doesn’t go as quickly, or the way you intend it? Do you expect to experience daily progress? Does it feel like failure if or when you have a setback? Join me today as I discuss healing and explore the reality of its non-linear, complex, and inconsistent process. I share the importance of embracing changeability and being...

040. When was the last time you felt motivated to get something done or stayed disciplined to follow-through on your goal? Do you ever use lack of self-discipline or feeling unmotivated as an excuse? Today, I discuss motivation and self-discipline, including the differences between them. I answer questions such as: How do we find motivation? How do we develop and improve self-discipline? Is one be...

039. Join me today as we discover the power of emotional intentions. I explain what emotions are, what intentions are, and I give you the step-by-step process of how to discover, create and set your own emotional intentions. The process of setting emotional intentions is beneficial to your quality of life, your overall wellness, and is an integral part of living an authentic, positively anti-infla...

038. Those of us with an autoimmune disease are told, “your body is attacking itself” or “your immune system is attacking your body.” One common response is to identify as an Autoimmune Warrior, or for people with RA like me, a Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior. This signifies that we are fighters; that we must stay strong and battle against our illness because it’s a daily struggle that we have to end...

037. Today I take you on a guided meditation where you’ll have the opportunity to tap into your innate wisdom surrounding your health. The purpose of this guided meditation is to glean meaning and insight surrounding the disease, illness or health issue you are experiencing. When we slow down, tune in, and are in cooperation with ourselves, and our bodies, we’re able to access our own healing powe...

036. What if we trusted that what we’re going through is part of our journey and that we are exactly where we need to be? Tune in today as I explore what “trust in the process” means, and how using this idea can be beneficial to your sense of overall wellness. I will give you some writing exercises to encourage self-reflection and will share real life examples of “trusting the process.” My intenti...

035. Do you find your thoughts telling you, “nothing ever works out for me” or “What did I do wrong”? Have you ever stopped yourself and contemplated whether or not these thoughts are actually true? Join me today to consider how and why this thinking may not be true. In today’s episode we get curious, examine our inner dialogue without judgment, and reflect on the reasoning and notion that maybe -...

034. How would you describe your relationship with your body? Even though you may feel frustrated, or even betrayed, by your body, the truth is, your body is always working to keep you healthy. But if you feel disconnected from or discouraged by your body, it’s difficult to accept and view it as an ally. Tune in today as I discuss how to be in communication with your body and how to view it as an...

033. In today’s episode, I introduce you to Ember, Tracy, and Rosie, three women on different healing journeys who made the choice to go gluten and dairy free in order to alleviate symptoms and support their health. Listen to their stories as they each share what health issues led them to go gluten and dairy free, what improvements they experienced after making dietary changes, and what mindset an...

032. Today’s episode is all about gluten. Gluten, along with dairy, is one of the biggest offenders contributing to the rising rates of chronic illness and autoimmune disease we’re seeing today. Listen as I explain what gluten is, how it impacts glut health and contributes to leaky gut aka intestinal permeability. I discuss the link between gluten consumption and inflammation, including what signs...

031. Today’s episode is all about dairy. Did you know that dairy and gluten are two of the biggest culprits behind the escalating rates of chronic illness and autoimmune disease we’re seeing today? Listen as I discuss the link between dairy consumption and inflammation, including what signs, symptoms and conditions associated with inflammation to watch for. I distinguish between a food allergy and...

Tune in to hear my real thoughts about "cheat days." The truth is, I think cheat days can be harmful and unhelpful. Instead, I advocate for mindful, conscious eating. I believe in learning to listen to our body, discovering what nourishes us, and becoming friends with food -- at every meal and every day of the week.  Work with Alyssa https://www.thewellnessheadquarters.com AND..... If th...

030. Today I get personal and tell my story of why and how I went gluten and dairy free in 2012. I was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis in the year 2000 and the medication I was on kept me in remission for a decade, but when the meds stopped working and the chronic pain and fatigue kicked into high gear, I knew I needed to make significant changes. Listen as I  share my j...

029. How do you approach change? Do you view it as an all or nothing experience and create high, perhaps unrealistic, expectations for yourself? Perhaps fear of failure holds you back? Or do you view change as something that happens slowly over time with a “slow and steady wins the race” attitude? The truth is, for most of us, change brings up lots of different emotions. Join me today as I offer a...

028. When life throws you a curveball how do you react? Do you think things are happening to you or for you? Do you perceive that events in life are out of your control or do you hold the belief that, “It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters”? Most of us want to feel in control. Why? What does feeling in control bring us? In today’s episode I explore this topic and...

027. How aware are you of your breath? Do you consider using your breath to help calm you? Or do you find that you’re so focused on your to-do list and rushing around that you’re barely breathing? Today we’re going to come together, resist the rush, and practice a simple 4-7-8 breathing technique that quiets the mind and relaxes your nervous system. No matter where you’re at on the breathing spect...

026. How often do you take time to acknowledge and celebrate yourself and your wins? When’s the last time you acknowledged a little victory? So often it can be difficult for us to see our progress because we tend to focus on our shortcomings instead of celebrating our successes, even the small ones. In today’s episode we are celebrating ALL the wins. I give 4 reasons for you to celebrate taking im...

025. Do you know how you view and relate to food has a lot to do with how you view and relate to yourself? In today’s episode I will guide you to rethink your relationship with food. You will be encouraged to let go of any old thoughts or beliefs about food that may be limiting you. I will provide 5 mindset shifts and specific tips for creating new thoughts and lifestyle habits for prioritizing yo...

024. Join me today as I share 5 lessons I’ve learned from living with rheumatoid arthritis. I was diagnosed with this chronic, progressive, autoimmune and inflammatory disease over twenty years ago and while my journey with chronic illness and autoimmunity has been rife with denial, judgment, neglect, pain, and anger, it has also immersed me into self-discovery, education, acceptance, healing, gra...