My transformation began in 2024, when my daughter asked to visit Greece for her 8th birthday. That one question seemingly knocked me into another dimension full of possibilities that I had otherwise never thought about. We were not a traveling family, domestically or internationally, so my immediate response to my daughter was, "no way!" A trip to Greece felt like a reward that you earn at the end of adulthood. My husband and I were sacrificing our health and wellness while working full time and caring for two kids. I worked overnights as a nurse, so most days we were two ships passing, and he had the corporate job that he didn't love but kept showing up to. Lack of sleep, stress, and not having enough time for myself felt inevitable, because that meant that I was doing it right. "Try harder; wake up earlier; eat better; work out; get outside; drink more water." Knowing what to do wasn't my problem. My problem was feeling like I had the power to change anything. Slowing down didn't feel like an option until my daughter started talking about Greece. And the idea to sell everything we owned and move to Greece was then sparked by my husband. But, what was the universe trying to tell me?! It became clear that we were all ready to do things a different way, and I listened to the quiet voice inside of me that knew, without a doubt, that diving into the unknown was what I needed to do. Why not?! Every aspect of my lifestyle is different now. Activities that felt forced and scheduled are now just a part of my day. Food no longer carries guilt, steps are no longer counted, community is right outside my front door, full nights of rest are the norm, naps are encouraged, day dates with my husband are spontaneous, and spending time outside is inevitable. And the highlight of my day? Walking my kids to and from school. My insulin level and inflammation markers have decreased. I've built muscle and dropped dress sizes. Not by dieting or medication or gym routines. But by realizing that I'm allowed to create a life that I can be well in.

I’m about 63.5 hours into my fast now. Here are some of the things I’ve been doing... In the morning, I do relaxation, meditation, in bed, for about 30 minutes. Ok, I do this every morning, not just when fasting, but it feels so much deeper and more profound in a fasted state. I try to do relaxation at night as well too, before I go to bed, it helps me sleep better. Last night, I listened to Relax and Manifest Abundance on @Victoria Gallagher’s awesome Believe App. And I conked out and slept really well, which doesn’t always happen during longer fasts. I sometimes get a flow of inspiring ideas when I do relaxation while fasting, which is fun, and I’m ok with letting lots of them go cuz I can only do so much! Then, I drink a glass of water with half a lemon squeezed into it, and a few dashes of salt, to get an electrolyte boost. This is super energizing for me. Then, I make my tea. I’ve been having herbal/green tea with Pao D Arco to combat candida (which I’m prone to) and stress reducing herbs like lemon balm. Green tea gives me good antioxidants and energy to get through my morning. I drink this before noon so the caffeine doesn’t mess with my sleep. For the rest of the day, I drink water. After my drinks, I do 10 minutes of rebounding to support my body in detoxing. In the evenings, I’m working on dry fasting for at least 10-12 hours. So, no water overnight. This is a change for me cuz in the past, I would often drink lots of water before bed and take sips when I get up to go to the bathroom. I’m noticing that dry fasting helps me sleep better and makes me less cold during these longer fasts. I’m often freezing at night during longer fasts, but that just doesn’t happen when I dry fast for a few hours before bed. Learned from Dr. Mindy Pelz that giving ourselves time to dry fast increases production of Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF), which is like fertilizer for the brain. It’s also really good for bone density and strong bones as we age.

We all have certain preferences when it comes to creating change in our lives. Similar to a Jungian Personality blueprint (such as ENFJ), we also have a transformation blueprint. I don’t have a quiz for it YET, but it can be fun to just reflect on it. This is something I came up with while watching myself and my clients approach transformation and change in their lives. Answer the questions below to figure out your blueprint- share your blueprint in the comments, if you’d like :) You may find you relate to both sides of some questions, but maybe one side feels a little more familiar and comfortable. 1. ) Do you prefer to be a Rebel or a Follower when you seek out change? Rebels (R) like to do things their way. They don’t generally like being told what to do. They can tolerate following for a while, but eventually tend to find their own way of doing things even if others don’t agree with it or understand it. They do best with general guidelines that they can tweak to their own needs rather than a step-by-step system that has to be followed perfectly. Followers (F) LIKE a step-by-step system. They love following the rules. With a little guidance and a clear system, followers are on their way to positive transformation and change. They do great with concrete rules that they can just follow and not have to think too much about. 2.) Do you prefer to Do-it- Yourself, or do you like to Do-it-with- Others? Do-it- Yourselfers (Y)- often like to be lone wolves. They think more clearly when they’re on their own. They might enjoy coming together with others to share, but during the deep work of transformation, they like to be alone. They do great with lots of time by themselves, to try things and experiment, away from the attention of other people. Do-it- With- Others folks (O) - thrive in a group dynamic. They love to learn from other people’s experiences and to support those who are not as far along as they are. They thrive in a supportive, loving group environment. Finding groups and communities with common interests helps DIO oriented people transform with joy and ease.

Let's talk about Breast Cancer Prevention Did you know that 1 in 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetimes? Since many of us are women, and ALL of us have women in our lives, I thought this would be a good topic to delve into this Nutrition Know-How Sunday. Below are some simple things the women in your life can do to decrease their risk of breast cancer. 1. ) Eat lots of vegetables containing sulforaphanes- Broccoli sprouts are highest in sulforaphanes. Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussel sprouts, arugula, kale, and radishes also have sulforaphanes. Basically, all cruciferous veggies. These compounds support our body's natural detoxification pathways and have been shown to inhibit the reproduction of cancer cells. You can learn more about sulforaphanes here. 2) Eat a cup of mushrooms every day! Any kind, edible or medicinal, as a supplement, take your pick. Just don't pick your nose! Mushrooms have been shown to have anticancer properties, specifically against breast cancer. Maybe it's more of a correlation than a causation, but if you enjoy mushrooms, it can't hurt! You can read more about it in this study. 3.) Focus on daily detox- anything you can do to keep your lymphatic system moving is great cancer prevention and is sure to enhance your quality of life! Exercise and joyful movement, deep breathing, time in nature, grounding by walking outside barefoot or lying on the ground, infrared saunas, dry brushing, oil pulling, meditation/prayer to detox the mind, yoga, etc. What's your favorite way to detox?? share in the comments

Rebounding is basically jumping on a small trampoline. I’ve been doing it for the past few days, to support lymphatic drainage and help my body clear out toxins more efficiently. It’s super fun and very health-promoting, according to the research. Below are a few articles for anyone who wants to learn more, https://www.tomsguide.com/wellness/workouts/i-swapped-daily-runs-for-rebounding-heres-what-surprised-me-most https://www.womenshealthmag.com/uk/fitness/workouts/a70327362/30-day-rebounding-benefits/