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I never understood the bond, the relationship, that people have shared with animals until I met Suzy. Suzy came to us, my husband Dave and I, the summer of 2020, little did I know this little fluff nugget would be the light of my life for the next few years. Suzy is a Colorado mountain dog, white fur with grey markings on her butt, side, tail, head and neck, I especially love her third eye. She has deep beautiful, brown eyes that can connect to your soul. That’s exactly one of the reasons why I connect so deeply with Suzy, she is my heart and soul, she feels all of me and connects to me deeply. Suzy has a sweet, kind, chill, loving, fun demeanor, so many words to describe the SUZ!

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I am grateful that Suzy has had an amazing life on the Pharm. She was born here, still has her grandmother Sophie living by her side, and her daughter Sally in tow. Sal and Suz are best of friends these days, they love to guard together, play together, lay around together, it is so special. Lately I catch the three of them playing around outside together, I absolutely love it and them!!

Davey and I have built a beautiful life here on the pharm with many magical beings that come and go. Suzy not being here for a full life is tragic, it truly is. She is only 4 and we were told today by the neurologist that Suzy has cancer. How is this possible we ask ourselves? How come Suzy will be taken from us too soon? She is an amazing dog, the best we have ever met. There is no replacing this bond or love that we share with Miss Suzy, mama suz, baby suzy…… She and I do not waste any days together, we always get out for our walks, I sing to her, we lay together, always give her yummy treats (little piggie) generally we just love on one another every day. I will not stop doing this, and I will also not stop living my life or caring for our other animals. Suzy has taught me many things already in just four and a half years. Staying present, life is precious and unknown, to be loved and to love is truly a gift, I am so grateful for Suzy and her never ending love and loyalty to me. Her tail wags so excitedly whenever she sees me come into a room or drive down the driveway. She loves pushing her snout up towards you for some love. She loves to press her butt into you for some butt scratches. She loves to flop on the floor and be pet rather than sitting up right. One of her favorite positions which all the dogs seem to possess, is laying on her back with all 4 paws pointed towards the ceiling, then she curves her body into a C shape. So many things to say about the Suz, she is a one of a kind dog, she is a loving soul, and she is damn strong, also has endless love and support from her parents, and her best friend me. Suzy I have loved you since the day I met you and I will love you always, never will you be forgotten.

Recently I went to a wellness summit in Boulder, Colorado where I learned a bit about biohacking. You may be like myself and have heard of the word and understood what it means, or this may be the first time you have even heard of the term.  Let me first share what my understanding of biohacking is; the practice of employing methods drawn from fields like biology, genetics, neuroscience, and nutrition to enhance your mental and physical performance.

But how do we go about incorporating biohacking into our lives? First off, nutrition is a method to enhance performance that I currently work on with clients as a health coach and nutritionist. Some examples of this are intermittent fasting and time restricted eating. When our bodies are in a state of fast, the body has time to regenerate cells, detox what does not serve us, and improve the body’s mitochondrial function. Infrared light therapy is another modality that I have been familiar with prior to attending this wellness week. Infrared light therapy promotes cellular repair and is used often to improve recovery time from an injury. It also may reduce inflammation, acute and chronic, improve the appearance of skin as well. I personally use an infrared light therapy machine at my gym 3x per week.

I have been discovering that there are many types of “biohacking” out there, and I learned about quite a few of them at the Dragonfly Wellness Week in Boulder. Leela Quantum Tech is a company that manufactures products that help to balance your energy, enhance performance, and neutralize harmful EMF’s. I bought a necklace for my husband and I, and we wear them every day and have both felt an overall state of calm and peace when we wear them, it’s incredible! Up next, I attended a panel on the benefits of crystals. I was excited to attend this seminar as I have not had much experience with crystals prior to this event. Well, after all is said and done, I purchased this incredible blanket from Crystal Blanket, you also can on their website. This blanket also protects you from harmful EMF’s like Leela, it also supports the body’s metabolic energy balance and amplifies the body natural healing abilities. Honestly, when I wrap this blanket around myself it feels like an instant hug to my para sympathetic nervous system. Lastly, I met a wonderful woman, Alexandra Cochrane the founder of Scandilabs, who introduced me to the Wellness Week in Boulder. She was a brilliant source of information, vibrant and had great energy! Scandilabs’ liposomal immune formula provides a simple yet highly effective means of strengthening the immune system and preventing illness. The immune formula has essential vitamins and antioxidants that are absorbed efficiently to optimize overall well being. This product is in liquid form and has elderberry formulated in it giving it a tasty flavor.

I hope I have inspired you to look into the world of biohacking and see about some modalities that may interest you and support you on your health journey! Please comment below about any modalities you are currently employing and enjoy. Happy Healing!

Recently, I took a course to become a certified transformation specialist, I discovered so many wonderful tips on how to support clients to achieve their health goals. The subject of multi tasking was part of one of my units. I was surprised by all that I learned in the course and came to the conclusion that being a “great multi tasker” is not ideal. I had always prided myself on being able to multi task throughout my life, and now I am discovering that being a multi tasker does NOT mean that you are more efficient nor effective with your tasks.

Multi tasking is when you are working on multiple tasks and your brain must jump from one subject to another. The issue with this is that the human brain can only focus on two subjects at a time before losing cognitive abilities. Multi tasking has been proven to lead to lower levels of creativity and higher levels of stress. Your brain becomes taxed and you no longer have your full ability to be creative or solve problems. Multi tasking may help us to be more productive in the short term, but this is not the case in the long run.

Research on multi tasking has shown that people experience a 40% decrease in productivity when multi tasking. They also tend to have a higher heart rate and increased levels of stress. Higher levels of anxiety are associated with people who consistently multi task. Excessive multi tasking eventually leads to “burnout”, which can take months to recover from, setting you back from where you initially started. Technology multi tasking has become quite apparent in modern times. Think about how often you will be on a phone call or texting, then an email comes in, another person is phoning you, you have alerts coming through from social media or other apps all the while working on your computer simultaneously.

One solution to multi tasking is to focus on one task at a time and minimize interruptions. Having good organization systems in place supports your brain to manage one task at time versus going back and forth between multiple tasks. Prioritize your goals and tasks, avoid distractions, and make good use of calendars and lists are great ways to strengthen your skills. There are times when multi tasking is unavoidable, and then your skills that you use will have been sharpened and strengthened if you are not consistently multi tasking. Multi tasking may be utilized when dealing with low level tasks. Listening to a podcast or an audio book while you are cleaning your house or taking a work phone call on a walk are great examples of multi tasking with low level tasks.

What I concluded from my course is that multi tasking is not the preferred way to manage and complete tasks if you are looking for high productivity. Most times multi tasking wastes more time switching from one task to the next rather than staying focused on the initial task at hand. It is best to be organized and create plans and lists for the tasks you would like to accomplish, and focus on one task at a time. If it is a broader task, break it down in to smaller tasks and tackle each one of those one at a time to then complete the larger task at hand. Over time if you practice these habits, your stress and anxiety levels will decrease, and your production output will increase.

As we are approaching July 1st, six months after the calendar year has begun, it is a wonderful time to check in with yourself and see how you are doing so far this year. How are you really? How are your intentions for this year coming along? Have you set goals and started working towards them, or maybe even achieved them? Have you started implementing healthy choices or rituals in your life to support your lifestyle? Take this time to reflect on the past year, write down and acknowledge your achievements thus far, write down the intentions you are currently working on and the ones you have not yet acted on.

If you struggle with setting intentions for yourself, I wrote an in depth blog in January earlier this year on exactly how to do this for yourself, check it out! Looking over my intentions this year, I am proud to see some that I have already accomplished, and new rituals that I have implemented in to my daily lifestyle. I also see intentions that I am currently working on, and other that I have not yet started to implement. I am looking forward to tackling some of these intentions throughout the rest of this year. Acknowledge yourself and be proud of the intentions you have set forth and completed this year, I am proud of you! Also, be sure to give yourself grace for the intentions you have not yet implemented.

One intention of mine was to drink more water and track it. I was tracking my daily water consumption, and was able to increase the amount so regularly that I no longer need to track it, drinking more water has now become a habit for me!

Another intention of mine was be the best version of myself and show up for myself. This is an intention that I continually work on, and do need to remind myself from time to time to check in with myself.

I am excited to start learning how to play my new crystal sound bowl, as I had an intention for this year, to learn a new activity or hobby. I have yet to learn how to play this bowl, but I will this year as I am one step closer having acquired a crystal sound bowl this year on Mother’s Day from my husband Dave.

I look forward to working on other intentions I had for this year and implementing them into my life. We grow as a person when we try new things and step out of our comfort zones. Learning and dreaming do not have to stop once we are no longer an adolescent. A mantra I wrote to myself on January 1, 2024 was this, my mind and body are strong and healthy, i am strong and healthy. Writing down this mantra reminds me that I have already been implementing another one of my intentions, it’s become second nature for me to incorporate a second meditation or yoga practice in to my day. I am grateful for my intentional growth in my journey, I truly hope the same for you.

I am asked as a health coach often, are oats good for you? This question does not have a black or white, yes or no answer. The answer is more extensive and based on a variety of variables I will describe below. Oats can be a healthier form of a grain than others, they are also gluten free by nature. Read your labels when purchasing your oats, I stick to gluten free, organic oats.

– Benefits of Oats:

• NUTRIENT RICH – great source of nutrients like fiber, protein, vitamin B, minerals, and anti-oxidants.
• BLOOD SUGAR CONTROL – the soluble fiber in oats can slow down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, which may help regulate blood sugar levels.
• PROMOTES DIGESTIVE HEALTH – the fiber in oats may promote regular bowel movements and support overall digestive health.
• HEART HEALTH – oats contain beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber that has been shown to lower cholesterol levels, reducing the the risk of heart disease.

– Downsides of Oats:

• HIGH PHYTIC ACID CONTENT – phytic acid may be an anti-nutrient for some which can bind to minerals like magnesium, calcium, iron, and zinc, potentially reducing their absorption within your body. Soaking or fermenting oats before consumption can reduce the phytic acid load.
• POSSIBLE GLUTEN SENSITIVITY – sometimes oats may contain gluten if the oats are grown in a field near a wheat field, or processed in a facility that processes gluten containing grains. These oats may be cross contaminated by these gluten grains which can be problematic for those with celiac disease.
• BLOATING – folks who are not accustomed to high fiber foods may experience gas, bloating, gastrointestinal discomfort when consuming oats – gradually increase consumption of fiber and stay properly hydrated.

FAVORITE TYPE OF OAT – ORGANIC, STEEL CUT OATS

You may wonder why are steel cut oats my favorite type of oat for folks to consume, here’s why. Steel cut oats are made by chopping oat groats into small pieces with small blades. This process makes steel cut oats less processed than rolled or instant oats. Being less processed means that steel cut oats will retain more of their natural nutrients. Steel cut oats have a lower glycemic index compared to instant oats. This means they cause a slower, more gradual rise in blood sugar levels, promoting better blood sugar control and reducing the risk of insulin spikes and crashes. Steel cut oats may promote long lasting energy. Being a complex carbohydrate, steel cut oats can provide a steady and sustained release of energy, making it a great choice for a nutritious breakfast without causing a sugar spike or crash throughout your morning. Steel cut oats are best when slow-cooked. This process may take longer to prepare compared to quick-cooking oats, but the nutritional value and potential health benefits make them a worthwhile addition to a balanced diet for those seeking to prioritize whole, minimally processed foods and optimize their overall health and well-being.

OAT MILKS – UNSWEETENED, ORGANIC 

Oat milk has gained popularity as a dairy alternative due to its creamy texture, mild flavor, and various health benefits. Along with all the benefits listed above for oats, oat milk is also environmentally sustainable when compared to dairy milks. Oat cultivation can also improve soil health and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There are quite a variety of oat milks available to the general public, it is important to read labels! Many oat milks are loaded with sugars, binding agents, inflammatory oils, and pesticide loaded oats. Living in Colorado one of our favorite milks is Oatis Milk available for purchase at local markets and available for delivery in Boulder Longmont.

Some brands available in national grocery stores that I would recommend are Oat Malk, Oat-ly unsweetened, and Califia.

Hoping this blog has answered a few of the oat questions you may have had. Always listen to your body and if oats do not resonate with you, there are numerous other healthy grain options  you may enjoy!