My dear friend Veronica asked me for a lemon inspired dessert recipe months ago and it has honestly taken me this long to come up with something! Lemon is definitely a wonderful flavor in desserts but because it is also sour, you generally have to add a lot of sugar to make it sweet. Fortunately, in the world of raw vegan desserts there is usually a way to make any traditional dessert idea at least a bit healthier. This recipe truly is healthy though! There is quite a bit of maple syrup but other than that, the remaining ingredients are all very healthy. I know there is only a small amount of turmeric for the coloring but turmeric, ginger, and lemon are all pain relievers and natural anti-inflammatories, and the nuts and coconut oil are healthy fats that are good for your heart and brain.

Make the crust in a food processor by combining:

3/4 cups raw almonds

1 medjool date, pitted

1 T coconut oil

Once those ingredients have been processed then add 1 T maple syrup and...

I have to be honest, being chronically ill is like living on a roller coaster. My body is continually challenging me and it's difficult to keep the mind balanced when the body is pulling you up and down. Between the body and the mind, it is difficult to be as focused, productive, and consistent as I am used to. These last six weeks have been a really difficult phase but I am finding my way back and feeling a little better these last couple of days.

I tell you this because I have been struggling to find my way to be consistent with The Flexibility Guru. I started a YouTube channel but I have been at a loss on what I can share that would be most helpful. Today I feel like I have discovered at least one focal point for the channel! I am going to be sharing more workouts for people struggling with chronic illness. Now you don't have to be ill to do these workouts - they would be great for seniors, beginners, and self care days too! 

Over the last couple of months I have really...

Today is an important day to me. It is the day I am supposed to be fully healed from this medical nightmare. Four years ago today I went into the hospital as I was becoming paralyzed with Guillain Barre Syndrome. During this hospital stay I was told it would only happen once and it could take anywhere from 6 weeks to 4 years to recover. Six months later when it happened again, my neurologist explained that it would definitely be about four years before my nervous system would be fully healed. The myelin coating on your nerves can only heal 1 mm per day max, that's about an inch a month.

At that point I mentally prepared for a four year struggle. The saving grace was that I knew each year I would be healing more and more, so I was hoping the process would be less painful over time. If you have ever had nerve pain before, you may be able to imagine what every nerve in your body healing could feel like. It was slow though - I would feel the nerves regenerating in just my upper arm for...

I am entering a new phase of this healing journey. I feel like I have tried it all!

Prescriptions, Chinese herbs, acupuncture, Bach flower remedies, aromatherapy, supplements, detoxes and more. I also feel like I have failed a million times. In March my doctor reached his breaking point after I had a massive reaction to a prescription he had me on. He told me he felt there was something going on in my body that no medical test could diagnose. I have adverse reactions to every prescription he has given me, the detox supplements, and the vitamin IV's. There is something strange going on in my body that nobody can quite figure out.

He recommended that I see an intuitive healer he knows who specializes in muscle testing, nutrition and kinesiology. To be honest, I had an aversion to this. I understand the power of intuition but it is hard for me to trust a complete strangers intuition about my body - it's just a little outside my comfort zone. I felt like we had tried everything though...

The online world is FULL of fitness and wellness professionals that all have varying degrees of qualifications. Some people's only qualification is that they look the part by living the lifestyle or have good genetics. Some people may have gone to college for a health related career but some may have just taken a one-day online course and now because they look the part and say there are qualified - you trust them. I would recommend you look into the qualifications of anyone you are trusting with your body and health.

From my personal experience, one certification isn't nearly enough. It doesn't quite prepare you for the real world and the wide variety of human bodies and their issues.

Now, I have to be honest - I am horrified by all the people working out, unsupervised at home, following...

This dessert is really just cashews, coconut oil. dates, and maple syrup with some chocolate and peanuts. The ingredients are pure, natural and your body understands how to process and assimilate them. No chemicals, no processed ingredients!

Luckily this is rich enough to keep your portion control in check. I love that our bodies are sensitive to fat to tell us to stop, carbs on the other hand give us no signal of when we have had enough.

Ingredients

Layer One

1 c Cashews

3 T Coconut Oil

2 T Maple Syrup

Layer Two

2 c Dates

2 T Water

2 T Nut Milk

Layer Three

1 c Roasted Salted Peanuts or Salted Almonds (chopped)

Layer 4

1/2 c Coconut Oil

2/3 c Cocoa Powder

1/4 c Maple Syrup

You will need to soak the cashews first. Normal process: Soak for 4 hours. Speed process: Soak in hot...

Based on the posture assessments I have done in the last three years, 100 % of my clients have forward head posture so I honestly don't think there are many people escaping the issue. Poor posture may only seem to be an aesthetic issue but these are the health issues that can be caused by having forward head posture:

• Muscle ischemia

• Pain and fatigue

• Decreased range of motion of cervical spine

• Early disc degeneration and osteophyte formation

• Temporo-mandibular joint pain (TMJ) and inflammation

• Tension Headache

• Increase in dorsal kyphosis and decrease in height

• Decrease in vital capacity and range of motion of shoulder and arm

• Possible protrusion of...

Here are some interesting facts about sunshine exposure:

• Vitamin D, which assists in mineralizing the bones and boosting the mood, is formed when the skin is exposed to sunshine.

• Sunshine increases the amount of iron in your blood. This creates a "magnetic" presence as is evident in the well tanned look.

• US cancer rates are highest in the northern states with the least amount of sunshine.

• Rates of breast, prostate, ovarian, and colon cancer are lower in people with more sunshine exposure.

• Sunshine exposure may reduce breast cancer up to 30-40% and ovarian cancer by...

Whether I am coaching my clients one-on-one or in a group setting, my approach is the same. My coaching programs are designed with your health, lifestyle, and personal goals leading the way. I am fully committed to your health and your success. Together we will go deep and create a personalized plan to get you started on your journey to more health, fulfillment, and joy now!

My coaching style is a blend of practical, educational, and inspirational. I try to keep things very simple and logical to make sure you don't feel overwhelmed or frustrated with new information. I’ll share resources for expanding your understanding of holistic health and simple practices to put your learning into action. I will guide you with love and support as you make changes to elevate your health and expand your energy.

Here is what you can expect when you work with me:

• An in-depth assessment to get to know you, your habits, lifestyle and goals on a much deeper level

• Individualized coaching to...

The first personal training certification that I took about 18 years ago taught us that the average American spends about 18 hours a day or more in a seated position. Think about it - let's say 8 hours sleeping in the fetal position, 8 hours sitting at a desk - that side sleeper is already at 16 hours and we haven't included any Netflix time, meals, or commutes!

Also, if spinning is your exercise - you are in a seated position with your hips flexed once again. The one opportunity to do something in a standing, upright position and you opted to contribute to your issues instead.

Our lifestyle has several different factors that contribute to whether we are flexible or tight. It is important to know the contributing factors so you can do you best to build a healthier lifestyle. Even diet and dehydration has an effect on your flexibility levels so that may be why you feel tighter some days more than others.

Other factors include: lack of movement, injury, scar tissue, poor workout...