What Are You So Afraid Of?

Today, the word f e a r l e s s n e s s struck a chord in my heart. 

It's typically a buzzword I read and scroll by, but the theme of F E A R has been

so dominant in my life lately, that it jumped off my screen. Scared of the topic of careers coming up in casual conversation, scared of the haunting negatives in my bank account,  scared of my family and friends' and strangers' opinions, scared of not pleasing people.

Well, fear is damaging and exhausting. It's probably the lowest vibrational feeling, and at this point I'm just fed up with feeling it. Change happens when you're finally sick of your own shit, am I right?

Up Your Meditation Game with Kajio Perfumery & Aromatics

In a world where being busy is a status symbol, burnt out is the new norm, and caffeine + Adderall can be found in every household, it's no wonder we've reverted to ancient ways of chillin' the fuck out. Meditation is the new black, with celebrities swearing by it and scientists and gurus discussing the benefits on podcasts and talkshows everywhere. Calgary has certainly embraced this venerable Buddhist tradition with a modern twist! 
I'm happy to see we are realizing the importance of reducing stress + 

increasing mindfulness for the ultimate mental health benefits; 

and Kajio is making it an even more beautiful experience.

Where in YYC: The Top Ten Zen

If you live in Calgary, here are my top ten places that I feel help me unwind, improve my mental health or I just simply cannot be in a bad mood when I'm there! If you're living anywhere else in the world, I'll be sure to describe these magical places so you can find your city's versions! 

Hair Won't Grow?! My Holistic Healthy Hair Hacks!

It all started when I was fourteen, and opted for the currently trendy Victoria Beckham bob. That fateful chop resulted in my now twenty-four year old self with permanently shoulder length hair. I had surrendered to having short locks forever, but recently, I got fed up of envying every mermaid-headed goddess I cross paths with. Here's the steps I'll be taking from now on to (hopefully) gain some length; and if this is just as long as my hair can grow [i.e. you've heard of terminal length? the absolute longest your hair can grow if you simply left it, without breakage and cutting as factors] I, at the very least, want the softest + healthiest short locks around.

So, You've Decided to Give Up Coffee! Drink These Instead...

In a few conversations lately, people have brought up to me that they're giving up coffee; and they always say this with a pang of melancholy. I know it's a hard one to quit! I think a lot of people give up coffee simply because they've heard it's "bad for you" or maybe they feel truly addicted and dependent, and want to break that cycle. Whatever your reason may be, I've got some seriously delicious replacements.

My Rituals for Staying Sane

Now that you've read the supplements + foods I love for brain health,

let's talk about the lifestyle habits that keep me sane (mostly.)

My Must Haves for Staying Sane

For as much as I absolutely love brain and mental health, I have yet to write a post about my must-have supplements + foods for maintaining optimal sanity and zen.

I hope you find these tips are accessible, affordable and most of all, helpful! 

[Next post: Rituals + lifestyle for optimal sanity and zen. Stay tuned! ]

I Have a Great Life, and I'm Depressed

Tonight, I laid shaking in my bed, alternating between panicked sobbing and numb stoicism.   I am riddled with a peculiar form of anxiety in which the fact that my life is currently wonderful gnaws guiltily in the pit of my stomach. 

Sometimes Being a Woman Sucks. Period.

Women become more and more badass in my eyes with every story I'm told - the countless women I know that suffer from painful menstrual cramps, endometriosis, ovarian cysts/fibroids, breast soreness, migraines and countless other afflictions EVERY MONTH! Damn. Listen, I love being a woman but having an unwanted subscription to Lucifer's Waterfall of Torture doesn't make the list. I just suffered the most painful cycle I have ever had (I took an Oxycodone while balled up in the fetal position crying one night to fall asleep, let's put it that way) and after having numerous women divulge to me that they suffer so much, I think it's time we talk about it! Ain't no shame in the period game. It's not gross, it's not embarrassing and something we're never told - it really shouldn't hurt that much.

Sugar's the New Cocaine

It's no secret that I used to eat like an unsupervised child at a birthday party. And there are days still, with all my nutrition education and all my beliefs regarding health, that I still crush a king sized chocolate bar. Sometimes, it makes me feel a bit fraudulent. And then I remember I've never advertised myself as the puritan nutritionist who considers even a quarter of a square of 99% dark chocolate to be a sinful indulgence. When I was in school, we were taught to be scared of sugar; fear mongering and demonization on every textbook page. However, I was reading Layne Norton's studies and research on sugar at the same time, which luckily kept me level-headed! But, let's start from the beginning ...

You'll See It When You Believe It!

"What day is it?" I asked. "I don't know," my friend said, giggling. "If it's not the first or the fifteenth, I don't know." 

I find myself talking more and more about money. With more and more people. Rarely does the conversation pertain to being very well off, without debt or without struggle. It seems everyone's living for payday. We indulge in recollection of the past, the carefree years, when direct deposit hit and was eagerly exchanged for a shopping spree. Now, as adults, we barely feel like we get paid. We just pass our paycheque briefly from the hand of our employer to the hand of our bill collectors. 

What Is Adrenal Fatigue? The Tale of the Tired Kidney-Toppers

The irony of this post? I fell asleep last night after I typed out the title. I've noticed in the passed month that waking up is excruciating, I'm exhausted during workouts I would typically crush and I have zero, and I mean zero, tolerance for even the slightest stress. My joints hurt, my eyes are twitching constantly. I'm craving junk food insatiably. What the hell is happening? 

My Favourite Dieting Tip? Don't Diet.

I wanted to tell you all my stance on "dieting", because essentially everyone is doing it to some extent on a regular basis. Now, I'm not here to demonize any diets out there. Some people eat a ketogenic diet to manage brain disorders, some eat a gluten-free diet to manage celiac disease, some eat FODMAP to manage digestion dysfunction. These are all necessary modifications to eating habits to function at an optimal level and manage disease or disorder.

Min·i·mind /ˈminəˌmīnd/ (verb) : Mindful Minimalism

Recently, I've found that I have the unshakeable desire to get rid of everything. I want as few possessions as possible. After backpacking through Asia for a month with a handful of t-shirts and two pairs of shorts, I realized that I don't need a lot to be happy. I actually am happier when I have less. It gives you a sense of lightness, freedom, peace of mind. Minimalism isn't just great for your bank account, or the environment, it's great for your mental health.

Finite Disappointment, Infinite Hope

When you have your heart set on something, nothing stings quite like disappointment. It is, by definition, the displeasure caused by the nonfulfillment of one's hopes or expectations. It's the loss of something that often never even had the chance to come to fruition, and what is more sad than the demise of a dream?