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Have you ever felt stress as a fluttery, uneasy feeling in your belly? That’s not your imagination—it’s your body’s internal messaging system at work. And believe it or not, your gut might have more to do with your mood and overall wellness than you think.

There’s a reason scientists call the gut your “second brain”. It’s powered by something called the enteric nervous system, a complex network of over 100 million nerve cells lining your digestive tract, from your esophagus to your rectum. And it’s constantly talking to the brain in your head through a pathway known as the gut-brain axis.

Why This Matters for Your Health (and Your Happiness)

Here’s where it gets fascinating: 90% of the communication along the gut-brain axis flows from your gut to your brain, not the other way around!

This means what’s happening in your digestive system—what you eat, how stressed you are, how well your gut bacteria are functioning—can have a huge influence on how you feel both physically and emotion...

Last night I was out at a relatively small music venue listening to my favorite Scottish band, Old Blind Dogs. I’ve been trying to prioritize socialising more, so we invited some friends and had a great time. During the evening, my friend and I started chatting about sleep. Namely, how horrible she had been sleeping lately. 

The quality of my sleep has drastically improved this past year after I started hormone therapy. My friend, on the other hand, doesn’t have that option because she had breast cancer in the past. it got me thinking: sleep struggles can come from so many different places. Hormones, yes—but also:

• A dysregulated nervous system
• Poor gut health
• Chronic stress
• Or simply being stuck in “go-go-go” mode for way too long

Here’s the part most people miss: Sleep isn’t just about what happens at night; it's a mirror of your day. If your day is packed with skipping meals, constant stimulation, zero downtime, and never-ending to-do lists… your brain doesn’t magically kno...

Have you ever noticed how one “off day” quickly turns into two, and then before you know it, a week (or two!) has passed and your routine is nowhere to be found? It happens to the best of us, especially during the summer months.

Maybe it’s a spontaneous trip, a change in your schedule, or simply a few too many “I’ll get back to it tomorrow” days. Life becomes a little unpredictable, and that’s okay!

But here’s the thing: we all want to stay consistent, even when our routines are a bit all over the place. The trick is—how do we stay on track when everything feels out of rhythm?

Here’s what I always remind my clients (and myself): You don’t need to do EVERYTHING to stay on track. In fact, just one small habit can make all the difference.

Find Your Anchor Habit

So, what’s an anchor habit? An anchor habit is that one small action that helps bring you back to baseline—even when everything else feels chaotic. It’s your foundation, the thing that keeps you grounded and helps you get back...

 Here in the Northern Hemisphere, we’re just shy of the longest day of the year—and I have to admit, this is my favorite time. The long days bring a sense of possibility, and I find myself energized and ready to do all the things.

But just like money, I’ve learned to treat my energy as a finite resource. You can spend it, save it, invest it, or waste it. And most of us don’t even realize where it’s going.

Sneaky Ways You’re Draining Your Own Energy

Every Friday, I meet with a small group to reflect on our week—the wins and the lessons (we don’t call them failures!). In our last meeting, an expert in the differences between how women and men operate reminded us that women are not designed to be “on” all the time. We need intentional breaks throughout the day to replenish ourselves. The problem is, many of the things we call “breaks” aren’t actually helping us. For example:

• Scrolling social media often *drains* more energy than it gives.
• Skipping meals or eating junk food is an en...

On my to-do list right now is to enjoy having my daughter home, work on my book, and keep biking. I have another bike event this weekend, so I’ve been preparing for that. I was nervous that being away for my daughter’s graduation and not riding would affect my abilities, but I was pleasantly surprised when I rode last week. I felt stronger, and recognized that the hills I struggled to get up not that long ago weren’t as hard as I remembered. Sometimes a little break can be beneficial.

That’s because you can’t always see your progress while you’re in the thick of things. 

I’m trying to help my son with his mindset when he’s not getting better as fast as he’d like to. I don’t blame him for being frustrated - it is frustrating when you aren’t getting the results as fast as you like, but I’ve learned that health is a lifelong journey. 

Don't Give Up Yet

Unfortunately, sometimes that journey looks a lot like climbing a mountain, the kind that makes your legs and lungs burn… and makes yo...

I’m getting ready to travel across the country to my daughter’s graduation and we’re really excited to celebrate with her. Of course she is excited too, but the last few weeks have also been full of anxiety, questioning, and self-doubt on her part. Like achieving any big goal, there’s the “what’s next?” part of it. While my daughter is so proud of herself, making the decision of what to do after college isn’t easy.  

It reminds me of the podcast/blog I did almost four years ago about demonstrating courage. In part of it, I shared the story of my daughter’s friend moving to London to go to college. It had been her goal all through high school, but when it came time to stay in a country far away from her friends and family, it was really, really hard. I’m now seeing that the resulting next “big step” of graduating from college can be just as scary!  

So what can we do when we’re faced with the happiness of achievement and the uncertainty of not having that next big goal?

Sometimes, th...

My husband just had a birthday and even though it wasn’t a big one, we did a lot of celebrating.  We celebrated with food, social time, and a little less sleep than usual.

I made four big, cheesy, mushroom lasagnas and somehow all that cooking didn’t tip him off that I was having a surprise party for him. He also didn’t notice the big, chocolate, gluten-free cake my son picked up from the bakery.

I don’t normally eat such rich foods, and I know that some people might even feel guilty about indulging so much. However, because I know of a special “rule” about life, I enjoyed myself fully - down to every last cheesy bite! 

The 80/20 Rule

It’s called the Pareto Principle (aka the 80/20 Rule) -- and it says that 80% of your results come from just 20% of your efforts. Here are some ways it appears in life:

• You wear 20% of your clothes 80% of the time. For me, it’s my sweatpants and sweatshirt. (I still haven’t come back all the way from Covid!)
• 80% of your screen time comes from 20% ...

I’m trying to reset my morning routine, which has been off-kilter since Covid. I was going to tell you about how moving your morning coffee around in your schedule can help you avoid energy crashers… but since I’m not willing to wait an hour for my own morning coffee, I’ll save that for later. Instead, I’ve got three simple tips that will take you just three minutes in the morning and will have you starting your day refreshed rather than rushed. 

☀️The 3-Minute Morning Reset ☀️

Tomorrow morning, instead of reaching for your phone or walking like a zombie to get your first coffee, try this instead. 

When you wake up tomorrow, try the following and see how you feel:

1️⃣ Breathe (60 seconds). Before reaching for your phone, take 5 deep belly breaths to signal to your brain that it’s time to wake up. This reduces stress and gives you some oxygen to boost your focus.

2️⃣ Move (60 seconds). Gently stretch, roll your shoulders, or do a few body weight movements (like air squats or arm ci...

Lately, it seems like my husband is always hungry and always eating! Based on what I learned from a book called “The Glucose Revolution”, I’m thinking it might be a blood sugar thing. Which means it could be a “carb thing”... Is he eating too many carbs? Not enough? It’s tough to know with all the wild advice out there. Here’s the truth. 

Carbohydrates & Your Energy Levels

First, carbs aren’t bad, they’re actually your body’s preferred energy source.That means when it comes to your energy levels, it all depends on how you use them.

If you’re not eating enough of the right carbohydrates, you might notice:

• Afternoon energy crashes
• Feeling exhausted after workouts (or during)
• Poor sleep quality
• Mood swings or brain fog

I see this all the time when my clients first come to me (and with my husband). They think they need to go low-carb to lose weight, but instead, they just end up feeling drained and struggling to get through the day. 

How to fix it: If you’re dragging, try addi...

Do you feel wound too tight all the time? I know I’ve been feeling a lot more anxious and unsettled lately. I can try blaming it on my son’s struggle with his health, on trying to help my daughter figure out what’s next in her life path, or especially on the craziness happening here in the US. The fact is, a lot of us are stuck in “go mode” all the time–even when we don’t want to be. 

When You’re Stressed 24/7

You don’t just wake up one day suddenly stressed. It’s something that usually builds up over time. As women, we can give a lot of ourselves without taking the much-needed recovery time our own bodies need. When your body is stressed day in and day out, it can affect your energy, metabolism, digestion, and even your weight. That’s because in times of high-stress, cortisol (your stress hormone) stays high, making you crave sugar, store more fat, and feel totally drained.

This is why real recovery matters. It’s not just about getting through the day–it’s about actually feeling go...