Recommended Resources

I’m sharing ALL my best stuff with you: things that have transformed my emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing.   

I have been on a holistic health healing journey for about 20 years.  Since my early 20’s, I have been learning how to be the healthiest I could be, so I always explore and adventure.

Here are my top recommendations of products and techniques that have really helped me to thrive and enjoy life in the categories of: inner work, energy, inflammation, muscle and joint pain, injury recovery, mood & stress, EMF protection, anger, nutrition, and sleep.

Healing Guides I created

Products & Techniques

Some of the links are affiliate links which means I may make a commission at no extra cost to you. I have noted those with (A) after the link. My integrity is important to me, and I only recommend brands I am actually using (unless I note that). I do a lot of research to find quality at a good price.

I am not a doctor. Please research any supplement for yourself especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, taking prescription drugs, or suffering form a chronic debilitating illness.

• Energy
• Inflammation
• Pain: muscle and joint
• Injury recovery
• Fight or Flight
• Mood & Stress
• EMF protection
• Anger
• Better sleep
• Awesome health food with free shipping: Thrive
• Highly effective vegan protein: Fortagen
• Books for Transformation & Healing

Energy

We all want more energy, right? The amount of energy we have is determined by so many things: stress, trauma, sleep, boundaries, emotions, and nutrition.

A few things have made a HUGE difference for me and some of them took me years to figure out.

By far, this one supplement has created the most noticeable change in my energy levels, and I have been in search of the “holy grail” of energy supplements for years.

Since I have been using Shilajit (once a day in the morning), I feel I can be productive my whole day. I can do a serious 2+ hour home workout, handle a full day of clients and still have plenty of energy to cook a nice dinner.

I don’t drink coffee, and Shilajit helps to clear any morning brain fog.

Shilajit is made by crushing up rocks in the Himalayas which contain decaying plant material. Shilajit is created over hundreds of years. The result: 80+ minerals and trace elements from the Earth your body will LOVE!

It is a black tar that can be rolled into a ball and placed under your tongue to be absorbed. It is recommended to take a little oil with it to enhance absorption. I use coconut oil with the tar and let is all dissolve together. This helps with the bitter (not so great) flavor. You can also dissolve it in hot water.

I have tried 2 brands from Amazon, and they work equally well for me though there is a huge difference in price and quantity.

*Pure Shilajit from Siberian Mountains (A) About $50 for 100 grams!

Authentic Shilajit (A) About $60 for 10 grams

*The Pure Shilajit brand (my first choice due to value) comes from the Altai mountains (a fairly clean ecosystem in Russia.) Shilajit traditionally comes from the Himalayas, and most brands that source from the Himalayas charge a serious premium for that.

Pure Shilajit is tested by US and Russian labs for heavy metals.

The Authentic Shilajit brand is considered one of the highest quality brands. They have strict production standards, and it is wild crafted from pristine Himalayan mountains above 16,000 feet. Their product is also lab tested by an independent party.

2 Mudras

Mudras are hand positions from ancient Indian wisdom. Different positions of the fingers manipulate energy in various ways.

The prana mudra is known to increase vitality and energy reserves, and I have found this to be the case. I often use this mudra while I am on long hikes or if I did not get very good sleep and I need an energy recharge during the day. I don’t need this mudra as much anymore since I started taking Shilajit, but it’s a great tool.

3 Energy clearing before bed

This is especially important for those who are sensitive, empathic, or just tend to soak up other people’s energy. Ever feel unusually tired after shopping at the mall or being in crowds? This is for you.

This was recommended to me years ago, and the results were impressively noticeable. I had lived my whole life tired. I could always rally and do whatever I wanted, but it was a bit of a struggle.

You might want to spend 30 seconds to 2 minutes on the draining and receiving. I usually start yawning as I am releasing which let’s me know it is time to move on to receiving.

4 Going to bed by 10 or 10:30.

I have been a night owl my whole life and struggled with energy even though I have paid a lot of attention to living a “healthy” life. I have noticed a major shift in my energy levels by being more in tune with the circadian rhythms.

Chinese medicine says it is very important to be fast asleep by 11 in order to feel good the next day. The gallbladder and liver do most of their important work between 11pm and 3am. When we are awake during these times, we are more sluggish and detox is impaired.

5 Energy Bubble

Human beings affect each other and some of us are more sensitive and prone to picking up other people’s energy. It is a good practice to visualize a protective bubble or egg around yourself when you are in busy places like grocery stores. I use the mantra: “My energy is mine. Your energy is yours.” I try to repeat this before and during my time in public, especially if I already feel tired that day.

Inflammation

Inflammation is a normal healthy response to a threat or an injury, but often our body overdoes it. Chronic inflammation can lead to chronic pain and many degenerative diseases. I recommend limiting or eliminating pro-inflammatory foods like white flour, white sugar, and canola oil. Two supplements have made a huge difference for me: arnica and black seed oil.

Arnica topical gel (A) and Arnica homeopathic pellets (A)

I take the homeopathic pills as soon as I finish a long hike or if I feel I may have done a bit too much with some heavy weights. The gel is great for targeting specific areas and works a bit faster than the pellets.

Overall, I think the pellets are more effective and can affect many areas of the body. There are different potencies of homeopathic pellets, but the one I linked above is good for most types of issues. It is always a good idea to do your own research. I have been using the Boiron brand for many years.

Black seed oil capsules (A) and Black seed oil liquid (A)

I noticed significantly less joint pain on a day to day basis, particularly with my ankle which I badly hurt in 2019. I had some dry knuckles (probably from so much 2020 hand washing) which healed. My hair is shinier and much fuller after using black seed oil internally and topically (make sure to dilute with a carrier oil like olive oil.) It hydrates hair, but also seems to strip shampoo/product buildup.

Black seed oil can help:

• inflammation
• joint pain
• asthma
• diabetes
• brain health
• anti-oxidants
• immune system
• skin & hair (oh yes!! I have really noticed a difference!)
• obesity
• anti-fungal
• high cholesterol
• auto-immune
• allergies
• acne
• male fertility
• diarrhea
• heart health
• anti-aging
• liver health

I did a fair amount of research and read a lot of reviews to find brands that are organic, cold-pressed, and cost efficient. Black seed oil has a slight kick to it, so you might want to start with capsules. After a couple bottles I moved on to drinking the oil. I have also steadily increased my dosage.

Blue Lily brand (A) has vegan friendly capsules.

I drink the Zhou brand liquid (A), but have also used it topically for my hair. I use a 50/50 blend with olive oil or avocado oil as it must be diluted when used topically.

The Blessed Seed (A) has a very potent version with twice the active ingredient than most brands. I have not tried it yet, as I am very happy with the price and results of the 2 brands above.

Pain: muscle and joint

This section covers:

• Proper mechanics of walking
• Foam rolling
• Shoes
• Insoles
• Compression (Floss) bands
• Castor oil treatments

Proper mechanics of walking is key to being active and pain-free as we get older. Most of us walk with our feet flayed out, but we want our feet to be straight when looking at the outside of our feet.

It might feel like you are pigeon toed until you get used to it. Remember that everything is connected in the body. If the feet are out of alignment, it affects everything up.

Most of us do not engage our butt at all and have weak glutes. We want to push off from the back leg using our butt. We often use the forward leg to create momentum. This puts extra work on our quads and hamstrings. They are doing work the glutes are meant to do.

Keep those shoulders back. This helps our alignment, so we can actually engage our butt.

Land heel first, then shift to outside of foot, and then push off with big toe.

I created chronic foot pain by hiking with bad shoes (narrow and minimal cushioning) and putting all my force in the middle of my foot while leaning forward. Don’t be like me!

I learned these mechanics from Scott Malin’s online ankle recovery rehab program. (A) I did a lot of online research to try and figure out the best mechanics and no one broke it down like Scott Malin does.

I have been focusing on these mechanics as I walk and hike and it has helped tremendously. Often, if I feel my ankle or foot hurting, I realize I have strayed from the mechanics.

I also learned in his rehab program about compression bands, castor oil treatments, and all the stretches and exercises I needed to heal my ankle. I highly recommend his program and his holistic way of approaching healing. I have even purchased his 4 other programs to learn more about keeping my whole body physically balanced.

For preventing and managing muscle and joint pain, I highly recommend daily self-care in the form of stretching, foam rolling, injury prevention exercises (based on your activity or compromised places in the body) and self-massage and/or a massage gun.

For stretching, You might look up YouTube videos (looking for active and static stretches.) Scott Malin (A) does a great job of going over how to take stretches and foam rolling to the next level when you are ready. I will talk more about him in the section below on rehabbing injuries.

For foam rolling, there are a few things to know. Black foam rollers tend to be the hardest. Blue is in the middle, and white are the softest. You might want to start with white if you are new to foam rolling.

I use a ridged foam roller (A) as I tend to have tight legs from hiking. I am surprised by how effective foam rolling is. It really helps stretching to be more effective by foam rolling first.

I finally released my super tight inner thighs (I’ve been trying to stretch them for a decade, I swear!) by foam rolling them before I stretch them. I find a sore spots and “sit” on them for 30 seconds so it can release.

I always do a lot of research before buying products. I was surprised to see the Amazon Basics black foam roller (A) come up on several blogs as a recommendation. I have not tried it personally, and it is pretty inexpensive ($15.)

Let’s talk shoes.

I got into a lot of trouble by wearing narrow, minimally padded hiking shoes for too many miles. Learn from me!

Most shoes have a narrow toe box which squeezes our toes and deforms our feet over time. The toes are supposed to be the widest part of our feet. This can lead to chronic pain.

Modern shoes usually have a thick heel and over time this can put a lot of stress on our lower back as it can throw off our natural alignment. This is controversial, but I have found this to be the case for me.

You might consider zero drop shoes. These are shoes that give your foot a flat bed to walk on. I like the brand Altra, which is zero drop but still has a ton of cushioning and arch support.

Altras are trail running shoes, but I wear them all the time. I wear the Superior model to the grocery store and I wear the Timps hiking (which have a ton of cushioning.) These have been a game changer for me. I look forward to wearing my cute boots again, but right now I am avoiding any shoe with high heels. 🙂

I really like Protalus (A) insoles. I have linked the m-series which is good for wide shoes such as Altras. Check out their website to learn more about their options. They help to create proper alignment in the ankle and offer extra metatarsal cushioning which helps with foot pain. They have serious arch support. Now that my foot and ankle are just about healed, I may not need these anymore, but they have been extremely helpful to me.

Compression Bands (Floss Bands) are thick rubber bands that can be wrapped tightly around a joint and left on for a minute or 2. This compression helps to clear inflammation. Using a floss band after a long hike really helped me to wake up the next day without ankle pain.

Red bands tend to be a bit thicker than black bands. Some people like to use red for lower body and black for upper, but I think it’s find to use either. They are made of latex so beware of direct skin contact if you have an allergy.

Make sure to wrap toward the heart, so you are sending the fluid away from the extremity. This can be used for warm up, recovery, or cool down. Scott Malin of the Malin Method (A) rehab programs, recommends only using them for a minute at a time and doing some light range of motion. Take it off if there is any pain or numbness. Check out Scott’s program or YouTube videos for more information.

I noticed my ankle was considerably better the mornings after hiking if I did a castor oil treatment. I only massaged for about 10 minutes. I used a heating pad for 20-30 minutes, and left the sock on for an hour or 2.

Many people like to use castor oil packs to help the liver and gut. A castor oil pack is several layers of wool or cotton drenched in castor oil. It is usually heated and left on for an hour. This really helped me with hormonal issues as the liver is very important for processing old estrogen and other hormones.

Injury Recovery

I used to think time healed all injuries and then I had a devastating ankle injury from rock climbing. The Universe had a lot to teach me with this one!

Two things I want to share with you:

1 To fully recover from an injury, we need to heal it and strengthen it, so it does not become a chronically compromised area through rehab & strengthening exercises. (A)

2 Chronic fight or flight interferes with the body’s ability to heal and tends to create pain because the body is holding tight 24/7 bracing for the next stress or trauma.

Rehabbing an Injury

Some injuries require more than just rest. They need to be healed and strengthened. I highly recommend a rehab program (A) so you can stay active for life and not have to sit on the sidelines because a part of your body is chronically compromised. The body wants to heal, and sometimes needs you to move it how it needs.

The Body Code helps clear energy that impedes healing and you might consider seeing a chiropractor or some other practitioner to check out your alignment.

Chiropractor James Huang (Walnut Creek, CA) used applied kinesiology to work on my nervous system and adjust parts of my body that were rotated. This was the very last part of what I needed to fully heal my ankle after spending some months working the Malin Method ankle rehab program. (A) I can finally hike 7+ miles without ankle pain!!!

I am so grateful The Universe brought Scott Malin’s ankle rehab program into my life. I was watching a random YouTube video on healing chronic ankle pain, and I saw in the comments someone saying The Malin Method Rehab program (A) helped his friend. My intuition told me yes, and for only $67 I was willing to invest.

I learned so many valuable tools such as castor oil massages and using floss bands to control inflammation as well as very important stretches, rehab, and strengthening exercises.

Malin Method programs include:

• ankle
• wrist
• shoulder
• lower back
• elbow

Sometimes he offers a deal on buying all of the programs, and I bought the other 4 programs because I was so impressed with his ankle program.

Malin Method programs include:

• meditation and visualization
• breathing
• nutrition
• hydrotherapy
• massage
• activation
• foam rolling
• compression bands (floss bands)
• mobility
• stretches
• rehab exercises
• strengthening exercises (for after you have healed)

Fight or Flight

Most people spend way too much time in fight or flight which is the sympathetic branch of the nervous system. Our bodies are not designed to thrive while spending the majority of our time in fight or flight. Modern life gives our nervous system the illusion of serious threats such as traffic, screaming kids, or work deadlines.

I did not realize my nervous system was so out of balance because it had been like that my entire life due to regular abuse for the first 14 years of my life.

About 9 months after my ankle injury, I was still in a lot of pain when I walked. A sudden and unpredictable sharp pain would occur. A bodyworker helped me to see it was my fight or flight that was creating the pain.

The fight or flight made whole body very tight. I was afraid of that pain happening at any moment, and that fear would make it happen! I started to see the immediate correlation between stress, fear, or negativity and ankle pain.

A HUGE shift happened for me when I started talking to my ankle and letting it know it was safe and could relax. I also started doing more body scan meditations to help balance my nervous system.

I now understand why sleeping has been a life long issue. I thought that since I did so much healing work and was meticulous about my nutrition and supplements that I surely was not in chronic fight or flight. I was wrong!

Early trauma changes how the brain responds to the world. Not all trauma will lead to a traumatized brain, but children are prone to being traumatized.

If a person is able to run or fight back during a threat, they are much less likely to become traumatized. Children are generally not able to defend themselves or run away from abusive adults. Trauma is also more likely to leave an imprint on the nervous system when it is chronic, happens early in life, and at the hands of someone we know.

If you want to learn more, I highly recommend the famous book, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D. It has over 25,000 5 star reviews on Amazon. (A)

Symptoms of chronic fight or flight:

3 ways to balance the nervous system

1 Belly breathing with longer exhales and a pause

Belly breathing and long exhales cue our body to turn on the parasympathetic nervous system: the rest, digest, heal branch. It is helpful to pause a bit after the exhale before inhaling again.

To belly breathe, you might want to lay down and put your hand on your belly to keep awareness with the belly. Focus on inhaling the belly as opposed to the upper chest.

I like using 3 second inhales and 5 second exhales with a pause after the exhale. I actually really enjoy the sensation of the pause. I do this before going to sleep or if I feel stressed during the day.

2 Earthing: the practice of walking barefoot (skin contact) on the Earth

If you don’t have access to nature, you can try grounding mats. They are connected to the grounding part of the socket which connects to the Earth. No electricity runs through a grounding mat. I use this Landkissing mat (A) while I work. Grounding sheets (A) can help people get more restful sleep.

3 Body Scan meditations

Connect with each part of the body and encourage it to relax. Our body takes cues from our thoughts as to whether it is safe or not to let down our guard.

A traumatized or stressed out person tends to not be very connected to their body. Body scan meditations are a powerful and relatively easy way to become more embodied which is very healing.

It can be as simple as starting with a foot and feeling whatever sensations come up such as heat, pulsing, or tingling. Encourage the foot to relax.

You might say things to your foot such as:

• You are safe.
• It is ok to let go.
• I am taking care of you.
• We can relax now.
• There is nothing you need to do, but relax.

After you feel you have connected with your foot (and perhaps all parts of the foot), you can move on to the ankle, calf, or shin.

It is helpful to have someone guiding the process as our mind can wander. It is nice to have a voice reminding us that we are concentrating on the body right now. I like the free guided meditation app called Insight Timer. Put “body scan” into the search bar.

Mood & Stress

As I wrote above, most of us spend way too much time in fight or flight. Childhood trauma can wire our brain to be hypervigilant for life. Chronic adult stress can turn on the fight or flight and prevent it from turning off.

Chronic fight or flight (elevated cortisol levels) can lead to depression, low energy, and irritability.

Check out my recommendations in the above section:

• belly breathing with long exhales and a pause
• body scan meditations
• grounding and Earthing

Ashwagandha

This powerful and popular plant medicine has been used for over 3000 years in Ayurvedic medicine. It is known for it’s ability to increase strength, relieve stress, and increase energy levels.

I have taken supplements for over 20 years and by far, this one has made the most remarkable and noticeable difference as far as stress and mood. Thin walls with loud neighbors helped me to see that my nervous system needs a lot of support!

I became a whole new person after taking ashwagandha. I could now recognize the sounds were annoying without being annoyed and irritated. I also found that my mood stabilized. Ashwagandha is my new best friend! I’m serious.

I have been taking NutriRise Organic Ashwagandha (A) after researching several brands. I take 1 pill 3 times a day which is different than what the label says.

*Please research which dosage might best serve you, and if you are taking any contraindicated medications.

If you are a sensitive soul struggling with mood and sleep, Ashwagandha might be your new best friend too.

EMF protection

Electromagnetic frequencies such as wifi, cell phones, sockets, appliances, and smart meters negatively affect our health. We are bombarded all the time. The best we can do is mitigate our exposure and clear these energies as much as possible.

What can we do?

Get this inexpensive but highly effective EMF protective bracelet made by Quanthor!

• Use radiation blocking clothing. I use this hood (A) when I have a headache or when I am feeling irritable.
• Keep our phone on airplane mode as much as possible, especially when it is in our pocket or purse and while we are sleeping.
• Turn wifi off at night.
• Grounding and Connecting with the Earth. Visualize EMF energies flowing down your feet into the Earth. The Earth will take these energies when we have skin contact to nature, but having the intention amplifies the effect.
• Use air tube headphones. Traditional headsets have little speakers in your ears which is EMF exposure. Air tube headsets place the speakers several inches away from your head.
• Avoid air pods! These transmit a frequency from one to the other which directly passes through your brain.
• Use black crystals such as black tourmaline or shungite to transmute EMF energies. I place them around my computer and wifi.
• EMF clearing baths. The recipe I use: 1 cup Epsom salt and 1 cup baking soda for at least 30 minutes.
• I really like the company Vibes Up. (A) They use ground up crystals and essential oils to create products with EMF protection and enhance grounding. I LOVE their water bottles.

Anger

When we are kids, we often get the message it is not ok or even safe to express our anger. That anger stays inside and follows us to adulthood.

Anger that has been chronically repressed and turned inwards can become depression.

Chronic unexpressed anger can lead to outbursts of anger at the most inopportune time because we are stressed out and don’t have the capacity to hold it back.

I find that conventional methods of releasing anger can sometimes be harmful. Yelling and punching pillows can turn mild or medium anger into explosive and overwhelming anger. We feel we might explode.

Some people do find that hitting a punching bag helps them to get out their anger. We are all on our own journey and have to find what works best for us. I have some suggestions below that are fairly gentle yet effective and will not lead to a sore hand or throat after.

Anger release in the heat of the moment.

Growl and snarl

This goes back to our mammalian roots when we would show our teeth if someone crossed our boundaries. This may seem silly, but it really helps, and after doing it a bit, you might just end up laughing a bit. Make sure to be connected to the anger as you do these.

Twist a towel

• Feel the anger.
• Roll up a hand towel.
• Hold each end and twist.
• You might add in the lip curl and snarl.

Healing old anger

Let the angry and hurt parts say what they never got to say.

Let your inner child know they will not get in trouble and you won’t tell Mom or Dad what they say. Let them say all the things they never felt safe or strong enough to say. Don’t censor them. Don’t judge them as “lower vibrational”, “victim-like”, or child-like.

Your hurt 8 year old does not need to be evolved. They need to get out their anger. Please give them support and loving guidance after they speak uncensored. You might find there is a lot of sadness under that anger.

You might have adult parts of you who never got to stand up for themself. They need to speak their truth as well. This can help open the throat chakra and self-expression in general.

I am not necessarily recommending saying these things to the actual person involved. That might not be safe.

Body Code and Emotion Code

As you may have read on my website already, these modalities work with he subconscious mind to find and release active trapped emotions in the body.

You can read the Emotion Code book (A) and learn how to clear trapped emotions yourself using muscle testing. I also offer Emotion Code and Body Code sessions.

The book talks of a man who was angry all the time and clearing just one trapped emotion of anger made him a whole new person.

The second emotion I ever released from myself was nervousness. I used to be overwhelmingly nervous before leading workshops and talking to clients. Clearing that one trapped emotion made a world of difference for me. I barely get 5% of the nervousness I did before clearing that specific trapped emotion.

Liver 3 acupuncture/acupressure point on each foot

The liver creates anger. An unbalanced liver can cause us to feel angry a lot. Our livers work really hard and often need some support.

We can hold the liver 3 point with our finger to stimulate chi in the liver meridian. We can use one or both feet. Hold for at least a few minutes.

Liver 3 is between the big toe and second toe at the base of the webbing about 3 finger tips width down from the top of the webbing. It is right as the webbing begins to feel like it is going up a “mountain” (bone.) The area of influence is the size of a quarter so you don’t have to be precise. Just have the intention of working the liver 3 point.

Visualize yourself connected to Earth energy or Cosmic energy so you are using an infinite energy source to boost your liver and liver meridian.

Have the intention to clear anger by repeating “releasing anger from my body.” I usually start yawning when I think that to myself. Yawning is a sign of energy moving. I usually say “releasing anger and frustration from my body” as frustration is also a liver emotion.

Balance the nervous system

If we already have a lot of cortisol running through our body, we are much more likely to feel anger and frustration. Please see my fight or flight tips above in the injury healing section.

Check out the benefits of the stress relieving and mood stabilizing herb called Ashwagandha in the mood and stress section.

Better sleep

Tips for better sleep

• Turn off any screen 60-90 minutes before bed.
• Use red lens blue blocking glasses in the evening.
• Consider yellow or clear blue blocking glasses during the day while working on a computer.
• Lower the brightness of your screens in the evening.
• Have a regular bedtime before 11pm.
• Get some sun during the day.
• Some kind of daily routine before bed
• Avoid awake/daytime activities in your bed.
• Avoid stimulating or emotional interactions 60-120 minutes before bed.
• Energy clearing before bed is helpful for sensitive people.
• Supplements can really help: melatonin, Vitamin D, magnesium glycinate, valerian, skullcap.

Screens from phones, TVs, and computers have a lot of blue light. Blue light signals to our body that it is day time and causes our body to produce cortisol which disrupts sleep.

I was amazed to discover that the Sleep Savior glasses allowed me to be on screens up to 90 minutes before bed without disrupting my sleep. It is not as enjoyable as everything is red and black, but good sleep is so worth it. I put on a daytime blue blocking pair of glasses for the early part of the evening which does not affect the color of the TV too much.

They also make it possible for me to fall asleep quickly as long as I do my routine. I have never had this skill before!!!

They actually make me feel tired within about 30 minutes of putting them on as they tell my brain it is nighttime and time to wind down. Lights in our house can also stimulate cortisol. I where these glasses even after I turn off the TV and put away my phone.

I encourage you to figure out what works for you.

This is my routine.

• I put on yellow tinted blue blockers around 6pm. They are not as effective as the Sleep Saviors but they do not interfere with seeing colors. I use a cheap pair $15 pair from Amazon.
• I put on the Sleep Saviors at 8pm.
• I turn screens off by 8:30pm.
• I dim lights in the house.
• 9-9:30pm stretching with light music
• I turn off wifi to save myself EMF exposure and sleep disruption.
• I take 600 mg of magnesium glycinate. (A)
• *9:30 meditation music while I lay in bed scanning my body, doing mudras, or meditating.
• When I feel myself getting close to falling asleep I turn off the music, put in ear plugs, and put on my eye mask. I usually fall asleep in minutes. (I am still amazed at this!!)
• Hopefully asleep by 10/10:30pm

Most importantly I stick to this. I used to think I hated routine and going to bed early, but I am reaping the major benefits of finally getting decent sleep.

*You might try the free app called Insight Timer for guided meditations.

Thrive Market: home delivery

Love Whole Foods but hate the prices? Of course you do! Thrive Market (A) has thousands of organic, vegan, keto, paleo, raw, gluten-free foods as well as cleaning supplies, beauty, health, and supplements.

It is a member only website which allows them to offer products at a serious discount. They also have their own Thrive brand, and I love their organic sprouted sunflower seeds and organic sprouted quinoa.

By their calculations, I saved over $5000 last year from shopping with them.

Thrive Market (A) has a $59.95 annual membership fee and offers free shipping (usually arrives in 3 days) for orders over $49.

They have a lot of sales and offer free gifts with orders of $49 or more. I have received free whole bottles of magnesium, CBD, olive leaf, B12, as well as mineral sunscreen, electrolytes, chips, Kind bars, and so much more. To be honest, I usually wait until I see a free gift I like and then order the $49 minimum. I have found new foods I really like this way!

Fortagen Protein: Build Muscle!

Update: I am now trying to avoid citric acid which is an ingredient in almost every flavored amino acid product. My body may like Fortagen, but I have found other brands that provide essential amino acids in capsule form without any other additives such as the Now brand and Peak Performance.

I almost did not put this up here, because the ingredients are unclear. Normally this is a major no-no for me; however a super health conscious client told me about this product. When I ask my body if it likes it, I get a huge “YES!” I am not surprised because I have seen huge muscle gains and faster recovery times.

The ingredients are L form essential amino acids in a ratio that promotes building muscle. L form is the form used to make proteins in the human body.

Essential means we have to take in these amino acids; our body cannot make them. Non essential amino acids are still important of course; it just means our body can make them out of other more readily available amino acids.

Fortagen has been a total game-changer for me. I used to suffer through 4 scoops of vegan protein powder a day, just to try and get to my daily protein goal in addition to high protein meals, and I would still often be sore after a serious workout. I am way less sore with Fortagen and I get to use those 500 calories I save for protein shakes on carbs!! Yum!

The creator of Fortagen claims one scoop is equivalent to 50 grams of whey protein and 70 grams of vegan protein and at only 4 calories.

This is how they explained the 4 calories on a Facebook post: “The 4 calories listed are not from the Amino Acids, they’re actually from the other ingredients. The aminos themselves don’t have a caloric value in the traditional sense. There is an energy value (calories) assigned to amino acids, but not one relevant to human digestion like a measure of any standard macronutrient like a complete protein. From the perspective of an X3 user, the amino acids are not being used for chemical energy as they are being completely utilize for anabolic processes. Because no chemical bonds are broken when the aminos are assembled into proteins, there is no real caloric energy release, and therefore no traditional caloric value.”

Here is the website where you can get your subscription. It was created by Dr. John Jaquish who created the X3 bar workout.

Books for Transformation & Healing

Trauma

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma (A) by Dr. Bessel Van Der Kolk, M.D. This book has a fair amount of science and breaks down how the body is affected physically by trauma. It also offers solutions.

Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma (A) by Peter A Levine This book would be my second choice for learning about Trauma. Not as much science and not as many solutions, but still a powerful read.

Inner Child Work

A Gift to Myself: Discovery and Recovery for Adult Children of Dysfunctional Families (A) by Charles L. Whitfield, M.D.

A Gift to Myself: A Personal Workbook and Guide to “Healing the Child Within“ (A), by Charles L. Whitfield, M.D. This is book is really powerful and you do not need to read first book I mention in order to learn a lot about yourself.

Home Coming: Reclaiming and Healing Your Inner Child (A) by John Bradshaw This books goes into detail about developmental stages and what happens when our developmental needs are not met.

Spirituality

Autobiography of a Yogi (A), by Paramahansa Yogananda

This book is a fascinating read and opened my mind up to so many possibilities. This book especially helped me to heal my relationship to God/Source/The Universe.

I had grown up fearing a wrathful man in the sky. Yogananda paints a picture of an unconditionally loving God which is exactly what I needed when I was first starting my spiritual path.

I think it is helpful to learn from others, but my feeling is to be your own “Guru” by going within as well as taking what resonates from teachers and letting go of what does not.

He uses highly poetic beautiful words to weave in spiritual principles into true stories of his life where he witnesses many miracles.

Journey of Souls (A), by Michael Newton Ph.D.

Newton is a hypnotherapist who can bring clients into a superconscious state which is the state before we are born while we are on the other side. No matter the spiritual, religious, or atheistic views of his clients, they all tell a similar story while under hypnosis.

We are all souls who are evolving (and at different levels in our expansion), and we design our life before we are born to help us to learn what we as a soul want to learn. We also agree to assist other souls. An incredible read.

This book really helped me to process my dear mom’s death.

Animals in Spirit: Our faithful companions’ transition to the afterlife (A) by Penelope Smith

Penelope Smith is an animal telepath who says animals readily accept their deaths knowing it is a natural cycle. She says that our beloved animal companions never truly leave us, even though we cannot see them anymore. A must read if you are grieving your best friend.

She also has a book called Animal Talk (A) which teaches the reader how to communicate with their animals telepathically. Awesome as well!