I love podcasts. Podcasts offer an insane amount of information from experts from every field. If you aren’t learning you’re not growing, that’s the saying right. I find health podcasts super helpful, hearing it straight from the mouths of the healthcare professionals. Here are some of my all time favorite podcasts that you should be listening too.
Dr.Chatterjee. Dr Rangan Chatterjee is a a General Practitioner, author who is best known for his BBC TV show ‘Doctor in The House’. I love how informative this podcast and all he practical and useful advice he gives his listeners.
I’m obsessed with Andrea Nakayama’s a Functional Nutritionist podcast because it’s only 15 minutes. She also dives into a variety of topics that I don’t see talked about on on podcasts. I would suggest this podcast to any practitioner or health nut, you wont be disappointed with what you learn.
Hosted by the founder of Mind Body Green, Jason Wachob. He is a wealth of knowledge and chats with pioneers in the health and wellness world. It is really fascinating and inspiring to hear people’s stories and wisdom. I loved the Deborah Hanekamp aka Mama Medicine episode and Steven Gundry’s episode.
You guys know I am a huge fan of therapy and talk about my therapist all the time. Dr. Cassidy Freitas, LMFT is my therapist here in San Diego and she hosts an inspiring, beautiful and calming podcast. Self care is huge in my book and this podcast is such a great resource for self care. It is hard to pick my favorite episodes but Episode 2: defining your values and Episode 3: Mom guilt are MUST listen episodes.
By far Dr. Kay is my favorite beauty and wellness podcast. Recently we had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Kay on This Girl Life podcast and she didn’t disappoint. Dr. Kay is a wealth of knowledge and is all about staying beautiful on the inside as well as outside. Check out our episode with Dr.Kay here
Podcasts I listen to and have already mentioned on the blog
Hey Friends, I know it’s been forever since I have written again. Has my sabbatical caused you some sort of anxiety? I’m so sorry– forgive me but I have been busy starting a podcast, This Girl Life.
It has been a dream of mine for awhile now to start a lifestyle podcast with my best friend Kristen of the Everyday Grace. We wanted to connect with women, really all of you on another level. Plus, we love talking way more than we love typing… so a podcast was a perfect fit. You can catch up on latest TGL episodes on itunes, Soundcloud, Googleplay, Spotify.We just released EPISODE 5 with Janelle Nelson, (LMFT) a family, marriage life therapist who specializes in EMDR( Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). EMDR is a tool used to help combat PTS from trauma, anxiety, even helps people with phobias. EMDR has helped me work through some of my anxiety that I asked Janelle Nelson, LMFT to share about this amazing tool on the blog after her episode on TGL aired.
My Anxiety Struggle
I have talked a lot aboutmy struggle with anxiety with the hope of showing people… we don’t have to “sweep” this topic under the rug. Check out past posts here and here. I have been using EMDR in my therapy sessions with Dr. Cassidy. and OMG EMDR is amazing. I have seen great improvement in my own life since starting my sessions, it really helps peel back all the layers of your anxiety.
On Positively Posie.com I truly want to be a force in breaking the stigma that still surrounds the topic of mental health. One of the first steps in breaking that is to say and believe…
” there is no weakness in asking for help”
In our latest TGL Episode with Janelle Nelson, LMFT , I share how I got a point with my anxiety where I KNEW I needed to talk to someone. It was truly freeing and reduced my anxiety by just take that step and going to first session. I believe there is POWER in being heard and understood by someone else. SO GUYS- I hope this post and podcast episode can be a little piece in helping start a productive conversation about mental health, anxiety and therapy.
The Interview
Whitney: Hey Janelle thanks for coming on Positively Posie and sharing about EMDR. First tell us little bit about you, your practice.
Janelle: Thanks for having me! I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist trained in specific type of therapy called EMDR. I have a private practice in Carlsbad, CA (North County San Diego). I’m also a mom, artist, nature lover and health/wellness geek 🙂
Whitney: Let’s start off with the basics: what is EMDR?
Janelle: EMDR stands for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing and is now the most proven form of trauma therapy that’s available. It works incredibly fast and can be used to treat a wide range of trauma – from incredibly severe to very mild.
Whitney: Can your quickly breakdown what an EMDR session looks like?
Janelle: First, I work with my clients to find the most effective memory to target (called a touchstone memory). After identifying this memory I will go through a list of questions with my client to help my client really get in touch with the memory. For example; I would ask them to identify what image represents the worst part of the incident.Also, what negative belief are they believing because of the incident, what feelings do they have around the incident, and have them rate the trauma. After all these questions (and more) are answered and the client is in touch with the incident then the actual processing can start.
The processing phase is where the client gets in touch with the memory and then with their eyes follows a lightbar tool I have in my office to allow the brain to ‘digest’ the trauma (go to my instagram @jncounseling to see an actual video of this). The bi-lateral movement from the eyes allows the brain to move and reprocess the memory using both hemispheres of the brain. I will pause and check in with the client throughout the process to see if there distress levels have shifted. When they get to the point where nothing about the incident bothers them (yes- this happens every time!) then we can move to theinstallation and body scan phases.
The installation and body scan phases is where they are able to pair the positive belief with the incident and they start to feel really good! At the end of the sessions my clients are usually tired, but incredibly light and relieved or they literally skip out of my office! Ha! I once had a teenage client ask me, “Do you feel like a magician? From like, Harry Potter or something?! That was crazy!”
Whitney: You’ve been using EMDR in your practice for over 7 years. Why is it such a powerful tool in the world of healthcare.
Janelle: Because it goes deep and works so so quickly! Trauma literally gets “stuck” in the brain and gets paired with a negative belief about ourselves. We might do a lot of talk therapy and in our minds know “I am good enough,” but in our hearts we don’t FEEL that way. EMDR helps make our head knowledge actual heart knowledge… and that’s what makes it so powerful.
Whitney: As an military spouse I knew about EMDR, but I only thought it was for Post traumatic stress trauma, who else could benefit from EMDR ?
Janelle: It can benefit literally anyone. I have never met a person who hasn’t experienced some form of trauma (shame or pain). I have worked with many of our Military who have PTSD and the results are incredible for them, but anyone can benefit. Some common things I see (unfortunately) is a lot of sexual abuse, bullying, and attachment trauma (ex: alcoholic/workaholic parent). Other things I have used it for are fear of flying, cancer or illness recovery, and death of a loved one. It has endless uses…
Whitney: I have used EMDR to tap into past childhood issues that are the stem of a lot of my adult anxiety. Are you seeing more patients like myself using EMDR to manage chronic anxiety.
Janelle: Most of my clients are just like you! Awesome, high functioning people who are wanting to self improve and work through whatever is blocking them in their present life.
Whitney: What are some myths you’ve heard when people talk about EMDR?
Janelle: That it’s some form of hypnosis- It’s definitely not! You are completely conscious the during the processing. Nothing scary I promise 🙂
Whitney: If a person is interested in trying a session where should they start? What should they look for when trying to find a practitioner like yourself.
J: Personal referrals are always the first best resource, but if you don’t have one I would do a search on Psychology Today.
Eyelashes just like eyebrows they play a huge role on the face. And I’m positive that most of us are constantly searching for next best thing to help them look longer and fuller! Rating my lashes on a scale of 0-10, I feel like I have always been on the upper end at like a 7. I definitely have a good amount of lashes, and they more curled than straight– it’s always been more of a length issue. So I’ve tried eyelashes extensions which totally ruined my lashes, used lash serums but never a lift. So when I heard about the trendy eyelash lift (aka lash perm), I really wanted to try it to see if it would give me a fuller look.
When I got the opportunity to try it out last February at High Brow Beauty’s I said “HELL YES”. I’m so excited to share my experience, so lets get into the details.
Keratin Lash Lifts are supposedly way safer and less invasive way than using eyelash extensions. You get darker and curlier lashes that last up to 8-12 weeks.
The Process
The way the lash lift starts is: you lie down and pads are placed on the lower lashes to keep them out of the way. Then a silicon pad is placed on the top lashes, it is used almost like a curling iron. The shape of the rod helps give that super curled looked and helps to protect your eyes. At high brow beauty they use a keratin pigment infusion and the lashes are brushed with the mixture and left to marinate for a little bit. The whole process didn’t hurt but my eyes are super sensitive so I was a little uncomfortable for me.
The Results
When we finished everything was peeled off and the results showed darker and lifted eyelashes. My immediate reaction was “eehhh I don’t see a big difference” I wasn’t blown away with the results. It’s not the same reaction I had after my first set of eyelash extensions: immediate selfie. Like I said I have sensitive eyes so the keratin formula definitely irritated my eyes and the surrounding skin.
Is it Worth it?
A typical lash lift is roughly $150 (depending on where you go) and it only last 8 weeks. If you have are looking for more fullness and length a eyelash lift isn’t for you, if you have straight lashes who are always needing to curl this is for you. Personally, the lash dried my lashes out gave them WAY to much curl. I am sticking with a good eyelash tint and eyelash serum to help give my dreamy full Kim K lashes.
Over the last year celery juice has become the “cool kid” in the world of juicing. If you follow my Instagram you know I am drinking celery juice almost daily on an empty stomach, over ice and out of a straw cause it taste better that way.
Many of us have never payed much attention to celery. I mean who does love it with almond butter or in a bloodmary!! But about a year ago I fell head over heels in love with it celery juice and now I consider celery juice my beauti-fuel!
Celery has so many benefits especially when it’s juiced, if you are not a huge fan of only celery juice, at least drinking some sort of green juice everyday is still so positive for your body. But I want to give you the scoop on the power of drinking celery juice SOLO, so let’s get into the nitty gritty of why you should be a fan of celery juice.
Disclaimer * If you are wanting to juice and not sure about it first consult with your practitioner.
HOW TO DRINK CELERY JUICE
Celery juice is most powerful when fresh and drank solo. If you are new to the juicing game and can’t stand the taste start out adding in a little lemon or ginger to help you get used to the taste. And then gradually ween that back out so you have only celery juice.
AMOUNT OF CELERY JUICE TO GET THE BENEFITS? Starting out a great number to hit is 16 oz daily. Some people with chronic illness have been saying they drink up to 24-32 oz but I am not there quite yet.
HOW MUCH CELERY DO I NEED TO GET 16oz ? Okay this varies because it depends on the type of celery you have, and remember to always buy organic. I notice a large bunch yields 16 oz of juice.
WHEN SHOUD YOU DRINK DRINK CELERY JUICE? I always drink it in the morning before I eat anything, but sometimes I wanna grab a juice while I’m out so I just wait 15-30 minutes before or after eating something.
LETS TALK PRE- JUICING
I personally don’t pre-juice but if you need to because of a super busy AM schedule make sure to seal it tight in a mason jar and drink within 24 hrs of juicing. I personally drink my celery juice immediately after juicing on an empty stomach, over ice and out of a straw cause it tastes way better like that!!
HCL
Celery juice helps to rebuild the hydrochloric acidin your stomach so it can properly break down protein. What is hydrochloric acid: HCL –is what we know as stomach acid which helps your gut break down the food, specifically proteins. But when you have an autoimmune disease like Hashimotos or have a chronic stress issue your HCL levels can drop super low. This creates symptoms like indigestion, acid reflux and can even create IBS. So if you are unable to properly digest your foods then you aren’t able to absorb the essential nutrients from food. But with celery juice contains cluster salt (mineral salts) which helps with digestion and helps to restore your stomach’s HCL levels.
King of Detox
Celery juice will DETOX your body. Drinking celery juice will kill off unproductive bacteria in the gut, also detoxing the liver. Some people who’s body is super toxic can experience diarrhea, I haven’t had this problem but I do know people who have. SO it is smart to start drinking a smaller amount of juice like 2 to 8 oz of celery juice then work your way up to 16 oz. Check out the medical medium tips.
Diuretic
Celery juice is a diuretic and flushes the body of bloat. From my own experience celery juice definitely reduces my belly bloat, if I miss a few days of juice I notice an increase in gas and bloat. So I rarely miss a day of celery juice, but things happen like vacation so I have to just roll with it.
Reduces Cravings
Celery juice has been found to help reduced cravings. Often you’ll see cravings when our body is lacking certain minerals and vitamins. This happens due to a lack of variety in the diet or when we eat unhealthy foods all the time. Like I said celery juice helps repair your gut and rebuilding the HCL, once your gut is repaired more quality nutrients will be absorbed into your system and decrease those annoying food cravings.
If you don’t want to start with just celery juice or you don’t want to juice anything yourself, I believe that any green juice is better than no green juice.
I’ll leave you with my 3 Rules of Juice: 1. When buying juice make sure it’s a green vegetable juice with no more than 100 calories per serving. 2. Juices with little fruit content will mean the less sugar. 3. The farther down the ingredient on the list of ingredients, the less of the ingredient used in the juice!
I know how busy things can get over a holiday weekend and the last thing we want is a change in our kids sleep pattern. You I know how important sleep is in our house from my post ABC’s of Sleep with Cara of ” Taking Cara Babies “. So I asked Cara the sleep guru herself to give us a few holiday SLEEP tips to keep babies sleep on track. So get ready to screenshot these sleep tips from Cara and save them for years to come!
The holidays are a special time to make lasting memories with your family. Adding a sweet baby to the mix multiplies the JOY, but it can also multiply the stress. Here are a few simple tips to help you enjoy your baby-filled holiday while still protecting your sleep and sanity:
Recreate your baby’s bedroom wherever you spend your night.
Whether you’re going out of town or staying for a late night at grandma’s house, try to replicate your baby’s normal bedtime surroundings as closely as possible. Don’t forget yoursound machine, lovey, several pacifiers,sleep sack/swaddle, and even his own crib sheet for the Pack ‘n Play. If your baby is used to sleeping in aDockATot or Rock ‘n Play, make sure to take it with you!
Sometimes a dark room can be hard to find while you’re traveling, so we love this Snooze Shade or these travel black-out blinds so you can keep your baby from waking with that early morning light.
Keep the same bedtime routine even outside of your own house!
A familiar bedtime routine tells your baby’s brain that sleep is coming, just like normal. If you typically give a mini massage, dress in jammies, feed her, and then read a book before placing her in the crib, continue to do that while you’re out of the house. If you need to shorten the routine, make sure to keep a few familiar elements. This predictable series of events remind her that it’s bedtime, even if her surroundings are slightly different. Consistency is so important!
Holiday Party Hack: If you’re not sleeping over, do your bedtime routine before placing your little one into the carseat. This can make the transfer to the crib much easier.
Try to protect one solid nap per day.
During the holidays, it’s so tempting to fill the schedule with as many visits and activities as possible. You don’t want to miss out. However, an overtired baby can turn all of your coordinated fun and memories into a mess. For babies with more than one nap a day, attempt to get a solid morning nap in a Pack ’n Play or crib (instead of on-the-go). Send someone out for coffee or cinnamon rolls or snuggle by the fire while protecting that important rest for your baby. Starting the day rested can allow future naps to happen in the car seat, in grandma’s arms, or in the stroller while you sneak in that last bit of holiday shopping.
Remember: All that activity can be so exhausting for you and your little one! Watch sleepy cues for naps, and check out our blog post onNap Schedules 5-25 months. If naps are short or happen on the go, bedtime may need to be earlier than usual.
Make memories!
If you have been consistent at home with your baby’s sleep, now is the time to let go a bit. Relax and have fun; enjoy your family time. This is such a special time with your family and friends. Your baby can get back on track when you return home. If baby sleep is a mess before you add in the holidays, we can help with that too!
For more help with travel, hosting for the holidays, or baby sleep, visit our website. Taking Cara Babies exists to help you with baby sleep so that your whole family can thrive.
Holy Brows. Since I can remember I’ve always had super dark bold brows. Truth: I can’t say I always loved my bold brows, I mean I did have a high school stage ( like many of you) of trying to thin out my brows. Thankfully they always grew back and my brows are now bigger and bolder than ever!
I’m really particular about my brows so much that I was only getting my brows shaped in when I traveled to Arizona. That had to change–I saw Lindsay’s work on Lauren of The Skinny Confidential and I decided to travel the hour to see Lindsay Merrell at Browtique. She has over 15 years brow shaping experience, she is an artist with a wealth of brow knowledge. So of course I asked her to share her top brow tips with us!
5 Brow Tips From Lindsay Merrell
Find an eyebrow artist you like and get your eyebrows shaped at least ONCE in your life! They’ll go over your eyebrows with you, show you start, arch and end and your ideal shape. If you want to grow them out, let them know you’re ok with looking a bit shaggy to achieve fuller brows.
Research your brow artist. It’s easy to do nowadays as many have social media accounts and share their work online. If you don’t know where to start ask a friend with great brows for a referral.
If your brows are light or could use some pop, consider a TINT. Your eyebrows will look instantly fuller. The maintenance on brow tint is monthly. Staying away from things that strip your color will ensure longevity (ie. Chlorine in pools, glycolic cleansers, bleaching pads)
If you over-tweezed in the past and are stuck with an unflattering shape, use a growth stimulant. Basically, the follicle no longer has its own food source and needs to be fed. There are a bunch out there at varying price points.
When filling in your brows, wax based pencils adhere best to skin and powders adhere best to hair. A lot of times I’ll use both and blend with a spooly brush for a natural look. Add a matte cream highlighter under the brow for definition and end with brow gel to set and seal.
Communicate with your brow artist! Tell her or show her what your brow goals are. It’s not pushy and annoying, it’s smart and effective. And everyone has different aesthetic tastes.
Great eyebrows don’t happen by chance guys, they happen because of eyebrow guru’s like Lindsay! Don’t miss out on all of the great brow products within the post, my fave right now is Rapid Brow to give me EVEN fuller brows.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “how do you eat gluten free and dairy free, what do you eat? In 2018 I totally expected more people to be open to the gluten free & dairy free way of life, but people are still leery. So I want to share with you my favorite gluten and dairy free items that we eat on a daily basis. These are the stand outs, the must have items. Even if you aren’t gluten & dairy free these are still must try items… trust me you won’t be sorry.
A few thought nuggets about Gluten Free and Dairy Free items:
Make sure to inspect the labels– if it states “made in a facility that also processes wheat” it’s not truly gluten free.
Not all gluten-free foods items are healthy! Just because it’s gluten free or dairy free doesn’t mean the product is SUPER clean or LOW in calories
This isn’t the typical post telling you all about random superfoods out there, Positively Posie is a place filled with wellness + beauty tips to improve your daily life and adding superfoods is a great place to start. I’m specifically talking about superfoods that help with the skin.
Listen I’m an efficient lady when it comes to my body’s wellness and my skin of course. So adding in superfoods was a no brainer, it’s an easy way to detox and energize your body and skin.
And I can’t commit to one superfood, it’s just not gonna happen. There are THREE superfoods that I’m obsessed with and they are so easy to throw in your AM shake or even in some water.
I’ve been using this in my AM shakes for 2 months and I’m a huge fan. WHY I love: it adds a creaminess to my shake and it’s totally vegan. It’s full of skin-protecting superfoods to help preserve your natural collagen while hydrating skin from the inside out.
No surprise here… everyone knows I’m a huge fan of HUM nutrition. Well this product much does it all , it has 39 beauty detox superfoods to help improve your energy, support radiant, hydrated skin and boost your metabolism.
Okay maybe you hate the taste or smell but my apple cider vinegar obsession runs deep. Since I was a kid I had a love for apple cider vinegar and would dump it cooked spinach and could eat it like everyday. So I love adding it to my shakes and or in my morning water with a bunch of lemon. I’m sure you’ve heard how amazing apple cider vinegar and it really is…but do you know why it is so good.
We hear it a lot- – the phrase “me time”. Finding me time has become harder as my miss B has grown older. As a type A personality I’ve had to create rituals in my everyday life to find some sort of balance.
My evening ritual is something that I look forward to all day, it just helps me refocus my energy and power down for the day. Sounds silly maybe but it works for me.
Skincare: I’m a huge believer in taking off your makeup before hitting the sheets & a having a killer skincare routine– shocker. So I double cleanse off all my makeup, I have been doing this for awhile now and its just my thing– plus I incorporate my whole other skincare routine. For my hyper-pigmentation I’ve been using no BS. super clean & natural vitamin C, plus some must needed anti- aging retinol or a cleaner way to beat fine lines Rosehip BioRegenerate Oil , a dab of eye cream… the whole deal. AND wait can we please talk about Kopari Coconut Rose Toner. I have been using it for a month now and it’s my new best friends. It helps reduce my monstrous pores and balance my skin which I’m always looking for and it FREE of all the bad stuff: GMO’s, Sulfate, Cruelty and Paraben!
I’m also all about slipping into crisp, clean sheets- – which mean using my Slip pillowcase nightly… anti-aging, anti-sleep crease, anti-bed head! We spend a lot of of our lives sleeping so might as well make the most of it with the best pillow case.
There you have it, I want to know your PM routine because I’m always up for trying something new! Share in the comments
Did you know just a half a grapefruit each day can ensure the average adult is meeting at least half of typical Vitamin C requirements!
If you haven’t heard of Vitamin C you’re probably living under a rock. Vitamin C is an everyday thing we consume through citrus foods or a supplement. But truly Vitamin C deserves a place in our skincare routine!
For me Vitamin C is the first steps for fighting my dark circles and pigmentation. There are other treatments people use for pigmentation like hydroquinone, retinol, alpha & beta hydroxy acids. For my skin those treatments created way too much extra inflammation, redness and irritation. Don’t get me wrong they are right for some people but right now for me Vitamin C is my go-to product.
i like Vitamin C for many reasons…
✔️ It’s an antioxidant that goes around sucking up free radicals. Free radicals bounce around in skin cells, causing damage. Free radicals occur from sunlight, pollution, heat/ cold. Pretty much anything that comes in contact with your skin.
✔️ Fights hyper-pigmentation preventing melanin production. Thanks to sun exposure, pregnancy or birth control hormones, we can see an increase in melanin production. Vitamins C helps to break up those melanin deposits over time.
✔️ Brightens your skin even if you don’t have dark circles or hyper-pigmentation. It’s going to help give you that bright glowy look.
✔️ Vitamin C is needed in the creation of collagen. Collagen & elastin are crucial for anti-aging & healthy skin. One of the causes of dark circles is the thinning/loss of volume of skin under your eye. Putting Vitamin C under your eyes will help create new collagen and skin turn over, and hopefully decrease fine lines and wrinkles.
✔️ Decreases inflammation…if your skin gets it irritated and red easily then Vitamin C would be a great addition to your daily skincare routine. If you have acne scars or rosacea think about calming that angry skin with Vitamin C.
Vitamin C Gone Bad. It’s important to remember that Vitamin C aka ascorbic acid degrades quickly, making it inactive & ineffective.Vitamin C is really sensitive to light and requires a very specific acidic pH to remain stable. Keep your products in cool dark spaces and if the product starts to turn yellow it means it’s degrading and it’s time for a new bottle.
15minutebeauty. com
There are lots of options out there to treat dark circles and hyper- pigmentation, it’s important to find the one that fits your skin the best. As always if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments!
If you don’t want to start with just celery juice or you don’t want to juice anything yourself, I believe that any green juice is better than no green juice.
Holy Brows. Since I can remember I’ve always had super dark bold brows. Truth: I can’t say I always loved my bold brows, I mean I did have a high school stage ( like many of you) of trying to thin out my brows. Thankfully they always 
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard, “how do you eat gluten free and dairy free, what do you eat? In 2018 I totally expected more people to be open to the gluten free & dairy free way of life, but people are still leery. So I want to share with you my favorite gluten and dairy free items that we eat on a daily basis. These are the stand outs, the must have items. Even if you aren’t gluten & dairy free these are still must try items… trust me you won’t be sorry.
We hear it a lot- – the phrase “me time”. Finding me time has become harder as my miss B has grown older. As a type A personality I’ve had to create rituals in my everyday life to find some sort of balance.
Did you know just a half a grapefruit each day can ensure the average adult is meeting at least half of typical Vitamin C requirements!