3 Tips For Dealing With Stress Around The Holidays

3 Tips For Dealing With Stress Around The Holidays

While the holiday season can come with a lot of joy, it’s not always the most pleasant time for everyone. Spending time with family and friends can be overwhelming, emotionally draining, and downright stressful for many people. This isn’t to say that you don’t love your family and friends—these feelings aren’t mutually exclusive—but it could mean that you’re heading into the holidays feeling tense and apprehensive. If you are, don’t worry, I’m here to help you!

The goal of this week’s blog post is to help you get ahead of these feelings and give you a few tips that will allow you to make the holidays as happy and stress-free as possible.

Read More

Are You Getting Enough Protein? Here's How To Know

Are You Getting Enough Protein? Here's How To Know

Of all the macronutrients—fat, carbs, and protein—protein is by far the one we skimp on the most, and it’s arguably the most important. Protein plays a key role in a ton of bodily processes, including building our muscle and preventing muscle loss. It also helps our body repair its cells and tissues, and it helps us make new ones. Protein determines how well our bodies function, and as a result, it influences how we feel on a daily basis.

While protein is important for everyone, it is especially important for us women over 50.

Read More

Why Maintaining A Healthy Sex Life Is The Key To Feeling Younger

Why Maintaining A Healthy Sex Life Is The Key To Feeling Younger

What does it mean to “feel younger?” To me, it has very little to do with looks. The way I see it, feeling younger means having the energy, attitude, and passion for life that I had in my younger years. It’s a feeling and a mindset, not an appearance or specific look. And over the last decade or so, I’ve realized that there are certain things that help me “feel younger”—one of those things is a healthy sex life.

The title of this article—“Why Maintaining A Healthy Sex Life Is The Key To Feeling Younger”—is a claim I truly stand by. In my experience, sex and pleasure are crucial pieces of the puzzle that is our health and well-being.

Read More

Hip Mobility 101 with Joanna Castro

Hip Mobility 101 with Joanna Castro

Raise your hand if you have tight hips…is yours up? Both of mine are!

Whether you exercise everyday or not, you may experience an uncomfortable tightness in your hips that makes it harder for you to move. This is because as we age, our joints can become stiffer and less flexible, and overtime we can lose more and more of our mobility.

To help us learn more about mobility—and to give our hips a good stretching out—I’ve enlisted the help of Joanna Castro, a fitness coach and mobility expert.

Read More

Why I Started The Walking Challenge

Why I Started The Walking Challenge

Fall is by far my favorite season—I love the leaves, the crisp air, and the fall produce—but my favorite part of my favorite season has also arrived… THE PURE JOY WELLNESS FALL WALKING CHALLENGE!!

If you’re in our private Facebook group or subscribe to the PJW newsletter, you’ve probably seen that the Walking Challenge starts THIS SATURDAY, OCTOBER 1! Myself and the rest of the PJW community will be walking for 30 minutes every day, for 30 days straight.

If you’ve participated in the Walking Challenge before, I hope you’re looking forward to joining us again—and if you’ve never done it before, welcome, I hope you’re excited!

Read More

My Top 10 Foods For Aging Well

My Top 10 Foods For Aging Well

Most women I meet who are over 50 have a few goals in common:

  1. They want to stay healthy

  2. They want to stay alive

  3. And they want to age well!

Well, I’m happy to report that this blog post, and the foods I’m going to tell you about in it, check all of those boxes and pass that test with flying colors. As you know if you’ve read the blog for a while, what we put into our bodies reflects on the outside of our bodies, and it has a direct correlation to how we feel and how we age. The best thing you can do for your body is nourish it with nutrient-packed foods, and in return, you’ll feel and look magnificent.

Read More

These Are The 7 Types Of Rest You Need

These Are The 7 Types Of Rest You Need

I wouldn’t say that I’ve always been a “well-rested” person. Historically I’ve had trouble getting enough sleep (I’m usually up very early for that reason), and whenever I’ve felt tired or burnt out, I assumed it was because I wasn’t sleeping. That was until I came across the work of Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, a physician, researcher, author, and speaker, who has worked in internal medicine for 20 years.

In her book, Sacred Rest: Recover Your Life, Renew Your Energy, Restore Your Sanity, she talks about the seven different types of rest we need to live healthy and fulfilled lives while decreasing stress, fatigue, and feelings of burnout. I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Dalton-Smith.

Read More

What Happens To Your Hair During Menopause

What Happens To Your Hair During Menopause

If you've gone through menopause or are dealing with it now, you know that it comes with plenty of body changes—our skin, sleep patterns, body composition, you name it. But one lesser known side effect of menopause is hair changes—like hair loss, hair thinning, changes in texture, dryness, dullness, and even scalp sensitivity. This is because of the major hormone shift our bodies experience before, during, and after menopause.

I talked about menopausal hair loss a bit a few blog posts ago, when I recommended the Nutrafol supplement, but I wanted to elaborate on the changes our hair can undergo and tell you about the options you have.

Read More

My Top Money Tips For Women Over 50

My Top Money Tips For Women Over 50

For as long as we’ve all been alive, money has been considered a taboo subject, especially for women. But in recent years, overdue conversations about financial well-being are finally being had, and female financial experts are stepping up to the plate to make sure we’re informed and educated about money.

For women over 50, finances are especially important, as we’re faced with decisions about retirement, long-term care, and more. In this week’s blog post, I’m dishing out some of my top tips for becoming a financially fit woman, with help from Shannon McLay, founder of The Financial Gym.

Read More

Pure Joy Wellness Approved - Nutrafol Hair Supplement

Pure Joy Wellness Approved - Nutrafol Hair Supplement

Let’s face it: The symptoms of menopause are not cute. In fact, they can be downright unpleasant, and even unbearable for some women. We’re talking menopausal belly fat, low libido, constantly having to pee, and more. I’ve talked before about hormonal facial hair, a common side effect of menopause, before on the blog, but I haven’t really talked about hair loss… which is what I’m talking about today. (And yes, I found a fix!)

As most of you know, menopause causes a serious hormone shift in women. Our estrogen and progesterone levels fall, which amplifies the effects of androgens in our bodies (male hormones, like testosterone). As a result, our hair can become thinner/finer, fall out more easily, and grow more slowly, because our hair follicles shrink.

Read More

3 Tips For Coping With Grief, From Patty Lennon

3 Tips For Coping With Grief, From Patty Lennon

All of this year, I’ve been dealing with something very serious. This is the first time I’m sharing this news with the PJW community.

In late December 2021, my partner of 17 years, Panos, was diagnosed with cancer. He was suave and debonair and smart and funny and twice an olympian. Early on, he received a terminal prognosis, but after consulting with his doctors, we decided to proceed with chemo treatments and I became his caregiver.

From January onward, he grew very, very sick. He was admitted to the hospital multiple times.

Read More

My Morning Routine (And How To Create Your Own)

My Morning Routine (And How To Create Your Own)

A question I’m often asked by my friends and clients is: What is your morning routine? I actually love answering this question, because it makes me reflect on how far my routines (both morning and evening) have come. The more I’ve learned about wellness over the years, and the more I’ve prioritized my physical and mental well-being, the more effective and efficient my routines have gotten.

AND they’re super sustainable now—I used to have super long routines and I never ended up sticking with them because they demanded too much. Below is an overview of my morning routine, as well as my top three tips for developing your own!

Read More

Why You Need Fermented Foods On Your Plate

Why You Need Fermented Foods On Your Plate

Taking care of your gut (aka your digestive system, GI tract, etc.) is one of the most effective ways to completely improve your health. That’s because your gut affects every aspect of your well-being—from your skin and overall physical health, to your ability to age well and your mental health. (Seriously, it impacts everything.)

Many people know that gut health is important, but they aren’t sure how to get started in tending to their gut. In this blog post, I talk about one of the most powerful tools you can use to do that…fermented foods!

Read More

Pure Joy Wellness Approved - Jetti Poles

Pure Joy Wellness Approved - Jetti Poles

This month’s #PureJoyWellnessApproved product is an ode to all my current and future Pure Joy Wellness Walking Warriors! I recently became acquainted with Joyce Shulman, a fellow walking lover and founder of 99 Walks, and was introduced to her creation, Jetti Poles. After trying them, I can say without a doubt I’m hooked.

If you’re looking to take your walks to the next level and/or make them much more enjoyable, keep reading!

Read More

How To Overcome Your Fear Of Technology

How To Overcome Your Fear Of Technology

It feels like every minute, every hour, there is another new piece of technology coming out. Our news and social media feeds are filled with talk of new iPhones, artificial intelligence, cryptocurrency, and so much more. Technology is advancing at an unprecedented pace, and for those of us who aren’t 20 anymore, it’s easy to feel like we’re being left out of the conversation.

I know a lot of women who have a fear of technology, but want to stay relevant and avoid having the world advance beyond their understanding. I’ve had to overcome this fear myself, so I’m here to help and give you my advice.

Read More

My Top Book Picks for Summer 2022

My Top Book Picks for Summer 2022

Every summer I've been trying more and more to leave my phone on my desk and take a book to the beach or the pool instead. It's a ritual that I've started looking forward to (and it's much more enjoyable than being on my phone!).

This summer season, there's no excuse for being without something good to read. Summer books are so worth the wait. From explosive novels, revealing memoirs, brilliant biographies, and everything in between, no matter what you like to read, there's a book that's sure to be just what you're looking for.

Read More

How Not Getting Enough Sleep Increases Belly Fat

How Not Getting Enough Sleep Increases Belly Fat

When it comes to my personal health goals, longevity has always been one of them. I want to live as happily and healthily as I can for as a long as I can—which is why I’m always keeping up with the latest research. And as your friend and community advocate, my goal is to keep you “in the know” with regards to news, studies, and information that could affect you. There is SO much information out there, which can feel overwhelming, and I see parsing through the info (and the B.S.) as part of my job. That’s where this week’s blog post stems from.

Today, I want to talk about belly fat and sleep

Read More

PJW Approved - Flow Alkaline Spring Water

PJW Approved - Flow Alkaline Spring Water

In last week’s blog post, I talked all about dehydration—the risks associated with it, how to prevent it, and what signs to look for to know you’re dehydrated. So, it feels only fitting that this week, I share with you one of my favorite products that helps me stave off dehydration.

Allow me to introduce you to this month’s #PJWApproved product… Flow Water!

Flow Water is naturally alkaline spring water that contains electrolytes and minerals—and their flavored spring waters are worth writing home about. Here are a few reasons why I can’t get enough of this product, and why I HIGHLY recommend you try it out…

Read More

How To Know If You're Dehydrated (And What To Do)

How To Know If You're Dehydrated (And What To Do)

Now that summer is here, the days are getting hotter and hotter. And because of that, I feel compelled to talk about dehydration. I’ve written ad nauseum about how important it is to stay hydrated—for better skin, weight maintenance, and overall better health—but we don’t talk enough about dehydration.

Dehydration, defined as when you use or lose more fluid than you take in, can lead to serious symptoms and health issues, like heat injury, urinary or kidney problems, low blood volume shock, and even seizures. In the warmer summer months (when we’re more likely to sweat), we’re more prone to dehydration and have to be more conscious about our fluid intake. We can’t wait until we feel thirsty to have a drink or hydrate—by then, we’re already dehydrated.

Read More

Want To Boost Your Self-Confidence? Try These 6 Tips

Want To Boost Your Self-Confidence? Try These 6 Tips

When I talk to women (of my age and all ages), something I hear a lot is that they struggle with confidence. They don’t feel good about themselves—how they look, how they sound, how they dress, etc. It hurts me to hear, because confidence is SO IMPORTANT if you want to live your fullest life, and we all deserve to have it, no matter what age we are.

The way I see it, confidence is a byproduct of the way we treat ourselves. It goes back to something I’ve said before: Our minds are POWERFUL! The thoughts and words we allow into our minds are directly connected to what manifests in our lives.

Read More