This past Saturday, I had the honor of recognizing 75 volunteers in our community for their positive contributions.  Whether they painted picnic tables, played live music for potlucks, or served on any number of committees, all of these people gave a piece of themselves to make our community better, and most of them did so doing something they enjoyed.

In October of 2019, I decided I wanted to learn belly dance. I had some issues moving after not exercising for so long, so the dance studio receptionist recommended I get an "Unlimited Classes" membership and try another class called NIA.

I went to a Hypnosis Conference about ten years ago when I bumped into a Chinese medicine physician. I was telling her about a young lady I worked with who was having phantom pains in her abdomen when she was having sex. After visiting multiple doctors and undergoing countless MRIs, X-rays, and CAT scans, which turned up nothing, she turned to another hypnotist, who referred her to me.

Simone Biles has long been a household name in gymnastics—a synonym for excellence, strength, and unrivaled talent. However, her journey through the Tokyo Olympics added another layer to her legacy: that of a mental health advocate and an emblem of resilience.

While I've made great strides these past two years fighting Hashimoto's, I still needed to catch up to where I want to be healthwise. I began researching other doctors to get another opinion and found a chiropractor in town who also has Hashimoto's. A few weeks ago, I started his program, which includes health coaching.

When I was diagnosed with Hashimotos, my holistic osteopath gave me quite a few "alternative" suggestions on how to help my condition by lowering my stress and joint pain. One of her suggestions was to take a baking soda bath twice a week, with a 1/2 to 1 cup of baking soda, for 20-30 minutes. I had not heard of anything like this before, so why not try it? It was an easy ask, compared to monthly IV treatments and handfuls of supplements.  

It's been two years since I was diagnosed with Hashimoto's hypothyroidism. My body has become highly sensitive to stress, and the higher my stress is, the more thyroid fatigue I experience. To keep my stress levels down, I have to pay attention to my food intake, work responsibilities, and social schedule.

It’s been 2 years since being diagnosed with Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism.  It’s been quite an interesting journey.  I was reviewing with my doctor all the changes I’ve made these past two years:

Every day, my social media and email are bombarded by "panaceas," universal remedies and programs that are supposed to fix every ailment and woe known to man. I'm under an endless solicitation of exercise programs, patches, liquids, potions, pills, and powders that are supposed to make me feel better, live longer, and be healthier.

Last night, I flew into Las Vegas as a presenter at The Performing Hypnosis Summit. Since being diagnosed with Hashimoto's, I have had to cook all of my meals to avoid eating foods that could trigger my inflammation. Currently, foods that trigger my inflammation are gluten, dairy, soy, nightshades (peppers), and refined sugar.

If you've ever heard me say "Make sure you make a deposit in your happiness account," I got this from my friend and mentor Dr. Kenneth L. Rigsby, LCSW, MSW, MEd, EdD. I had about 2 years of wear and tear on my soul between taking care of my mother and my divorce, and this one statement gave me some peace of mind when I needed it most.

Last week was my birthday week. I have been feeling so much better health-wise since I got my old amalgam fillings out that I decided to try a piece of a yummy Costco birthday cake. I did not experience ANY pain. Woohoo!