Category: Lifestyle

Healthy Habits, Lifestyle, Seasonal - Holidays

Stay on Track This Holiday Season Without the Stress

Corie Muldoon

The holidays don’t have to derail your wellness routine. The secret? Focus on consistency, not perfection.

Instead of trying to maintain your exact pre-holiday habits or completely abandoning them, aim for 80% of your normal routine.

Here’s why this works: All-or-nothing thinking leads to guilt and giving up entirely.

When you give yourself permission to modify rather than maintain or abandon, you stay consistent without the stress.

Your holiday wellness strategy:

  • Movement: Hit 3-4 workouts instead of your usual 5-6
  • Nutrition: Enjoy holiday treats mindfully, balance with protein and veggies at other meals
  • Hydration: Keep your water bottle visible and full
  • Sleep: Protect your sleep schedule even when calendars get packed
  • Stress: Build in 10-minute breaks between activities

This approach keeps you energized for celebrations, prevents January burnout, and lets you actually enjoy the season. You’ll start the new year feeling strong instead of starting from scratch.

Try this today: Choose one area above to modify (not perfect) through the holidays.

Share your thoughts below!

Getting Started, Healthy Habits, Lifestyle

Lifestyle Choices for Better Health: A Practical Guide

Corie Muldoon

Here’s a balanced approach to nutrition and lifestyle that focuses on scientifically-supported health benefits:

Dietary Recommendations

1. Increase nutrient-dense whole foods

Emphasize fruits (like berries, apples, and avocados), vegetables (such as broccoli, spinach, carrots, and leafy greens), and plant-based proteins like lentils and chickpeas. These foods provide essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, antioxidants, and other beneficial compounds.

2. Reduce processed foods

Limit highly processed foods and added sugars, which are associated with various health issues including inflammation, weight gain, and increased risk of chronic diseases.

3. Stay hydrated

Drink plenty of water throughout the day to support cellular function, kidney health, and overall well-being.

4. Moderate approach to coffee and alcohol

While coffee is acidic, this doesn’t affect your body’s pH. Coffee can be part of a healthy diet and provides antioxidants. Moderate consumption is fine for most people unless you experience negative effects like sleep disruption or stomach upset.

Similarly, moderate alcohol consumption may be acceptable, but excessive intake has well-documented health risks.

Lifestyle Factors for Health

1. Exercise regularly

Engage in moderate physical activity like dancing, running, or swimming to improve cardiovascular health, support immune function, enhance mood, and promote better circulation and lymphatic drainage.

2. Practice stress reduction

Incorporate restorative practices such as meditation, journaling, or gentle yoga. Chronic stress is linked to numerous health problems including cardiovascular disease, weakened immune function, and mental health issues.

3. Prioritize quality sleep

Adequate sleep (7-9 hours for most adults) and consistent sleep schedules support immune function, mental health, hormone regulation, and overall recovery.

4. Practice good breathing

Deep diaphragmatic breathing can help reduce stress, improve oxygen delivery, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and better health outcomes.

To sum it up…

Focus on eating a variety of whole foods, staying active, managing stress, and getting adequate sleep.

These evidence-based approaches support genuine health benefits through well-understood biological mechanisms.

Helping us feel happy, healthy, and fit.

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General, Healthy Habits, Lifestyle

Engaging Hobbies for Personal Growth and Well-being

Corie Muldoon

In your free time, you can build various skills through hobbies like DIY crafts, gardening, and cooking, or learn new skills such as programming, playing an instrument, or a foreign language

You can also build your knowledge by reading books and watching educational videos, create tangible objects like jewelry or art, or foster personal growth by volunteering, exercising, and journaling

Creative & Crafty Hobbies

  • DIY Projects: Decorate your home with crafts, try making jewelry, or build something using natural resources
  • Art & Design: Learn to paint, draw, or create graphic designs
  • Writing & Blogging: Start a blog about a topic you’re passionate about or write short stories
  • Origami & Other Crafts: Fold paper with origami or try knitting and crocheting
  • Gardening: Plant a flower or vegetable garden and enjoy the results of your labor

Learning & Intellectual Pursuits

  • New Language: Learn a foreign language, which can offer professional and social benefits
  • Programming: Explore the world of coding and programming. 
  • Music: Learn to play a new musical instrument
  • Reading: Read books on various subjects or catch up on news and editorials
  • Cooking & Baking: Try new recipes and develop your cooking skills

Personal Development & Well-being

  • Physical Activity: Exercise to boost your mood and energy, or go on walks and bike rides
  • Mindfulness & Meditation: Practice meditation and mindfulness to relax and focus on the present
  • Volunteering: Contribute your time and skills to a cause you care about. 
  • Journaling: Keep a journal to reflect on your thoughts and goals
  • Organization: Organize your physical space and digital files

Other Activities

  • Photography: Take photos and visit state parks
  • Visiting New Places: Explore local cafes, restaurants, and new neighborhoods
  • Social Activities: Spend quality time with friends and family, or join a book club or sports team

Share your thoughts below!

Healthy Habits, Lifestyle, Nutrition

Health Benefits of Black Coffee: A Comprehensive Guide

Corie Muldoon

Fresh brewed black coffee is the way to go – when consumed in moderation, it can provide several health benefits. Here are my notes:

Potential Benefits:

  • Reduced risk of certain diseases: Studies have shown that black coffee may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, and some types of cancer
  • Improved cognitive function: Caffeine, the main active ingredient in black coffee, can enhance alertness, focus, and memory

Increased physical performance: Black coffee may improve endurance and reduce fatigue during exercise

  • Weight management: Black coffee may promote weight loss by boosting metabolism and reducing appetite
  • Antioxidant content: Black coffee contains antioxidants that may protect cells from damage

Considerations:

  • Moderation is key: Excessive coffee consumption can lead to side effects such as anxiety, insomnia, and digestive problems
  • Individual tolerance: People’s tolerance to caffeine varies. Some may experience negative effects even with small amounts of black coffee
  • Sugar and additives: Adding sugar, milk, or other additives to black coffee can negate its health benefits and increase calorie intake

Conclusion:

Black coffee, when consumed in moderation, can provide several potential health benefits. However, it’s important to be aware of individual tolerance and avoid excessive consumption. If you have any concerns about drinking black coffee, consult with a healthcare professional

Black coffee vs Energy drinks

Black coffee is generally a better choice than energy drinks. Energy drinks often contain high amounts of sugar, which causes a quick energy spike followed by a crash… while coffee provides a cleaner and more stable form of stimulation. Additionally, coffee’s simpler ingredient list and natural energy-boosting properties and health benefits make it a healthier option for regular use

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Getting Started, Lifestyle, Nutrition

WFPB Daily & Weekly Eating Routine for Longevity

Corie Muldoon

This week I looked into what a practical plant-based eating routine designed for longevity would look like! Here are my notes:

Daily Structure

Fun Drinks:

  • Start your day with electrolytes! Water with lemon or LMNT
  • Harmless Harvest coconut water, Synergy kombucha, Liquid Death sparkling water, organic black coffee, herbal teas and broth

Breakfast:

  • Piece of fruit, smoothie, or smoothie bowl with nuts, seeds, coconut flakes
  • Oatmeal with berries, nuts, seeds, pure maple syrup, cinnamon. Add ground flaxseed or chia seeds for omega-3s

Lunch:

  • Mixed greens salad with raw vegetables, legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas), avocado, tahini dressing
  • Rice bowl with steamed or sauteed vegetables, protein source (tempeh/tofu/legumes) garlic, onion, nuts, seeds

Dinner:

  • Half plate of vegetables, more protein, complex carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, whole grain pasta, or brown rice, olive oil, nuts, seeds

Snacks:

  • Fresh fruit, raw vegetables with hummus, handful of nuts, popcorn

Weekly Planning

Aim for variety across the week:

  • Different colored vegetables and fruits daily (aim for a rainbow)
  • Rotate between various legumes (black beans, lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans)
  • Mix different whole grains (quinoa, brown rice, oats, barley)
  • Include different nuts and seeds throughout the week

Key longevity foods to emphasize:

  • Leafy greens daily (spinach, kale, arugula)
  • Berries several times per week
  • Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts)
  • Beans and lentils daily
  • Nuts and seeds daily
  • Turmeric and other anti-inflammatory spices

Hydration:

  • Water throughout the day, herbal teas, and limit processed beverages

Notes:

The Mediterranean and Blue Zone eating patterns, adapted for plant-based diets, consistently show the strongest associations with longevity in research. Focus on whole foods, minimize processed items, and ensure you’re getting B12, vitamin D, and omega-3 supplements as needed.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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General, Lifestyle, Mindfulness

12 Self-Reflection Questions for Personal Growth

Corie Muldoon

In the spirit of getting a little bit better everyday, take a moment to ponder on the following questions:

1. Do you like the person you are? Who you’ve become?

2. Is there anything you’d change about yourself to be better?

3. What’s your dream life look like?

4. What are some things you want but don’t have?

5. Are you ‘lacking’ anything?

6. What’s keeping you from having those things?

7. How do you talk to yourself on a daily basis?

8. Are we generally uplifting or do we feel bad?

9. How are we interpreting situations?

10. Are things usually good or bad?

11. Are you dwelling on things or addressing things right away?

12. Are you blaming the world or finding lessons and moving on?

Bonus questions:

13. Do you feel sick often, suffer from indigestion, or stress symptoms?

14. Is there any way to make your life simpler?

15. Are you physically active and eating healthy?

16. What type of thoughts do you have? Positive or negative?

17. Do you take time to think good thoughts, planting good mental seeds?

18. Do you say yes because you want to, or because you “have” to?