8 Foods That Could Be Sabotaging Your Weight Loss

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8 Foods That Could Be Sabotaging Your Weight Loss

In our quest for a healthier lifestyle, we're often drawn to foods labeled as “healthy” or “natural,” but those words can be deceiving. Certain foods that we might think of as “healthy” are actually very calorie-dense and when their portion sizes go unchecked, they can hinder weight loss efforts.

There’s also a difference between a food that’s healthy and one that’s healthy for weight loss. Some higher calorie foods can make it harder to maintain a calorie deficit while still feeling satiated, because the portion size is very small (and if you’re a volume eater, you can easily overeat them). 

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5 Mobility Exercises To Strengthen Your Hips

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5 Mobility Exercises To Strengthen Your Hips

Our hips are the powerhouse of the body, providing essential stability and strength for a wide range of movements – from walking and running to lifting and climbing. However, sedentary lifestyles and imbalanced workout routines can lead to weak and tight hips, resulting in discomfort and limited mobility. Neglecting this vital area can contribute to poor posture, back pain, and even increase the risk of falls as we age.

Strengthening your hips is crucial for enhancing stability, mobility, and overall lower body strength. Our resident Pilates expert, Jenavieve Adams, is back to show us a five effective mobility exercises designed to help fortify your hip muscles

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5 Tips For Better Neck Care

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5 Tips For Better Neck Care

When we think of skincare, we mostly think of our face. As a result, we neglect our neck and décolletage, which are two areas more vulnerable to damage and visible signs of aging. The skin on our neck is thinner than our facial skin, so as we age and we stop producing as much collagen and elastin, it tends to show there first. This can look like deep lines and wrinkles, thin or papery skin, and even jowling and laxity. 

I’m all about embracing our natural aging processes, and at the same time, I know that healthy-looking skin is a sign of good self-care, and I’m one to prioritize that.

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Why I Started Taking Testosterone

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Why I Started Taking Testosterone

There’s been a lot of talk lately about testosterone and whether or not women should be taking it – so I want to share my decades-long experience with HRT, aka hormone replacement therapy.

Hormone replacement therapy (or HRT) has long been used to treat menopausal symptoms in women caused by hormonal changes, like hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and vaginal dryness.

I’ve personally been using HRT for over a decade, but not just the kind you might expect. Most HRT contains estrogen and progesterone – which are female sex hormones – but I’ve actually seen the greatest benefit from testosterone. (And it was something I had to research and ask for – no doctor suggested it to me upfront.)

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The Health Benefits of Chocolate

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The Health Benefits of Chocolate

Valentine’s Day has been known as the holiday of chocolate for decades, in part because of its association with love and romance. In some parts of the world, chocolate is considered an aphrodisiac, and at various points in history, it was used in significant ceremonies, like marriages. Now, chocolate is best known as a tasty treat that we give to others to show our love and appreciation. What some people don’t know, though, is that chocolate can offer health benefits!

Here’s a look at a few of the primary health benefits of chocolate, and a few tips I have for finding the healthiest chocolate bars out there.

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5 Exercises For Lower Back Pain

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5 Exercises For Lower Back Pain

Lower back pain is no joke, friends. This often chronic pain affects the majority of people (80% or more) and it can significantly impair your quality of life. To combat the pain, we all need to introduce mobility and back-strengthening exercises into our routines.

That’s why we called on our resident Pilates expert, Jenavieve Adams, to show us a few moves. As she puts it, to strengthen and support the lower back, it's crucial to focus on exercises that enhance our flexibility, build strength, and improve stability.

Here are five effective exercises that target the lower back,

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Why You Still Can’t Sleep Well (& How To Fix It)

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Why You Still Can’t Sleep Well (& How To Fix It)

With 2025 being our year of longevity, I feel that now more than ever, we need to focus on getting better sleep. I know I’ve written about sleep in the past, but insomnia is an increasingly common issue, especially for older adults (including myself).

As we age, our sleep becomes less efficient and decreases in quality, meaning we feel less rested even when we do sleep enough. And in general, older adults have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, which means unless we take proactive action, insomnia can become a regular occurrence. 

This is the year that we combat insomnia and get the sleep we need to thrive. If you’re ready to sleep better, here’s what you should know.

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The Secrets To Living I Learned From A Blue Zone

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The Secrets To Living I Learned From A Blue Zone

A few years back, I hosted a Pure Joy Wellness retreat in Costa Rica, home to one of the five Blue Zones in the world!

For those unfamiliar with the term, a Blue Zone is a region where people have longer lifespans and extended health-spans, meaning they maintain their vitality well into their elder years. (And I’m not just talking about people who are in their 80s and 90s, we’re talking centenarians!)

The term “Blue Zone” was coined by Dan Buettner in a National Geographic feature called “The Secrets of a Long Life” and he later wrote a book to further explore the concept. Since then, countless people have adopted principles and practices from the Blue Zone lifestyle.

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My 7 Wellness Predictions for 2025

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My 7 Wellness Predictions for 2025

Happy new year everyone, and welcome to 2025! Now that we’re a week into the new year, it’s time to sure up your goals for the year and figure out what you’re taking (and not taking) with you from last year. It’s also time to think about what you want to try out in 2025 – whether it’s a new lifestyle habit, health tool, or approach to wellbeing. 

As someone who strives to keep a finger on the pulse of the health and wellness world, including the innovations and treatments that come out each year,

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What is Longevity?

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What is Longevity?

Here at Pure Joy Wellness, we’re calling 2025 “The Year of Longevity” – and for good reason! 

The majority of conversations about aging revolve around “chasing youth” or “surviving” (not thriving), and we want to shift the focus away from all that. That’s why we chose longevity as our word of the year, because it’s more about creating a life that makes us feel good – in short, living better, for longer.

But what does longevity really mean? 

The way I see it, longevity means living a longer and healthier life

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Are You Aging Well? Discover Your Insights with This Year-End Assessment!

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Are You Aging Well? Discover Your Insights with This Year-End Assessment!

Have you ever wondered whether or not you’re aging well? Do you want to know if you’re considered healthy for your age, or where you stand in terms of your health? 

Look no further! Take the Pure Joy Wellness Year-End Assessment! 

Made up of a quick 7 minute test, this interactive quiz will give you a health score based on various measures of health – from sleep and diet, to exercise and mental wellbeing.

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Peptides: The Secret To Youthful Skin?

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Peptides: The Secret To Youthful Skin?

Peptides are the latest trend in skincare – walk down any aisle of products and you’ll see them prominently displayed. Peptides, or polypeptides, are short chains of amino acids that naturally occur in the skin, and now they’re being added as an active ingredient to serums, moisturizers, lotions, and creams to give your skin a boost.

In general, I’d say I’m wary of evidence-less skincare marketing and I’ll be the first to tell you that not every product and ingredient is worth the hype.

But when it comes to peptides, as of now, I’m on board – so if you’re wondering what all the chatter is about, keep reading!

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The 6-Step Routine I Swear By For Healthy, Radiant Skin

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The 6-Step Routine I Swear By For Healthy, Radiant Skin

Skincare is something I value a lot, and it’s not because of the fancy products or anti-aging aesthetics. Our skin is the outermost layer of our body and our largest organ, if and if we’re not taking care of it, who will? Taking care of my skin health is as important to me as caring for my body with exercise and nutrition. When I talk about whole-body health, I include skin. 

So, this week I’m sharing my tried-and-true skincare routine – the one I swear by for healthy, radiant skin. If you want to take better care of your skin but aren’t sure where to start, this framework is for you.

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Our 10 Most Popular Recipes of 2024

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Our 10 Most Popular Recipes of 2024

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a foodie! When I come across a healthy recipe that sounds too good to pass up, I immediately add the ingredients to my next grocery list and get to work making it. This year, I discovered some of my all-time favorite recipes – from savory proteins and soups, to healthier versions of sweet treats.

Below, I’ve listed out our top 10 recipes from this year – I encourage you to try one whichever one (or two) calls your name! These recipes are well worth the effort, trust me. 

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Our 10 Most Popular Blog Posts Of 2024

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Our 10 Most Popular Blog Posts Of 2024

As it’s been tradition for us to do since 2021, from now until the end of the year we’ll be sharing our “Best Of” series, starting with our Best Of Pure Joy Wellness Blog Posts 2024! 

You will find our 10 most popular blog posts from this year – based on your engagement and feedback.

As you’ll see, 2024 was a pretty transformative year for our content. We interviewed numerous experts, covered a wide range of topics, and did some serious self-reflection.

I hope you enjoy this roundup, and that you learn something new, interesting, and valuable from these 10 posts. 

I

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10 Ingredients I Keep On Hand For Healthy Meals

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10 Ingredients I Keep On Hand For Healthy Meals

Leading up to Thanksgiving, I shared a list of shelf-stable ingredients I keep on hand for all of my winter holiday cooking and baking. This week, I’m dishing on the 10 ingredients I always (always) have in my kitchen that make throwing together a healthy meal easy, cost effective, and delicious! 

Whether you’re a cooking beginner or you cook all the time, these ingredients (and categories of ingredients) are worth adding to your shopping cart on your next trip. I’ve even included recipes for each one that I hope you’ll try!

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The Unexpected Risks of Being Too Thin After 50

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The Unexpected Risks of Being Too Thin After 50

When I was growing up, women were taught that they could never be too thin and that “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.” This “thin is best” viewpoint has dominated for decades, and it certainly made a lasting impact during my childhood and teenage years. But as I got older and learned more about fitness and longevity, I realized just how damaging this belief really is. 

Aside from the serious psychological issues that arise from society expecting all women to be stick thin (think eating disorders, body dysmorphia, and more), the long-term physical effects can be debilitating.

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How To Stock Your Wellness Pantry For Thanksgiving

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How To Stock Your Wellness Pantry For Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a time for gathering with friends and family, expressing gratitude, and of course, eating delicious food. It’s also the kickoff to a very indulgent holiday season, which can leave us feeling…let’s just say not our best.

This year, I’m encouraging everyone to incorporate wellness-forward ingredients into their traditional Thanksgiving meals, and to do that, you need a well-stocked pantry. This way, we can all reap the benefits of supporting our health without sacrificing flavor and tradition. 

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68 Lessons I've Learned in 68 Years

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68 Lessons I've Learned in 68 Years

This week, I joyfully celebrate turning 68 years old!

I can hardly believe it. How did time fly by so quickly?! It feels like just last week I was jumping double dutch on Grey Avenue in Evanston, Illinois, surrounded by my neighborhood girlfriends.

It seems like only yesterday that I was practicing scales on the piano, diving into "Charlotte's Web" for the first time, and participating in an integration program as one of a handful of Black kids, being bused miles from my home to attend Dawes School, an all-Jewish elementary school.

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Stressed About The Election? Here’s How to Manage Your Anxiety

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Stressed About The Election? Here’s How to Manage Your Anxiety

If you’re reading this on November 3, election day is just two days away! The race to the finish line has been anything but predictable, with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump dominating the social discourse. Even though all votes will be cast on Tuesday, we likely won’t know the outcome until several days later, which means until then, we’re stuck with election stress. 

If, like me, you’re not sure how to best handle your election stress and anxiety, and want an outlet for your pent up energy, you’ve come to the right place

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