10 Foods To Stop Buying & Make Yourself Instead

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10 Foods To Stop Buying & Make Yourself Instead

When it comes to eating a holistic diet, homemade food is healthier than store bought food the majority of the time. What do I mean by “homemade” food? I’m talking about the snacks, stocks, sauces, and other forms of sustenance that we can make at home with whole, fresh ingredients, but that we often end up buying at the grocery store out of convenience.

Not only do the store bought versions of certain foods cost more per serving (yes, there’s a premium on convenience), but they almost always contain unnecessary and unhealthy ingredients. Preservatives, fillers, gums, and extra sodium are frequently added to food products to extend their shelf life or change their texture

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Pure Joy Wellness Approved - Tabu Sexual Wellness Kit

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Pure Joy Wellness Approved - Tabu Sexual Wellness Kit

As women over 50, something we don’t talk about enough is sex. Why is that?! Sex isn’t something we age out of—it’s not something we’re barred off from once we turn a certain age. Sex can and should be enjoyed by women at any age, whether you have a partner, you’re seeing someone, or you’re single.

However, that doesn’t seem to be the case right now for many women. Did you know that almost 50 percent of women stop being sexually active altogether in their 50s? I know, wild.

This month’s Pure Joy Wellness Approved product is all natural and sex-forward. Ladies, let’s talk about the Sexual Wellness Kit from Tabu.


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How To Update Your Skincare For Summer

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How To Update Your Skincare For Summer

As we make our way through spring and inch closer to summer (the official first day is June 20), it’s time for us to shift our skincare routine to align with the seasons.

So let’s switch it up for summer! To help us out, I asked our resident skincare expert and master esthetician Cynthia Rivas for her best advice on summer skincare.


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5 Affordable Pieces Of Workout Equipment You Can Travel With

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5 Affordable Pieces Of Workout Equipment You Can Travel With

We’ve all been there—we book a vacation, get to our destination, realize there isn’t a gym, and suddenly all of our hard work and consistency go out the window. We make excuses and end up skipping our regular workouts, and when we get back from vacation, we feel defeated knowing we have to start over again.

I cannot tell you how many times this happened to me when I started my fitness journey! Also, even when there is a gym on the premises, sometimes I only have 20 or 30 minutes free in the day, and by the time I get dressed and trek over to the gym, it feels like I don’t have enough time to get anything meaningful done. And other times, I’m too tired to leave my room! So now, I always bring equipment with me.

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Gua Sha: Here Are 3 Reasons Why You Should Do It

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Gua Sha: Here Are 3 Reasons Why You Should Do It

If you’re someone who is into skincare—or you spend time on social media—you have probably heard of Gua Sha. Or maybe you haven’t, and this will all be new news. Either way, keep reading!

Today, I’m going to try and give you an overview of Gua Sha—what it is, what the benefits are, and how you can get started if you’re interested.

So, let’s do it. Here’s everything you need to know about Gua Sha!

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Low Libido? Here's What Our Sex Expert Recommends

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Low Libido? Here's What Our Sex Expert Recommends

Low libido, no libido, low sex drive, no sex drive… Does this sound like you? Keep reading.

If you would rather do anything—organize your sock drawer, alphabetize your spices, clean up your Inbox, binge-watch reruns on Netflix—than have sex with your partner, chances are you’re experiencing low libido or no libido.

Decreased libido, is a common complaint among pre and post menopausal women (and their partners), and more often than not, it’s caused by our hormone fluctuations.

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Why I Have A Bathtime Ritual (And You Should Too)

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Why I Have A Bathtime Ritual (And You Should Too)

There are two types of people in this world: People who love baths, and people who haven’t taken a good bath. (Kidding, but only kind of.) I happen to fall into the first category of bath lovers, as I’m a firm believer that a good bath can nourish the mind, body, and soul. That said, I approach my baths with a specific mindset and ritual, which is why I find them so enjoyable and relaxing.

What do I mean by “bathtime ritual?” Well, for me, a bathtime ritual includes all of the tasks I do and products I use to set the atmosphere, mood, and experience.

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Pure Joy Wellness Approved - Beyond Yoga Black Leggings

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Pure Joy Wellness Approved - Beyond Yoga Black Leggings

Welcome back to Pure Joy Wellness Approved! It’s hard not to say this about every PJW Approved product—because I love them all—but THIS ONE is one of my absolute favorites that I will never stop buying.

As we’ve learned from our fashion expert Susan Feldman, founder of “In The Groove” every woman needs a reliable pair of black leggings—and let me tell you, I have I found the perfect pair!

This month’s Pure Joy Wellness Approved product is the Beyond Yoga Women’s Spacedye High Waist Midi Leggings.

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How To Shed Your Menopausal Middle

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How To Shed Your Menopausal Middle

When we enter the season of menopause, our bodies change...sometimes slowly, and other times quite suddenly. You may wake up one day feeling like you’re in a different body—one that has less energy, a lower metabolism, and a worse mood. Naturally, these changes can be deeply distressing, and the negative feeling we experience during menopause are very real.

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Why Everyone (Yes, Everyone) Should Lift Heavy Weights

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Why Everyone (Yes, Everyone) Should Lift Heavy Weights

When I look back on my fitness journey, It’s hard to believe there was a time when I didn’t lift weights. Believe it or not, I actually didn’t start strength training until my thirties!

At the time, I was working in television and I was the queen of aerobics. My cardiovascular health was outstanding, and sure, I was thin, but I had no muscle mass or tone to speak of. I was skinny, but I wasn’t what I consider now to be fit. It wasn’t until one of my colleagues at the station said, “You know, you would be great at lifting weights,” that I decided to give it a try.


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The Importance of Sleep & Tips For Getting Enough Of It

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The Importance of Sleep & Tips For Getting Enough Of It

If there’s one aspect of our health that we should be devoting more attention to, it’s our sleep! The benefits of sleep are extremely well-studied and proven out, so it still surprises me when my clients and friends say they settle for four or five hours a night. (Not that I’m perfect—I also find it hard to get a consistent eight hours, even though I know how important it is!)

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Why I Don't Believe In New Year's Resolutions

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Why I Don't Believe In New Year's Resolutions

Every January, without fail, numerous people jump on the New Year’s resolutions train. They make resolutions to lose weight, get more sleep, improve their nutrition, and much more. And while making those New Year’s resolutions may be well-intentioned, data has proven time and time again that this is an ineffective approach to goal-setting.

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Pure Joy Wellness Approved - Flapjacked GF Protein Pancake Mix

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Pure Joy Wellness Approved - Flapjacked GF Protein Pancake Mix

Welcome to the tenth edition of Pure Joy Wellness Approved—our last one of 2020!

My team and I decided to launch this series earlier this year, and I’ve had so much fun sharing some of my favorite products with you. As you know, my goal is to give you the tools and information you need to live your healthiest, happiest life. My hope is that this series has given you some new items to try, or at the very least, made you consider which products out there will really help you get where you want to be—with your body, mental health, skin, and more.

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Why Having A Strong Core Is So Important For Women

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Why Having A Strong Core Is So Important For Women

When you think of the word “core,” you might envision six-pack abs or a washboard stomach, but having a strong, healthy core is about much more than that. Your core consists of all the muscles in your trunk—they surround your abdomen on all sides, which allows your body to twist, bend, and rotate, support your spine, and aid in posture. In other words, it’s at the center of everything you do.


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Pure Joy Wellness Approved! Ten Percent Happier App

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Pure Joy Wellness Approved! Ten Percent Happier App

Welcome back to my monthly product series, Pure Joy Wellness Approved! This is the ninth edition, and for those of you who are new to my blog, here’s what you can expect from PJWA:

The wellness industry is saturated with products. (It’s a multi-trillion dollar industry, after all.) My goal with this series, Pure Joy Wellness Approved, is to help you cut through the noise, and give you insight into the items and brands that I use on a regular basis. Every month, I’ll be featuring a product I love that can make achieving your health goals easier—whether you want to lose weight, take better care of your skin, develop an exercise routine, find balance with your nutrition, or improve your mental health, to name a few.

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Why Gratitude Is An Essential Part Of A Happy, Healthy Life

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Why Gratitude Is An Essential Part Of A Happy, Healthy Life

With Thanksgiving a mere three days away, let’s take a moment to talk about gratitude. It’s a concept that comes up a lot around the holidays, and also one that’s been embraced by the health and wellness community in recent years. You’ve probably heard of people starting their own “gratitude practices” or writing in gratitude journals.

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Why I Always Celebrate My Birthday

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Why I Always Celebrate My Birthday

For this week’s blog post, I want to talk about birthdays. As we get older, many of us come to dread our birthdays. We think, “Ugh, another year older,” as if being alive is something we should be upset about and not look forward to. As you can imagine, I whole-heartedly disagree with this point of view, because I view aging as a privilege, not a punishment.

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4 Healthier Side Dishes For Your Thanksgiving Feast

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4 Healthier Side Dishes For Your Thanksgiving Feast

Chances are, Thanksgiving is going to look different for you and your family this year. You may be celebrating solo, or with a smaller group than usual, and that can put a real damper on the holiday. Whatever your predicament, though, I hope you’ll take this year’s Thanksgiving as an opportunity to unwind and indulge a bit with a little comfort food, time off the clock, and self-care.

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How To Deal With Stress That Comes Up Around The Holidays

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How To Deal With Stress That Comes Up Around The Holidays

Now that it’s November (wow... how did we get here?), the holiday season is upon us! For some folks, this means spending time with family and friends, celebrating together. Simultaneously, though, the holidays often mean spending a lot of time surrounded by people, answering a million questions, and in some cases, tolerating tough relatives or friends (we’ve all been there!).

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