Pure Joy Wellness Approved - Nutrafol Hair Supplement

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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.

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3 Tips For Coping With Grief, From Patty Lennon

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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.

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My Morning Routine (And How To Create Your Own)

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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!

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Why You Need Fermented Foods On Your Plate

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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!

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Antioxidants For Your Skin: The 411

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Antioxidants For Your Skin: The 411

I talk a lot about skincare on this blog: my favorite products, tools, tips and experts. It’s one of my favorite topics! But in addition to giving you my honest opinions about products and advice about how to care for your skin, I want to be a source of skincare education for you.

I’ve spent a lot of time trying new products, researching ingredients, and speaking to experts who are at the forefront of skincare. Ideally, I want you to leave the blog a) knowing something you didn’t know before, and b) feeling empowered to make a change and show yourself some love.

With that in mind, I want to teach you about antioxidants—what they are, what they do, and how you can incorporate them into your skincare routine.

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Pure Joy Wellness Approved - Jetti Poles

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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!

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How To Overcome Your Fear Of Technology

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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.

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My Top Book Picks for Summer 2022

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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.

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How Not Getting Enough Sleep Increases Belly Fat

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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

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PJW Approved - Flow Alkaline Spring Water

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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…

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

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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.

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5 Ways To Stay Fit While On Vacation

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5 Ways To Stay Fit While On Vacation

Memorial Day Weekend is considered the beginning of the summer vacation season… so welcome to summer everyone! I’m sure many of you have plans you’re looking forward to, whether it’s a beach day, family vacation, or solo time. I encourage you all to take some time off if you can—it’s been a tough year already, and a tough few years before that.

Something else I encourage you all to do is, if you do go on vacation, try to stick to your healthy habits. You may be thinking: “But isn’t the point of a vacation to take a break from real life?” And trust me, I get that. But living a healthy lifestyle isn’t a part-time gig, and if you stray too far from the path, you may not be happy with where you end up.

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

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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.

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PJW Approved - Dr Elsa Jungman Microbiome Skin Test

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PJW Approved - Dr Elsa Jungman Microbiome Skin Test

Calling any and all PJW women who struggle with their skin! You’re going to LOVE this month’s #PJWApproved.

I’m a huge fan of skincare products, but I recognize that there’s only so much we can do on the outside to help our skin. And even if we eat the cleanest diet, take all the right supplements, and use the highest quality skincare products, it STILL may not be enough. Every person’s skin has different needs, and that’s in part because every person’s skin has different microbes on it. Yep, our skin has a microbiome, just like our gut does. If you’re someone who has sensitive skin, you struggle with acne, or you are driving yourself mad trying to figure out your skin and what products to use…allow me to share a test with you that’s going to change your life.

This month’s #PJWApproved is the Skin Microbiome Kit from Dr. Elsa Jungman.

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What You Should Know About Lyme Disease

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What You Should Know About Lyme Disease

It's summertime in the northeast!  It's sunny and there's a chill vibe in the air.  And while summer is the season for spending time outside, it's important to be on the lookout for ticks.  Ticks are known to spread Lyme disease—in fact, the chances of catching Lyme disease from a single tick can be as high as 50 percent! 

For that reason, I decided to use this week's blog post to give you a quick primer on Lyme disease and remind us all of the precautions we should take as we begin to spend more and more time outside.   

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20 Benefits Of Walking For 30 Minutes A Day

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20 Benefits Of Walking For 30 Minutes A Day

The Pure Joy Wellness Walking Challenge is officially in full swing. This is the fourth one we’ve done and we don’t plan on stopping! By now, if you joined the Challenge, you’re a few days into it. I hope you’re feeling good and are looking forward to crushing this month.

I’ve written before about why walking is a superior exercise, but this time I really want to show you ALL the benefits. Inspired by a post I saw on Instagram from the @theprehabguys. Here are 20 benefits of walking 30 minutes a day—like we do during the Walking Challenge!

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Why Rebounding Is My New Favorite Workout

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Why Rebounding Is My New Favorite Workout

As a child, I used to love jumping on trampolines with my friends. I mean, who doesn’t love them? They’re so fun! To tap back into that nostalgia, I recently started using a rebounder (aka a small trampoline) as part of my fitness routine, and wow, it’s amazing! And yes, if you’re wondering, it can definitely be a tough workout.

Besides being a full-body toner, rebounding on a trampoline has a ton of benefits for your mental and physical health. For me, it’s also brought some much-needed fun and energy back into my fitness routine.

Here are a few reasons why you should try rebounding!

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How My Diet Has Changed As I’ve Aged

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How My Diet Has Changed As I’ve Aged

There’s no denying it: I’m definitely not the same person I was in my 20s (or even my 50s). My body has experienced numerous changes, and it’s still constantly changing now that i’m no my 60s. Because of that, I’ve had to change up what I eat. I choose foods that I know will help me age gracefully and maintain my muscle—my goal is to stay healthy and strong for life.

To show you what I mean by all of that, here’s a look at how my diet has changed as I’ve aged:

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Pure Joy Wellness Approved - Solar Wave Advanced Skincare Wand

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Pure Joy Wellness Approved - Solar Wave Advanced Skincare Wand

Unless you’re brand spanking new to Pure Joy Wellness—in which case, welcome!—you know I’m a fanatic about skincare. Our skin is the largest organ in our body, and it’s one of the first places where signs of aging start to show. Fine lines, wrinkles, sagging…these are all normal and to be expected as we get older, but they can also be signs that your skin isn’t getting the care it needs. It might be dehydrated, irritated, or your skin barrier could be damaged.

There are tons of ways you can show your skin love, from the products you use to the foods you eat. What we put inside our bodies reflects on the outside, and how we protect the outside determines what we show the world!

But in the meantime, let’s talk about my latest skincare find… The Sola Wave Advanced Skincare Wand!


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How Worrying About Your Age Could Be Holding You Back

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How Worrying About Your Age Could Be Holding You Back

turned 65 a mere four months ago—an age that a lot of women dread. Despite all the preconceived notions of how I thought I would feel about it, I have to admit, I feel better than ever! That might sound like I am just saying some feel good bullshit, but I promise it’s the truth.

I have worried about my age at certain points in the past, many years ago. Now, I rarely think about age unless someone else brings it up. A recent conversation got me thinking a lot about how much people—particularly women—worry about their age, and how much that can hold you back from being as happy as possible.

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