Your journey to health begins here.

Hops are known for giving beer its bitter taste, especially in ales. This simple plant is not only a taste-enhancer and food preservative, but it’s also been used for medicinal purposes. If you suffer from insomnia or tension, then you’d be happy to know that hops is a natural sedative. Like many medicinal teas, hops carry tannins that are especially helpful for inflammation. The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia found that hops are especially helpful for treating gastric functions. Combined, the medicinal qualities of hops are beneficial toward healing a wide variety of ailments. Whether you’re feeling the pressure from the holidays or are looking for one of the many medicinal benefits of hops, you might just have to sit back and enjoy a beer!

via Karyn Bender RPh CHHC

Traversing the journey of a breast cancer diagnosis is a truly harrowing experience. It’s a physical, spiritual, and emotional roller coaster ride that can have long term, life changing effects on a woman. Survivors can feel like they’ve lost so much in the battle. There are some gifts, though, that survivors of this devastating illness can take away from the experience. Breast cancer can help you to understand that there is no limit to the amount of courage that you have. Even when you were in the depths of fear, you made it through and you’re still here. Breast cancer can teach you how to say “no” and create healthy boundaries. Breast cancer helps you to recognize that you have to take care of yourself first before you can take care of anyone else. Breast cancer can give you the gift of self-acceptance, and the ability to embrace who you are, no matter what.

via Karyn Bender RPh CHHC

“No” is a powerful word. It can bring up feelings of guilt and anxiety when we use it. Sometimes it’s a hard thing to say when we want everyone to be happy or ensure that they like us. It’s also difficult because we’ve been raised to believe that “yes” is the loving, more agreeable way to respond to things. The problem with this way of thinking is that we don’t create healthy boundaries, which makes it almost impossible to live a balanced life. We say yes to things at the expense of our own happiness, health, and wellness. We say yes to everyone else, while saying no to ourselves. We deny ourselves time for self-care because we are too busy taking care of everybody else’s needs. When you allow yourself to say no, you are liberating and empowering yourself in a very positive way. You are practicing self-respect and meeting your own needs for a change. You are also creating space and time to say yes to the things that fulfill you.

via Karyn Bender RPh CHHC