Happy Friday! The thyroid is a small butterfly-shaped gland located in the front of the neck that produces hormones that influence all of our cells and organs and helps the body to use energy properly. If your gut is out of whack, so is your thyroid. A proper diet and balanced lifestyle are essential ingredients for a healthy gut, healthy thyroid and healthy...

Happy Friday! I started practicing yoga regularly less than a year ago. I am kind of allergic to planned exercise as in – I have to set my alarm to make this class – type exercise. However, yoga has proved to be worth it and I have stuck to it. I practice outside on the grass with positive people, work on...

Happy Friday! I, like you, read this as mother fu@ker but it is pronounced ‘M-T-H-F-R.’ The MTHFR gene mutation has been getting some recent press since actress Courtney Cox announced that she has it. In short, this gene mutation dictates how the body methylates. While I read that nearly 50% of people have some form of the MTHFR gene mutation, it...

Oats, scientifically known as avena sativa, are a hearty cereal grain consumed all over the world. Historically, oats were a staple food in Europe and were brought to the United States in the 17th century by Scottish settlers. Today, the U.S. is one of the major producers of oats. Due to their higher fat (good fat!) content than other grains, oats...

Happy Friday! I heard the word ‘puerro’ many times along the Camino but it was not in my Spanish vocabulary so while I knew it was a vegetable, I never thought to ask which one. It turns out, puerro is leek and makes for a damn good, no-fluff, soup. I first tried Sopa de Puerro y Patata (leek and potato...

Happy Monday! I’m writing this post on Sunday while it’s chucking down rain outside. When is this rain going to end?! My niece arrived last weekend and there has been only one sunny day, which she ‘utilized’ by using no sunscreen at the beach and has been paying for that decision all week. Ah tourists … We will make a...

Happy Friday! I am back in Miami after 1.5 months walking and biking the Camino from the border of France and Spain to the ‘end of the world,’ Finisterre, on the West coast of Spain in the Galicia region. Today, the Camino is a pilgrimage traveled by a quarter of a million people each year. The original pilgrims were actually pagans...

Happy Friday! First, El Camino de Santiago Update: Today is a rest day on the Camino de Santiago.  I wrote this post before I left and set it to go out automatically today. Since I knew our schedule more or less in advance, I can tell you that we just linked up with our dear friend Sheri in Lyon, Spain and tomorrow...

Happy Friday! First, El Camino de Santiago Update: Today we are on Trail Day #18 of the Camino de Santiago and planning to walk from Castrojeriz to Boadilla del Camino – 19 kilometers or about 12 miles – our average distance on this journey. The afore-mentioned leg assumes we have not yet taken a day of rest. If we do, then we are more...

Happy Friday! First, El Camino de Santiago Update: I am walking the Camino de Santiago in Northern Spain over the next several weeks. Today we are on Trail Day #4 and planning to walk from Akerreta to Cizur Menor – 19 kilometers or about 12 miles – an average distance on this journey. I will keep you posted on our Camino...