Clearsips Blog — educational

Almost 9 years ago I removed alcohol from my life. I can honestly say my main motivation wasn’t for “health reasons.” I was not particularly worried about my physical health. Not directly, anyways. Yes, I had noticed that alcohol helped me fall asleep, but not stay asleep. And I knew that poor sleep made me more irritable and anxious. But I can honestly say that I didn’t understand that there was a link between alcohol and major diseases.   A bit of light bulb went off for me in 2006 when my mother had a “catastrophic” stroke on an otherwise ordinary...

Finding your "why" during Dry January can set you up for success. Before you begin any kind of self-imposed challenge, it’s always helpful to find your motivation. For most people, the reason for going alcohol free is highly personal and somewhat unique to each individual.  Here are some reasons people have shared with me over the last few years: Curiosity: Would I feel better? How hooked am I? Would I find it easy or hard? Overall Health & Wellness: With or without the science, most people know alcohol isn’t a component of healthy living.  Irritation With the “Habit”:  Some feel slave to...

Spring renews, summer warms, and fall provides relief from the heat of August. But winter… many struggle to find much joy in the season beyond the initial sprinkle of a few snowflakes in early December. And yet, over time, I’ve learned to do more than just tolerate our Canadian winters. I’ve learned to accept winter as an inevitable rest period from the “garish light of day” (for all you Phantom of the Opera fans out there).   Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) should not be ignored, however. It is defined by the Cleveland Clinic as “a type of depression that is triggered by...

Last week I had a great opportunity of being a guest on the Healthy Living Panel at the RevolutionHER conference. Our topic was Healthy Living for Women. Our moderator asked questions about how women can set up their lives to optimize both their mental and physical health.