Positively Anti-Inflammatory
Living with an autoimmune disease, chronic pain, inflammation, and fatigue can be difficult and exhausting to both navigate and manage. Take heart, you have found a podcast that provides guidance, education, and connection. Every Wednesday you’ll receive a weekly dose of upbeat and authentic musings about life, wellness, and healing from your host, Alyssa Abrahamson, Functional Nutritional Therapist & Wellness Coach. Alyssa’s intention is to uplift and inspire you, as she shares her stories, her positive approach to living with rheumatoid arthritis, and insightful ways for you to lead a positively anti-inflammatory life. This show is for people just like...
BONUS: Celebrating My Birthday! With Astrologer/Numerologist, Adam Z. Krieger
BONUS: Join me today as I celebrate my birthday with an engaging and enlightening conversation with Astrologer/Numerologist, Adam Z. Krieger. Adam discusses how the ancient practices of astrology and numerology are used as holistic healing tools to provide powerful insights into better knowing yourself and offer a road map for personal transformation. Don’t miss the fun as Adam explains the meaning of my “birth year” and current “personal year” in numerology and shares how you can determine yours too!
To connect with Adam visit, https://www.explorewithadam.com
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Communicating With Your Body Through Yoga: A Conversation With Laura Staton
055. In today’s episode, I introduce you to Occupational Therapist and Yoga Therapist, Laura Staton (and my yoga instructor!) who is passionate about using yoga and occupational therapy to help people fully participate in living their best lives. Listen in as Laura explains how yoga can be a vehicle to guiding you to understand and connect with your body, while providing safe and healing access to your emotional state. I also share my journey from overcoming my fear of yoga to creating a daily yoga practice that has become a foundational part of my healing journey. Laura and I di...
The Power of Focusing on New Year’s Intentions Versus Resolutions (and How to Do It)
054. Happy New Year! During this time of transition and new beginnings, many of us engage in the tradition of making New Year Resolutions. Resolutions, however, can be limiting, uncompromising, and consequently, lead to failure. Tune in today as I explain why you should focus on intentions rather than resolutions, the difference between them, and why intentions are more realistic, inspiring, and doable. I’ll share a step-by-step process on how to set heart-based powerful intentions for the New Year and beyond.
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3 Things You Need to Do Before 2022
053. The New Year is fast approaching! This transitional time is perfect for reflection, connection, and forgiveness. Join me today as I share 3 things you need to do before 2022.
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Winter Dehydration: What You Need to Know
052. Did you know that winter dehydration is a thing? We don’t often associate cold weather with dehydration because you don’t get as thirsty and your body doesn’t get as hot as in warmer months. However, your chance of dehydration actually increases during the winter. Tune in today as I explain the dangers of winter dehydration and how to avoid it. You’ll learn what causes dehydration during cooler weather, 8 common signs of winter dehydration, and the impact of dehydration on inflammation. I share the health benefits of winter hydration and recommend 5 simple and smart tips to stay hea...
Feng Shui and Your Health - Part 2 with Hinda Abrahamson
051. Listen in, this week, for part two of the insightful conversation with Hinda Abrahamson (my mom!) as she shares her journey to becoming a Feng Shui Consultant over 20 years ago! Hinda expands upon what Feng Shui says about health and wellness and how Feng Shui is connected to living an anti-inflammatory life. She explains how incorporating Feng Shui principles can help support your healing journey and suggests two specific Feng Shui tips to enhance your health.
To connect with Hinda, visit http://www.intentionalspaces-mn.com
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Feng Shui and Your Health - Part 1 with Hinda Abrahamson
050. In today’s episode, I introduce you to Feng Shui Consultant, Hinda Abrahamson (my mom!), who has been studying, teaching, and helping people create pleasing and supportive environments for over two decades. Tune into our fun and engaging conversation as Hinda explains what Feng Shui is and what the 4 principles of Feng Shui are. She talks about why Feng Shui matters and debunks 3 common myths about Feng Shui. You’ll walk away from this episode with a greater understanding of how your environment reflects your life and your health. You’ll learn one surprising, yet simple, way to shift the en...
5 Simple Ways to Take Care of Yourself Over the Holidays
As 2021 draws to a close, you can optimize your holiday experience by focusing on gratitude, wellness, and abundance. Tune in today as I share 5 simple and thoughtful ways to take care of yourself over the holidays.
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Self-Love vs. Self-Compassion: The Self-Series Part 4
Of course you’ve heard of self-love, but what about self-compassion? While Self-love might be a more popular and well-known term, what does it really mean? And how do you practice self-love if or when you’re not feeling the love? Join me today as I explain what self-love and self-compassion are, how they are different, and why I believe practicing self-compassion is the embodiment of living a positively anti-inflammatory life.
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The Path to Self-Acceptance: The Self-Series Part 3
047. Why is self acceptance hard? Why do so many of us struggle with accepting ourselves? Tune in as I explore the concept of self-acceptance, why it can be challenging, and the role it plays in shaping your emotional wellbeing. Self-acceptance enables you to recognize and understand your actions, traits, and limitations, and not attach negative emotions or judgment to them. I give you 4 ways to nurture and practice self-acceptance with the goal of learning to embrace it as a core part of your belief system.
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<...Cultivating Self-Awareness: The Self-Series Part 2
046. Join me today as I discuss self-awareness. Self-awareness is a critical emotional intelligence skill that shapes and impacts our relationship with ourselves, others, and the world. The truth is, we might not be as self-aware as we think. Tune is as I delve into the concept of what self-awareness actually is, it’s benefits (some of which may surprise you), signs of low self-awareness and why self-awareness is a skill that not only takes practice, but benefits from continuing life-long development. I’ll suggest 4 tips to cultivate self-awareness.
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Self-Care for Skeptics: The Self-Series Part 1
045. “What’s the big deal about self-care?” “I really don’t think I need it.” “Self-care seems frivolous.” “I wouldn’t have time for it anyway.” If that sounds familiar, I invite you to tune in today as I address self-care for skeptics. I explain exactly what self-care is, why it’s important, and how self-care does apply to you. No matter where you fall on the self-care spectrum, pursuing self-care doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated and I give you 5 tips for how to begin incorporating authentic self-care practice into your life.
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Dysfunctional Independence
044. Are you too proud to ask for help? Do you pride yourself on being self-reliant? Do you have a fear of appearing ‘needy’ or a fear of reaching out only to be rejected? Trying to do life all by yourself may be your way of asserting to the world, "I have no needs. I can do it all.” Tune in today as I explain dysfunctional independence and how it may be defining your life. I will provide exploratory questions to help determine if you are dysfunctionally independent and investigate the root causes. I’ll share practices for managing and heal...
Being an Active Listener
043. Have you ever been in a conversation and felt unheard? Or spoken to someone who seemed as if they were only half listening to you? Have you ever “listened” to someone and found yourself planning your response the entire time? Healthy communication is active listening; it is an important part of living a positively anti-inflammatory life. In today’s episode I explain what active listening is, why it’s important, and how you do it. I give you 6 active listening techniques that you can use to help you become a more effective listener with the intention that this skill set will...
4 Sincere and Empowering Questions
042. Do you ever get caught in a thought loop of asking yourself questions like, “What did I do wrong”? or “What’s my problem”? Asking questions like these, while quite common, is not helpful and may keep you feeling disempowered, inadequate or helpless. Join me today as I propose 4 sincere, constructive, and empowering questions for you to ask yourself and reflect on. The questions I am recommending allow you to open up to new ideas and possibilities, which provide insight into making progress with an abundant and open heart.
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Healing Is Not Linear
041. What does the healing process mean to you? How do you react when healing doesn’t go as quickly, or the way you intend it? Do you expect to experience daily progress? Does it feel like failure if or when you have a setback? Join me today as I discuss healing and explore the reality of its non-linear, complex, and inconsistent process. I share the importance of embracing changeability and being patient with yourself during the inevitable ebbs and flows of the healing process.
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Motivation vs. Self-Discipline
040. When was the last time you felt motivated to get something done or stayed disciplined to follow-through on your goal? Do you ever use lack of self-discipline or feeling unmotivated as an excuse? Today, I discuss motivation and self-discipline, including the differences between them. I answer questions such as: How do we find motivation? How do we develop and improve self-discipline? Is one better than the other? I will share tips on how you can tap into both motivation and self-discipline in order to help create the results you want.
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Setting Emotional Intentions
039. Join me today as we discover the power of emotional intentions. I explain what emotions are, what intentions are, and I give you the step-by-step process of how to discover, create and set your own emotional intentions. The process of setting emotional intentions is beneficial to your quality of life, your overall wellness, and is an integral part of living an authentic, positively anti-inflammatory life.
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Why I'm Not an Autoimmune Warrior
038. Those of us with an autoimmune disease are told, “your body is attacking itself” or “your immune system is attacking your body.” One common response is to identify as an Autoimmune Warrior, or for people with RA like me, a Rheumatoid Arthritis Warrior. This signifies that we are fighters; that we must stay strong and battle against our illness because it’s a daily struggle that we have to endure. Tune in today as I share a different perspective and explain why I am not an Autoimmune Warrior.
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An Exercise on Meaning and Insight
037. Today I take you on a guided meditation where you’ll have the opportunity to tap into your innate wisdom surrounding your health. The purpose of this guided meditation is to glean meaning and insight surrounding the disease, illness or health issue you are experiencing. When we slow down, tune in, and are in cooperation with ourselves, and our bodies, we’re able to access our own healing powers of connection, love, and compassion. Please be sure to listen to this episode when you are able to sit or lay down in a quiet, comfortable place.
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Trust the Process
036. What if we trusted that what we’re going through is part of our journey and that we are exactly where we need to be? Tune in today as I explore what “trust in the process” means, and how using this idea can be beneficial to your sense of overall wellness. I will give you some writing exercises to encourage self-reflection and will share real life examples of “trusting the process.” My intention is for you to come away from today’s episode feeling more assured that you are on the right path.
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Nothing Has Gone Wrong
035. Do you find your thoughts telling you, “nothing ever works out for me” or “What did I do wrong”? Have you ever stopped yourself and contemplated whether or not these thoughts are actually true? Join me today to consider how and why this thinking may not be true. In today’s episode we get curious, examine our inner dialogue without judgment, and reflect on the reasoning and notion that maybe -- nothing has gone wrong.
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How to View Your Body as an Ally
034. How would you describe your relationship with your body? Even though you may feel frustrated, or even betrayed, by your body, the truth is, your body is always working to keep you healthy. But if you feel disconnected from or discouraged by your body, it’s difficult to accept and view it as an ally. Tune in today as I discuss how to be in communication with your body and how to view it as an ally. I recommend journal prompts to assist you in examining your beliefs about your body. If your relationship with your body could use so...
Going Gluten and Dairy Free - Part 4 (Interviews)
033. In today’s episode, I introduce you to Ember, Tracy, and Rosie, three women on different healing journeys who made the choice to go gluten and dairy free in order to alleviate symptoms and support their health. Listen to their stories as they each share what health issues led them to go gluten and dairy free, what improvements they experienced after making dietary changes, and what mindset and lifestyle shifts they made to support their decision. Listen as they discuss how changing their diet has positively impacted their relationship with food and their body. Plus, they offer advice and in...
Going Gluten and Dairy Free - Part 3 (Gluten!)
032. Today’s episode is all about gluten. Gluten, along with dairy, is one of the biggest offenders contributing to the rising rates of chronic illness and autoimmune disease we’re seeing today. Listen as I explain what gluten is, how it impacts glut health and contributes to leaky gut aka intestinal permeability. I discuss the link between gluten consumption and inflammation, including what signs, symptoms and conditions associated with inflammation to look for. I share what positive health changes you might experience if you eliminate gluten from your diet and what a gluten free diet looks like.
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Going Gluten and Dairy Free - Part 2 (Dairy!)
031. Today’s episode is all about dairy. Did you know that dairy and gluten are two of the biggest culprits behind the escalating rates of chronic illness and autoimmune disease we’re seeing today? Listen as I discuss the link between dairy consumption and inflammation, including what signs, symptoms and conditions associated with inflammation to watch for. I distinguish between a food allergy and a food sensitivity, how long dairy stays in your system, and how dairy impacts gut health. I also explain how not all dairy is created equal and provide 6 healthful non-dairy sources of calcium.
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BONUS: Why Cheat Days Aren’t the Answer
Tune in to hear my real thoughts about "cheat days." The truth is, I think cheat days can be harmful and unhelpful. Instead, I advocate for mindful, conscious eating. I believe in learning to listen to our body, discovering what nourishes us, and becoming friends with food -- at every meal and every day of the week.
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Going Gluten and Dairy Free - Part 1 (My Story)
030. Today I get personal and tell my story of why and how I went gluten and dairy free in 2012. I was diagnosed with the autoimmune disease rheumatoid arthritis in the year 2000 and the medication I was on kept me in remission for a decade, but when the meds stopped working and the chronic pain and fatigue kicked into high gear, I knew I needed to make significant changes. Listen as I share my journey of dealing with a chronic illness and my experience with dietary changes in order to tame inflammation and bring about healing in my body. I h...
3 Ground Rules to Positive Change
029. How do you approach change? Do you view it as an all or nothing experience and create high, perhaps unrealistic, expectations for yourself? Perhaps fear of failure holds you back? Or do you view change as something that happens slowly over time with a “slow and steady wins the race” attitude? The truth is, for most of us, change brings up lots of different emotions. Join me today as I offer a fresh perspective on the topic of change and share 3 ground rules that will allow for an authentic, life-long positive approach to embracing change.
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What You Can Control
028. When life throws you a curveball how do you react? Do you think things are happening to you or for you? Do you perceive that events in life are out of your control or do you hold the belief that, “It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters”? Most of us want to feel in control. Why? What does feeling in control bring us? In today’s episode I explore this topic and share 7 things you can control right now.
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Resist the Rush With 4-7-8 Breathing
027. How aware are you of your breath? Do you consider using your breath to help calm you? Or do you find that you’re so focused on your to-do list and rushing around that you’re barely breathing? Today we’re going to come together, resist the rush, and practice a simple 4-7-8 breathing technique that quiets the mind and relaxes your nervous system. No matter where you’re at on the breathing spectrum, you always have access to the practice of mindful, calming breathing.
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Celebrating ALL the Wins
026. How often do you take time to acknowledge and celebrate yourself and your wins? When’s the last time you acknowledged a little victory? So often it can be difficult for us to see our progress because we tend to focus on our shortcomings instead of celebrating our successes, even the small ones. In today’s episode we are celebrating ALL the wins. I give 4 reasons for you to celebrate taking imperfect action and baby steps, and lay out the 5-step process that allows you to recognize and celebrate victories. Acknowledging progress and achievements brings us joy and motivation. So t...
Becoming Friends With Food
025. Do you know how you view and relate to food has a lot to do with how you view and relate to yourself? In today’s episode I will guide you to rethink your relationship with food. You will be encouraged to let go of any old thoughts or beliefs about food that may be limiting you. I will provide 5 mindset shifts and specific tips for creating new thoughts and lifestyle habits for prioritizing yourself, your health, and becoming friends with food. You are worthy and deserving of having a healthy relationship with yourself, and with food.
Wor...
5 lessons I’ve Learned From Living With Rheumatoid Arthritis
024. Join me today as I share 5 lessons I’ve learned from living with rheumatoid arthritis. I was diagnosed with this chronic, progressive, autoimmune and inflammatory disease over twenty years ago and while my journey with chronic illness and autoimmunity has been rife with denial, judgment, neglect, pain, and anger, it has also immersed me into self-discovery, education, acceptance, healing, gratitude, love, and transformation. As we all have circumstances in life that can benefit from reframing and a positive spin, I hope you find this episode helpful and inspirational.
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It Doesn't Always Have to Be Hard
023. Do you find yourself in a pattern of struggle? Do you tend to make things harder than they need to be? Do you fear change will be difficult? Do these thoughts perpetuate the feeling that life is just hard? Does this mindset keep you from trying new things? In today’s episode I give you permission to let go and believe that life – and change – don’t always have to be difficult. I discuss how new experiences, progress, and change can actually be easy. Armed with this new mindset, you are allowed to let go of the struggle.
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What if There Is No Need to Change?
022. How do you feel about change? Do you find yourself struggling and trying to change and be someone or something different? In today’s episode I am going to ask you to rethink “change” as I share Oriah Mountain Dreamer’s poem about change as the basis for our discussion. Join me as we reconsider what it means to change or if there is even a need to change. What if the essence of who you are, and always have been, is (already) enough?
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Reflections on Forgiveness with Anna Brooke
021. In today’s episode, I introduce you to Healing Arts Practitioner, Anna Brooke who is deeply committed to helping people connect with their true essence in love, safety, and support. Listen to Anna’s personal story of healing and forgiveness and how learning to love and forgive herself has changed and improved her relationship with her body, herself, and her relationships with others. Anna discusses how love is at the root of forgiveness and that forgiveness is a practice that takes intention. Consciously practicing forgiveness helps us lighten our emotional load and that is an amazing gift we can give...
What Is Gut Health? What the What Is Leaky Gut?! Why It All Matters
020. In today’s episode I address gut health. What is gut health? Why does it matter? I share common signs of an unhealthy gut, how gut health is linked to inflammation and its impact on your overall health. You’ll also learn about leaky gut, and what causes it. You’ll come away from today’s episode understanding the importance of good gut health and how you can support it through your nutrition and lifestyle choices.
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What Does It Mean to Heal?
Join me today as we explore what it means to heal. There are many forms of healing -- emotional healing, mental healing, physical healing, and spiritual healing, and there are many paths to getting there. I discuss how, in order to heal, you need to become an active participant. I also talk about the concept that behind every physical ailment is an emotional root. The journey of healing is not linear, nor is it always the easier path, however, I know we all have the ability within us to heal.
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The Importance of Receiving & Learning to Receive
018. Do you find it easier to give than to receive? Do you feel more comfortable giving compliments than receiving them? Is it easier to offer help than to ask for it? Join me today as I discuss the importance of receiving and learning to receive. Even though receiving can feel more vulnerable than giving, when you open yourself up, you allow deeper connections and emotional and spiritual healing to take place. To live with a flow of abundance in your life, it’s important to have a healthy balanced relationship between giving and receiving.
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