Our world today moves so fast, it’s common to lose ourselves in it every once in a while. Being inundated every second by distractions- some welcome and some unwelcome- is a common cause of us become ungrounded. Ungrounding can take a toll on us physically, emotionally, and spiritually. When we become ungrounded because we’re constantly distracted or stuck in a pattern of monotony, we can forget to bring ourselves back down to earth- or worse, we don’t even notice we’re becoming detached. From there it becomes harder and harder to realize that it’s even happening until, ultimately, we begin to lose ourselves and our sense of living altogether.

In August of 2018, at a particularly transitional time in my life, my family and I embarked on a long-planned trip to visit extended family in Denmark.

The trip was around a week long and packed with visits to the second-oldest operating amusement park in the world, a church tower four-hundred steps high, impressive castles, and numerous other excursions scattered throughout Copenhagen, Hillerod, and Roskilde.

We live in a society where we’re taught that we constantly need to be doing something to be better- working harder to get a better job to make more money is glorified at every turn. People spend so much time focusing on being more to get more, it’s often forgotten that another crucial part of being a fulfilled, well-rounded, and happy human being is by taking care of ourselves in one of the most purest forms: relaxation.

Not only did our friends, Seth and Vidhi, decide to have an American style wedding in Pennsylvania, but they decided to also have a traditional Indian wedding in Nagpur- prompting them, their friends, and their family to plan a roughly two week long trip adventuring through several states in India in the weeks following the wedding.

It sounds so obvious when they say in those Disney Channel specials, “There’s no one else like you- be yourself!” People hear the words and they’re thinking ‘duh’, but it runs so much deeper than that. Like many other things, ‘just be yourself’ is easier said than done. The problem is that those Disney specials frame being yourself as such a passive act, but it’s not… It’s a fight- a fight to break out of the confines that you’ve known your whole life and to go after what you want and who you want to be with everything you are.

Who doesn’t love a nice comforting bowl of ramen on a chilly day- or any day, really? There’s nothing like some milky broth, noodles, fresh veggies, and an egg to top it off. All of that being said, my favorite part about ramen is that it is so easy to make at home- especially if you know all the right shortcuts to take. Time may be spared when making this ramen, but none of the flavor will be.

We’ve all met that certain someone at some point in our life- that person that being around makes us feel mentally and emotionally drained. These people, sometimes referred to energy vampires, are named for their ability to ‘suck’ the positive energy out of a situation or space (or even you). The good news is that it’s easy to spot an energy vampire if you know the right things to look for, as well as what to do once you inevitably come in contact with one.

These easy and yummy meatballs made with Beyond Beef are a perfect meatless substitute for any dish that uses traditional beef meatballs!

I know how it feels to become overwhelmed with the amount of contradicting information there is out there when it comes to getting into shape. So I decided to post some full-proof tips that have really helped me with my weight loss journey, while simultaneously helping me cultivate a healthy love for myself- no matter what the scale says for the day. I hope these tips will also help you on your journey towards becoming your happiest and healthiest self!