I'll be honest with you: writing about chronic illness and mental health recovery is tough. Recovery is hard enough on its own, but being frank about my journey? Some days, it takes even more out of me than my own recovery. For years, I identified as a lifestyle blogger. Depression and chronic illness robbed me…
In my recovery journey - from both IBS and mental illness - I've witnessed the transformational power of social media firsthand. These days, the world is full of critics bashing social media, claiming it's robbing us of genuine connection or manipulating us with targeted advertising. But I believe social media can be a powerful force…
Alright folks, I'm only going to say this once: if you're squeamish, click away. This is your last opportunity to GTFO before I say something disgusting. Okay, here goes....when you're on your period, are you sometimes unsure whether you're having an IBS flare or if you've just got cramps? Because sometimes, menstrual cramps feel a…
In a book I once read, one woman told another woman (with regards to having her first orgasm), "When you have one, you'll know." This pretty much sums up how I feel about migraines: when you have one, you'll know! Granted, for a long time, 'migraines' were listed on my medical records - and I…
For the longest time, I had no idea who Kayla Itsines was - until I read an article declaring her Instagram's hottest fitness influencer. It felt like I discovered her later than everyone else - and being me, I immediately worried that I had been missing out on something all these years. When I was…
Five countries. Ten days. How did I do it? Lack of sleep, for one thing. But it also took careful planning, spontaneity - and more than one wire transfer, if we're being completely honest. Still, those ten days were some of the most memorable of my life. I ordered muesli at a German Starbucks after…
If self-care feels like another item to tick off of your to-do list, then you're doing it wrong. Yet I completely understand why you feel that way: the media loves to promote its fluffy, commercial definition of self-care. But to me at least, thousand-dollar silent meditation retreats and Goop-endorsed vaginal steaming sessions don't speak to…
You know those ridiculous stock photos of women laughing at their salads? Did it ever occur to you that they might be laughing because they know the truth: that even bottomless lettuce won't bring them the happiness they want and deserve? Okay, I might be reading a little too deep into this. Still, it's a…
Look, I know I'm not the only one who's experienced a change in bowel habits after travel. And I'm not talking about acquiring a traveler's bug from drinking contaminated water. I'm talking about constipation, diarrhea and bloating that happen - seemingly out of the blue - while abroad. If you have IBS, you may have…
When I was fifteen, I got my first ovarian cyst. I found out when I went to the doctor worried I had appendicitis. Because I had pain in my lower right quadrant, the doctor referred me to the hospital for an ultrasound, where I was told that I'd had a simple ovarian cyst that burst.…
