RA stories

Can you believe it? We are coming up on the end up 2020! We've almost made it! This has been a really tough, and unprecedented year for all of us, as we have navigated 'new normals' in nearly all aspects of our lives.

As the year draws to an end, we now have to figure out what this holiday season will look like. Will we shop online or in stores? Will we travel or just stay home? Will we see our whole family or celebrate with a smaller group? 

One thing you won't have to worry about is what to put on your holiday shopping list! We've carefully curated several amazing gift boxes with a wide variety of price points, perfect for everyone on your list! Plus, all of the items are from artisans, makers and small businesses in the Carolinas. This year, you can shop small + support local! 

It doesn't matter what type of skin you have - dry, normal, combination, oily, acne-prone, and more - it is so important to nourish your skin on a daily basis.  Even the healthiest people can have some skin concerns, which can impact the way you feel about how you look.

Consumers are now bombarded by so many skincare options from stores, social media, and marketing - feeling very overwhelmed.  Every body is different, every skin is different.  So how do you even know what works and what doesn't?

In general, the skin is the outer reflection of your inner health, which means that your diet and what you use to nourish your skin does affect the way it looks.  (Remember that what you put ON your skin does get absorbed!)  Clear, glowing skin is an indication of optimum inner health and a good diet.

Fortunately, there are so many ways to nourish and improve your skin and to adjust your diet and lifestyle so you can look your best and achieve the look of youthful skin.  Believe it or not, the body is incredibly resilient, and even with some adjustments, you'll be able to see results within weeks or months (well, in some cases even days but it's always best to be patient).

Here are 10 ways to nourish and improve your skin starting today without feeling overwhelmed or making drastic lifestyle changes.

We may know February as the month of love.  On Valentine's Day - February 14 each year - lovers spoil each other and express just how much they love and appreciate their better half.

But did you know this?  From the Latin word Februarius, meaning “to purify“, February was known as the “Month of Purification” during ancient Roman times. It is a transitional time, finding itself just after a month of reflection and new year's resolutions.

Because of this, I wanted to interview one of the experts in functional nutrition here in Charlotte - Rhya Pachin - about gut microbiome and the importance of using food and nutrition to heal the body.  As someone with autoimmune caused thyroid issues, I can testify to the power of nutrition (and the times when I slip up and have gluten or any foods I currently have sensitivities to like sunflower seed oil, most nuts, chocolate, and much much more, I get super sick).

Rhya is licensed dietitian nutritionist with an integrative or functional approach, trained to design and supervise customized plans and elimination diets.  She helps so many people, including those with gastrointestinal conditions like IBS/IBD and those with autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthiritis (RA) and Hashimoto's.