Rachel Shackleton's blog

Sleep is something we take for granted, until we get deprived due to a bad night’s sleep. Often this means we struggle through the day trying to focus and get things done. Everything seems to be an effort. Sleep is essential to feeling rested, refreshed on waking and alert. Getting the right amount for your mind and body feels wonderful and helps you wake up feeling ready to go. Every person is different when it comes to the amount of sleep that’s optimal for them, but most people fall within a range, depending on their age. 

Adaptogens are a large group of herbs that might be described as the key to health. The word “adaptogen” refers to the nonspecific endocrine-regulating, immune-modulating effects of certain plants that increase a person’s ability to maintain optimal health and balance in the face of physical and emotional stress. Who doesn’t have some stress in their life? Stress is not all negative, but exploring how stress affects the body we understand why adaptogens are so effective at sustaining health and wellbeing regardless of the challenges faced. 

In recent years, GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro have been hailed as groundbreaking drugs in the fight against obesity. Originally developed and approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, these medications are now being marketed—and increasingly prescribed—for weight loss, with some even calling them a "miracle cure." But are they really the solution they’re touted to be?

Let’s take a closer look at what’s really going on beneath the surface.

What Are GLP-1 RAs and How Do They Work?

DETOXIFYING REMEDIES IN THE HEDGEROW

Just took a 15-minute break to go into my garden and grab some morning sunshine in the far corner where the tulips are beginning to form buds and the bees are visiting the flowering heather. Winter seems to have been very long and very grey this year and to finally see the sun can only be time to join the birds in joyful song and the bees intensely buzzing from flower to flower. Is it sunny all the way from here? Unlikely, but at least warmer and brighter.