SWIHA Blog

For Jason Taylor, life before SWIHA felts like a numbers game. On the surface, he appeared to be a successful executive chef and restaurant manager. He had a “never say die” attitude—one which guided his spirit as he overcame addiction, abuse, and homelessness. Yet, despite the difficult hurdles he had surpassed and the assistance of many kind people along the way, Jason had still not dealt with the root of his pain.

Gluten-free veterans and newbies alike: welcome! Chances are that you have already seen dozens of articles from all across the web telling you what’s what in gluten-free living...

For the uninitiated, gluten is a plant protein commonly found in wheat, barley, rye, and sometimes oats. Medical science has thankfully progressed to the point that we are now able to use some simple tests to identify those lucky few who are unable to properly digest gluten; those individuals are generally diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Others might find that they have a sensitivity or allergy to this protein and opt for a gluten-free diet in order to lead a more comfortable life. Still others may choose a gluten-less lifestyle as a way of improving their overall health, clearing up skin troubles, and releasing extra weight.

For Tory Dube, life before SWIHA was a matter of constant performance. As a struggling professional dancer, actor, and comedian, Tory found herself trapped in the cutthroat entertainment industry, constantly facing the judgment of strangers. “I was an anxiety-ridden people pleaser who was hiding a nasty eating disorder,” she recalls. “My self-worth was defined by the people who decided whether or not I booked a job.”

Desperate for a change, Tory booked a space on a yoga retreat in the Bahamas, where she was introduced to meditation. While she found the demand of being totally present painful, it was exactly the spark she needed to start pursuing a new way of life. It was time to conquer her anxiety and food obsession once and for all.

Though its origins are in ancient Ayurvedic medicine, golden milk has become an increasingly popular holistic nutrition beverage in the Western wellness community. Golden milk is traditionally known as haldi doodh, with the only ingredients being turmeric and heated milk. Using this foundation, we can expand the recipe to make a delightful adaptogenic elixir to be taken right before bed!

Most of the ingredients needed for this soothing elixir are mostly available at any grocery store, although the ashwaganda and lucuma may need to be purchased at a specialty store or on Amazon. While they aren’t necessary for the basic version of the recipe, they add additional flavor and health benefits to this rest-promoting drink.

Heather Clore had always had a passion for herbalism and holistic nutrition, yet it was not until she became a mother that she realized she wanted to turn her approach to holistic living—and the approaches of her family and, eventually, her community—totally around.

“I knew when my son was born that I wanted to take an all-natural approach to raising him,” she explains. “I knew I wanted him to have a great, joyous, happy life and that herbalism and nutrition are both so important to that. I knew it would be best to raise him on nature and what the Divine gave us naturally.”

With our entry into March, we can officially mark the end of the cold and bitter winter. The time has come for spring! The air will gradually begin to warm, your wardrobe will start to change over to lighter and more vibrant clothing, and soon you will feel a little extra pep in your step when you take a wander outside.

So, what’s the best way to help with this transition? It all starts from within. Regardless of your diet plan, you are sure to have sampled a few holiday delicacies here and there, maybe as a little treat or to warm yourself up. Springtime is the season to leave behind the heavy and warming meals you ate in the winter in favor of lighter fare!

For many people, the first day of school can be filled with unexpected surprises. That certainly was the case for Tamara Lucero, who found herself in quite a messy situation when she stopped at her local gas station on the way to campus.

“As the fuel pumped and filled my tank, I began to daydream what my first day of class would be like,” she remembers. “As I stared off into the clouds, I suddenly heard what sounded like water running. I looked down and realized that the gas pump had malfunctioned and soaked me in gasoline—from my shirt to my socks!”

Ingrid Huffman is tackling the major issue of PTSD among military veterans... and she’s using tools she learned at SWIHA to help.

While the health issues facing returning military personnel are many, few present such a unique set of challenges as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As a military nurse who served in the Navy–and later with the Army Nurse Corps in Iraq—Ingrid is committed to creating a world without PTSD—and a world without the suicide and homelessness rates among veterans and their families to which it contributes.

Ingrid is intimately familiar with the toll this disorder takes. After graduating from the University of Colorado, she spent four years with the Navy Nurse Corps and another nine as a civilian nurse. When the United States invaded Iraq, she joined the Army Nurse Corps—a decision which profoundly shaped her life and her understanding of the world around her.

As a child, Jennifer Sanders was endlessly seeking a place where she belonged in this world. She grew up witnessing the difficult paths of her parents, who were both addicted to drugs and looking for answers of their own, leaving Jennifer to navigate this process of self-discovery by herself. Jennifer reflects on this sometimes painful process, stating, “I often struggled with my own self worth, identity, value, and, later in life, drug addiction. I always knew deep down inside that I had something significant to offer the world and a purpose greater than anyone thought I was capable of. I would find myself with the outcasts of society, ministering the truth of God and the infinite universe. Yet, still I was incomplete, and the wounds of my childhood were still raw 30 years later.”

Deena Gregory has always been a “seeker”—a woman with a self-described “natural curiosity about self and spirit” who in quiet moments often found herself gazing upward at the night sky with a deep sense of awe. Yet, after years of looking to institutions—from organized religion to the halls of academia—for the answers that could only be found within, Deena got caught in a spiritual drought, convinced that there was nothing else bigger “out there” than the humdrum of everyday human life.

“With a new reliance on my own thinking came what the Buddha referred to as ‘Dukkha,’ or suffering,” she explains. “I have always been hailed as a ‘critical thinker.’ Now I laugh and say, ‘Yes, as soon as I start thinking, things get critical!’”