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Crunchy-Chewy Mama

Living naturally, most of the time.

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mental health

Recap: Inspiring BlogHer18 Health conference!

February 6, 2018 by Jessica 1 Comment

BlogHer18 Health, the first health-focused conference produced by BlogHer and SheKnows Media, was a terrific two days full of inspiring speakers, education and connection. To say that I’m glad I went is a profound understatement! It was terrific to be in a space with a shared language of health and wellness being spoken everywhere! I loved it! More…

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Filed Under: Activism & Politics, Featured, Holistic Health, The Arts Tagged With: BlogHer, BlogHer18, community, connection, entrepreneurship, healing, health, inspiration, mental health, wellness

Busy spring!

May 5, 2017 by Jessica Leave a Comment

The first two weeks of May have been packed. The month started with a Clean Air Awareness event I helped to organize. It was successful and I hope will lead to more awareness about clean air habits, especially people turning off their cars while parked at school. That drives me crazy! The event went well…

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Filed Under: Activism & Politics, D.C. Metro, Holistic Health, The Arts Tagged With: book, fatigue, mental health, novel, priorities, publication, self-care, sharing, volunteering, wellness, writing, writing mama, writing mother

To me, with love

June 9, 2015 by Jessica 21 Comments

Welcome to the June 2015 Carnival of Natural Parenting: Talking to Yourself This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Carnival of Natural Parenting hosted by Code Name: Mama and Hobo Mama. This month our participants have written letters to themselves. Please read to the end to find a list of links to the…

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Filed Under: Holistic Health Tagged With: Carnival of Natural Parenting, coping strategies, depression, hope, identity, joy, mental health, priorities

Identifying the good

May 30, 2015 by Jessica 2 Comments

It seems a little surprising that I’m feeling so calm on such a full day. It sure feels different to be trying to figure out why instead of figuring out why I don’t feel well, which is a lot more common! I woke this morning with a sore throat and tight chest thinking, “Oh, maybe…

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Filed Under: D.C. Metro, Holistic Health, The Arts Tagged With: breath, calm, health, mental health, mental wellness, mindfulness, priorities, yoga

Life after antidepressants

November 22, 2014 by Jessica 7 Comments

Antidepressants saved my life at least once and might have saved my brother’s if he’d sought help instead of taking his life. Saturday, November 22 is International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day. This is the story of why I am grateful I had medication and how and why I hope to avoid it for the…

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Filed Under: Holistic Health, Uncategorized Tagged With: acupuncture, complementary medicine, depression, medication, mental health, mental wellness, suicide, thyroid

How to talk to depressed people

November 17, 2014 by Jessica Leave a Comment

Memory assistance is one of the best things about blogging. I was looking everywhere for a piece I knew I’d started on what to say and not say to someone who is depressed. When I logged in to update the blog after a nearly season-long hiatus, there was the draft, from July 20, 2014. I’m…

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Filed Under: Featured, Holistic Health, Uncategorized Tagged With: advice, community, depression, disappointment, help, hope, mental health, mental wellness, priorities, sadness

Special Needs Mommy

April 10, 2014 by Jessica 1 Comment

You know that kid who’s always a handful at a playdate? The one who needs an extra eye at a birthday party? The one who can’t handle surprises, or who needs lots of support through transitions? The one who can’t tolerate the smell at the farm field trip no matter how many times the teacher…

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Filed Under: Healthy Eating, Holistic Health, The Arts, Uncategorized Tagged With: balance, chemical sensitivity, depression, food sensitivity, health, mental health, mental wellness, priorities, rhythm, routine, special diet, time, wellness, work, writing, writing mama, writing mother

Back on the mat: $5 class special at Radiance!

March 22, 2012 by Jessica Leave a Comment

When my friend and neighbor asked if I would watch her son so that she could take advantage of a $5 yoga deal, I said, “How about I offer up my babysitter instead and go with you?” I’ve been meaning to get to Old Town Alexandria’s Radiance Yoga for a while, but it’s just a…

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Filed Under: D.C. Metro, Holistic Health, Uncategorized Tagged With: adrena, Holistic Health, mental health, mental wellness, thyroid, yoga

Mediocre would be good enough

March 9, 2012 by Jessica 3 Comments

No one has to convince me not to try to be perfect. Okay, I do have perfectionist tendencies in some areas, but when I read about mothers having epiphanies that they don’t need to keep the house spotless, I feel like I am living on some other planet. One with lots of spots. My floors…

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Filed Under: D.C. Metro, Healthy Eating, Holistic Health, The Arts, Uncategorized Tagged With: adrenal fatigue, GAPS diet, health, Holistic Health, mental health, mental wellness, priorities, thyroid

Now is the time for now

January 24, 2012 by Jessica Leave a Comment

The instant I read the words, I regretted picking up my BlackBerry that one last time before going to bed. A well-meaning relative of mine had read my recent post about my health and my leaky gut problem and told me: “This is not the time to volunteer for things.” She intended to point out…

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Filed Under: Activism & Politics, D.C. Metro, Healthy Eating, Holistic Health, The Arts, Uncategorized Tagged With: depression, family, healing, health, Holistic Health, home, mental health, mental wellness, nutrition, priorities, school, volunteerism, wellbeing

My gut, she leaks

January 8, 2012 by Jessica 10 Comments

I wouldn’t have even bothered to do the test if I didn’t think I had digestive problems. I know I do. But some of the information I got from my labs this week was information I didn’t even know could be found. It’s been 11 months since I went on the GAPS diet, which has…

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Filed Under: Healthy Eating, Holistic Health, Uncategorized Tagged With: dairy-free, Diagos-Techs, food, GAPS, GAPS diet, glutamine, gluten-free, gut, health, Holistic Health, IBS, leaky gut, mental health, mental wellness, nutrition, pancreatic enzymes, thyroid, traditional foods

Seeing the light, in the dark

August 28, 2011 by Jessica 3 Comments

It was a day when every hour looked like 5 p.m. Grey. Rain. Then rainier, and windy. So why am I feeling better than I’ve felt since, like, June? One guess is the yoga. I did about 20 minutes alone upstairs in my bedroom this morning, after 5 minutes using the chi machine. Post-juice, pre-breakfast….

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Filed Under: Healthy Eating, Holistic Health, Uncategorized Tagged With: family, healing, health, home, marriage, mental health, priorities, weather, wellness, yoga

More yoga than sleep

June 23, 2011 by Jessica 1 Comment

I went to three yoga classes today. That’s six hours of yoga, which is more time than I have spent sleeping at least a few of the last dozen nights, in preparation for leaving for this trip and since we’ve been on it. Once again, I’m writing from a hotel parking lot with a snoring…

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Filed Under: Holistic Health, Uncategorized Tagged With: belief, health, mental health, priorities, sleep, travel, Vermont, Wanderlust, wellness, yoga

Yogi goes to Vermont

June 22, 2011 by Jessica 1 Comment

I’m in a rental with no wireless on a borrowed laptop. Sitting on the ledge of the TV, it’s the only one of four in the house that will work with the (extremely short) ethernet cable. Propping up my bum is a package of Seventh Generation diapers, and I’m just realizing we haven’t washed the few cloth diapers…

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Filed Under: Holistic Health, Uncategorized Tagged With: Anusara Grand Circle, health, mental health, priorities, Wanderlust, wellness, yoga

I’m a top Mental Wellness blogger!

June 21, 2011 by Jessica 1 Comment

I’m pleased to announce that I made it into the Top 25 Mental Wellness blogs at Circle of Moms. Thanks to everyone who voted. More details to come!

Filed Under: Activism & Politics, Holistic Health, The Arts, Uncategorized Tagged With: blogging, mental health, priorities, wellness, working mother, writing, writing mother

Where is the yogi?

June 14, 2011 by Jessica Leave a Comment

It’s been only eight days since I completed my 10-Day Yoga Challenge, but I broke the daily yoga and writing habit in a big way. My last class was on Monday, and on Tuesday night I was up until nearly 1 a.m. preparing food for a surprise road trip to my sister’s on her 50th…

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Filed Under: Holistic Health, Uncategorized Tagged With: 10-day yoga challenge, exercise, fitness, health, mental health, priorities, sleep, Virginia Yoga Week, wellness, yoga

10-Day Yoga Challenge: Day Ten: “Party in the pose”

June 7, 2011 by Jessica 2 Comments

It felt like a graduation. I completed my 10-Day Yoga Challenge Monday yesterday, taking my fourth class with the Anusara-inspired teacher who told me and the other students that we were all ready to kick it up a notch. We’d all gotten comfortable with her repeated calls to isometrically draw our legs together and to…

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Filed Under: D.C. Metro, Healthy Eating, Holistic Health, Uncategorized Tagged With: 10-day yoga challenge, attachment parenting, childcare, exercise, fitness, GAPS diet, health, joy, mental health, nutrition, play, wellness, yoga

10-Day Yoga Challenge: Day Nine: “Play”

June 5, 2011 by Jessica 1 Comment

It didn’t take me long to get off my game. I finished class #8 of my 10-day Yoga Challenge at 8:00 p.m. on Friday night and spent Saturday virtually yoga-free, except for one sun salutation in the morning. When I finally returned today at 4:00 p.m., it felt at the start like that 44-hour break…

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Filed Under: D.C. Metro, Holistic Health, Uncategorized Tagged With: 10-day yoga challenge, health, Holistic Health, mental health, priorities, relationships, sleep, wellness, yoga

10-Day Yoga Challenge: Day Eight: “Expose your heart”

June 4, 2011 by Jessica 9 Comments

The theme of yesterday’s post was “reveal,” but I waited until this one to close that loop. I am not going to yoga on Day Eight. Instead I went back to a second class on the evening of Day Seven. This does feel like cheating, I admit. But looking at the day, with a wedding…

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Filed Under: D.C. Metro, Holistic Health, Uncategorized Tagged With: 10-day yoga challenge, babywearing, birth, breastfeeding, Centered Yoga, flower essences, herbs, homebirth, homeopathy, mental health, sleep, wellness, yoga

10-Day Yoga Challenge: Day Seven: “Reveal”

June 3, 2011 by Jessica 1 Comment

Today, I am tired. I had trouble focusing in the Anusara class on this, my seventh day of my 10-Day Yoga Challenge. I did not feel strong and bright. I’d gone to bed too late, the baby had woken too often, and I hadn’t gotten up early enough to eat enough to sustain me through…

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Filed Under: D.C. Metro, Holistic Health, Uncategorized Tagged With: 10-day yoga challenge, Centered Yoga, exercise, fitness, mental health, priorities, wellness, yoga

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Welcome to Crunchy-Chewy Mama, where the wilderness meets the sidewalk. Around here, I do my best to live as healthfully as possible. But compromises abound.

I also publish the resource blog Mindful Healthy Life of Metro DC. To learn about my writing and appearances and for details about the writing, editing and consulting services I offer, visit JessicaClaireHaney.com.

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