BeWell Blog

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August's Natural Medicine Cabinet: What Late Summer Foods Can Teach Your Chronic Illness

There's something strangely earthy about strolling through a farmer's market in August. The harvest is so abundant on the ground, it's almost shy—tables brimming with colors I'd forgotten to expect of the gray winter months. But for patients of chronic...

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Picture of the ocean in evening light. Blue water, blue sky, gentle surg and warm clouds.

Salt, Sun & Spoonies: In Which the Ocean Enables Chronic Illness Wellbeing

Have you ever noticed how your mood improves when you've spent some time by or in the sea? There actually is some scientific basis to this. The ocean is not just a pleasant picture to us chronically ill folk—it possesses...

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Built From the Battle: How IBD Shaped BeWell Products

Built From the Battle: How IBD Shaped BeWell Products

A view into how IBD shaped BeWell for World IBD Day. When I Was First Diagnosed with Crohn’s... ...I thought my life would be divided in two: before IBD and after IBD. But what I didn’t expect—what no one tells...

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Redefining Easter Holidays with Chronic Disease: Celebration Without the Energy Drain

Redefining Easter Holidays with Chronic Disease: Celebration Without the Energy Drain

The pastel bunnies intrude, supermarkets are filled to the brim with egg-dying kits, and social media feeds are saturated with pristine family Easter schedules. And we, with chronic illness, quietly tallying the energy cost of every tradition and attempting to...

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IBS in Public: 10 Real-Life Hacks for Managing Symptoms on the Go

IBS in Public: 10 Real-Life Hacks for Managing Symptoms on the Go

There's having IBS at home - and having IBS out and about. Two very different problems. At home, you know where the bathroom is. You've got your heating pad, your comfort foods, and no one questioning why you've been in...

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IBS or Something More? How to Know When to Ask for More Answers

IBS or Something More? How to Know When to Ask for More Answers

April rolls around annually as IBS Awareness Month, and it always has me thinking about diagnoses, doctor visits, and those gut feelings (yes, literally) that something just doesn't seem right. For all of us, IBS is not just a diagnosis...

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Seizing the Outdoors: Enjoying Warmer Weather Without Doing Too Much

Seizing the Outdoors: Enjoying Warmer Weather Without Doing Too Much

The sun's finally showing up more often, and I don't know if it's just me, but I get that feeling to be outside. There's something special about those first truly warm days that awakens something in us - a craving...

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Sip Carefully: Why Alcohol and Chronic Illness Don’t Mix

Sip Carefully: Why Alcohol and Chronic Illness Don’t Mix

That time of year again. Shamrocks everywhere. Green-colored everything. The inevitable flood of St. Patrick's Day party invitations and bar specials clogging up my social media feed. But for those of us who juggle life with autoimmune disease or chronic...

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Sweet Reminder: The Hidden Powers of Chocolate

Sweet Reminder: The Hidden Powers of Chocolate

Living with chronic illness means being on the eternal quest for symptom-soothing options via natural remedies. In my personal journey with an autoimmune disease, I read so much about therapeutic foods-and chocolate keeps popping up as this really interesting ally....

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Beyond Roses and Chocolates: Valentine's Gifts That Show Real Understanding

Beyond Roses and Chocolates: Valentine's Gifts That Show Real Understanding

Finding the perfect Valentine's Day gift gets complicated when your loved one lives with chronic illness. After years of navigating this journey alongside warriors in our community, I've learned that the most meaningful gifts aren't just thoughtful – they make...

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Living with Chronic Illness: Your Heart Health This February

Living with Chronic Illness: Your Heart Health This February

I believe your heart deserves extra love, especially while living through life with chronic illness. And because I understand the daily challenges that come with managing complex health conditions, I want to have a real conversation about something we don't...

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A Spoonie's Guide to January: Real Talk About Surviving the New Year

A Spoonie's Guide to January: Real Talk About Surviving the New Year

Hey friends! Let's talk about January. You know that overwhelming feeling when everyone's bouncing around with "new year, new me" energy while you're just trying to figure out how to get through your basic daily tasks? Yeah, me too. I've...

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