Living Well

Living Well

What to Know About Plant-Based Protein

Here's what to know about plant-based protein and how to incorporate it into a healthy diet.

Living Well

Navigating Accessibility: A Review of the Friendly Like Me App

This app can help you find the accommodations you need at local restaurants, events, and more.

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Surgery to Summit: Marking 8 Years with a Total Knee Replacement on the Trail

On the eighth anniversary of my total knee replacement, I decided to do something that was previously impossible. I completed a hike.

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How Finding Your Flow with Immersive Activities Can Help You Live with Chronic Illness

Activities that improve health, well-being, and a sense of meaning can help you find meaning during chronic illness.

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Balancing Act: Tips for Managing Time and Stress with a Chronic Illness

Bezzy MS guide Kathy Reagan Young shares her tips and tools for balancing time and stress when working with a chronic illness.

Living Well

Does Sugar Affect Rheumatoid Arthritis?

Studies and first-hand experiences suggest that simple sugars can aggravate inflammation and lead to worsening rheumatoid arthritis (RA) symptoms.

Living Well

14 Tips and Products for Hair, Skin, and Beauty Routines with RA

From easy-to-open products to electric beauty tools, these adjustments can help you look and feel your best without adding strain to your joints.

Living Well

How Much Water Do I Really Need to Drink?

Registered dietitian Christine Byrne explains why drinking water is important and how to figure out your daily hydration needs.

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How I’ll Avoid Spoon Debt This Summer

Warmer weather and summer activities can deplete my spoon reserve quickly. Here’s how I plan to avoid the exhausting effects of spoon debt.

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How Emotional Repression Impacts Chronic Illness, Plus How to Make Peace with Powerful Feelings

Being mindful of negative emotions can grant you the freedom to choose how you respond to chronic illness and life. 

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7 Tips for Long Road Trips with RA

Whether you’re a driver or a passenger, let these tips be your roadmap to successful journeys with rheumatoid arthritis.

Living Well

How I Go About My Day to Stay Cool and Avoid Flares — Very Hot Edition

Though summer is my favorite time of year, certain lifestyle changes are still required to manage my rheumatoid arthritis and avoid flares during hot weather.

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5 Water-Rich Foods That Help You Stay Hydrated

Watermelon, cucumbers, and yogurt are water-rich foods that can help you stay hydrated. Here's why hydration matters when you live with a chronic condition.

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13 Strategies to Enjoy a Flare-Free Summer Travel Season

From packing extra medications, to using lightweight luggage options, here are my best tips for summer travel with rheumatoid arthritis.

Living Well

My Superpower Is Also My Flare Trigger: I Can Feel When a Storm Is Coming

Even if a storm isn't predicted, a flare-up of my symptoms lets me know it's coming.

Living Well

Why You Should Eat More Nuts

Nuts contain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that support overall health and help reduce inflammation. Here's how to add them to your diet.

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Why Kizik’s Hands-Free Shoes Work for Me

Living with a chronic condition means I sometimes need help from others. But I also want my independence, and Kizik shoes give me just that.

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Tips for Turning Your Day Around When Things Aren’t Going According to Plan

Bezzy RA members share their personal tips and tricks to help get through daily challenges.

Living Well

Navigating the Workplace with Chronic Illness: How to Advocate for Yourself and Others 

In this column, Kathy Reagan Young shares advice on how to raise awareness about chronic conditions and advocate for accommodations in the workplace.

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Why Getting Pedicures Is Part of My Self-Care Routine with RA

Getting pedicures is about so much more than being pampered.

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My Arthritis-Friendly Egg Roll in a Bowl Recipe

This recipe trend is perfect to adapt to your food needs when living with inflammatory arthritis.

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Am I Getting Enough Protein?

Registered dietitian Christine Byrne explains why eating protein is important and how to add more to your diet.

Living Well

10 Ways to Embrace Uncertainty When You Experience Chronic Illness

Chronic illness isn't predictable, but you can learn to surf the waves for greater well-being.

Living Well

Resisting the Lure of Toxic Positivity While Chronically Ill

It’s easy to fall prey to toxic positivity, refusing to acknowledge your true feelings. While toxic positivity may be well-meaning, finding coping mechanisms that work for you may look a little different.

Living Well

Feel-Good Fuel: 10 Yummy Foods to Boost Your Mood

Foods rich in omega-3s and antioxidants can boost your mood by supporting your brain and reducing inflammation.

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How Entrepreneurship Empowers a Nutritionist to Support Her Health with MS

Alene Brennan shares why she started her own nutrition coaching business and how it allows her to take care of her health with multiple sclerosis.

Living Well

How This Simple Product Helps Me Grasp Life with Inflammatory Arthritis

From opening jars and gripping small utensils, to being my favorite coaster, this simple product has multiple benefits for those living with arthritic hands.

Living Well

Try This Antirheumatic Yoga Series for Gentle Joint Support

This gentle antirheumatic yoga sequence can support your joints, as well as a sense of calm.

Living Well

What Are Ultra-Processed Foods?

Here's what to know about ultra-processed foods, how they can affect your health, and how to spot them.

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Finding My Feet: Taking One Step at a Time

“Putting one foot in front of the other” wasn’t as easy as it sounded, but it helped me find my feet.

Living Well

6 Tips for Navigating the Job Search with Chronic Illness

In this column, Kathy Reagan shares advice and resources for finding employment when you live with a chronic condition.

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5 Foods to Lower Triglycerides

Filling your diet with fatty fish, soy protein, and other whole foods can help lower triglyceride levels. Here’s how to get more of them in your diet.

Living Well

My New Code of Conduct: How One Simple Read Transformed My Perspective

A good book can change everything.

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How Music Can Level Up Your Next Walk

Listening to music can boost your mood and make walking feel easier. Check our feel-good song recommendations for your next walk around the block.

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Can I Work While Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits?

You can still earn income while receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). In this column, Kathy Reagan explains SSDI work incentive policies.

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Should I Stop Working? Employment Options and Rights for RA

There are times when rheumatoid arthritis symptoms might interfere with your career. These accommodations and rights can help you navigate any challenges.

Living Well

How Rejecting the Hollywood Ending Has Helped Me Cope With MS

I used to be annoyed by movies with sappy, happily-ever-after endings. Then, I discovered the wisdom and realism in indie films and older flicks and found they had a lot to teach me about coping with a chronic illness.

Living Well

6 Anti-Inflammatory Breakfasts to Start Your Day

Eating antioxidant-rich foods can help reduce inflammation and kickstart your morning. Here are 6 anti-inflammatory breakfast recipes to get started.

Living Well

What Self-Care Means When You Live with a Chronic Condition

It can be hard to prioritize your own needs when it feels like your body has let you down. But self-care is important for those living chronic conditions.  

Living Well

How Chronic Illness Led Allison to Entrepreneurship

Allison Ratkovich shares how multiple sclerosis led her to entrepreneurship and how starting a business allows her to prioritize her health.

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10 Ways I Plan to Improve My Well-Being Without Making New Year’s Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions are overrated. Besides, many of us with chronic illnesses have already done the hard work of making healthy lifestyle adjustments. Here are some nonresolutions that just might make us feel happier in the new year.

Living Well

9 Cleaning Tips for High Pain Days

These tried and tested tips for cleaning don't require you to bend down or have extra grip strength.

Living Well

Living My Faith: How Spirituality Helps Me Cope with Chronic Illness

MS has helped me find a new connection to God, and with it, new purpose, community, gratitude, and more.

Living Well

Feel Safer in a Volatile World: Tips for Self-Defense While Living with Disabilities

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) or other chronic conditions need not live in fear. There’s much we can do to prevent and defend ourselves from attacks.

Living Well

My Wish List for Cozy and Healthy Living This Holiday Season

Try these products for cozy and healthy living for the coming winter months.

Living Well

Working for Yourself: Pros and Cons of Being Your Own Boss

Kathy Reagan describes the challenges and benefits of working for yourself when you live with a chronic illness.

Living Well

Workplace Stress Worsened My Chronic Illness

My Crohn's disease came out of remission after 10 years, and I believe workplace stress played a major role. Here's how I handled it.

Living Well

How to Find Meaning After Grieving the Former You

After my diagnosis, it took time to accept my new life. But I still struggled to understand its meaning. The sixth stage of grief helped me find meaning.

Living Well

Building Self-Love When Living with Psoriatic Arthritis

Psoriatic arthritis can make developing self-love a high intensity challenge. These tips will help you foster self-love and confidence.

Living Well

Avoiding Post-Holiday Flares by Planning Ahead

Here’s how planning ahead for holiday celebrations can help you reduce stress and enjoy the season.

Living Well

13 Side Hustles for Earning Money If You Live with Chronic Illness

Kathy Reagan shares advice and resources for earning extra income and avoiding scams in this Patients Getting Paid column.

Living Well

5 Yoga Practices to Consider If You Live with a Chronic Condition

Yoga is an accessible way to get your body moving that can provide a range of health benefits. Here's how to get started.

Living Well

8 Tips to Find Lower Cost Therapy

Mental health treatment is expensive. Read on to learn about more affordable options that might help you get the support you need.

Living Well

Ask the Dietitian: Anti-Inflammatory Smoothies for Psoriatic Arthritis

Drinking smoothies is a convenient and delicious way to increase your intake of anti-inflammatory ingredients that may benefit psoriatic arthritis. These anti-inflammatory smoothies are as nutritious as they are delicious.

Living Well

I’m a Patient Getting Paid — and You Can Be Too

In this column, Kathy Reagan shares advice, resources, and stories to help others navigate the world of work while living with a chronic illness.

Living Well

Why I Use a Wheelchair While Traveling with PsA

You deserve to enjoy your time on vacation. If you have PsA, here’s how using a wheelchair can help improve your travel experience.

Living Well

17 Great Chronically Ill and Disabled Content Creators to Follow

There are countless chronic condition and disability advocates on social media committed to spreading awareness and breaking down stigma. Here are 17 who are making an incredible impact.

Living Well

How Movement Became My Medicine

I was only 4 years old when I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Slowly but surely I started to understand the consequences of missing playtime and not moving my body.

Living Well

Gardening Is My Mindfulness Practice of Choice — Here’s Why

Watching my plants grow and bloom, as well as the benefits of grounding, are just some of the ways gardening teaches me to be more mindful for my chronic illness.

Living Well

A Public Health Crisis: Preventing Loneliness in Chronic Illness

Loneliness is more prevalent than ever in the U.S. — and people with chronic illness are likely familiar with it. Here's how to stay socially connected even when symptoms or flare-ups get in your way.

Living Well

How ASMR Can Benefit People with Chronic Illness

If you live with a chronic illness, ASMR may help you feel relaxed, comforted, or even relieved from chronic pain. But triggers aren't the same for everyone.

Living Well

I Tried a Nordic Spa Water Circuit for PsA

Hydrotherapy may provide benefits for people with PsA, including helping to relax muscles and reduce stress.

Living Well

How to Balance Chronic Pain with a Healthy Exercise Routine

While exercise may be beneficial for those with chronic pain, finding the right balance can be a challenge.

Living Well

Should You Disclose Your Diagnosis at Work?

The decision of whether or not to share your chronic condition diagnosis with an employer or potential employer is personal. Here's my story and some things to consider as you make the choice.

Living Well

Consistency Is Overrated

Consistency helps us feel safe and reduces anxiety. But it also can create unreasonable expectations. Here’s how to redefine consistency (and success) so you’re OK with the ebbs and flows of life.

Living Well

The Mindflight Journal: A Journal for Chronic Illness

Meet Nicole and Aisley, the mom and daughter partnership behind the Mindflight Journal. Building from their own experiences, they've designed a journal for those living with chronic illnesses. Trust me, it's a game-changer.

Living Well

The Importance of Being a Hustle Culture Dropout When You’re Chronically Ill

The constant pressure to go-go-go took a toll on both my physical and mental health. Then I realized I could opt out.

Living Well

How the Spoon Theory Helps Me Explain My Health

It can be hard to explain the way that a chronic condition impacts your daily energy. The spoon theory is a clever way to help get the point across.

Living Well

How I Approach the New Year with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Resolutions aren't the be-all and end-all. I like to think of them as methods to continually develop my relationship with rheumatoid arthritis. Here are some ideas for the year ahead.

Living Well

Realistic Approaches to Setting Resolutions When You Live with a Chronic Condition

Living with a chronic condition often means working within your body’s parameters, which can mean editing your expectations. Always give yourself grace and remember that your New Year’s resolutions — if you choose to set them — don’t have to “match” anyone else’s. They only have to feel helpful to you.

Living Well

Planning an Event? Here Are 6 Reasons It Really Needs to Be Accessible

Not only is it the law, but planning an ADA-compliant event shows you care about people living with disabilities.

Living Well

How I Adapt My Holiday Traditions While Living with RA

Simple switches, like premade meals and gift-wrapping hacks, can allow you to celebrate the holidays to the fullest while living with RA.

Living Well

Learning the Paradoxical Power of Acceptance while Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Accepting my situation felt like giving up. But I’ve learned how to use acceptance therapy to live with more joy and optimism despite my pain.

Living Well

9 Ways I Prioritize My Health During the Holidays

The holidays bring back memories of my RA diagnosis. Here’s how I choose to honor my physical and emotional health at this time of year.

Living Well

7 Ways to Manage Arthritis in Cold Weather

Over the years, I’ve found strategies to help prevent rheumatoid arthritis flare-ups and reduce symptoms during the winter months.

Living Well

Your Holiday Gift Guide for Spoonies, by Spoonies

These gift ideas, from seven small businesses run by people living with chronic conditions, will help make this holiday season even more festive.

Living Well

7 Tips to Manage or Avoid an Arthritic Flare During the Holidays

Writer Alexis Rochester explains her RA management tips during the busy holiday season.

Living Well

7 Ways to Save Your Spoons for Holiday Celebrations

Celebrating can be exhausting. But these tips will make sure you have energy for the holiday season when you live with RA.

Living Well

How I Navigate Professional Life While Living with a Chronic Illness

When I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), I was terrified that my career was over. These tips helped me adapt my work life so that I could excel.

Living Well

How to Set and Achieve Your Goals with Chronic Illness

Managing your chronic illness on top of life's everyday tasks can be overwhelming. These tips can help you find the motivation and inspiration you need to reach your goals.

Living Well

When You Don’t Live with a Chronic Condition, You Don’t See the Full Picture

Some of the most difficult parts of living with chronic illness are the aspects that others don't see.

Living Well

Fashion and Style Help Me Express My Identity When Living with RA

Fashion and style are important forms of expression, especially when your identity can feel consumed by arthritis.

Living Well

How Religion Helps Relieve My Pain from Arthritis

How religious practices, including meditation, prayer and ritual, help manage pain from arthritis.

Living Well

Mindset Matters: Who Am I with Chronic Illness? Acceptance and Letting Go

Mindset Matters is a space to learn about the mental and emotional aspects of living with chronic illness. Nat Kelley, a certified life and mindset coach, shares how coming to terms with her ulcerative colitis diagnosis was hard, but it allowed her to build a more compassionate relationship with herself.

Living Well

Staying Active When You Live with Chronic Pain

Research shows that exercise helps people better manage, and even reduce, chronic pain.

Living Well

Ask the Dietitian: What Anti-Inflammatory Dessert Options Can I Try This Summer?

Laura Krebs-Holm, a dietitian living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, shares six of her favorite fruit-forward summer dessert options.

Living Well

5 Tips for Pain Relieving Spa Treatments with Rheumatoid Arthritis

It may sound obvious, but it's important to remember that the old adage "no pain, no gain" is not necessary for pain relief.

Living Well

12 Ways to Make Flying and Traveling with Rheumatoid Arthritis More Comfortable

When you have RA, long flights can be challenging. Learn tips to make your flights and overall travel experience more comfortable.

Living Well

5 Tips for Safe Backcountry Adventures When You’re Living with a Chronic Condition

Wherever you're starting out on your outdoor recreation journey, these five tips from experienced, outdoorsy chronic illness warriors will help you find your way.

Living Well

10 Ways to Get Involved This Arthritis Awareness Month

It's completely up to you how to celebrate, honor, or participate in this Arthritis Awareness Month in a way that feels best for you.

Living Well

How My Relationship with Alcohol Has Changed Since My PsA Diagnosis

The one lifestyle change that has improved my life with PsA is one that no one ever suggested: cutting out alcohol. 

Living Well

6 Tips for Setting Nutrition Goals When You Live with a Chronic Condition

6 Tips for Setting Nutrition Goals When You Live with a Chronic Condition

Living Well

How to Set Goals and Achieve Them with Rheumatoid Arthritis

How to Set Goals and Achieve Them with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Living Well

My 5 Favorite Anti-Inflammatory Breakfasts as a Dietitian Living with PsA

Dietitian Laura Krebs-Holm shares 5 of her favorite quick and easy breakfasts for people who live with psoriatic arthritis.

Living Well

What I Eat in a Day as a Dietitian Living with Arthritis

While navigating psoriatic arthritis (PsA), I have found that the foods I turn to for fueling my body can have a significant impact on how I feel throughout the day.

Living Well

Reclaim the Kitchen: Pain-Reducing Arthritis Life Hacks

When you live with hand pain from arthritis, the kitchen can change from a place of joy to a source of stress. Here are some hacks to reclaim the kitchen.

Living Well

How Modeling Empathy to My Toddler Helps Me Navigate Chronic Pain

Learning to practice self-compassion when pain or emotional triggers arise can be a beautiful teaching moment for children.

Living Well

Hair, Skin, and Nail Hacks for RA Pain

Simple tips and tricks for modifying your grooming routine when you're managing hand pain due to rheumatoid arthritis.

Living Well

How Chronic Illness Helped Me Cultivate Better Reading Habits

Through bibliotherapy I've learned that books can offer greater insight and healing than I ever imagined, as long as I pay attention.

Living Well

My Beauty Regimen Is a Part of My RA Self-Care

Inspired by her favorite shade of yellow nail polish, Shuntel shares the importance of incorporating self-care into her rheumatoid arthritis management plan.

Living Well

A Dietitian’s Guide to Eating Well During the Holidays When You Have Psoriatic Arthritis

It can be hard to enjoy festive meals when you're worried about PsA. But it only takes small adjustments to make holiday go-tos more PsA-friendly.

Living Well

What I Eat During a Flare as a Dietitian with Psoriatic Arthritis

When you are in pain and fatigued, finding foods that are both nourishing and easy to prepare is particularly essential.

Living Well

How Swimming Helped Me Feel Like Myself Again After an RA Diagnosis

When I thought rheumatoid arthritis had taken my ability to exercise, the pool gave me hope.

Living Well

The Value of Pursuing Hobbies When You’re Living with a Chronic Illness

Finding activities that you’re passionate about and can enjoy despite your condition can lead to a richer life.

Living Well

How to Be Your Own Best Advocate When You’re Living with a Chronic Illness

Good self-advocacy in medical settings requires a complicated balance of confidence and humility.

Living Well

How I Created Joy Through Chronic Pain and a Pandemic

This past year taught me that there is a resilience inside me that circumstances, including chronic migraine and the COVID-19 pandemic, cannot touch.

Living Well

How Living with Chronic Illness Has Helped Improve My Relationship with My Body

Whether you live with a chronic illness or not, living in a body is a complex experience.

Living Well

The Benefits of Gratitude When You’re Living with a Chronic Illness

Shifting to an attitude of gratitude can be the difference between surviving and truly thriving.

Living Well

9 Ways to Make Long-Haul Quarantine More Sustainable

These tips may help add some ease to your quarantined days.

Living Well

How I Created Flexible, Remote Work While Living with a Chronic Illness

I was productive, I had purpose, and I was bringing in an income, all while taking good care of myself.

Living Well

Why I Choose Positivity in the Face of Chronic Illness

My mantra, 'living a positive life while chronically ill,' feels more necessary now than it ever has.

Living Well

12 Seasonal Foods to Help Manage Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)

Anti-inflammatory foods may help manage the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Find out which fruits and vegetables are in season throughout the year.