Maria Sykes

Maria Sykes

The Hearty Soul Team

Marie Sykes is an Ontario based writer with a background in research and a love for holistic wellness. She's especially interested in boosting awareness for women's health issues. Once a shunner of gyms, Marie has found an appreciation for weight training and HIIT circuits. She enjoys trying cuisine from all over the world, and she also enjoys not caring two cents what other people think her body should look like.

Dark chocolate “sunbutter” cups, 2-ingredient chocolate mousse, dark chocolate avocado blueberry muffins. So many recipes, so little time! But the good news for you fellow chocolate-fiends is that your cocoa obsession could have some positive health effects on your brain. Chocolate Makes You Smart? A study published in the journal Appetite found a link between...

A UK mother recently shared her unsettling close-call with sepsis. The condition accounts for over 1 million hospitalizations in the USA and remains one of the top 10 killing diseases in America. (1) Make sure you can recognize the early warning signs, including this mom’s important example. What is Sepsis? Sepsis is an inappropriate immune...

Over the past few years, more and more research has been published revealing just how fundamental our gut microbiome is to our health. It can affect everything from our response to fear and negative stimuli, to our weight and mental health, to whether or not we develop autoimmune diseases such as lupus and type 1 diabetes. Now, a new study published in The Journal of Immunology has found...

It seems that everywhere you turn these days, someone is taking ordinary everyday items and bringing them into the future. This is the case of the smart window blinds that double as solar panels and slash your energy bill by more than half. Finally, proof that the word ‘smart’ can be attached to anything to...

Arthritis wears away at the cartilage of a joint, which is the cushioning material between bones. This can cause inflammation and irritation of the synovial lining, which produces the synovial fluid that helps protect and lubricate the joint. When arthritis affects the joints of the hands, it can cause pain and stiffness. That pain can get worse whenever you use your hand a...

Much like antibiotic resistant bacteria in recent years, “super bugs” of another type have adapted to survive common treatments. Chemical-resistant head lice has been a growing problem, with news stories covering the “super lice” since 2015. (1, 2) Unfortunately, just like antibiotic resistant bacteria, “super lice” also seem like they’re here to stay. At least...