Jubilee Wellness Collective

06/17/2026

One of the things I continue to learn as I expand my knowledge in women's health, hormones, metabolism, and mental health is how interconnected our bodies truly are.
Many of us have heard, or even said, "Your labs look fine." I know I have. Looking back, I realize that sometimes standard lab work doesn't tell the whole story. As clinicians, we have so much to consider when evaluating symptoms, and ongoing education helps us provide better care for our patients.
One tool that has gained attention in both research and clinical practice is the HOMA-IR (Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance). HOMA-IR is a calculation that uses fasting glucose and fasting insulin levels to estimate how hard the body is working to maintain normal blood sugar levels.
Why does this matter?
Insulin resistance can develop years before someone meets the criteria for prediabetes or diabetes. During this time, blood sugar levels may still appear "normal" on routine testing, while the body is producing increasing amounts of insulin to keep glucose controlled.
Research has linked insulin resistance to:
• Weight gain and difficulty losing weight
• Fatigue and brain fog
• Cravings and increased hunger
• PCOS and fertility concerns
• Inflammation
• Cardiovascular disease risk
• Hormonal imbalances
• Anxiety, depression, and cognitive changes
HOMA-IR helps identify metabolic dysfunction earlier, allowing for conversations about nutrition, movement, sleep, stress management, and other interventions before blood sugar abnormalities become obvious.
This is one reason I continue to appreciate a more comprehensive approach to health. Hormones affect mood. Metabolism affects hormones. Sleep affects both. Mental health and physical health cannot be separated.
If you've ever been told your labs are normal but you still don't feel well, it may be worth taking a deeper look. Sometimes the answers are found in the patterns between labs, symptoms, lifestyle factors, and physiology rather than a single "abnormal" result.
The more I learn, the more I realize how much there is to learn. My goal at Jubilee Wellness Collective is to continue growing, asking better questions, and providing evidence-based, compassionate care that looks at the whole person—not just a lab value.

06/05/2026

Vitamin D gets a lot of attention, but the conversation is often more complicated than simply "get more sunshine."
Our bodies can make vitamin D from sun exposure, but the amount varies tremendously based on where you live, the season, time of day, skin tone, age, sunscreen use, clothing, and how much time is actually spent outdoors. Even in sunny climates, many women still have low vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D plays an important role in bone health, immune function, muscle strength, mood regulation, and overall wellness. Women may be at higher risk for deficiency during pregnancy, breastfeeding, perimenopause, menopause, or when spending most of their day indoors.
Testing can help determine whether vitamin D levels are truly optimal. When supplementation is needed, quality matters. I often recommend Osteo PX because it contains important cofactors that work alongside vitamin D to support proper utilization in the body. Nutrients do not work in isolation, and these supporting ingredients can be an important part of the equation.
Vitamin D is also a fat soluble vitamin, which means it is generally absorbed better when taken with a meal that contains healthy fats. Something as simple as taking it with eggs, butter, avocado, or another source of dietary fat can help improve absorption.
At Jubilee Wellness Collective, we believe in looking at the whole picture. Lab testing, nutrition, hormones, lifestyle, and targeted supplementation all play a role in helping women feel their best.
If you have questions about your vitamin D status or whether supplementation is right for you, we are happy to help guide you through a personalized approach.

05/15/2026

Mental Health & “Tween” Years

The tween years can feel BIG.
Big emotions. Big changes. Big pressures.
And while sports can be an incredible outlet for confidence, connection, discipline, and stress relief… they can also bring pressure, comparison, perfectionism, anxiety, and burnout.
Our kids are learning far more than how to win or lose.
They are learning:
✨ how to talk to themselves
✨ how to handle disappointment
✨ how to work through hard emotions
✨ how to trust their bodies
✨ how to ask for help
✨ how to rest without guilt
Sometimes the strongest thing we can teach our tweens is that their worth is NOT tied to:
🏅 trophies
📈 performance
⚡ speed
💯 grades
👏 other people’s approval
Movement should support mental health — not destroy it.
As parents, coaches, and caregivers, we can help by reminding them:
💚 Rest is productive
💚 Feelings are not weakness
💚 Their body deserves kindness
💚 It’s okay to struggle
💚 They do not have to be perfect to be loved
The tween years are tender years.
Let’s raise emotionally healthy kids — not just high performers.


So proud of my two boys. 💚
They love deeply, care fiercely, and lead with kindness, and in this world, that matters more than any trophy ever could.
They may not always run the fastest.
Sometimes they don’t run at all.
They may not have shelves full of awards or highlight reels everyone sees…
But they keep growing.
Keep learning.
Keep becoming.
And that is something worth celebrating.
Watching them navigate sports, friendships, emotions, confidence, disappointment, and perseverance reminds me that success is not one-size-fits-all. Character matters. Compassion matters. Showing up matters.
And I’m equally thankful to cheer on their cousins and friends as they reach huge milestones in their own journeys. There is room for all of our children to shine in different ways.

Raising good humans will always be the greatest win.

05/10/2026

Motherhood.
One of my favorite titles I’ve ever held… and one I dreamed of long before it became my reality.
Today I honor every mother in every form.
The ones with babies in their arms.
The ones carrying little ones in their hearts.
The mothers who have experienced unimaginable loss.
The women longing to conceive.
The adoptive mothers, foster mothers, bonus moms, and the women who mother others through love alone.
Motherhood is not defined by one path.
It is love, sacrifice, nurturing, grieving, hoping, healing, and showing up over and over again.
Today we honor ALL of it.
The joy.
The ache.
The waiting.
The gratitude.
The resilience.
Happy Mother’s Day to every woman carrying the weight and beauty of motherhood in her own unique way

05/07/2026

05/06/2026

Chronic fatigue isn’t always “just being tired.”
Sometimes it’s carrying the mental load for everyone around you while your own body quietly waves the white flag.
You sleep… but never feel rested.
You push through… but everything feels heavier.
You forget things, lose motivation, feel overstimulated, emotionally flat, anxious, or disconnected.
Mental strain and physical exhaustion are deeply connected. Chronic stress can impact:
Cortisol and hormone balance
Sleep quality
Blood sugar regulation
Focus and memory
Nervous system regulation
Immune function and inflammation
And for many women especially, what gets dismissed as “burnout” may also involve:
ADHD overwhelm
Perimenopause or hormonal shifts
Iron deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency
Thyroid dysfunction
Anxiety or depression
Nervous system dysregulation
You were never meant to run on empty forever.
At Jubilee Wellness Collective we believe in looking at the whole picture with compassionate, evidence-based care. Sometimes healing starts with finally being heard instead of being told to “just rest more.”
If you’ve been surviving instead of feeling well, this is your reminder that your exhaustion deserves attention too.
Sometimes resting might be fishing 😉

04/29/2026

We are live with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida! You can book an appointment through Optimantra and we will bill through Headway! So thankful for our friends here in Florida!

04/26/2026

Waking up at 3:00 AM and staring at the ceiling? Your body might be trying to tell you something.
That middle-of-the-night wake-up is often linked to elevated cortisol — your body’s primary stress hormone. Cortisol should follow a natural rhythm: low at night so you can sleep deeply, then gradually rising in the early morning to help you wake up feeling refreshed. But chronic stress, blood sugar imbalances, and lifestyle habits can disrupt this cycle.

When cortisol spikes too early, it can pull you out of deep sleep around 2–4 AM — leaving you tired, wired, and frustrated.

So what’s behind it?
• Ongoing stress or burnout
• Blood sugar dips during the night
• Late-night screen time or overstimulation
• Overtraining or lack of recovery
• Caffeine or alcohol too close to bedtime

The good news: you can reset your rhythm.

Here are simple, effective ways to support healthy cortisol patterns:

✨ Balance your blood sugar
Eat a protein-rich dinner and consider a small balanced snack before bed if you tend to wake overnight.

🌿 Create a wind-down routine
Dim the lights, unplug from screens, and give your nervous system time to shift into rest mode.

☀️ Get morning sunlight
Natural light within 30–60 minutes of waking helps anchor your circadian rhythm and regulate cortisol.

🧘‍♀️ Support your stress response
Breathwork, gentle movement, and mindfulness can lower cortisol and improve sleep quality.

💤 Prioritize consistent sleep times
Going to bed and waking up at the same time daily trains your body to maintain a steady rhythm.

At Jubilee Wellness Collective, we look at the whole picture — stress, hormones, nutrition, and lifestyle — to help you restore balance and finally get the deep, restorative sleep your body needs.

If 3 AM wake-ups have become your norm, it’s not something you just have to live with. Your body is asking for support — and we’re here to help you listen.


Of course if all else fails we have pharmaceuticals

(picture of an old call room I tried sleeping in while in midwifery clinicals)

04/17/2026

Taking care of yourself is not selfish, it’s foundational.
Somewhere along the way, many of us were taught to carry guilt and shame for resting, for setting boundaries, for choosing ourselves. But the truth is, you cannot pour from an empty cup. When you care for yourself well, you show up better, for your children, your partner, your clients, your community.
And listen… I get it.
Even knowing all of this, it can still feel so hard.
There are days when grabbing that weighted vest and getting moving feels like the last thing I want to do. Days when motivation is there in theory, but not in action. I have so many “why’s”: my kids, my mental health, my physical well-being, and yes… not wanting to be a hypocrite when I encourage my clients to do the same.
And still, it’s a choice, over and over again.
Not perfection. Not all-or-nothing. Just showing up in small ways.
So if today all you did was take one step toward caring for yourself, that counts. If you rested when your body needed it, that counts. If you’re trying, even when it’s hard, that absolutely counts.
You are allowed to take care of yourself without guilt.
You are allowed to be a work in progress.
You are allowed to practice what you preach… imperfectly.
What motivates you on the hard days?

04/16/2026

Cristina Stevenson was born and raised in Panama City and now lives on a family farm with her three earthside children and her supportive husband of over 14 years. Her journey into women’s health is both deeply personal and purpose-driven.
After the loss of her fourth child, Cristina felt called to pursue midwifery—a lifelong dream shaped by both grief and resilience. Through her own healing, she developed a profound understanding of the emotional and physical complexities women face across the lifespan.
As she stepped into her role as a midwife, Cristina began to see a larger gap in care—particularly surrounding mental health and hormonal transitions. Navigating her own season of intense life stressors and perimenopause, she recognized the need for a more comprehensive, compassionate approach to women’s wellness.
Driven by extensive research and a passion for root-cause, functional medicine, Jubilee Wellness Collective was born in her hometown of Panama City.
While based in North Florida, Cristina provides care to patients across the state via telehealth—offering a unique blend of midwifery-informed, relationship-centered support within psychiatric care. Her approach honors the full spectrum of a woman’s experience, especially during the powerful and often overwhelming hormonal shifts that shape our lives.