3 Day Refresh

Hey there!!!! I am MORE than anxious to kickstart my healing journey and to give myself a solid 3 day boost, I recently finished the 3 day refresh from Beachbody!

Now before you think I’m just pushing an MLM product….let me share my Beachbody history and thoughts with you :). A few years ago (2015) I began my pursuit of a healthier, stronger me by joining an online fitness group using Beachbody workouts (21 day fix, etc!). I LOVED IT. I decided to sign up as a coach and actively worked that as a job for about 2 years.

The reason I “walked away” from that isn’t because I disliked it, but because I found my true calling as an FDN, and my focus on physical perfection became less and less important as I became more and more obsessed with the idea of lifelong vitality, internal health, spiritual health and exercise in moderation.

That being said, I promise to ALWAYS be honest with you and that means sharing things that I like AND don’t like about certain companies or products….so I don’t want you to assume that because I’m sharing a Beachbody product that I endorse everything they sell.

For example, here are a few things I do not endorse/support about Beachbody:

• The exercise every day no matter what mindset

• The portion control for life mindset (container system)

• Many of their performance supplements/shakes (ingredients or quality or purpose)

• Folic acid and fortification in the whey shakeology and Vanilla Fresh shakes (not necessary and not ok for people with MTHFR - which many people don’t know they have)

  What I DO like about Beachbody:

• Really great at home workout programs (as long as you don’t get obsessed and can still listen to your body and take breaks!)

• Beachbody on Demand option allowing for streaming of yoga, bodybuilding or HIIT workouts in your own home

• In their health and wellness line overseen by Isabela Daikler and Darin Olien the quality and thought that goes into their products is amazing - this includes Shakeology, 3 day refresh and the 21 day ultimate reset. This line is very separate and distinct from their performance/athletic line and is highly focused on deep nutrition and gut health - things I LOVE!

I really do LOVE vegan shakeology. There are several reasons I love it including the amount of nutrition you get in one shake, the flavor that beats all other protein shake competition, and their actual concern for the quality of the ingredients from around the world. In fact, whenever they do an ingredient or product formula overhaul I’m always pleased with their reasoning. The more research I did, the more I was impressed with their dedication to a truly healthy product packed with superfoods. That and the fact that I simply feel better when I drink it! Trust me - I stopped drinking it for 2 months and as soon I brought it back in I noticed a difference!

Whew! Now that we have that out of the way :) I’ve been struggling this past year with my love for SOME of their products, but my focus on building my own brand and not wanting to come off as promoting an MLM. But basically, I’ve gotten over it. I’m going to share products I love with you regardless of where they come from. But I will NOT share a product that I DON’T love, just because it comes from a company I like and support. Make sense?

3 Day Refresh

This is the second time I’ve done the 3 day refresh and each time was different! I remember a few years ago when I tried it I was super hungry and had some major carb cravings. This time, much deeper into my health journey, I was full most of the time and really didn’t have any cravings at all!

What is it?

• 3 day refresh is a like a little digestive break, detox kick for your body

• 3 days of nutrition guidance along with restricted calories and specific fiber and protein shakes throughout the day

What it is not

• A permanent weight loss solution

• A total gut healing package

• Quick fix

When should I do it?

• Before or after a vacation

• When you need a boost to your metabolism

• When you just feel stuck

• When you need to get a good dose of fiber

• When you feel like your digestion needs a break

• If you want to ease your way into a 24 hour fast

Now, just to be clear, I don’t normally encourage extreme calorie reduction or portion control as part of a long term maintenance success plan. But for a focused 3 day thing, I view it as a modified fasting program and because it is so short, as long as you get back to real life by using real food afterwards without extreme deprivation and restriction…your’e good to go :)

Your day consists of 3 protein shakes, 2-3 servings of veggies,

2 servings of fruit, and some healthy fats.

Some people experience pretty significant weight loss, but that should not be the goal of this 3 days because most of that is not a maintainable weight loss. If your goal is to focus on veggies, increase your protein and fiber intake, help your poo and digestion improve and get your mind re-focused on healthy eating, then this 3 day refresh is a great idea!!!

If you are looking for a magic pill or sick fix then, well, the isn’t it.

My personal approach

A few modifications I made for my 3 days:

• I could have coffee if I wanted (black or with a tiny splash of almond milk

• I eye-balled the veggie and fruit portions

• I didn’t organize all the meals/servings in the exact order they came on the plan. For example if I wasn’t hungry I’d save my lunch veggie and add it to my dinner veggie for more servings

• I didn’t do raw veggies which you are supposed to use for lunch since my immune system was recovering from cheno

You can use this however YOU want and modify it as needed! It all depend on your personal goals.

Have any questions? Let me know! :)

Other resources you may be interested in:

7 benefits of fasting and the best types

The compete guide to fasting

Intermittent Fasting for Beginners

God is good all the time. All the time, God is good.

We hear this phrase often, but do we really believe it? Over the past 7 months, it would be easy for me to become depressed, discouraged, angry, frustrated and so much more. I mean, who dedicates their life to getting healthy and helping others stay healthy and then gets cancer? Doesn’t seem fair does it…

But because of my faith, I knew from the start that:

1. There was a plan

2. Whether I enjoyed the process or not, there was a purpose and

3. I would come out strong in the end andlearn some yet unknown lessons that needed to be learned

And sure enough, here I am, at the end of this journey (and the beginning of a new one) having fulfilled each of those things.

Plan

Not surprisingly, from day 1, I saw that God had been planning this journey for several years.

• I discovered my tumor had been there for 2 years

• I discovered later that cancer develops (like autoimmune diseases, another form of immune system dysregulation) over 7-10 years

• I knew that had I not gotten sick in 2015, I wouldn’t have become an FDN

• Had I not become and FDN, I wouldn’t have gotten to deep into healing, and already put in several years of work

• Had I not put in the work, this journey may have been much more difficult for me

• Had I not become an FDN and really invested in myself and my business I wouldn’t have gone to Mindshare (a networking summit with some of the top functional medicine docs around the country)

• Had I not gone to Mindshare, I wouldn’t have had access to any of the experts I used to guide me through this process (detox expert, emotional healing expert, integrative naturopath specializing in cancer)

• Had I not had access to these people I may have experiences loads more symptoms and not recovered as quickly in between treatments. I am walking away with no long term effects on my heart, lungs, or nerves and during the process I never experienced severe constipation, or pain of any kind. The most regular symptoms for me were fatigue, nausea and some acid reflux/discomfort from the epithelial lining being so raw from this process. I didn’t even lose all my hair ( I really think it stopped when I started taking beef liver again!) I had some many people praying for me across the country - I know that God protected me in many ways throughout this process.

  So…..You see…..from the beginning I knew there was a plan. God knew that this was part of my journey and he set me up to navigate it as successfully as I possibly could. He blinded my eyes to the tumor ( which I could see in pictures stating 2 years prior) until it was the right time and I knew the right people.

But for whatever reason….this was still something He wanted me to experience.

Purpose

I knew there was some purpose to this. Maybe it was to solidify my stance that there is benefit to both conventional and natural medicines….maybe it was to strengthen my faith….maybe it was to help me empathize with clients and understand the body better….

Whatever the reason, I knew there was a purpose. And while I have learned MANY lessons, and had many A HA! moments, I may learn the ultimate purpose much later….or never at all….

Discovery

The first 3 months were the hardest. My body was shocked with this new treatment, I didn’t know what to expect, and anytime my white blood cells tanked it scared me. Everything was so new. The second treatment was the hardest as I ended up with an infection and an overnight hospital stay. This effectively eliminated my recovery period between treatments and so I wasn’t as strong going into the 3rd. But then around this time, I decided I really needed to continue living my life. I couldn’t just STOP living and so as I felt well, I did things that made me happy like singing and being around people again.

And throughout this last half of treatment I had revelation upon revelation about the kind of person I want to be, the kind of life I want to live, how I want to relate to other people and even how I want to run my business.

This isn’t to diminish the pain, fear, and uncertainty of this process. It’s not fun, and treatment weekends are the worst. Over the next 3 days I’ll spend most of my time in bed, popping nausea pills, sleeping, and forcing myself to drink water that to me tastes disgusting just to avoid dehydration which makes EVERYTHING worse.

But I simply don’t know how I would have navigated this without my faith. Without knowing that God had a plan, I wouldn’t have been looking for it. Without assuming there was a purpose, I wouldn’t have been able to keep my mentality positive and hopeful. Without knowing that there were lessons to be learned, I wouldn’t have be open to receiving all the downloads I was being divinely sent.

This was something I was meant to go through. I’m thankful that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, I praise God for knowing what I needed, and I can’t wait to implement my new life goals. Some of the best things in life come from the most painful experiences. I hope I never have to go through this again, but the battle was worth the win.

Are vitamin IVs right for you?

Hey Hey Diva friends!

WOW what a whirlwind this past month has been. My blogging has taken a serious hit with everything else going on - if you want to make sure you don't miss anything ( blogs, youtube videos, podcast episodes and more) make sure you're subscribed to my newsletter! I roundup everything I've been working on weekly and share it with my VIPS (pssst! thats you!) :)

I just got back from the 2018 Mindshare Summit in San Diego and I am STILL running running all day every day trying to keep up with everything I learned, the changes I'm making, connecting with new friends etc.... stay tuned... some SUPER exciting things are coming down the pike- I have a feeling 2019 is going to be AMAZING!

I'm also only a few days out from heading BACK to San Diego for the 10 year anniversary FDN conference. I'm particularly excited to meet all my fellow FDNs in an environment of networking, business education and further health education. I can't wait to learn more and more!

Because I knew that this month would be so busy (hello jet lag!) I wanted to give myself a boost and try some IV nutritional therapy (or vitamin IVs). I've been aware of them for a few years and didn't think much of it outside of extreme health cases or cancer treatment.

Like many things however, vitamin IV therapy can be used in many ways for many reasons and, because I always like to try things (within reason) before recommending them to my clients I began to search out local places to get them done.

I thought this month would be perfect to help boost my energy in between business trips. I figured the additional side effects of boosting my immune system and increasing my vitamin levels would be a bonus, but it turns out the timing couldn't have been better.

Just before my first IV, I received my Spectracell micronutrient testing results back and they showed a few vitamin deficiencies including a few B vitamins and Vitamin C. 

There are many reasons for deficiencies like this, but since I'm still in the process of working on my own gut health and I just wrapped up a protocol to eliminate 3 (yes THREE) parasites, 2 of which were intracellular (meaning they wreak havoc on my cell structure) and a suppressed immune system, it made sense to me that the vitamins I am absorbing from my food  - particularly vitamin C and B vitamins used for metabolism, energy production and immune system regulation would be depleted.....

SO back to the IV therapy! The timing was perfect. I received my test results only a few days before going into my first appointment. The particular clinic I went to is run by a doctor and so the initial patient visit was able to be submitted to insurance as my annual physical ( two birds!) but the IV treatments were/will be all out of pocket.

Once I got my physical, I showed the doc my tests results and began discussing the IV therapies. Luckily for me, this doc (one of only 2 I found in the area) is pretty flexible and actually asked if I'd like the IV that day. Knowing that I was traveling soon I said heck yes! And can I schedule another one for the 10 days I'm home in between trips?! :)

Depending on who you go to, you may be able to get personalized vitamin therapy - they mix the IVs before each one so you can actually change the dosage and types of vitamins in each bag. Most of the time they will offer certain popular combinations like the Meyers Cocktail, Vitamin C, or a Glutathione boost.

For me and my test results, a Meyers Cocktail addressed almost everything I needed anyway so instead of asking them to personalize it I just asked for a Meyers IV.

Meyer Cocktail

• B complex
• B12
• Vit C
• Magnesium

My experience:

The first IV was no problem! I hate needles and always get a little uncomfortable but other than a slight ache in my forearm it was no big deal. I had been curious how I'd feel since my only IV experiences have been in emergency situations where they pump you full of pain medications and by that point you really don't care about anything because you're so loopy!

The first IV was fairly slow - it took about an hour - once the nurse noticed it was going so slow she sped it up and it seems to go much faster.

Don't expect to come out of the office feeling way different- it's not something that takes effect immediately. Rather, you will probably notice results over the next few days to a week! 

The next week I was having a great time in San Diego hob nobbing with some of the coolest people in the health industry and functional medicine fields. Being on west coast time and staying up late was EXHAUSTING and so I was super excited when I noticed one of the vendors was offering IV's right there at Mindshare! So of course, I signed up to get a boost.

Initially, I was going to get a full bag but I was running short on time so I opted for a smaller bag with just the B vitamins. This IV was super fast super easy, and super helpful midweek.

I had already scheduled a full Meyers cocktail for a few days after I got home and I figured it couldn't hurt to help me get back on track and minimize jet lag so I could be as productive as possible the 10 days in between trips. This IV didn't go off without a hitch but it wasn't too much of an issue- the nurse wasn't quite ready with everything and before she hooked up the IV I gushed blood but nothing painful or traumatic ha! 

Overall I noticed that my energy and digestion both improved over the past few weeks. This was probably particularly effective for me since like I said I was actually deficient in a few of these vitamins to begin with, but most people who struggle with digestive issues, autoimmune conditions or chronic fatigue would most likely be in a similar boat and experience similar results!

Let's talk about the pros and cons:

Cons:

• Must pay out of pocket (approximately $130-180 per treatment)
• Take 1-2 hours of your day including drive time depending on location the office and duration of IV
• Difficult if you are squeamish around needles or blood
• Not many people offer these services so shopping around is difficult and you may not LOVE your provider if you have limited options in your area

Pros:

• Bypasses your digestion (super helpful for those working on gut health -this can be a HUGE boost in terms of speeding up your healing process and helping you navigate lifestyle changes by increasing your energy levels)
• Fast results! IV's get straight into your blood stream expediting your body's ability to absorb and utilize the vitamins immediately
• Optional treatment which means YOU are in control - you can request to get this done as often as you feel is helpful
• Can potentially be personalized - unique IV mix for YOUR nutritional needs
• Can help those with fatigue, pain, malnutrition, digestion problems, those who travel regularly or have vitamin deficiencies get a leg up and begin healing more quickly.

Takeaway

Overall, I found the experience to be incredibly helpful. I realize that this is a significant investment for most, but think about this...If you are someone struggling with fatigue to the point where you are missing work.....you are so tired you can't get out of bed to get your kids on the bus....your gut is damaged to the point where you aren't absorbing the nutrients from the awesome food you are eating....or you are spending hundreds of dollars on supplements that you can't properly utilize.....spending a few hundred bucks to get your body on track is SO WORTH IT. 

Many don't realize that a something as simple as a vitamin deficiency can cause anxiety, inflammation, fatigue etc!!!!

After investing in the IVs you can maintain this level of energy and health through lifestyle, nutrition and targeted supplementation to keep you on track ( which is what I'm doing!). I'm currently supplementing with my deficient nutrients and will continue to do so for a few months before retesting to see if I'm back to normal.

Remember, supplements and protocols aren't for life. It's difficult to get what we need from our food particularly if you are really active, use a lot of energy during the day, live a stressful life, travel a lot, or struggle with chronic illness!!! 

I would highly recommend giving it a try and researching good providers in your local area.

What are your thoughts? Have you, or

would you try nutritional IV therapy??

Watermelon Juice

Hey Hey Diva friends!!!

The 4th is TOMORROW and I'm sure you are heading to a BBQ or inviting friends over to celebrate while YOU grill out....either way, I wanted to share one of THE most insole yet delightful recipes I've recently stumbled upon....that is...WATERMELON JUICE!

Why make the juice instead of eating the fruit? I actually think it helps the watermelon taste sweeter. Think about it- when you cut the watermelon up, all the juice drains to the bottom of the bowl...when you make watermelon juice, you drink EVERYTHING and it tastes incredibly delicious!

Here's what you need:

• 1 very red, very ripe watermelon
• Blender
• Yup - that's it!!

1. Cut your watermelon into small enough chunks to fit comfortably in the blender 
2. Blend
3. Chill

If you really want to be fancy, garnish with some mint or berries or even top with some homemade whipped cream. When you stumble upon a truly ripe watermelon this incredibly basic recipe is truly a delight!

When things aren't perfect...hacking your digestion and PMS bonus tips!

Hey Hey Diva friends!

Recently I've been sharing my free guide: 5 steps to crushing your PMS where I share my biggest lifestyle tips on how to reduce inflammation, support your hormones, and get your cycle back on track. These are simple, but big steps  and ones that may take some time to implement....

So....what happens if you're say...on vacation like I was when my last period started and things are NOT to perfect? You're drinking coffee, enjoying some sweet treats....etc....

Here are some extra bonus hacks to go along with the guide to dig a little deeper and give your body that extra support!

4 bonus tips to crush your PMS

1) Take extra nutrients.

During our vacation I KNEW I would be splurging so I planned ahead and purchased some Bulletproof Unfair Advantage

This little liquid supplement is good for your brain, cells and mitochondrial health. I took 2-3 a day while on vacation!!!

You may also want to increase your magnesium intake as stress (travel) can deplete it (most of us are already deficient!). I like Dr. Mercola L Threonate as it's one form of magnesium that has been shown to cross the blood brain barrier. Magnesium is important in over 700+ enzymatic functions in the body including recovery, muscle soreness, energy, and quality sleep!

2) Get on top of inflammation.

I knew my period was coming, even though I thought it would come once I got HOME....so I wanted to make sure I stayed on top of any inflammation that may occur from less than stellar nutrition choices that week. I made sure to take 1-2 fish oil supplements at each meal in addition to eating lots and lots of REAL fish that was easily available at the resort!

We (American's) are often too high in omega 6 fatty acids. This is often due to poor diet and exposure to processed oils like soy, peanut, and canola in our processed foods and not enough omega 3s which are anti inflammatory. One 3s are found in fish, walnuts, and seeds like chia and flax. Recommendations vary but an acceptable ratio is 4:1 omega 6 to omega 3 and most in America are more like 26:1. Ideally in a perfect world you could get 1:1.

I also took some ALEVE. Not much, but I have had SUCH pain in the past it made me nervous if I felt anything at all and I wanted to stay on top of it. NSAIDS can really wreak havoc on your stomach lining and gut in general. Often regular use of NSAIDS for pain, sinus infections etc... are a precursor for leaky gut and inflammation in the first place. So we want to avoid them as much as possible. They can however provide a valuable service on occasion when used in the appropriate way.

I do try to balance my NSAID use with a scoop of Innate - GI RESPONSE which is loaded with gut soothing and healing ingredients. This allows me to rest easy and I would recommend taking a scoop along with the NSAID.

**I would also not recommend you continue taking ALEVE every 2-3 hours or anything like that...take as minimal a dose as you can to feel comfortable and move on.

3) Digestive enzymes.

I take these anyways but if you don't you might want to on vacation. I ADD one on vacation called GlutenEase in case of cross contamination. The nice thing about this particular supplement however is that it also helps you break down casein so if I am choosing to eat extra dairy for example, I'll still take one. 

Enzymes are just an extra boost to help your break down and process your food efficiently. The LAST thing you want on vacation is to get constipated or bloated - yuck!

4) DETOX.

Let's face it - NO ONE is perfect on vacation. You may want to include some gentle detox a few times that week. Activated charcoal is a great natural binder. It swoops in and grabs things like heavy metals, toxins, and things that may cause you discomfort, bloating or gas. It binds to those buggers and sweeps them out with your poo. :) 

Let's just stop for a moment and clarify that I am NOT recommending you take these additional steps as an EXCUSE to binge and party for a week. We still ate incredibly healthy while on vacation - got lots of vitamin D, even worked out several times that week. But out of our normal routine we also included lots of treats, we relaxed, didn't stress and enjoyed our time and food.

Stress can play a MAJOR factor in how you feel, how you digest, and how your body handles your next cycle. I am happy to report than when my period came it was non-eventful. No pain, issues - just hello I'm here, have a nice day.

To ME that is progress. To ME who used to WRITH on the floor in pain, that is a miracle.  So a few dietary tweaks, a few changes here and there, thinking ahead for vacation...TOTALLY WORTH IT.

Think you can't have a perfect period? Think it's too good to be true? Download my free guide today and get started!

*Kylene is an Amazon associate and the links provided in this post are affiliate links.

Sneaky Food Allergies

Hey hey Diva friends!

Well I'll be a butternut squash...wait...that makes no sense....if I WAS a butternut squash I wouldn't have a food sensitivity to it. That's right...add it to my list! :)
 

If you want to know more about the Food sensitivity testing process read my blog here!

To learn more about how food sensitivities, gut health and more, click here!

Let me start with the positives....since embarking on my journey of testing I have seen marked improvements! More energy, bloating gone (THANK YOU!!!) anxiety lowered and sense of wellness UP! WOOHOO!

What to look for

Much of this began to come together once I eliminated the food sensitivities on my MRT Leap test and began treating a bacterial overgrowth found on my stool test. It's very important to balance the environment in our gut. When there is an imbalance or dysbiossis of any sort, it can lead to:

• Bloating
• Fatigue
• Skin issues
• Hormonal imbalances
• Mood swings
• IBS
• malabsoprtion
• food sensitivities
• pain
• headaches
• foggy thinking
• etc....

We are more susceptible to bacteria, yeast, parasites and fungal growth (or overgrowth) with any of the following:

• Food sensitivities ( they can be a result, OR, triggering even for gut imbalance)
• birth control use
• prescription use
• antibiotic use
• stress
• poor sleep habits
• exposure to chemical or environmental toxins ( aluminum in deodorant, bleach, hair/skin/beauty treatments)
• etc....

The longer I think about my history the more I come to understand the struggles my body has had to overcome and...well...detox from! I am constantly amazed at this efficient machine that God has created to heal from within! Without our help our bodies do a LOT to detoxify and protect us on a daily basis. There comes a point however where knowledge is key and taking action on the knowledge can help reverse disease, prevent disease, and help you live your happiest, most energetic and mentally present life!

Personally I have a history of:

• Antibiotic use
• Birth control use
• Excessive Nsaid use ( excedrin and advil cold and sinus DAILY at some points)
• processed foods, sugars and wheat consumption for years
• Chronic stress for many years in young adulthood
• Traumatic event in early childhood
• etc....

Over the past few years food sensitivities has been and ever evolving journey as I become more aware of, test, and listen to my body. As my body adjusts and changes I am able to identify more easily the foods I'm sensitive too.

Think about it this way - when you are eating 20 foods your body is sensitive to and it's totally overwhelmed, it's really hard to pinpoint the problem. Once you've eliminated the main stressors however, it becomes way easier to go "oops! this food must be a problem".

The past few days I was super annoyed because I felt very fatigued, had a headache, and got really gassy (embarrassing!!!). Nothing in my life patterns had changed, and as I was thinking about it my food was basically the same as well UNTIL.....

I remembered I had added in a homemade pumpkin pudding. Seemingly innocuous, I had eaten a large portion for breakfast one day and had had a few servings 2-3 days in a row. The only major change in my foods, I thought it through and realized the last time I at butternut squash I got gassy as well, and on my food sensitivities list is yellow squash. It seems that I am actually sensitive to winter squash and all the varieties! Guess what went away as soon as I stopped eating the pudding....the reactions!

Be Patient

As you go through a process of healing, it may seem that you become more sensitive to more foods...and this can be disheartening. But don't feel bad! In reality, you are just becoming more AWARE. Once we know how to identify things and listen to our bodies the amount of information our bodies give us is incredible! It's like flipping a switch and suddenly receiving and processing information we never acknowledged before. Or think of it this way....your body is a printer and has been printing and printing analytical reports on what it needs and how to treat it but we never turned the printer on, so we were never receiving the reports.....when we begin to eliminate stressors and really listen to our body it's like turning that printer on and receiving all those pages of information that had been stored in the printers memory....overwhelming at first, but it's been there all along.

What to do next

It's important to remember that our bodies change. They change as we age, and they change as we heal. There is a high probability that you are more sensitive to something NOW than you were BEFORE. There is also high probability that as your lifestyle changes and your nutrition becomes more...well....nutritious...that your food sensitivities list changes as well!

1) Keep a food journal - it's tough sometimes to think about what we've had to eat the past 24  hours. Making it even a little more tricky is the fact that many food sensitivities can show up within 24-72 hours. This means something you ate Saturday may affect your your mood, your digestion, or your skin on Monday! It's important to look back so you're able to make correlations.

Join  the health revolution and download my free Holiday Survival Guide today!

2) Build up your gut strength. When we have multiple food sensitivities the lining of our gut becomes inflamed and the tight junctions in that lining that protect the blood from large or unwanted particles becomes compromised. This is why you can have external symptoms like skin rashes, mood swings or neurological reactions to an unhealthy gut ( toxins are crossing the blood brain barrier!). Consider bringing in fermented foods like sauerkraut and kombucha while also supplementing with a digestive enzyme and quality probiotic.

3) Consider getting tested. There are so many nutritional approaches out there - paleo, primal, whole30, grain free, autoimmune protocols, specific carbohydrate diets etc....while all are valid and effective, getting tested gives you specific information on your own personal body chemistry.  It also allows for you to work with a practitioner that can guide you, encourage you, and provide supplementation to help your body heal more quickly as you go through the process!

Take Action Now!

Gut health is incredibly important to me and that's why I'm launching "Get Gutsy With Me" January 15th of 2018!!! It's an 8 week program that will include:

• 4 bi-weekly, jam-packed eBooks overflowing with every piece of information you need to get the results your body craves—think of it as the ultimate go-to resource guide for your gut!
•   A mouthwatering Recipe Guide packed with over 59 chef-approved food and drink recipes to keep you nourished, satisfied and toxin-free!
•   8-Weeks of suggested meals to make gut rebuilding easy as 1-2-3. for the entire 2-month period—yes, you heard that right—no need to plan for 8 weeks (go ahead and take a deep breath)! I made life easy for you.
•   8 Shopping lists to make your trips to the supermarket 110% hassle-free!
•  Email support from yours truly—I’m here to make sure you succeed!
•   Handouts with simple reminders for your gut health journey
• · A Food Diary so that you can reflect on how your meals make you feel and unleash your maximum potential!

PLUS online support from me through the whole program AND the option to personalize and improve your results through your own gut testing at a discounted rate! If you sign up before January 1st, you'll receive the early bird discount of $199. Don't wait, because it jumps to $247 in the new year! 

p.s. not sure you want to work with me yet? Or simply want to start NOW? Download my FREE Holiday Survival guide first and get to know me over the holiday season! 

p.p.s. Do you have gut troubles? I'd love to hear your story, thoughts, comments and experiences below - leave me a comment! 

To your health!

p.s. the advice contained in this article is not meant to diagnose or treat any diseases and does not take the place of a qualified medical practitioner or physician.  

Why I HATE the word detox...

Hey there Diva friends!

Detox is such a buzz word isn't it? Let me share why I HATE that word...it implies that you do something healthy for a short period of time, to support your body in a way that allows it to be strong enough to then handle the crap we bring back in once the detox is over....Basically we do something that makes us feel GOOD so we can continue poor habits that make us feel BAD...

Don't miss a blog post, recipe or tip! Sign up for my weekly newsletter here!

 There are occasions however where that extra little oomph to bring in more vegetables, provide more nutrients, go easy on your digestion and provide gentle and nourishing foods can be good right? Right. And that's where I found myself last week. I'm always looking for new foods to try, new meals to keep it interesting and new ways to strengthen my gut, boost my energy, and get as many nutrients in my system as I can feasibly handle.

So I decided to make a concerted effort to do just that and I actually planned my meals.... My goal was to dust off my juicer, include a green juice every morning for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and even go vegetarian for dinner (although that only sort of happened).

So I planned my breakfast and green smoothie ingredients to be the same every morning. The combination was truly delicious so I knew I wouldn't mind. I planned a salad ( see last week's blog post) and I googled vegetarian dinners that would work for me....Here is what my week ended up looking like:

Breakfast:

• Green juice: 2 stalks celery + greens ( kale, swiss chard, bok choy or collard greens depending on the day) + 1 organic lemon + 1 organic green apple + 1/2 organic honey crisp apple + ginger root ( optional) *
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup chocolate chia seed pudding
• 1/2 grapefruit, or sometimes a piece of Eban bread toast

*Notes on the green juice ingredients:

1. Celery provides: excellent source of antioxidants and beneficial enzymes, in addition to vitamins and minerals such as vitamin K, vitamin C, potassium, folate and vitamin B6
2.  Leafy greens are high in dietary fiber, and rich in folic acid, vitamin C, potassium and magnesium, as well as containing a host of phytochemicals, such as lutein, beta-cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, and beta-carotene.
3. Lemons contain vitamin C, citric acid, flavonoids, B-complex vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and fiber. Lemons contain more potassium than apples or grapes
4. Apples are extremely rich in important antioxidants, flavanoids, and dietary fiber. The phytonutrients and antioxidants in apples may help reduce the risk of developing cancer, hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease. Green apples in particular have proteins, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. They are well known for their benefits, fighting digestive disorders, their low levels of good cholesterol, regulating glucose levels, and improving your appetite
5. Ginger has powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and has been used to treat various stomach problems.

Need one place to stay up to date? Become a VIP with my weekly roundup here!

Lunch:

For lunch I stuck with my kale salad! It was delicious and filling. Sometimes I would add something to it like leftovers from the night before. It was easy to prep every day because I made the dressing in advance and shredded some kale leaves up at the beginning of the week.

• Kale salad

Dinners:

Pakistani Kima Beef Curry (UM you guys this ended up being a new favorite - You're welcome!)

Quick Chana Masala (SO YUM!)

Vegetarian West African Peanut Soup (we added grass-fed hot dogs)

I realize my pictures aren't that pretty - that's another skill for another time... but the recipes are DELICIOUS and I would definitely recommend you try them all. Keegan and Patrick both loved them too! Technically this next recipe was from this week, but it fits the theme and is one of our favorites, so I wanted to include it for you as well!

Moroccan Lentil Stew with Raisins ( seriously - gotta try this!)

I loved my "experiment" so much that I have continued my daily green juices!!! I even think it's better than coffee *gasp*!. I would challenge YOU to try it every day for one week....it doesn't take much time and cost per juice is so low when you make it at home, PLUS you are getting fresh nutrients delivered in an extremely efficient and bioavailable way!

Have you ever tried juicing? I'd love to hear your thoughts/recipes below!

Don't forget to become part of the Tiny Fit Family. Click here to get weekly updates on recipes, fitness, health tips and more!

Fall Apple Salad

Welcome to October Diva friends! 

I have to admit that traditionally, I'm not a salad person. So when my MRT food sensitivities test came back with spinach and lettuce as foods to avoid, I wasn't too disappointed. HOWEVER, I am so aware of the many benefits of leafy greens that it felt weird not making more of an effort once the easy-go-to spinach wasn't an option.

Don't miss out on weekly tips, recipes and more! Click here to join the TFD newsletter!

The other day I sat down to plan my weekly meals and decided that this week was going to be a "detox" week. No no, I wasn't going on an "all liquids" diet, or dropping my calories below 1000....All I wanted was to get lots of vegetables in, lower my meat intake (for no particular reason other than to get more easily digestible foods priority and include more beans and lentils) and include a juice every morning. So as I was looking for some recipes to include I stumbled across this Autumn Kale Apple and Quinoa salad, and thought, "That sounds like the perfect fall salad!"

I modified it to use what I have in the house and to avoid my personal food sensitivities and what happened was a DELICIOUS, sweet, crisp fall salad that I am excited to eat for lunch every day this week! OBVIOUSLY I had to share it with YOU!

*Notes* I modified the amounts to make 1 serving every day. I did make the full amount of dressing up front so I could have that prepared all week!

Picture from cookingclasssy.com

Fall Apple Salad 

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup sprouted quinoa trio
• Bowl of shredded kale
• 1/2 honey crisp apple chopped
• 1-2TBS pistachios
• 1 TBS raisins
• Drizzle of pre-made dressing 

Don't miss a recipe, free resource, or upcoming event!

Click and sign up for the TFD newsletter NOW! 

Prep ahead/personalization notes:

1. While this is something you could make in large amounts on Sunday and pack for work lunches (minus the dressing) I chose to make mine fresh every day. I did however prep a few things to make it easier. For example, I made a large batch of quinoa on Sunday so I could pull from that for snacks and/or this salad throughout the week.
2. I took one bunch of kale and pulled all the leaves off the spine, placed the leaves in a dish in the fridge so I can pull my daily portion out at lunch. I utilized the leftover leaves and spines in my morning green juice.
3. To save half the apple you can wrap it in aluminum foil after you rub the exposed side with lemon or lime juice to stay fresh. Consider having the second half as a snack later in the day. I used half in my morning juice and half in my salad at lunch.
4. Use any nut you enjoy! 
5. Goat cheese is delicious but optional! Make sure you read the ingredients and choose a high quality brand without extra ingredients or preservatives! 

ENJOY!

p.s. Did you try this? Comment below! I'd love yo hear your feedback!