Kylene, what do you eat to stay healthy and fit?

Hi friends! I get a variation of this question a lot - whether it’s specifically in regards to MY eating, or women wanting to know what healthy eating means in general for THEM….

Maybe YOU have tried 20 different diets, you’re gaining weight, your’e tired, your’e frustrated and you simply can’t seem to move the needle. (Check out my recent post on the fad of “plant based” eating HERE.

I get it! Many of my clients begin this way as well and I’ll give the same answer I give to everyone. #YOUtrition. You can learn exactly what I mean in my podcast episode HERE or my previous blogpost HERE.

While I believe in a unique approach to each individual, here are the overarching guidelines that work for EVERYONE…

Healthy Eating Guidelines That work for Everyone

1) Avoid processed foods.

This includes anything with refined sugars, corn syrup, food coloring, or unnatural ingredients. You can simply ask - was it made by God, or made by a factory? If a factory, skip it. (I do still utilize packaged foods but I choose brands that use high quality ingredients. You can ask the question when reading the ingredient label - could I make this at home if I had the time or inclination? If so it may be an ok product. If it’s packed with words you don’t recognize - skip.)

2) Go gluten free 100%.

It doesn’t matter who you are, what your life history is, or what symptoms you are experiencing, for my clients and myself, this is a non-negotiable. You can learn more about WHY in this Youtube video HERE .

3) Go organic.

Unless a certain type of produce is a “safe” crop known not to be sprayed with pesticides and herbicides, or it has a thick skin that you do not eat, go 100% organic. Pesticides are linked to liver toxicity (which can lead to a whole host of disease but can also show up in weight gain and fatigue), cancer, hormone disruption and more….

You may even be doing your best to eat a “heart healthy” diet by starting the day off with a granola bar or oat based cereal like cheerios….but last year the environmental working group found that ONE serving of these cereals (and who measures just one serving?) goes above the “safe” limit of glyphosate for children. And I would argue there IS not safe exposure.

Microscopic particles have been shown to kill beneficial gut flora. Pesticides kill things. It also kills things in your GUT.

4) Dig deeper and get testing.

This includes food sensitivity testing, gut testing and possibly more. Simply addressing these sources of inflammation and lead to unexpected and EASY weight loss.

I personally live a life where probably 80% of the food I eat is purchased by me and made in my home. The other 20% is conscientiously choosing when out to eat without compromising core values (like being gluten free etc….).

Exercise doesn’t have much to do with it

You may be surprised to learn that as a former personal trainer, exercise is not a component of the plans I create for my clients. Now to be clear, I always encourage movement, walking, and if the client is healthy enough, exercise,. But I never lay out a fitness plan and in most cases I’m actually asking them to calm it down a bit to allow for healing.

And guess what - these clients STILL lose weight.

I’ve had clients drop 10 pounds without effort simply by following their food sensitivity test report.

I’ve had other clients from 10 pounds simply by going gluten free. Before they even GET a test result.

I personally choose to lift HEAVY, but I ONLY work out twice a week. I’m seeing amazing results. So while it would be tempting to double this amount, I listen to my body and even on weeks where we have tried 3 sessions, it doesn’t seem to give my body enough recovery time and I simply don’t feel as strong. This way I have lots of recovery time and I can not only CRUSH it every time, but I can regularly increase my weights.

Dig Deeper

If you do some of the basics and feel like you have “tried everything” but still can’t see results, that’s where a coach like me can come in and help you dig deeper!

Food sensitivity testing is certainly one of the most popular tests I run. However, I choose to run my business in a way where I never offer one test alone because I want my clients to leave with RESULTS. So while yes, many can simply follow a food sensitivity test and see some benefit, OFTEN where there are food sensitivities, there are also other imbalances in the gut so I like to pair it wit ha comprehensive stool test.

This allows me to see how we can REALLY make progress by healing the gut, removing stressors (stressors can be parasites, bacteria, food sensitivities etc….) and adding in needs ( things like minerals or vitamins your body needs).

Think Liver

Where there is weight gain and/or weight loss resistance, there is probably some liver stress, or what you might think of as a sluggish liver. Our bodies are bombarded by stressors daily and our liver does a phenomenal job but it needs two things:

1) A whole host of nutrients to function optimally

2) A break from toxins or else it can get bogged down

So for example, if you are eating a food daily that your body is sensitive too, and wearing perfume that is full of chemicals, experience a lot of mental emotional stress, and have some hormone imbalances, then your liver has a high work load!

Everything we are exposed to must go through the liver to be broken down and made non-toxic. This requires an enormous amount of energy and nutrition. In fact, your liver STORES extra nutrients for a rainy day. But if we aren’t eating a healthy diet, and instead we eat a nutrient POOR and inflammatory diet, in addition to living in the modern world, then we are setting our liver up for failure. Literally.

Fatty liver is something that is difficult to diagnose unless you actually get some imaging done for another reason. Bloodwork alone doesn't necessarily tell you that a fatty liver is developing.

If you experience fatigue regularly, weight loss resistance, pain in your right side, digestive issues, etc… your liver may need some support!

Are YOU ready to invest in YOUR health??

Interested in learning if working together one on one is the right fit for YOU? You can schedule a free functional health assessment call at the link below. This call allows me to understand your goals, your vision for health, what you have tried and determine if I am the right fit to help achieve those goals! If not, no worries, I’ll do my best to point you in the right direction by the end of the call!

Is plant based right for me?

Hey there friends!

There are topics I like to avoid and topics that I just love to dive into. This one is somewhere in the middle because I feel the NEED to write this, but also know I’m gonna be ruffling a few feathers here…but alas, here I am.

I have been noticing that more and more people are going “plant based” recently. And I’m fairly certain this is in large part due to the popular Netflix documentary “Game Changers” where they create a convincing argument for being vegetarian/vegan.

I have many problems with this and here are a few:

1) #YOUTRITION

There is NO one diet that works for everyone. Period. End of story. You can’t convince me otherwise.

We all come from different genetic backgrounds and experience different stressors, medical history, and athletic performance levels. Someone that comes from Italy and thrives on a pescatarian or Mediterranean diet will not feel as good eating meat and potatoes. But someone from Scotland will probably be starving and get really fatigued if they start trying to eat like an Italian.

How about this…..what makes you FEEL good? Have you ever stopped to ask yourself how meat or vegetables make you feel? Do you know how you feel after a steak vs fish?

2) Fake news

Documentaries (and news in general) can skew facts, pull them out of context, and make you believe that they want you to believe. You better believe that this documentary was made with the INTENTION of selling you on this lifestyle. It was a not a “let’s seek the truth and discover what works” documentary. Which is fine, just go into it with your eyes wide open.

3) Censorship

This is a documentary on Netflix, a company who happens to block other documentaries with opinions they don’t agree with. Again, this is fine being that they are a private company and have the right to do so…but just like any other news organization, realize that what you have access to is biased.

4) Practicality

It is exceptionally difficult to balance and maintain a HEALTHY vegetarian or vegan diet in the long run. Possible, but difficult. Many vegetarians or vegans will feel better up front and then at a certain point begin to feel worse than they did before they started. Usually because of nutritional deficiencies and sometimes due to choosing more processed foods.

A mom reached out to me to support her vegan daughter - when I asked what her diet looked like it was comprised of jello and vegan processed garbage food. Refined, processed, denatured foods are still garbage, nutrient void, inflammatory foods no matter what label they have. This young lady (despite the urgings from her concerned mother) was unfortunately unwilling to make the necessary changes to feel better and would rather stick to a misplaced ideology than support her body nutritionally.

But WHY do some people feel better when they make the switch?

If someone feels better it’s most likely due to the fact that they are starting out with more plants in their diet which makes everyone feel better. More fruit, more veggies, more nuts, seeds and beans….awesome.

If they feel better away from MEAT, it’s quite possible that:

a) they were previously eating conventional meat which is terrible for you. Conventional beef comes from a poorly treated, grain fed animal and when you stop eating crappy meat, you’ll feel better.

b) It’s also quite possible that if you feel better eating less meat you are genetically predisposed that way. But I did say LESS meat, not no meat. The percent of people that will feel good on NO meat long term seems to be very low.

I have known quite a few ladies recently who have tried “plant based” even for a short term cleansing purpose and simply felt like crap.

Look, I 100% understand wanting to be healthy. Wanting to prioritize plants. And wanting to avoid harming animals. I am with you on all of those things.

But the reality of it is that humans are carnivores and always have been. The choice we really need to make is to choose healthy farming practices, and support the healthy and HUMANE treatment of animals. This means that cows should be pasture raised and 100% grass-fed. It’s only when we feed them grains to fatten them up and support CAFO farming practices that we get skewed omega fatty acid ratios (more inflammatory than anti-inflammatory) and sick cows. Chickens should be pasture raised and free to roam and eat bugs. Basically - what is healthy for nature and the animal, ends up more healthy and nutritious for us.

How about we spend more money on these types of products and drop our consumption to fewer times a week to afford supporting these measures, instead of being so extreme and risking potential nutrient deficiencies?

Meaningless terminology

What the heck is plant based anyway? Vegetarian is plan based. Paleo is plant based. Keto can be plant based. EVERYTHING can be plant based. And frankly, it should be.

How about this….we stop following fads, and simply eat really food? Why not choose to give your body (and mind) flexibility without extreme limitations? Simply commit to choosing the highest quality on a regular basis and asking yourself when you look at a food - will this fuel my body and give it information and nutrients it needs - or not? (By the way, grass-fed beef liver alone provides extremely high amounts of vitamin A. In addition, it’s a great source of B vitamins, CoQ10, amino acids and all the fat soluble vitamins. It’s like nature’s multivitamin.)

When people make dramatic changes in their diets and feel BETTER its usually because they are:

1) EATING MORE REAL FOODS and

2) AVOIDING PROCESSED GARBAGE

It has less to do with the macronutrient content, and more to do with the quality of the foods being eaten.

The sad truth is, that every diet can have a junk food version. Fries and beer are vegetarian and “plant based”. Fast food bun-less burgers and crappy cheeses with fillers are “keto” and a flourless dairy free chocolate cake is “paleo”.

Let’s get honest with ourselves. How many fads have we tried? And how many are you currently still utilizing? Right. They weren’t life changing, they weren’t a magic pill, and they didn’t get you the results you want. So stop. repeating. the cycle.

The real reason we don’t see results is because we aren’t willing to make the DIFFICULT decision. That decision is prioritizing our health over our desires, wants, and fitting in.

We all want pizza. We all want soda. We all want Oreos. It’s EASIER.

Where there is true commitment there will be long term lifestyle decision that are made and that stick. Small steps, made consistently over time is where true change occurs.

When the commitment isn’t truly there, then neither will the results be.

3 things that are more dangerous than

(healthy, grass-fed pasture raised) meat

1. Gluten

2. Pesticides

3. Sugar

But that’s another article for another time :)

Want to dig deeper in the meat debate? Check out these articles below:

• https://robbwolf.com/2012/03/14/red-meat-part-healthy-diet/

• https://robbwolf.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Binnie2014.pdf

• https://www.marksdailyapple.com/what-does-the-who-report-mean-for-your-meat-eating-habit/

• https://thepaleodiet.com/red-meat-paleo-diet-often-type/

• “A massive review of 20 studies including 1,218,380 individuals found that processed meat was associated with an increased risk of heart disease and diabetes. However, no association was found for unprocessed red meat” https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/is-red-meat-bad-for-you-or-good#section3

• https://chriskresser.com/why-the-optimal-human-diet-includes-animal-protein/

• https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a20706930/what-diet-is-best-for-the-environment/

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

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.

Successful Traveling Part 1 - The Airport

Hey Hey Diva friends! So I always get a lot of questions about traveling. From navigating the airport, to being in a new place, to working around the feelings of relatives who made food....I'm going to answer all of your questions in a short blog series all about travel and food!

I recently took a short trip to Michigan and I would say this is the most difficult trip in terms of food that I've had in quite a while! BUT I'm also here to tell you - if I can do it YOU CAN TOO.

Me with a RISE bar - my new and current obsession...

So let's lay the foundation for the whole series: 

Priority #1 YOU MUST KNOW YOUR BOUNDARIES. Because let's face it. If we don't have them, we will break them....because they don't exist. It's the same as stealing when you have no moral absolutes. Who's to say it's wrong?

What are your non negotiables? Do you have any? If not - set them. NOW. I

ll give you mine. My #1 non-negotiable is that I will not eat anything with wheat or gluten in it knowingly. This is for several reasons. a) I know enough about how it affects your body now to know it's not good whether you have coeliac, a sensitivity, or no observable reactions to eating it. It still causes inflammation and gut damage. So it's not for me! b) I've had a documented HIGH sensitivity to it. Again. Not worth it.

What will I negotiate on? Dairy and sugar. These are 2 things I normally don't have in my home but when in a pinch I'm not as concerned about them sneaking into my snack bars or restaurant orders. You might have a severe dairy reaction however, which would make that a non-negotiable for you. Gas? Skin rashes? It might be better to skip it....

Ok. Now that you've laid the foundation this allows you to easily make choices and know what you're willing  to say yes or no to on your trip. So let's get right down to it and talk about airport foods.

Airport snacks

This one can be tricky as it varies from airport to airport due to size and city! There are however, a few staples that most airports provide. Keep in mind, these are not necessarily foods I recommend make up a majority of your diet - this is surviving on your negotiables in sticky situations.

1.  Nuts (just avoid the mixes with chocolate and sugar added)
2. Chips (when possible choose a better brand like Terra or Jackson's Honest)
3. Yogurt or parfait ( go for greek, high protein and low sugar options)
4. Fruit. Most airports have stands with apples and bananas 
5. Snack bars. Cliff bars, kind bars, Lara bars and That's It bars are usually available. Just make sure to read all the labels s you don't get some of your non-negotiables in there accidentally. No one wants a gassy neighbor on the airplane. 

In flight food

Depending on your flight, if it's really long, at the right time of day, or first class you might have the option to get an in meal flight. They usually have a gluten free option that includes a salad and protein. Skip the yucky dressings and extras. Top your salad with some nuts and skip the alcoholic beverage options. Go with water or black coffee if it's before noon. Oh - and skip that warm cookie they serve up at the end :P

If you aren't on a flight that serves a meal no worries! Sometimes they offer snacks like popcorn, chips or nuts. If they don't, that's ok too because you planned ahead and packed some snacks in your carry on! 

Carryon Snacks

These are good for in airport, on your vacation or on the plane....anytime!

1. Fruit ( grapes, apples, oranges and bananas travel well. Just be careful of the last two if you have blood sugar issues). 
2. Nuts
3. Shakeology ( I bring mine every trip along with a shaker bottle so I can get some cold water and drink it up whenever I'm hungry!
4. Lara bars
5. Thunderbird bars
6. Jerky (read the labels to avoid lots of sugar and/or wheat which is usually in soy sauce)
7. Simple Mills crackers
8. Mediterra Bars (a really nice and delicious way to actually get some greens while traveling)
9. Rise Bar (whey or vegan protein available) a great tasting protein bar with only 3-4 ingredients that you can pronounce.
10. Water  - had to throw this in there. DRINK ALL THE WATER when you travel it's SO important to stay hydrated. Ever notice you get constipated when flying? It's super easy to get dehydrated when traveling. My tips to stay hydrated: 

• Drink water before you fly
• Drink a bottle during flight
• Drink a bottle during your layover
• Drink a bottle on your second flight 
• Grab another bottle when you land.

Airport Meals

Ok, so you have a super long layover and you are SO TIRED of SNACKS. Ugh I know, I get it. So here are some options:

1. Bunless Burger
2. Nachos with corn chips
3. Smoothie from Jamba Juice or whatever smoothie bar they have at that airport
4. Meat and Rice ( just avoid soy sauce and asian meats dipped in sauces you don't know about)
5. Omelet
6. Steak and veggie side
7. Sushi
8. Salad ( either from one of those kiosks or a restaurant)

Yup! All of those are options at an airport!! Will it be as good as home? No way. But stick to those non-negotiables, drink your water, and your tum tum will thank you when you finally get home :)

What are YOUR travel tips (or questions!) Post them below!

Next up....how to navigate family when traveling (or they're visiting)

I suffer from adrenal fatigue....what now?

Hey Hey Diva Friends!

Hey all! Thank you so much for taking the survey recently - if you haven't had a chance yet please take 2 minutes to answer few questions below so I can provide more information and fun content that YOU want...

I was reviewing your answers and one question stuck out to me and I got really excited to answer it!
 

"I suffer from adrenal fatigue like many women.
How can gut health, diet, or exercise help?"

I LOVE THIS QUESTIONS because I too have struggled with adrenal fatigue. In fact being aware of adrenal fatigue and the importance of hormones was what prompted to seek natural healing paths and ultimately led me to FDN!

 Gut health, diet, and exercise are CRUCIAL components in the healing process so let's talk about each one...But before I jump into that, what IS adrenal fatigue? HPA axis dysfunction is the sciency-term for what we commonly call adrenal fatigue. There's a lot of huffing and puffing going on about the name of it because the more we learn about what it actually is, the more we realize it's not that your adrenals are tired but it's actually a breakdown in your stress regulation system.
 

Your hypothalamus receives signals from your environment (mental, emotional, or external) that communicate stress. Your hypothalamus then translates that information to your pituitary gland and your pituitary gland tells your adrenals what hormones to pump out. When we are in an acute stress state your adrenals are pumping out adrenaline, cortisol, and other fight or flight hormones.

Typically, this stress goes away shortly and there is a feed back loop where your adrenals communicate back to your brain effectively shutting everything back down and your body returns to homeostasis. Adrenal fatigue is when this hypothalmus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis has been activated so long, that the wires get crossed and the feedback loop is no longer effective. When this happens certain hormones become imbalanced and your body cannot regulate them in the appropriate ratios anymore. 

This is  when people begin to feel symptoms of fatigue, exhaustion, inability to cope with stress, blood sugar irregulation, anxiety and more.

There are many reasons that this can happen. Severe acute stress or trauma can induce adrenal fatigue, but more commonly in our society it's brought on by chronic stress. Chronic stress can be environmental (think mold or chemical overload), nutritional, mental/emotional, or physical. So let's talk about gut health, diet and exercise and they can help or hinder your healing process.

Gut Health 

Your gut is commonly called the "second brain" but some experts wish it was more accurately called the first brain. Your gut sends more signals to your brain than your brain does to your gut. That's right....your gut essentially controls your brain. All those little microbiota in there are crucial for brain health... 2 parts of the HPA axis are in....the BRAIN! 

You can get really in depth and talk about the science of how neurotransmitters and hormones are regulated in the gut, or you can go the woo-woo route and talk about how you manifest stress in the gut. It doesn't matter which angle you come from, the health of the gut is incredibly important for regulating your hormones AND your brain.

Diet

What helps your gut health the most but diet?  Anything from inflammation in the gut, to hyper permability (leaky gut), to gut dysbiosis (parasites or bacterial imbalances etc...) can be influenced in a positive or negative way from your diet.

• Foods can cause inflammation or they can calm it. 
• Foods can cause the tight junctions to open up in your gut lining or food can protect and soothe your gut lining.
• Certain foods can regulate hormones
• Food and fiber and regulate hormones, increase gut motility, and eliminate toxins (buildup of which can cause brain and hormone imbalances)

Thankfully, this is one aspect of our lives we have complete control over. When we commit to a pesticide free, chemical free, whole food approach to our diets, we lay the foundation for other changes to be more effective.

Exercise

While exercise is a helpful acute stress for healthy people, if you are in the exhaustive stage of adrenal fatigue (low cortisol, depleted hormones, tired often, inconsistent sleep and diurnal rhythms...) then exercise becomes another stressor that actually DEPLETES your body of the few resources it has left. 

When trying to heal from adrenal fatigue calming exercise like walking and yoga are the best options. As your body heals you can increase the amount of exercise but since chronic exercise and over exercise can damage the gut, that's just another reason to take it easy until you've made lots of headway in the right direction!

Takeaway:

Stress relief, the right nutrition, targeted healing for the gut, and health promoting movement are all steps you can take to reverse your adrenal fatigue, balance your hormones, calm anxiety and get back to your best life! I know because I've been there and this year, 2018, I feel better than ever! I'm not done healing and I have more to work on, but I have seen amazing sleep, more libido, and tons more energy just to name a few improvements! 

Interested in digging deep to find the root cause of your hormone imbalances? Click the link below to schedule a free call to find if working together is right for you!

Do you or have you struggled from adrenal fatigue? I'd love to hear your experience...share in the comments below!

Best Veggie EVAH!

Hey Hey Diva friends!

As I go through my Autoimmune protocol training there is a heavy focus on nutritional approach for management and healing. While it's obviously very specific for autoimmune conditions with lots of science and targeting for treating those diseases, much of the information is generally beneficial for all health too...

So of course, it reinspired me to get more nutrition and more vegetables into our daily meals. Patrick and I then found ourselves at WholeFoods a few weeks ago and I stood in the produce section looking for new vegetables to try in an effort to diversify our nutrient intake as much as possible....this led me to discover an amazing root vegetable called sunchokes.

My friends, if you've already known about these amazing roots WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME?! And if you don't....I'm going to share the deliciousness!

Jerusalem artichoke (sunchoke) is a root vegetable related to sunflowers. They are rich in potassium, iron, vitamin C and....flavor.

Join my FREE Facebook group - STOP DIETING AND LIVE YOUR LIFE- for more tips and fun content!  

Similar in appearance to turmeric or ginger, you might think they need to be peeled, but happily, the skin is edible. You can eat them raw or cooked!

Patrick googled how to cook them and since it was SO delicious, we haven't tried eating them any other way yet. The recipe we use is below!

Ingredients:

• As many sunchokes as your grocery has :)
• Olive Oil
• Pan that can go on the stove and in the oven

Directions:

1. Turn the oven on to 375
2. Slice the sunchokes in half
3. Fry them in olive oil for 5 minutes, sliced side down
4. Transfer them from the stove top to the oven for 42 minutes
5. Let them cool and enjoy warm and crispy!

This way of cooking them leaves you with a crispy outside and soft inside. It's similar in taste and texture to potatoes! We haven't tried salting or seasoning them but I'm sure there are many ways to enjoy these simply delicious veggies. 

Have you tried them yet? If so, what's YOUR favorite recipe?

Slices Sunchokes

A batch frying in oil and a batch ready to go in the oven! (You can use one pan if it's big enough)

Reverse engineering your health goals, and becoming your biggest advocate.

Hey Hey Diva friends!

Happy Friday! So, I know that not everyone can afford getting tons of personalized lab testing, doctors visits, supplements, or personal trainers. I do. While I do encourage you to invest in yourself as much as possible, I also encourage you to be your own advocate and do as much of the groundwork as possible YOURSELF.

You know your body the best, you know how you're feeling, and YOU can answer the following questions in order to reverse engineer your own health journey. So let's get started...

1) What am I struggling with?

Sort of obvious, you need to identify what you're struggling with. Is it weight loss resistance? Blood sugar instability? A disease? Inability to be consistent? Lack of knowledge of where to start?

Step one on any journey is to identify and define the problem. Be aware that several symptoms or underlying causes may overlap. For example, blood sugar imbalance may be due to an infection in the gut etc....Only when you know what your goal is can you move to step two.

2) What causes this?

Really dig deep. If its an emotional struggle that you identified, this part might make you feel vulnerable, defensive, scared, or angry. Why can't I maintain a habit? Why do I allow stress to derail all my efforts? Why can't I take the first step?

If those are questions you're struggling with begin to dig deeper. Is there a trauma, mental association or insecurity that you haven't yet identified? Is there simply lack of commitment - maybe you don't fully understand WHY you are making a change? 

If it's a physical condition you're working on this might require some time, effort, and research on your part! It's taken me many years and hours of personal research time to find the paths that have led me to the healthy road I'm on today. Don't skip this vital step by always trusting other people's opinions. Combine your research with your own intuition and listen to your body.

Most importantly have integrity in how you communicate with yourself. Don't make excuses to yourself and be willing to face some uncomfortable realities when you answer this question. This step will take time because you are the only one that can answer it. The good news is, if you're willing to put in the effort to answer this question you can continue on to the final step.

3) What activities, foods, supplements support this?

Regardless of whether your goal is mental, physical or emotional growth, there are always diet and lifestyle factors that can support you. The #1 thing that you have in your control EVERY day is the food you put into your mouth.

Your food not only affects your weight but it affects your moods, your energy, your ability to think clearly and work productively, and your ability to reach your goals. How awesome is that?! You have 100% control over something that can dramatically change the course of your life.

How have YOU implemented these steps in your own life? In what cases have you been your own advocate? Share the changes you've seen below!

Don't miss out on more tips, videos, an fun in the free FB group:

Stop Dieting and Live your Life! Join today!

Are you an under eater?

Hey Hey Diva friends!!

I touched on this last week when I answered the questions, "Where the heck do I start?" but I wanted to dig a little deeper into this concept of under eating because it's a pretty common habit actually!

I'm going to give you some personal examples. I pick on my family because I love them and as a health coach I bug them all the time about this stuff. My Dad is a chronic under eater. He was a professional athlete in college, in amazing shape, and still is. He also began his own business, raised a family of 3 daughters and subsequently has dealt with a tremendous amount of stress in his life! He clings to his health by working out hard, but I constantly see that in order to sustain the burden of stress (mental and physical) that he endures, he needs to eat probably 2x the amount of calories he is currently taking in. As with many people, the fear is there of weight gain.

Quickly I'll give you another example (surprisingly these are both MALE examples but typically this is a common factor in FEMALES)...my husband. Now my husband doesn't do this on purpose. In fact, since I estimated his calories a few weeks ago he was shocked and has become intentional about packing MORE food for work. The problem for him is that he gets busy. He eats a great breakfast, he heads to work, he eats whatever he has packed, and then he eats whatever I make for dinner. This is probably ok if he isn't running several times a week and lifting heavy several times a week. But in THOSE cases, he needs to be more intentional about fueling his body and could stand to almost double his caloric intake.

So let's talk about the fear of weight gain. Because I totally understand that! Here's the super GOOD and also super obnoxious thing about our metabolisms. They adjust. So if you eat less, your metabolism slows down. You eat more, your metabolism speeds up. This is an interesting phenomenon that is certainly a mental game at first because when you begin to experiment with this you MIGHT GAIN WEIGHT. Typically, that is short lived and your body will find a new balance eating MORE calories than before. You WANT to be on the highest end of this as you possibly can be. Essentially, you want to get as many calories (aka NUTRIENTS) in your body each as possible to fuel your brain, hormones, energy, etc....as possible while maintaining a healthy weight.

So how do you know if you're an under eater? Here are 3 tips:

1) You are extremely active but can't lose weight. 

In my recent podcast "Workout Obsession" I shared how when I was training for the Beachbody classic I doubled my workouts AND cut my calories. Not surprisingly ( looking back) I plateaued immediately and could no longer lose weight. I should have INCREASED my calories to support the extra burden I was placing on my body, but instead I increased my exercise and decreased my fuel.

The night the show was over I had a huge steak that was probably soaked in butter and the next day after WEEKS of the scale not budging, I lost a pound. A POUND! Normally physique  competitors tell stories of gaining 5lbs overnight from all the salt and garbage foods they ate (just another reminder that REAL FOOD ACTS DIFFERENTLY IN YOUR BODY THAN PROCESSED FOODS).

If you've increased your exercise recently but haven't lost weight, your body may be begging you to support it with the proper nutrients.

2) You lowered your calories but didn't lose weight

If you have recently cut your calories and haven't seen a budge your body might be in survival mode. When your body thinks it's in danger whether from a tiger or lack of food, it produces cortisol. Too much cortisol for too long a period of time stimulates fat storage and makes it difficult to lose weight. 

This may be an indication of calorie deprivation OR nutrient deprivation. For example - are you getting enough healthy fat? Healthy carbs? Vitamins and micronutrients? Make sure you're getting ENOUGH food so that your body knows it's safe. Once it's in the safe zone the weight will being to shift again.

3) You miss your cycle or it becomes irregular.

Hormones are a delicate thing. As women, it's easy to look at guys get all shredded and think " I can do that too!" And in fact you CAN....but it might not be HEALTHY. This can become more of an issue after a certain age and/or after a prolonged period of time. Sure - you want to try competing one time? If you have no health issues, no hormone imbalances, and are young - go for it. 

But more often than not, our bodies are not MEANT to be that lean for long periods of time...or...ever really. Women in particular have more subcutaneous fat. This is by DESIGN because of our hormone cycles and our physical ability to create and carry other humans. It's for our protection! 

When a women goes through an extreme body change, diet change, or any situation where her body fat dips too LOW, she is in danger of essentially ruining her metabolism and creating a life of hormonal imbalance and struggles.

Missing a period, while we might think that sounds GREAT, is actually very dangerous. A woman's fertility ability is a good indicator of her overall health. Not to mention the delicate balance between your hormones, mood, and energy levels. Want to see a cranky woman? Find one that is carb deprived, body fat of 14% and prepping for a competition!

Fun tip: 2 of the first things to go when the body is under stress

are digestion and hormone regulation!

Here's the deal. Your body is a survival MACHINE. It's designed impeccably to keep you safe- NOT to keep you shredded. When you deal with stress whether too much physical exertion, mental strain, emotional burden, or not enough fuel from food, it will react to what it finds most important at the moment and normally that doesn't align with our physique goals. 

If your body deems itself unsafe it will take the appropriate measures. Cortisol is released, fat storage is turned on, digestion is deregulated and hormones are an afterthought....Don't brush off these signs that your body needs some love and affection. 

Make sure you're fueling your body with nutrient dense foods DAILY and let it tell you what it needs. When you and your body are in sync, the world is a happy place.

Share below! Have you discovered you're an under eater? Did something in this article ring true for you?

Where the heck do I start?

Hey Hey Diva friends!

I know. It can be overwhelming. Gluten free, Keto, Low carb, High fat, low fat, macros, portion control....WHERE DO I START?!?!?! What diet is right for me?! How in the world are you supposed to know where to start when there is so much conflicting information out there?!

Well today I'm going to give you 3 mindset shifts that I hope will allow you to being trusting yourself more and listening to your body for the answers....

1) Eat Real Food

Intuitively, we know this is the right answer don't we? Like deep in our CORE we know that a weight watchers lasagna dinner isn't as good for you as a sweet potato with broccoli and beef roast.

In our heart of hearts, we know that our bodies are begging for real food and normally what hinders us from jumping on the bandwagon wholeheartedly is convenience. Right? That meal that's mailed to our door is convenience. McDonald's is convenience. Frozen diet food is convenience. But if we stop and check in with ourselves and step back for a minute....are any of those providing VALUE?

Besides convenience, are those foods worth anything? Do they help build my heart, my lungs, my brain? Do they support my hormones, my moods, my energy? Do they help me prevent cancer, alzheimers, dementia and diabetes? If the answer is no well....then we need to make some changes.

Here is the one question you need to determine if something should go into your mouth:

"Did it come from nature? Or did it come from a factory?"  

If it came from nature, or is a combination of things from nature (aka lara bars as an example - 2-6 whole food ingredients that you could technically make at home) then have at it. If it's from a factory and packed full of sugar, chemicals, preservatives or "other"...well...you know what to do ( or in this case, what NOT to do...)

2) No macro is bad

Macro is short for macronutrient. The main three nutrients that our diet is comprised of: Carbs, Fat, and Protein. Depending on which diet you've been on  in the past, (maybe all of them like me!) you've probably vilified one or all macronutrients at some point. "Don't eat carbs you'll blow up! Don't eat too much protein, don't eat fat ever!".....All of that is garbage.

Your body needs all three macros. Desperately. Let me say that another way. Your body is in dire need of carbohydrates. It's fueled on fat, and it builds and maintains muscles with protein. Don't ever fall prey to a fad that tells you any of the macros are inherently bad.

Here's the catch. You have to follow step #1 in order for step #2 to be true. If you are eating a processed standard American diet then yes - carbs are garbage.

Processed foods are the entire reason we HAVE a diet industry in the first place. With processed foods you HAVE to portion control and calorie count.

If you don't, you'll blow up like a balloon from all the sugar, hydrogenated trans fats, hybridized grains, and so forth...

When you eat real food none of that happens. So stop weighing your carbs, and counting your pistachios....carbs and fat are good for you. Did they come from nature? Or did they come from a box?

3) Think minimums not maximums 

We are SO USED to this restrictive mentality. What's mind-blowing about all of this is how much it resembles a hamster wheel! Processed foods make me crave more processed foods - they light up my brain like a motherboard stimulating appetite, addiction, and belly fat....so in order to control my weight, my appetite and my cravings I must measure, weight, and count my food... I must CONTROL and not go beyond my MAXIMUM......

BUT! When you jump OFF the hamster wheel of dieting and choose real foods that feed your brain, balance your hormones, stabilize your moods, quench your appetite send the proper hunger and full signals....you can then begin to view food as a GIFT. You can begin to view food as something that SERVES you instead of ENSLAVING YOU. You can then being thinking "How much of this does my body need? How can I get more of this into my body?"

Start thinking about #YOUTRITION not deprivation. Believe it or not, many many people I work with are under eaters. They beat themselves up because they are overweight (not understanding the hamster wheel yet) and think they must have no self control. While occasionally it might be a case of "get-off-the-couch- and-get-your-life-together", more often it's simply a case of the wrong foods wreaking havoc on your brain, your metabolism, your hunger, and your appetite. Get those foods out and watch the weight melt off, your moods balance, your energy increase, and your thinking become more clear. Essentially....a light bulb goes off and your body says, THANK YOU!

p.s. Would you like more support, tips, recipes, and monthly events? Join my FREE Facebook group: Stop Dieting and Live Your Life today!! 

I'd love to hear from YOU! When you made a switch to eating real foods what has your experience been like? Share below!

My favorite "processed" foods

Hey Hey Diva friends! Another week, another Friday!!!!

Recently I was taking to a friend of mine and one of the struggles she had was thinking of things to eat as a snack. When you're making a lifestyle change it can be totally daunting I get it! I've been there - multiple times.

I always like to keep it simple and encourage my clients to go back to the basics. Just eat real food. Did it come from a tree? Or did it come from a factory? You get the picture....

In todays world where we are constantly on the go whether it be trekking 4 kids to different activities or working in our busier than ever world, often we need something fast that we didn't have to make, that still falls within our goals and nourishes us as if we made it at home.

While this is a little more tricky, it's still doable. The TRICK is to read the label every time. If the label has a few ingredients that tell you you could make this item at home then go for it. If the label has 50 ingredients, half you don't recognize, and many -ides, -ates -oses and chemicals.....then skip it.

 My top 5 favorite "processed" foods

 

1. Simple Mills crackers. Simple Mills is an awesome brand that not only makes crackers, but they make cookie mixes, dessert mixes, pancake mixes, and even pre-baked treats as well. The reason I like them is because they try to not only keep the ingredients natural and healthy, but their goals is also to keep the ingredients minimal. That means, excluding spices, you'll normally find only 4-5 ingredient in each treat. And the ingredients are ones you don't have to worry about to boot.

My favorite flavors are Sun Dried Tomato and Natural Sea Salt.

2. Lara Bars

LaraBar brand's motto is "we believe in simplicity". Well, they also believe in flavor and each bar tastes amazing. Like I mentioned earlier, could you easily make your own Lara bar at home?! totally. I've done it, I've shared the recipe on this blog even. But when convenience without compromise is the priority, grab some Lara Bars and keep them in your purse! They now have crunchy seed bars and greens bars so you'll definitely be able to find a favorite, or two, or three :)

3. Rx Bars.

R.X Bars say it right on the label: "No B.S". You'll recognize every ingredient listed and get a nice boost of protein in each one too! I enjoy Chocolate Sea Salt and Maple Sea Salt but there are many others as well! They even have "kids" bars which are just smaller versions.

4. Shakeoogy. Truly one of the most nutrient packed snacks you can take on the go. This Shake is filled with superfoods from around the world, probiotics, digestive enzymes, and yes, some good ole protein too. I prefer the vegan version and my all-time favorite flavor is Vegan Chocolate. Legit tastes like cake - especially if you mix it with unsweetened Vanilla almond milk! Take it on the go, or add some PB or extras to beef it up as a meal!

5. Wild Rice Cakes.

They might be a little messy, but they are a great serving tray for some PB or almond butter! If you don't have an issue with rice or grains (always avoid grains with gluten, or genetically modified grains. Choose organic as much as possible) then wild rice cakes are a nice little treat. Top with PB and raisins, eat them plane, or create a savory snack with hummus and seaweed. I like the Lundberg brand!

Don't forget the fresh food snacks that are easy to take on the go as well like apples, bananas, grapes fresh off the vine, nuts, seeds or chocolate-free trail mix! 

What's your favorite on-the-go snack? I'd love to hear about it in the comments below! 

3 health concerns most women ignore

Hey Hey Diva friends!

Quick update for you :) January is off to a rocking' start!! I launched my very first Gut Health program #GetGutsyWithMe on January 15th and I'm already getting AMAZING feedback on the program, information, and recipes! This fills my heart with joy and happiness since it's my life's mission to help people make healthy changes in a doable, pleasant, and maintainable way!!

Stay tuned - Get Gutsy will be launching 2-3 times each year and you can expect edition #2  in a few months!

SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER TO STAY UP TO DATE!

I also chose to jump into the 80Day Obsession program by Autumn Calabrese! This is a beachbody program from the creator of 21 day fix. YES I'm a personal trainer, YES I could create my own workouts...YES MLMs like beachbody have a bad name (because of poor representatives I might add - not because of the products).... but I have seen GREAT success using at home programs, so have many of my clients and friends and heck...it saves me time and sanity to follow a program that's already designed! As I grow and focus on my OWN business, I enjoy popping down in my basement and not having to think about what to do next. #stressrelief If you want to join me just say the word!

I'm VERY pleased to announce that The Tiny Fit Diva podcast will be up and available to stream in February. We are currently working on a few last minute tweaks as well as preparing a few extra episodes for you to be on top of the game before we open it to the public :) GET EXCITED because Patrick and I share our best tips on this weekly show!

 I have many goals for 2018 and one habit I'm slowly beginning to implement is an organized morning. Last year I read miracle morning and I loved a lot of the ideas but didn't implement them right away. As I'm getting busier, I want to make sure my priorities don't slip, so in the evening I have been making a list of to-dos the next day and that includes the first few things I want  to get done in the morning which includes meditation, reading my Bible, and reading a personal development book! 

All in all, January is shaping up to be a pretty darn awesome month and I have more goals, dreams, and visions for the next few years that I can't wait to share with you as they come to fruition.....

Today's topic:

3 health concerns most women ignore

1) Poop. 

Man, it seems like this is all I'm talking about these days! Between Get Gutsy With Me, my podcast, personal conversations and now this blog....shew! I need t find another topic ;)

A common complaint that many of my clients have is inconsistent stools. Some may be constipated, some have diarrhea, or some fluctuate between the two. If you aren't having regular bowel movements and/or you have stomach pains that accompany inconsistent bowel movements you need to get it checked out! Consider ordering up a comprehensive stool test and/or a food sensitivities test. Often the two compliment each other well.

When you are constipated, your stool is literally putrefying in your body. Yuck! Stool is full of toxins that your body has broken down, processed, and passed through to successfully eliminate and get it out of your system. When it's held in, those toxins are getting reabsorbed which can cause an excessive toxic load on your liver, pain in your abdomen, and even issues with your mental clarity and energy, not to mention the potential damage and inflammation to your colon the longer this goes on!

If you regularly have constipation, diarrhea or a fluctuation between the two it can be an indication of food sensitivities, a bacterial imbalance or even a parasite. Ignoring these can lead to disease, chronic pain, chronic inflammation and even stomach cancer in the case of the H. Pylori an wildly common stomach bacteria. When inflammation and damage goes on too long in the body it can eventually lead to a suppressed immune system compromising your future health as well as your ability to recover.

2) Too much coffee during the day...

I almost titled this point "Fatigue" but when we rely on stimulants all day many people don't realize how tired they actually ARE. Many people will say " oh yes I feel fine, I get through my work day great!" but if you were to take away the caffeine, coffee or sugary beverages throughout the day these same people would crash and burn around 10am and have a tough time mentally and physically recovering to complete the rest of their day.

Limit yourself to 1 cup of (preferably black) coffee a day and keep that before noon. While extra caffeine throughout the day may give us the sensation that we have more energy, it's actually taxing on our body's natural energy production systems and can give us misinformation on how energized we actually are. The longer (later) caffeine is in out system the more it affects are ability to get to and stay asleep. We need to be able to rest when we are fatigued so that we can naturally reset and not rely on stimulants throughout the day.

Additionally, when you wake up your cortisol levels are at their highest for aproximately the first hour of the day. Cortisol (a steroidal hormone) gives you that energy to wake up and roll out of bed. Consider waiting to drink that cup of coffee until 1-2 hours after you wake to really maximize your body's utilization of the cortisol and the caffeine together.

3) Resistant weight loss

Many women thing "I'm just getting older", or "this is my life now" and lose hope when they struggle to lose weight in middle age ( or any age!). I'm here to tell you that weight loss IS possible and your body DOES want you to lose that stubborn belly fat. Weight loss resistance is a SYMPTOM and it's your body's way of telling you that something isn't right. Typically it's related to a stress response. 

When your body is stressed whether mentally, physically, or emotionally, it releases cortisol which increases insulin levels and therefore affects your ability to gain or lose weight efficiently. When your body is chronically stressed, in it's desire to survive it stores fat and shuts down non-essential functions such as proper digestion and fertility ability. aka - it messes with your hormones man!

Weight gain or the inability to LOSE stubborn fat is generally a signal to you that there is a hidden stressor somewhere in your life that needs to be removed. This could be anything from an emotionally stressor like a bad relationship, chronic stress like business at work or lack of proper sleep, or physical stressors like over exercising and/or food sensitivities causing inflammation and damage to your gut lining.

All 3 of these are problems that MANY women encounter and therefore many women consider them "normal". These are not normal and by no means are you meant to struggle with them for life. In fact, with some digging there may be a relatively simple answer. It may take time, and it may take work. I never said changes would be EASY, but they may be SIMPLE. 

Be your own health advocate, know your body, and don't "let it go" :)

Have you, or are you struggling with one of these? I'd love to hear from you - leave a comment below!

Soup your way to a healthier gut!

Hey hey Diva friends! Let's talk about soup and gut health....sounds good right? What is easier than indulging in some delicious soup in this cold weather?

Soup certainly doesn’t sound like any special life changing superfood. It’s soup, you’ve eaten it all your life. Yet soup has massive potential that often gets hidden behind nasty preservatives and less than ideal flavoring agents. The true beauty and nourishment happens with whole food ingredients and high quality homemade bone broth.

This is where the magic happens.

 

A daily soup made from local, seasonal ingredients and high-quality broth is better than any superfood or supplement out there. It’s a wholesome way to nourish your skin, immune system, joints, digestion and gut health. 

Homemade bone broth is rich in natural gelatin which is anti-aging and great for rebuilding  damaged intestinal lining. Making bone broth from scratch is as easy as throwing your leftover chicken carcass in a large pot of water and letting it simmer for 24 hours. This gets all the good stuff out of the bones and into the liquid.

Patrick makes an amazing broth with a few simple ingredients:

• chicken carcass
• onion
• carrots
• celery
• poultry spices ( rosemary/sage/thyme)
• salt

1. Place all ingredients in the crockpot, fill it up with water (purified!) and let it simmer for 24-48 hours. Use this as the broth base for any soup recipe, or simply enjoy a warm cup like coffee. 1-2x/day.

Note* let your broth cool after you have strained it (not TOO long as bacteria will grow quickly) and scoop off the fat layer that settles on top. The more fat the more healthy collagen is in your broth! Keep frozen or in the fridge for up to 5 days. If my broth is in the fridge 5-6 days or longer I simply make sure to boil it again before drinking.

Go to your local farmer’s market and get the freshest seasonal produce you can find. In the summer you may enjoy fresh garlic, beets and carrot in a homemade stock and blending with fresh dill. Served cold on a hot day with a drizzle of plain yogurt, this soup is refreshingly tangy and packed with nutrients.

In the Fall and Winter, soups made with root vegetables and hearty herbs like sage and rosemary are ideal. It’s all about sourcing local, pesticide-free vegetables for the most nutrient dense soups. Nothing you can buy from the store compares to what you can make at home with relatively little effort. 

The flavor base of every good soup should be sauteed onions, garlic and herbs. This is what all those flavor packs are trying to emulate. It doesn’t take long to cut up an onion and throw it in a hot pan with some olive oil, but it makes all the difference.

Add all ingredients to your blender and process until super smooth. Enjoy!!

If you’re seriously interested in getting healthy, restoring your digestion and boosting your energy then check out my new comprehensive program Get Gutsy With Me launching January 15th, 2018! 

In the program you get a ton of delicious satisfying recipes as well as strategies that will help rebuild your intestinal flora.

Not sure you're ready for all that?! Join me on my Facebook page Stop Dieting and Live your Life! where I’ll be sharing more information, tips and recipes to help you live a happier, healthier life. PLUS you'll receive free access to my Holiday Survival Guide along with extra recipes and support to navigate this holiday season with ease :)

Share YOUR favorite soup below!

bye for now!

4 Steps for a Successful Fitness Routine

Hey there Diva friends! 

I get questions all the time about working out, so I wanted to give you my top 4 tips to being successful!!! 

Top 4 workout tips

1) Have a plan. There's nothing worse for a personal trainer than going to the gym and seeing the same people walking on the treadmill for hours at a time days on end....why? Because they NEVER SEE RESULTS. I lied - perhaps there is one worse thing, and that's seeing people either completely avoid the weight rack or go over there an have no idea what they are doing, no concept of form, and no plan on how to reach their goals!!!!

So have a plan. Know the equipment. Be willing to ask questions. Get out of your current routine!!!! If your current routine was working, I have a feeling you wouldn't be reading this post :) 

Even if you DO have a plan or a goal like "I want to tone my arms" - do you know the number of reps that are optimal? The weight you should use? The rests you should take? Will you (be honest) push yourself hard enough when you're alone and show up as many times a week as you need to? If you are SUPER self motivated and disciplined then WOOHOO! But for the rest of us that leads me to point #2 :)

2) Get yourself a trainer! This might be long term, or it might be short term to familiarize yourself with proper form, what weights to use, how to create a program that works for you etc....Tell your trainer what your goals are and come up with a plan together. 

                            Even me!

If you can't afford a trainer or, like me, you ARE a trainer and want another option, use at home workout programs! I use Beachbody at home workout programs every day. Why? Because they are effective, planned (so I don't have to train myself!), and there is plenty of variety to keep me interested and challenged. PLUS I don't have to hit the gym when I'm not training clients, I can just get down in my tiny basement and get it done when I have time in my day!

Either way - live training or in home workouts - These are ways you can set goals, see what proper form is, have a set schedule, and reach past your own mental limits!

p.s. to get access to EVERY at home workout beachbody has PLUS 1 month of shakeology for ONLY $160, click HERE! You'll also be added to my monthly challenges where I post encouragement and meal plans!

3) Focus on nutrition. It doesn't matter how awesome your workout program is, if you aren't supporting it with good nutrition you WON'T see results!!! Nutrition is truly 90% of your success. It fuels your brain, your cells, your energy and your muscles! Without the proper nutrition you will feel tired, unmotivated, your muscles won't respond appropriately, and your body composition will stay the same. But WITH nutrition PLUS strength training your fat will burn off, your body composition will become leaner, stronger, more muscular, and you will reach a happy, healthy weight!

4) Don't forget to stretch. No matter who you are, what age you are, or how naturally limber you are, do NOT forget to stretch! Make sure you warm up sufficiently for the excercises you will do, and cool down long enough to bring your heart rate down and get those muscles lengthened back out after you've contracted and pushed them hard!

I hope this helps! If you want set up your FREE 30 minute consultation with me, just comment below or message me with your e-mail. Can't wait to chat more :)

By for now!

Taking the stress out of 21 day fix meal prep...

Hi there Diva friends! I get it....BELIEVE me do I get it. When I decided to hop on board the 21 day fix meal prep train about a year ago, I sat down, looked at the requirements and immediately felt super overwhelmed. I wanted to quit before I got started! I mean, I had a great thing going, I already ate paleo, I was at a healthy weight my workouts were good....

Honestly, if I hadn't had the pressure of the upcoming Beachbody Classic physique competition I probably never would have tried! But I'm glad I did because I've taken bits and pieces of what I learned to use more regularly (aka making tons of veggies over the weekend!), it helped me understand my challengers who go through the 21 day fix program, and it's always good to challenge myself with new things.

All that being said, I'm someone who likes to be efficient, get things done quickly, and enjoy my food. I mean - I LOVE FOOD. So I wanted to share this article on how to make meal prep more enjoyable, so that hopefully you can learn to love it too!

1) Take a Deep Breath

That might sound silly, but like I said - when I started I was super overwhelmed! If you're following a plan like the 21 day fix container system, then take a deep breath and break it down into easy steps. For example, step 1 is to write down at the top of my page how many containers I can have each day. For me that is Plan C which is 1800-1999 calories (by the way I don't encourage anyone to go below that plan!) so it's 5 Green containers, 5 Red (protein), 4 yellow (carb), 3 purple (fruit) 1 orange (seeds) 1 blue (healthy fat) and 5 tsp of oil. Make a tally at the top of your page.

Then I write my meals down like this:

B:

S:

L:

S:

D:

Once I have that outline I can choose my meals and fill in the blanks. I often find it's easier to start with a recipe for dinner and then fill in the gaps afterwards. If pineapple kabobs are for dinner that is 1 red, 1/2 purple and 1/2 green, so I write that down and can fill in the rest of my day accordingly! There are TONS of recipes out there that are "fix approved" and have the container equivalents all figured out for you. But don't be shy about using your favorite recipes and doing your best to guesstimate how it would fit in!

2) Keep it simple but don't get bored

In the beginning you are so overwhelmed that it's easy to just be basic and make one protein, one carb, one veggie all in bulk for the week. I would encourage you not to do that for a few reasons, one being that your body needs more nutritional variety that that would provide, and two if your food doesn't taste good you won't stick with the plan! 

*NOTE* Shakeology counts as 1 red, and provides lots of extra nutrients to your day so it's a valuable addition to any meal plan!!!! Plus it taste like a treat, boost your energy, curbs your cravings and provides probiotics (all from whole food, natural sources!)

I would encourage you to make a variety of options for each container and then mix and match within your day! You will end up finding that combinations are really good like sweet potato with chicken and broccoli, or rice with beef and asparagus!

Even within a single container think of fun combos you can make like peppers+onions+mushrooms+spices sautéed in water. That = a green container! 

Use lots of spices, seasonings and flavorful ingredients to keep it interesting. Last night my husband and I made a whole chicken, shredded it, added some spices to the bowl so it wouldn't be plain chicken, and then used the chicken carcass to make our favorite homemade bone broth! The bone broth can be used later to cook rice and quinoa more flavorfully, and of COURSE we will drink it too!

3) Be flexible

Anytime you try something new it's really easy to get super dogmatic about it like if you go "off plan" something terrible is going to happen. I'm all about a healthy lifestyle NOT dieting, so PLEASE if you ever meal prep with something as specific as 21 day fix, give yourself some grace! You will go out to eat - make the best choices you can and eyeball it! You will make casseroles for your family that don't allow you to portion everything exactly - do your best and don't stress!!!

21 day fix meal prep and other meal planning structures, are simply here to give you a guideline. It's not a religion, and I promise nothing bad will happen to you if you estimate that cup of blueberries instead of pulling out your purple container!!!!  :)

These guidelines are here to get you on track, teach you some basics about nutrition (hello 5 servings of veggies every day!!) and introduce you to tips and  tricks that allow you to prep a lot of food over the weekend and save time during the work week!

                        My lunch from today! 1 Red + 1 Green+ 2 yellow + 1.5tsp

4) Try it and then live your life

This system is NOT forever. If you've never tried it before I would encourage you to use it for about a month! Then I want you to live your life without portion control and calorie counting and simply listen to your body! As long as you are still eating the nutritionally dense, whole, healthy, real foods, you should be fine! This isn't a diet tool that you go off of and gain 10 pounds. There should be no fear associated with dropping the program....it's simple a step to get you started. 

Once you've figured it out an gotten used to how it works, the stress is gone and you can bang out a meal plan in no time! Pull it out every once in awhile as needed to get you back on track, and then let it go. Remember, it's a TOOL. Just one of many that you have in your arsenal!

Join my monthly challenge group for daily fun and accountability! Click here to sign up or message me for a personal recommendation! 

p.s. Play some music and get your hubby or friend to cook with you! An enjoyable atmosphere can make the process way more fun and doing it with someone makes the time go faster! :)

Supplements you should consider....

Hey there Diva friends!

It's so easy when you are trying to be healthy to get overwhelmed by all the supplements available! I need this for my joint pain, this for my brain health, this one for my skin and this one for my belly!!! Trust me, I understand. As someone who is working on balancing my own hormones and recovering from years of damaged gut health from NSAID use and poor eating habits, I pop a handful of supplements every day and don't bat an eye! 

But for the average person who is just looking to improve their overall health and doesn't struggle with any chronic or serious conditions, a handful of supplements multiple times a day is not appealing....and the question may arise, "can't I just get what I need from food?"

Yes. And no. Getting nutrition from food is optimal of course and any supplements you take should be of the highest quality and derived from whole food sources whenever possible! My first response to that question however, is that 99% of the American population is not eating a diet healthy enough to come even remotely CLOSE to providing the nutrition they need. Full of homogenized, oxidized vegetable oils, starchy/processed carbs, and sugar, a typical American diet can actually cause malabsorption of the nutrients you DO try to get in. But for arguments sake let's say you've hopped onto the Whole30 or Paleo/Primal bandwagon with me and your daily fare consists of grass-fed meats, pasture raised chicken eggs, fresh veggies, organic fruits, and high quality healthy fats....even THEN it's tough to get what you need for 2 reasons:

Why Take Supplements?

1) You simply don't get enough variety. Let's face it, we are creatures of habit! Unless you are the rare healthy unicorn that tries something new every time you go to the supermarket and you also love to cook creatively (bless you - can you come to my house?!), we typically pick up the same rotation of our favorite vegetables. For example, I eat kale, brussel sprouts, carrots, onions and peppers on the regular....but I hardly ever have rutabaga, parsnips, cassava, swiss chard, or spinach! This can be compounded if you have picky family members or kiddos to consider....So even as healthy as my family tries to be - it's flat out hard to get nutritional variety  - at least on the level that you need daily.

2) We aren't just building our health, we are repairing it! Consider that even if you are the model of health in your nutrition choices now, for the first 20-30 years of your life you probably weren't. Most of us were raised (at no fault of our parents) on cereal, PB&J, commercial dairy products, and processed meats.....not to mention the fast food treat (even if it WAS only once a week!). Because of those foods (all processed!) we have given our systems a great load to bear. (For more information on how these foods have affected our overall health and our gut health specifically see my previous post HERE). 

For that reason we spend the second half of our lives reversing symptoms, building up our health, healing our guts, and strengthening our brains, organs, skin, guts, and overall wellness. Essentially...catching up! Thankfully our bodies are survival machines that do the best with the building blocks they are given....so why not give them the strongest stone possible to build a wall of health instead of foam bricks or worse...nothing at all?

 

 

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For those two main reasons I recommend that everyone take at least 3 supplements daily.

Which supplements are best?

1) Probiotics. Probiotics are KEY! Raise your hand if you have ever been on a round of antibiotics? You need a probiotic. Raise your hand if you have ever taken tylenol, ibuprofen, and NSAID of any kind? You need a probiotic. Raise your hand if you have ever experienced food poisoning, acid reflux, burping, belching, constipation? You need a probiotic. Raise your hand if you have ever taken Tums, or pepto bismol? You need a probiotic!*

* There area few instances where a probiotic could exacerbate an underlying health condition - while less common, if you bloat out after taking a probiotic or eating a fermented food like sauerkraut you may need further testing to rule out some bacterial overgrowth.

                        Have you ever thought about this before???

WHY? Because all of those things point to an imbalance in your gut microbiome. Your gut is like your second brain - lots of what happens externally or symptomatically in your body starts with your gut! (See my post on gut health here). Taking all those OTC medications can damage your gut lining and if you've ever taken an antibiotic....well....your gut microbiome is NEVER the same. Dramatic? Yes. True? Sadly. Antibiotics wipe out not ONLY the bad bacteria but also the good....and its tough for your body to recover from that. Like I said, it's a survival machine but have you ever come back from antibiotics and experienced side effects like constipation? Now you know why! If and when you need to take antibiotics it's ALWAYS beneficial to take a probiotic at the same time to replenish the good stuff! You can listen to a GREAT podcast on gut microbiome HERE.

For more info on how probiotics work and why you need them read this article here.

2) Digestive Enzymes. Along the same lines as probiotics, digestive enzymes help you have a healthy gut. Enzymes help you break down your food and digest it properly. It makes it easier on your small intestines to then absorb the nutrients properly without causing inflamation and damage to your gut as discussed in my previous blog post! The right digestive enzyme can also help you avoid acid reflux and stomach upset. This is of course assuming you aren't using an enzyme to excuse poor eating habits! 

Sign up to join my June health challenge group here!

3) Remember how earlier we mentioned how hard it is to get all the good nutrition in that we need even when we are health nuts? Thats why I recommend everyone have a multivitamin. Preferably one derived from whole foods! A multivitamin is a great tool to cover your bases, make sure you are getting some vitamins in your system daily, even if you happen to get busy and eat the same thing every day in a row for the week ha! Who hasn't been there before?!

Where can I get these supplements?

Well, I could give you a list of highly recommended brands and individual supplements to take in pill form, OR, I could simply recommend Shakeology! Did you know that Shakeology includes probiotics, prebiotics (fiber that supports your probiotics so they can do their job), digestive enzymes AND tons of vitamins and minerals BECAUSE it's made from whole foods?! While kale may be in my diet, yacon root, bilberry juice, and moringa certainly are not! (except that they are because I drink Shakeology every day hehehe)

I'll be honest - as someone who was already on the path of eating whole, real, health conscious foods, a shake didn't appeal to me. But when I did my research I discovered that Shakeology is made from high quality whole food ingredients from around the world. The ingredients are wonderful, and the taste....well....I always say they must be hiding the fairy dust in the ingredient list because it's DELICIOUS. Chocolate vegan is my favorite!

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Many people tell me that at $130/month for Shakeology seems pricey. I would say the quality of your supplements matter. If you purchase 3 high quality supplements you are getting close to the cost of Shakeology without the additional benefits of getting a tasty snack AND dose of quality protein. Health is always an investment - you can pay now for something to improve your health, or you can pay later when you are popping the RXs and hitting the docotors office weekly.  Ask me how you can get a monthly discount on Shakeology to make it more affordable!

So to wrap up - if you're looking for better digestion, a healthier gut, and something tasty to get lots of vitamins in your day without chugging a kale smoothie....you DEFINITELY need to try Shakeology. If you have any questions, message me or comment below - but before you leave, I have to mention one more thing!

For $30 above the cost of Shakeology you can ALSO get a full year of streaming access to ALL the Beachbody at home workouts. You heard me - a full year! Click here for all the details. With ANY purchase comes access to my monthly challenges that include meal plans, encouragement, tips, live videos where you can ask me questions, and FUN!!!! We see results -are you ready to jump in yet?!

Order Shakeology ($130) HERE

Order the All Access Pack ($160) here

I love to hear from you! Comment below with questions, takeaways or topics you'd like covered in the future! :)

Bye for now! :) Here's to your health...