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How to make cooking fun
Hey hey Diva friends!!!
I know how daunting it can be to change your lifestyle and try to start cooking WHILE you are still absorbing information, learning new things, and trying to figure out whats what! I wanted to provide a few tips to help you make it more fun along the way.
1) MINDSET
Mindset is key in pretty much every area of our life isn't it? With our diet and lifestyle it's SUPER easy to let our mindset get in the way. We think things like "it's too hard", "It's too expensive", "I can't cook", "I have no time" etc....
There is a whole book you can read about this if you're interested!
Those are all excuses and I want you to drop them at the door! Anything you WANT to do you find the time, money, resources, and ability TO do! Cooking doesn't have to be hard, expensive OR time consuming! You just need the right mindset, the right tools, and the right plan :)
I would encourage you to shift from the difficulty mindset into the ADVENTURE mindset! Cooking is a really fun adventure! You find out new recipes you like, new flavors, new tricks, new tools, new spices etc! Plus when your body starts changing and you feel better, all of a sudden the effort is #worthit.
Along the same lines, be willing to try new things! Invest in a quality spice set that allows you to make multiple flavor combinations, follow new recipes, and not get bored.
Want to purchase some high quality spices from a trusted source? click here!
When you hit the store, make it your goal to stay in the produce section for 95% of your shopping trip and you can't go wrong. Grab a new fruit, a new veggie and research where it comes from and how to cook it!
Hot tip: If you google Paleo__"insert vegetable or recipe here"____ you will find a clean, whole foods, healthy way to cook almost anything!
Don't know what Paleo means? Read my last blog post all about it!
2) ATMOSPHERE
Spice up more than your food! Play some music and get in the MOOD to cook :) Whether you set aside 2 hours on Sunday to meal prep for the entire week or you enjoy 30 minutes every evening after work to get things chopped and in the oven, find your perfect pandora playlist and have some fun! Currently I'm on a French Cafe music kick thanks to our recent vacation. Find what inspires you, puts you in a happy place, and get to it!
Hey get crazy- maybe you'll end up with some fun kitchen karaoke!
If you have someone that will cook WITH you - even better! Kids? Have them participate by measuring things out or reading you the recipe!
3) KEEP IT SIMPLE
DON'T overcomplicate things.....again, we get stuck in this headspace that cooking has to be hard and cooking healthy must be even harder. WRONG! I am a simple kinda gal friends. I never wanted to be a "housewife" and I certainly never thought I would enjoy cooking but I do!
Check out this website for delicious recipes made with only a few ingredients...
I've really learned to love making food at home. I know what the ingredients are, I have control over the quality, AND I get to cook according to my own tastes and shake it up when I feel like it. In fact, over the past few years I've enjoyed eating away from home less and less. Honestly we almost never have the same meals 2 weeks in a row - I'm always looking for new recipes and while we have our favorites we are constantly trying new ideas.
One reason I love paleo recipes so much is because they are (most of the time) EASY! Hey - when you can have an incredible dinner by adding a spice rub to some meat, throwing it in the oven for 30 minutes while you cook some vegetables and maybe adding a tasty side or fruit? BOOM. I'm there.
Dessert? NO PROBLEM - I definitely have a sweet tooth and most paleo baking recipes go something like this: 1) mix the dry ingredients 2) mix the wet ingredients 3) throw it in the oven. In other words, paleo is basically Kylene proof. So if I can do it- you can DEFINITELY do it!
Admittedly some baking ingredients (almond flour, coconut flour etc....) can add up so if budgeting is important you might want to limit the desserts to 1 a week or less. Easier on your budget AND waistline!
Hot tip #2: Make a batch of brownies and freeze them! Your investment will save you from those late night cookie binges and satisfy any sweet craving when it hits.
Chick Pea Brownies (super inexpensive!)
Ok I've talked about how simple it is - SHOW ME THE RECIPES right? :) Resources are your friend when starting out. Having some foolproof bloggers that you know you can trust is the best! When my family started this process Elana Amsterdam saved us. She is beyond skilled in giving you the best tasting recipes with the fewest ingredients possible. Talk about simple! She also divides her website up by special dietary needs, so whether you are egg free, nut free etc....she has recipes for you clearly listed. Check out her website HERE!
Hope this has helped. Bye for now!
What the heck is paleo?
Hey hey Diva friends!
If you follow me on Facebook, know me in real life, or read this blog, then you have probably seen or heard me talk about PALEO recipes!!! You might know what that means or you might be thinking "I know she eats 'healthy' but what the heck is paleo?"
Never fear! I'm here to share :) It's a complicated question actually because there are a bunch of definitions! I'll give you the basics and then share why I eat the way I do, how's that?
Paleo actually stands for paleolithic nutrition....so....the way cavemen ate. Honestly my first thought was "uhhhh who cares?". I was just looking to be healthy. Turns out, paleo tends to be the most nutrient dense, whole foods, anti-inflammatory approach out there. So once I started reading about it, learning about WHY certain foods are eliminated and certain foods are included it made sense.
Super simple overview: Paleo = zero grains, legumes or dairy*, but includes grass-fed meats, wild caught seafood, pasture raised poultry, any and all veggies, tubers, squash, and fresh fruit, seeds, nuts.
*Dairy is a debated topic in the paleo world and that's mostly because lots of people can't tolerate it at all but some can. When it comes down to it it's all about your individual gut and response. When dairy IS "ok'd" it's organic, raw, and from grass-fed cows.
MY overview: There are about 50 shades of paleo. and that's OK! I'll give you an example. For a long time I included beans, rice, and eliminated dairy. Recently I was bummed to find several other food sensitivities so my diet has shifted again.
Not only is every BODY different, but you can change throughout your life as you get sick, heal, travel, are under stress etc.
Thats nice, but WHY should you give it a go? Why eliminate grains (or at minimum wheat flour and gluten-grains)? Super long scientific story short - because they cause inflammation.
If you look at the disease cycle it goes something like this:
Gut disruption--> inflammation-->symptoms-->disease
What causes gut disruption? Certain foods like wheat flour, dairy, some legumes, etc... For more information gut health check out my previous blog post HERE.
Look - you might not care about the science stuff - you might not care about what your ancestors ate.
You might not care about a "diet".
Good cuz neither do I.
What I care about is fueling my body with the best nutrition out there -giving my brain, my cells, and my organs the building blocks necessary for a long, healthy, and energetic life. What that boils down to is good nutrition which is comprised of whole, real, non genetically modified non-processed ingredients. The easiest way I have found to do that is by using paleo guidelines and recipes :)
Bottom line: It's not a diet - it's not a religion - it's a healthy way of living. I'm for that- I bet you are too!
Hope that helps! Have you tried paleo? What's your experience been like? What are your favorite recipes? I'd love to hear from you!
Bye for now :)
All about food sensitivities and getting tested...
Hey Hey there Diva friends!!
Many of you may have seen my recent video talking about my MRT blood test results that showed me several SURPRISING food sensitivities that I have....if not keep reading! (or watch here-->)
"Whyyyyyyy??", "Are you KIDDING me?", "I can't believe I have a reaction to that""waaaahhh that's my favorite." Were just a few thoughts that ran through my mind as I read my results. But THEN it gave me hope. Hope that this is another piece to my puzzle of health...a missing link so to speak that can take me a few steps closer to where I want to be. Let me explain why...
When you are ingesting food that your body then has a negative reaction (sensitivity) to, this causes inflammation and a cascade of stress inside your body whether you can recognize it or not! The thing about food sensitivities is....you often don't "see" them. We are so used to looking at the dramatic examples with anaphylactic shock, hyves, swelling, etc....the only difference with a food sensitivity is it's you can't SEE it, so we often don't put 2 and 2 together, and/or we write it off as unimportant.
See how eating foods you are sensitive to can affect your gut here
For example...since it's not life threatening, shows up within DAYS instead of MINUTES, and can be related to what we consider "normal" things like gas, bloating, a day of bad poop, acne, etc....we often don't think about it or recognize the connection....but long term these "little" sensitivities can affect your hormone balance, immune system and potential, or susceptibility, for chronic disease!
What's even CRAZIER is that the most seemingly benign foods can be causing this which, in my case, is EXACTLY what was happening....
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This (potentially) explains SO MUCH! I had already eliminated the major common allergens - wheat and dairy. I was even pretty low on my consumption of grains and beans! But...after all that, I would still have some issues of bloating, fatigue, etc.... now granted, I've come a long way from the debilitating stomach pains, the kill me now PMS cramps that lasted for HOURS at a time and render me completely useless for the day, the rosacea on my face etc etc.... BUT even with all those amazing improvements I'm on a journey and want to see HOW healthy I can be! Feeling fatigued at the most inopportune times, struggling with getting my hormones back to a desired level.... those are things I am determined to solve...These things brought me to my FDN certification which in turn brought me to the MRT food sensitivities testing and I'm happy it did.
Come to find out, food I NEVER would have considered as being reactive are top on my list when I got the results back. Chicken, carrots, cinnamon, vanilla, blueberries, and avocado were all reactive foods (as were several others but these ones really hurt!). These are foods I eat not just regularly but weekly if not DAILY!!! Even MANY times a day!!! No WONDER I still have some recurring issues... my goodness!
So then - that gives me HOPE! While I have to eliminate everything on my reactive list (including BANANAS and mint!) for 90 days, I also expect to see some great results from that.
Another thing to keep in mind with food sensitivities is that they aren't always forever. When I get retested in 3 months or so, there is the potential that after fully eliminating the irritants and adding some things into my lifestyle and diet to HEAL my gut, the list may be much smaller. That's the goal!
One major reason I think EVERYONE should get this test is because of how HIDDEN these stressors can be! It's tough to detect on your own because not every sensitivity you have would be an obvious or even common one (hello chicken?!), so getting tested gives you a clear path forward.
It's not necessarily an easy thing to do - the test is an investment and if you aren't willing to put in the work I wouldn't waste the money. You HAVE to be willing to go through a mental transformation as well as a physical one because trust me - it can be overwhelming at first. But this I know. You CAN do it, and if you're willing to, I can help you get through it!
If you are interested in getting this test done make sure to send me an e-mail! Or go to my FDNP link at the top of the page to set up your FREE 30 minute discovery call to find out if working together is the right choice for you!
I'm looking forward to helping YOU reach YOUR optimum health goals too!
Bye for now!
If you didn't see my video check it out here! See my reaction, my results, and my PLAN!
Relaxing on the water at Lake Austin
Hey Hey Diva friends!
Patrick and I just got home from our week long birthdaversary extravaganza :). Each year we try to take a full week to disconnect from the world, reconnect with each other, and relax in a beautiful setting.
This year we chose the Lake Austin Spa and Resort. We aren't really the the kind of people who enjoy sitting on the beach for more than a day or so, so we choose places that allow us to be active, eat healthy, and experience new things. As a health and fitness coach it almost turns out to be a business trip for me because I'm inspired, I learn from the classes, I observe other trainers, and I come back reinvigorated to share my new knowledge with my clients.
I wanted to share a few things that make LASR special, namely, the view, the classes, the food and the people.
The View
The resort has been a staple in Austin for many years. Celebrities like Sandra Bullock will stop by the spa for a treatment and many guests at the hotel will tell you that they come back every year. One lady shared that this was her 32nd visit!
It's easy to see why the resort is so popular - anywhere you look is a relaxing view. Set right on the lake you can take walks, hammock, or eat your meals, all with scenic view.
Being on, or near water is itself very relaxing, and for me personally, it brought a lot of childhood memories back from when my family would visit Spring Lake, MI every summer. Even if you aren't looking at the lake, the resort has provided beauty wherever you go. I was constantly stopping to take pictures of the beautiful flowers and landscaping throughout the property.
The Classes
I know this sounds weird, but when we are looking for a vacation destination I LOVE it when they have an activities calendar!!! Lucky me, LASR has health talks, cooking classes, fitness classes, hikes, meditation classes, yoga, boating cruises, and more. Every day we would get up, review the activities schedule (about 1000x) and make sure we had signed up for the ones we really wanted to do. Most of the activities were free and a few (like skiing) you could pay extra for.
I hadn't skied in probably 15 years and had such a BLAST!!
Beyond the scheduled activities and classes, you could simply hop down to the dock and ask to use their hydro bikes (literally a floating water bike) a pedal paddle (stair stepper on a paddle board) or kayak! They also had a fun floating mat that was anchored just off the dock. It was green so I called it the Lily Pad. You could hop off the dock, swim over, and float your cares away :)
Speaking of activities, don't leave without getting a spa treatment! Patrick and I chose to get facials and massages at different times during the week and both were fantastic. The massage really stood out to me because Elizabeth (I'd ask for her if you go!) beat the crap out of my back! I asked for deep tissue and where many massage therapists shy away from really getting in there, she let me have it which is just what my sore muscles needed. The whole massage was amazing and she would regularly check in to make sure it was what I was looking for. Patrick said his massage was great too - "definitely a 9-10" in his words ( and to be honest, we're pretty picky about our massages).
The Food
Oh boy oh boy oh boy. Let me just tell you - Stephane Beaucamp (yes he is from Paris France) is the REAL DEAL. Not only did he study from the best chefs in France, but he came over to America, started his career and found himself serving 3 oscar viewing parties for Elton John! As Stephane tells it, the LA life was stressful and exhausting so he found himself looking for a change in scenery. Lake Austin provided just that, and so he stayed.
It was really nice to talk with him, get to know his story, and hear a little about his food philosophy. He is very health conscious and many of the options on the menu were gluten free, dairy free, or both! The resort has several gardens where they grow their own herbs, squash, etc... making the food that much more flavorful and delicious. You can even clip some herbs on your way out, in fact they encourage you to do so!
You won't be disappointed with the food and you don't have to feel guilty indulging as the portions are small, and you know the ingredients are quality!
While we did opt for some more protein dense breakfasts like omelettes, or fruit + eggs + bacon on some days, we also loved some of their gluten free breakfast treats like blueberry cornmeal pancakes!
I left yesterday morning with French Toast that they modified with gluten free bread for me! It was #worthit
For lunch you could hop in and put together a delicious salad from the salad bar, or you could sit down and order a plated meal. Or both! We mostly opted for the salad bar which was just right for our mid day pick me up. One day we even took a salad to go on our afternoon boat ride :)
Dinner was a regular menu + a daily specials where every evening you would have new fish, meat, or vegetarian dishes to choose from. Plus of course....dessert :)
Again - the quality of the food was spectacular and as someone who is gluten free and mostly dairy free, vacationing can be tough - This place not only provided options, but they were phenomenal options. and if something could be modified to accommodate a request - they would do it!
When you stay overnight all your meals are included, so you can order breakfast lunch and dinner freely with no extra charge (or tip!). In addition to your meals you are provided with water, tea, lemonade and coffee that are out daily for you to grab as needed. And don't forget that snack in the "living room" at 3pm (if you have time between activities or naps).
The People
I really saved the best for last. You could have the most spectacular view, the best food, and greatest activities planned but without the right people it could still be a negative experience! Thankfully LASR has hired the best. Like any establishment there are bound to be those stars that shine a little brighter and throughout the week we found a few favorites that we really connected with.
Kamryn - she was our boat dock girl! We loved her constant smile and enthusiasm for being around the water. Growing up on the lake she had lots of cool historical facts and she could tell us who owned some of the mansions we would drive by (like the Dell estates....you know like DELL computers?!).
Lauro - ok, I had a little fitness crush on Lauro. One of the fitness instructors there, he was the nicest guy but MAN did he know how to kick your butt in the workouts! We went to as many of his classes as we could during the week. Ps. I took notes so if you're one of my clients, just let me know you want to try "the Lauro" :)
Michael - he was a really interesting guy! Originally from Australia, he is ah holistic nutritionist and trainer who worked for several years at the Biggest Loser in CA before moving to Austin where he now works privately for a family in addition to training at LASR and giving health talks. He is a no BS kinda guy and he makes you push your limits while telling you its your own choice :)
Andrei was one of the welcome desk attendants and he stood out because every time you saw him he was smiling! I finally asked him where he was from (detecting a slight accent) and found out he's from Moldova. Where the heck is that?! (I didn't know). It's smooshed in between the Ukraine and Romania. He speaks English, Russian, Ukrainian and Romanian because.....yeah :) Super positive, happy guy.
Liz and Remi ahhhh....I don't know if it is Liz' gentle spirit, Remi's dry wit, a combination of both, or just the fact that the service seemed to be best when they were working, but these to gals were our favorite hostess and server. We always smiled when they were on duty :) And yes....I was that guest that got a picture with them when we left!
Liz our lovely hostess and Remi our server gal
Oh and I can't forget to mention the guests themselves! The best way I can describe this experience is like adult summer camp. So whether you are more focused on relaxing and frequent the meditation and stretching classes, or you really want to be worn out so you hit all the bootcamp classes you are sure to run into the same people over and over that have similar interests. You sweat together, you relax together, you eat together. By the end of the week you are wishing it was HS so you could pass around your yearbook and have everyone sign it :)
I really hope you get to visit soon - you'll get to hula hoop, learn about acupuncture, take some cooking classes and just relax by the water. If you can't make it, I hope that this post has inspired you to search out some vacation spots that allow you to eat health and stay active so you don't have to "recover" when you come home :)
Happy Travels! 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!
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!
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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 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...
3 Steps to Healing your Gut
Hey there Diva friends! Kylene here, enjoying this BEAUTIFUL day and thinking about all the wonderful things I want to share with you in the coming months....but today I'd like to talk about something I'm SUPER passionate about and that's gut health!
Have you ever wondered WHY everyone is suddenly getting food sensitivities, IBS, bloating, indigestion, acid reflux, celiac etc....? Why are autoimmune diseases becoming more and more prominent? Why are imodium, Ex-Lax, gas-x and tums part of every American's medicine cabinet? Why does everyone seem to have a sensitivity to SOMETHING?
Or maybe you haven't wondered...you just think that these things are part of life, aging, eating rich foods and that it's "normal"....
A few years ago I had INTENSE stomach pains. So bad in fact that I had to leave work several times because I would be doubled over on my desk incapable of doing anything productive. I remember one specific instance where I went home and took everything available in the medicine cabinet aka excedrin, pepto bismol, tums, ibuprofin....WHATEVER could help the pain go away. But nothing seemed to work!
This happened enough times that I was pretty concerned and thought "could I have an ulcer?""is it stress?" "What could this be?" I had nowhere near the understanding of nutrition and gut health that I do today, but somewhere in my mind I connected that maybe it had something to do with what I was eating....or rather drinking....so I cut out soda for YEARS. Thankfully after that the pain pretty much went away. That isn't to say that everything ELSE I was eating was healthy....but this is what I have found out. Our bodies are INCREDIBLE at healing themselves... and what I now believe I was struggling with is something called gut permeability. The soda exacerbated my already irritated gut lining, and removing it didn't necessarily HEAL it, but at least it stopped the pain.
What the heck is gut permeability?
So glad you asked :) Gut permeability is the fancy term for what is commonly referred to as "leaky gut". And that my friends is EXACTLY what it sounds like.
See these little guys? These are the little villi, or teeny tiny hairs, that line your small intestine! They are coated by even tinier hairs! These villi keep things moving in your gut - they wave around and protect your gut lining, absorb the nutrients you NEED, and keep the bigger and/or bad particles OUT of your blood stream. But what happens when you have leaky gut? These little guys can't do their job. The hairs get separated or damaged and then particles get into your blood steam that aren't meant to be there!!! Depending on the damage, large particles of food can fall in between the villi into the blood stream or if there is significant damage the particles can even be absorbed through them inappropriately.
This of course causes all sorts of irritation, inflammation and food sensitivities!
What Causes Gut Permeability?
Let me back up here for just a second because I just said that gut permeability can cause food sensitivities....but what do you think causes gut permeability in the first place? You guessed it.... food sensitivities! I'll explain:
Step 1) We eat food that causes irritation. Many foods we have been told are "healthy" are the worst culprits! The biggest reason for that is genetic modification - the "food" is no longer in it's created state and cannot be digested properly (an entirely separate blog post!)
Step 2) That food damages the villi and loosens the tight junctions in the gut, lowering our immune system, allowing food particles into the blood stream that shouldn't be there, and causing symptoms (p.s. symptoms are some of the LAST things to occur NOT the first!) like acid reflux, constipation, indigestion, pain, acne, bloating etc....by the time you feel symptoms, something is going wrong inside!
Step 3) Your gut is inflamed and irritated....because of that, many foods that may normally be fine are now being labeled by your body as irritants! For example: Let's say wheat and dairy (usually the top 2 most common inflammatory foods!) are the actual culprits that started step #1 in your body. Once you are having gut pain, intolerances, belching, etc....your body has probably labeled a few other foods as irritants as well. If at this point you took a food sensitivity test you may be alarmed at the long list of foods that are on it. "Avocado?! Eggs?! No way! I know these aren't bad for me and there's no way I can be sensitive to them" is what you might think. And in most cases you'd be right! The good news is that once your gut is healed many of those foods can be brought right back in with no problem. Foods that are KNOWN gut disrupters remain gone forever.
So how can I heal my gut?
Step 1
Remove the offensive foods. Whether or not you take a blood test to know the full list of irritants, there are many common offenders that everyone can try at home through a simple elimination diet. An elimination diet should last for approximately 1 month (or longer) and means that you eliminate any food that can cause inflammation, gut damage, or sensitivities. After that time you can go through a guided process of reintroducing those foods one by one into your diet to see how you react to them individually.
The most common irritants are grain (all), wheat (specifically) and dairy (depending on the person this can be all dairy or just low quality dairy). A few less common are legumes, nuts and nightshades (like tomatoes). Sugar is also inflammatory and processed sugar should be avoided.
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Step 2
Step 2 is crucial and step 1 and 2 will not be as successful without each other. While you are removing the foods that cause irritation you also need to bring in foods that can soothe, heal, and repair your gut!
My top 3 favorites are: Collagen, Bone Broth, and Gelatin. I love to add Collagen to my Shakeology, drink bone broth like coffee (homemade is the best!) and occasionally I'll make homemade jello from the gelatin! You can find a great Jello recipe HERE.
Fermented foods like Sauerkraut and kombucha are also really beneficial to boost your healthy gut bugs and a high quality probiotic is a good choice. A note on fermented foods and probiotics: If you begin taking these and notice bloating afterwards it may indicate some further bacterial issues and require further testing which leads me to step 3...
Step 3
Be willing to get some testing done, work with a practitioner, or coach that is familiar with the process and can help guide you through the elimination diet. Resources, encouragement, and knowing you are not alone can be invaluable! When I work with my clients sometimes they just need to be HEARD. We can laugh that they aren't crazy, and it makes the process more fun to have someone that can support you every step of the way. It's also great to have access to someone you can email and say "hey - I'm going out to eat is this ok?" or, "I'm really craving this right now - any recipes for me". They also find relief in knowing that I do the work of finding good recipes for them so they don't have to google, guess, and experiment!
Often when you have gut dysfunction you are struggling with several other things like skin issues, fatigue, hormone balance, joint pain, or more....The body is very connected and much of our health begins in the gut....which begins with what we eat! So it's great to work with someone who can guide you, test instead of guessing, encourage you, and help you resolve it from the ROOT cause - not just cover up a symptom!
Want more? Make sure to sign up for my my newsletter here!
Still have questions? E-mail me for a free 30 minute consultation :)
Here's to your gut health!
When "normal" simply isn't....
How many of you have ever been to the doctor only to be told "The tests say nothing is wrong with you." or, "It's all in your head" or, "there's nothing I can do for you....it sounds like you need an anti-depressant?"
More than likely if you have struggled with extreme fatigue, hormone issues, anxiety, inflammation, headaches, joint pain, or any number of other chronic but not life threatening (well immediately anyway) illnesses you are probably frustrated by similar responses from your physician. You've probably tried several doctors, taken lots of blood tests, and are sick of hearing the tests are "normal". Maybe you have even begun to believe there is nothing you can do to feel better!
I was talking to a client about this earlier, which led to me thinking about this blog post, and then I received an e-mail from my subscription to Mark Sisson's Daily Apple regarding a similar topic - you can read his blog post here. It's cosmic!
To learn more about my journey click HERE
As I go on, I don't want you to misunderstand me, I LOVE doctors. They are skilled and educated people who save lives. Heck, a few weeks ago they saved my finger and thanks to their fast, kind, and careful work pretty soon you may not be able to tell that I caught it in a blender! They have a skill set that is very specific and that is to SAVE your life. Not necessarily to make sure you have an OPTIMAL one in the meantime.
So WHY when you are feeling so bad do your tests come back "normal"? (if they are even willing to give you tests at all. When I asked my doctor in 2015 about testing my hormones she said i didn't need to as long as i was getting my periods regularly....). Simply put if you were able to get tested and you feel like crap but your numbers were "normal" it's because clinical ranges are very broad. And again, doctors are looking for something that is life threatening. Which is FINE - that's why they are there.....
But there is a whole segment of the population that needs MORE. Like me. I knew that I needed hormone support. I knew that something was wrong. I know my body and I know myself and when I feel lethargic, unmotivated, unable to handle stress and TIRED ALL THE TIME, i knew that wasn't "normal".
Through nutrition I have already come REALLY far! I went for YEARS with painful monthly cramping to the point where I would be on the floor in total agony just WAITING for it to go away. I couldn't function and the pain was unbearable. Thankfully it happened frequently and consistently enough that I knew it WOULD go away within a few hours, but it was difficult to take in the meantime.
Subscribe to my Youtube VLOG here documenting my FDN journey to better hormones!
There was also a time I had severe stomach pains - different than the cramps but similar in the amount of pain. I would double over not understanding where they came from - was it an ulcer? What was happening? At the time I thought "well soda is super acidic maybe thats the problem?" So I gave it up for a really long time and sure enough that helped!
Eventually, through a healthier diet and lifestyle both of these issues went away completely. Unfortunately, due to all the years of BAD nutrition AND stress, I still have residual things to heal from and right now my main focus is on healing my hormones and restoring them to optimal, healthy levels. While nutrition has helped TREMENDOUSLY ( I cannot underscore that enough and will come back to it later!) there is extra support needed!
Through the process of searching, researching and learning the past few years.... I found FDN!
FDN stands for Functional Diagnostic Nutrition and when I graduate I will be an FDN-P (practitioner). So what's the difference? Yes FDN-P's still test. Test don't guess! BUT the ranges are very different. FDN test ranges are very small and based on OPTIMAL health. That way we can really see where you ARE, if it correlates to how you FEEL, how far we have to go, and what healing opportunities are available whether it be through organ detoxification, hormone support, digestive support and/or further testing!
One thing I love about the FDN approach is their DRESS for success™ approach. DRESS stands for: Diet, Rest, Exercise, Stress Reduction and Supplementation.
This approach fits into my personal view that you have to attack health issues from a whole world, whole body, whole lifestyle perspective....if you really want to see a long term change and NOT just treat the symptoms that is!
I won't be certified to test for a few more months. HOWEVER, you can always start on the Diet step TODAY! And I'm happy to help you with that. No matter where you are or what your goals are, nutrition is KEY and if you are using supplements or hormone support they simply will not be as effective if this step isn't already securely in place to support your system and help them do their job! You may even see some awesome results JUST from this step alone!
You might feel embarrassed to admit you feel tired all the time. Maybe your friends give you a hard time about it, maybe you have struggled over and over to lose weight but you just CAN'T. Or maybe you are just annoyed of hearing you're "normal" but you don't feel like that's the answer....let's chat :)
p.s. I'm going to leave this nifty picture here to get your wheels spinning about how much chaos stress in your life can cause in your physical body....AND (more importantly) the areas that you can support, detox and potentially heal through DRESS™!
p.p.s. Message me to chat about nutritional support, getting on my FDN waitlist, or simply chatting to see if working together is a good fit!
Easy Paleo Spaghetti
Happy Monday!!!! Sooooo who doesn't LOVE spaghetti? I think it's one of the top recipes that people dread giving up when they look into eating healthy, trying Whole30, going gluten-free or living the paleo lifestyle. But lucky YOU I'm here to tell you you don't need to suffer.... there are several different ways I make this dish now and I don't miss the "original"! Here's just one version that I think you might enjoy :)
Ingredients:
- 1 pound grass-fed ground beef or bison
- 1 Jar organic spaghetti sauce with no sugar added. Read the individual labels or check out the brand I used below!
- Mushrooms
- Zoodles (spiraled zucchini and/or squash)
Directions:
*I used premade noodles from Whole Foods. If you have a spiralizer, you can get a few zucchini and squash and make the noodles yourself.
1. Heat up the zoodles with some coconut oil until tender
2. Meanwhile, in a separate pan brown the beef.
3. When the zoodles are done, strain them in the sink and use that pan to heat up the spaghetti sauce.
4. Chop up the mushrooms and add them into the sauce.
5. Add the meat to the sauce, heat through, and serve on top of the zoodles!
Be as creative as you want with this! dd your favorite spices, make your own meatballs, go crazy! I think next time I will cook the noodles in olive oil and fresh garlic to add some extra flavor!
Most of all, ENJOY :)
(part 3) Top reasons people fail at achieving their health goals....
#1- TIME. #2- PLAN #3-SUPPORT!
Raise your hand (don't worry I can't see you) :P if you have ever stopped working towards a goal because you did't have support, motivation, or accountability? If you're being honest I think all of us would raise our hands for that.
Life is busy, and if you don't have support you are way less likely to follow through with something that is hard. I know that changing your life, your nutrition, and your habits IS HARD! According to Forbes.com, "Social support is critical. One of the most effective things you can do is to get an accountability partner, someone who checks in with you daily or weekly. It’s easy to break a promise to yourself, but far harder to admit it to a friend."
So let's recap the past few days:
- We need to be efficient with our TIME
- We need to have a solid PLAN
- We need something to keep us ACCOUNTABLE
These are simple steps that you can take to become one of the 8% that achieve their New Years resolutions. Only 8%! That means when you accomplish your goal you'll be in an elite group of people who stayed committed and did something amazing.
When I began participating in Beachbody challenge groups it was accountability and friendly competition really helped me become consistent. Sure I'd had spurts of fitness in the past, but I would always quit eventually or take too many days off. Hello stack of at home DVD programs that were just gathering dust! The challenge groups helped me because I knew I needed to check in and for the first time I began finishing these crazy at home programs 100%. Because of that my body started changing, my mindset shifted, and ultimately it changed my whole life! I'm not saying that to be dramatic.....participating in my first challenge group literally changed my life. Within a few months I made the decision to leave my masters degree in vocal performance and become a coach full time!!! Are you ready to change YOUR life?
I'm passionate about coaching because I know how it has helped me, and I have seen how the support, community, encouragement, and daily accountability in my challenges has helped others too. But don't take my word for it . Sarah says,
"From the beginning of my participation in Kylene’s challenge groups she has been patient, supportive, kind and pushy when I needed her to be. It’s great when you give your coach permission to do something and they actually do it! Coaches are there to help you achieve and do more and that’s exactly what Kylene does for me!”
This is your personal invitation to join my March challenge group. I'm inviting you to:
- SAVE TIME by using 30 minute at home workouts.
- Have a PLAN by using programs that are proven to work give you the results you want.
- Receive SUPPORT by connecting in the challenge group with others on the same journey.
DON'T WAIT the challenge begins Monday but it opens on Facebook today! How to get started:
- Message me with questions (let's come up with a personal plan!)
- Reply "I'm in!" to get started
I can't wait to help you achieve your goals and join the 8%!
YOU can do it. I'll guide you EVERY step of the way!
Top reasons people fail at achieving their health goals (part 2)
Yesterday we learned that one of the top struggles people deal with is TIME....
Today I want to talk about having a PLAN. To be successful, it's very important to have a plan both for fitness AND nutrition. Those two things are intimately connected and while nutrition can sometimes stand alone, fitness should never be separated from nutrition!
When it comes to time spent at the gym, most people simply don't know what to do. I know for a long time I didn't either! You may go the gym with every good intention, excitement even! The you look around, feel very overwhelmed, and possibly embarrassed, because you aren't sure how to use the equipment or even know what muscles to focus on, what weights to use, or how many reps to do to be effective....so you may try some free weight exercises that you learned in high school just to get it in, or you hop on the cardio machines and sweat away for hours at a time.....but still you are constantly frustrated because you aren't seeing the results you want!
This is nothing to be ashamed about, but it IS something that can change. The number 1 thing I would encourage you to do is learn about free weights and begin to lessen your cardio efforts. If you learn how to do circuit training with free weights you will be killing two birds (or 3) with one stone as you:
- increase your bone density, balance, coordination (benefits of weight training)
- AND improve your cardiovascular abilities (benefits of circuit training)
- Cut your workout time in half!
Most gyms have trainers available and if you choose to workout at a gym I would encourage you to use one! Proper form, timing, and a planned program are important to your success and injury prevention.
Or, you have another option. Allow me help you find your perfect at home workout program! With clear, guided instructions, access to me for any questions you have and a pre-planned results driven program all laid out, I know you will reach your goals faster than before! You may wonder why as a certified personal trainer I still do at home Beachbody workouts myself....#1 because they are effective -plain and simple! But #2, they save me TIME and PLANNING! I don't want to sit down and create my OWN program, that's like a doctor coming up with their own protocol. Possible, but no fun. I know that I see results from these programs and all I have to do is push play and show up! That works for me, and I know it can work for you too! :)
Similarly, like we mentioned yesterday, consistency is key in nutrition...and I believe that nutrition is 90% of achieving your overall health goals as well as a goal number on the scale. That 90% cannot be achieved without a plan!
I know firsthand how difficult transitioning to a healthy diet can be! It's takes TIME, it takes PLANNING, it takes RESEARCH it takes commitment....who has energy for THAT when you are trying to get everything else done?!
That's why I focus a lot on nutrition in my monthly challenge groups. I have spent the past 5 years gathering information for myself, implementing it, trying different things, and finding out what WORKS. In the past year I have worked with my challengers and even individual clients to help them reach their goals and learn how to make healthy living a lifestyle! In my challenge groups I share:
- how I eat and why
- how I broke free from the yo-yo diet mentality
- how I can eat whatever I want whenever I want because I now know what ingredients to use.
- how to get relief from a restrictive mindset, enjoy your food, and make it work FOR you not against you!
I do all of this to save you the time, energy, and effort that it took me! I provide meal plans, tips, encouragement and recipes to make it easy for you. You will be provided with all the tools and resources you need to be successful longterm!
So who is ready to come up with a PLAN?! I have a new challenge group opening March 6th ( that's THIS MONDAY!) You can message me for details, ask for a video chat consultation, or just let me know you're ready to jump in and we can GET STARTED TODAY!
Top reasons people fail at achieving their health goals (part 1)
According to Bodybuilding.com, 73% of people who set a new years resolution give up on it before they have reached their goal. Within that number, 36% said that it's difficult to find the time to workout consistently.
We all know that in order to reach our goals consistency is key! One bite of broccoli isn't going to counteract years of eating pop tarts. But consistently choosing vegetables over packaged treats WILL make a difference long term. Similarly, one time at the gym every couple of weeks will have no effect, but finding time in your day regularly and showing up as a habit WILL.
I totally get it, making time for working out is tough - by the time you motivate yourself to get moving, get dressed, go outside in the cold to drive to the gym, get to the gym and workout by yourself, then drive home and shower you've probably used up about 2 hours of your precious time!
When you have spouse, kids, and work obligations 2 hours is giving up a lot of time that could be spent planning your day, eating breakfast with your family, sleeping in, or otherwise being productive!
That's why I LOVE Beachbody at home workouts. I used to have every good intention of getting to the gym on a regular basis and forcing myself to workout for an hour every time. But honestly, I would make excuses like it's too cold out or flat out say "I don't want to today". But when I started using my at home workout programs that all changed. When I know that all I have to do is get my body down in my basement and push play then I truly eliminate all my excuses! With most workouts timing in at 30 minutes or less, I began to see BETTER results in LESS time than I ever had before!
*Less time
*Better results
*Don't have to spend time figuring out my own workout
*Just push play
*100s of workouts at my disposal
If you haven't checked out the Beachbody on Demand ALL ACCESS pack yet, you NEED TO NOW! This provides you with access to EVERY Beachbody at home workout for a full year - PLUS the new workouts that will be launched in 2017. This means you can choose from cardio, bodybuilding, yoga, strength training, dance, and more... you'll never get bored AND you won't run out of new challenges and variety to keep it interesting.
I am more than happy to chat about your goals so that we can come up with an effective and doable plan for you to achieve them! This is just part 1. Stay tuned for more tips on achieving your goals in the next few days!
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Here's to your optimum health!
Easy "Cheesy" Broccoli Soup!
Hi there friends, if you don't know by now, I am all about fast and easy when it comes to food. While I expect my food to be high quality in both taste and nutrition, I don't want to slave away in the kitchen. That being said I came across this recipe, tweaked it, and wanted to share it with you!
This soup is dairy free, but somehow still tastes delicious, creamy and cheesy! The original recipe is from The Spunky Coconut and her cookbook Easy Paleo Meals!
Ingredients:
- 1-2 heads of broccoli
- 4oz of mushrooms sliced
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups roasted and salted cashews
- 1TBS grass-fed butter
- 1 onion chopped
- Fresh garlic chopped - 3cloves ( or to taste)
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- 1-2 tsp turmeric
- himalayan sea salt
- squirt of brown mustard
- dash of lemon juice
Directions:
- Cut the broccoli into florets and steam unit desired texture
- Meanwhile, blend the chicken broth, cashews, turmeric, mustard and lemon juice together until creamy. This is your "cheese" sauce! Add extra spices if desired.
- Heat up a skillet and melt the butter. Add the onions, mushrooms, fresh garlic and simmer until onions are translucent.
- Pour the "cheese" sauce into the skillet. Add the cooked broccoli. Add garlic powder, onion powder, and himalayan sea salt to taste.
- Heat through and Enjoy!
Make this your own! Throw in extra veggies, or even some shredded chicken! Post below if you try this - I'd love to hear about it! :)
Prioritizing health not perfection...
What is perfection anyway? Does perfection mean you have "shredded" abs? Is it building bulk and gaining muscle? Is it fitting into a certain pair of jeans?
Everyone has their own goals and everyone has their own "If only this happened then I'd be happy" thoughts....in fact, I fell into that dirty trap last night. I am sore ALL OVER from the body Beast workout I just started on Monday and I looked in the mirror and told my husband that if the soreness "get's rid of this" (pinching my self proclaimed trouble area) then I'd be happy.....I caught myself quickly and said "No. that's not true. Your body doesn't make you happy, your attitude makes you happy."
I've been opening up more and more over the past year about my struggles with hormones and adrenal fatigue (more correctly know as Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis dysfunction now). The really short and simplified version is this: Stress in my life has caused stress in my body which results in stress on certain parts of the body that produce and balance hormones. This is also supported by, or hindered by, gut health. I've worked really hard on my gut health ( and continue doing so) while also taking some supplementation to help my body do it's job better.
I've made tremendous progress in the past year and have been really happy that my digestion, my moods, and my energy have all improved. I really like to be busy, get things done, engage with others and feel productive at the end of each day. But sometimes life wears me out and I have to take my own coaching advice and go slow to avoid taking a few steps back with my health. Since I believe many of you may struggle with similar issues I wanted to share some key things that really help your body thrive and deal with stress appropriately.
3 ways you can prioritize your
health and not perfection:
1) Ditch the processed foods and COMMIT to eating a whole foods diet filled with nutritious veggies, meats, and the right healthy fats and carbs. Forget counting calories, portion control or counting macros...If it's processed skip it - if it's a whole food - enjoy it! If this isn't a step you've fully committed to yet, I would encourage you to start here. Every bite of food = communication to your cells on how to work and function. If you are fueling them with sugar and chemicals then your body responds accordingly. If you fuel it with micronutrients, vitamins, healthy fats etc....then your body begins to thrive, your skin glows, your energy increases, etc etc.... If you need encouragement and help along the way you can always message me or join one of my monthly challenges where I provide meal plans, workouts that are appropriate for you and encouragement. You can find out more HERE. If you're interested in working with me 1:1 check out my nutrition page HERE. I just heard from a client yesterday who I have been working with for only 3 weeks or so and she happily reported that she has seen increased energy, better digestion AND improved sleep in that short amount of time! I couldn't be happier!
2) Be willing to take a day off. Whether you take a day off work to just relax, or you skip a day in your workout routine, listening to your body when it needs a break is CRUCIAL. Don't let your mind play games with you and tell you that 1 day will mess with your progress. You know what will mess with your progress? Pushing yourself when your body is too tired--> this releases your stress hormone cortisol and guess what stores fat? Excess cortisol. Let's keep that baby in check and rest as needed!
3) Speaking of rest, prioritizing quality sleep is paramount. If you are someone who wakes up multiple times a night, has to go to the bathroom at 3am, or just generally wakes up fatigued, you may really want to start thinking about how you can prioritize getting deep quality sleep. Sleep is when your body repairs itself and skimping on that (whether you feel like you need it or not) is not ok! For some awesome tips on getting better rest, visit the king of sleep Shawn Stevenson and his article on getting better zzs HERE!
Basically - don't kill yourself trying to be perfect! Too much exercise, too little sleep, and too much stress can counter all the hard work you put into your workouts and your nutrition. So kick your feet up, get a massage, and prioritize your own health FIRST! Your healthy weight, lean muscles, and increased energy will be a side effect.
I'm passionate about helping YOU achieve optimum health and balance in your life. For more information on my journey to balanced hormones, and/or to get on my waitlist so that I can begin helping you on YOUR journey, sign up for my newsletter HERE. I will be a certified FDN practitioner in a few months and I can't wait to be your health detective and support you on your way to better health!
Healthy Tips for Travel
Traveling can be tough. We all have to do it periodically whether for business, vacations, road trips, or last minute emergencies. So how can we still prioritize our health when on the road?
Here are my top 3 tips....
Traveling can be tough. We all have to do it periodically whether for business, vacations, road trips, or last minute emergencies. So how can we still prioritize our health when on the road?
The simple answer is: Don't compromise on your long-term health and nutritional values
That's probably a little TOO simple, so I thought I would share few more details.
Here are my top 3 tips:
1. Pack Snacks
Packing snacks has saved me from compromising choices many times! I. GET. HANGRY. Anyone else? No? Just me.....well if you're anything like me, when the hanger strikes then anything goes lol. So I always bring snacks and it changes from trip to trip but it generally includes things like:
- Beef jerky
- Crackers
- Nuts/Seeds/Trailmix
- Clean Snack Bars
- Dark Chocolate
- Shakeology
For this specific trip I had some fun things in the house and if you missed my live video you can check it out below:
p.s. the Brami beans were no bueno :(
2. Know your non-negotiables
For me, my non negotiables are dairy and gluten. I will, however, relax on sugar when traveling which allows me some more freedom when I eat out! When you know for certain what you won't compromise on, it actually gives you freedom (and less stress) when eating out! For example - I usually stick to a meat and vegetable dish and will occasionally splurge on something fun like a gluten-free bun or gluten-free dessert! When going out to eat choosing a protein and vegetable is usually a great choice.
Bison Burger with butter carrots and a gluten-free bun! The lemonade was hand squeezed and I'm sure full of sugar - but that was a treat!
My 2 days away:
Tuesday (on the road in the afternoon):
Dinner: Texas Roadhouse: 6oz steak +vegetables side + some of the crispy potato skin from the baked potato (+snacks in the car)
Wenesday:
Breakfast: scrambled eggs with some fresh chopped salsa from the hotel continental breakfast + coffee with some dairy free creamer.
S: Starbucks tall mocha with coconut milk no whip
S: snacks in the car ( see video)
Lunch/Dinner: We stopped at Ted's and I had the above bison burger with a gluten free bun, butter carrots, and hand squeezed lemonade :)
3. Relax and have a good time - 2 days away won't kill you!
If your vacation is only a few days try to relax and not stress out about the details. If you are consistent in your day to day life at home then a few days will not ruin that. As long as it doesn't break your non-negotiable then enjoy yourself! If you are vacationing somewhere for more like a week, do try to plan ahead, utilize the hotel room refrigerator, google restaurants and menus in advance, and make sure to have those healthy snacks on hand!
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Experimenting with Essential Oils
Well butter my biscuit and call me a goose - if essential oils are not #alltherage right now! I'll admit...I was slow to hop on the increasingly popular bandwagon. Being in the health and wellness field however I am always looking for natural, drugless ways to boost my immune system, take care of my body and generally stay healthy. Plus I'm connected to SO many friends that sell essential oils and I kept hearing very positive things about them.
As a Christian, I also believe that God has provided everything we need and so much can be found in nature - food, medicine, supplements, etc....so the concept wasn't really that shocking to me but....do they work? I was a slow convert. I went to a class and found it fascinating, so tried an oil blend for my husband to help with his pain when his back was hurting so much. We thought it might have helped but his pain was so severe and we didn't have any definitive evidence yet....
Then I found some cleaner lotions that said they have essential oils in them and thought I would try those- not really sure they did anything either except smell delicious. And then somehow one day I decided to order Young Living Thieves. If you live anywhere except under a rock I'm sure by now you have at least heard that name.
As the story goes, a few men were thieves in the time of the black plague and because they carried around these spices, Cloves, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus and Rosemary the legend states that they did not die from the black plague because of how powerful those spices/oils were. ( don't quote me on the spice details).
Fast forward to the 21st century and here I am at the end of 2016 with a super sick kiddo who seemingly cannot get well! I am telling you - diffusing Thieves kept me from getting sick for the past 3 months!!! Not only has keegan gotten sick, tons of people around me have gotten sick but I diffuse thieves in my room every night and so far so good (knock on wood!). Now I try to put it on Keegan's feet when he starts getting the sniffles and I want to get another diffuser for him as well so he can regularly diffuse it in his room - he's the one exposed to all those germs at school after all!
Also on a side note, I add 1 drop of peppermint (Doterra brand right now) to my Shakeology and it's like a million times better than peppermint extract - let me TELL YOU! #thinmintcookie
I just made some DIY recipes and will keep you posted on how they turn out, why I made them, and if I like them :)
Stay tuned friends!
p.s. what are your favorite uses for EO? do you have any DIY blends you love? Share below!
p.p.s. I do not sell EO but if you are interested in trying some for yourself I can direct you to several awesome women who do! :)
