Would my future self be proud?

My ONE mindset hack that helped me stop stress eating: ⁣
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...I started asking myself what would make my future self proud. ⁣
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I stopped living in the moment and just reacting to life and its stressors. Instead, when the stress and desire to overeat hit, I would PAUSE and ask myself: ⁣
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“Would my future self be proud? Would the Tveen that woke up tomorrow morning be proud that I ate an entire package of Oreos?”⁣
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NOPE. She wouldn’t. And just focusing on my future self helped snap me back to reality, feel my feelings without numbing them, and be able to course correct from there.⁣
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If you haven’t tried this yet, I highly recommend you pause and start asking yourself these powerful questions! Grab a pen and paper and journal the following questions:

1. How would the ideal version of me live from the time I woke up to the time I sleep? What would she do? How would she treat herself and others?

2. What would make my future self proud? What can I do today that would make the ME tomorrow proud?

3. What habits can I add to my life to get one step closer to my ideal self?

4. What are some obstacles I may face and how can I overcome them?

5. What am I already doing now that I am proud of?

⁣I hope these questions help you start thinking less about the moment and more about the FUTURE you want for yourself and your life!

Coffee Chat Fridays

So often, I wish we could all sit and grab a cup of coffee together. I’d love to know more about your life, and thank you genuinely for reading my blog! I thought I’d start a new blog series and pretend we were sitting across the table at a coffee shop together every Friday. How FUN would that be??

So, if we were having coffee together this morning…

I’d probably tell you how hard this week of motherhood has been. That Emma has said NO to basically everything. How yelling is her new default volume. And how I am so very tired. But also how much I miss her when she’s at school, how sweet her hugs are, and how my heart bursts every time I just look at her! Motherhood is confusing, y’all.

I’d tell you proud I am of myself for being gluten free since June 1st. I know this food is hard on my system and I have a diagnosed sensitivity, but it’s still been hard for me. But this month I committed to only cutting out foods that I KNOW make me feel worse, and gluten is one of them. I have felt so much better and have found amazing alternatives to satisfy my cravings, like these paleo everything bagels from Danielle Walker’s cookbook “Eat What You Love!”

I’d confess to you that I started a book for fun this month and I’ve barely had time to read it. Scratch that, I haven’t MADE the time to read it. I vow to make more time for fun reading in July, because my soul needs that!

I’d also probably tell you how EXCITED I am about my new membership community that is kicking off Monday, specifically designed for the woman who wants freedom in her health journey but wants to also learn how to nourish herself body, mind, and soul. I can’t wait to start working with these ladies! (The deadline to sign up is tonight so if you want more info and want to join, click here!)

Lastly, I’d tell you how much meditating on this verse has helped me and my mindset this week. God is always wanting to renew us from the inside out. Our mindset and the things we think about are so HUGE when it comes to our overall well-being. He calls us to be transformed and not follow the world’s patterns, but to change the way we THINK. I’ve been working on this by changing the way I worry, stress, and over-think things. How would you change the way you think?

Thanks for having a virtual cup of coffee with me this morning! Now time to get those babies up and make a real cup of coffee for this mama. I hope you all have a wonderful Friday!

Weekend Eats + food experiments

Happy Monday everyone!!! Who else feels like this entire year has flown by? Emma is 18 months today and my heart just can’t take it. I feel like she was just born, and now we are expecting her baby sister in just 4 short months! Life is moving quickly, and I can’t help but appreciate each moment more and more.

This past weekend was just…so nice. We spent the weekend together as a family and enjoyed every moment of it. For our family, our weekends are typically busier than the workweek, and I often times find myself looking forward to work to rest and relax a bit. Weird, huh? Well, this is the first weekend where we had zero plans expect for church and a few errands. It was so low-key and relaxing…what weekends were meant for!

I will say that the eats I’ll be sharing are different than what you’ve seen on this blog lately. I’m experimenting with my body, but most importantly my brain and mindset. More on this later as I’m still trying to figure things out, but I thought I’d share anyway and show how “healthy choices” are not always so black and white!

But let’s backtrack to Friday! I went to work and met with one of my dear friends for lunch! Our plan was Chipotle but they were out of rice (um, what?) so we went to Blaze Pizza instead. I LOVE their green stripe pizza, so I got that with a side salad. This meal was so so good!

Friday night was just a usual night of youth group. My husband and I are the youth leaders at our church and we so enjoy the time we spend with our church family! We got home pretty late Friday and crashed in bed.

Saturday morning, we enjoyed a family breakfast at home of waffles and eggs! I forgot to snap a good picture, but let’s just say waffles + peanut butter + syrup are the best combination! Then, we headed to a car dealership where we actually had a pretty frustrating experience. By 1pm, my husband and I were both starving and Emma was ready for her nap, so we had a quick lunch while Emma napped and vented to each other about how stressful car dealing is.

We each got the 2-item plates at Panda Express, and had enough leftovers for Emma once she woke up, as well as some left for dinner! These plates are so massive, so we both listened to our hunger, filled up on the broccoli and the veggies, and stopped when we were full. My husband LOVES Chinese food, so it was nice to enjoy this with him and sit outside in the fresh air.

After lunch, hubby took Emma home and I hit the grocery store. We were out of so many staples, so I stocked up big time. Our Trader Joe’s is remodeling, so while it was difficult to get around, I got the job done and am so excited for our new and improved store to open soon!

The rest of Saturday was pretty low key. I cleaned the floors at least 10 times as Emma has been throwing food all over the place. We put her down to bed early, watched the Lakers game, then I knocked out at 8:30pm. Oh how I love sleeping early even on the weekends!

Sunday morning consisted of my usual morning routine (quiet time, journaling, Bible study, and my workout!) We got ready for church and headed over for our English service and Sunday school class. I was SO hungry by 11:30 am that I was snapping at everyone (so sorry to my husband and mama!) so we had an early lunch at the local mall’s food court and walked around a bit! I had been craving a sandwich + salad combo, so I tried out Stone Oven for the first time, and was pleasantly surprised! I got the chicken pesto sandwich with with a side salad.

We walked around the mall a bit, fed Emma once she woke up (we gave her leftover kebab + rice from my husband’s meal) then headed home. We were both in awe at how early we were getting home on a Sunday! We are usually out all day on Sundays, so it was nice to come home and relax. I got a head start on laundry and meal prep, and we enjoyed Emma’s playfulness while we got things done around the house!

For meal prep, I made pasta in the instant pot and roasted vegetables. Meal prep is continuing today, but it felt good to get a few things done and enter the week with food ready to eat in the fridge, which we also enjoyed for dinner!

Emma went down early again, so we finished up the last 3 episodes of Man in the High Castle. This show is SO good, although I will say season 1 was my favorite. We just finished up season 3, and while it was intense, rarely is a show ever as good as its first season…ammiright?

And so far on this Monday, I have been running errands, cooking, finishing up laundry (will it ever end??) and enjoying a quiet day! Emma is at school for a few hours today, so this pregnant mama is getting all the rest she can!

I hope you all are having a relaxing and enjoyable week so far! Here’s to it being almost-November!

Friday Favorites & Updates

Hello friends! Long time no chat! It's been exactly a month since I've blogged. I've had every intention of keeping up with this place, but with being a working momma and Emma getting more mobile every day, it's been hard to carve out time to consistently blog. It's still such as passion of mine though, so I promise to be more consistent! Anything YOU all would like to see more of in this space? I'd appreciate any ideas in the comments below!

I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things that have been on my heart and mind this past month...starting with the best cake smash ever!

1. Emma's cake smash.

Emma thoroughly enjoyed her cake on her first birthday! It was a simple white cake with vanilla frosting and we let her go at it for a couple minutes and then swiftly took it away.

And yes, it was a full sugar, full flour, totally regular cake. I didn't make anything sugar-free or organic or anything like that because the truth of the matter is (from the research I've done and children I've worked with), when you restrict a child, they are even more likely to rebel and do things that you don't want them to do. She eats healthy vegetables, proteins, and whole grains 99% of the time and I want her to have a healthy relationship towards treats from the very beginning; starting with the fact that treats are "sometimes" foods, and not "everyday foods" and that it's ok to have a treat on your birthday, then move on with your life.

2. Birthday trip to Disneyland

We took Emma to Disneyland the Monday after her birthday and we had a BLAST! She slept for the first two hours which gave my hubby and I sweet time to walk around, grab coffee, and reminisce about our days at Disneyland when we were dating and just married. Disneyland holds a special place in my heart, and now it's even more special to be able to enjoy it with my little tribe!

3. Being Brave

I grabbed this book on a whim at Target and I am so glad I did. Almost every devotional, Bible verse, or motivational quote I've read lately has been on the concept of being brave. Think God is trying to tell me something? All that to say, I highly recommend this book!

4. Cauliflower gnocchi from Trader Joe's.

This stuff has been blowing up my Instagram feed for weeks, so I finally decided to give in and try it. Oh. My. Gosh. WE LOVED IT! Even my husband who needs meat with practically every meal, thoroughly enjoyed this. We used a pesto cream sauce (literally combined a 1/2 cup lite Alfredo with 1 tsp of pesto and mixed it well). Such a good meal and I'll be definitely grabbing a few bags next time I hit up TJ's!

5. Kodiak Cakes.

A box of these protein pancakes have been sitting in my pantry for a couple weeks. I finally made them and they were SO good! And all you do is mix the mix with water, so easy! I added a dash of cinnamon to the batter too, because cinnamon. These complemented my spinach scramble nicely and kept me full for quite a while! I highly recommend!

I hope you all have had a great week and can pick at least 5 things you are grateful for and are "favorites" in your life! It's always good to have a positive mindset and look for the joy and blessings in our life verses only focusing on what may be stressing us out! Have a great weekend and blessed Mother's Day to all you mommas out there! Not gonne lie, we are rockstars!

Why I'm not running accountability groups anymore

As many of you know, I am a registered dietitian, but I've also been a Beachbody coach for a few years. I love Beachbody's workout programs, and I can honestly say that the programs are what have helped me get in shape and stay in shape post-baby. At-home workouts are my saving grace as a mom! I get to workout at home, pause when Emma needs me or #momlife gets in the way, then press play and continue on. I've built muscle, gained strength, lost weight, and have gained so much confidence though Beachbody and their programs!

I used to run monthly accountability groups, but I decided that for now, I am pressing pause on these groups. There are a few reasons why, so I though I'd explain a bit in this post to clarify what I am doing and how you can work with me moving forward! 

1. My private practice: In addition to being a Beachbody coach, I have my own private practice as a registered dietitian. My heart and my passion are with this business and my clients that meet with me one-on-one, which is why I have not been running accountability groups lately. I have been pouring into and focusing on my private practice clients, and my heart has been filled with so much joy and fulfillment! Working with these women (mostly moms) has been firing me up to help us moms learn how to self-care though healthy eating and nourishing ourselves. So if you are a mom, I want to help YOU figure out how to care for your family by caring for YOURSELF first! This is what my private sessions with these women are all about! Making it easy for us moms to put ourselves first, pour into our cup, and then pour into our families as better, stronger versions of ourselves. If you want a community to join that will help you feel supported, I am launching the brand new Happy Whole Moms groups on Facebook! Click here to join! 

2. Individualized meal plans: As a dietitian, I firmly believe that there is no one size fits all when it comes to getting healthy. With my private practice clients, I evaluate where they are in their current health, and make a plan based on their individual goals and needs. I love the freedom and knowledge that I have as a dietitian because I am able to tailor-make a plan for each client that I meet with. While I love the 21 day fix container system (aka portion fix) which is the meal plan Beachbody uses, and have even helped me balance out my own meals, I know that this may not work for everyone! Each person has different dietary needs, sources of motivation, and methods of eating that work well for them. I help my one-on-one clients figure this out for themselves, and with that, they gain a powerful tool in their health journey to ensure success for themselves!

3. Long term accountability: Lastly, I wanted to provide a way to have long-term accountability with my clients as their personal dietitian. My accountability groups ran for 3-4 weeks, and then many clients fell off the wagon and went back to their own unhealthy habits. My Supercharged Accountability packages that I offer though my private practice services give you 2 or 4 months of accountability with me as your cheerleader, friends, source of nutrition knowledge, and dose of inspiration. I started offering these packages around the new year and already see a difference in the clients that purchased and have been working with me since then. 

All that to say, I am still a Beachbody coach and am more than willing to help guide you and encourage you if you want to pick a workout program and ask questions about what Beachbody has to offer. I am simply no longer running my "virtual bootcamps" aka accountability groups, because my energy and focus has been shifting towards my private practice clients and providing longer term accountability in their health journey. If you want to know more about my private practice services, I am hosting free, 15 minute discovery calls where we can chat and see which of my services would work best for your lifestyle! Contact me here to schedule our call!

I can't wait to get to know more of you out there, work closely with you to help you care for yourself and reach your goals, and watch you THRIVE as a mama! 

My Goals and Intentions for 2018

Happy New Year everyone!!!! I am so excited for this year and all the opportunities that are open to us. I hope you all set some goals or intentions for the year to go in the direction you want. Often times, we wonder why our lives feel like a mess, and while life IS messy, having some intentional goals set throughout the year can help us get from where we are to where we want to be. Which is why I set some goals that I would like to share with you all in the hopes of inspiring you to set your own!

If you saw my previous post, I am using Zig Ziglar's "Wheel of Life" method to set goals for different categories of my life. So, here we go!

1. Personal/social life: I started going to a new mommy group last year and have been on the sidelines for it. I get SO shy around new people and am a big introvert. But, I want to be more intentional and go to the monthly meetings with the hopes of making friends and being more open to what God brings to me! Also, another goal in this area of my life is monthly date nights with the hubby!! We are kicking off our first one tonight and I am so excited! :)

2. Blog: I want to be more consistent on this blog because I love to write. And guess what, you can help me with this! What would you like to see MORE of on my blog?? Daily eats? Workout motivation? Recipes? Mom life? Let me know! I also am working on a new site that I hope to launch later this month, so look out for that!

3. Family life: my husband and I want to do more things with our baby now that she is older and so much more interactive! We've discussed some family vacations we want to take, as well as just honoring our down time over the weekends and not stretching ourselves too thin with our obligations!

4. Spiritual life: I am determined to get back into my spiritual disciplines of quiet time, Bible reading, and prayer in the mornings! We also serve as the youth leaders at our church and my goal is to do more with the girls in our group now that Emma is older and I will (maybe) have more of my attention to give to the group on Friday nights. But as always, a baby is unpredictable, but I plan on doing my best!

5. Money: we want to SAVE more this year, and specifically save a certain amount every month to use on Christmas gifts next year. We love Christmas shopping but don't like our credit card statements the following month. We also want to be good stewards of the money and blessings that God has bestowed on us, so we are praying for constant wisdom on that as well!

6. Mindset/intellect: my goal is to read one personal development book and one fun book each month. I also want to read more REAL books vs. iBooks, because I love the smell of books and the feel of the pages between my fingers, and hate how glued I already am to my phone! I kicked off this goal with an amazon order of some books I've had on my wish list!

7. Health: my goal is to continue with my gluten free/paleo-ish lifestyle, do 80 day obsession starting January 15th, and keep up with my overall self care of working out and meal prepping and taking care of ME, so I can better care for my family. I've been feeling amazing and so energetic the past couple months, and I always want to feel this way. It's so true that good habits bring about more good habits, and once you start, you'll always want to feel great and treat your body with the respect it deserves!

Your turn! I would love to hear what some of your goals are for the coming year. Don't be afraid to set some big, scary ones too (I didn't share ALL of my goals with y'all, because boundaries!) but I hope you know that the bigger your goals, the more you'll grow and stretch. You were made for great things, my friends! Believe it and live it!

December Goals & Intentions!

Oh HEYYY it's DECEMBER!!! And to kick off my favorite month of the year, we are headed up to Big Bear today for our church youth camp! I'm so excited to get away and find retreat up in the mountains. I've heard there is no service where we are going, which I am actually looking forward to! We can get so caught up in our phones and social media, so I'm excited to take a forced break from it all and focus on being there with our church family, as well as enjoy Emma's first trip to the mountains!

I love setting goals and intentions at the beginning of each month, and December is no different. December isn't a "wash" my friends, our days still matter and even though that brand new year that is so tantalizing with its "fresh start," that doesn't mean we just throw in the towel for the whole month of December and not focus on our self care or what we want to accomplish! I for one have BIG goals, and that includes some for December! How about you?

Here are my goals for the next 31 days...and if you'd like, share yours in the comments below! I love to read and cheer others on in their quest for growth!

1. Continue with my gluten-free/Paleo lifestyle. I have been eating this way for the past month, and I wrote here about how I've been feeling amazing doing it! I want to keep it up throughout the holidays and make sure that I stick to being gluten free 100% (I have a severe sensitivity), and Paleo when I can! I also want to experiment with new recipes, and finally try making bone broth in my new Instant Pot!! Anyone else have good Instant Pot recipes they'd like to share? I'd love to hear!
2. Go on walks with Emma on days we are home. We don't get out enough, and I want both Emma and I to get out in that fresh air and have some California sun on our faces! We need vitamin D, and the fresh air always makes Emma happy and helps her nap better, which makes Mama happy!
3. "Get ready" 3x/week. This may seem silly, but most mornings, I don't take the time to get ready, do my hair or make up, or get dressed in something other than leggings. I want to be more intentional in this area of my life, so I've made it a goal to get ready 3x/week by doing my hair and makeup, and being more intentional about my clothing choices. I always feel better when I do this, so why not do it more often? I'm so good about staying on top of workouts, but my self-care when it comes to appearance gets pushed to the back burner. I think as women, it's so important to feel good and part of what makes ME feel good personally is feeling put together! I'll start off with 3x/week but hopefully, this will become an every day habit!
4. Continue with my workout program in preparation for 80 day obsession. I've been doing Shift Shop and I want to continue one with that until a new program, 80 day obsession, gets released in January! I love being able to workout from home because it's helped me stay so consistent with my fitness as a new mom, because I am still accessible to Emma when she needs me!  I'm excited to continue on with Shift shop and then challenge myself with 80 day obsession once it's released on January 15th! If you'd like to do it with me, let me know! I could use the accountability!
5. Journal 5x/week. I used to be SO good about journaling, praying, and getting my thoughts down on paper. I haven't been consistent with it, and for me personally, I find that I have so much less stress and worry when I take that time in the morning to brain dump my thoughts and release them to God in prayer. Definitely going to try to do this more often in December and onward!
6. Post more recipe videos in my free FB community! I run a free Facebook group called "the Simply Nourished Community," where I share my meal plans and do LIVE cooking demos for my members! I want to post more recipes in this group and share more content that I hope will be beneficial! I've become so passionate about meal prep and experimenting with new and exciting recipes and want to share that with others who want to learn as well. It is completely free to join, so if you'd like to be a part of it, contact me here and I can add you! And let me know which recipes you'd like me to make/healthify!
7. And lastly, my goal is to enter 2018 feeling my best and make it my BEST year. This has been my mantra lately, because I have spent way too many New Years regretting letting myself go and treating my body poorly, being in a negative mindset, vowing to do better, only to fail again. I want to make this season of life the best I can. I want to feel confident in our family pictures and not shy away from taking pictures with our sweet baby on her first Christmas because I feel run down or insecure. So, I want to keep nourishing my body, mind, and soul and enter the new year feeling great! If you want to make 2018 your BEST year as well, I've put together some nutrition consulting packages for you all that will ONLY be available until December 29th! Click here to check them out and sign up to begin working together and finally reach your goals this year!

I've also decided to make these goals the background of my phone so I really remember and get reminded DAILY of the ways I want to grow. How many of you are guilty of setting goals and then losing the paper you wrote them on, or forgetting about them entirely? I'm guilty of that too! So I'm leveling up this month and going to remind myself DAILY of my goals and dreams! 

I hope you all enjoy your first weekend of December, go see some Christmas lights, listen to Christmas music, and feel cozy with your loved ones!

Finding my HAPPY...and how you can too

It's no secret that I am the happiest that I have been in quite some time. Heck, I even changed my Instagram name to happywholeeats.RD because I want everyone to experience the peace, joy, and overall happiness I've felt. I am so thankful to God for this and for His direction and wisdom in this crazy ride called life! I hope this post helps someone out there find their own happy too, and know that I am always here to help!

I don't think people realize how important the foods we eat are, not only to our health but our overall quality of life. This post is about just that. How I've found my happy through the foods I'm eating and choosing, and hopefully, how you can too.

It’s been 1 month since I have gone 100% gluten free. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that my history with eating gluten free has been rocky. And if you just started following along, let me recap you so you are all caught up. It’s storytime, ladies and gentleman!

Back in 2012, I was diagnosed with a severe gluten intolerance after months of bloating, basically looking pregnant, and uncontrollable gas that kept me home most nights instead of out with friends because...embarrassing! Cutting out gluten eased these symptoms almost immediately, and I was grateful to finally find a way of eating that worked and didn't' send me running to the bathroom after each meal like I had done since I was a little girl.

All was fine and well until I started dating my then boyfriend, now hubby, Vasken. I didn’t want to be a high maintenance eater (even though he NEVER made me feel that way and even researched restaurants for gluten free options while planning our dates!) so I decided to slowly start incorporating gluten back into my diet. My stomach issues came back, but I wanted to ignore them, because I had missed all my gluten-containing foods SO much. I lived for bread baskets at restaurants, Panera cookies, and of course, my beloved Wetzel Preztel cinnamon bitz. I kept going back to my gluten free diet when I started feeling sick again, then hated the deprivation and went right back to binging on all of my favorite gluten-containing foods. It was years of this on again, off again routine with me, and I hated the inconsistency and the stomach issues that it was causing. I also wanted to be “free” with my food choices, but now I realized I was wanting this freedom as a way to binge on all of my favorite foods when times got tough, and at the expense of causing severe digestive distress, as well as brain fog, allergy symptoms, dark circles under my eyes, and constant anxiety. This went on for years and years, and the frustration with my health, stomach issues, and binging grew.

During pregnancy, I was also able to eat pretty much whatever I wanted, which I have heard happens with pregnant women and food sensitivities. Your body is so focused on the BABY, so those types of things take a backseat. And once Emma was born, with breastfeeding hunger and the craziness of life with a newborn, I didn’t really worry about what was going into my mouth. But I hated the fact that I had to cut some nursing sessions short because of my urgent need to use the restroom, or that I couldn't console Emma when she woke up because I was yet again, in the bathroom.

On top of that, going back to work was so hard on me, that I basically binged my way through work days on Oreos, crackers, and chips. This added to my stomach issues, stress, anxiety, and my waistline. At the end of October, I found myself 13 lbs heavier from when I had gone back to work back in August.

So, the morning of Emma’s 6 month birthday celebration, 10/29/17, I decided that enough was enough. I decided to start back up on my gluten free diet then and there. I KNEW that I would feel deprived, so I already had a plan of attack: finding the BEST gluten free and paleo recipes (Against all Grain has been my saving grace!) I could find for my favorite treats, so I would never feel deprived again.

And you know what the crazy part is? I saw improvements, not only in my health and weight, but in my anxiety and moods. I’ve been happier, less stressed out, I don’t cry at work anymore, I don’t binge at work anymore, and I have a more even temper (just ask my hubby). Yes, I lost the 13 lbs I gained, but to me, I’ve gained so much more:

• More restful sleep (which is hard with a baby!)
• More energy for my workouts
• Less anxiety/stress
• Less tears going to work
• Clearer skin
• Clearer mind
• A more positive outlook on life as a working mom
• Less urgent trips to the restroom
• Less bloat
• Trying on clothes I would “never” wear and actually feeling GOOD in them
• ...and my jeans fit again!

And yes, not ALL of this may be attributed to cutting out gluten, but I know many people who have experienced similar benefits when they clean up their diet and start avoiding gluten. I know that I like this version of me way more than the anxious, stressed out, and teary one. I am more energetic, I am a happy healthy mama, I am a better wife, and I am enjoying the heck out of the foods I’ve been cooking and baking!

And the truth of the matter is, gluten is an inflammatory agent. So we know that eating less gluten is healthier for us all in general. Check out this post for more of the science on that.

All this to say, I feel the healthiest and happiest I have felt in a good long while. And I want everyone I know to experience this type of joy when it comes to living a healthy lifestyle! The fact that I have been happier has been more motivating for me to stick to it than anything else. And, these cookies have made it easier as well!

My wish is to work with my clients from now on with a more holistic approach, and really dive into which foods may be helping their health (mind, body, and soul), and which foods may be hurting their health. Not everyone will be sensitive to gluten, because we are all different. My aim is to help you INDIVIDUALLY assess your health and create a plan that works best for YOU.

And what better time than now to start? My 2018 packages are a great and affordable way to get the complete package of working 1:1 with me as your own personal dietitian. These packages will only be available until December 29th, so take advantage of them now!

You only have one life to live on this earth. So why not live it as your happiest, energetic, and most vibrant version of yourself? Make 2018 your BEST year and let’s figure out how you can find your own HAPPY when it comes to eating and living well!

The Mind, Food, and Mood Connection

It is common knowledge that what we eat affects our body and appearance. If we eat too much of the wrong foods, we tend to gain weight. If we eat more nourishing foods, we tend to lose weight. But what has been more interesting to me is how the food I have been eating lately has been impacting my MENTAL health, not just physical health.

**Now, as a disclaimer, mental health has a WIDE spectrum, and I am not assuming that food can cure any mental health disorders. I am just sharing my experience and how changing what I’ve been eating has been helping my mood and my mental state. But PLEASE seek medical advice and attention if you are struggling with mental health, it is real and it NEEDS to be taken care of.

This post is going to be raw and real, because I’m all about sharing my real life with you guys and not hiding anything. I've learned that vulnerability is a part of healing, and also helps inspire others to make changes and grow as well. It’s been no secret that going back to work after Emma was born was rough on me. I only work three days a week, but those days were filled with panic attacks in the bathroom, crying on my way to work, crying when I picked Emma up from daycare, and LOTS of oreo purchases to “get me through the day.” I thought that I could only make it through the emotional ups and downs of the work day by numbing myself with food. But in reality, it just made it worse.

The anxiety and sadness got out of hand. I would burst into tears during work meetings and have to excuse myself. If I wasn’t eating, I was crying. Food was DEFINITELY my coping mechanism, but it also just seemed to numb the pain for a little while, and then it would return with a vengeance and my moods would spiral down again. The days that I was home with Emma were filled with tears as well because I knew that I would have to leave her the next day. I wasn’t being able to actually ENJOY my baby and the time I had with her. I knew this cycle had to stop.

Being the dietitian and holistic-health proponent that I am, I began doing research on different foods and how they can impact our mind-body connection. One of these foods is gluten. Gluten and I have had a tumultuous relationship over the years. I have a gluten sensitivity and have been told by my doctor over and over again that I need to be on a gluten-free diet. But, I have always told myself that I loveeeeee gluten too much. Such as excuse, you guys. Ready for a science lesson? I hope so!

The thing about gluten is that it stimulates the release of a protein that can actually cause permeability in our gut. Our gastrointestinal (or GI) tract, is considered to be OUTSIDE of our body. It is lined very carefully to protect the INSIDE of our body (anything other than our gut) from receiving undigested food particles, germs, or anything else we ingest. But gluten causes the secretion of a protein called zonulin, which can cause permeability in our gut, allowing particles to pass through and enter our body, where they don’t belong. Food should go straight to our small intestines to get “digested” properly so our body can use the fuel safely. But, with zonulin, the permeability can cause undigested food particles to enter our bloodstream, cause inflammation since these particles are not digested yet, and can also cause symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, and even depression. This is all new and up and coming research, but it fascinated me and makes sense from what I’ve learned in my seven years of schooling to become a dietitian and get my masters in nutrition. Our gut is considered our “second brain” and impacts how we think and feel SO much, so this finding is super interesting to me and motivated me to cut out gluten  with a  new motive: not only to alleviate my stomach issues and bloating, but also to alleviate the mental ups and downs I had been experiencing.

I have also read the book “Grain Brain” in the past, which I highly suggest for anyone wanting to know more on this topic! The author discusses how not only gluten, but also grains, can impact our mental health and lead to issues such as depression, alzheimer's, and other mental health concerns. Of course, following a certain diet is not going to magically cure these issues, btu they can alleviate symptoms, which is what I experienced.

I started back on my gluten free diet on October 29th, and since then, I’ve been happier and more energetic. Yes I've lost some weight and bloat, and my jeans fit again (YAY!), but I am more amazed by my mental shift. I am just HAPPIER. I have been getting creative in the kitchen and am not missing any of my favorite treats thanks to Danielle Walker and her amazing paleo recipes (check her out here!) My husband has been enjoying our meals and my happy moods more, and we’ve spent LESS on groceries and eating out because we always have food ready and are buying less junk! I have SO much energy for my workouts, for my patients and clients, and for my family, and feel like I am finally living each day to its full potential.

Another change I’ve made is increasing my healthy fat intake. I have always been a fan of eating more fat, but I’ve been incorporating these fats into practically every snack and meal. I'll have grain free baked goods made with coconut flour, almond flour, grass fed butter, and coconut oil, I'll add avocado to my salads and lettuce wrapped burgers, and I am not afraid to eat yolks scrambled in ghee. I've been getting a variety of healthy fats in my diet, which boosts brain function because our brains thrive on healthy fats! 

The BEST cookies I've ever had! I've made countless batches already because my husband and now, our extended family, can't get enough!

Overall, I am enjoying this journey and am embracing this life of mine, being a working mom and a stay at home mom in the same week, which I am learning is SUCH a blessing! I feel so much better and didn’t cry at all at work this week! (WIN!) Of course I still miss my baby girl like crazy, but I focusing on taking care of ME because this way, I can be a better mom for Emma. I am working out daily, drinking my superfoods (which are full of adaptogens, which also impact your brain chemistry! But I'll save that scientific post for another day!), and am eating foods that I know will nourish my body, my soul, AND my mind.

If you want to get involved with eating for your BRAIN health too, I would love to go through the Grain Brain book together in a virtual book club format! Warning, this book is definitely for nerds, so come ready to learn and grow! Contact me above if you want to be part of the book club! We'll start the first week of December!

ALSO, I am planning on doing more cooking demos and recipe videos in my free facebook community that I run, so if you want to join, contact me! I can add you and you can get access to the meals I’ve been planning, as well as get meal prep and planning tips and tricks from yours truly! Meal prep has been my saving grace for sticking to my gluten free diet, so I am passionate about making it a regular part of my life, as well as yours!

Thank you for reading and for supporting me through the ups and downs of this journey. At times, I don't want to share what I am going through, because I feel that my journey has been such a crazy ride. But, I am a real person, and real life is a roller coaster! What may work in one season of life (ie. my vegetarian diet last year), may not work in another season of life, like this one! My goal with this blog and platform is to share my nutrition knowledge based on research but also my own personal experiences too. Because we are all scientific experiments and each body is so unique and different. So keep figuring yourself out, get curious and find what works for you! And if you need some guidance along the way, I am always here to lend an ear! Feel free to contact me with any questions!

Why you should get uncomfortable

Last week, Emma and I drove out to meet my husband for lunch. I have Mondays and Wednesdays off, so we drove to Ontario, took our packed lunches to the food court at Ontario Mills, and ate while everyone else was having yummy smelling food court food. My hubby LOVES Chinese food, and the smell of Panda Express was getting to him. He wanted to get noodles, but also wanted to stay healthy. That morning, he had just sent me the picture above, so I threw it right back at him! I told him to be uncomfortable and do the uncomfortable thing, just like he had told me! I don't know if he appreciated that (I mean, who enjoys getting their own advice thrown back at them?), but it made him pause his thought process and decide not to get the chow mein.

It would have definitely been easier for him to just walk up to Panda Express and get the noodles right? It's comfortable, it's familiar, and it's something he typically would do. But in order for real change to take place and progress to occur, we HAVE to start being comfortable with being uncomfortable.

We hold ourselves back so much in this life, but I am finally calling it quits with playing small. No more wondering what it would be like to be more fearless, more confident, more full of love to give to others, or just MORE. I want to get uncomfortable, because that's the only way I'll grow.

I've been getting up between 4:30 and 5:00 to get my workouts in. I used to think I was a morning person and that's why it was so easy for me. But the more I've worked with clients as a dietitian and health and wellness coach, I've learned that NO one is a morning person. We just DECIDE that it is worth it to get up. It's worth it to get uncomfortable. Because if we are stuck in comfort, we are going to just be stuck forever.

I have a diagnosed gluten allergy and have been telling myself for years that there is no way I can cut out gluten because it's too "uncomfortable." I want to enjoy pita bread and pasta and pizza. That's comfortable to me. But these past two weeks I told myself to finally grow up and honor my body. I've been gluten free since October 29th, and I feel amazing! Sometimes (scratch that, most of the time) it is uncomfortable, but it's always worth it because I know that I am treating my body well and in a way that honors my energy and my health!

And guess what? I'm pretty sure everyone loves junk food. People who want to live a healthy lifestyle don't just magically NOT like junk food. Heck, some of my favorite foods are Oreos, chips and salsa, froyo with ALL the candy toppings, and brownies. I don't eat healthy because it's easy or comfortable, I eat healthy because it makes me feel good and I want to be the best version of myself possible. It is sometimes uncomfortable to choose the healthy foods and to say no to donuts or chow mein. But that uncomfortable feeling is what will make you grow and THRIVE into the amazing person you were created to be. I've found that each good decision just leads to another, and another, and another, and that string of good decisions helps you grow in strength and confidence in order to make MORE good decision. It's an amazing cycle!

So, what can you get uncomfortable about today? Maybe it's waking up 30 minutes earlier to get a workout in. Maybe it's cooking a meal tonight (even if you are tired, even if you "don't" have time, which I'm learning is a myth...but more on that later!), instead of ordering a pizza. Maybe it's reading a book that will make you think and grow instead of slipping into the Netflix vortex (and if you need book suggestions, let me know!) Whatever it is, just know that it WON'T be easy. You aren't going to want to do any of it. It's going to be uncomfortable.

But from that feeling, growth will happen. Your muscles will get flexed and sore, but they will strengthen too. You'll continue seeking out uncomfortable situations that will give you the opportunity to shine and live an amazing life. You were made for more than playing small. You were made by an amazing, creative, loving God, so why not live into that identity?

I'd love to chat with you about ways you can start getting uncomfortable in your life! Contact me here and we can get started setting some uncomfortable goals that will stretch you and bring JOY into your life again. Because the real YOU, the one you were created to be, is possible.