H A L L O W E E N

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!
 I haven't been a huge fan of Halloween until my son was born, and old enough to participate.
His first Halloween he was only 18 days old, and I dressed him in this tiny little skeleton sleeper that his Auntie gave him. Baby and I were home alone, and I shut all the lights off outside, and inside and sat on my couch in the dark watching desperate housewives, all the while the doorbell kept ringing...Oiyy! A Halloween to remember.
The next year he had just turned one and we dressed him up as a skelton..yet again (Just wait until you hear what he was on his 3rd Halloween..) and went to boo at the zoo, and gave him 0 pieces of candy.
The Halloween after that he had just turned 2 and he was a...wait for it....SKELETON! He was a skeleton! (3 years in a row, I was a little sad when he wanted to break tradition and go as a fireman this year!). We went to Disney that week before and met my mom, dad, and niece, then brought them home with us. We trick-or-treated in our neighborhood on Halloween. Owen loved it!! He opened 3 suckers, had a suck on each one, threw them out, and that was all the candy he had.
I AM PROUD TO ANNOUNCE MY CHILD DOES NOT LIKE CANDY AND SWEETS!! Occasionally he will have a small sweet,and I am okay with him having a treat. It is okay to indulge sometimes!
I am not a huge Halloween candy fan either, so after husband picks through it we let it sit on top of the fridge...until, next year or so..

This year I decided to pass out something a little different than candy. We are passing out play dough, little spiders, glow sticks, etc!
I was so excited when I saw a mom post online that she was passing out the prepackaged baggies of apple slices. There will always be enough people passing out sugar so it is okay to break tradition and pass out something a little more beneficial.

I was not so excited, and more annoyed when I read a status posted on a yard sale type site where the mom said, and I quote,
"Where are the best places to go trick or treating (best CANDY) my lil man is 6 months old but I want to show him off. don't want to go out too late so it has to be somewhere that i can tell that they are handing out candy. So I want a good neighborhood that would have LOTS of candy to hand out so we don't have to go to several neighborhoods"
PLEASE do not feed your 6 month old candy, I am guessing in this situation it is all for the parents. It's strange how greedy people are for free candy. I am okay with tradition, I am okay with indulging sometimes, I am okay with making memories, and I am okay with you stealing some candy from your kid (really, please do so they don't eat the whole bucket!).
I hope that as we are out scavenging for candy that we are treated with a few healthier, or more fun options, like play dough and glow sticks ;)

Please remember to keep your pets inside so they are not the victim of a prank, please know where your children are all night, keep reflective gear/lights on, and stay in neighborhoods you trust!
I hope everyone eats a little too much pumpkin everything!!
Happy Halloween!

HALLOWEEN #1

HALLOWEEN #2

HALLOWEEN #3

2011

2013

How to Boil and Eat an Artichoke

So, it was just brought to my attention that not everyone in the whole world knows how to eat an artichoke UNLESS it come from the store in a jar.. No. no. no. Fresh artichokes are so dang good, so much different than jarred hearts.
I have been eating fresh artichokes for as long as I can remember. They are quite the socail dish in my family. We always gathered around the table with 2-5 fresh artichokes and sit and chat, and eat them up. We would also consume probably half a cube of butter in this event. So many good memories there.
There are tons of ways to eat this delicate veg, but my all time favorite is steamed/boiled and this is how I do it:

wash your artichoke and then place it in a medium-large pot and cover it in water, (it will float a little so no worries) and place the lid on. Then the waiting game starts. You have to boil that sucker for around 45 minutes to an hour! You know it is done when the leaves pull off the artichoke with no effort. I've got tough fingers so I just reach in there and yank, tongs are really good for a something like this though, if you're a wimp.
When it is soft enough that the leaves fall off I pull it out and hold it upside down so the water drains out and then I place it in a bowl and either wait for it to cool, or push the leaves open so it cools faster (it is super dang hot, so be careful!). Now, I eat them plain. I used to eat them dipped in butter. Ghee, and olive oil are both good too if you REALLY want to dip in in something!

Grab a leaf and bite it about half way up and drag your teeth down to scrape off the "meat", do this until all the leaves are cleaned off and your belly is full, when you get to the heart it will be covered in little, thick, prickly hairs. Pull those suckers off, and eat that tasty heart that is hidden underneath it. I also eat the stem that is attached, if it's a little too tough I open it up and just eat the marrow inside.

A Mug of Bread

A couple days ago I was really feeling sorry for myself. Gosh, and I was feeling sorry for myself because I wanted to eat something that was non paleo, so therefore I "couldn't" have it. and I really wanted it. What a rough life ;) The day before it just so happens that I made a big ole batch of paleo/W30 clam chowder, and I really thought some bread would be good with it so I made a mug of paleo bread to dip in my soup and it was SO GOOD. and when I say good I don't mean it's the best bread you have ever tried because it won't be. So when you make your little loaf of bread think about how awful it will be so that way when you bite into it, it will taste like a little sliver of heaven! Did I mention that I MADE THIS IN THE MICROWAVE?! Well, I did. Please, please, don't get on your high horse, or get your panties up in a wad over cooking food in the microwave because it causes cancer and kills all the good stuff that's in our food. Just don't. I love my microwave, and I really don't think I am eating a bad diet for using it, nor do I think I have cancer. When I was living with my parents we went microwave free for a long time and only used our oven/stove, and a toaster oven. It was...crazy.
So, about that microwavable paleo mug bread- how cute is that tiny loaf?!

I really want to experiment with this more, add cinnamon or fruit, nuts or honey. But here is my first and only loaf to date. If you try this and add your own touch please share it with me!! You can find the recipe HERE. This would make yummy croutons for salad if you sprinkled some Italian seasoning or garlic on them!

I work out.

Working out is nothing new to me. and I don't even hate it.
If you read my bio this is where I blame me falling off the band wagon on 'friends'. Okay, really I know it is no ones fault but my own BUT they made it really easy to slip out.
Now that I know what I am doing, and I am even more serious about being dedicated I am adding 4 days of work outs in with my paleo diet. and by work outs I don't mean going for a bike ride, or walking. Those are both things I do every day, and they don't count. for anyone.
#paleotil2015.
It is just so easy to be lazy. But you know what they say when you have a goal in mind. If you want something you've never had, you have to do something you've never done... or something like that ;)
I have a really crazy goal in mind, and it has a deadline so I need to work really hard to get there.
Also, please buy me a pair of these shorts to show me your support. Ryan would. Thanks ;)

Paleolithic until 2015

So, I am super excited to share that starting Wednesday the 1st of October I am going Paleo/Whole30 (again! yay!) until the new year. Yeah, you heard me right. the. new. year. I am so excited, and will really need some good vibes to make it through fall with out pumpkin rolls, and hot pumpkin drinks, Halloween with out candy, Thanksgiving with out pie, and Christmas without hot chocolate, fudge and divinity.
I am more excited than scared though. This is crazy, really (to me anyway). But totally doable!
100% paleo/whole30 for three months.
I am excited to get a little more healthy, look a little more healthy, and just finish this challenge. period.
I doubt I can get anyone else to join me, (I have been unsuccessful thus far)...unless you are already 100% paleo, 100% of the time..in that case it doesn't count ;)
Send me some good vibes, and please do not send me any holiday treats. That would be mean.



#paleotil2015 

Meals: 3 vs 6

Being thirsty can often feel like hunger pangs. Drink a glass of water, and figure that shiz out.

Years ago when I first started learning about nutrition and health I was on fire, I ordered tons of books, read stuff online, and got all the advise I could squeeze out of my friend T who was in the middle of this awesome health transformation and personal training.
I was eating 5-6 small meals a day, and believed that in doing that it would help boost my metabolism and I would in return lose weight and have all this energy. If you read 'My Story' you will learn all about my 'yo-yoing' and what I was doing at different times of my weightloss. But I also was concerned about having my stomach full of food all day long.
When I first learned about Whole30 I was really confused as to why they were wanting people to eat 3 big meals, and not 6 small meals. So, I read. and read, and read, and read. I researched it a lot and this is what I came up with.
It is not "healthier" to eat 6 small meals a day.
Although I have read many articles and studies I, unfortunately, do not have every single link and article I have ever read. bummer.

I will make this really short and sweet. 

When you eat 6 times a day it is so much easier to over eat, and if you count calories it is a really good way to lose track of your caloric intake.
It is really hard to get full and feel satisfied on 1/3 cup of cottage cheese (if you eat dairy), so why not eat a few bites more, or a handful of nuts, or just a little extra something after each meal. You know, just this time.
By eating 3 'big' meals a day, your body will have to take more from your stored fats since there isn't always food just sitting in your belly, that's so easily accessible. Please note, I am not saying to start yourself. Please don't. Just eat 3 meals until you are full. Not stuffed, full.

When you’re constantly eating, you’re consistently releasing insulin, which puts your body into its “absorptive phase.” Basically what this means is that the insulin in your body is storing sugar — and not letting other enzymes in your body release sugar to break down fat. The goal is for your body to be in “postabsorptive phase,” where it uses your energy stores for sustenance, and burns more fat.-Jillian M.

Supposedly eating 6 meals a day raises your BMR (Baseline Metabolic Rate), but there are no good studies proving so. I am not bashing on 6 meals. If that is your slice of pie so be it.

As far as increasing the calories we burn, "The only thing that has been consistently shown to increase BMR is exercise," says Vicki Sullivan, PhD, RD, LD, national lecturer and president of Balance, LLC.

If eating 6 meals a day is what works for your body and mind that is great, it used to work really well for me too (Until I tried a well balanced 3-meal/day). But these days I put so much time into my meals, and I am really busy. So, 3 meals works so much better for me time wise, health wise and really in every other way.
The trick is eating when you are truly hungry but not so ravenous that you are at risk of overeating or eating out of control. To me, true hunger is when your stomach feels definitely empty; but once you feel this, don't go more than an hour without eating or you will move from truly hungry to ragingly ravenous. According to the ADA, eating every time you feel "slightly" hungry can result in overeating.
So, before you say "six meals a day is obviously healthier", do some actual research. Don't take my word for it, and don't only read 1-2 articles. If it is important to you to know, do research. Personal research is so important and fortunately there are libraries full of books, an internet full of pages, and so many other places to explore! Get exploring!

Busy couple weeks!

Gahhh! Sorry to leave you all hanging for so long. I know you have been checking your computers and phones everyday waiting to hear from me. Well, it has been a busy couple of weeks! We had company for a couple weeks, we did some hiking, went to the beach, I cut off all my hair, and I started tending to a little 5 month old baby, baby L, who O and I are so in love with. I thought it would help my baby hunger, but it has only made it worse!
Bad news.. I didn't finish my second whole30, I made it over half way and then since then I have been eating 80-90% paleo and I have been very happy with how little thinking and will power it has taken. Don't get me wrong, I really tried to reason with myself as to why I would need to eat BBQ wings, but I didn't have any so that's a WIN!
 I lost 4 pounds on my second unfinished W30, and I have stayed off the scale for the last couple weeks so hopefully I am pleasantly surprised when I step back on.
I have these awesome pink pants that I have not fit into in a while and they fit again! The waist is WAY to big, and the legs are tight, so I either have a tiny waist or fat legs.. unfortunately I think it's the latter, but hey they are skinny jeans!
I have this really awesome new friend of just a couple weeks, and we are heading on our first vacation together. Yeah guys, it is that serious. We are heading to the beach, just a few hours south. I really want to lose 10 more pounds before I go, so I am buckling down and upping the cardio, and going 100% paleo/W30 at least until we head to ocean.
I have been decluttering my house this last week, and have gotten rid of so much stuff which is huge to me because I love stuff, and I love knickknacks! I got rid of pallets I have been meaning to do stuff with, I dumped all my thousands of coupons because it is impossible to coupon and eat healthy. My house looks neater and my family is happy.
"You know you're crunchy...when you don't bother cutting coupons because all the coupons are for food that isn't real."
 I have lots of recipes I have tried and loved that I will share on here, and I also have jotted down some ideas and ingredients that I think would be freaking amazing together so keep an eye on those recipes and I will share some new ones this weekend!

How is YOUR fitness, and diet going? Are you doing Whole30? How is it going for you? What are you doing to workout? Tell me!! Tell me!!

Eating Organic, Grass-Fed, and Pastured

Guys. One of the biggest worries I have heard from people who are not sure about starting Whole30 is the expense of organic and pastured meats, and veggies.
Yes. Those things can be expensive. Let me let you in on a little secret.. you don't HAVE to eat strictly organic!
Wheewww! What a relief!
Here is the deal, all meat and eggs are so much better for you when they are grass fed, pastured, organic proteins. Large companies such as Tyson's add so many artificial ingredients, and hormones into your meat. I don't know about you but I am not real crazy about growing extra boobs ;)
Also, not all organic veggies are necessarily better than non-organic. Some are. Some aren't, Some just don't matter.
Would it be better for you to eat fully organic, grass-fed, pastured foods. Yeah. Probably.
Would it be better for you to eat a Tyson chicken breast than a box of preservatives. Yeah. definitely.
When it comes to eating there are bad choices, good choices, and better choices. Tyson chicken fits in the good category, while grass fed fits in the better, and frozen pizza fits in the bad. See where I am going with this?
Just because it is NOT in your budget to eat fully organic, is not a reason to not eat Paleo/Whole30.
I always stalk the meat section at my local Walmart's because they carry organic beef, but I don't think people know they do? Because seriously guys, who goes to Walmart for healthy grass fed beef? Well, apparently no one does because they are always clearanced out "Buy this meat today for half price or we will throw it away" okay, no sign REALLY says that but you get it. So I stock up on it when I can. I watch Publix, Earthfare, Walmart, Kroger, etc for sales on organic meats (which is not often..) so I can fill my freezer. If there are no sales, and I need meat, and it fits no where in the budget to buy a cut for twice as much I choose non-organic. I check what options I have price wise and choose what I believe is the best one health wise for the buck.
There you go. Do not let the expense of organic meats and veggies turn you off!
Here is a shopping list that is very helpful when you are trying to make good choices at the store, and with the bank!


SHOPPING LIST LINKgood.better.best
SEASONAL LIST LINK organic veggies
 Check out all the other great downloads Whole30 has to offer HERE

The end of Whole30

Okay. Here is the scoop on my first Whole30..
I started June 23rd and ended July 23rd.
In those 30 days I ate
No sugar
No grains
No alcohol
No legumes
No dairy
No preservatives
No processed foods
Lots of organic and pastured meat
Lots of fresh local eggs, veggies, and fruits
Healthy fats, etc.

!!I lost 18 pounds!!
Many, many inches
I tightened my belts up 2-3 notches, and my fitbit up 2 notches
My fat clothes are too big (yes!)
my skinny clothes are still a little tight though..
It is awkward to be in the middle stage!
My hair is shiny
my skin is softer, and not dry

I feel like I have finally learned how to cook! I have tried tons of new recipes and ingredients.
My pantry staples went from
flour, sugar, premixed mixes
to
Vinegar's, ghee, coconut aminos, coconut flour, dates, tomatoes in every way they come, and more spices than I have room for!

I am so happy with my new paleo lifestyle. I have finally found a community of paleo people that I can fit in with. It feels so awesome. I am comfortable, I am at home with this all.

I started another round of Whole30 again this week, if you want to join in and keep up with us it is never too late to join! I am happy to help you stay on track, I am here for questions and support!

Lets Have a Baby la la la

Guys. Let me start off by saying I am so grateful for my Owen. He is so rotten, and so awesome, I love him to pieces!! But, I am so frustrated. I'll just cut straight to the problem. I have been trying to get pregnant for ten months. TEN. I feel like a spoiled rotten brat being mad, worried, and frustrated because I know there are people who try for a lot longer, or people who can't conceive at all. But now I don't mind being a little selfish because I am hurt, and no matter what there will always be someone who has it worse than me, so when is the appropriate time to share? I have been wanting a baby since Owen turned one, so I was just waiting for my cutie husband to be on the same page. Finally he was so we literally got busy right away, if you know what I mean ;) When we found out I was pregnant with Owen we were surprised because we had not been trying, so this whole trying thing is new to me!
I have been tracking my cycle, and ovulation times long before we started trying to get pregnant. I wanted to be familiar with my body, and timing because I wanted to get pregnant when I wanted to get pregnant. When David decided he was ready for another baby he said he didn't want this to be a chore, and still wanted it to be fun so not to talk to him about cycles and ovulation because that's a big turn off to talk about lady stuff I guess? I don't blame him! So I have kept my lips zipped. I have not been on birth control for over 4 years, I have had a plethora of ovulation kits, and pregnancy tests in the bathroom so surely he has seen them.
People are always asking me when I am going to have another baby and I joke with them about how Owen is enough for me, but it's a lie. I have always hated when people made comments about how Owen is almost 3 it's time for another because I have always felt like trying to conceive and being early in pregnancy is a very intimate thing and should be kept a secret between two people, and sometimes with parents, or a close friend. Why though? Why can't people know? I have always heard that you should not say anything just in case of a miscarriage. But if I ever miscarry I want people I am friends with to know, It would be so heartbreaking and so I would want people to know why I was sad so they could just let me be sad for a little while, and maybe give me a hug. I don't want to pretend to be okay when I am not, so that's why I am sharing this post. I am not okay with NOT having another baby. Owen needs a brother (or sister! I won't be picky!).
I have talked to my doctor about my concerns and she wanted me to wait until I had been trying for 6 months, so I waited, then I decided to clean up my eating a lot, and lose some weight to see if that would help my body before bringing it back up with her. That was the #1 reason I started Whole30. I have done so much reading on how to tell the minute your body is ovulating (with out tests), ovulating in general, cycles, tips and wives-tales to help, and so far it's been a bust. Whole30 has not let me down so far I lost 18 pounds, haven't had problems with IBS or geographical tongue, and just feel better. It is supposed to help in a lot of cases of infertility and so many other health problems. This is the last thing to check off of my Whole30 list. If anyone has any tips, thoughts, stories, or anything I would love to hear them.

Ahhhh...I think it's time to go to the sea.

Whole30 Helpful Guides and Sources

Here are some papers that I find super handy to have around all the time! I keep copies in my purse so if I am stumped at the grocery store I can pull them out and double check, or if someone is curious about Whole30 I can just pull them out and let them have a look! At the very least keep the links where you can easily access them.

Just click the photo to enlarge, or click the title to open the document up from its original source.

Good Meat Guide

Sneaky Sugar Guide

Helpful Pantry Staples Guide

Fresh Produce Guide

Budget Guide

Meal Planning Guide

Shopping List

Travel Help

Travel Help 2

Dining Out Guide

Other Guides:
Low Histamine
Low FODMAP
AIP
Vegetarian & Vegan

All of these documents were created by Whole9 http://whole30.com/pdf-downloads/

Organization

When I first started reading up on the Whole30 one of the things they want you to do to prep for the lifestyle was clean and organize your house. I really try to be a good house keeper, but it can be hard sometimes! The older Owen gets (or is it the older I get?) the easier it seems to be to keep up on house chores.
A couple years ago I created a list of house chores, and what day to complete them on. I had it written in pen on a lined piece of paper, and then stuck it in a plastic sleeve. It was far from fashionable but it was so helpful!

This is the chart I created for my home. It has changed in design, but the chores are the same, although there are more chores that are not on this list ( yes, I know how to spell furniture ;).

Having a good chore list and actually doing them helps you stick to your meal plans, it helps you eat your meals at a good time, and even the same time everyday.
Schedules are important. My counters are clean, my dishes are done and I don't have to spend and hour cleaning before I can start chopping up veggies.

Seriously, I am not saying my house is clean 24/7 because it is not. Other things that have helped me keep a cleaner house are
scheduling semi- regular pick ups from the local donation center. If something does not have a place, junk it! I always had this laundry basket in my room with matchless socks, random articles of clothing that I didn't wear, much less have a place for. Just throw it out and start clean!
Set aside days once a week, or twice a month to DEEP clean, and put everything where it belongs!
I keep my alarm set for 7:00 am every morning, except Mondays I wake up at 5:00am. When I don't sleep in, and laze about I get so much more done. I also try to be in bed by 10:00pm..sometimes it's earlier, sometimes it's later. Such is life.
I write down everything. I mean everything, even if it already happened or was last minute. I keep a very detailed planner, and it works wonders.
Keep a grocery list going on the fridge, when something runs out write it down.
We have some super awesome stores here that are full of amazing bargains, but guess what? Every time I go I buy useless cheap stuff that clutters my house! It might be a good deal, but if you don't need it, it's really not a good deal at all. I stay clear of those stores now to prevent my house from filling up with junk!

Be optimistic, set goals and fulfill them!

I want to know what you do that helps you stay clean, organized, set goals, and all in all be a better spouse/parent/friend/etc.

News from Whole9

Ahhhh! Whole9 shared some exciting news today.

How cool is that?
Potatoes are now allowed on future Whole30's. I am not going to have any while I finish up the challenge I am on (my Whole30 is over on Tuesday! Whooop!), But Thursday (24th) when I start my next Whole30 I will be incorporating a little bit of white potatoes in. White potatoes are very starchy so I don't think I will be eating a lot of these, but I am excited to add some potatoes to my Sunday Crockpot.
Enjoy the exciting news!


To read the full guidelines on the new Whole30 rules read ~HERE~

I'm Done Dieting

"Ughh!" and eyerolls are so annoying. I am tired of people talking down to people because they don't like their healthy food choices. Don't be mad at me because I don't want to eat a whole package of triple stuffed oreos.
"Well, I don't want to diet my whole life"

Oh shut up. nothing about me has changed. I'm still Laura, But I am choosing to eat healthy.

"I want to eat real food"

Uhmm, nothing gets more real than this.

"Diets are stupid, they don't last, you'll yoyo"

I am not dieting, I am eating healthy foods, you are probably right that I would gain weight if I stopped eating real food and I start binge-ing on sugar, and unhealthy fats. So, if that is considered 'yoyoing' then yeah I guess I would. (But I won't be!)

"You don't need to diet"

Ok. I am not dieting. No counting points or calories, no eating tiny portions or taking special supplements. I am just eating what ever healthy foods I want until I am full and satisfied. 

"You can't learn to eat right if you diet, you can't eat that in the 'real world'."

I am not doing anything but eating whole foods, so whats not realistic, balanced, and right about that?
"I need flavor and want to eat things I enjoy"

You wouldn't complain about flavor if you learned how to cook with whole foods, herbs and spices. I love this food, my body loves this food. It is not like I won't ever again eat your beloved sugar and preservatives, because I will. Not everyday, not once a week. In moderation. They made me sick before, when my body was used to them, so now that I have let it heal a bit I can't imagine how it would make my body hurt. 

"Why can't you just be ok with yourself?"

I am very ok with myself. I think it is safe to say any overweight person would like to lose a few pounds so painlessly. I love my body enough to not poison it with artificial ingredients, and chemicals. I'm feeding it food that make me happy. Make it happy. Foods that don't make me sick or have IBS symptoms. I'm eating foods my body can recognize, and foods it knows how to break down, foods that make me strong and healthy. How's that for loving myself? 

Remember when we were told to treat our bodies like a temple? It's a special privilege we only get one of. The temple wouldn't be as special if they only occasionally took care of it. Rarely mowing the grass and not going beyond that. Temple workers take 101%  the best possible care of all temples. We should too. 

Think about your sweet babies. I love mine more than myself, no doubt. I want him to be strong and healthy. Why would I WANT to feed him things that could make him sick, grouchy, uncomfortable or weaken his body? I have been taking away fruit snacks and crackers, and successfully replacing them with nutritional foods. I won't always say 'NO' to everything sugar, he can have things in moderation. Fortunately for me he is not one for ice cream, cakes, cookies, etc. So taking the bad food away was no struggle ( I was the one who ate the most of it anyway!), the hardest part has been introducing nutrition packed foods. I don't plan on taking away his grains or dairy, like I have with myself. But building him up is so important right now. I want health, and choosing what to eat to not be something he has to struggle with or question when he is older.
This is all worth it to me to get my family healthy, BONUS: it's working for me too!
Stop being negative when myself or other people tell you their food choices, especially when they are being so healthy, passionate, and diligent.  

FOOD!

Oh, my.

I wanted to share a couple pictures of food I ate this last week. I have got to take more pictures, so I can show you really how awesome eating this way is!

top left: mini quiche wrapped in prosciutto
top right: watermelon, and a guacamole smothered beef patty
bottom left: Homemade (and approved!) BBQ sauce, with beef roast, and sauteed zucchini with onion
bottom right: oven baked omelet w/(approved) bacon, eggs, green pepper, spinach, mushroom, yellow onion, green onion, tomato, cilantro.

I will be sharing some of these recipes this week so you can start eating food this delicious too! In the past I have often felt like eating healthy was boring, with no flavor but, I am proving that thought WRONG! There is so much flavor in every single meal I have eaten! Today marks day 15, and I have lost 14 pounds. I feel better, I look better, my clothes fit better, there is more room for confidence. I love it!

IBS.

Can I tell you guys something kind of unfortunate? It's actually really embarrassing to talk about this, but kind of exciting too!

I have I.B.S. 

There were/are three reasons I started Whole30
1. shed some pounds (I'm down 13lbs so far!)
2.(& 3.) improve 2 health problems I have been struggling with. (one of them being IBS)
Whole30 is supposed to 'reset' your body, and help correct health issues. I am proud to say it has helped my I.B.S. and hopefully corrected it completely if I stick to my health diet and goals.
If you have ever dealt with IBS, you know how seriously painful it is to your whole body. I am proud to be pain free, and medication free!


Is there a health problem you have to put up with? Can you imagine how good you would feel not having to deal with it anymore, or having to take medication for it? Well, I can tell you how I feel, and it's really good! No more worrying about when my IBS is going to make me sick. I. Feel. Great. I think this alone is worth sticking to Whole30/paleo forever! I've got another 60 years to live so I might as well do it comfortably!

5,000 Calories/Day

Calories are something most of us have been taught to count. 1400 calories a day is the average advised intake of calories for a grown person. I was taught to eat what I want to weigh (120 lbs) x 10 (1200 calories/day) and that would be the amount of calories I should intake. Oh, boy.
I was taught that 3500 calories = 1 pound. So, in order to lose 1 dang pound, you have to eat 3500 calories less than normal(over time), or work it off at the gym ( I have also heard that running (not walking briskly) one mile burns 100 calories if you weigh more than 150lbs.).
But I was also taught that if you eat to few calories, or cut your calories drastically you will gain weight because your body thinks you are starving and holds onto and stores all the fats.
So is 100 calories from a candy bar the same as 100 calories of artichokes? After all, a calorie is just a calorie right? Nope. Wrong.
I am not saying that counting calories all together is a terrible idea, but we don't need to obsess about it. I tried to eat 1200 or less calories for the last few years. Now, I am not counting calories. I have no idea what my calorie intake is, but I am fairly sure it is well over 1200cal. I do keep a food journal but it is just so I can look back in case something needs tweaking, or so I can share meals with you all. Just because we were taught things one way, doesn't mean we can't change the way we think. There is always room for improvement.

Sam Feltham from Smash the Fat is one of my favorite heath activists. He works hard on improving peoples health, and he does trial diets so he can experiment the way the body reacts to different foods, not the way science says it should react, but the way the body actually reacts. This is a clipping of one of my favorite trials he did. Please read it, or turn the audio on (18 minutes) so you can listen while doing other things. I have listened to this audio many times, it never gets less interesting, he is a very smart man!

http://live.smashthefat.com/why-i-didnt-get-fat/
http://live.smashthefat.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Why-I-Didnt-Get-Fat-From-Eating-5000-Calories-A-Day.mp3

Why is this even a Blog?

Why is this even a blog you ask? Is this lady so caught up in herself that she needs to draw attention and praise from her getting healthy? Um. yeah. I am.
Actually, the reason I started this blog is because I have yet to find a blog that is what I am looking for. Easy to navigate, information and stories I can relate to (obviously I find all of these stories relate-able, you know?), dumbed down and in depth information on getting fit, healthy, and clean! And I know when I say things like "I'm getting clean" it sounds like I am a druggie with a crazy addiction, and that is partially true! I have this crazy addiction to processed food that I am over coming with a CLEAN diet (see how clever that pun is?;)
Another reason I have decided to start this blog is because I work so much better, and more consistent when I have people keeping tabs on me. I love when people find me to me inspirational, and I love helping people. A lot.
I hope you will find me inspirational, informative, relate-able, or at least semi funny on all these posts!

FAQ's

What is Whole30?  Whole30 is 30 day program made by the people over at Whole9. In a nutshell (a very small nutshell..) on Whole30 you eliminate certain food groups in hopes to heal your body from any problems you may be having, as well as give you energy and make you feel great overall. It is a very safe, and doable health plan. To learn more click the 'Whole30' tab up in the right hand corner!

How do I remember what is approved? I know, there is a lot to take in the first couples weeks. I still have trouble sometimes. That is why I keep these handy documents printed and safe in my purse. I use them more often than you might think! Click HERE to view the cheat guides

Products I Love

It starts with food. Written by the people who brought us Whole30. You can do W30 with out the book, but the book is so informative, and eye opening! Worth the buy!

Russbe baggies. heavy duty, bpa free, freezer/dishwasher safe reusable ziplock bags.

You will find so many gems in this cookbook. I basically live out of it!


The George Foreman is a must for any healthy diet. Throw in some meat and forget about it for a couple minutes!


This is a paleo cook book, and not all the recipes fit whole30, but many of them do.

Meet the Veggetti. I picked mine up at Walmart (check the produce or 'as seen on T.V.' aisle) for around $10. It is surprisingly made of good quality, and has two choices (thick & thin) for cutting zoodles, coodles, or whatever you are making! Small, and easy to store.

Walmart sells these itty bitty tiny spatulas that are less than an inch across. They are perfect for scraping out small measuring spoons, and that awful blade at the bottom of the blender! I have 4 and use them all daily.

-L