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Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies

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In my nutritional therapy practice, I utilize the paleo diet as a tool for healing clients.  For example, I have a practice client who is trying to change her gut microbiome because she has an overgrowth of bad bacteria that’s causing her extreme bloat, discomfort and immunity issues.  In order to starve this bacteria, grains, sugar and legumes are removed from the diet for a certain period of time. This allows the gut environment to return to normal.  Our bodies are smart and they will heal themselves when you feed them correctly!  It’s amazing. 

Transitioning from a standard American diet to a paleo diet can seem extremely restrictive at first.  Thankfully, there are so many paleo recipe developers who have made the healing process so much less restrictive!  When I’m eating paleo, I no longer feel like I’m missing out because I’ve made so many amazing recipes that are honestly even better than the foods I was eating before. 

If you’re trying paleo or simply want to try a grain-free cookie recipe, I recommend this one.  It’s super quick and easy, requires minimal ingredients, but is also tasty AF.  I found this recipe on Pinterest and it originally came from detoxinista.com .  

makes 2 dozen 

Ingredients:

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond meal, salt, and baking soda, then add the coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract and mix well.
  3. Fold in the chocolate chips, then drop batter by rounded tablespoons onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  4. Bake at 350F for 8-9 minutes, until the edges are golden brown.
  5. Allow to cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then serve warm or allow to cool to room temperature

Enjoy 🙂 

Whole30 Meatballs in Marinara

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If you’re doing a whole30, one thing that will be a critical piece of your success is trying new recipes!  The last time I attempted whole30, I threw in the towel because I had no desire to eat any of the compliant food that I had in the fridge after a long day of work and [solidcore] coach training.  I literally don’t think I tried a single new recipe!  How boringgg. This week, I’ve been doing things very differently.  I would say I’m actually eating way more yummier foods now than when I wasn’t on whole30.  The meals I’ve been eating are delicious and I’ve been super excited to eat them.  I don’t feel deprived at all–that’s the key.

My slow cooker has also become my best friend!  I’ve really enjoyed my time getting back in the kitchen making recipes from scratch.  I find it therapeutic.  The slow cooker helps with convenience.  I made these slow cooker meatballs for my Pure Barre potluck last night.  They were a hit!  The recipe is from paleorunningmama.com.  I found it on Pinterest, which is an amazing resource that I highly recommend utilizing.

Ovi approves 🙂 

You’ll need:

  • 1 and 3/4 lbs ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup blanched almond flour
  • 3/4 tsp fine grain sea salt divided (I just used pink Himalayan salt)
  • 2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp Italian seasoning blend
  • generous pinch crushed red pepper adjust for spice preference
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley – optional (I didn’t use this)

for the sauce:

  • 1 – 28 oz can crushed tomatoes with basil
  • 1 – 14 oz can diced tomatoes with basil and garlic
  • 1 – 6 oz can tomato paste
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh garlic (You could use minced garlic for convenience
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano leaves (I used dried oregano to season instead)
  • 2 bay leaves
  • sea salt to taste

to make the meatballs:

  1. In a small bowl, mix together the almond flour, 1/2 tsp of the sea salt, onion and garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and crushed red pepper.
  2. In a large bowl, add the ground beef and sprinkle evenly with the remaining sea salt. Add the egg and almond flour mix (plus parsley if adding) and gently mix with your hands until the mixture binds and is evenly distributed. It’s important not to work the meat too much or it becomes tough.
  3. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat your broiler. Form the meat mixture into 20 meatballs and arrange on the baking sheet.
  4. Broil 2-4 minutes just to lightly brown and release a small amount of fat (this avoids an overly greasy sauce) and remove promptly.
  5. Add the meatballs to the slow cooker, leaving behind any rendered fat. Top the meatballs with all sauce ingredients and give a gentle stir (careful not to break the meatballs!)
  6. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours, until meatballs are cooked through
  7. Serve when ready to eat with anything you want and garnish with your favorite fresh herbs.

These are great with zoodles, cauliflower rice or sweet potato noodles if you’re on whole30.  If you’re not on whole30, they would be delicious with chickpea/lentil pasta!  They go well with so many different things and because of that they are an excellent option for meal prep Sunday.

Don’t forget to get organized, move your body & do one thing for your mental health today like journal/meditate or even just relax. You deserve it.  Have a dope Sunday, my friends.

xx

Carla

Whole30 Approved Bolognese with Zoodles & “The Magic Pill” Recap

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The other day I watched a documentary on Netflix called “The Magic Pill” that inspired me to get back into paleo cooking.  The documentary showed how the ketogenic diet magically healed three different people with a wide array of health problems.  According to the Bulletproof blog:

“The Magic Pill” follows people in America and Australia suffering from different ailments to explore what effect, if any, the ketogenic diet has on their symptoms. The ketogenic, or keto diet, is a high-fat, low-carb diet that encourages your body to use fat for fuel instead of carbs.

The film tracks the subjects for 10 weeks, then looks at whether the keto diet improved each person’s particular condition.

In the film, Abigail, a young girl with autism — who ate processed chicken fingers, goldfish crackers, and apple juice previously — appeared to make significant gains after five weeks of restricting carbs. Though she struggled to adjust to the diet initially, her parents were convinced it was working. Her father noted her belly was less bloated, she had more regular bowel movements (she took a laxative every day prior to the keto diet), and she communicated better.

“She’s able to concentrate, and she’s able to progress, because she’s not running all over the place and she’s not seizing,” her doctor says in the film. “Her seizures are going down, and we have tangible data from the school. We are actually starting to wean her off of the anti-convulsory narcotic that she’s on.”

The people profiled followed a diet based on keto principles. These include:

  • Eat whole and organic foods
  • Eliminate processed foods, dairy, grains, and legumes
  • Edge out bad fats (vegetable oils) with healthy fats (olive and coconut oils, animal fats, eggs, and avocados)
  • Aim to consume free-range animals and wild caught seafood
  • Introduce bone broths, organ meats, fermented foods, and intermittent fasting into your diet

(Bullet Proof Blog)

This documentary was incredible and reminded me that real food is amazing medicine.  I feel inspired to cut out sugar, processed food, alcohol, grains, soy, dairy and legumes right now to see where it takes me.

Last time I attempted a whole30 in March, I threw in the towel at the end of week two because I got so bored with what I was cooking!  I wasn’t mixing it up or trying fun new recipes and that was my down fall.  So if you’re reading this, and you’re trying paleo or simply just trying to be healthier, here’s my advice:

a) spice it up and try one new recipe a week

b) be prepared–always have yummy meals ready to go in the fridge.  Like this one:

INGREDIENTS
  1. Spiralize the zucchinis first. Feel free to spiralize it as thick or as thin as you’d like! Add the spiralized zucchini to a large colander and place it over the sink. Add the kosher salt and massage it well into the zucchini. Let it sit for about 20 minutes, as this process will release a lot of moisture. Rinse the zucchini well with cold water and let it drain for another 10-15 minutes. Pat it as dry as you can with a kitchen towel and set aside. Not gonna lie guys I didn’t do this whole salt thing and mine turned out fine 
  2. Cook the bacon cubes in a large cooking pot on medium. Transfer the bacon to a plate for later use.
  3. Cook the onion, celery and carrots until the onions appear translucent. Add in the garlic cloves and cook for another minute or so, until fragrant. I used minced garlic from Trader Joe’s instead of cloves
  4. Add in the beef and cook until brown. Add in the coconut milk, bone broth, tomato paste and cooked bacon cubes. Let it simmer for 7-10 minutes, until everything is well combined and appears thick. I couldn’t find grass fed beef at the store so I used lamb instead.  I also forgot to buy bone broth lol so I used extra coconut milk.
  5. Stir in the garlic powder, sea salt and black pepper, to taste. I also didn’t do this part…lol
  6. Stir in the zucchini noodles and let everything cook together for 4-5 minutes. Serve warm.
    I found this recipe on Pinterest and it’s from this blog. Let me know if you guys have any questions! I’m happy to help.  Have a happy & healthy week my friends 🙂

How Much Water Should I Drink?

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Greetings, loved ones.  If you are reading this now, there’s a high chance you are probably dehydrated.  Most of us are.  Drinking clean water seems pretty basic but it can make a HUGE difference in the way you feel.  For me, when I’m dehydrated, I experience brain fog, I feel tired and my bowels just don’t move… but when I’m hydrated I feel energized, alive & my digestion works properly.  This is because water plays many big roles in the body including:

•Improving oxygen delivery to cells
•Transporting nutrients
•Enabling cellular hydration
•Cushioning bones and joints
•Absorbing shocks to joints and organs
•Preventing tissues from sticking
•Lubricating joints
•Removing waste
•Flushing toxins
•Moistening oxygen for easier breathing
•Regulating body temperature
•Improving cell to cell communications
•Maintaining electrical properties of cells
•Empowering natural healing processes
(NTA Training)

So, how much water should you drink?  Your body weight in lbs divided by 2 = amount of water in oz you should aim to get per day.  If you drink diuretics (coffee, fruit juice, green/black tea, soda, alcohol) you’ll need to compensate!  Here’s the new formula:

(oz of diuretics x 1.5) + (body weight lbs/2) = your amount in oz

For example, if Sally Sue weighs 140 lbs she needs to drink 70 oz of water per day.  But if Sally Sue drinks a grande Starbucks coffee (20 oz) in the morning and two glasses of wine after work (5 oz each) then she will actually need:  (25 x 1.5) + (70) = 107.5 oz of water.

Quality matters!  Unfortunately many chemicals have been added to our tap water in order to prevent the pipes from rusting, for example.  Unfortunately, these chemicals wreak havoc on our insides. Always drink filtered water and avoid plastic water bottles when possible.  I invested in a Berkey water filter this year and I am loving it!

Try to sip it throughout the day rather than chugging all at once so that it can best perform its MANY functions.  In my studies, I also learned that drinking liquids while you eat can negatively impair digestion.  The reason is because it dilutes your stomach acid, which is supposed to break down food so you can absorb all of the nutrients!  Ya learn something new every day guys. 

Stay hydrated my friends!

NTP Workshop Weekend 1, Balanced Macros & Intuitive Eating

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Hey fam!  A couple weekends ago I ventured to Philly for my first workshop through the Nutritional Therapy Association.  I’m currently studying through NTA to become a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner.  The course is mostly online, but there are a few weekend workshops, too.  I absolutely loved the in person experience!

NTA takes a holistic approach on health, and this was very apparent as we started out the weekend with a discussion about fear and speaking what we want.  My instructor, Dusty, told us a story about another girl in one of his previous classes who, during her introduction, told the class that she wanted to do something with public speaking after graduating.  Her vision wasn’t super clear but she decided to talk about it anyways, and as it turned out there was someone else in the classroom who knew someone who was looking for a wellness speaker that lived in her area!  If she had never talked about her vision out loud, she would have never made that connection.  Dusty told us about another NTA grad who lives in Arkansas and runs an incredibly successful nutrition business out of her van!  He explained that there is no dream too far fetched, and how important it is to talk about the vision to make it a reality.  Even if the details aren’t super clear.

Well shit.  That resonated with me, so I decided to be brave during my introduction.  My classmates did their intros from their seats but I was sitting in weird spot and a handful of people would have had to strain their necks to be able to see me, so  I decided to stand up at the front of the room.  Fuck it, if being brave is going to get me what I want in life then let’s fucking go, I thought.

I told the class that I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my NTP cert when I graduated, but that I hope it involves my blog and insta since I love creating content.  I always feel super awk saying that, like people are scoffing at my silly dreams on the inside. But it’s 2018..anything is possible.  Get those visions out in the open!

I also loved being able to hang out with people like me.  I got lunch at Bare Burger with some classmates the first day, and we talked about our fav podcasts, the crazy water fasts we’ve tried (ok maybe that was just me and one other dude..) paleo diets and our fav (and not so fav) books from our required reading.  The last night, I went to Mom’s Organic Market with some gals and we got healthy desserts and had ourselves a field day through the aisles–something I usually do by myself, so it was nice to share the experience with friends. Lol. I remember thinking, damn, these people just GET ME and I feel like my authentic self right now.

One of the main reasons I wanted to become an NTP was to heal my relationship with food and help others do so, too.  For homework, we filled out the same forms as our clients to understand what the process is like on their end.  Included in the forms is a 3 day food diary.  Mine went something like this:  perfectly paleo breakfast with maybe 1/4 cup of fruit, light paleo lunch, and then insane afternoon cravings for sugar and carbs.  I would deny the cravings for as long as possible, and then end up in a pint of Ben & Jerry’s…no joke.

My classmates advised me to include more carbs into breakfast and lunch in the form of fruit and *gasp* whole grains. Generally, meals should consist of 40% carbs, 30% protein and 30% fat. My meals barely contained any carbs, which makes no sense, especially considering I workout.

One of our group leaders, a graduate who now has her own practice, asked me if I had ever had an eating disorder and talked to me about intuitive eating. While I’ve never been diagnosed with an ED, I can honestly say that my eating is pretty disordered (although has been way worse in the past) and my relationship with food is not healthy.  She said if I was her client, she would refer me to an intuitive eating coach in her circle.  Sadly, that’s not in my budget right now, but I just purchased this book on Amazon and I can’t wait to dive in.

I started practicing intuitive eating at the start of summer right before my trip to Italy and loved it.  When I got back from Europe, I felt so disgusting from overeating and drinking that I went back to my extreme habits :/  The first pillar of intuitive eating is you have to drop the diet mentality, lose all of the food rules and stop trying to lose weight.  These are scary concepts to me because I don’t feel comfortable in my body right now and would like to lose a decent amount of weight.  However, I know that if I fix my relationship with food, I will get back to my natural weight without having to do any extreme dieting that doesn’t even work.

I’m dropping the food rules, quitting diets and bringing fruit, whole grains and dairy back into my life.  So thank you NTA for the amazing workshop weekend, new wellness friends and more chillness when it comes to my relationship with food.

xx

 

 

 

Clean Skin Care for the Modern Day Woman

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Since writing this blog post, I have become a Beautycounter consultant.  I am obsessed with their clean skincare & makeup products and proud to work for a company that is advocating for safer beauty in our country.  You can buy directly through me at beautycounter.com/carlakeith.

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I hope you’re all having a fabulous Hump Day.  I talk a lot about the importance of eating clean, healthy foods on my instagram account so I also wanted to shed some light about something else that I think is really important: putting clean products on your skin!  

Non toxic beauty isn’t just trendy..it’s important.  Your skin is the biggest organ on your body. The products we use don’t just lay on top of our skin, they get absorbed into our pores and end up in our bloodstream.  Did you guys know that the US does not regulate beauty products? There is no government oversight in the products we are using daily–lotions, mascara, shampoo etc. That means companies can use toxic chemicals that are known carcinogens and endocrine disruptors.  And trust me, they do this often.

Endocrine disruptors increase production of certain hormones; decrease production of others; imitate hormones; turn one hormone into another; interfere with hormone signaling; tell cells to die prematurely; compete with essential nutrients; bind to essential hormones; accumulate in organs that produce hormones.   Basically, we do not want this shit on our bodies. Mainstream beauty products CERTAINLY don’t help us promote longevity or anti-aging as they advertise. (EWG)

The worst part is that a lot of these companies label their products as “natural” or “organic” because they can get away with it, and people buy these toxic products actually thinking they are doing right by their skin.  It’s extremely manipulative and fucked up. 

So what can we do to change this?  Support companies that are creating nontoxic products with our dollars, and bring awareness to this issue.  I’ve rounded up some of my favorite non toxic beauty products in this post. I hope that you will find this information useful!  Try not to get overwhelmed when going non toxic. I’ve been using up all of my old makeup and skin care products and slowly replacing the old products with new, clean products.  Rome wasn’t built in a day!

I hope that in the near future, we will be able shop for beauty products without having to think twice about whether or not they are toxic because this industry will be more regulated and actually give a shit about the health of it’s consumers.  Until then, I’ll be supporting the companies listed below:

Native

If you’re going to start somewhere, start with natural deodorant.  Seriously, I think it’s bizarre that women shave their armpits, thus opening up their pores, and then swipe toxic chemicals on them that prevent sweat from coming out… Sweat is meant to leave our bodies, not get trapped inside. Where does it go if it doesn’t come out of your armpits? I honestly think that toxic anti perspirant deodorants contribute to breast cancer.  That’s just my personal opinion. I’m obsessed with Native deodorant, especially the coconut flavor! Just make sure if you work out later in the day, you reapply it since it obvi isn’t as strong as toxic deo. 

Cocokind

This company is amazing, not only because their products rock but also because they are AFFORDABLE.  The founder of the company is also very present on Insta-Story showing us how to use the products effectively.  I am obsessed with their chapstick, face oil, matcha stick, chlorophyll face mask, and body butter. They also just released a new line of mushroom infused highlighters that everyone is raving about!  I can’t wait to try them. Find their products online or at Whole Foods!

W3ll People

This is a company that I recently discovered but am loving so far because of their wide array of beauty products and great prices!  The bio correct-multi action concealer works like a damn CHARM. The mineral setting powder is also amazing for setting my eye liner.  I tried their expressionist mascara and I think it’s great for lengthening. Thick lashes, not so much, although some women swear it’s the best mascara they’ve ever tried so it’s very possible my makeup application skills need work. Lolz.

Acure

I started using their shampoo and conditioners recently and my roommate said they made the bathroom smell so good that she ended up buying them too!  The body lotion also smells heavenly. I got these products at Whole Foods out of convenience but you can get them cheaper on Amazon.  

Now Solutions

I don’t know how I ever lived without this body oil in the freezing, dry DC winters.  Seriously makes my skin feel so supple and smooth. It’s pretty greasy so I’d recommend doing this one before bed.  I get mine via Amazon.

Tula

I honestly didn’t believe that this company was non toxic because the mask I tried worked SO well.  The products are made from probiotics which is pretty cool. This mask is perfect for my skin in the summer.  For the winter, it’s a little bit too harsh for me because my skin gets sooo dry in this lovely northeastern climate *rolls eyes.*

Toothpaste

I’ve been using Dr. Bronner’s toothpaste lately and have been getting a lot of compliments on my teeth!  Before that, I was using Fraud’s toothpaste powder which I also loved.  The application process was different because it comes in a little dish that you dip your toothbrush in, but it’s kinda fun and makes your mouth feel very clean. 

Coconut Oil

The queen of wellness right hur. Coconut oil is not only amazing for cooking but also great for oil pulling, body oil and as a makeup remover!  I oil pull 1-2 days a week which just means I swish coconut oil in my mouth for 15-20 min when I first wake up. I do this to remove bacteria from my mouth and also because it makes your teeth white affff.  Coconut oil is honestly so much better than any makeup remover I’ve tried because it doesn’t rip your lashes out. In fact, it makes them thicker. #blessed. I even use coconut oil as a moisturizer when I’m out of my typical ones since it’s something that I always have stocked. 

Some other brands that I want to try soon are Beauty Counter and Honest Beauty by Jessica Alba (defff where I will get my baby products when I’m a mama one day!)

Edit: I am now a beauty counter addict.  I use the cleansing balm, eye makeup remover, brightening oil and resurfacing peel and my pores are noticeably less visible.  I also use their body lotion. Buy them here. 

If you guys are ever unsure of whether or not a product is clean or toxic, you can go to ewg.com/skindeep or download the “Think Dirty” app and search the product in their databases.

I know that buying nontoxic seems kind of “extra” or like just another annoying thing we have to think about, but it’s so worth it for long term health.  I am a big believer in the idea that we do not have to get old and sick when we age.  Everything we eat and put on our bodies, in addition to our lifestyle, either fights or fuels disease.  Do it for your future self, babe.

Xx

Carla

Fasting for Health

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Edit: I wrote this post before starting my nutrition course through the Nutritional Therapy Association.  Knowing what I know now, I would never do a prolonged fast after a trip to Italy because you need to be fat adapted before fasting..even just intermittent fasting.  I honestly think it was foolish of me to do the fast because I could have gotten longer-lasting results from eating real food and working out.  But I’m human and I’m still learning, too!

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Hello beautiful people. Today we are going to talk about fasting.  I debated writing this post, but then remembered that I always want to be real with you guys regarding my own health journey and the things I learn along the way.  Because I believe fasting is so good for the body and mind, I feel the need to speak my truth about it.  

Disclaimer:  I am not a doctor.  Fasting is not for everyone.  Especially those who have struggled with eating disorders in the past, those who are on certain medications, or those who are pregnant or breastfeeding.  I am not saying that you should fast, I am just sharing my own research regarding fasting and talking about my experiences. I am not responsible for your health.  

Ok ok..let’s dive into it.  Fasting is when you willingly abstain from food for a given period of time.  

First off, I would like to say that I would never EVER do something to hurt my body–ok, well, with the exception of drinking alcohol (lol whoops.)  Even when I was desperate to lose weight and fix my relationship with food, I never tried to fast because society told me that starving yourself is bad for your health;  “your body will eat your muscle for fuel” & “you’ll go into starvation mode” and finally “your metabolism will slow down” they said.

Self harm makes me cringe.  Even though I’m not at my comfortable weight, I still love my body and want to do right by it.  Skipping meals and potentially losing muscle never seemed like a viable option. Until I discovered that skipping meals isn’t bad for you.  Actually, It could potentially improve your health. 

Recent studies are finding that fasting is an amazing way to detox your gut and liver, reduce inflammation, lose body fat while gaining muscle and even prevent and reverse diseases such as type 2 diabetes!  

When you fast, your body gets a break from constantly digesting food and has a chance to focus on other things.  It’s like when you are so busy with work and life that you don’t have time to clean your house. But then you quit your job and suddenly you have all this spare time to get rid of clutter and organize everything! If you fast for long enough, your body will go through a metabolic process called autophagy: when old, weak cells are killed off and fresh new cells are formed. Dat new new.

Our ancestors used to fast all the time.  Before farming and refrigeration, hunters had no guarantee of finding food.  Feasting and fasting was a natural part of life. Nowadays, we have grown accustomed to eating breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between.  We eat a lot! It makes sense to me that eating less frequently throughout the day (otherwise known as intermittent fasting) would help with anti-aging, weight loss and disease prevention.

I’ve decided to do a 2-3 day bone broth fast.  This won’t be my first fast–I did a 4 day fast about a year and half ago and I’ve dabbled with intermittent fasting.  But this is the first time that I feel educated coming out of the fast, which is the most important part in my opinion. It doesn’t make sense to fast and then binge out after the fast.  It’s important to practice mindful, healthy eating for lasting mental and physical results.  I’m choosing to do a prolonged fast but you can also get the benefits of fasting by doing intermittent fasting.  In the resources section at the end, I link an article with more info on different ways to do IF.  

With anything in life, I believe knowing your why is so important.  I’m fasting to elevate my health and my relationship with food.  Also to reduce inflammation in my body post Italy trip.  I will probably lose a lot of weight during the fast, but most of it will be water weight.  I expect to lose about 2 pounds of fat while fasting for 3 days.  Please note, you could also reduce inflammation and lose weight easily by following an anti-inflammatory diet (see resources below). 

I personally don’t believe that our bodies burn muscle while doing short fasts.  Most people report gaining muscle while fasting as long as they continue to do strength training (use it or you’ll lose it).  Makes sense to me.  Our bodies store fat to provide energy during periods of famine, so I think they’re smart enough to use that stored fat instead of burning muscle first.  I plan on continuing my Pure Barre & [solidcore] workouts as usual.  I’ll be incorporating bone broth into my fast to help with nausea, muscle recovery and sleep.  Bone broth contains many minerals and 10 g of protein per serving so I won’t feel like I am denying my body proper nutrition!

Have you ever tried fasting or intermittent fasting?  Let me know in the comments!

xx

Carla

Fasting Resources

  1. The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting
  2. How to properly water fast: a step by step guide (YouTube Video)
  3. Different Types of Intermittent Fasting by Dr. Axe
  4. Why fasting bolsters brain power: Mark Mattson at TEDxJohnsHopkinsUniversity
  5. Fasting: A Path To Mental And Physical Transcendence | Phil Sanderson | TEDxBeaconStreet

If fasting is not right for you but you still want to reduce inflammation in your body and lose weight, try these anti-inflammatory diets:

Making Weight Loss Fun & Magical

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4/16/19 Edit: At the time that I wrote this post, I thought I had gained 10 lbs.  I realize now that I actually did not.  The couple of times I attempted whole30 this year, I would lose 7 lbs in the first week.  Meaning that was probably 7 lbs of water weight that my body was holding onto because of a high carbohydrate or alcohol intake. I wish I hadn’t been so trusting of my scale, because then I would have realized that I only gained 3 lbs.  I am now using DEXA scans at Composition ID to track my progress.  It is amazing the impact the number on the scale can have on someone, and I totally fell into this trap.

Hello lovers.  How are you?? I hope you are having an amazing day wherever you are!  

Today I want to talk about weight loss.  It’s almost summer (TG) which is amazing because I don’t have to freeze my tits off anymore, but it also means it’s bikini season.  I will be honest guys, I really let myself go this winter…

I felt stuck in my full time job that no longer fulfilled me and I was so unsure of how to get to the point where I’m at now (I recently quit my job to pursue studying nutrition!)  Unfortunately, being so unfulfilled by my life made me turn to food.  Of course, I didn’t find what I was looking for in the food I was eating but it ended up finding it’s way on my body…as ten pounds.  Oooopssss 

I wear workout clothes every day (#blessed) but on those rare occurrences that I have to wear real people clothes I realize that I am BUSTIN outta mine.  But hey, despite the fact that I’m not looking 100 rn, I still love myself and my strong body.  However, I would also LOVE to be able to fit into my jean shorts again and feel comfortable in my bikini by the end of the summer.  

We all deserve to feel confident in our bodies.  After all, the way we exist in our bodies is the way we exist in life.  If I feel uncomfortable in my body, that’s going to be obvious when I walk into a room shoulders slumped, belly out.  But if I’m feeling good about myself, I’m gonna walk into a room like I own the place and it’s going to carry into other aspects of my life–teaching fitness, studying nutrition, blogging and even socializing/dating.  

Weight loss is an iffy thing to talk about on the internet.  I am certainly not saying that YOU should feel like you have to lose weight or look a certain way.  However, I don’t think it’s wrong to want to get fit in order to feel like your best self. We all have a weight that we feel comfortable at, and this ain’t mine.  The extra weight that I’m carrying is my “unfulfilled weight”. Now that I am free and living life on my own terms, I would love to get fit, redefine my relationship with food and alcohol & shed the extra layers.  

I have already spent one too many years yo-yo dieting with an extremely negative mindset regarding my ability to lose weight, and this absolutely destroyed me.  I had some serious limiting beliefs surrounding weight loss, (and only JUST came to the realization that these false beliefs are what held me back) as well as some disordered patterns of eating from dieting so hard.

I truly thought that in order to lose weight, I would have to starve myself, go perfectly paleo for a long and consecutive period of time, and not make any mistakes along the way. The reason I thought these things was because I was addicted to my scale.  I would weigh myself every day. As we know, this is a terrible idea when you’re on your weight loss journey because the scale doesn’t paint the whole picture. If you lose a few pounds during the week and then have a cheat day on the weekend, the scale is going to say that you gained the weight back. You don’t actually gain 3 lbs of fat after one cheat meal–it’s water weight.  Water retention is the body’s natural response to a higher carb intake, but I did not know this at the time.  For me to constantly lose weight during the week and then gain it back every weekend was a huge mind fuck. I thought I was such a failure for not being able to stick to the rigid programs I would make for myself. I was so wrong.

Knowing what I know now, my ~chill~ guidelines for weight loss will be very different this time.  I will not weigh myself frequently. Instead, I will either take measurements/progress pics or simply try on pants that don’t fit and see if they feel better week to week. Instead of forcing myself to be perfectly paleo all the time, I will practice intuitive eating i.e., eating when hungry, stopping when full. I think intuitive eating is easier than following a particular diet. It also makes for some wiggle room when going out to eat with friends. Of course, when I make food for myself, it will be real, healthy food.  It’s easier to sense your body’s satiety cues when you’re eating real food versus fake processed food that’s literally created to make you want more and more.

The biggest component for me in my weight loss journey will be the spiritual aspect.  This is the part that I was seriously lacking last time. I had such negative thoughts regarding weight loss and made it nearly impossible for myself.  This time, I will use positive weight loss affirmations, vision boards and self-care to assist me on my journey. Doing so brings magic into weight loss and makes it fun!  With everything in life, it’s important to stay positive, invite the magic in and have fun with it.

Before

-take before pics, measurement & weight – OR just try on different outfits and take note of how they fit. Try them on each week–preferably on Friday so that if you go out on the weekends, you have the week to recover.  This way of measuring your progress requires less effort than measuring yourself with a tape measure on a weekly basis. Also, I’d rather not have to rely on the scale.  Although I know the number does not paint the whole picture, it can be tough not to let it disappoint or define me sometimes. 

-create a vision board! fill it with fit woman who have similar body types as you and positive healthy living quotes. 

-print this food and fitness log and track weekly workouts and meals

-meal prep!  Pick recipes to make ahead (try one new recipe per week to keep things interesting) and make sure meals and snacks are prepped for the next 3 days

-plan workouts!  Of course, you may not stick to the exact schedule but laying it out ahead of time will help you manage your time better. (ie if I want to workout on Wednesday morning before I teach barre, I will have to make sure my Pure Barre class is memorized by the night before.)

-find a fun place to do homework & class prep and do this ahead of time so you’re not stressed out at the last minute (or missing workouts due to procrastination) make a schedule for studying!

During

-continue to go to therapy to work on the mental while improving the physical. 

-move your body for at least 7 minutes a day.  My goal for the first couple weeks is to take 2 Pure Barre classes, 2 [solidcore] classes and 1 soul cycle class per week.  Then build from there. 

-practice daily affirmation reading, meditation, journaling, looking at vision boards

-after finishing a meal try going on a walk or listening to a meditation to avoid overeating

-schedule workout dates with friends

-read juicy books or watch a show on Netflix to satisfy your need for fulfillment instead of reaching for those late night snacks

-bring a friend along for the journey

-track progress on Friday mornings so that you can have a lil fun on the weekend.  That way you have the week to recover and lose the water weight.

An extra perk of getting fit & healthy is having my shit together.  Prioritizing workouts and meal prep really means I will have to be organized with my time and not procrastinate my work.  News flash ladies: it’s cool to be a bad bitch and have your shit together.  I’m so over being a hungover young sloth who’s just getting by in life.  I’ve done that for so long, time to move on.

Besides being adult AF, some other perks of getting fit include: daily endorphin rush, glowing skin from eating healthy, being a better fitness instructor from taking class often & having more energy.

I feel like I am at a place mentally where I can try and lose weight again and not go to crazy town.  The difference is that I don’t hate my body anymore. I’m not in a rush to lose weight for X event.  I practice positive self-talk and affirmations. I am forgiving of myself. I am fulfilled by my life! I am not focused on being perfect, but rather making progress and bouncing back when slip ups happen.  It’s all about that recovery. I know that in order to make losing weight fun, I just need to bring magic into the process and it won’t suck! I am not defined by my weight or the way my clothes fit. Regardless of all of those things, I am beautiful, strong and thankful for my capable body.  

I will absolutely keep you guys updated on my journey.  Are you on a weight loss journey, too?  If so I would love to hear from you!

xx

Transforming My Limiting Beliefs

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Hi babes.  How are you?? Today I want to discuss something really important.  The thing that prevents us from receiving everything we want in life: our limiting beliefs.

Limiting beliefs are just that– negative ideas that we truly believe that prevent us from achieving our goals and living the lives we dream of.  

For example:

You want to be rich, but you truly believe that in order to make a lot of money you would have to be a lawyer/doctor/in finance etc. and you are not any of those things.

You want to move to a different city, but you believe it’ll be impossible to find a job that pays as much as your current job.  So you feel like you are stuck where you are. 

You wanna get over that fuck boi but you hear that voice in the back of your head that tells you you’ll never feel the way he made you feel again.

In my own life, it is so obvious where my limiting beliefs have held me back in the past.  The big one that really sticks out is my weight loss journey (or lack thereof lol). If you guys have been following my Insta for a while, you already know that I aggressively yoyo dieted for over two years in an attempt to lose ten lbs and fit into my size 2 pants again.  I tried whole30 (twice), I tried giving up alcohol, I tried calorie counting, going paleo, prolonged fasting, intermittent fasting, the fab four protocol, the tone it up nutrition plan, and the be well cleanse. Jesus, I’m exhausted just typing that.

I was never able to stick to anything for more than like a week at a time.  And up until very recently, I have truly thought that in order to lose weight, I would have to adhere to a ridiculously strict diet for a certain amount of time–no fuck ups included.  I genuinely believed that I would have to starve or sacrifice my social life if I wanted my lean physique back. These are the thoughts that played in my subconscious on repeat for years.  My negative subconscious literally made it impossible for me to lose weight.

Used to force myself to have a perfect diet, workout at least 5 x per week and then bully myself into thinking I was a fat piece of shit when I couldn’t adhere to these rules. how fun! SIde note–Kelly Leveque liked my photo omg.

Honestly, losing weight shouldn’t be the most difficult and miserable thing in the world.  It used to be effortless for me, and looking back, that was because I never had all of the limiting beliefs that I later developed.  For example, when I gained weight freshman year of college, I didn’t doubt the fact that I would be able to lose it pretty easily when going home for the summer.  I didn’t know what paleo was back then and I definitely never forced myself to stop going out with my friends, yet the weight came off that summer. I practiced intuitive eating (eating when you’re hungry, not eating if you feel full), ate healthy-ish a majority of the time, and worked out a few times per week. That’s it.  Losing weight wasn’t an impossible endeavor that required me to be perfect 100% of the time. It was attainable in my mind, so I easily achieved it.

What limiting beliefs do you have that are holding you back from living your best life?  When thinking about your dreams and aspirations, really listen to that voice inside your head to see what it’s saying. Bringing awareness to your limiting beliefs is the first step in reprogramming your mind for success!  What we think is ultimately what becomes real. You can have anything you want out of life, as long as you believe that.

xx

Carla

P.S. If you want to read more on this topic, check out this article.

Healthy Pancakes..uh huh honey

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The best thing about being healthy in 2018 is that people have come up with so many healthy alternatives to our favorite foods.  I mean seriously, what did people do back in the 2000’s before zoodles, chickpea pasta, cauliflower pizza and clean pancakes were a thing?!?  Oh, I remember now.. everyone bought into “diet” “low-fat” and “sugar free” labels because they truly thought those were the healthier options.  Thank God we are over that phase and now have so much more nutritional knowledge and freedom!

Breakfast has always been my favorite meal of the day.  Specifically, pancakes.  Chocolate chip banana pancakes. o.m.g I’m drooling.

You have two options for these.

Option 1:  use a mix such as birch benders paleo pancake mix

I love this mix, because all you have to do is add water.  However, I personally like to add almond milk and mashed bananas to the mix.  Otherwise, the pancakes can taste very..healthy.  I eat mine with pure grade A maple syrup (not the fake processed shit..no offense Aunt Jemima)  and add some berries on top.  If you’re looking for a slightly less sugary option, you could omit the fruit and syrup and whip up canned coconut milk to make a healthy whipped cream.  See how here .  I’ve heard you can also do it in a blender, but I haven’t tried that yet.

Option 2: two eggs, one banana

This version is super simple if you don’t have any clean pancake mix on hand.  I like to mash the banana with a fork instead of blending the ingredients together because I prefer chunks of banana in my pancakes.  It reminds me of when my grandma used to make me banana pancakes as a kid 🙂

Optional: add chia seeds, healthy chocolate chips (I use these), cinnamon or vanilla protein powder to your pancakes.

There is literally no reason to be deprived when transitioning to a healthy lifestyle.  Just get creative and look up fun recipes on the internet!

Happy breakfast-ing! xoxox