Category Archives: Miscellaneous

Fitness = Therapy?

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𝐅𝐢𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐟 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲 𝐰𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦. ⁣

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𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴? Because I’ve been so very guilty. ⁣

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For years I masked everything from anxiety, to stress, to loneliness, to depression, with one thing: my fitness. ⁣

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𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝. ⁣

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Suddenly I realized my entire world revolved around my workouts and my only form of coping with negative emotions was through fitness. ⁣

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It was the reality check I didn’t know I needed. ⁣

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Since then, I’ve learned to embrace the fact that fitness can be therapeutic and a helpful tool to temporarily band aid some negative stuff, BUT I also… ⁣

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𝘎𝘰 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘺 ⁣

𝘑𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘭⁣

𝘚𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 ⁣

𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 ⁣

𝘐𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘴 ⁣

𝘈𝘥𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘴𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦 ⁣

𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮 ⁣

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And I still use fitness as the occasional dose of therapy, but now I also go to therapy. ⁣

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How to Create Self Love & Acceptance

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𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘐 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸? ⁣

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It’s really easy to say we need to love ourselves where we’re at. Actually practicing it, that’s the tough part. ⁣

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When I shared that quote the other day someone justifyingly so, commented back, “𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸?”⁣

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I want you to remember that self love doesn’t have to mean always loving the way your body looks daily. In fact, you probably never will 100% of the time. ⁣

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𝐒𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐦𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬. ⁣

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It can mean appreciating your body for all that it does for you and choosing to focus on that. 𝘋𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘺? 𝘓𝘦𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶? 𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴? 𝘖𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘶𝘱𝘴? ⁣

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It can mean recognizing that we are so much more than how our bodies look, and choosing to see yourself as you would your friend, your sister, your child. Most certainly you wouldn’t love them any more or less if they gained or lost 20lbs. Likely, the qualities you adore about them most have nothing to do with their 6 pack abs or lean legs. ⁣

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It can mean choosing to honor and be kind to your body even and especially when you don’t “𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦” it right now. ⁣

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Self love can be hard but it is so crucial for not just making progress, but more importantly, sustaining it forever. ⁣

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Take care of you always. ⁣

𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐚 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲.

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How to make peace with your trigger foods…

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Have you ever had that food that you just can’t seem to control yourself around?

You do well all day and your nighttime sugar fix is your weakness?

You can’t keep M & Ms in the house cause you’ll eat the whole bag?

You know a jar of peanut butter never lasts long because you’re supposed to be an adult, but you’re eating the jar with a fork for dinner on a Tuesday?

Want to know one of my favorite hacks to help my clients “gain control” around these foods?

Foods in fact, they typically deem “off limits”, “bad” or feel like they can’t keep in the house…

Actually eat them.

Now I know that sounds crazy, and trust me that doesn’t have to mean that you’re ready just yet to grab a handful of m&m’s from the bag in the pantry, but here’s what I want you to try doing:

STOP labeling your foods as good or bad. Foods are just food. Some are better for our bodies and some are better for our souls, but they are literally just nutrients we consume.
Allow yourself to have these foods in a manner that you can feel more in control around them.

We can do this in a few ways:

For some it’s consuming them at a time when you feel more in control of your choices. Maybe this means adding some chocolate chips in your morning oatmeal because you rarely overeat early in the day. Or, adding your chips to the end of your very filling lunch salad packed with protein and fiber for lunch so you feel more satisfied.

For others, it’s going and purchasing a single serving of your favorite food one day at a time, or going out for that food (like ice cream) instead of keeping it in the house, until you build up more confidence around that food.

Reality is, the more we actually normalize the foods we claim to “struggle” with the more in control we’ll feel around them, BUT one of the biggest things I’ve learned is we need to do it in the approach that’s right for you.

Because reality is, if you told me to just intuitively eat from a bag of peanut butter cups in my cabinet, they’d be gone in a day. So for me, the best approach may be to get a single serving of peanut butter cups every day for two weeks. Most likely, by the end of the two weeks I may not even want it.

When it comes to weight loss…

Mindset matters. Habits matter. The stories we tell ourselves matter.

Let’s focus on normalizing all foods. Removing the judgment and giving ourselves grace. I’m working on it too, wanna join me?!

Trader Joe’s Shopping List

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I get it, grocery shopping can be overwhelming, especially with all of the options. The one thing I always get asked about is what I buy at Trader Joe’s so I wanted to give a breakdown of my go-to staples, especially for our ladies diving in to round two of Gut Protocol.

Here is my go to list currently:

Frozen Fruits & Veggies:

Organic Riced Cauliflower ⁣
Bell Pepper Trio ⁣
Mexican Cauliflower Rice (It’s SPICY) ⁣
Riced Cauliflower Stir Fry
Colorful Carrot Coins ⁣
Rainbow Cauliflower Florets ⁣
Fine Green Beans
Organic Green Vegetable Foursome
Shakshuka Starter
Organic Wild Blueberries
Dark Sweet Pitted Cherries
Organic Frozen Strawberries
Organic Mixed Berry Blend

⁣⁣Fresh Vegetables:

Jicama Wraps ⁣
Jicama Sticks
Fresh greens (Organic 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘤𝘩 & 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘶𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘢 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴) ⁣
Organic Broccoli Slaw
Kohlrabi Noodles
Ready Veggies
Sprinkles Teeny Tomatoes
Murasaki Sweet Potatoes
Petite Rainbow Carrots ⁣
Persian Cucumbers
Organic Mini Bell Peppers
Butternut Squash Zig Zags
Teeny Tiny Avocados
Hearts of Palm Noodles (in the pasta & sauce section)

Proteins:

Organic Sweet Italian Chicken Sausage
Organic Oven Roasted Turkey Breast
Pre-Cooked Just Chicken
93% Lean Ground Turkey
96% Lean Ground Beef
Organic Chicken Breast
Cage Free Organic Eggs
Frozen Turkey Burgers
Egg Wraps

Dairy & Non Dairy:

Nonfat Plain Greek Yogurt (not GP approved)
Silver Goat Cheese (not GP approved)
Shredded Light Mozzarella Cheese (not GP approved)
Vegan Cashew Cheddar Slices
Vegan Shredded Parmesan Cheese Alternative
Coconut Whipped Cream

Grains:

Frozen Brown Rice or Jasmine Rice
Organic Tricolor Quinoa
Hearts of Palm Noodles
Organic Rolled Oats with Ancient Grains (these are certified gluten free)
Mini Corn Tortillas (only ingredients are corn, water, and lime)
Almond Flour Tortillas

Canned, Spices & Baking Aisle :

Organic Pinto Beans with Sea Salt
Organic Garbanzo Beans
Diced & No Salt Added Tomatoes
Miso Ginger Broth
Seasonings (I love their seasoning blends, the taco mix, chili lime, cheesy, and everything but the elote are my faves)
Sea Salt
Coconut Aminos
Just a Handful of Pitted Salted Manzanilla Olives
Nutritional Yeast
Organic Avocado Oil Spray
Trail Mix Section
Organic Unsweetened Coconut Chips
Organic Completely Cacao Chips (these are sometimes in the frozen section)
Freeze dried fruit (the blueberries & apples are my faves)
Pumpkin Seeds
Sunflower Seeds

Extras:

GT’s Kombucha (I love the gingerade)
Cauliflower Gnocchi ⁣
Frozen Shrimp Stir Fry (𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘰 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘩) ⁣
Plantain Chips (fair warning I cannot keep these in the house)
Grainless Tortilla Chips
Candy Coated chocolate peanuts

⁣𝘔𝘺 𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘳𝘶𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘣 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦: always check the ingredients list. The shorter the list the better, and try to go for ingredients you understand & can pronounce. ⁣Everything listed is gluten free (I have Celiac) and will all be Gut Protocol approved unless noted. ⁣

Here is my updated go-to list 📚 save & for your next trip 🛒

⁣ 𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐨-𝐭𝐨𝐬 𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐞’𝐬?! 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐟𝐮𝐥? ⁣

3 things you think are healthy but are hurting your weight loss…

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I hear this all the time.

“I’m doing everything right and I’m not losing weight.”

Oftentimes it feels like we’re making healthy choices but not seeing the progress we’d like.

Here are 3 triggers that can impact our gut health AND when our gut health is compromised and can become even more difficult to lose weight and reach our goals (hello bloating, gas, cravings, skin problems, & more).

Consuming foods we think are “healthy” but we have an undiagnosed sensitivity to. For many this can be a dairy sensitivity, gluten or other common trigger foods that are causing bloat and inflammation in our bodies.

Artificial Sweeteners or other “diet foods”. Now look in small doses these are perfectly fine and there is no evidence that they cause any health issues. But with over consumption and for certain individuals, these can wreak mega havoc on our digestion and gut, and lead to further bloating, cravings, and some other not so pleasant side effects. Something else I see a lot is the “keto” diet foods which are typically high in fat and calories and not quite as “healthy” as we think.

Overtraining and lack of recovery. This is a tricky one, we think running more, or pushing hard in the gym will yield better or faster results but that’s simply not the case. If we never give our bodies the time to rest and recover like we need, our bodies remain in a stressed out state, our hormones are out of whack, and we often don’t see the results we crave.

Are you doing any of these? I know I can certainly stand to work on ditching some more of my artificial sweetener packed foods. What about you?!

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