Enjoy the Holidays as a Foodie: (Without Being an Orthorexic Jerk)

Ah, the holidays! Grandma's cookies, Dad's boozy Bailey's drinks and comfort food can be hard to resist. What's even more difficult to resist when you've made lifestyle changes, are catty comebacks to some passive aggressive comments during get togethers. "You're wasting away" (no, I'm not), "you are such a food snob now" (yes, if you consider opting out of zits and bloating being snobby), and my favorite, the pat on the head along with "you have so much will power", usually followed by someone saying "good for you, I could NEVER give up my (pick your poison)"

Side rant: Will power is nonsense, I have none. It's just that sugar and gluten release domaine in the brain the same way heroine does, and makes us all crazy. No crap, no cravings, it's really that simple.

Yes friends, it's that time of year where you can either starve, bitch and moan, or sparkle and inspire!

Here's a few tips to make your holiday parties relaxed, more fun, and you might even add to your foodie cult following.

1. Look amazing.
Show up glowing and it's hard for anyone to argue with your lifestyle choices. Highlight your glowing skin, use a serum or coconut oil to make healthy hair shine, and wear your biggest smile.

2. Bring awesome food- (no salads unless they are luxurious).
It's a great idea to bring something to the party that you know you will enjoy eating guilt free. But this strategy can go wrong if it appears you can't indulge in anything and you are stuck eating rabbit food. Instead, show up with deviled eggs topped with pico de gallo and bacon, dark chocolate bark with cranberries and macadamia bits, or a great slab of meat. Salads are an excellent choice when they are filled with extras like avocado, eggs, nuts, oils and spices. Don't forget a great bottle of wine. The idea here is to kill all the diet misconceptions and show them that you still are still having a great time with this health kick you're on.

3. Eat!
Your mother/grandma/sister can't say you're too strict when your mouth is full of yums. Playing the whole foods martyr isn't cute and it's the fastest way to be labeled orthorexic. It's one day, even if the food isn't up to your normal standards, find something that won't cause too much damage and enjoy! Remember to compliment the chef as well.

4. Share the journey.
If (and only if) people ask, talk about how much you've learned, what inspired you, and the results you've seen. Don't talk too much or cram your journey down anyone's throats, and NEVER argue.

5. Don't label yourself.
"I'm on this new diet called...." Always raises be eyebrow or two. Instead, if someone asks what you're doing to look so amazing, simply reply with something like "I got tired of being tired so I decided to really clean up my diet and take better care of myself, I feel so much better". If they ask for details, you can always say things like "I eat whole foods, as organic as possible, and I learned to listen to my body to figure out which foods make me feel best and which ones were causing problems for me". If you're going to try and explain why you eliminated certain foods like gluten and sugar, be prepared with science to dispel conventional wisdom about "heart healthy grains" and "artery clogging fats"... I avoid these conversations, unless we all have wine in our hands, big smiles and open minds. Remember: you are not the food police or the chosen one. Share your journey and your food but keep your rules and opinions to yourself.

6. Don't convince.
If Aunt Ida The Vegan is happy, that's wonderful. Who are you to tell her she should do anything different? Especially if you aren't interested in being convinced to try the Tofurkey. Again, share your journey but don't ever argue or campaign. To each their own. If you really want to use science, use it as an inspiration and never a weapon. Share what you've learned about what YOU DO, but never use science to tell someone else what they should or shouldn't do. Always stop at least two sentences shy of self righteousness.

7. Offer to share more another time- then shut up about food and health.
If someone is truly interested in learning more about health and wellness, or specific topics like food sensitivities, offer to connect at a later time to share resources. It's great to share some interesting information, but it's rude to take over a party with a health coaching session, especially of your lesson involves teaching someone to reject the hosts food. Save it for another time! Ooh look, presents!

Here's wishing you a relaxed, fun and healthy holiday season, without the food hangovers or damaged relationships.

Kellie

Garden Party Smoothie

AKA Clean Out The Fridge And Dirty All Your Appliances Smoothie.

Juice:
2 Roma tomatoes (lycopene for heart and skin)
2 large carrots ( beta-carotene antioxidant)
2 stalks celery (alkalizing, and super nutrient rich)
1/2 green apple (antioxidant, aides digestion)
Handful of parsley (detoxes)

^ Add to blender with:
1 banana (potassium for circulatory health)
1/2 cup peaches (vitamins B and C for mood and immune system)
4 strawberries (anti inflammatory, antioxidant)



This super energy packed smoothie will give you wings. I was really just cleaning out my produce bin, but this was pretty tasty!

Enjoy!

Tabata Love

One things I love about a low carb whole foods (paleo if I have to label) diet is that I can eat what I want, not exercise and never gain any weight. However, I do want to build muscle so I'm going to step up my workouts again. Squat booty here I come!

I detest hours of cardio (prolonged cardio is terrible for your adrenals) or any long and boring workout, so I'm a HUGE fan of shorter but higher intensity interval workouts. If you're not down with tabatas yet, pay attention:

This short 16 minute workout is just as powerful as an hour on the treadmill, with extra strength benefits. Just pick four complimentary exercises and do interval rounds of 20 seconds work,10 seconds rest. I've had trainers set workouts where I did all 8 rounds of one exercise at a time, or rotate like I did tonight. You can download a tabata timer app or just use any digital timer or stopwatch. Track your reps with a handy little chart scribbled somewhere. For example, today I did the workout here:

This short 16 minute workout is just as powerful as an hour on the treadmill, with extra strength benefits. Just pick four complimentary exercises and do interval rounds of 20 seconds or work,10 seconds rest. I've had trainers set workouts where I did all 8 rounds of one exercise at a time, or rotate like I did tonight. You can download a tabata timer app or just use any digital timer or stopwatch. Track your reps with a handy little chart scribbled somewhere. For example, today I did the workout here:

I did as many burpees as I could for 20 seconds, then 10 second rest, the 20 seconds of squats, and so forth.

Do two tabatas a couple times a week and you're doing great! I was lazy tonight so I only did one and then two more slow sets of heavier weighted squats, but I still feel like I got a great workout in less than a half hour.

xoxo, Kellie

Resolutions

Did you make a 2012 resolution? I didn't make just one resolution... I happen to have a list of 101 things I committed to do in 1001 days a couple of years ago. (You can make your list and track your progress at http://dayzeroproject.com) I'm running out of time quickly, but I'm on track top accomplish one of the most difficult tasks on the list.....PULL-UPS.

I found this tutorial on Pinterest:, and I've been facing off with the pull up bar every time I walk past it ever since. In a few months I've moved from negatives to mini pull-ups and now I can do about 6 medium pull-ups each time (The most I've gotten in a day is about 50). By New Years Eve, I'm confident I'll be able to do 10 real ones, and show off sexier shoulders and back.

So that's my December goal...master pull ups, and check a few other things off my list. (Skydiving? Nope, too cold for that one...maybe I'll check off "own a hot little red dress" instead)

I'm also looking back at how far I've come this year. 2012 was a year of massive personal and spiritual growth for me, and 2013 looks like another year of new adventures, new learning and new faces. Something funny happened with my list...I managed to do exciting and amazing things I've never dreamed of putting on the list, and managed to avoid the boring "someday when I'm responsible" type things for 700 days.

Two things I plan to accomplish in 2013 that I never would have dreamed of putting on the list when I made it: completing my heath and wellness coaching certifications...and this:

What's your goal for December? Are you unearthing forgotten resolutions? Feeling accomplished? Planning new adventures? Tell us about them in the comments here or on Facebook!

Happy December,
Kellie

I'll Celebrate The Giving Thanks Part

Today and tomorrow, and every day. There's value in the traditional American Thanksgiving holiday. (The part about gratitude and pausing to spend some time with those who matter....not the part about sugar coating raping and pillaging) I'm cooking for my small family and trying to balance some truth and education about our history with cooperation and a pause to reflect on all that we have. Tomorrow I'll stay home again- buy nothing, eat, drink and be merry. We'll celebrate another day of gratitude without (as much) guilt. Taking another day of gratitude instead of risking my life in some mall is really the least I can do. Next year, I nominate "Back Friday" as a more appropriated day of thanks, followed by Small Business Saturday.

Today, I'm thanking the universe and showing appreciation for:

• My creative, funny, brilliant man cub
• Supportive friends and family who always make me smile
• A warm home
• Plenty of food, money and love
• Laughter
• The thirst for knowledge that drives me to learn every day
• Opportunities for growth
• Time off to recharge
• Wellness
• Big dreams and confidence they'll come true
• An excuse to make pumpkin pie and cranberry sauce

I'm also grateful that my small family and small feast means I won't be slaving all day in the kitchen. I'm happily sipping my pumpkin latte and snuggling with Man Cub and the monster cat instead. 

Tonight's menu is:

Rosemary Roasted Turkey

Balsamic Glazed Broccoli and Cauliflower

Crispy Garlic Brussel sprouts

Orange Walnut Cranberry Sauce

Grain Free Pumpkin Pie with Coconut Whipped Cream

And of course....sparkling cider in fancy glasses, pinkies up. That's Man Cub's favorite part! 

I'll edit to add my version of these base recipes tomorrow, since I always make changes as I go. 

Wishing you all day of relaxation, laughter and reflection. 

Kellie 

 

What We Ate Wednesday 10/17

Sorry for slacking on Wednesday posts, we just haven't had anything spectacular. Tonight was spectacular. We had Civilized Caveman's avocado and sun dried tomato stuffed burgers with a cucumber tomato salad.

Without a grill, the burgers were a little too rare for me. Next time I'll just make burgers and top them with the avocado and sun dried tomato mixture. I imagined these would be amazing with a pile of caramelized onions. Next time. 

The salad was a quick throw together of the leftover avocado mixture, cucumber, tomato, avocado cubes, and a splash of balsamic vinegar, sea salt, pepper and oregano. 

Our Journey- Part Two: Just Eat Real Food! (wheat isn't real food!)

The most difficult and rewarding part of our journey has been eliminating wheat, sugar and all processed foods. It didn't happen overnight, but I'm so grateful to have taken these steps.

I was the chubby kid who ate Hamburger Helper for dinner with soda. My single dad struggled to feed us healthy foods. I was 14 when I figured out that Corn Nuts and a Slurpee from the snack cart at school was cheaper than the meals I could purchase, and I could save the extra money to buy music CDs. This was also around the time I decided to become a vegetarian, despite my total lack of interest in vegetables. My diet for 14 years consisted mostly of pasta, cheese, and other white foods.

Fast forward 15 years, one baby and a failed marriage later, and I was exhausted, overweight and unhappy. Looking back, I believe that’s when my adrenal glands really started to crash. I developed horrible acne, and my hair began to fall out. I tried every face cream on the market but it only got worse. I went to a dermatologist who put me on antibiotics and back onto hormonal birth control. When this didn't help, I finally went to a naturopath. He suggested I had Candida overgrowth, possible food allergies, WAY too much stress, was drinking too much caffeine, and I was not getting enough sleep. I decided to eliminate dairy from my diet, which helped a lot, but not enough. (Read about the dairy journey here)

I was a busy single mom relying heavily on packaged convenience food. I felt like a zombie and a hypocrite because the life I was living was not in line with my values, and I knew that I would feel better if I took the time to clean up my diet. I started reading about local economies and farmers markets and homesteading.

In 2011, I considered a detox or cleanse – but wasn't interested in starving myself. Then a friend encouraged me to try a whole-food paleo approach for 30 days and see how I felt. I began to eat simple, whole foods, as high quality as possible. I ate meat, eggs, nuts, fruits, vegetables, and oils. I ate when I was hungry, and stopped when I was full. I didn't measure or track anything. I ate fruit when I craved sweets.

I was inspired by the simple cooking recipes I found online and started to think this could be just what I need to learn to cook, support local economies, and improve my health all at once. I read Robb Wolf’s The Paleo Solution from cover to cover and was fascinated by how much sense it all made. I began to understand the biochemistry of why my body felt the way it did, and how to fuel it properly. I learned that grains are highly processed foods, which cause systematic inflammation that leads to many symptoms and diseases. I learned how the government had come to endorse following a low-fat diet that kept the food and pharmaceutical companies rich, and the people sick and fat. I also got over my fear of healthy fats, after learning what “healthy fats” really meant. I learned to ignore most conventional nutrition wisdom, and really start thinking and learning for myself. This way of eating felt perfectly aligned with my values – and I never once worried about becoming another one of those annoying women who are always dieting or weighing themselves. Within two weeks my mental fog was gone, my skin was clearing, and I had boundless energy. The cravings faded away and I began to really enjoy cooking and eating real food.

This is not some fad diet - it is a well-researched lifestyle change. I went for it and have NEVER looked back. I started with an average of three meals a day and a few snacks, but quickly noticed I very often wasn’t hungry, and dropped snacks. I fell in love with the farmer’s market and couldn't get enough new nutrition knowledge. I slowly added grass fed beef and pastured pork into my diet a couple of times a week.

Within a month of eliminating gluten and sugar, Man Cub was having an easier time in school. When he was two years old, I eliminated dairy from his diet and his asthma and eczema went away completely. At age five, I had begun to slowly add dairy back into his diet. When I really started paying attention and understanding how food impacts mood, I realized that, although it no longer triggered his asthma, it made him feel emotionally out of control and clogged his sinuses. Without dairy and gluten he was more focused and more in control of his impulses and his emotions. It took a while to work up to a full change, but he now avoids sugar as well, and embraces healthy whole foods and snacks with enthusiasm.

In the first four months, I went from 185 pounds and size 14 to 145 pounds and a size 6, without much exercise at all - and without the obsessive diet brain. My skin was softer with a more even tone and fewer wrinkles. My hair was softer, growing in stronger than ever. I was cooking great meals, packing my lunches, and learning more every day about nutrition. I felt satisfied, and it got easier every day.

In 6 months, I had more energy that I knew what to do with – so I started working out. I added walking and dancing to my routine a few nights a week, and tried Crossfit and LOVED it. My weight began to shift again. I built muscle, lost inches, and dropped fat. A year and a half later, I’m down to a fit size 2. I lift weights and do high impact intensive training 2-3 times a week, and really enjoy pushing myself to be stronger and have more stamina. My mood and focus are fantastic!

My sister joined me and lost 30 pounds. My dad joined me and has lost over 20 pounds and reversed his type two diabetes. I’m still learning every day, and taking stock of my values. I've planted two gardens and a window herb box. I bought a juicer and I enjoy juicing greens in the morning. I’m having so much fun learning about nutrition and alternative health, I’m planning to go back to school and provide health coaching. I work with children with disabilities and meet kids every day who are struggling. I believe that a diet of whole foods that eliminates allergies can make a difference in everyone’s lives. My dream is to help families of children with disabilities through holistic treatments that include diet interventions.

It’s not always easy making big changes, but I've never regretted putting myself first and making positive changes for my own health and well being. I've connected with my local community and I can honestly say I can’t remember the last time I bought a Coke, Nestle, or Monsanto product. I have joined a local produce buyers club, become a regular at the farmers market, joined a CSA at a neighborhood farm that also donates to my son’s school, and even joined in with friends to pool our money together to buy a ¼ cow from a local butcher. I swap and share fish and veggies with my neighbors and barter work exchanges. I’m so much happier, healthier, and closer to my dreams than I ever thought I could be, in just one short year

Always keep evolving! 

Kellie