Week 1 in the books!
 
What is gluten anyway and why is there such a negative stigma attached to it? Gluten is the collective term for a group of proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. It is what gives bread its doughy, elastic structure. Gluten can also be used in food as a thickening agent or for flavor. Just the little bug in my ear…if this is what it does to food, what does it do to our bodies?...

The first week went smoothly, I didn't find it too difficult to avoid gluten since I mostly eat a GF diet to begin with. I have this fear that I'm going to eat something and totally forget to check if it's GF- I even had a dream I was eating Cheez-its and forgot I was avoiding gluten (#thestruggleisreal). I don't think I would have been able to stick with this pre-pregnancy. Becoming a Mother gives you serious inner strength and motivation you didn't know you had.

​There are 2 major changes I noticed with my body this week. My skin has cleared up (warning: it did get worse before it got better) and I'm less bloated. Both of these are examples of my body detoxing and reducing inflammation (likely caused by gluten since this is the only thing I've changed throughout the week). 

Some things I'm doing to help stay on track:

1. Food prep: I've been a cooking/baking machine this past week (I just hope I can keep this up!). I've made maple/cinnamon oatmeal squares, cauliflower chowder, large batches of brown rice & quinoa, peppermint patties, peanut butter fudge, and zucchini lasagna. 
2. Drink lots of water: This could also be contributing to my smoother skin and decreased bloating. It also helps me stay full so I'm not looking to snack on whatever is available.
3. Snack stash: I have food ready wherever I am. Some of these snacks include lara bars, rice cakes with coconut oil and peanut butter, nuts, fruit, beef jerky, and hard candies.

I'd say week 1 was a success, but am I still in the "honeymoon phase". Let's see what week 2 has in store...

#GForbust

Meg

Hello September!

As you all (hopefully) can see by now, I am on the path to become a Holistic Health Coach. I'm midway through the program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) and I am loving it! Health coaching will allow me to work with motivated Moms who are striving to be their best selves- how amazing is that?! Well, it got me thinking…how can I make a suggestion that someone, for example, drop gluten from their diet when I haven't done it myself? So here I am, gluten free for the month of September. I'm planning to track how I'm doing each week and I'll report it here. I'll talk about the good, the bad, and the ugly! I hope you'll follow along with me on this adventure. Before I get started, I wanted to share that I do not believe gluten is bad (for everyone), I believe in the concept of Bio-individuality:

Bio-individuality is the concept that each person has unique food and lifestyle needs. One person's food is another person's poison, and that's why fad diets tend to fail in the long run. 

Have you ever attempted to take gluten out of your diet? If so, how did it go?

Here goes nothing, cheers!

Meg

Hi All!

In case you missed it, I'm Meg. I am a health and wellness enthusiast with a mission to help others. I became a mother in May of 2016 to the sweetest little girl. My healthy lifestyle world collided when I discovered that my pre-pregnancy body didn't quite operate the same as my post-pregnancy body. Before I got pregnant, I was an avid runner, lover of power yoga, and frequent meat eater. Becoming a mom really slowed me down in many ways and for that, I am thankful. Now a days you can catch me in a restorative yoga class or double fisting green smoothies at the juice bar. There was a time when I felt extremely discouraged and hopeless in the search for "my healthy" again. My hope with this blog is to lend a nurturing hand to other mothers who may be feeling the same way. Health and wellness is still a huge passion of mine, but now I share that with my other passion- being a Mom!

#momsunite!

​Meg