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As you know, exactly one month ago I made an announcement that it was time to embark on a journey of EAT, LIFT, LOVE, and I have the before photos to prove it!

And as I said in my weight loss kickoff post, I would be giving monthly updates to show how you can lose weight while eating lots of food, lifting lots of weight, and fully rejecting diets.  FULLY.

But here is the thing about my weight loss success so far: this is NOT the work of merely 30 days on display.  It’s merely been 30 days since I decided that it was time to count my calories to 3,000 every day, keep track of lifting and dancing every day during the week with one day off (but where I still get outside and moving, maybe for a walk), weigh myself every week, and be accountable to all of you here.

But I didn’t start creating health 30 days ago.  I started that a little over one year ago.

LAST YEAR

Over a year ago I started reading Diet Recovery.  I started RRARFing, which stands for Rehabilitative Rest and Aggressive Re-Feeding.  I did this for one month, which means that I ate to excess and was forbidden from working out.  Breakfast was low moisture, lunch was the largest meal, with protein and dessert incorporated, and dinner was smaller and vegetarian.

Oh, and I took a lot of naps.  And went to bed early.  It was such a hard life that month!

But honestly, it was difficult in many ways.  I felt guilty for eating until I was full.  I felt guilty not doing the noble thing that people do: “even if you are tired, you go to the gym because the gym is good for you!”  I felt guilty sleeping so much, because that meant I was being lazy and lethargic.

RE-FRAMING MY APPROACH TO MY BODY

But do you see what was going on there?  These are the messages that we get from the media, our culture, and our communities.  Fat people are lazy.  Fat people eat too much.  Fat people don’t care about their bodies.  Fat people can’t know anything about nutrition.

It’s all a lie, by the way.  I’m not lazy, I don’t eat too much, I do care about my body, and I like to think I know a fair amount about nutrition.  I also am committed to being body positive, and loving myself the way I am today.

As I RRARFed a year ago, I was finally facing my assumptions about bodies, food, and working out.  I was finally facing the fact that I didn’t think I deserved to eat enough or sleep enough.  I was finally facing the fact that I used the gym as a way to measure up to being a “good, healthy person”.

That’s where the shift started.  Eating is for enjoyment and energy.  Sleeping is for restoration and health.  And working out is for joy and movement.  I wasn’t eating, sleeping, or moving with real intent.  I was going through the motions of what I was “supposed” to be doing.

Last year, I also started having consultations with Matt Stone (the author of Diet Recovery), about every month or so.  He encouraged me to track my temperatures.  To keep sleeping as much as possible.  To eat not to excess anymore, but to satiation.  To work out only if I was so energetic that I just couldn’t help myself!

I went from about 180 pounds back up to my set weight point of 230 pounds.  I stopped gaining weight at that point and hovered there for a few months.  I kept eating enough.  I kept sleeping.  I worked out more and more.  I had energy!

But then I had my breakdown related to unresolved PTSD, which you can read more about here.  Long story short: I gained another 50 pounds from the stress of that situation.  But, happily, found that I was back to having good sleep and eating habits, and even my energy return after completing my PTSD treatment in the fall and winter of 2012.

With these issues faced and resolved, I was finally ready to lose weight the right way.  I found Go Kaleo, got majorly inspired by her array of photos over the last 5 years, and decided: “I want that, too.”

SO WHAT IS THE RIGHT WAY TO LOSE WEIGHT?

Now we are finally to the part you have been waiting for!

I am currently losing weight because my body is no longer working from a starvation point, a deficit of calories and sleep.  I am currently losing weight because I am eating enough calories for my activity level.  I am currently losing weight eating about 3,000 calories every day, from a variety of sources.  I am currently losting weight because I move my body every day.

I do not restrict macronutrients, like carbs or fat.

I work out at the gym lifting weights 3 times a week.  It takes me about an hour, but I take my time.  You could certainly get enough of a workout in 45 minutes.  I make sure I warm up, do at least 5 heavy, multi-joint lifts*, and then stretch afterwards and cool down.  (*squats, dead lifts, rows, bench press and all variations thereof)

I like to ride my bike to the gym, since it’s about 1/2 mile from where I live.  Built-in warm-up and a cool-down!

I play with my kids!  We go to the park.  We go for walks.  We dance together on the Wii, especially to Just Dance 3 and 4.

SO WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE LAST 30 DAYS?

I still love dancing and lifting.  I am still happy.  I still sleep.  I still have energy.  I still reject diets.  I still eat the food.  I still lift heavy things.  I still love my body.

And I have lost 10 pounds.  Yep.  The same scale at the gym that shocked me a month ago with the number 280 has now become a friend I look forward to seeing every week on Saturday when I go to the gym with my husband to lift weights and feel generally kickass.

My friend, The Scale, helps me gauge my success.  And when I weighed in this week, I thought the total would be 8 pounds for the month, but I was surprised to see that 2 more pounds had slipped off and the scale read 270.  I will take it!

So there you go.  I mean, do you get the gravity of this?!  I have been eating 3,000 calories a day and I lost 10 pounds this month.  And while I am being active, it’s not like I am training for a marathon or anything.  I just move every day, and I lift weights.  And I am happy.

Don’t restrict your calories.  The only way to lose weight is NOT by starving yourself, working out for hours every day, and aiming for 1200 calories a day or even less.  And the only way to lose weight is also NOT going low carb.  Do you know how many pieces of bread I have eaten this month?  And pizza?  I’m not kidding.

SO WHAT IS NEXT?

Hopefully we will see another drop in weight next month.  For the next set of 30 days, I will be tracking what kinds of specific foods I am eating, so you can get a feel for what 3,000 calories looks like.

So now the only question is this: are you with me?

Have you read Diet Recovery and the subsequent books on the subject?  Have you rejected dieting?  Are you ready to eat the food?  Are you ready to lift weights and get strong?  Join me.

30 Days In. is a post from: OUR NOURISHING ROOTS Thanks for subscribing! :)

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What does it mean to be “body positive”?  Well, it means that you celebrate all bodies.  Regardless of size, but also color, ability, and gender, you love the diversity of bodies.  And all bodies are good!

It means that you let go of the idea that there is a “right” way to eat, and a right way to live and a right way to work out.

See my picture up there?  I took it on a whim, with no makeup, having only lost about 8 pounds out of the 100 I am aiming for, with my hair a bit, um, less-than-coiffed.  But guess what?  I love this picture!  I love my body!

My body serves me well.  It tells me when I am tired and I need to sleep.  It tells me when I am hungry, and what sounds good.  It lifts heavy weights, slowly but surely building lean tissue that helps me get stronger.  Why wouldn’t I love my body?  Good question.  

The answer is because I learned not to love my body.  Ever since I was a little girl, I understood what the ideal was: to be thin, fit, energetic, beautiful, to eat less than men, to be athletic but feminine.  The list goes on.

Being body positive is about rejecting the story you have heard from the media and our culture.  It’s about being positive about everything that your body is about.  Whatever size you are.  Whatever face you have.  Whatever abilities you enjoy.  Your body is yours.

So how can you be more body positive?  I have 6 ways to help you get started:

1. Being fat is just a statement.  If someone says “I am fat.” then accept it.  It is not a loaded comment designed for a “No, you’re not!” or “But you’re beautiful!” response.  Responding that way defines the word “fat” as a bad thing.  Fat is just fat.  Embrace it.
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2. Everyone’s body is theirs.  Not yours.  You don’t have the right to comment on someone else’s body with authority about what they should be doing.  Don’t tell them what to do at the gym.  Don’t tell them what to eat.  Unless they invite you into a conversation, don’t assume they need information from you.  And even then keep it to a conversation about health, not an opportunity for you to tell them how it is.
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3. Some fat people know about nutrition.  Some don’t.  Some thin people know about nutrition.  Some don’t.  Some fat people know about working out.  Some don’t.  Some thin people know about working out.  Some don’t.  Don’t assume that the way a body looks on the outside means anything about that person’s knowledge of calories, nutrition, food choice, wellness, fitness, weight-lifting, or other fitness topics.
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4. Media portrayals of “healthy bodies” is based on an external aesthetic.  The abs on the cover of a fitness magazine are represented by a specific body type that can achieve that kind of ab definition.  It’s genetics plus hard work.  You may or may not have that body type.  Even with hard work, your fit and healthy body may not look like that.  But you are still healthy and fit.  See the problem there?  Reject the notion that fitness magazines are portraying a variety of fitness.  The scope is narrow.  So remember: if you don’t look like that magazine cover, it doesn’t mean you cannot have a fit body, kickass abs, and feel sexy and healthy.
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5. Be loving.  It’s not that hard.  You are not better or worse than anyone else, especially based on your body size or composition.  Remember that as you go throughout your day.  Do you judge someone for eating more than you think they should?  Do you judge yourself?  Start paying attention.  Catch yourself.  Make a change.
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6. Love your body, today.  Not when you reach your goal weight.  Not when you are feeling better.  Not next year.  Not when you were in college.  Not before you had kids.  NOW.

Rebel with me, my weight-lifting, body-accepting friends!  We don’t need to be hating ourselves.  Reject Diets. Eat the Food. Lift Heavy Things. Love your Body.

6 Ways to Be Body Positive is a post from: OUR NOURISHING ROOTS Thanks for subscribing! :)

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I’m on fire today.  I am burning with so many things to say about my body, women’s bodies, and the culture of body hatred that we live in.  Do you know why?  Because I am ablaze with a renewed realization: that my body is perfect the way it is.  Just try to tell me it’s not.  I will have words for you.

Today is International No Diet Day.  It feels quite appropriate that I would be feeling indignant and fiery about defending my body against the relentless beating down I feel whenever I take a bite of food, eat sugar on purpose, take a day off from working out, admit that I am hungry.

I said this earlier today on my Facebook page:

Why do I embrace my body the way it is?

There is a tendency to assume a lot about fat people. That they are lazy, that they overeat, that they don’t care about their bodies.

And as an overweight person, there is added pressure that I shouldn’t eat too much, because I am already fat. I feel that pressure every time I eat in front of someone. Every time I am out somewhere in public. And yet I need nourishment for my body just like anyone else of any size. This pressure not to eat too much, or least not to eat too much in front of people has really caused some disordered eating over the years.

The cruel irony is that fat people should probably do the opposite of what we think they should. We watch The Biggest Loser and listen to conventional wisdom and think “calorie restriction AND working out will solve all my problems”. And everywhere you look that package is waiting to be sold to you. This diet, that workout regime, this supplement. It’s a RACKET.

This is what happens when you EAT THE FOOD: Your body gets enough energy to use for how much movement you want to do. As a woman, if I sat around all day, I would burn 2,000 calories doing nothing. And if I go to the gym, lift weights, take walks, get active, then I will burn more.

I am losing weight eating 3,000 calories a day. In the last 3 weeks I am down 8 pounds. I got myself moving a little every day doing something I love (dancing, or lifting weights).

Reject diets. Eat the food. Lift heavy things. Love your body.

In response to this, one of my FB commenters said “Eat, Lift, Love?”, to which I say a resounding YES!  That is exactly what I am saying.  

Reject Diets.  Then: Eat the Food.  Lift Heavy Things.  Love Your Body.

Do you want to achieve this same kind of success that I have had?  First, you need to read the books in this metabolism bundle, stat.  The author, Matt at 180 Degree Health, is the reason I am no longer in dieting prison, looking for the next thing that will fix my body.

And also this book, Taking Up Space, from my coach and blogger friend Amber at Go Kaleo.  She is the reason that I know I can do this, and I AM DOING IT.

EAT, LIFT, LOVE is a post from: OUR NOURISHING ROOTS Thanks for subscribing! :)

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When my son E was born, it was amidst a flurry of health problems including a cleft lip and palate.  For his first year of life I breastfed him and made his baby food from scratch and added plenty of melted coconut oil and butter to his veggies.

It was at that point that I truly embraced real food.  And when I made it to his first birthday, I was sufficiently convinced that nutrition mattered that I bought 12 jars of cod liver oil, several gallons of local, full fat, organic, raw milk, and sourced some local eggs that I made for us every morning with breakfast.  That was my turning point. (Click here for sources of cod liver oil I recommend.)

It was this transition that got me thinking: what does my little E crave for his little growing body?  I started to pay attention to what he craves and the results have been fascinating!

Cod Liver Oil: Vitamin A & D

E could not get enough cod liver oil.  He would eat huge spoonfuls and say they were “yummy!” as he smacked his lips.  He even tried to steal his brother’s spoonful from the table!  Fortunately, I had read Nourishing Traditions by this point.  I knew that cod liver oil was loaded with easily-absorbable vitamin A and D, in therapeutic levels that would help his body make up for what he wasn’t able to achieve in utero.

I noticed this trend and would give him as many spoonfuls as he wanted.  He would usually max out around three large spoonfuls.  He was a hard core WAPF baby!

We usually had cod liver oil that was already mixed with high vitamin butter oil into a gel that was really easy to scoop out of the jar.  But you can also buy plain cod liver oil and just make sure that you and your family members take it with some butter.  The vitamins in cod liver oil (A & D) are more easily absorbed when taken with some form of vitamin K2.

Click here to see a video explaining all the ways liver is a superfood you should start eating!

Concerned about mercury?  Read more here.  Vitamin A toxicity?  Read more here.

Baby Foods:

E loved having fresh steamed veggies blended in this nifty food mill.  (I would use it every day and it was really simple to put together, take apart, and clean: a must for me while I was taking care of so much after he was born.  Simple is the way to go!)

Instead of focusing on baby cereal, I focused on giving E good quality traditional fats in tandem with his fresh produce so that he could absorb the vitamins from each food better.   At this point I hadn’t read Nourished Baby or Beautiful Babies, but I still managed to do a lot of things right with E, just by paying attention to what he wanted.  Our bodies are smart. We have cravings for a reason.

Did you know that butter on your veggies is also greater than the sum of it’s parts?  Imagine that!  It’s almost like butter is some kind of superfood!  Ahem.  The butter helps your body digest the vegetables better than if you ate them on their own.  Think salad + dressing, veggies + butter, broccoli + cheese.  You get the idea

In fact in a recent study found by Jenny at Nourished Kitchen shows that not only do veggies taste better with butter, but they actually are better for you:

consumption of fruits and vegetables was associated with a decreased risk of heart disease, but only when combined with full-fat dairy consumption (source)

It’s no wonder E craved these veggies + traditional fats in particular, I think because they provided so much to his body that needed everything possible to catch up to the other typically-physically-developed kids his age.

Grass-fed Butter: Vitamin K2

And now we come to the great binder in all of E’s cravings: BUTTER.  He was always chomping whatever he could get his hands on that had plenty of butter in it.  He liked a lot of coconut oil too, but like the true Irish blood running through his veins from his mama, he prefers bright yellow, grass-fed, vitamin-rich, full fat butter.

And then there was the famous trip to the grocery store when I was buying several sticks of grass-fed butter and there was little E again, grabbing for a stick and ripping the wrapper off so he could bite it straight off the block.  I let him have at it, and I got a few looks from shoppers and the checkout person, but I didn’t care.

A few days later, he snuck yet another butter block out of the fridge and made this mischievous face for me as I snapped his picture.  Of course from then on I just explained that he could ask for a scoop of butter whenever he wanted to.  And now he does.  A lot.

So there you have it.

It’s just one example, and a personal one at that.  But my gut tells me that cravings happen for a reason.  The more I pay attention to what my kids crave individually tells me what they are missing.  And the more I pay attention to what I crave, the better I seem to feel and the more energy I seem to get.

Listen to your body!

Why Do We Have Food Cravings? is a post from: OUR NOURISHING ROOTS Thanks for subscribing! :)

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Have you seen all those homemade vapor rub recipes on Pinterest and floating around the internet?  So have I!  Some are simple, and others take a little time to put together.

If you are like me, then you will mean to make vapor rub ahead of time to have on hand, but then it won’t be until you are actually sick that you make some.

Ahem.  Not that that’s what happened today or anything.

Anyways, the point is this: vapor rub doesn’t have to be hard to whip up!  I literally got a small bowl, put a few tablespoons of coconut oil into it and added 4 different essential oils.  That’s it!

This is the kind of recipe that is so easy and quick that it will be my go-to salve every time we get sick.  And remember, you can also put it on the soles of your feet for maximum absorption.  This works especially well with kids, since you can slather it onto their feet and put socks on them for the night.  Works like a charm.

What prompted this recipe?

My older son and I both caught a cold from the littlest member of our family, who is currently happily at school playing with friends!  But last night as I felt the cold go from my head down into my chest, I decided it was time for vapor rub.  We were both starting to get that burning cough that you can feel deep in your lungs.  Ain’t nobody got time for that!

And I will tell you what: this really worked!  It was gentle, but I felt relieved after about 15 minutes applying the salve to my chest, back, and throat.  And M was able to stop coughing and fall asleep for the night without much trouble.  This morning we feel much better!

Equipment Needed:

• small glass bowl
• wooden skewer or toothpick or small spoon to stir

Super Easy Homemade Vapor Rub

2 tablespoons coconut oil (find organic coconut oil here)
2 drops eucalyptus essential oil (find organic essential oils here)
2 drops spearmint* essential oil (find organic essential oils here)
1-2 drops rosemary essential oil (find organic essential oils here)
1-2 drops clove essential oil (find organic essential oils here)
1-2 drops lemon** essential oil (find organic essential oils here)

*you can use peppermint, but I recommend using spearmint for kids
**you can also use other citrus oils like bergamot, grapefruit, or orange

1. Melt the coconut oil in a dehydrator or in a saucepan until barely liquified.  Or in your hands!  (Coconut oil melts at 78 degrees).
2. Add the essential oils and stir to combine.  Use immediately.  This makes enough vapor rub for several applications over a few days.  (If you like a solid salve, put in the freezer for a few minutes until the coconut oil hardens up.)

Quick No-Fuss Vapor Rub is a post from: OUR NOURISHING ROOTS Thanks for subscribing! :)

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I have had a lot of trouble transitioning a handful of recipes over to real foodified versions, and they invariably contain powdered sugar in the original recipe.  For example, I have these lime cooler cookies that are to die for, but there is just no other way to make lime juice glaze without powdered sugar!  Honey is okay, but powdered sugar really makes them perfect.

But these aren’t lime coolers.  And even though the original recipe for Texas sheet cake calls for powdered sugar in the glaze, I am happy to say that my real foodified version of Texas sheet cake is not only bomb, but passed the approval of several high school aged kids that didn’t know they were eating unrefined-sugar and whole grain Texas sheet cake. In fact, all they said was “YUM!” and “What’s your website, again?”  I’ll take it!

So first of all, let me tell you why I love this chocolate dessert probably the best of all chocolate desserts, cakes or cookies anywhere.  Yep.  I love Texas sheet cake that much!

I based this recipe off of one that came highly recommended by a friend of mine who calls it THE Texas Sheet Cake recipe, ha!  It’s based on the Pioneer Woman’s recipe, and I real foodified it from there.  And while the white flour and powdered sugar version is certainly divine, the real food version tastes just as good.  It’s true!

Equipment Needed:

• measuring cups and spoons
• large mixing bowl, wooden spoon
• large saucepan, another wooden spoon
• large glass measuring cup, yep, another wooden spoon
• half sheet jelly roll pan, parchment paper
• medium saucepan, good knife, yet another wooden spoon
• (I suppose you could always wash one wooden spoon and use it repeatedly)

THE Best Texas Sheet Cake EVAR

for the cake:
2 cups whole grain flour, freshly ground and/or sprouted (find sprouted grains/flour here, how to make sprouted flour here)
2 cups whole cane sugar (find whole cane sugar here)
1/2 teaspoon sea salt (find unrefined sea salt here)
6 tablespoons non-alkalized cocoa powder (find cocoa powder here)
1 cup butter (2 sticks) (find grass-fed butter here)
1 cup boiling filtered water (find water filters here)
1/2 cup buttermilk (find buttermilk cultures here, how to make buttermilk here)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda (find aluminum-free baking soda here)
1 teaspoon good vanilla (find organic vanilla here)

for the icing:
1/2 cup chopped pecans (how to soak and dehydrate nuts here)
14 tablespoons butter (1 3/4 stick) (find grass-fed butter here)
6 tablespoons non-alkalized cocoa powder (find cocoa powder here)
6 tablespoons whole milk (find raw milk near you here)
2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee (find organic coffee here)
2 teaspoons good vanilla (find organic vanilla here)
1 teaspoon cinnamon (find organic spices here)
3 cups powdered* whole cane sugar (find whole cane sugar here)

*to powder whole cane sugar, simply place 1 cup at a time into a dry blender and blend on high until powdered!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line the jelly roll pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt, stirring to combine.  Set aside.
3. In a large saucepan, melt butter.  Add cocoa and remove from heat, stirring to combine.  Boil the water and add to the butter-cocoa mixture and stir together until smooth.  Pour into the mixing bowl full of the flour mixture, stirring to combine.
4. In the large glass measuring cup, combine the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda, and vanilla.  Whisk quickly with a fork to break up the yolks.  Pour into the mixing bowl and stir to combine.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared jelly roll pan.  Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the center is set or a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs sticking to it.
6. Make the icing: In a saucepan, melt the butter, then add the cocoa and stir to combine.  Remove from the heat and add the milk, coffee, vanilla, cinnamon, and powdered sugar, stirring until smooth.  Pour over the warm cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.
7. Let sit for at least 15 minutes before cutting into pieces, but preferably until it’s completely cool.

Texas Sheet Cake: Real Food Style is a post from: OUR NOURISHING ROOTS Thanks for subscribing! :)

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So there’s this collection of e-books.  And all added together, they cost $479.  My REAL FOOD 101 E-book is one of them (normally $14).  But see, these bloggers who wrote the 30 e-books decided to bundle them together and make them a lot less expensive purchased as a packaged deal.

And behold, the VGN Spring E-book Bundle was born.  30 Healthy Living E-books for $39.  Literally the best deal on any of these ebooks.  It prices each one at less than $1.50!

These are hand-picked ebooks from some of the best bloggers around.  Matt Stone, Robin Konie, Heather Dessinger, Jenny McGruther, Kristen Michealis, just to name a few.  These are my favorite people to read, to follow, to learn from, and to support.  I love the work they do!

Plus there are a few new ones I am about to read!  Check out the books with the new button on them!

	Grain Free Breads, Snacks and Desserts  by Dr. Jill Tieman of Real Food Forager		DIY Household Natural Cleaners by Matt & Betsy Jabs of DIY Natural
	The Eczema Cure by Emily Bartlett of Holistic Squid		Get Your Fats Straight  by Sarah Pope of The Healthy Home Economist
	Nourished Baby (revised) by Heather Dessinger of Mommypotamus		Skintervention (new!)  by Liz Wolfe of Cave Girl Eats

	Real Food Nutrition FOR KIDS! by Kristen Michaelis of Food Renegade		Grain-free Desserts by Jennifer McGruther of Nourished Kitchen
	Your Custom Homestead by Jill Winger of The Prairie Homestead		Awaken: 30+ Egg-Free and Grain-Free Breakfasts by Karen Sorenson of Living Low Carb One Day At a Time
	Eat For Heat by Matt Stone of 180 Degree Health		Diet Recovery 2 (Completely Revised) by Matt Stone of 180 Degree Health

	Real Food For Real Life by Emily Benfit of Butter Believer		Indulge and Heal by Lauren Geersten of Empowered Sustenance
	The Homemade Handbook by Lindsey Gremont of Homemade Mommy		Fast Paleo Top 100 of 2012 by James Gregory of Fast Paleo
	From Your Freezer To Your Family  by Stephanie Brandt Cornais of Mama & Baby Love		The Nourished Metabolism by Elizabeth Walling of The Nourished Life

	Real Food Ingredient Guide by Kelly the Kitchen Kop		REAL FOOD 101 by Kendahl Millecam of Our Nourishing Roots (that’s me!!)
	The Almond Flour Sweet Treats Cookbook by Stacey Duncan of Nourished For Free		Toxic Free: 70 Recipes for a Toxic-free Home by Robin Konie of Thank Your Body
	Nourishing Our Children by Sandrine Love of Nourishing Our Children		Indulge: 70 Grain-free Desserts by Carol Lovett of Ditch the Wheat

	Simple Natural Health by Nina Nelson of Shalom Mama		Afternoon Tea: Grain, Nut, Dairy and Refined Sugar-Free by Suzanne Perazzini of Strands of My Life
	Toadally Primal Smoothies by Todd Dosenberry of Primal Toad		Garden and Preservation Planner by Brenda Scott of Well Fed Homestead
	Restocking the Pantry by Kresha Faber of Nourishing Joy		The Grain Free Lunch Box by Jolene Sloam of Yummy Inspirations

This deal is good for this week only.  The sale ends next Tuesday, April 23!

HUGE Spring E-Book Bundle Sale: 90% off 30 VGN E-books! is a post from: OUR NOURISHING ROOTS Thanks for subscribing! :)

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I have been through a lot in the past year.

I stopped restricting my diet.  I gained more than 50 pounds because of it.  I saw my temperature soar as my energy came roaring back to life.  (That’s just how it goes when you start eating the food.)

And then I saw myself lose it all when I had a breakdown and crisis that pushed me back into treatment for my PTSD related to the abuse and trauma I hadn’t resolved from my childhood.  My temperature dropped again, my energy disappeared, I couldn’t sleep, I shut myself off from people, and I gained more weight.

But then, I saw a glimmer.  I saw myself climb out of the hole.  I was tenderly rebuilt by friends, family, and my truly amazing therapist.  I asked for support from the people who loved me, and they stood with me.  

My weight stabilized.  I started sleeping deeply again.  I started getting up off the couch and moving again.  I went for walks.  I hiked on the weekends.  I found Go Kaleo and started talking with her about the possibility that I could have before and after photos like hers.

For the first time (because she has done it herself) someone said to me: “YES.  You can absolutely get fit and ripped and not be fat any more.”  And I believe her.  It is oh so important to have someone believe in you, so that they get it.  I can’t just walk up to any trainer and tell them that I want to lose weight by eating the food.  They probably won’t get it.  But fortunately, Amber gets it.  Chandelle gets it.  Fit Mama Training gets it.  I trust them.

Let me illustrate: I am working with Amber from Go Kaleo behind the scenes.  She’s not going to tell me to restrict my calories to the 1200-1500 range (been there, done that), she’s not going to tell me to work out all day long, she’s not going to shame me for being fat or not having enough will power, she’s not going to judge my food choices, she’s not going to send me into Diet Land or Fad Workout land, she’s not going to tell me to do a million hours of cardio, and she’s not going to see my worth correlated to a number on the scale.

So I trust these people.  They are my support as I start my body transformation.  And it’s not just them.  It’s all the other people who are tired of dieting, tired of yo-yoing, tired of restrictive eating (both calories and food choices), and tired of being fat, too.

Are you tired?  Do you want some company?  I am here.  This is where I am.  Let’s do this.

See, I didn’t really believe that I would ever slim down again.  I’m still skeptical on some days, like when I weighed myself for the first time in a year just a few days ago.  280 pounds.  I felt like I was hit with a ton of bricks.  How did this happen?  The heaviest I have ever been before now was after having my 4-year-old son E and I checked in at 235.

I have tried so many different things, and none of them has worked.  It’s time to just eat good food, enough to support the energy I want, and to work out until I am ripped.  I want to be strong.  I want to feel good.  I want to be able to sign up for a dance class, a softball team, to play sand volleyball and tag at the park.  I want to have a body that it as energetic as my mind.  LET’S DO THIS.

This weight loss story is different.  I don’t hate the pounds that I shed.  I don’t think I have “let myself go”.  This isn’t a punishment.  It’s a revelation.  Time to get moving.

So here’s what is happening from now on.  This is how the weight will come off over the next year and beyond:

• I am only going to eat enough calories to support my activity level.  This is NOT less than 2,000.  Right now it’s hovering around 2,500 because I’m so tired that I sit most of the day and then get myself moving for 1-2 hours at the gym or walking.  And as I get leaner and more energetic, this number may climb as high as 3,000 calories per day, or even more.  The proof will be in the pudding: am I leaner, am I losing weight, am I getting stronger, am I feeling better?  Then I’m on the right track.  I’m going to play with that.
• I will get 8 hours of sleep or more every night.  If I miss sleep, I will make it up until it is reclaimed.  Sleep is incredibly important to weight loss, metabolism, and stress.
• I am not going to restrict food choices.  I will eat gluten, grains, dairy, sugar, veggies, fruits, meat, and even the occasional fast food.  Yep, I admit it!  Carbs are not the problem here.
  • There will be savory dinners, bowls of ice cream, breakfasts, lunches, and dinners filled with a varied, macronutrient-positive kaleidoscope of real foods.
  • No going low carb, no going low fat, no going vegan, no going “clean”.  Just real food.  And no foods are bad foods (though I am talking about actual food here, not frankenfoods that are highly processed.)
• I will manage stress.  This means that I will watch my temperature, I will get support when I need to process, I will laugh, I will run around with my kids, I will communicate clearly.
• The point is to MOVE and get STRONG.  This is what matters to me.  Not a number on the scale, though that is a very useful way to measure my progress.
• I will weigh myself every month and put up an update.  You are welcome to do this with me and leave your progress in the comments.  Please do!
• I will report to my support people every day to be accountable for what I do that day.  EVERY DAY.  In fact, I will put a thread on my Facebook page for you to report what you are doing, too.  Just comment there and you will have a support group.  Yay!
• I am going to do what I like, and I’m going to push myself!
  • I will dance to the Wii every day for at least 30 minutes, but more like 45+.
  • I will go outside at least once and walk around, play with my kids, breathe fresh air, and just be.
  • I will lift weights at least twice a week, but three times is optimal: a combination of free weights and weight machines will do, but I prefer the freer forms like kettlebells, dumbbells, etc.
  • A typical weight-lifting day is about 8 of the following, done in the proper form, with smooth motions, as heavy as I can go while still getting 5-10 reps for 3-4 sets:
    • squats
    • power cleans
    • lunges
    • calve raises
    • lat pull downs
    • pull ups
    • dips
    • chest press
    • incline press
    • butterflies
    • bicep curls
    • rows
    • push ups
    • dead lifts
    • outer thighs
    • inner thighs
    • leg press
    • leg lifts
    • crunches
    • twists
    • scissors
    • and so on

A lot of the references I have made in this post are part of the Metabolism Bundle, which is made up individually of Eat for Heat, Diet Recovery, Diet Recovery 2, and 180 Degree Metabolism.  I recommend the bundle, since it’s the best deal and the most informative.

I also recommend reading Taking Up Space by Amber at Go Kaleo.  She’s speaking my language.

Finally, please check out my Anti-Diet Challenge, which is growing into something bigger and more meaningful every day.  This post is just the latest in my rejection of the diet industry and my embrace of my whole self, both today and tomorrow.

It’s Time. Today is the day. is a post from: OUR NOURISHING ROOTS Thanks for subscribing! :)

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Just like a lot of people my age who grew up with a mix of homemade and convenience foods, I have a lot of experience with eating onion soup mix, ranch dressing and taco seasoning packets, and even spam!

Well, I am not going to make spam, but fortunately I have found that it is really easy to make my own versions of spice mixes and just keep them in simple mason jars for storage.    So let’s start with my favorite of all the spice mixes: ranch dressing.

I have already shared my recipe for probiotic homemade ranch dressing, which is amazing.  I mean, you can’t go wrong with fresh herbs!  But I think that having some dry ranch dressing mix on hand is very useful, especially when you want to whip up a simpler version of classic Ranch dressing, or you just want to make a sour cream dip for chips or pita bread! 

Equipment Needed:

• measuring cups and spoons
• quart-sized mason jar with storage lid

Ranch Dressing Herb Mix

1 cup dried parsley
3 tablespoons dried dill
3 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons onion powder
1 1/2 tablespoons dried basil
1 1/2 tablespoons pepper
(buy spices and peppercorns here)

Note: You’ll notice I don’t add salt.  That is because I think it’s best to add the salt after you  make the dressing or dip that you are using and then season with salt to taste.  Find unrefined sea salts here.

1. Put all the ingredients in a pint mason jar, shaking to combine.
2. To make Ranch dressing: Mix 2 tablespoons dry mix with 1 cup mayonnaise and 1 cup buttermilk or sour cream.  Find buttermilk and sour cream cultures here.
3. To make Ranch-flavored dip: Mix 2 tablespoons dry mix with 2 cups sour cream. Mix up a few hours before serving, so the flavors all blend.

Ranch Dressing Herb Mix is a post from: OUR NOURISHING ROOTS Thanks for subscribing! :)

Cancer. It’s one of our greatest fears.  And I am no exception.

As you know, I grew up in abuse and trauma and have received treatment from a therapist who describes violence against children as a social cancer.  Did you know that there are higher incidents of cancer among those who survive abuse, as well as those who treat those people?  Trauma, abuse, and deviance are behaviors, and yet they impart a physiological response in some bodies.

I want my cells to be healthy, my body to function, and my well-being to be vibrant.  Because cancer is something that is so far-reaching and devastating, it’s no wonder that people are constantly looking for ways to reduce their risk of getting cancer.

Fortunately, there are several simple things you can do in your home to take your exposure to carcinogens (cancer-causing substances) waaaay down. Every single one of these items on this list are easily checked with EWG’s Skin Deep Database.  You can type in the name of your window cleaner, the brand of lotion you use, or the bisphenol-A (BPA) in your canned food.  Skin Deep will show you the level of risk you are taking by using that product, including the breakdown of what chemicals are in each of those items.

But most importantly, think.

As you plug in product after product, think about how all those items add up.  Maybe the risk of your lotion is moderate, and the risk of your window cleaner is high, and the BPA you don’t eat that often.  What about the cumulative effect of all those items together.  Is there a study on that?  Is there a warning label for the combination of all the chemicals in your house? I would argue that the vast numbers of unexplained cancers is compelling.  I have not found a study that measures cumulative exposure to carcinogens.

People give me hard time about using a stainless steel water bottle, saying “C’mon!  That plastic water bottle isn’t going to give you cancer!”  Well, maybe not all by itself.

But when I use plastic in my toothbrush, my water bottle, my sandwich bag, my food containers, and my dishes, perhaps I am overstating the health of being consistently surrounded by plastics that may affect my health.

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO?

1: Simplify Your Cleaning Supplies:  Many of the commercial cleaning products at your local grocery store are full of carcinogenic substances that are not only toxic, but are breathed in when you spray them on surfaces at home.  Not to mention the fact that your skin may be coming in contact with those chemicals unless you are wearing gloves. Fortunately, it’s not hard to make your own cleaning products, or to buy from safe sources.

First of all, check out the cleaning products listed in my Marketplace here.  I love the companies we have vetted for cleaning!  You don’t need to worry about their reputation, because we make sure that they are the highest quality.  I recommend them personally.

You should also grab this Toxic-Free ebook by Robin at Thank Your Body.  It’s so very handy!  She has very simple, very clean, very streamlined recipes that you can use safely at home.  And they are all tried and true and actually work.  Some I had heard of, and others I hadn’t.  But here they are all compiled together: perfect for helping making your house cancer-free.

Sometimes clean living is easy! And I love the straightforwardness of this ebook: it’s simple to download and start living in a toxic-free house, with no carcinogens in sight.

2: Greener Beauty Products:

I had to rethink my face routine when I started reading labels.  I started with food, but then I quickly started to question other things I was putting into or onto my body.  I wasn’t sure what was in my compact of face powder, or if my makeup was full of unlisted chemicals like “fragrance” or artificial colors and dyes.  

I checked my face toners and lotions and makeup in the Skin Deep database and I was shocked at how many chemicals I was coming in contact with on a daily basis.  And each one is “safe”, but again: none are tested all together and added up over time.   What was I putting on my skin every day?  And what were the consequences?  I didn’t want to find out!  

So I simplified my skin care regimen, and started using products from companies that I trusted.  I have even made my own hydrating watermelon-yogurt mask, deodorant, and lip balm!   It’s actually really fun to play with these things at home, combining homemade spa treatments, like the recipes in this DIY Organic Beauty book, with professionally-made products from the high-quality companies that I recommend here.  

In fact, I will even say that I like them more than any of my old makeup and high-end beauty treatments from department stores.  Who needs overpriced, fragrance-laden jars of lotion?  Not me!

3: Ditch the Non-Stick:

Non-stick pans are made with a coating of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or other chemical non-stick compounds that are deemed safe but pose some risks.  It has even been documented that teens exposed to non-stick coatings have elevated total and LDL cholesterol levels (source).

Non-stick pans were made to make cooking easier, yes, but also to reduce the need for cooking with fat.  This fat phobia is an ongoing belief that fat causes us to be fat, or even causes our cholesterol to go up or heart disease to loom menacingly.  It turns out that traditional fats are good for you, and that saturated fats in particular do not cause heart disease and high cholesterol.

You can find safe kitchen appliances here on my resource page, but you also may need a replacement for that non-stick skillet in your cupboard.  Try out a cast iron skillet instead, or even a set of Le Creuset cookware.  They are quality pieces that last for a lifetime and are perfectly safe.

4: Filter Your Water:

Filtered water is so underrated!  We tend to take the cleanliness and safety of our water for granted.  However, most drinking water from the tap contains chlorine and other unhealthy additions as a byproduct of water treatment.  Depending on your area, you may also be lucky to have these in your drinking water: flouride, lead, harmful bacteria, and even jet fuel and pharmaceuticals!

Fortunately, there is the Berkey water filter.  I covet this!  You can find all the different styles on my resource page here. I would eventually like to get a whole house filtration system, but that will have to be a little time from now.

In the meantime, I am currently purchasing a Big Berkey for the kitchen countertop, as well as a shower filter and a bath filter.  Like they say: “Get a filter or BE a filter!”

Plus if you are a hiker and camper, or just want to have a water filtration system in your emergency preparedness collection, Berkey’s are great.  They can filter out pathogens from non-potable water!  There is even a small one that you can carry while backpacking.

5: Choose Organic and Local Produce:

This goes without saying.  We all know that pesticides are omnipresent and can cause a host of health issues, including various forms of cancer (source).  Organic produce is now available at even the most unnatural grocery store chains.

But not all organic produce is created the same!  Judge your produce on what looks best and what you can afford.  If you can find a farmer’s market near you, that is probably your best source for organic or even “beyond organic” produce.  ”Beyond organic” is a non-official term for farmers that have organic practices but are not officially certified organic.  I personally vet my farmers so that I know where my food is coming from, and end up worrying less about the organic label.

At the very least, you can check which produce is most important to buy organic here in the EWG list The Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15.  That way you can make educated choices at the grocery store for which fruits and veggies to pay more for as organic.  Fortunately, organic produce is catching on, and a lot of organic choices are only slightly more expensive than their conventional counterparts.

6: Lose the Canned Foods:

The use of bisphenol-A (BPA) in canned foods is well-documented, most likely because of the recent fallout from BPA found in certain baby bottle brands and baby food packaging a few years ago.  We have gotten wise to the health risks that BPA brings.  However, BPA is most often used as a coating on the inside canned foods to keep the food from sticking to the metal on the inside.  BPA is a known carcinogen, and has even shown up in the placentas of pregnant women and is known to cross the placenta into the developing fetus (source).

Good for us, there are a few brands that do NOT use BPA to line their canned foods.  A few examples: Eden Organic, Trader Joe’s, Vital Choice, and Native Forest.  Of course, you will need to make sure you contact these companies directly to make sure they are meeting your own personal standards.

Another option: buy only glass-packaged foods.  Also beware: foods sold in waxed cardboard (like soy milk) are also usually lined with BPA.

7: Trade in Your Microwave:

The idea that microwaves make your food unhealthy is a bit of a controversial issue.  Some people say that the microwave itself causes the food to degrade and become irradiated.  But the only concrete evidence that I could find on the subject shows that the real danger is what container you use to reheat your food. (source)

Do not use plastics numbered 3, 6, or 7 in the microwave.  Even better: don’t reheat food in plastic at all.  Best: get a toaster oven instead!  Toss your microwave out and use an appliance you don’t need to worry about.

8: Use Essential Oils instead of Synthetic Fragrances: 

It is tempting to buy handy plug in fragrances, scented candles, air fresheners, lovely perfumes, and scented trash bags and so on.  But one of the greatest offenders in the chemical world is simply called “fragrance“.  Although fragrance is not a direct cancer threat, it is a known excitotoxin.  Excitotoxins are considered a disruption to good health, and may affect your ability to avoid cancer.

Fragrance is essentially a smoke screen for a large list of unknown chemicals.  So when you read the word “fragrance”, think “who knows what that is!?” (source).

If you like your house to smell good, then consider making the switch to essential oils.  Pick your favorite scent and simply burn a beeswax tea light under an oil diffuser.  Your house will smell amazing, and you won’t be breathing in anything unnatural!  You can also use essential oils to make your own perfume, toothpaste, and other personal care products.

If you don’t like essential oils, try a good quality incense.  I use them for meditation, and find them very relaxing and pleasant.

8 Easy Ways to Prevent Cancer at Home is a post from: OUR NOURISHING ROOTS Thanks for subscribing! :)