Category: My Story Page 6 of 13

Embrace the Gifts of “Snowing” Down

By

On January 25, 2016

In Inspired, My Story

I’ve always been fascinated by what happens where I live when a snowstorm threatens.

Milk, bread, toilet paper, and bottled water are nowhere to be found. The frozen section in the grocery store has been wiped out. And liquor stores enjoy a pre-blizzard bump in business as fears of wine shortages consume our minds. They were so busy, they probably didn’t even check if half their customers were using a fake id (more here). I feel so bad for those who weren’t quick enough and were only left with a choice between ouzo or $50 champagne. I’m so glad I have one of those wine club memberships, I don’t know I could survive the winter period without mulled wine. I also forgot to get my second cousin a Christmas gift so I’ve set one of my bottles of wines from my subscription aside so I can give that to her. This subscription is a lifesaver in more ways than one! I think she’ll love the wine that much that I’m even deciding to look for some personalized wine glasses that I can gift to her next year. Can you think of anything better than drinking some of the best wine in the most beautiful personalized glassware? I can’t. And all of this can be done online, so I don’t have to worry about venturing out into the cold. So, we prepare to hunker down for an indefinite amount of time, not knowing when our cars will be unburied or when the roads will be safe to drive.

But something else happens in the midst of a blizzard.

When Mother Nature decides to dump nearly three feet of snow on us in 24 hours, our chronic busyness, neverending to do lists, and work pressures suddenly become less important.

The weather has a way of causing us to slow down, or, in this case, “snow” down. It gives us time to focus more on what we really want to do and less on what we feel like we have to do.

We take time to think, play, read, explore, unwind, cook, laugh, and spend time with those closest to us. We actually see and talk to our neighbors…and meet new ones.

Over the past 48 hours, I’ve taken time to enjoy the gifts of “snowing” down. I wanted to share them with you to inspire you to make time for the things that matter, even after the threat of snow has subsided and we return to life as it was before.

Play. On Friday night, as Bill and I were preparing to watch what would end up being the complete series of Making a Murderer on Netflix, he asked, “Do you want to pull the mattress out into the living room while we watch TV?” No sooner had he asked then we were dragging our spare mattress, pillows and blankets out onto the living room floor to set up camp for the weekend. A small Nerf gun (yes, they still make them) also made its way into our time together that afternoon. I felt like a kid again doing something so fun and out of the ordinary.

Explore. On Saturday night, once it had stopped snowing, we trekked out into the fluffy white mounds and snow banks, wandering around the streets of Lutherville for over an hour. We walked in the middle of the unplowed road. We made our way to the park near our house, where we trudged knee-deep through the snow to get to the jungle gym and swing set. We slid down the slide into a snow pile, face planted while jumping off the swings, and made snow angels.

I remember staring up at the calm, gray sky, watching the clouds dance over the moon. It was the first time I noticed the beauty of the barren tree branches above my head and the stillness of the night. I thought to myself,

“This is the kind of stuff we’re supposed to notice. These are the moments when we’re fully present and connected to life.”

Read. I love to read and have since I was a kid. Reading gives me the opportunity to grow, learn, think, reflect, and dream. I have a thing for words and am always open to being inspired by them. During the past 48 hours, I finished Ariana Huffington’s Thrive, read most of the The Food-Mood Solution, and breezed through The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I recommend checking out all of them! If you’re thinking of decluttering your home, take a look at these storage sheds in va.

As I was reading through Thrive, I was reminded of the importance of slowing down and being present to what my body needs. Often, it’s rest.

Unwind. When we’re caught up in the frenetic pace of our lives and the feeling that there isn’t enough time to get everything done in a day, we tend to lose sight of the importance of rest. I made time to relax this weekend. I slept in. Sipped a half dozen cups of herbal tea. Took a nap on the couch. Decompressed in a lavender-infused epsom salt bath. Journaled in the comfy chair in my office with essential oils diffusing beside me.

It is so necessary to do this. Taking time to rest and relax is refreshing and helps us reset our body and mind.

Connect. It’s funny how we can live near people (several hundred feet from them) and never talk to them. In today’s world, most of us are coming and going in such a hurried way, we often overlook something as simple as getting to know our neighbors. Despite the fact that we have lived in our house for almost three years, we saw and talked to some of our neighbors more in the past 12 hours as we were shoveling than we had in the past six months. I grew up in a close-knit neighborhood where everyone knew and looked out for each other. I realize now as an adult how rare something like that is today and how I want more of it in my life.

I also reconnected with my web designer, the person who designed my logo (below!) and who will be helping me with the redesign of my website this spring. It had been on my mind to follow up with her for months, but having time this weekend was what I needed to make that phone call happen.

RNK Logo.png

Disconnect. Aside from Jimmy Fallon, Top Chef and The Voice, I don’t spend much time watching TV. With everything else that inspires and energizes my life, there isn’t much time left for it, but sometimes I just need to zone out. My husband and I binge-watched Netflix – all 10 episodes of Making a Murderer…in less than 18 hours. Quite a feat. (And, yes, it’s as addictive and fascinating as everyone says it is.)

Cook. It goes without saying that I love food, given what I do for a living and why I write this blog, but being cooped up in my house surrounded by food inspired me to get busy in the kitchen.

We made this savory Sweet Potato and Veggie Casserole and this warm and cozy Love In a Bowl White Bean & Fennel Soup

For something sweet, we whipped up Simple Mills chocolate cake topped with this fudgy peanut butter chocolate frosting and some crunchy cacao nibs and these banana oatmeal cookies from Pinterest (I added 1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt and about 1/3 cup chopped walnuts).

banana cookies

Release. All of us have a tendency to accumulate stuff. I’m a pile-stacker and sentimental packrat, but there can be so much freedom in taking time to purge stuff we no longer use. When we are forced to slow down and reflect on the space around us, we often start to notice what we need and what we can release.

As I was reading the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and reflecting on my own living space, I was inspired to ask myself the book’s core question to guide the decision about which things to keep in my life and which to discard:

Does this spark joy?

What a simple but profound concept.

I had recently done quite a bit of decluttering, but reading this prompted me to take a few additional steps immediately. I now have several more bags filled with “stuff” that doesn’t spark joy to give away, trash, or recycle. The space I’ve cleared out is now open for something else to enter my life. I’m excited to see what that is.

While it may take a snowstorm to slow us down, let’s continue to give ourselves the gifts we experience and enjoy during times like these.

Whether we’re playing, exploring, reading, unwinding, connecting, zoning out, cooking, or releasing what no longer serves us, let’s reconnect with what sparks joy in our lives and commit to doing more of that.

Let’s continue to embrace the gifts of “snowing” down.

Awaken Possibility: The Power of the 5-Year Letter

By

On January 23, 2016

In Inspired, My Story

I come from a place of possibilities and a world of dreamers.

As the daughter of two entrepreneurs, I had the opportunity to grow up in a home where dreaming was encouraged and anything was possible.

My imagination ran wild as a result of my dad’s storytelling and my love of reading and writing. My mind was transported to an imaginary place on a daily basis, where I could create my own reality of what was possible, rather than be confined by what the world told me “should” be.

Watching both of my parents intentionally pursue careers that used their skills, harnessed their passions, and made a difference in the world has fueled the way I approach my own career.

One of the many lessons my dad has taught me is the importance of having an effective life rather than a “successful” life. Over the years, both he and my mom have equipped me with tools that have helped me vision and dream about what that can mean for me. I’ve seen them “go for it” and dream big dreams.

My parents are more in love than they’ve ever been and are entering the prime of their careers in their 60s.

They’ll be celebrating 36 years of marriage in August and have been through their own journey of ups and downs to build a loving, lasting marriage. I admire their resilience and devotion to one another and their relationship.

IMG_0225

My dad, Michael Bryant, started his own business out of the fourth bedroom of my childhood home with a college degree in Secondary Education with a concentration in American History. He helps organizations and individuals connect and function more effectively. He invites them to dream about what is possible.

Since turning 65 last year, he’s often been asked the question, “When are you going to retire?”

His reply: “Retire from what, to what? I’m already doing what I love.”

My mom, Nancy, pursued a career in the male-dominated finance industry. She has had her own business for over a decade and had her best year ever in 2015. In the midst of that, she raised three children, contributed to her faith community, and earned her Master’s degree. She leads an effective life and approaches her work with integrity, honesty and poise and her family with love, encouragement, and selflessness.

Dreaming big extends beyond my parents’ relationship and careers. Many of us limit ourselves physically and use age as an excuse to stop actively engaging in our own lives.

They don’t.

My mom learned to swim in her late 50s and started competing in triathlons at an age when most of her peers are starting to slow down. She swims, bikes and runs for fun. She looks at least ten years younger than she is.

My dad is going to be 66 this year and is preparing to train for his 6th Ironman triathlon as my husband, Bill, prepares for his first. An Ironman is a 2.4-mile swim followed by a 112-mile bike ride and topped off with a 26.2 race – a marathon.

The race is set to take place in Lake Placid, New York in July. Seeing my dad pursue what’s possible and set aside the excuse of age as a limitation inspires me to think about what is possible in my own life.

My dad has always inspired the work I do, and one of the exercises he recommends to cast a vision for the future is the 5-year letter. He and my mom use it to dream about their future, and it’s amazing to see how much of what they’ve written in the past has come to be.

If you’re looking for inspiration to “go for it” and unlock what’s possible in your own life, check out this video that I posted on my blog Facebook page and YouTube channel and give it a try yourself.

In a nutshell, here’s how it works. Pretend you’re writing a letter to someone and write the date on the top five years into the future. Start the letter with this prompt:

“The past five years have been the happiest five years of my life…”

Let your mind wander.

Silence the “Who do you think you are?” and “That can’t be done” critics in your head. 

Tell your logical mind to take a hike. 

Write until you have nothing left to write.

And give yourself permission to dream.

 

Yay for Tempeh! Why We Love This Plant-Based Protein

By

On January 21, 2016

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Dairy-Free, GBOMBS, Gluten-Free, Gluten-Free, How To, My Story, Products I Use, Recipes, Vegan

I had never heard of tempeh until about two years ago when I was about to enroll in a Culinary Nutrition program.

One of the recipes my instructor, Meghan Telpner, had on her blog that I was curious to try was for Orange Maple Tempeh.

orange maple

I had never heard of tempeh (say TEM-pay).

I had no idea what it was.

And I wasn’t exactly jumping to try it because it sounded and looked, well…weird. I haven’t always been one to try “weird” foods, but I had gotten to a point in my food journey that I was more open than ever before.

What’s the worst that could happen? I wouldn’t like it? I was okay with that.

The rest of the ingredients in the recipe sounded so good that we decided to gave it a shot.

I’m so glad we did! It’s now one of our FAVORITE dishes…including my meat-eater husband, Bill. This is one of his go-to meals. If we had only five meals in our rotation for the rest of our lives, this would be one both of us would pick.

So, what exactly IS tempeh?

Tempeh is made from fermented soybeans (keep reading!) and is an excellent source of easily digestible, plant-based protein (15 grams per 3 ounce serving!) and fill-you-up fiber. Tempeh is a probiotic food, so it helps our digestive system (AKA our “gut”) produce healthy bacteria.

Having a healthy, well-fed gut is important for a strong immune system, so we want to make sure we’re including probiotic-rich foods in our diet. As I’ve shared before, 70-80% of our IMMUNE SYSTEM sits in and around our digestive system, so what we eat is critically important to our overall health, well-being and feeling good.

Tempeh has a “meatier” and denser texture than tofu and a mild, nutty taste, so it feels more like meat in a recipe than tofu does. If you’re a tofu hater (I’m not a huge fan of it), then give tempeh a shot. Tempeh can be baked, sauteed, grilled, and chopped up to be added to things like chili, salads, and stews. It can be a little tricky to figure out how to work with it the first time, but this post from onegreenplanet breaks it down into 5 easy tips:

5 Tips for Making Amazing Tempeh Dishes

Another perk is that tempeh is also a LOT cheaper than meat. One block of tempeh at my local market (MOMs) is $3.00. Not a bad deal for something that can serve as the main dish of a meal. We always make sure to buy organic tempeh, since the majority of soy crops these days are genetically modified. You’ll find tempeh in the refrigerated section of your grocery store next to the tofu.

Ready to give this lesser known protein a try? Here are our top two most favorite tempeh recipes (and great places to start for first-timers!). Click the picture to get the recipe.

orange maple.jpg

BalsMapleTempeh

And here are a few more tempeh recipes that we want to try.

Have you ever tried tempeh? Have you found any recipes you like that you want to share? Feel free to leave a comment or question below!

Don’t Make New Year’s Resolutions…Do THIS to Rock 2016!

By

On January 4, 2016

In Inspired, My Story

As someone who works in the health and wellness field, I’m reminded by dozens of articles that it’s time to make New Year’s Resolutions.

Time to revisit our lofty to do lists from last year and take stock of what worked and what didn’t. Time to let the past year go and embrace what is to come.

Tempting as it may be, I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions.

To me, they feel more like an intimidating and overwhelming laundry list of “to dos” and less like an inspired vision for how I want my life to be. Making New Year’s Resolutions doesn’t work for me.

I wrote a blog post last year around this time about what triggered me to make the shift away from New Year’s Resolutions and toward something more meaningful and motivating.

In her books, The Desire Map and The Fire Starter Sessions, best-selling author and influencer Danielle LaPorte asks a seemingly simple question. Instead of focusing on what she wants to DO each year, she asks:

How do I want to feel?

Once we get clear on how we want to feel, we can spend our time and energy being intentional about how to generate those feelings, as we craft an inspired vision for how we want our lives to be.

It’s amazing how much clarity going through this process has brought me and the thousands of other people who have done the same.

After brainstorming words that capture how I want to feel, I narrowed them down to the top five words that energize me the most and came up with my core desired feelings for 2015:

I thought about what it meant to FEEL each of those feelings and what I could do to generate them as often as possible.

To be RADIANT is to be bright and bold; to send out light; to shine or glow brightly. I’m radiant when I’m speaking, teaching, presenting and writing. I’ve done more of all of those things in the past year than ever before. I’m gearing up to do the same in 2016 with my first national speaking gig in April in Orlando!

I’m also radiant when I eat nourishing foods that make my skin glow and my body feel energized. That’s my primary motivation for eating the way that I do.

To be CONNECTED is to be linked, banded together, joined, and united. When we feel connected, we feel close, safe, wanted, supported, and understood. We are hard-wired for connection, to be in community with others. I’ve felt more supported and connected this year than ever before. Networking with passionate people, spending more time with friends and family, serving my community, and sharing my story have helped me generate feelings of connection.

To be WORTHY is to be “good enough.”

Like many women, I’ve struggled to feel “good enough” for most of my life. It’s exhausting and draining to feel that way. I love what Brene Brown has to say about worthiness in her book, The Gift of Imperfection:

 “If we want to fully experience love and belonging, we must believe that we are worthy of love and belonging. Worthy now. Not if. Not when. We are worthy of love and belonging now. Right this minute. As is.”

When we feel worthy, we open up the possibility for amazing opportunities to enter our lives and instead of asking “Why me?” we can confidently respond, “Why NOT me?” and say “yes” to what is meant to happen in our lives instead of resisting it.

Starting 2015 by focusing on how I want to feel gave me a sense of clarity, purpose and direction for the year, and I had the best year ever in my career. 

I was bolder and more open than ever about what I wanted to bring into my life and about the impact I wanted to have.

I won national awards, met internationally recognized leaders in my field, felt more purposeful in my career, was asked to speak at the national level, grew financially, and connected with other like-minded, life-giving people who are also striving to become the best version of themselves.

By owning how I wanted to feel and getting clear on what action steps made me feel that way, I came alive. I felt inspired and had the opportunity to inspire others.

It was a great year!

I’m looking forward to all that 2016 will bring, and as a result of what I’ve experienced over the past twelve months, I’m tweaking my list and keeping what still resonates and modifying what doesn’t. For 2016, my core desired feelings are:

I felt incredibly ABUNDANT at the end of the year when our CEO gave each of our employees a gift so we could “Pay It Forward.” I wrote about it in this post. I was so inspired by what happened that my husband and I are going to continue setting aside money each month to give to specific people or families. We’ll be looking for opportunities to give back.

I’m eager to find out what abundance I attract into my life as a result of declaring that feeling. Energy flows where attention goes, so by focusing on giving more freely, I anticipate feeling more abundant than ever.

How about you?

Are you uninspired by New Year’s Resolutions?

Tired of looking at your incomplete checklist each December?

Done with being “motivated” by guilt at the start of each new year?

Give this exercise a try.

Ask yourself how you want to feel.

Decide what you’ll do to generate those feelings – what do you do or can you do to make yourself feel that way.

Then, be open for whatever happens next!

If you want to create one of the cool word picture images like the one you see above, download the free Word Swag app here.

Want this info in video format? Check out the video I posted on New Year’s Day on my Facebook page (“Like” it if you haven’t already!)

 

Here’s to 2016: The Year of Bravery, Kindness and Owning Our Stories

By

On December 31, 2015

In My Story

Wow.

Just wow.

Your love, support, kind words, and validation about yesterday’s post have blown me away.

IMG_3490 (1).PNG

As I took a few moments to scroll through some of your comments after my yoga class this morning, I was overcome with emotions.

Overwhelmed.

Humbled.

Grateful.

Affirmed.

Accepted.

That’s all I’ve ever wanted to feel.

Accepted. Enough. Worthy. Loved. Supported.

I’ve been so touched that I’ve been brought to tears several times today.

Happy tears.

Healing tears.

Tears that warm my face and my heart.

Tears that give me permission to let go of what has happened and look forward to what is to come.

Tears that remind me how every single step of my journey has been necessary to get me to this place.

As I wrote in my previous post, it was difficult for me to reconcile that the picture of health I saw when I looked in the mirror and the picture that validated my career and identity for several years was not a picture of health at all.

But I now know that I had to go through that journey to get to where I am today, to have this perspective.

Listening to my body and sharing my story is one of the most liberating things I’ve ever done.

body smart

When we care enough about ourselves to look beyond who our careers want us to be, who our families need us to be, or who society expects to see when we put ourselves out into the world, that’s when we’re being real and when self-discovery begins.

As I’ve heeded my body’s wisdom over the past two years to regulate certain systems that weren’t working, I’ve also moved my body less than ever before, as the nature of my job requires me to spend more time traveling and sitting.

Although some of my weight gain has been due to moving less, I’m not going to “punish” my body for losing its physical strength and tone.

I could choose to feel how I’ve felt in the past:

Shame.

Guilt.

Blame.

Disgust.

But I’m not.

I can’t. Not anymore.

Not after all my body has done for me and what is has been for me.

Does this mean I’m “settling” with where I am and how my body is right now?

Have I “given up” or stopped “trying”?

Nope.

Not even close.

I’m just giving up fighting myself and my body.

I’m committing to moving in ways that bring me joy and make me feel good – NIA, yoga, Zumba, walking, hiking, barre, and group exercise classes with fun instructors who inspire me.

If I want to go for a run, try spinning again, or move in any other way, I’ll be doing it because I WANT to, not because I’m punishing myself or because I HAVE to.

But I haven’t given up.

It hasn’t been a perfect year in this body.

But it didn’t have to be.

Through my imperfections, I’ve learned to be grateful for all my body HAS done for me.

This is the body that has brought me through the most transformational and exciting year of my career. I feel more purposeful and intentional than I’ve ever felt in the work that I do. I know I’m doing exactly what I’m meant to be doing.

I’ve felt radiant, alive, and inspired.

I’ve received national recognition for my work and reached more people in the past year than ever before.

I’ve traveled to dozens of companies to speak to leadership teams, human resources professionals, and employee groups about what it means to be well.

I’ve stretched myself by teaching group cooking classes for the first time ever.

I’ve spoken at a women’s retreat.

I’ve even been invited to speak at a national conference in April.

And I’ve started writing my first book.

In those moments when I lose sight of how far I’ve come and creep back to my old ways of thinking about my body, I remind myself again of my nutritionist’s wisdom:

Your body is doing its best for you. It always has.

Yours is, too.

As we enter 2016, can we promise to be kinder, gentler and more compassionate with ourselves and each other and with our bodies?

Can we stop fighting with ourselves and shaming our bodies and start listening to our body’s inherent wisdom and giving it what it needs?

Can we begin to value our overall health, well-being, energy, and vitality rather than define our success solely by the number on the scale?

Can we pledge to move in ways that make us feel alive, playful and strong and move away from what feels like punishment?

Can we honor our bodies enough to nourish and heal them with whole, real, from-the-earth food rather than numbing our feelings with pseudo-food?

Can we make a conscious effort to authentically connect with other people in real life, not just through texts, emails and social media?

Can we focus less on what we don’t have and more on how we can give to other people and bring goodness and kindness into the world?

Can we create space for other people to be vulnerable and safe to share their struggles and their stories?

In her book, Stones of Remembrance, Lois Evans captures the significance of sharing our stories:

“Remembering our own stories helps us; and when we tell our stories, others know they are not alone […] Our stories give others permission to be imperfect, permission to struggle, permission to question their own unknown futures.”

I don’t know what your story is or what you’re struggling with right now, but I know all of us have fears around telling our story, about letting the TRUTH about ourselves be known.

I’m giving you permission to do it.

To tell your story.

To remind you that you’re not alone.

To encourage you that you don’t have to be perfect.

Brene Brown, whose book, The Gift of Imperfection, resonated with my heart earlier this week, inspired me to close out the year with these words:

Owning our story and loving ourselves through that process is the bravest thing that we will ever do.

Here’s to 2016.

Here’s to being Kind

Compassionate

And Brave.

Here’s to owning our story and loving ourselves.

The Courage to Be Vulnerable: My Untold Story

By

On December 30, 2015

In Inspiration, My Story

The story I’m about to share is the most vulnerable thing I’ve ever done.

Fear tends to accompany vulnerability, especially when we’re putting our WHOLE selves out there into the world.

Fear of rejection.

Fear of judgment.

Fear of being “too much.”

But I have to share this.

Because what I’ve experienced over the past five years has been a gift.

It has happened for me, not to me.

It’s my responsibility to be open enough to find meaning in my journey and to use it for good.

So, with that, here’s the story I’ve never told until now.

IMG_3482

I swore it would never happen again.

That I would never gain back the weight. That I’d never wear “those” clothes again.

I remember five years ago when I started proudly packing up all of my old clothes that no longer fit. I’d lost so much weight that I had gradually amassed a brand new wardrobe.

I hadn’t thought it was possible to get back to the weight I was in high school, but I had. The last time my body was this size, I was playing competitive soccer. I couldn’t believe it. I thought my body was destined to be the size it had become, but I had proven myself wrong and surprised myself.

In addition to losing weight, I had uncovered the root causes of other nagging body issues like congestion, allergies, acid reflux, and other digestive discomfort and had adjusted my diet to get rid of the triggers.

My body was more adaptable than I’d ever thought possible.

I felt good – better than ever. I was happy and for the first time in years, I loved going shopping to try on clothes. Nothing was tight. I had dropped a size or two.

I was proud of what I’d accomplished.

And I was convinced it was where my body was meant to be.

For years, I didn’t even think about my weight. I naturally maintained my weight and even lost a few more pounds, without much effort. In one of my most read blog posts ever about how I lost 20 pounds and kept it off, I wrote about what I did to lose the weight.

I had never gotten attention for my body before.

I welcomed the praise.

The “You look great/so good/amazing!” and “Have you lost weight??” comments fed my ego and my sense of worthiness. I had been employed as a Corporate Wellness Specialist for years, but now I looked the part.

IMG_0602

I started to tell my story of how I had lost weight and gotten off of acid reflux medication after a decade of taking it every day.

My story became my identity – “Wellness Consultant Drops 20 Pounds and a Decade of Taking Medication.”

But, as the body tends to do, mine started to change.

During the winter and spring of 2013, I hit my lowest weight. I had completed coursework about the benefits of a plant-based diet, which I had adopted years earlier when the weight loss began. What I learned caused me to stop eating animal products. I had cut out dairy a few years prior, as I found out it was one of my trigger foods, but now I wasn’t eating meat, poultry or even eggs.

My body started whispering to me, sending subtle signals that something wasn’t quite right.

I had lost weight everywhere, including my chest.

I looked more like a 14-year-old girl than a 28-year-old woman.

My libido was MIA.

My menstrual cycle was irregular.

Then, in August 2013, my body ceased whispering and started shouting.

“That time of the month” stopped coming.

For 7 months.

Seven long months.

And, no, I wasn’t pregnant.

Bill and I knew we wanted to have kids one day, but if that system wasn’t working, I wasn’t sure how it would be possible.

I switched OB/Gyns. I met with a natural fertility specialist.

I started seeing Dr. Mary Jo Fishburn, an acupuncturist and integrative medicine doctor. She had me complete a series of tests called Genova NutrEval to help us arrive at some answers about what wasn’t working in my body.

The tests would give us key information about five core nutrient areas: antioxidants, B vitamins, digestive support, essential fatty acids, and minerals.

The results came back.

I was devastated.

They were coded stoplight-style – red, yellow, green – and I was “in the red” on over a dozen key nutrients.

My body wasn’t breaking down and absorbing proteins.

We started looking at the food sources of each of those nutrients.

“But I’m eating most of those,” I responded. I ate plenty of spinach, kale, almonds, quinoa, and other nutrient-rich foods.

I was so confused.

What was happening inside my body?

I had just about stopped eating animal products, a major source of B vitamins and amino acids for most people, and the decade of acid blockers had messed with my body’s ability to properly use vitamin B12.

Years of taking antibiotics and acid blockers and consuming foods that were compromising my immune system had interfered with my body’s ability to break down and absorb nutrients from my food.

I had become malnourished.

It sounded like such a harsh word, but my test results supported it.

“You might need to gain some weight,” she suggested.

I had never been told by anyone that I was underweight. I never thought of myself as being “too thin.”

But I was. I appeared to be doing everything right from the outside, but my body wasn’t okay on the inside.

thinpic

But what would happen if I gained weight?

What would people think??

I had lost weight, kept it off, and was telling my story everywhere I went.

It had become part of my identity.

If I gained weight, people would notice.

Would they question my credibility to speak and teach about what to eat?

Would I lose their trust in me and my position as an “expert”?

Then, the internal name-calling began:

Imposter.

Fraud.

The fears began to overwhelm me, but I knew I had to keep moving forward.

I couldn’t keep ignoring my body’s signals.

My doctor referred me to a nutritionist, Kasia Kines, who I started seeing in January 2014.

kasia

She put me on therapeutic doses of high quality supplements to begin replenishing and rebuilding my body’s stores of nutrients.

I slowly began reintroducing animal products into my diet. I made sure they were high quality – grass-fed, organic, pastured, etc. It started as a once a week thing and then built up.

Because of what I’d done to my body, my stomach acid production was deficient – something that is common among people who have acid reflux – but is misdiagnosed as excess acid. I was put on a hydrochloric acid supplement to take with protein-containing meals.

My body began responding.

My appetite returned.

I didn’t realize it, but for years, I hadn’t felt true hunger. I had been taking some form of medicine for acid reflux since I was 19 and had essentially shut down my stomach acid production. With the acid reintroduced to my stomach, my body could properly break down proteins into building blocks for the first time in years.

The ultimate gift came a few short weeks after starting with Kasia.

In January 2014, after waking up early one morning to use the restroom, I ran into our bedroom and shouted to Bill, “I’m a WOMAN again!!”

I couldn’t believe it.

I had hope.

My body was starting to cooperate, but I was still very irregular.

I brought my concerns back to my nutritionist.

“I’m afraid I won’t be able to have kids,” I told her, as a tear rolled down my cheek.

What she said next hit the deepest part of my being. She told me to repeat this phrase to myself whenever I was feeling discouraged:

IMG_3483

Oh, how I needed to hear that. 

And, oh, how it broke me.

She had no idea how profound and inspiring those words would be for me for years to come.

As my body started absorbing nutrients and with the guidance of my doctor and nutritionist, I started to gain weight. I opened myself up to the possibility that doing so could help me reach my ultimate goal.

My cycle finally regulated itself in October 2014 and has been on track on a monthly basis ever since.

But with it has come weight, something I’ve emotionally struggled with over the past year. I now wrestle with the fear that losing too much weight will send me back to the female issues I’ve recently overcome.

I’ve been making a conscious effort to shift my mindset about what has happened and what it means. Insights from books by Brene Brown, Geneen Roth, Marc David, and Elizabeth Gilbert have helped and have inspired me to face my body fears.

Instead of judging myself and feeling self-conscious or crying in the mirror when I don’t fit into an outfit I wore a year ago (been there, done that), I’m trying to focus on recognizing and appreciating everything my body does for me.

It wakes up each morning, so I can take on a new day.

My heart beats and my lungs bring oxygen every second.

My hair and nails are strong.

My cycle is back on track.

My skin has improved.

My reflux is still gone.

I have energy all day long.

RD Tossing Kale Looking Up

Photo cred: Laura Toraldo Photography

I’ve had the best year ever in my career.

My nutrient levels are back in healthy ranges.

In the midst of pushing myself physically, mentally and emotionally, my immune system kicks on to fight the bad guys trying to slow me down.

I can’t remember the last time I was sick.

I’m more in tune with my body and what it’s trying to tell me than ever before.

I’m doing my best to love this one precious, beautiful body I’ve been given.

Even when it confuses me.

Even when it frustrates me.

Even when I catch a glimpse of a picture of my once malnourished body in a dress that no longer fits.

In those moments, I remind myself of my nutritionist’s words of wisdom:

“What a journey you have had!

We are human. We do have to honor our bodies.

They are not at fault.

Other things are.

Just be gentle and forgiving.

It is doing its best for you!

It always has.”

IMG_0106

 

‘Tis the Season to Pay It Forward: The Gift of Giving Back

By

On December 22, 2015

In My Story

I saw this sign outside of a local salad placed called sweetgreen a few weeks ago.

But I didn’t really feel it until this morning.

Something special happened at work today. Something very special. Something all of us will remember for the rest of our lives.

The day started with a typical monthly All Hands meeting. As a company, we come together, celebrate successes, appreciate each other, and strategize for the future.

Today was different.

Each of us had just finished opening our very own Fitbit Flex with our new company branding on it. It was amazing to look at, I’ve got to be careful with it, I don’t want to break it or cause it to be damaged in any way, luckily I can go online to Mobile Mob and check out their Fitbit bands on there in case I need a replacement! Got to keep this beauty safe.

We’re going to be participating in a company-wide movement campaign called On the Move this spring. Integrating our Fitbits into the challenge will be one more way for us to come together for some healthy competition, something our close-knit group enjoys.

Moments later, Richard Silberstein, our CEO, pulled out a pack of handwritten thank you notes. He had personally written one to every employee at our organization. He requested we open them later.

As we approached the close of the meeting, Richard, a man I’ve known for half my life and worked for for over a decade, did something totally unexpected.

He pulled up a slide with a picture of an older bearded man wearing glasses and a hat, who was sitting in an armchair.

“Does anyone know who this is?” he asked.

“Santa Claus?!” was the response.

Laughter ensued. Then the room grew quiet, as Richard invited us in to what was the most emotional, authentic, and memorable moment of my career here.

He explained how he has befriended this man, Scotty, a Vietnam vet, who hangs out at the Starbucks in Rehobeth Beach, Delaware – a place Richard vacations throughout the year and has a family home.

Richard is a social guy and one of the most well-connected, relational people I know, so it’s no surprise that he would buddy up with and get to know someone he sees regularly.

He told us how Scotty was one of those people who is often misunderstood and who might be passed over by the average person. But Scotty and Richard have formed a connection and a bond. I’ve heard Richard talk about him before, but the story he told moments later forever changed how we will see this man.

Richard started to get choked up as he reflected on his friendship and conversations with Scotty, a man who has regularly attends AA and is often in “a bad place.”

He reminded us of how fortunate we are, how we have so much.

Richard told us how he decided to Pay It Forward and give Scotty $100 as a gift. Scotty was speechless but grateful. He wasn’t going to use it for himself, even though he surely needed it. He was going to share it with his fellow army vets, so they could at least have something for Christmas, since none of them has any family or even homes in which to live.

At that moment, Richard pulled out an envelope.

“I’m going to give each of you $100 to pay it forward. Give it to someone else – anyone you want.”

IMG_3365

Silence.

Gratitude.

Presence.

That’s what I was feeling.

All of us were.

The wheels in my mind started spinning, “Who would I gift my $100 to?”

The cleaning crew? The maintenance men? A mother at a toy store? The janitor at my husband’s school? The pastor on a teacher’s salary with three kids?

You could tell everyone was thinking the same thing, “How will I share this gift? With whom? When? How will they respond?”

By this point, there was barely a dry eye in the room.

But Richard wasn’t finished yet.

“I’m going to give each of you another $100 as a thank you. This has been a challenging year and you’ve worked hard. You can use it for yourself or give it to someone else.”

Each of us sat there stunned, overwhelmed with gratitude for what we had just experienced.

Anyone who knows Richard knows him to be a generous man.

Have a college kid looking for a job? Send Richard their resume.

Have a daughter applying to Richard’s alma mater, where he serves as a board member? Call Richard.

Have a family member who just received a devastating diagnosis and needs the best medical care possible? Give Richard a buzz.

Everyone in that room this morning was humbled by what happened. Very few people ever have the opportunity to experience feeling that way. But we did.

It’s something we’ll never forget.

What I experienced today reminded me why where I work truly is one of the best places to work and one of the healthiest companies, in every sense of the word “healthy.”

SIG Best Places to Work

SIG was recently honored as one of Baltimore’s Top Workplaces by The Baltimore Sun

As I returned to my desk to reflect on what had just happened, I remembered one of Richard’s mottos, something passed down to him from his grandfather about the importance of being generous and caring for other people:

“If you take care of Baltimore, Baltimore will take care of you.”

Thanks for taking care of us, Richard, and for helping us take care of others.

Thank you for making this the best place to work.

I extend this charge to YOU. Take a moment to reflect on how you can give back to better someone else’s life. Feel free to share your story below!

Eat to Live, Baltimore! Free, Fresh Food & Hope for Our City

By

On November 23, 2015

In Events, Inspired, My Story

Baltimore is my home.

I was born and raised here. I went to school here. I made my first friends here.

I had my first informal cooking lessons with our neighbor Miss Muriel across the street from the house where I grew up.

I remember going on school field trips to the Walter’s Art Gallery, the National Aquarium, the Baltimore Zoo, and Fort McHenry.

Some of my favorite summertime memories center around O’s games at Memorial Stadium and Camden Yards with my family, walking to the local snowball stand, and spending hours splashing around at Swan Lake Swim Club in Northeast Baltimore.

IMG_1923

I realize this positive perception of my hometown isn’t shared by everyone.

In the midst of the negative media attention our city often receives, I have a message of hope to offer.

Positive things are happening here, too. They may not be getting the same press attention, but they are worth talking about.

They need to be talked about.

As I was sitting in church Sunday morning, reflecting on what I experienced at a remarkable event in the city on Saturday, lyrics from one of the songs we sang resonated with me more than usual:

For greater things have yet to come,

And greater things are still to be done in this city.

I felt so strongly that the message was about Baltimore. Just one day prior, I had gotten a glimpse of one of those “great things.”

Tessemae’s, a local company known for their ingredient integrity and commitment to creating the best-tasting, natural, condiments and salad dressings, partnered with other organizations to put on a Crop Circle in Baltimore at New Hope Academy.

The goal?

Provide free produce to the community through a pop-up farmer’s market.

Tessemae’s partnered with a California-based company, Renaissance Food Group, which donated over 30,000 pounds of fresh food to be given away at no cost.

Since one out of four Baltimore City residents live in food deserts, without access to fresh fruit and vegetables, the Crop Circle was an opportunity to remove that barrier.

Volunteers arrived at 4 a.m. to set up the pop-up farmer’s market and would remain for nearly 12 hours, helping to distribute the food to local residents.

Dozens of companies, including radio stations and non-profits, provided samples, education, and information.

One of the vendors, Great Kids Farm, puts produce in city school salad bars and sends kids on field trips to the farm to learn about farming and gardening and to taste fresh food.

I met Ryan Brant, who started his own non-profit, Positive Strides, after his personal journey as an injured athlete, including four knee surgeries and a back surgery, all before the age of 25.

His noble mission is “to provide guidance and financial assistance to athletes who have suffered catastrophic or life changing sports-related injuries.” Positive Strides focuses on nutrition, too, because they know that what we eat impacts injury prevention and recovery as well.

Chef Egg, a fellow culinary educator and presenter, used the fresh produce to teach everyone how to make a minestrone soup, apple salad, and fruit smoothies.

We both agree on the importance of at least trying food before dismissing it, something I appreciate as a formerly picky eater turned foodie, and to avoid making comments about food we don’t like that others do like.

Chef Egg said, “Don’t ‘yuck’ my yum! If I like it, you don’t have to knock it.”

IMG_7002

I met Joyce, who arrived at 7:00 that morning with her daughter and sister to help people in line who were wheelchair bound, so they could be moved to the front of the line.

She told me how she and her husband volunteered at a similar event a few years ago on their anniversary from 4:00 in the morning until 6:00 in the evening.

She told me how a local rec football team was on its way to the Crop Circle to volunteer as a team before heading to their football game that afternoon.

She told me about the coat drive her church was organizing for a local school.

Greater things have yet to come, and greater things are still to be done here.

Congressman Elijah Cummings took the stand to share his thoughts, journey, and message of hope. He advocated for figuring out how to get more grocery stores that sell healthy food at reasonable prices into the city.

IMG_7005

He told this inspiring story about his own health journey:

About two and a half years ago, I made a decision about having to go through taking 5-6 pills a day for high blood pressure. I said, ‘There’s gotta be a better way.’

And so I decided that I was going to change my eating habits. I cut out sugar. I cut out all the buns that I used to get. I used to go in there to Dunkin Donuts and get three donuts. ‘C’mon don’t act like ya’ll don’t know what I’m talking about.’ And then, to top it all off, I got a Diet Pepsi!

…But then what I decided to do is I wanted to lose this weight.

So, I started concentrating on vegetables and fruit and trying to eat right, always having a tossed salad at lunchtime. [… ] And over the course of two years, I’ve lost 65 pounds. And let me tell you something – I feel so much better, and now I don’t have to take all them pills […]

But, I did not come here to ask you to do this. I have come here to beg you.

We have to address what we eat, and we must eat to live, not live to eat.

And that’s so important because in our communities, we have higher rates of heart disease, sugar diabetes, cancer. As a matter of fact, one of the things Johns Hopkins discovered is that, for those who live in food deserts, life expectancy is something like 20 years less, which means people are dying before their time and they’re suffering needlessly.

So, my only wish for you at this Thanksgiving is when you sit down to eat, remember, we are eating to live.

IMG_7014

I wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving, filled with gratitude, joy, laughter, and delicious, nourishing food. I’m grateful for your support for the work that I do and look forward to seeing what 2016 has in store!

If you’re looking for some recipe ideas for your Thanksgiving spread, check out the links below for some of my favorites:

Our First Baltimore Cookbook Club: The Power of True Community

By

On November 20, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Healthy Dining, Inspired, My Story, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

What does a life lived in radical community look like?

Is community really worth the effort?

I knew I was in for exactly what I needed to hear at the start of Sunday’s service as our friend and pastor, Ryan, asked us to reflect on the answers to those questions and a few other truths about what it means to be in community.

As a culture, we’re moving away from true community.

The internet has fundamentally changed the way we communicate and connect with each other and altered our expectations about what to expect from community. Long-term commitments of any kind (jobs, houses, relationships) are no longer the norm.

We avoid community for a number of reasons. People require energy and effort, which can make true community feel like a burden. Because we know things ABOUT each other but don’t really KNOW each other, we fill in the gaps with assumptions and are more easily offended than ever before.

The hard truth is that it’s exposing to have people REALLY know us.

IMG_2897

So, we’re left asking ourselves: Is community really worth the effort?

The short answer is,”YES“.

As I’ve shared when I first wrote about community almost two years ago, sacrificially giving my time to be with and invest in others is not something that comes naturally to me.

We are all wired to be communal and crave connection, but when you’ve been burned by community in the past, it can be intimidating to put yourself out there again. When we do, we risk being examined, judged, and rejected.

But the greater risk is that we deprive other people of our presence and the gifts and talents we have to offer. 

There’s power in investing deeply in people and in having people invest in us. Sometimes we can feel like we are burdening other people. But guess what?

IMG_2973
When I get stuck in my own thoughts (which happens a lot) and overwhelm myself thinking about all that I could or “should” be doing, I tend to retreat and “check out” socially. I find every reason possible to avoid things like social events that pull me away from a self-centered pursuit or an opportunity to do something I want to do.

That’s why last Sunday night was particularly special.

It marked the start of a community-building opportunity that combines a few of my favorite things: cooking and eating nourishing, delicious food with like-minded people who value living a healthy, purposeful, vibrant life in the context of a supportive community:

Our first cookbook club.

My friend and fellow foodie and health coach, Katie Hussong, and I came upon the idea after seeing a post that went viral on Facebook about Why Cookbook Clubs Should Be the New Way We Entertain.

Katie and Me

Both of us are Culinary Nutrition Experts through the Academy of Culinary Nutrition’s program, so we have a mutual love for creating and savoring nourishing, healing food.

After a series of text messages agreeing we should “do this thing,” we organized our first ever cookbook club, bringing together friends from DC to Philly for a Sunday evening in Baltimore to share dishes from our mentor and culinary nutrition coach, Meghan Telpner.

Meghan recently published her first full cookbook, The Undiet Cookbook, and we used that as the source for our recipes. Everything was nourishing, delicious, made with love and dairy-free and gluten-free.

IMG_2892CC Collage
We brought together fellow health coaches, culinary nutrition experts, and nurses, as well as friends from college, church and our neighborhoods.

Each of us prepared a delicious dish to share and gathered around the community table to savor the meal and get to know each other.

Green Mojito Smoothies and Jamu Juice Shots to kick off the night.

Zucchini Hummus, Balsamic Roasted Root Vegetables, Sweet Potato Grills with Cashew Ketchup, Wild Rice & Chickpea Salad, Thai Mango Salad, and Maple Balsamic Kale with Butternut Squash for dinner.

A decadent array of desserts, including Ginger Cookies, Wild Berry and Apple Crumble, Chocolate Raspberry Delights, and my contribution, the Rawmazing Key Lime Pie, to finish the evening.

key lime

Everything was DELICIOUS! (If you want the recipe for the pie, click here!)

We even had the opportunity to Skype with Meghan, the chef and cookbook author herself!

We had each person introduce themselves and the dish they had made, which was one of the coolest moments of the evening.

Hi Meghan

Me & Katie Skyping with Meghan!

Our bodies and souls were nourished by the food and our time together.

We could let down our guard and just be ourselves.

We ate. We talked. We laughed.

And through it all, we connected.

We were in true community.

This is how we were meant to live!

Community

So, what is holding you back from community?

Who misses out if you don’t show up, if you’re not present and willing to share your gifts and talents?

What makes you feel truly known?

If you’re interested in connecting with community like this, fill out your contact information here, and I’ll put you on our list 🙂

———————————————————————————————————————————-

If want to connect with others and serve Baltimore this upcoming weekend, join me at the Baltimore Crop Circle with Tessemae’s at 900 Druid Hill Avenue in Baltimore from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm on Saturday, November 21st. We will be giving away over 30,000 pounds of FREE fresh produce to the community!

The UnDiet Cookbook Review {Plus a Yummy Stuffed Sweet Potato Recipe!}

By

On November 17, 2015

In Clean Eating, Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free, Inspired, My Story, Paleo, Paleo, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

This is so much more than a cookbook.

It’s an inspiring, encouraging, confidence-boosting guide to life that happens to include over 130 awesomely delicious and nourishing recipes.

Whether you’re gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan, paleo, or just trying to live a fuller, more vibrant and balanced life, you need The UnDiet Cookbook in your life!

undiet cover

I had the privilege of learning from the author – nutritionist and best-selling author, Meghan Telpner – as a student in her Academy of Culinary Nutrition training last fall. As founder of the Academy of Culinary Nutrition and author of the bestselling UnDiet: Eat You Way to Vibrant Health and The UnDiet Cookbook, Meghan has committed her life to creating a revolution in health and well-being.

She does it in a way that is non-judgmental, kind, fun and inviting.

Meghan knows that being approachable and FUN is the key to engaging people, especially when it comes to something as sacred as what we eat and how we live.

So often when people are on diets, they settle for subpar food and a life marked by deprivation. They focus on what they “can’t” eat instead of channeling all of that energy toward what will nourish, satisfy and fill them up physically and emotionally.

Meghan is out to change that:

“UnDiet is here to free us from the chains we attach to all of those old, harmful, self-defeating, unhelpful rules we think we need to follow. They only make us miserable […] UnDiet is breaking free from the rules we think we’re meant to follow, and doing what is the very best for our individual health.”

Yes! Yes! Yes!

I totally agree.

She inspires anyone reading to take a build-you-up, positive, encouraging approach to what to eat through killer recipes that not only taste good but make our body feel amazing.

And she has a way of building and promoting community. In fact, I partnered with a fellow Culinary Nutrition alum and friend, Katie Hussong, to host our first UnDiet Cookbook Club, where each attendee made a recipe from Meghan’s cookbook or blog. It was SO fun!

Community

As someone who doesn’t follow one prescribed diet, I’m drawn to Meghan’s “UnDiet” approach. I follow the same philosophy because I’ve found in my own life that there is not one way of eating that everyone in the entire world “should” follow.

We agree that the bulk of what we eat should be plant-based (AKA “plantiful”), but there is room for flexibility, depending on what makes your body feel best and thrive.

One of the things I love about this book is that the UnDiet recipes are free from dairy and gluten (just like every recipe on this blog!), which means all of you can enjoy them.

Though knowledgeable about every diet out there, Meghan prefers to UNdiet, calling herself a “Meghanatarian.” She encourages us to make our choices with “awareness and knowing, doing what feels right for you, your body, your values, your environment, your budget.”

UnDiet2014-132

It’s about pausing long enough to tap into our body’s own intuitive wisdom that tells us what makes us feel awesome and what brings us down.

Through her journey with Crohn’s Disease, Meghan has experienced the healing and restorative power of the UnDiet lifestyle first-hand and is inspired to share what she has learned with the world.

Her intention is that her readers will “get it” and understand for themselves. That way she doesn’t have to say eat this, don’t eat that. She does her best to provide the information with the what’s the why’s the how’s in place, and lets them decide what they’re ready to pick up and run with.

Isn’t that refreshing?

I’ve made over a dozen recipes from the cookbook and have loved every single one.

From Undiet Coffee, Chocolate Chocolate Pancakes, and Banana Berry Oatmazing Muffins to the Vegalicious Quiche, Sacred Scramble, Balsamic Roasted Vegetables, Gracious Glow Soup, Maple Balsamic Tempeh, Baked Apples, Crispy Rice Squares and Rawmazing Key Lime Pie, every recipe we’ve tried has been a hit!

Undiet collage

Meghan’s endearing quirkiness and sense of humor comes through in recipe titles like, “Sunday Night Quickie Chocolate Chip Cookies,” Let’s Stay Together Crackers,” and “Breakfast Patty Whacks”…a few recipes I’ve yet to try but am excited to tackle.

She doesn’t take herself too seriously and consistently communicates the message we shouldn’t either. In the very beginning of the book, she shares her creed, which includes advice like:

“Flirt with farmers.”

“Dance like a four year-old.”

“Make love in the kitchen.”

And, last but not least:

“Today is the day. Make it ridiculously awesometown.”

The UnDiet Cookbook will give you confidence that everyone (yes, even you!) can cook and that it is possible to eat well, be well and live a vibrant life without ever feeling deprived. This is the way we were meant to live.

It wouldn’t be fair to end this love note without sharing one of my favorite recipes from The UnDiet Cookbook.

I’ve made it several times already and like to change up the beans and greens. One time I used cannellini beans and spinach and another time I used black beans and kale. I love versatile recipes like this because they give me a chance to use what I have on hand.

And the ingredient list couldn’t get any simpler.

Introducing, “Dressed to the Nines Sweet Potato.”

Stuffed_Sweet_Potato_52137-MT

Dressed to the Nines Sweet Potato

Nut-free
Soy-Free (option)
Grain-free
Protein Powered (option)

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 45–60 minutes
Serves 4

4 organic sweet potatoes
2 Tbsp avocado oil, coconut oil or organic ghee
1/2 red onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 (14-oz) can organic beans of choice, drained and rinsed*
6 cups greens, trimmed and sliced into ribbons
2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon Make-Your-Own Sambal (page 206 in The UnDiet Cookbook), red pepper flakes, or your favorite hot sauce
Sea salt

Optional Add-ons

  • Hemp seeds (protein bonus)
  • Toasted sunflower or pumpkin seeds
  • Fresh sprouts
  • Tempeh bits (prepared as with TLT Deluxe Sandwich, page 83 in The UnDiet Cookbook)
  • Tahini Dressing (page 194 in The UnDiet Cookbook)

* Make it Protein-Powered!

Swap the beans for 1 lb pastured, organic protein of choice such as ground beef, chicken, or turkey. Cook the meat just until browned and then use in place of the beans.

Make It Like So

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  2. Scrub the sweet potatoes and prick them in a few places with a fork (this gives them room to breathe as they bake). Place them on a baking sheet and bake until soft all the way through, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
  3. While the sweet potatoes are baking, heat the olive oil in a medium pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook until soft. Add the beans and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Remove from the heat and stir in your greens (the heat will wilt them). Add your lemon juice, sambal, and sea salt to taste.
  5. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven. To serve, slice each sweet potato through the middle and top with beans + greens mix and your optional add-ons.

Excerpted from The UnDiet Cookbook: 130 Gluten-Free Recipes for a Healthy and Awesome Life by Meghan Telpner. Copyright © 2015 Meghan Telpner. Photography Copyright © 2015 Maya Visnyei and Catherine Farquharson. Published by Appetite by Random House, a division of Random House of Canada Ltd., a Penguin Random House Company. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.

Page 6 of 13

Previous

Next

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén