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Birth Story & Benefits of Natural Labor

By Motherhood, Tips No Comments

I remember when I was younger telling people, “I hope I can just schedule a C-section, they can cut the baby out of me while I’m knocked out.” I had such an intense fear of childbirth. I’m sure everyone does to a certain extent. But I would think about labor, get pale, sweaty, and nauseous. Just like I do with needles. I had a fear of physical pain and wanted to do whatever I could to escape it.

So, seven months into marriage we get pregnant without trying 😀

and honestly, I cried when I found out. I wasn’t wanting to be a mom yet & I had just lost my mom to cancer the month before!!! It felt overwhelming to have to deal with overcoming my biggest fear of physical pain while recovering overcoming the biggest fear of emotional pain. All within the first year of marriage. If it weren’t for Michael and Jesus, I would have completely fell apart.

So here we are, fresh out of ministry school, pregnant, super broke with no plans of how to be successful in life. It felt like the worst timing ever and I dreaded having to overcome this fear and give birth.

This was right in the beginning of my health journey. I began learning about the health benefits of a natural birth. I watched a documentary, yes it was biased like most documentaries, but very educational and something I think every pregnant should watch called The Business of Being Born. It showed the benefits of a natural birth & inspired me to want one regardless of the intense pain. Something I never, EVER thought I would want.

There’s NO shame in not having a natural birth. Everyone’s story is unique. Sometimes it’s totally necessary to have a medicated birth or c-section & it saves lives! But this is my story & I personally wanted to overcome my fear of pain, and try my best to have a natural birth. (see list of benefits below)

 

First off, I was 12 days late. It was ROUGH. They pressured me to get induced after 7 days but I had just researched that the average first baby is 8 days late!!! I learned your due date is not very accurate and is just an estimate. So I decided to wait as long as I could for her to come when she was ready. And she finally came on her own with no induction.

I went into labor Friday at 9pm. Contractions were already close together. About a minute or two apart by 1am. According to the books I should have been far along! I get to Mission Hospital and come to find I’m only 4 cm. I was definitely discouraged. I labored until morning and only dilated 1.5 more cm. The most difficult thing for me was that I kept thinking I was almost done, and I had awhile more to go.

Labor really is a mental game. Expect a marathon and you will do alright. I am so thankful I had a birth coach. I think most women think the nurses, doctors or husband will help them. But most of the time, no nurses or doctors are very present at all, and husbands do not know what they are doing haha! My mother in law was my birth coach, my husband just copied everything she did, and it made all the difference.

I had a lot of painful back labor. She wasn’t in the best position. They broke my water but I still wasn’t progressing much. Then late morning, my contractions stopped for an hour! I really tried to wait it out because I didn’t want Pitocin. Pitocin causes contractions but makes them longer and way more intense. This can cause stress for the baby and is very painful for the mother when not getting an epidural. I really wanted a fully natural, unmedicated birth, but at this point I really had no choice but to get Pitocin. Looking back, if I had a midwife, she probably would have changed my positions during the labor and I may have not been in this situation of my contractions stopping. But what can you do at that point!

They administered the Pitocin drip, and once the contractions started to kick in they were way more intense and plateaued at the peak of pain. If I didn’t focus mentally I would start to panic when one was coming. It sent me into transition fairly quickly though. I was finally in transition (7cm) and I threw up on my pillow from the pain. Oh glamorous labor 😀 At this point, the pain felt unbearable and I was crying, “I can’t do it anymore.” But everyone always says this when there is light at the end of the tunnel. The thoughts running through my head were: “This is the worst thing ever, I’m never doing this ever again.” (Luckily you really do forget the pain!)

I had urges to push but they wouldn’t let me yet. The most frustrating thing ever! I was crying “can I push yet please” over and over. It was so difficult to try to relax, not tense up, and let my body do the work. Everything in me wanted to tense up. Pushing felt relieving because you actually got to work with your body. I was finally able to push after 18 hours. I pushed as hard as I could. Fifteen minutes in her head was almost out. The cord was wrapped around her neck and her heart rate was decelerating. I was unaware of how scary this was at the time, thank God. They told me a very quick episiotomy was necessary. Before labor, I was very against an episiotomy and very scared to tear, but I didn’t care at this point and wanted her out. They numbed me, did the episiotomy and quickly vacuumed her out and before I knew it I had a baby on my chest! It was the biggest feeling of relief to be done with labor.

To be honest, I didn’t have this magical “oh my gosh my baby is here I am so in love” moment. It honestly felt like this random stranger was on me sucking on my boob! I was really just happy to be done giving birth. It took me awhile to really process what happened. I was also being stitched for an hour and half while having skin to skin and my first hour with her. I had a 4th degree episiotomy/tear. In other words, as bad as it can get! (Giving birth to the placenta was really uneventful because it just fell out of me. That’s one plus to having a 4th degree episiotomy.) I had so much adrenaline from the natural birth that the needles from the long stitching process didn’t bother me (usually needles make me want to pass out). The nurses kept saying how bad they felt for me but I didn’t really know any different.

[FYI this paragraph is TMI!] I went to the bathroom after everything was done and it looked like a bloody war scene. I thought this was from the episiotomy and stitching haha but it was the normal uterus lining shedding. Imagine 9 months of your period all coming out. That’s something I was not aware of. You practically have to wear diapers for a couple of weeks after. This may feel TMI, but after you give birth nothing really phases you. I thought I would care about being naked in front of people during labor but I definitely had more important things to worry about haha.

Once everything settled in, she slept on my chest all night, and that’s when I fell in love. That’s when I felt connected and bonded to her. But to be real, the birth and recovery didn’t feel worth it to me right away. Labor was just so intense and recovery wasn’t fun. And being a new mom was difficult. But as time went on, and now that she’s three years old, my love for her is so deep, and labor is so worth it. I would give birth a million times again to have her. Becoming a mom had led me to understanding God’s love for us in a whole new, immense deep way. 

The doctor after the labor said, I think I need to go to your church because of the peace you had during that labor. This was encouraging to me because I felt I didn’t do as well as I hoped. Mostly because it was way harder and more painful than I was expecting! Overcoming my fear and giving birth without pain medication was THE MOST empowering thing in the world. And that feeling came in handy before becoming a mom because if I can do that, I can do anything!

We have been told a lie our whole lives that we should fear labor, that we are not capable without drugs and medical intervention. That’s definitely what I believed. I believed I wasn’t capable without numbing the pain. But women’s bodies are MADE to give birth to children.

You are strong. You are able. You were made for this.

 

Of course, always be open minded and know that some things are out of your control and may not go as planned. Mine definitely didn’t go as planned. I was very grateful I didn’t need a c-section and could have a vaginal birth without an epidural. But I really didn’t want pitocin, an episiotomy or for her to be vacuumed out. But if it means a healthy baby then it’s a must! (see her conehead in picture from being vacuumed out!)

[And again, there is no shame in not having a natural labor. It does NOT make you a bad mom, weak or less than. Sometimes it’s your only choice and sometimes it saves lives. All births are amazing and powerful.]

I am glad I learned about the natural labor benefits beforehand because it encouraged me to fight for it. Do not disqualify yourself from having a natural birth because of fear or lack of confidence in yourself.

Benefits of Natural Labor:
  1. Labor is often shorter. Epidurals can interfere with body’s natural way of laboring and slow down contractions. It’s also difficult to not feel contractions or the body’s queues of when to push, leading to a longer time of pushing. 
  2. Epidurals can often increase use of medical interventions. Epidurals can cause prolong labors which can lead to Pitocin drip to speed up the labor or vacuum or forceps to move fetus through canal.
  3. Breastfeeding can come easier. Babies born through natural childbirth can be more alert and show more interest in breastfeeding once delivered. The babies can be affected by the epidural pain medication and interfere their innate suckling behavior that normally comes after birth.
  4. More endorphins are released. An euphoric feeling comes after a natural, unmedicated birth which relieves pain and calms the mother.
  5. Greater connection to the experience. When drugs are not used during labor, women are very alert and fully conscious. Pain medications can dull the woman’s senses which can lead to a physical detachment from the birthing process.
  6. In vaginal birth, the baby receives beneficial bacteria. As your baby passes through the birth canal, it ingests bacteria that contributes to its gut health and microbiome.
  7. Recovery time for the mother is faster. Less intervention and drugs lead to a quicker recovery.
  8. It’s cheaper! Less intervention = less money spent
Advice for New Mothers:
  1. Be prepared for a marathon. Labor is long, especially your first one. My biggest struggle was thinking I was almost done, and being far from it. It discouraged me mentally. Mentally prepare yourself for a long, difficult process. Then imagine it being harder than that :p
  2. It’s all mental. Labor is 90% mental, 10% physical. It’s important to not have fear, relax your body, prepare for the long haul, and stay on top of the contractions.
  3. Get a doula or birth coach. This is VERY important. Your husband will most likely be overwhelmed and not sure what to do to help. The doctors and nurses will not be there 90% of the time. You will need someone who knows how to coach you mentally and physically. You will need that emotional support. You will also need an advocate if you are at a hospital and wanting a natural birth. The doula can help stand up for what you wanted in your birth plan.
  4. Let your body do the work. One of the hardest things to do in labor is to not tensing your body. Contractions naturally push the baby down, but since they are painful your body naturally wants to tense up. This actually is fighting against the process your body is trying to make and stopping the baby from progressing down the canal. It feels counterintuitive but you have to try with everything in you to relax, not tense up, and let your body do the work. This is why it feels good to push, because you finally feel like you get to work with your body rather than fighting against it.
  5. Educate yourself beforehand. I think it’s important to know what you are getting into and what to expect. This will help you mentally prepare.
  6. Remind yourself the labor may not go as planned and that’s okay. We all have a birth plan or have in mind what labor will be like. But like most things in life, things don’t always go as planned. Have grace on yourself, go with the flow if needed. Remember, the goal is to get that baby out and have everyone healthy regardless of how it happens 🙂
  7. When pushing, don’t push with your face. You could pop an eye vessel! And it won’t get you very far. It’s very important to focus the pushing and strength in your lower body, not your upper body. It’s harder than it sounds but will make your pushing time go way down!

 

IF you want to know my opinion about vaccines & shots during and after pregnancy. These are purely my opinion. Always do your own research!

  1. Flu shot when pregnant: I don’t recommend getting this. I believe it’s unnecessary and could do more harm than good. 
  2. Hep B and TDap when pregnant: I do not recommend getting these as well. There are many harmful things inside vaccines these days. This is my personal opinion based off my own research, always do your own research. I suggest researching from sources that aren’t receiving profit from vaccinations 😀
  3. Hep B once baby is born: I do not recommend this either. My pediatrician, who was more conservative with vaccines, said this one is not necessary and is outdated.
  4. Vitamin K shot. This one is pretty neutral. I do’nt think its necessary really, but I haven’t heard of it doing much harm. I have heard needles can be somewhat traumatic for babies who just got out of the womb so that is why I opted out of it.
  5. Eye goop. This is the only one I got for Evelyn. This one is also pretty neutral. I don’t think it’s super necessary, but also can’t harm. It’s to prevent any infections they could get in their eye from passing through the vaginal cavity. My pediatrician said it’s harmless and can be beneficial so that is why I got it.

My opinion on vaccines from after delivery is another topic of conversation and something you can always message or email me about!

Diets Explained

By Eating Well, Tips No Comments

 

There are so many diet fads and trends these days. And it’s hard to keep up! How do you know what what’s best for you, or even how to do them?! Here are simple definitions of the most popular ones today. I am no expert! This is info I’ve personally collected and summarized in my own research. It’s important to do your own research when committing to one of these. Every body is different. Listen to your body and go with what your body responds well to! If you’re already overwhelmed by diet fads, then just eat REAL, UNPROCESSED food and you’ll be on the right track. It can be simple. But if you want to know the diet lingo, then I hope you enjoy and learn from this!

 

Healing Foods Diet (anti-inflammatory, alkaline)

Definition: Ultimately, this diet consists of eating only foods that do not cause inflammation. Inflammation inside the body is the root of majority of health issues. This diet is great if you have health problems like digestive disorders, depression, fatigue, hormone imbalance, diabetes, heart disease, autism, etc. It can actually reverse health issues! This one appeals to me the most because it’s not about weight loss but about health. This diet also alkalizes the body, eliminates toxins and optimizes nutrients. More info here
What to eat: good quality fats, organic/grass-fed meat, wild-caught fish, nuts & seeds, fruits, raw diary or sheep/goat, vegetables, sugar free sweeteners (stevia, monk fruit) cookbook of recipes
Foods to avoid: sugar, bad oils (canola, vegetable) conventional meat & diary, grains, pork, peanut butter

Keto

Definition: The idea behind keto is putting your body into a state of constant ketosis = burning fat for energy versus carbs. Ketosis mimics the benefits of fasting. Keto has a high emphasis on healthy fats and very, very little carbs (almost none). Keto is the quickest way to lose weight since it focuses on burning fat. Keto can also be a lifestyle. To not lose weight, you simply up your healthy fat intake. I highly recommend getting apps that measure how much fat, protein, and carbs you should be eating because it’s all about your fat, protein, carb ratio. Keto is also great for reversing many health issues! You shouldn’t cheat on keto because it will disrupt the ketosis and take a bit to get your body back into ketosis. Please research more yourself!
What to eat: healthy fats (olive oil, coconut oil, grass-fed butter, nuts, seeds, etc) non-starchy vegetables (broccoli, leafy greens, asparagus etc) sugar alternatives such as xylitol, monkfruit, stevia, protein (grass-fed meat, organic, pasture-raised poultry and eggs, bone broth, wild-caught fish, raw diary) Ideally you want only good quality meat and raw diary. My mother-in-law’s favorite keto cookbook
Foods to avoid: sugar (even honey & maple syrup), all grains including oats, rice, quinoa and pasta, most carbs, high sugar fruits, root vegetables

Paleo

Definition: The cave man diet. The concept is to think of what hunter and gatherers would have had access to eat. Paleo diet consists of eating high in healthy fats, moderate in animal protein, and low to moderate in carbs. It’s very important though to eat good quality meat! More info here
What to eat: This diet consisting of good quality meats, vegetables, fruits, seafood, nuts & seeds, healthy fats
Foods to avoid: diary, sugar, grains, processed food, alcohol, starches and legumes



Whole 30

Definition: The goal is to eat real, whole UNPROCESSED food; to eat foods that are in the form they were originally in. Whole30 is a month program that is great when trying to wean yourself off processed foods. More info here
What to eat: moderate portions of meat, seafood and eggs, lots of veggies, plenty of natural fats, some fruit. Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients or better yet no ingredients because it’s a real food.
Foods to avoid: sugar (even honey or maple syrup or stevia) alcohol, grains (even sprouted, oats, buckwheat, rice, etc) legumes (beans, peas etc) diary

Gluten Free

Definition: Avoiding gluten because of a sensitivity or celiac disease (only 1% have this). Gluten is the name of the protein found in wheat which includes: wheat berries, durum, spelt, einkorn, etc) barely and rye. Most people have a sensitivity to gluten because they genetically modified wheat to produce higher yields but in doing so increased the gluten content in the wheat. We are not eating the same bread we were 50 years ago. That is why more recently people are having such a difficult time digesting gluten, because of our modifications not because what itself. On top of that, we have different processing techniques. All grains used to be soaked and sprouted which got rid of the anti-nutrients and aids digestion (why I’m a big fan of sprouted foods). More info here
Note: Eating gluten-free isn’t always the best health option. It’s recommended for those with celiacs. Gluten-free foods can be very processed, full of sugar or other fillers. If you do not have celiac but feel sensitive to gluten, try sprouted, ancient grains such as spelt.

Dairy Free

Definition: Cutting out all dairy foods in one’s diet. Many people are sensitive to diary as a result of our processing methods. They started pasteurizing dairy in the 1920’s because of poor sanitation in factories to avoid bad bacteria. The pasteurization process kills potential bad bacteria but also all the nutrients and most importantly the enzyme your body needs to even digest it!!! Some people body’s can recreate the enzyme some people cannot or the ability fades later in life. This is why I’m advocate for raw (unpasteurized) diary because this enzyme (and all the other nutrients diary are suppose to have) are still intact. This is just my opinion based on my on research but please research this on your own. I will do a more detailed blog post on this soon as well! Most dairy out there is pasteurized and causes inflammation so it is beneficial to cut it out or use diary free options. Dairy-free milk alternatives can be processed, hiding sugars and fillers. More info here
What to eat: raw (unpasteurized) cow diary, sheep/goat diary
What to foods to avoid: conventional diary (grass-fed is better but still not digestable)



Vegan

Definition: Anything related to animals are off limits! This is either because of a love for animals or for health reasons. Unfortunately, these days our animal products are overly processed, have poor living conditions, filled with antibiotics and fed foods that aren’t meant to eat. (hence why I try to buy humane, good quality animals products: pasture-raised organic eggs, organic chicken and free-range, grass-fed meat) Americans eat 50% more meat than they should, it is beneficial to cut out some meat from your diet and replace with vegetables! *Raw vegan means they eat everything uncooked because cooking techniques can destroy many nutrients. More info here
Foods to avoid: meat, eggs, diary

Vegetarian

Definition: eating no meat (and sometimes fish) but can eat other animal products such as diary or eggs. This is usually they simply don’t enjoy meat or their love for animals and animal treatment. More info here

Gaps Diet

Definition: GAPS diet is similar to the healing diet in that it’s a therapeutic diet to heal leaky gut syndrome, IBD, autoimmune disease, autism, anxiety, depression etc. The diet consists of 6 stages beginning with most restrictive and progressing into adding certain foods back in. More info here
What to eat: nutrient dense food that’s easy to digest, wild-caught fish, nuts (ideally sprouted) good quality fats, raw cow diary, sheep or goat diary, fruits in moderation, good quality meat, honey and dates in moderations
Foods to avoid: grains, starchy vegetales, refined carbs, sugar

 

Do you eat by any of these diets? Which one and why do you like it? Would love to hear from you!

Why you should toss your sunscreen!

By Beauty, DIY, Tips No Comments





 

Sunscreen. It’s a summer must, what could be so bad about it? Unfortunately, most sunscreens found in stores contain toxic chemicals.

“It’s estimated that we come into contact with anywhere between 700,000 and 2.1 million different toxic chemicals a day – many of which are in our personal care and skin care products.”

Rubbing chemicals on your skin can be worse than ingesting them because they enter the bloodstream without any filtering. Your skin is the largest organ of your body and your skin absorbs 60% of what you put on it.

At least nine of the sunscreen ingredients the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved are known endocrine disruptors. Of the 1,400+ sunscreens tested by the EWG, over 40% were listed as potentially contributing to skin cancer.

what are the solutions?

DO IT YOURSELF!!! I finally made my own and I am so happy with how it came out. I didn’t know these natural ingredients protected your skin from the sun on their own! (plus many other benefits!)


Carrot seed oil– natural SPF of 35-40! anti-inflammatory
Red raspberry oil – natural SPF of 25-50
Shea butter – natural SPF of 4-6, moisturizer, good source of vitamins for your skin, anti-inflammatory
Almond oil – natural SPF of 5, sooths irritation, deep moisturizer
Coconut oil – natural SPF of 2-8, antibacterial, moisturizer, high in antioxidants
Beeswax – makes sunscreen waterproof, protects skin from damaging elements, antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory
Vitamin E oil – helps preserve shelf life, antioxidant, moisturizer, anti-inflammatory
Zinc oxide (non-nano, not coated) – SPF 2-20

recipes

Click for the sunscreen recipe I used

Wellness Mama homeade sunscreen

Dr Axe homeade sunscreen

Facial sunscreen

Important* buy non-nano, not coated zinc oxide, BE CAREFUL TO NOT INHALE THE ZINC OXIDE! Wear a mask of some sort while making it (zinc oxide is fine on skin but not okay when inhaled) its not fully waterproof so reapply after the water, don’t use citrus essential oils because it can increase sun, this is an estimated SPF of 30-40 but not tested for exact.

It does feel slightly different to normal store bought sunscreen but I was pleasantly surprised with how it applied. It’s feels a little greasy at first because of the shea butter and does take a little more rubbing in to not look white. But its wayyy more moisturizing and smells better! Buying all the ingredients feels expensive at first, but I’ll probably have enough to make my own sunscreen for the next 5 summers! Making things yourself generally saves you money in the long run.






buy non-toxic sunscreen

If this seems like too much of a hassle, these are the top 5 natural mineral sunscreens by EWG:

Badger All Natural Sunscreen Unscented

Kiss My Face Kids Mineral Natural Organic Sunscreen

Beauty By Earth Facial Cream

Tropical Sands All Natural Biodegradable Mineral Sunscreen





Protect your skin from the inside out by eating lots of antioxidants! The American Cancer Society says that, consuming a variety of antioxidants through food sources can help reduce cancer risk.

Eat healthier for less!

By Eating Well, Tips No Comments

We all know healthy foods can be more expensive to buy. It’s sometimes tempting to buy unhealthy food just because it’s cheaper! But I think you shouldn’t feel guilty for having a higher grocery bill because of healthier options. It’s investing into your future health and well being! 

why is healthy food more expensive?

 

There are a few reasons why healthy food tends to dig a deeper hole in your wallet. Some labeling, such as organic & non-gmo, can drive costs up. There is also an issue of supply & demand, government subsidies, and even though healthy food is becoming more popular, there is a higher demand for the foods people are used to (which for most of America, are unhealthy foods.) Mass production and selling to large stores nation wide allows large companies to sell products for a lower price. Most healthy brands have to start off small and are still trying to make a name for themselves within the food industry.

Sometimes we actually should be asking the question, why is unhealthy food so dang cheap?!? Why can I get a full meal at a drive-in for the price of a single kombucha?! This is generally the result of cutting many corners and lowering food quality at the cost of quantity.

investing into your health

 

Personally, my main motivation for eating healthy is to avoid health problems now and later, especially later. I think an unhealthy lifestyle and diet puts you at risk for many, many health issues. This is how I justify it: pay a little more now, to avoid spending money later fixing my health problems. No brainer in my book. Even in seasons my husband and I aren’t doing well financially, I still try to buy as healthy as possible and will cut money other places. Or really pursue the solutions below.

solutions!

 

  1. Do it yourself!!!

Making food from scratch will save you money!!!!! Like so much, its crazy. Yes, it takes way more time, but time is money! Here are some examples of what to make yourself instead of buying a pre-made healthy product.

Here’s why its cheaper: when you buy a pre-made product, your paying them to make it for you, so essentially its cutting out the middle man, which always saves you money. Here’s one way to kill two birds with one stone & save money. Buy bulk raw almonds (not organic bc its way cheaper) and make some almond milk. Then take the leftover almond pulp, bake it at 170 for a couple of hours and boom! you got almond flour! You could also do this with oats! Yes, its less convenient, but easy & saves you money.

Here are some foods that I will pay more for & won’t make myself:

  • grass-fed beef
  • organic chicken
  • pasture-raised eggs
  • raw milk & cheddar
  • chips
  1. Buy from bulk section

There are bulk sections at most health food grocery stores likes Sprouts or Mother’s. They are sold at a cheaper price because no one is paying for packaging and the store is selling their own product instead of trying to make money off selling other people’s products. Plus if you bring your own containers or bags, its zero waste! You could also venture out into co-op food programs, which I haven’t yet! Would love if anyone had recommendations!

  1. Eat less meat, eat more veggies

I believe we eat too much meat in our diets. Meat is also pretty pricey in comparison to vegetables! Eating more plant based is a great way to cut down your grocery bill.

  1. Shop seasonal

Shopping seasonal is generally cheaper because there is way more supply of the food. The food didn’t have to be shipped from other countries, which drives prices up. Check what’s in season here.

  1. Thrive Market (Costco & Whole Foods had a baby)

Thrive Market Online helps me get the healthy foods I love for cheaper than I can find in stores. There is a $60 yearly fee, just like Costco, but you honestly save hundreds of dollars so it’s so worth it. If you’re buying non perishable items at places like Mothers, Whole Foods or Sprouts, I would see if Thrive sells it first because you will be getting it at whole sale price. This is where I buy most baked goods, chocolate, chips and supplements. What make this even better than Costco, is your not stuck with a bulk amount of the product just sitting around your house and possible going bad! If you want to try out Thrive, click here to get 20% off first three orders! You get to test it out before committing to the yearly fee!

I hope this gets rid of your guilt of spending a lot on healthy foods. You and your families body is so worth the investment.

ppp6. Meal planning

Meal planning helps save money because it means you’re only buying what you’ve planned to cook. This usually means you’re making the most of what you’re buying as well as not letting food go to waste! Check out my free meal planning print out.

ppp7. Skip the organic section sometimes

Some foods are more laden with pesticides, and some are not. The Clean 15 are the foods that tested least amount of pesticides. The Dirty Dozen are foods that tested highest for pesticides. To save money, only buy organic produce for the Dirty Dozen and opt for non-organic for the Clean 15. Avocados rarely have pesticides, so it’s honestly a waste of money to buy organic!

Clean 15: What you don’t need to buy organic

  • avocados
  • sweet broccoli
  • asparagus
  • cauliflower
  • onions
  • eggplant
  • pineapples
  • mangos
  • sweet corn
  • kiwi
  • cantaloupe
  • papayas
  • frozen sweet peas
  • honeydew
  • cabbage

Dirty Dozen: What you should buy organic

  • strawberries (most important one!)
  • spinach
  • apples
  • grapes
  • potatoes
  • celery
  • tomatoes
  • sweet bell peppers
  • peaches
  • nectarines
  • cherries
  • pears

How To Meal Plan

By Eating Well, Tips No Comments

I’m definitely no professional meal planner, or even that experienced in it. I struggle getting myself to do it because it’s not the first thing I want to do on a Sunday night! But when I do, my week is way easier! I’m not constantly thinking “what should I make?!” or “shoot, now I don’t have time to make that recipe.”

When I first started to cook, it was honestly overwhelming seeing all the ingredients I would need for recipe! So each week, I try to pick recipes that have common ingredients. Such as, if a recipe asks for sweet potatoes, I look for other recipes that contain sweet potatoes. This saves money (woo!) and can help not waste food.

If you’re new to cooking, I recommend starting with a lot of crockpot meals because they are hard to mess up! That’s what I did until I gained more confidence. Over time, I’ve build a good list of go-to meals you can find in my recipe section.

1. choose recipes

So I’ll start by writing some of my go-to meals in the “recipe ideas” section. Then I’ll look on Pinterest for some new ideas. Recipes with short ingredient lists appeal to me the most! Now I can look at healthy recipes or even unhealthy ones & just swap out the ingredients for healthier versions. (diary for raw diary or alternative diary options, chicken for organic chicken, beef for grass-fed beef, sugar for honey etc) Americans eat 50% more meat than the should, so I make sure I have many meatless meals to integrate in. (I used to eat meat every meal, so I have gradually come along way!)

2. write ingredients you don’t have

While I’m choosing these recipes, I’m writing ingredients I need to buy. I’ve gotten to a point where I have most ingredients in my pantry and only have to buy a few more ingredients to complete the list. It took me awhile to get there though (building up my pantry & always having ingredients I know I’ll always use every week).

3. place meals in the schedule

Next, I start placing the recipes over to the weekly schedule. I try to do this strategically. On days that I am busier, I pick quick meals or crockpot meals. I also try to make sure I’m not eating two similar meals in a row. Spacing it out gives some variety.

I’ve attached a simple template you can print out to help you start meal planning! Click “download” below! Enjoy & I hope it helps make your life easier 🙂

Welcome!

By Tips No Comments

Hi! Welcome! So glad you’re here and actually want to hear what I have to say! The past 4 years I’ve been on a slow journey towards healthy eating and wanted an outlet to share what I’ve learned! I’ve made a lot of small changes in the way I eat but they have really have changed my life. My heart for this website and blog is to help educate people in the basics of eating healthy and live well.

I believe change begins with thinking differently.

As a society, most of us are very uneducated in nutrition. I am no expert by any means, but have learned enough to change my own life and hope I can help you do the same. My website has the few steps & tools to help you move towards a healthy diet. This blog will be filled with more specific topics and telling you the new things I learn!

This blog will take you along in my journey of healthy living.

I’ve seen too many health issues, cancer, and diseases negatively affect people I know and love from an unhealthy diet and lifestyle. It makes me passionate to want to educate others, make a difference and help prevent these problems. I share more about this on the “Why Be Wellthy” section of my website.

I’m still fairly new to this, which can be beneficial to those of you who aren’t too far into the health world as well. I believe in slow, gradual changes that become lifestyle habits. I’ll be covering topics of recipes, beauty & household products, mom life, feeding a toddler, what I order when I eat out & tons of fun other things! Can’t wait to share it all!

How I Eat

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Today, there always seems to be a new diet or a way to describe how you eat. Whether it’s paleo, keto, vegan, whole30, gluten-free, the list goes on. For some, it’s a lifestyle they’ve chosen to lose weight, fell good or solve health issues. I’ve never HAD to eat one of these ways, which I am thankful for. Currently, I’m never sure how to label how I eat. I don’t feel I fall into any of the basic ‘diet’ categories. My heart isn’t to diet but have a lifestyle of eating what I believe God intended humans to eat: unprocessed, whole, REAL food.

And honestly, I don’t always eat super healthy, because it is hard in this day and age with so many temptations. It’s important to give yourself grace and let yourself cheat a little. Too many rules can feel like a diet. Or sometimes your in a situation like a party or friends house where there aren’t healthy food options. For me, as long as I’m MOSTLY eating good in my everyday life, I’m content.

I like to take this thought a little deeper, though. For example, how did people eat before humans had technology, fast transportation and electricity? Because in the grand scheme, we’ve only had these things for the past 100ish years. But humans have lived thousands of years without it. They didn’t have the luxury of eating whatever food they wanted in any season. People used to have to wait months until a certain food was in season (talk about patience!). They also generally had to eat what could grow locally in their environment. Today, we can go to a grocery store and get all sorts of produce from around the world. Eating meat used to be sort of a luxury, something you ate for a celebration. In this day and age, it’s something every meal is revolved around! These thoughts I have tend to shape how I try to eat: foods in season, local & less meat (more plant based).

It’s also important to know & listen to your body.

My body tends to like less meat, but do well with sprouted grains. Some people are the opposite. It’s important to pay attention to how you feel after you eat certain meals & eat accordingly!

These days it seems like you have to cut out all the good stuff: gluten, diary, and meat. It stems from people not being able to digest it well or experiencing other health issues. But it never used to be like this. People have been eating tons of bread, meat and diary for thousands of years! How come now so many people are having health issues from it? The answer is modern processing techniques & other forms of modification. For example, wheat is generally no longer soaked & sprouted, has been crossbred and manipulated genetically. These processes change the nutrient composition of the plant and is the reason so many people are gluten sensitive.

Today, it’s not the actual food that is the culprit, but how we have manipulated the foods. That is why my heart is to get back to how we were meant to eat certain foods. Ideally, we want to eat whole, fresh, sprouted, unprocessed, in season, local foods. Eating food the way it was meant to has countless benefits for our health!

There is no shame if you do eat gluten or diary free or vegan. I think they all have great benefits. But I think sometimes we can cut things out of our diet not really knowing the real reason or hop on the ban wagon. I think educating yourself in why something is bad for you can be very helpful. Sometimes certain foods don’t need to be completely cut out but just replaced with its original form. I’ll talk more about replacing foods in future blog posts! Stay tuned 🙂

Making Recipes Wellthy

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recipes simplified & made wellthy

My parents always made delicious home cooked meals so there was never a need to learn how to cook…until I got married. Looking at recipes we’re daunting to me. There were so many ingredients I would need to buy! It honestly seemed cheaper to just eat out than to buy all the ingredients necessary. PLUS, the time & effort it took to make the meal didn’t seem worth it to me, especially because my husband scarfs it down in a few minutes! After experimenting for a couple of years, I’m happy to say I’ve found some go-to recipes I love! I found myself naturally altering them in two ways: switching out ingredients to make it healthier, and cutting a few corners to make it quicker and easier!

how to make a recipe healthier

I look at every ingredient in the recipe & ask myself if there’s a way to make it healthier. If a recipe calls for milk, I would replace it with it almond milk. If a recipe calls for regular flour, I can replace it with oat or sprouted spelt flour. If the recipe calls for quinoa, I can use sprouted quinoa for extra nutrition. You could swap meat for vegetables. This is easy & something you can try with your favorite recipes! If you have a recipe you love to eat but avoid because it’s unhealthy, try swapping out some ingredients for healthier version.

“wellthy switches”

 

White/wheat flour – oat, sprouted spelt flour

Milk – almond, coconut milk

Cheese – raw cheddar

Salt – pink Himalayan sea salt

Chocolate chips – cacao nibs

Sugar – honey, coconut sugar

how to simplify a recipe

This one is a little more complex to explain. But each time I my go-to recipe’s, I find steps or ingredients in the recipe that I don’t find make a big difference. Taking short cuts is a better way to explain it. Whether it’s a certain spice I don’t have, or a way to cook something. This cuts down the ingredients I need to buy (any way to save money, am I right?!) It also cuts down the time, effort & dishes in cooking!!! Who doesn’t want that?!

Check out my recipe page for my go-to recipes. I also encourage you to do this at home with recipes you find on pinterest. Feel like you’ve ran out of recipes to choose from when searching “healthy recipes”? Try searching for normal recipes & swapping out ingredients to make them healthier! I find it gives me more variety. Happy cooking 😀