Friday, 31 January 2014

FOODPORN Friday


TGI..FOODPORN FRIDAY!! What's on your menu?! Are you keeping it clean?! I'm watching you;) we're having roasted carrots with fresh dill, s+p, and ill add raw honey at the end, roasted potatoes, with garlic, chopped onion, fresh mint , and s+ p, with steamed broccoli (not pictured) and local New York steak I got from our meat 'dealer'.
  
Yesterday's food porn... 


 

Ingredients: (Serves 4)
-1 package of prawns thawed and peeled
-1 tbs coconut flour 
-1/4-cup shredded coconut
-4-5 carrots (washed & chopped) 
-1 green bell pepper
-1 yellow pepper 
-3 cloves of garlic 
-1 yellow onion 
-4 tbs butter or coconut oil (divided) - you'll need 2 for the bake, and 2 for the prawn saute 
-4-5 tbs curry spice 
-1/4 cup coconut milk. (+ More if needed)
-1 lime juiced 
-1 tsp Himalayan or sea salt 
-pepper to taste 
-fresh cilantro for garnish 

The Method:
Preheat oven to 400c
Chop carrots, peppers, crush garlic, 
add remaining ingredients, bake 
in an oven safe dish uncovered for 
about an hour, stirring occasionally 
(if it starts to stick add a bit more coconut milk) 

In the last 10 minutes: preheat pan to medium heat, and melt 
coconut oil, Rinse and dry prawns, 
roll in coconut flour and flakes, when the oil is melted sautée over medium heat until cooked (only a few minutes once they 'curl' and are pink ) could serve over cooked rice or  keep it paleo and serve over quinoa, garnish with cilantro. Enjoy <3

Today was also day 3 of the Raw Recharge Challenge, did you get yours in?! Mine was soo good ! Fresh coconut milk, cilantro, cucumber, line, and herb mix. If you haven't started yet its not too late! :) 


Happy Friday! Let's keep it a clean and active weekend! 
<3 -Steph

***The entire content of this Blog is based upon my own opinions, the information on this blog is not to be used without your own research and advice of a qualified health care professional. The information is not intended as medical advice, and I will not be held liable or responsible for any injury sustained in your home, gym, or elsewhere. Please consult your health practitioner before starting any new diet, cleanse, detoxification, or exercise routine.

Wednesday, 29 January 2014

Day 1 Raw Recharged, & Cauliflower Crust

It's Wednesday! 'Hump' day, or what I'm calling workout Wednesday today! Did you get your workout in? I did, under some pressure as I had to rush to shower post workout and rush out the door to my hair appointment. I also couldn't work out any childcare for my youngest daughter, Summer, during my cut and color... So I'm at my appointment, cutie in tow:) 

She was actually really good and I think she enjoyed hanging out with mommy!;) 

What else is awesome about Wednesday? Today is the day the Raw Recharge challenge starts! (If you missed last post about the guidelines or what this is all about see last post here


I'm so excited! Today my green juice consisted of coconut water, fresh from a coconut which I had on hand, cucumber, celery, lemon, and basil! Juicing today with my ninja and strainer also was a much bigger success, I think maybe due to not adding the avocado it passed through my strainer with ease! :) 

Tomorrow I'm thinking maybe ill do coconut water, cucumber, herb mix, fresh dill, lemon, and maybe a carrot ? Not sure how that will go over in the blender... 

On another note, I posted earlier on my Facebook page that I would post a recipe for...... 

Ingredients: 
 I used all organic ingredients, this isn't necessary but I recommend it :) 

-1 medium sized head if cauliflower ;about 4 cups if cauliflower 'rice' 
-1 egg
-2-4 Tbs coconut flour 
-1tbs basil 
-1tbs oregano 
-1tbs crushed garlic 
-tbs olive oil 
1/2tsp sea salt

The method:


Preheat oven to 400c. Wash and dry cauliflower. Cut florets (you don't want much stem) and put in food processor (I used my ninja food processor, which I LOVE:), pulse for 30-40 seconds until it resembles little round bits like rice but more round. Preheat a pan to medium heat, add cauliflower 'rice', cook for about four minutes (this will release the moisture)  stirring a few times. I used paper towel but you could use a dish cloth to squeeze as much of the moisture out as possible, this is very important!! Then I add the remaining ingredients (add 2tbs coconut flour, if it still seems too moist add another 1tbs-2), cauliflower rice, and blend with my dough paddle/setting (in my ninja) until well combined. The dough should be sticky and forming a ball but not quite the consistency of 'real' dough. Then I pat onto a parchment covered pizza pan and bake on 400 for about 5 minutes ( until the sides are just browned) Enjoy!!!!:)
...and for those of you who may have missed 'Tornado Tuesday' on fb, keep this in mind on WORKOUT WEDNESDAY! :) 




<3-Steph 

***The entire content of this Blog is based upon my own opinions, the information on this blog is not to be used without your own research and advice of a qualified health care professional. The information is not intended as medical advice, and I will not be held liable or responsible for any injury sustained in your home, gym, or elsewhere. Please consult your health practitioner before starting any new diet, cleanse, detoxification, or exercise routine.

Tuesday, 28 January 2014

THE CHALLENGE...


First off, I am so excited, I feel so humbled and grateful this week for the out pour of love and support! For those reading this I am SO glad you are here! This week (Starting January 29th) I am 'running' a 7 day Raw Juice Recharge Challenge! I want to empower myself (and hopefully a few others this week) to work together, and take a little extra time to nourish our bodies in the quickest and most efficient way possible...RAW Vegetables! It can't really get any closer to nature than that. This WON'T be the type of cleanse where you drink only juice. I want us to feel revitalized and energized! Throughout the course of this week we will stick to our standard 3 meals a day plus snacks as needed.

The clincher: clean foods only! I want to kickstart a little team support system on my page so please share pictures of your smoothie/juice and meals via my facebook page, or even message/email! I would love to hear from you!

For those of you completely 'green' to this lifestyle, what exactly is clean eating?

Eating clean involves not only choosing the right foods to eat but also avoiding all of the junk foods and processed foods that are so readily available. The keys to good health and proper nutrition are in the following principles:
Eat whole foods: Whole foods are foods that haven’t been tampered with, in the lab or the manufacturing plant. The foods you eat on this plan are straight from the farm: whole fruits and vegetables, whole grains, avoiding wheat is ideal: optimal grains are rice and quinoa, grass-fed and free-range meats, whole dairy products (avoid sweetened processed dairy products), unsalted nuts (raw is ideal), and seeds.

Avoid processed foods:
 Processed foods are any food that has a label. A label means that more than one ingredient was used to make that food. You don’t have to eliminate all processed foods (like natural cheeses), but if you can’t pronounce an ingredient on a label, don’t put that food in your shopping basket.
Eliminate refined sugar. 
Refined sugar provides nothing but calories. Other sweeteners can be used (raw honey, coconut sugar, stevia, or agave syrup are great options), but with all the good foods you add to your diet, refined sugar really has very little place in the eating clean plan.

Eat five or six small meals a day
. By eating smaller meals throughout the day you can help rev up your metabolism and reduce the chance that you’ll eat a bag of chips on the go instead of a rice cake with nut butter and strawberries. You never get so hungry on this plan so you shouldn't feel deprived or feel the need to 'cheat'.

Cook your own meals.
 Instead of buying meals in a box, cook meals from scratch. That’s not as hard as it sounds! Clean, whole foods need little preparation beyond chopping, sautéing, steaming to make satisfying, delicious meals your family will love.

Combine protein with carbs.
 When you do snack or eat a meal, make sure that meal is balanced. For the most satisfaction from your diet, and so you’ll be less tempted to eat junk food, combine protein with carbs or carbs and fat. This simple act will fuel your body and quash hunger pangs. (for example if you eat an apple at snack time, pair it with a serving of
almonds ) 




I did a trial run with my juice today, as I don't actually have a juicer I used my Ninja blender and then sifted with a fine strainer (like the kind you use to sift flour) this method was definitely not ideal, and messy (to say the lease), but sometimes you gotta work with watcha' got, so thats how i'll be rollin' for the duration of this challenge. Now recipes... today my smoothie was filtered water, a handful of herb salad, cilantro, 1/4 cucumber, a lime, and half an avocado, it was actually really refreshing, and I had no problems slammin' 'er back :)

For more ideas and recipes I follow a website called Young and Raw and they are definitely worth a look if you're stumped on ideas or want creative ways to work with ingredients you already have in the fridge.

Brief Benefits of Incorporating Raw Vegetable Juice Into Your Day:

-You will easily consume more fresh vegetables than you normally would, which are pumped full of vitamins, minerals and beneficial enzymes.

-Raw juice is loaded with antioxidants which will bind to toxins that will then be removed from the body.

-Raw vegetable juice is very alkalizing which will help the body get back to it's ideal pH while assisting in the detox process. Foods we eat like sugar, fried foods, bread, alcohol, animal products, ect. are very acidic. Over time the build up can cause an inflammatory response which puts stress on our tissues and organs.


-I've been asked green juice vs: green smoothies, what difference does it make? When the vegetables have been juicd the insoluble fiber is extracted making the nutrients more readily available, which means less energy for your body to use digesting, meaning there will be more energy left for healing your body! Raw juice is easier on the digestive tract than green smoothies.

Happy Juicing!!!

Monday, 27 January 2014

Motivational Monday... was a labour of love.

So this morning I wanted to make a 'podcast' while driving in the car as I had a really busy day planned, part of which involved me driving to the next town an hour there, and  then back again to run some errands. I thought, podcast, how hard can it be, i'll just whip up a lil' sompin' sompin'... three unsuccessful recordings later I still had no sucess with uploading to either facebook or email. Then once I got one of them attatched to facebook the user would need to download to soundcloud to listen. In the end I decided 'eff that, I'll just bite the bullet and do the unthinkable... and so my youtube journey begins. 



This video was indeed a labor of love, but in case you don't get to watch the video I'll touch briefly on what I talked about. What motivates ME? My hopeful career in health and fitness, inspiring others to improve their overall wellness (sounds very cliche, I know, but watch the video and you'll get a more detailed perspective:)
Then there's whom I look up to/am inspired by: Dave Asprey, JJ Virgin, and Kristen Suzanne were all the 'big names' I mentioned (though there are many more, I just wanted to keep it as brief as possible and those are the big ones for me in the now). At the end of the video I get cut off right before saying my goodbyes, this is because I was recording on my Ipad when suddenly the memory reached it's breaking point and shut 'er... um me..down. So the last thing I want to say today is I hope you had a fabulously motivated monday. :)

Theres also a couple quick recipes I wanted to share today. Usually I prepare snacks for my kids and hubby for the week on a Sunday night, as we have a lot of activity throughout the week. However, last night I was so busy blogging and getting my workout in along with an early bedtime to go out of town, that I didn't get a chance to do my usual Sunday night bake-a-thon, and so it turned into a Monday task. On the menu: Bacon Cheddar Friattas and awesome lil' bites I have decided to call Coco-Choco-Nanna muffins. :)



Bacon Cheddar Friattas:
6 eggs (free range local eggs if possible)
1 cup organic whole milk
1 cup shredded organic cheddar
1 cup chopped bacon (I used local, but if you can find local and grassfed that is ideal)
1 cup organic bell papper
1 cup organic chopped green onion

The Method:
Preheat oven to 375C, line 12 regular sized muffin tins with liners, I really prefer to use parchment muffin liners as they come right off after baking and you don't have to worry about them getting stuck. Whip the eggs and milk by whatever means suits you,, and then stir in the rest of the ingredients and divide evenely into lined muffin tins. Obviously you can exchange the meat, and veggies for whichever ingredients you like. Eezy Peezy. I baked for about 20 minutes, checking near the end as to not over cook.



Coco-Choco-Nana Muffins:
5 Eggs
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
2.5 over ripe bananas
1tbs real vanilla extract
1/2 tbs cinnamon
1tsp aluminum free baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup dark, fair trade chocolate chips (I used camino)(optional)
1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)

The Method:
Preheat oven at 375C. Line 12 regular sized baking tins with liners, again I used  use parchment muffin liners as they come right off after baking and you don't have to worry about them getting stuck, which can sometimes be a problem with grain free baking. Beat eggs, coconut oil, banana, and then the remaining ingredients (leaving the chocolate chips and coconut flakes for last).

Now, some of you may be asking, what's with all the eggs? As my I follow a strict grain free lifestyle most of my baking is grain free, which requires more egg to hold it's shape, texture, just in general be an awesome work of kitchen magic. I'm not worried about the fat of the yolks as I'm aiming for high fat low, carb, and I know that this is the best fuel for my body. I encourage anybody and everybody to experiment with a grain free approach!


Enjoy! :)

<3 - Steph


***The entire content of this Blog is based upon my own opinions, the information on this blog is not to be used without your own research and advice of a qualified health care professional. The information is not intended as medical advice, and I will not be held liable or responsible for any injury sustained in your home, gym, or elsewhere. Please consult your health practitioner before starting any new diet, cleanse, detoxification, or exercise routine.

Saturday, 25 January 2014

Saturday, Sunshine, and SWEAT!

This morning I woke up feeling almost awesome after a late night celebrating my sisters birthday. The pound-the-water-and-coconut-charcoal--and-stick-to-clear-liquors-method worked as planned (thankfully). I've been trying not to 'indulge' as I'm sooo busy I just can't handle missing weekend of productivity laying around with the hangover. That said, sometimes you just have to get a little wild, because afterall, you only live once. Anyways, today I feel great considering the abuse my body took last night. Thanks to my secret weapon coconut charcoal (if you haven't heard read more about it in my last post).

Since I didn't to bed until 4am ish and was in no state to care about washing my face, I felt sorry for my poor skin this morning which inspired me to invent a masterpiece...
I've got the entertainment covered today

Coconut Charcoal Mask
-1tbs aloe vera
-1 capsule of coconut charcoal (I opened it and mixed into concoction)
-1tbs rose water
-1tbs rose hip oil
-1tbs tea tree oil

Rub on face, wait 10 minutes, wash off. Definitely gave my skin a good tingling feeling like it was getting purified.








I'm literally obsessed with coconut in all forms: Manna balls (if you haven't heard of 'manna' get some, NOW! It's pure coconut (the soft fleshy kind) in a jar. I won't be caught eating peanut butter, but my fiance does frequently find me hiding around the house, manna in one hand, spoon in the other.  Just kidding? But seriously. SO YUM! Back on topic. Coconut flour, coconut oil, coconut (manna) butter, whole coconut (in my mouth, right now), coconut milk, shredded coconut, coconut charcoal are all staple in this gals kitchen. So I have an arsenal of coconut recipes to share in the future! You can officially call me a coconut pusher. ;)

Saturday Sweat Time

On another note, since I was feeling better than I expected today (our usual -30 January weather in my area this time of year is freakishly springish right now, and it was almost 10 above) I thought I'd write myself a quick little ab workout to do in the sunshine on my deck. I did this workout with my gym boss interval timer,

6 rounds of 5 exercises 30 seconds on 10 seconds rest.
(30 total, 15 minutes)
I always begin my workout with a 5 minute skip and then STRETCH. It is so important.

So for anyone whose interested here it is:

1. Side plank pulses (Left)
2. Holding plank|
3. Side plank pulses (Right)
4. Bicycle Abs
5. Leg lifts

Take a breath...

Without a timer do 50 BURPEES!! I always end my workouts this way. Do the full push up. It's ok to do the pushups on your knees, but push yourself as hard as you can. I usually break it into 5 sets of 10 taking a quick rest between each set (really quick this is your cardio so you want to keep your heart rate up).

For those of you who don't have timers:

10 Side plank pulses (Left)
1 minute Holding plank|
10 Side plank pulses (Right)
10 Bicycle Abs
10 Leg lifts

Repeat 6 times. :)

<3 -Steph

***The entire content of this Blog is based upon my own opinions, the information on this blog is not to be used without your own research and advice of a qualified health care professional. The information is not intended as medical advice, and I will not be held liable or responsible for any injury sustained in your home, gym, or elsewhere. Please consult your health practitioner before starting any new diet, cleanse, detoxification, or exercise routine.



Friday, 24 January 2014

Detoxing Days

Today I have cleansing on my mind! At the request of a lovely lady from a mom group I'm a part of, the topic being what is MY favorite cleanse?! Well, let's just say i'm not a huge fan of starvation. I'm sure there are great benefits to juice cleanses and water cleanses, I've even tried my fair share of them. I just don't have time to spend my very active busy days hungry. I don't have time for a 'down' day. I'm all about feeling good and having more energy. That said I did enjoy the Isagenixcleanse (in fact one of my friends and one of my awesome cousins both sell these products for anyone whose interested) The snacks do help curb the hunger, but I do tend to lean towards a more natural approach.

So this is all about my tried and true. I usually do a cleanse I call the 'Dandelion Tea cleanse' which I first found on pinterest as an adaptation of some Jillian Michael's cleanse apparently.

Dandelion Tea Cleanse Method:
The night before in a big collander (I use one of those big measuring cups with a lid)
-1 bag of an organic dandelion root tea (I use Traditional Medicinals, I'm sure there are others)
-1tbs organic lemon (please use organic, no point in cleansing and loading up on pesticides and other chemicals)
-1tbs unsweetened organic cranberry juice
-1800 ml of filtered water

Let this concoction refrigerate over night, as it's better cold, the more lemon the better. Do not add sugar as you're supposed to avoid sugar throughout the cleanse. Eat according to your regular schedule, but only healthy whole foods and nothing from a package, keep it clean. Avoid caffeine, sugar and alcohol. Stick to water and unsweetened organic herbal teas. I do this for a minimum of a week but have done as long as three weeks straight. This is a great way to flush your system (Dandelion is a liver tonic) and you will likely lose up to 5 lbs of bloating.D

Dandelion Health Benefits
Digestive Aid – Dandelion acts as a mild laxative that promotes digestion, stimulates appetite, and balances the natural and beneficial bacteria in the intestines

Kidney – This weed-like superfood is a diuretic that helps the kidneys clear out waste, salt, and excess water. This inhibits microbial growth in the urinary system too.

Liver – Dandelion has been shown to improve liver function by removing toxins and reestablishing hydration and electrolyte balance.

Antioxidants – Every part of the dandelion plant is rich in antioxidants that prevent free-radical damage to cells and DNA, slowing down the aging process in our cells.

Cancer – Dandelion acts against cancer to slow its growth and prevent its spread. The leaves are especially rich in the antioxidants and phytonutrients that combat cancer.

Diabetes – Recent animal studies show promise that dandelion helps regulate blood sugar and insulin levels.

High Blood Pressure – As a diuretic dandelion increases urination which then lowers blood pressure. The fiber and potassium in dandelion also regulate blood pressure.

Cholesterol – Animal studies have shown that dandelion lowers and control cholesterol levels.

Gallbladder – Dandelion increases bile production and reduces inflammation to help with gallbladder problems and blockages.

Inflammation – Dandelion contains essential fatty acids and phytonutrients that reduce inflammation throughout the body. This can relieve pain and swelling.

Immune System – Animal studies also show that dandelion boosts immune function and fights off microbes and fungi.

Contradictions:
*****Dandelion is generally considered safe in food and medicinal levels. Some people may have allergic reactions to dandelion. Anyone with an allergy to ragweed, chrysanthemum, marigold, chamomile, yarrow, or daisy should avoid dandelion and anyone pregnant, nursing, or taking prescription drugs should talk to a health care professional before adding something new to their diet. Info courtesy of Sun Warrior
Left is the dandelion root tea I use. Right is the next detox product I use..


Bulletproof Upgraded Coconut Charcol:

This is where the 'more about 'bulletproof'' comes in. I'm a huge advocate of the Bulletroof lifestyle (more posts about the diet recommendations according to bulletproof soon,) Recently I started using this product to cleanse what I believe to have been an bacterial overgrowth from medication I had been using some time ago (probably other factors as well). The basic explanation for how this charcoal works is that it's electrically charged and when it is released in your body the toxins inside your body get magnetically drawn and then absorbed by the charcoal, before the toxins are absorbed by your intestines. Words cannot express enough how unbelievable this product has been for me. Within a week of using a bout of acne I've had since a year into my vegetarianism has disappeared, gas, bloating, so many things improved in my body. It is worth it's weight in gold. You can find this product here.
You can find more detailed information here
I've been taking two capsules before bed (making sure I take my other vitamins and minerals in the morning so that the charcoal does not absorb the minerals, it's better to have a safe gap between vitamins and other medication as the charcoal will absorb those too if taken together)
Another amazing thing about this product is you can use it to whiten your teeth AND to help avoid a hangover when drinking (not that I drink anymore!! Tried and true by yours truly. 

Thursday, 23 January 2014

Wise Words and Pie

TGI...THURSDAY! The other great thing about today is it just happens to be my not-so-baby-baby-sisters 21st birthday. I will be peparing her a 'clean' but not short of deliciousness dinner tonight, complete with a not so clean lemon meringue pie, 'cuz it's her fave (next time i'll be sure to invent a from scratch clean version). However I did prepare a home made coconut based crust for the pie (in encouragement for her to jump on the gluten free wagon with me). I will not be eating the pie, but never the less it was made with love. This morning my mom posted to her via a social media network a cute little speel that I felt might be wise words to some of you reading my blog as well for motivational purposes

"On the occasion of your 21st birthday:

*Never make a trade for your soul
*Think for yourself
*You never need as much as they’ll tell you
*You can’t take any of it with you
*Avoid big shots
*Listen quietly
*Don’t be afraid to say what you believe
*Otherwise you’ll forget
*The things you shouldn’t forget are the hardest to hang on to in this world
*Never cash in all your chips on someone else
*Always maintain space to grow
*Think
*Passion is a better friend than money and it’ll hold up its value better
* Paint is always cheaper than boredom
*Don’t wait for the perfect moment
*Do
*Make stuff yourself
* Make it for others
*Make it for the pleasure not the money
*Have integrity 
*Learn to bend but never to fools
*Stand your ground but be willing to be wrong
*Never be a brown noser, you can only hold your breath so long and it’ll make you sick later
*Forgive but don’t loiter
*Listen to all kinds of music
*Watch and listen to children with your heart
*Don’t let the heartless side of town or the world turn you away from what you could see as a child
*Be grown up but not dumbed down
*Work hard but think harder
*Laugh about the dumb shit you did and thought
*Unless it’s very serious which always involves somebody’s heart
*Take everything your mother says with a grain of salt not tequila

Wise words from our inspiring mother

A photo of my beautiful sister, daughter becca, Summer, and I. My best girls.

<3

On another note... back to the pie.

Coconut Paleo Pie Crust
Ingredients-
2 Tbs ground chia
1/3 cup water
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup coconut flour (maybe a couple extra tbs if it seems to wet)
2 tsp raw honey
4 tbl cold coconut oil or grassfed unsalted butter (I used butter)
2 tbl coconut oil + a little for greasing the pie dish
Instructions-
Combine 1/3 cup of water and chia and allow to sit. I've used both my ninja and a mini coffee grinder combined with a hand mixer and both methods work well. You must grind the coconut flakes until the become the consistency of bread crumbs and starting to release their oils (you'll be able to tell when they start sticking to the sides of the bowl). Then start adding the rest of the ingredients and mixing, by the end the mixture should be almost like dough but still sticky. Press into a well greased (I used coconut oil and parchment paper) and bake on 300 for 20 ish minutes (watch the edges will burn easily). Cool before filling.
This recipe was adapted from another blog I follow and love http://meatified.com/

-Steph

Wednesday, 22 January 2014

My journey to health and fitness..

My journey started in 2008, with the birth of my first daughter, Rebecca, I was only 18 years old and went through a grueling (to say the least) and complicated birth which ended in a 'T' incision on my uterus. Needless to say, I did not anticipate the impact this would have on my body and what it would take to recover. I decided to keep my chin up and do the best I could day by day. I did what many women do, jumped into cardio, purchased an elliptical trainer and got right to it. I ate light and infrequent but loaded up on Timmies double double's, 'cuz a girl needs 'fuel', right?! Well needless to say this routine didn't get me far. I soon picked up the South Beach Diet book and for awhile it was my BIBLE. I did lose the baby weight and I was 'skinny' but I was also very sick. To save you the-long-gruesome-story let's just say I developed some serious 'gut' problems that resulted in the infamous diagnosis: "IBS" *rolls eyes* (with a side of agoraphobia).

Some days it was hard to get out of bed, never mind go to work. I was scared to leave the house and to eat. I went on various medications that never really helped. This went on for a year or more.My fiance and I decided it was time to try and get pregnant with baby number two. a few months later, I did! It was an exciting and happy time. Six weeks into my pregnancy I started bleeding (coincidentally, or maybe not so, after eating a 10 piece chicken nugget meal from McDonald's). They told me there was no heart beat and that I should anticipate a miscarriage but to come back in a day or two for an ultrasound. At the ultrasound they found a heartbeat! Baby was holdin' on tight, but I was still bleeding. I was told I had 'incompetent cervix', my body was slowly going into labor everyday, by 21 weeks I was 4 cm dilated when they put in an emergency cerclage, and I somehow managed to skip what would have been a severely premature baby. Again, SHE held in tight. After 7 months of bed rest and so many ultrasounds I couldn't count my miracle baby, Summer, arrived.

Oh the high! Just being able to get out of bed and LIVE was fulfilling. I had a lifetimes worth of lazyness. Sleepless nights and diapers couldn't get me down. I made great friends, hula hooped, stayed pretty active everyday gardening and hanging with my girls. It was an awesome time, but I was weak, even little bouts of activity took their toll and it was slow going to get in 'actual' exercise.

I think maybe after so long of living in fear of everything when really in the grand scheme of things I had it SO good, Summer arrived safely against great odds. I it made me want to make a change. To be better, to do something that really scared me, just to know I could. I went and picked up my first pair of REAL nikes, and set out. I decided I was going to be a runner. And so I did. I embraced the cold-canadian air (It was December, 26th 2011, brrr). I ran long, I ran hard. I built up slowly, but it didn't take long. I was running 45-60 minutes 4-5 days a week, and finally conquered my fear, I ran a marathon! Well, not a full marathon, it was a 14 km trail race; Golden Ears. It was tough! But such a beautiful and euphoric experience. After running 14 km through the mountains, what can't you do.

It was  year or so into my running career when I started having a lot of pain, and as usual an upset tummy, but this was nothing new. I had been a vegetarian since a few months into my second pregnancy (hoping it would be the answer to my 'Ibs'-bs, and for ethical reasons), so my diet was largely based on whole grains (during my bird-seed-home-made-hippy-bread-days) and carbs to fuel my running and fruits vegetables  I went to my Dr, and she noticed a lump in my lower right abdomen, I could feel it too. It was maybe nickle sized and portruding. She thought maybe hernia or cysts. My ultrasounds came back negative. I had been told by somebody on a support group that maybe I had a wheat intolerance so I suggested it to my Dr, and she sent me for the test, and sure enough, it was positive! All this time (probably years, maybe even since childhood) this had been the problem! After a week of cutting out gluten, my lump disappeared, a rash I had had since childhood went away (my 'apparent' dairy allergy). Lots of people say, oh, gluten intolerant, that sucks, but not this girl, oh no! It was the best news ever. Finally the answer to all my problems.

I've spent a lot of time throughout my journey to health  learning to cook, my true passion being the food. In the beginning it was adjusting to food prep as a vegetarian (3 years), which then evolved to gluten free (over a year and counting), and now a grain free/paleo approach, and have enjoyed every step of the process to the knowledge I now have of food. I reintroduced meat because I became anemic and was just overall not diggin' it anymore (yeah, I said it). I know vegetarianism was not the healthiest lifestyle for ME (that's not to say it won't work for others).  I aim to bulletproof my life. I have never felt better. I believe leading a healthy and active life is the key to happiness. I maintain my fitness by running, high intensity interval training, weight-lifting, and yoga. I love trying new routines! I'm currently working on my trainer certification through ACE (American Council of Exersise) Going to school, spending time with my beautiful family, getting stronger and preparing wholesome grain free and organic meals for my whole family, as well as helping anyone I can along the way are my top priorities.

Thank you to everyone who took the time to read this LONG life story. xoxoxo

Heres to rockin' 2015!

Steph
-xoxoxo
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