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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Waffles
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Spice Waffles
Chocolate Cherry Seed Cycling Smoothie
Chocolate Cherry Seed Cycling Smoothie
Sweet Potato Hash
Sweet Potato Hash
Simple Pumpkin Pancake
Simple Pumpkin Pancake
The Ultimate Avocado Toast
The Ultimate Avocado Toast
Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Pancakes
Chocolate Banana Peanut Butter Pancakes
Raspberry Tahini Smoothie
Raspberry Tahini Smoothie
Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes
Strawberry Shortcake Pancakes
Composed Blueberry Muffins
Composed Blueberry Muffins
Savory Tahini Pancake w/ Blueberry Sauce
Savory Tahini Pancake w/ Blueberry Sauce
Vanilla Berry Chia Pudding
Vanilla Berry Chia Pudding
Sweet Potato Smoothie Bowl
Sweet Potato Smoothie Bowl
Zucchini Mushroom Egg Muffins
Zucchini Mushroom Egg Muffins
Very Berry Pancakes
Very Berry Pancakes
AB + B Toast : Almond Butter + Blueberries
AB + B Toast : Almond Butter + Blueberries
Double Chocolate Chip Raspberry Pancake
Double Chocolate Chip Raspberry Pancake
Peanut Butter Plum Oats
Peanut Butter Plum Oats
Very Berry Chocolate Chip Pancake
Very Berry Chocolate Chip Pancake
Chocolate Vanilla Raspberry Plum Oats
Chocolate Vanilla Raspberry Plum Oats
Summer Stone Fruit Oatmeal
Summer Stone Fruit Oatmeal
Raspberry Almond Butter Toast
Raspberry Almond Butter Toast
Raspberry Cacao Almond Butter Muffins
Raspberry Cacao Almond Butter Muffins
Cauli-Acai Smoothie Bowl
Cauli-Acai Smoothie Bowl
Chocolate Cherry Banana Pancakes
Chocolate Cherry Banana Pancakes
3-Ingredient Blueberry Smoothie
3-Ingredient Blueberry Smoothie
Carrot Coconut Cacao Muffins
Carrot Coconut Cacao Muffins
Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie
Chocolate Raspberry Smoothie
DIETS FAIL 95% OF THE TIME - And it’s not that WE fail, it’s that diets fail us. Because really the word diet has evolved from the sum of food we habitually consume into a set of rules that box us into a way of thinking that we ‘should’ or ‘have to’ eat & that leaves very little wiggle room if we do something outside of that box. We believe we have failed. - Believe me, the last thing we all need is another area of life we think we need to be perfect. As a recovering perfectionist I can tell you that perfection tendencies = a form of control, usually when we feel like we have lost control, things have happened to us outside of our control, or we’re looking for some sort of stability in a crazy world. - Perfection may have the illusion of optimal, but it is not achievable. Because we live in a world that lies on a spectrum of gray. We will always be somewhere in the middle. Life ebbs and flows and we are constantly swinging back and forth between highs and lows, good and bad, feeling great about everything in life and then maybe not so great. - Aiming for perfection is like pulling back a slingshot. You may be able to hold it there for a bit of time, but your arm gets tired and you shoot off in the other direction. When we aim for perfection with food the same thing can happen. - So how do we live in the grey with food? #1 is rejecting the diet mentality, that you HAVE to follow xyz food rule. It’s about coming back to listening to the intuition that is already within and balancing that with nutrition knowledge. Food is NOT just fuel. It’s emotional, it’s social, it’s connecting. It’s about finding what works for you and your unique body. We’re really good at reaching externally for answers, but it’s about connecting back within to find what we’ve been reaching for. - When you live in the gray with food you know you can have the French toast (or whatever it is you want or don’t usually order) if it sounds good, have what satisfies, leave the rest, and know that one meal does not make or break. - Looking for guidance on healing your relationship with food while also figuring out what works best for your body? 🌻 Schedule a free 20-minute intro call – link in bio!
FIND YOUR WHY ✨ - April 5 always carries some heaviness. I lost my mom on this day 10 years ago. There’s a certain bitterness with the passing years now hitting the double digits, because it makes it seem like it has been much longer than it feels. - It feels like it was yesterday but also forever ago at the same time. SO much has happened from that day in 2009 to now. For so long I coped by numbing. Our society favors pushing away pain instead of leaning into it. That’s why it’s not always obvious what the other way is – we’re not taught. - Numbing works until it just doesn’t anymore. Because there’s always that piece inside of you that knows you were meant for more. Often your purpose is found through your pain (learned from my teacher @azitanahai). - My mom’s health is what got me into nutrition and holistic wellness and figuring out how to heal on all levels. It’s my why behind everything I do. Because there’s so much more to health that a ‘pill for every ill’ and it goes beyond just our physical body and appearances. - How do we connect – with others and ourselves? How do we create the environment to support our truth? How do we respect and honor our bodies? Our relationship with food? - I am so grateful to work with amazing clients to share what I have learned along the way. Yes I’m a dietitian, functional nutrition is my main tool in my toolbox, but it’s not THE only tool. Because authentic health is where we bridge what is happening in the body with what is also going on mentally, emotionally, spiritually. - How do we heal our relationship with food so we can heal our relationship with ourselves? How can we identify what is out of balance and manifesting as anxiety, digestive issues, hormonal imbalances in the body and also WHY it is also out of balance? How can we learn that it’s OKAY TO REST? To have the foods we love without guilt? - If you’re looking for guidance on these types of questions I offer a free consult to explore how I can help you on your health journey (link in bio) 🌻 #composednutrition
BALANCED MEALS + BLOOD SUGAR BALANCE (the foundation for our mood + hormones) 🌻 - What to eat doesn’t need to be complicated. A certain nutrient doesn’t need to be villainized or glorified – we can learn to release fear of carbs or fat or too much or too little protein when we know that we need all three and we feel best when meals + snacks have a balance of all three. ⚖️ - ✨Carbohydrates are our bodies preferred ENERGY source. Really carbs = energy. They break down into glucose that the body + brain uses for energy. - Protein + fat help keep blood sugar stable and make meals SATISFYING. - ✨Protein provides structure for our muscles, cells, enzymes, our main MOOD chemicals. Our main mood chemicals – what make us feel calm, balanced, stable – are built from amino acids, the building blocks of protein. If we don’t get enough, are constantly stressed (stress depletes our mood chemicals), then our mood can suffer – and the result: anxiety, mood swings, feeling depressed, irritability, difficultly managing emotions. - ✨Healthy fats help regulate our HORMONES. It’s needed to absorb fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K). Not enough fat = higher risk of hormone imbalances + less than optimal levels of these crucial vitamins. - So how do we know we’re getting what we need + keep our blood sugar balanced? 1️⃣eat a variety of different foods 2️⃣listen to your body’s hunger + fullness cues 3️⃣eat consistently to prevent blood sugar dips (~every 4-6 hours) 4️⃣include protein, carbs, + fat at each meal - Protein: eggs + peanut butter Carbs: apple + bread + greens Fat: almond butter + @fourthandheart ghee (on toast) Flavor: salsa verde + cilantro - What’s the most confusing thing you struggle with building balanced meals? ✨ #composednutrition
SEED CYCLING FOR HORMONE BALANCE (+ talking food rules vs nutrition guidance) 🌻✨ - Seed cycling is rotating 1 Tbsp of each pumpkin + flax during the first half of your cycle (menstrual + follicular – week of and after your period) and sesame + sunflower during the second half of your cycle (ovulation + luteal – mid cycle and week before your period) with the intention of supporting the hormone cycle 🌀 - Why it helps: ✨PUMPKIN: zinc + essential fats to help boost progesterone ✨FLAX: rich in lignans to help bind excess estrogen ✨SESAME: lignans to help bind excess estrogen (not as potent as flax) ✨SUNFLOWER: rich in selenium to support the liver + hormone regulation - The healthy fats in all of these seeds help to support healthy hormones, which means less cramps, bloating, moodiness, fatigue, and you can get your LIFE BACK in those days surrounding your period. 🙌🏼 - BUT that’s not to say this is another food rule – something we HAVE to do in order to support healthy cycles. It is one of the many things that you can tweak or experiment with to see if it works for you. - When we eat intuitively it means we are honoring our internal body cues (Am I hungry? What do I want right now? What sounds good?), rejecting the rules we put on ourselves, and when we combine this with a basic understanding of nutrition to support the body we can make peace with food. ☮️ - So in my practice that’s what I do – I provide you with functional nutrition knowledge that serves as a GUIDE for you to see what works for YOU (intuitive eating). No more food rules – these are what keep us stuck in all-or-nothing thinking, restrict + binge cycles, and feeling like if we’re not ‘on’ we’re ‘off’. So is it okay to have pumpkin seeds (a ‘first half’ seed) and sunflower seeds (a ‘second half’ seed) together? YES. - RECIPE ½ cup oats 1 scoop @vitalproteins collagen peptides 1 cup cashew milk (1/4 cup cashews blended with 1 cup water until smooth) 1 tsp cinnamon additional water as needed Heat in a small saucepan on medium heat. Add toppings: 1 Tbsp almond butter ½ cup raspberries 1 Tbsp pumpkin seeds 1 Tbsp sunflower seeds - Have you tried seed cycling? ✨ #composednutrition
GF STRAWBERRY BANANA PANCAKES (+ talking blood sugar & hormone balance) 🍓🍌 - Pretty much the first thing I always talk about with a new client is blood sugar balance. It sets the foundation for our day, mood, energy. Highs and lows in blood sugar directly relate to highs and lows in mood and energy and can even strain our relationship with food. If we go long periods of time without eating we’re more likely to unintentionally overeat. If we’re stressed on top of that, swings in blood sugar can add fuel to our cortisol fire. 🔥 - Cortisol is our stress hormone that when constantly activated can affect our blood sugar balance. Our body releases MORE sugar into the blood when stressed because think about it – our bodies cortisol response adapted to run away from a threat like a tiger, so sugar is released to fuel our muscles to run. It’s actually a very intelligent and protective response. 🏃🏻‍♀️ - BUT we’re not encountering the same type of stress today, but our bodies are still reacting the same way. And on top of that we’re keeping this response constantly activated so over time our blood sugar can get affected. And when our bodies are directing everything to cortisol (because we have to deal with the threat – real or perceived – before anything else) our other hormones (thyroid, estrogen, progesterone, etc) can take a back seat and can result in hormonal imbalances + symptoms – skin issues, cramping, mood swings, etc. - Remember two things for blood sugar balance: 1️⃣Eat consistently (every 4 to 6 hours) ✔️ 2️⃣Include protein, fat, + fiber with each meal ✔️ - RECIPE 🍓🍌 (approximate – I didn’t measure) 1 ripe banana (fiber) 1 egg (protein) 2 Tbsp ground flax (fat + fiber) ¾ cup @traderjoes gluten free flour 1 tsp baking powder 1 scoop @vitalproteins collagen (protein) ~1/2 cup almonds + coconut flakes (ground into flour) (protein + fat) ½ cup oats (fiber) ½ cup blended strawberries (fiber) 2 Tbsp coconut oil (fat) water until desired consistency use @fourthandheart ghee to grease and skillet on medium heat, use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to portion - What questions do you have about blood sugar balance + hormones? ⚖️✨ #composednutrition
GUT NOURISHING // HORMONE BALANCING GREEN SMOOTHIE 🌱🌿🥒 - ✨gut nourishing: Ginger has powerful anti-inflammatory properties, helps ease stomach discomfort, aids with heartburn, and helps to keep things moving along smoothly in the gut. That’s why if you’ve ever heard to have ginger tea if you have an upset stomach – it’s true, it helps to ease nausea! But in general it’s great for anyone to add for a gut nourishing boost. Blending veggies breaks down the fibers making them easier to digest – so if you have issues with raw try cooking or blending! - ✨hormone balancing: Ginger may also help to ease menstrual cramping / pains and may be just as effect as pain meds like ibuprofen (which is a win because NSAIDS – medications like ibuprofen taken regularly over time can affect the gut lining leading to digestive issues). - Sunflower seeds are great to incorporate during the second half of your cycle (ovulation + luteal – mid cycle + week before your period) to support healthy hormone balance. They are rich in selenium, a mineral that helps to support the liver + hormone regulation. - RECIPE •1 scoop @gardenoflife Vanilla Protein Powder •1/2 cup Pineapple (Frozen) •1 tbsp Ginger (Peeled) •1 cup Baby Spinach •1 Persian Cucumber •1 tbsp Sunflower Seeds •¼ Avocado •1 tbsp Lemon Juice •2 cups Water (Filtered) - What do you love to add to smoothies? 🌱 #composednutrition