How to Heal Your Gut | Top Kitchen Essentials!

You've likely heard "gut health" all over Instagram. It seems to be one of the hottest wellness trends of 2017. But there is great value in improving gut health. It may seem like a daunting task but it can be as simple as adding a few important essentials to your diet. I partnered with my friends at Vital Proteins to bring you top kitchen essentials to heal your gut! We all know that gut health is important, but many of us don’t realize just how much of an impact the foods we eat play a role in how we feel, think and behave. Before you plan your next shopping list, read more about the foods that can improve your life in more ways than one. Keep these items on hand to easily add them to your daily diet!

YOGURT

• Spoon your way to a better digestion with a cup of yogurt. 
• Yogurt contains probiotics, which are a powerhouse for digestive health. Priobiotics are live micro-organisms that promote health benefits when consumed and support the "good' bacteria in the gut (3).
• Look for yogurts that contain live cultures-an active bacteria that has been shown to help promote in overall gut health and aid in reducing digestive distress (12).

CAYENNE PEPPER

• Spice up your day with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper in your meals.
• Research has shown that cayenne pepper can assist in bringing necessary enzymes to the stomach which ultimately aid in metabolizing food (1).
• Also a great aid for relieving intestinal gas as it encourages peristaltic motion - the movement of muscles located in the digestive tract (2).

AVOCADO

• Avocados are not only a delicious addition to any meal, they are also a one-stop-shop for a wide array of vitamins and nutrients, and are full of potassium, fiber, magnesium, and monounsaturated fats (4). 
• Fiber is largely found in avocados with approximately 4.5 grams per half, which contributes to healthy digestion as a result of its ability to feed the ‘friendly’ bacteria and remove waste in a minimal amount of time (5). 

ROOIBOS TEA

• Gut healthy foods don’t necessarily have to be a food! 
• Steep a warm cup of sweet and flowery rooibos tea for it’s digestive health benefits. Even add in a scoop of Vital Proteins Bone Broth for an added digestive boost.
• Rooibos tea is rich in nutrients such as manganese, iron, zinc, and calcium to promote a healthy inflammatory response. Studies have shown that rooibos tea has the ability to promote improved digestion and abdominal comfort (6). 

QUINOA

• Quinoa is fiber-rich with a whopping 5 grams per cooked cup (8), mostly consisting of insoluble fibers which help to deliver friendly bacteria to the gut (7). 
• Rich in antioxidants–which flush out free radicals from the digestive tract (10)–and other minerals, quinoa boasts even more iron, fiber, and zinc over other common grains (9). 
• Magnesium is the star player in quinoa, where one cup can offer 30% of the recommended daily amount (9). 

VITAL PROTEINS BEEF GELATIN

• Gut healthy foods can be made even healthier with an all natural supplement. Maintain a digestive support with supplements such as Vital Proteins Beef Gelatin.
• Gelatin is most beneficial for improving the lining in the digestive tract and combating intestinal damage which ultimately prevents permeability (11). Gelatin is slower to digest, moves through the GI tract further and coats the small intestine.
• Beef Gelatin and Collagen Peptides' nutritional benefits vary only slightly. The main difference is how they're used. Gelatin works best while cooking, or with hot liquids, soups and broths. Both can be used cooking, but Beef Gelatin dissolves well in warm liquids, gummies, parfaits, hot teas, and more.

Do you incorporate any of the items above in your diet? What are your top kitchen essentials for maintaining a healthy gut?

xx

Mae

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that at no cost to you, I make a small commission. I ONLY recommend products that I actually use and love. I take collagen from Vital Proteins every single day!

Sources

(1) Maji, A. K., & Banerji, P. (2016). Phytochemistry and gastrointestinal benefits of the medicinal spice, Capsicum annuum L. (Chilli): a review. Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine,13(2). doi:10.1515/jcim-2015-0037 (2) “Spices Exotic Flavors & Medicines Chile Pepper.” History & Special Collections UCLA Louise M. Darling Biomedical Library, 2002. Accessed 27 Feb. 2017. (3) Guarner, F., Perdigon, G., Corthier, G., Salminen, S., Koletzko, B., & Morelli, L. (2005). Should yoghurt cultures be considered probiotic? British Journal of Nutrition,93(06), 783. doi:10.1079/bjn20051428 (4) Lu, Q., Zhang, Y., Wang, Y., Wang, D., Lee, R., Gao, K., . . . Heber, D. (2009). California Hass Avocado: Profiling of Carotenoids, Tocopherol, Fatty Acid, and Fat Content during Maturation and from Different Growing Areas. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry,57(21), 10408-10413. doi:10.1021/jf901839h (5) Naveh E., Werman M. J., Sabo E., Neeman I. Defatted avocado pulp reduces body weight and total hepatic fat but increases plasma cholesterol in male rats fed diets with cholesterol. Journal of Nutrition. 2002;132(7):2015–2018.(6) Gilani, A. H., Khan, A.-u., Ghayur, M. N., Ali, S. F. and Herzig, J. W. (2006), Antispasmodic Effects of Rooibos Tea (Aspalathus linearis) is Mediated Predominantly through K⁺-Channel Activation. Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology, 99: 365–373. doi:10.1111/j.1742-7843.2006.pto_507.x (7) Slavin, J. (2013). Fiber and Prebiotics: Mechanisms and Health Benefits. Nutrients,5(4), 1417-1435. doi:10.3390/nu5041417 (8) Repo-Carrasco-Valencia, R. A., & Serna, L. A. (2011). Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa, Willd.) as a source of dietary fiber and other functional components. Ciência e Tecnologia de Alimentos,31(1), 225-230. doi:10.1590/s0101-20612011000100035 (9) Nascimento, A. C., Mota, C., Coelho, I., Gueifão, S., Santos, M., Matos, A. S., . . . Castanheira, I. (2014). Characterisation of nutrient profile of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa), amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus), and purple corn (Zea mays L.) consumed in the North of Argentina: Proximates, minerals and trace elements. Food Chemistry,148, 420-426. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2013.09.155 (10) How to Help Digestion. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2017, from http://www.healthguidance.org/entry/14432/1/How-to...(11) Cardile, V. (2012). Gelatin tannate reduces the proinflammatory effects of lipopolysaccharide in human intestinal epithelial cells. Clinical and Experimental Gastroenterology, 61. doi:10.2147/ceg.s28792 (12) Guyonnet, D., Chassany, O., Ducrotte, P., Picard, C., Mouret, M., Mercier, C., & Matuchansky, C. (2007). Effect of a fermented milk containing Bifidobacterium animalis DN-173 010 on the health-related quality of life and symptoms in irritable bowel syndrome in adults in primary care: a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, controlled trial. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics,26(3), 475-486. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2036.2007.03362.x

B Well by Mae B Fall Wellness Retreat | Reebok LA

That's my name on the Reebok LA sign!!

My heart is so full after an amazing fitness and wellness event this weekend at Reebok LA.

I'm so grateful to the team at Reebok LA for allowing me to bring my vision of hosting a Wellness Retreat to life! 

When I first started on this path to wellness, it was definitely a more personal journey. But I have encountered so many wonderful people along the way and realized that I have the ability to share what I learn and to impact so many of you! So thank you for coming along for the ride!

For those of you who couldn't be there, let me walk you through the morning!

We started out with coffee from Alfred (the best coffee and the cutest shop in LA for sure! check out their new Beverly Hills location!) Then we moved out onto the gorgeous rooftop of Reebok LA with a guided meditation and intention-setting practice. My friend Ashley led us by explaining intentions, the New Moon, and helping us focus on what we'd like to manifest. I know it all sounds a bit woo-woo, but at its very core this is all about thinking positive thoughts, dreaming big, writing down goals and focusing on bringing them to fruition. We had DoTerra essential oils and rose quartz stones to use as well. 

Then Ashley led us through a light yoga session! It was so nice to stretch and release all that no longer served us. After finishing up yoga, we moved inside for turmeric lattes and fellowship!

I have to say a HUGE THANK YOU to all of the sponsors who contributed and helped make this event a smashing success. 

First of all, Reebok LA was so gracious in hosting us at their space in West Hollywood. Look at that studio! Danielle and the team there is incredible and oh so kind! (They have classes all the time - check them out!) And they were so generous in gifting me a super sleep workout outfit and the most chic (hello, black reptile) shoes. Thank you!

Also, some of my absolute favorite brands provided seriously amazing goodies for the fabulous gift bags:

Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides

Root & Bones Holistic Herbs + Adaptogens

Eating Evolved Coconut Butter Cups

Primally Pure Natural Skincare

Cloth & Paper Stationery

I Heart Keenwah

Perfect Bar

Inspired Oil Life Essential Oils

Siggi's Dairy

Model Meals

Nomva

Alfred Coffee

Goldyn Glow

I hope to be hosting even more Wellness Retreats all across the country in 2018!

But for now, I hope you'll join my digital Fall Wellness Retreat over on Facebook

It's completely free and I'm sharing tons of great information!

Thanks for all your support & coming along on this wellness journey with me

Here's to your continued health & prosperity!

xoxo

Health Food Haul | Lucky Vitamin Review + Discount Code

I am always searching for fast, easy and affordable ways to purchase health food and healthy lifestyle tools online. While I love going into a store and browsing the aisles, let's be honest who really has time to do that anymore!? To that end, I'm so excited to announce that I'm an ambassador with Lucky Vitamin. Browsing their website was better than browsing the aisles of a health food store, because I got to do it in my yoga pants on the couch! ;) Here's a look at the products I purchased and how I intend to use them:

Blood Typing Kit: I've been reading about The Blood Type Diet (www.4yourtype.com) so I wanted to experiment with eating foods that are more compatible with my blood type. Then I realized I have no idea what my blood type is. Let's see if I have the courage to actually poke my finger and get the blood out! (OMG)

Bach Flowers: I'll talk more about Bach Flower remedies in another blog post but basically I'm going to begin incorporating these for my own personal health. This is another form of energy medicine similar to homeopathy.

Lily's Dark Chocolate with Almonds: I LOVE Lily's chocolate because it's the only one I've found that is sweetened with STEVIA! Can I get an Amen and Hallelujah. I've been working really hard to reduce (and hopefully eventually eliminate) sugar from my diet. This is a great choice for when I just NEED CHOCOLATE :)

Artisana Coconut Butter: Alright not gonna lie, I ordered this to make my own chocolate coconut butter cups. My local Whole Foods has been out of Eating Evolved coconut butter cups for an eternity. And a girl needs her coconut butter cups! We'll see how this goes....

Garden of Life Raw Probiotics for Women: I have heard so many great things about these raw probiotics so I'm super excited to try. As a general rule, I take a probiotic supplement every day and from what I have read - the best probiotics are the ones that need to be refrigerated.

George's 100% Aloe Vera Juice: I think some people drink this but my plan is to use this on my face as a toner! So excited to try more non-toxic beauty.

Safe Catch Wild Tuna: Again, I've heard that this is the best tuna around because it has the lowest mercury of any brand. So Safe Catch says that it's good for athletes, kids and pregnant women. I don't generally eat tuna, but every once in a while I crave a good ol' tuna salad sandwich.

Hydrion pH testing strips: I am also learning about pH and how the acidity / alkalinity of our body determines our general health and well-being. So these strips are used to test saliva and urine. Let me know if you want to hear more about this!

I love that Lucky Vitamin also includes a newsletter with Top Trends in health. I actually want to read it! They mentioned 7 but I'll share a few of my favorites top trends this summer, as stated directly in their newsletter:

"The Keogenic Diet: Simliar to the Atkins diet -- though much more strict -- the Ketogenic diet is a high-fat, moderate protein and low-carbohydrate diet. The diet was first designed in 1924 by Dr. Russell Wilder and it's commonly used as a treatment for children or individuals with epilepsy. New research has shown that on top of weight loss, following a ketogenic diet may also help decrease total cholesterol, increase HDL (the "good") and lower LDL (the "bad") Even professional athletes and endurance athletes are catching on to this popular diet. The diet works by forcing the body into a state of ketosis. Ketosis is the result of ketones building up in the blood stream when people eat a low or no carbohydrate diet. There are specific calculations that go into figuring out the right percentage of fat to protein to carbohydrate ratio."

"Micellar Water: Besides being one of the most recent trends in the skin-care industry, micellar water is made up of tiny molecules called micelles suspended in soft water. The micelles act like a magnet for fatty molecules (oils), dirt and makeup so it helps to cleanse your face without drying out your skin. Tend to be great for people with dry and sensitive skin types since they are gentle and hydrating"

I am so excited to try these products! Hope you enjoyed this health food haul - I'll do specific posts talking about various products more in-depth. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.

And now the best part! 

Use code MAE10 for 10% off your first Lucky Vitamin order!

What's on your healthy shopping list?

xo

Please note: I am required to tell you that this information has not been evaluated or approved by the FDA and is not necessarily based on scientific evidence from any source. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products are intended to support general wellbeing and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure any condition or disease. Please seek advice from your medical doctor.

I did not receive any compensation for this post, however Lucky Vitamin did provide me a voucher to purchase these products. Thanks for your support of my blog! xo

Whole 30: Week 5 | Continuing After 30 Days with Model Meals Prepared Food

I had mentioned last week that I might continue for another week of Whole 30 just because I hadn't been as strict as I wanted and also because I had a fresh delivery from Model Meals! You guys. This was a game changer. First of all, Model Meals served ONLY Whole 30 compliant meals. That means whatever I ordered off their menu was going to be a perfect fit for this way of eating. It was a no brainer. After weeks of visitors, it was so nice to just have the meals delivered and not even have to think about how to make it Whole 30 compliant. All the hard work was done for me. The team at Model Meals allowed me to order whatever I wanted from their menu (which changes weekly so you never get bored) My mom was visiting me from last week so I ordered doubles of most meals so that we could share. 

I got zoodles (zucchini noodles) with beef meatballs, deconstructed chicken pot pie, breakfast hash with eggs and sweet potatoes, and bacon asparagus frittata! I also ordered a steak salad that was so fresh and colorful - it was almost too pretty to eat! (Speaking of too pretty to eat -- look at the edible flowers included with the frittata below!) My mom and I still went out to eat so we didn't finish all the meals so I just froze them. So perfect and easy.

Check out the ingredients in that bacon asparagus frittata. So clean! And I love that Model Meals listed on their label that it does NOT include grains or dairy, refined or added sugars, legumes or soy, alcohol, GMOs or harmful additives and preservatives. It's just so, so perfect. 

If you're in the Los Angeles area, I highly recommend ordering from Model Meals. (Check out their Instagram stories for behind the scenes of their kitchen - love that!)

Ordering was super easy and convenient - I just checked their website for the weekly menu, picked what I wanted, added to my cart and it was at my door Sunday night around 7pm.

I would suggest that you order early in the week though because the first time I tried to order on Friday (for Sunday delivery) and almost everything was sold out! 

Ohhhh, I forgot to mention - I also got Monkey Bites. Chewy delicious little balls of dates and bananas, coconut and nuts. The perfect treat to eat while being on Whole 30! I seriously couldn't be happier with Model Meals and will definitely order again! (I can't believe I didn't take a picture, but honestly they were done and dusted approximately 30 seconds after I received them....)

Thankfully Model Meals took care of most of our meals during the week so sticking to Whole 30 was a breeze. It's amazing what a difference it makes when you don't have to even think about what to eat. But my mom and I did go out to eat and again that takes preparation and willpower and all the things that got stronger during the past month I was doing Whole 30.

We went to Orange County to visit family and went out to a Mexican restaurant right on the water (so beautiful!) I ordered fajitas so that was easy -- just ate the meat, grilled veggies and salsa with no tortilla. But true confession time, I did have a few tortilla chips with guacamole. Oh man it was delicious!

And then we rode the ferry from Newport Beach to Balboa Island. So Cute. I couldn't get over that little seaside town! And Balboa island is known for their frozen banana treats so of course I ate one of those #sorrynotsorry

To recap, my experience with Whole 30 was amazing. I did a little Q&A on last week's Week 4 post so check that out if you have more questions about Whole 30. In general, I think this way of eating makes the most sense for me so I plan to continue a modified version!

If you have more questions about my experience, feel free to leave them below or DM me on Instagram and I'll do my best to answer them.

You can read about my entire month + on Whole 30 by checking out the series here.

Thanks for following along!!

Have you done Whole 30? Tell me about your experience!

Whole 30: Week 4 | How To Survive, Will I Continue, Weight Loss & More!

Last week was my final week of Whole 30! I made it! It's no secret that the past few weeks were up and down for me. Again, that was because of the myriad of social commitments and visitors that I had. (Check out my full recap of my entire month of Whole 30 here.)

During week 4 I felt a little more at ease because I didn't have any visitors so I was able to catch up and meal prep. Meal prep is an absolute life saver. I could tell my body was craving simpler foods after a fun (but high-intensity) week of entertaining my cousin. So most nights of the week, I stayed in and cooked at home. I had lots of veggies (all organic! brussel sprouts, cauliflower & green beans) from my Milk & Eggs order. (Use code maebad for $15 off your order of $30 or more!) So I sautéed lots of different veggies in ghee and made chicken as well.

One night I was really craving breakfast for dinner (which doesn't happen that often) so I took full advantage and made 7 minute eggs (soooooo good! the perfect jam consistency) I used Vital Farms eggs (the only kind I buy! also from Milk & Eggs) I also fried up some nitrate-free bacon (omg, another amazing find from.... you guessed it: Milk & Eggs) then I sautéed brussel sprouts in the leftover bacon fat!! See photo above. #gamechanger 

Like I said, I took it pretty easy throughout last week so I was able to rest and catch up on sleep. I was supposed to have a delivery from Model Meals this week but by the time I got around to ordering, everything was sold out. So the team at Model Meals let me switch to the following week. So while my Whole 30 journey has officially come to an end, I'm going to continue this way of eating for another week because my Model Meals order came this past Sunday and it's an entire week's worth of meals that are Whole 30 and paleo compliant! I'm so excited to have food ready to go in the fridge! I'll share a full review of Model Meals next week!

So what's next? What happens after you complete Whole 30 and you change your eating habits for an entire month? Do I feel different? Did I loose weight? Will I continue? These are all questions that I've been getting through DM on Instagram. 

Does Whole 30 Really Work?

Let me address a few basic things. First of all, what does that mean: "does it work?" Work how? It's going to be different for everyone. Some might want to loose weight. Others might want to clear up their skin. For me, it's not a matter of does it "work" because that's so hard to measure. It's not a fad diet, it's a lifestyle change. I definitely felt very different! I could tell on the days that I wasn't 100% compliant or didn't thoroughly check ingredients, I could feel it. I was a lot more tired and puffy. Overall I would say eating a Whole 30 diet made me feel a lot better. I had more energy! As far as weight loss, I don't know. When I started my health and wellness journey last year, I decided this wasn't going to be about weight. This is about my health and wellness. Period. So while I do think I've gotten leaner from following Whole 30, I don't know about exact numbers.

The Next Steps?

As far as continuing with the Whole 30 lifestyle, my answer is yes. Kinda. As I've said throughout this entire month, it's hard to eat this way when you have a full social calendar. It takes a lot more planning and discipline. But as I've researched tons of different ways of eating and thought about how they all affect me and my body - I think this makes the most sense. Added sugar is bad. I truly believe that. I've seen people on Instagram claim that it's not, but from everything I have read - it's a deadly substance. So Whole 30 says you must cut it out. That's so logical. Grains and gluten are bad. I believe that too. So Whole 30 says you must cut it out as well. When you think about Whole 30 from a very logical standpoint, everything makes perfect sense. So why not continue? I understand the reasoning behind not having "treats" or desserts but I do still plan to have them occasionally. Again, with the cleanest ingredients possible. All of this to stay, I believe in this way of eating and lifestyle. 

What Am I Adding Back Into My Diet?

I plan to continue Whole 30 as closely as my social life will allow. But that doesn't mean I'm going to go out and eat chocolate cake and pasta everyday. That just means I'll allow myself a little more flexibility. And cheese. I'm definitely going to eat cheese again. Dairy doesn't affect me very badly. I know it causes inflammation, but I do not drink milk or creamer (I use DIY cashew / almond milk in my coffee) and I do love cheese so I plan to add it back into my routine in moderation. The other thing I might add back in is legumes. I don't eat a ton of them but I do occasionally have lentils for breakfast. I need to research more on legumes and the effect they have on the body so stay tuned. I may change my mind!

I hope this entire Whole 30 series was helpful for you all! A lot of it was my rambling thoughts and random notes throughout the week but I wanted to share it all so that you could get an honest perspective on this Whole 30 lifestyle. Overall, I think it's great and I will be incorporating aspects of it from now on. 

I would love to hear from you. 

Have you done Whole 30? What did you learn? 

Please share in the comments below and catch up with my entire Whole 30 experience here.

Whole 30: Week 3 | The Hardest Week Yet + Finding Balance

I wish I had a better report for you, but Week 3 was H A R D. 

People often ask me: Is Whole 30 hard? My answer is sometimes yes, sometimes no. Whole 30 is not hard because it's some crazy and unrealistic diet, in fact in relation to other lifestyles it's quite the contrary. I think it's a rather reasonable way of life. Well, I should say, I think it's reasonable most of the time. If you read my recap post of Week 2, you may think that I was singing a different tune. And honestly, I was. I had so many social activities that I wasn't sure how sustainable this would be. But then this past week I was researching a keto lifestyle / diet and let me tell you -- THAT is strict. (Not going to stop me from doing it though....) So anyway, all this to say, in comparison to other "diets" - Whole 30 is easy. You can have fruits and alllll the vegetables. (I'll do a keto prep post soon, but basically no fruits! and no sweet potatoes!)

So what keeps making Whole 30 so dang hard for me is external factors like guests visiting and events. This past week my cousin was here visiting me and we had the best time! I loved having here, she's like my little sister but it's hard to entertain and also stick to Whole 30. I didn't go completely crazy, but honestly I didn't pay strict attention to making sure everything was 100% compliant.

We did a lot of touristy things and the coffee shops were the easiest to navigate while on Whole 30. I either got cold brew coffee and added my own homemade almond milk or I just got an iced tea like these from Intelligentsia in Silverlake. So good.

Our meals were of course a little trickier.

One night we had Thai food. I had yellow curry, which thankfully did not come with rice. And it was made with coconut milk so I think I'm all clear there. We did go to sushi one night and I got a California roll. I took off as much of the rice as I could but there were a few pieces of rice still stuck on it. You know what, I ate it anyway. We also had Persian food which was easy -- I just got grilled beef kabob with no rice. So that was fine. And one night we had burgers at Shake Shack and again easy -- because I had it wrapped in lettuce instead of bun. But I ate fries! I mean they're potatoes. I get it that fries are against the philosophy of Whole 30 but I consciously broke the philosophy.

I think that's the thing with lifestyles and diets. I understand that it helps tremendously to change your mindset as well. But part of that healthy mindset is balance. And I believe it's also about making conscious decisions about what you're putting in your body and how it's affecting you.

So anyway, I'm not going to call Week 3 a total bust, but just a mediocre week.

I'm so excited because for my final week of Whole 30 (I might actually extend one more week to make up for Week 3, but we'll see...) I'm partnering with Model Meals to have a bunch of prepared meals delivered to me! Ready to eat! Whole 30 approved! I CANNOT WAIT.

Read about my entire Whole 30 Journey!

GIVEAWAY | Belcorva Leggings! The Best Workout Clothes Ever!

I mean have you seen cuter leggings?! Black and white stripes, comfortable support, and a company with an amazing mission -- it does not get any better.

I'm so happy to team up with Belcorva Clothing to give away a pair of workout leggings to one lucky winner! Your choice! Plus their leggings have POCKETS!! Are you kidding me! Now you don't have to figure out where to put your iPhone when you're lifting weights at the gym.

I have loved getting to know Lindsey, the owner of Belcorva. She shared with me that Mae is a very common name in her family - how fun is that! Also, I encourage you to check out their Instagram and read Lindsey's story. She lost her younger brother and is honoring him through her company. (I also lost my younger brother so we bonded over that as well.) I'm so lucky to be able to connect and support other female entrepreneurs through my social media channels. So special. 

Save 10% on your Belcorva purchase by using code MAEBAD

I hope that you'll support Belcorva! Their leggings are so cute and *affordable*! 

(Plus you get 10% off with MAEBAD)

You can enter to win the giveaway below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Whole 30: Week 2 | No Desserts! Parties & Events, What I Ate + My Experience

Well....Week 2 was hard! Not because of the Whole 30 program necessarily but because of several external factors. First of all, I had a lot of lunch meetings! And a lot of events that revolved around food! It was tough to resist temptation.  (If you haven't yet caught up with my journey and how to prepare for Whole 30, start with the recap of Week 1 here)

The beginning of week 2 started out with an easy breezy lunch meeting. I got a spinach salad with strawberries, pine nuts and salmon. I verified that the balsamic glaze didn't have added sugar and I was good to go! So delicious.

I had been craving sugar though. Well, just dessert in general. I was starting to feel a little sick from all the meat and veggies. You know how you just feel heavy after a meal? I felt like I wanted something to cut the taste. So I decided to sauté an organic apple in Fourth & Heart Vanilla ghee, added some almonds and golden raisins and topped with Barney Butter sugar free almond butter. It was PERFECT. Exactly what I was craving and just hit the spot. I had that for dinner one night early in the week. Well sure enough, I got a ton of messages from you guys that it's not technically Whole 30 compliant. I just couldn't understand why all the ingredients individually were Whole 30 compliant but mixed together they were not. So I reached out to Whole 30 on Instagram. This is the answer they gave me! 

So basically, Whole 30 does not permit desserts or treats because it is feeding old habits and perpetuating the problem of us being reliant on sugar. Makes total sense. I still loved eating that apple though ;)

I had lunch with my good friend Britney from FittyBritttty on Instagram (if you're not following her, you are missing out! She is such an inspiration -- she lost 80 lbs! And is just a ray of sunshine!) We walked to Whole Foods and made salads from the salad bar. That is the *perfect* solution for Whole 30. Then we walked to a park and ate in the beautiful LA weather! Woohoo! Here's my salad, it doesn't look that great but it was amazing: spinach, romaine, broccoli, tomatoes, roasted potatoes, tuna, chicken, artichokes, peas and balsamic dressing.

I stopped by the Whole Foods salad bar a few more times throughout the week. It's just so easy and convenient. It's not the most affordable to eat there every day, I realize that. 

As a side note, one of the most common questions I get is how to eat healthy on a budget. I get it, organic, healthy food can be expensive (not to mention all the potions, etc -- that adds so much more!) Check out my YouTube video for all my very best tips on how to eat clean affordably -- it definitely is possible!

If you can't make it to Whole Foods, try Sprouts -- they also have a great salad bar and it may be a little cheaper! I loved this meal that I put together from the Whole Foods salad bar:

Once again roasted potatoes and chicken. Plus mushrooms and salad with shredded rainbow carrots, watermelon radish and spring mix dressed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. I also picked up a GT's kombucha. It is the only kombucha I've found that is Whole 30 compliant because it doesn't have added sugar. The only sugars come from the fruit juice they add. So I think it's ok. I can't give up my booch!

So the end of the week is when things got tricky! I attended a gala party with the City of Beverly Hills and was faced with so many delicious food options. It was tempting but I was able to stay away from carbs, gluten, sugar and dairy! Just ate lots of chicken! ;)

I was invited to attend The Eat Show in DTLA as an influencer. I was SURROUNDED by so much good food! But I did a pretty good job of weeding out the things that were not compliant. I'm amazed I made it out with my Whole 30 intact! Haha :)

Then my cousin came to visit and once again we were hitting the town and eating out! I had a smoothie for breakfast at home so that was easy. At coffee shops, I once again brought my own cashew milk. We also went to the Farmers Market for the most delicious, fresh food. I posted this photo on Instagram but I wanted to share here as well. 

So on Mothers Day, we were strolling the Farmers Market and we came across Cumin Restaurant at the Farmers Market and John, the owner, was the kindest man!

He runs a cash-only operation and of course I only had a credit card, so he let me just take the food and told us to come back some other time to pay him. How sweet is that?! I feel like people never do that anymore. It was so fitting that that happened on Mother's Day. My mom is the nicest, sweetest gem of a human being. She spreads so much love and happiness wherever she goes in this world and treats everyone with so much kindness. I feel like I am just reaping the benefits of her goodness! We had such a great day, eating the most deliciously seasoned chicken and potatoes and spending time on the beach in Santa Monica. It was so special to spend time with my cousin, who is like my little sister, while our moms were together (in another state) and celebrating us being together and happy :)

I finished up the weekend just grateful I survived all those events and curveballs that were thrown my way. I love Whole 30, but I just don't know how to do it when you have a normal social calendar or even just work. So far, it seems like you have to completely hide out! But, I'm excited for Week 3! And even more excited about Week 4 because I'll be working with a special company I can't wait to tell you all about soon! 

Have you done Whole 30? What was your experience? Any tips you can share?

I'd love to hear all about it, please leave me a comment here or connect with me on Instagram @maebad

XOXOXO

Just in case you missed it, here's the recap of Week 1 on Whole 30 plus how to prepare, cheat sheets and more! 

Read about my entire Whole 30 Journey!

And here's my YouTube video on how to eat healthy & affordably on budget: 

Whole 30: Week 1 | How To Prepare, Cheat Sheets, What I Ate + My Experience

What a week! Earlier this year, I decided to try Whole 30 but honestly, I wasn't taking it too seriously. I thought that the Whole 30 philosophy was how I was eating anyway. But I quickly learned that was not the case. Whole 30 requires a shift in mindset. So I decided that Monday May 1 was going to be the perfect day to start the program and be strict about it!

Here's a look at my first week of doing Whole 30 -- May 1-7, 2017 -- how I prepared, what I ate, what I learned and more!

HOW TO PREPARE

My friend Bari lent me a copy of Melissa Hartig's book, It Starts With Food. That lays out the entire Whole 30 program and lifestyle. And it is just that - a lifestyle.

I also started following Melissa on Instagram as well as the official Whole 30 account and Whole 30 recipes. Several of my favorite Instagrammers share Whole 30 recipes already as well. Search the hashtags #Whole30 #Whole30Approved and #Whole30Recipes for more. I have also started sharing my Whole 30 food journey, recipes and meal ideas over on Instagram. Follow along @maebad over there!

I also checked out Pinterest for so many amazing recipes! And Whole 30 Cheat Sheets!

There's a lot of the Whole 30 philosophy. And while it can't be reduced into just few simple lists, I still found these very helpful for a quick and handy guide. The basics that I was the most concerned about: NO SUGAR, NO DAIRY, NO GRAINS, NO LEGUMES.

Changes I Made

I realized that there is SUGAR in EVERYTHING! No more maple syrup which I love. I had a big jug of it so I hid it away so I wouldn't be tempted when I saw it. I made a shopping list and hit up Whole Foods, Sprouts and Trader Joes. I made my own nut milks (almond and cashew). I cut out all condiments and salad dressings. I switched out my Vital Proteins Collagen Whey (because of the milk proteins) to regular Collagen Peptides.

WHAT I ATE

During the week, my meals pretty much looked like this. I did a lot of meal prep on Sunday. I made the perfect 7 minute soft-boiled eggs. Seriously the yolk tasted like jam! So delish. I also roasted a lot of veggies, steamed broccoli and sautéed salmon with turmeric, Trader Joe's Everything But The Bagel seasoning and lime. I packed my lunch every day!

EATING OUT

I wanted to make sure that I was living my super fun life and not sitting at home all the time because I was afraid to eat out. At the end of Week 1, I went to TWO brunches with my friends over the weekend. It was super easy to stick to Whole 30 while eating out! I just had to be prepared. Duh. I checked the menu of the restaurant before I went to see what I could eat. And I knew what my substitutions were going to be if I had to ask for them and I was prepared to pay the difference. Now, I did have to bring my own DIY Cashew Milk. No problem though I just reused an old Kreation glass shot jar with a lid and stuck it in my purse. None of the restaurants minded at all! My DIY Cashew Milk was made with dates (which are allowed! Phew!) so it was a little sweet. But I did not add any other sweeteners to my coffees.

Saturday Brunch
I went to brunch at Blu Jam Cafe in Sherman Oaks. If you've never been you must go next time you're in The Valley. I ordered The Breakfast Burger, subbed the bun for lettuce and got all the sauces on the side. It came with roasted potatoes (which I'm still surprised are ok to eat but yay!) There was also an egg on the burger which made it even better! A quick note about the food quality. I shared this on Instagram but it bears repeating. I have been trying my absolute hardest to eat the absolute best quality food I can -- which means organic vegetables and fruits and grassfed meats. Now, I am also trying to maintain balance. So I have no idea if that burger meat was grassfed. I don't know if the eggs were from pasture raised chickens (I wish they were from Vital Farms - my favorite company!) But you know what, I still ate it. And it was delicious. So balance my friends. Balance.

Follow me on Instagram for more!

Sunday Brunch
I went to brunch at The Butcher's Daughter in Venice. Oh I was in love with that place! The decor was fabulous -- a little bit vintage and whole lotta flowers. I ordered the cauliflower grits. Goodness they were delicious. The base was cauliflower and topped with an egg, sautéed mushrooms, and micro greens. It was supposed to come with adzuki bacon. I didn't know what adzuki was so I asked the waitress and she brought the allergy list for me to check out. That's another super helpful tip - ask your waitress for the allergy information - it lists all the ingredients so you can see if it's compliant or not! Turns out adzuki is made from black beans so I couldn't have it because there's no legumes on Whole 30. So I asked if I could sub for potatoes and she said yes! The perfect delicious meal.

My First Week Experience

I definitely missed the sugar!! I thought that just because I already wasn't eating any added / processed sugar, I would be fine. Boy was I wrong! I was used to make banana bread with maple syrup or adding dark chocolate chips to my oatmeal. Um, no more of that! And I could feel it. But, I was able to push through. I did also have some fruits like banana in my morning smoothie that helped. Overall, I am so happy to be doing Whole 30. I feel like it's a necessary way of life. I miss the quinoa and cheese but I'm good!! Stay tuned for Week 2!

Read about my entire Whole 30 Journey!

On Defending Ourselves... (and weekend fun!)

What a weekend! 🌞 I kicked it off Wanderlust 108 at Santa Monica Pier​.  t was a wellness festival full of cool people, my favorite brands like Rx Bar and Healthade, and lost of activities like yoga and a 5k. The weather in LA was perfect, albeit a bit hot in the sun. So fun to have custom flower crowns made and frolic around the beach surrounded by like minded people. I was lucky enough to get tickets from Rx Bar!

On Sunday, Milk and Eggs - Farm & Food Delivery​ threw a PAR-TAY The Container Yard​! Lots of local food, music and fun. It was the best! Local chefs were creating dishes on the spot using locally-sourced ingredients. More of my favorite brands again like Healthade were there too. There was a Photo Booth and an Urban Farm Container - the future of farming! Seriously, I haven't been to an event that amazing in a long time. It was in the Arts District of LA so that alone made so cool. And of course, Milk and Eggs spoiled us with an amazing gift bag full of goodies.

Then last night I had a mini epiphany. I was with friends & the conversation turned to....basically my lifestyle. How I make my own almond milk now (💁🏻) & adaptogens & all the other things I'm doing. I found myself subconsciously defending my choices. I was saying things like "I know y'all think I'm crazy, but..." As I was reflecting, I realized that's ridiculous. Even though it was a subtle little phrase, it's not necessary. I don't have to defend anything. Even to my friends. I feel amazing & I'm happy. So I encourage you to make sure you're speaking positively about yourself - in all scenarios whether big or small! Happy May, friends!