Healthy Happy and Free

Have you seen the 10,000 calorie challenge on YouTube? The premise is this: eat 10,000 calories in one day. No throwing up, no liquid calories. That's about it. People often give different reasons for doing it and since some attack (when do people not attack in the YouTube comment section?), it seems to need to be justified. So why did I do it? 1. I had a guilty pleasure for a while of watching these challenges. I don't know why it's so fascinating. It could be because they are eating a lot of foods that I don't "allow" myself to eat. So I thought, why not try it? 2. I had a weird confidence that I could slay the challenge. 10,000 calories? I could eat that for breakfast, pft. 3. I wanted to prove to myself that I can challenge my food rules I set for myself, that I could enjoy "bad" foods and eat in a caloric surplus and it wouldn't hurt me. I wanted to prove that I wouldn't instantly become fat or physically unhealthy. I know these ...

I've seen plenty of recipes for energy balls or bites but I've never made any... Buzz Ballz! Until now. I don't know what compelled me to finally join the energy ball party, but it seemed like fun! These balls have chocolate, collagen, caffeine. Triple C threat. These balls do NOT have gluten, dairy, refined sugar, or nuts. Get ballin' my friends! Substitutions will be noted below. Just stir it together- so easy! Ingredients: 1/2 cup quick oats 1/4 cup chocolate tahini spread* 1 packet vimco wellness collagen coffee packet* 2 tbsp cacao honey Directions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Mix until thoroughly combined.  Form into balls, place on parchment/wax paper and refrigerate until you're ready to enjoy! *Substitutions: For the chocolate tahini spread, you may substitute any chocolate spread/nut/seed butter.  For the collagen coffee packet, you may substitute 1 tbsp collagen and approx. 1 tsp ground coffee if you...

A month is a long time to be away from home but I certainly made tons of great memories and met amazing people along the way. This trip certainly had it's challenges for me dealing with my eating disorder thoughts, living arrangements and household responsibilities, completely uprooting my routine, etc. etc. The blessings and memories far outweigh the challenges I had to overcome and I'm glad I did challenge myself. Challenge leads to growth. I spent the first three weeks in Portugal near the capital, Lisbon. I engaged in volunteer ministry work there. We did a ton of walking but I did run several times as well! The cobblestone streets were a new experience but I managed okay and it was fun to have a change of scenery. Running on Cobblestone! We took a few day trips into nearby cities and even did some hiking near palaces. The last week we spent in Spain. We spent a few days in Barcelona and a few days in a nearby coastal town. Again,we walked and walked and walked!...

Hello there! It feels like forever since I've sat down at the keyboard to do a blog post. In case you didn't know, I went to Europe for a month! More on that later. I thought I would do a post on what supplements I've been using lately which is a bit ironic since I fell off the supplement wagon a bit while I was away. I don't think supplements are necessary, hence the term: supplement. I do feel they can be used to fill in gaps you may have AKA to supplement your diet. First up: Collagen - it's so hot right now. Collagen is a protein found in connective tissues. In it's pure form, as a supplement, it can be easily absorbed. Some benefits of collagen include skin health, bone health, gut health, hair and nails, etc. I haven't taken it consistently enough to notice any real effects, however, I've heard many testify that it has made a difference in those aspects I mentioned. Biotin - I want long, luxurious hair! Biotin is a vitamin that helps wit...

All aboard the zoodle express! I'm back at it again with another zoodle meal, but how can I resist when they are so tasty and so simple especially when I use Cece's Veggie Noodles. So easy a caveman could do it. (Anyone remember those commercials? lol) Teriyaki is a a flavor that I just love on chicken, shrimp, beef, or zoodles! This meal is so simple and could probably even sway some veggie haters. Come to the zoodle side.  Teriyaki Zoodle Bowl  Serves 1-2 Ingredients: 1 package Cece's Veggie Noodle Co. zucchini noodles 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/2 tsp ginger 1 tsp minced garlic 6 oz precooked shrimp or chicken  1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper green onion or chives for garnish Directions: In a nonstick skillet on medium-high heat,  add precooked shrimp. Cook for 5-6 minutes.  In a small dish, combine soy sauce, ginger and garlic.  Add zucchini noodles and red bell pepper to the skillet.  Pour the soy sauce mixture over th...

Here we are again! Finding things on Friday! USPS Informed Delivery -  Sign up for this on USPS.com and you can see what mail is heading your way complete with a scanned image of the mailpiece! It also tells you when to expect packages! I think this is so neat! I have been getting way too much enjoyment from seeing what's coming in the mail! Sign up here:  https://informeddelivery.usps.com/box/pages/intro/start.action From lifewaykefir.com LifeWay Probiotic Elixir - If you haven't tried LifeWay Kefir yet, what are you waiting for? I seriously love the stuff and its high in protein, probiotics, has live active cultures that support healthy digestion. I'm not here to talk about the kefir though! LifeWay has released a new probiotic goodie! They call it elixir - perhaps because they're so good you'll think it's magical? They come in four flavors: tangerine, ginger, hibiscus, and elderberry. If you're looking for a probiotic beverage but kombucha just i...