Healthy Happy and Free

Anorexia. Say that word and a hush may fall over the people around you. It definitely has a stigma attached to it. I was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa several years back. I like food. I eat food. I always ate food. So what really is anorexia? Anorexia " is an eating disorder characterized by an abnormally low body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of weight. People with anorexia place a high value on controlling their weight and shape, using extreme efforts that tend to significantly interfere with their lives." - mayoclinic.org There are a lot of generalizations but every person is different. My eating disorder began as an obsession with clean eating, which is often termed "Orthorexia". Orthorexia, however, is not currently recognized as a diagnosable disorder. Therefore, I was diagnosed with Anorexia and I am not ashamed. I have heard of girls who were upset with the diagnosis which I think just goes to show

Zero sugar claims are sweeping the nation!  So often I see food and drink containers that flaunt 0g sugar, No Sugar Added, Zero Sugar, No Refined Sugar or something of the like.  So what are all these products using that make them taste so sweet? Well, sweeteners! There's a laundry list of options that a company could use so you should be in the know about which one is right for you.  I am by NO means the expert on this topic and I encourage you to do further research if this is something that concerns you but I thought I would shed a little light on the subject from my personal knowledge and research.  Artificial Sweeteners Sucralose - very commonly found in drinks, packaged foods, protein powder, etc.  Aspartame - most commonly I have seen it is in diet soda, there have been many claims of negative health effects, yet it is marked safe by FDA and other food regulating agencies Ace-K  Saccahrin and more! Natural Sweeteners Stevia/Reb A - one of the m

Another Friday, another round of Finds - this time featuring quite a bit of chocolate so we'll roll with it! Hu Chocolate Hunk - I have tried and loved Hu Kitchen chocolate bars and when they came out with Hu Hunks, I was dying to try them. They are chocolate candies without the shiny glaze - just pure unadulterated chocolate. They did not disappoint. I love Hu Chocolate and I think these were executed perfectly. They are also vegan and paleo friendly! Check them out here:  hukitchen.com Tru-Chocolate- Tru-Chocolate makes different chocolate candies that are Non-GMO, vegan and kosher. Their chocolates are sweetened naturally with xylitol and have a good ingredient list! They offer chocolate covered raisins, almonds, and solid dark chocolate bites. Check them out here:  tru-chocolate.com ChocZero Peppermint Bark - I have already tried and loved ChocZero bark and chocolate squares which are sugar free, sweetened with monk fruit (in fact I have a discount code: healthyhappyandfr

Cocotopia: (n); utopic chocolate world at your fingertips Love the Packaging! This is what Cocotopia claims to have created. It sounds simple, delightful while also a big ambiguous. What, pray tell, does a utopic chocolate world involve? Well in this case, it involves chocolate truffles. Chocolate truffles that have the rich decadence that we know and love from these cocoa confections but with 45% fewer calories than a standard chocolate truffle. These chocolate truffles clock in at 40 calories a pop and just 3g sugar. However, the ingredient list does contain a few additives such as soy lecithin and PGPR so chocolate purists/paleo/clean eaters may shy away from these. The important thing to know is How do they taste? I'm happy to say the claims are true. It's smooth with a good chocolate flavor. It's not a very dark chocolate but I wouldn't call it milk chocolate either. It had a good texture with a harder chocolate shell and smooth, creamy interior. I

Ever get tired of social media? Ever feel exhausted at seeing the photoshopped pictures, the perfect lives, and the same caption over and over again? I know I sometimes feel that way. Admittedly, I probably spend too much time on social media. Reducing my time on there would definitely help me not get so irritated with this. However, I don't think Instagram is all bad! I think many people use it as a platform for good! You can connect with old friends and new. You can learn from others experiences, benefit from their positivity, or identify with their struggles. So I thought I'd share a few accounts I've been enjoying recently. @kimhoeltje  Kim shares tons of fun foods and recipes, but more than that she always keeps it real. She is a kind and caring mother and I love following her! She also takes great photos! I also enjoy her YouTube videos! I encourage you to check out her pages! @lilsipper  If you don't know Bethany, where you been? Bethany aka lilsipper,

New Year New You? I don't know but I do know these are a few finds that have been helping me reach my goals for this year! Five Minute Journal - Can you change your life with just five minutes a day? Sure! This nifty little journal prompts you to show gratitude, reflect on how the day can be great and how it could've been better, etc. It also features positive quotes at the beginning of each day and encourages you to commit to using it consistently. It has been a great help for me dealing with anxiety and really thinking about how I live each day. I definitely recommend this journal! You can find it here:  https://www.intelligentchange.com/ Sunday Scaries Gummies - Have you been hearing about CBD? Um, who hasn't?? CBD is a non-psychoactive substance derived from hemp oil that is shown to have many benefits including digestion, anxiety relief, pain relief, etc. Sunday Scaries harnesses the power of CBD in fun gummy form. I just recently got a small bottle and I'