Homemade Whole 30 Mayo

Super easy, delicious and heart healthy.

I had the idea to post this recipe because my Mom keeps asking me for it. She has tried other mayo recipes but they are way more complicated and take much longer. I just send her a video of me making this and she said, I quote "WOW!!!!! THAT'S AWESOME & EASIER THAN I DID IT!!! THANKS!!!!"  Haha! So let that speak for itself... You're welcome. 

This Mayonnaise is dairy free, sugar free, preservative free and half the calories of store bought mayo. This recipe is very basic of Whole 30 recipes but it simple and tastes similar (better in my opinion) to the real deal. Just add all ingredients to a jar or container that is not too wide, you want it to be pretty close to the immersion blender so the mayo can't spread out. Note: if you don't have an immersion blender you can use a food processor or blender but you will get the best results with an immersion blender. I love mine and I use it all the time! Mine is a Kitchenaid but I know you can pick up a decent one at Walmart for $15.  Also make sure your blender is positioned over the yolk of the egg. Yes, there is a raw egg but the citric acid of the lemon juice "cooks" the egg so you will be fine. I have made it dozens of times and never gotten sick nor do I know anyone who has and that is a lot of people! 

- 1 egg

-1 1/4 cup avocado oil

-1/2 tsp dry mustard or squirt of regular mustard

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 1 Tbs lemon juice 

Add all ingredients to a jar and start immersion blender at bottom and slowly rise up in a small circular motion until mixed together and thickened, about 30-60 seconds. Enjoy!

Note: you can add things such as garlic or cilantro for different flavors! 

  

Healthy CAN be delicious!

I made these amazing bell pepper rings and fiesta sauce for a big Memorial Day BBQ today. They were a huge hit, people were swooning over these and fighting for the leftovers to take to work tomorrow!! Everyone keeps telling me to go back and make more. You would have no idea these are totally clean and healthy! The best part is that they are totally healthy and Whole 30 approved.  I got the recipe from a Whole 30 friend of mine, Lauren Wheeler. She has AMAZING recipes on her blog lick-your-plate.com, I recommend you check it out. The seasonings I used from Tiny Little Chef are my FAVORITE ever! I use them in everything! You can get them at tlcseasonings.com and I highly highly recommend them!! They are incredible, gluten free, MSG free, sugar free handcrafted, organic and free of any preservatives. Needless to say they are Whole 30 approved and that's the way I like it! Also because I have order from her so much she is offering my family and friends 20% off + free shipping to those who use coupon code "NATALIE" at checkout.

AND SERIOUSLY, go make these bell pepper rings because you definitely need them in your life!

I'm Baaaaaack!

Can I even tell you how much I hate writing? That's the reason I stopped doing this blog in the first place. I actually love writing but I also hate it. So much. I know that makes no sense but maybe someone else who loved English but hated homework would understand....

Anyway, I just saw my blog link at the bottom of my Instagram page and thought, "Oh yeah! That totally happened!" Haha. This blog was kind of a random phase in my life and I guess it's about to be another one. The thing is, I don't know if I mentioned before, but I hate writing. So my posts are bound to be far and between. I'm a Gemini like that. Also my son tries to type every time I open my computer so there's that. There is also the fact that nobody is reading this b
ut I type anyway cuz it's kinda lethargic.

TO THE POINT ALREADY! I have been eating Whole 30 about 90% since January and I have lost 34lbs! I also workout every weekday with Daily Burn (which I enjoy cuz it's only 30 minutes and I normally don't call working out one of my hobbies), not weekends cuz I love life too much. I have had a whole list of negative side effects from treating my body like crap disappear since I started treating it right! This is the first time in my LIFE that I am truly eating right and loving it. I truly don't know what flip switched or why it finally clicked but it did and I know this is my new way of life. I really recommend Whole 30 to get started on any healthy path. It gave me the knowledge, tools and motivation to change my lifestyle for the better and for good! It didn't seem so restrictive as others which is funny cuz it is super restrictive! Haha! That's the point! You eliminate everything that could cause allergies or adverse reactions in your body for 30 days then slowly add it back in, if you get a reaction then you know to stay away from it. I think because I finally listened to my body and what it needs and what it doesn't want I finally found balance because I love the way I feel and I hate how sick I get when I eat something my body rejects. Not fun and not worth it. I do have free meals and I enjoy myself when I want to because it's my choice and my life, I just don't overdo it or lose control and I always get right back on track the next meal or day. That is balance for me and I do feel happy this way. Anyway,  This  blog is now a place where I can post my recipes, random thoughts, good times and bad while on my journey to health and happiness. Its a process!

21 Weight Loss Tips

I stumbled across this article today and I really like the tips so I thought I would share:

http://www.listotic.com/21-weight-loss-tips-youve-probably-never-tried/4/

Mini Challenges

Steps to Success 

I decided I needed to make multiple mini challenges for myself in increments or else I will lose my determination to succeed. I have decided to do these weekly. Once I have completed a goal for one week successfully I will move onto my new challenge in addition to the once I have accomplished. I do want to say though that I have been off Soda and Sweets since last week and I haven't eaten out either. 

Week 1: Eliminate Soda and stay hydrated with water
Week 2: Eliminate processed sugar and swap with fruit
Week 3: Eliminate fast food and add more veggies
Week 4: Eliminate eating out and work on food prep
Week 5: Focus on having simple healthy meals at home
Week 6: Start low intensity workouts 4 days a week 
Week 7: Read a health or self improvement book
Week 8: Try something new, get out of my comfort zone

It's only 2 months worth, but it is a start. I will also want to revisit my goals and re-evaluate what is most important to me to accomplish next in my life. Hopefully this will keep me on track and help me to stay focused on my goal. Speaking of which, I wanted to share with you my Inspiration Board. When I say board I mean my .59 poster that I cut and pasted all things that inspire me at the moment and hung it on the wall. Anything that I can walk past everyday and remember why I am doing what I am, but I believe it is important to revisit this as well and switch it up so you don't get too used to it. Re-discover what inspires you every few weeks and use that as fuel for your journey. 

Also, I wanted to thank all of you that gave me advice on my last post. I got some really great ideas to get me started! Zach and I are going grocery shopping today (me in a motorized scooter, sorry Abbie I forgot pictures). Then I will begin prepping meals with Zach at the kitchen table and instructing him what to do. His new years resolution was to learn to cook so maybe there is finally some good in spraining my ankle! 

Rant #2

The Powerful

Let me just start by saying that for the first time in my life, about 10 minutes ago, I was asked, by an adult mind you, how far along I am after having just said "I see that you are expecting"... Hello people?? Have you ever heard the rule to never ask a women if they are pregnant?? I never knew how bad that actually sucked to be asked that. To be "fat enough" that someone thought you were pregnant. Not a good feeling. It is actually a terrible feeling. Kinda punches you in the gut and I swear I could almost feel the wind get knocked out of me. I held it together long enough to make it to the car though. My sweet husband after trying to tell me how perfect I am, fell silent, knowing that no words could fix that moment. I don't want to feel like this anymore. 
Remember how I was saying that I had a conversation with my husband the other day that got me ranting and thinking? It may seem pretty obvious, the content of the rant, but it doesn't really hold any meaning until it actually happens to you and you realize the power of it.
Well, I will start off with saying I was not always overweight and unhealthy. I used to be fairly skinny actually. Not toned by any means, but skinny (see photo). But the most important fact about that time is not that I was thin, it isthat I was happy and so unconcerned about the mundane worries of my body unlike now. I had so much more energy to use toward living life, good thoughts and dreaming with confidence of my future. Everything seemed clear, I was sure in my decisions and comfortable in my own skin. Not because I had it all figured out, but because I didn't have to obsess about being overweight and I could focus on more important things, I wasn't spending so much time putting myself down, I had more confidence and I was healthier, not only in body, but mind (which is an important, probably the most important, part of it all). 

Now of course I want all of those things back again, but what I had failed to truly deeply realize until now is the lack of health issues I had back then. I remember saying in a previous post that "I guess it would be good not to get any diseases either" as an afterthought to being skinny. Skinny, being the reason all of these years that I have wanted to eat healthy. Not the fact that, despite how I hate to admit it, I already have some of those unwanted diseases or side effects of the unhealthy lifestyle. 
I already named a few, but for some reason it really resonated with me as I was complaining to my husband about them. My husband who is born thin and tall so of course I am so jealous he doesn't have to do a thing different to look much different if he doesn't want too. That same said husband who starting complaining back to me about symptoms he has been having that he hasn't had since he was in 7th Grade! And my coworker who is thin and beautiful who eats Chic-Fil-A and Cafe Rio everyday, but has been experiencing severe stomach pain in her stomach and spleen. And ME. Who has Seborrheic Dermatitis (my scalp looks like a snowball exploded), rashes on my ankles and feet (which they think might belong to Lupus), daily headaches, bumps all over my arms and legs and much more. Not only is it a huge pain in the rear, but it is also very embarrassing and it inflicts me mentally and physically everyday! 
The simple fact is: when I ate real foods I had no problems, but once I gave into processed foods I developed diseases and became overweight. It is truly hard to believe I have turned into someone that has diseases from processed foods. I never thought it would lead here and I am realizing now, this is the problem. Not being thin, being sick. It took 3 years of eating like this for it to catch up with me, but it did and I wish from the bottom of my heart that I didn't let it get this far. All of the time I kept thinking "I will start next Monday". Take it from me: Do it NOW! There is no time to waste. Everyday you put it off you are taking away from a brighter future. It doesn't matter what you look like, it matters what you feel like. 

S U M M E R !

OH! How I am missed these summer BBQ's on the patio!!

I LOVE summer food!!! I feel like it's easier to eat healthy because I am so hot and I only crave fresh! It gets me excited for summer sun and heat and swimming and vaca's! We had a nice relaxing picnic on the patio for dinner tonight. It makes me sad that we have to leave our little house, but hopefully the future holds a better plan than I could have even imagined...