Best for Your Belly & Bank Account

I stopped eating meat in middle school after my mom caught me feeding filet mignon to my dog. I was thrilled when she said she wasn’t cooking meat for me anymore. I had been choking it down for years. It was not about the animals, honestly, although that is a worthy cause. I was not too fond of the texture. I may be the only vegetarian (besides my sister ) that won’t eat mushrooms or tofu.

Did I eat healthier without meat? Not exactly. I was dancing back then, so every day was, get home from school, have a snack, go to ballet class, come home and have dinner. I remember eating many vegetarian baked beans from a can, Lean Cusine, and ice cream. I graduated from college and went straight into teaching, so my life and diet pretty much stayed the same.

Then processed foods, artificial ingredients, GMOs, and gluten became a big no-no. I realized most of what I ate was crap, and my stomach agreed. I started eating more whole foods, but I was by no means a foodie. I tried cooking whole food meals that I enjoyed, but my family was not on board (although my neighbors loved the leftovers).

In frustration, I turned to more raw foods. I didn’t need to cook much, and it was less expensive than the fancy meals I attempted to make. Who doesn’t love that idea? I like to describe my lifestyle as ‘go big or go home.’ My workouts are intense, and my meals and snacks are packed with superfoods like berries, cabbage, chocolate, kale, nuts, and seeds. I want to get the most out of every bench press and every bite.

You might be thinking, what about when you are on the go? No fast food? Yes, I do! I love restaurants. Here I use the same idea. Whole foods and raw foods with a glass of wine. Bonus: vegetarian dishes are ALWAYS less expensive. If I don’t see something I like, I order whatever I want minus the meat (and extra cost). The best part? No dishes to clean!

Do you find it challenging to digest raw foods, seeds and grains? Grab my free Digestive Assessment RIGHT HERE-:)