School is back in session.

Sports are full throttle.

And corporate duties are never ending as you overachieve and outperform.

High quality meals can be hard to come by when you’re a SuperMOM. Protein at breakfast and lunch helps to stablize the blood sugar and reduces the amount of times you want to stand in the pantry snacking on processed food that doesn't really taste good. 

These protein balls can be used as a meal add-on or as a quick simple snack. I always make two batches as they freeze well for the next week or travel events. 

The Best Protein Balls

• 1 cup Artisana organic cashew butter
• 1 cup Ancient Nutrition vanilla protein powder
• 1 tbsp. mini DF Enjoy Life chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup cacao powder, plus extra for dusting
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 tbsp. Nutiva organic coconut oil, melted
• 2 tbsp. honey
• 1/2 cup light coconut milk
• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup coconut flakes, plus more for coating

Blend all ingredients, then form into balls and roll in coconut flak...

I love sharing a good find! 

Quality protein powders are HARD to come by. Most powders are heavily and chemically processed and contain fillers which bulk up the powders so the manufacture can save money. 

Paleovalley Bone Broth Protein is one of the "cleanest" powders I've seen on the market. I love the fact that the under the supplement facts where is says, "Other Ingredients:" it states NONE.

BINGO!

Clinical studies indicated bone broth is one of the most nourishing, anti-aging and gut supportive foods. (Not yet evaluated by FDA).

Ingredients to raise your eyebrow at and conduct research:

• Casein + WPC
• Gluten 
• Dextrins/Maltodextrin
• Artificial sweeteners
• Skim milk powders/milk solids
• Soy protein
• Vegetable oils and fats 
• Thickeners and gums
• Fillers 

Schedule a Break thru the Gut Rut strategy call with me today to start understanding your reactive foods and how to balance your system to start feeling good. Schedule your session here-> BREAK THRU

Be Gutsy as a Mother,...

Tomatoes are Michigan’s summer fruit and our Fam eats a lot of them! 

As new gut health research evolves they’re finding more benefits in plant sources. The fiber in tomatoes promotes the growth of good bacteria and discourages harmful bacteria such as C. difficile, according to Canada’s GI Society. (1) Tomatoes are also an outstanding source of lycopene, a powerful antioxidant protecting cells from aging (Hello, nature’s natural anti-aging cream!)

A healthy gut can help you lose weight and much more. If you’re struggling to lose a pound because you are suffering from gut dysbiosis, an imbalance in healthy vs bad gut bacteria, you may want to boost probiotic activity with tomatoes. 

Signs of poor gut health include the inability to lose stubborn weight, constipation, and diarrhea. 

During the summer months take advantage of tomatoes because they are vibrant in color and bursting with flavor! 

Here’s a simple Summer Tomato Salad to dig into this week.

Ps: if you can’t find daikon ...

If you’re feeling blah from a weekend full of burgers, sexy cocktails, and chips & dips, kick off the week with a meatless Monday. This will allow your body to “Rest & Digest & Recover” so that you crave healthy food throughout the week.

CHICKPEA PATTIES & GRILLED PEACH AND CHERRY SKEWERS 

I get it, after a Summer Fun weekend you wake up Monday feeling bloated, foggy, and not motivated to get back in that bathing suit.

I’m pro protein but allowing your body to “Rest & Digest” by consuming a meatless meal is a great idea to help take the load off your overreacted digestion system. When you have a chronic health condition like weight gain or bloating you may need to first focus on consuming foods that are easy to digest. This may mean consuming mono meals (1 ingredient meal), slightly cooked veggies, smoothies, or soup.

Cherries are natural health bombs. They promote better sleep, because they are a good natural source of melatonin, (BTW, there is a higher level of melatonin in tart cherries...

A common food ingredient I see on my client’s food sensitivity & GI Map test results is GLUTEN. Gluten sensitivity can cause gut inflammation, intestinal permeability, weight management issues, and damage to the gut biome. 

Giving up any food even though you know it makes you sick can be difficult. Especially for an ingredient like gluten because it’s found in wheat, which is typically a big part of your normal diet. 

I mean, how does one live without these salad toppers or these morning kickoff foods??? No fear, it’s possible and you will learn to love it!

Foods that usually contain gluten:

• Bread, pita, bagels, flatbread, rolls
• Pasta
• Cakes, crackers, and biscuits
• Cereal and granola
• Croutons
• French fries
• Gravies and sauces
• Salad dressings and vinegars
• Processed meats
• Soy sauce
• Snack and bars
• Potato chips and tortilla chips
• Stuffing

Maintaining a certain diet or avoiding certain ingredients when you work at home can be easier to follow but as the world slowly breaks...

Did you know it's a good idea to change your eating habits each season?

Your body should naturally be craving seasonal foods like:

• Spring: Detox foods like leafy greens and citrus
• Summer: Cooling foods like watermelon
• Fall: Grounding foods like squash and nuts
• Winter: Warming foods like meat and fats

My son and I are little obsessed with carrots right now so if you're easing into the detox season this carrot salad is a must try. 

SHREDDED CARROT SALAD

Ingredients:

1 lb bag (16 oz.) organic carrots
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon umeboshi plum vinegar (or lemon juice + a pinch sea salt)
4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
juice of a handful of freshly grated ginger
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup dried currants (optional)
1/4 cup raw pumpkin seeds (optional) 

Directions:

1. Shred/grate carrots by hand with a food grater (watch those fingers!) or in a food processor.
2. In a large bowl, combine apple cider vinegar, umeboshi plum vinegar (or lemon juice and  
...

The Aunt Flow rage, PMS mood swings, and days where you love & hate everything at the same time is blamed on hormonal imbalance but what exactly does that mean?

Hormonal imbalance is one of those phrases commonly used by the medical community but often misinterpreted by someone without a medical degree.

It wasn’t until I was studying to become a Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioner did, I start to understand all the functions of hormones. And it wasn’t until I started my own journey of improving my gut health did I realize the negative impact of abnormal levels of hormones.

Hormonal imbalance can make you feel crazy. It can also be very frustrating if you’re on a path of becoming healthy and those results aren’t falling in place.

You don’t need a medical degree to have the basic understanding of hormonal imbalance. More importantly, you should be able to tell if you are having hormonal imbalance. There are five basic signs of hormonal imbalance. Once you know your hormones ...

Ditching the stubborn weight is a daunting task. You barely feel like you have time to fix your hair in the morning let alone meal prep and squeeze in a gym session.

In working with hundreds of clients on improving gut health for weight loss, I see a common denominator for the women who have long term success.  

1)     They get in a groove and stick with it

2)     Their healthy habits are non-negotiable

How to Get Your Groove On and Stick With It

You know you’re ready to focus on improving your gut health for weight loss when you light up about preparing and following through the protocol tasks. You don't feel pressure from outside sources. You only feel a strong inner desire because it’s what you want instead of being driven by trends, society, parents, etc.

Tips for sticking with it:

• Diet: Eat the right types of food for your body and eliminate your food sensitivities for 90 days 
• Rest: Core hours of rest are from 10pm-2am. If you really need to watch the reality show make sure you’re lights...

ELIMINATION DIETS AND GUT HEALTH

To eliminate or not to eliminate, that is the question.

I get a lot of questions about elimination diets.

• Do elimination diets work?
• What foods should I eliminate?
• How long do I need to eliminate those foods?
• What foods can I eat?

Elimination diets can be extremely effective and informative. BUT, can you stick it out?

Pros to elimination diets:

• Help you discover which foods you may be sensitive or intolerance to. During this diet period it allows your body time to restore from the constant inflammatory response from certain foods triggering in your digestive and immune system.
• Add in nutrient-dense and anti-inflammatory foods which help accelerate rebuilding & restoring a healthy internal environment for the digestive system.
• Typically eliminate gluten, grains, dairy, soy, nightshade vegetables, all processed foods, added sugars, peanuts and tree nuts, alcohol, and eggs.
• Typically eliminate foods for at least 30 days and then are slowl
...

My obsession with bone broth is REAL!

I walked into my functional medicine doc 8 years ago with high heels and booshie corporate clothes. On the outside I had it all together. A “highly successful young professional mom” living the Super WoMOM “she does it all” type of life.

“You’ve got it together Mar!” “How do you do it all Mar?” Common questions from others.

On the inside I was a wrecking ball. My brain was mush, I was drained constantly searching for energy boosting sugar sources, and my stomach was plagued with painful bloat and gas.

When I discovered I had an imbalance in my gut bacteria, leaky gut, food sensitivities, and brain fog my Doc placed me on a lifestyle protocol to reduce my symptoms naturally instead of turning to pills to fix a specific issue.

One of my favorite products for restoring the body has been Bone Broth. It's also been been an integral product in most of my client’s personalized protocols.

Bone broth benefits:

• PROVIDES GUT-LOVING NUTRIENTS: Bone br
...