Category: Uncategorized

Hello & Happy Wednesday!

We were out of town visiting family in Iowa last week. It was nice to have a break from our normal routines!

We enjoyed the scenery, going on walks, time with family, the Iowa corn 🙂 , and the chance to just relax more without having to think about the regular to-dos/stressors of life.

And, of course, some delicious eats! (some of which will be featured below!)

As we continue on into August, I’m hoping to take advantage of all the amazing fresh produce in-season for the next month. Hello fresh peaches, tomatoes, and corn!

What are you hoping to make before summer is over? I’m dreaming up a burrata salad w/ fresh tomatoes, a chicken dishes w/ fresh peaches, & quite possibly some fruit crisp!

Plenty of delicious seasonal summer eats from the past month!

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Overnight oats are a hearty and satisfying make-ahead breakfast, perfect for busy mornings or for simplifying your everyday morning routine! Made with oats, chia seeds, and your choice of milk + yogurt, this overnight oats recipe can be customized based on whatever flavor combinations and toppings you prefer. 

Today I’m sharing the simple recipe that I use daily for my favorite overnight oats!

In my opinion, overnight oats are the perfect summer breakfast because they…

–> Taste amazing topped w/ the juiciest seasonal summer fruit.
–> Are nice and creamy and cold.
–> Provide a great boost of energy + nutrition to start the day.
–> Are made in advance, making getting breakfast together in the morning a breeze.
–> Need only a few simple ingredients to make!

Better yet, the flavor/topping combinations are endless!

This quick + easy recipe has been my go-to warmer weather breakfast for years. Now I even have Alec on board! 🙂

I prefer to enjoy my overnight oats post-run or walk. Topped with plenty of peanut butter (obviously!) and – to wash it all down – a refreshing glass of iced coffee with almond or chocolate cashew milk mixed in. But you do you!

Keep reading for your new favorite summer breakfast recipe!

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Happy Wednesday!

Today I’m sharing some thoughts on my experience recovering from anorexia (the most intense part of my recovery took place when I was in high school).

While this was an extremely difficult time in my life that I would never want to repeat, I am also thankful for it because of all the personal growth and healing that has resulted from it! While painful at times, beginning recovery has been the gift that has kept giving.

I hope you find the following thoughts and reflections both helpful and encouraging if you are currently recovering from anorexia, or if you are thinking about starting recovery.

If you are recovering from a different eating disorder (or any degree of disordered eating), I think you will also find this post encouraging!

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Hi everyone!

I hope you had a wonderful 4th / possible long weekend! I have been off work the past few days and have been enjoying the extra time with a mix of relaxing / getting random other things done.

In full disclosure I completely wrote and scheduled this post in advance / before my time off so I can’t comment too much on how the weekend went at the time of writing! 🙂  Will be back to my regular work week tomorrow (Thursday).

Whether you are enjoying some extra vacation time this week or have more of a typical week, I hope this July Eats Roundup post inspires you to seek out satisfying, tasty eating experiences all throughout the week!

Some recent meals + snacks from the past couple of weeks! 

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Experiencing the aftermath of a binge eating episode is typically incredibly uncomfortable both from a physical and emotional/psychological standpoint. Not only are you likely working through feelings of guilt, disgust, and possible shame/embarrassment, but you also have the physical sensations of over-fullness and bloating to tolerate. NOT FUN.

In this post, I want to provide some tips on what to do if you find yourself in this scenario. This could be post-binge OR after any sort of uncomfortable degree of overeating.

To review, an actual binge eating episode is defined as eating (within a 2-hr window) significantly more than most people would eat under similar circumstances. It is also accompanied by feeling out-of-control.

Even if you don’t struggle with “technical binge eating,” regularly experiencing chaotic eating and/or regularly reaching the point of unpleasant fullness is also quite distressing. You may feel a sense of shame, wondering why do I find eating so hard when others seem totally fine??

You are not a uniquely flawed human being if this is something you are wrestling with. There are legitimate physical and emotional/psychological reasons why you may experience your eating spiraling out-of-control at times.

Next time you find yourself feeling overly full or struggling with the aftermath of a binge, I hope you find the following ideas useful!

(Note: a lot of the following ideas/thoughts can be applied to other eating disorder behaviors, including restriction and purging).

Thoughts on What to Do After a Binge (or Overeating in General): 

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Hi everyone! Today I wanted to post a new type of post sharing some “behind the scenes” as far as what thoughts/considerations might go into a typical day of my daily eats. This is NOT meant to be a comparison or a “you should eat like me” type of post —  HECK NO. More meant to encourage you as far as what it might look like to have a normal relationship with food!

Everyone’s nutrition needs and food preferences are different. In my work with clients, I consider myself to be the nutrition professional and the client to be the expert on herself/her goals/what she likes/what might work best for her. Not everyone’s eating looks the same, so no cookie cutter approaches here! I am all about helping others work towards an intuitive eating way of eating where you grow in listening to your body’s inner signals, considering your thoughts/feelings about food, and trusting your overall intuition, as we are born knowing how to intuitively eat. I hope these types of posts help you grow in your own journey of peace with food and joyful nourishment of your body!

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If you are someone who has lost your period due to inadequate nutrition and/or excessive exercise, it can be hard to know what changes to start making and how aggressively you might need to make them in order for your hormones to recover and your period to come back. Any change can be hard, especially when working on your hormones, as you don’t know for sure to what extent you might need to make changes and for how long.

All of this can feel overwhelming and anxiety-inducing! –> Not knowing how your body might change, what exercise might look like in the future, what eating changes you might need to make, or even how much weight you might need to gain.

What was most helpful for me in my own journey was continually returning my thoughts to the idea that whatever changes I would need to make and for however long I would need to sustain them would be worth it for the sake of my overall health and ability to exercise in a healthy way in the future. I needed to trust that my period would return given enough time and commitment to nutrition/stress/exercise changes. 

In my experience, how long it takes for someone’s period to return generally depends on (1) how long it has been gone to begin with, (2) how “aggressively” someone is making changes on the nutrition/exercise/stress front, and (3) what other underlying factors may be going on.

If you are wrestling with hormonal / missing period challenges, here are 4 key changes to consider TODAY to jumpstart your period recovery journey!

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Happy Wednesday! We’ve made it to the middle of the work week!

Last week felt like the LONGEST week to me, even with the extra day off! Hopefully this week finishes out more smoothly / less exhausting. I also have been sleeping terribly which never helps anything! The perpetual challenge of sleeping on the top floor of a 3-story townhouse…  my weeks have felt so thrown off and less than optimal with all that!

In FUN news, Alec and I went kayaking down the Huron River over the weekend. Such a perfect day to be on the water!

We also got breakfast at Stray Hen, a newish breakfast/lunch restaurant in Ann Arbor near campus. (more…)

Something I talk about with clients a lot is the idea that we can’t DIRECTLY control our weight or body size… however difficult that may be to accept, we can’t go out and magically choose to automatically be our perfectly desired size.

That doesn’t mean throwing all care about our health and wellness out the window… far from it!! On the contrary, I see pursuing life-giving healthy behaviors (which we can generally control) as the best path to improved health, not first and foremost fixating on weight loss or changing your body size.

Letting go of fixating on weight is not the same as letting go of caring about your health!

Actually, I see fixating on weight as generally being detrimental to health. You can read some more about my thoughts on weight here.

“Weight loss” or “body change” are not actions we can go out and directly “do” or make happen. Nor do those things necessarily mean improved health! When we instead choose to focus on caring for ourselves well physically through behaviors we can actually do and control, we can trust we are on the path to improved health. When combining this approach with addressing any underlying root issues (such as environmental toxins, hormonal imbalances, gut issues, etc.) that are preventing our bodies from being in balance despite healthy behavior changes, our actions are likely to lead our bodies to the sizes at which they are the healthiest. This could mean losing weight, gaining weight, or staying roughly the same. I see the point as better health, not a specific weight or size goal.

I am all about self-improvement and setting intentions. Not focusing on weight does NOT mean “giving up on health progress.” Instead of pursuing weight loss as a goal, here are 5 behavior-oriented nutrition & exercise goals to consider! Maybe one or two will resonate with you depending on where you are currently at in your own health and wellness journey.

5 Nutrition & Exercise Goals to Consider (Other than Directly Pursuing Weight Loss):

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Hello everyone! How is your May going? I can’t believe it is almost Memorial Weekend!

Aside from usual work routines, I have been getting outside on walks/runs/hikes whenever I can, spending time with friends + family, and, of course, having fun baking + cooking in the kitchen!

I hope these recent eats posts inspire you to regularly enjoy creative, satisfying, flavorful food as often as possible. In my opinion, nutritious, well-balanced eating is full of foods from all food groups, from veggie-heavy salads to chocolate frosted cupcakes! Nutrition & enjoyment for a truly healthy, freeing, sustainable approach.

Onto recent eats from the past couple of weeks! 

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