Mindfulness is better. Why I no longer count calories:

I counted calories because it was a starting point for me to see the affect my food choices had on my weight. It took me a long time and a lot of mindfulness, but I was eventually able to eat again without thinking about the number of calories in every bite of food I was putting into my mouth. 


The obsessiveness of counting calories affected me in a negative way. The biggest problem was instead of satisfying my hunger, I was focusing on the math equation in my head that would get me to my goal weight.

Why you shouldn't over simplify calories:

• The calorie counts are usually drastically low - the one size fits all number they give in magazines isn't applicable to everyone. It's downright dangerous.

• Take one girl who is 5'8, medium build, and highly active. Take another who is 5'1, small build, and moderately active. 

• There is NO way they can both listen to the same calorie count given in the magazine to lose weight. 

• IFYM is better for calculating closer to your caloric needs, but it still promotes an unhealthy relationship with your food. 

• It's not very simple. It requires you to measure and/or weigh your food so that you eat only what is within your set caloric and macronutrients limit for the day. 

• It's tedious and mentally exhausting. 

Now, I understand that listening to your body seems really, really hard. I mean, it kind of feels like that is how you got here in the first place. But.. that's not completely true.
I'll show you listening to your body now versus listening to your body then is completely different.

The key is mindfulness:

• Eat when you're hungry, don't eat when you're not 
• Give up processed foods 
• Stay away from added sugar 
• Focus on nutrient dense, whole foods 
• Stay active and busy (keep yourself occupied so that all of your energy is not focused on your diet) 
• Join a whole food community: Try Whole 9 Life's Whole 30 program or go to Balanced Bites and join their 21 Day Sugar Detox - they're free! 
• Focus on the entire encompassment of a healthy lifestyle, not just the diet 

Treats are treats. But I thought it was paleo?!

Everyone has the tendency to put foods into the "health halo" because the ingredients fall under a certain category. 

But, just because a food is organic, non-GMO, vegan, grain-free, paleo, sugar-free, gluten-free, or dairy-free, it does not mean its good for you. 

We like to forget that a paleo treat is still a treat. Unfortunately, a "healthy label" does not give you a free pass to eat as much as you want, whenever you want.

Why Paleo Treats are Still Treats:

• Sugar is sugar. It essentially doesn't matter if you are eating coconut sugar or refined white sugar (The glucose-fructose ratio may be better between choices, and one is much more chemically processed, ewww, but it's still sugar and will take its toll on your body)

My Stages of Dieting

1. Regular Dieting 

Winter/Spring of college freshman year 2013

2. Eat Clean 

Summer and Fall 2013

3. IIFYM 

Winter, Spring, and Summer 2014

4. Strict Paleo 

Summer and fall of 2014  

5. All Real Foods and Quit Sugar 

Fall 2014 through December 2014

6. ME (Mindfulness)

December 2014 through now

For me, dieting came in stages. Some of these lasted months, while some lasted less. It was all on my path to figuring out what worked and what didn't work for my body.

Remember: change is possible and the path to a healthy lifestyle is not always consistent. 

Making Nutrition Easily Accessible

Everyone has the intention to eat better, exercise more, and all together live a healthier lifestyle. Unfortunately, we do not always take the necessary steps to make this happen. But that's okay! Here are some things I do to make eating healthier a little easier.

My favorite tips:

1. Create a balance of flavors:
• sweet, creamy, salty, savory, spicy, etc.
2. Use multiple textures in your dishes:
• ex: add a crunchy topping by toasting nuts, seeds, lentils, or quinoa 
3. Eat all the vegetables:
• and not just salads!
4. Learn new skills:
• How to properly use your knife
• Cooking temperatures and times
• Techniques to prepare specific ingredients
• Martha Stewart has great tutorials here that are only a minute or two each!

Ideas for cooking food that is nutritious and delicious:

1. Integrate more vegetables into the meals you already like!

• Swap zucchini noodles, spaghetti squash, sweet potato noodles, or rice noodles in exchange for your regular pasta: recipe
• Make a zucchini or cauliflower pizza crust with coconut flour instead of regular pizza dough: recipe
• Make paleo (grain-free) tortillas instead of traditional four tortillas
• Sub cauliflower rice for traditional rice
• Sub cauliflower mash for mashed potatoes: recipe 
• Try a bun-less burger ~ or stick a patty between portobello mushrooms tops, between sweet potato slices, or on top of a bed of veggies: recipe

2. Make more sauces to diversify your meals!

• Try making a pan sauce with butter and wine from the pan you used to sear your meat 
• Whip up your own home made dressings for both hot and cold salads (you can use nut or seed butters, oils, vinegars, citrus, herbs, spices, etc. to create something delicious)
• To switch it up, try making more soup-like dishes (comforting dishes like chilis, stews, and coconut milk curries are great in colder months)

3. Change the way you think about typical ingredients!

• Instead of simply steaming your vegetables, try them roasted, bake them into a tasty dish, or puree them in a sauce
• Did you know you can toast or "pop" more than popcorn? Lentils and quinoa can be thrown into a pan with oil and toasted for a nice crunchy topping on salads!
• Toast nuts and seeds to add a new layer to dishes
• Simply change the way you cut your vegetables! (thin noodles, purée, julienne, chop, slice, dice, cube)

4. Spice it up!

• Don't forget about your spice cabinet! There are so many great things you can make yourself to spice up proteins, roasted vegetables, and marinades
• Check out some DIY spice blends on Women's Health Online Magazine here

Happy Cooking :)Most importantly, just enjoy your food!

****** I am not certified in any health-related field. I am not giving medical advice, I am only sharing what worked for me!***********

My Eating Guide

Note: this is how I eat.

I have had success with eating by these guidelines, but everyone is different. Make sure you choose what works for you and listen to your body.

For more specific information on what I eat, check on my "Optimal Food Choices" post here.

But if you're curious... this is what I do:

• In my diet I emphasize the best sources of protein, carbs, and fats from the "best sources" list below - along with vegetables, probiotics, fruits, nuts, and seeds
• I watch my intake of the foods in the "be mindful" list below
• In my diet I de-emphasize: grains, legumes, soy, sweeteners, most dairy, and baked goods
• Dairy and gluten can be a big problem for a lot of people! I choose not to eat gluten unless it is from sprouted bread, and I mainly only eat diary from organic plain greek yogurt and kefir. But listen to your body and do what works for you personally.

Best sources of:

protein: lean meats, eggs, seafood, greek yogurt, tempeh

fat: olives, egg yolks, avocados, coconuts, ghee (clarified butter), fats from grass-fed animals and wild-caught fish, nuts and seeds

carbs: vegetables like winter squashes and potatoes, fruits like apples and bananas, white or wild rice, quinoa, lentils, buckwheat groats

Be Mindful of:

grains and legumes: they do contain nutrition, but can easily lead to a diet high in carbohydrates, which is not optimal. They also tend to replace better sources of calories and nutrients.

soy: it is only fine fermented, organic, and in very small doses. Processed soy like tofu and soy protein is not my idea of a healthy food, so it is not in my diet.

nuts and seeds: these are a very high calorie food, so I keep it to about a 1/4 cup of nuts or nut flour, or about 2 tbs of nut butter (note: peanuts are a legume not a nut!)

oils: I do not eat any highly refined industrial seed oils because they are very inflammatory and contain high levels of Omega-6 fatty acids (ex: canola, corn, peanut, safflower, etc.)

condiments: make sure they have no industrial seed oils or added sugars snuck in! good news: it's usually fairly easy to make your own version ;)

baked goods: even "healthy" baked goods should not be a staple food in your diet (even if they are grain-free, gluten-free, etc.)

sweeteners: I use glucose over fructose - which is why I choose to avoid agave, fruit juices, and sodas. all sugar is basically empty calories (although there seems to be some benefits in consuming raw honey) - if i need a sweetener I stick with raw honey and real maple syrup

chemicals: try to avoid pesticides by choosing organic foods (especially the dirty dozen) Also, when buying cans be careful of BPA! (to be safer make your own or choose a product that comes in glass or another type of container)

******* I am not certified in any health-related field. I am not giving medical advice, I am only sharing what worked for me!***********

The Bee Food Philosophy

Start looking at the things you are putting in your mouth and ask yourself, "What is this doing for me?"

For a more specific list of "real foods" check out my posts here and here.

Just Eat Real Food

• What you eat should actually BEE food. It shouldn't resemble food, it shouldn't take the place of food, and surely shouldn't be a mystery as to what it is. 

• Stop looking at food as part of a "diet" and start looking at it as nutrition. As soon as you change the perspective of your dinner plate, the idea around your what you eat starts to change with it. 

• Food is fuel for your body (and I don't mean just by calorie). It's the vitamins and minerals - all the good micronutrients - along with the macronutrients you need to be strong and healthy. It's your life source. 

1. Eat the right amount of carbohydrates for your goals, activity level, and body type - 

• This does NOT imply you have to eat a low carb diet (although lowering your daily intake of  carbohydrates may result in weight loss)

• Replace as much of the refined carbohydrates in your diet as possible with better choices - Most refined carbohydrates like pastas, breads, and baked desserts are usually highly processed and/or contain added sugars

• My main sources of carbohydrate are starches, vegetables, fruit, and some sprouted breads and gluten free grains like quinoa

2. Eat your vegetables - 

• Vegetables fall into two primary categories: starchy and non-starchy 

• Eat as many leafy greens as you like, and be sure to add in plenty of other non-starchy veggies too! These are high in vitamins and add bulk to your diet. They help keep you full and add flavor, volume, and variety to your meals.

• Steam, sauté, bake or roast them - the options are endless!

3. Get enough protein - 

• Lean meat is a very important part of your diet. Chicken breast, turkey, lean beef, and seafood are great sources of protein. 

• Eggs and plain greek yogurt are also good sources of protein.

4. Load up on healthy fats - 

• Olive oil, coconut oil, ghee, nuts, egg yolks, grass-fed butter, avocado, and fats from wild-caught fatty fish and grass-fed animals

• This is not including fatty meats from grain fed animals, trans fats, and high omega 6 industrial oils (like canola, peanut, corn, etc.)

• Fat is important for the absorption of vitamins and minerals. 

• Fat is crucial in satiety (the things that makes you feel full). It keeps you satisfied and adds flavor to food.

• Remember: fat is important!! It is high in calories, but don't be  afraid of healthy fats because they are crucial to a healthy diet. 

5. Sugars - LIMIT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. This is key. 

• Sugar messes with weight loss and provides empty calories.

• It is highly inflammatory to the body.

• Alternatives for me are using ripened bananas to sweeten foods or to consume whole fruit since it has fiber along with its high fructose content. 

• Small amounts of raw honey or puremaple syrup are also good alternatives, but this should be as a treat.

• I do not drink soda.

6. Season your food - 

• Spices, vinegars, and herbs are always welcomed to add flavor! 

• Avoid condiments and sauces with added sugars and refined vegetable oils (find a better brand instead, or make you own!)

7. What I do NOT eat - 

• Highly processed cereal grains (white flours, whole wheat flour, boxed cereals, & most packaged breads, cookies, etc.)

• Processed soy (tofu, soy protein, etc.)

• Refined and high-fructose sugar (white sugar, agave, etc.)

• Industrial seed oils (canola, corn, safflower, peanut, etc.)

Reference: Check out an article written by Chris Kresser, a highly recognized and established functional medicine practitioner here called "Beyond Paleo: Don't Eat Toxins". 

Simply just eat real foods!

****** I am not certified in any health-related field. I am not giving medical advice, I am only sharing what worked for me!***********

Hi everyone!

You probably are all wondering what the heck a bee has to do with food. To me, everything! I am the bee. It's a nickname I've had from my boyfriend for years now. And if you know me, you would know how much I love to be upside down. I balance everything. My whole life is going in a million directions, and I know that most of us feel the same exact way! So I'm here to show you how I stay balanced. It's something I've learned from experimenting on myself with all kinds of different foods. This is what makes me feel good. I hope it makes you feel good too!