I carry a lot of passion around what we put in and on our bodies. As a teenager, I battled thyroid imbalances and saw many doctors to get answers on how to fix it, what to do and what causes it. No one knew, or if they did, they weren't saying. I set out to my own research and continue a lifelong journey of lifestyle changes to better my health and wellbeing. First, let's talk about food. There is so much to be said about what's good for you, what's bad for you and everything in between. Basically, drink lots of (filtered, loved) water, eat organically & locally, eat meats from animals that were raised on loving farms, that were fed what they naturally would eat if they were in the wild. Cows eat grass, not corn. Chickens are not vegetarians. Talapia is not real fish. Do your research, try new things, trust your body and your own mind, not the nutrition and health guidelines we've been brainwashed to believe are the only way to consume our proportions.

Let's do an exercise together: Write down everything that goes into your mouth, everyday, for a month. I know, I know. That's a lot of time and dedication. But, trust me, the payoff will be worth your while!

My mornings start with: Organic coffee, cold brewed in charcoal filtered water, with locally sourced, unfiltered honey and organic heavy cream. I sip this from either a stainless steel cup or glass jar, until around 11 AM. Then I drink filtered water in my Dyln bottle at work until lunchtime, which normally consists of potatoes, sautéed vegetables and chicken from Ali Baba, or a barbacoa bowl from Chipotle, no rice. The days go well up until this point! After I finish lunch, the sweet cravings hit around 2 PM, of which I go against everything I believe in and hit the snack machine for a Snickers bar or Butterfinger. And since our vending machine takes credit cards, there's nothing stopping me! Sigh. I drink several bottles of water during the day, so I visit the loo every half hour or so, and our dinners are generally healthy. We cook at home most of the time, sautéed vegetables - always organic, with grass fed butter or coconut oil, with organic spices and herbs. When we eat meat, it's organic, grass fed and local when possible. The McKinney farmer's market is phenomenal, as is everything in McKinney. After dinner, we go for a healthy snack of organic yogurt with granola and honey, or on a more daring night: ice cream with a ratio of about 1:1 nuts and ice cream.

We have the occasional junk food sessions of chips and dip, and there are and always will be many areas of improvement we can make, but we eat as organic and healthy as possible while maintaining a delicious level of flavor and spiciness. We make nutritious desserts like homemade organic peanut butter cups from raw cacao, coconut oil, vanilla, honey, sea salt & peanut butter. Easy peasy, they whip up in a snap and are a delight to your tastebuds!



**The dyln bottle gives you alkaline water on the go. It has a rubber comfy grip and sleek stainless steel design, fits in standard cup holders so you can take it everywhere with you. I ordered two from their Kickstarter campaign and love them! I keep one at work and one at home so I'm never without.

I'd love to hear your thoughts and feelings on this! Food is our best friend for life, or our worst enemy. It can keep us running in tip top shape, or debilitate us to depression. Where do you fall within the spectrum of the food and nutrition range of possibilities? It's not about weight or size, it's about how you feel, function and live. Email me at theorganiccatalyst@gmail.com