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Food Freedom, Intuitive Eating, Nutrition

Are the Health Benefits Worth It?

July 7, 2017 By Robyn 42 Comments

We were having dinner with some close friends Tuesday night on our patio and were chatting about nutrition. One of our friends is making well intentioned healthy changes {less booze, more veggies, moving more} and was sharing how he’s found more of a “balance” rather than eating 100% “clean” during the week and then swinging to the other side on the weekends with overeating, eating foods that taste good but don’t feel good, etc etc and then “getting back on track come Monday” — and he was sharing how much more sustainable that has been for him.

We always hear about the benefits of 100% "clean eating." But is it worth it? | The Real Life RD

Then Nick started talking about how now that he shares meals with me more often he’s been way more lax about eating (he eats more than any human I’ve met, but he use to be pretty strictly paleo during the week….and then he met me and I was like, “ummm, no. that is not going to work for us.”) and what he’s learned in being more relaxed and more intuitive is that….he doesn’t feel significantly better or worse and his clothes all fit the same. The amount of time he spent prepping and cooking was a lot for how much he was getting in return with how he felt, looked etc when he was adhering to a mostly paleo diet.

I forced myself to just sit back and give a slight grin and nod as they chatted. But inside my soul was screaming “YES, YOU BOTH ARE GETTING IT.”

clean eating

I get a handful of emails each week asking me to tease apart nutrition advice and rules that people read about on the internet or hear others preach. Some examples include:

Only eating fruit by itself. Or rules on food combining in general. (I’ve searched and found no reliable evidence on why this is “healthy” – if you have something please email me!)

Only eating three meals a day and no snacks. (Your body knows how many meals and snacks you need)

Not eating grains or legumes because it messes up your immune system. (Unless you have an extreme medical condition, I’m certain eliminating these foods would cause a lot of stress and that really messes up your immune system.)

Keeping your eating to an 8 hour window….aka intermittent fasting. Because this improves your immune system, cognitive function, gene expression and insulin sensitivity.

I could and will get a ton of people (some nutrition credentialed people…but many not) making solid arguments with me on why all these things are true and why people should eat a particular way.

But my response is this: does eating this way have sufficient evidence showing significant improvement on people’s long term heath. I’m finding (and I could be wrong and I’m open to discussion, absolutely) that most of these linked studies in these articles have either been done on rats or there is a small sample size. I often find that the comparison is a “standard American diet” and sedentary lifestyle. What happens when you compare all these rigid ways of eating with good old, basic balanced living. A colorful diet that focuses on wholesome food, fruits and veggies, and satisfying foods plus active living, self care, good sleep and intuition. I’m not a scientist…but I would make a confident assumption that the person with strict eating rules vs the person who simply lives a balanced life probably both live fairly healthy lives. My point is this: do the crazy rules and diet dogma result in significantly better health? Is it worth it?

clean eating

If you’re telling me I might feel 5% or 10% better eating xyz way and exercising xyz way versus the intuitive way of eating and moving I’m doing now….I’m not into it. Why would I put that much effort into feeling 10% better to be marginally “healthier?”

When I say versus, I’m talking about eating nourishing and satisfying foods and moving in a way that makes you happy versus eating and moving according to a set of nutrition rules like eliminating certain foods or eating at certain times. I don’t think it’s fair or a completely true assumption to compare some legalistic way of health with sedentary living that includes a standard American diet. Of course you are going to feel better and have improved physical health if you eat more fruits and veggies and move your body instead of laying on the couch (although there’s definitely a time for that too.)

If I went through life focused on when to eat or what foods to pair with what or what to meal prep or how to count macros to make sure I was “being healthy” I wouldn’t be healthy at all. Actually, stress (aka cortisol) can wreak havoc on our health and it will no matter how clean and green and raw and organic the food on your plate is. ({ –> side note: there are very general recommendations for an “anti inflammatory diet” in this linked article, if you’re eating intuitively, you’re naturally nourishing your body well AND very likely have decreased cortisol so that in and of itself is anti inflammatory as far as I’m concerned :)}

People who eat intuitive are healthier, happier, and live more joyful lives with overall better psychological and physical well being. Eating nourishing foods and moving your body and even drinking green smoothies and running races or going to Crossfit or being really into yoga can be healthy things. But anything that becomes your identity and is elevated and glorified inappropriately becomes an idol. And that’s where things get really icky and destructive.

clean eating

When I hear people defend wellness with “It’s my passion! There’s nothing wrong with deeply loving something!” I want to respond with, “you’re right – there is nothing wrong with passion and interest, those are good things. But if eating a particular food or eating at a particular time causes you stress/anxiety or your “passion” for nutrition allows other areas of your life to suffer – like relationships or self care or your mental well being…that’s a good intention gone bad.” Just like if you are super passionate about your job but so much so it consumes the majority of your time and head space to where other parts of your well being suffer…like your family and sleep and emotional health…your job is no longer a healthy passion or pursuit.

Whenever I go to Europe I always admire their simpler outlook on health. Eat close to the earth. Eat satisfying foods. Move out in the fresh air. Enjoy good wine. Slow down and savor. I think they’ve been doing it right for a really long time.

Some other posts on this very topic if you want to read more:

Intuitive Eating After an Eating Disorder

The Healthiest Way to Eat {I think}

Intermittent Fasting: Healthy or Not?


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Filed Under: Food Freedom, Intuitive Eating, Nutrition

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Comments

  1. Cat says

    July 7, 2017 at 6:25 am

    “If it costs you your peace, it’s too expensive” — a particularly apt quote considering this post and one that I am currently trying to remember as I tease out the areas of my life that are draining rather than soul-filling (I actually have it as my desktop background as a reminder!). Thank you for your continued guidance and wisdom. <3

    Reply
    • emily vardy says

      July 7, 2017 at 6:46 am

      YES that quote is so perfect here!!

      Reply
    • Jacqueline D'Attoma says

      July 9, 2017 at 9:27 am

      THANK YOU FOR THAT QUOTE! *praise hands*

      Reply
  2. Megan says

    July 7, 2017 at 6:26 am

    I’ve always admired and enjoyed reading your posts. Today you managed to put into words what I’ve been thinking for so long. Very well said. I hope everyone reads this and feels inspired!

    Reply
  3. Let says

    July 7, 2017 at 6:45 am

    Lady, i like your food approach and i am really surprised about your husbands previous way of eating. Sorry but the thought of eating paleo and not enjoying my bread pasta rice or granola makes my brain wanting to explode.

    i am from Spain and bread in this culture is so so so important.
    In Europe we have a mored relaxed way of eating.- And not, i am not like the fitness bikini body, hi! 22% body percentagem hi BMI 23! but the pleasure i feel when i toast my bread, spread some avocado and puy some iberic ham is priceless.

    Be more relaxed, my friend
    Saludos!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      July 8, 2017 at 1:00 pm

      Ha, I too could not eat paleo like he did — men for some reason can adapt to that without the obsessive thoughts that women develop I find (not always, but more often than not) but we both really really love the intuitive way we eat now 🙂

      Reply
  4. emily vardy says

    July 7, 2017 at 6:48 am

    I really can’t get behind the clean eating thing. I know I’m kind of biased, coming from a disordered past, but I feel like any kind of diet that has strict rules is just asking for an unhealthy mindset. Moderation is key, just don’t overdo anything and you’ll be good!

    Reply
  5. Christina @ montessoriishmom.com says

    July 7, 2017 at 7:23 am

    I love this and couldn’t agree more 🙂 I loved the Blue Zones book b/c it looked at old societies of really healthy, long living people who certainly didn’t follow any diets, but just didn’t have access to processed food. No reason to overcomplicate things!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      July 8, 2017 at 12:59 pm

      I’ll have to check out that book!

      Reply
  6. Carrie this fit chick says

    July 7, 2017 at 8:45 am

    Oh my gosh amen to this. I tried every diet and eating rule there is only to fall back in a cycle of binge eat and restrict. It wasnt until I stripped back to basics and just ate to be fueled and happy that I found my sustainable and happy balance 🙂

    Reply
  7. Amber @ Bloom Nutrition Therapy says

    July 7, 2017 at 9:07 am

    Oh my gosh this is one of the best things I’ve ever read! And it’s SO TRUE! At 32 years of age and nearly 16 years of my life invested into what I thought was a “passion” of mine, I’m here to agree with you that it’s NOT worth it. I think having my own comparison of this with how much stress rigid eating and exercise was causing in my life compared to the significantly less stress I experience now, speaks volumes to how we define health. I choose to live a full, balanced life. One free of food rules and stressful timelines and I am MUCH happier and less stressed because of this decision. I only wish it hadn’t taken me 16 years of my life to figure it out!

    Reply
  8. Laura McRae says

    July 7, 2017 at 9:11 am

    Thank you, for this post! I struggle so much with restriction in eating Andy exercise, Andy what you are addressing in this post, is exactly what I am seeking to train my mind, heart, and body, to believe and implement. I also agree that living in an extreme mindset about food choices, does cause stress on your mind, because when I fall into that mindset, I feel overly stressed about what and when I am eating, especially, if it falls outside of my “plan” I’ve created for myself.

    Blessings to you! Much love!

    Reply
  9. Maria says

    July 7, 2017 at 9:18 am

    Too often I overhear conversations encouraging disordered eating, and there are not enough people talking about intuitive eating like nick and his friend were – so thank you for being part of spreading the word!! A note on Nick’s eating in the past – coming from a history of disordered eating and exercise, it is so important to me that my significant other has a healthy relationship with food – I just feel it’s going to be harder and harder to find nowadays!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      July 8, 2017 at 12:58 pm

      I think it’s important no matter what for your significant other to have a healthy relationship with food — even if you don’t have an ED past it’s easy to be influenced. Sharing meals together is a huge part of an intimate relationship – thinking of you and that you find someone who embraces the pleasure of food! xoxo

      Reply
  10. Cait says

    July 7, 2017 at 9:37 am

    You’re right on the money with that statement about Europe. I moved to Switzerland last year (where the most chocolate is consumed in the world – around 20 lbs per person per year!) If you can’t beat em, join em. Cheese and chocolate forever. <3

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      July 8, 2017 at 12:57 pm

      FOREVER!

      Reply
  11. Emily Haberly says

    July 7, 2017 at 9:39 am

    This was very encouraging to me. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

    Reply
  12. Erin says

    July 7, 2017 at 9:49 am

    I love this post so much! After having an eating disorder for almost 15 years, I am still working on finding the right balance for me and not placing so much importance on eating and exercising “perfectly.” I became so tired of reading conflicting information and constantly “tweaking” what I was doing, that I realized the only way to find peace with food and my body was to strive for balance and real health versus thinness. Your blog has helped me soooo much in my journey.

    Reply
  13. Jill @ RunEatSnap says

    July 7, 2017 at 9:50 am

    I completely agree – everyone has to find what works for them! I went through a phase where I was counting ever calorie and exercising for extended periods of time. Yes, I liked the weight that allowed me to achieve, but it was not sustainable!

    Reply
  14. Emily says

    July 7, 2017 at 10:09 am

    I love that Nick was able to share that with your friend, because I so agree that the simplicity of eating and living intuitively is much more freeing than idolizing anything that relates to health. Sometimes I think people can create more stress trying to be ‘healthy’ than just living intuitively. I know I did that for so many years.

    You always describe Europe and their simplicity around food so well. It’s so wonderful.

    Also, this is a little aside, but thank you for making such pinnable images for your blog posts. 🙂

    Reply
  15. Lolly says

    July 7, 2017 at 10:13 am

    This is perfect for me right now as I’m trying to create a genuinely healthy balance for myself post-pregnancy.
    The only bit I really didn’t agree with is the penultimate paragraph. Europe is a big place and we have our fair share of health freaks and junk food addicts. For some people the stereotypical Mediterranean lifestyle is still a reality, but it’s certainly not a European norm these days.
    You may have something on the speed thing though, as when we were in the US people kept getting confused about how long we took to enjoy our meals out.

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      July 8, 2017 at 12:56 pm

      You’re very right Lolly that Europe is big and has a lot of different food/culture dynamics that cannot be generalized into one statement but whenever I travel there I experience a WAY different diet/food/health culture. Slowness is good 🙂

      Reply
  16. Meah Konstanzer says

    July 7, 2017 at 10:32 am

    Love this post! My peers always comment on how “healthy” I eat (I don’t really like the word “healthy” because I feel like it really doesn’t have a true meaning). To be honest though, I don’t even think about the way I eat as “healthy” anymore. I just eat what I crave and that just so happens to be more whole foods than a lot of other people. I think the difference between my outlook on eating now versus when I struggled with trying to adhear to rules and restriction is that I try not to overthink things anymore. Striving to go with the flow and eat with ease is so important and definitely very rewarding.

    xxMeah

    Reply
  17. Sarah says

    July 7, 2017 at 9:25 pm

    I tell myself all the time that stress is the worst thing for me. If a certain way of eating causes stress, that stress outweighs whatever “good” the healthy eating did. I think Rachael Hartley wrote a blog post about mental health as part of total health, and I couldn’t agree more. Still, I have to confess that it’s way to easy to get caught up in the latest food/exercise/health trend.

    Thanks for writing!

    Reply
  18. Emily at The We Files says

    July 7, 2017 at 10:53 pm

    I always love your posts and perspectives. Similar to some of your readers, I have a disordered eating background. But I’ve been a vegetarian for life, for many reasons (including I’ve just never preferred the taste of meat). Now that I’m through the thick of it, I am making certain dietary choices for ethical reasons. I have a large hunch that some of the ways that I would deem more ethical styles of eating are also some of the ways that would make many bodies feel best, but I don’t preach that. I think people really have to go through their own journeys with these things and if people are listening to their bodies and desiring a compassionate lifestyle, who knows where they’ll end up? No judgment on my part on any dietary choices people choose, but I thought I would share since I know my perspective may not be the commonly shared one. 🙂 Wishing everyone wellness and always, balance!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      July 8, 2017 at 12:55 pm

      I very much agree with you Emily – that everyone is on their own journey and I DO think that for the majority of people if we are truly eating intuitively our bodies naturally gravitate towards more wholesome foods because they FEEL GOOD. happy weekend to you!

      Reply
  19. Maya says

    July 7, 2017 at 11:26 pm

    Oh I just love this! And you 🙂

    I think we can all agree that our grandparents (or great grandparents) generation definitely didn’t stess about the next superfood/health fad/crazy diet & instead followed that amazing thing known as common sense – & were a lot better of for it.

    Eat the cookie in the afternoon, have some veggies with your dinner (plus a buttered bread roll or three…) sip some wine & enjoy the spontaneous midnight pancake bonanza that just needed to happen. In fact I think embrace the midnight pancake bonanza should be by new motto 😉

    Keep posting Robyn! Also would adore some more posts on balancing hormones of all kinds- they’re fascinating! (Especially love the science- don’t worry about getting too detailed!) 🙂

    xo

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      July 8, 2017 at 12:54 pm

      midnight pancake bonanza…HA. love that 🙂

      will add that to my list to share more!

      Reply
  20. Nicole says

    July 8, 2017 at 7:23 am

    Here’s an article on food combining from an Ayuredic perspective: https://www.banyanbotanicals.com/info/ayurvedic-living/living-ayurveda/diet/ayurvedic-food-combining/

    In Ayurveda, food combinibg has a lot to do with the subtle qualities, tastes and energetic properties of food. Being mindful of food combining can help improve our digestion and keep our digestive fire (agni) strong. In my experience, experimenting with combinations can lead to great personal insights regarding personal strengths, imbalances and overall dietary wellness. Just a perspective from this wisdom tradition!

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      July 8, 2017 at 12:53 pm

      Hi Nicole! I think what I think with that is….isn’t that the same as intuitive eating? Finding out what feels good in your body and what doesn’t…I could be wrong but intuitive eating seems to align with eating foods that feel best to your digestive system?

      Reply
  21. Marion says

    July 8, 2017 at 11:37 am

    “But anything that becomes your identity and is elevated and glorified inappropriately becomes an idol. And that’s where things get really icky and destructive.” This. So true. This is my problem with these strict food “rules” that are based on so little science. Anything that holds you hostage and doesn’t allow you to listen to your own body can definitely become destructive. Thank you for writing this! I love your down to earth approach.

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      July 8, 2017 at 12:52 pm

      thank you Marion 🙂
      that goes beyond food too…exercise, job, beauty, money etc etc

      Reply
  22. dixya @food, pleasure, and health says

    July 8, 2017 at 11:57 am

    i whole-heartedly accept European’s philosophy on healthy living…i wish we will move towards that soon here as well, starting from our dietetics program.

    Reply
    • Robyn says

      July 8, 2017 at 12:51 pm

      SO MUCH YES to revamping the dietetics programs!

      Reply
  23. Joyce @ The Hungry Caterpillar says

    July 9, 2017 at 11:54 am

    Yeeeeeessssss! You are such an eloquent writer, Robyn. Thank you so much for this.

    Reply
  24. Hilary Jones says

    July 9, 2017 at 7:07 pm

    I have definitely experienced this over time. I went from eating fast food all the time and always feeling sluggish to eating complete paleo. And now I am really starting to see the difference in a balanced life. Eating out a couple times a week makes life so much easier. Going on vacation is never something I panic about either, if anything I get excited to experience new food!

    Reply
  25. Jess says

    July 11, 2017 at 11:58 am

    I totally agree with everything you wrote! I did the Whole30 in the beginning of the year and by the end I was so irritated and grumpy! I have to say, everything I ate was delicious and it was a great way to try things I might not have otherwise, but my whole life had become cooking and revolved around what I could and couldn’t eat. It was So hard to eat out or even over at someone’s house so I basically stopped and became antisocial. I felt great physically, but for me it definitely didn’t outweigh the mental and emotional state I was in. I’m back to eating healthy, but normal and feel much more happy and relaxed!

    Reply
  26. Victoria says

    July 12, 2017 at 1:33 am

    Yes!! Love this! My granda doesn’t have a clue about nutrition, just been eating his staple potatoes, meat, and veg all his life. He just turned 87 and he’s still as healthy as ever! I think the stress associated with any form of restrictive eating almost negates any possible health benefits!

    Reply
  27. Kelli @ Hungry Hobby says

    July 12, 2017 at 1:04 pm

    I was going to write a post EXACTLY like this, 100% in agreement. Now I’ll just share yours because I couldn’t have said it better myself!

    Reply
  28. Becca says

    July 13, 2017 at 2:57 pm

    I wholeheartedly agree with everything you said– having recently gotten back from a trip to Florence and Paris I was astounded by just how FREE the French and Italian are with their eating. Everything is prepared with such love and meals are enjoyed together with amazing wine and just enjoying those around you — I hope to eventually embody that lifestyle one day. It will take time but I learned so much from their way of life!

    Reply
  29. Amanda says

    July 16, 2017 at 8:11 pm

    yes yes yessssss. I think this line falls differently for everyone (and different in every season) when it comes to passions and at what point they become an idol. But it’s such a slippery slope!

    Reply
  30. Abigail T says

    August 1, 2017 at 6:35 pm

    Love these few lines from this post: “But anything that becomes your identity and is elevated and glorified inappropriately becomes an idol. And that’s where things get really icky and destructive.” I think the problem is we are so concerned about our identity, which I am guilty of, and don’t really listen to our bodies. Listening to our bodies can be a bit hard but it’s so worth it / rewarding.

    Reply

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A non-diet dietitian and nurse practitioner helping women find peace with food, accept their natural body size and heal from hormonal issues and period problems.

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A little way I’m learning to enjoy these years o A little way I’m learning to enjoy these years of getting to spend so much time with my kids: aka another way I’m discovering some pockets of peace so my heart & mind & soul don’t crumble under the reality of dependent & emotionally dysregulated tiny humans.  About once a week we go somewhere for baked goods. We drive or walk, buy something buttery & then find a beautiful, relatively quiet outdoor spot where the boys can romp and I can sit and think my thoughts while I watch them play. This past week we were found ourselves at the Wool Factory where the boys threw rocks & whatever else off the bridge while I ate 90% of this almond 🥐 from @coucourachou that will blow your mind. Boys ate the other 10% bc they were busy playing and didn’t ask for more quickly enough 😜  I’m finding *for me* playgrounds have a time & place but they aren’t where I enjoy motherhood & my two toddlers the most. Baked goods & a pretty outdoor spot without high drops my 15 month old could launch himself off of…I’m here for it.
I brought this bag of snacks along when I took the I brought this bag of snacks along when I took the boys to hike out at one of our favorite spots last week and when I ripped it open I was regretting my choice to share them with my kids. @baresnacks randomly sent me a box of snacks and I usually eat free food we receive or give it to a friend/neighbor and move on. But I felt it my duty to tell you about these bc they are THAT GOOD. I’m not getting paid and this isn’t sponsored - I was just shocked at how tasty these were and felt you needed to know. We ate them with some buttery roasted nuts and the combo was 👌🏻 but they are good just on their own.  The boys climbed rocks and swam in the reservoir - leave it to my almost 3 year old to want to strip down naked and fully submerge himself in chilly water on a sixty degree morning. “Mama can I get super nakey?” Sure baby. Sure. This is your childhood.
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a girlfriend brought me a 🍪 the size of my face a girlfriend brought me a 🍪 the size of my face from @mariebettecafe this morning when she came to get her toddler who played with us all morning and it is v good. even better when paired with an iced latte 😍
#AlignPartner I left off a few weeks ago sharing a #AlignPartner I left off a few weeks ago sharing about how taking @alignprobiotic regularly has improved my digestive regularity.  And I’m still taking them! I’ve permanently added Align 24/7 Digestive Support* into the roundup of supplements I take before bed (prenatal, vitamin D, choline & DHA - all which help keep me healthy while breastfeeding) so I can keep seeing the benefits.  Just because you see benefits, doesn’t mean you should stop taking your probiotic. Keep taking Align daily (under the supervision and recommendation of your health care provider of course) to keep seeing the benefits!  I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again - one of my favorite parts of Align probiotics is that they don’t need refrigeration AND they come in a convenient little blister pack that has the days labeled. It’s the little things people! #MyAlignGuutJourney #guthealth  *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
I realized it was going to be a long, hot afternoo I realized it was going to be a long, hot afternoon (91 and muggy in MAY 🤯) when a toddler nap was refused and a baby nap was cut wildly short ....so my tired mom brain pulled out two plastic storage bins, filled them up with soap & hose water and striped ‘em down naked in the yard. Two hours later, it was almost time for an early dinner and I had magically been able to sit for most of that time and we already had baths checked off the list. 👍🏻 I’m archiving this idea for my future self, hope it helps another tired mama out.
#AlignPartner I left off a month ago sharing about #AlignPartner I left off a month ago sharing about getting better at doing the basics to care for myself which included taking my supplements and @alignprobiotic regularly.  Probiotics take time to work so I wanted to give it a full month to see the full effects of @alignprobiotic. So here are my honest thoughts: it took a few weeks to notice any differences, but near the end of the month I did notice some changes in my digestive balance - even while traveling! I’m not someone who experiences occasional gas, bloating or abdominal discomfort frequently enough to notice a difference, so I don’t feel like I can comment on how well Align works for those benefits.  All in all though, taking @alignprobiotic was a positive experience and I really appreciated how the capsules don’t need to be stored in the fridge, making it convenient to take them with me anywhere #MyAlignGuutJourney #guthealth  *These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Where we will spend a good majority of our summer. Where we will spend a good majority of our summer. Because the swampy VA summer has already begun (it’s in the low 90s today 🥵 lord help) and creeks are our retreat - not only from the heat but also from the noisy world. I need this just (if not more) than they do! We’ll be at the splash pads and pools too, but the quietness of the creek...my mental health is so about it. And it’s hours of play for them! Win win.  A couple things to note: this scene also included a few toddler reminders on finding another direction to throw rocks instead of at his brother - so not all is serene 🤪 and also, yes I am now that mom who buys the same clothing for both kids bc it keeps things simple & i think i kinda like it too 🤷🏻‍♀️
Things I love about midwifery among many: the appo Things I love about midwifery among many: the appointments, no matter how long, feel so unhurried. 
Just walked in from an appointment with my midwife because I was due for a Pap test + an overall wellness visit. My last pap was during my first trimester with Cal which feels like a jillion years ago, but it’s only actually been three years. Life changes so fast! Pre-baby life feels like a whole other life.  I’m wayyyy overdue for a visit to my PCP bc I’ve been under OBGYN or midwifery care for the majority of the past three years while having babies, but I am pretty good with keeping up with my paps. It seems women often think they need pap and/or HPV testing way more frequently than they do (and providers sometimes perform these tests more frequently than necessary - remember more testing doesn’t always mean better outcomes!)  So if you need it, here’s a quick little reminder on this chilly spring Friday afternoon on how often you need this testing (these are the recommendations from ACOG)  Women aged 21–29 years should have a Pap test alone every 3 years. HPV testing is not recommended.  Women aged 30–65 years should have a Pap test and an HPV test (aka co-testing) every 5 years (preferred). It also is acceptable to have a Pap test alone every 3 years.  If you get abnormal results, this testing frequency could change - but for healthy women with normal results, you actually don’t need testing as frequently as you might think. Which is great news for those of you who hate the speculum.  Ok, off to finish up some things on the to-do list (including cleaning this kitchen) during nap time and then come 5 o’clock, crack an IPA with our neighbors 🍻
#AlignPartner Over the past seven months since bec #AlignPartner Over the past seven months since becoming a mom of two, caring for myself has gotten shoved to the back burner. And it's been a challenge to make it a priority. My routine-resistant personality has upsides and downsides when it comes to motherhood. So I'm starting small this year with a consistent bedtime routine that includes taking my supplements and @alignprobiotic and hoping as that becomes consistent, my mornings will naturally shift too.  In short my bedtime currently goes like this….jammies & face care when putting the babies to bed. Before I go to bed (anytime between 9pm and 12am...) I’ll pump, take my supplements and fill my water. Then I go upstairs and brush my teeth. And then get in bed. The kicker: 70% of the time I find myself finishing up tasks on my phone IN BED. I hate this habit.  Back to supplements. This is something I have been able to stick with. On top of fish oil, my prenatal, choline and vitamin D, I recently added @AlignProbiotic 24/7 Digestive Support*§ to see if it helps with abdominal discomfort and regularity because when I don’t drink coffee or am traveling that can get thrown off.  I’ll be taking it every day for the next 28 days since it takes TIME for our bodies to adjust to probiotics - and I'll be taking you guys along with me as I share my honest thoughts. Many people think if they don’t see changes within the first 7-10 days then the probiotic isn’t working, but that’s not the case. I’m giving myself more than just a week or two and instead a full month to see the full benefits. I’ll keep you posted over the next month. Check out my stories to learn more! #MyAlignGutJourney #guthealth
 
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
We had an AFTERNOON today. Toddler didn’t care f We had an AFTERNOON today. Toddler didn’t care for a nap. Putting baby down was harder than I wanted it to be. Miraculously, I had a moment of clarity as I was covered in tiny humans and decided I wasn’t doing the nap battle thing a on 60 degree, gorgeous, sunny spring day 🙅🏻‍♀️ so I piled both babies into the car half naked, opened the sun roof, put on white noise for them and an audio book for me and drank a kombucha as I drove a meal to a postpartum mama. Thirty five minutes later we had a sleeping baby and a toddler who at least had a rest. Baby transferred without waking HALLELUJAH and although my toddler didn’t nap today (lord help) at least we got soaked in breezy sunshine 😎🤘🏻💆🏻‍♀️
We veered from our usual Friday night homemade piz We veered from our usual Friday night homemade pizza (minus the dough, we leave that to @albemarlebakingco) because we are eating pizza tomorrow with some friends - instead I called my mom and asked her how she makes her chicken fingers and we fried up a big ole batch of chicken nugs 🙌🏻🤤 along with a sheet pan full of sweet potato fries and a simple arugula salad dressed with parmesean, olive oil and s&p. Oh and my moms honey mustard recipe for dipping. It’s SO DANG GOOD.  Over the past 6ish months we’ve been practicing (and practicing and practicing bc it doesn’t come naturally) unplugging from technology and slowing down and resting and just being for one day a week. Some call it Shabbat. Some call it Sabbath. Maybe you call it something different. All I know is IT IS SO GOOD FOR MY WEARY SOUL and the day I look forward to ALL WEEK. Sundown on Friday to sundown Saturday. Nothing but rest. For us that means hiking (or something outside) and napping and reading and being with friends and eating really good food. And drinking some really good wine or craft beer. Sometimes whiskey. 😛  And because I know I’ll get asked about the chicken finger recipe and also because it’s too good not to share and Momma Coale said I could, here ya go:  Cut chicken breast into thin strips or small pieces (I prefer nug size bc the breading to chicken ratio is perfection). Salt and pepper those babies really well. Then dredge them in all purpose flour, then egg, then panko - just like you would bread anything else. Then fry them up in a light oil - I use avocado oil because that’s our everyday oil. You could also use canola or peanut oil. Just fill a pan with an inch or so of oil on medium high heat. They only take 2-3 minutes per side. You can always temp them to make sure they are at least 165 degrees F to really make sure they are done. Dunk in all the sauces and enjoy!  Happy weekend!

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