Hi friends, I hope you are having a beautiful day today. In this digest, you will see some of the highlights from our Memorial Day weekend, a brand new recipe, and our latest Wake Up With The Walkers!
stop and smell the roses 🌹
Weight is not something I ever talk about here on this platform, but we got into it a bit on my stories the other day in regards to autoimmune disease, ulcerative colitis, & high-dose steroids.
It’s difficult for anyone with an autoimmune disease when people comment on how they look. When they say things like “you look so much healthier” just based on your face. Many autoimmune diseases can be silent killers, & you would never know someone is truly unhealthy & suffering internally.
The left picture was when I was on 70 mg of steroids in January. Believe it or not, I was 20lbs lighter than I am on the right.
I was (and am still) fighting for optimal health, but was in a much worse place on the left. With the new puffiness of my cheeks, a lot of people assumed I was doing great. And even wrote to tell me how “healthy” I looked. Weight does not always = health. Whichever way on the scale it goes.
I received comments ranging from “did you get cheek fillers?” to “wow you were too thin & now that you put back on all the weight you lost in the hospital you look great!” It’s interesting what people feel comfortable saying through DMs. I can’t imagine a stranger ever approaching someone asking if they got fillers, telling them that they look great because they gained weight, or looked terrible because they were too thin. Especially when they couldn’t control any of those scenarios.
Being on Prednisone not only makes you feel like a different person bc of the mental side effects & lack of sleep but you also barely recognize yourself when you look in the mirror. Because of those oddly puffy cheeks that seemed to appear overnight, & the extra 30-40 pounds it can make you gain (in strange places) within a few weeks time.
I guess I’m sharing all of this to let other women who are experiencing similar fluctuations & comments, however well-intended, know that I too struggle with the mental game it plays on you. And it’s ok to feel that, especially when you feel so out & not like yourself.
And also to let those know who haven’t been on the drug to chose your “compliments” or questions wisely, because you never know what someone is going through or how it may trigger pain for them.
We had the most perfect, summery day for Memorial Day. Complete with 85F ☀️, an inflatable pool, 🍉, Margs, BBQ, great music, s’more with homemade paleo crunchy graham crackers and marshmallows, a fire pit, and a beautiful sunset.
It’s crazy to think Asher has already been out of school for a little over a week now, and that our quarantine will *hopefully* be lifted in the next few days!
New recipe alert!
Sprouted Brown Rice Crispy Treats
These aren’t exactly “Against All Grain“, but they’re my healthier spin on the old favorite!
Using sprouted brown rice cereal makes the grain easier to digest and makes the nutrients more bioavailable, and I use my homemade marshmallows to keep these delightfully crunchy treats refined-sugar free.
Wake up with the Walkers – Dairy-Free Mint Chip Ice Cream
We've brought this classic back during quarantine. My paleo mint chip ice cream from my first cookbook Against All Grain has been a hit with the kiddos, and we've literally made it once per week since our shelter in place started. It is a great alternative for anyone who cannot have dairy and eggs, and it is not icy at all (all from the avocados!). We can barely keep this in the freezer for a day before it’s devoured!
What’s your favorite ice cream flavor? Drop it in the comments here! If I see some flavors that I haven’t created yet, I’ll add them to my recipe creation list!
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Location of the Recipe: Against All Grain Cookbook p. 282