February Happy Hippy Mama

Happy February All,

The beginning of each month allows me to reset, recharge, and start fresh.  I feel excited about what is coming. I hope all of you are looking ahead at a bright fresh February.  January was a busy and exciting month, starting 2020 off with fresh foods and exercise has given me a push in a positive direction.  

I know you all have heard me talk and talk about Whole30, but you haven’t heard from my friends!  Whole30 is a 30-day eating plan that cuts out all unnatural sugars, grains, and alcohol, for a full listing of all rules, visit the Whole30 website at https://whole30.com/whole30-program-rules/.  

In the month of January, I completed a Whole30.  I tried new recipes throughout the weeks and felt amazing.  Make sure to look in the food section of this issue for two fresh Whole30 recipes to try with your family and friends.  I did this Whole30 with a group of friends. We had a lot of fun comparing recipes and making jokes! If you are considering trying a Whole30 or any new food or exercise plan it is always a good idea to find a friend or two to join you.  Having an accountability buddy to check in with and encourage or get encouragement from makes all the difference. I have seen this in my Whole30 and with walking and running in the early mornings with neighbors.

Much like me, all of my friends have had positive experiences with Whole30.  Alicia my friend and neighbor shared that she has “seen a major difference in my body and energy level throughout the day.  It’s helped me to become more health-conscious of what my family and I are eating and introduce healthier ways to cook and snack.”  This is Alicia’s first Whole30 and she plans to “continue making healthy Whole30 choices even after the thirty days because at the end of the day it’s what is best for me and my family.”

My long-time friend and partner in crime Anne who has completed multiple Whole30 rounds.  Shared that she commits to doing a round “when I feel like I need a reset and am eating too much processed food.  After my first round when I completed the re-introduction phase, I realized that I am not sensitive to soy, legumes or minimal amounts of dairy.  It is really the sugar and gluten that affect me. Whole30 helps me to increase my energy levels, stabilizes my sleep patterns, and decrease my chronic pain from endometriosis.”

My sister-in-law Lindsay shared that “Whole30 helped change the way I look at foods.  I now choose foods that will fuel my body rather than junk to satisfy a craving. “ She also found that watching the numbers on the scale drop also had a very positive impact on her self esteem.

Finally, my friend and Whole30 guru Jenny, (www.foodmindlife.com) feels Whole30 drastically improved her physical health and helped support her through the most difficult time in her life, with the loss of her husband. “By following the Whole30 from elimination through reintroduction, I discovered certain foods were the cause of my skin issues and inflammation  This knowledge empowered me to change my lifestyle and drastically improve my health. I became a certified Whole30 coach to share all I have learned and to lead people to discover their own version of lifestyle change and food freedom.”

So now it’s not just me telling you all the amazingness that I feel about Whole30, but you have heard from my friends and tribe too.  If you are interested in continuing the conversation about all things Whole30 or if you would like to borrow my book shoot me an email at HappyHippyMama@yahoo.com or visit us on Facebook at Happy Hippy Mama.

This months mantra:

It’s a new month and a wonderful start. It’s a brand new beginning to accomplish our set goals which are surely achievable. Happy new month.

This month’s:  Try it you might like it idea:

MEAL PLANNING-

I love a good meal plan!  Finding time to sit down and plan out what we will eat over the next five to seven days helps me to ground into the upcoming week and allows me to feel organized and prepared.  I use a simple open weekly calendar and get input from the kids and Jonathan (my husband) on what sounds good to them. I check what supplies we have from the previous week and make a list of what we need.  I grocery shop for the needed items and check the calendar each day so that I can pull the ingredients from the fridge and be prepared for dinner. If you have any questions or want to continue this conversation feel free to email me or you can visit  https://projectmealplan.com/5-steps-to-weekly-meal-plan/ for more ideas and information about weekly meal plans.  Please let me know if you try meal planning and what you think.  I will include some in next month’s column.

Until next time...Namaste