I actually really love Facebook. It is just such a great way for me to advertise my two businesses. I'm not just talking about my Sunshine Shoppe and Core pages. I'm talking about my personal Jessica Pope page, the one with Levi and I doing handstands on the beach as my profile picture because let's be honest, two people in bathing suits on the beach doing handstands looks healthy, energetic, fun, full of life and that is the very thing I make a living off of. I am my own walking billboard and that my friends (or random blog readers) is quite the burden.
I have nearly killed myself trying to appear to the whole world (that was a little bit of an exaggeration) that I am Super Healthy Girl who grows her own herbs outside of her health food store and has raised children that love kale and spinach. I'm not saying those things aren't true but I think it is important for everyone, including myself, to know and realize that I eat crap, too, sometimes. I enjoy letting my kids eat cake at birthday parties. Heck, I enjoy eating cake at birthday parties...and weddings (wedding cake is my fav!!). I will occasionally order an iced coffee with half-n-half and sweetened with classic syrup. I rarely buy organic. There are two boxes of cereal in my fridge right now. We took the kids to Mellow Mushroom on our last summer weekend because they have gluten-free crust and then we just ordered the regular crust. I forget to take my supplements at least 3 days a week. I really struggle with self-control...if the unhealthy food is in front of me I will eat it until it is all gone. Sometime my kids come home with their lunch boxes completely full and starving because they didn't like any of the food I packed them.
My point is this: There has to be balance. There has to be grace. I do not expect anyone to decide to live a healthier lifestyle and just never think about pizza again. I don't expect that of myself and I live in a health bubble! I wonder sometimes if people look at the life I present to the public and think that I am extreme. That I focus too much on health and it would be too hard for you to do that too. That is not what I want. I want health to be real. I want you to know that you can make an unhealthy choice from time to time and still be a healthy person. This is not an all or nothing situation but I think so many think that you either have to go super paleo and hunt down rabbits in your backyard and eat wild onions or you just give up and enjoy all that processed food has to offer.
Sometimes one step at a time is the way to go. If cold turkey super health perfection hasn't worked for you in the past then it probably won't in the future. So start small. And be forgiving of yourself. For those of you who aren't ready for a Whole 30 type elimination diet (and just reducing your sweet tea intake may cause you a panic attack) I suggest adding some digestive enzymes into your diet. I really think everyone can benefit from these enzymes but especially if you are keeping some of the more difficult to digest foods in your diet such as grain, dairy and legumes.
Digestive enzymes help break down the food that we eat for proper absorption. There are primarily four that you will find:
Amylase - breaks down carbs and starches
Cellulase - breaks down sugars
Protease - breaks down proteins
Lipase - breaks down fats
Check out why adding digestive enzymes into your diet is a good idea:
1. Without enzymes chemical reactions cannot take place in our bodies. We must have them for vitamins, minerals and hormones to work.
2. Cooked food lacks enzymes and some enzyme inhibiting foods such as nuts, seeds, egg whites, beans, potatoes and peanuts deplete and neutralize enzymes in the body making it difficult to absorb the nutrients needed.
3. Super hot Texas summers or very cold, somewhere else winters, intense exercise, or illness can all make our bodies use up our enzymes faster therefore decreasing digestion of foods.
4. The older we get the less enzymes we have available. (Ahhhh....Jim, it is sooooo hard to resist the old jokes.) And last time I checked we aren't getting any younger. In fact, the copious amounts of glitter I have begun to grow from my head is proof of that!
I carry digestive enzymes in my purse wherever I go just in case I act human in public and eat something sinful. I also make it a habit to take them regularly because I just feel better. My tummy feels flatter and I don't feel so full after eating. I have chewable enzymes that Addie takes any time her little tummy feels yucky and they help settle her nausea because she is very sensitive to foods.
These little pills are simple solutions to getting and feeling healthier even if you aren't ready to clean out the fridge and pantry or become a caveman. Every small step is a step in the right direction.
I will still be posting uber healthy pics of paleo packed lunches and me flexing my little CrossFit muscles but just know that health looks different on everyone and you have no one to answer to but yourself. Show yourself some grace, accept that you are going to eat some ice cream every now and then and take your digestive enzymes.
Here is a healthy small step...Quinoa 'Oatmeal.' Quinoa is a great source of protein and naturally gluten-free. We have recently incorporated this ancient grain back into our diet and are loving it!!! (More on the changes and additions we've made to our diets coming soon!!!!)
Ingredients:
Quinoa, cooked according to package directions
Grass-fed butter
Raw honey
Coconut milk
Fruit of choice
I don't have measurements...just put it all in a bowl (easy on the honey) and enjoy.
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