My journey towards Whole Foods and why work with a coach?

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I took my first shot at drastically changing my diet and getting rid of all the processed sugar and carbs after my third baby was about 6 months old (in 2010). And it is by far the best decision I have ever made for myself and my family. The benefits are many and they go way deeper than just improving one’s post-three babies physique 😜.

Growing up, food was never a priority to me, I ate when I remembered to eat or when my parents made me stop whatever I was so entranced by at the moment (like playing with my dolls or drawing) and made me eat a few bites. What you may not know is that growing up in Russia in the 1980s, meant that food choices were scarce. We ate seasonally available options, including the things we would grow ourselves in the summer and storing and canning everything we could to weather the cold months that lasted from early October to late May. Our diet was pretty basic and “treats” were only available during major holidays and celebrations like New Years and birthdays.

Then fast forward to drastic improvements in food availability for me in early 2000s and then moving to the US in 2006, then having three babies back to back in a totally new environment, without family or close friends to support me through this transition. Over this period of time, unexpectedly, food has become something I would turn to more for comfort and immediate gratification in the absence of other more productive coping mechanism in my life. For the first time ever, food has become IMPORTANT to me. I have always LOVED sweets and desserts of any sort, and now I have found myself dipping into that chocolate bowl way more often. I was also tired, stressed and frustrated.

So, I did some research and came across 21-Day Sugar Detox and Whole30.

I started with a round of Whole30 in January of 2011. My husband and I did it together and it was completely eye opening and amazing. While I was not dealing with a weight problem, I found myself feeling more energized, the brain fog was gone, I slept better and my keratosis pilaris has cleared up (those annoying bumps on the arms and thighs).

I am a strong believer that switching to a real food based diet and kicking your sugar and carb cravings is the best thing you will do for yourself PERIOD!!! Simple enough, right? While you can already be motivated and determined enough to pull it off completely on your own, when you work with a coach you are upping your chances for success SIGNIFICANTLY! As your coach, I would consider my job well done, if you are not only successful during the initial 21 days, but well beyond that: when you have acquired tools, techniques and resources to make achievable and sustainable life style changes that will improve your overall well-being from this point forward. My goal is a healthier and happier YOU ❤️.

With me as your coach you get:

✔️accountability

✔️ pre- and post-detox assessment

✔️access to me and other resources

✔️a more successful and rewarding detox experience

✔️daily encouragement and motivation

✔️coaching through challenges and life style adjustments

✔️learn a lot about food and its effects on your body, health and well-being

✔️success strategies beyond detox

✔️if you are local, you can even order 21DSD compliant and delicious meals🥗from me to diversify your eating choices. Now you really have no excuse to fail! 😜

✔️so much more!

How many times have you set out on a mission to make a significant change that you know would improve your health and your life, only to give it up a short time later? Or maybe you had your annual physical exam and the doctor advised that you eat a healthier diet and start exercising, without a “how-to” print-out or as much as a few tips on where to start? Does this sound familiar? I am would love to be your “HOW”.

Thoughts on Snacking During Your 21DSD and Beyond!

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I think it is safe to say that our modern western society is the society of perpetual and constant snackers. We snack when we hungry and when we are bored, when we are tired and when we are stressed… We make our children snack constantly, because the unthinkable may happen, and they experience the ever slightest pang of hunger. There’s also this widely publicized idea of having 5-6 small meals per day to improve one’s metabolism and manage weight. The latter idea is not a terrible one, if those small meals are meals structured around 2oz. or so of high quality protein and a whole food based side the size of your palm. However, I dare say, that the vast majority of people eat their snacks/meals in the form of prepackaged, boxed, wrapped, highly PROCESSED substances that provide little to no quality nutritional value, but an abundance of sugar, hard to pronounce ingredients and an exorbitant amount of EMPTY calories. And yes, even organically manufactured snacks are not your best choice nutritionally.

So, what is a person to do? I come from a culture where snacking has always been discouraged. My mom used to not allow any snacking between the meals as she was convinced we would not eat a “proper meal” during regular meal times. As much as I resented the idea growing up, today I believe it is not a bad approach. Your meals should be large and nutritious enough to sustain you until your next “proper” meal. Also, simply put, it is a good idea to allow your digestive system to “take a break” from constantly having to digest something, and to give glucagon and leptin (as well as other hormones of the digestive system) time to do their job. 4-5 hour break between meals is a pretty good target. If you are working a physically demanding job, with long hours or have an especially active metabolism, you may increase your meals to 4.

Now onto what you should eat if you MUST have a snack. Doing a 21DSD is a perfect time to also change your snacking habits, don’t you agree? It’s a good idea to stop thinking about snack in terms of “snack foods”. Your snack or mini meal should be composed around the same principles of dense nutrition as a regular meal and should consist of whole foods. That means a quality protein source in a smaller amount, and/or a vegetable, and/or a source of high quality fat. There are some beautiful snack options available when we start thinking literally “outside the box”:

  • Chicken bites (from the chicken course the day before)
  • Compliant and clean ingredient deli meats, like roasted turkey, chicken and beef that can be made info roll-ups for ease of consumption
  • Cut-up veggies
  • Mini egg frittata muffins
  • A green apple
  • A green tipped banana
  • A handful of raw nut of your choice
  • A handful of raw coconut flakes of your choice
  • Kale chips
  • If you must have an easy store-bought snack, seasnax are great! Available at Whole Foods Market and other grocery stores, as well as online.
  • Almond butter packs. My favorite ones are by Artisana. Be sure to check labels to make sure it contains just raw almonds without sugar and additives.
  • Compliant epic bars
  • Beef sticks/jerky. Always be sure to check the labels!

Switching to a whole foods based diet opens up so many possibilities! Changing a lifelong habit is hard and it does seem like an insurmountable task in the beginning, but as you go through this process, you will notice so many incredible positive changes that will make it all worth it. I promise. Remember, where there’s pain, there’s growth. The transformation is magical and you are the one in control of just how profound the resulting change is going to be. You can do it!