What I ate on a two day Road trip: Dairy free & Gluten free

As you might know, last month was my sister’s wedding in Connecticut! My husband and I decided the best way to travel was by car so we had to drive from Florida to Connecticut on a two-day journey.

To make the trip even more interesting, Daniel ended up having to go up early and I was left to drive by myself. Of course, I wanted to take on the challenge but also dreaded the thought of being by myself for two days. I was able to persuade myself with the ideas of figuring out what snack to bring, where to stop, and how much coffee I would be able to drink!

To accomplish eating healthy while on a road trip you have to do a lot of pre-packing because when your only option is a gas station, you won’t find many dairy and gluten-free options that won’t upset your stomach.

So for me, it was like a fun game of how many snacks could I find on sale to stockpile before the trip!

My criteria.

1. They had to be easy to eat in case I wanted to just snack without pulling over.

2. They had to contain a variety of nutrient wise because I wanted to feel satisfied

3. They had to be FUN so I wasn’t tempted to indulge, making me feel sick...

So I put my head together and here is what I came up with!

BREAKFAST

• Collagen coffee made the morning of click here for the recipe!

• I threw together some chocolate overnight oatmeal the day before and packed it for when I stopped for breakfast.

• Spoon (This is important)

LUNCH

• Packaged tuna

• Simple Mills crackers (I got these for free on a thrive promotion)

• On the go packs of mustard and ketchup (like what you get free from McDonald's)

• Baby carrots

• Fork (this is also important)

SNACKS

• Hu Chocolate gems and mixed nuts: I was given the chocolate, but you can buy chocolate chips to save some money!

• Kombucha, two for one special!

• RX Bars (The best price I found for these is buying a box at Walmart!)

DINNER

· For dinner, I stopped at a friend’s house to sleep overnight, and just ate there. This worked out perfectly because I left early enough to make it each place in time for dinner!  

Stopping for coffee was the only time I ended up spending money and it was a very good choice. I decided to plan out where I would stop for coffee to make it more of an experience than just a shell station cup of coffee. 

 I picked a little place in Savannah the first day and it allowed me to get out and stretch my legs while also picking up a delicious almond milk latte!

The second day of my trip I settled for Starbucks, but only because I didn’t have the time to stop for anything more. I stopped the second day in Washington D.C. and had the opportunity to visit the holocaust museum. I wandered around for almost 2 hours before realizing it was probably time to go.

Overall the trip offered deliciously cheap food, a free museum, high-quality coffee, and maybe a few unexpected tolls...

*Note to self! Always choose no toll options for going through New England… 

Let me know your favorite travel snacks, or how you would switch up the menu!  

Thank you again for stopping by! 

Love always, 

Sonya 

How To Enjoy Food on a Diet Change

Spice Things up//Make the switch easy! 

I don’t know about you guys but for me swapping over to a whole new way of eating was pretty daunting. After I learned I had candida I had to give up all sugar, gluten, dairy which made my meal choices seem pretty bland and to tell you the truth they were. 
In saying this they were bland because I had no idea what I was doing when it came to preparing gluten, dairy, and sugar-free food. I had never experimented with spices or herbs, I had no idea how to use condiments other than ketchup and didn’t know how adding textures and contrasting flavors could really make a dish awesome! I began with eating plain oats, plain chicken, and millet with some greens, smoothies that contained mostly ice…It was the farthest from tasty that you could get. I realized that if I was going to survive three months of that I decided things had to get interesting. 

At this time I also moved in with my sister and her family who enjoyed cooking meals that use strong spices and herbs such as curries, smoked meats, jambalayas, etc. It was good I moved in with them because I was not the only one who had to figure out how to make family meals sugar, dairy and gluten-free. It became a challenge for us all, figuring out how to substitute and what new things we could create to replicate the meal so that we could all enjoy it. 
We discovered the beauty of pairing organic mustard with sauerkraut and that adding fresh cilantro and mashed avocado was the perfect substitute for salad dressing. We found recipes to make things like granola, cornbread, pancakes, cookies, etc. I found out that cheddar cheese or buttered bread is not the only way to make a dish taste good, it’s the way you prepare the food. 

Some of my all-time favorite foods are because of the great experiments we would have with new meals! If you find the idea of changing the way you eat daunting, remember that even though the beginning might leave you with a bad taste in your mouth, as long as you keep trying it WILL get better! 

Here are some of my favorite things to spice up my meals without sacrificing my health! 

•    Mustard: Make sure to buy organic and check the label
•    Sauerkraut: I like to combine this with mustard and add it in salads, eat it plain. 
•    Kimchi
•    Turmeric
•    Cumin  
•    Cinnamon
•    Nutritional Yeast: This is great sprinkled on eggs or even popcorn to get that cheesy taste! 
•    Artisan Oils and Vinegar: You can always find these at your local farmers market or health food store! Some of my favorites are garlic olive oil and fruit-infused balsamic
•    Fresh Herbs: Cilantro and rosemary and mint are my favorites. All three can be used in ether savory or sweet dishes! 
•    Bay leaves: great flavor to add to soups and jambalayas
•    Bamboo Shoots
•    Cocoa powder: This is my favorite way to make things like  oatmeal, smoothies, chia seed pudding, etc. much more interesting
•    Pink Salt and Freshly cracked peppercorn: I couldn’t come all this way and not give mention to what Good salt and pepper can accomplish in a dish!  

Let me know what are some of your favorite ways to make healthy food that much more exciting!  

Sincerely, 

Sonya  

Quitting Coffee For Balanced Hormones

Quitting Coffee

I don’t know about you guys, but my longest relationship has been with coffee. Even before I met Daniel my dad would give me a petite cup filled with just enough coffee to dip my cinnamon toast in. Over the years coffee has brought a lot of energy and delight, but last year I began to realize that what it started to put my body through was not worth it.

It all started once Daniel moved to America and we began married life together. Stress was high as we were trying to figure out how to maneuver through life together. Though I would try to get the day going on a high note I would continuously be met with an over sensitive & emotional me that felt like the world was crashing to an end every day around 1 pm.

 Now I know you might be thinking that is seems normal when it comes to stressful situations, but the problem was that it wasn’t getting any better. This is when I started to question the root cause and discovered to amazing qualities of hormones. After some research I found that coffee was one of the main culprits behind it all.  

What I came to discover is that coffee can take a toll on the female body through its effects on blood sugar, stress hormones, and your gut!  One of the best articles I could have read is Alissa Vitti’s blog post, 3 Secret Reasons Why Women Should Not Drink Coffee. She explains exactly what goes on in the FEMALE body when it comes to caffeine.  

I know what you may be thinking, how can you possibly give up the sweet nectar of life that you get to experience each morning? Well what worked for me was going cold turkey for about two months and then enjoying it solely on the weekends. I also try to stick to a few Rules I have made for myself that have made the experience much more joyful

·         Rule #1: Make sure the days I do drink coffee involves a lot of movement.

I know from experience that being highly caffeinated while sitting in a church pew for a few hours is enough to drive anyone crazy. 

·         Rule #2: Make sure you actually WANT a cup of coffee.

If it’s the day you normally have coffee and you are not feeling it than don’t force it! There have been days where I drink it just for the fact that today is my only chance, but that tends to lead to me feeling not so great. Respect and listen to what your body is telling you, if you’re not feeling it than don’t drink it.

·         Rule #3: Don’t skimp out!

I am spoiled in this category because Daniel actually makes me coffee, meaning he roasts, grinds and creates the perfect Chemex drip coffee for me. I know you might not have a Daniel in your life, but you do have amazon where you can pick up green beans if you want to attempt roasting, a Chemex coffee maker, a coffee grinder and you’re good to go. By doing this you can avoid drinking stale coffee which means you don’t miss out on the awesome antioxidants coffee has to offer. Drinking fresh coffee has less acidity than stale coffee and is a lot easier on your tummy!

Now that I stick to these “Rules” I feel like I can take on any day life decides to throw at me without the need for coffee. There’s no 1pm crash, anxiety, mood swings (from coffee at least), and I find myself enjoying coffee even more than I did before!

Always remember that it’s never about deprivation, it is only about caring for the body that God has entrusted to you!  

Pssst** Here are some sneaky Ideas to replace that everyday cup of coffee!

·         Matcha Tea

·         Turmeric Latte

·         Healthy Hot Chocolate

·         Lemon Water

·         Rooibos tea

Allisa VItti’s 3 Reasons Why Women Shouldn’t Drink Coffee

https://www.floliving.com/3-reasons-why-women-cant-drink-coffee/

 

 

The Benefits of Drinking Tea

Keep Calm and Drink Tea.

I don’t know about you, but growing up I loathed tea despite how awesome it was. Thankfully I have a mother who would always encourage me to try new things as well as my South African family who helped me to understand the sheer importance of tea.

First of all, drinking tea is something commonly acquainted with relaxation. Tea time is a part of your day where you take a step back to breath, enjoy good conversation or even quiet time by yourself. There is something special about putting life on hold for those few moments.

Now if you would have told me that 2 years ago I would have seen it as a waste of time because obviously taking 15 minutes to drink tea is not productive. My mindset was if you have 15 minutes to do something, then do something productive. This “productive” time would consist of cleaning, jumping jacks, trying to read all 45 pages of assigned reading, etc.

Obviously I was good at taking every opportunity to stress myself out…

Thankfully I can now see the productivity in drinking tea. Not only is it relaxing and offers some family time, you also have a chance to mentally unwind. I have found that taking 15 minutes helps me to be more productive, I am calm and not rash in my decisions and I am generally happier.

Oh yeah, and did I mention all the health benefits of tea? You might be surprised but tea can be used to sooth a sore throat, aid in digestion, provide antioxidants to keep you healthy and caffeinated teas are a great swap for coffee! Tea is also low in calories and can help you when it comes to managing cravings and mindless snacking.

So this week take the time to stop for a minute, make a cup of tea with a special treat whether it be good conversation, a slice of cake, or both!

P.S. If tea doesn’t sound too thrilling here is a list of my personal favorites!

·         Rooibos tea with a dash of Almond milk and Honey

·         Matcha Latte with Cinnamon

·         Herbal blended tea: Plain or with a dash of Almond Milk

Smoothie Bowl Love

Need to get out of the boring breakfast rut?

Here is a simple, and delicious recipe that will make you step back, look in the mirror, and realize that your the coolest for creating an awesome breakfast. 

Ingredients 

• 2 frozen cubes pumpkin
• ¼ cup frozen steamed cauliflower
• ¾ th Frozen Banana
• 1Tbs Nut Butter
• Plant based Milk ½ cup or as needed  
• 3-4 drops stevia (Optional)
• 2Tbs Flax Meal

Helps you to digest smoothies and avoid that sickly feeling some people get after eating smoothies

• Dash of cinnamon

This is a warming spice and will aid in digestion of your smoothie as well as keep your blood sugar from spiking.

• 1tsp Maca (Optional) 

This is to help balance hormones  

Blend and top with your favorites, from nut butter and coconut to chia seeds and fruit!