What's the Deal?

You mean, you noticed it has been nearly TWO months since my last post?? Ehh... well... I know. I'm not proud of it but in my defense, I have been up to a few things. In case you aren't following me on social media, here's the low down on what's been going on around here.

Making Memories
Have I ever mentioned how much we love to travel? We've been incredibly fortunate to travel to a lot of fabulous places with many of our favorite people over the years. About 3 or 4 years ago, my brother started talking about a trip to Italy after he graduated high school. At the time, it seemed kinda like a "yea, keep dreaming" scenario, but that dream came true. We got to spend two unforgettable weeks this May/June with my mom, step-dad and brother soaking in everything Italy had to offer. My sister and Ethan unfortunately couldn't join us due to school. We indulged in the food, the sights, the history, the landscape. Seeing places and hearing stories that we'd only ever thought we would learn about from the history books was really something. We backpacked and hopped 6 different hotels in 14 days. We saw Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento, Capri, Ana Capri, the Almafi Coast, Florence, Tuscany, Venice, Murano, Burano, Como, and Milan. I ate gelato every day and Jason had pizza for over 3/4 of his meals. We watched the famous Murano glass be made. We toured all the famous monuments and cathedrals. We biked ten miles through the Tuscan hillside to enjoy the beauty and the tastes of wine country. We made friends with an Irish bar owner named Gino and played more games of cards than I can count, including under the stars in front of the Duomo in Florence. We took a gondola ride in Venice and met Joe Minoso of Chicago Fire and his wife on the train. To say this trip was phenomenal would be an understatement. While we weren't ready to see it end, coming home and being reunited with our pups after almost three weeks was pretty special too. 

Becoming a Health Coach
In March, I pulled the trigger on something that had been calling my name for nearly eight months. I decided to put all my fears and excuses to bed and do what I knew in my heart I was being called to do: help more people. I enrolled in courses to gain my certification as an Integrative Nutrition Holistic Health Coach. I have fallen in love with health and wellness over the last year. The more my own health was being transformed, the more I wanted to help others experience the same positive changes. I obviously enjoy nutrition, teaching, and inspiring others to eat better and live healthier lives. The ability to do so as a full fledged career path felt like a natural fit. I began my classes right away, and have been pouring lots of hours into my education and building my business model.

But where did this shift in my own health come from? If you've been following this blog for any length of time, you know it all started as a way to document my (now) husband and I's journey through the Whole30. Growing up I probably ate more vegetables and fruits than a lot of American children, but I certainly ate my fair share of crap too. Come college, Kool-aid in the fridge and YoCrunch non-fat yogurt for breakfast were staples in our lives. We ate lots of frozen pizza, Pringles and bought the cheapest meats possible at the grocery store. It was sometime in 2011 that my pastry school curriculum required us to watch the documentary Food, Inc. Later that semester I had to write a book report on Michael Pollan's Food Rules. These two experiences began to open my eyes and my mind to what was going on with the food in our country and this is where our shift began. The more I learned, the more I felt duped. Like "Why have I never heard this before?" "How come this isn't common knowledge?" "Its no wonder our society is sicker and more obese than ever... there's so much mis-information we've all been fed!" So I began making smarter choices as I ran out of things at home. We slowly began phasing out the processed food in favor of more nutritious, whole foods. It didn't take long to realize that when you eat better, you feel better.

Fast forward to 2016. We'd now been eating clean (including our round of Whole30) for years; each year getting better and better about our habits and building upon our previous efforts. We were young, we were active, and we were eating really well. We should be feeling phenomenal, right? I wish that were the case. I wish that I wasn't using medications or oils multiple times a week for tummy troubles and head pounding. I wish I was sleeping soundly, waking refreshed, and had sustained energy all day long; but that would be a lie. I wish my legs wouldn't keep me up at night, that my seasonal sniffles were not a struggle, that I didn't get "hangry", and that I wasn't in a brain fog feeling like life was passing me by. But I was dealing with those issues as a part of my daily life. I had been dealing with them (and more) for so long, I'd convinced myself that those issues were normal. It is not normal, it was a glaring indication that something was out of whack. With much resistance and little belief that supplements were the missing piece, I finally took a chance. My cousin Amy had told me about Plexus. To say I was skeptical would've been a total understatement. I asked a million questions which her husband, who holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry, so patiently answered for me. I researched the ingredients to make sure they were natural, safe, and up to my standards. And I placed my first order, still certain I would be getting a refund of my money when they didn't do anything. And then they did. All those things I listed that I was struggling with resolved themselves in only a matter of weeks. But that wasn't enough for me... I wanted to know more. I wanted to understand the science behind it and how something as simple as proper Chromium intake could take away my chocolate cravings. How Magnesium deficiency was causing my head and legs to ache. I dove into research. I studied gut health, blood sugar stability, and inflammation like there was no tomorrow. The more I learned about these things and their connections to so many chronic illnesses we face as a nation, the more I wanted to share this new found knowledge with others. To help educate others on how getting to the root of their issues rather than covering them up could free them from the dark weight they were carrying, just like I had been. It was through my own journey with food, through this blog, through my personal research and experience, through Plexus and my growing passion for health that I realized all of this was leading up to me finding health coaching. That taking this fire within me to the next level and helping others improve their lives is EXACTLY what I wanted to do. So I took the plunge, and I started chasing after what I believed in.

New Projects 
While there's a lot that hasn't hit the blog recently, it's not because there aren't big things happening. One big new development I'd like to share with all of you and invite you to partake in is my new page on Facebook: Jordan Clapp - Health Coach in the Making. While I love writing this blog, it doesn't allow me to be as engaged with each of you as I'd like to be. This page is an opportunity of me to share what I am learning, as I am learning it. It's also a way that I can offer video tutorials, live meal prepping sessions, and more. It's bringing the essence of the blog to life in a much more personal way. Not to worry, I still have every intention of blogging our monthly meal plans and many of the recipes you will see me prepare on camera via the page. Through this new page, you'll also be able to find quick tidbits about health, food, and nutrition that may not be fit for a full blog post, but are important and helpful none the less! And the best part (in my opinion) is that you all can interact, make suggestions, ask questions and be involved! If you haven't already "liked" and "followed" this new page, I would love for you to do so.

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There's plenty of other smaller happenings that have occurred in the last few months, but this covers the big things. Now that you're all up to speed, what's next? Well, tomorrow is a new month, meaning another new meal plan will be coming your way soon. There are lots of new recipes to be typed and posted, and lots of things I can't wait to share with you. This year has a lot in store for us. While sometimes I feel like the hamster on the wheel spinning a million miles an hour, I know that all of it is so, so worth it. I can't wait to see this next chapter unfold, and I hope that you'll be along for the ride.

Meal Planning: May 2017

A new month, a new meal plan! And looky here ya'll -- I'm actually posting it on the first of the month! Say whaaaa?!?! I think you're all well aware that I've been significantly lacking in the content department this past month. But I've made a plan, set my goals, and am determined to give you lots of new content and recipes this month. Our summer is jam packed with lots of awesome stuff happening, yet I have every intention of making this summer the best yet here on the blog! Without further ado, here is our meal plan for the month of May.

I did mention there was awesome stuff happening, right? Ya, Italy qualifies as awesome. We've been planning this trip for over a year now and I can't believe it is almost here! I've built in some pantry and freezer type meals for that week before we leave. You know me, I hate wasting food, so the goal will be to eat down pretty much everything in the fridge before we leave. I can't wait to recap all the delicious eats I'm certain will be coming from this trip. I'm hoping to come back super inspired and ready to recreate lots dishes!

Meal Planning: April 2017

I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with April. It happens to be my birthday month (and also that of numerous friends and family members). I'm also a big fan of more sunshine, flowers popping up, and the start of planting season for our garden. I'm not so much a fan of the excessive rain and spontaneous plummeting of temperatures, but I try to focus on the positive fact that summer is just around the corner!

As the temps warm up, inevitably our calendar also tends to fill up. We love traveling and having guests visit, so in the coming months you'll probably notice some of the dates on our meal planning calendars get marked out or have dining out planned instead of home cooking. After all, we are normal people just like you, and we don't always cook at home 100% of the time. To be honest though, a more packed schedule makes meal planning all the more important. I don't want to be buying groceries we don't use up or have things going to waste. On the contrary, it's important to note that none of my monthly meal plans are ever set in stone. I've found that the ability to be flexible is just as important as the planning itself. I use our meal plans as a guide to keep us eating healthy, using up what we have on hand, and grocery shopping appropriately. When we do eat out, more times than not we are bringing home leftovers. Hello, America... ever heard of portion control? That's a soap box I'll get on some other day. But for now, here's our meal plan for April.

Recipe: Clean Eating No-Bake Cookies

To say these are "not your momma's No-Bakes" is probably an understatement. And, well, in my case, my momma wasn't the one making them in our house growing up, it was my sister. While I can give her credit for perfecting her skills, this version contains much less butter and granulated sugar. By much less, I mean none. This recipes contains neither of those ingredients and yet still delivers on all the gooey, decadent, and delicious notes we know and love about No-Bakes.

So here it is. Seven clean, natural ingredients yielding a scrumptious treat you don't have to feel bad about. Did I mention it only takes about 15 minutes from start to finish? Sign. Me. Up.

1. Melt the Peanut Butter, Coconut Oil, and Maple Syrup together in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally with a rubber spatula to prevent the bottom from scorching. 
2. Once melted, turn off the heat and add the Vanilla, Salt and Cocoa Powder. Mix thoroughly to combine and be sure there are no clumps of cocoa.
3. Stir in the Oats. Stir to coat evenly, but don't over mix or your cookies could become dry. 
4. Use a medium-sized cookie scoop to portion into 1.5"-2" cookies on a Silpat or parchment paper. They will firm as they cool, but are equally delicious when warm! 

Store in an air-tight container for up to 3 days. Print your copy of this recipe here!

Meal Planning: March 2017

Yes, a full eighteen days into March I realized I never shared our meal plan for this month. Whoops!! Better late than never, right? I'll be honest here - this month's meals are nothing super exciting or out of this world. They are simple, straight forward, quick, and mainly vegetarian. We've been enjoying less meat in the last six or so weeks and it's been a really great change for us.

There are a few things want to emphasize about our choice to go more plant based and vegetarian.  First, I said more plant based and vegetarian, not entirely. We are still eating a couple meals a week that contain meat, seafood, or poultry. However, these are being featured less as the main focus and more as an accompaniment to the meal. For example, Zoodles with Shrimp, Shrimp or Chicken Stirfry, chicken added to a salad... you get the picture. Secondly, we assure you we are eating whole foods. I've touched on this before, but there is a healthy way to do vegetarian or vegan eating, and then there is the super processed, highly refined, nutrient lacking way -- I think you all know where we fall. And last but not least, we are eating this way by choice. We've found that the more vegetables, greens, and healthy fats we utilize, the better we feel. So we're listening to our bodies and eating more of the delicious foods that make us feel great.

So here's what we are eating this month! Yes, there are quiet a few repeats on here, and YES, we really do eat numerous salads every week. We really load them up with all kinds of veggies, fruits, fats, nuts, seeds, and proteins which gives us pretty endless possibilities. I'll be sharing lots of these new recipes soon. Enjoy!