When I first started Cocos Paleo Kitchen, it was to share my food and recipes. Many of you asked me over on Instagram, to share a recipe for a particular post so I decided to start a blog to get all the recipes in one place. Little did I know that I was going to find ‘My Happy‘ in doing so!
As the years roll along, my goals in sharing Food with a Purpose have changed. I had the vision of sharing how healthier foods & meals could be just as delicious and just as easy to prepare, as quick meals out of a box. I wanted to inspire others and I still do (trust me!) but my goals have switched gears – just a little.
What I didn’t realize, was that I was in turn going to start feeling like other avenues in my life had to change in order for the food to really serve a purpose. My skin care, my make up, the cleaning products in my home and most importantly, the stress and anxiety from ‘life’ that would affect me in reaching the real true healthy person that I wanted to be! By slowly making changes in all of these avenues, I have found My Happy!
The Truth Comes Out
Truth be told – I am very OCD. I never wanted to admit this before. I always chalked it up to being a neat and tidy person but I came to realize that I get very stressed if things aren’t done in the manner that I feel is the “right way”. It’s hard to relinquish and delegate because I like things done a certain way and let’s be real & honest — “no one will do it right”! This is something I have learned about myself and I have finally come to terms with it. It’s taken me a few years to let go of things. I’ve literally talked to myself inside my head as my husband takes the wrong turn into Target and parks in the “wrong spot”. (‘It’s okay….we can park here. There’s no right or wrong place to park. Breathe. Breathe…..’) This is one of the many things I have had to talk myself through over the last couple of years. BUT you know what? I can’t even tell you how much better I feel with surrendering! Simple things around the house that used to make me cringe (and I still have to talk through it sometimes) have allowed me to be fully present! I didn’t realize how much of my life was the battle inside of me – struggling with things that took over my mind as everyone else was enjoying the moment and I was absent from that moment because I couldn’t believe someone tossed their shoes off & flung them into the middle of the living room! (YES! That caused me so much anxiousness inside!) And clearly, my stress and anxiety level wasn’t a good thing for my health. This was an area I worked (and continue to do so) on and in turn, becoming a healthier version of me!
Cleaner Skin Care & Make Up
As you may or may not know, I am a Beautycounter Consultant and I toss that out, right at the get-go because I am proud to represent a company that is so driven to get safer products into the hands of everyone! Here’s the thing: back in my child bearing years, I had several miscarriages (7 to be exact). I’ll keep a long story short BUT not one time did any doctor ask about my food intake or discuss the fact that products we put on our bodies can be hormone disrupters. You see, our bodies are smart in that ….if it detects a hormone (synthetic or not), it will stop producing our natural hormone because it thinks we have enough (that’s the very simplified explanation). My doctor did say I was low on progesterone and that “could” be why I couldn’t hold on to a pregnancy and immediately wanted to start progesterone injections. I opted to hold off on that because I needed to come to my own terms with why my body was naturally letting my pregnancies miscarry. I wanted to know and understand what was going on in hopes that I could “normalized myself” and carry a full term pregnancy. I wish I knew then, what I know now! I really feel like my hormonal imbalance could have been regulated with better food choices, a healthier gut and limiting the harmful toxic chemicals in the products I was using. Thankfully I was able to carry 3 full term pregnancies without the use of progesterone injections! I am also able to get through menopause without any outside aids & I truly believe it’s because of my safer skincare choices, as well as products that I use in and around my home! If you aren’t sure what hormone disrupting chemicals are lurking in and around your home, check out EWG (Environmental Working Group). You can actually scan your products or input them into their system and find out their level of toxicity. Green is good!!! So go check out where you’re products fall and make the switch to safer! If you have any questions regarding this, please email or comment below!
Me Time!
Mom’s. I know this is hard to do. Trust me. But I’ve learned to be a little selfish and so should you! I have grown kids but one thing I realize I should have done, was be a little more selfish and think about me. As mom’s, we do everything for everyone and we rarely set that time aside for ourselves. I was guilty of that too. I LOVED doing it all and being there ALL THE time but there is a time to replenish our own selves so we can be of good “service” to others, especially our kids. I have since learned to say ‘no’ and I learned to take the time I need to recharge and be the best me I can be! I think food fuels and food is the core to keeping our guts healthy BUT let’s remember what stress does to our bodies. Our bodies are designed to protect us and go into ‘fight or flight mode’ so if you’re not taking the time to recharge yourself, you aren’t the healthiest version of you — and therefore, it’s very hard to be there for your family as they need you to be. Looking out for number one isn’t always selfish but more about taking care of you, so you can take care of others. I learned that later and I really wish I would have had that knowledge so my kids could have had the best mommy, at my healthiest self! I don’t want to look back with “would-a, should-a, could-a’s” because that isn’t healthy either but I do make sure to take ‘me time’ now and it’s been soooo good for me and my family!
Snooze Away
Okay. So it should go without saying but sleeping is healthy. I am a morning person so I get up at 5am no matter what. It doesn’t matter if I go to bed at 10pm or 2am, I get up at 5:00 in the morning each and every day. I feel awful when I don’t get a good 7 – 8 hours sleep …like I have a hangover! That said, our bodies thrive on at least 7 hours of sleep and usually performs best if you get that same amount of sleep about the same time each night. Sleep helps with repairing our bodies. Sleep helps us repair our muscle and tissue but also …our biggest muscle, our heart. I know we all tend to think that sleep is required when we’re tired but let’s face it – our bodies use this time to repair and heal! We need this time and its imperative for a healthy life. Lack of sleep takes a toll on soooo many things. One of which could be those last 10 pounds that you can’t seem to get rid of. Your body will not let go of your vanity pounds if it feels it needs to protect you from other things because of lack of sleep. Our immune system is also weakened when we aren’t fully rested so if you tend to catch every little bug under the sun, take a look at how many hours of sleep you’re getting. It could be as simple as catching a few more zzzz’s. This is something I make a priority, just like eating real food – I make sure I can get proper sleep! Because of this, it has definitely defined a better me and my happy!
Food Matters but It’s Not Everything
So I’ll close this post up by saying this. I LOVE inspiring you all with recipes and hopefully have helped many of you realize that healthier choices don’t have to be boring or lack flavor. Again, when I first started my blog I truly did and do believe that food serves a purpose and always will! I love to heal with food BUT I have since learned that there are so many other factors that contribute to our health and well-being so while I will always continue to share recipes, I will be peppering in other snippets of info to help you become the healthiest version of you! I want you to find your happy and sharing all that I learn as I go, will hopefully allow you to find your own happy place. My happy may not be yours, just like my shade of paleo is probably different than yours but like anything, it’s taking bits and pieces from all sources and finding what works for you. My website is designed to inspire a healthier lifestyle for all — and it doesn’t start and end with food….there’s a lot in between. My happy comes from feeling good. I’ve never felt better and all of the above, are the reasons I feel the best me I can be!
It’s just serendipity how I came upon your IG when I installed the IG app just to follow an ice cream store. I have to say it’s because of you that my family and I have learned how to eat correctly and it in turned has helped with our varying health issues. Your IG posts have been such an inspiration, thank you for all your hard work!
Grace! Thank you so much! I love hearing this. I am so it’s helped you and your family! Again, thank you for taking the time to let me know ….it really made my day!