Thanks for joining me for this Holiday gift guide, Christa style. That's no frills...in case you don't speak code....

Anyway, some of my top picks for quick gifts this year? Actually, I'm giving away awesome olive oil and mom & pop bourbon barrel 100% maple syrup. And I'm happy to tell you where to get it if you send me a note [email protected] but here's some other ideas I've got for you: 

Smell good
Piper Wai (new & improved sticks & yes that's an affiliate link for 15% off all the time!!)
The best natural deodorant (per usual, kissed a LOT of frogs to find this gem, RIIIBBBBET).
Yes, the Amazon price is sort of disgusting. But it was 30% off this weekend on the website and free shipping. And the gift set is a phenomenal deal. You can't buy the piece of mind that comes from not applying aluminum to one of your detox pathways/lymphatic system every day AND smelling good. 

Taste good
Peppermint Snack Breaks Free2B. I bought 10 bags....

Ever go on a long weekend trip and come home to gain 5+ pounds? Yeah, me too. It has not been a big problem since I adopted an anti-inflammatory foundation to what I eat but this weekend? I ate a lot of things. And I’m totally not complaining. It was worth it.

And I don’t feel bad.

AND I’d like to share my findings with you.

You see, this weekend I flew to the Food Allergy Blogger conference in Denver, CO because of my friend Elizabeth, with her budding gluten-free baking mix biz, Sweet Elizabeth's Organics was one of the sponsors. And she invited me along.

I didn’t know it would be packed with deliciousness. It was like 3 years of testing new finds in the grocery store packed into one weekend. So I wanted to share with you some of my FAVORITE packaged food finds from the FAB con 2018.

*Note: these foods are generally gluten-free (many Celiac families or non-specified wheat intolerances in attendance) + many are Top 8 or 12 allergen free.

I want to...

DID YOU KNOW that I work with people from all over the United States and beyond to solve problems once and for all?

I get it.

You want to feel great and eat healthily but you don’t want food to control your life.

Nutrition doesn’t have to be hard. It can be strategic to get the results you want while keeping in mind your sanity and lifestyle.

DID YOU KNOW that I have a 100% success rate of 50-75% symptom reduction in as little as 2 weeks??

Say whhhaaat!

I'm super proud of that and if you're wondering if and how we might be able to work together to get you feeling happier and healthier, check out the START HERE page to see if you think we'd be a good match! 

One of the frequently asked questions I get from food sensitivity clients after they’re starting to feel much better after working together is “When can I drink alcohol?”

It was especially popular during summer events and boating season. And it’s a great question. Like everything, there’s a methodology to reintroduction.

Let’s get one thing straight though: Alcohol does promote intestinal permeability and bacterial imbalance. READ: All sorts of hairy issues. I know, annoying. But we already knew that it wasn’t necessarily a superfood.

“Alcohol-induced increases in intestinal bacterial growth and intestinal permeability to endotoxin is expected to result in elevated plasma endotoxin levels.”¹

"The results of this study indicate that alcohol abuse impairs the function of the intestinal barrier.”²

Ideally, I suggest avoiding alcohol for 4-6 weeks (while working on sensitivities) so the immune system has had a chance...

If you've followed along at all on Facebook this year, you may have heard me mention some pain points I've had about my neck and around my eyes breaking out in "eczema".

It's a classic example of an overloaded immune system and I've been working diligently to un-layer my own stressors in life--whether food, pathogen, chemical/environment or life--to heal permanently instead of temporarily.

I embrace the experience even on days I've wanted to give up because trials and personal experience give me passion about being a better practitioner and relentless about finding the best methods and potential shortcuts to help others heal from long time aggravations with digestion, skin, joint or muscle pain and migraines, among other things.

Anyway, what does this have to do with cookware? I'll tell you.

I've basically done a ton of experimental testing this year looking at causes of my inflammation and test showed some excess chloroform.

Chloroform....chloroform....what was that?

One source...

Use these tips and tricks to get started with intermittent fasting!

Start small.

No need to start with a 24 or 48 hour fast! There’s nothing wrong with starting out doing a daily 12-14 hour fast and working your way up to a longer fast once you determine if it is right for you. Starting small allows you to determine what works for you without feeling overwhelmed or stressed out.

Stay busy during your fasting hours – or sleep!

Don’t give yourself time to think about the hunger. My favorite time to fast is during work because I am so busy that I don’t have much time to eat anyway.

Sleep during the hardest hours of the fast. After some trial and error, you might find that fasting during certain times of the day doesn’t work well for you. Readjust your hours so that during the times that fasting is the hardest, you are asleep! The best part about intermittent fasting is that it is truly customizable to everyone.

Remember to track your results.

Tracking...

You may have seen headlines the past couple weeks that the American Heart Association is making claims against saturated fat, LDL, and heart disease. In the Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease Advisory put out by the AHA, they reviewed research on a variety of different oils and are making recommendations against coconut oil.

The AHA  is saying that “coconut oil raises ‘bad’ cholesterol in the same way as other foods high in saturated fats like butter and beef” and they are advising against the use of coconut oil "because coconut oil increases LDL cholesterol, a cause of CVD [cardiovascular disease], and has no known offsetting favorable effects." In other words, the AHA is recommending that you replace saturated fat (specifically coconut oil) with polyunsaturated (like Omega 6 and Omega 3) and monounsaturated fat (like avocados), without reducing the total amount of fat you eat, to lower your risk of developing cardiovascular disease.

In case...

Let's face it, there are a lot of myths and even more questions surrounding intermittent fasting. Before deciding to experiment with intermittent fasting (and ultimately falling in love with it) I did a lot of research regarding what those myths are. I took it upon myself to answer my own questions and figure out what other people were asking. Take advantage of my research below and feel free to do your own research as well!

Busting Common Myths

Fasting is NOT starvation!

It is common for people to believe that if you refrain from eating for an extended period of time, your body will hold onto body fat instead of using it for energy. Shifting away from thinking about calories and leaning into more whole foods and relying on healthy fats like avocado, coconut oil, and olive oil can promote fullness and improve the benefits of fasting.

“Starvation mode actually is guaranteed if you just try and cut your calories. But what's interesting is that fasting doesn't do that. What...

I gave birth to raccoons.

No, I'm not kidding. My middle child will stack chairs, climb shelves, and basically rummage through anything to find whatever she wants. I've surrendered in some way.

But this summer, as the nights get longer, we want to enjoy the great outdoors as much as possible and schedules get trashed and my family's food habits have left something to be desired.

More specifically, I cook and no one eats it....mostly because they've self-fed all day and/or been bounced around with family that sends prepackaged snacks out the door with them.

Furthermore, I've been feeling...uninspired in the kitchen because of the demands of life and not wanting to be in the kitchen when the weather calls me outdoors in the few free hours outside.

If that sounds familiar, let's talk.

It must be the season, but I've been getting a lot more inquiries about child nutrition and more pediatric clients. Some of the strategies I suggest to parents are "low-hanging fruit," meaning it's easy...

What is intermittent fasting?

Have you heard of IF? If weight loss programs based on intermittent fasting are crowding your newsfeed as they are mine, maybe you’ve scrolled past thinking: that sounds awful. (I raise my hand!) Or maybe you were intrigued.

When most people hear the phrase “intermittent fasting” they recognize it as a diet. Or maybe something that sounds like starvation. It is actually not a diet at all, but more of an intentional eating pattern and ideally, it’s not to be accompanied by excessive hunger. The stereotypical word “diet” indicates a set of rules and guidance for foods you should and should not eat whereas intermittent fasting is a method to to dictates when you eat. Intermittent fasting just means eating intentionally within a certain window of time and fasting when the window is closed. In fact, it’s something we do each night while we sleep, but there are several more methods gaining traction for their health...