Why I Went Gluten & Dairy Free For 15 Days

I've said before, both on here and on my Facebook page, that I tend to jump into things, but that thankfully I usually have pretty good judgment, even if I don't do my fact checking.

Well, today I wanted to share an amazing story that I believe played a part in the fact that I am now 22 weeks pregnant.

When Jake and I got married we planned to wait two years before we started having kiddos. We felt that it was important to lay a strong foundation between the two of us before we added to our family. That was a good decision for us because our marriage struggled a lot for the first year and a half or so.

When our two year anniversary had come and gone we decided we were ready to bring on some kiddos. We expected to get pregnant fairly quickly, I mean, we were both young, healthy, and it should be easy, right?!

Well after about six months we learned about some complications that required me to go on medication if we wanted to be successful at starting a family. The medication put my hormones in a tailspin and made me CRAZY! So after going through the initial treatment we decided not to ingest me with any more drugs. The medication was stressing me out too much and putting too much strain on our marriage.

However, by NOT taking the medication we knew we were running the risk of possibly never conceiving at all, which was a hard pill to swallow—no pun intended.

In June I made a sweet new friend. I had known her husband for years, but they lived in Texas and so I had never met her. Over the next couple of months we chatted back and forth and then spoke on the phone. In our conversation she shared how they were also having trouble conceiving and that a doctor had told her to go on a dairy and gluten free diet. This included eating three eggs a day.

The diet sounded better than medication, and though I had no way of knowing whether it would help me in my specific situation, following the eating plan at least made me feel like I was doing something.

So starting September 1 I followed this eating plan strictly for about 15 days, and then we visited the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory and... well, they had ice cream there. Who could resist? I kept up with the diet loosely for the next week or so before deciding I would just start it again the next month.

But I never did start it again, because on September 28 I found out that I was pregnant!

I don't know why some people say this diet can help you conceive other than gluten really seems to affect some people's hormones. All I know is that it worked for me. I 100% believe it was not a coincidence that this girl and I became friends when we did, or that she chose to share this eating plan with me. It was a God thing and I am thankful for it and for her!

I Have A Blog?? Oops!

Four months have passed by since my last post - that is CRAZY!

It's not that I have stopped working out, eating healthy or building my amazing team of coaches so we can help even more people reach their health, fitness and financial goals. It's that other significant life evens happened.

September was a busy month with hosting two sweet girls from Life Action - a ministry that travels the country speaking in churches and helping to ignite revival in the hearts of God's people. Jake and I were personally challenged during that time and grew closer in our relationship with the Lord and each other. We also had lots of fun showing the girls around VT - bringing them to Ben & Jerry's, through the Smuggler's Notch and then over to NH to explore Franconia Notch, Polly's Pancake Parlor, Windy Ridge Orchard and the Brick Store.

At the end of September I found out we were pregnant with our first baby - something we had been trying for over a year to have happen. It was a fun time of sharing the news with Jake, family and then the facebook world.

If you would like to see our announcement video go here: Young Couples Pregnancy Announcement To Families

The next couple of months were busy as we prepared to move to Maui, pack up our things and spend time with family and friends.

On December 31st we found out that this little one is a BOY and we again had fun sharing the news with family and friends.

If you would like to see that announcement go here: Jake 'N' Dani's Gender Reveal

Now I sit here writing from my little apartment on Maui, were we have begun to settle over the past week. It's amazing for me to look back and see what God has done over the last four months and will continue to do as we seek Him on this adventure we call life.

I hope to keep up with this blog more faithfully sharing recipes, my life as a coach and our life here on the beautiful island of Maui.

Paradise - Easy or Hard?

When I tell you that Jake and I are planning to move to Maui the idea that this will be hard probably isn't what will come to your mind. Instead you will probably be excited for us, call us lucky, tell us how you would love to do something like this, or maybe even be a little jealous of us as we pursue our dreams in a land many consider paradise.

You probably won't be thinking that this is the hard choice for us. You probably don't realize that we've actually wrestled with this decision for a while now, and that it actually is quite difficult to say goodbye to all that is familiar to us, to face all the uncertainty of moving far away wondering if our careers will be able to sustain us.

As much as I'm excited about the prospect of going to Maui, of starting a new adventure with the one I love as we chase after the dreams God has put in our hearts, it doesn't mean that sometimes I don't doubt that this is God's best for me.

The reality for me is this: in Maui I will be 20+ hours of travel away from everything I know. All of my family will be thousands of miles away from me. I will have to find a new church and begin to make connections there. I won't know my way around town, or how to pronounce any of the road names—seriously, there are some whacky names in Maui, e.g. Honoapiilani Highway. I suspect I'll make a fool of myself many times as I learn to pronounce these names.

It's also hard because, sadly, I believe there is a good chance you won't ever come visit us because we will be so far away. People say they will come visit, and I have no doubt that they want to, but I know that life gets crazy and when it comes down to it spending a $1,000 on a plane ticket just isn't a realistic option for most people.

Life hasn't quite turned out like we had hoped it would here in northern New England, but that doesn't mean we're running away to go live in paradise. Staying in Vermont would be easy, not necessarily always enjoyable, but easy nonetheless—close to all our family, our church body, our support system, streets with names we can actually pronounce.

In many ways, moving to Maui is the hard thing to do.

As I sit here writing this, I'm deciding between selling, giving away, storing, or bringing with us items that once made our house a home. Every little thing we get rid of or pack away is another goodbye. It's hard to comb through old photos and remember all the things you love about home, then put them in box and wonder if you'll ever see them again.

But I think it's those hard things that we choose to do that God can use to grow us, mold us, and bring us more into the likeness of His image. By following the dreams He has placed on our hearts, we come closer and closer to living out His calling in our lives.

Pumpkin Pancakes - Gluten Free, Dairy Free!

I promised to share this recipe on Facebook yesterday. They are becoming my "go to" fall treat because it isn't really fall until you have pumpkin everything!

Pumpkin Pancakes
(Gluten and Dairy FREE!)

Recipe is for one and makes 4 medium sized pancakes.

1/3 Cup Pumpkin Puree
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp Ground Flax Seed
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice (or use your own spices)
1/4 tsp Cinnamon (or a hand full if you love cinnamon :-)
1-2 tsp Honey or Pure Maple Syrup
Sprinkle of Salt

Preheat your griddle to medium heat, about 325. Your pan/griddle needs to be HOT before you start cooking the pancakes, so be sure to turn it on before you make your mix!

Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl until smooth.

Oil your griddle—I used coconut oil, but any oil will do.

Pour 4 medium sized pancakes on the hot griddle, about 4 inches across each. Let cook for 2-3 minutes on one size until it begins to bubble, flipping too early may cause them to stick. After you flip let them cook 2-3 more minutes until cooked through.

If you are following the 21 Day Fix program this recipe equals 1 orange, 1 green, 1 red and 1 tsp :-)

Enjoy with a drizzle of honey, maple syrup or other toppings!

Hope you enjoy!

Would You Stay At A Job Where You Received NO PAYCHECK??

A thought hit me today: if I didn't make another dollar doing my online health and fitness coaching I still wouldn't quit!

That may sound ridiculous. I mean, this is my full-time job, and I work hard to help support and encourage people in reaching their health and fitness goals. And granted, getting a paycheck each week definitely helps my little family financially, but Beachbody is so much more than just a job to me.

When I joined this company over a year ago I knew my sponsor coach and that was it. Over the next few months I felt like a few other coaches on our team became what I would consider "friends." Then in March I traveled to Florida for a team retreat where I got to meet many of these women in person, which was such a blessing to me.

Today, a little over a year later I have dozens of friends that I have made solely through this company. They are not just friends in the business, but they are like women who have a desire to empower, encourage and support each other. They have blessed me in more ways than I can count. When I get online and see their positive posts on facebook, their genuine desire to help support and empower women, I get excited about what I do all over again. It's not just about looking good in a bikini, but instead about walking alongside other women with the goal to lift them up.

So, if last week was the last paycheck I ever received, I still wouldn't quit. Being a part of this community is worth more than the pay that I might receive.

Can you say that about your job? Would you still show up each day to a job where you made no paycheck just because you loved what you did so much and the people you worked with were amazing? If not, maybe you should considering looking into a job opportunity that would give you that!

I'm expanding my team and looking for passionate women who want to empower and motivate others to reach their health, fitness and financial goals. If you think that could be you fill out this application to join my growing team.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Results from Cize

I'll be honest, I was a little skeptical about what my results from Cize would be. I mean, it was super fun, but I didn't have to pick up any weights, I didn't do any push-ups or squats. I figured at best I would maintain, which wouldn't be a bad thing.

However, I just figured out my losses for the 28 days of Cize, and I'm down 5 pounds and 3 1/4 inches! Considering that I really did not stick to the meal plan this time—I just overall tried to eat healthy—the results were surprising, and that gets me excited!

Not only is this workout fun, but you really can get results from it. You burn so many calories having a blast trying to master the routines, that you don't have to be doing the typical "workout" moves. I honestly am kicking myself now, because I know if I had of stuck with the eating plan I would have killed my results, but here's to next time, because you better believe I will repeat this fun workout!

My real goal for this program was to follow the schedule and stick with it. Usually I end up missing a day somewhere and either having to double up or switch my scheduled day off for the week. Well, for the first time ever I completed the program without any alterations to the schedule! How was I able to do it this time? Because it was fun and easy to get myself down to my basement dance floor each morning!

Interested in dancing your way to a healthier, fitter life? Just click on the Cize ad to the right, leave a comment or hit the "Contact Me" button at the top. I would love to help you get started dancing to your goals!

A Summer Of Ups And Downs

I've said before that I want this blog to be a reflection of me as a whole person, not just the health and fitness stuff. So today I wanted to share with you one of the super fun things Jake and I did this summer!

At the beginning of the summer I noticed that Six Flags New England was offering a great deal: buy four Season Gold Passes at a reduced price. Perks included lots of "bring a friend free" days, early admission, free parking, and entry into all the Six Flags theme parks.

Jake thought it sounded like a great idea, especially since we were headed to California and would be able to visit two of the Six Flags parks for free. I messaged my sisters to see if any of them were
interested in getting in on this great deal with us. Thankfully one of them was, and she and her husband also got tickets.

You may be reading this thinking, "What a waste of money," or "They're crazy!", or maybe even, "What's the big deal?"

Well, to me the big deal was several things.

Jake and I love roller coasters! In fact we planned our honeymoon around Cedar Point in Sandusky, OH, one of the roller coaster capitals of the world. However, since then we hadn't made it to any theme parks. Between work, the time it takes to get there, and the cost involved it was just something we hadn't done. These season passes gave us the chance to visit many theme parks, ride many roller coasters, all for what was essentially the price of a couple of day passes.

The other thing we thought was really cool was our ability to bring friends for free or at discounted rates. How fun is it to be able to invite some friends to go spend a day riding roller coasters and they don't have to pay a thing? We love blessing others and sharing the things we have been blessed with, and so this was just another way to do that.

So far we have been to Six Flags New England twice (and we're headed there again tomorrow), Discovery Kingdom twice, Magic Mountain twice, and after tomorrow we will have brought six people in for FREE! We're also hoping to make it over to Great Escape and bring some more friends for free this fall to Six Flags New England again!

Now that we're planning to move to Maui, spending time with family and friends has become our top priority!