I recently had the incredible opportunity of speaking with the students of Missouri Baptist University about building a business post graduation. What an honor!

I told them how I experience a ton of fear and anxiety when I first started Basically It Meals. But, they cannot let those emotions slow them down or prevent them from going after what they want.

As soon as you move through the fear and anxiety of one issue, they pop up again over something else! It is part of life. There will always be big and scary challenges; weight loss, starting a gym habit, getting out of a relationship or quitting a job.

You have two options: give in because the fear and anxiety are too much, or accept they are part of life and move towards your dream.

The best things in life are born when you put yourself outside your comfort zone and move forward despite the unknown. It can be terrifying, but it's that very bravery that make dreams a reality! Remember to keep pushing through the doubt...

I always have such a good time at Show Me St.Louis If you missed it my latest Recipe Of The Day segment on Fox 5 check it out here!

I love this super easy and delicious low carb cheesy cracker recipe:

-Preheat oven to 350
-Cut a block of cheddar into small cubes
-Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
-Spread the cubes out on the tray leaving plenty of space in between
-Bake for ~25 minutes until cheese has formed a crisp cracker.

Serve and enjoy!!

My weight loss journey continues!! At the beginning of 2020 I committed to losing 10lbs without "going on a diet". I wanted to lose it by eating real food (thank you, Basically It Meals), living my life and changing my relationship with food in a real way.

Week 1 - I dropped almost 5 pounds, which meant I was halfway to my goal in only 7 days. I was so freaking excited and thought "that was easy!".

Week 2 - Reality set in. During week 1 motivation was high, but week 2 it waned and life returned to normal, I realized I was eating a lot of times that weren't lunch and dinner, and for a lot of reasons that weren't hunger.

I had to figure out how to stop eating for all the emotional reasons. This is where most of us get stuck. Forever! It is really difficult to get beyond this.

Self-awareness is the first step. You have to be able to recognize what emotion you are experiencing when you're eating off plan. For most (and for me) it is stress, anxiety, worry and boredom.

Week 3,...

What happens if you "screw up" your diet this weekend?

The quickest way to recover from a "diet blunder" is to just do the next best thing; wait until you're hungry to eat, grab a salad, skip dessert, include a healthy snack.... You will be back at it no time!

It's important to remember that just because you had a few days when you weren't nourishing yourself properly, it's ok. We all fall off and get back on. It's about consistency, give yourself permission to forgive yourself for eating pizza and taking a few days off from the gym, and start again!

It's a lifestyle, not a diet. When you mess up, let it go, and make the next meal healthier. All you have is the current moment, there is no need to dwell on what happened, as long as you're trying to make the healthiest decisions right here and now that's all you can do!

Lesson 1 on healthy grocery shopping:

The problem isn't that you don't know how to grocery shop, the problem is you are going to the store with no plan!!

I am going to teach you exactly how to make that plan with the Meal Prep Course launching in March, but first, go watch the quick video I made that goes over a few items to keep in your house at all times so you can always throw together a healthy meal.

Click HERE to watch!

 "What do I do about my late-night eating?"

I was asked this the other day, and I actually did a whole Facebook Live on cravings, click HERE to watch!

The long and short of it is that changing your actions in the evening when you have cravings is never going to work long-term. Taking a walk or a bubble bath when your brain tells you Netflix and ice cream my work right then, but the craving will still be there....and it will still come back night after night.

Nighttime cravings are caused by the emotion you are feeling at the time; perhaps you're stressing over your day, feeling bored, resenting your pile of laundry. Whatever it is, you must solve for that emotion before you can solve for the cravings.

I'm sure you've heard of a few: maca, matcha, ashwaghanda, spirulina, dandelion root....to name a few. But what the heck are all of these and do you actually need to be eating them?

The answer is no, not necessarily! These potions and powders are a nutritionist hackers dream, but totally not necessary for a healthy life.

Maintaining a healthy regular diet is way more important, however if you are a smoothie junkie like me, you may want to try one or two of these out....they have some pretty cool benefits! 

"What is the best way to prevent weight gain during the holidays?"

Most of us have a lot of social gatherings from Halloween to the New Year. However, not each of these events is worth a high-calorie count meal. Take a look at your calendar; which events are worth the splurge? Now, choose the exact foods and beverages you plan to splurge on during those events.

Not every event has foods you love or is worth the extra calorie consumption, but not having a plan ahead of time usually means you're going to overdo it. Planning ahead of time like this allows you to make wise choices, to be present in the moment with your splurge, and to really enjoy it!! Not to mention, going through this process is huge in helping you avoid the typical holiday weight gain.

Ask the Nutritionist is our weekly segment where we take your nutrition questions and also answer them. Feel free to ask away in the comments section on Instagram, @basically_it_ and look out for our answer!

You know you are getting the most out of your workout when...

You are working up a sweat. No, not every "workout" needs to include an intense sweat, and certain activities it may seem like you're not sweating (swimming or a run on a cold day), but a good sweat is a great sign that you are pushing yourself.

Your muscles are burning!! This is a sign that you are breaking down muscle tissue that will be repaired bigger and stronger!

You sleep like a baby....this is a great sign that you pushed your body and now you are getting great rest and repair sleep.

Celery is an AMAZING food with so many health benefits. Here are some ways I look to incorporate celery into my diet:

Celery juice mixed with aloe Vera juice. I had some seriously dry skin at the start of this season. I used this combo to help me rehydrate and acclimate to the weather change!

Make your own homemade celery juice! This is one of my favorite ways to get my daily nutrients.  All you need is organic celery and a juicer! I find it way more cost-efficient than hitting the juice shop. Sometimes I like to add extras like lemon and ginger. Ginger is especially great for cold and flu season