I became a health coach partly as a way to learn the information I'd need to manage my own health.  As a marketer with a big career in NYC I was overstressed, developed two autoimmune diseases and really needed to reimagine my relationship with food and, well, everything.

While my celiac disease and Hashimoto's are under control thanks to a clean diet, stress management, and a kick-ass workout schedule, I still have good days and bad.  The last few months I've been working to manage a bacterial infection, parasites, and ongoing allergies thanks to a leaky gut. I've tried every supplement, every leaky gut protocol and every healer (I'll seriously spend money on anything promising to get me well!) but there are still a few niggling things that just don't feel right. Namely, mega stomach cramps and major water retention mostly in my face.  And while my grandmother swears said cheeks will keep me looking younger for longer, no one wants #MoonFace.  So, I decided to try a SCD or Specific Carbohydrate Diet.  

"What on earth is that," you ask?  As you might have guessed, the SCD is about eating very specific types of carbohydrates based on their molecular structure.  While it was designed mainly for those managing conditions such as Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, celiac disease and other chronic ailments, when implemented correctly, it can be a healthy and helpful approach to eating for most people.  The approved carbohydrates are monosaccharides which have a single molecule structure allowing them to be absorbed much easier than disaccharides and polysaccharides as complex carbs are not easily digested; in fact, they actually feed the bad bacteria in our gut -- thus perpetuating inflammation and harmful bacteria.  Thanks but no thanks.  

So, what exactly is allowed?  Foods like almond butter (woo!), lentils and grapes fall in the "yes" category while agave syrup, chickpeas and pasta all fall into the "no" bucket.  You can see a full list here.   While I'm only a few weeks into my SCD, I already feel noticeably better and my cheeks well, smaller.  But don't take my word for it.  A recent study found that SCD in patients with IBD had notable changes in their microbiome—which impacts everything from our immunity to dopamine and serotonin levels.  So, if you've tried everything and nothing has worked, it might be time to give up the quinoa.  

If you’re a busy professional – or full-time parent – pulling together a week of healthy meals can feel downright heroic, if not impossible. After all, doing so requires both time and energy: Precious commodities when your day feels packed from sunrise to sunset. As such, “meal kits” have become popular solutions to that problem; some enable you to easily prepare a healthy meal while others deliver a pre-prepared, ready-to-eat solution at your door. Genius, right?

Well, anyone who has used a meal kit service knows there are downfalls, the main one being price – they can be prohibitively expensive. For example, one unnamed organic meal delivery service costs over $80 per day. Even those of us who are cooking newbies understand that number is very, very high.

We’re here to tell you that you don’t need to choose between wellness and price to have a week of healthy meals ready. It all comes down to words: meal prep. 

Ideally this happens on Sunday afternoons, a time where you have more bandwidth to prep and cook. And we’re not talking super-complicated dishes here; these are simple, batch-style items that you can mix-and-match throughout the week. Ready? Let’s do this.

START WITH PROTEIN

Take chicken breast, for example: This is a versatile ingredient that can be prepped hundreds of ways. We recommend creating three different varieties – for example: lemon and rosemary, jerk seasoning, and tarragon and thyme – and cooking them all at the same time using tin foil as a separation tool for your baking tray. Use this protein as a meal centerpiece at dinner or as a salad topping at lunch.

ROAST DEM VEGGIES

Cut up sweet potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower…whatever type of veggie you love. We’re all about staying seasonal here, so right now we’re cooking wintertime root vegetables. Dress ‘em with quality extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and/or whatever additional spices you fancy. Pop the whole thing into the oven for 30 minutes on high heat (425 degrees Farenheit) and boom! You have five days worth of gorgeous vegetables to nosh on all week. Consider these your standby ingredients throughout the week – snack on them, eat them at lunch in a big bowl, or use them as dinner sides.

STAY RAW

While you are prepping your roasted veggies, reserve some chopped, uncooked ones for the week ahead, too. These are great for snacking and for use in a lunchtime salad. Oh yeah, lest we forget: Be sure you have some regular old salad materials on hand – spinach, arugula, and kale… whatever you prefer. Wash them on Sunday so that they’re ready to use throughout the week.

GET YOUR GRAIN ON

Make a big pot of quinoa or a similar grain to be your go-to starch for the week; we use it in everything from a quinoa cereal to an evening stir-fry. We also love cooking big batches of legumes (chickpeas, black beans) on Sundays; they’re an excellent source of plant-based protein and fiber and will keep you fuller longer. Vegetarians, be sure you’re consuming plenty of ‘em!

MAKE YOUR SMOOTHIE (BAG)

If you’ve purchased ingredients like berries and spinach for your morning smoothie, why not prep it ahead of time? Just place the fruits and veggies necessary for a single smoothie in a sandwich bag pop it in the freezer. Come the morning, you’ll pull it out, add milk and/or any dry ingredients, and you’re ready to rock. Or blend. Whatever. 

PREPARE PROTEIN SNACKS

We are all familiar with the afternoon crash – the one that has us chugging coffee and snacking on donuts. Well, keeping lots of filling, low-sugar protein snacks on hand can help you avoid that. We love items like hard-boiled eggs or protein balls (here’s a great recipe if you’re unfamiliar with the latter). For those of you who are super low maintenance, try pre-bagging protein-rich nuts – almonds, walnuts – for quality snacking on the run. 

SLOW COOKERS ARE YOUR BFF

Sundays were made for slow cooker meals, right? Luckily, these are the types of dishes that actually get better when you refrigerate or freeze them. We love making things like beef chili, hearty bean-based soups, or slow-cooked proteins for Sunday dinner and then popping leftovers into the freezer. Pair them throughout the week with some of your grains and roasted vegetables and you’ll have a downright easy and delicious meal. 

LASTLY: STAY BASIC AF

Are you an almond butter fiend? Do you go through coconut oil like it’s your job? Are rolled oats your morning jam? Be sure you always stay stocked up on these go-to ingredients, using Sundays to check up on your inventory and repurchase, if necessary. We prefer to buy them in bulk, particularly when they’re on sale – Thrive Market is a great resource for this.

In the world of wellness, trends can be so ephemeral it’s almost impossible to keep up. This doesn’t prevent us from trying, particularly when they promote a more active lifestyle, encourage holistic health, drive sustainable living, and encourage getting super-duper cozy. (Hint, hint.) Read on for our take on the five wellness trends you should be watching in 2017.

Mushroom Magic

Mushrooms are arguably the OG super-food, loaded in everything from anti-inflammatory agents to immune system-boosting antioxidants. In 2017, watch out for the continued explosive growth of ‘shrooms, with brands like Four Sigmatic leading the charge. From reishi coffee to lion’s mane elixirs, Four Sigmatic’s entire line features the mighty mushroom packaged in unexpected ways: Hot cocoa cordyceps, anyone?

Adaptogens Everywhere

From ashwagandha to amla, adaptogens are everywhere. But what the heck are they?! In short, adaptogens are herbs that help your body better “adapt” – whether that’s boosting a depressed immune response, regulating your hormone response, or helping the body cope with stress. Given their versatility, it’s no wonder that adaptogens are so popular. We recommend Sun Potion as a quality resource for not only purchasing an adaptogen, but for researching them, too!

Zero Food Waste Movement

According to the website ReFed, food waste represents a $218 billion loss annually in the United States plus occupies 21% of our total landfill volume (!). Encouragingly, there’s a crop of new companies and initiatives that are tackling this crisis head-on. MISFIT Juicery, a Washington, D.C.-based food brand, is reusing “ugly” produce and scrap food waste to create cold-pressed juice while Blue Hill’s Dan Barber has launched the wastED initative, which encourages top chefs to create menus using food that would traditionally get tossed. Consider this one not a trend but an enduring philosophy we all should be supporting in 2017 and beyond.

Athleisure Gone Totally Mainstream

Leandre Medine (aka the force behind The Man Repeller) recently argued that cropped gym leggings can be worn everywhere – including to a wedding. While we’re not quite ready to embrace that viewpoint, it’s clear that athleisure wear is here to stay in a big way in 2017. Continue to watch the oh-so-cool Outdoor Voices, keep an eye on the gym-to-office (seriously!) brand ADAY, and grab yourself some trendy Allbirds while you’re at it. Being active has never looked so good – or been so easy.

Hygge-ing

Everyone is freaking out over hygge, the Danish word for “cozy.” It’s a part lifestyle, part philosophy that is arguably the driving force behind the Denmark’s status as the happiest country in the world. A welcome respite from the “go-go-go” lifestyle of the Western world, hygge instructs participants to get comfortable (ideally with plenty of blankets), light some candles, eat wholesome and nourishing Scandinavian food (i.e. porridge), and connect with close friends. In short, it sounds like good old-fashioned self-care, so we’re all about it.

Eating clean, lifting weights and running all the way from here to Timbuktu but still can’t lose weight?  It’s a common problem in my coaching practice.  Time after time, I encounter dedicated gym bunnies that are checking off all the boxes and seemingly doing it all “right,” but the number on their scale just won’t budge; even more demoralizing, sometimes the number goes in the opposite direction. What’s that about?! 

First, let’s have a little lesson in what the number on the scale really means.

Our weight is a compilation of body fat, muscle mass, water weight and more.  So when you see the numbers on the scales increase, it doesn't necessarily mean you’ve gained fat.  To dig more into this, let's have a little biology lesson, shall we?

Body Fat percentage & Body Fat Mass:

• Body Fat Percentage is the proportion of fat to the total body weight.
• Body Fat Mass is the actual weight of fat in your body.

Visceral Fat:

• Visceral fat is located deep in the core abdominal area, surrounding and protecting the vital organs. This tends to increase with age and can cause more fat around the abdomen. 

Muscle Mass:

• The predicted weight of muscle in your body. This includes the skeletal muscles, smooth muscles such as cardiac and digestive muscles and the water contained in these muscles. Muscles act as an engine in consuming energy.  Often, when we exercise more, our muscle mass increases.  Since muscle weighs more than fat, it can often cause the scale number to shift in the other direction. 

Total Body Water:

• Total Body Water is the total amount of fluid in the body expressed as a percentage of total weight. Over half of our body weight is water and it helps to regulate temperature and eliminate waste.  The amount each of us needs varies from day-to-day, depending on the climate we live in and the amount of physical activity we’re doing. 

 Yes, it’s true that increased muscle mass can make us weigh in a little more, but if you have a smart scale, you’ll see that that isn’t the case.  There could be more at play.  Like what, you’re wondering? Here are some weight-gaining culprits:

Stress

We all have a ton of stress in our lives.  But if we don't manage it properly, it can lead to an over-production of cortisol, the stress hormone.  Cortisol also causes higher insulin levels, which can impact your food choices.  It often leads to craving fatty and sugary foods which contribute to weight gain specifically in the stomach area.  Managing stress through breathing exercises, meditation and relaxing activities is a great way to reduce cortisol. 

Over-exercising

 Many of us type A's are busting our a$$es at the gym, thinking it will lead to increased muscle mass and lower percentage body fat… but the numbers often go the other way.  The reason being is that when we exercise with great intensity, we often overestimate calories burned and then overeat calories needed for recovery.  Additionally, intense exercise also produces cortisol which can cause weight gain and encourage overeating.  So pull back on the seven days of intense workouts and vary your exercises incorporating gentle yoga practice, long walks and leisurely bike rides. 

Bad Bacteria

Our microbiome is a delicate balance of bacteria and occasionally, some bad bacteria can work its way in there.  Recent studies have repeatedly demonstrated that the makeup and variety of our flora can have a big impact on our weight. The most current literature suggests that obesogenic bacteria can exacerbate weight gain and trigger metabolic dysfunction.  If you suspect this may be the cause, speak to your health care provider about a stool analysis test to better understand the bacteria at play in your gut. 

Yeast

 Overgrowth of Candida Albicans or yeast as a result of overuse of antibiotics, birth control pills or just the standard American Diet can lead to weight gain and stubborn pounds that just won’t budge.  Candida is fed by sugar and carbohydrates so a diet rich in both can perpetuate weight gain.  Some health care practitioners even believe that yeast overgrowth can even cause thyroid imbalances which only further perpetuate metabolic challenges.  A stool analysis will identify the role of yeast in your weight challenges. 

Food Sensitivities

Food sensitivities, overgrowth of bad bacteria and candida can all greatly affect the gut and lead to widespread inflammation.  Digested food particles can leak into the bloodstream causing your immune system to react to the perceived toxins and triggering inflammation, weight gain, joint pain and more.  So if you're eating foods the leave you bloated and achy, it might be time for an elimination diet to understand which foods might be taking you down.  

PH Levels

The optimum PH level is between 7.2-7.4.  Very specific, I know.  Symptoms of PH imbalance including everything ranging from heart burn, constipation, slow metabolism, hormonal imbalances, brain fog, low blood sugar, sore muscles and more.  How do we become too acidic, you ask?  Even if you’re eating somewhat clean, years of less-than-perfect eating could be contributing.  Meats, sugar, caffeine, dairy, beans and grains are all acid forming.  The remedy?  More greens, please!  Swap your morning coffee for green juice, eat more raw veggies and scale back on meat. 

In the beginning of the year most of us have two things on the brain: Rebooting our health and taking a vacation. But with busy careers, weekends occupied by family, and the seemingly endless to-do list that is “life,” it’s often hard to a take a trip, let alone get a workout in. This is why easy-to-implement health hacks are our BFFs in the New Year. Ahead, we’re sharing seven of our favorites. 

Go on a Cab Strike

A photo posted by Amina AlTai 🍏 (@busyhappyhealthy) on Aug 3, 2016 at 1:56pm PDT

One of the simplest ways to improve your overall health is to generally become more active. While this seems easy enough, many of us think that it requires gym memberships, boxing gloves, or spinning shoes. Don’t overcomplicate things! Getting active can be as easy as walking more in your day-to-day existence. Begin by taking a “cab strike” – aka no taxis, period. Either take public transportation (which inherently requires more walking) or bike / walk from place to place. Use your smartphone or a step tracker and you’ll be shocked by just how much more active you’ve become.

Add Collagen Peptides to Your Morning Smoothie

A photo posted by Amina AlTai 🍏 (@busyhappyhealthy) on Oct 4, 2016 at 5:37am PDT

As we get older, our collagen production naturally declines, something which anti-aging skincare commercials are sure to remind us again and again. But aside from losing skin elasticity and resilience, diminished collagen production can have negative impacts on both joint and bone health. Cue: Collagen peptides. These powdered supplements contain the amino acids necessary to produce more collagen and keep skin, joints, and bones healthy. We love Vital Proteins – an odorless, tasteless version sourced from grass-fed, pasture-raised bovine hides – and prefer adding it to our AM smoothie, yogurt, or oatmeal.

Make Your Desk a Standing Desk

A photo posted by Amina AlTai 🍏 (@busyhappyhealthy) on Nov 25, 2016 at 3:33pm PST

Research says sitting can kill you. But if you have a job that requires computer time, meetings, and a generally sedentary lifestyle, it’s hard to sidestep that scary reality. Why not opt for a standing desk, then? While there are plenty of options available online, we prefer to do the old-fashioned version: Stacking some thick, coffee table books on our desk. Try doing intervals of 20 minutes standing, 10 minutes sitting to begin and gradually work up to more standing time. Added points if you listen to some music and shake your booty.

Instead of Milk, Infuse Your Coffee with Coconut Oil

A photo posted by Amina AlTai 🍏 (@busyhappyhealthy) on Jan 5, 2017 at 8:03am PST

We all hear that we should be eating plenty of healthy fats to boost our immune system, gain more energy, and rev up our metabolism. But sometimes, our beloved cup of coffee is all we want in the morning. In lieu of cream, then, try stirring in a couple of teaspoons of coconut oil into your java each morning to get that blast of good fat. Added bonus: It still lends your coffee that rich, creamy consistency you’re craving.

Start Using Your Body Weight While You Wait

A photo posted by Karlie Kloss (@karliekloss) on Aug 19, 2016 at 3:02pm PDT

You don’t need a pair of dumbbells to build muscle and lean out. Using your own body weight to exercise is a fantastic way to kick-start getting in shape, plus you can do it anywhere (read: while waiting for dinner to be ready). Need some inspiration? We recommend basic old pushups (they’re hard!), squats (head here to see what good form looks like), and planks as good beginning moves. Try doing three circuits of ten pushups, ten squats, and one minute in plank position and we dare you not feel accomplished – and sore – the next day.

Add Turmeric to (Almost) Everything

A photo posted by jeannette ogden (@shutthekaleup) on Nov 3, 2016 at 8:51am PDT

The benefits of eating turmeric are seemingly endless – it has anti-inflammatory properties, it’s a natural detoxifier, and it can even help boost your metabolism. It’s also lends a vaguely Eastern, not-too-spicy zip to any dish with just a couple of dashes. We love it on roasted veggies, in stews and in chili, and – surprise! – in our scrambled eggs (it really enhances the yellow color, natch). Or take a cue from Jeannette Ogden and stir some into your oatmeal!