Happy New Year!! Hope everyone enjoyed the holidays. 🙂 This post is a little later than I had planned, but better late than never, right? I have so much to fill you in on, so let’s get right to it!

Keto

Before & After ~ 11/29/16 vs 1/8/17

I really enjoy eating low carb and high fat. I have lost bloat, a few pounds, have less cravings, if any, and I never get that 3:00 PM crash anymore. I went strict Keto for about 2 weeks and couldn’t deal with the side effects. Now most people can stick this out, but I was extremely uncomfortable. I listened to all the suggestions on balancing my electrolytes, but nothing stopped my heart from pounding out of my chest. This elevated heart rate lead to anxiety attacks that I haven’t had in a very long time. No thank you.

Another thing I learned is that Candida loves ketones. Naturally there are going to be candida die-off symptoms by changing my diet to very low carb and no sugar, but who knew that these little microbes thrive off ketone bodies too. Yeah. I absolutely DO NOT want to go through all that again.

My solution, and what seems to be working so far, is to keep my carb number moderate: around 50-80 grams per day. My body seems to be responding well to this, and there are no substantial cravings either. I just pray that there are no more candida flare-ups. So far, so good.

Giveaway!

For the holidays, my bestie, Steph, suggested a fun gift idea. I decided to take this idea and turn it into a giveaway for my awesome followers. A brown paper package tied up with string was filled with all of my favorite things! I announced the winner on December 19th via Instagram and Facebook.

Congratulations to Ruth! Hope you are enjoying all of these products!

– Vital Proteins Collagen Peptides
– Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts
– Whole Foods 365 Cape Cod Trail Mix
– Chocolove Almond & Sea Salt
– Sunwarrior Warrior Blend Vanilla Protein
– Sunwarrior Sol Good Coconut Cashew Protein Bar
– Sunwarrior Sol Good Salted Caramel Protein Bar
– Dr. Bronner’s Unscented Baby Castille Soap
– Badger Balm
– Balega Ultra Light Running Socks

Christmas Eve

Family Tradition: Dinner at J. Gilbert’s. Best steak house around, in my opinion. It’s always nice spending time here with the people I love.

Christmas morning I made brunch for my mom and I. A Bacon, Onion, Spinach and Cheddar Quiche, Citrus Salad, and Crispy potatoes was the perfect holiday meal.

NYE

Retro Ski Lodge Party at Ordinary. Considering the theme, I really expected more people to participate, but what are you gonna do? The food was amazing, drinks were outstanding, and the night as a whole was super fun!

“You look straight out of a John Hughes movie.”

Of course I had to make brunch again. This time Ham & Scallion Cornmeal Pancakes, Apple Salad with Goat Cheese and ACV Dijon Dressing, and Scrambled Eggs. Mimosas were also part of this meal made with Ruby Red Grapefruit Juice. Delish!

I proceeded to spend the next 2 days binge watching Orange is the New Black and Shameless. My first time binge watching anything. It was hard not to feel like a complete waste of life, but it was quite enjoyable. Dare I say I can’t wait to get back to that spot on the couch?

Turning “34”

2017 I have a lot of hope in you. Let’s make my 34th year everything I could possibly imagine. I am leaving behind a lot of personal struggles and heartache. I never thought I would have such ambition and drive to make things happen for myself. I guess when you really know the desires of your heart you start to act on them. Hope and faith that it all works out are the only things that will carry me through. If it’s not meant to be I won’t be able to say I didn’t try.

Lastly, it wouldn’t be my birthday if I didn’t get a new hair style. Rose Gold for the win!

Cheers, my friends, to a bountiful, prosperous year!

xx Tammy