Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. (The struggle of conviction and worthiness)

  So, I have a confession...
I have been praying HARD for God to convict my heart. To remove anything that doesnt align with what He wants for me. To break me of my worldy views and make my heart more like His.
Its working.

  Im going to use this very touchy subject as my example because its my most recent struggle, so bear with me...
 This past weekend was a HUGE shock to America, gay marriage was legalized in ALL 50 states. Lots of people celebrating and lots of people turned to their Bibles.
To most of us, it looked like a war broke out between Skittles and the confederate flag on our Facebook pages, haha!...but seriously it brought out a war! 
People deleting friends and family members over their differences of opinion and people being so mean and bullying others online, it was cruel and unneccessary.
It was a hard weekend for alot of people, its a hard topic to talk about. Period. 

 As a person who has many people in my life that I care about that are in the LGBT community, I have a heart that has compassion and love for this community. I am happy for them to have the same state rights as anyone else, its not my job to judge, be unkind or to tell them who they can or cant be in a loving relationship with between 2 consenting adults. I support families that fight to stay together, no matter what they look like..mostly because growing up, mine was so broken. I would've loved to have 2 loving parents that were present- no matter what sex they were. 

  But, I have to be honest, I was torn inside. As I watched people at war in front of me, I felt as though I was standing on the battle line, smack dab in the middle! Being pulled on each side. The war is real inside of me and I know this is true for alot of people ( thats why I'm sharing this).

As a Christian, I was so conflicted between my worldy views and my biblical views. 
The enemy was so strong in my mind. To the point where I cried to my husband telling him that I felt unworthy of Gods love and not good enough to be a Christian because those thoughts were still in my mind. Thinking to myself...
 "Well, since I think that, then I guess I don't believe in the Bible, then I guess that makes me a hippocrite and not a follower of Jesus Christ. Im a fake and I'm not worthy of His love or to lead anyone else to Him. I should just give in now, because Im never gonna change my thinking, I'm always going to have these world views, even though its been a few years now since I devoted myself to Him. I'm too stubborn to let Him change me. Blah Blah Blah!!..."

BAM!!! That was the enemy soooo loud in my ear for so many years and especially last weekend!
I cried, prayed and talked to not only my husband, but confessed my thoughts to 2 very close Christian sisters- both who helped me process, understand and tackle the war inside of me.
They reminded me of this...
"We cant compromise our Biblical convictions for this. We are to love everyone the way Jesus does! Without a doubt! But, as Christians we are called to protect what God has ordained. We are to shine Gods light out into the world and show compassion and love, not hate. To stear people to Gods truth and sometimes that uncomfortable, but we can ALL get along and love one another."

The thing is, I had my mindset all wrong this WHOLE time! I was wired to think that I had to stay away from sinners, not pour love on them, not show compassion and definitely not have them in my life. Why would I think that?! I'm a sinner!
Because, thats what the world has shown us. Taking their hateful, close-minded, fearful and ignorant behaviors and calling them "Christian". (Hello!- Westboro Baptist Church!)
In reality, its so far from the truth and what God calls us to be. 
Thats not what Jesus has shown us, he looked for the unworthy, he seeked out the sinners!  
(Hello! -Apostle Paul who killed Christians and felt completely unworthy of Gods love, but God chose him to lead!)

 I yearn so badly to get to know God more, to let Him lead me and change my heart to be more like His (even though I fail miserably everyday and know He deserves way more from me). But, I know that the Bible is very clear on that worldy lifestyle and continuously living in sin (no matter what it is!). Im a sinner and feel I dont deserve His love- none of us do. But he loves us anyways. He loves even the sinners, He cries for us and wants us to turn to Him and away from worldy sin and run into His arms. 

My pastor told our church this weekend that nothing good came out of this change of law. I can see where he's coming from, but for me personally, I have to disagree- It brought enlightenment and a change inside me that I finally got it! I finally understood. 
I have devoted my life to be a Christian. That means I cant pick and choose what fits me (which is what Ive always done, old habits!) it means I need to follow and be the example. 

My husband reminded me of how many people are following me, not just in our family, but through social media and my work. I'm out there (you're reading this!) and people are watching my every step and soaking up every word I say and I need to ask myself...

"Am I leading them Angeys way or Gods way?"
That hit me hard. I have a HUGE responsibility to speak truth, even if I'm still struggling myself.  That my calling is to stear people in the ways of the Lord with gentleness, kindness and love.

This is a perfect example of the war between the spirit and the flesh. Thats the war inside of me and everyone else everyday! For everyone thats different, some its alcohol or drugs, pornography, bad language, lying, deceit, stealing, etc...we all have sin! 
Thats WHY we need a SAVIOR!! We need God because we CAN'T do this evil world on our own. We WILL fail without Him.

"We need to continously walk in a manner worthy of the Lord." (Col.1:10) (1 Thess 2:12)

"Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called." (Phill 1:27)

"Your suffering is evidence of the righteous judgement of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering." (2 Thess 1:5) 

The point of these verses that Paul has shared is not to tell us that there is an impossible standard we can never meet. But, to tell us what normal Christianity looks like. It is a life worthy of our calling, worthy of the Lord and worthy of the Kingdom. Worthy of us!

I leave you with this...

Daring Greatly- Ch.1 - "Never Enough"

  I honestly dont know whats harder, accepting and owning that I have all this work to do on myself or sharing it and putting it out there, so now I have accountability to truly change it. Maybe thats why I'm sharing it in the first place, so I'm held accountable...without judgement.

We are all flawed and broken. Some of us are just better at hiding it.
When I first became a Christian, I felt truly unworthy of God's love, I still do sometimes.
I think thats one of my biggest struggles, knowing how full of sin I am and God still loves me even though I fall short of Him everyday.
I still can't grasp the grace thing. But, I know it saves me.
I look around in church sometimes and see the faces of my peers and think,
"They know they need God, do I?"
Because, I dont live like I need God.

Thats where shame and unworthiness seep deep in me.
To accept I have these thoughts, these behaviors, these qualities is painful.




The Never Enough Problem

To be known and accepted are the 2 most fundamental needs a human has.
I know that feeling all too well.
We all want to feel like we are doing something that matters and we are making a difference.

We have a shame based fear of being ordinary.
It's become an epidemic. We all deep down want to belong, to be loved, to be acknowledged, to be noticed, to be praised, to have a purpose.

Our society and cultural messages have us believing that an ordinary life is a meaningless life.
We have put our worth into how many "likes" we get on Facebook or Instagram.

"For me, and for many of us, our first waking thought of the day is, "I didnt get enough sleep." The next one is, "I dont have enought time." Whether true or not, that though of not enough occurs to us automatically before we even think to question or examine it. We spend most of the hours and the days of our lives hearing, explaining, complaining, or worrying about what we dont have enough of...Before we even sit up in bed, before our feet touch the floor, we're already inadequate, already behind, already losing, already lacking something. And by the time we go to bed at night, our minds are racing with a litany of what we didn't get, or didn't get done, that day. We go to sleep burdened by those thoughts and wake up to the reverie of lack... This internal condition of scarcity, this mind-set of scarcity, lives at the very heart of our jealousies, our greed, our prejudice, and our arguments with life..." -Lynn Twist (The Soul of Money)


"Never              enough."
We can all fill in that blank quickly and with many different things.

• Never good enough.
• Never perfect enough.
• Never thin enough.
• Never powerful enough.
• Never successsful enough.
• Never smart enough.
• Never certain enough.
• Never safe enough.
• Never extraordinary enough.

Never Enough.

Scarcity is the never enough problem.

A perfect example of this in my life is when I have a day when I just need to take a day off, to hibernate, stay in my pajamas or my staple clothing (yoga pants), no make up and just be home. Just have quietness, no work emails, no housework, just have a completely lazy day and be present with my kids. Thats it!

I can feel deep inside thats its necessary to recharge my spirit and my body.

Guess why that never happens?...

I immediately go into, "guilt mode". because I feel I'm not doing enough.

Comparison is the thief of Joy.

We compare the worst of ourselves to the best of others.

We steal the joy out of our lives because we are too busy waiting for something better to happen.

I compare my house, my to-do list, my looks, my work projects, my marriage, my life to everything I see around me.

Society has made me feel like I'm not doing enough.
The stress of this can be unbearable sometimes and I can understand why I hear about those "suburban soccer Moms" with prescription drug addictions just so they can keep up with and feel they are doing enough to keep up with the Jones'.
Its incredibly sad that this is how we feel.

I make my life busy to feel accomplished. My husband hates this and has brought it to my attention multiple times in a very loving way. He is very simple (like most men) and I'm very complicated and tend to make things harder than they need to be.

I am a doer, on the go, "to-do list" longer than my arm and its very, very difficult for me to slow down.

I have a household and business to run.

I like busy. 

Busy keeps me away from over-thinking, and not having to deal with things. To protect myself.

My "busy" makes me feel a sense of worthiness.

Ya feel  me?!

I feel like a need to be "Super-Mom" ALL THE TIME!!! 

This is such a lie that has seeped in so deep into my psyche, I dont know how to untrain myself out of it. 

The only time I feel at peace, still and grounded, is when Im writing (like now), meditating, doing yoga or working out. My brain shuts down and I found my place of peace.

I've come to accept that I NEED those days and it's ok to have them. My kids and husband need those days from me.

I know deep inside, God is speaking straight to me, telling me...

"My sweet daughter, be still, slow down and just be. Take a time-out."

"Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)

Questions to ask yourself:

1.What idealized accounts (media, nostalgia, etc) do you compare your life to most frequently? For example, do you sometimes find yourself comapring your house or apartment to the Pottery Barn catalog? Do you compare you holidays with the Hallmark commercials?

2.Think about what you watch on TV, magazines you read, music you listen to, billboards you drive by. What are some of the expectations and messages (subtle and not so subtle) that fuel the fear of being ordinary?

3. How do you fill in the blank.

Never              enough.

DARING GREATLY- My journey of daring to be vulnerable. (Intro)

  So, lets start off this journey together by covering a few things.

  First- I was never going to write about this journey, as its a very personal one and I didn't want to hurt myself (or anyone else) in the process. Honestly, I don't want to be vulnerable...and naked.
I know shame lives in our secrets, so when we put it out there, own it and put light on it, it has no dark place to hide.

  Second- I DON'T want to be on this journey. But, I know its necessary and its time.
God has brought people, resources and things into my life recently and spoken to me in prayer that its time.
I have to be honest with myself and I am now in my mid-30's realizing that I think all these years, I never truly believed I deserved to feel love and live a joy-filled life.

  Third- My "cliff-notes" testimony. We are all products of messed up environments.
Like me, you're probably asking, "How did she get to this place?"
I ask myself that everyday. How did I become the person that I am today? Well, it isnt just one life experience, one situation, one moment, one person or one thing.
Its over years and years of damage, chipping away slowly and BAM!...You've become a person you dont really like very much.
Without going to much into my past, I grew up in a completely broken home full of abuse. (physical, mental and substance abuse)
Raised by my grandmother and other relatives most my life, I had to grow up very fast. Robbed of a childhood I longed for, I really dont think I ever had a chance, seeing as everything was against me from the start. Thats my "statistic story".

I became hard, a survivor. Doing everything I could to get by, to not feel abandoned, to feel loved, never wanting to go without, and wanting to belong so badly.
I was always running and I always felt empty, a huge piece was missing in my life. I chased that void with sex, alcohol and drug abuse.

That worked for many years, until I got married, had kids and became a Christian. Devoting my life to Christ and now having the immense pressure to be the example of something I didn't really truly know how to do or what it meant to be.

To be honest, I hated God. I was forced to go to church and had NO relationship with God. So, I grew to resent him, among many other people in my life.
My heart started hardening at a very young age.
I was confused and had NO idea what specifically I was running away from, I was just running!
(I was really good at that.)


These are (some) of my excuses I've allowed to hold me back: 

• I was never brought up shown good parenting skills. 
• I never learned money management. 
• I didn't know what being a Christian meant.
• I didnt get a good education, wasnt raised with the right skills to be successful.
• Im not good enough.

NOW:
Its time to move forward from the pain of my past, stop making myself a statistic, a victim, an excuse of WHY I can't be who I want to be or do what I want to do.
I'm a dreamer, I'm a doer and I am a daughter of the One true God who has instilled HUGE passions into me that are meant to be lived out to help others. I know that is my soul purpose.
I am NOT my situations or my past!
I can make a NEW story for myself, starting TODAY!

To move forward, we have to accept what we've become and what we've done.

Character defects....what I've allowed myself to believe and become over the years and what I'm moving away from:

• Judgemental
• All work/Little play
• Perfectionism.
• I'm obsessive compulsive.
• Compare myself to others.
• Co-dependent
• I feel shame.
• Im resentful and angry.
• Im not "available" to the people I love the most.
• I feel like I'm an outsider.
• Not living wholeheartedly.
• Don't believe in myself.
• I've allowed myself to live just enough to survive.
• I have severe anxiety over things I cannot control. (little and big issues)
• I'm broken

"He who conceals his sin does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy."
(Proverbs 28:13)

I've come to realize that I am the only person that can rescue me.
I've been avoiding "dealing with vulnerability" like the plague for years and running as far away from it as possible. I felt it was a weakness. Keeping myself just far away from it to make myself believe I have it all together and have control. Doing everything in my power to ignore it, pushing it away and keeping myself medicated with drugs, alcohol or as of recent years, " too busy", so I dont have to deal with "dealing with it".
You get me?

This is going to be tough, its going to be messy, its going to be painful, but its necessary for me to move forward and live a life of pure JOY! (which is something I've never experienced.)

  I believe in writing and sharing our human experiences, (just like I have in the past), it helps us process them, shed light on them, helps us connect and move through the healing process together.
It gives us permission to feel, to have the emotions we do and to relate to each other.

This journey is following my steps as I read the book, "Daring Greatly" by Brene Brown.
If you haven't read, watched or listened to her, go out and do it NOW!!! She is an incredible speaker, researcher and teacher on shame and vulnerability.
I remember the first time I saw her on Oprah's Super Soul Sunday, she was talking about finding the courage to be vulnerable and how joy is the hardest emotion to feel. BOOM!!!
That caught my attention right away.

 Then, I watched her TED Talk...talk about having your emotional world flipped upside down!
I immediately went out and bought her book, very excited to dive in!

Thats was...until I opened it up.
I read the "Intro", and immediately put it back on my bookshelf.

"Oh shit!, I am soooo NOT ready for this!", was the very first thing I thought.
There it sat...for months.

Lets do this!
So, here I am. Ready.
No, I'm not ready...I don't think I ever will be.
But, Im willing.
I'm showing up in the arena.

Being vulnerable.
Being courageous.
Being scared.
Being capable of love.

"As God is exhalted to the right place in our lives, a thousand problems are solved all at once."
A.W. Tozer

Brene Brown YouTube Playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL749pD66P10PEEpKBNDU0vgUJoJuXyBDk

Before diving into the book, I think its helpful to gather your thoughts on vulnerability...

1.How would you define vulnerability?
2.What are the beliefs you hold around vulnerability?
3.How was vulnerability viewed in your family? What were the lessons (spoken or unspoken) about being vulnerable?
4. Whats your current comfort level with vulnerability?

How one health change has impacted our lives!

  So many of our great friends/family have been asking about the lifestyle change that my husband and I have been making in our lives.  So, I thought I would share our journey, so far...

Everything changed when we changed our diets and started incorporating a nutritional system of superfoods into our daily life.
To share with you a little back story of how this came into our life...

  Our 5yr.old son has Type 1 diabetes and Celiac Disease, so we had a close friend suggest a nutritional company called Isagenix for fast & easy, gluten free, low-glycemic snacks and meals for our busy lifestyle. She also knew I was feeling constantly tired, fatigued and not motivated. I wasn't happy with myself physically or emotionally and wanted to make some major health changes for myself and my family.

My son and I started using the nutrition first and within a week, I could tell a huge difference in my mood, sleep and most importantly energy levels!

As a busy wife and Mom, those were really impactful changes and I was shocked at how good I was feeling!

  Since starting in May 2014, I have lost 10lbs of fat, gained 20lbs of pure muscle on a body that was once weak and unhealthy!
I am proud to say that I am in the best shape of my life, even after baby! I have enough energy to carry me through my busy days and sleep so much better! Its not just physical change, but mentally as well. I feel as though a fog has literally been lifted out of my mind and I have more mental clarity and focus than Ive ever had!

Its amazing how much the food you eat affects you mentally, physically & emotionally. My husband has also finally been able to put on healthy weight and build up the lean muscle he desired! (he was my biggest critic and now he doesnt go a day without it! Haha!)

To clarify- this is NOT a diet, its a lifestyle change. Its not just for losing weight, but for every BODY, from toddlers to adults! (Our kids are HUGE fans!)

We are NOT on a diet! (I cringe at that word!)
We eat REAL food, have desserts, enjoy pizza (love pizza!), enjoy drinks with friends (love wine!) and dont restrict ourselves from things we want, moderation is key! We have learned how to have a healthy relationship with food, loving it even more and venturing out trying new things! 
We've learned so much about the way the body works and nutrition since starting this and that has helped educate us with our sons illnesses as well. 

  What I didnt expect with this new health journey was what would happen out of the decision to "try something new".

Friends started noticing the changes and by simply sharing my positive experiences with them, I was able to resign from my part time job after ONLY 5 months of this coming into our lives! 

I now work from home, have the most rewarding "job" of truly helping others improve their life both physically and financially! 

 This has allowed me to be home more and have the time freedom to plan our days however we want to! To not be tied down being stuck in a job I was unhappy in. We get to create the life we want for our family! If that wasnt enough, this opportunity has also given me the drive to grow in my passion of furthering my education in Yoga and helping others find balance in their lives not only through great nutrition, but physically and spiritually as well.

We have been incredibly blessed to lock arms with some of the most passionate, giving people on this planet! The friendships of positive people that would come into our lives, truly inspiring us and allowing us to grow & dream BIG! They have truly become our family and have encouraged and inspired us since day 1!

It has been such a blessing in our lives and the best gift ever! This is just the beginning of our journey, so stayed tuned!

What We Don't Have~
~No artificial coloring or flavors
~No artificial sweeteners
~No drugs or stimulants
~No Soy protein
-Non-GMO
~ We are gluten free, wheat free, barley free, calcium casein free, nearly 100% lactose free, dairy free options

What We Do have~
*Grass-Fed, undenatured, Organic New Zealand Whey Concentrate
- Digestive friendly, kid friendly and vegetarian friendly!
~All natural and organic
-Amino acids
~All raw ingredients are grown in various regions in the world and are harvested to season
~70 Plus Ionic Minerals and Trace Minerals
~8 Digestive Live-Active Enzymes for proper absorbtion of nutrients, digestion and assimilation
~Over 600 raw ingredients in Isagenix products, all tested prior to being used
~Best of all, Fast and Safe Results that are Measurable by days 2-4

Quality testing~

~Over $1 million spent annually on finished goods testing to ensure label claims, microbiological, heavy metals and pesticides requirements, all finished product batches tested to insure integrity and safety

~Over $300,000 spent annually on independent 3rd party testing

~Over $500,000 spent annually on raw ingredients safety testing

15min Overview Webinar

http://www.isa-lifestyle.com/2015/02/15/wellness-webinar/

WHY ISAGENIX
http://www.isagenix.com/en-US/Isamovie#cat=wealthCreation&vid=liFY7EWPiUU&useBc=

The Foundation of Nutritional Cleansing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc-QmW-zgrQ&index=45&list=PL749pD66P10OCZF9Al9Jxuh78rMuw1JtZ

Start Your Life- Our global movement  
www.startyourlife.com

For more info or questions, please contact me at:

Angey Grotberg

angeygrotberg@yahoo.com

My website: www.angeygrotberg.isagenix.com

Love gaining healthy weight and lean muscle! 

Go Strong, not skinny!

My husbands transformation!

Isagenix is for EVERY BODY!!!

Our incredible team in San Francisco!! 

(Super Saturday training event)

Get your booty movin'!!! Fitness Videos Playlist!

After talking with a few of the girls on my team this week, we all had one thing in common...the holidays toooottallly threw us off our game!! YOU ARE NOT ALONE!! Im right there with ya trying to get my booty back to working-out everyday, especially after being sick for almost a week over Christmas... So, heres a couple things I have to share that I sent to them and now sharing with you all as well, and hope it will give you a little motivation and help you through the hurdles....

1. We all hit plateaus!  
http://www.isagenixhealth.net/how-to-break-through-weight-loss-plateaus/

http://www.isagenixhealth.net/cant-make-the-scale-budge-11-questions-to-ask-yourself/

2. You do NOT have to go to the gym to get your work-out in! 

No excuses people! I have 2 kids, run a full time business from home, am incredibly busy all the time, so I wake up an hour before my kids, workout for 20-30 min in my living room 4 days a week and I'm done for the day. Thats it! Super easy! You dont need expensive videos or a gym membership, just a space and an able body and mind!

YouTube is my fave go-to place for any type of workout and best of all, its all FREE!!! So, even if you cant find anything you prefer on my personal playlist, there is something for everyone on YouTube!

My favorite videos to work-out to are:

My personal YouTube Fitness Videos Playlist: (Over 100 videos for you to choose from!) http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL749pD66P10MEn-sttxlZJKA9X8XKSzF1

Tone It Up girls Karena and Katrina in Manhattan Beach, Ca. (SoCal! Woot woot!!)
I may have a soft spot for them because I lived in Manhattan Beach for 8 years and everytime I watch their videos on the beach, it makes me miss my old stopping grounds and well, they are just super fun and awesome! www.toneitup.com

Blogilates by Cassey Ho- She has a super awesome "Extreme Abs" video on my playlist that is a killer! (you have been warned! haha!) www.blogilates.com

BodyRock- This website has some incredible workouts perfect for men and woman! They also have a website full of healthy recipes and everything you need for your healthy lifestyle! It helps that Jacqui has my dream bod that I aspire to have one day! #fitspiration

http://www.bodyrock.tv/workouts/

Burpee Queen- My fellow teammate and friend Kelly Mase!
This super Mom and personal trainer will get your booty into shape quick with her down to earth, very quick videos straight from her home! She keeps it real and is so funny! Love you Kelly and thanks for always keeping our team in top-top shape! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCb18X9J0-bY1WEp94QrPM0Q

Follow me on Youtube: Fit, Balanced ISA-Lifestyle: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0DR2735EYv3lZTf6EjNxPw

FOR THE KIDDOS!!

Cosmic Kids Yoga- We LOVE Cosmic Kids Yoga! Heres a full playlist of a ton of fun yoga videos for your kids to keep them active as well!  Best work out with your kids is to DANCE IT OUT!!! Put on fun music and dance with your babies!! It always guarantees laughs and good exersion of all that extra energy they have!
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL749pD66P10Pksf_G3cA_5H6L5KlgO1DW

www.gonoodle.com - I learned about this website from my daughter. She mentioned to me they learned about it in school and she was really excited about it! It is such a great site for many different exercises and music that get kids moving and is super fun!!

Healthy Recipes-
Here's a master list of all my fave go-to websites for healthy meals, snacks & shake recipes!

Lori Harder: http://www.loriharder.com/recipes/

Isagenix: http://www.isagenix.com/en-US/products/recipes

Tone it Up: http://toneitup.com/the-recipes/

Blogilates-Cassey Ho: http://www.blogilates.com/recipe-index/

Minimalist Baker: http://minimalistbaker.com/

Pinterest

Post Work-out Recovery-
Recovery after your work-outs is just as important as the work-out itself. Stretch those torn muscles out and then heal them with high quality protein! You will have alot less muscle soreness the next day and flood your body with optimal nutrition! 
My favorite protein drink on the planet is Isagenix Isalean Protein shakes! They provide organic, grass-fed whey protein, loaded with amino acids, live-active enzymes, tons of great vitamins, minerals and macro-nutrients for a full meal replacement! 
Also- gluten free, soy free, Non-GMO, dairy free and taste amazing! 
Our whole family enjoys the great nutritional benefits from these shakes!

9 Reasons I chose Isagenix (From an RN, certified Health and nutrition coach & Yoga instructor) http://thewellnurse.net/2014/12/9-reasons-chose-isagenix/

Lets get moving!!!

-Angey
Isagenix Crystal Manager
angeygrotberg@yahoo.com
www.angeygrotberg.isagenix.com
Follow me on Instagram: fit.balanced.isalifestyle

Laugh, have fun and be silly!!

Healthy Muffin & Bread Recipes!

  Working in the health and wellness field, I get a lot of questions about, "What can I eat?"
My response is always, "Everything is fine...in moderation! If you feel you are depriving yourself of something you enjoy, you will most likely binge on it at some time. Sooo...eat what you love, just smaller portions."
As we go into the new year, I wanted to share some of my favorite go-to recipes from my own cookbook (hence the pics, literally taken out of my cookbook!) and hopefully it will make your morning a little bit easier as you're rushing around getting ready for the day.
Also, a great tip- Preparing meals and snacks ahead of time will not only save you time, but save you unwanted calories!
One thing I love is muffins and cake! So here's some of my favorite muffin recipes and also a breakfast favorite, Egg Salsa Muffins! They are super-protein packed, easy and stay fresh for days in the fridge! Best of all, most of these are kid-approved! Get them baking with you, the more they are involved, the better chance they will love them!

Happy Baking!
Angey

PS- I absolutely LOVE Cassey Ho!
Here is an amazing list of her healthy recipes for every meal! There is surely something for everyone on here!
http://www.blogilates.com/recipe-index/

Leave your comments below with any faves that you have as well!
(Click on picture for bigger display if you are having trouble seeing written details)

Gluten-Free Kitchen Must Haves!

 Today, I had a dear friend of mine contact me and desperately needing advice on the gluten free lifestyle. She requested a list of Gluten Free items to pick up, soo it got me thinking about when we first had our son diagnosed with Celiac Disease earlier this year. How much of a frantic, anxiety filled state I was in. Having no idea what gluten really was or feeling like I had been unknowingly poisoning my child for God knows how long with sweet desserts and wheat grain bread..but it was organic! Oh, the horrors that were running through my mind! What had I done?!?!
Well, after the fear of, "What the heck can I feed my child who is already Type 1 diabetic?!" wore off... I got to work.
  I scoured the internet and as my eyes crossed nightly in a gluten-free abyss. I have since learned that you literally have to take it one recipe at a time. Over the course of this year and many trial and errors of having things turn out terrible, we have new family favorites and substitutes for old family recipes. We also live in the best time ever to have received this challenge. With almost every grocery store now providing more Gluten free options and its more accessible, this makes it alot easier than even 5 years ago.
My friends phone call inspired me to put together a master list of items for must-haves in your gluten-free kitchen! I know if I would've found this earlier this year, it would've saved me alot of time, stressful moments and money! I know if she is thinking of it, it has to be on other peoples minds as well! We are all here to help each other on this journey of health improvement the best we can! Hope this list helps make your gluten free days a little easier! I know Im probably missing some amazing must-haves, so pleeeaase leave your faves in the comments below! :)

Here's some of my GF kitchen must haves, as well as some healthy alternatives :

• coconut flour
• Almond flour (best deal at costco)
• GF Baking flour (Red Mills is a great brand)
• Quinoa
• Rice (brown, jasmine, white or wild)
• Corn or rice pasta (trader joes has the cheapest and best)
• Xantham gum (baking aisle)
• Quick rising yeast packets (for homemade pizza dough)
• Corn Flakes (to crush up and use as breadcrumbs for recipes, also fried chicken, etc.)
• Organic Gluten Free Old-fashioned Oats- (can blend and make oat flour)
• Coconut Oil ( A must, I use this in everything!)
• Maseca (Instant Corn Flour)
• UDI's Gluten Free Bread, bagels, pizza and muffins
• Rudi's Gluten Free Bread (GF bread products are usally found in the freezer aisles, just fyi)
• Gluten Free Beer- Apple Ciders usually - A must, of course!
• Gluten Free Taco Seasoning ( yes, some seasonings have gluten in them..ugh!)
• Potatoes of any kind

GF Cereals:

• Corn Flakes
• Post Pebbles- Cocoa or fruity
• Chex
• Kix
• Rice Crispies
• Natures Path cereals (our favorite is panda puffs and koala crisp)
• Trader Joes and Costco have a great selection of really yummy GF cereals!

Sugar alternatives: ( All can be a replacement for white sugar)

• Applesauce- no sugar added (great for baked products if you want them extra moist!)
• Truvia
• Local honey (also great to combat allergies!)
• Real Maple Syrup
• Agave Sweetener
• Almond Butter
• Dark Chocolate Chips

 Also, my sons special dietary needs has inspired me to grow in my knowledge of health & nutrition and I've since become a Health & Wellness Coach for a nutritional company called Isagenix. It provides organic, gluten free, Non-GMO nutrition, which has been a huge help for our family! Especially great for optimal nutrition for busy lifestyles! My kids love it and I know they are getting the best nutrition possible!
For more info check out my webinar below, as well as a great article for reasons why I chose Isagenix for our family, over many other nutritional companies.

You can contact me at: angeygrotberg@yahoo.com
Find me on Instagram: gluten_free_fit_momma
www.angeygrotberg.isagenix.com

Isagenix For Healthy Parents & Kids: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsThjaIYyyU

9 Reasons I chose Isagenix (From an RN, certified Health and nutrition coach & Yoga instructor) http://thewellnurse.net/2014/12/9-reasons-chose-isagenix/