If you watch my weekly Facebook Lives then you know I am obsessed with eating seasonally....

Not because it's Pinterest-y or fashionable....

But because it has serious health benefits (Check out this post to learn why)!

Anyway, I hope you find some Fall squash recipe inspiration from this!

The famous Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownie recipe I made on Show Me St Louis last week (or two weeks ago?)....

Anyway, this is a good one!

Basically It’s Gluten Free Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies

Serves: 12

Ingredients

Pumpkin Cheesecake:

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup canned pumpkin
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp pumpkin pie spice

Brownies:

• Gluten free brownie mix (check the Health Food section of your grocery store!)
• Ingredients according to the box: likely water, oil and eggs

Instructions

1. To make the Pumpkin Cheesecake: Beat together cream cheese, pumpkin, egg, sugar, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
2. To make the brownies: Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8x8 inch pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, make the brownie mix according the instructions on the box.
4. Pour half of the batter into the 8x8 inch pan. Spread the pumpkin cream cheese evenly on...

I cannot say it enough....

Eating seasonally is a fantastic way to optimize your health!!

I won't write a lengthy post here because it is all in the video, but your body KNOWS what season it is. It knows that the foods growing around you contain the nutrients it needs now. 

Look for the seasonal foods in your produce section, try some new recipes and if you are St Louis local check out our fall menu here!

Healthy food has to taste terrible, right?

If it's not gritty, chewy, bland and boring, then it's probably not healthy....

This is totally wrong. Healthy food can taste just like it came out of your grandmas kitchen (I know Basically It Meals' does!). In this video I detail the very simple, uncomplicated way to make your healthy meals taste great.

Healthy fats are super dense in nutrients, but they also have the highest calorie count of any other foods!

Is that bad? No, not at all! Fats are very satiating, and can help our body burn fat. Not to mention, all the great nutrients they contain.

Healthy fats include:
Nuts and seeds
Avocado
Fish
Oils
I love eating them with every meal!

Healthy fats nourish your

• Brain
• Gut
• Skin (they are totally anti-aging!)
• Mental health

Add them to each meal to feel full and satisfied for a long time!

Hey, I would love to connect with you on Instagram, click here and find me!

We are all trying to find that healthy balance, but it can be tough, right?

Sometimes we overdo it at the nacho bar, miss our workouts, get sick on ice cream....

So what is a healthy balance? How do you find that in a world full of temptations?

A great rule of thumb for healthy living and eating I use and my clients use is 80-20. 80% of all that you do serves your health:
Healthy meals full of plants (fruits and veggies!)
Plenty of rest (6-8 hours a night)
Getting in movement on a regular basis (it can be just walking)
Plenty of water (at least half of your body weight in ounces per day)

The other 20% is "free". 

It sounds like it could turn into an all out binge/rager...but I like to plan mine ahead of time. This helps the 20% become my choice. A lot of times when we eat poorly, it is out of control, unconscious and comes with a whole lot of guilt and shame. Planning ahead of time makes it our choice and eliminates the need to negative emotions around it.

What does your 80-20...

A lot of people suggest counting in some form or another.

Whether it's calories, points, or macros...

Here's the thing, if you think counting calories is something you will enjoy doing for the rest of your life, then by all means, count away.

What you do now to maintain your health and your weight it should be enjoyable and sustainable for life.

Does counting sound appealing to you? Do you think you'll be able to keep it up long term? Will it be easy to do in many different situations?

If the answer is "no", then look for another tool to help you maintain for the rest of your life.

I suggest you try two things:

• Listening to your body! Your stomach is always speaking to you, you're just not used to listening. Tune in, it knows when you've had enough. It also know exactly which foods it likes and which it doesn't like.
• Journaling. Counting can bring some awareness to what goes in your mouth, but it misses a big piece of the picture, the emotional side. Journaling can not only help...

Unfortunately, those wrinkles you saw pop up last week, those aren't going anywhere.

Your body is aging...

All. The. Time.

That is science.

BUT it is preventable. We can slow it down, even reverse it, with a few small tweaks.

In this video I break down my 4 BEST TIPS to rewind and reverse aging, so you can look your best for a long long time.

This is actually one of my Facebook Live Wine About It that I do each week. I am there every Thursday at 5:30pm bringing you a nutrition tip that will give you fast results. Join me, won't you?! See you next Thursday!

Healthy food shouldn't feel like a punishment.

Yet, so often it tastes like one!

Why does healthy equal boring?

Plain chicken with steamed broccoli...

Raw cauliflower dipped in air...

Plain brown rice, hold the salt...

It doesn't have to be that way!

• Open your spice cabinet
• Put garlic on everything
• Grab the pink Himalayan salt
• Squeeze lemon over the top
• Grab some fresh herbs to finish

All of these enhance flavor while also enhancing health! It doesn't have to be complicated or time consuming, just delicious.

To learn more about how to cook healthy at home, check out the No-Diet Diet Club!

If you are in St Louis, click here to see about having your healthy meals delivered from our delicious kitchen!

A few sprinkles of cinnamon went into this almond milk latte and it was delish!!

It was also, secretly nutrish since cinnamon is anti-aging and great for weight loss, too!!

Are you asking yourself how this is even possible? I mean, I drink pumpkin spice lattes with a sprinkle of cinnamon all the time and I'm not squeezing into no bikini right now...

Well, yeah, no on the pumpkin spice front. BUT cinnamon itself does actually lower blood sugar, therefore reducing the weight gaining and aging affect of sugar. Ingesting it regularly (on top of a n unsweetened black coffee, for instance) is majorly beneficial.

Adding cinnamon to your coffee gives it a HUGE nutritional boost!

Cinnamon is...
High in antioxidants (hello, age reversal )
Reduces insulin which means easier weight loss
Full of phytonutrients to boost your health

You can add it to other things, too! How about that baked sweet potato, or your green smoothie?

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