The last I checked, the year is 2019 and I am 41 years old. Right?

Ok then, why does my body feel like it's in the retirement years and breaking down piece by piece? I have tried everything I could get my hands on; chiropractic adjustments, yoga, massage, physical therapy, injections, rest... only to find temporary relief, if anything at all. It's expensive, time consuming, sometimes painful, and beyond frustrating.

For the last six years I have turned into Humpty Dumpty. One piece breaks, we fix it, only to find another broken part. What is going on?!?!  

All my late night googling, and hounding of all the professionals in my rolodex, has lead me to believe that I need a fresh start.  "You need to take it back to the basics."

And basically, it all begins with the food I put in my body.  

Now, I claim to have gone "gluten free" for almost five years now to help with this inflammation.  BUT (a big but), I cheat. Often. I have NO will power when we order Friday night pizza from Mario and Salvo's. I also can't help but grab the occasional handful of Cheez-it crackers at times.

Oh, and did I mention that my husband is a brewer and makes the yummiest IPAs? 

Well of course I have to try them. Gluten is a hard one for me to completely give up. Recently one of my docs asked me to try an exclusive anti-inflammation diet. He believes it could be super helpful to get my body operating at it's highest function to promote healing. I immediately replied "No problem". If someone challenges me like that, especially when it comes to health of my kids, or myself... I go all "game on." At first anyway ;)

So I went home, hopped on Pinterest and Amazon, and got to work printing recipes, and ordering a new cookbook.

I cleaned out the bad stuff in the fridge and pantry. I made lists of the best foods, herbs and supplements to put in my body. I started meal planning.

Today I am eight days in. Do I feel better?

Yes. Are there yummy foods out there that are also super good for me? Yes. Is sticking to it more challenging that I would like? Yes.

I cheated only once. Yep, you guessed it... on pizza Friday. And boy did I pay for that the next day. I was so bloated Saturday night that I looked 7 months pregnant. At a party.

Lesson learned :(

The key is making sure I have a plan. Each meal is somewhat thought out, so I have options depending on my mood. One can only have quinoa bowls for lunch so many days in a row before wanting to hurl.

Obviously this Fridge List is not just for me, hence the ice cream and juice boxes (but the red wine is totally mine, and considered anti-inflammatory when consumed in moderation.)

Modern Arrow Meal Planner

A somewhat obvious tip that is helpful to me, is keeping my shopping list right next to the meal planner, and stuck on my fridge.

It helps make decisions about what the meals are going to be, before I head to the grocery store every week. It saves some money too I'm sure. You're welcome, honey.

Current recipe faves?

The Sesame Soba noodles from The Anti-Inflammation Cookbook are SO good. I made extra so I could have it for a few meals this week. Also, the Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette is delish on just about anything, even the exhausted quinoa bowl feels rejuvenated. I really hope I can stick with this plan, guys. I want to feel good again, and help myself to feel healthier well into my older years.

Are any of you dealing with issues like this? Reach out if so.

I would love to get some more anti-inflammatory recipes in the rotation! With love and avocados,

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