I remember when I first hired a coach to work on changing my body composition. He sent me my daily protein target and I audibly gasped.

“What?? No way. Can’t do it.”

It was at least 3x the amount of protein I was currently having.  This was a few years ago when I was on a mostly plant-based diet and my protein intake was extremely low. I remember feeling extremely triggered and resistant - there was no way I could get that much protein.

It took me a while to get there, but when I finally understood the importance of getting enough protein - not only for my body composition but for my health - everything changed.

My body actually started changing. Without drastically cutting my calories. I felt satisfied. I had energy. And I wasn’t bloated all the time anymore.

Protein consumption is a topic I discuss with many of my clients and it’s one of the most important ones, after a general nutrient-dense diet....

This is one of my most favorite recipes I've created! I had been craving cheesecake for weeks after seeing it at a lovely cafe, so I decided to re-make it, but make it high-protein to still reach my goals (#cheesecakegains ). I also put a little spin on it and layered it with a carrot cake. Sorry for teasing you for so long on Instagram, but here it finally is!

Protein Carrot Cake Layer Ingredients:

cup coconut flour
cup whey protein powder (vanilla flavor works well here, but plain is also okay)
tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ginger
tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
½ cup mashed banana
cup water
3 tbsp grass-fed greek yogurt, room temp.
1 ½ tbsp maple syrup
1 egg
3 medium shredded carrots

One of the biggest questions that keeps coming up with my private clients right now is how to get back into the world while still maintaining their healthy habits. It's "easy" to control your eating and your workout routine while you have no social or travel plans, but what happens when your weeks start to fill up with dinners with friends, weekend barbeques, and summer vacations?

While there are definitely challenges that come along with these social events, it doesn't have to completely derail your health. Personally, I've been traveling for 7 months now, but I've actually gotten leaner during this time. I've lost 6 pounds and 3 inches around my waist. A lot for my petite 5'1" frame.

Here's how....

My Personal Hacks for Eating Out and Traveling

Stick to protein-forward meals.

If you've taken my Fat Loss 101 course, you know my thoughts on the importance of protein. This is my number one tip for you, both when eating out and...

I recently celebrated my 38th birthday! I know, I can't believe it, either. And being on the Oaxaca coast, I couldn't think of anything I would rather do on my birthday than go eat all the delicious food here.  I ate about 4,000 calories worth (this is not an exaggeration, I promise you. I tracked it.)

But, wow, it was worth it - the food here on the Oaxaca coast is some of the best I've ever tasted. I mean, the tamales melt in your mouth, the mole is super flavorful (and free of peanuts, yay!), and the meat is tender and delicious without using a ton of oil, like most cuisines do.

Whenever I have a day of eating this much food, or whenever I post stories on Instagram eating ice cream multiple times a week, I inevitably get questions about how I maintain my body composition eating like this. 

And today I'm...

There is a lot of misinformation out there when it comes to the best type of exercise for weight loss. It is commonly drilled into us that the more we exercise, the better.

And is cardio is the best way to lose weight? Nope!

We now know that there are so many other factors that come into play besides just calories in, calories out when it comes to weight loss. Hormones and stress are just as important and sometimes more significant when you are trying to lose weight and burn fat. Excessive cardio and overexercising can end up doing exactly the opposite of what you are trying to do - hault your weight loss progress, and actually cause you to hold onto fat.

Here are a few of the worst types of exercise for hormone balancing:

1. Chronic cardio
2. Circuit training (basically cardio with weights)
3. HIIT classes

Why are these types of exercises not optimal?

Doing too much cardio or HIIT can actually slow down your metabolism and cause your weight loss...

Ever feel a little bloated after a meal? Think it’s completely normal? Well, it’s not. While it might be extremely common, it’s definitely not normal. Bloating after meals can signal that your body is not properly digesting food, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies and many other health issues down the line, including autoimmune issues, hormone issues, acne, or brain fog.

A healthy gut is one of the most important keys to your overall health. If you’re having an issue with bloating, acne, low energy, or fatigue, chances are this could be stemming from your impaired gut health.

So many health conditions can result in a digestive system that is less than optimal.  Here are a few systems of the body where your gut health plays a massive role:

Your Skin Health.

Inflammation of the skin can be a huge sign that your gut health is imbalanced. Having intestinal dysbiosis can lead to inflammation, causing acne, psoriasis, or eczema. Skin...

Low-carbohydrate diets can be great for weight loss.  However, when not done properly, low-carb diets can have adverse effects, as you may have personally experienced.  Headaches, fatigue, muscle cramps.  Sound familiar?

The number one mistake people usually make on the low carb diet?

Not replenishing their sodium and minerals!

Proper hydration is absolutely critical for weight loss - and health in general! Not only this, but hydration doesn’t stop at just drinking enough water- adequate sodium and mineral content plays an equal role in staying hydrated and combating fatigue and muscle weakness.

Low-carbohydrate diets can sometimes cause people to experience the “keto flu”- these symptoms can include headaches, fatigue, muscle cramps, irritably and weakness. What people sometimes get wrong is that these symptoms can actually more often than not be caused by low sodium - not being on a low-carbohydrate diet....

With the weather changing and temperatures cooling down, there’s one superfood you should start incorporating into your diet if you haven’t already - and that is bone broth. Bone broth is overflowing with health benefits and should definitely be a staple in your diet (unless you have histamine issues, which is a blog post for another time!).

What exactly is bone broth?

Bone broth is an extremely nutritious stock that is typically used in soups or stews, or can be consumed on its own. It’s made by simmering the bones and connective tissue of different types of meat anywhere from 10-48 hours. You can also easily make this in the Instant Pot.

Here are just some of the benefits of bone broth:

1. It’s rich in mineral and nutrient content. Bone broth is extremely high in vitamins and minerals, which come from the bones themselves. It’s especially high in calcium, iron, vitamin A and K, fatty acids, selenium, zinc, magnesium, and phosphorus. Not...

Long gone are days where low-fat diets are the key to health and weight loss. While we now know that healthy fats are not only beneficial, but crucial to a healthy diet, there is still a lot of misinformation on what types of fats we should - and shouldn’t, be eating.

If there is any food you should completely cut from your diet - it’s polyunsaturated fats!

Polyunsaturated fats are found in vegetable and seed oils, like canola oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, grapeseed oil and corn oil. If you are cooking with any of these oils, toss them immediately!

Polyunsaturated fats are also found in nuts and seeds, commercially-raised meat, poultry, and eggs, and animals fed diets of corn and soy.

There are many reasons to avoid polyunsaturated fats, but one of the biggest is the chemical instability. The oxidation temperature of polyunsaturated fats is extremely low. This means that if they are exposed to heat, light, or...

More often than not, fat loss looks like a bumpy rollercoaster. After dramatic and quick weight loss, the weight reappears as quickly as it disappeared. But, what if there was a way to effectively and sustainably lose fat? Imagine ditching the yo-yo diet and weight loss rollercoaster ride.

This is why I created the Fat Loss 101 Training. In the training, I teach the same simple strategies I use with my private coaching clients to get them results that last. My goal is to help you effortlessly lose fat by optimizing your health from a foundational level.

When trying to lose fat, most people will:

• Cut down on portion sizes and leave every meal hungry for more
• Hit the gym religiously and spend hours on the treadmill
• Stop eating carbs, fat, and/or meat
• Adopt a keto, carnivore, or vegan diet

I hate to say it, but these people have it all wrong. Please, don't kill the messenger!