The last several years have been a whirlwind of health problems, mostly revolving around digestion (or lack thereof). I ate a pretty balanced diet, worked out almost every day, was at a normal weight, drank tons of water, but yet things didn't seem to move along like they should. "Cut out dairy, cut out gluten, eliminate everything and slowly reintroduce." My inner Wisconsin cheesehead, bread and butter loving, borderline donut addict self was screaming, 'NO!!!!' So, I'd try to eat less of something here and there, but no real adjustments. I'd go weeks with everything being "normal" and then it would completely 180 and I'd be back in this predicament of 'what is wrong with me?' going down the WebMD rabbit hole and we all know how that ends.
Fast forward to 2/10/2021. I get my bloodwork results back and I have high cholesterol, elevated liver enzymes, and low Vitamin D (not a shocker since I live in the Midwest). On paper, I look like an overweight, heavy drinker that moves from the bed to the couch watching Netflix and eating chips. I felt AWFUL! How could this be??
I have been meal prepping for clients here and there about a year now, but not so much for myself, and having an 8 year old also means stops at fast food places on the way home from extracurriculars, family events, etc. It also makes for a great excuse for treats, snacks (because how can anyone resist not stealing a few bites of whatever it is they're having, or the food they left on their plate). I also continued my exercise from home since Covid began, however my weight/cardio/equipment is not nearly as elaborate as the gym. Nonetheless, I did SOMETHING almost every day.
The last couple months I have really dived into making this business work -and be successful- by finding and making recipes I believe align with my own lifestyle philosophy. I enjoy ALL foods, I don't want to cut anything out (fortunately I don't have to just yet), but I want to make healthy choices for 80% of my meals. The menus I create are with purpose; there are REALLY healthy choices; some are GF, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan, keto; and then there are some more (I'll call them) well-rounded choices. We can't live on lettuce and beans, but having a delicious pulled pork taco with a salsa PACKED with vitamins, minerals, and fiber isn't being "bad." So, I've been incorporating the menu into my own meal plan. I ate the shrimp and cauliflower rice for breakfast the last 2 days and haven't had that mid-morning sugar craving. I loved the pineapple snow pea salsa over some baked chicken for lunch. The beauty of these meals is you can add or change when and how you want to eat them!
Fast forward to TODAY. I got the call from my doctor for the 3 month follow-up bloodwork I had done and all my levels are now in the normal range! Yes, I made a conscious effort to cut out my one-true-love-donuts, reduced my drinking to maybe a glass of wine a week (eek, I know!) and built my own regimen of daily vitamins, BUT I also know that diet is a huge factor in these particular areas, and I know that having healthy, readily available meals has played the biggest role in these changes.
I'll keep reinforcing the benefit of having meal prep delivery...
1. Most important; HEALTHY OPTIONS! No preservatives, no fried foods, shopped FRESH and cooked with REAL ingredients!
2. Time; easily save 7-8 hours a week of grocery shopping, cooking, cleaning, driving. All you have to do is click through a few pages and MAGIC! Food is at your door.
3. Price; yes, it's obviously going to be more expensive than if you shopped and made it yourself, but imagine not having to fight the crowds on a Sunday with toddlers in tow, making a huge mess in your kitchen (and the DISHES!), or worrying about where to get dinner from. I also know how easy it is to drop $100 for a family of 4 on dinner.
Side note: It's also great as a gift! Someone just had a baby, someone is quarantining, someone just had surgery, it's someone's birthday, a holiday..you name it. Guess what, EVERYONE EATS! It's a win-win.
Make the investment in your health; your body will thank you!