Gather

Reading, reading, and more reading. I am thankful to have the following books as a starting point for my wellness goals in 2017:

- The Autoimmune Wellness Handbook by Mickey Trescott, NTP and Angie Alt, NTC, CHC

- The Autoimmune Paleo Cookbook by Mickey Trescott, NTP

- Nourish The Paleo Healing Cookbook by Rachael Bryant

- The Grain-Free Family Table by Carrie Vitt

I will use these final days of 2016 to gather knowledge and set a more focused plan... and of course indulge in some red wine, cheese, and tortilla chips... I would be lying if I didn't admit that I am not real sure how I am going to get through the autoimmune protocol. I am hoping that reintroduction of wine is in my future.

With this new adventure I promised to make little ripples toward big waves... well the big wave I know best is a WAKE behind the boat. Water seems to surround the happiness in my life so I thought I could use it to set my personal wellness goals as a reminder and daily motivation:

Wake: Most days I awake to a minimum of 3 snooze buttons pushed, followed by a shower, 2-10 outfit changes trying to hide the fat tire, shouting at the kids to "hurry up we're going to be late," grabbing breakfast to be eaten in the car, my purse, breast pump, bottles, daycare bag for Talise, preschool bag for Gia, hats, coats, gloves, oh wait... my school bag, cell phone, shit... I can't find my keys... we're going to be late. Grabbing it all in tow in one trip while spilling my tea as only a hot mess momma could do in stride. So... I think the "W" goal needs to start at the begining of each day. Learn to Wake more mindfully.

Active: I mentioned the weight gain & fat tire that I try to hide, but I know this is not the motivation for me to be active or I would have done something about it by now. "A" is for active for me to get stronger... for my kids. I need this wellness to have the energy & strength to keep up with my beautiful 4.

Kindness: The Autoimmune Wellness Handbook talks about connecting. I know I will need to build a team of support & want to stay positive on this journey instead of falling into the "oh poor me" trap. If you want to support me please cheer, "Get it Girl!" to keep my manta going. I also want to focus on kindness because I value caring & making a difference in the lives of others.

Eat: This is where the autoimmune protocol comes in... My learning curve is steep even though I literally teach others to cook for a living. It is a whole new way of looking at food, I need to stay focus on what IS included in AIP and less focused on what is not in order to stay positive. I need to learn to eat what my body responds to best. I hope to do this in a way that I can still enjoy cooking and eating. I don't want this to feel like a diet. This is a change in the way I cook, eat, and live in order to be well.