Hi friends!
I am starting a new monthly blog post series where I’ll be giving you a little recap of each month! It may slightly differ month to month but basically it will include things like my favorite products that month, articles, podcasts, books, etc. that I read and enjoyed, my favorite recipes (from myself and other bloggers!), and more along those lines. Sooo, here we go!
life update
I’m sure you all already know from IG, but I am currently in Frankfurt, Germany! My boyfriend, Matt, plays pro basketball here (thanks for excuse to get some traveling in 😉) PS. check out my Healthy Travel Guide here!! I’m here visiting for a few more weeks and I’m so excited to spend V-day in PARIS! I meannn how lucky am I??? 😭
Anyways, many of you have asked how I feel about Germany. I admit, if it weren’t for Matt being on a team here, I’m not sure I would have ever made it to Germany… it just wasn’t on the top of my list of places to visit in Europe. But I’m so glad that it worked out this way because I love it here! I love that it has a European feel but it’s also extremely easy to navigate and communicate because almost everyone speaks English.
I pretty much eat the same here as I do at home with the exception of eating out more (date nights galore!!). There’s quite a few really cool health food stores like Basic, Alnatura, and even the “normal” grocery stores carry lots of healthy + organic options! It is slightly harder to be a stickler on ingredients because my German is subpar… but I try to mainly stick to whole foods over processed and packaged things anyway.
This month, I started a program, IIN, to become certified in nutrition so that is super exciting! So far, it’s going really well… I am so happy that I found a program that promotes bio-individuality, meaning everyone is different and has different needs. Certain foods may work for some people and not for others. It’s really about finding a plan that works for you and that you can sustain FOREVER rather than a month, week, year, etc.
I also love that IIN focuses on areas other than nutrition like movement, sleep, stress, connection/relationships, spirituality, happiness, etc. It took me a long time to truly understand and believe that health is about more than what you eat and how often you exercise.
Last but not least, I taught my first FlexCity Fitness class! It had been a long time coming… I’ve been training for a few months now. But I finally started teaching real classes (yay!). For those of you who don’t know, FlexCity is a group fitness studio in Lansing and Grand Rapids, MI. I’ve been taking classes for quite awhile now but it wasn’t until I moved home that I decided to start instructing!
CCE’s most popular recipes this month
Da, da, da, daaaaa my PALEO CHOCOLATE CHUNK COOKIES was the winner this month! So many of you have messaged me and tagged me saying you are obsessed with these cookies. I really can’t even tell you guys how much that makes my day so THANK YOU! Also, I’m pretty sure I have set some kind of record for making this recipe at least 10 times last month. What can I say, ya girl goes through cookies reallll quick 😅😅😅
I’m actually shocked that the second most popular recipe in January on CCE was my Paleo Banana Bread Mug Muffin since I posted this recipe way back in October! A close third was my Creamy Chia Oats. Another all-time favorite. I’ve been having them in Germany, too! Such a yummy and filling breakfast.
If you guys try any of my recipes, tag me on IG @callascleaneats so I can see your eats! It makes me so happy!
other recipes I’m into!
- Ambitious Kitchen peanut butter banana baked oatmeal cups – these were delish! I made them with oat flour instead of rolled oats for a smoother consistency and it worked great.
- Gathered Nutrition spicy cashew dressing – legit to die for. I drizzled it on top of salads, roasted veggies, and also used it as a dip!
meal + snack obsessions
- breakfast tacos – I made these SO many times last month. I used Mikey’s paleo tortillas and mixed up the ingredients each time to keep things interesting! Usually some kind of combo of eggs, avocado, vegan queso, sweet potato, black beans, etc.
- mini pizza’s – on paleo english muffins or GF bagels! I just top them with some organic pizza sauce, cheese of choice, and any other toppings that sounded good ATM.
- chicken salad – definitely going through a chicken salad phase. I would meal prep a big batch of organic chicken at the begining of the week and then just mix it up with some avocado oil mayo, salt, pepper, dill, dijon mustard, dried fruit, and crushed nuts. Done in 5 min! Usually ate it as a sandwich, over salads, or even just scooped it up with some crackers.
- Daily Harvest – I am always on a daily harvest kick, but especially in January because I was trying to get a TON accomplished before I left! I recently tried the butternut squash + chimichurri bowl and it is AMAZING. My new favorite. These always make for the quickest and tastiest meals. PS. I have a discount code “callascleaneats” for $25 off your first order!
- dessert plates – I have a few different desserts handy at all times and I can never decided which one I want. Lately, I’ve been making a little plate with a few different ones and it’s THE BEST! Here, I had half of one of my GF + DF Donuts, a Chunky Monkey Breakfast Cookie (recipe coming soon!), and, of course, one of my Paleo Chocolate Chunk Cookies. Yum.
podcasts and books
podcasts
- Is There an Antidote to Stress? with Dr. Rangan Chatterjee (The Doctor’s Farmacy) – if there is one podcast you listen to this month, make it this one. SO so so eye opening to the effects of stress on our health. This is something I’ve personally been working on for awhile now and I cannot recommend this episode enough.
- Dietitan-approved ways to drink alcohol & be healthy with Jessica Cording (the mindbodygreen podcast) – this was interesting but I didn’t fully agree with everything they talked about. Note to self: be more specific when you write recaps of podcasts (ha!)
- Weight and Health are Not the Same Thing ft. Lisa Hayim (Diet Starts Tomorrow) – I have followed Lisa on IG forever and I always love hearing what she has to say. Definitely recommend this episode for anyone who has had any kind of struggles with food in the past or present.
books
- The Women in The Window – completely unrelated to health and wellness but I am currently reading this and loving it! I’m really enjoying some good fiction lately!!
- Intuitive Eating – I already finished this book but I still go back to it every once in awhile and refresh my mem! I ordered mine on Amazon, linked here.
- Journey to The Heart Mediation Book – every time I post a page of this on my IG story, I get A TON of messages asking for the link so I’ll leave it here! I love spending a few minutes of my morning reading this book. It helps me set a positive tone for the day.
currently loving
- This Amazon one piece cutout swimsuit. I bought it in the leopard print but there’s TONS others. So cute!!!
- Athleta Powervita Leggings – best leggings I have ever owned. I have them in both the 7/8 length and full length. PS. this sassy red color is on sale 😉
- My Nespresso. My fave Christmas gift! I’ve been making thee best latte’s with my Homemade Cashew Creamer. Also obsessed with these clear coffee mugs!
- Primally Pure Vanilla Almond Body Butter. This is the first winter I have had ZERO issues with dry skin. Also, it smells like birthday cake. Nuff said. Discount code “callascleaneats”.
- Primally Pure Lavender Complexion Mist. I spray this on my face before I go to bed… so hydrating and relaxing. Discount code “callascleaneats”.
- Stainless Steel Lemon Squeezer. Why did I not buy one of these 5 years ago.
- L – glutamine powder. This has been a game changer for recovery from workouts. I’ve been take a teaspoon every moring. It’s also good for gut health!
That’s it for January! Hope you all have an amazing February and can’t wait to check back in at the end of this month!! xoxoxo
PS. if you have any suggestions of other things you’d like me to share/discuss, I’m all ears ☺️