Hello everyone! Jessica here and I thought I would take a moment to actually write to everyone about my personal journey into getting healthier and happier than ever! 

As I posted about two months ago, I had surgery on my ovaries and my appendix removed by an awesome doctor, Dr. Neelam Dutt. Since that day my life and health made a complete turn around. Yes, I was already living a healthy lifestyle- but I got even healthier- in my opinion there is always room for improvement. I was already eating healthy for the most part and getting some exercise. I was at the most I have ever weighed, tipping the scales at 172 pounds, but I didn't really look too big. I carry my weight pretty well since I am tall.  Since I was eating healthy and getting exercise I began to wonder a few weeks before my surgery: What was going on?!  I wasn't feeling too attractive because I could see where the weight was going. I was also feeling pretty crappy. Part of it was hormonal due to what I had going on and the surgery helped the hormonal part, but me changing my relationship and lifestyle with food- changed everything else.

Once I started healing from the surgery, it took about 2 weeks to be back to normal again, I started eating healthier. I have never been someone who loves to eat meat, but since my surgery meat doesn't taste good and it makes me pretty sick. So the only type of meat I now eat is fish- and that is like once a week. Dr. Dutt had been bugging me for a long time to start taking more than just a multivitamin but to start taking more. At that point I had been a person to believe that if you are eating the proper foods then you shouldn't really need vitamins because you would get them from your food. So why did my views change? Well I began reading a lot more books and watched a documentary called "Food Matters". I was starting to realize that even if I was eating properly, the vitamins that should be in my food aren't always there. Even in fresh, organic produce, you can have trouble getting all the vitamins and minerals that your body needs. I found out that I am magnesium deficient and that my body doesn't absorb salt properly (I knew about the salt thing for a long time now). So I began to think maybe Dr. Dutt was right on this one. So I began taking vitamins. 

My husband shipped off for basics (he is in the navy) about a month after my surgery and I was down about 7 or 8 pounds at that time. The weight was coming off really fast which was a bit alarming to my doctor and myself, but I wasn't unhealthy at the time so I just went with it. I kept eating healthy- even set an alarm in my phone to eat. I began switching out things like ice cream for greek yogurt, store bought peanut butter for homemade peanut butter, sweets for fruit, whole grain bread for whole grain pita bread or naan bread, noodles for brown rice, brown rice for quinoa, and drinks for water. I made little changes- changes you wouldn't necessarily notice. I also began eating raw cacao nibs, dried gogi berries, and adding maca powder to my smoothie in the morning once my husband left for basic training.  I also started going to the gym and using the elliptical for about a half hour or so 5 days a week and I practice yoga at home. I am leery of working out due to a problem that I have in my neck, but the elliptical seems to be helping.

I met up with my Dr- who is also a friend, for lunch and she took a double take and said, "Hmm you are looking even thinner than before, good job." She is a very talkative woman, but when she says "fact" she is to the point. My father in law even noticed saying "Wow, Thomas is going to be thrilled when he sees you. You've really lost some weight, you didn't look bad before but man you look great now!" I even had a close friend of mine send me a text the other day after seeing a picture of me on facebook and said "Holy crap your tiny!" 

I want to stress, I wasn't really looking to lose weight. I was looking to feel healthier. Nothing scares you like a surgery. Even though my surgery wasn't really related to me not having a 100% healthy lifestyle- it really makes you think. I remember being in the ER not having a clue as to what was going on with me. I knew that my symptoms that I had in the weeks prior to the surgery were those of hormonal changes, but at the same time it easily could have been something else. As a health professional it really woke me up.  I am happy to say that in about 10 months of me eating clean foods (I started the whole clean eating thing right around the time of my wedding), drinking more water, taking vitamins and supplements that my body was lacking, and getting exercise completely changed my life. I am sleeping better, the pigment in my skin is back, my skin looks healthier, I feel more alert, my anxiety levels are controlled, my ocd is controlled much better than it ever was controlled before, and my asthma has gotten better! To top it off I have lost a total of 27 pounds and I am maintaining it :) At first we were worried because the weight was coming off weekly but for the last 2 weeks I have been straight at a 145 :) 

I just want to put out there that as a health coach who works with women, working on yourself is difficult- even for me! It is best to have someone holding you accountable to your goals. Plus it is good to have someone who is outside of the situation give you some insight. I specialize in helping women who struggle with weight loss, low libido, headaches, insomnia, and fatigue to fix the problems by approaching them through an alternative way: through nutrition! 

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me! 
my email: jessica@healthybychoice2012.com
my phone: (810)449-5999

Hello everyone! Healthy by Choice did its first health expo today! We set up a booth and sold health and beauty products!

There were so many different types of health vendors there! There were people with plants, crafts, and another person who had health and beauty products (I must say at first I was jealous, but my booth was constantly busy!).

We sold a lot of body butters, facial/body scrubs, lip balms, and stretch mark & scar  fading cream. My anti-aging cream was also a big hit- although most people wanted to try the sample sizes first! People even put orders in to be mailed out to them when I sold out of some products!

If anyone is still wondering about my product line- just give it a try!! I have never had a complaint about my products! Here is the link to my etsy website where you can order my products: www.etsy.com/shop/healthybychoice

I was craving something kinda sweet at the end of the night and didn't want to give in and go to the store and buy something that is full of terrible ingredients. So I started thinking then made this awesome recipe that I will most likely be making again!

Ingredients:
-1 Cup Organic Plain Yogurt (I used Simple Truth Organic Yogurt)
-1/2 Cup Organic Raw Chia Seeds
-5 TBSP Cacao Powder
-2 TBSP Raw, Local Honey

What you do:
-In a bowl or container, combine ingredients.
-Stir for until everything is mixed through
-Let sit in the fridge for about 15 minutes (this is because the chai seeds will absorb some of the yogurt and it will be amazing!)

Enjoy!!

Why is this good for you??
First off, yogurt is great for you with the probiotics and all. Then add in the raw cacao powder that is full of antioxidants- just look up any bo0k by David Wolfe (cacao is amazing!!). Then add in the chia seeds- they are high in Omega 3, it promotes weight loss, and is amazing when it comes to the fiber that it adds to your body!

**This is an updated post from March 2013. Jessica frequently updates some of
her favorite recipes that she might have changed! 

Granola Bars are super easy & yummy snack to eat when you are on the go or just for a treat! I really like the Double Chocolate Brownie Cliff Z Bars that I recently tried, and they reminded me of an old recipe I used a few years back! These bars are gluten free and pretty versatile! They are less expensive to make and pretty easy compared to other granola bar recipes out there! 

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​Ingredients:
-3 cups old fashioned oats (I buy these kind, they are gluten free & organic at a great price!)
-1/2 cups mini chocolate chips (or more-- no one is judging you!)
-1/4 cup peanut butter or almond butter
- 1 Large Egg
- 1/3 Cup Cacao Powder (I like this kind)
- 1/2 Cup Honey or Maple Syrup

Directions:
-In a large bowl combine dry ingredients.
-In small bowl combine peanut butter, egg, and honey.
-Mix the wet and dry ingredients together.
- Spray or grease the inside of cup cake pan, or put parchment paper down in an 8X8 pan.
-Firmly press the granola mixture into the molds, the mixture will be thick so you will really to press hard. 
- Bake for 12 minutes. 
- Let cool for about 15 minutes before enjoying! 
-Store in a airtight container or baggies!

This recipe can also be made into Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Bars-- just check out this blog post to see my other recipe!

Did you like this recipe? Did you try it? Let us know what you think below!!

Also share this recipe on Facebook & Tag us!

Granola Bars are so expensive when you think about it- and they have tons of sugar and bad stuff in them. Granola bars are so simple to make and very healthy as a snack or breakfast.

I thought I would share a recipe that I made tonight and hope everyone likes them! It is really healthy with no added sugars. It is a great snack to enjoy!








What you need:
-3/4 C Organic Honey
-3 C Organic Old Fashioned Oats
-1/2 C Mini Chocolate Chips
-1 C One Ingredient Peanut Butter (or other nut butter)
-1 Egg

Directions:
1) In a large bowl, mix honey, peanut butter, and egg. (I do this in a standing mixer)
2) Slowly add in the oats 
3) Mix really good
4) Sometimes I will use my hands to make sure everything is mixed really good.
5) Preheat oven to 350
6) A) To make these into granola bars- you can simply put parchment paper down in a rectangular pan. Press the mixture all around the pan. You will have like 1/2 inch of mixture. 
B) To make these into cups- put 12 cupcake liners in a cupcake pan and fill the cupcake liners. 
7) Cook at 350 for 15 minutes. 
8) Pull out of the oven and let them cool. If you are making these into bars- pull the parchment paper out of the pan and set them on the counter to cool. Once they are cooled cut them into bars !