After 3 years I finally made my way back to Expo West 2023, and as an Influencer/Blogger once again. Grateful to be able to attend these types of events to bring you the 411 on whats about to hit the store shelfs. This year, like others before did not disappoint. I always try and attend Yoga in the mornings to prepare me for the long day ahead, to set my mind, body and soul to be the best that I can be. I was also able to attend Lairds breath work shop (something I had never tried) and I was very intrigued with it, so intrigued that I started incorporating it into my daily life.
​                                  Scroll to the bottom for my top 10 finds.

My top 10 finds that i loved at Expo West 2023
1. Detox Babe- A company with such an amazing story behind how it started.
2. PH-D feminine health
3. Little moon Essentials
4. Ritual zero Proof
5. Bare Bones Broth Ramen flavor
6. Gimme roasted seaweed snacks in Chili lime flavor
7. Just Ingredients chocolate protein powder and all their goods.
8. Joolietts date nibbles- raspberry dark chocolate
​9. Mojave mallows
10. Jordan's skinny mixes

I am so thankful to have been able to attend Expo West 2023. With the help of my husband for taking over the mom chores, from doing school drop off and pick up, taking girls to all their after school extra curricular activities, and cleaning, making lunch and dinner, I was able to accomplish this 4 day Expo. I met some amazing new companies that I hope thrive in the big world of sales. I met new friends, met up with old friends and had an amazing 4 days filled with information. Saying goodbye to Expo West 2023 and patiently waiting for Expo West 2024, hope you enjoyed this read.

     CBD? THC? Cannabinoids can be complicated. Here’s a basic overview of CBD and why it’s the latest health buzzword.

     Cannabidiol, or CBD oil, is a new buzzword that you may be hearing. Its properties are suggested to treat a variety of ailments and illnesses, but what, exactly, is CBD oil? Here's what our resident CBD expert (aka, the New Hope Network Ingredients & Supplements Editor) has to say on the subject. 

Let’s start with the cannabis plant, or specifically the Cannabis sativa species. Both marijuana and hemp come from a Cannabis sativa plant—just different parts. Some Cannabis sativa is grown and bred for its THC. THC stands for tetrahydrocannabinol. THC is an active constituent (a cannabinoid) of the cannabis plant that contains psychoactive properties (aka: the part that can get you high).
Some Cannabis sativa, on the other hand, is grown and bred for hemp. Hemp has many industrial uses: oils; topical ointments; fiber for clothing, paper and construction; and much more. Currently, only products made from industrial hemp (which contains less than 0.3 percent THC) are legal to sell, buy, consume and ship in most states.

While THC is the most well-known cannabis extract, there’s a new cannabinoid in town. Today, the cannabinoid gaining popularity—and legality—from coast to coast is called cannabidiol (prounounced , or CBD. CBD oil, an extract of the hemp portion of a Cannabis sativa plant, is also called hemp oil. But don’t confuse hemp oil with hemp seed oil, which doesn’t contain cannabinoids at all. CBD offers health benefits, but includes none of the psychoactive properties of THC, thus products containing hemp/CBD extract can be legally sold, used and shipped nationwide.
                       HOW DOES CBD WORK?
     All the cannabinoids in the Cannabis sativa plant work on your body’s innate endocannabinoid system—a recently discovered whole-body system, similar to your nervous system or cardiovascular system. The endocannabinoid system governs specific areas of your physiology, such as hunger, pain, stress and pleasure. Not surprisingly, these are the systems people notice are affected when they smoke marijuana. On a molecular level, the endocannabinoid system works like a lock and key with receptors. The receptors are the lock, the cannabinoids are the keys. They CBD “key” fits the lock almost—but not quite— like THC does. Therefore, ingesting CBD can give many of the same effects as you might experience with THC but, notably, does not provide the euphoric high. The benefits of pain and stress relief make CBD a potentially powerful medicine indeed, even without the pleasurable high.
                         WHAT DOES CBD DO?
     CBD made a name for itself after Colorado legalized marijuana in 2012. A type of CBD dubbed Charlotte’s Web seems to benefit people suffering from childhood-onset epilepsy disorder. A panel of FDA experts in April unanimously declared a pharmaceutical-grade CBD should be approved to treat certain rare types of epilepsy. The FDA is expected to grant its approval later this year. A 2015 review published in the Journal of the American Medical Association looked at 79 studies published since 1975. Researchers found various cannabinoids—THC, CBD and others such as nabilone and dronabinol—were useful medicine. They were most effective treating chronic pain and muscle spasticity; nausea and vomiting due to chemotherapy; and weight gain associated with HIV, sleep disorders and Tourette syndrome. THC and CBD were also found to improve sleep and reduce anxiety.

                           Where can I find CBD?
     Like anything for sale in the world, the internet’s got it, and increasingly, some natural product retailers are carrying CBD-oil-containing products. But you should know two types of CBD oil are for sale. One is a CBD isolate, like the drug the FDA is poised to approve. The other is full-spectrum CBD oil, which is industrial hemp-derived hemp oil containing CBD (and no THC). This is the stuff you can find at your friendly neighborhood health-food store. You can find CBD oil in supplement-style capsules and tablets, but creams and salves are also being rolled out. The other new area of CBD/hemp oil product expansion is for pets in products that promise joint pain relief, for example.
        Can I get high from products that contain CBD?
     No. CBD does NOT contain THC.
                 What’s the future look like for CBD?
     In December 2018 the Agriculture Improvement Act (aka the Farm Bill) was signed and made history for hemp producers across the U.S. “The Farm Bill … both legalizes hemp as an agricultural commodity and removes it from the controlled substances list. It gives states the opportunity to be the primary overseers of hemp production. It also allows hemp researchers to apply for competitive federal grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and makes hemp eligible for federal crop insurance.  Together these features will encourage new opportunities for struggling farmers and their families, new products for use in construction, health care, and manufacturing, and new jobs in a broad range of fields," said Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), sponsor of the hemp provision. While the previous 2014 Farm Bill eased some federal regulations on CBD production, the new bill goes much further. “Most importantly, it removes hemp and any hemp derivative from the Controlled Substances Act, legally separating it from marijuana and putting its supervision under the Department of Agriculture,” reports Chris Chafin in Rolling Stone. In the most basic sense, these plants serve three primary uses: fiber (paper and cloth), seeds (for hemp oil and food), and cannabinoid oils. It’s this last category that’s the most profitable and has the biggest potential for growth. The bill defines hemp as any part or derivative of cannabis with a THC level below 0.3 percent on a dry-weight basis,” Chafin reported. While it’s still unclear how different federal agencies will interpret the new rules around CBD, expect to continue to see this trend rise as consumer interest grows and people are interested in trying CBD use for everything from better sleep and less pain to reduced inflammation and stress relief. In short, products containing CBD are growing in America. And you don’t even have to roll it, light it or even get high to reap its health benefits.

This post (or portions of this post) was provided by New Hope Network. I am a member of the New Hope Influencer Co-op, a network of health and wellness bloggers committed to spreading more health to more people. Author Credit: Todd Runestad. Todd Runestad is the Ingredients & Supplements Editor at New Hope Network.

      Guy's I can't express how incredibly grateful I am to be bringing you this sponsored Brownie recipe that contains Flaxseed oil, for Barlean's #30YearsOfFlax campaign. Do you know some of the benefits flaxseed oil can have on us? It promotes heart health, digestion, promotes healthy skin, reduces menopause symptoms, it can help with rheumatoid arthritis pain and helps with our brain and eye health as well. We started using flaxseed oil for my daughter when she was about 5 years old, the reason behind using flaxseed oil instead of fish oil was because she has a fish allergy. When she was diagnosed with ADHD and Autism we started using Barlean's flaxseed oil and we saw the difference in her behavior/ attention and her skin irritation within 2 weeks. 
      Flaxseed oil is a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as alpha-linolenic acid. The alpha-linolenic acid and related chemicals in flaxseed oil seem to decrease inflammation. That is why flaxseed oil is thought to be useful for many inflammatory (swelling) diseases. 

     I really hope you guys enjoy my delicious brownie recipe and share it with your friends. The brownies were a huge hit with friends and family that we couldn't get enough of them. they were so moist, gluten free, dairy free, soy free, peanut, tree nut free and are refined sugar free, Paleo friendly and keto friendly (with adjustments).

Things you need to make these delicious healthy brownies 
Coconut oil
Maple syrup
Barlean's Flaxseed oil
pasture-raised eggs
Vanilla extract
Dark chocolate
Raw cacao powder
Coconut flour
Sea salt
Baking soda
FIND RECIPE HERE

     Today is Rare Disease Day did you know? What is a Rare Disease you may ask yourself? One rare disease may affect only a handful of patients in the EU (European Union), and another may touch as many as 245,000. In the EU, as many as 30 million people may be affected by one of over 6000 existing rare diseases. 80% of rare diseases have identified genetic origins whilst others are the result of infections (bacterial or viral), allergies and environmental causes, or are degenerative and proliferative. 50% of rare diseases affect children. Did you know that A disease or disorder is defined as rare in Europe when it affects fewer than 1 in 2000. A disease or disorder is defined as rare in the USA when it affects fewer than 200,000 Americans at any given time (Source: Rare Disease Day).
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       Rare Disease Day takes place on the last day of February each year. The main objective of Rare Disease Day is to raise awareness amongst the general public and decision-makers about rare diseases and their impact on patients' lives.
The campaign targets primarily the general public and also seeks to raise awareness amongst policy makers, public authorities, industry representatives, researchers, health professionals and anyone who has a genuine interest in rare diseases. (Source: Rare Disease Day)

     So on behalf of Rare Disease Day Im sharing our sweet Aubries story. To advocate to all that give me stares when she drinks the only safe thing for her out of a bottle, to all the moms that speak under their breath making smart remarks about how lazy of a mother I am. Enjoy and please share.

     All I see when I look at this picture is a happy, healthy and beautiful toddler. I don't see FPIES, GERD, EOE, food allergies or her daily struggles and unexplained pain, neither does anyone else that sees her sweet face. This is a very emotional post for me, a post i've been sitting on for over a year. A post I wanted to write and share, but nothing I wrote justified what we as a family where going through. Im not going to lie this post draft stayed as a blank draft for over a year. I think I was hoping to write up a happily ever after blog of how our daughter had outgrown her FPIES, unfortunately that's not the case, but i'm sharing in hopes of helping some going through a similar situation.

     Symptoms of FPIES overlap with other medical conditions so it's best to seen by a board certified allergies/ immunologist or a  Gastroenterologist. There are no laboratory or skin tests to confirm FPIES it's based on history, symptoms and physical examination, detailed history, including foods eaten and a timeline of reactions.
     Even though we were lost and had many questions when our 1 month old baby was admitted to the hospital for FTT (failure to thrive) we didn't have to endure what most families do to find/ get a diagnosis. Most families deal with the misdiagnosing,"it's a bug going around", going from doctor to doctor searching for an answer, test after test, multiple emergency room visits and hospitalizations. Don't get me wrong she was sick, she looked sick, when we left the hospital she lost some weight which is normal, but she wasn't gaining her weight back. We went in for our 1 week check up and she was down 1 pounds from when she was released from the hospital, our pediatrician assured us that it could be that my milk supply wasn't completely in yet so he didn't seem to alarmed, but asked me to go top 8 free to see if that solved the problem. We were scheduled to come into the doctors daily to weight Aubrie and the scale kept dropping. Aubrie was down 2 lbs, I was already on such a limited diet there wasn't any other option than to admit her into the hospital. Her pediatrician called in a bed and little did we know that we would be staying there close to 2 weeks.

     Test after test, day after day and still no answers. A lactation specialist was assigned to me. Was it my milk she couldn't have? But they say no one is allergic to breast milk. Doctors tried all different types of formulas and nothing was  making her gain weight. She was pale/ yellow, she wasn't happy, she threw up and pooped blood every feeding, she wasn't sleeping, she was crying all the time. What was going on, no one was giving us answers. The only thing being said to us is, "If this doesn't work she might need a feeding tube." What?! What was going on with our sweet baby. Finally a new GI as assigned to her and she nailed it in the head by saying, "I think she might have FPIES, so we are going to put her on Neocate Infant and she how she does." This was our last resort, we waited, not vomit, no crying, no poop. She was weighed the next day and she had gained a couple ounces. I know that might not seem like a lot to you but it was to us. It meant progress, her body was accepting something. We were forever grateful and will always be. We got up every 2 hours for 3 years at night to feed her, i'm tired all the time, but it's all worth it. 

     3 years later and many food trials, hospital stays and still no safe foods, we are all still thankful for Neocate Infant, the only thing keeping her going, helping her grow, thrive and meeting all her milestones. I don't wish for anything other than a CURE, a cure for all who suffer from a Rare Disease. Please be compassionate and loving to all moms, we never know what they are dealing with behind closed doors.

     Just a month ago she started sleeping through the night with no feedings until about 6 A.M in her big girl bed! She will be starting pre-school in the fall and I have already reached out if they could accommodate her feedings on demand during school and they said yes. I will be sharing that experience with you then, so stay tuned.

Aubrie under 2 pounds her birth weight

     When it comes to fighting climate change, it can be difficult to understand how to have the biggest impact. Hear from three experts who offer advice on how you can support regenerative and organic agricultural practices by supporting food brands that walk the talk.  

Here I share with you a couple of my low carb meals I make and are easy to have premake for the week as well. 

      Struggling with weight loss? We all struggle once or constantly with this topic. Just had a baby, New year resolution, or trying to start a healthy lifestyle? I have teamed up with Delicious Living to bring you a week of low carb meal plan with everything you need to make and buy for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.  
     Cutting back on carbohydrate-dense foods may help control blood sugar, weight and our cravings. This seven-day meal plan balances carbs across the day, providing the right amount of nutrients to meet your body's needs while also helping combat weight gain and help fight the chances of pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes. To make things even easier, Delicious Living even created a shopping list full of  low-carb product recommendations you can use to simplify your meals throughout the week. 
     Including exercise and cutting refine sugar is always recommended. One thing i'm always stocked up on for a sugar craving is meladuco dates from Rancho Meladuco Date Farm and a seed butter. The possibilities are endless with dates. You can make avocado ice cream, mousse, paleo cookies, think sweets with natural sugar.