About

My name is Deanna and welcome to my blog, Health without Sacrifice! I’m a recent college graduate exploring the world of nutrition and healthy foods while still enjoying every last bite.

I was introduced to a healthy eating style about 10 years ago, when my dad started researching and bringing home organic foods. Being a teenager, however, I rebelled against every last vegetable and continued eating junk food whenever I was away from home. In 2011, I wanted to get into shape and try again with this healthier eating style. Turns out, I love it! A few months after changing my eating habits, I noticed I was looking better and feeling a lot more energized. I also found out that I love cooking. I like creating recipes that are affordable, easy, and most importantly, yummy! So why not start a blog for my tested and approved recipes? Eating healthy gets a false and bad rep. People often think nutritious foods and say who wants to eat celery all day long? But eating real and nutritious foods in no way limits your ability to enjoy a variety of yummy foods.

Postings

Typically, I post every Saturday morning. I’d love to post more, but it takes me awhile to get a recipe just right before I feel comfortable posting it.

So, what am I? 

Nowadays, almost everyone has a particular dietary lifestyle: gluten-free, diary-free, vegetarian, vegan, paleo, I-only-eat-sweets-on-the-weekend. The list goes on. So, what do I go by? To make it simple, I try to avoid highly processed foods and focus on real and organic foods in their more natural form. However, I do generally avoid having carbs (pasta, bread, potatoes) as the main source of any meal. Does that mean I never have them? No, I just limit them to special occasions.

Trying a healthier food lifestyle?

Note: I say “lifestyle” because I don’t believe in diets. Diets don’t work- they just give you the yo-yo effect. And going back and forth between 2 extremes is not good for anyone’s body- both externally and internally.

So, what is my #1 tip for someone trying a new dietary lifestyle? Do your own homework! As I’ve already mentioned, there are a ton of dietary lifestyle choices. Know what you are getting yourself into. Don’t just go by what someone tells you. And know why a food is/is not allowed in the lifestyle you choose. Research the nutrition and chemicals in your food and how it will effect your body.

This way, you’ll build your own strong foundation. The stronger this foundation, the more likely you’ll be stick to your decisions and stop looking resentfully at limitations.

“Fat-free” and other packaging claims

This goes along with doing your own research. When I cook, I do not use products that are “fat-free” or “improved” to be 0 calories. Why? Because these just scream processed food.

The kitchen and the gym

It’s hard to talk about eating healthy and not mention physical exercise. These two are so often closely linked. So what’s more important? From having both an organic-eating, heathy foods obsessed father and a gym instructor mother, I’ve long pondered this question.

Generally speaking, I believe body composition is based 70% on what you eat and 30% on physical activities. Therefore, if I’d have to pick one, I’d say eating healthy is more important. After all, there’s no need to “burn off” junk if it’s not there to begin with. Yet, if you’re trying to build up specific muscle, strength, or endurance then physical activity will certainly help.

That’s not to say that I don’t exercise. Quite the contrary. I play tennis, rock climb, bike and take Spinning, Tabata, and Pilates classes. I was born with CDH and had absolutely NO strength in my mid-section (tests in gym were embarrassing- I couldn’t even do one sit up). Physical activities and exercise definitely helped me catch up. Now, I exercise mostly to relieve stress and make myself feel good.

Questions/Comments/Suggestions?

Feel free to comment and I’ll get back to you!

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