Memorial Day is just around the corner. This is honestly one of my favorite holidays — I love that it’s a relaxed, no pressure sort of holiday where you don’t have to think about buying presents or hiding treats or planning a festive outfit clothes. You just get an extra day to lay around, read, maybe take a hike, and of course EAT!!!

Not to lessen the importance of the sacrifice our servicemen and women have made for our freedom; my grandfather is a WWII veteran, and we have a good friend who is currently deployed, so I definitely like to take time to reflect on the purpose of the holiday. But it’s also a nice way to kick off the summer — my favorite season of the year!

Food is usually the primary focus of my Memorial Day festivities, (who are we kidding, food is the primary focus of any festivity!!) so I thought I’d round up some delicious, easy recipes that are perfect for taking to a Memorial Day potluck (or for serving if you’re hosting in your own home.)

A few of these are mine, and the rest are from some of my favorite foodie bloggers. All photos are used with their permission.

10 EASY Memorial Day Potluck Dishes

1. Buffalo Chicken Dip {gluten free} – This is consistently one of my most highly trafficked posts (thank you, Pinterest!) and I can guarantee if you bring this dip to your next get-together, you’ll be the most popular girl in the room!

2. Pesto Pizza with Tomato and Goat Cheese :: In Sock Monkey Slippers

I came across this recipe on Merdith’s blog, and I could not WAIT to try it on my favorite gluten-free pizza shell. In fact, I called my husband at work and had him bring home the ingredients that night. It is so easy and absolutely delicious — even my kids loved it! It’s just as tasty served at room temp as when it’s fresh from the oven. Cut into narrow slices, this would make the perfect finger food for your next social gathering.

3. Sweet Chili Pulled Pork :: A Spicy Perspective

Pulled pork sandwiches are always great for serving a crowd; they’re one of our family favorites. Sommer’s recipe looks even better than my own (plus her photos are amazing, and she kindly agreed to let me borrow one!) If you’re gluten free, I recommend Udi’s Gluten Free Hot Dog Buns.

4. Steak & Potatoes Bites :: Savoring the Thyme

I’ve had a similar appetizer at a holiday party, but I’ve never made them myself. I love how simple and elegant they are.

5. Asian Vinaigrette Broccoli Slaw with Cranberries & Sunflower Seeds :: Savoring the Thyme

Doesn’t this look like a fabulous salad to serve at a summer gathering? So colorful and fresh. And I guarantee no one will bring anything like it.

6. Cream Cheese No Bake Cookies :: Sophistimom

I love the idea of a no-bake cooking for a summer gathering. So easy, and no need to heat up the kitchen!

7. Lime Strawberry Swirl Ice Cream Pie :: Party BluPrints

Are you ready for this? This Lime Strawberry Swirl Ice Cream Pie looks like the perfect dessert to kick off summer!

8. Ultimate Double Chocolate Brownies — these are not gluten-free, but if you aren’t either, they are sure to be a hit! Best of all, you can mix them up in one pot, then toss ‘em in the oven and forgetaboutit — until the timer goes off, anyway!

And what Memorial Day potluck is complete without a refreshing cocktail??

9. Mojitos with Mint-Infused Simple Syrup – another one of my most popular posts over the years. These mojitos truly ARE the best. The secret is the mint-infused simple syrup.

Or is bourbon more your speed? My friend Kate promises this is the perfect summer drink, so I will have to believe her until I have a chance to try it for myself.

10. Bourbon Slush :: The Shopping Mama

Do you have any fun plans for Memorial Day? And more importantly, what are you making??

Tomorrow afternoon at 2:00 PM EST, we are having a Live Chat over at the Udi’s Gluten Free Community. We’ll be talking about Gluten-Free Summertime Entertaining and how to navigate those tricky potluck dinners. If you eat gluten free, I hope you’ll join us! We’re giving away 5 fabulous Udi’s prize packs, and these chats are always full of fun and helpful information.

For a few months, I’ve been using a new eye liner that I am absolutely in love with and I keep meaning to tell you about it!

I’ve never been great at applying liquid eyeliner, and it seems awfully harsh for everyday wear. But I’m not crazy about pencil eyeliners either; they never really seem to go on smoothly enough for me, so I usually end up layering over them with a dark eye shadow to smudge it up a bit and get it right into the lash line.

For a while, I used a tightline cake eyeliner by Laura Mercier that you had to apply with a brush, but it was high maintenance because you also had to purchase an activator used to wet the eyeliner, and then you had to clean the brush or it would get cakey. It was also expensive.

Then I received the entire Sonia Kashuk makeup collection at an event with Target, and I discovered her Dramatically Defining Long Wear Gel Liner. I already had a great smudge brush so I tried it out one day and I haven’t looked back.

This is so much easier to apply than the tightline cake eyeliner that required wetting it to apply, and it’s about 1/3 the price.

I like that you can control how thick it goes on, and that you can get it right into the lash line (which is key to applying eyeliner. You do NOT want to see eyelid between the liner and your lashes.) I can create a nice fine line or I can smudge it so that it’s more subtle, depending on the look I’m going for. And it stays on ALL. DAY. It doesn’t move. It also doesn’t ever rub off onto my brow bone, which tends to happen with pencil eyeliners. It comes in black or brown, but I’m hoping she will eventually create some more fun colors. I’d love to have it in plum.

If you don’t have a proper brush, Sonia Kashuk’s Essential Eye Kit is a great starter kit and includes a smudge brush like the one I mentioned above.

I’m getting ahead this week, posting on Sunday. GO ME!

MONDAY: Bacon & Mushroom Cream Sauce over Zucchini Pasta (I’m very excited that it’s soon going to be zucchini season again!)

TUESDAY: Cheesy Chicken and Rice Casserole with a side salad

WEDNESDAY: Buffalo burgers on the grill using this Gourmet Burger recipe, baked beans, and Simple Sautéed Spinach

THURSDAY: Linguine with Shrimp Scampi with a side salad

FRIDAY: Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Collard Greens

SATURDAY: leftovers

What are you eating this week?

For more gluten free meal plans, see all my Meal Planning posts. And check out my Resources page for all my favorite kitchen tools and products.

My mom introduced me to Stuart Weitzman many years ago. Okay, not to Stuart, himself, but to his shoes. Which is the next best thing. She often bought his shoes for her professional business outfits and loved the fit and style, and I would drool and fawn over them but never had a reason to buy a pair for myself.

Then one day we were shopping together at the mall and happened to wander into the Stuart Weitzman store, where they were having an end-of-season clearance sale. While she shopped for work shoes, I tried on a few pair to pass time. I couldn’t believe how comfortable and easy to wear they were — even the 4-inch pumps. I fell in love with a pair of suede pumps and wore them around the store for about 30 minutes while she made her choices.

Then as she was checking out, I went to put them back on the shelf. They weren’t in my budget at the moment, so as I was tearfully bidding them farewell, my mom turned around and said, “Do you want those? I’ll treat.”

And that’s how I got my first pair of Stuart Weitzmans. That was several years ago, and they’re still my go-to winter black pump.

Gotta love moms!!!

Since that time, I have added two more pair of Stuarts to my shoe wardrobe. For Christmas, my mom treated me to a pair of red patent leather pumps, and then a few summers ago, I found a great deal on a pair of tobacco-colored wedge pumps at 6pm.com and ordered them. They’ve turned out to be one of the best wardrobe investments I’ve ever made. I wear them a ton all summer long. They’re quite versatile and incredibly comfortable for such a high-heeled shoe. I’m sure you’ll recognize these.

So you can imagine my excitement to find Stuart Weitzman at Shopcade. I told you about Shopcade a few weeks ago – a new personal shopping app that brings relevant deals directly to users based on what they want (think Pinterest with direct shopping and saving capability). I got sucked in, perusing their latest spring offerings. There are so many cute styles.

For example, these black patent wedges with cork sole are on my wish list.

And these neutral pumps are a classic. Every woman needs a pair of these.

Got a summer wedding or formal summer event coming up? These white strappy sandals are on sale for $118!!!

Ooooh but I think these sparkly wedges are at the top of my list.

It gets better! Shopcade has partnered with the iconic fashion brand to offer a chance to win a $200 gift card to get your feet moving in some of the hottest looks of the season! All you need to do is join Shopcade and enter to win. Good luck! The giveaway ends Monday, May 20th.

This post was inspired by the gorgeous straw beach bags we all received at the Mom 2.0 Summit from their title sponsor, Dove Beauty. I was as thrilled with the bag as I was with the assortment of Dove products hiding inside. I love a big, gorgeous beach bag and I’ve been in the market for a new one ever since my Lands’ End one fell apart. *sob*

When I was thumbing through my People Style Watch the other day, I came across a whole article on how to buy a beach bag, and I thought it would make the perfect Fashion Friday post!

Here are a few things to consider when purchasing a beach bag or pool tote (let’s face it, my “beach bag” is usually going with me to the neighborhood pool, not the beach).

How to Buy a Beach Bag

1. Material

Straw or raffia is stylish and durable and it doesn’t stain like cotton or polyester. It also dries out quickly, which is nice. Plus it goes with everything!

2. Straps

Go for mid-length straps that you can carry easily over your shoulder so you can remain hands-free in case you need to grab wayward child from darting in front of a car in the parking lot or to carry your favorite iced beverage. (Or, in my case, so I can text while I’m walking . . . I know, not smart.)

3. Size

Make sure it’s big enough to hold all your essentials but not so big that you feel like you’re packing for a week. Also, look for smaller pockets inside to keep your cash and cell phone from getting lost in its depths.

4. Shape

Make sure to get a bag with a flat bottom that is structured enough to stand up on its own.

So now that we know what we’re looking for, let’s see what we can find!

5 Fabulous Beach Bags Under $50

1. J.Crew Farmers Market Tote, $49.50

This one’s a classic. You simply can’t go wrong with this traditional straw tote. It has all the components we’re looking for, and it’s gorgeous too.

2. Billabong More Please Tote Bag, $44.99

The More Please Tote is lined on the inside, so it wouldn’t dry out as fast if it got wet, but I included it because the printed burlap and yarn wrapped tassel detailing is just so darn pretty. Plus it has nice long straps, it’s plenty roomy inside, and it stands on its own with a nice leather bottom.

3. LOFT Straw Beach Tote, $39.50

These colorful neon straw beach totes from LOFT with removable coordinating clutch (love that part!) are trendy and cute for carrying your beach (or pool) essentials in style. I doubt they stand on their own, but otherwise they meet our criteria and they’re super cute.

4. Mossimo® Straw Tote at Target, $27.99

This bag has no interior pockets, but it’s also unlined and incredibly lightweight. I love the sassy geometric pattern is sassy and the boxy shape. You can find it at Target, and at $27.99 it’s quite affordable.

5. Nine West Large Beach Tote, on sale for $43.99 at Macy’s until 5/19 (also available on Zappo’s)

This might be my favorite. I love the cool colors, the shape, the faux leather straps with logo luggage tag . . . all of it. It is lined, but that doesn’t bother me; my bags don’t usually get wet. And I love that it has a zip pocket AND two slip pockets inside, as well as a top zip closure. This bag is on sale at Macy’s until Sunday and then it returns to its original price of $59.99 so if you like it, don’t wait around. You can also get it at Zappo’s, but it’s not on sale.

So those are my best picks for a fab summer beach bag. Which one’s your favorite??

Join Our Fashion Friday Link-Up!

NOTE: These are NOT gluten free.

One of the boxed convenience foods I often fall back on is granola bars. I buy the ones from Cascadian Farms because they are organic, which means no GMOs (genetically modified ingredients) and because I like their story and believe the company truly does try to operate in a responsible, sustainable way. I know they aren’t health food, but in my mind they’re a decent compromise food. They’re easy to grab and toss in a lunchbox or as an after school snack, and the kids like them.

Lately, though, I’ve been buying about four boxes at a time — yes, that’s how many my kids eat. Which got me to thinking that it’s probably time to revisit the homemade variety. I’m buying the boxed kind too often to be financially responsible, and they really aren’t nutritious. Surely I can do better!

So last week I perused my cookbook binder where I store all the recipes I find on the internet that I want to try, and I came across this one from No Ordinary Moments.

I altered it a bit due to the ingredients I had (or didn’t have) in my pantry, and this is what I came up with. My kids have been eating them all week; they’ve been quite a hit! And it sure beats buying them by the box at $3.89 a piece!

A few weeks (months?) ago I shared that I am writing an eBook — not the one of the ones I’ve had in my head for a few years (I have all sorts of ideas floating around in my head of eBooks I’d love to write based on my blog’s content; maybe someday I’ll get around to writing one of them!) — but rather a children’s story for the NPMA (National Pest Management Association).

I’ve spent the last few weeks thinking about the topic and how to approach it. I had the option of continuing the story that Susan Carraretto wrote for the NPMA last year called The Pest Detectives, about the adventures of Millie, an 8-year-old insect lover, as she solves real-life pest mysteries with her father, a pest professional. I could write Chapter 2 of Millie’s story and create another pest mystery for her to solve. Or I could create a spin-off and invent a new main character and incorporate Millie into the story.

I thought about it for a while and decided it would feel like a cop-out to just write the next chapter of Millie’s story. And also, I was a bit intimidated at the thought of trying to impersonate Susan’s lovable character. I was afraid I couldn’t do it justice or would miss the mark, so I decided to create my own character and then bring Millie into that story.

From there, I decided to write the story from the perspective of the family who has the pest infestation. I envisioned bringing Millie and her dad to their house to solve the mystery, and upon arrival, the main character of my story would recognize Millie from school and they could work together to solve the pest problem!

The folks at NPMA loved the idea, so I set out to develop the story.

I spent a few days perusing the NPMA’s website, PestWorld.org, for ideas and trying to figure out which critter should be the pest in my story, and I finally honed in on the idea of a mice infestation.

I will never forget the evening 15 years ago, in my very first apartment, when I  noticed out of the corner of my eye a mouse scurrying across my family room floor while I was reading a book on the couch. To say that I freaked would be an understatement. This set my husband on a mouse hunt, and thanks to a few well placed traps, we soon had our mouse problem under control. To this day, he lectures the kids to put the trash bags full of food and waste from our kitchen into the sealed trash can and not leave them sitting in the garage to attract mice.

I knew immediately that I could use my own experiences to make the story believable, so mice it was!

I’ve been pondering my storyline for days, anytime I find myself with some downtime, and I yesterday finally had a chance to sit down and plot out my story on paper. Or, you know, in a Word document.

This morning I put the finishing touches on my outline and sent it to the NPMA for approval!

I can’t wait to actually start writing the narrative. Now that I have the plot line figured out, I think it will come together quickly. Or at least, it should be fun! Nothing I write comes together quickly; I’m way too obsessive for my own good. But I enjoy the process, and I’m excited to move on to the actual writing of the book. Stay tuned!!

I’ve been rather lazy this week with my photo-taking, and since I’m going to physical therapy 3X a week for my plantar fasciitis, I’ve been spending a lot of time in yoga pants. But here’s what I’ve got.

Day 1

I have no recollection of what day this was or what I did. I was probably just working and running errands, as usual. Obviously this was taken before our weather turned cold again. This pink and coral striped top is from LOFT this season. I like the gathering around the neck and arms — it adds interest without being fussy. I wore it with my favorite jean shorts and my pink sandals.

Day 2

I wore this outfit to church on Sunday. The black and white striped top is from White House Black Market. The white straight-leg jeans still need to be hemmed so I wore them with my highest heels — black wedge sandals with a wooden platform that I picked upon a clearance sale at Bloomies eons ago. I still LOVE those shoes. The red patent leather purse creates a fun splash of color, and I just wore simple silver jewelry.

Day 3

I wore this to attend my daughter’s orchestra concert at the elementary school. The coral sweater is old; I picked it up at the Banana Republic outlet several years ago. I wore it with my bootcut jeans and tobacco-colored wedge sandals. The necklace is Studio Jewel. Earrings and gold bracelet are Stella & Dot. The coral enamel bracelet is from Kohl’s!

Day 4

I wore this today around the house. I prefer this sweater with my white jeans, but they were dirty. The striped modal hoodie is from Gap. I bought it before the Mom 2.0 Summit, thinking it would be perfect with white jeans for a California conference, but I ended up not wearing it till I flew home. It’s really easy to wear and perfect for cooler spring days (like today!) I like it so much I’m tempted to get it in navy or gray while everything at the Gap is 30% off.

And that’s all she wrote! (For now, anyway. Heh.)

For more fashion-over-40 inspiration, check out all of my Daily Mom Style posts.

I’m linking up with:

In my perfect world, I would grow all our vegetables in the backyard with our own compost for fertilizer. I’d have chickens for eggs and even a milking cow for all our dairy products. My husband would hunt for our meat, and I’d sprout and soak all our grains and make all of our baked goods and snacks from scratch.

Then I wake up, and I’m smacked in the face with a reality check.

Sure, we could sell our house and buy a small farm and start homesteading. There are people who do that, and I admire them. But I’m not that person.

And while I do try to make some of our foods from scratch, I find myself plopping convenience foods in my grocery cart on occasion — especially when it comes to the gluten free products for myself. Because I’m the only one in the house who eats gluten free, I just don’t feel like it’s worth the time and energy to bake for myself. so I love that there are so many gluten free options on the grocery store shelves these days. Here are a few of my new favorites:

5 New Favorite Gluten Free Snacks

1. Udi’s Granola Bars

One of the benefits of being an Udi’s Gluten Free Community Leader is that I get to sample new Udi’s products when they’re released. They recently sent me a box of their newest offerings, and the granola bars hit it out of the park. They are the perfect mid-afternoon snack with a cup of espresso. At just 160 calories, I don’t feel a bit guilty indulging!

2. Udi’s Harvest Crunch Muffins

I’m also in love with these Harvest Crunch Muffins. I’m so glad to see that they’re making a healthier muffin option. Not that their chocolate and blueberry varieties aren’t fabulous — they are still among our favorites. But they seem more like dessert than breakfast. The Harvest Crunch Muffins are a nice quick breakfast for those days that I don’t have time to whip up some eggs, or a half of one makes a nice afternoon snack.

3. Glutino Toaster Pastries

This is one of those things that I would probably never have bought had I seen them in the gluten free grocery aisle, but when they offered to send me some samples I was happy to accept. I’ve never been one to buy pop-tarts or other toaster pastries, but these are delicious little treats for those days that I feel like having a little indulgence. When you toast them, they are nice and crisp and flaky, and the filling is just sweet enough to be tasty.

They also sent me a gluten free muffin mix that I haven’t tried yet. It’s next on my agenda!

4. Angie’s Sweetly White Cheddar Popcorn

I picked this up at Whole Foods on a whim, and it is my new go-to snack while I’m preparing dinner. It’s cheddary with a hint of sweetness, oh my word it is DELICIOUS. Addictive too. You’ve been warned. I love that 2 cups are only 160 calories. It’s a lot of bang for your caloric buck.

5. Kettle Brand New York Cheddar  Potato Chips

Okay, so this isn’t a new favorite. It’s more like an all-time favorite. But my OCD would not allow me to post a list with only four items on it. I KNOW. I am weird. These are so delicious (and so high calorie) that I urge you NOT to buy them unless you can afford to eat the whole bag. Once it’s open, it’s as good as gone.

Do you have a favorite gluten free snack I should know about? Please share! And also, check out the Udi’s Gluten Free Community for more gluten free snack ideas.

One of my all-time most popular posts is How I Got Off Nexium. Not a week goes by that I don’t get new comments on this post or a personal email asking for advice or sharing a success story.

A lot of people want to know how I did it, and how long it took to start feeling better, and how I’m doing now, so I thought I’d write a follow-up post.

First, for those of you who may be wondering what’s the big deal, you should know that Nexium can create the exact problems it is supposed to prevent (namely, GERD — heartburn/reflux) along with a host of other possible side effects. It also prevents your body from absorbing important nutrients, leading to increased risk of osteoporosis and broken bones among other undesirable situations. You can read my first post for more information.

Furthermore, these types of medications are not intended for use more than 4-6 weeks, but doctors are prescribing them longterm. I had several different doctors tell me that Nexium is harmless and I would probably have to take it for life. Something about that just didn’t sit well with me, so I started doing some internet research (gotta love The Google!)

When I discovered the truth, I set out to get myself off this medication. I’m not saying it’s easy, but if you’re willing to put in the work, it’s doable. Our digestive systems were designed to work a certain way, but with our standard American diet and our stressful lifestyles, we are sabotaging ourselves. If you really want to understand the digestive system, I highly recommend reading the book Practical Paleo. She takes you through every part of the digestive system and explains how it should work, what goes wrong and why, and how to remedy the situation. Plus, the second half of the book is a fabulous cookbook with nutritious real food recipes that are delicious and easy to prepare. It’s a worthwhile investment.

So as for my update.

It is very hard to say when my symptoms started to disappear; I honestly don’t remember. It’s been so long that the details are getting fuzzy. In the summer of 2009, I discovered the real food movement and started drastically changing my eating habits. Soon after that I went off the Nexium. I know that it only took me a few weeks to wean off the medicine, and it wasn’t too horribly painful. You can read my original post to see how I did it. And if you want even more advice, I highly recommend reading through the comments on my original Nexium post. There is a wealth of information in there.

Of course, I must make the obligatory disclaimer and state for the record that we are not health professionals; we are just people sharing what has worked for us. Untreated GERD can result in Barrett’s Esophagus (a form of cancer) so please consult a doctor or naturopath and get help if you are trying to go off these meds — especially if you’ve been on them for a long time.

In the fall of 2010, I went gluten free, and it was like the final piece of the puzzle fell into place. The benefits of gluten free living are subtle (for me — others notice immediately if they ingest gluten) but when I get lazy and let some gluten creep in, I start to experience strange symptoms like nausea, dizziness and stomach aches. So gluten is definitely a no-no for me.

Even with all my diet changes, I am definitely not in 100% perfect digestive health. Maybe I make it sound that way sometimes, but that is misleading. I would put myself at about 90%.

I still have some reflux at times (usually when I overeat, but then some other times that I really can’t determine a trigger.) I manage these by drinking raw, organic apple cider vinegar (1 TBSP in 8 oz water — I actually have a little system whereby I mix the ACV with water in a 1:1 ratio and drink it in one gulp. Then I have a second glass of plain water in my other hand, which I chug immediately, to dilute the ACV that’s was previously ingested and to get the bad taste out of my mouth.) I have also heard that the tablets work just as well, so I might buy those next. The ACV will immediately relieve my reflux symptoms, and it’s really all I need to keep my system in check. I’d probably be better off taking it daily as a preventative, but I usually just take it when I’m having symptoms. Those nights (it usually seems to happen in the evening, after a big meal), I will go to bed in a sitting-up position so that my digestive system doesn’t get backed up.

And I do still get an occasional gastritis stomach ache, but these are rare. (Those are also what caused me to start taking Nexium in the first place; the reflux issues started when I tried to go off Nexium the first time. Ironic, yes?) The stomach aches tend to come in pairs. I will be fine for months, and then I’ll get a few bad stomach aches in a week. Often I don’t even know what causes them, but I assume that my digestive system is compromised from getting lax in my eating habits, causing me to be more sensitive than normal. This is my wake-up call to get back on track. I usually can’t pin-piont a trigger, but there are some things that definitely set me off.

I am pretty sure that artificial dyes bother my stomach because I’ve experience debilitating stomach aches after drinking certain colorful alcoholic drinks (the ones with red dye). So now I stick to wine, with an occasional homemade Mojito or Cosmo (forgive the shameless self promotion!)

Sometimes nuts upset my stomach; but sometimes they don’t.

Mexican food, and avocados will often do me in, but not every time I eat them. So of course, sometimes I take a chance because they taste so very good. I’m usually sorry I did.

A cup of milk (and nowadays, even a Starbucks latte) will immediately send my stomach into fits that last for a few hours. That is the one thing that is absolutely dependable, and I know to stay away.

I definitely should eat more vegetables. I’m sure I’d feel better overall if I incorporated more veggies into my diet. I don’t like raw vegetables except for salads, so that eliminates a lot of opportunities to get them in. It’s hard to get cooked veggies into your diet several times a day, but I try to incorporate them into my eggs at breakfast time and then of course into our dinners.

I know that I shouldn’t eat processed foods, even when they’re organic and gluten-free. They don’t offer any nutritional value or digestive help, but sometimes I like a treat. Since they don’t seem to directly upset my stomach, I justify the indulgence every once in a while.

I should be more consistent about taking digestive enzymes, bitters and probiotics.

I am not a very disciplined person, and I tend to not take care of myself until I start to feel poorly.

At the end of the day, I have a weak digestive system that will probably always need some coddling. Whether it is hereditary or due to the horrible eating habits I had for my early adult life or a combination of the two, I don’t know, but evidently this is my cross to bear. If I’m consistent with eating primarily real whole foods, keeping the starches and sugars to a minimum (and no gluten), taking my digestive enzymes and probiotics, and refraining from overeating, I feel great. But I when I get lax with any of that, the digestive issues creep back in. I just try to look at it as a wake-up call, a reminder to get back on track.

There is a diet called GAPS that is supposed to heal the gut. I know I should try it, but it is so restrictive that I have decided that I can live with things as they are now. If you’ve done everything you know to do and you’re still not feeling as good as you want to feel, definitely look into the GAPS Diet. At the very least, it can’t hurt.

So that’s where I am and how I got here!

I once felt hopeless and trapped, afraid that I’d be on medication forever and that my quality of life would always be subpar. If you are feeling that way today, I want you to know that there is a way out. Your mainstream primary care doctor may not tell you that there are other options to medication, so I continue to tell my story. I hope it helps or encourages someone today.