If I took a survey about the biggest challenge for eating healthy meals or for meal planning, it’s the time involved. It takes time to find healthy recipes, do the meal prep, and then cook the meals. Driving somewhere and picking up food is so much easier, right? It is! And I don’t have anything against eating out. I do my fair share of eating out!

Well if that title isn’t a walking contradiction, I’m not sure what is! As I grew up, I learned over time that the holidays were a season where women talked about how they ate too much and how Winter was a season where jeans fit tighter and sweets were the enemy. I learned that you were “good” if you resisted when dessert was offered and that “the diet starts in January.” I watched people talk about how they had eaten too much and that they would work it off at the gym tomorrow. I overheard women talk about diets they were going to try and what food they were eliminating next. All while celebrating the most wonderful time of the year!

I am realizing that as I’ve been working on Rachel Allene Wellness for months I’ve never really taken the time to tell you the longer version of my story and why this matters so much to me. You see, there’s a lot more to my “journey to wellness” than what meets the eye. I’ve been on this journey since my freshman year of college and I’ve been through incredibly low-lows and a few highs. But mostly lows. I know that is sad to read, but it hasn’t been until recently that I’ve seen some “highs” that came from the hardest experience of my life.

I don’t know about you but one thing that I love about the seasons are that food choices and meals we eat change every couple of months. In the Summer, we eat lots of salads and grilled veggies. And in the Fall and Winter we eat more soups and roasted food.

One of my all time favorite things about Fall is the all the produce that is in season. I love fall squash, apples, leafy greens, etc. A few years back when, we were newly married, I was having lots of health issues. As a result, we were quickly changing our diet and shopping more locally and in season (how we like to shop now).

Over the years, my workout routine and schedule has changed multiple times. At times I was training for a marathon, or lifting heavy weights, or doing Pilates. I love a lot of different types of exercise and different routines have fit into my life at different times. At this point in my life, I am actually working out the least amount I have in the past 6 years, but I am also the healthiest and most balanced I’ve been.

Like most things that you’ll find on this site, we are “mostly” crunchy over here. We aren’t 100% anything. We are mostly healthy but we love french fries and chocolate cake. We love non-toxic products but I still use Secret deodorant right now because I CANNOT find a good natural one (this is not a cry for suggestions, though :))

You know those smells or foods that immediately bring you back to your childhood? For me, one of those foods is lemon poppy seed muffins. I remember buying the Krusteaz brand box mix and making them with my mom and sisters. I was homeschooled from Kindergarten through 6th grade, so we spent a lot of time at home, together, baking or playing.