Gut Healthy with Kelsey (2026)

04/12/2020

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗜’𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵? ⁣
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Small. Wins. ⁣
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December is not the month for perfection (actually, no month is). With holiday treats, family obligations, financial burdens, packed schedules, Covid anxiety and oh yeah, another lockdown...this is not the time to be your absolute healthiest self. ⁣
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𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 *𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲* 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼? ⁣
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Sleep a little more?⁣
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Drink an extra glass of plain water? ⁣
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Remember to take your probiotic?⁣
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Bake a healthier dessert to replace a not-so-healthy one? ⁣
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Park far away from the building, or take the stairs? ⁣
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I start every coaching session by asking the client to report 3 wins, and it’s amazing how difficult it can be sometimes. We are all hard wired to focus on the negative and overlook the positive! ⁣
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Then we continue in our session, and by the end we’ve highlighted about 10 new successes that they hadn’t even noticed. And guess what? These wins really matter. ⁣
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EVERYTHING COUNTS. Every behavior that brings you the slightest bit back in line with your goal is worth celebrating. ⁣
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𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆? ⁣
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02/12/2020

Now, How MUCH water do we need to properly hydrate? ⁣
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It varies due to activity level, climate, and body weight, but here’s the basic guideline:⁣
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WOMEN: 90 ounces ⁣
MEN: 125 ounces⁣
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It’s a lot! Most likely far more than you are drinking. How to get more? ⁣
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👉🏻 Carry a large reusable water bottle with you constantly ⁣
👉🏻 Mix it up with sparkling water, infused water, and herbal tea ⁣
👉🏻 Drink one large glass immediately when you wake up ⁣
👉🏻 Don’t be afraid to drink when eating; for most people this is totally fine ⁣
👉🏻 Try apps like WaterLama or Plant Nanny ⁣
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30/11/2020

𝗗𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗽 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄! ⁣
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The holidays are all about indulgence. It’s OK to feel a bit “meh” after a few days of feasting. ⁣
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If you’re used to a healthy lifestyle, most likely your body has started to ask for some lighter foods. Pay attention--this is not a punishment! It’s a chance to listen to what your body needs. ⁣
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What else can you do to get back to your normal self? ⁣
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👉🏻 Double down on hydration⁣
👉🏻 Keep protein up (.75-1 g per lb of ideal body weight) ⁣
👉🏻 Prioritize strength training and walking⁣
👉🏻 Maintain gut health habits (pre and probiotics, bone broth, and stress reduction) ⁣
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BTW, here’s what NOT to do: ⁣
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✖️ Starve yourself (aka slow your metabolism) ⁣
✖️ Double HIIT classes (extreme cardio isn’t the answer) ⁣
✖️ Juice cleanse (sugar with a side of vitamins)⁣
✖️ Look at Instagram “fitspo” accounts (why do these exist?) ⁣
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Now, this is a question I ask every private chef client: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘇𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗶 𝗻𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗹𝗲𝘀?⁣
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(There is no wrong answer)! ⁣
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26/11/2020

If you must count something, please count: ⁣
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👉🏻The number of colors on your plate⁣
👉🏻How much water you drink today ⁣
👉🏻How long the turkey should be in the oven ⁣
👉🏻The people or things you’re grateful for ⁣
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🦃 ⁣

19/11/2020

Someone asked me recently 𝘄𝗵𝘆 I got into health coaching. ⁣
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The answer is simple: 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵𝘆. ⁣
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As a private chef, I could only do so much. There’s much more to health than what’s on your plate (although that matters). ⁣
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And to be real, as a private chef I could only work with a certain kind of client. The average person doesn’t put “personal chef services” into their budget! ⁣
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But every person deserves to have the support they need to prioritize their health--especially now. ⁣
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Finally, as a private chef I was missing the human connection that I now get to enjoy when I work with clients 1:1. I love getting to know the human on the other side of each call; it’s a privilege I don’t take lightly. ⁣
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To me there is no better feeling than seeing a client light up when they talk about how much they loved a healthy recipe I gave them. ⁣
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Or hearing that they’ve lost weight without even having to try that hard. ⁣
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That their digestion is smoother and they can enjoy meals with family without worrying. ⁣
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If you’ve been thinking about taking steps to get healthier (after a long year of unrest - we’re all feeling the effects!), I’d love to help. ⁣
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𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝗰 𝟭 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝟭:𝟭 𝗰𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁. ⁣
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And yes, it’s completely possible to enjoy the holidays while staying healthy. It starts with having the right kind of support. ⁣
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DM me the word YES to learn more 😊⁣
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18/11/2020

IT IS NOT OK TO SMOKE. But this just illustrates the 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 health boosting potential of good quality chocolate. ⁣
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To reap the benefits: ⁣
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👉🏻 Opt for 70% cocao or higher ⁣
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👉🏻 Look for brands that sweeten with coconut sugar or monkfruit ⁣
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👉🏻 Choose natural (not dutch processed) cocoa powder (bonus points if it’s raw) ⁣
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👉🏻 Stick to a small serving (2 squares for most bars) ⁣
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Are you a chocoholic like me? What are your favorite ways to eat it? ⁣
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Study DOI: 10.1016/j.jacc.2005.06.055⁣
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17/11/2020

𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗬: 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝗴𝗮 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿. ⁣
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I’m dealing with a severely herniated disc from overdoing it in hot yoga a few years back. ⁣
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Not saying hot yoga is dangerous per se, but hot yoga + an inner drive to push yourself to the limits is a bad combo. ⁣
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Add to that a tendency to over-exercise AND a cooking job that had me on my feet all day…. My body was suffering. ⁣
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Post injury, I struggled to find exercise that didn’t hurt. I kept pushing myself to try new high intensity workouts that would result in a painful flareup (I’m talking VERY limited movement for 2-14 days). ⁣
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It was all very frustrating. ⁣
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What was the fix?⁣
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Well, in addition to lots of physical therapy & collagen supplements, I learned to slooooow down. ⁣
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I can honestly say I’ve embraced lower impact movement. Walking and bodyweight strength training classes make up the majority of my exercise these days. ⁣
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I haven’t gained weight, and I haven’t had a back flareup in months 🙌🏻⁣
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My next step will be to embrace (gentle) yoga again… If you have suggestions for great teachers streaming online yoga classes, I’m all ears! ⁣
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Have you ever injured yourself from too much exercise? Or felt like you were in a workout “trap,” punishing yourself with super intense workouts? ⁣
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11/11/2020

“It starts with Halloween candy, then Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I just don’t try to be healthy until January.” ⁣
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Have you ever had this mentality? ⁣
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I don’t blame you if so!⁣
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Our culture promotes the notion of “the diet starts tomorrow” over and over. So much black-and-white thinking--I’m either on a health kick or I’m decidedly NOT. ⁣
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The truth is, a healthy lifestyle (and even a weight loss lifestyle!) leaves room for holidays. It’s totally possible to indulge a bit during social events without throwing everything on track. ⁣
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I say it all the time to clients: the “flex” of a healthy lifestyle is returning to good habits again and again after indulging--not denying yourself the indulgence in the first place. The more you practice getting back to your healthy baseline, the easier it becomes. ⁣
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If you are committed to health, you have to start to incorporate it into your REAL life, not a perfect world scenario. You are not a lab rat. ⁣
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Are you with me? ⁣

30/10/2020

IT’S SOUP SEASON. You’re going to want to save this recipe! ⬇️⁣
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This is a go-to recipe I use to kick off cooler months. Seriously, as soon as the temperature drops I start taking all my meals in hot liquid form. There’s just nothing better than a comforting bowl of soup when it’s cold outside! ⁣
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This one is packed with yummy curry flavor, and the ginger & turmeric make it an anti-inflammatory powerhouse. The best part? Pureed soups are incredible easy, forgiving recipes that taste more difficult than they really are: ⁣
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1 butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces ⁣
1 Tbs coconut oil, plus more for squash ⁣
1 onion, chopped⁣
2 tsp grated or minced fresh ginger⁣
1 apple, peeled and diced⁣
2 cups veg broth⁣
1 14-ounce can coconut milk, 2 tablespoons reserved for garnish⁣
2 tsp curry powder⁣
½ tsp ground turmeric⁣
Salt & pepper⁣
Cilantro for garnish ⁣
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1. Roast the squash: 400 degrees, 30-35 min⁣
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2. Saute the onion in coconut oil 5-6 min; add ginger and cook 3-4 minutes more⁣
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3. Add apple, cooked squash, broth, coconut milk, curry powder, and turmeric. Simmer 10-12 min, until apples are tender⁣
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4. Puree soup in a blender or with an immersion blender. Serve, garnished with coconut milk and fresh herbs. Enjoy! ⁣
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Make this recipe & let me know how it goes by tagging me in your pics! ⁣
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27/10/2020

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗜 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲? ⁣
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𝗝𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲. ⁣
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Stop trying to make it perfect. Stop trying to impress people. Food always tastes better to the one being served, so just relax and trust it’ll be appreciated. ⁣
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Start slow--a single one-pot meal per week is a good start, and that’s exactly where I meet many of my clients on their healthy cooking journeys. ⁣
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A few basic recipes, plus some custom options, and before you know it, they’re a culinary force to the reckoned with. ⁣
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Fact: Research shows cooking is one of the most important factors for our health and longevity. I believe our cultural abandonment of home cooking in the US is a huge reason we have so much chronic disease. ⁣
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But the more we start cooking regularly, the faster we can start to correct this. ⁣
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And remember: you cook, someone else cleans 😊 ⁣
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It’s a time honored tradition. ⁣
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23/10/2020

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺? ⁣
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1. They break down too quickly, creating a fermentation feast for bacteria in the small intestine (rather than the colon, where that’s supposed to happen). Over time, this can lead to challenging gut issues like SIBO. ⁣
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2. They’re highly concentrated, which makes them easy to overeat. This leads to weight gain, insulin resistance, and leptin resistance (faulty satiety cues / constant feelings of hunger). ⁣
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So where do we get 𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗹𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 carbs? Starchy vegetables like potatoes, yams, winter squashes, root vegetables, plantains, and fruit. ⁣
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I encourage my clients to get 90% of their carbohydrates from sources such as these, saving those dense acellular carbs for a treat. They feel better as their blood sugar stabilizes, their energy goes through the roof, and they start to slim down without even noticing they are eating less. ⁣
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If you’re trying to optimize your health, take a look at where you’re getting your carbs each day. It’s a little bit different way of looking at things, so I’m happy to help if you have questions. ⁣
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20/10/2020

Don’t settle for anything less. ⁣
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YOU are talented, unique, and working fiercely toward your goals every single day of your kickass life. ⁣
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Double tap if you needed to hear this today. ⁣
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Gut Healthy with Kelsey