“In my food world, there is no fear or guilt, only joy and balance.” -Ellie Krieger 

Eating healthy is truly a lifestyle I feel passionate about. I honestly crave fresh spinach salads, crunchy celery, plump peaches, creamy avocado, cozy oats, and hot herbal tea. I have completely lost my desire for cookies, candy and other processed sugary treats and I don’t miss them a bit. I am not bragging or exaggerating or trying to make you think I’ve achieved something amazing. Having 3 major foods intolerances (gluten, dairy, and soy) naturally cut out almost all ‘junk foods’ from my diet (feeling incredibly sick after eating these things has a funny way of making you avoid them!). But even before I went gluten free, I had embarked upon this journey to find my balance and to eat the right foods in the right amounts in order to feel right, inside and out.

If you’ve read my bio, you know that I lost 35 lbs eating ice cream EVERY night. No, not the low fat stuff, but the real-deal, creamy delicious flavors I craved! My trick? I became a conscious eater and everyday I’d eat healthy, balanced meals plus a small afternoon snack. Then I’d finish my evening with 1 scoop (yes, just a 1/2 cup serving) of ‘the good stuff’. I ate my special treat with a dainty ‘baby spoon’ in the cutest little ramekin I could find. It actually took me a good 15 minutes to do so! Talk about savoring the flavor!

Doing this prevented me from feeling restricted and it taught me to eat in a balanced way. While I can no longer eat dairy, I still follow that principle (over 4 years later!) of a delicious nightly treat. My go-to is one serving of dark chocolate and a mug of tea with creamy almond milk. It takes me almost 30 minutes to eat my dark chocolate (because I break it up into tiny pieces and savor each and every nibble) while unwinding and watching one of my favorite TV shows! So relaxing! So today’s healthy tip?? TREAT YO SELF! Forget about guilt and deprivation. Find your balance and start from a place of joy and excitement about food. Learn to eat moderately and listen to your body when it tells you you’ve probably had enough. Truly enjoy every single thing you eat!

How about you? How do you find your balance? Do you treat yourself?