Nourishing Flourishing

So, it seems that everyone is writing fabulous recaps of the Healthy Living Summit, chock-full of photos and fun stories. Um… I had a great time, but usually when I have a great time, I am a terrible blogger ignore my camera. I know, for shame! I’m too busy laughing, eating, and generally conviving (<– not a real word). However, between the sessions, I did manage to venture out to Sweet Freedom Bakery with my roomie (and fellow Classics nerd) Evan, where we met the lovely Cynthia and her husband for a treat. It was such a highlight of the trip! (This was before I got stuck in the Philly airport for like eight hours the night before my grad classes started, but whatevs…)

This place is not only gluten-free — they are corn-free, soy-free, peanut-free, refined-sugar-free, and vegan, much to the delight of those of us who have cuh-razy allergies and sensitivities. I can tell you that I felt 100% safe eating there, and it was worth every celebratory calorie. I choose my indulgences wisely, and I am so glad I saved room for this. You definitely do not have to be gluten-free or vegan to enjoy this bakery’s nom-ables. Seriously. I promise. (And no, I’m not endorsing them for any reason other than that I love small businesses, and this one in particular blew me the bleep away.)

Case in point… I order the sticky cinnamon bun. It’s made of simple components like coconut flour, garbanzo bean flour, and agave. All the ingredients are listed, and I’m pleased, hopeful… but a little suspicious. I did eat gluten for a long time before I realized what it was doing to my body, so I wasn’t certain this was going to make the cut of my childhood memories. (Note I did figure out a cinnamon roll of sorts –but not a true sticky bun — here.) I’ll just let the photos do the talking…

Conquered.

Evan and I were in awe. It had a nice crisp texture on the edges, and the center layers were just as gooey, doughy, and even yeasty-tasting as all the sticky buns of my glutenous past. I couldn’t stop raving about it; it was legitimately better than any other sticky bun (glutenous or not) I have eaten. Get to Philly. Or order it online from Sweet Freedom’s online store. Cynthia already ordered some birthday cupcakes in advance, and I’m planning to do something similar once October rolls around. Yeah. It’s *that* good.

P.S. You should definitely check out Evan’s awesome recipes – especially if you are GF. He is such a talented cook! Plus, his recipe was the inspiration behind the dessert hummus extravaganza! I know, now you’re motivated : )

What’s the best thing you’ve eaten all week?

(Psst: This post is a day late. Sorry! Internet issues at the hotel.)

Sooo. I’m heading to the city of brotherly (sisterly?) love for the Healthy Living Summit! I am actually writing this in the Denver International Airport after catching a bus at 6:30 this morning. And there are definitely a ton of birds flying around inside Gate A. Um… I guess it’s just our Colorado nature-lovin’ ways? Anyway, I wanted to take this opportunity to 1) give you a better idea of who I really am, because you might only get a quick glimpse from my blog and 2) Get real and confess something. Honesty is one of my all-time highest values, and I love the response to all the other Think This, Not That posts. So let me be legit transparent here and over-share. Again.

Last night, I was doing my usual last-minute-everything before travel. This meant:
- I washed two shirts I probably won’t even wear. In the bathtub. While in my underwear.
- I chose to make a batch of all three kinds of GF (vegan) doughballs to give out at the conference instead of packing or sleeping.
- I was totally confused that people were planning outfits. Clearly, I have no fashion sensibilities.
- I ended up just doing most of the things I needed to at 6am anyway. While in my underwear.

1 Batch Double Dark Chocolate

1 Batch Cinnamon Raisin Coconut

1 Batch Dark Chocolate Chip

Surprisingly, none of these things are the confession I had in mind. I know, right? What must I have in mind if not everything ending with, “and I apparently I never wear clothing”? But I have a feeling some of you might relate to this. Despite being a reasonably confident person who likes her identity, certain things can set me off. Traveling to conferences filled with strangers is one of them. As I got ready for the HLS…

I started to question if there were other things I should have done (in or out of my underwear):
- Lose weight
- Get a haircut
- Wax my arms (my family calls me Chewbaca, just to give you a point of reference…)
- Buy trendy clothes (I shop Goodwill. Yep.)
- Change my laugh (read: have surgery to prevent snorting)
- Cancel my trip altogether

These are the kind of anxious and insecure moments that take me back. Way back. To my ED history and The Crazies that sometimes resurface. I usually respond to these hiccups pretty well (see here and here), but I knew I needed to be uber-intentional about dealing with these irrational ideas last night. Travel + The Crazies = Stressball of Foolishness. This sudden stream of negative self-talk was rooted in my fears that I won’t measure up to what a healthy living blogger is “supposed” to be. Welp, good thing I get to define that for myself : )

So. Here’s what I did to realign my thinking with reality:
- You are healthy. If you are not confident about how you look, it’s a problem with your self-perception, not your body. You are strong, fit, and just how you need to be.
- People will probably be able to handle your split ends. You’re growing your hair out for a reason. Stop being vain.
- Meh. Didn’t have time, and while you might be physically more comfortable, it’s really not a big deal. If someone isn’t ready for this jelly…*shrug* So be it. It’s just part of being Spanish.
- Be yourself. That’s how you want new friends to know you. Goodwill and all.
- See above.
- Um…no. You’ll miss fun moment like this one from the Fitness and Health Bloggers Conference with friends like Anne and Alisa:

Ultimately, I got my head in the right place and stopped worrying about what sort of judgments and comparisons might arise. This community is based on mutual support and a shared mission to help people live healthier, flourishing lives anyway — why would I expect the opposite from anyone? Regardless, even if I did encounter this, I can’t control how people perceive me; I can only be myself.

(Warming my butt over a campfire and drinking coffee out of a Klean Kanteen cap. Ghetto fab.)

And myself is… well, (why lie?) a big doofus. A doofus who is going to be weighed down with doughballs, wearing outdated (ahem) “vintage” clothes that are wrinkled from my failed attempt to “roll” pack, snorting freely, and not hiding my hirsute, Mediterranean arms. So. Yep. Another Think This, Not That Real Life snapshot. Be yourself.

Just be sure to wear underwear. (Don’t worry, roomies — I packed clothes in addition to doughballs.)

Do you have to process through Crazies right before an event like this, or am I the only one?

If you’re at the Summit, please say HI! : )

Some of you know already (if you like me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter) that I am the Fitness and Health Bloggers Conference here in Boulder, Colorado (where I also live…which means I’m not paying for a hotel…which is awesome)! Fair warning: this post might be all over the place – think parentheses on crack more than ever before — as I am quite sleep-deprived. It has been a blast so far. I started the conference out by hiking and making friends with fun people like Anne (so lovely; check out her post for more pics!), Theodora (best name ever, says the Classicist in me), Heather (a legit running mama), Lori (sweet, funny, and totally in love with free deodorant…hahaha), Alisa (publishing expert extraordinaire), and Sarah (we bonded over philosophy; holla).

Psst…If you met me at FHBC, you can get an idea of what I usually write about here, on my Popular Posts page.

The hike was a nice transition into being sociable; conferences can be a bit overwhelming for those of us who have initial introvert tendencies.

Obviously, you know where my loyalties lie…

After some conference talks and free samples (10 mini Larabars? Don’t mind if I do!), we did things like walking to Whole Foods, eating the special meal they made just for us (on the reserved patio, obviously), and drinking wine whilst looking out on the Flatirons. It was rockin’. And I went to bed wayyy too late, as aresult. Nevertheless, I have a full day’s (uh, weekend’s) agenda before me. I love connecting with people, and that is what I’ve spent most of my time doing here at FHBC. Such fabulous people here (including the adorable Gretchen and Lee)! So happy to see my business cards get some action (don’t read into that).

What are you up to this weekend?

xoxo