My Story

Hi, I’m Lindsay! I’m a wife, a mother of three, and a plant-powered foodie living in the Salt Lake Valley. I’ve been educating the public on health and happiness since 2010 as the founder of KSL.com’s Happy Living section. I first learned the power of positive psychology while recovering from a diagnosis of bipolar disorder in 2004 — a condition I have worked to completely reverse. I discovered the additional healing powers of a whole-food, plant-based diet after giving birth to twins in 2014 and I’m ecstatic to be able to spread these messages of health and happiness with you!

As a full-time mother to three little ones — a 5-year-old son and identical twin toddler girls — I know how crazy life can get. But I also know that a little knowledge and a little planning can go a long way, and can be the difference between wishing things were better and actually living the happy, healthy life of your dreams. So believe me when I say this:

If a busy work-from-home mom of a preschooler and toddler twins can do it, then you can do it, too.

I’ve been meal planning for about seven years now; it’s practically second-nature. Over the years I’ve seen how a little preparation truly does go a long way, and I’ve learned that cooking from scratch using fresh, whole ingredients really is the cheapest way to go, not to mention the healthiest and most utterly delicious way to eat.

You can read more of my story, about how I discovered and transitioned to a whole food, plant-based diet, by visiting DiscoveringtheWordofWisdom.com.

The Mommy Perspective

I gave birth to my twins in January of 2014, and the experience gave me a profound appreciation for my body. Despite battling my weight for the past several years, I was no longer concerned with what my body looked like — suddenly I realized that my body is powerful. It performed a great miracle in getting my babies here healthy and safe. I was able to fully realize that our bodies have miraculous capabilities and can accomplish so many incredible things! They are our greatest mortal gift and should be appreciated for their abilities, not for their outward appearance. They should be celebrated, not forced into submission. They should be loved for what they can do. (For more about my emotional shift toward body love, click here.)

I created two human beings! At once! With my body!

 

I realized that anything I desire can be accomplished with my incredible body — but only if I nurture and take care of it the right way. Now, with two new growing babies and a then-3-year-old boy to look after, I decided that I wanted more from my body than I was allowing it to give. I wanted energy, stamina, and alertness — all things typically missing from the life of a new parent. But I knew these things were possible, and I knew that if I wanted to keep up with my children and give them the kind of mother they deserve, I needed to work harder to restore health to my body.

Going to the gym worked out to be quite the logistical nightmare, so I decided to focus on nutrition and give my body the proper fuel. I started to get curious about why people choose to go vegan if animal rights aren’t their primary concern, so I decided to explore plant-based nutrition. That’s when I discovered the life-changing documentaries “Hungry for Change” and “Forks Over Knives.”  The proverbial lightbulb went on in my head, and everything clicked. I began studying the whole-food, plant-based diet, reading articles and books, watching films, and searching websites and blogs. I was completely converted and intended to make a few healthy little changes toward eating the WFPB way to make it easier on myself — but instead, I fell in love with the lifestyle and ended up diving in head first.

(For more information on how to eat a whole foods, plant-based diet, visit the Food Matters website for videos, DVDs, books, products, and more.)

Big changes, fast

That’s when things really started to take shape for me. In about four months I lost almost 20 lbs. without once hitting the gym. I lost all the baby weight and then some. My energy levels, concentration, and mood soared. The brain fog lifted and I began to feel truly healthy — and I didn’t even know I had been so sick. The headaches I’ve had my entire life disappeared, my asthma evaporated, my digestive system regulated, and I stopped getting that sluggish “food coma” feeling after meals. At long last, I felt like I was functioning on all cylinders. My body could finally function as it was always designed to do.

Left: June 2014. Right: March 2015, down 20 lbs. without once hitting the gym.

 

Living the Whole-Foods, Plant-Based lifestyle 

There’s a big misconception that eating fresh is too expensive, and I’m here to bust that myth. I cook homemade dinners at least five nights a week, plus breakfasts and lunches for myself and my three kids. At least 90% of what I make fits the whole-food, plant-based diet, so the vast majority of what I buy comes fresh from the produce section. The cost: To feed my family of 5, I rarely spend more than $50 a week on groceries and keep monthly costs to about $200. Yes, my kids are little, but don’t let that fool you — my baby girls can pack away food like nobody’s business, eating adult-sized portions every night.

As a mother, I take my responsibility to feed my family very seriously. I don’t just save the healthy stuff for myself and feed them whatever they want. Good nutrition isn’t just for me, it’s for all of us. That’s another reason I’m such a big fan of the whole-food, plant-based diet: It’s for everyone, old and young and in between. It’s packed full of the best nutrients for every living body at every stage of life, no calorie counting, no deprivation, no gimmicks. Just wholesome, delicious food. Because of this, my entire family eats the way I do. No separate meals for my children, no extras for my husband. Sure, we occasionally splurge and hit the drive-thru for some burgers and fries; I’m a red-blooded American, dangit, and sometimes, mama needs some deep-fried goodness. But because we eat so well most of the time, we can go “off-menu” and enjoy a treat every now and then without feeling guilty or derailing our progress.

By focusing on nutrition, menu planning, and feeding my family, preparing and eating healthy food becomes a way of life, not just an ideal I’m constantly chasing.

Now I can’t guarantee you’ll be able to match my budget or my weight loss numbers — but, heck, you might even beat them! — but I can promise you this: If you follow my method of getting control of your nutrition and taking charge in the kitchen by making one healthy little change at a time, you will lose weight, save money, and get your entire family healthy and happy. That’s a guarantee I stand by.

Ready to get started?

First, visit my “Start Here” page to see more of what you’ll learn at Healthy Little Changes. Next, read on for the basics of my nutritional plan. Then, read my primer on easy meal planning, then it’s on to step 3, taking charge of your family’s nutrition and getting everyone on board. Finally, be sure to browse my recipe recommendations as well as the blog for more knowledge and inspiration.

For thorough, step-by-step help, my eGuides are coming soon!

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