Tag: Lifestyle

Shari’s Ramblings & Question for YOU

by thesaltyexchangeLeave a Comment on Shari’s Ramblings & Question for YOU

Hello dearest reader… can you tell I am up-to-date on my Bridgerton episodes. Not sure I should be proud of that but oh well.

This isn’t my first time in the past year popping on the blog to type out my thoughts, ramblings, etc. However, this is the first time publishing in awhile. You should see all the “drafts” we have (or have had) in the past year.

Although nothing is new, there are so many things that are happening. My little one is almost TWO. How? How does time go so fast but yet so slowly. I can honestly say I have enjoyed this past year so much. The new words, sentences, mobility, laughter, emotions, interests, obsession’s, and love that have surfaced from my toddler in the past months are amazing to experience and witness. She is an absolute sweetheart and I am honored to be her mama. TWO was always my favorite age with my nieces and nephews and now that my little girl is entering that age… I am SO EXCITED to see what this year brings and cannot wait to capture more memories as a family.

I am still processing that we are in the THICK of SUMMER! Like, what? Summer is such a sneaky thief in the Pacific Northwest. The mid-west/east coast has been on summer break since May, the west coast it’s only been since mid-June which was about 3 weeks ago. But the mid-west and east coast will start their back to school groaning in a week or two so NOW, now is the universal (really National) time for us all to just be on SUMMER MODE. I am HERE for it! With a heatwave cruising through town this week we have pulled out the water toys, and adorned our swimsuits several times since the fourth of July. For us, summer will fly by as August hits with a backpacking trip, visits with family, my travel for work, and then our family cruise to Alaska. I am not focusing on August though. I want to enjoy July. Celebrating K’s second birthday next week, my company summer picnic, and a few weekends of summertime peace. Ahh bliss.

Why come on the blog now? I don’t know. Because I felt like it. Because I want the blog to be a place I enjoy writing. I enjoy connecting with a few of you. Trust me, I know what to do. I know how to engage you. I know how to post and be authentic and charming in stories on Instagram. I know what topics you might be interested in. I know what my “favorite things” are that you might be intrigued by. I know what meals you might enjoy me sharing with you or my latest workout routine (ps. I own a treadmill now). But do you really want to see that? Do you really care about what I am doing when you have so much going on in your own life? That is my internal struggle. Because half the time I don’t want to know what other people are doing, I just want to focus on my job, my family, my life. I don’t want to get bogged down with tips and tricks from others or some unrealistic ideal that the latest influencer is trying to make relatable when there is NO WAY you’ll ever have the house, the family, the situation that they have. Comparison is unavoidable when we are glimpsing so accessibly into tiny sections of other people’s lives.

I say all that, yet, I am a hypocrite because I do enjoy scrolling on social media. I do enjoy the occasional recommendation on a good book, healthy recipe, or workout routine. Which is why I know you probably do too. Or maybe you struggle with it in the same way I do. Wanting to consume but also feeling like life is too short to live vicariously through others. I digress. I guess the point I am trying to make is that… I haven’t been avoiding The Salty Exchange Blog or Instagram for any particular reason other than feeling like you don’t need ANOTHER thing to digest. Or maybe it’s because I want you to enjoy coming here, to our little slice of the internet, as much as I do.

With that said, dear reader, friend, acquaintance… what do you want? Inquiring minds would like to know how you feel on this topic? How do you enjoy consuming blogs or Instagram posts/stories? What would you like to see here? Let me remind you, Kendall and I are normal mamas, wives, friends, sisters, and daughters just tryin’ to get a parking spot at Costco, not feel so overwhelmed with weekly meal planning, and mostly… love on our families in such a fleeting season.

Kendall and Shari: A Keto Check-In

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Kendall and Shari: A Keto Check-In

Kendall:

At first, I felt a bit skeptical about jumping into Keto. Many said the restrictions were difficult and finding decent meal plans were a challenge. These things can definitely be true depending on your reasons for starting/trying Keto and the amount of preparation you put into research, meals, etc. As a prepper, I found the research to be soothing and super enlightening. The biggest truth I uncovered? NOT ALL KETO IS THE SAME. Like, whoa. There are a lot of approaches and all of these different approaches seem to work for all kinds of folks. The challenge? Well, what is going to be best for me to try? 

To preface, Shari and I are NOT doing Keto to lose a ton of weight. Like… really, just no. We wanted to try a different approach to eating and find a different way to connect with our bodies. As we have aged (I swear 30 hit and my body just decided to rebel + pregnancy changes A LOT about your body), it’s become harder to feel good. Hitting the gym is definitely part of that holistic approach. Healthy eating is definitely part of that holistic approach. Keeping my mental health in check is definitely part of that holistic approach. So, what’s the problem? I did all of those things. Well, in all honesty, my body has changed. I have changed. Doing all of those things are good and important. I workout 5 days a week. I have projects that keep me happy. We were eating relatively well! And yet, I felt sort of stuck. My husband has very much been in the same boat. He was on some meds for a while to help with certain issues and they were actually causing all sorts of problems with his energy, focus, and unfortunately, his liver. This was a total fire under my butt to figure out how we could be doing more. Enter the scary Facebook video black hole that introduced me to Thomas DeLauer. 

At first, I was drawn in to his videos because who doesn’t love grocery haul videos? Oh wait… you don’t? Then just navigate away now… 

Anyways, I loved his videos, his knowledge, and his obvious passion for living your best life. I was hooked. THE MAN MADE VIDEOS FOR WOMEN, ABOUT WOMEN. This is a rarity. A lot of fitness, lifestyle, and dietician influencers (even some of my favorite kick a## women) have great content but it is not always easy or obvious to find stuff that speaks to my body and its many hormones, differences, strengths, and, yes, weaknesses. 

Keto isn’t entirely new to me. My husband and I have been intermittent fasting for quite some time now (him more than me). So the idea of clean keto (a specific type of eating in the Keto world) with intermittent fasting really appealed to us. Oddly enough, a Keto diet has also proven to help with the very same medical issues my husband currently battles. And before some know-it- all starts spouting off some self righteous sh*t, please note that we both checked with our doctors and had their support and guidance to begin this particular journey. My husband’s VA doctor was super on board and optimistic. And in the interest of full disclosure: I only told my healthcare professional because I happened to have my yearly physical appointment during my research phase… or else, I probably would not have bothered to say anything at all. 

So now we are about 10 days into Keto. I am thoroughly enjoying not being bloated. I also don’t feel limited in food choices at all. I am learning so much about WHAT is in my food, new recipes, new food pairings, and better ways to grocery shop. These are all GREAT things. I feel super excited to keep going and have already noticed some changes in regards to my energy. I have lost a few pounds which I attribute more to me not being bloated than anything. I also feel more efficient in the kitchen… not sure why but perhaps a few more weeks in will reveal why I am feeling that way. 

There are so many ways to Keto. Shari and Alex are doing it a little differently than Issy and I because they aren’t fasting. Please note: you do not have to fast to do Keto. At. All. We all seem to be pleased with our progress and how we are feeling. I call that a win. 

Shari:

Cutting down on carbs and sugar cold turkey has been easier than I anticipated (thanks to doing this with my husband and my accountabilibuddy, Kendall). The craziest change for me came at the very beginning… lack of appetite. I went from snacking (more than I care to admit) to not really craving snacks and filling full enough to make it to my next meal. I am happy to report that I didn’t have the “keto flu” and credit it to the clean version of keto we are sticking to and a shout out to our healthy eating beforehand. However, my husband did have a dull headache for the first few days. When it lifted on the fourth day he said he felt great and has, thankfully, continued to feel good since! 

So far my main challenge has been getting excited about making meals. Let’s be real- this happens to me all the time! I kept it super basic the first week since I was traveling and knew I needed food that I could throw together easily. On my four day trip I bought a lot of meat and veggies and a few snacks from Costco. My staple meal was chicken skewers with a cucumber salad with EVOO & salt/pepper (really basic but easy on-the-go). My snack of choice has been Keto clusters (a very limited amount) and Duke’s Sausage Links. For every meal, I have been eating a wholesome medley of healthy fats (like avocado, nuts, etc), protein (eggs, chicken, salmon, beef), and vegetables (cucumbers, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower). I have watched so many Thomas DeLauer youtube videos they are all starting to mesh together in my brain. I also follow a few Keto accounts (thank you Tastes Lovely) that have really enforced the idea that this whole Keto thing is easier than you think (and also less restrictive than it initially seemed)! I mean… come on… who doesn’t want to try this?


Ultimately, it’s been easier than I originally anticipated and I can already see the benefits of less bloat, more energy, and I am excited to see what happens next. I’m motivated to see this through and learn more about my body in the process. The fact that I am not craving sugar midday is a WIN all on its own! Until the next check-in, feel free to reach out to Kendall and I below in the comments section or on Instagram @thesaltyexchange or via email, thesaltyexchange@gmail.com.