You may have noticed I’ve been getting my groove back over the last couple months. I had been wanting to make a shift for quite a while but just couldn’t summon the motivation. I’d been going through a challenging time, which seemed to take all my energy.

Sixty days before my Italy trip, I got Covid, and I knew it was time to let my body’s wisdom take over. I felt that the very best approach was to fast (mostly) and drink green juices and smoothies, so that’s what I did.

I also used my miraculous BioLight (for a discount, use my code “crumbles” at checkout). I didn’t have the big red panel you’ve probably seen in my Instagram stories, because it’s in Chicago. I followed BioLight's covid protocol and went from being unbelievably sick to noticing—two minutes into the treatment—that my entire trajectory had shifted, and I was on the way to healing.

Since so many people have been asking daily, I want to share the other changes that are helping me reset. Starting the day by making a fresh green juice is primary, and by the way I love my juicer! People regularly ask about my recipe, but it’s a bit of an improv. It includes an entire bunch of celery, an apple, and a whole lemon. From there you can either add a leaf or two of collards, a hunk of cabbage, a handful of spinach, and a tiny knob of ginger. Juicing simply makes me feel my body is thriving.

In addition to juicing, I’ve been doing a modified Whole30. Even though I’ve done enough Whole30s to be able to modify it for my current needs, I’ve been lucky to have Coach Stephanie from @cookbycolor guide me as I went entirely gluten-free, sugar-free, and booze-free. It has been important to simply stick to it without feeling sorry for myself. This has been one of the easiest resets I’ve ever done, because I got into the groove right away, and I’m excited about the goal: I want to leave for Italy at my best.

For the last 50 days, I’ve also been doing intermittent fasting. I am by no means an expert on it, though I dabbled in it during my year of health. Something about it works on a deep level. I began by eating dinner at six and then not eating again until the next day, 12 or 13 hours later. That was the best approach for me. I’ve been excited to eat delicious food, take my Mary Ruth's Turmeric and do my daily 10k steps. I depend on the three wise men: my water, turmeric, and green juice.

One of the things that makes intermittent fasting a success is absolutely no snacking in the evenings. Most people pick a window to eat and not eat. For me, it’s easier to quit eating after dinner, knowing I get to enjoy a wonderful breakfast in the morning. Though I started with 12–13 hours, I realized that most of the weight loss actually happens between 12 and 16 hours. So I decided that as long as I’m doing it, I want to go all in, so I’ve been waiting 16 hours before breakfast.

When I get into the groove, I’m absolutely in the groove. I know I’m there when it’s effortless and easy. Every day, I enjoy foods rich in antioxidants, while eliminating foods that cause inflammation. I also focus on foods with anti-inflammatory properties, like tomatoes, nuts, berries, cherries, oranges, olive oil, leafy greens, fatty fish, avocado, garlic, ginger, and my beloved turmeric. I have also avoided inflammatory foods like sugar, corn oil, food additives, glutens, grains, and alcohol.

I’ve learned that eating a high protein breakfast (20–30 grams) benefits muscle health, supports weight loss, and regulates glucose. It keeps you fuller longer, actually uses calories to metabolize the protein, and prevents cravings and overeating—pretty much the opposite of a breakfast with carbs and sugars.

Speaking of getting my groove back, I love Mary Ruth’s Organics Chlorophyll for detox and appetite control. We’re giving some away so click here to enter. Be sure to like the post and enter as many times as you’d like! In addition to the shift in eating, getting my groove back has included having a lot of fun going through my closet every day and selecting an outfit I never wear. At the end of each day, I decide whether or not to keep it.

One key for me is my mindset: I want to enjoy my life fully. I put as much passion into a reset as I do into my phases of food freedom. I do what I can to make it fun and keep my goal in mind. It feels fantastic, and having all of you along for the ride has made it even better. I hope you’ll join me on the trip to Italy! I’m excited about doing Italy stories and posts and sharing all the good times with you.