Today I have something extra, extra special for you–quite different from anything I’ve ever posted before. This topic is extremely close to my heart. In fact, it’s what motivates me to write every word on this little space. Diving head first into a healthy lifestyle jam-packed with kale smoothies, no-bake nut bars and homemade veggie burgers can be quite intimidating. We can’t always just wave our magic whisks and make healthy happen. It’s a learning process, and a long one. Healthy living blogs and Facebook and Instagram may paint the picture of bloggers and nutritionists living perfect little healthy lives chock full of raw cacao and hemp seeds, but that’s not the reality. We really don’t just sit around tying strings around our granola bars while reading Michael Pollan’s latest on the treadmill. We mess up. We eat cake. We forget to work out. Eating well and learning to take care of oneself may not be easy, but neither is heart disease.
Spending fifteen minutes to pack a healthy lunch before work or whip up a nutrient-dense breakfast may seem like a huge pain in the butt, but I assure you that the consequences of eating fast food everyday will hurt way more. We all make time for what we believe in. The issue is believing in the power of a healthy lifestyle and making it a priority! Gathering the strength, confidence and determination to embark on the journey toward your maximum healthy potential just might be the best thing that ever happened to your heart, body and mind. April is a reader turned dear friend, and she knows a thing or two about this life-changing journey. I’ll let her take it from here!
At first I was afraid, I was petrified. The kitchen and I were not always on the same side.
Okay, so maybe petrified is an exaggeration, but I was definitely intimidated by cooking. I didn’t have much experience with it growing up, and had now reached my late twenties being sort of a dunce in the kitchen. If there was a way to screw something simple up, I would likely find it. Needless to say, my confidence in the kitch was next to nothing. I just didn’t understand how all of these other people made it seem so easy to whip up a great meal. Where on earth do you even start?!
I could bake, at least somewhat, but that seemed more straight-forward to me. A + B = C. Cooking, on the other hand, was more of an art. A dash of this, a pinch of that, dice, chop, blanch, season to taste – your inner chef knows what to do. I’m sorry, what? The only Blanche I knew was from The Golden Girls, and the voice in my head was screaming, “you suck at this, you shouldn’t even try, you’re gonna mess it up!” Was that my inner chef? What a jerk.
Somewhere along the line, in my infrequent attempts to make something edible for dinner, I stumbled upon this very blog right here. I was searching on Pinterest for sweet potato fries, to be exact, and ended up on Hummusapien. Little did I know, this was just the tip of the iceberg lettuce.
So fast forward a while, because I sort of forgot about the blog and successfully making sweet potato fries that one time didn’t magically make me believe I could cook. Shocking, I know. I subscribed to get daily emails eventually – probably after the 5th or so time I kept going to the Spicy Sweet Tater Fries recipe and reading the same WIAW. I started as more of an observer, reading the posts most days, clicking around, and taking it all in. But I just looooved Alexis’ writing style (the girl is damn funny) and felt a connection with her immediately. Not to mention, her recipes seemed pretty simple, healthy AND delicious, and I was learning things about food I never knew before. I could post a comment asking a dumb question (what’s all the hype about chia seeds, anyway?), and she would answer right back with a smile. Who was this heaven-send, and why did I already feel like she was my friend? This was way better than falling into the bottomless abyss that is Pinterest and crawling out completely overwhelmed and over-stimulated.
I also felt good knowing that Alexis had legit credentials (a now official Registered Dietitian with six years of nutrition schooling) and her recipes were reliable. I knew she was eating the very recipes she shared and was passionate about helping people live longer, happier, healthier lives. I could get on board with that.
My life went through a bit of a whirlwind last fall when I got out of a serious relationship (okay, an engagement), took a new job, and moved into my own apartment. I had only been in Atlanta a year, and felt like I was starting over. After a few months went by and I felt more like a human again, I decided I was finally going to learn how to cook. I had said it a million times before, but this time was different. My expenses had increased so I couldn’t afford to buy food out every day. Plus, I was lonely – what was I supposed do in this quiet apartment by myself? Plus PLUS, I had Alexis this time. Something about her – her humor, sassiness, wit, passion – had won me over. I felt like she was cheering for me through the screen while cracking me up and sharing her life with me. I actually READ what she had to say, versus just scrolling down to the recipe. There are thousands (millions? billions? trillions?) of food bloggers out there, but I actually felt a real connection to this one, and that made all the difference. I could try to make myself dinner, and if it sucked, no one would have to know.
I certainly didn’t think I’d be any good, but I knew I wanted to eat healthier and save money. So every week, I’d click around the recipe pages on Hummusapien and make one or two things. OMG! I’m not as horrible as I thought! I came out alive and the food was edible. Actually, it was really good – and I was unintentionally eating more plant-based foods and becoming more conscious of what I was putting in my body. I think the food also tasted better to me because I made it… I was so excited to prove to myself and that nasty voice in my head that I am not a total dunce, and that I could take care of myself. I did flock to baking at first, trying my hand at healthy muffins, easy homemade granola, and things that were more in my comfort zone. But as time went by and I started to build confidence, reading the daily posts became a highlight of my day and I couldn’t wait to comment and think about what recipes I should try next.
Let’s be clear here – I’ve definitely messed up a good bit, and still do. I went to make the easy make-ahead apple cinnamon steel cut oatmeal a while back, and had a flax seed & almond milk overflow mess on the stove (it still turned out amazing, thankfully). I burnt my first batch of the easy homemade granola (I realize both of these recipes have “easy” in the title. Don’t judge me). I once made a batch of muffins where something went wrong and they sadly ended up in the trash. I’ve forgotten to turn the burner off and almost set some aluminum foil on fire (oops) while ruining a cookie sheet. I take a really long time to make anything in the kitchen, and I still don’t just “know” things – I follow the recipes and ask a LOT of questions. Alexis has been super patient with me – I blow her up on the reg with some sort of inquiry. And selfies and food pics, because I’m just that girl.
But honestly, this process is teaching me that I don’t have to be perfect. It’s not a black and white world, and it’s not a black and white kitchen, either. You mess up, you laugh it off, you know better for next time, you try again. It’s been really therapeutic, actually. (Note: It used to drive me nuts when people would say that cooking was therapeutic for them. I saw cooking as nothing but stressful, but obviously am coming around.) I don’t sing kumbaya or anything, but I do listen to music and enjoy my time in the kitchen making delicious, healthy food for myself and my friends – I love sharing with them and blabbing their ears off about Alexis and Hummusapien and why this recipe is so great and why hemp seeds are so fascinating. I am no longer afraid of spending time alone in my apartment (in fact, I value it) and have a really fun hobby always waiting for me. I feel the healthiest and most balanced I’ve ever been. My eyes are welling up writing that sentence – this blog, this girl, this Hummusapien community has really helped me in so many ways.
In the past, I’ve tried to “eat healthy” to lose weight and cut many things out of my diet. I was eating processed foods and depriving myself – I wasn’t eating the donut because I wasn’t supposed to, I didn’t deserve to, and I was disgusting. Then I’ve also gone the other way, where I’d eat ten donuts because, well, screw it. Food had been a source of anxiety for me, and we did not have a healthy relationship. A big part of why I love Hummusapien in particular is because I really admire and respect the holistic way Alexis approaches food and health. She eats good food and she enjoys it, with a focus on counting ingredients, not calories. I like that she eats ice cream and isn’t afraid of carbs, but that she also thinks about how much and what kind of sweetener she uses. It’s not a perfect science. Alexis has helped me discover that cooking and healthy eating can be a way to love and care for yourself; to enjoy food in a way that fuels you – sometimes it fuels your body, sometimes it fuels your soul, and a lot of the time, it does both.
I still don’t see myself as a great cook, but fear no longer stops me from trying and making a big ‘ol mess in the kitchen (and then snapping 800 pictures of whatever I’ve made to show everyone what a boss I am – strategically leaving out the details of my bloopers). I’ve come a long way and I could not be more grateful that I found this little corner of the Internet that has allowed me to take a chance on myself. Even when I didn’t believe I could do it, I felt like Alexis believed in me and wanted me to succeed. Hummusapien was my safe space; a positive, judgment-free zone. Plus, the writing made me laugh out loud. Humor > fear. That may just be the secret to life.
Who knows how far this road will take me, but I’m not stopping now. It feels good to know I can make a balanced meal for myself and others, and I’m having fun along the way. I hope my story helps some of you who may have similar doubts and fears spread your little chickpea wings and make the kitchen magic happen. Need some inspiration? Check out a few of my fave Hummusapien recipes below (in no particular order). Thanks for listening and helping create a humbelievable community that gave me the confidence to reach for my goals. And my measuring cups.
PB&J Protein Smoothie
Overnight Steel Cut Oats
Coconut Pancakes
Avocado Bean Burgers
Avocado Chickpea Egg Salad
Goat Cheese & Spinach Salmon Burgers
Peanut Veggie Noodle Bowl
Super Easy Mexican Crockpot Casserole
Banana Coconut Muffins
Blueberry Banana Hemp Muffins
Flourless Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Muffins
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Energy Bites
Wow what an awesome post!! Can I be friends with Alexis too?? lol but really, I get all the e-mails now and am always looking for new things to try. I starting eating healthy and searching the blogosphere a couple of years ago, and went NUTS on Pinterest. It got to a point where it was so overwhelming (I really like your Pinterest analogy lol), and I had to scale back– I picked a few blogs to follow, and went from there. Love this blog, love this post, love love love!!
Lol I loooove alllll the love! Yesssss. And obvi, let’s all be friends when we are old but still super healthy and nimble and energetic. We can drink green smoothies and go on power walks together. And totes, Pinterest can be great at times but whoa – so overwhelming! This food blog method works wayyyy better for me. Almost all of the recipes I’ve made are from Alexis or one she has linked to from a WIAW or recommended. I let her do all the leg work and just copy her every move like a total stalker. That’s how I roll. Loved your comment and love you! Happy kitchen-ing!
I love this post! I talked to Alexis before her fancy “RD” title to help me in my own nutrition journey and I continue to use her recipes and philosophies today! She has opened my eyes to the wonder of cooking healthy and natural and I could not thank her enough! I’m glad to see someone else has been learning from scratch too 🙂
So glad you can relate! I’m obviously so proud of her for that kickass RD title (so official), but she has always been too legit to quit in my book. She is so inspiring in a sweet, approachable way. I do love her food philosophies because it’s nothing extreme and she is so down to earth. I am definitely still learning and it’s a constant ebb and flow, but I just feel more balanced overall. Thanks for reading and your sweet comment! It makes me happy to see how many lives Alexis has already touched. 🙂
I love this post! I talked to Alexis before her fancy “RD” title to help me in my own nutrition journey and I continue to use her recipes and philosophies today! She has opened my eyes to the wonder of cooking healthy and natural and I could not thank her enough! I’m glad to see someone else has been learning from scratch too 🙂
So glad you can relate! I’m obviously so proud of her for that kickass RD title (so official), but she has always been too legit to quit in my book. She is so inspiring in a sweet, approachable way. I do love her food philosophies because it’s nothing extreme and she is so down to earth. I am definitely still learning and it’s a constant ebb and flow, but I just feel more balanced overall. Thanks for reading and your sweet comment! It makes me happy to see how many lives Alexis has already touched. 🙂
Awww this is so awesome!! I love this! Alexis has some pretty amazing recipes… just finished eating some of her maple cinnamon roasted chickpeas!
OMG yum, now I want some sweet, crunchy chickpeasssss. Share? Alexis really does have some stellar recipes, and she makes them feel accessible – even to newbies like me! I could have gone on & on with my list of fave recipes. I’m actually DYING to make the corn and zucchini summer pizza – it’s on my list for this week. Looks sooo good. Wheeee…. Cheers to the chickpeas! Thanks for the encouragement!
Awww this is so awesome!! I love this! Alexis has some pretty amazing recipes… just finished eating some of her maple cinnamon roasted chickpeas!
OMG yum, now I want some sweet, crunchy chickpeasssss. Share? Alexis really does have some stellar recipes, and she makes them feel accessible – even to newbies like me! I could have gone on & on with my list of fave recipes. I’m actually DYING to make the corn and zucchini summer pizza – it’s on my list for this week. Looks sooo good. Wheeee…. Cheers to the chickpeas! Thanks for the encouragement!
So so so AWESOME…You both ROCK and are both inspirations. Great post! 🙂
Yay, thank you soooo much! It was fun to write & I’m so honored to have the opportunity to share my story. Cook things and eat ’em. Make you live long time. 😉
So so so AWESOME…You both ROCK and are both inspirations. Great post! 🙂
Yay, thank you soooo much! It was fun to write & I’m so honored to have the opportunity to share my story. Cook things and eat ’em. Make you live long time. 😉
I love this story! It makes me so sad when people are so quick to say “I can’t cook” or “I’m just not good at it” or something like that. It’s only because they don’t give it a try! No one is just born knowing how to cook. I think some people might be “naturals” because they probably grew up with their parents/grandparents constantly involving them in the kitchen, but some people didn’t have that experience. They all need to read this and give it a try 🙂
Thank you, Ashley! It really does just take trying, but the intimidation and inexperience factor held me back for a looong time. Plus, I’m so hard on myself – those type A perfectionist tendencies creep in – that it’s a challenge to start and be willing to fail, ya know? But I’m so glad Alexis & Hummusapien afforded me the encouragement and lightness I needed to just give it a go – and now I have found a passion & totally love it. I’m still not great but I’m learning and it’s all good. I enjoy it and that’s what matters. Thanks for your support and for reading my story!!
I love this story! It makes me so sad when people are so quick to say “I can’t cook” or “I’m just not good at it” or something like that. It’s only because they don’t give it a try! No one is just born knowing how to cook. I think some people might be “naturals” because they probably grew up with their parents/grandparents constantly involving them in the kitchen, but some people didn’t have that experience. They all need to read this and give it a try 🙂
Thank you, Ashley! It really does just take trying, but the intimidation and inexperience factor held me back for a looong time. Plus, I’m so hard on myself – those type A perfectionist tendencies creep in – that it’s a challenge to start and be willing to fail, ya know? But I’m so glad Alexis & Hummusapien afforded me the encouragement and lightness I needed to just give it a go – and now I have found a passion & totally love it. I’m still not great but I’m learning and it’s all good. I enjoy it and that’s what matters. Thanks for your support and for reading my story!!
April – you rock!!! I for one am SOOOOO proud of you!! All I can say is “WOW”!! Love this!!! XOXO
Awww, Melinda! Thank you so much! I miss you and it just made my day to see your name pop up – thank you for the support & encouragement! XO back!
April – you rock!!! I for one am SOOOOO proud of you!! All I can say is “WOW”!! Love this!!! XOXO
Awww, Melinda! Thank you so much! I miss you and it just made my day to see your name pop up – thank you for the support & encouragement! XO back!
Yay April! I feel the same way about Alexis – she rocks, and you rock too! Every post I read from her is like a note from a (to quote you, “damn funny”) friend. Keep up the great work in the kitchen – whether or not the recipe turns out, the benefits are huge!
Thank you, Shay! It’s worth the mess ups for sure – the hardest part is being kind to yourself through the process & trying again. And I KNOW, isn’t Alexis the BEST?! I just adore her, obviously, and she made me feel comfortable enough to try — which says a lot, b/c food bloggers can be so intimidating with how “perfect” they make everything look. I love this girl and this blog, and am never turning back. Cheers!
Yay April! I feel the same way about Alexis – she rocks, and you rock too! Every post I read from her is like a note from a (to quote you, “damn funny”) friend. Keep up the great work in the kitchen – whether or not the recipe turns out, the benefits are huge!
Thank you, Shay! It’s worth the mess ups for sure – the hardest part is being kind to yourself through the process & trying again. And I KNOW, isn’t Alexis the BEST?! I just adore her, obviously, and she made me feel comfortable enough to try — which says a lot, b/c food bloggers can be so intimidating with how “perfect” they make everything look. I love this girl and this blog, and am never turning back. Cheers!
Way to go, April! You both are my cooking sages. 🙂
Thanks, Ashlyn! You should come over for dinner soon! 🙂
April’s frequent Facebook posts related to Hummusapien, her cooking adventures & the photos she posts of this delicious food has made me a fan of this blog site. April, I love your post/contribution here & think you should consider your own blog related to your adventures/journey toward better eating! Because this is NOT just about food–this is about self love! I just subscribed!!
Christine – THANK YOU! You have certainly seen me through this journey and struggle for many years. You are so right that this is about WAY more than food. I could never thank you enough for your constant love and support. It’s still a process for sure! So glad you subscribed – I think you will enjoy! Most of the recipes I make are from this blog or are recipes/blogs Alexis recommends. I call myself her shadow because I copy so much of what she does!
Way to go, April! You both are my cooking sages. 🙂
Thanks, Ashlyn! You should come over for dinner soon! 🙂
April’s frequent Facebook posts related to Hummusapien, her cooking adventures & the photos she posts of this delicious food has made me a fan of this blog site. April, I love your post/contribution here & think you should consider your own blog related to your adventures/journey toward better eating! Because this is NOT just about food–this is about self love! I just subscribed!!
Christine – THANK YOU! You have certainly seen me through this journey and struggle for many years. You are so right that this is about WAY more than food. I could never thank you enough for your constant love and support. It’s still a process for sure! So glad you subscribed – I think you will enjoy! Most of the recipes I make are from this blog or are recipes/blogs Alexis recommends. I call myself her shadow because I copy so much of what she does!