AbOuT

HEY FRIENDS!

My name is Ari and I am the Lady behind ThE DiVa DiSh!

Life has a weird way of teaching you lessons.

Before, I didn’t really know what was good for me.

Like a jelly bean green juicy jumpsuit.

Yes, yes I did.

It’s weird, because sometimes we truly don’t know that what we’re doing, isn’t the best for us.

P.s.

A big thank you to my close friends/family who let me walk out of the house looking like a…i’m not even gonna say it.

Anyways, let me explain.

This was me:

I’m not going to sit here and say, “Look how fat I am, I’m pale, I was bloated, I look tired, why aren’t I wearing cuter shoes…yidda yadda!”

See, that would be mean.

But it’s how I felt.

I was in the constant battle with myself, trying to feel good enough. You see I thought I was making the best choices for my body.I thought I was healthy. I thought that if I ran for 10 minutes it was okay for me to scarf down 3 chili dogs when I got home. I thought that eating a salad loaded with bacon, eggs, cheese, ranch dressing, and garlic croutons wasn’t bad for you. I mean, it was a salad! How bad could it be? I struggled because I thought I was doing everything I could to be healthy, happy, & skinny. Why wasn’t I?

I carried this (non) confidence in my self with me to college, and like most college students, eating & socializing is pretty common. It was a struggle for me to try to make the right choices, considering I really didn’t even know what was right. Then something happened. I got sick.I felt bloated, crampy, and sick to my stomach ALL the time. (Could it be the chili dogs..no?!?)  I went to several doctors, and no one could figure out what was wrong. Then one doctor took an x-ray of my stomach, and everything was black. My body wasn’t digesting food. The doctor suggested I omit gluten and dairy to see if that worked. So for the next 2 years I did just that. You see, back then, there wasn’t a lot of gluten-free/dairy free products, like there are today. So I had to eat really fresh and natural things like lean meats and fresh produce. At first, it was SOO hard. NO OLIVE GARDEN BREADSTICKS!!

With this new “lifestyle” I was living I began to notice not only a difference in my appearance but also how I felt. I had SO much energy. I was no longer tired and lethargic, now I felt awake and energetic. I decided to take up exercising, in particular running. I would wake up early in the morning and run…

Let me just add that I was never ever a runner. One time a friend and I tried out for track in HS, and we quit the next day.

Anyways I began to love it so much I started doing mini’ “races” at school.

I felt great!

But I became obsessed. Then the doctors told me that I really wasn’t allergic to gluten, but I was lactose intolerant, and I could start eating wheat again. I remember crying hysterically to my mom saying, “I’m gonna get fat again!” After that, I promised my self I wouldn’t let me get back to the old me again so I started really watching what I ate. Canned vegetables and rice crackers were my staple. I probably consumed 300 calories a day. My parents sent me to a counselor who, might I add was probably 400 pounds, told me to eat meals like lean cuisine…

He was joking right?

No. Not at all. Needless to say, he didn’t do much help as a “counselor,” so I did some major soul searching.

I knew my goal was to become healthy & happy, and not focus so much on the skinny part.

Groovy.

I decided the best way to be my best self was to become educated on what really is good for you. I quickly changed my major to nutrition and took classes where I learned things like, “sometimes salads aren’t always the healthiest.” =]

Then, I met my sexy hubbster

We got married, and he started grad school. He was so busy, a lot of times I was left alone while he studied away. (I am extremely grateful for that though) So I formed a relationship. With the food network.

I didn’t know how to cook. In fact I was well known for being dumb in the kitchen. Let’s just say I now know the difference between a package of yeast, and a costco package of yeast…You don’t want to know.

I fell in love with cooking. I could cook in a kitchen for hours. It made many lonely nights go by fast.

I enjoyed learning how to make food I loved, a little better for my body.

Life went on, yet there was a big change in store.

The hubby and I knew there was something missing.

Baby boo.

The greatest blessing in our lives.

She’s perfect in every way. Promise.

Life has thrown be a lot of curve balls. Some have been more challenging than others, but am still learning to this day to be grateful for the body I have been giving. I know now how to make the best choices for my body. I know now that I am healthy. I know that I can run for as long as I want and still come home and eat chocolate, and this is because I know that I am no longer afraid of food. Instead I know that what I put into my body is going to contribute how I feel on the outside. And I must add I know I feel great when I eat chocolate =]..

Now I know.

Everyday is a new day. I’m not going to say I’m perfect. I mean I usually eat a gallon little bit of chocolate every day. I don’t always have time to work out, let alone shave my legs (TMI?). And sometimes my breakfast includes a cookie and left over brown rice.

This blog is about my life, my journey to making better decisions. All the while, trying my best to be an amazing wife and mother, and  keeping my family healthy and happy.

Some of my recipes aren’t the healthiest, but I also started this blog two years ago. So my perspective about certain things have changed.

I am no professional, and I am no personal trainer.

Maybe someday

But for now I am not. I’m not perfect, and my recipes and tips always aren’t either.

But I am enjoying making this a fun and healthy journey to bettering myself as well as others.

And I’m not going to lie and say that every recipe on here is going to be lettuce and tomatoes.

You will see chocolate…and cake…

THAT I can promise you.

I do my best to use wholesome and fresh ingredients, believing that what we put into our bodies will reflect how we feel on the outside, and sometimes inside 🙂

I hope you enjoy what you see =]

Feel free to send me an e-mail w/ questions/comments.

Now if you will excuse me I’ve got to get an arm workout in, and by that I mean lifting my baby girl in her car seat…uggg