It was a little over a year ago that I posted about Green Wagon, the brainchild of my dear friend Brittany. Today, I'd like to highlight her current work as a Certified Holistic Health Coach and Functional Nutritionist. Brittany launched her own company, Wellbeing with Brittany to help others find their path to wellness whilst using food as their secret weapon. C&C had the opportunity to sit down with Brittany and chat about wellness. Here, she "gets gutsy" and chats about following her passion, achieving a balanced life and the perfect salad dressing for summer:

Bravo, Brittany on launching Wellbeing with Brittany! Tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind your business.

I created Wellbeing to combine my love for nutrition with my passion for helping people heal. Through my own path to wellness, I understand how food can be a road block to what we want in life. My mission is to bring the gift of nutrition and health coaching to others so they too can thrive and become the best version of themselves at home, work, in their relationships, body image, etc. I feel very connected to my work and client, and I see the impacts of my coaching with each recommended tweak. It is extremely rewarding.

Tell me a little more the foundation of your program, "all disease begins in the gut"

Through my training and education, I have come to understand that all health starts with the gut. All of our systems are interconnected and are impacted by the state of our microbiome. At Wellbeing, I focus on cleaning up this part of the body first and foremost. Once we have quelled the inflammation, which is the root of most health challenges, people thrive.

I'm always feeling a low around 4pm and end up grabbing a handful of pretzels or piece of candy. What do you suggest for a healthy snack?

The purpose of a snack is to fuel your body in between meals. In my practice, I have my clients choose snacks that contain fat + fiber + protein. This keeps blood sugar levels balanced and deters cravings and overeating. My favorite snack is a hard boiled egg (protein + fat) with a few slices of avocado (fat + fiber) or coconut chia pudding (chia = fiber + protein, full fat coconut milk = fat). If you typically feel a slump at 4pm, eat your healthy snack at 3:15 to avoid any pitfalls and keep you blood sugar balanced.

The idea of achieving "balance" in mind/body/spirit is a goal we all strive for. Could you share any tips on how one might strive toward achieving more balance in our lives?

I achieve balance by writing out my accomplishments, goals and what I am grateful for on a daily basis. Upon waking and before my mind goes anywhere else, I write down what I want to achieve that day and how it will bring me closer to my ultimate goal. I also jot down the names of people and things that I am grateful for and then I pour out whatever else is on my mind for at least one page. This exercise keeps me on track and clarifies what I need to do to keep moving me forward.

Sweating through exercise also keeps me balanced (and detoxed). My favorite place to sweat is BodyTemp. On the weekends, I find that getting outside, going for a walk or a hike, helps me stay balanced.

Summer is upon is! What are some of your favorite dishes to prepare for a dinner party?

My key to a successful dinner party is in the dressing! I always use my hand blender to mix ingredients into a smooth consistency. My staples are my Apple Cider Dijon, which is nice and light over a green salad (recipe below) and my Miso-Tahini Dressing on my blog,(http://www.wellbeingwithbrittany.com/#!Rainbow-Bowls-with-MisoTahini-Dressing/cwvb/554a3b030cf24874171461be) which is great on baked veggies or on a raw salad.

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove

1/4 cup raw apple cider vinear

1/3 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons dijon mustard

1 teaspoon salt

Method:

Put all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.

We've chatted in the past about the concept of intermittent fasting. Could you elaborate a bit about this concept and why it might be beneficial?

Periods of intermittent fasting will trim your waist line. Every time you eat, food is converted into energy and whatever is not needed immediately is stored as glycogen. The energy burned between breakfast, lunch and dinner is typically from those glycogen stores. If you are snacking all day, you will never use up those stores since it takes about 10-12 hours to burn.

The easiest form of fasting is between dinner and breakfast or lunch the next day. Have dinner at 6:30pm and then give your digestive system a break until the next day. This will allow your body to burn through those glycogen stores and shift energy metabolism so you start burning fat and producing ketone bodies.

What has been the most rewarding component of having your own business?

Driving something that you are passionate about is a gift and a challenge, because you know that there is no giving up. It is my calling to do this work and it is all about what I put into it. Everything that happens is because of you, so when things happen you can really feel proud. Being rewarded with happy and healthy clients and getting good referrals is a reflection of my hard work.

To learn more about Brittany and her work, visit here.