Hi friends! How are you today? Monday blues? Or Monday hoorays!? Or maybe a little bit better now that it’s Monday afternoon?!

I first want to thank you all for a super successful sweetpotato week last week. It looks like many of you were inspired to try new things, just like myself, like this Sweetpotato Gnocchi or this 5 Color Sweetpotato Veggie Soup. Keep it up!

Disclaimer: Today is a long one, so get grab a cup of tea, a glass of wine or whatever you need before I dive in.  

Here we go. Just as my website transitioned over to The Gypsy Dietitian the week before last, sweetpotato week came and I never had a chance to explain my thought process and why I made the transition, so today, I want to take the time to do so.

Let me explain.

In January of this year (a couple of months before I completed my dietetic internship at the Mayo Clinic) I spent one week of my internship exploring any area of nutrition in which I chose, this was called my “Elective Week.” I decided to spend my time exploring the field of Nutrition Communications in order to explore a little bit more about what I could do if I chose to combine my Communications/Broadcasting/Journalism background with my Nutrition knowledge. Each day of that week I met with five different ladies, all well respected and well established in the Nutrition Communications field. The very first day I met with Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD/LD, director of nutrition for WebMD, the website that many of you get your health information from. Boy did she blow my socks off. She was everything you could imagine of a highly successful woman.  She was well-spoken, well-educated, kind, charming, and an expert in a field that I hope to be one day. She gave a lecture on Nutrition and Social Media, and needless to say, I walked out of there with over ten pages of notes and every single line read something that I never want to forget.

Long story short (or really, long story shorter), I left there that day with one thing clear: I had to have my own brand. Who am I? What is my purpose? What is my goal? What do you want from me? Why me? And how am I going to deliver that?

After hearing her talk, I decided it was time to think a little bit more about my own blog, at that time “Hungry for More.” If you are a long time reader, you might not even know that that was the sites “name.” Probably not because you never noticed it, but rather because I never brought it to your attention. I had no brand and I was slightly scattered. I knew I loved talking to you about nutrition, but that was about all.

So after much thought and much prayer, I reached out to a blog consulting company, and now my go-to blog guy, and in our first conversation he said to me, “What is your brand? Who is your target audience? You know nutrition is a huge field, don’t be one of the ones that get lost in the numbers. Don’t just be another RD telling people they need to lose weight.” And he was exactly right. I first had to find myself and my intentions for this blog. (Now that I’ve been writing here for almost four years now. Oops. Better late than never, right?!)

I spent a few weeks thinking it over. What is my message? Who is my target audience? Why would you all chose to read my posts over any other bloggers posts when there are a million to choose from? What makes me different?

{Photo Source}

I knew I wanted my passion for Jesus to shine through first and foremost and for nutrition to come second, and in an ah-ha moment (actually after much thought and contemplation), Guard Your Heart came to mind. I could use it in both a figurative and literal way. When Jesus tells us to guard our heart in the bible, he is by no means referring to guarding our hearts nutritionally (eliminating trans fats, limiting saturated fats, increasing our omega-3 consumption, limiting our salt intake, choosing fruits and veggies, etc), but that’s no reason that I couldn’t use it  both ways.

But wait, I’m not a cardiac dietitian, at least not right now, and really that’s not the audience I’m purposefully trying to reach through this blog (specifically). As the number one killer of Americans, I’m sure that many of my readers do struggle with heart issues, but I believe that by choosing to follow the message of this blog, a healthy heart is only one of the benefits, kind of like weight loss, more energy, etc.

So there I sat, still confused about my own brand. Who am I? And how do I show you that? If anything, I want you to see exactly who I am through this blog: I want to share the journey of my life – my struggles, my triumphs, my joys, my weaknesses, my good times and my bad. I want you to first and foremost see that good health is possible for EVERY.ONE, not just a dietitian, not just a healthy food lover, but everyone: the busy mom, the stressed out dad, the collage student, the grandmother, the “I can’t cook,” etc.. Just like me, you can chose to eat healthy – regardless of your walk of life.

And speaking of walk of life, that’s when I finally found my brand, The Gypsy Dietitian. I looked at my life. That’s who I am, that’s what I do. It was so clear, why didn’t I think of it sooner? And with Jesus as my leader, I know He is the one that led me there.

If you know me, you probably couldn’t think of a better name for me. If you don’t know me, let me explain in the simplest way possible.

In the past (almost) five years, since marrying the man of my dreams, together we have moved twelve times and will experience our thirteenth in the near future. We have lived in tiny towns, big towns, one bedroom lofts, five bedroom beauties, basements, rough neighborhoods and in the finest of communities. I have followed charter buses for ten hours just to see my hubby at the end of the ride. This all sounds crazy… unless you know baseball lifestyle and then it makes complete sense.

For the first two years of our marriage, my husband, Dustin, played minor league baseball, until a career ending shoulder injury derailed our plans. Another move and a familiar town later, we went back to school together, where he finished up his college degree after leaving in the baseball draft following his junior year and I completed my second degree in Nutrition.

Not too long after completing his degree and a couple of moves later, Dustin decided regardless of his injury, baseball still had his heart and he took a job scouting baseball. Back to the baseball life we would go. He now travels on a regular basis searching for talent and since the completion of my internship in March, I try to go with him as often as I can. Hey, Starkville, Mississippi isn’t so bad when your exploring it with your best friend.

And that’s why I am The Gypsy Dietitian. We live life out of a suitcase, out of a car, out of a hotel, for now, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. Despite this, we eat healthy, exercise, love life and it loves us right back.

I want to share with you how you can do the same. Life throws us curve balls and we can handle them, but without our health we simply cannot. Life is fast and on the go, healthy eating and a well-fueled lifestyle is possible regardless of what your dinner table looks like; hey, ours looks different every night! I’m excited to continue and grow on this new journey and I hope that you will go and grow with me! While life is about to change yet again for us (more on that later), being flexible and on-the-go will always be apart of it.

Have an awesome Monday!

Good health!

The post New Look: The Gypsy Dietitian appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Happy Monday! I hope you had an awesome weekend! As I mentioned yesterday, I posted another week of dinner meal plans on the four hour flight back home from San Francisco (and the surrounding areas, as you will see!). We made it home late last night and are struggling to get back on eastern time. Trust me, a 3:30 am bed time is NOT normal for this girl. Maybe tonight I can fall asleep a little earlier!

I promise this will be the last post on our California adventures and I will resume regular posting starting tomorrow but the trip was too amazing not to share! The past eight days were absolutely magical. I’ve been dying to get to the West Coast for quite some time so finally making it out there was a dream come true.

I last left off on Thursday sharing our adventures up until that point, so I’ll just pick up from there! And just to note, this post is very picture heavy so I hope you’re prepared for it!

Wednesday afternoon we made the drive up and over to Lake Tahoe to visit an old friend and teammate of Dustin’s. It’s always so awesome catching up with old friends!

On our way up, we drove through Donner Pass and learned about the Donner Party, which is quite an interesting story if you aren’t familiar with it.

We then continued our journey to Tahoe. There are seriously no words that I could write to explain to you the beauty of Lake Tahoe. The crystal clear water took my breath away, both figuratively and literally!

After spending Thursday in Tahoe, Friday morning we got up bright and early to head back into town to continue our adventures.

We made it back to the city a little after lunchtime and checked into our hotel and were able to squeeze in a quick workout and a shower and back out the door we went!  We started the afternoon on the 39th floor of our hotel at The View for a bite to eat before heading to AT&T Park.

We stopped into Momo’s before the game as recommened to us by our local friends and then entered the park a little bit early to walk around and explore the incredible field.

With this view off of right field, I don’t think baseball would ever get old!

Saturday morning, we started the day with another quick workout and then got in a little bit of cardio by running to the Ferry Building Farmer’s Market. There’s no better way to explore a town than running through it’s streets! To say that I would move to San Fran for this farmer’s market and this farmer’s market alone would be an understatement. Fresh juices and smoothies, rows of fruits and vegetables, vegan and gluten-free stands, flowers, meats, oils, beauty products, you name it. Not only that, but it over looks the Bay Bridge too? Sold!

From there, we ventured over to Fisherman’s Wharf, Pier 39 (with the wild seals) and a view of Alcatraz.

And then hoped in the car for an eventful afternoon of site seeing!

A stop through Palo Alto and Stanford University…

A cruise through Monterey, Carmel, and Pebble Beach along the 17 Mile Drive.

And even more breathtaking views on our drive back up to Half Moon Bay, where we chose to spend our last night in California.

When we return to the West Coast, we will definitely be spending more time in Half Moon Bay. We enjoyed a delicious dinner in the Ritz dinning room to toast to an amazing week!

One last stroll of the beach and beautiful views and our time came to an end.

I still can’t get over the beauty of northern California and don’t think that I ever will. I told Dustin that the past eight days were eight of the best days of my life, and I meant it. I want to go back already!

Back to reality though, and I kinda like my life so I’m not going to complain too much!

Have you ever visited San Fran or northern California? If so what is your favorite part, place, area, or location!? I’d love to know!

Have an awesome Monday!

Good health!

The post I’ll Forever Be California Dreamin’ – Northern California Adventures appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Hi there! How are you? Thursday already!? The week is flying.

Yesterday included a great body weight cardio/legs workout that I’m going to share with you tomorrow, as well as another long day on the beach. And you know that included a family photo since the four of us are here now.

Trying to get these guys to cooperate was like pulling teeth, but we finally got them at least posed enough to take a quick pic – even if Gunner is falling down on me.

After a long day on the beach, we had a delicious dinner including another black bean burger for me and some fish/shrimp for the others.

Black bean burger topped with vegan cheese, mango salsa, cilantro lime corn, garlic roasted asparagus, grilled bell peppers and brown rice.

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But anyways, last week when I was pondering about what I wanted to write about this week a few things went through my mind. Another recipe? Got it. A workout or yoga pose? Got that too. While those are both two of my favorite topics, I also want to always share more than just surface topics with you. I want you to come here because you can read real stories about real life. I want you to feel like you can connect with me, on more than just a “You must try this delicious dessert!” level – if that makes any sense at all. So today’s post is a little bit different than what I normally write about but I hope you enjoy it just as much.

Let me rewind to 2008- the year that I got married and finished up my first degree in Broadcasting/Journalism (or enough so to be able to finish a distance internship and move to Orlando with my new husband).

I was young (21), in love, and following the path Jesus laid out for me. Following our December wedding, I moved to Florida in order to support my husband who was rehabilitating his shoulder in hopes to return to work (the mound) the following season. Our life was up and down, back and fort, and the only constant in our life was God’s love – we were living the minor league baseball life. (In fact, during that time, I even started writing a book called “A Minor League Life as a Minor League Wife with a Major League God.” I think it could have been pretty good, but that’s beside the point.) We moved often and had to be ready to go whenever Dustin and the coaches felt he was ready. I knew very little about life at the age of 21 (who am I kidding? I don’t know much more now ), but I knew what made me happy and that was being with my husband.

That season, I worked a restaurant job with a college degree simply because we had no idea how long we would spend in one city. Try telling the hiring manager of a full time position that you don’t know how long you will live in that one particular city – see if he still wants you on his team. I had graduated yet had no idea what to do with that degree considering our lifestyle.

As a high school and college student, I was a career girl through and through. I was working in a top 10 market by the time I was 25 and would consider getting married around 30. Kids? I don’t think so. Jokes on me, right? As the first married of all of my friends, you better believe the look on both my close friends and parents face when Dustin shared the news that we were thinking about getting married was a confused one.

“You mean a promise ring, Dustin?,” my mom said.

“No, Mrs. Debby, an engagement ring.”

A few of my guy friends in high school used to tell me that Kelly Clarkson’s “Miss Independent” song was written after me. I don’t think that’s the best compliment but you catch my drift.

During our first few years of marriage, I certainly had my doubts. I would get angry and tell Dustin that I had given up my dreams in order to follow his. I would tell him that I was going to move home and march toward my goals.  He supported every decision and every word that ever came out of my mouth. He would tell me that he wanted me to do whatever it was that I wanted to do and if I wanted to move home then that’s what I should do. But he also told me that my support for him meant more than any additional income, more than a “power couple” status, and more than any temporary job.

We certainly could have lived life apart. Me in Atlanta chasing my TV dreams and him hopping from city to city on a different mound every five days. I wouldn’t have known his life and he wouldn’t have known mine, but we would have both been pursuing what we each defined as success.

But we decided it wasn’t worth it.

We wanted to be together and that’s all that mattered to us. We’ve certainly made it harder on ourselves living on one income the past five years when we easily could have had two, but God had different plans for us and we chose to follow His plan rather than our own. And not only that, life on the go is pretty fun. Watching my husband pitch are some of the best memories I have, and now that it’s over, I would have regretted not being there for the rest of my life. God’s plan for me far exceeds any plan I could have ever written myself. God knew exactly what He was doing when He told me what to do and where to go and I am so thankful that I listened. It was during that time that I was  able to find myself and my true calling. If I had followed my own selfish desires and pushed against God’s plan, I would have never had a quite moment to listen and see what else was out there for me.

Because of baseball, my selfless husband, and God’s impeccable timing, once baseball was over and my husband retired from the game, I was able to return to school in order to pursue my nutrition degree and then my dietetic internship in order to now be a registered dietitian. I would have never done that if our story didn’t unfold exactly as it was supposed to.

Since Dustin is now back in the baseball world (same game, different position), he is on the road a lot, yet again. Following my internship and obtaining my registration, I have again had another “be quite and listen” time in my life. Do I take a traditional job and see my husband very seldom – even though he and I are a perfect team and being together is what makes us the happiest? Or do I follow my heart, choose happiness over a salary and try to map out my own story according to God’s plan?

With a Mayo Clinic seal of approval and a director that always taught me to shoot for the moon, I left there with the confidence to do anything that I wanted to do. Whether it be clinical, community, food service or anything else, I knew I just had to decide what direction I wanted to go in and start walking.

And that’s where I have been these past few months. Trying to be quite and listen. Listening to God’s path. Listening to God’s plan. A few weeks ago I was sharing my story and journey with a fellow Jesus lover and she said it perfectly, “Ashley, you’re waiting for God to show you the way.” She couldn’t have been more right.

Who says life has to be “traditional?” Who says you have to work here first or work there first in order to be successful? Success is defined by you. By me. We each define it differently. What you define as work or success and what I define as work or success can look completely different so long as we are following God’s individual plan for each of us. That is all that matters. It’s taken me nearly twenty-five years to finally understand that but I couldn’t be happier with where I am, praying that I am doing things exactly as He wants me to.

What about you? Have you had a time in your life where you had to be quite and listen to God? As you see, I’ve had quite a few.

I hope you have an awesome Thursday!

Good health!

The post Sometimes It’s More Important to Be Quiet and Listen Rather Than Make Up Your Own Story appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Ahhh. What a day it has been. Hi friends. How’s it going?

I have finally made it to my old bed at my parents house, ready for a good nights sleep. I’ve been on the road with Dustin for the past week, bouncing around from town to town, studying as much as possible (which means not nearly enough!).

But certainly enjoying my time with this guy! (He loves when I do things like this … he’s always a trooper though!)

The day started hundreds of miles away with a delicious breakfast…

There is oatmeal buried under there somewhere! 

As we journeyed back to Georgia, unfortunately there was no time to stop for lunch in order for the hub to make it to the next game on time, so a peanut butter sandwich on Ezekiel Cinnamon Raisin Bread from my travel snack pack had to hold us over until after the game for a late lunch/afternoon snack at Whole Foods.

Raw Kale Salad and a Kombucha…

After a seven hour car ride and a stop to squeeze in a 3 mile run along the way, a home cooked meal was more than welcomed. My mom had the most delicious meal awaiting our arrival…

Mushroom Risotto, Sautéed Brussels Sprouts and Broccolini, Roasted Potatoes, Sugar Peas, and Marinated Cucumber, Tomato, Onion, Avocado and Heart of Palm Salad

I’ll definitely be making a few if not all of these dishes soon! So good! We’ve been trying to eat as healthy as possible on the road, but it still holds no candle to a home cooked meal.

Anyways, I’m off to bed … ready for an early morning workout with the hub, some studying and spending time with the p’s as he hits the road yet again!

I hope you had a delicious day of eats as well! Are you more of a eat out or eat at home kind of person? I think you all know what I am!

Almost the weekend! Hang in there! Good health!

The post A Day in Eats appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

It sure feels good to have my running partners back!

I almost made the shot!

This morning, my pups and I hit the local park for a four mile run/walk to enjoy this beautiful (still slightly chilly!) weather. Although the three of us haven’t shared a run together in quite some time, these two haven’t slowed down a bit these past few months. More or less, this is a pretty standard day for them…

They are crazier than one could ever imagine but I couldn’t love them more!

Dustin and I had a wonderful Easter with both families, cooked and ate lots of good food and celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ!

All my siblings in one house!

The celebration continued up at Dustin’s parents house yesterday since it was Opening Day for the 2013 baseball season! It’s a big day in the Evans household and I love it! This year, for the first time ever, we cheered on two teams, both the Braves and the Mariners. We were happy with two Ws and some delicious food, al fresco!

The grill master and number one Braves fan doing his work

Grilled asparagus, corn, broccoli, carrots and roasted potatoes for me and ribs and chicken for the rest! It was veggie heaven! We enjoyed what will hopefully be one of the last nights cold enough for a fire (wishful thinking, right?) after dinner. Why can’t every Monday be like this?

My lap dog had had enough by the end of the night

The hubby hit the road today so I hit the books, fueled by this delicious, nutrient packed green smoothie.

In it went baby romaine leaves, Warrior Blend Vanilla Raw Protein, spirulina, flax meal, maca powder, strawberries, blueberries, pineapple, lemon and almond milk! It was delicious and so green because of the spirulina!

I hope you have a wonderful Tuesday evening! More studying for me!

Good health!

The post Lately Through Pictures and a Smoothie Recipe appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

December 2008 was the last time I was a resident of Statesboro, Georgia.  Getting ready for our wedding, excited about graduating, and anticipating moving to Orlando for baseball, I think it’s safe to say that I was more than ready to leave my college girl life behind, and was welcoming my new role and life as a wife.  Because of what happened in 2009 (the girls wreck), Statesboro always brought me unwelcome memories. 

Yes, I had many fun nights, game days, tailgates, socials, lunches, and actually even learned a lot, but I unfortunately overlooked these things because of how my college ‘career’ ended. The crazy, fun freshmen days were sort of forgotten because of the more recent dark, junior days without my friends.

When Dustin told me that after baseball ended he would have to return to GSU to finish his degree, this made me hope baseball would last forever.  If I knew anything, it was that I DIDN’T want to ever live in Statesboro, Georgia again.  I didn’t want to move there the first time that I did (HOPE scholarship confirmed my first move) and I really didn’t want to EVER have to move back (life is funny like that).

Well, as you most know Dustin’s career in baseball didn’t last forever and it actually ended before we ever expected it to.

June 24, 2010, I was sitting in Orlando just ready to watch Dustin pitch again, no matter where it be:  Mississippi (double A) would be great, Myrtle Beach (high A) would be, well, the beach, and Rome (low A) would be a change of senary.  No matter where we went, I was ready to go.  On June 25, 2010 I learned not only would we not be going to any of those places, but we wouldn’t be moving to a baseball town at all, rather we would be headed home first to Alpharetta, and then to…  STATESBORO, GEORGIA so that Dustin could finish his degree!   <——- Not a happy exclimation point (about the Statesboro part, anyway).

After long thought and prayer however, I think God wants me to come back here and do things right the second time around.  He wants to give me a chance to join a church, join a small group, make friends outside of a bar, and learn to love life again.

As embarrassing as it is, I didn’t do any of these things the first time I was here, well, maybe I loved life in the beginning, but it was a superficial life, a life lacking a relationship with Jesus, which to me is the most important thing to have.  I went to church maybe 2 or 3 times in the three and a half years that I was down here and nearly every friendship and relationship that I had was made and formed in a bar.  Luckily, I must add, most of these friendships have grown and become much more than than just friends to ‘go out with.’  Now it is more about the relationship and less about the party.

God is giving me a second chance to truly love, respect and appreciate the incredible things this small town has to offer.  I never thought I would be able to say this, but after our entire world was rocked when Dustin had to walk away from baseball, I’m absolutely loving life again, even if it’s not the life I had planned.  I’m loving my nutrition classes and finally feel comfortable in my own shoes.  I feel like I fit in and am doing what I am supposed to be doing for the first time in a long time.

A few of my favorite things so far:

1.  The Statesboro Farmers Market

2.  The local bakery: Sugar Magnolia Bakery

3.  The local, grass-fed beef farm: Hunters Creek Cattle Company

4.  The local wine cellar: Midtown Wine Cellar

5.  The Statesboro Organic Foods and Herb Shop

6.  Having our own grill

8.  Our backyard pool and newly built (by Dustin and his dad) Tiki Bar

9.  And hopefully, after Sunday, I can say our new church, too!

I’m almost finished with my first week of classes, so cheers that and I hope you have a great weekend!

The post Oh, Statesboro! I never thought you’d have me back. appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

Yesterday, I sat questioning my parents and grandfather about  how in the world they figured out “what business to go into” or “what made them chose the way they chose to make a living.”  For instance, my grandfather very successfully sold air conditioning units for the tops of large buildings.  I wanted to know what made him decide, “Yes, that’s it! I’ll sell A.C. Units!”

Basically, I was confused about how anyone ‘picks’ their profession.  It just seems to work for everyone.  How does anyone decide that they will work in waste management, for example?  My mom said that it just ‘works out.’  It’s almost as if a particular profession picks us.

Right now, Dustin and I seem to be in the in- between stages in life.  Romans 8: 22-30 helped clear all of this up for me.  We’re ‘waiting’ for the correct profession to ‘pick’ us.

“All around us we observe a pregnant creation.  The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs.  But it’s not only around us; it’s within us.  The Spirit of God is arousing us within.  We’re also feeling the birth pangs.  These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance.  That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother.  We are enlarged in the waiting.  We, of course, don’t see what is enlarging us.  But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God’s Spirit is right alongside helping us along.  If we don’t know how or what to pray, it doesn’t matter.  He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans.  He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God.  That’s why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

God knew what he was doing from the very beginning.  He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son.  The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored.  We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him.  After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name.  After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself.  And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun.”  Romans 8: 22-30

I guess we always thought a profession had already chosen us, and that was baseball, but now that we see that is not the case.  It’s time for us to wait for God to show us exactly what it is that He wants us to do.

I think this topic is so appropriate right now because there are so many of us in the ‘in-between’ stage: young, graduated, ready to be successful, but clueless on what do do next. The solution is life on God’s terms.

The post The Solution Is Life on God’s Terms appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

If a thousand emotions could be put into words, that would be this blog entry – but since that’s hardly possible I’ll try my best.  It’s been a while since my last post, not because life has been boring but rather it has been a whole new world.

In early June, my mom and Cameron came to visit us in Orlando and I got to show them all of my favorite spots.  We ate dinner several times at the wine room in Celebration; I love that place because of the ‘cool’ atmosphere, awesome wine list, chilling music, tasty mimosas, and close location.  Actually, we ate dinner at just about every spot in Celebration; I was so glad they got to enjoy it as much as I did.  This was the first night they got in town outside of the wine room.

Nearly every day we would walk into town, go to Starbucks and chat over a cup of cold Black Tea.  I enjoyed every moment of their company.  To me the best part of the few weeks they were there was the grilling my mom and I did.  She showed me all she could about grilling on a charcoal grill, something I’d been dying to know how to do.  Below are pictures of some of the foods we had, usually veggies and fruit accompanied our meat every night.  Call me crazy, but grilling out are some of the most fun memories I have.

Enough food to feed an army! Chicken, Burgers, Portabella Mushrooms, Roasted Red Peppers, and Peaches.

Pork Tenderloin, Beer-Butt Chicken, Chicken Tenders, and Fire Roasted Tomatoes.

Burgers and Corn on the Cob.

Chicken, Chicken Sausage, Portobello Mushrooms, and Fire Roasted Tomatoes.

Chicken and Grilled Plums… so delicious!

Enough with the grilling and back on with life but it was times like these that helped Dustin and I stay positive.

This visit was really a learning experience for me, my mom and Cameron.  Even though Cameron is only 12, I think it is very important to start teaching her healthy eating habits.  I told her the importance of drinking Organic Milk and at first she totally opposed it, saying it tasted “different” but after explaining that it’s the exact same, except without the added steroids and hormones, she then agreed that it was “wasn’t so bad.”  Now at home, it’s all she drinks!

Cam is a candy junky, just as I was when I was her age, so instead of telling her how terrible her candy was, I bought her healthier treats from Whole Foods to try as well.  She actually really liked everything I encouraged her to try.  The only tough one was switching her from Aspartame filled yogurt to healthy fake-sugar free yogurt.  I don’t understand why they even sell that crap.

On Sundays, I took them to the farmers market and they really loved it.  Cam found some delicious mangos that she picked out, and now, we’re determined to find a good market near my parent’s house.  We bought loaves of fresh Italian bread, natural herb healing remedies to help heal Dustin’s shoulder, and all the fruits and veggies you can imagine – true heaven to me!

In front of the bread man.

Shopping for mangoes!

The End of Baseball

Why am I looking for a market near my parent’s house?  Because that’s exactly where we are, back in Georgia.  On the same day as their flight home to Atlanta, Dustin had a to throw a bullpen.  The night before I was talking with my mom about how nervous I was.  I talked to her about how we would probably be moving to Mississippi soon if all went well (that’s where the AA team is), how hard it was going to be for us to adjust to living with a host family, and how we may try to go to Mexico for him to play there this offseason, nothing about moving back to Atlanta.  Heck yeah, we wanted to move to Atlanta eventually, that would mean Dustin had made it to the big leagues, but we knew that wasn’t possible right now.

After attempting to throw his bullpen, Dustin called me with some news: his shoulder still throbbed and he was being forced to retire.  It hit me like a ton of bricks, as I’m sure it him even harder.  Even though we had been going through this process for nearly two years, I wasn’t ready for it.  I wasn’t ready to let go of the life I knew: the baseball life, the traveling life, the make shift life that we had turned in to a real life.  No matter if I was ready for it or not, it was over.  Dustin has been very strong through this, telling me that God uses times like these as stepping stones to lead us to something greater.

The next day, Dustin and I packed up the house in Orlando and headed north.  Our car was so packed that Boss had to ride all eight hours in Dustin’s lap, let me tell you, NOT a fun ride home… all dreams left behind and only looking forward, not because we wanted to, but rather we were forced to.   Looking back now, it seems as if we were both numb the entire ride.  We didn’t talk about baseball; we actually didn’t even talk much about anything.  I could tell Dustin was upset but okay.  He was upset because his childhood dream had left him, but he was okay because he knew he did all that he could do.   He understands that if that had been what God had wanted him to do then he would be doing it.  Dustin worked as hard as he could and left everything else in God’s control.

As we unpacked the car the following day, things seemed to get a little harder. It was as if reality was setting in.  One of the hardest things I have ever had to do is watch Dustin sort through his Braves baseball bag and to decide what he wanted to do with all of the stuff.  I watched him pick up his glove and then sit it right back down.  That glove had been good to him and he had been good to it.  He used that glove to do what he truly loved to do, stand on a mound and throw a ball harder than anyone ever expected him to.   That being said, things have gotten a little easier and having family around always helps.

What’s next for the two of us? It’s hard to even try to think about what’s next when we don’t want to think that the present as we know it is over.  After long hard thought and talking to our families about it, Dustin and I will head back down to Statesboro so that he can finish his degree.  As of right now he thinks he wants to go into college coaching, so he will get a degree in General Studies to make sure he covers all areas.  I think he will be great at this not only because is it his passion, but he knows so much about it.  He knows not only the baseball side of it, but he will be able to help the boys nutritionally and in the weight room as well.

 Since we will be there anyways, I’m going to return to school as well to receive a degree in Dietetics so that eventually I can become a Registered Dietitian (R.D.). I’m excited about it because I will finally be able to get paid to do what I love, along with the confidence of being licensed.  We have rented out our loft in Cartersville and have now rented a cute, little home with a great pool in Statesboro.  No, this isn’t at all where we imagined our lives would be right now, but it is exactly where God wants us to be.  Currently, we’re enjoying time with our families and focusing on creating a new normal for our lives.

So, Happy Fourth of July! I hope you are all as blessed as we are to spend this day back at home, surrounded by people we love!

The post The End of Baseball: From Family Visits to Grilling to Healthy Eating appeared first on The Gypsy Dietitian.

I would be lying if I told you things were great down here in Orlando — but things are changing. These past two weeks have been harder than usual, but like always, our God pulled us through .

Just shy of two years out of surgery, Dustin is still not healthy. There is a reason for this and only God knows this answer. This entry is a going to be a bit personal, but it is truly straight from my heart.

I always hear the guys (Dustin’s baseball friends) say that it is harder to be down here for a week than with a team for a month, even though the days here are shorter and there is no weekly traveling. Simply put, it’s mentally straining down here for them. I think they consider it a big black hole, kind of a trap. They don’t know how long they will be here because in the minor leagues it’s all about filling spots. Even if they are healthy and cleared to play again, they can’t go anywhere until a spot opens up.

With all of that being said, things are getting a little repetitive down here. Rehab, rehab, rehab… (whatever that means).

Monday night was extremely difficult. Dustin felt that it might be his time to let go and walk away – that maybe there was another plan out there for him. That means walking away from nearly 20 years of hard work and a dream that is closer than ever to coming true. The worst part is I almost let him. No, I’m not his mother, decision maker, agent, or life coach but sometimes in life we need people there to help us through times like these. Someone to tell us to keep on pushing, working and fighting.

This morning as I was reading the Bible, it was amazing – God let me right to this verse,

“When the going gets rough, take it on the chin with the rest of us, the way Jesus did.” 2 Timothy

This is exactly what I need to help Dustin do; to keep going when the going gets tough.

After rehabbing for almost two years, now is the time to fight for it, not let it get you down, and often, we all need someone to remind us of that. No matter how tired of this place he is, I need to give him the push he needs to follow his dream.

Another frustrating thing about the minor league life is the minor league salary. Sometimes it’s hard and we will allow it to get to us, but just as fast, God reminds us,

“A devout life does bring wealth, but it’s the rich simplicity of being yourself before God. Since we entered this world penniless and will leave it penniless, if we have bread on the table and shoes on our feet, that’s enough.” 1 Timothy 6: 6-8

And it truly is. There is not a price tag that can be put on true happiness, and true happiness can only be found through God, not money. During this time, I think that is something we can all take with us and need reminding of.

As I pray for more ways to help rejuvenate Dustin’s soul and remind him that one day, his hard work WILL pay off, on or off the field, I am so thankful God continues to help us through these times of confusion. After all, isn’t that what life is all about?

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Where to begin?? It has been a while since my last blog…I guess I got carried away with life and the wonderful distractions of it.  Since my last post we have had many exciting things happen down here!

First, Dustin’s parents, Donna and Harvey, came to visit! I love visitors …

Where to begin….Dustin and I usually never eat out (or at least try not to); this all started first last summer in Orlando because we were the newlyweds with very little cash.  Now it is less about the money and more about health.  It really disappoints me how many unnecessary additions are in most restaurant meals.  A chicken salad, yes, salad, at some restaurants now can often be the worst thing on the menu.  No wonder people can’t lose those extra pounds. When Donna and Harvey came into town, we set this aside, and enjoyed a new, great restaurant every night! It was nice to have a week off from cooking

We went to a few games, sat by the pool, and they even got to visit our church.   It was so great to see them, even though the time went by so fast!

With one week left in spring training, we have had a little set back… The song lyrics “I will walk by faith, even though I cannot see…” have never been so meaningful.  On Saturday, Dustin was scheduled to throw 2 innings in the game vs. the Tigers.  I was so excited about the game, please remember it has been a long 2 years since Dustin has pitched (and even longer since he has pitched healthy).  That Saturday morning I couldn’t stop smiling because I knew that day was going to be a good day.  I got ready, grabbed some cash so that I could take Dustin out for a great celebratory meal after what I hoped would be a successful 2 innings, and headed out the door.  I walked in the game about 2 minutes early, saw him throw his last 2 or 3 warm up pitches and the game began.  Dustin seemed to look very comfortable on the mound; I guess this wasn’t the case.  He threw a few balls, a couple of strikes, gave up one hit, and then another.  After the second hit, he looked to the coaches and shook his head.  I knew something wasn’t right.  The coaches and infielders met him at the mound and suddenly in the first inning, after 3 batters, Dustin pulled himself out of the game.   He walked by me with his trainer, Troy, with a frustrating look on his face.  One of his teammates looked at me with a nervous look and patted his shoulder, letting me know that the pain was back.

After about four hours in the training room Dustin met me at the car and just said that it doesn’t feel right.  He said that there is something pinching after every throw. Tears formed in my eyes not because I was sad, but rather confused, frustrated, and lost.  Dustin is 19 months out of surgery and still feels pain.  I just feel bad for him; I can’t imagine having nonstop pain in my shoulder day in and day out.  Dustin always sets his goals very high with baseball and each year he has always met his goal.  In the past spring trainings, he set a goal to make a higher team each year, this year he made his goal just to break with a team this Saturday (April 3).

After this set back, we will now stay in Orlando in hopes for future health and continued rehab.  Dustin gets next week off before his extended rehab starts so we are going to head to Destin to meet my family and enjoy some time at the beach.  I hope this break will clear his mind, refresh his soul, and that he will come back even more determined than before.

This morning the most amazing thing happened.  Right after breakfast, the guys are usually out the door in a hurry.  If you know Dustin, you know that he leaves very little extra time for anything in the mornings.   James was reading his Bible, which is a normal occurrence but today he began taking notes.  Dustin commented on his note taking and James looked up and responded, “Just looking up verses on encouragement.”  Little did we know he was doing this for us.  He said, “I just feel bad for you guys.”  For me, I just feel bad for Dustin.  I know there is no reason to feel bad however, because this is all part of our plan.  Every person I have ever met that has been great- always has a great story.  I’m hoping this is a part of Dustin’s great story.

James read us the following verses…

“Since He Himself has gone through suffering and testing, He is able to help us when we are being tested.”  Heb. 2:18.

God has been in our frustrating shoes before- to an even greater extent.  If anyone understands, it is He.

“Keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for.  Keep on seeking and you will find.  Keep on knocking and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives.  Everyone who seeks, finds.  And to everyone who knocks the door will be opened.  If your children ask you for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask Him.” Matthew 7: 7-11

I really like this verse.  It is so true.  If even we know how to give good gifts, I can only imagine the good gifts God can give.  James made a good point that maybe God is trying to perfect mine and Dustin’s faith before we head back to the game.  That is okay with me and I know it would be to Dustin as well.  This morning Dustin said, “I know this is the entire reason for this injury.  Before (the injury) I put baseball above everything.  It was most important.  Now I know there are more important things.” So, Dustin and I will be here in Orland for a little while longer…he will not only continue to rehab his shoulder, but we will rehab our faith as well.  His goal is to be back before the All-Star break, but maybe through God we can be back before that!

Now we have to find somewhere else to live, as our lease is up in the place we are currently living… one of the joys of baseball, temporary housing.  I guess I get to enjoy a few more ‘market Sundays’ than expected but hey, it’s all a part of this crazy, yet beautiful thing we call life. As I begin packing this place up, I remain excited about what the future holds…like I always say, “We never know what tomorrow holds.”  Just last week we planned on spending Easter in Myrtle Beach (high A) or Jackson, Mississippi (AA), but now we get to spend it with my family, on the gulf…life doesn’t get better than that

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