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Hi!  My name is Alyssa.  Lifelong foodie.  ACE Certified Group Fitness Instructor.  Meditation enthusiast.  Avid traveler.  Smoothie fanatic.  Lover of all things pink and sparkly.

I’m the blogger behind Flaxseeds & Fairytales (F&F), a health and wellness blog.  My goal is to help you find your very own happily ever after through a balanced approach to health and wellness.  I believe that everyone’s “health fairytale” is unique, so I encourage readers to pick their own path using the posts on this blog as a guide.  My health philosophy is that small, consistent changes create the most effective and long-lasting improvements.  Together, we’ll make all your health and happiness dreams come true!

I started Flaxseeds & Fairytales after healing from several years of chronic pain and illness.  Losing my health and vitality for a period of time made me realize how important it is to embrace a healthy lifestyle.  My passion is helping others discover optimal health through a combination of healthy eating, fitness, meditation, travel, general wellness, and more!

Important (and not-so-important, but still fun) facts about me:

• Before I started F&F, I had a food blog called “A Bite of Inspiration”. The concept behind the blog was recipes inspired by travel, entertainment, lifestyle, and celebration.  Each recipe had the tagline “A Bite Inspired by…” (i.e. A Bite Inspired by “Finding Dory”, A Bite Inspired by Thanksgiving, A Bite Inspired by Philadelphia, etc.)  Some of my most popular recipes on F&F were originally published on A Bite of Inspiration.  This includes my recipe for Vegan Thai Curry Mac and Cheese, a reader favorite that was featured in The Huffington Post Taste.  I enjoyed my first blog, but my ultimate goal is to help my readers experience improved health and vitality.  F&F is my perfect fairytale blog for doing just that!
• I hold a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a Master’s degree in Public Administration. I find both degrees to be surprisingly applicable to blogging (see my next fact for an example!)
• Before I became a group fitness instructor, my jobs in the policy field mainly involved research and analysis. It was my job to make sure the organization I was working for was getting the appropriate facts.  As a blogger, I feel the same responsibility of providing my readers with helpful and relevant information.  Let’s face it– this is the internet.  There are WAY too many websites out there that provide false, misleading, or just plain useless information.  I always make every effort to ensure that F&F’s posts are well-researched (where applicable and to the best of my ability– see disclaimer here), but still written in plain English.  I want to provide you with the best health information I possibly can, presented in a fun-to-read and easy-to-understand way.  I believe this sets F&F apart from many other health and fitness websites.
• Research is great, but sometimes the best teacher is hands-on experience!  The health and fitness world is constantly evolving and there’s always interesting new things to try. I love trying new things and make a commitment to share my experiences with you!  F&F is not made by simply sitting behind a desk– it’s a culmination of my real-life experience.  I hope this will inspire you to try new things as well.
• When I was a kid, my “fun fact” that I always shared during ice breakers is that I’m trilingual. That’s a fancy way of saying that I speak 3 languages fluently: English, French, and Mandarin.  Although, my language skills have waned quite a bit since I was a kid, I still find them helpful when I travel.  I’m also trying to learn Spanish (emphasis on TRYING).
• When I was struggling with chronic pain and illness, I discovered that one of the main culprits behind my condition was a severe, undetected gluten allergy. Not only was I shown to be highly allergic to gluten in several tests, I also tested positive for 4 copies of Celiac Disease genes (2 copies from my mom and 2 copies from my dad).  In short, this means that although I don’t technically have Celiac Disease YET, I have a much larger chance of developing it compared to the average person.
• Due to the allergy described above, I follow a 100 % strict gluten-free diet in order to maintain my health. This means that all the recipes on F&F are gluten-free.  Many of the recipes are also dairy free, nut free, egg free, vegan, vegetarian, paleo, AIP, keto, or Whole30.  I believe that food is healing, so I strive to create recipes for different kinds of diets.  Diet is not a one size fits all.  I don’t consider F&F to be a “gluten free blog” or a “keto blog”, but rather a health and wellness blog dedicated to nutritious real food that anyone can enjoy.
• I’ve done a ton of traveling throughout my life and my favorite place to visit is still Disney World. Some of my fondest childhood AND adult memories were made with my Minnie Mouse ears on.  To me, it really is the happiest place on earth.  With a blog called Flaxseeds & Fairytales, is it really a surprise that I’m obsessed with Cinderella’s Castle?
• In my free time, I love singing, reading books, enjoying meals out with my besties, and exploring new places. Oh, and my guilty pleasure?  Online shopping!

If you like what you see on the blog, I highly encourage you to subscribe to my FREE email newsletter (click the blue “subscribe” button in the top right corner of the page!)  The F&F newsletter is the best way to make consistent progress toward your healthy, happily ever after because an email from me will remind you to prioritize your health and happiness.  I also send out occasional goodies and freebies available only to my F&F subscribers.  Don’t miss out!

Thank you so SO much for stopping by!  It means so much to me that you’re here.  If you have any more questions for me (i.e. what’s your favorite color? do you have a pet? what’s your favorite dance move? these are all valid questions), feel free to reach out via my Contact page, follow me on social media, or comment on a post.  Let’s be friends!  Your healthy, happily ever after starts right here!

New to the blog?  I’m so happy you’re here!  Check out the Start Here page to learn more about F&F and all the amazing resources you’ll find here!

Looking for more?  I highly encourage all my readers to visit the About the Blog page to learn about the blog name, my vision for the blog, and get an in-depth look at all the categories on this site!  Visiting this page will help you better navigate the site and gain a better understanding of what this blog can do for you.  To find out more about my personal health journey, check out My Health Fairytale!  Thanks again for stopping by!

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Below are my current health and fitness education credentials.  This list will grow as I complete continuing education classes and specialty certificates.  I am committed to expanding my knowledge, so I can keep providing you with the most up-to-date and relevant information for your health journey.  Thank you for your trust and support!

Health + Fitness Credentials:

December 2016- MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) class
December 2017- American Council on Exercise (ACE) Group Fitness Instructor Certification

Interested in becoming a certified Group Fitness Instructor, Personal Trainer, or Health Coach?  Check out the American Council on Exercise website for more information on the awesome programs they offer!  You can also check out my post How to Become a Group Fitness Instructor in 3 Easy Steps.