Detoxification is super important because it clears vital cellular activities and organs to function efficiently. Our bodies heal and repair themselves naturally through this internal cleansing process.

There is no getting around the fact that purchasing high-quality food is more expensive than purchasing conventional food. Fruits and vegetables that are grown organically and meats and other dairy products that are pasture-raised and grass-fed are the better, more nutrient-dense option to consume for our health, but the ole wallet can take quite a hit if that is all we purchase.

Throughout the past 10 years the Paleo Diet has been gaining popularity. I want to be clear that the Paleo Diet is not a fad diet that should be used to lose weight quickly.

“Hey, hey, Mae: I heard you stay away from dairy and am curious as to why?” Before we get moving on some dairy education, I want to recognize that stealing someone’s cheese is about as serious to Americans as removing apple pie from the fall dessert lineup.

There is a lot to be learned from our poop! The type of poop you (hopefully) have each day is a direct indication of the health of your digestion.

Fun fact: there are around 100 million neurotransmitters that are located in your gut!

Gluten is what makes bread dough stretchy and elastic!

The boys and I needed a gut-friendly cookie, so I whipped these gut supportive cookies up. These crispy and chewy chocolate chip cookies are gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free and grain-free, too!

While we’re all at home working up experiments to entertain our kiddos with, I thought it may be high time to teach some simple “how to’s”. Starting with some soaking and sprouting first is a fun activity for kiddos and a highly nutritious one for the whole family.

What follows are my 13 strategies for surviving a healing protocol. Whether you’re starting a course elimination or beginning a major healing protocol - these ideas will be worth returning to again and again - on the hard days - and may even help you enjoy the process. Healing will come, yes. But there is so much more fruit from the experience and the disciple. Promise.

It can be easy to lump food allergies and sensitivities together because both cause unwanted symptoms after eating a particular food item. There are two ways to define adverse food reactions -- those that elicit an immune response, and those that do not.

“Hey, hey, Mae: I struggle with getting my kids to even try new foods, so they're stuck on their favorites and those contain loads of what we may need to try an elimination for. How can I make this work for our family?” Implementing food changes can be easy...until our feelings and our kids’ opinions get involved, right?

“Hey, hey, Mae: What’s the big deal about gluten and why does it matter for our health and the health of our children?” What is gluten? Gluten is a type of prolamin found in wheat, barley and rye.

“Hey, hey, Mae: How exactly DO you eat and why? How did you go gluten-free and dairy-free with kids?” Grandma’s brownies, chips, family-recipe chocolate chip cookies and pouches of fruit punch Capri-Sun were the high, yummy points of my childhood.