When you get married…

Don’t worry everyone, I am not about to get all mushy and regale over how wonderful Landon is… Believe it or not, this post isn’t about him! 

You don’t just wed the person that has been putting up with you for the past however many years…

You actually marry their WHOLE family as well.

Most married people tend to describe their mother-in-laws as being INSANELY nosey…

“Oh sweetie… Those ovaries of yours aren’t getting any younger…”

Their sister-in-laws as being rather judgmental…

“Wait, are you really wearing THAT dress to dinner? Um, yeah, I think the Caribbean restaurant we are going to ALREADY has melons on display.”

Their testosterone-filled, “macho” brother-in-laws as being harshly critical and competitive…

“So you know how to drywall, build furniture, fix a garbage disposal AND… Mow a lawn? Uh, er, yeah… So can I…”

And well, I’d give you a descriptor and example for father-in-laws but typically in this stereotypical framework… They’re not really included, maybe because they’re off watching “the game” while drinking a beer.

Ah, THERE IT IS! The stereotype!

You know what’s funny though… I am not even sure where this typecasting comes from because… Well, my relatives through marriage… Yeah, NOTHING like what you see in movies or the horror story Facebook statues you read in your feed from a random Facebook page you don’t even follow.

Although, my father-in-law does love himself a good baseball game!

Sure, I could brag about how I COMPLETELY LUCKED OUT in the in-law department…

But there is in fact a reason as to why I bring them all up… As there is one in-law in particular I want to focus on.

My sister since November 2016, Ali.

According to Ali, “the day my little brother proposed to his girlfriend was also the day that saved my life.”

Apparently Ali was a bit intimidated by me, when we first met. She even wrote numerous articles for healthy living outlets about what she means by the statement above… Including below; take it away Ali:

Perhaps I would have prepared my fat-self for how hard it would be to think of a single thing to talk to her about.  She has a master’s degree in nutrition. I was morbidly obese. She works out every single day. I could barely keep up with my 3 little kids. She wears Lululemon, can rock a pair of sexy heels, and makes a living by cooking. I was way too fat to wrestle myself into any type of leggings, preferred shoes I didn’t have to bend over to tie, and wanted to eat out as often as possible. I could imagine her working at her stand-up desk writing blogs about healthy food and exercise, but could not imagine there was a single thing we had in common. 

The first time my brother brought Genevieve home to meet the family, we met at a restaurant because I had just finished a stretch of several 10-12 hour shifts working in a busy pediatric ER, and had to be back to work early the next day. I recalled overhearing her order a meal that would have put the “When Harry Met Sally” picky restaurant ordering scene to shame. I then heard my brother tell my parents about her medical conditions; Crohn’s, missing intestines, food allergies, etc. and thought I had found our connection! I didn’t know much about Crohn’s or food allergies, but I know a whole heck of a lot about caring for others with medical conditions. As a Certified Child Life Specialist, it is my job to bring peace and comfort to kids (and their families) who are facing emergent or life-altering medical conditions. I pour myself into this work, often at the risk of my own health as I invest so much in others that I rarely give back to myself in the form of self-care. I am willing to go to great lengths to learn as much as I can about a condition in order to help those who are facing it. 

When I learned that Genevieve had such intense food allergies, I realized an immediate connection. My youngest (who was still a baby at the time) was born 6 weeks early, spent over a month in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and had recently been diagnosed with several dangerous food allergies. Perhaps I could talk to Genevieve about what a pain in the butt food allergies can be!  It didn’t take long for me to realize, however, that her outlook was different. There is not a single fiber of her being that is “doom and gloom” in regards to her health issues. She has embraced her own struggles and sees them as a way to help others.

My plan of complaining with her about food allergies was not going to work. I had no idea how to talk to her about a healthy diet, but I did have concern about what it would be like for her to travel to my parents’ small Midwestern town where the adaptability for food allergies is nonexistent. I decided to spend a little time learning about Crohn’s and eating the way she eats so I would better understand how challenging it might be for her to join our “egg casserole-loving, bread and butter demanding, dessert at every meal” family.

I did not want to draw a lot of attention to what I was doing, but was not sure where to start without asking a million questions.  So….I didn’t ask…at first.  I went to blog and read, and read, and read. I tried some of the recipes. My 8-year-old son and I even attempted to make our own video of one of her healthy recipes. One try made us realize it is important to leave that sort of work to the professionals! After a month or so of trying it on my own, my sister Katie realized what I was up to and offered some unsolicited advice. She told me about a program called The Whole 30, and told me that Genevieve (“GiGi”) had been very helpful to her as she sought to live that way. Katie told me that she texted GiGi frequently, as she was forced to eat mostly Whole30ish because of her health issues. 

That was the lightbulb moment! I would start eating Whole30ish so I could better understand this young woman who would become my sister. I planned to give it 30 days so I could get an idea of what her life was like. I was probably only one chapter in when I began texting GiGi with questions. I kept reading, and as I started implementing the changes into my life, GiGi and I had more and more to talk about. It didn’t take me very long to realize how much better I was feeling and why her outlook is so positive. She was filling her body with healthy foods, and was blessed with knowledge that could help others seek hope for their own health. She was saving my life one text and one blog post at a time! She didn’t say it out loud, but I noticed her blogs were changing a bit. She knew what a busy life I led as I was finishing graduate school, working full time in an ER, and raising 3 small children. She knew I appreciated eating out whenever possible, and she started making some blog posts about the best choices to make in popular chain restaurants. Did GiGi ever have a desire to eat at an IHOP or Red Lobster? Heck no she did not! She did it anyway, and I am guessing it was due in large part to her to desire to meet me where I was and quietly model better choices. She was showing me that it WAS possible, and that she was there to help.

It is now a year + later. Genevieve and my brother got married in a lovely ceremony in California. I can cook salmon with the best of them, can now run 5 miles, and weigh a whopping 90 pounds less than the day my brother proposed to her. The day my life began to change. The day Gigi Eats saved my life!

PS: Ali, I actually wound up getting food poisoning from Red Lobster, JUST FOR YOU!

Any who… It’s PRETTY obvious as to why I adore my in-laws so much, right? They are all such driven and motivated people (not just Ali) who are eager to learn, and I appreciate that whole-heartedly… AND NONE OF THEM HAVE TOLD ME MY OVARIES ARE STARTING TO SHRIVEL UP YET! 

Speaking of eager to learn… NOW IS THE TIME TO TEACH ALI and ALL OF YOU… Something new!

How to make HEALTHIFIED COPYCAT GRILLED (except air-fried instead) CHICKEN TERIYAKI from PANDA EXPRESS!

Why this recipe? Oh well, you know… Ali has been text messaging (and Facebooking) asking me for it (because she LOVES PANDA EXPRESS) for QUITE SOME TIME at this point…

And, well, it just so HAPPENS TO BE HER BIRTHDAY and I couldn’t be more proud of her new found self who seems to really adore living whole30ish; believe it or not, I recall her saying she finds the approach rather fun and exciting!

So this one’s for you Ali, healthy chicken teriyaki!

SCREW BIRTHDAY CAKE!

I am beyond proud and happy to call you my sister… Oh gosh, I have to stop writing… Or I am going to get mushy… No!!!! Tears welling in my eyes, GO AWAYYYYY! While I go wipe em off my face… Go on and check out the latest GIGI EATS! 

SPECIFIC INGREDIENTS I USED:

• Erythritol
• Low Sodium Tamari Sauce
• Tapioca Starch

SO TELL ME…

• If you’ve got in-laws… Do they fall under the stereotype or are they AMAZING like mine? Tell me a story!
• What’s your favorite fast food that you wish were healthier?
• After reading Ali’s story… Do you feel extra motivated to get healthier (that is in fact, if you need to)?
• Do you have an “A-HA!” moment like Ali did?
• Thoughts on the Whole30 lifestyle… GO!
• Have you purchased an AIR FRYER YET?!?!?!?!?

SPEAKING OF PANDAS… The movie PANDAS came out last Friday… And if you live in the Southern California area… I’ve got a 4-pack of tickets for you to see it at the California Science Center! Now, if you don’t WIN this giveaway… I do have a discount code for you when purchases tickets at the Science Center! Perhaps this movie will make you THAT MUCH MOTIVATED to make this healthy copycat Panda Express Teriyaki Chicken? TO WIN: Follow me on Instagram and leave the comment PANDAS on my latest photo!