Kaleigh of the Lively Table // Wellness Women.

Happy Spring, Y’all! I am SO happy the sun is consistently shining out here in Texas. I think I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that I am NOT a cold weather person AT ALL. Unless I am sitting by a fireplace looking at the snow through my window or playing in it on a mountain (completely bundled up like the little kid brother on A Christmas Story), you probably won’t see me come out from my cave during the winter months.

With the First Day of Spring upon us, I can’t help but want to get things all sorts of cleaned out, organized, and ready to go. We’ve hung shelves in our casita, built IKEA furniture, organized our piles of files and so much more #adulting things I don’t even know who I am anymore. Tell me I’m not alone! Seriously, there must be some sort of biological switch that Mother Nature puts in us to want to toss all the unnecessary clutter in our homes and lives. Just like fresh starts + new routines: out with the old, in with the new. Sometimes the spring season brings you the kick in the pants that you need. #amiright?#imlookingatyouworkoutroutine 

So, with a little spring in our step (see what I did there?) we are excited to announce that we are having a MAJOR SPRING SALE on our My Mantra Ampersand Tees and Tanks, and for a limited time are offering our Nutrition + Lifestyle Plan at a special rate, too! I’ve got some really cute new Tees in the works, so once these are gone, they might be gone for good!

Be sure to grab yours! The suns out, so why not get those beautiful guns out, too?

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Speaking of all things fresh, new + exciting, I can’t wait to introduce you to Kaleigh, our #WellnessWomen Feature this week! (She’s got a little something new coming this spring/summer, too!)

MEET KALIEGH

I’m Kaleigh McMordie, and I’m a registered dietitian and food blogger. I grew up in the Dallas area, and I now live in Lubbock, Texas with my amazing husband and 3 Brittan Spaniels. We are expecting our first baby in June and I could not be more excited!

I completed my undergrad degree in Nutrition and Dietetics at Texas Tech University, and my master’s degree and dietetic internship at UT Southwestern in Dallas. I’m currently living the dream of being a full-time food blogger and food and nutrition communications expert, which I just started doing full-time. My number one hobby is cooking, which is why I do what I do! I also love yoga, hunting and Netflixing with my hubby.

FAVORITE FOOD, TREAT OR INDULGENCE?

My number one favorite treat is my mom’s cheesecake. She used to make it for my birthday every year. It’s amazing. That, or a really good steak.

MUST HAVE SELF-CARE ITEM?

My favorite self-care activity is taking a bath with a candle my husband bought me and a face mask. But sometimes a nap is what I need, especially now that there is a human growing inside me!

WHAT TYPE OF MOVEMENT BRINGS YOU JOY?

My favorite movement is yoga. I love the way it clears all the junk from my mind while also deeply connecting me to my body. It’s challenging in a way that’s not frustrating, which I love.

SHARE A BIT ABOUT YOUR PERSONAL HEALTH JOURNEY:

I’ve had a long journey to get to where I am today. I’ve always been a seemingly “healthy” individual. I was super active growing up. I danced, then played soccer, then devoted 10 years to competitive cheerleading. I was a huge perfectionist and put a lot of pressure on myself to be perfect in every way, from grades to athletic performance. I was going to be valedictorian, a doctor, and rely on nobody but me. Funny how things change. 

Around the time I hit puberty, I felt so out of control with my changing body. I also struggled with depression and anxiety, though I didn’t know it at the time because I’d never known what it was like to not feel anxious. I developed an eating disorder as a coping mechanism, and it wasn’t until I met my husband in college that I truly started to heal. He saw me as a human, and not just a condition or diagnosis, and inspired me to figure out what I wanted for myself, not what other people wanted for me.

I finally felt permission to be myself and have an opinion. I felt accepted by somebody whether I was perfect or not, whether I wanted to be a doctor or something else. It was so liberating, and I actually wanted to help myself. I’d been in therapy before, but it was always forced by my parents, so nothing ever came of it, but once I actually decided I wanted it, it was amazing how much it helped. It was a long process and I’m still not perfect (nor do I want to be!), but through lots of therapy, support and acceptance from my husband, medication (PSA – don’t ever be ashamed of needing medication to feel your best), and work on myself, I was able to heal and find peace with myself.

I say now that I’m a recovered perfectionist, and I see it as my mission to help others get to a place where they can ignore the noise around them and find out what healthy is for them, not what society decides healthy should be for them.

IF YOU ARE IN THE HEALTH REALM, DO YOU HAVE A PRACTICE? IF SO, WHAT DO YOU SPECIALIZE IN?

I am a non-diet registered dietitian, but I work mostly with food and developing recipes. Cooking is my passion, and I like to help people find their healthiest self through learning about and experimenting with food.

I try my hardest to make sure I am clear in my beliefs that food is not the enemy and that all foods can fit into a healthy diet. Through my blog and recipes, I teach people that health is not black and white, it looks different on everyone and only they have the power to decide what is healthy for them.

 

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO CONVEY TO OTHER WOMEN SEEKING OPTIMAL HEALTH?

You do you, girlfriend! Society cannot define health for you. If you hate running, don’t run. If you hate yoga, don’t do yoga. Do what feels good for you. You don’t have to drink smoothies every day if you don’t like them and if you love gluten, eat the damn bread! You don’t have to be happy and chipper all the time if that’s not how you roll. Only you know how to be your healthiest self, but you have to tune out what the rest of the world is saying and listen to what your body is trying to tell you. You have to get to the right place mentally.

IF YOU COULD GIVE ONE TIP TO SOMEONE JUST STARTING OUT ON THEIR HEALTH JOURNEY, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

I would say start from within. Health and happiness can only come from inside. There is no external force, no diet or magic pill or food or workout that will automatically make you healthy. Your healthy place is found when you enjoy how you are taking care of your body, and you’re doing it for yourself only, nobody else.

SHARE YOUR FAVORITE QUOTE OR SOURCE OF INSPIRATION.

My main source of inspiration is my family. I grew up in a huge family that loved to get together and cook, and drink wine and laugh, and all of my memories were made around those times. That’s why I love cooking and sharing food with others so much. I love the way it unites us.

HOW CAN SOMEONE REACH OUT TO CONNECT WITH YOU?

I can be found on my blog, livelytable.com, through email or on social media @livelytable

IF YOU COULD PICK TWO WORDS TO REPRESENT YOUR PERSONAL MANTRA, WHAT WOULD THEY BE AND WHY?

Empowered and Worthy – My mission is to empower young women. To help them understand that they are strong and capable and they can do or be anything. They do not have to abide by societal standards, they can define their own health, success and happiness. I also think everyone, myself included, needs to feel valued and worthy. We are all worthy of love and respect and attention, but in order to gain those things we also have to show them to ourselves and others.

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Thank you for sharing with us Kaleigh!

Tune in next week to see the next #WellnessWomen feature, and if you or someone you know should be featured, email us and tell us a little more about you! 😉