Belinda
Belinda is a financial advisor and the founder of Beachside Kitchen, a foodie’s heaven full of healthy and damn delicious recipes. She and her fiancé Evan (AKA Honey Buns) live outside of San Diego, in a dreamy town called Cardiff-by-the-Sea. After years of battling health issues, Belinda took charge of her health and made the choice to cut out processed foods and fuel her body with clean eats instead. Don’t be fooled into thinking her recipes are all health and no taste—she can make a mean cookie. Read on to learn about her journey to holistic health.
You work full-time at a financial advisory firm. When do you fit in working out? Do you have a go-to routine each week?
I'm definitely a fan of morning workouts!
I'm typically in the gym, on the beach, or in a class by 7am to give myself enough time for a solid workout, a quick shower, and breakfast before getting to work by 9am. I love using ClassPass to book classes (yoga, Pilates, and spin are my current favorites), and I like creating my own circuits at the gym inspired by workouts from Kayla Itsines and Rachael DeVaux.
“I love me some simple cookies.”
Tell us about your lunches during a hectic work week. Do you pack lunch, pick-up, order, or go out to eat?
I pack a lunch 2-3 days per week. It's usually leftovers from the night before—I like to make a double batch of whatever is for dinner so my fiancé and I both have lunches for the next day—and whip that up in the midst of my busy days. Otherwise, I love grabbing a quick healthy lunch from somewhere like Flower Child, Beaming, or the Whole Foods salad bar.
Are there any healthy on-the-go snacks that you’re loving right now?
My current faves are Perfect Bar, GT's Kombucha, RXbar nut butter packets, and turkey Chomps. I’m always a fan of some raw almonds or cashews.
You started cooking healthy after autoimmune issues flared up and you were struggling with pain, inflammation and digestive issues. What changes to your diet helped your body heal and feel better?
The biggest change I made was removing gluten and processed foods from my diet. It took at least 3-4 weeks to notice that my energy levels were up, my gut problems had improved, I had fewer migraine days, and my pain had definitely gotten better. It was a slow process, but it's been such a gift to learn that my diet truly can improve my health.
Some of my favorite simple meals for healing my gut are:
Brown rice pasta with steamed broccoli, olive oil, and parmesan
Chicken with roasted sweet potatoes and a green salad
Eggs, zucchini, and gluten free toast (I love AWG Bakery’s paleo bread)
As dessert lovers, we have SUCH an appreciation for your insta page and recipes! What is one of your go-to desserts to whip up when you are short on time?
I love me some simple cookies. I have a handful of paleo cookie recipes that take 20 minutes from start to hot out the oven, and they never disappoint! These Vegan + Paleo Nestle Tollhouse Cookies are definitely one of my favorites.
