The Blog’s New Addition

Today I would like to introduce a new addition to my blog. My blog will be doing some changing. You will still have the same material from me, with healthy, fun & easy recipes as well as nutrition related posts, running education & inspired posts, as well as my current wanderings on life, health, running and being a mom.

In addition to these, we are adding some new content on the blog, with a new writer. She will bring some posts on beauty and motivation/inspiration. I know she will have wonderful content to share, and she’ll have a you-tube channel coming soon too. My hope is to bring a whole picture to life. Wholesome is more than just physical health and appearance. It involves all aspects of our lives, from the inside out. Wholesome isn’t confined to what we eat and how we exercise, but also what we are feeding our souls and minds.

A whole body approach has to include spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental health. So, I am teaming up with an inspiring individual who will be contributing posts as well to Wholesomely Fit, that will focus on beauty inside and out and our spiritual / emotional / mental health. Posts to inspire and lift up, because as women and men, we all need some encouragement and inspiration at times. Let’s face it, life can be challenging, and our aim is to bring a little more fun, inspiration, love and wholeness into it.

With that being said, meet my little sister Mariah Gondeiro Watt. She’s been on the blog before when she shared a post on the beauty standards. I’ll let her introduce herself in the form of a short biography.

“Hi, I’m Mariah and I am Bryanna’s younger sister. I’m just about to graduate from Pepperdine University School of Law.  We both love fitness and sports.  Growing up, I participated in basketball, track, cross-country, and volleyball.  I earned a scholarship to play for Rocky Mountain College Women’s Basketball Team in Billings, MT.  After suffering knee and neck injuries, I switched to cross-country and track. I competed for an extra year at Pepperdine. 

I started my healthy lifestyle because of external factors like injuries forcing me into a healthier standard.  Although I was physically active throughout my life, I did not take nutrition seriously.  I remember my sister offering health advice but I would just ignore her.  I was known as the garbage gut and always willing to eat everyone else’s left over food.  I ate whatever I wanted.  After some setbacks with injuries, I started to realize the importance of nutrition in recovery.

When I broke my back in high school, my entire body felt depleted.  I had to take pain killers that made me feel nauseous and suppressed my hunger.  As result, I grew even weaker.  The summer following my injury, I decided to adhere to my sister’s advice which included a wholesome diet including whole grains, protein, and good fats. These nutritional choices helped me regain my strength. 

In college, I reverted to my unhealthy ways.  I especially relished cafeteria food.  Within a year, I started to experience stomach bloating, cramping, and extreme fatigue.  I also blew my ACL in my second season, which lead to inactivity that exacerbated my symptoms.  After going to several doctors, trying to figure out the cause of my symptoms, I found out that I had a fungal infection, known as candida. The infection started after I broke my back and had worsened after my knee injury. The doctor explained that the pain killers destroyed the bacteria in my stomach and a fungal infection developed, wreaking havoc in my intestines.  The fungus made me sensitive to gluten and dairy. 

My doctor treated me with a comprehensive eating plan that cut out all sugar.  The fungi fed on sugar and starved without it.  I felt even more exhausted during the treatment. As my body was killing off the infection, I experienced extreme fatigue, headaches, and body pains. This was all while I was recovering from my knee surgery.  It took several months for the symptoms to subside. To this day, I am still sensitive to certain foods.  I now live a healthy lifestyle because I know firsthand the important role nutrition plays in recovery and everyday vitality.  I don’t crave the same unhealthy foods that I indulged in when I was younger.  I have cheat days now and then, but I generally crave whole foods.  I also exercise daily because it relieves stress and helps me manage my busy lifestyle.”

It will be fun to add some additional content to the blog. Whenever Mariah writes, she’ll sign off as Mariah so you’ll know whose bringing it for the day 😉 If you enjoy our content, don’t forget to subscribe to our blog so you don’t miss a post.

Until Next Time Be Whole and Be Fit