hello! I’m Brandi.

How it started.

For years, I believed that a low-fat, high-plant, mostly lean meat, paleo diet was the answer to all our health problems.

Yet,

Little did I know that this seemingly foolproof approach would lead my daughter and me down an unexpected path of health problems and confusion.


As our health began to decline, I found myself diving headfirst into a world of research and information I never knew existed.

After I finished mourning life as I knew it. I decided I needed to stop failing classes, and graduate so I can start making enough money to support myself and my child to be.


I’ve discovered that there's so much more to health and nutrition than the media and Western medicine portrays.

I built a great life for us in Mount Washington, Pittsburgh. I had a ton of great friends and a super supportive loving family. I worked my way up the corporate ladder and eventually made enough money that I could quit my waitressing job, which was a big feat. From a career and social perspective, my life was pretty good.

If I slacked off, my progress reversed. It was physically and emotionally exhausting. I also know I hadn’t solved my emotional trauma yet because when my progress started going backward, my mental health declined. I was bandaging my emotional issues with losing weight. knew it was completely unsustainable in the long term.


I struggled with weight, self-confidence, and depression from a very young age. I was very emotionally hard on myself and did not treat myself well growing up. I chased skinny thinking that skinny equated to healthy.

I spent a lot of years drowning out my pain with partying; I developed a close relationship with drugs and alcohol, but I managed to lose 30 pounds by caloric deficit and overworking out.

At the age of 20, I found out I was pregnant. I was not in a healthy relationship, I was waitressing at Olive Garden, failing classes at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and living with my parents. Not ideal to start a family. I scheduled an abortion, but couldn’t follow through. I thank God for that all the time, because my life would be so different today had I followed through.

After I finished mourning life as I knew it, I decided it was time to take control of my future. I couldn't afford to continue failing classes. Graduating became my main focus.

I graduated as a single mother, determined to provide a better life for my daughter. We moved out of the suburbs of Pittsburgh to the city of Pittsburgh. I landed my first corporate job just a month after I graduated. I still didn’t make enough money to afford life in the city as a single mother, so I worked 9-5 M-F and waitressed on the weekend.

I still struggled with depression and insecurities, so I turned to medications as a temporary measure to cope with the emotional challenges I was facing.

I built a great life for us in Mount Washington, Pittsburgh. I loved being a mom. I was surrounded by amazing friends, and a loving, supportive family. I worked my way up the corporate ladder and eventually made enough money to quit my waitressing job. I finally achieved a level of physical fitness I never knew before. From a career and social perspective, my life was a desirable one.

On the inside though, I still had unresolved emotional issues. I also lived two lives. I spent M-F meal prepping, calorie counting, and working out. My daughter and ate a standard low-fat, heavy vegetable, multi-grain, lean protein diet. Then on the weekends, my daughter spent time with her dad’s grandparents and I went out partying with my friends. It was a pretty great setup for a little while., but I was slowly starting to burn out.

Then my daughter started to to gain excessive weight. She was

I prioritized weight loss but it came at a cost

Life changed.

graduated college as a single mother, and my priority shifted from my appearance to building a carrer and a life for my daughter and I.

Worked 7 days a week, Money was always an issue.

We had a great life in Mount Washington, with friends family.

I got a job offer in Chicago. Immediatel said no, but felt bad turning down an opportunity for growth and financial freedom.

I decided to take the job.

Life was harder, and he job was awful.

At 28 years old, I hit a new rock bottom with my mental and physical health.

how it’s going.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

my backstory.

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

my health journey in blurb form.

I’m managing my mental health medication-free.

Living with depression, anxiety, and ADHD was a daily struggle, but I have come to learn my body was deprived of the right fuel. Now, I’m almost 2 years clean of all my medications and I no longer suffer from depression or anxiety and my ADHD has significantly improved.

I’m restoring my gut health and healing a leaky gut.

I believe that all disease begins in the gut. When I was diagnosed with a leaky gut in November 2022, it was a mix of emotions - relief and hope. Finally, I had a starting point and a possibility to reverse some of my health problems by healing my gut. I am now diving deep into understanding the root causes, educating myself on what it takes to restore gut health, and learning how to discern the signs of healing.

Food is fuel.

What do you really know about nutrition? Do you genuinely comprehend the art of fueling your body to achieve peak performance? Understanding which foods are truly nutrient-dense can have a positive impact on our overall health. As individuals, our goal should be to fulfill all our nutritional needs through the food we eat, as it is the most bioavailable way. Investing in expensive supplements to meet our nutritional requirements should not be necessary. I will explore how different dietary approaches can serve as powerful tools for optimizing our health and addressing specific health conditions.

Recipes: paleo, gluten-free, low-carb, keto, carnivore, low oxalate, low glycemic

I love to cook and revamp recipes to increase nutritional quality. I am very excited to share my recipes with you. I’ve explored many diets over the years, so no matter where you are in your health journey, I’ve got a recipe or meal idea for you. I will also break down the recipe’s nutrient-by-nutrient. And unlike other recipe blogs, my recipe cards are thoughtfully placed at the top of the page—no more endless scrolling or searching for that “jump to recipe” button.

Life hacks, healing tips, and homemade alternatives.

I’ve been doing this life thing for almost 31 years and I’m always looking for healthy ways to hack life’s challenges. I will share all my tips, tricks, my favorite products, and my own personal homemade recipes for living an efficient, more natural, and healthy life.

I’m learning how to rebalance my hormones naturally.

From hair thinning and loss to PMDD, PCOS, acne, trouble losing weight, thyroid issues, diabetes, and sleep problems—I had no idea how important hormonal balance is for our overall health until I started experiencing a range of frustrating symptoms. The fast-paced, stressful environment we live in often drives us towards quick fixes, toxic ingredients, and synthetic alternatives that disrupt our hormonal equilibrium. I’ve made the decision to ditch my toxic birth control and replace all my conventional products with homemade alternatives. I know that rebalancing my hormones naturally and making lifestyle changes is the best way to take care of this problem at the root. It may be a slow process, but over the last year, I’ve seen incredible improvements.

What’s the deal with food intolerances?

Food intolerances are a complex and often misunderstood issue. Both my daughter and I experience different types of adverse reactions to gluten and wheat. Additionally, I cannot eat chicken without experiencing immense depression and emotional discomfort. While some may dismiss food intolerances as a passing fad, I truly believe that many individuals struggle with food intolerances and there is a deeper story behind them. I am convinced that by exploring the root causes, we may find ways to reverse or manage them.

Do you like fasting? I like fasting.

I’ve discovered the healing benefits of fasting. I have a lot of resources and personal tips I look forward to diving into and sharing with you.

Parenting advice for raising strong, healthy humans

I love being a mom, and I don’t mean to brag but my daughter is an amazing child. As a single parent, I know firsthand how challenging parenting can be. Raising amazing children is important because children are our future. Learning how to nurture and nourish their nutritional and emotional needs provides them the building blocks for long-term health and it paves the way for them to become responsible, confident, compassionate, and strong adults. My daughter also struggled with food-related health conditions that took me years to figure out. I will share more about those struggles, and our triumphs, to give others in similar situations hope and support.

Hester produces fresh, organic produce from local farmers in New York. Even our spices are fresh. Just because pickling is a preservation process doesn’t mean you can use dried-up thyme or week-old asparagus that’s already a little spongy.

We want to give our customers crisp, crunchy and delicious pickled vegetables and fruits. Most of all, we want to expand people’s palates and prove that pickles don’t always come in a green or red variety.