Hi friends, my name is Alexis Nilsen, but some would call me the poster child of health; Quinoa, Kale and Avocado are just a few of my favourite words. I love grocery shopping more than I love shoe shopping, and most days you can find me in the kitchen developing a new recipe covered in some sort of gluten free flour concoction.

But life hasn’t always been this delicious. I will be the first to admit that growing up my diet didn’t always consist of the best choices, I was a super picky eater as a kid (sorry mom) and my fave go to’s were: Beefaroni sandwiches, Kraft Dinner, and pizza buns.

But after struggling with my health for years I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease when I was 27 years old. It forced me to clean up my act in the kitchen and address the “I don’t feel good” symptom I experienced on a daily basis. This huge shift meant giving up the foods I loved most, but at this point I was willing to do anything to get my health back on track. So I gave up eating gluten and dairy, crossed my fingers and hoped for the best.

It’s funny how life can lead us down different paths, because even though initially I cried during every Oreo commercial, this new found healthy eating lifestyle of mine is pretty bomb digity. Who would have thought when you eat good food you feel great, simple really but for some reason or another took me a beat to get here.

Most of my recipes pay homage to the food I loved and miss from my pre-gluten free days, but guess what?!? These versions are better and drool worthy to boot. I call myself a conscientious cook because there’s no fancy pants Chef diploma here, just a desire to inspire.

I truly believe that no matter what your age or state of health there is always room for improvement and nutrition is one of the most important aspects of this journey. I don’t believe in being defined by labels or trends, and perfection is not what we’re striving for here.