Staying on top of my nutrition while traveling has been a challenge I have dealt with since I was a teenager, traveling around the world as a professional athlete and overcoming a time of disordered eating habits. My body has gone through disruptions, including finding out that I have an autoimmune disease, celiac, and a hypoactive thyroid. I have struggled with my relationship to food in my past, and been afraid to eat when I know I’ve needed to because of these issues.
I have gone through phases of my life where I have been both too thin, and also have felt excessively bloated. Celiac disease, for those of you unfamiliar, means that I have an intolerance to gliadin, a gluten protein found in food groups like wheat, barley, and some oats. While there is an increase in research and discussion around health, I still confront not being taken seriously with my health concerns, and struggling to access truly gluten free food while traveling to places with less access to these types of products.
Getting to the bottom of understanding my nutrition has been an ongoing journey. Then; throw in a set of life altering surgeries, being broken in half twice, and building back; nutrition has become a core tenant of who I am not just as an athlete striving to be the best I can be in my gravity-oriented sport, but also as a high functioning individual with a lot on my plate.
Obtaining healthy food on the go while traveling through remote pockets of the world can be incredibly challenging. So, I always packed my own snacks and made my own bars. Planning like this takes energy and commitment that not everyone has the time to do. Nor, the access to the nutritional experts that I have had the privilege to work with, to truly understand your body’s needs; what to eat, when to eat it, and why.
My goal in launching SEND Bars has been to make eating healthy on-the-go, easier for everyone. To ensure that anyone who buys our bars knows that they will be taken care of. With high quality, whole food ingredients and without preservatives, additives, "natural" flavorings, refined sugar, gluten and other inflammatory foods that have triggered me.
