goodies against the grain ~ Sadie Radinsky

Our newest blogger spotlight is about our sweet friend and fellow Paleo baker, Sadie! We officially met her at PaleoFX in 2017 in Austin, Texas, when I think she was all of 14. We had been IG friends for a while and it didn’t take long, once we met in person, to see that all the smiles and shiny personality she exudes on her blog and Instagram feed are exactly what you get in person. She’s as sparkly as they come, has a warm personality and has a knack in the kitchen for coming up with some of the most delightful, healthy creations.

Sadie pulls all this off while attending high school in addition to all the other extracurricular activities that a regular 16 year old has on her plate. She also just recently started a pod cast and sings like a bird, yep…such a multi talented young lady. She’s a ray of sunshine in our community, lending her positive attitude and offers that beautiful smile every chance she gets. Her personality comes through in all that she does.

Next time we see her in person, we’ll for sure snap a picture because she could eat peanuts off the top of our heads. We’d make quite the trio. Makenna and I are a tad on the short side (think Hobbit sized) and Sadie’s got legs for days. Truly beautiful inside and out!

Hi, cave fam! I’m Sadie, and I run the site Goodies Against The Grain, where I share my recipes for wholesome, delicious treats and healthy lifestyle tidbits. I started getting into Paleo and wellness when I was nine (I’m 16 now).

My health journey began when sudden stomach aches, nausea and fatigue took a hold of my life. I missed almost six months of school and the extent of my daily activities included walking from the bed to the couch. My parents knew something was wrong, but they just didn’t know what. My mom took me to countless Eastern and Western doctors, and still… no diagnosis. One day, she had the brilliant idea that I should go gluten-free for a little while and see how it made me feel. This was a pretty awesome idea, because a mere two months later, I was healed.

This was really the catalyst for my interest in health. I realized that if cutting out gluten could affect me that much, all food must affect our bodies! My dad had been reading a lot about Paleo at the time, so I decided to try it and see how I felt. After a few weeks of eliminating all grains (even the gluten-free ones!) I had more energy and vigor than ever before. I even got into running and doing yoga, which felt amazing. I had never considered myself an athlete before then!

The only thing I missed on this diet was treats. Nowadays there are some great packaged grain-free desserts in stores, but in 2011, no edible ones existed. Without some sort of sweets in my life, I felt like all the joy of food had been stripped away. But necessity is the mother of invention, right?

I started baking my own Paleo goodies from the few recipes for them online at the time, and I fell in love. Not only were they moist and flavorful, but I didn’t miss out on any deliciousness that gluten-filled desserts had. Eventually, I began creating my own recipes, spending hours in the kitchen concocting new creations.
Wanting to share what I’d discovered about the power of Paleo treats, I started my blog at the age of twelve.

Everything burst forth from there! I started an Instagram account to share more about my life, and recently started a podcast, Jump For Joy.

I want everyone to know–especially young people–that eating real food and living a wholesome life does not have to be expensive, difficult, or time consuming! To get started cooking up healthful food, find what inspires you to get in the kitchen. For me, seasonal produce is wildly inspiring. When I go to the farmer’s market and see all the fresh fruits and veggies, I can’t wait to get home and bake up something delicious with them.

This Very Berry Summer Crisp is one of my favorite ways to use up the copious amount of berries I buy each week in the summer. It is Paleo, grain-free, dairy-free, and sooo easy to make. I hope you all enjoy it!

It has been such a pleasure guest-posting for the lovely Michelle and Makenna. Make sure to come say hi @GoodiesAgainstTheGrain so we can chat. Have a great day!