Greetings from Le Thillot, France, nestled in the Vosges Mountains!

We have just arrived here after a four hour journey by car from Joachim’s home town of Oehringen, Germany. The drive itself has been successful in moving us into a different time and place. Life is about to slow way down for my busy family and that is just what this side trip is all about. We’ve had a fully packed first half of 2016 and now just beyond the halfway point, we are taking this well earned nature break. The two most stressful decisions of the next few days will be what we will prepare for mittagessen (midday meal) and which hiking trail to choose each morning. These decisions will be made that much easier as our AirBnB house sits next to an organic farm selling seasonal veggies and is on the edge of the forest with a myriad of trails just footsteps from the front door. This is exactly what an ideal Hubele family vacation looks like!

So why is nature so important to us? Both Joachim and I fully recognize that we spend the majority of our day in front of computer screens. Fortunately my time also involves contact with a host of amazing clients but Joachim’s screen is filled with data- yikes!!! Given that fact, we crave the restorative effect nature delivers. We do carve out a slice at the start of each day for swimming at Barton Springs and a weekend hike when it’s not 100+ degrees, but that just doesn’t compare to a stretch of time surrounded by fresh mountain air, magnificent trees, birdsong, and picturesque meadows. And even though Sebastian has his nature fix built into his schedule with a full day each week of the school year devoted to Earth Native Wilderness School he always still desires more as well.

The Vosges are home to some beautiful bodies of water. Gérardmer is the most famous along with the smaller, quieter neighboring Longemer. I happen to have a preference for Longemer and have wonderful memories of spending some of the last warm days of fall on its shore with Sebastian when he was only 18 months old. Returning now 13 years later will be a highlight for all of us. We certainly have plans to visit both lakes for a swim at least once during our stay and hope to also discover some new spots.

Recharging ourselves in nature is now backed up by some wonderful science. UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center put together quite a report in 2016 and shared the findings last March in The Huffington Post. How Nature can make you Kinder, Happier, and More Creative sounds exactly like the answer we have all been searching for in the light of our world and domestic situation. Who couldn’t benefit from a large dose of kindness, happiness, and creativity? I love this quote as it confirms exactly what I get out of a day in nature:

“Nature restores mental functioning in the same way that food and water restore bodies. The business of everyday life — dodging traffic, making decisions and judgment calls, interacting with strangers — is depleting, and what man-made environments take away from us, nature gives back.”

I am thrilled that we have my mother-in-law along with us on this journey. At 82 she may even still out-hike all of us! As our only living parent between Joachim and I, she has an incredible place of honor in our family and I am continually in awe of the life lessons she teaches me. Widowed two years ago, after ten years as the caretaker for the love of her life, she is living a whole new chapter, writing her own new script as she goes. When she can find peers to keep up with her, she will easily take a 20 mile bike trip on the weekend or cross country ski for a day. She’s been a vegetarian for 30 years and eats what she grows in her own garden. That’s what 82 can look like by the way!

Since the fun has only just begun, be sure to follow me on Instagram or Facebook to enjoy the beautiful scenery right along with us.

Live Well,
Lauren

Ready to take your plant based kitchen to the next level? Consider a spiralizer. In this final post to my Building Your Plant Based Kitchen series, we take a close look at spiralizers. After a month of tool talk that included insight into owning a Vitamix, an immersion blender, a pressure cooker, and the right knives and cutting boards, you should be well prepared for every new recipe you plan to test drive in 2016.

So who might want a spiralizer? YOU… If adding another layer of interest to raw veggie salads with crazy colorful curls of beets, carrots, and zucchini sounds delightful or you are ready to ditch the grains and want a better-than-pasta base for those amazing vegan sauces you plan to whip up with your immersion blender or Vitamix.

So now comes the challenge – finding the right one.

If you are brand new to this concept, it may help to know that there are two styles of spiralizers: the models with a crank style handle that have a selection of blades and the simple hand held model that will fit in your kitchen tool drawer. Here’s a great review from Foodal that will provide some further insight for your decision making process.

I was gifted this spiralizer just over two years ago when, as a family, we raised the bar on our attempts to eat plant based. Full disclosure – I have not mastered this skill. I cannot yet claim to be a spiralizing genie. But I want to be! Reading up on the subject has convinced me that my lack of accomplishment in this area could really come down to an inferior tool. Hopefully, down the road, I’ll be able to report back on which one I choose to invest in next.

Ready for a test drive?
If you have a hungry teen with a never ending appetite around like I do, then I suggest these Spicy Spiralized Sweet Potato Fries for an afternoon snack.

Ingredients:
Sweet Potatoes (I used two for my hungry guy and there was only a taste for me!)
Garlic Powder (optional)
Onion Powder (optional)
Cumin
Black Pepper
Smoked Paprika
Pink Sea Salt
(I added a tablespoon of melted coconut oil before baking)

Full Instructions Here

Yes, you can run a highly efficient plant based kitchen without a Vitamix but having one does make the prep of everything from smoothies to sauces to soups just that much easier. It was our commitment to morning smoothies that pushed the decision to purchase one and we have literally used it every morning that we are home for 2.5 years straight.

There certainly is a lot of thought that needs to go into paying more than $300 for any piece of kitchen equipment. It is no doubt a purchase for those fully committed to using the machine day in and day out. However, if eating at home more is one of your goals as you shift to plant based eating, then having the right tools will absolutely help support that change in behavior. There is no doubt it is an incredible addition to your kitchen.

Here is a great blog post by the Frugal Girl that weighs the investment of Vitamix. She also gives some great tips on finding one at a lower price point. I bought the most basic model Amazon offered at the time and honestly have never missed any of the options. You might want to have a look at the reconditioned models Vitamix themselves offers or watch your local Craigslist.

So how do I use my Vitamix? As I mentioned before, it is our breakfast machine and it cranks out seasonal smoothies in a flash with a container large enough to fill us all up in one go. Ours is always used at least one more time later in the day whether it be for fresh herbal salad dressing that blend in seconds, plant based cheese sauces, pestos, or soup. It also was one of the first tools my son was drawn to, likely due to the power and sound it produced!

Ready for a test drive?

While these recipes can absolutely be made with an immersion blender, nothing quite gets the sauces as smooth and creamy as a Vitamix. Before ditching dairy, as vegetarians, we were quite the cheese-centric family. So when we cleared our fridge of all milk based products there was no doubt a big hole. Ever the scientist, my then preteen son went on a quest to create the best cheezy plant based sauces. After conquering cashew based sauces, finding nut free options were his next challenge. Here are two of his latest go to recipes, each producing a smooth, flavorful, rich sauce that will compliment a variety of dishes from roasted veggies to gluten free grains.

Oh She Glows Cauli-power Alfredo

Blissful Basil’s Sunflower Seed Alfredo

I’ve been cooking family dinners a long time, like since I was ten years old and until a year ago pressure cookers were a mystical tool that definitely seemed out of my league. Because I now know that we need to get curious and comfortable with what scares us, especially regarding our passions, I took a closer look.  Of course my German mother-in-law, who runs THE most efficient kitchen I have ever seen, was a master with her pressure cooker. I always found myself wincing each time she released the pressure, steam pouring out of the spout, waiting for an explosion. After years of clearly seeing that no one actually was injured in the process, I stepped up my game and began practicing with hers. I was shocked to find how easy it actually was to use and how much time it shaved off of meal preparation.

Two summers ago I imported my very own shiny WMF Pressure cooker in my suitcase, only to discover I could have easily purchased the same model on Amazon. Lesson learned. That aside my pressure cooker soon took center stage in my kitchen and hasn’t been demoted from it’s best supporting tool role since. I use mine for all varieties of lentils, beans, grains, and every soup and sauce I cook. The learning curve wasn’t at all steep and the results have always been spot on.

Want to learn more about pressure cooking? The Kitchn offers this useful guide to pressure cooking resources.

Ready for a test drive? May I recommend this luscious African Yellow Split Pea Soup.

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive, grapeseed, or safflower oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 poblano or hatch chili peppers, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated or minced ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon Harissa powder (more to taste–it’s spicy, so feel free to add extra if you like heat!)
½ teaspoon turmeric
¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
1 lb sweet skinned and roughly chopped garnet yams or sweet potatoes (about 3½-4 cups)
1¼ cups yellow split peas, picked over to remove any grit (I presoak mine overnight)
6 cups water or low sodium vegetable broth
½ cup almond or coconut milk (I do not recommend light coconut milk or soy)
black pepper
⅓ cup chopped green onion tops or cilantro (for garnish)

Full Instructions Here.

Enjoy!

There are a handful of tools I put to work everyday in my kitchen. While my Vitamix is put to test for every morning meal, the immersion blender rules each evening. I use it for every salad dressing, soup, and most sauces I make. It’s a brilliant tool, cleans in seconds, stows away easily in a drawer, and is up to a wide variety of tasks.

I have burned through a few models since my obsession began some fifteen years ago in Germany. My current Cuisinart Smart Stick however is still going strong after seven years. That’s a record. I attest this to the Cuisinart brand engineering, of which I happen to be a big fan. My mother-in-law has this model that I use each summer and I must say the chopper/grinder attachment is pretty cool. I’ve used it to make a variety of herbed nut spreads that were as easy to make as they were smooth and delicious.

Whichever model you choose will certainly need a test drive and I suggest doing so with this Thai Pea Soup. Here’s all that is needed to serve up a brilliantly green bowl full of goodness.

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped (or leek)
2 large clove of garlic, chopped (or shallots)
2 tbsp olive oil (or coconut oil)
3 cups frozen or fresh peas
2 1/2 cups water
1 tsp yellow curry (try my favorite brand)
2 stalks fresh lemongrass, minced
1/2 can coconut milk (full fat is creamier!)

Full Instructions Here.

The past four weeks leading into 2016, I shared my thoughts and suggestions on intentions that could serve the body, mind, and soul in order to tap into your true self. The reward in discovering your true self is the ability to live out your destiny, who you were born to be, and deliver the unique gift that only you can offer.

Getting clear about what is needed in 2016 to serve your body, mind, and soul is the beautiful part of this process. It’s the days ahead that get messy. That’s what I want to talk about today – The messy part. My friend and gifted designer, Christine Terrell, recently reminded me of the book, The War of Art. While this book was written with writers in mind, it is really THE handbook everyone needs as they face the constant battle to practice their gift. This book will serve you right now as you attempt to put in to actions any of the various intentions I shared in my last blog series.

Setting the intention to be more you

Setting intentions for your body

Setting intentions for your mind

Setting intentions for your soul

The intentions that feed your body, mind, and soul – The ones that inch you deeper into your true being always face a barrier between the idea as a concept and taking action. That barrier is RESISTENCE.

I immediately identified with The War of Art from my perspective as a writer. I have set some pretty lofty goals for myself these first two months of 2016, one of which leads to a lifelong dream of publishing my first book. I gifted myself in 2016 with the commitment of an additional early morning writing session each weekday from 6-7 am. It was at 5:55 this morning, as I first opened my eyes, tucked in under my duvet that I met RESISTENCE. “Oh, Hello,” I said, “Funny you would show up!” In the short span of five minutes of waking, RESISTENCE rallied with a host of very logical reasons why I did not need to meet that commitment , actually, today. I first reasoned that I was ridiculously warm and cozy, my office was not, and possibly I could outline this post in my head while still in bed. Nice try. I then considered moving the time to later but realizing then that that bumped up against my commitment to swim at 8 am. What to do? I found the more minutes that passed the stronger my RESISTENCE grew. Hmmm. If that is the case, and my enemy RESITENCE is growing stronger, this battle I am engaged in will only take energy from the very intention I set to nuture my soul by writing. With that thought, I reached for my glasses and my feet hit the cold floor.

I share this personal clip with the hope that you will see RESISTENCE is ever present with even the most benign step toward our authentic self. It will show up in all shapes and forms from discouraging friends and/or family members, lack of time, exhaustion, dwindling resources,etc.. It will wear many hats but it is still RESISTENCE and we must face it with fearlessness in order to break through the barrier it sets to our true self. That barrier will rise up when you pass the breakfast taco trailer first on your way to your juice stop, it is present in the cold drizzling rain as you head out for a run, or becomes the voice in your head attempting to prevent you from putting your pencil to the paper to sketch the idea you’ve been pondering.

Knowing that RESISTENCE will come, recognizing it for exactly what it is, and fearlessly pushing through it is powerful. Be fearless today against your RESISTENCE. And then do it again tomorrow.

Cleaning out and organizing my kitchen is a task I take on each New Year and again when I return from my summer weeks in Europe. Both times present an opportunity for a fresh look at what fills my shelves and drawers.

In addition to cleaning through my pantry staples, I assess the tools I have on hand and take account of what is useful and meets my needs, what I haven’t used, and what needs to be replaced because it is not efficient or broken.

This past summer, having returned home from Germany and working a month out of my mother-in-law’s efficient-to-the-last-detail kitchen, I took on the task of sorting my vast conglomeration of kitchen hand tools. First on the list to review was the odd assortment of kitchen knives, none that did any particular job really well. After enlisting the help of my favorite family researcher, I chose two. Over the last six months I have found that they excel at every task in my plant based kitchen. To say we chop a lot of fruit and veggies by hand is an understatement and these two definitely make quick work out of it all.

Knife Recommendations

Classic 8” Chef’s Knife by Victorinox

Utility 4.5” Serated Knife by Victorinox

Cutting Boards

While on the subject of chopping why not take a look at your cutting boards? These are tools used to prepare each and every meal at our house. After all the years of thinking plastic cutting boards are the way to go the truth is they are not. They happen to be tough on knives and actual harbor more bacteria than wooden boards because they are so prone to nicks and cuts. This article provides a bit more insight on the topic.

We happen to own bamboo cutting boards. Last summer I purchased a set of three that almost serves all of my needs. I’m adding this one for the New Year to replace the last plastic board we having been using for the vast amount of morning fruit chopping we do.

Test Drive

So now that you are ready for some serious chopping how about putting your new knives and cutting board to the test with this light and crunchy Shredded Salad from the archives of 101 Cookbooks?

Ingredients

2 teaspoons sunflower oil
1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons runny honey
fine grain sea salt, to taste
one small bunch of cilantro (leaves and stems), chopped
1/2 cup peanuts, toasted
1 bunch of scallions, shredded
2 cups finely shredded cabbage
1/2 cup mung bean sprouts
1/2 cup broccoli or pea sprouts
3 large stalks celery, thinly sliced on diagonal
2 tablespoons shoyu or soy sauce
1 tablespoon (brown) rice vinegar
toasted sesame seeds, black or white

Full Instructions Here

The last three weeks I have shared some intentions to consider for 2016 that will guide you to your true self. Accessing your true self is the necessary step to lead an authentic life, one in which you achieve all you were destined to achieve. You will get there by loving and nurturing your physical body, your mind, and your soul.

Today, during these final days of 2015, I would like to get you thinking about your soul. For many this can be a well ignored part of our being. Caring for our soul seems to fall well beyond the bottom of the proverbial “self improvement to do” list. After a period of choosing to ignore that bit of self care, you can be sure your soul will alert you to the fact that it is not being fed. Here are some easy-to-spot signs of a malnourished soul:

• day to day activities feel dry and meaningless
• everything you do feels exhausting
• you question your purpose in being and who you really are
• you experience a lack of compassionate and/or connection to those around you

These are all signs of a hungry soul. So what is food for the soul? Truthfully it can be anything that connects you to one of the following:

Nature

Finding our true, authentic self takes time spent in true, authentic environments. Sadly the majority of our day is spent in contrived environments. Trust me that is not where you will tap into your soul. Nature is THE authentic environment and there is no substitute. It is the only antidote to hours and hours spent in virtual worlds. Spending time in nature shouldn’t cost you anything but time and the reward is boundless.

• Discover or create for yourself a nature escape from your office or work space where you can sit and listen to the birds sing and the leaves rustle and watch the shift of seasons on a daily basis.
• Schedule a weekly nature fix to one of our nearby state parks or nature preserves for a long walk or situate yourself in one place to observe all the beauty around you.
• Sit outside each evening, under the stars whatever the time of year and marvel at all the sky beholds.

Creative Time

Making/Creating with our hands is one activity that actually connects our physical body and mental body to our soul. Thankfully “making” has come into a renaissance period and opportunities abound. Don’t save it for your retirement or wait to design a “craft room.” You need this activity now to feed your soul. Chances are, you have everything required to begin a maker project immediately. Whether you are making music, making food, writing, cultivating a garden, or sketching a still life, doing so brings you into the present moment and connects you to your true self.

• Set aside time each weekend for a project that allows you to work with your hands. Start with something you already know how to do and for which you have what you need so you don’t get caught up in the preparations rather than the act of making.

• Once you achieve that, try incorporating small activities that you can do each day with your hands. Think small… Even chopping and assembling a salad is working with your hands or challenge yourself to a doodle a day in a blank journal.

Play

What does play look like to you? You can discover that by bringing to the surface memories of what gave you joy as a child. What activities could you literally lose yourself in, unaware of time and place and only experiencing the joy of the moment. Maybe it was throwing stones for hours into a lake, cuddling with a favorite pet, or riding your bike into the wind. Take some time with this and consider how you felt about yourself in those moments. What might you borrow from these early days that you could integrate into your life today? What steps would you need to take to make space for that activity?

• Schedule a play date for yourself this weekend. Set aside the time needed and honor your commitment to yourself to just play.

So now aren’t you excited to get started? I say bring on the New Year and let’s all take these courageous steps towards our true self together!

Let me leave you with the quote that I began this series with as it truly encompasses all you need to prepare for this glorious New Year that stretches ahead:

“At the center of your being
you have the answer;
you know who you are
and you know what you want.”
~ Lao Tzu ~

As 2016 moves closer in, we can all benefit from a few moments of quiet reflection considering how to deepen the connection to our true self. That connection only occurs by doing activities that nurture your body, your mind, and/or your soul. What positive activities could you consider adding that will do just that next year?

I have set aside these last weeks of December to offer some personal thoughts and suggestions. Last week I shared ideas to better care for your body in 2016. Today I’d like to touch upon what your mind might appreciate in the New Year.

While we all do a lot of THINKING we don’t often consider the impact those thoughts have on our physical and emotional bodies. What are you feeding your mind these days? That’s an interesting question. Everything we take in visually and everything we hear audibly feeds our minds. So what are you spending time looking at? What are you reading? What are you listening to? Who are you listening to?

Take some time today to consider these questions. I know I spend much more time than I would like looking at a computer screen rather than at the beauty just outside my window. I spend more time reading about the hate and struggles in the world than the love that exists because that is what fills news and social media. And surely I listen far too much to my own thought process than the beautiful words of wisdom from a variety of spiritual sources.

What we feed our mind can affect the very health of our cells in the same manner as what we feed our physical bodies. That is a pretty powerful statement, but it is true.  Consider that beautiful organic smoothie you just consumed and then what good effects might be negated by tuning into a mainstream news source. Just think about how your body reacts to the negativity and the stress responses that occur subconsciously. So, may I suggest we deepen our awareness of this and consider some of the following ideas to nourish your mind and guide you closer to your authentic self:

Meditation
While there are countless great teachers of meditation, Deepak and Oprah no doubt offer some of the most accessible guides today to train remotely. They seasonally offer a Free 21 Day Series that can be later purchased for download. Here is the current collection. If you happen to be in Austin, there is no better option than Kelly Lindsey’s Wednesday morning series at Dharma Yoga.  The next series begins January 6th.

Talks
While you may not be able to control the time you sit in traffic or waiting for a delayed flight, being prepared with some positive teachings will absolutely shift any negative thoughts that may arise. Sounds True offers an incredible selection of audio talks by some of today’s most gifted spiritual teachers. Choose a few to download and give your mind a real treat.

Writing
Whether it is journaling or creating the next NYT bestseller, the writing process is a beautiful gift to your mind. You may find that the morning pages prescribed in Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way speaks to you or possibly you would like a more guidance, as in The Dharma of Writing course by Susan Piver.

Learning a new skill
There are many ways to learn a new skill today but one source I am particularly fond of is Skillshare. Currently they are offering a promotion of 3 months of unlimited classes for 99 cents. Now that is a deal! Skillshare offers creative minds fantastic training in a wide variety of subjects with project based courses at less than an hour in length. Expand your skill set and foster your creative side in 2016.

Join me next week, just days away from the New Year, when I will return with some final thoughts on caring for your soul in 2016.

We are what we repeatedly do.
Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit.

—Aristotle

Last week I made the suggestion that in the weeks leading up to 2016 you consider some intentions for your Body, Mind and Soul that will lead to the discovery of your true self. But who is that true self? That self is who you were born to be, that self is who can put into motion all the good will you are destined to deliver. Our true self does not get stuck, tangled up in stories, make excuses, or need to rationalize. Our true self is the purest love deep within us that we were born with, but due to life experiences, we often lose the connection.

It is my belief that by tending to the needs and nurturing our body, mind and soul we will have a greater access to our true self. This happens through love. Love for yourself begets love and that is when you can achieve your destiny.

So what might an intention to tend to your body look like? That answer will be quite different for each person depending on current lifestyle but all intentions will be those that promote your health and well being. So what does a body need to thrive? A body needs food, movement, and sleep. Here are some thoughts on each of those topics:

Food

What we put in our mouths each meal, each day can be the greatest gift you give your body. Gifting yourself with whole, fresh organic fruits and vegetables is how you can thank your body for all it gives to you throughout the day from your first breath in the morning to your last stretch before bed.

What one intention can you set in order to feed your body in such a way to promote your health and wellbeing and reach your true self? Will that intention be to omit a food that is not serving you or possibly will it be to add certain foods? Whichever you choose, set your intention in the purpose of your higher good. When you work within that framework, you can steer clear of shaming yourself and rationalizing your cravings.

So, consider and then articulate your intention regarding food for 2016 and do what you need to do now to pave the way.

Movement 

Our body was actually designed to move long distances in a day. The way we live today is so very far from that that we are forced to insert “exercise” into our daily routine. Each summer when I spend the month in Germany I get a first hand glimpse of how we used to use our bodies as I watch my 80 year old mother-in-law and her peers go about their day. These 80-90 years old people each tend their own vegetable garden, watering it twice daily with a with a watering can they carry back and forth from their rain collection system, hoeing and weeding as needed, they wash their clothing in the basement and carry it upstairs out to lines that hang outdoors, they walk to the market and back as needed, and after their afternoon meal they take a walk in the nearby forest. Most can still drive but they only use their cars when they leave town, some who even do so to care for their still living parents! These folks are continually sending the message to their brain that they are active beings. Because they are!

That’s not a lifestyle most of us can match, however, you can commit to specific daily movements that will stretch and build muscles, move lymphatic fluids, provide some aerobic exercise, and remind your body on a daily basis you intend to keep moving!  What that movement will look like will vary greatly for each of us from gentle yoga poses, to aqua aerobics, to dance. What movement/s do you love? This is important because therein lies the difference between forcing vs. nurturing. Work out of a place of love. Choose a movement that gives you joy and then give it a place of honor in your day. I personally am a big fan of loving yourself first each morning before heading into your day.

Sleep

Nothing can make up for or replace the rejuvenation our body gains from sleep. Yet, when under pressure, it is the first thing we offer up at a time when just the opposite should be true.

When we are rested we are loving and kind, not only to others but to ourselves. We have the bandwidth to forgive and be gentle.

I believe the more sleep deprived we are, the more we begin to operate on automatic and loose any sense of being mindful and present. I spent a few years extremely sleep deprived and not only did I struggle with depression in that time period but I also have few memories. A clear indication I was not even present for my own life.

In 2016, make a full night’s sleep a priority. Consider an intention that is sustainable given your responsibilities and clear the way to make it a reality.

Consider your body this upcoming week and the specific intentions you will set to honor and love yourself in 2016. Next week I’ll share a bit about your mind and the importance of taking responsibility for what you are feeding yours on a daily basis.

At the center of your being
you have the answer;
you know who you are
and you know what you want.

 ― Lao Tzu

What if you welcomed the New Year with a quest to deepen your relationship with yourself? Just imagine where you might be next year at this time. Over these final weeks of 2015 I’m going to offer up some thoughts on how you might begin a year of discovery that can only lead to self love and compassion.

Just imagine the incredible ripple effect that you would have on those you love and care for, those lives you touch through your profession and those you interact with as you go about your daily life.

The truth is that this is really why we are all here. Our first work is the actual stripping away of all the layers of who we are not, right down to our very essence of who we are, so we can get on with the good stuff!

So let’s do it! Discover this divinely created, perfectly lovable, inner self in 2016 by preparing your body, mind and soul to live the life you were born to live. Join me the next three weeks as I share suggested intentions to prepare your body, then your mind and finally your soul for the incredible journey ahead in the New Year.

It’s no coincidence that I see more acute flu, bronchial infections, digestive disturbances, and UTIs the ten weeks between Halloween and the first week of January than the next ten months all put together. This, according to my colleagues, plays out in their practices as well, aligning perfectly with the high season of parties at the office, with neighbors and family. So what is it about holiday fare that takes its toll on our immune system? The holiday spreads we have grown up with that signal celebration in our minds are all heavy in three of the most inflammatory foods:

Sugar – Wheat Flour – Dairy Products

When washed down with an alcoholic beverage or two by adults or with soda or punch by the young ones, a recipe for disaster is created in the gut.

Need some further support to why you might consider abstaining from the sugar laced, cheese laden, flour based spreads? Here’s some articles for back up.

Sugar and Immunity
How inflammatory diets impact immunity
Ditching Dairy

There is no doubt you have already encountered a holiday feast or two with more ahead so may I offer these practical tips to help you navigate your way through these next weeks, keeping yourself as healthy as possible.

7 Tips for Holiday Thriving

1. Eat ahead: This is a foundational rule to live by when you are making the effort to eat a whole, plant-based diet. If it’s a lunch meal have a smoothie or juice before attending and if it’s an evening affair eat a large veggie full salad.
2. Take your Gemmos: Good elimination is the key to a healthy body and that is all the more true if you partake in foods that you normally have avoided. Double up on your protocol if it supports digestion and if not protect yourself with 2-3 doses of Walnut Gemmotherapy Extract the day of and after indulging. Walnut has both prebiotic and probiotic qualities that will provide the extra protection needed.
3. Probiotic protection: Good advice continuously through the season and on in to January. I recommend this product taken 1x daily for maintenance and 2x daily on days you may challenge your digestion.
4. Bring a dish to share: You may think you will be the geeky one showing up with a chopped kale salad or a vegan casserole to share, but trust me, yours will be the first food to go. It happens without fail because it’s something different for others to try. Check out some of my suggested main course recipes here on Pinterest.
5. Choose wisely: Scanning that spread in search of the safest options? Look for items still in their most natural forms; what most resembles real fruits and real vegetables?
6. Recharge & Restart: Sleep is one of the greatest revitalizing tool we have outside of our diet. So catch up on your sleep the next day and start your morning fresh by juicing and staying raw until dinner if possible.
7. Watch for warning signs: Check out my last blog posts on Acute Care and another on the early signs we often ignore.

May the weeks ahead bring you time with those you love and time to love and care for yourself.

Stay Well!

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