Our Body & Our Consciousness

“What we eat is very important. Tell me what you eat and I will tell you who you are. Tell me where you eat, and I will tell you who you are.
We are what we consume. If we look deeply into what and how much we consume every day, we’ll come to know our own nature very well. We have to eat, drink, and consume, but if we do it unmindfully, we may destroy our body and our consciousness.”
― Thich Nhat Hanh, How to Eat

Today it looks like I am eating Mr. Bill… “Oh no!”
I wonder what Thich Nhat Hanh would have to say about that. He is right though. We are what we consume. It goes beyond our food choices too. The music we listen to, the company we keep, the air we breathe, the books we read, the things we buy, the podcasts we listen to… you catch my drift. It all effects us. Physically, emotionally and energetically. Keep that in mind today and see what you notice.

Day 326: Ginger coconut rice with kimchi, sunflower sprouts, bloobs, braggs amino acids, Udo’s 3*6*9 oil and a soft boiled egg. I cooked the rice in coconut milk, a few slices of ginger and a little pink salt for flavor but also for comfort and extra nutrition. Ginger has such a unique flavor and it is great for soothing the gut, lowering inflammation, cutting cholesterol, fighting infections, boosting your brain function, making you feel warm from the inside out and maybe preventing cancer. Coconut milk adds some extra fat to the dish which we need for hormone production and brain proper function.

You are enough.

There’s been a lot of talk about the influencer campaign that Tropicana put together featuring a bunch of moms hiding in their closets from their kids - drinking mimosas. This kind of marketing is mindless, dangerous and furthers a bunch of narratives that hurt women and their children. As I read through the comments there were so many women who were thrilled by it though. They thought it was hilarious and seemed to feel seen, understood and even validated by watching some very rich and privileged women secretly drinking to manage their stress levels. It made me sad. I am not a mom but I did nanny for a long time and.. I totally get it. I have hidden from children. Honestly I believe that is how the game hide and seek was created. Once upon a time someone just needed a minute and they didn’t want to scream “get the hell away from me!” at an innocent child and thus the counting down from 100 began. Reading these comments though.. I realized how many of us don’t honestly know what self care is and too many large corporations are right there to profit from that. Painting a pretty picture that looks like us all consuming a lot of things to feel better - suggesting we will never feel good enough without their products. Keeping us all reaching outside of ourselves for a solution. Keeping us all believing that it isn’t ok just to feel something. The companies themselves are victims of this too. Their profit margins must keep growing or they will disappoint their shareholders. It’s an unsustainable vicious cycle.. remind you of anything?

I’m ranting today but hear this - you are enough. You hold the solutions. You have what it takes to manage your mood, your mindset and your actions. If you are in a place right now where that feels untrue - I get that - but you can learn and grow into someone who knows that to be the truth. No one needs to be hiding away anymore. There is an ever growing community waiting for you.

Day 321: Hash with russets, kohlrabi, cabbage, purple carrots, scallions, oregano, parsley, a drizzle of yogurt, a squeeze of lemon, some pumpkin seeds and smoked salmon. This meal was grounding, nourishing and delicious. Lots of omega’s, iron, magnesium, protein, warmth and comfort. Plus it only dirtied one pan. This is self care. Anyone can do this.

What is new & good?

In the past few weeks I have had quite a few friends reach out to me about wanting to change their relationship with alcohol or quit all together. I feel honored that they felt comfortable talking with me about it and pretty excited that so many are looking to make a change. That’s what is feeling new and good around here today. So I thought I would share a little piece of advice for anyone who has recently started down the path of sobriety. Take it slow. When we are newly sober life can feel even more overwhelming. We are a bit raw. Things feel uncertain and our confidence comes and goes. It makes sense that it would. I know that when I was drinking I mostly learned that I could not trust myself on so many levels. I was truly unreliable. I called it spontaneity but that was just a fun way to describe what was ultimately my epic self abandonment. Each time I called it quits I did not fully believe I would/could stick to it and actually get sober. I had betrayed myself too many times before. I talked a good game while waiting for myself to fall back. In an effort to combat this self doubt I would pick up loads of new healthy habits. Looking back I realize it was partly to keep me busy but a big part of me was thinking that this fierce influx of new shiny behaviors would make the transformation happen faster and maybe even absolve me from my past. I went from drinking away to literally running from my problems. Of course it was too much too fast every time and when I fell off my exercise routine or ate like crap or skipped my meditation practice I would deflate. With my confidence on the floor I would find myself at the bar again. I had not yet embraced “progress not perfection”. I was still in ALL or NONE territory. I did not realize that I didn’t need to be absolved. I needed patience. I needed to rebuild trust in myself and let new habits settle in. That takes time and luckily sobriety affords us a lot more of that. So if you are newly sober (or hey, maybe you just need a reminder) take it slow. Pick up those new healthy habits but don’t overwhelm yourself. Focus on one thing at a time, one day at a time and as life becomes more comfortable, build on it. Lasting change does not happen over night. I mean, imagine if you broke up with someone on Monday and they called you Friday telling you they changed and things would be different.. no one is buying that. Don’t be that ex for yourself. It’s not a race. You are on your own trip. Be patient. Try to enjoy the process (and the opportunity) of winning yourself - and your trust - back.

Day 294: Veggie Toast with Greek yogurt, avocado, smoked salon and everything bagel seasoning. Aces. Lots of Omega 3’s happening here. I do everything I can to get my omega 3’s in a wide variety and not rely on supplements. It’s pretty easy, totally delicious and come with so many benefits. They fight anxiety, depression and reduce mood swings. Omega 3’s also improve symptoms of ADHD, raise your good cholesterol (HDL), reduce inflammation (the root of all dis-ease and famous compadre of over imbibing). Not sold yet? Omega 3’s are great for your skin AND they can even alleviate menstrual pain. For real. In fact one study showed omega 3 supplements to be more effective than ibuprofen in treating severe cramps. I can personally say that since I started mindfully incorporating more of it into my diet my period pains have been much less lethal. Pretty thrilling stuff. Where to find it?

FISH - Salmon, Sardines, Mackerel, Sea bass, Oysters, Mussels, Anchovies (the bacon of the sea..).
SEA VEG - Nori, Chlorella, Spirulina
SEEDS - Pumpkin, Chai, Hemp, Flax
BEANS - Kidney beans, Navy beans, Northern beans
LEAFY GREENS & BRUSSELS SPROUTS
AVOCADO
EGGS
BLUEBERRIES

Overwhelmed..

Damn y’all.. Yesterday was an emotional day for me. 24 hours of reflective celebration will do that. I was caught off guard and truly overwhelmed by all the response to my one year soberversary. It had me blushing, honestly. All the comments, messages, texts, phone calls and even kind words from several people I ran into at the farmers market. It blew me away! So, thank you for your support.. for being my community.. for cheering me on. Y’all totally, 100%, completely rule. I’m am forever grateful. If you are struggling with sobriety reach out to someone. Times are strange and incredibly challenging. There’s no shame in falling off. Get back up. Fuhk shame.

I mentioned that moving forward I would be focusing more on nutrition in recovery. I will be covering more than simply what to eat. We will discuss some ways to nourish your energetic body as well. We will take a look at how WHAT we eat greatly effects our mental state. HOW we feed ourselves and the way it effects our sense of self worth and how sometimes looking into WHY we eat a certain way can help us heal our emotional wounds. So, please stick around, click subscribe and if you know someone in recovery please share this with them. Once again, I am forever and ever grateful.

Day 179: Quinoa, tomato and pepper confit, pesto-mole (recipe to follow) + 6 minute egg.

Pesto-mole:
I like this treat for people in recovery because.. It is high in Omega 3 fatty acids which help us fight anxiety and depression while reducing the frequency of mood swings. It can also combat autoimmune disease. Which, substance abuse has been implicated in many autoimmune disorders.

Pesto-Mole is simply pesto mixed with avocado so.. we gotta make pesto! We are going the classic route today but we will explore other options in the future.

You are going to need…

• ½ cup pine nuts

• 3 oz. Parmesan, grated (about ¾ cup)

• 2 garlic cloves, finely grated

• 6 cups basil leaves (about 3 bunches)

• ¾ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tsp. kosher salt

• Toast nuts on a baking sheet at 350° for 5-7 minutes. You will want to toss them nuts once halfway through. Take them out when they are golden.

• Cool them down. This is important. The cheese and basil want nothing to do with your hot nuts. Things will melt and oxidize and you will be sad.

• Throw them in the food processor. Add garlic and cheese. Pulse until finely ground, 1 minute or so. Add basil. With the top on and the motor running, add your oil. Slow and steady here. You want a consistent stream so it emulsifies. Dump all the oil in at once and you will have a sloshy mess. Blend until pesto is mostly smooth, with just a few green flecks here and there, about a minute. Salt to taste.

• Now that you’ve got pesto… grab a large avocado. Pit it. Mash it up. Add 3-4 Tbsp of pesto and fold it in. Huzzah! Now you’ve got pesto-mole.

This stuff will stay happy in the fridge for a long while if you top off the finished product with a 1/4 inch of olive oil to keep it from oxidizing.