My Philosophy on Food, Health, and Life

What does it mean to you to be healthy? What does being healthy look like and feel like for you?

One of the things that I love most about this blog and our blog community is that although we talk a lot about food, this blog is really a place to talk about what it means to live our healthiest, happiest, and fullest life. As a certified holistic health coach, one of the greatest lessons that I could possibly share with anyone is that your health is not just about your physical body -- it's about emotional, mental, and spiritual health too. So, I thought we'd spend some time today talking more about what it really means to be healthy and my philosophies around food, health, and life in general. 

When it comes down to it, I really have three simple guidelines that I follow:

#1 Moderation and The 80/20 Rule

For a big part of my life, I categorized foods in two ways: either a food was "good" or it was "bad." I don’t know about you, but as soon as I am told that I can’t or shouldn’t have something, that’s exactly what I want. As a result, I spent many, many years trying to guilt myself into avoiding the forbidden "bad" foods, only to wind up with failed willpower and eating way too much junk overall. Several years ago as I began to clean up my diet and eat more fresh, whole foods, I found a better balance by using The 80/20 Rule. 

The 80/20 Rule is essentially this: 80% of the time I focus on eating fresh, healthful foods that make my body feel strong and vibrant and 20% of the time I allow myself to have treats (or less-than-optimal foods). 

Over time, I've found that eating with balance actually helps me to eat better overall because I get to enjoy healthy foods that I love while not feeling deprived of treats from time-to-time. And as I have applied this rule to other areas of my life, I have found myself enjoying my workouts more, focusing on quality time (instead of the quantity of time) spent with those I love, and feeling more balance in all areas of my life. 

#2 Listen to my body and trust what it tells me

Listening to my body is a huge one for me. I have personally experienced a variety of health issues throughout my life and the way I have managed to get through each one is by listening to my body and trusting the messages it sends me. When I say that I listen to my body, I simply mean that I notice how I feel after I eat certain foods. I believe in the concept of bio-individuality and that everyone's body is a little different. This means that foods and exercises that makes me feel great might not work for someone else, and vice versa. 

There are hundreds of different diets and ways of eating, and I do not believe that there is one perfect way of eating that works for everyone. One of my biggest pet peeves with the nutrition world is that there are so many different "experts" out there preaching that their way is the best -- and, most of these diets are at complete odds with one another. I don't know about you, but if I tried to follow every new nutritional fad out there, well, it wouldn't be possible and I would drive myself crazy. The world of nutrition and health is constantly changing and evolving and I have found that trusting my own body makes the most sense for me. 

I have also found that what my body needs and wants changes over time. As my workout routine shifts, my career shifts, or my social relationships shift, all of these things have an effect on my body. As we grow and change, I believe that we constantly need to be re-evaluating what we are eating, how we are eating, and how we are living in general. 

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DIY Dry Shampoo

When it comes right down to it, I can be a little lazy sometimes.

I am happy to make my own vegetable stock, soak and sprout lentils, make my own kimchi, and cook practically every meal of mine from scratch, but styling my hair everyday? Now that's a lot of work.

I can't be bothered with this. I mean, I have more important things to do. Like... watch my cats chase their tails. Or watch Arrested Development on Netflix. Or figure out how to make my own soap (someday!).

This is where a simple dry shampoo comes in.

Much to my surprise, my post on How to Wash Your Hair with Baking Soda and Vinegar has become the most popular post on this blog. Lots of readers have had great results with making the switch away from conventional shampoo, but some folks have struggled with an 'adjustment period' where their hair is a bit oilier than normal. This gave me the idea to create my own natural dry shampoo that could be used to keep hair looking fresh in-between washes as well as help folks transitioning to the 'no-(sham)poo' method.

It only requires two ingredients - which I'm pretty sure you already have in your kitchen. So, let's get started!

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Albion Fit $100 Gift Card Giveaway

When I share recipes or talk about seasonal vegetables, what I'm really talking about is healthy living -- and being healthy is about so much more than just food.  One of the things I talk with my private health coaching clients about is the importance of evaluating health in all areas of your life - spiritual, emotional, mental, and physical. Unfortunately in America, many of us have this crazy idea that being healthy is the same thing as being skinny. It's not. 

I am constantly appalled that our idea of beauty for women is about being overly sexy and/or too thin. It breaks my heart when I hear about women starving themselves, pursuing dangerous restricted diets, spending hours doing cardio, and being miserable because they hate their bodies. This really hits home for me because I spent years and years of my life judging my worth based on how my body looked.  Believe me when I say that I've done the crash diets, the starvation methods, and the body-hatred-b*ll$ht. It wasn't until I started eating real food in 2006, working out because I wanted to feel strong and empowered (not skinny), and loving my body for everything magnificent it does (and not how it looked) that things began to shift for me.

I'm sharing this with you today because I have the amazing opportunity to introduce you to a cool athletic wear company that I adore and we're going to be talking about clothes. I don't know about you, but when I think about clothes, this immediately brings up my old body anxiety. (Anyone out there relate?)


About a month ago I had the pleasure of being contacted by Albion Fit, a manufacturer for women's fitness and swimwear, and asked if I would be interested in trying one of their pieces of workout clothing. When I started researching more about their company, I became so excited. Here's why:

ALBION'S MISSION IS TO PROVIDE WOMEN WITH THE MOST LUXURIOUS, FLATTERING, AND HASSLE-FREE  FITNESS AND LEISURE APPAREL ON THE MARKET.

Woo hoo! One of the problems that I always have with workout clothing is that it's not flattering. I'm a pretty simple gal when it comes right down to it and I have no problem working out in a tee shirt and yoga pants, but sometimes when I work out, I want to feel really confident and I've found that clothing is a big factor in that.

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(Sugar-Free) Vanilla Rosemary Soda

The first sunny weeks of the season finally hit Seattle. And, apparently, it's all we can talk about right now.

Last weekend I spent all day sitting on my back porch working on my laptop under the shield of an umbrella. Somehow a three-inch section of my wrist didn't quite make it under the shade and now I have a funky tan rectangle on my arm. I like to think of it as my Vitamin D patch.

Before we get to today's recipe, I just wanted to say thank you again to everyone who joined us the other night for Conscious Money, Conscious Eating. I teach a lot of classes in Seattle, but this was my first time doing a workshop where I didn't get to see you all face-to-face! I loved all of the emails and responses we got about the material we covered and it's so great to hear that it's already changing the way many of you are planning, prepping meals, and cooking at home! Awesome! (Psst, if you're sad that you missed out, you can actually purchase the webinar recording package-- which includes our awesome 55-page ebook! Details here.)

Now, onto the most amazing drink that only takes 3 ingredients to make!  This one is going to be a must-make as we head into late spring and summer!

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Vulnerability is not a weakness

This post is part of a series based on the personal development work I have been doing in Danielle LaPorte's The Desire Map. To read the previous posts in the series, click here.

Thank you to all of you who commented on my last post on abundance and shared how it impacted you. I know that this series is a bit different than the recipe posts I usually share, and to be honest, I was hesitant about sharing it. The internet can be a scary place sometimes and being a blogger means that I am constantly putting my personal life out into the public. (The thing that lets me sleep at night is imagining that this blog is still only being read by three people and possibly a cat!)

Thinking about this willingness to be vulnerable inspired me to write today's topic on courage and vulnerability. I recently watched Brené Brown's TED talk on the Power of Vulnerability and Listening to Shame. (If you haven't seen these before, I definitely think they are worth watching. The first time I watched them I was so memorized by her message and her presence that I watched them twice.)

After working through my Desire Map, I realized that one of my core desired feelings is courage. I desire to feel courageous and bold. I desire to stand in the face of fear, push past it, and continue to grow. I desire to speak my truth, even when it's not easy.

I think where some of us go wrong when thinking about courage is thinking that courage is the absence of fear. Being courageous doesn't mean you aren't afraid. Being courageous means that you have the inner strength to embrace being afraid and still move forward.  

CLICK TO TWEET IT!

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How to Make Massaged Kale Salad

What was the hardest part of your week last week?

While you ponder that, let me share mine: having to watch as a teacher took kale away from a preschooler and made him cry. (Yep, ladies and gentleman, apparently I am so good at getting kids to love kale that they cry when it is taken away.)

Last week I was making my famous kale smoothie for kids with a group of preschoolers. One of the boys was so excited about getting to try the smoothie that he started eating one of the raw kale leaves that had been passed around the classroom for the kids to touch and explore. After taking a bite of the kale he liked it so much that he continued to gnaw his way through most of the leaf. (I was quite impressed!)

Of course, a child snacking on a germ-y piece of kale caught the attention of one of the teachers who promptly took it away from him. Sure enough, crying ensued. Which actually seems pretty fair because if someone tried to take my kale away, I would probably cry too.

Luckily, the nice thing about being an adult is that you can eat as much raw kale as you want. Especially if you massage it and turn it into a delicious salad. Just wash your hands first. :)

By now you might have heard of "massaging" kale and wondered what all the fuss was about. Massaging raw kale transforms it from a tough, somewhat bitter leaf into a sweet, delicate salad. And it only takes a few minutes!

Let me show you how!

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5 Easy Vegetarian Meals (for Cinco de Mayo)

With Conscious Money, Conscious Eating happening in just a few days, I wanted to write another blog post focusing on the idea of quick, healthy meals that come together in a snap!  And, with Cinco de Mayo this weekend, it seemed very fitting to focus on a Mexican theme. 

Vegetarian tacos are one of the easiest and most delicious options that we frequently enjoy in our house so today I'm sharing my three favorite veggie tacos recipes, along with two other hearty meals and a side dish. Enjoy!

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