Last weekend I taught a “Sourdough 101” class at my friend’s shop – an endeavor to bring her farmer-husband’s organic food to the small town that sprang up generations ago during southern Idaho’s agricultural boom. Over time, sugar beet farms expanded, and the commodity market thrived, while residents spent their time and dollars in bigger cities, shopping for mass-produced, convenience foods in a system they helped create. The town center dried up – no place to buy local melons, milk, eggs. With little to draw people in, the community shriveled under the hardly-fertile cropland encircling town.

Over the years, I’ve slowly slipped from eating organic food 95-100% of the time. Two decades ago, it was a requirement for me, and easy considering the plethora of food options in Portland and no children to feed. The effort became more challenging while raising a young family on a tight budget in the Wood River Valley’s high cost of living. Even so, I anchored to the belief that how our food was grown was more important than almost anything else.

Today is my birthday. One year ago, I traveled to France to attend the annual “Fete du Citron” – the lemon festival – to sample all things citrus. I learned how to make an authentic “tarte au citron” in a chateau amongst the blooms of a botanical garden showcasing plants of the unique microclimate region. My friend and I reveled in citrus-infused everything – croissant cream filling, liquor, gnocchi, bon bons. Our daily visit to the market resulted in perfect rounds of chèvre de brebis, fragrant herbs, olive-pistachio pâté to set off creative juices as we whipped up simple meals bursting with flavors we don’t experience in Idaho.

It’s end of January! How well have you “cleaned up” after the holidays? No one holding you accountable to lofty goals? You’re not alone. (My meals and meal-timing are a bit of a mess.) Hence, I guide an annual “Liver Detox” program as a reboot, with focus on supporting our natural detox pathways always. 

Read on for my top 12 detox tips (and, no, juicing and supplements aren’t on the list).

At this time every year, my regular clients spread out appointments while simultaneously sharing their guilt for “cheating”, eating too much sugar, and feeling frustrated that busy-ness takes over their wellbeing regimen. The “I’m too busy to focus on myself right now” activities are supported by the idea that January “should be” calmer. Unfortunately, slacking on accountability and adhering to woos of wonderful treats, only a few weeks of indulgent holiday behaviors is enough to tip the scale…

‘Tis the season to be intentional about activities to which we say “yes” or “no” and mindfully navigating fall, which always seems busier than we envision – work increases, mini retreats abound, travel for kids’ sports is ongoing... With Thanksgiving on the horizon and impending excess associated with fall festivals and winter wonder, now is an ideal time to evaluate the effort to nourish ourselves. Are we being intentional, or is food prep still a chore? 

When I cook a meal “out of the norm” for my kids and their expectations, I feel a twinge of anxiety, a gut instinct foreshadowing the complaints in response to the dinner inquiry. “Tofu teriyaki stir fry!” I announce, quickly adding, “with peppers, broccoli, and coconut rice – I know you like those.”

In preparation for fall retreats and a consciousness medicine group, at which I’ll be presenting meaningful food experiences, my colleagues and I have been discussing the concept of “food as medicine.” In the functional nutrition realm, food is our anchor, so this idea is not new. But what does it really mean?

I talk about poop every day. Numerous times each day, in truth. After all, I’m a functional nutritionist and a mom. Why, then, have I never written about poop? Like the topics of death or sex, poop conversations are uncomfortable. Intimate. Personal. I think it’s time to normalize poop talk.

We’ve long awaited these hot, summer days! Out and active early – and late – with commitments scheduled mindfully around midday heat, it’s time to be extra aware of hydration!

You might feel drained from endless activities in the sunshine; hikes, bike rides; barbecues and eating/drinking less consciously in between everything else. While chapped lips and sticky skin indicate need for more water, unprepared active folks have let dehydration lead to devastating outcomes.

Envision me singing, “This is the dawning of the Age of Asparagus…” as I snap the ends off a pick-up-stick pile of bright spears, then toss them with extra virgin olive oil, rosemary salt, and pepper. It’s my foodie mom version of The 5th Dimension’s “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In.” My kids love the silly lyrics as much as they love roasted asparagus (especially when wrapped in “Italian bacon” aka prosciutto).

Over the past 5 weeks I’ve traveled every weekend for work, hockey tournaments, and pleasure. I love exploring and, especially, trying new foods in artisan coffee shops, farm-to-fork restaurants, and farmers markets. Recently, I realized my food quests often begin with pastries… 

What do grapefruit, an oven, the opera, and the south of France have in common? A celebration of citrus season, bien sûr! 

One small town on the French Riviera throws an annual party celebrating the abundance of citrus that grows its microclimate of the Alpes-Maritime region. Menton, on the sea and near the French-Italian border, is known for its “fête du citron”

I sit at my kitchen counter sipping my morning half-caffeinated coffee. I’m bundled up in layers, soaking up the sunshine beaming through the single-paned windows, staving off the cravings for flaky croissants, lemon-blueberry scones, and similar comfort foods. As my sourdough rises in the temperature-controlled space (the microwave with a stainless-steel bowl of hot water), I rack my brain and body for whole food dinner inspiration.

I’m not going to encourage New Year’s resolutions for 2023. Why not? Because too many of us fail. Why? Because we’re not truly committed. Why? Because we may not possess a deep desire for change, or we don’t believe we are actually capable of the goal. Despite the new year, we make changes when we have a deep, inner knowing that we’re ready. That readiness makes change inevitable; we can be unstoppable.

The eve of these 2022 holidays is also the eve of the launch of my first memoir, “Clean Food, Messy Life.” While the title may evoke our visions of seasonal feasting, how might we balance the desire to eat well with indulging just enough? As the big moon illuminates this week’s long nights and the holiday lights sparkle under fresh snow, I reflect on ways to remain present to what lights us up while not getting caught up in the messiness of the festivities.

On a waitlist to see your therapist? Have you noticed “mental health” is driving conversations across all wellness fields? Not surprisingly, the annual functional nutrition conference I attended two weeks ago focused on nutrition and mental health. Surprisingly, although Americans’ interest in personalized nutrition increased 27% after the peak of the pandemic, there was only a 1% increase in people seeking personal guidance from a nutritionist.

Food is a leading cause of dis-ease, yet it also heals…

If you’re like me, you indulge in a dark chocolate mint truffle after lunch (which I’m eating as I write this blog), or you crave something carb-rich or caffeinated during the afternoon lull (yep, that’s blood sugar asking for a pick-me-up). Perhaps your kids plead for dessert after not touching their healthy dinner, thereby tempting you to partake for the third time in one day (or forth, if you sweeten your coffee). What to do!?

With last week’s Harvest Moon and day soon to equal night, we are invited to turn inward. With school starting and chilly weather arriving, we are beckoned indoors. With the abundance of fresh food still bursting in gardens, some of us are busy coring, chopping, paring, dehydrating, juicing, simmering, and canning.

Or not. Perhaps, like me, you’re simply prioritizing the farmers market every week, ensuring you arrive early so the eggs, goat yogurt, and cantaloupe don’t run out…

In my teens, I lost my palate for flesh after killing our chickens and butchering the cow our neighbor raised to share with us. Wild game was somewhat more enticing yet, as an adult, I became veganism for environmental reasons, only sometimes missing wild game and (when pregnant) cured pig. The most prevalent question during those 16 years was, “Are you getting enough protein?”

“Yes!” I assured everyone. I truth, I didn’t know until…