A blog for conscious people who wonder about food-and-the-earth in all the detailed ways that I do. I promise to bring you palatable research, commentary, and musings for you to chew on.
Growing up, my folks taught me to buy only what we needed, to reuse whenever possible, and to recycle everything. As a result, I am highly conscious about both material and financial waste.
I recently purchased a box of quart-sized Ziploc freezer bags to store homemade beans and realized it had been eight years since my last purchase of any kind of plastic container.
Read MoreThough we live where the sun is iconic, we Idahoans are likely deficient in vitamin D – “the sunshine vitamin” – due to our geographical location, layering clothes during long winters, and lathering sunscreen during intense summers. This week, many of us are probably vacationing closer to the equator, basking the sunshine of Southern California, the Mexican coast or Florida – ideal locations for vitamin D intake
Read MoreMy family eats a lot of eggs. We purchase them from local farms, which costs more than conventional eggs. It’s well worth the extra few dollars each week to value farmer’s hard work and food grown in its natural environment. Also, being frugal means getting more for your money and research shows that pasture-raised eggs can be more nutritionally beneficial than conventional eggs.
Read MoreLike a close friend, chocolate is intimately woven into my life. It was present during tough family times, amidst lonely travels and prominent at festivities. Growing up in the age of ding-dongs, I scorned chocolate and received “special” treats at birthday parties. Exploring the world as a young adult, I found that pudding-like, Italian drinking chocolate far surpassed Belgian white chocolate confections. What is it about quality of chocolate repels or lures me?
Read MoreOne of the most important things we parents can do for our children is to help create a positive relationship with food. With the increasing prevalence of childhood chronic disease, lack of institutional education about healthful eating, and misguided commercial messaging about nutrition, our children are at risk of developing lifelong physical, emotional and cognitive issues related to food.
Read MoreCounting every dollar, I don’t spend money on foods that my family doesn’t need. My “unnecessary foods” list includes a wide range of readily available, high-sugar products such as candy, cookies and other commercially made baked goods.
Read MoreAbout to teach a course on how to simplify family nutrition, I find myself challenged to relinquish control over food. The thing is, I know so much, and knowledge is powerful, right?
Read MoreEvery January I undertake one behavior change, and one dietary shift. This year, those two categories merge, and stem from the same concept: mindfulness.
Most of my behaviors reflect being a mother of young, impressionable children. While we have made great strides during mealtimes, this year I will invite my kids to routinely share in dinner preparation.
Read MoreWinter is the season of water, and attuned to its pooling, quiet qualities, I crave soup! Likely the easiest food to make out of almost any ingredients, often I find myself using leftovers to make a pot of soothing soup.
Read MoreEach November, as I begin to embrace the colder weather and longer nights, I am beckoned by comfort foods containing rosemary and oregano. I’ve attributed this “magnetism to herbs” to my Italian heritage and to a seasonal shift in my taste buds from sweet to savory. Recently, I have added rosemary to my routine in an unusual way, by dropping its essential oil onto my head.
Read MoreOn October 23 I gave up all added sugars and most fruit. With Halloween on the horizon, I knew I wouldn’t be tempted by processed candy, and since I’d given up sugar at least twice for lent, I imagined an easy success.
Read MoreMy household has moved into a soothing soup phase, turning to root vegetables, squash, garlic and onions procured at the last farmers’ market. One way to enrich our soups and to save money is by making veggie broth from scratch.
Read MoreHistorically, the cold autumn weather would lay to rest the fruits of summer and, along with it, our sweet tooth. Our taste buds would shift from a hankering for ripe apples, pears and plums to the heartier carrots, squash and onions. However, with year-round availability of fruit and sweets – and sinister holiday treats – cravings for sugar intensify rather than wane.
Read MoreWhen building my son’s lunch box, I start with a minimally processed protein – some kind of nut butter, hummus, beans or fish from last night’s meal. Then I decorate the protein with colorful fruits and vegetables.
Read MoreOne of my earliest memories of health was my dad’s diagnosis with familial hypercholesterolemia – a fancy way of saying that his high cholesterol is genetic. I remember dad wearing matching workout suits to the gym and dramatically changing his diet per his doctor’s orders. A six-month no-avocado, no-egg, no-elk diet cast an ominous cloud over the household...
Read MoreServe With Love.
My kitchen is my happy place. When seeking balance in this tumultuous life, I find solace in creating nourishing meals for family and friends. We feel more present as we lean in over the chopping block of scattered veggies and fragmented thoughts.
Food permeates a long list of my life’s experiences, though it was witnessing conventional treatment and cancer’s wasting effect on my sister’s body that ultimately propelled me toward the path of integrative and functional nutrition. But I was already walking the walk.
Each food decision is conscious. An idealist, I try to remain gentle and flexible after a mistakes in the kitchen, in the garden or in town. Energetically, every cell is affected by actions.
Years of investigating the physiologic interconnectedness of the body and its response to food and environment, has led me to simplify nutrition, meal planning, and a busy life, and to prioritize wellbeing through mindset, behavior change, and the power of healing foods.
If you’ve ever been challenged by food or relationships (and the cross-section of both) and if you appreciate raw & authentic stories that inspire awareness about yourself, then you may enjoy “Clean Food, Messy Life: A food lover’s conscious journey back to self.”
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Disclaimer: I am not a medical doctor and cannot diagnose medical conditions, prescribe, or discontinue medication, though I am happy to work in collaboration with your primary physician as part of a complete care team. The information on this website is for educational purposes only and is not intended to serve as medical advice.
