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…

I realize summer isn’t exactly “shroom season,” but I’ve been toting around a bag of dried morels and a jar of porcini salt while house-sitting. I mowed down some lawn mushrooms, inadvertently chose a mushroom-patterned cloth napkin, have been inundated with psilocybin ads on my Facebook feed, and was delighted by the colorful felt mushroom my daughter made at art camp. I’m surrounded by fabulous fungi!

Have you been drawn to the trails to revel in the wildflowers? Or magnetized by the energy of last week’s “strawberry” full moon? And did the solstice mesmerize you to marvel at the colorful evening sky?

I have been rearranging my schedule to get outside more and enjoy the magic of spring, witness the river’s powerful flow, soak up the rain. Vegetable gardens may have been stressed by last week’s frost, but nature’s vegetables are abundant. Yes, wild vegetables!

My son just turned 10, and while reflecting on a decade of motherhood and nourishing my kids and myself, I ache to slow down. I want more time with my kids, less time on the computer and, yes! less time in the kitchen. When cooking, I’d prefer quality time instead of rushing through dinner prep while simultaneously making lunches, considering breakfast, and failing to be present.

The universe must have heard my plea because the next day…

If you’ve been reading my blog, you’ll know I look to nature to help guide my food choices. Seasons. Soil. Science. Solar eclipses. Yep, astrology, too. This Saturday we’ll experience both a new moon and a solar eclipse. What does that mean for us nutritionally?

First, some astrological background…

Some say spring equinox is the real New Year, when we rise with more light than yesterday to start fresh. So why not begin each day with a new morning ritual? Many books and personal guides teach about the importance of a morning routine that can literally change the pulse of our lives with a few subtle shifts.

Where to begin?

Now that masks are optional in most places around the mountain valley where I live - and elsewhere - perhaps I’m not the only one smiling more. Or maybe it’s the spring-like weather.

Regardless, there’s an underlying essence of freedom has been restored (Smiles! Faces! Choices!), but I’m cautious about being overly hopeful because while walking around mask-free feels carefree, freedom lies within our own hands. Or, perhaps, our own health.