Summer flaunts the perfect season to relax, unwind, connect with friends, family and nature, be adventurous… In reality, summer can feel more stressful – we contend with irregular schedules, kids at home, entertaining houseguests on vacay while we work, tourism, traffic and construction. Planning a simple weekend campout ignites extra effort, anxiety, to-dos. Long days, social activities, late nights equals less sleep, more exertion, increased potential for short tempers, irritability, and the inability to enjoy the moment. We know we need to slow down, yet we remain ramped up!

My kids and I did not embark on an Italian “vacation” simply to visit the birthplace of pizza and gelato or trace our family’s heritage. No, it was a work trip dedicated to food discovery, with reconnaissance for upcoming family food retreats. We under-scheduled most days to enjoy being a part of the vibrant, fresh life enticing us with scents of waffle cones and freshly baked croissants. We ate simple meals. I shopped in mini-supermarkets, touristy farmers markets, bars (yes, “bars”), pasticcerias, panneterias, and massive grocery stores.

...the largest object next to me at the terminal workstation was a woven basket full of food. My second carry-on contained a small cooler bag with our lunch, plus a small tote with non-perishable bars, seaweed, jerky, dried fruit. Eating during travels is anxiety-provoking (for me), as finding nourishing foods can be a formidable chore. Considering most people get sick when they travel – added stress, poor sleep, less exercise, strapped time, irregular mealtimes, cramped quarters, new exposures, unforeseen challenges, lots of waiting – it's worth having a plan with food I enjoy.

YES! It does. Despite all the pushback from modern agricultural systems and special interest groups promoting the safety of conventionally grown foods, eating foods grown as naturally as possible is, at the very least, the most responsible thing we can for our one Earth. We humans are extensions of nature – we literally, physically, and biochemically would not be alive on this planet without nutrients and nourishment from Mother Earth.

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.