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From Bullied to Empowered

There are two natural responses children react to when they feel threatened, uneasy or in danger; they are the same reactions that follow us into our adulthood, and we defer to them when we do not have the tools or resources to change our behavior. They are our norm.

We call it fight or flight.

When we are in fight mode, we are defensive, aggressive, outwardly dominant but inwardly, deeply insecure. We defer to this reaction because it gives us comfort, and we feel that we do not have anyone to protect our best interests so we must be our own heroes.

If we are in flight mode, we run away from conflict or anything that requires us to be our own advocate. We may shrink ourselves, hide from others, and we are viewed as weak, fake, or possibly frail. We are prone to be targets of those who are more powerful, dominant and ego-driven because we do not have a voice and rely on those who do to make our decisions for us.

Running from myself and others has always been my kryptonite; as a child who was morbidly obese, I stuck out from my peers like a sore thumb, and I ran from confrontation. I desperately tried to blend into my environment so that I would not draw unwanted and unnecessary attention to myself because the attention that I received felt like a hammer to my soul. I was mocked. I was teased. I was told that I was worthless, and my frail ego believed it.

As a creative child, I believed I could be anything, and there was nothing that could stop me from being all that my heart desired – except the opinions of others. Twelve-year old me didn’t understand why no one liked what I had to say – they laughed when I spoke, so I shielded my voice, and they poked fun of how I looked so I wore clothes three times my size to drown me away.

The insecurities bled into my adulthood. I desired friendship, companionship, and any type of connection with whomever gave me the time of the day, and this led me on a journey of a decade’s worth of pain in my twenties that catapulted me into an emotional and mental breakdown.

This led me on the journey of discovering who I truly was; the road to my divinity (finding my power within) began with a conscious choice to treat myself the way I wished I had been treated as a child: with kindness, patience, and unwavering love.

Sometimes, that is what is required from us all: to treat ourselves the way we wished others would have. 

There will come a time that the fight or flight reactions that we have kept from our childhood to protect us will be the tipping point in our adulthood to guide us to the awareness of where we are internally hurting and where we need to properly care for certain spaces within us that we have chosen to push aside, and ignore for far too long. 

If you find yourself struggling in a state of fight or flight, your soul is asking you to dig deeper so that the truth of who you are can be revealed.

To be of fight and flight is to live in a life of disempowerment; we are disengaged from our true nature, from our strengths, and our divinity; to find the power within you, within us all, requires willingness of the heart to rediscover the truth of who we are.

Are you ready to live an empowered life?

Sometimes, that is what is required from us all: to treat ourselves the way we wished others would have. 

The Dis-ease Within

How do you know if you are living a life disassociated from your core desires? What separates you from knowing that you are unhappy, and living in a space of denial? What is the key to changing your reality from a space of lack to a space of wholeness?

Awareness.

Everything begins with awareness. If you live in a state of awareness, you are able to see your life from the perspective of being an active participant in your experiences versus just letting life happen to you. Case in point, if you are at a job that is unfulfilling, you may experience stress-related illnesses, you may suffer from anxiety, panic attacks and possibly depression – a person who is unaware may continue to live in the space of compromising their wellbeing to stay within the status quo.

Whereas, the process of awareness will have someone questioning the correlation to their illnesses, their wellbeing, and their current unfulfilling job.

What brings us dis-ease always stems from a root. A cause. Life will show up (as it always does), and give us signs to hint to our discomfort, or to show us where we are not aligning in our truth, and if we ignore those signs, they become bigger problems, and those problems can turn into storms that we can no longer possibly ignore.

The storm can show up as us losing that job, that house, that relationship, or receiving a massive rejection or heartbreak that cripples us…. the storm requires us to deal with what we have refused to acknowledge within ourselves for so long.

If we decide we are willing to go deeper, we can begin to ask ourselves difficult questions:

  • Why do I feel this way?
  • When did these feelings start to surface?
  • Am I honoring myself?
  • Am I living for others?
  • Am I truly happy with my life right now as it is?
  • If not, what is blocking my joy right now?

These questions may be uncomfortable because the awareness causes us to be unapologetically honest with our truth, and that truth may be completely different than the current reality that we are residing in.

Who wants to admit that the life that they are living may not be one that they really desire?
When I was living a life for others, I suffered deeply from panic attacks, codependency and low self-esteem – the connections that I surrounded myself with reflected my discomfort within, the job that I worked aided in my depression…peeling back the layers of my pain, I recognized that I had been living for everyone else but myself, and that my dis-ease within was manifested by ignoring my heart’s desires.

The heart deserves to be heard, and if we do not listen closely…if we ignore our heart, we ignore our inner guidance to a life that is in alignment with who we are out our core. To hear the heart begins with honoring the awareness of your discomfort, and then venturing into a journey of coming back to the authenticity of you.

Unlearning & Relearning

When we were babies, we were innocent, naïve, and fearless; we lived life in the space of wonderment and bewilderment. There was nothing that we could not do or face. We were bold, our dreams and desires were imprinted on us from the moment that we were formed in the wombs. We were all born with our character traits, our needs, our wants so what happens when we grow up as adults, and we live in a space separate from our desires, our needs and our wants? 

It’s the external programming. It’s the learning. It’s the layers of beliefs that are placed upon us as babies, children and young adults from our families, our friends and society; instead of living a life that we were intended to live by showing up in our power (the power that was given to us at the inception of our creation), we adapt and mold ourselves into what fits society standards. 

We dim parts of our dreams. 

We quiet our voices. 

We attempt to fit in rather than stand out. 

We conform. 

We adapt. 

We accept jobs that go against our desires. 

We compromise our needs in relationships to soothe what was never given or lost to us as children. 

And, then the pain surfaces…the anxiety, the panic attacks, and the depression.

Our identity has been built upon layers of what others may want from us, and to reidentify with the core desires of our hearts requires us to unlearn the programming that we have subscribed our souls to for the entirety of our lives. 

Is it simple? Hell no but if you are able to live a life that is not your truth for decades, you can certainly learn to live a life that is in alignment with who you really are; it begins and ends with the mind. 

What we believe, we shall be. If you are told that you must be a certain way to be accepted (ex: dress this way, look this way, talk this way, go to this school, marry this person, live this life), you form a belief about yourself. A limiting belief inherently communicates to your soul that who you are is not enough and you must be something else to be deemed worthy of good things. That limiting belief becomes our identity. We form our lives, our choices and our decisions around that limiting belief. 

To undo the belief requires a discipline of how your mind works, and a conscious choice to welcome positivity into your life. 

It sounds easier than it is, but the method works. Just listen to Oprah Winfrey. Eckhart Tolle. Michael Singer. Paulo Coehlo. 

Every spiritual teacher asks: 

How do you get up in the morning? How do you move throughout your day? How do you interact with others?

Do you simply exist within this life or do you actively move with intention? 

To live a life of intention shows up in how you choose to see yourself, speak about yourself, how you feel about yourself, and what you give your energy to; if you are welcoming positivity, love, and compassion into your space on a consistent, daily basis, you are actively reprogramming your soul to see your life from the perception of love, and if love is there…you begin to peel away the layers of what others may want for you, and align to the voice of who you really are. 

The voice that was imprinted within you in the womb. The voice that is here to guide you, protect you, and align you back to the desires of your heart.  

The journey to you begins and ends with LOVE.

Welcome LOVE!

What we do everyday – how we show up – how we interact with others – how we see ourselves – becomes our reality. What you do now becomes your tomorrow. If we are aware that our current reality is a byproduct of our daily inner monologue then would we be more intentional about how we choose to live?

After being bullied as a child for being overweight, I chased adoration as an adult until it led me down a path of deep loneliness, despair and anguish. I lived a life that was created by a falsehood…I created my reality by lying to myself daily. One day, I became tired of living a life that felt incredibly painful to keep up with.

What I began to understand about learning to eliminate negative past beliefs about myself was that it required an overwhelming amount of patience, love, and compassion…but not from others…

This was required of myself.

If we are to challenge our status quo, we need to learn a new way of being, of thinking, and of living.

Coaches will tell you that you need to adapt a new mindset. Healers will say that you need to work on yourself. Therapists will tell you that you need to get to the root of those negative beliefs/reactions. They all say use different terminologies, but the underlying message remains the same: use love, and your life will begin to change for one that’s in alignment with your truth.

How can you welcome love into your space?

The journey of discovering yourself is never-ending. There is no right or wrong way to becoming your most, true, authentic self but there are things that you can implement into your life on a consistent basis that will help ignite a deeper, understanding of who you are and what you desire.

I call it living life from your five senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound.

Find a ritual that stimulates your five senses in a way that welcomes more love into your spirit; for example, if you are listening to music, podcasts or audible books that are encouraging, uplifting and loving – your mind becomes adapted to the messaging that you are feeding it daily – a message of love, a message of growth, and a message of change – as time passes, you will notice that your reality is shifting by what you are feeding your spirit on a daily basis.

What can you do daily that feeds your mind, your spirit and your body?

In my case, I wake up daily to looking myself in the mirror and speaking loving affirmations to myself (using sight and sound) to nourish my wellbeing, and then I may some play music (preferably Lizzo) that reminds me that I’m a badass woman, flaws and all, as I feed my body with food that feels good to my soul or maybe I listen to an empowering podcast about self-love and how to shift from my current state of being into a life I desire.

My rituals change daily by how I feel (because let’s be real – we’re not always happy!) but the effort I have put into how I treat myself with my five senses has equated to living a life that has opened doors of miraculous opportunities; I lived a life of denial for so long that now, learning to love myself on my own terms, relearning the truth of who I am, life has granted me the opportunity of having experiences that reflect my inner work.

I’ve connected with souls who see me for who I am and accept me. I have written books. I have traveled. I teach others how to align to their authentic truth. I found love, lost it, healed, and then learned to find love again…but with myself first. I have found my voice, and while it is not for everyone – it is mine, and I won’t ever quiet myself again. I have pulled back the layers of people pleasing, self-sabotage, and depression to reconnect with my heart space again…

The one I was granted with in my mother’s womb. The one I lost when I was a child…I have found her again.

That’s the gift that is given when we rediscover ourselves. Our joy. Our power. Our light. We find a way back to who we were as children. We find our way back home.

It is on us to decide to release the programming from our past and create an intentional life of what we want to experience.

Life isn’t happening to us, it is happening for us, and if we are willing to be conscious participants in our experiences, we will find that we are more susceptible to such magical, loving, and truly beautiful moments that reflect the love that we have created internally within ourselves.

How much LOVE are you willing to give yourself? Daily? Weekly? Monthly? How much are you willing to fill your cup so that you may live a life of empowerment?

The choice is yours. 

Breaking the Chains of Chronic Illness

Illness. That word can have different meanings to many. It can be getting sick with an acute onset of something such as the flu or strep throat, you go to the doctor, get some meds and you’re better in a couple of days. Or it can be an acute onset of something such as appendicitis, you go to the hospital, get surgical intervention, and then two weeks later your good as new. Chronic illness, however, is an entirely different animal. 

Chronic illness is when nothing gets better, you’re going from doctor to doctor, treatment to treatment and it can take years to really find the problem, and if you are lucky enough to find the root cause of the illness, it most likely requires medications that can cause unbearable side effects. It becomes a never ending circle. Chronic is life long. And if I am being honest, I never really gave much thought to people with chronic illness, naively, I did not realize it existed, to the staggering amount of numbers it is at today. I thought of it as rare… and then it happened to my youngest daughter…and then my oldest not long after.

The beginning

My youngest daughter at 15 started to experience pain and extreme redness in her feet and legs while walking or standing. It started out very sporadic, though I thought it was odd, it was not happening enough to really be concerned. Until, it did. The pain started increasing and it got to the point where the pain was becoming a part of her daily life. That began the journey for her and our family to find out what was happening. I could probably write an entire book alone, on the beginning of our journey. We began searching the best area hospitals, Mayo Clinic, a number of different doctors that each helped in her diagnoses, but nothing much was offered as far as a cure, a treatment and most of all relief of symptoms. The main diagnoses we were dealing with were Erythermalgia, Small Fiber Peripheral Neuropathy and POTS syndrome (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia). Unfortunately, there are not very good treatments for these illnesses (syndromes) and some of the medications given to  relieve the pain, had such horrible side effects for her, that she could not function. 

Which was worse? 

There had to be something else out there? I would not let her live this way, if I could help it.

Another change

Meanwhile, my oldest daughter was moving out of state, thousands of miles away to pursue her graduate degree in Arizona. A few months out there, she had started mentioning to me she really was not feeling herself. I attributed this to stress of a rigorous school program, new surroundings and possible anxiety about what was happening at home with her sister. Several months went by and her health was not improving and she was ultimately diagnosed with Lyme Disease. 

Here she was, thousands of miles away sicker than she had ever been, I could not believe this was happening. Here I am with, not one, but two kids, with serious illnesses. I had urged her to come home as I just did not know what else to do. I cannot help one in AZ and the other in IL. In the end she, alongside her boyfriend decided to stay and deal with her new found diagnoses, without me. As hard as it was for me not to be with her, it was probably the best decision she could have made. After doing her fair share of bouncing around from doctor to doctor out in Arizona she stumbled upon a functional medicine doctor who would introduce her to IV therapy.

A new hope

At first, I was skeptical. 

What the heck is Ozone Therapy, High Dose Vitamin C, Glutathione, Myer’s Cocktail? 

Are they safe? 

Why have I not heard of these before? 

Probably because we just never looked, or rather, we never needed to. After much research, we learned Ozone Therapy can help to combat bacteria, viruses and yeast, it also improves your circulatory system. High Dose Vitamin C is also used to help combat viruses and Glutathione is helpful to detoxify and boost your immune system. Myer’s Cocktail IV’s are loaded with vitamins and minerals that are better absorbed by IV versus pill form.

My oldest daughter decided to embark on this method of healing, and while the treatment was pricey, there wasn’t much to lose in trying. After many months of IV treatments for her Lyme disease, my daughter began planting the seed for me to bring my youngest daughter down from IL to AZ to visit with this doctor and see if maybe these therapies could help her too. We were pretty much running out of options, so we went and I am glad we did. 

In time, the first symptoms that slowly started to improve was the fatigue (that debilitating type fatigue where you just cannot get out of bed) was starting to lift and the girls were starting to feel more energized. That feeling created hope, for us all, that maybe they could get over the worst of their illnesses.

Healing is not linear

I also do not want to give the wrong impression that IV therapy is a magical “cure-all” for Chronic diseases, but rather a tool you can utilize, especially if you don’t see any end in sight to your suffering. Keep in mind it does not happen overnight. It takes time, persistence and patience. Healing is NOT linear and I learned that through this journey. There will not be one pill, one doctor visit, one treatment that will be the answer for chronic illness, but a culmination of many things. Both my girls still have issues respective to their individual diagnoses. My daughter with Lyme still suffers from some gut issues and food aversions and my youngest daughter with Small Fiber Neuropathy and POTS still has many days of pain and lingering circulatory issues, but most definitely not as severe as once was. 

We still use IV therapy as needed to help when flares arise and with this, they are able to continue living their life, maybe a little differently, but they are living it nonetheless. There was a point in their illnesses when I seriously questioned if “normal” life was going to happen. Normal as in going to school, working, taking vacations as a family, not being debilitated every day. Thankfully they are able to, and I attribute a lot of that, if not most of their progress to functional medicine and IV therapy, alongside western medicine.

A word of encouragement

If you have been suffering with a chronic illness and you have not been able to feel better, or even if you still are searching for a diagnoses, I would urge you to find a good reputable functional medicine practitioner and see if IV therapy may be a good fit for you.

5 Ways to Connect and Get to Know Your Period

In the past year, I have been on a fairly intense journey to reform my relationship with my menstrual cycle. Here are my 5 favorite ways to connect and get to know your period—and why I think they are worth a shot.

5. Ditching Your Tampons

I don’t care if they are organic. I don’t care if they have an incredible applicator or no applicator at all. Tampons are not gentle on your body. Especially those with chemicals. Have you ever read the Toxic Shock warning on tampon boxes? It’s way more common than you think. Many of the materials and products used to make tampons more absorbent are actually contributing to your discomfort. Tampons can cause an increase in discomfort, in cramping, and in bleeding. If you’ve ever had to remove a tampon that wasn’t completely wet, you know your body has feelings about it.

It can be intimidating to make the switch. But you may have been intimidated by tampons at one point as well and you made it through that. You can make it through this, too!

Whether you switch to a cup or a disc, it’s very likely you’ll experience almost immediate benefits, relief, and a renewed sense of dignity. Sure, there can be a learning curve in how to use them properly and that will likely feel stressful at first. But making this switch changed my entire view of my period. Just one cycle with a disc instead of tampons helped me to feel more comfortable, in more control, and far more aware of what was happening in my body. Plus, it’s great for the environment and that always feels good.

4. Tracking Your Cycle

It’s one thing to know you had your last period X days ago. It’s another thing entirely to pay attention to the whole cycle. For me, it helped me not to dread my menstrual phase (my period) because it wasn’t the only time of the month that mattered anymore. And the process of labeling each of my days with a follicular, ovulation, luteal, or menstrual designation has offered me a wealth of wisdom that I didn’t know my body even had. When you track your cycle fully, you can see exactly why you feel the way you do, crave this food or that, shine in this area of life or struggle with this element of your day. It all simply starts to make sense. It’s amazing to me how validated my clients, as well as myself, feel when they see on the calendar what their hormones are working on. We were taught that our hormones are a rollercoaster and they are chaotic and unpredictable. And when you look at a woman’s mood from one day to the next, I can see how we jumped to that conclusion. But the whole picture is a 28 day circle. And when you look at that circle, you see a beautiful pattern that makes room for you to thrive at so many different things, each in their own time.

I have a fun little guide you can download for free here if that would be helpful for you! Cycle Tracking Made Easy

3. Cyclical Rhythms

In February I created a line of oils that correspond to each phase of your cycle and I excitedly asked a few of my friends to try them with me and report back. These four blends are made in the hopes that it will reduce uncomfortable and annoying symptoms and will help you better align with each phase of your cycle. Over and over what I have heard as the greatest benefit of these oils, is not just that they help to manage symptoms, but that they’ve created a daily rhythm that feels powerful and wise and intuitive. It helps you to come into your body, notice where you are at, how you feel, what you need. Incorporating a rhythm that allows you to connect into your body can be a life changing shift for women. Especially those who spend most of their day in their mind. It doesn’t have to be these oils. Any rhythm will do.

2. Eat for Your Cycle

You are what you eat. And it’s due in large part to your hormonal response to what you eat. Everything you put into your body plays a role in your gut health, which plays a role in your hormone health, which plays a role in your reproductive health. And because our feminine bodies go through hormone shifts differently throughout the month, it stands to reason that eating the same thing every day isn’t going to serve us as well as eating based on what your body needs in that given cycle. I got the Moon Cycle Cookbook earlier this year and It’s now a staple for recipes and meal planning in our home. My whole family enjoys these meals so I don’t have to feel alone in caring for my body and this feels really important to me.

I highly recommend this book, but you can also just be mindful of a few key points. For instance, during your Luteal phase, your increase in progesterone slows the body’s systems down, including your bowels. So it’s a really important time to eat high fiber foods. Cinnamon helps to rid the body of estrogen, and when you do that before your period starts, you’ll experience a lighter flow. Or that during your Ovulation phase, you think the least about food because you don’t want to be stuck in the kitchen. So it’s important to set yourself up to eat things that don’t take long to prepare and meal prep so you don’t “forget to eat.”

1. Prioritize the Cortisol Flush

Cortisol, the “bad” stress hormone, is an enormous factor in how your period goes down each month. The more stress that’s stored in the body, the more your menstrual phase has to work to clear everything out. One of the cyclical phenomena about women is that we store up our anger, and our stress, in the body until the first day of our menstrual phase. That moodiness is passed off at the catch-all PMS. In reality, you have been holding that anger, negative energy, and cortisol in your body and your menstrual bleed is your body trying to eliminate it.

And we can keep trucking along like this for the rest of our lives if we want to. Or, we can help our bodies to flush the cortisol, the negative energy, and anger from our bodies daily so that when we get to day 1 of our cycle, we don’t have to catch up on 28 days worth of work.

There are a few fun ways to flush the cortisol from your system. Shaking for a few minutes a day is a really easy one. You could mask this as a 1 song dance party if that makes you more comfortable. But really it’s as simple as shaking your body, your limbs, your fingers, your head for a few minutes. This breaks up that energy and that cortisol so it can easily leave your body. Sweating is another way to flush the cortisol out of your body. Exercise or a good 20–40 minutes in the sauna can greatly improve your body’s ability to remove cortisol before it builds up. And Orgasms are another beautiful, pleasurable way to remove cortisol, anger, and negative energy from the body.

There are so many small ways to turn your period from something you dread into a way you respect and honor your body each month. I really hope a few of these resonate with you.

The Truth About Healing: It’s Not Easy

Let’s talk about healing—within the wellness, spirituality, and coaching industry. An industry I love dearly and am truly honored to be a part of. I am grateful every single day that I am a Spiritual Healer. I am grateful that this industry found me and I am walking this path.

But healing is often glamorized.

We see another person’s progress, how far they’ve come, where they once were. Seeing their journey as an outsider (from a very filtered lens) can make you believe that if you take the same steps, you will have the same results—that you’ll instantly feel the same way. People often assume one or two healing/coaching sessions will help them find their purpose, release their anxieties and depression, and feel inner peace. And *poof* they’re healed!

Don’t get me wrong… a healing, coaching, or wellness session with a trained practitioner can absolutely shift where you are in that moment in time. It can usher in feelings of peace, clear stagnant energy, release limiting beliefs, and so much work. Doing this work does change your life. It deepens your connection to yourself. But healing is not easy. Healing takes time. It takes commitment. It takes work. And most importantly, every single person’s journey is completely different. What worked for one person may not work for you. No one’s timeline looks the same as yours.

When you begin to go down this path, one of the most common misconceptions I hear time and time again (and believed myself when I started this journey) was that there was a tangible finish line. That there was an end to this road of healing. You may believe that after a certain amount of therapy, coaching, and healing you will never experience lows again, and your life would be amazing every single day forever more.

Here’s the Truth

There is no finish line. The work never stops…but is that really such a bad thing? Choosing to walk this path means you choose yourself, over and over again. You choose to honor your connection to our mind, body, soul, and spirit. You can choose to show up for yourself, in whatever capacity or modality needed in that moment. Because healing can look different as you move through different seasons in your life.

I don’t share this to scare you or intimidate you. I share this to be honest and to be real. To remind myself and you that healing is not easy, and if it doesn’t feel easy for you, you are not alone. And, it’s okay that it isn’t easy.

Emotions, moments, and shadows you thought you ‘healed’ from in the past may come back to the surface in unexpected moments. That doesn’t mean you failed. It means it’s simply time to dig a little deeper. To allow yourself to explore a new layer from a new lens and perspective.

There will be times when it feels right to do deep inner work and there will be times to allow the work you’ve done to integrate. Celebrate your journey. Honor your growth. Admire your commitment to yourself.

Growth, healing, and this life is not always easy. It can be uncomfortable when things are not flowing and don’t feel easy. But through the discomfort is where you allow yourself to expand. You are ever evolving.

The Energetic Design of Your Reproductive System

Last year, my spiritual healing clients started to notice something fascinating: When they consistently saw me for an appointment (1-2 times a month), they found that their menstrual cycle was much more manageable. Some experienced less pain, others a shorter menstrual bleed, and most felt more in control of their stronger emotions that are often lumped under the umbrella of “PMS.”

They usually ask me, “what did you do?” But the truth of the matter is, I didn’t do anything. They did. They created space for themselves to talk, to unburden, to release what isn’t serving them well anymore.

And the direct result of that is a more mild and manageable cycle.

Contrary to what you may have been taught, your period isn’t supposed to be horrible, something you just suffer through and then forget about for 3 weeks.

Unfortunately, we aren’t taught that our emotions, our view of and care for ourselves has a direct impact on our physical health. So does our perception of the role we play in this world, and the health of our relationships. And our menstrual cycles, and the symptoms they come with, actually serve as a diagnostic for our spiritual and emotional/mental health.

The only trick is to look at your cycle with curiosity instead of judgment or resentment—and to know a little about the energetic design of your reproductive system.

You may already know that your womb sits within the second or sacral chakra. This means that it is aligned with your creativity, joy, pleasure, sexuality, playfulness…you get the idea. But a closer investigation offers even more information. Everything within your reproductive energy is directly related to your experience with money, sex, and power. Stress, trauma, manipulation of any of these areas of your life will have a direct impact on your menstrual cycle and the organs that play a role.

We can get more specific about distinct organs, too. The energy of your uterus is connected to your relationship with yourself. This means that the relationship you have with yourself is unbelievably important to the health of your cycle, not to mention your ability to conceive and carry a baby. Heavy bleeding, painful cramps, endometriosis pain? All might be stemming from a poor view of self. This might feel intense to read. And if you’re like me, you’re maybe sliding down far into your chair, covering your face with your t-shirt or tempted to close this tab and avoid any further calling out. But the beautiful thing is, this can be a relatively easy fix, that’s free and won’t require any medications. The key to healthy uterus energy is being kind to yourself. Start to notice how you talk about yourself in your head. Notice what pieces of you you look at when you are in the mirror. Notice your response when you get a compliment. Look at those things with curiosity and then start to say kinder, more loving things.

It’s by no means a quick change, or any easy feat. But consider the fact the gestation time of a uterus is roughly 9 months. So it will likely take 9 months to change your perception of yourself. To love yourself more fully. And that’s just really good to know. It won’t happen overnight. But those challenging period symptoms aren’t life sentences either.

Now let’s talk about ovaries. The energy of your ovaries directly connect to your perception of how you fit in the world. It’s about your perception of how people view and interact with you. This means, when relationships are healthy and happy and you feel you are putting good into the world, your ovaries are able to be totally aligned with you and create incredible things. However, if you’re struggling with purpose, work, or relationships with others (not just your partner), your ovaries can be energetically impacted. This might present as irregular cycles: maybe too long, too short, or inconsistent durations, continuous bleeding, etc. This also may present as fibroids or cysts on your ovaries, or PCOS.

Healing this energetic imbalance or dis-ease is a little more challenging because it’s not just you involved. But it is absolutely possible. I always encourage clients to first look at your calling or your purpose. Are you able to work in a field you feel valuable in? Do you love what you do? Do you love who you do it with? What is the energy like at work? Do you come home fulfilled or emptied out? Then you can also look at your relationships. With your parents, your significant other, your friends, your children. Do they value you? Do you get to be yourself in their presence? Is it a one way relationship or does everyone get and give in amounts that feel sustainable?

The trouble is, the relationships that can be wreaking havoc on your ovary energy might actually be past relationships. This is where I highly recommend working with someone. A therapist, a spiritual director, or reiki practitioner—someone who can walk with you through this healing and help you to navigate and implement healthy boundaries. And while the energy of your ovaries is a little more complex to heal, the gestation of that energy is only about 28 days, so you’ll notice a shift a lot more quickly.

If you are a relatively symptom free menstrual cycle, this is important to note for you as well. Because keeping an eye on what your cycle is telling you will allow you to catch an energetic imbalance before it becomes a full blown diagnosis. Whether you have a cycle you love or a cycle you dread, this information is an opportunity to learn a little more about your inner workings and feel a little more love toward yourself. And that little bit of love is a beautiful step in the right direction.

4 Things People with Chronic Illness are Sick of Hearing

If you’ve been a person with a chronic illness for more than about, oh, I’d say five minutes, chances are that you have had some kind and helpful messages from well-meaning friends and family. Messages that may have lit up your day and helped you push through a rough patch. But along with all those supportive comments comes some that’ll leave you a little dazed and confused on just how to respond.

There’s the more than slightly gaslight-statements like, “you look so great”, after you’ve spent most of your day doubled over in pain or parenting from the couch. If you have any type of autoimmune or other “invisible illness” people do actually think they are complimenting you. And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t need that reassurance—that I could fake it in society sometimes—even as I’m going through the worst symptoms of my illness.

However, some of the messages people with chronic illness get are downright hard to hear. And if you’re like me, you might simply be sick of hearing them.

The first message you’ll often here is:

“You are so strong. I could never do what you’re doing.”

This message is one of those sneaky little ones. People think they are being empathetic and encouraging, but this message is actually quite isolating. When you say this to a chronically ill person, it’s, in fact, perpetuating the lie that you are separate from being vulnerable to a chronic illness or a disability—which is simply not true. At any time and at any moment, anyone can be hit with a debilitating illness or disabling event. You are not different from us.

And secondly, more often than not, we do not feel strong. We feel weak. Because of the toll our chronic illness is taking on our minds, spirit, and bodies. Mostly, it feels like there’s no other option but to move forward. We might have more energy one day, and that’s probably the day that you will see us. We’re no stronger than any other person on the planet. And we want you to know that yes, you could do this. Because you might just have to. One in four Americans have a disability and about half of all American adults have at least one chronic condition. So instead, take this time to learn from us, empathize with us, and support us, because you might just need the knowledge we’ve gained from living in our chronically ill bodies.

The second message we hear a lot is:

“If you just think more positively and focus on that, you’ll get better.”

This message is damaging because people that are at risk for chronic illnesses often have histories of trauma in their past that has been glossed over or plainly ignored. Additionally, having a chronic illness or disability increases your chances of developing PTSD and other mental health conditions. Focusing on the positive can be helpful in many instances, but much of the time it prevents healing from things that have been very challenging in our past. We often have trauma responses that need diagnosing and attending to. And most importantly, all we wish to do is to feel positive again. You telling us that we should be more positive only reinforces just how terrible we feel about feeling terrible. Additionally, it shames certain emotions that you deem are negative. This is damaging because it’s healthy to express anger, frustration, sadness, grief, and disappointment. Telling us to “turn off” those emotions further disconnects us from our bodies when we are trying so hard to heal.

The third message we are done hearing is:

“So you’ve had x, y, z treatment. Are you better now?”

There’s a reason that our conditions are called chronic. It’s because they don’t go away. Many things can go into remission, but chronic illnesses do not tend to just disappear (although I’ll never knock a miraculous healing event). For example, even though I’ve had a kidney transplant, I will always have kidney disease. Now I will be on intense immunosuppressant medications for the next (God-willing) 50ish years of my life. Getting off of them is not an option without suffering severe consequences (like losing the function of my transplanted kidney). Additionally the medications cause many damaging side effects (such as increased risk of cancer, neurological damage, and further kidney damage just to name a few).

There’s also the unsaid message from this that is: “Can I finally stop worrying about you now?” We would like to say “Yes!”, but it’s most likely not a reality for many of us. What is helpful is acknowledging the treatments and procedures we’ve had and asking us how you can support us physically or virtually. Many of our challenges will be lifelong. Some will be less at times, but some of them will always exist. We are always looking for healing and for our health to be restored. So sometimes we will be doing better than other times, but overall chronic conditions don’t just end.

The final message we are tired of hearing is:

“My friend had that…and they are doing so much better now that they tried x, y, z.”

While this one can sometimes be a helpful message, it completely depends upon the context. The only context where it’s appropriate is if I’m actually asking for health advice? If not, please save the information for yourself. I know my condition intimately. I’ve found many healing modalities when I’ve been needing them and have been open to hearing about them. But if we aren’t asking for your help, please do not share things that you think will help us feel better. It sends the message that what I’m doing is not enough, that I don’t know what’s best for my body, and that something outside of me will make me feel better. I’ve had the most luck when I’ve recognized that the answers are already inside me or that I know exactly how to get what I need in the moment.

I know it can seem like a minefield when talking to someone with a chronic illness, but it’s actually quite simple. It really matters what the intention of your message is. If you are coming from a place of love and acceptance, we’ll feel it (eEven if you end up saying one of these messages above). We might roll our eyes a little bit, because we’ve heard it before, but we know that you love us. It’s when you try to shame or tell us there’s something wrong with us (like we don’t know!) that it becomes damaging and harmful to us. So truly, put yourself in our shoes the very best that you can, and imagine saying what you’re thinking of saying to us to yourself. If it feels like you’re saying it to make yourself feel better about our condition, best not to say it and instead communicate messages of love, safety, and support. That’s all we really need anyway. It’s hard for us to ask for help, even when we desperately need it. Knowing you are a safe place to come to when we do need help is the biggest gift you can give us.


These well-intended messages might not go away instantly for those of us with chronic illness. But they don’t have to for us to feel better. It’s okay for people to say these things and for us to have our own back on how we respond. When you know what people are likely to say to you, it’s easier to decide who you want to be when you respond. It’s usually not worth the energy arguing the point. When you step into your own authority of your life, you don’t need everyone to agree with the way that you choose to live your life. You don’t have to convince them that your way is the right way because you can always be open to learning more. But you do get to choose when and how you will have those conversations. If you’re not open to it, you don’t have to have the conversation.

How to End an Uncomfortable Conversation Quickly as Someone with Chronic Illness

  1. Agreeing with the person
  2. Finding humor in what they’ve said
  3. Being bluntly honest

The quickest way to agree with someone is simple. All you have to do is thank them. People think they are being helpful. So when you thank them, they often feel like their job is done. If I can find a way to find humor in the topic, I’ll bring it up. It often lightens the mood and helps us realize that this isn’t a conversational path either one of us really wants to go down. If thanking them or finding humor doesn’t close the conversation, then I move into the bluntly honest by saying something like “thank you for sharing that, I’m not open to talking about this at this time.” It saves you time and energy that are a valuable commodity by not getting entangled in a you versus them conversation. And who knows? Maybe what they’ve said does end up being helpful later to you.

Thinking about the four messages you’re sick of hearing, this is how these things could apply to those messages:
  1. When someone tells you a version of “you’re so strong” or “you look great”, you can agree by saying “thank you.” If it’s someone close, you might explain exactly how you’re doing. But if you don’t know them very well or you don’t have the energy to explain, simply thank them and move on with your day.

  2. When someone tells you to focus on the positive, you might quip back something witty. For me, I might say, yes, my donor was CMV positive and I ended up hospitalized because of it. But I do like to be positive. Thanks for reminding me. Just not too positive.

  3. If someone asks you if you’re better now, tell them how you’re feeling that day. Being honest, without divulging information you aren’t comfortable with, is usually the best way to respond to this. I’ll often tell people, “I’m doing well now. I’ve got some nausea in the morning and I’ve had some tremors from the medication, but overall my labs are looking good right now.” This lets them know that my journey isn’t over, but that things are stable right now.

  4. When people tell you about a new off the wall treatment, either thank them or tell them that you like how you’re managing your symptoms right now. If they persist, you might ask them a different strangely intrusive question about themselves. It’s whatever you’re feeling in the mood for.

The point is that you don’t need to add stress to your body’s already stressed state. Look for the good in what people are saying. Question if the words they are saying really mean what you are making them mean. For example, if someone says “I could never deal with what you’re going through,” instead of making it mean that they are pitying you and judging your life, you could also see that it’s possible they are giving you a high compliment. Both could be just as true. The suffering comes in us thinking that people should not say these things to us. And, while it would be nice if they didn’t, we don’t need them to stop for you to give yourself the love, admiration, and validation that you deserve. That’s a gift you can give to yourself. And you don’t need anyone else to do it for you (although it wouldn’t hurt if they did).

You are worthy, you are loved, and you are of infinite worth. And no one’s words can take that away from you.

Your Menstrual Cycle: A New Perspective

Netflix just came out with a new docuseries called The Principles of Pleasure and in the first episode they talk a bit about the Orgasm Gap. Think the Wage Gap, but in bed. These brilliant women were sharing about how little education women receive about pleasure, their bodies, and how to navigate their sexuality. And they discuss how relatively unimportant female pleasure is when you hold it up to the light against male pleasure.

I’ve heard it time and again from my clients, too. They say things like, “I just don’t need sex like my husband does. Or at least not as much as he does.” “I’ve just never been a very sexual person.” They are brilliant and beautiful women who have low sex drives, low desire, low interest in sex. They are women who don’t feel comfortable receiving pleasure and for many of them, they generally have sex with their spouse to fill the role of “good wife.”

And then I’ve got clients who have decided their sex drive is too high because their husband’s is lower than theirs, creating a whole new layer of judgement and shame about who they are in this world.

So much judgment. So many social constructs and influences. And so very little experience and curiosity. Is it any wonder then, we carry this disinterested and mildly dissatisfied type of attitude into our relationship with our own menstrual cycle?

There are two main ways women who come into my office describe their periods to me:
  1. “It’s horrible, and I hate it, and it hurts, and I wish it would just stop.”

  2. “It’s generally annoying and inconvenient and I try not to think about it until the day or two before.”

And by “the day or two before,” they mean the day or two before their period, or menstrual cycle, bleeding begins.

That same lack (or suppression) of information about our bodies that has been applied to sex and pleasure, has been applied to our cyclical nature. Most of us grow up with no idea what’s going on below the hem of our jeans. You know, the ones that never quite fit us like we’d like them to. Most adult women don’t have any understanding of our cyclical nature. What we do know of it, is wrapped in shaming and disgruntled or delusional language. Watch one tampon commercial. It’s all about hiding your period or setting the unrealistic expectation that you can do everything on your period you can off your period.

Shame. Or Delusion.

Sure, you can do anything on your period that you can off it. Except that 40-50% of menstruating women have primary dysmenorrhea (painful periods). And that the percentage of women missing work because of their painful periods have caused some countries to implement Menstrual Leave in the workplace.

I know, I know. It’s gotten so much better. We have started talking about it. We are switching from heels and tampons to sneakers and menstrual cups. We are starting to like our bodies in every size. We’re unanimously mad about pink tax and we love/hate Goop. We’re trying Flo gummies and pimple patches and we’re pumped. Together. Until we start bleeding. And then we loathe a whole week of our lives. One quarter. Twenty-five percent. And we are in pain. Adult acne in women is on the rise. We are getting diagnosed with horrible things like PCOS and Endometriosis and infertility at an unprecedented rate. We are also having hysterectomies at an unprecedented rate. And we write it off with a, “what do you do?” or a “sucks being a woman, doesn’t it?”

What if There was Another Way Around This?

What if we looked at our bodies and their cyclical nature with curiosity and a little bit of wonder instead of judgment and shame? What if we asked why our symptoms were happening instead of finding a way to mask them, in order to better “keep up,” with life? What if we tapped into the energy of our whole cycle, not just the bleed, and asked ourselves “what can each of the four phases of my cycle offer me?”

What if we loved our cycle?

What if we understood that our Follicular phase was our monthly invitation to newness and spent that time dreaming up what could be?

What if we tapped into the natural charisma and connection that comes to us in our Ovulation phase?

What if we honed in on what we can complete, what we can write, and how we can tend to ourselves and others in our Luteal phase?

What if our bleeds were not something to dread, but instead an invitation to rest, to reflect, and to remove anything that is no longer serving us well?

Our cycle can be a nuisance, or it can be a beautiful way to take care of ourselves. It can be something we resent, or it can be something that communicates to us what our needs really are. Our cycle can be an invitation to step out of a linear 24-hour lifestyle and into the freedom of a 28-day circle.

I wish someone would have taught me about all the goodness of being a woman. The reality is no one taught my teachers. How on earth could they teach me? Now, I’m grateful that I have the opportunity and privilege to learn about my body and to step into authenticity, creativity, and pleasure by looking at my cycle differently. What’s more, is the gratitude that comes in helping other women step into the truth of their own cyclical nature. There is healing to be done within our wombs. It’s big, systemic, physical, and emotional healing. 

Embodying Beauty Through a Self-Love Practice with your Hair

Anyone can be confident with a full head of hair. But a bald man, now that’s a diamond in the rough.

Many of us, including myself, have been here. Wondering if you’re doing your hair right…or feeling self-conscious about not knowing how to put on eyeliner. Asking yourself, how do I do this? Where do I start ? Who can I ask to teach me? Overcoming obstacles, experimenting with hair, makeup, and fashion all are a significant addition to learning who I was.

In order to be happy, I had to be happy with myself…everything after that comes easily. Knowing what you like, how to take care of yourself, using resources like books, mentors, friends & family—you can learn to take care of yourself. It helps tremendously when you are able to work with what you’re born with instead of fighting against it. Part of that comes from self-love and self-acceptance. The other part comes from life experience and going through those experiences to remove that mask you’ve learned to hide behind. Navigating these everyday questions allowed me to learn who I was over time. The ability to say, ‘This is who I am, and I’m okay with that part of me. As a matter of fact, I love that part of me. I love all of me.”

For a long time I would say “I’m putting my mask on” and it truly felt like I was. I clearly remember getting ready for a night out with my friends and it was like I was taking on a whole new persona, as if I was bringing out an alter ego because I felt I wasn’t enough as myself. I didn’t feel pretty enough. I wasn’t outgoing enough. Or whatever insecurity it was in that moment of time. Oftentimes I would use drinking to bring out what I thought others would accept. Getting to know yourself, embodying yourself, it takes learning. Asking questions, accepting your beauty without comparison. Which, admittedly, is a learning curve, but it can be done.

The Disconnect Between Beauty and Self-Love

As a hairdresser I always wondered why I felt like there was a disconnect with the beauty industry. I couldn’t figure it out. But I always knew there was more beyond just hair and makeup—more beyond the surface. There had to be right? Beauty is not only on the outside, it also comes from the inside. In the beginning of my career as a hairdresser I wanted women to look beautiful and at the same time I wanted to help all of my guests gain the confidence that they lacked. The strength that they didn’t see was there. More than getting your hair done on a Friday night before going out drinking and dancing or chopping your hair off after a bad break up.

Feeling great on the inside allows you to shine even brighter.

I couldn’t grasp the concept of what was missing. It wasn’t until a few years ago, actually, that I realized what the answer was. The answer came from me, from within. Self-love. Self-care. Self-talk. How many times have you gotten ready for the day, for the night, and hope that you would be seen. But what if you were getting ready for you? Wouldn’t it be great to step out into the world knowing who you are? Knowing what you love, without a doubt. Knowing who you are down to your deepest core, and accepting yourself just as you are. That part is a discovery. It takes an open mind and heart, experimenting and learning how to work with what you were born with. Embrace who you are and work with what lovely locks you inherited.

Embodying Your Beauty Through Your Hair

Don’t be afraid to work with what you have. Look for a hairdresser that specializes in your texture. Embrace your hair, your skin, your features. Embrace you. You can enhance hair with color and vice versa. A simple cut and a pop of color can change the look.

What about self-care rituals?

Turn those practices into rituals. A time for you to connect with your body. As you apply a hair mask, say some affirmations. Have fun with them! Nothing is too far out of reach. Come up with some feelings you want to embody and incorporate them into your affirmations. Now take those feelings and create 3 to 5 affirmations.

How to start your affirmations:

I am_____.

 

My hair is_____.

Feelings you may want to embody:

Sensual, embody, relaxed

Affirmations you can use as is, or use to inspire your custom statements:

  • My hair is an extension of my beauty.

  • I embody the sensuality that is my hair.

  • My beauty is not based on someone’s expectations of me.

Allowing yourself to feel the power of your affirmations and self-care rituals. Hair is not your identity, it adds to it. It’s an extension of who you are. Take baths, use essential oils, or milk baths—create an atmosphere that is both relaxing and serene. If you’re not a bath person you can still create a ritual out of this. Set the mood. Bring out the candles, music, anything that will connect you with yourself. Shower bombs are also fun and step-up the self-care game!

Show the world (and yourself) that your hair can be an expression of you, your color an extension of your magnetism. This an uplevel of your badassery. As your style in life evolves, so does our hair, your interests, and even those you surround yourself with. It’s up to you to show who you truly are in those stages. Let who you are authentically shine when you walk in the room with confidence.

Live your life. Experiment in all aspects. If you’re like me, you probably have some old pictures to look back on and just wonder, “what I was thinking?” Look back on her, your past self, and remember that those periods were how you got to where you are today, and were necessary in learning who you truly are.

How To Transition To A Plant-Based Diet Lifestyle With Ease

Shifting from the Standard American Diet to a plant-based diet can be confusing, not to mention overwhelming. You’ve eaten one way your entire life, after all, and any habit you’ve followed for a long time is tough to change, not to mention, of course, that you’re confused about where to start. Sure, it’s easy enough to say eat more plants, but how?

I’ve been eating mostly plant-based for five years now, but consuming meat is still close enough that I remember what it’s like to come from the opposite end of the spectrum. If you’ve been eating a heavily animal-based diet, the transition to a plant-based diet might seem impossible. You might be thinking what could one possibly eat if you don’t eat meat, eggs, and dairy? Well, don’t you worry. I’m here to assure you that not only is there plenty of nourishing, delicious foods to eat but they can be prepared as fun and creative plant-based alternatives to all your favorite foods.

So first, let’s begin by changing your mindset around what being plant-based might mean for you. It’s important to approach this new chapter with an open mind and to keep things positive. Try to think in terms of what you’ll be gaining from eating a plant-based diet instead of what you’ll be missing out on. Maintaining your new diet shouldn’t be about willpower, struggle, or deprivation. In fact, once you learn more about plant-based eating, you’ll see that you don’t really have to give anything up—just substitute for other options.

Once you’re familiar with the ins and outs of plant-based alternatives, you’ll have no problem learning to love the plant-based lifestyle and how it makes you feel.

What Is A Plant-Based Diet?

Eating a plant-based diet means eating whole, unrefined or minimally processed plant foods. It’s based on fruits, vegetables, tubers, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. Being plant-based, it excludes meat, dairy products, eggs and refined grains, sugars and oil.

You Need To Know Your Reason Why

It’s important to get really clear on your reason for embarking on a whole food, plant-based diet. If it’s a big lifestyle change for you, it’s going to get tough at times and having a clear reason why can help you stick to your goals.

Reasons for eating plant-based could include:
  • preventing disease

  • managing blood sugar

  • lowering cholesterol

  • living longer

  • love for animals

  • losing weight

  • reducing your environmental impact

There are a lot of great reasons to eat a plant-based diet. Which one(s) speaks directly to you?

Find a reason that inspires and excites you and get really clear on it. Write down your why and stick it on your fridge or bathroom mirror. Keep that reason front and center to help you stay focused.

What Is The Difference Between Plant-Based And Being Vegan?

Let’s talk a little bit about the difference between vegan and plant-based. While they’re very similar, you may be vegan but not eat a whole food, plant-based diet—or you may eat a plant-based diet but not necessarily be vegan.

Vegan

Veganism is the practice of minimizing harm to all animals by abstaining from animal products such as meat, fish, dairy, eggs, honey, gelatin, lanolin, wool, fur, silk, suede, and leather. It is more than a diet, it is a way of living that seeks to exclude all forms of exploitation and cruelty to animals for food, clothing or any other purpose.

To technically be vegan, it would mean no down comforters, no wool socks, no honey, no gelatin-based candy and of course, no eating dairy, eggs, meat, or fish.

Plant-Based

A plant-based diet on the other hand, is just about the food. You can pretty much guess what it’s all about from the name. If you eat a plant-based diet you may not necessarily be vegan and you might have other reasons for eating that way than just compassion.

It Can Be Compassion And Health

Animal agriculture takes on a toll on our environment and natural resources. Raising animals for meat and dairy produces about 15% of all greenhouse gas emissions. That’s more than the entire global transportation sector. Producing meat demands a lot of water too. A 2-ounce serving of pasta requires 36 gallons of water while a 4-ounce hamburger requires 616 gallons. To combat the damage, we need to make some substantial shifts in the way we eat.

For myself, it started with health and the compassion followed suit as soon as I became further educated myself on animal cruelty. As I learned about modern day meat production, it was clear to me that I couldn’t be a part of it. From there, the more I educated myself on health and nutrition, the deeper my love for plant-based eating grew.

I eat a plant-based diet and do my best to reduce harm to animals in all areas of my life. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, do the best you can with what you have at any given time and don’t beat yourself up if you stumble.

I personally like the idea of reductionism or doing your best to reduce harm. Becoming a strict vegan isn’t going to work for some people and I think a mostly plant-based diet is better than nothing at all. Listen to your body and trust your gut, you’ll find what’s right for you.

What Is The Difference Between Being A Vegan And A Vegetarian?

Vegetarians do not eat animals such as cows, pigs or fish but still include animal products such as dairy and eggs in their diet. Vegans do not eat or use any animal products. That means no meat, fish, eggs or dairy.

Appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate…and appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes.

Why Choose A Whole Food, Plant-Based Diet?

By eating unrefined foods we are able to take advantage of all the macro and micronutrients we need but none of the junk we don’t. Reducing refined sugars, grains and oils is important in reducing inflammation.

Plants are healthy for us, and most of us don’t eat the recommended amount of fruits and veggies, so making the majority of your diet plant-based will up your produce ante, which is a nutritious choice. Fruits and vegetables are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber. Fiber is a nutrient that most of us don’t get enough of, and it has a ton of healthy perks—it’s good for your waistline, your heart, your gut and your blood sugar. If done correctly, we receive better overall nutrition.

Could Becoming Plant-Based Make Me Unhealthy?

A plant-based or vegan diet could technically be made up of processed food, sugars, refined grains, and unhealthy fats, that’s where whole food, plant-based comes in. A whole food, plant-based diet aims to minimize or eliminate processed foods and stick to foods as close to their natural state as possible.

If you end up becoming a “junk food vegan,” then you may end up feeling low-energy and having a protein deficiency. A diet consisting purely of frozen vegan waffles and chips won’t supply enough protein (or practically any other nutrient) for your body’s energy needs. But if you take full advantage of a plant-based diet and fill your plates with colorful produce, hearty grains and satisfying nuts and beans, then you should have no problem meeting your daily protein goal.

And if you don’t plan well and you don’t eat a balanced diet, you can be missing out on important nutrients, such as vitamin B12, calcium, iron, zinc and protein—all of which are part of healthy, whole plant foods. Other nutrients to take into consideration are vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids.

What Constitutes a Plant-Based Diet?

A plant-based diet is one that centers on whole plant foods:

  • Legumes (chickpeas, beans, peas and lentils) provide plant protein and essential amino acids.

  • Mushrooms are a rich, low calorie source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants and help mitigate the risk of developing serious health conditions, such as Alzheimer’s, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. They’re also great sources of Selenium.

  • Leafy green and cruciferous vegetables for calcium and other nutrients.

  • Nuts and seeds provide healthy fats.

  • Whole grains offer essential amino acids, iron and zinc.

  • A variety of fruits and veggies so you don’t eat the same things every meal and every day. This will ensure you’re getting a mix of various vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.

  • Herbs and spices.

Why is a Plant-Based Diet Good For You?

A plant-based diet is the only diet that has been shown to not only prevent—but to reverse—advanced-stage cardiovascular disease and Type 2 Diabetes. In fact, one study shows that meat eaters have double the risk of diabetes compared to lacto-ovo vegetarians and vegans. Another study, this one published in February 2019, shows that people who eat a plant-based diet have higher insulin sensitivity, which is important for maintaining healthy blood sugar levels.

There’s also excellent scientific evidence that many chronic diseases can be prevented, controlled, or even reversed with a whole-food, plant-based diet. A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association reviewed the diets of more than 300,000 people and found that the more closely they followed a plant-based diet, the lower their risk of developing type 2 diabetes, regardless of how much they weighed. Other studies have found a link between eating plant-based proteins (like beans and tofu) and overall longevity.

Studies also suggest that plant-based eating is associated with sustainable weight management, reducing the risk of heart disease by lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol, and improving your blood sugar control. Eating plant-based can also help quell inflammation, which raises your risk of heart disease by promoting plaque buildup in your arteries.

People who follow a plant-based diet tend to have lower body mass indexes (BMIs) compared to their omnivore counterparts. And research shows that people who use a vegetarian diet to lose weight are more successful not only at dropping pounds, but also at keeping them off.

You’ll also likely reap benefits from cutting down on meat (plant foods have less saturated fat and usually fewer calories), but it goes beyond what you’re limiting. Eating more plants means getting more of those good-for-you vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals and fiber – many of which are nutrients we typically fall short on.

In addition, it’s also linked to the prevention and treatment of hypertension, high cholesterol, and lowered risk of certain cancers. Research consistently shows that regularly eating plenty of fruits, veggies, legumes and grains is associated with a lower cancer risk. Those disease-fighting phytochemicals in plants have also been shown to prevent and thwart cancer. And, don’t forget, studies also show an association between eating red and processed meats and increased cancer risk, especially colorectal cancer. So there’s benefit not only from just eating more plants, but also from replacing some less-healthy foods with those plant foods.

Here are some simple strategies to help you easily transition to a wholesome, plant-based diet:

  • Take your own time. Just as Rome wasn’t built overnight, nor do you have to switch to a plant-based diet overnight. Some people have different hurdles to overcome, and it may take time to prepare—mentally and emotionally—for that kind of change. It took me five years to transition to a mostly plant-based diet (occasionally I am still vegetarian at meals).

  • Instead of removing meat immediately from your diet, start by decreasing the serving of meat you consume, at the same time increasing the amount of plant-based foods on your plate. Gradually work on swapping animal-based ingredients with plant-based alternatives in your favorite recipes, and substitute meat alternatives for animal protein. Substitutions allow you to enjoy the same meals and flavors without changing too much at once.

  • Next, begin to let go of dairy products you don’t enjoy or consume often. One of the most common causes of gastrointestinal upset is dairy, and when you eliminate it, you get rid of symptoms like constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Dairy comes with numerous dangers, including increased risk of heart disease, diabetes and certain cancers like breast, ovarian and prostate. Eczema and other skin conditions often clear up after cutting out dairy. Not to mention, of course, that roughly 60 percent of the world’s population is lactose-intolerant.

  • Commit to a vegetarian meal at least once a day. A wholesome, vegetarian breakfast is a good place to start and potentially is the least intimidating to adapt. Since it’s not a meal you’d usually think about as veggie-filled, adding some here makes it easier to hit your daily quota. Then keep lunch and dinner as is. If you’re wondering what veggie-heavy breakfasts might look like, try adding spinach to your eggs, blending cauliflower in your smoothie or eating a breakfast salad. Usually we put an animal protein at the center of our plate at meals, so going vegetarian one meal a day is one way to cut back.

  • Watch your consumption of protein. Most people over consume it by doubling or even tripling the recommendations in the quest to get “enough.” The average adult needs a minimum of 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. One kilogram equals 2.2 pounds, so a person who weighs 165 pounds, or 75 kg, would need about 60 grams of protein per day. However, your protein needs may increase if you are very active.

  • We actually don’t need to consume protein per se. What we need is to meet our requirements for the nine essential amino acids which our body cannot synthesize on its own. All plant foods contain amino acids in different proportions and there is plenty of protein in plants to meet all requirements. As long as you are eating enough calories to sustain yourself and are focusing on whole foods instead of refined foods, it would be impossible to become deficient in protein.

  • Educate yourself on the food you are consuming. After all you can eat Oreos and drink Diet Coke and call yourself a vegan. So really understanding how to make your food taste great while still being healthy and wholesome is extremely important. In general, it’s best to stick to whole, intact foods as much as possible.

  • Visit a farmed animal sanctuary. Animal welfare is certainly one reason people adopt a plant-only diet, but even if you’re not in it for the animals, changing your lens on how you see animals can often strengthen your commitment to making the shift. The more you can connect with farmed animals – connecting with a cow or goat the way you would a cat or dog – the less likely you’re going to be to want to eat them. While the world has been mourning the loss of almost a billion animals in the Australian fires – and rightly so – they often forget about the billions of farmed animals killed daily. These animals value their life as much as the koalas in Australia did, and making that heart connection with them is key.

  • Stock up on healthy foods. There are so many incredible products on the market today that it’s easier than it ever was to incorporate plant-based foods into your diet. There’s something for every budget and every palate. So take time to explore vegetarian and fresh produce aisles at your local supermarket. Stock up your kitchen with nutritious, plant-based foods and keep healthy snack options in easily accessible places like your bag, desk drawer, kitchen counter and fridge.

  • Keep your meals fun and exciting. Focus on foods you like and ones that are easily accessible to you. Also, don’t deprive yourself of occasional treats. If you’re craving dessert, eat something you are excited about. In addition, invest some time in exploring new recipes, ingredients, food blogs and restaurants. Find like-minded people – even if it’s via social media, read books and watch films on the subject to broaden your knowledge and seek inspiration. Soon, you’ll start to crave more plant-based foods over time.

  • Count your wins. Every single bite of fresh fruits and veggies that you eat is a win for your health, the planet, and the animals. Celebrate what you’re doing right and let those successes inspire you to continue.

Lastly, keep in mind that any transition takes time. Much of this is about trial and error, finding out what works for you and what doesn’t. So be gentle with yourself as you find your rhythm to incorporate plant-based foods.

Black Forest Parfait

Black Forest cake is a classic. But in this recipe we’re switching the cake for a chocolatey cookie crumble and serving the luscious cherry compote on top of a big scoop of yogurt. You could make this healthier dessert for breakfast and no one would know the difference (don’t worry, we won’t tell anyone if you do).

This recipe embraces the natural sugars found in the fruit and enhances them with complimentary flavors like the star anise, chocolate, and orange zest. With this, you can have a sweet treat when you want it, without the sugar rush and sour stomach. From a nutritional perspective this dessert also supports balanced hormones and good gut health. You’re fueling your body with probiotics from the yogurt, antioxidants from the chocolate, spices and cherries, and healthy fats from the nuts, butter and yogurt too. Your body won’t be weighed down by a super sugary dessert and your taste buds will not be bored!

Ingredients

3 cup (16 oz) frozen cherries
2 star anise pods
2 tablespoons water
1 cup almond flour
¼ cup hazelnuts, roughly chopped
3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon coconut sugar
½ teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut in ½ inch cubes
4 cups plain unsweetened yogurt (Use your favorite dairy or dairy free yogurt. Ex. Siggis, Forager, Coyo, etc.)
1 tablespoon orange zest (optional)

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a prepared baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. To a medium saucepan, add the frozen cherries, water and star anise over medium low heat.Cook the cherries, stirring occasionally until the cherries softens, releases some juices and produces a syrupy compote, about 10-15 minutes. If you’d like you can continue to cook for another 10 minutes to allow the liquid to reduce and create a thicker syrup. Once the mixture is at your desired consistency, remove from heat and set aside.
  3. While the cherries are cooking, in a medium bowl combine almond flour, cocoa powder,
  4. coconut sugar and salt. Add the cold butter to the almond flour mixture and using a fork or your fingers cut the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse sand. The butter should be pea sized bits evenly mixed into the flour.
  5. Evenly spread the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet making sure it spreads out too much to allow the mixture to create some chunks once baked. This means you may only use ½ or ⅓ of the pans surface. Bake on the middle rack for 9-11 minutes until dry and hazelnuts are toasted. Remove from the oven and let cool.
  6. If you are very averse to plain yogurt, mix in orange zest to give some flavor and slightly cut down on the inherent sourness. The cherry compote will add sweetness as well so this step is optional, but adds a wonderful complexity with little effort.
  7. Get 4 cups or bowls to assemble your parfaits. First, scoop half a cup of yogurt into each bowl or cup. Add approximately 3 tablespoons of the cherry compote on top of the yogurt followed by approximately 2 tablespoons of the chocolate crumble mixture. Repeat the steps layering another half a cup of yogurt, followed by another 3 tablespoons of cherry compote and 2 tablespoons of chocolate crumble.
  8. Enjoy immediately! Each component can be stored in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Assemble when you’d like to serve.