Can we PLEASE talk about cherries? 🍒

Can we PLEASE talk about cherries? 🍒

by | May 17, 2021 | Food

I have the best memories of summer beach days and cherry seed spitting contests. If we’re being honest, I’m still finding ways to spit the seeds. Who’s with me on this one?

The wonderful news is that in addition to being the most fun fruit to eat in the world, cherries have incredible health benefits and they are now in season, just in time for summer. Can I get a woop woop?!

Cherries are wonderful for digestion and constipation. Generally, red foods are building to the blood and our cherry friends are no exception. They are high in iron and therefore excellent for anemia. Their low glycemic index makes them suitable for diabetics. In fact, they’ll help stabilize blood sugar. How about that?

You know how much I adore liver loving foods, so my absolute favorite part of cherries is their ability to detox your liver and lymphatic system. This will also stabilize your emotional body and help you release anger and frustration. Don’t they just look like happy berries? 

They’re extremely high in antioxidants (think major cancer fighting properties) and beta carotene (think super power vision and glowing skin)! Did I mention they help you burn fat and reduce inflammation? Cherries also produce melatonin, which helps those 💤 and actually slows the aging process.

So basically cherries are like sipping the fountain of youth. I mean, need I say more?

Do I need to twist you arm on this one? Go support your local farmers and then invite me to a cherry seed spitting contest! 🍒

Spring Refresh & Almond Mylk Recipe

Spring Refresh & Almond Mylk Recipe

by | May 11, 2021 | Food

Are you feeling sluggish this month?

This is totally normal & there’s one thing you can do that will make a HUGE difference.

Spring air is damp & heavy. If you continue to consume foods that are also damp and heavy, you’ll very likely feel bogged down, lethargic and not so clear in the mind (hello brain fog). Excess heavy & damp qualities in the body also lead to depression, which is quite a heavy feeling when you think about it. When we eat in alignment with the seasons, spring is the time our body will begin to burn fat as fuel. This is so important in preparing our body for the heat of summer.

If you could change one thing about your diet for the Spring months, my advice would be to give up dairy, especially cheese. The thick, sweet, gooey, heavy, building quality of dairy will clog your lymphatic system & slow down your digestive fire. The sluggishness you’re feeling right now is a sign your body needs foods that are lighter, more astringent, bitter, and a little pungent to thin out the blood and burn fat. But don’t fret, you can bring dairy back over summer, as it pacifies pitta dosha! 

Homemade nut milks are a great way to eliminate dairy without feeling deprived.

Homemade is important because the boxed milks are watered down to cut costs, and then thickeners, stabilizers, sweeteners and preservatives are added to bring back the flavor and thickness that was quite literally watered out. Almond milk is and should always be truly nutritious. It’s a great source of fat and protein when made fresh. All you need is a blender and a nut bag, strainer, or cheesecloth.

I’m a huge fan of almond as my day to day, but you can get creative and make milk from any nut…think hazelnut, pistachio, cashew. They are all quite delicious. Enjoy the almond milk recipe below. 

Homemade Almond Mylk Recipe
• 1 cup raw organic almonds soaked overnight
• Rinse almonds in morning until water runs clear
• Pop off the skins. They should slide right off- this will give an extra smooth & creamy yum to your milk
• Blend w/3 cups water & a pinch of salt, then strain
• Options to sweeten: blend with a date or w/coconut water

This will last 3-4 days in the fridge, so enjoy it while it’s  fresh!

Roasted Beets & Carrots Recipe: Food for your Liver

Roasted Beets & Carrots Recipe: Food for your Liver

by | May 7, 2021 | Food

Did you know your liver has over 500 metabolic functions?

Yes, that is A LOT to take care of. As you can imagine, optimal liver function is key to enjoying radiant and vibrant health.

So let’s talk about foods that LOVE your liver!

Beets and carrots are what we would call liver loving foods. Beets build the blood and nourish the liver. Because of their flavonoids they also fight allergies, microbes, inflammation and cancer. They are heating, so Spring is a great time to enjoy them and cleanse the blood before the summer heat kicks in. Late fall and early winter are also ideal times to enjoy beets, as your body works to stay warm in the colder temperatures. 

Carrots are both sweet and bitter, which leads to a cleansing and nourishing of the blood and liver. They also fight cancer. Carrots are a wonderful digestive aid as they cleanse the stomach and intestines. And both beets and carrots are thought to be aphrodisiacs…just sayin.

Easy and delicious Roasted Beet and Carrot Recipe

  1. Peel and chop the raw beet and lightly lather in coconut butter

2. Add olive oil to your raw carrots. Then top with rosemary, high quality salt (Pink Himalayan is my fav), and black pepper.

3. Roast on 375 F until tender and enjoy!

These root veggies go really well with a light grain like quinoa, and some bitter greens like cilantro & parsley.

How are you gonna show your liver some love today?

Chai Tea Latte Recipe

Chai Tea Latte Recipe

by | May 3, 2021 | Food

Spicy Chai Tea Latte with Fresh Almond Miik 

This deliciousness is a must have, especially in the Spring and Winter. Its pungency will help with digestion, and the almond milk balances the herbs so that it’s soothing and not irritating to the gut. Spicy  chai is excellent for weak or sluggish digestion, cramps, congested lungs, or slow circulation. It destroys toxins and invigorates the blood, which is essential for optimal health. You’ll feel the vitality flowing through you! The fresh almond milk is a game changer-I’ll leave the recipe below. Don’t even waste your time with the boxed!

This recipe is adapted from @divyaskitchennyc in her new cookbook What you eat for how you feel.

Herbal Chai Tea Latte
1. Boil 4 cups water in pot
2. Grate 1-2 inches of fresh ginger and add to boiling water (I use 2 inches because I LOVE ginger)
2. Add one cinnamon stick (Ceylon is my fav)
3. Take 4-6 green cardamom pods and crush them so they slightly break open. Add them to the boiling water
4. Add 15 whole black peppercorns
5. Use 4-6 whole cloves
6. Optional: Add 1 star anise. Flavor wise, I can’t tell the difference with or without the star anise, but it has incredible digestive properties, so I opt in when I have it.                                                                                                             7. Turn heat down and simmer for 30-40 minutes (the longer you simmer, the more pungent, which I like).
8. Add 1 cup fresh almond milk to the pot. Strain and then add raw honey to taste

It is so delicious and satiating. A perfect light breakfast or afternoon treat!

Almond Milk
1. Soak 1 cup raw organic almonds in filtered water overnight in fridge
2. Pop the skins off the almonds (they’ll glide right off and this will make your milk really smooth)
3. Add almonds to blender with 3 cups spring water. Blend until smooth.
4. Strain with a cheese cloth, nut bag, or mesh strainer. Store in a glass jar in fridge for 3-4 days

You can also add a pinch of salt, 1/4 tsp vanilla, or a date before blending. I usually keep it plain so I can use it for a variety of things. For example, I add honey in the chai. I blend it with a date and warm it for a cozy dessert. I’ll add cacao and maple syrup for hot chocolate. I like it plain in hot cereals. Endless options. 

Enjoy! My chai is literally brewing as we speak.

5 Reasons to Eat More Soup

5 Reasons to Eat More Soup

by | Apr 15, 2021 | Food

Love me some parsnip chickpea soup. Actually, this is the first time I’m having parsnip soup ha! But let me tell you, this is some serious nourishment. I just felt all warm and cozy and nourished from the inside out. What an incredible feeling. 

So here’s my pitch to you. My top 5 reasons why you should eat more soup:

✔️Extremely Hydrating
It’s like food + drink in one (I also feel this way about watermelon). We’re about 80% water. Hydration is underestimated. It literally works miracles.


✔️It’s Warm
It takes an incredible amount of heat to break down food. Our HCL (hydrochloric acid) would burn a hole in your finger if you somehow figured out a way to touch it. Digestive enzymes are smokin hot too btw. Cold foods weaken your digestion by cooling down the chemical process. And when your digestive fire cools, food is only partially broken down. Undigested food particles lead to toxicity.


✔️An Opportunity for Increased Nutrition
So many nutrients can go into soup! All types of veggies that you wouldn’t normally eat. I mean, a true abundance of superfoods that may taste too bitter or are just not your jam, cooked together with great spicing = optimal digestion and absorption. And the more different types of plant food you eat, the stronger your microbiome. Yes please!


✔️It’s Light, Yet Filling and the Recipes are Endless
Soup is something that we rarely over eat. Your body seems to know when it has  had enough, and you feel light, happy, and satiated. It won’t weigh you down (and I’m not talking about those cheesy soups). Your intestines need ample space for peristalsis. Soup will give you high nutrition without the bloat or discomfort from a heavy meal. And there are endless soup recipes for all seasons, all body types, and all taste buds.


✔️It Feeds So Many People
One pot of soup feeds a family. And if it’s just you, it makes great leftovers. Try it for breakfast the next day…your digestion will love you.

So what kind of soup are you making next?

The Six Tastes in Ayurveda

The Six Tastes in Ayurveda

by | Feb 24, 2021 | Food

In Ayurveda, we try to incorporate all six tastes into each meal. Digestion begins on the tongue. The six tastes in your food will stimulate all stages of digestion. This is because each stage is associated with one of the six tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent, and astringent

Try incorporating at least four tastes into your meals. Using simple ingredients, it’s easier than you think. A basic Buddha style bowl has all of them.

🌿Sautéed collard greens (astringent + bitter)
🌿Quinoa and avocado (both sweet)
🌿Garbanzo beans (astringent)
🌿pink salt (salty)
🌿black peppercorn (pungent)
🌿squeeze of lime (sour)

In each season and according to your own body constitution, you’ll use different ratios of the tastes. But incorporating all six into your meal increases digestibility. What you can digest, absorb and assimilate will be sent to every cell in your body. So good digestion = good blood.

Do you have a favorite dish that you want to make more Ayurvedic? 

Comment below and I’ll give  you a few ideas!