Imagine starting each day with renewed energy, a clear mind, and a body that feels strong and resilient. The 12 Gifts of Health is a transformative, step-by-step journey designed to help you resolve health concerns, enhance longevity, and lay the foundation for lasting vitality. True change isn’t about quick fixes—it’s about releasing what no longer serves you and embracing habits that nourish and restore. This journey is an opportunity to discover what truly supports your well-being and empowers you to thrive. Lasting health isn't achieved overnight; it’s built through gradual, meaningful changes. To transform your health and unlock vitality, the most crucial step is removing highly processed foods from your diet. True healing can't occur when the body is overloaded with artificial ingredients, preservatives, and inflammatory compounds.

If you make one dietary change to set yourself onto a new trajectory of health, it should be to consume a nutrient-dense breakfast consisting of high-quality protein, fiber, and healthy fats. A nutrient-dense, high-protein, and fiber-rich breakfast will help you curb cravings for foods you are working to stay away from, boost your metabolism, balance your blood sugar, help regulate your circadian rhythms, keep your mind sharp during the day, and increase satiety. Setting achievable goals that you can build upon sets you up for the most success as it gives your body and brain time to rewire. Dietary change quite literally creates new biochemistry in your body that takes time to get used to.

The definition of the word “whole” is “a thing that is complete in itself.” When we eat foods in their whole form we get all nutrients, carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in perfect balance. These compounds act synergistically to orchestrate all reactions in our bodies. When some nutrients are missing, the body cannot function properly, and when many nutrients are missing for an extended period of time, the body can become diseased. Obesity, chronic inflammation, food allergies, infertility, and many other diseases stem from the body being starved of essential nutrients that are lacking in a processed foods diet. The chemical composition of food, its vitamins and phytonutrients, sends signals to our cells designating how the genes will express themselves; this means that every time we eat we tell our bodies which genes to turn on, and which genes to turn off. Did you know that there is more gene expression within two hours after eating than any other time of the day?

Your body is composed of over 30 trillion cells, each of which is continually listening and responding to environmental signals. Embedded in your cellular membranes are tiny antennas—structures that receive information from your inner and outer environment and relay it to your DNA. These biochemical messages shape how your cells behave. The food you eat is one of the most powerful carriers of this information. With every bite, you’re either turning on anti-aging, disease-preventing, and anti-inflammatory pathways—or activating the pathways that accelerate aging and inflammation. Let that sink in: every meal is a message. A conversation between your body and your environment. A chance to shape your future, one choice at a time.

When embarking on any new diet plan, it's essential to organize your kitchen with several key pieces of kitchen equipment. These items will make meal preparation go smoothly and help you have success on your diet. Many of the recipes in our membership portal utilize a food processor, high-powered blender, and Instant Pot to cut down on time spent in the kitchen and assist you in making delicious, nourishing meals. Additionally, having several high-quality knives will make all of the chopping and slicing much more enjoyable! In this post, you'll find key pieces of equipment to prioritize adding to your kitchen to make meal preparation more efficient and enjoyable. 

What is one way to decrease inflammation, improve gut health, upregulate detoxification, and increase insulin sensitivity? It is to consume more brightly colored fruits and vegetables daily! Sometimes the busyness of life prevents us from adding in the recommended number of servings of fresh fruits and vegetables we need each day. That's where smoothies come in. Adding everything to a high-powered blender makes it much easier to consume what you need in a delicious way! This red antioxidant smoothie is something I make several times per week. The smoothie contains raw red cabbage, several different types of low-glycemic frozen berries, avocado, citrus, and a red polyphenol powder to help boost the overall phytonutrient content.

Happy Winter Solstice! Today is the darkest day and the longest night of the year in the Northern hemisphere. It is a time of pause and reflection; a time to clear space for a new year. What do you want to release? What do you want to create for yourself in the coming year? I recently had a conversation with a friend that reminded me of something so simple, yet so foundational to the work I do. With every bite of food, we are choosing how we want to create ourselves.

When you are running low, feeling inflamed, and dealing with a health condition—or simply wanting to change your diet to eat more nutrient-dense foods—you may not have the time or energy to cook anything elaborate. In fact, when you’re under the constant pressure of inflammation, autoimmunity, or even chronic stress, it can be very difficult to consistently prepare nourishing meals for yourself. But ironically, this is when your body needs them the most. Meals during this time need to be simple and nutrient-rich. Returning to balanced, nourishing food—day after day—slowly helps bring your body back into alignment. Lamb is particularly rich in iron, zinc, selenium, and vitamins B12, B2, and B3—fueling methylation pathways, mitochondria, and hundreds of biochemical reactions involved in detoxification, energy, and nervous system health.

Flaxseeds are a powerhouse of nutrients and fiber that help feed your beneficial gut microbes, reduce inflammation, regulate your digestive system, improve cardiovascular health, and help normalize blood sugar levels. This healthy muffin recipe uses 1 ½ cups of flaxseed meal, in addition to a small amount of oat flour and a cup of wild blueberries to pack in the nutrients! The soluble fiber found in plant-based foods is essential for increasing gut health and longevity. Serve muffins for breakfast with a cup of tea and hard boiled eggs, or pack a muffin in your child's lunchbox. 

This Mediterranean Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner is a perfect fit for the Clean Eating Diet or Mediterranean Diet, offering a simple, nutrient-dense meal with minimal effort. With just a few fresh ingredients, quick prep, and one pan, you can have a flavorful, balanced dinner ready in no time! Whether you're juggling work, kids, or a packed schedule, meals like this make healthy eating doable! Plus, it's incredibly versatile—swap in different vegetables to suit your family's preferences or dietary needs, making it a meal that can be enjoyed again and again. Try this Mediterranean Sheet Pan Chicken Dinner on your next busy night—it might just become a go-to favorite!

I wanted to share this festive holiday kale salad with you, a flavorful dish that’s perfect for potlucks and seasonal gatherings. The combination of orange zest and juice, warm cinnamon, toasted pecans, and dried cranberries creates a bright yet grounding balance that feels especially fitting this time of year. It’s one of those salads that tends to disappear quickly; my children happily eat it by the bowlful, especially savoring the crunchy pecans and tender, well-marinated kale. You may have noticed that I’ve been quieter here over the past several months. Last spring, we signed a book deal with a publisher. Since then, I’ve been immersed in writing and meeting a full schedule of deadlines, which has pulled my attention away from the blog. I’ll be sharing more about the upcoming books soon.

Spring is in the air, at least for those of us on the West Coast! With the season’s fresh produce making its way to markets, I’ve been enjoying a simple dairy-free asparagus soup that I think you’re going to love. The creamy, herb-infused raw cashew-dill topping adds a delicious touch, but don’t worry, if you’re allergic to cashews, the soup is just as delightful without it! Did you know that asparagus is a powerhouse for gut health? It’s an excellent source of inulin, a type of prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial gut bacteria like bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. A thriving gut microbiome means better nutrient absorption, enhanced immunity, and protection against harmful pathogens.

Are you in the process of removing dairy from your diet and searching for a rich, creamy alternative to swirl into your morning beverage? This simple cashew-based creamer might be just what your body and taste buds have been craving. While I don’t personally drink coffee, I love adding this luscious cashew creamer to my turmeric-ginger spice tea, dandelion root chai, roasted dandelion root tea, and matcha lattes. It blends beautifully into warm drinks without overpowering them—unlike coconut milk or cream, which can sometimes have too strong a flavor for delicate herbal beverages.

Frittatas are just about one of the easiest, nutrient-dense meals you can make....and they can be whipped up in minutes! Serve a frittata for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. I frequently make frittatas to use up the odd bits of leftovers or random veggies in the fridge. I love using leftover salmon and roasted potatoes in a frittata. Green onions, chives, sausages, red bell peppers, yellow or red onions, olives, zucchini, basil, and broccoli are also wonderful ingredients to add to your frittata!