Berry, Lime & Spearmint Tea Smoothie

I’d love to be able to share in everyone’s fall enthusiasm. Boasting pumpkin everything, with the promise of scarves and boots and 90% less pit stains on tank tops. I’m with you guys. I would like it to rain. I would like the dusty California hills to be able to settle down with a nice cool drink of water — or vodka — whichever falls out of the sky first. But, right now it kind of feels like fall will never get here. It’s what I affectionately call “I’M-PROBABLY-GONNA-DIE-HOT” outside. Also, by affectionately, I mean dramatically — and most often peppered with choice swear words. So, here we are, clinging to the hope of fall, and forced into late summer survival mode. Also, our meals are going to be exclusively smoothies. K, thanks.

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Chocolate Sunshake + Slaying An Anxiety Dragon

A couple weekends back, I found myself crying in a farmers market.

This isn’t typical farmers market behavior. Usually it’s a sunhat wearing, hip checking a vegan to get the best bunches of kale, haggling over baskets of warm strawberries type of situation. But, I haven’t been having a typical week, or month, or year. I used to go to our local farmers market regularly on Sundays. We’d meet up with friends. We’d eat gluten-free crepes, and sweat profusely in the sunshine as we listened to some dude play a sitar. But, in recent months I haven’t been going. My body has been tired, and my mind even more so.  My health will ebb and flow along with my Lyme treatment. Unfortunately, it often gets worse before it gets better. I get trapped in days or weeks or months of feeling like I’m walking through a thick sludge. Exhaustion will creep in and feel debilitating. My normal vivacious self just sits at a hum under a heavy blanket of fatigue. It’s disorienting and frustrating and a breeding ground for anxiety. I stopped doing things that I love to do. Driving became difficult if not impossible. Flowing through a yoga class made me feel like I was suffocating. I’d stare at the door the whole class as if it was the only thing between me and freedom. Walking around the neighborhood I’d feel my heart pounding — my mind racing, telling me that I was too tired, that I wasn’t safe. So, those rows of vendors at our farmers market, selling produce and honey and fancy pickles didn’t feel the same as they did a couple summers ago. Everything was difficult now. Simple every day things become big things. Huge things. Mountains. […]

Honest Whole 30 Recap, Week One + Coco-Berry Superfood Smoothie Recipe!

If you follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you might have already seen I’m smack dab in the middle (er…the first week) of a Whole 30. One of the questions I got when I so boldly announced I was going to swear off cheese for thirty days to a world full of internet friends and strangers was, “What the heck is a Whole 3o?” Great question. I can point you to the official website where they explain this cray to the cray endeavor I’ve decided to journey on. But, I’ll give you the gist: It’s thirty days. No grains, beans, dairy, sugar, or anything processed. You can eat all the veggies, meats and fruits that you want, along with nuts, seeds and good fats like coconut oil or coconut milk.  Try to keep it organic. The less processed the better. You know — blah blah blah — healthy things. […]

Probiotic Mango Lassi Smoothie

Gut reactions. Let’s talk about them.
For instance, my gut reaction when ending a phone conversation is to say “I love you.” This bodes well most of the time since my most frequent phone convos happen between myself and my husband or my mother or my best friend. But, this can prove awkward when trying to end a call with a telemarketer. It might go something like this: “No. I don’t want to take your survey. Please take me off your list. Okay. I love you. Bye.”  Ugh. There it goes, just flying out of my mouth. Do you want to know how many preliminary job interviews or business phone calls I’ve almost ended that way? All of them. I kid you not. I literally start pre-panicking in my head about five minutes before the end of a business conversation and mentally prep myself to not automatically spew my misplaced affections all over the person on the other end of the line. […]