"I aspire to eating more vegetables, I know I should," Ann said in a recent nutrition session. "What's holding you back?" I asked "I buy them with grand ideas of roasting a bunch to have for the week, making salads with greens, and cutting up veggie stick to have for snacks. But then that all sounds too exhausting by the time I get home and they just sit in my fridge until they look like science experiments and I toss them." "That DOES sound like a lot of work - especially if you're tired...
4 days ago • 2 min read
"It's the chickeniest chicken you'll ever taste," Chef Shannon told her culinary students. Hey Reader, Have you been to a local Farmers' Market this season? Imagine walking through a bustling farmer's market. The vibrant colors and fresh scents of seasonal produce invite you to explore. This sensory experience is at the heart of intuitive eating and gentle nutrition. Visiting farmers' markets encourages you to listen to your body and make attuned food choices. When you eat with the seasons,...
11 days ago • 2 min read
How's your motivation to cook these days, Reader? “I just don't have the motivation to make healthy meals,” Kate said. ”Well, that’s not true. I want to eat more vegetables and cook at home. But when I buy fresh vegetables, they go bad before I get around to eating them.” ”Salads aren’t satisfying unless they have some protein on them, and I don’t have the motivation or time to cook the chicken, or fish, or tofu to put on the salad.” “So, having prepared foods like grilled chicken or fish,...
18 days ago • 2 min read
How was your Memorial Day weekend, Reader? My back was sore. My shoulders ached under the 25+ pound pack I carried for our first Savor Food and Body Backpacking Adventure of the season. "Ooof! That last mile and a half! I definitely don't have my August Body anymore," I thought. It was 6.3 miles into camp at The Forks. But it felt like 12.3 miles. Would my body get strong enough to do 15+ mile days with a heavy pack by August? To be clear, an August Body IS NOT the same as the diet culture...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Have you ever been to Alaska, Reader? About 4 years ago, I sat on a plane ready to take off for Alaska. I'd wanted to see Alaska for so long, and now I would tick it off my bucket list. As I looked out the window over the wing, this surge of anxiety rushed into my brain. I started to breathe hard. I felt like I wanted to bolt out of the seat and run away. Why? I've never been afraid of flying. It was an easy flight from Seattle to Anchorage. My boyfriend at the time was sitting behind me. I...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hey Reader, "I normally ride 12-13 mph down Dobbin Road. We were clocking 16 mph on Sunday!" The Bike Guy said over dinner. "Really? I didn't realize how fast we were riding. I was just riding like I always do." I said He thought I was trying to chase down another group of riders out in the distance to see who they were. Nope. I didn't even notice them until we were about 2 miles out from them. THEN I started to chase. The Bike Guy probably thought, "oh shit, she's got another gear in her!"...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
"My body feels like a carton of Greek yogurt - cold, wet, smooshy. But I'm trying to get in enough calcium and protein." "I'm a walking osteoporosis disaster," Sharon said, expressing how done she was with Greek yogurt. "I'm 51, have a small frame, and don't love eating Greek yogurt all the time. I'm doomed to get osteoporosis for sure." How do you feel about Greek yogurt Reader? Strong and healthy bones are important as we move through perimenopause and menopause. BUT! Social media makes it...
2 months ago • 4 min read
You can keep the lights on... …I told The Bike Guy as I slipped off my clothes, bra, and underwear. I didn't use to be this comfortable being naked in front of my partner. No. This is NOT a weight loss success story. It's a body image story in progress. At the height of my disordered eating days, I had plenty of body shame. I told myself, "Your thighs are too thick. Your stomach is too soft and round. And your boobs are too small." What story do you tell yourself about your body image,...
2 months ago • 3 min read
How's your body image this week, Reader? Last week, in my friend’s dining room, I noticed a photo of her and her family taken about 7 years ago. My friend's body was different – thinner, younger, stylish. I asked her how she felt when the picture was taken. Hungry. She said. “I was starving in that picture was taken. I wouldn’t let myself eat what I truly wanted. I exercised all the time, trying to achieve a body that I thought I should have. I wasn’t happy, but everyone kept telling me how...
2 months ago • 3 min read
What'd you have for lunch, Reader? When I asked Julie this, she said, "I have zero clue about how or what I should be eating - at lunch, for breakfast...should I even be eating breakfast? I keep hearing about intermittent fasting for weight loss during menopause. Should I be doing that? I have no. Idea. What to eat anymore." When I asked Jennifer what her typical day of eating looked like, she said, "I'm tired of dieting yet I'm also tired of feeling uncomfortable with extra weight. I'm...
4 months ago • 2 min read