What is your food philosophy?
Food is my medicine, my energy and one of my passions. Over the past few years I’ve learnt and seen first hand how food has the ability to heal us. It is important for us to learn and understand how we can use food to help our bodies. I try to eat seasonally and locally as best as I can however I don’t restrict my diet at all, I eat animal proteins and dairy in moderation. I typically intermittent fast but won't limit myself if I’m feeling hungry.
I love that food has the ability to bring us together. I have friends over for dinner one to two times per week. It's a great time to be able to connect and catch up.
What do you always keep in your fridge?
Some staples that I can’t go without are lemons (of course), I have at least one or 2 a day! Leafy greens like spinach and arugula, tons of seasonal veggies to roast and add to salads and fresh herbs. A nut butter of some sort, usually almond, along with tons of various nuts. I always have a plant based milk in the fridge, it varies between oat and almond milk right now.
Let's take a tour! Can you give us a look around?
Fridge:
Top Shelf: Nuts (Pumpkin Seeds, Cashews, Sunflower seeds), Ground Flax Meal, Homemade Kimchi, Lemons!
Middle: Pickles, Almond Butter, Almonds, Ghee, Chlorophyll, Sauerkraut, Rainbo Forest Juice, Lime, Pomegranate, Lemons (again).
Drawer: Ripe Avocados, Lemons, Apples, Zucchini, Mushrooms, Oranges.
Pantry:
Jars: This is a little snippet but the pantry is filled with various beans, lentils and grains. I always make sure to have red lentils, and yellow and green peas stocked up.
My Adaptogen corner is pretty stocked up, I use some of these goodies daily or when I feel like I need an extra boost.
Moon Juice Spirit Dust and Cosmic Gold, Natural Calm (day time and night time), Rainbo 11:11, Vital Proteins Collagen and CAP Beauty The O'Clocks, 10PM, Dulse, Barley Green Juice, Turmeric.
Supplements:
My relationship with supplements changes from time to time. I firmly believe that we can get all of our required nutrient intake from food, however sometimes it can get difficult to really keep track. My current rotation is Seed probiotics, vitamin D and Moon Juice Super You.
What are your thoughts on how food relates to beauty?
Beauty comes from within, and not in the cheesy sounding way but from both a mental and physical standpoint. We need to feel beautiful inside, and that includes how we are nourishing ourselves and how our mind feels. I believe that we need to support our gut as best as we can as our gut and mind connection is incredibly powerful. With that I don’t believe having a 12 step skin routine is going to make you beautiful, however taking the time to take care of your skin is definitely a form of self-love!
What is your morning routine?
I wake up around 7am every morning and stay in bed for probably an hour (trying my best to change that). I drink the most amount of liquids before noon,I start with 1 glass of room temperature water and follow that with a glass of powdered greens and then I have some tea before deciding on either a coffee or turmeric latte. If I’m feeling hungry I’ll make myself a bowl of oatmeal with almond butter and blueberries.
Please share a favorite recipe.
Ina Garten's Parker's Split Green Pea Soup!
Ingredients
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
11/2 teaspoons The Pink Mountain Salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 cups medium-diced carrots (3 to 4 carrots)
1 cup medium-diced red boiling potatoes, unpeeled (3 small)
1 pound dried split green peas
8 cups chicken stock or water
Instructions
In a 4-quart stockpot on medium heat, sauté the onions and garlic with the olive oil, oregano, salt, and pepper until the onions are translucent, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the carrots, potatoes, 1/2 pound of split peas and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. Skim off the foam while cooking. Add the remaining split peas and continue to simmer for another 40 minutes, or until all the peas are soft. Stir frequently to keep the solids from burning on the bottom. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot.