Here are five things I’m loving this week. 

Creating Sustainable Healthy Habits

A relevant section from Atomic Habits for anyone building a new habit this year

"People often think it's weird to get hyped about reading one page or meditating for one minute or making one sales call. But the point is not to do one thing. The point is to master the habit of showing up. The truth is, a habit must be established before it can be improved. If you can't learn the basic skill of showing up, then you have little hope of mastering the finer details. Instead of trying to engineer a perfect habit from the start, do the easy thing on a more consistent basis. You have to standardize before you can optimize."

Inward by Yung Pueblo

This book is perfect for gaining some thoughtfulness and perspective at any point throughout your day. The theme of going inward feels true to the stage of life most of us are currently in, as a result of 3 years of pandemic. Winter is also a great time to get more comfortable with yourself and your internal dialogue. I’m always surprised how impactful even a short poem from Yung Pueblo can be. 

22 Free Workouts You Can Do at Home Right Now

It’s that time of year where everyone is looking for a new fitness routine. This line-up from the New York Times shares 22 free fitness resources, ranging from low-impact to HIIT, strength training, yoga, 6-minute workouts, and even videos for kids. There is truly something for every body, at any level, and they’re all either totally free or start with a free trial period. Make movement a priority, and check out this list. Click the link in the title.

What to Do After You’ve Been Infected with Covid-19

(and tips to lower your risk of catching it or to become more resilient if you do get it)

The Long Hulers Protocol by Dr Josh Redd was shared with me recently and I found it to be absolutley fascinating. Dr Josh Redd explains how he applies many of the same approaches he uses with his autoimmune patients with his Covid patients, which is to restore and balance immune health through addressing the whole health of the body. This is a very informative webinar and webpage. Learn about the 8 inflammation markets we should all know about plus Cytokines which are messenger proteins produced by immune cells to raise inflammation and promote excess coagulation of the blood. I am sure you too will find this webinar informative. Click the link in the title.

The Essential Oils Menopause Solution Dr Mariza Snyder

What if menopause didn’t have to be a struggle? 

Your body is always changing throughout life. During menopause, declining ovarian function and fluctuating hormones often clash with environmental toxins, stress, and digestive distress, leading to the symptoms we have been told woman should expect: hot flashes, weight gain, brain fog, low libido, and irritability. 

Women’s hormonal health expert Dr. Mariza Snyder explains, you can and deserve to experience a good night’s sleep, clear thinking, stable moods, an energized metabolism. The solution is not to medicate the changes, but instead get to the root cause of what’s really going on in the body. In The Essential Oils Menopause Solution, Dr. Mariza offers a cutting-edge, comprehensive plan to do just that, including:

• a clear explanation of what’s happening in your body before, during, and after “the change,” and how certain lifestyle triggers exacerbate hormonal imbalance.

• the latest science behind the benefits of essential oils as safe, effective solutions for perimenopause and menopause symptoms. 

• more than 75 recipes and protocols designed to provide solutions for deep, restful sleep, anxiousness, mood swings, fatigue, hot flashes and much more.

• a proven 21-day hormone-balancing program complete with meal plans, exercise recommendations, supplementation, and herbal therapies designed to reverse the myriad of symptoms.

• easy self-care rituals to support every system of your body—from digestion and vaginal health to mitochondrial and liver function—throughout the perimenopausal and menopausal transition.

Sweet Potato Carrot Cakes with Cashew Lime Sour Cream

Makes about 14 cakes

Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cup red lentils, rinsed

• 1 ½ cups filtered water

• 2 tablespoons coconut oil, plus more for brushing pan and cakes

• 1 large onion, finely chopped

• 6 cloves garlic, minced

• Sea salt

• 5cm piece peeled fresh turmeric, finely grated

• 1 red chili, thinly sliced plus more to garnish

• 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro stems

• 3 medium carrots, grated, divided (about 6 cups)

• 2 small sweet potatoes, grated

• 1 cup chopped cilantro leaves, plus more to garnish

• 2 scallions thinly sliced

• 1 teaspoon tamari, plus more to taste

• 1 ½ teaspoons brown rice vinegar

Method

Combine lentils and water in a small pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes, remove from heat and set aside covered while you prepare the other ingredients.

Line a baking sheet with baking paper, brush paper with coconut oil.

Preheat oven to 190 degrees celsius.

Warm coconut oil in a wide skillet over medium heat and add onion. Sauté for about 5 minutes or until golden. Add garlic and a large pinch of salt and continue cooking for another 3 minutes. Stir in turmeric, chili and cilantro stems and cook 2 minutes longer. Reserve about 1 cup of grated carrot and add the rest to the skillet along with the grated sweet potato. Cook, stirring for 4 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender but not soft. Remove from heat, stir in remaining carrot, cilantro leaves, scallions, tamari and rice vinegar and set aside.

Remove 1 cup of red lentils from the pot and save for another recipe. 

Place remaining red lentils into skillet and mix to combine. Season to taste with salt and tamari and set aside until cool enough to handle. Shape into cakes, using a ¼ cup measure as a guide. Flatten them a little, place on prepared tray and brush with coconut oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until browning on the bottom. Flip over and continue baking for another 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown on each side.

Cashew Lime Sour Cream

Use this tangy, light cream anywhere you would use regular sour cream.

• 1 cup cashews, soaked 4 to 6 hours

• Zest of one lime

• 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons filtered water

• ½ teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste

Drain and rinse cashews and place in an upright blender. Set lime zest aside and add remaining ingredients. Blend until completely smooth and velvety, scraping sides as necessary. Season to taste and add reserved lime zest. Pulse to combine and pour into a bowl. Place in the fridge for an hour or until ready to serve. Sour cream will last 2 to 3 days in an airtight container.