Brain Food

Hi friend. My relationship to food has never been a straight line. It’s been more of a zig-zag, or “2-steps-forward-1-step-back” situation. The last few years, I seem to have found steady ground, and I’ve spent the last few months trying to articulate it to myself in words so I can explain it better with my […]

Hi friend. I want to know—do you consider yourself someone who diets? This can mean many things. Of course, the word “diet” actually just means the types of foods you eat, but it’s come to imply a more specific method of food restriction with the intention of losing weight. A lot of people tell me […]

How has quarantine life been? Regardless of our financial and employment situations, it’s been an adjustment for everyone in some way. Some, of course, more so than others—but everyone is dealing with the great unknown: how long will it be this way? From Day 1, experts have been trying to predict the curve, the apex, and when […]

Hi friend. Do you have “enemies?” In my Mindfulness Studies grad program, we spent the last month or so diving deep into a style of mindfulness called “Metta” or “loving-kindness” meditation. It’s a heartfelt form of meditation wishing oneself and others well, thereby developing open-heartedness, compassion, and empathy. The practice goes through a structure of sending […]

Hi friend. If you have a dog, this will resonate with you… If you don’t, it may or may not, but keep reading just in case… I wasn’t always a dog person, after all. Now though—my dog, Kristen, is my life. She has taught me so many life lessons. One lesson I’ve been reflecting on a […]

Hey friend, have you had the thought lately “everything is just working against me today!” Let me tell you a story, an updated parable first told by a Taoist teacher named Chuang Tzu called “The Empty Boat.” You’re relaxing in a canoe on a river, and suddenly there’s a loud “thump” against the side of […]

Hey friend. 2020 has been, in no small measure, a challenge, and it’s only March. Self-compassion is important now more than ever. I’ve worked from home for the last few years. In the last few weeks, nothing has been that different in my day-to-day (other than not being able to voluntarily go anywhere), but somehow everything […]

Hi friend, It’s been a tough few weeks—and it seems it’s been harder mentally and emotionally on some than others. Our “stance” on what’s happening in the world almost becomes a political statement. It’s easy to think that people who feel differently than we do are “doing it wrong.” “People should care more.” “People should […]

Are you freaking out? How are you doing today? Does “Happy Monday” feel appropriate to read? Days have been tough. There’s a lot of anxiety going around, and it’s not unfounded. Many of us feel lost and unsure, and that lack of certainty contributes to fear and worry. Is there a silver lining in all […]

Hi Friend. How do you view choices and opportunities? I used to get caught up in feeling like “I didn’t have a choice.” Even working for myself, I felt “I had to do this or that” because people depended on me—employees, viewers, clients, family… I started to resent the very job I’d set up for myself. […]

Hey friend, Last week I talked about optimism vs pessimism, and the fascinating health outcomes that can be associated with each! I left the email encouraging you to notice your self-talk tone… what did you find when you noticed your thoughts? Do you beat yourself up? Do you put pressure on yourself with “shoulds”? Our thoughts […]

“We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses.” Abraham Lincoln Hi, friend, I was recently reading about Dr. Martin Seligman (one of the founders of positive psychology) and his work studying health differences in people who were optimistic and pessimistic. He examined how these people explained “bad” events that happened […]

Hey Friend, I’ve been seeing a new “trend” pop up on social media that’s got me a bit irked. Have you noticed? Being Anti “Diet Culture” seems to be the newest health fad. Some of the people/influencers/nutritionists promoting that we “fight” diet culture define it as a system of beliefs that: Worships thinness (and equates […]

Hi friend, I’m headed off to a 10-day silent meditation retreat this week—sounds crazy, right? 10 days of mindfulness, meditating, and no talking whatsoever!? I’ve wanted to do this for years, and I finally bit the bullet. As I’ve been preparing for the last few weeks (and months), I’ve had mindfulness on the brain, and I wanted […]

Hey friend, do you consider yourself a judgmental person? A couple times a week, I row in the mornings with a wonderful group of women. It’s a super fun, inspiring experience that we all share before the sun has even risen. Earlier this week, we had a great, challenging row, and walking back up on […]

Hi friend! When it comes to health and habit building, many of us know what we “should” or “could” be doing, but a million things seem to get in the way. “If only we had X, it would be easier!” Do you hear me? If only… …I had more time. …X wasn’t so expensive. …I […]

Hi friend, I have a story to tell you about a huge Food Freedom win that I had last week. I woke up on Tuesday and realized I had a business lunch. My first thought in bed was “I should skip breakfast.” Self compassion? Food freedom? Not exactly. I often overeat out of social anxiety when […]

Hey friend, in my 30 years on this planet, I spent the first 10 being blissfully unaware of food and its health impacts (neither positive nor negative), and the next 20 being hyper-aware. As a kid, I remember being fascinated by the food pyramid. I used to cut them out of boxes of crackers and cereal […]

Hey friend, do you fear rejection? Do you care what other people think of you? Do you let fear of rejection influence your decisions? I’ve always thought of myself as someone who doesn’t care. I always thought I was fairly “confident” in myself, and didn’t need to seek others approval or validation. But the hard […]

“When you are grateful, fear disappears and abundance appears” says Tony Robbins. But I’m not so sure I agree… Hey friend, “Abundance” is sort of a buzzword these days, in terms of having a mindset of abundance as opposed to scarcity. It makes so much sense… in theory. An abundance mindset is one grounded in the belief that there […]

Hi Friend! Don’t have time to meditate? What if you could meditate with your eyes open, and without setting a timer or even sitting still? Last week I talked about the Power of Pause and told you I was going to share some mindfulness practices this week… but we’re going beyond meditation! Meditating has become a […]