Subject: This week's tips, recipe, & a podcast I liked

kaleifornian

Hi Friend,

Happy Sunday! If you're a mother, I hope you have a beautiful day and that you're able to connect with the special people in your life!

If this day is difficult for you because you've lost your mother, miss her, are waiting to become a mother, or are missing your children, I'm thinking about you also. Sending you an extra big hug (the kind that's long, tight, and you're not sure who's going to let go first).

Despite feeling rather acclimated to social distancing and quarantine life, celebratory days like this still sting when you can't do what you would've liked. I think it's a good time to get creative and lean on technology a little more than usual for connection. Have you tried Houseparty? I've had fun doing it (and in-app pictionary) with my parents and siblings!

Here are a few updates from this past week and a podcast I really enjoyed:

Skinny Margarita

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, I posted my skinny margarita recipe (super simple). I also included a few tips on tequila and sweeteners..

Vitamin C & Kale

One more reason to love kale: it's one of the most vitamin C rich foods you can find. Here are 5 tips to get the most out of every bite!

Sauerkraut & Gut Health

Here's more on my love of fermented foods, one of the Four Pillars of healthy (ancestral) diets according to Dr. Cate Shanahan. One of the other pillars is why I made a batch of chicken liver pate this week!

See below 👇 for more on the importance of gut health.

Is Anxiety All in Your Head, Or Is It In Your Body?

This episode of the Dr's Pharmacy podcast touches on a fascinating topic: the link between mind and body and the role that the gut plays in overall health and wellbeing. In the episode, two doctors go well beyond issues of anxiety, review patient cases, and discuss the unique approach of Functional Medicine. I hope you enjoy it too!

My Grocery Shopping Strategy

For years my strategy's been: fresh food from the grocery store (or farmer's market)... pantry, personal care and non-perishables from Thrive Market*. As a city girl who does (did) grocery shopping on foot, this allows me to get in and out of the store and keep my haul manageable. This has also helped me make shopping less stressful over the past few months.

Here's why I'm a fan of Thrive Market:

They have a wide selection of specialty items (think: what you'd find at Whole Foods; categories like GF, Paleo, Vegan, etc.).
It's a values driven company with high quality standards (they focus on giving back, sustainability, non GMO, etc.).
Thrive has competitive (often discounted) prices. I buy a ton of their Thrive Market branded products.
And it's all shipped to your door.

You can see a typical haul if you scroll through this Instagram Highlight. After years as a customer and fan, I recently became an official Thrive Market partner. If you're interested in checking out Thrive Market, I was able to get a special offer to pass along: up to $20 in shopping credit with a membership purchase (1 month and 1 year options available).

That's it for this week! Thank you for reading and staying connected during this crazy time.

Wishing you a safe, healthy, and sunny week ahead. I hope you stay well, give yourself grace, and extend that to the people around you as much as possible.

Be well,

Jess XO

P.S. Please pass this along if you know someone who'd enjoy this content! Here's how to stay connected: weekly newsletter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook. You can also reply directly to this message. I'd love to hear from you!

* After being a customer myself, I now partner with a handful of companies. I receive a small commission on qualifying purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you. In fact, I'm usually able to get you something extra, like a $.01 bottle of wine or a special offer. These partnerships help cover some costs of running this site and help me bring you free content. Thank you for your support!