Alida Mc Daniel, Holistic Health Coach & Naturopathic Practitioner

Have you ever been to a restaurant or someone’s house where ONE thing you tried was SO good, you never forgot it?

For me, that was the fresh ciabatta from Victor’s in San Francisco. A regular eating spot in my culinary school years.

There was nothing pretty about it. In fact, the bread looked like a three year old shaped it.

It didn’t matter because truly…

It was divine!

And OMG…when it was fresh from the oven and served with their minestrone?!

Mama Mia 🤤

There was nothing like it!

So now, I’m attempting to recreate that texture with one of the foundational recipes I use.

By adding olive oil to an already high hydration dough, the result was perfetto 🤌🏼

I THINK the key may be a high gluten flour, more bread flour and less 00 which is my standard. But we’ll see after tomorrow’s bake.

All I can say is that when I took my first bite of this bread, my spirit was instantly transported back to that tiny ristorante on Polk Street and my entire nervous relaxed that it had been hugged by a long lost friend 🥹

That, to me, is how good food SHOULD feel.

Pictured here: Lemon Pepita Ciabatta

In over 21 years of coaching, and now in the heart of the Information Age, I’ve seen more confusion and more frustration over marketing terms that SHOULD be straightforward.

So, I decided to make it simple and built a guide on my storefront.

As we are moving forward with our continued efforts to remove toxins and plastic from our store, we’re also locking arms with brands who think about both humans AND the planet.

Once again, we have leveled up our standards and requirements for brands we carry.

This week, we added grass-fed/grass-finished and regenerative products like beef snacks and tallow balms.

And will continue dialing in our product lines to meet the newer standards we hold dear to our hearts 🫶🏼

Americans vote best with their dollars.

We are proud to help lead the charge for a cleaner, more sustainable wellness economy.

This process keeps me humble 😅

Every step must be intentional or the end product tanks.

When I rush it…

When I’m tired and get lazy…

It shows up.

That’s quite literally the reason why I decided to master sourdough bread this year.

It’s simply a lesson in the most finite self-awareness.

Forcing me to look at EVERY single thing I did to create an end result.

Tracking every note.

Admitting every flaw.

Accepting responsibility when I slack.

And using that deep analysis as practice for my own internal growth.

It’s both fun and painful at times ngl 😅

My new course is LIVE!!!

In 2026, one of my goals is to inspire Health Autonomy in a minimum of 1,000 humans.

I want to see more people learn about their bodies, how they work, and how to listen when symptoms demand attention.

NO, I’m not giving medical advice or trying to take the place of a physician.

Instead, I’m working to help humans make better informed choices about their health, their nutrition, and their lifestyle habits instead of taking a pill for every ill.

Over the past 21 years of coaching, I’ve seen countless humans take control of their health by learning to LISTEN instead of silencing those symptoms.

Symptoms that tend to get over-medicated, labeled with a diagnosis, and accepted as a lifelong condition.

This is step one in reaching my goal.

And it’s available NOW on

🔗 in bio

*And if you have an active membership, this course is included in your subscription with no additional fee.

The past few days have been a whirlwind.

Between prepping for our family’s Thanksgiving Sunday and my store’s weekend sales, I’ve had entirely too much coffee and not enough sleep.

BUT it was totally worth it.

I fixed plumbing.

Sharpened my knives.

Chopped so much I got a blister.

Made fresh turkey stock.

Brined the turkey.

And even made a pork pot roast (in memory of my late Tia Cindy).

Having the majority of my family under the same roof, even for a day, is the most precious gift anyone can ask for.

Seeing my family move through grief and grow stronger together this year is truly something to be thankful for.

Now, as I sit among the Christmas lights, reflecting on what December will bring, I feel a sort of peace in knowing God is watching over us and making sure we lean on each other.

Needless to say, I went to bed feeling such a full heart and woke up in tears with gratitude 🥹

For the past few months, I have been hanging out at 🥰

Not for rides or games.

I’ve been bringing my work and my school studies (along with many others I’ve seen do the same) since the entire park has WiFi.

Gives me a chance to get sun and steps in between tasks.

And to work in various places from the VIP lounge to outside near the water fountain.

These people right here (along with the entire cast) have made it EXTRA special with the Ghost Town Alive event that had its grand finale today. 🥲

There were so many hugs and tears. I saw kids who came almost every day in the summer with autograph books for the cast to sign like it was the last day of school.

Overall, it was a beautiful example of how MANY lives can be touched in a unique and meaningful way.

The event allows the crowd to participate and engage rather than simply being mindlessly entertained.

Naturally, I found myself hanging with the teachers over the summer, helping them debate for building a bigger school.

Twice.

And today, I officially “graduated” from the school house.

A little joy for my inner child that keeps me stress-free during my schoolwork.

Sometimes, you have to slow down a bit to speed up.

Board Certification is coming soon. And I choose to have fun…rather than being stressed…in the process. 🤌🏼

When I first learned about toxins in my home, I GUTTED everything.

My laundry and house cleaners.

My skin care.

My hair care.

It was legitimately OVERWHELMING.

And frankly, I wouldn’t recommend that approach to anyone. 😅

So with the Alpha Zen Society, I aim to make these swaps a little easier for our community.

I searched high and low for products that are truly toxin-free so YOU can feel good about your purchase!

Here are just a few of our toxin-free swaps.

No hidden plastic.

No heavy metals.

No fluoride.

A great place to start, or continue, your toxin-free journey 💖