Holistic Hottie

I’m sharing this after recently having a traditional home-prepped Ethiopian meal. 
 
The spread was full of foods I typically have issues with — onions, garlic, legumes. High FODMAP, by the book. And I had zero stomach drama. None. 
 
When I told my mom about it, she wasn’t surprised. She spent time living in Ethiopia when she was younger. She said she never had digestive issues there — eating exactly what the locals ate. Her stomach problems only started back in the States. 
 
That conversation sent me down a rabbit hole. 
Because the food wasn’t different. The ingredients weren’t special. What was different was the preparation — hours of slow cooking, specific methods, nothing rushed. 
 
And that made me think about how much of what we call a “food intolerance” might sometimes be more of a preparation problem. 
 
We’ve been told for decades that raw equals healthy. But a lot of American “health food” culture has moral roots — plain food, purity culture, self-control… dressed up as science. Did you know that? 
 
Preparation changes the food. Cornell found heating tomatoes increased trans-lycopene by up to 164%. Blue Zones are clear: beans are the cornerstone of every longevity diet in the world. 
 
A lot of “I can’t do onions/garlic/beans” is method. Time. Rinsing. Low + slow. 
 
To be clear: I’m not anti-salad. I’m anti-assumption. 
The assumption that raw is automatically better. That cooking destroys food. That your gut issues are just your gut. 
 
The nutrition is sometimes in the preparation. And that’s been true a lot longer than the wellness industry has existed. 
 
We just got marketed something else.

I’m just noticing a trend: parasite cleanse content is everywhere right now.

Are you seeing it too? What other wellness topics is your algorithm pushing lately?

Drop what you’re seeing 👇

Still fangirling. Had to make one more post. 😅 
 
The skating is gorgeous…but what’s really getting me is how wise she is. 🤍 
 
Rest matters. Boundaries matter. And other people’s opinions (even your coach’s) don’t get to run your life.

I was trying to post a clip, but copyright said no 🙃
So here are the stills.

Something I really enjoy about the way Alysa performs is her “effortless” flow.

No pause before the big thing. No visible negotiation. Just…again, flow.

And you don’t get that by being “gifted.” You get it by showing up to the hard part over and over again — with boundaries.

I clipped the last 30 seconds because it’s my favorite section. It’s such a great example of “effortless.” 
 
No pause before the big thing. No visible negotiation. Again, just... flow. 
 
And you don’t get that by being “gifted.” You get it by showing up to the hard part over and over again — with boundaries.

okay I may be a tiny bit obsessed with Alysa Liu after watching her free skate this morning  
 
Everything felt like one long continuously fluid sentence. No pause before the big thing. Just joy.  
 
And then I started looking up her quotes and I can’t. 
 
Doing your thing because it’s YOUR thing. Not performing for approval, not shrinking to fit someone else’s idea of what you should be. 
 
Whether you nail it or mess it up, it’s still a story. And there’s no way to lose when you actually love what you do. ❣️

Thank you and Lou Mudge for featuring my take on how music can make movement easier (and actually fun). 
 
🖤 Save this for your next walk 
or share it with the friend who swears they “hate cardio.”

Just some intuitive movement with a foam roller after a long sit. Highly recommend.

Thank you and Faith Geiger for including my take on how small dietary shifts can make a big impact.