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BEEF BARLEY SOUP, but make it 🌱
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I don’t know about you, but I could take all the comfort I can get the last few weeks 💆🏻‍♀️
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So often, comfort foods are things we remember from our childhood, and I ate a LOT of canned soup, including beef barley which was a fave as a kid.
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So I wanted to recreate that vibe with this mushroom barley soup. It’s got a rich broth, lots of mushrooms and barley, a grain that doesn’t get enough good press IMO
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🌾 Barley is rich in the soluble fibre beta-glucan, which helps to not only lower cholesterol but boost the beneficial bacteria in your gut.
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And a healthy gut microbiome is part of a healthy mind and immune system so SIGN ME UP!
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Barley is also a low glycemic index grain helping you to keep your energy levels (and mood) on an even keel.
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All you need is a few basic fridge + pantry ingredients to make this! Head to the link in my bio for the recipe 👩🏻‍🍳 ...

HOW TO CLEANSE YOUR GUT…

According to SCIENCE 👩🏻‍🔬

1. Slowly build up your fibre intake over time, until you hit 30-40g daily.

2. Drink lots of water

3. 💩 like a champion

Yep, that’s really it*

Your gut is one of the most quickly regenerating tissues in your entire body. It cleans itself and then gets rid of the debris by pooping.

The fibre in the plant foods you eat work a few ways to help this:

🌱 insoluble fibres gently sweep the gut (for real!) encouraging the gut to slough off its cells into the stool

🌱 soluble fibres form a gel that helps bind and remove unwanted substances from the gut

🌱 fermentable fibres feed the microbiome, encouraging a healthy community that creates a short chain fatty acid called butyrate.

Butyrate feeds the gut cells so they can live a healthy cell cycle.

You don’t need expensive pills, powders or regimes to do this. In fact, food does it BETTER than any supplement can do, even fibre supplements.

And you definitely DON’T want to do a colonic, which can not only disrupt the gut microbiome and dislodge helpful gut mucus, it runs the risk of perforating your actual bowel.

If your gut doesn’t feel good right now, I get it. A quick fix would be nice.

But none of these cleanses and detoxes actually solve the root cause of why you feel this way.

So, if you want a healthier gut, see steps 1-3 above.

And if you think something is seriously up with your gut, don’t Google it. Get a thorough check up with your doc and then book in with a digestive health dietitian to help you find digestive relief for good. ...

Trust your body. Ditch the diet.

There’s always a new hook. A new villain to blame for our ills.

But it is the diets themselves that make us sick.

It’s NOT about throwing nutrition or healthy eating out the window, because yes, taking care of your body will help you feel better.

It’s about NOT mistaking the powder pushers, multilevel marketers or influencers peddling nutrition advice for actual nutrition.

It’s about NOT thinking that healthy eating means never having pasta or an ice cream again.

You might wonder why I do a January challenge…but helping you avoid the diet trap is the reason.

I want to reframe January as a positive time of self care that shouldn’t take every ounce of your time and energy.

To show you that healthy eating is a joyful, flexible and DELICIOUS pursuit.

And to show you that eating more plants can have you feel really, really good.

There are over 500 of you already signed up! And doors close tomorrow, so I don’t want you to miss it.

The link to join is in my profile. It’s the best $10 you’ll ever spend on your health, after groceries of course 😜 ...

It’s HERE 🎉 🎉

Eat more plants. Feel amazing. Don’t miss the Eat More Plants 2022 Challenge 🌱

This is one of my fave things I do all year. Why? Because it’s the coolest, most supportive community on the internet. And it changes lives. For real.

Even though it’s a ‘challenge’ we’re learning real habits you can stick with all year long so you feel really good.

If you’re plant-curious, this is the place for you. Vegan? Learn new recipes and get a brush up on nutrition. Connect with other folks and have some fun.

Here’s what you get:

🌱 4 weeks of positive, zero restriction plant-based nutrition challenges

🌱 a 50 page PDF with all the nutrition info you need, self-reflection journaling, four weeks of (optional) meal plans + grocery lists done for you

🌱 access to the private EMP2022 online community on mighty networks

🌱 weekly live Q+A hours with ME and daily connection

🌱 a few other fun surprises!

The best part?!? It’s ONLY $10!!!

Yep, that’s right. I want to make this kind of evidence-based support available to as many folks as possible so it’s only $10USD.

It’s true price of a couple oat lattes…you’ve got nothing to lose! I so hope you’ll join us. Doors close Thursday!!! ...

YOU ARE ALREADY ENOUGH.

Let’s be real: this app creates as much discontent as it does connection.

The pressure to accomplish and achieve. To constantly improve (according to who?) or “hack” your way to a better life.

It’s garbage. You’re freaking great.

It’s okay to do nothing. You can just be. If you’re feeling the itch of change, examine why.

Is it simply because the world is telling you change needs to occur? Then take a nap instead.

If you feel a real calling to change in a way that helps you live in alignment with what you truly want, that’s different.

You go get it…the world is yours. Start writing a page a day. Go for a run. Learn a new language. Call your mom more often. And yep, eat more plants.

It’s why I created my Eat More Plants challenge. Because I wanted a soft place for us to land if we felt called to change.

If you want to join us, the link to sign up is in my bio💚 ...

Kale isn’t the only game in town 🥬
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Collards are PACKED with nutrition. All veg are good veg, but you know I’m a fan of putting greens on your plate daily when you can…it’s why we start the Eat More Plants challenge with the daily 3 🌟
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Leafy greens are often mineral rich - and collard greens are a lower oxalate green meaning their calcium is more bioavailable. Even more so when they’re steamed or sautéed!!
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Collards are also a member of cruciferous veg family like cauliflower, arugula, bok choy and yes, kale. Cruciferous veg contain unique sulfur-based compounds that are supportive of a healthy cell cycle and hormone metabolism.
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HOW TO EAT MORE COLLARDS
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🌱 shave stem off leaves, blanch for one minute and use as a wrap. Add them as a second layer in enchiladas. Swap collards for cabbage rolls to switch things up.
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🌱 @sweetpotatosoul has a southern style collards recipe on her website
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🌱 shred and massage raw collards and serve in a salad, as you do with kale
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🌱 How about a chickpea peanut stew with collards on @plantbasedrd blog
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🌱 Finely chop and add to a soup or stew
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Curious about how good plant-based eating can make you feel? Join us for the Eat More Plants Challenge!
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It’s four weeks of zero restriction eating, includes weekly live calls with me and a few surprises too for just $10 USD. It’s the best deal in nutrition…you literally have nothing to lose and plenty of energy to gain ⚡️

Link to join is in my bio…

Are you a collards fan? How do you prepare them?? ...

How it started // How it’s going
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When the clock struck midnight last New Year’s Eve, I was like YES!!! We made it!!! It’s DONE.
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Okay, maybe not so done. My family has been deeply lucky to have work, our health and to be together.
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Even still, 2021 has felt a bit like long CoVie of the soul.
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I know that this season isn’t easy for so many of us…on top of an already, let’s say, CHALLENGING year. 😵‍💫
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This year has also shown me just how incredibly strong and resilient we are. No matter what is happening, we find a way through. We find (and more importantly, create) moments of joy, even if they’re a bit bittersweet.
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I’ve learned that I’m capable of more than I thought. And that sometimes, resting is the most productive thing I can do.
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No matter where this finds you, I hope you know how far you’ve come. You’re here, therefore you’ve won. It doesn’t matter what it looks like on paper.

There is a season for everything, and trees can’t bloom in the spring without a period of dormancy.
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I am grateful for you. And sending you and yours all of the love I possibly can through this little screen. ...

You NEED this luscious Sweet Potato + Cauli Mash at your next feast! (#AD)
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Plant-based living is zero compromise in my book. It’s about health, flavour and doing something great for the planet. Plus, with all the amazing plant-based options out there, it’s so easy to create plant-based holiday magic that will convince even the plant-skeptics!
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Many of our holiday faves are actually super easy to veganize once you find your favourite plant-based swaps, like @earthbalance buttery spread, a replacement that tastes and performs like butter. It’s premium flavour and performance at an affordable price. Visit the link in bio to learn more about Earth Balance’s delicious spreads!
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🎄 First plant-based holiday? A few tips:
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🌱 Hosting someone who’s plant-based? Ensure you have one protein, like a premade holiday roast, and one side that’s fully plant-based, like this sweet potato mash. Many options, such as cranberry sauce, are naturally plant-based. Offer to grab simple plant-based swaps like creamer for after dinner coffee and buttery spread for rolls or ask the guest to bring some from home.
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🌱 Plant-based at an omni-meal? Ask what the host is serving so you can plan your strategy and offer to bring your own plant-based side dish so you know you’ll have at least one holiday fave that’s fully plant-based, and show everyone how good plant-based eating is!
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LET’S MAKE THIS SWEET POTATO CAULI MASH!
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Chop 1 ½ lb of sweet potato, 1 lb of cauliflower, toss with 4 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp avocado oil, 1 tsp salt and pepper in a bowl and spread on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
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Roast at 425 for 20 minutes, check garlic to make sure it doesn’t burn, return to oven for 10 minutes more until everything is fork-tender.
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Recipe continued in comments or at www.desireerd.com ...