Seasons of Health

Plus: Make Ahead Breakfast Bowl Recipe

There are so many seasons of change in life: seasons of health, seasons of transition, seasons of hardship, and actual seasons. As I work my 18th year at this health and wellness thing, I always return to some of the same fundamentals when I need to refocus, reenergize, or reset. I’ll share those fundamental lifestyle habits in a few minutes; none will shock you.

Winter is a season that feels long, dark, blah, and so forth for many. I’ve noticed that most of my individual clients struggle in Winter, even if we gained a lot of ground beforehand. Winter is a season of inward slowness and maintenance in all areas of life, even with our houses. It's not a big time for remodels, etc. So, if we can embrace the slowness and rest a little better, our bodies will understand that winter is just as necessary as the other seasons. Easier said than done, but here are some ways I embrace Winter:

• Create a reading and show list – I can cruise through some books this time of year!

• Prioritize Vitamin D3 and K2 supplementally

• Keeping lights dim after dark

• I continue building out my home workout gym in case the weather prohibits some of my favorite outdoor activities.

• Building my home wellness tools, like red light, PEMF mat, and sauna

• Lots of warm baths

• Lots of layers

• Journaling

• Warm foods – lots of soups

You could also just move to a state without four seasons! This made me wish for all four seasons again. I missed seasons so much when we lived in Southern California.

These are just some ways I let my body rest and maintain itself until Spring brings new life and cleansing. It’s beautiful to embrace each season and let your mind ease. After all, your mind, through the HPA axis, helps to manage your gut health. It's hard to rebuild when gut health goes awry and can impact moods and well-being.

Are you someone who struggles with the winter blues or some level of seasonal affective disorder? You are not alone based on the struggles I have seen.

In our first member call of the year, I taught that the New Year isn’t really a time for new beginnings, learning a new hobby, mega goal setting, etc. But it is a time to lean in and focus on priorities and what’s most important to you so that as winter wears off, we have some fantastic habits and lifestyle practices in place. We evaluated what’s most important to us in this season of life. We also created priorities within reasonable expectations of said season of life.

I challenge you all to do the same. Take some time to reflect on your current priorities and see if they align with your day-to-day life. How can you improve this? What needs to change? What small changes can you make?

No matter how often I teach this, most people still fall short of consuming adequate hydration! Our bodies are 70% water, and we must drink enough to support many biochemical reactions. So that can be your starting point TODAY—no need for a Monday to increase your water intake.

Here are the fundamentals of nutrition and wellness that I fall back on when I feel like I’m spiraling out of control or just overwhelmed in general:

• Am I eating within the hour of waking up? A super nutrient-dense, macro-balanced meal with bioavailable foods? One of my faves is a brekky bowl (See below for a recipe!)

• Am I moving my body enough every day?

• Am I prioritizing my sleep?

• Is my hydration where it needs to be?

These basic fundamentals will help us feel more in control in this darker, colder season. Is winter coming to an early end? I can’t wait to see what that groundhog says soon!

Make Ahead Breakfast Bowls

Serves 6

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons avocado oil, divided

• 1 lb ground Italian turkey sausage (Vegetarian: 1 cup black beans)

• 2 lbs Yukon gold or sweet potatoes, chopped into 1-inch cubes

• 1 green pepper, seeded and chopped into 1-inch cubes

• 1 onion, chopped into 1-inch cubes

• Salt and pepper, to taste

• 12 eggs

• 3 green onions, chopped

• Toppings: avocado and salsa

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Add 1 teaspoon avocado oil to a sauté pan, heated to medium. Next, add the turkey sausage and cook for 8-10 minutes or until cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add potatoes, peppers, and onions to a large sheet pan. Drizzle with avocado oil, salt, and pepper, and toss until evenly coated. Transfer half the vegetables to a second sheet pan. Roast both pans for 30-40 minutes, or until the potatoes are golden brown and tender, stirring and rotating the pans halfway through.

Meanwhile, crack eggs into a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, and whisk until smooth.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, spray with nonstick spray, and add eggs. Scramble until the eggs are barely cooked, then scoop onto a plate and set aside.

Divide the meat, potatoes, and eggs evenly between the containers, then set aside to cool. Once cool, sprinkle green onions, then cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Upon serving, garnish with avocado and salsa.