Feeling the freshness of the fall season today at Purisma Creek Redwoods. So grateful these Redwoods are still standing after all the wildfires.
“Take your busy heart to the art museum and the
chamber of commerce
but take it also to the forest.
The song you heard singing in the leaf when you
were a child
is singing still.
I am of years lived, so far, seventy-four,
and the leaf is singing still.”
Another fun illustration I did using mung beans.
Even aMUNGst many obstacles, RBG was inarguably one of the most influential women in history who paved the way for gender equality and women’s rights. Her legacy will never be forgotten.
Mung beans are also a powerhouse when it comes to nutrition. A mere 1/4 cup (dry) contains 12g of protein and 8g of fiber. Sprouted mung beans boast even more antioxidants that assist the body in fighting off free radicals and preventing chronic disease.
My nourish bowl: No oil air-fried sweet potato fries, broccoli, cauliflower, radish, kale, avocado, lentils, and sprouted mung beans.
Sprouted mung beans can be easily added to stir fries and nourish bowls or sprinkled on top of salads to support a healthy gut microbiome and keep you full, satisfied, and energized.
There is much in the world that is beyond our control. But it’s important to remember what we do have control over- what we feed ourselves, how we move our body, where we get our information from, and who we vote for.
If you’re too consumed with things that are urgent, you lose the ability to focus on things that are important.
If you’re too caught up in everything that’s going wrong, you’re unable to see the beauty.
All we have now is the present moment.
Don’t miss the magic.
Although this miso soba bowl contains many antioxidants and fiber, the superstars in this meal are shiitake mushrooms and broccoli sprouts.
We all know that wearing a mask can decrease our risk of getting COVID-19. But can eating certain foods also help protect us?
Turns out, yes.
70% of our immune system resides in the gut. By eating certain plant foods- specifically mushrooms, cranberries, blueberries, broccoli sprouts, green tea, and kombu (seaweed), you can increase your body’s ability to fight infection and disease.
Sketchnotes from today’s presentation by Dr. William Li at the Plant Based Nutrition Healthcare Conference.
In one study, adding 100 grams (1/3 cup) of blanched white button mushrooms per day to the diet for one week increased salivary Immunoglobulin A (IgA) by 144%. IgA is an antibody blood protein made by the immune system and found in the mucous membranes (respiratory and GI tract, as well as saliva and tears) that help fight bacteria, viruses, and toxins.
Another study showed that polyphenols in cranberries (administered via 15 oz of juice per day x 10 days) resulted in a 16% reduction in cold and flu symptoms, 57% less GI distress during cold and flu season, and increased interferon-γ secretion by 172%. Interferon-γ is important for activating macrophages and stimulates natural killer cells and neutrophils.
There is also evidence that broccoli sprouts helps increase our natural killer cells. In one study, health volunteers were given 2 cups of broccoli sprouts in a shake (or a placebo) daily for 4 days. They were given the nasal flu vaccine on Day 2. The sprout eaters had 22x more natural killer T cells and were found to have fewer flu viruses in their nose. So not only are broccoli sprouts powerhouses for anti-aging, anti-cancer, and longevity, but they protect our bodies even more when teamed up with a vaccine.
A snapshot from my parent’s kitchen table: Green tea (chock full of EGCGs) and homegrown broccoli sprouts. Not shown: miso soup with tofu, wakame, and made with kombu. A sample of how to fit these powerhouse foods into an actual meal.
We’ve known all along that whole plant foods support healthy digestion, weight, and prevent and reverse heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Now with the pandemic, there’s even more reason to include these specific foods into your diet to increase your immunity and support your body’s ability to fight off infection, viruses, and toxins.
It may start with adding in a cup of green tea into your morning routine. Adding blueberries into your oatmeal. Slicing mushrooms and adding them into your soups or stirfries. Making miso soup with kombu. Starting to sprout at home! The journey doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. The first step begins with adding in more whole plant foods to your existing meals and snacks. Then adding in a few more. With each step, you’re transforming your health, your gut microbiome, climate change, and the state of the world for the future generations. It’s a win-win for everyone- including the animals and the environment.
Tracking the trends of the past few months for me creatively, horticulturally, and of course, in snack obsessions. I’m teaching my brain to visualize data in a new way while simultaneously learning a new sketching program on the ipadPro. Today’s meta-lesson was about freely experimenting and being ok with being a beginner again. Giving myself room to play and have fun. And most of all, feeling free enough to create from the heart.
When’s the last time you tried something new?
My first piece of artwork using the program Paper53.
One of the most important meta-skills in life is learning how to learn.
I’m excited to be collaborating with some amazing and talented artists for future projects this year. They are extremely well-versed in digital design, data visualization and visual thinking in general. Of course! This is their specialty and profession. I had to remind myself of this as I navigated and fumbled around a new app, Paper53. I watched Youtube tutorials and took a Skillshare course with Shantell Martin. She used one of the fat markers and doodled squiggly lines and reminded me to “PLAY! HAVE FUN! TRY EVERYTHING!”
I had to gently remind myself that my education was in calculating tube feed rates, being able to look at a set of lab parameters and determine what formula to give a patient, how to calculate energy needs using adjusted body weight, and now, using motivational interviewing to promote behavior change. My education wasn’t rooted in color palettes and shading and formatting.
I relaxed. Every master was once a beginner. And so I played, and got frustrated, and started again, and found my rhythm and also the humor in learning and being a student again. It’s humbling. But everything truly is ‘figureoutable.’
Ancora Imparo. Still, I am learning.
It’s a long road. Today I took a few steps, and made this piece of art on Paper53 which was really fun. (Also, kudos to all the psychologists and therapists out there. We need you, especially during this time).
Today’s art was brought to you by dried beech mushrooms.
“Our bodies
are not projects
that we must work on
to fix or improve
or starve
Our bodies
are sacred vessels
made to liberate
educate
propagate the hopes and dreams
of future generations
who recognize
America is not great-
She is sick
All along the world has told us
we need to change our bodies
But now, we must use our bodies
to change the world.”
Please vote.
A huge thank you to all the firefighters and crew working tirelessly to save our homes, historical structures, farms, businesses and forests.
“the redwoods
that held me
whispering their wisdom
through the breeze of their leaves
sheltering me from the sun and rain
reminding me to stay rooted
holding me
with their steadiness and strength
in their sovereign knowingness
now
they are gone
transformed
their smoke rises
ash falls
like snow
may we uphold
the wisdom of our ancestors
and promise
to
do
better”
The biggest lesson in non-attachment- packing your evacuation bags.
Looking around at what I owned, I realized how my expensive material belongings bring me little overarching joy and satisfaction in life. Stripped to the core, it was the irreplaceable, twenty-year-old (!) pieces of paper stored in a precious letter box that hold the most value for me. Handwritten cards from my 100-year old grandmother written in her shaky yet seemingly perfect font. Letters from my other grandmother when her Parkinson’s forced her to resort to the typewriter. She was a fierce spirit trapped in a slowly dying body as she processed how her life was coming to a close. I was in college feeling like my life was just beginning. She wrote to me about her doctor’s appointment, the endeavors of my various cousins, how proud she was of all of us- and always encouraged me to always have a Plan B, a Plan C, and a Plan D. “Always give yourself options". That advice has stayed with me. Wisdom from a brave and courageous woman who applied for a college scholarship to escape the internment camps. Education was literally her ticket to freedom and building a new life.
I packed all of these letters, as well as the vases and pots made by my dad and the ceramics we created together.
When everything is at the danger of being stripped away, there is a window of opportunity to reassess the things that truly hold value. The things that really matter.
Montara Mountain, McNee Ranch State Park
Last Monday I combined my love of teaching and nutritional science for a company’s Wellness Week. I presented studies, told personal stories and illustrated my entire slide deck to make it playful and fun- something the “old me” of a few years ago probably would’ve never even considered or been brave enough to do.
But here I am, loving it. Finally seeing how all my interests and passions are snapping into place like puzzle pieces.
I wonder how many hidden talents, how many skills and strengths sit waiting, locked inside us. How much untapped wisdom and character is bound in us, waiting for the right time and circumstance to release it. Perhaps illness will do it. Breaking us down in order to show us our resilience and intense desire to heal. Or motherhood. Revealing deeper wells of sacrifice and unconditional love you didn’t know existed. Or singleness. To uncover your own confidence, power and independence that you lacked when you were in partnership. The loss of a job. The cross country move. The puppy you adopt.
How many aspects of ourselves are patiently waiting to be discovered and explored. How many parts of ourselves we have yet to meet. How going off the beaten path gives us a different perspective but still gets us up the mountain of knowing ourselves.
This weekend I found my new favorite place to restore my soul.
“Always we hope
someone else has the answer,
some other place will be better,
some other time,
it will turn out.
This is it.
No one else has the answer,
no other place will be better,
and it has already turned out.
At the center of your being,
you have the answer:
you know who you are and
you know what you want.
There is no need to run outside
for better seeing,
nor to peer from a window.
Rather abide at the center of your being:
for the more you leave it,
the less you learn.
Search your heart and see
the way to do is to be.”
