These turkey meatball ingredients are simple, and I tailored this meatball recipe for the seasonal transition we’re walking into - some warming herbs, some yin, robust green flavor, and mouthwatering savory appeal. This recipe is GLUTEN-FREE, NUT-FREE, + DAIRY-FREE. So many meatball recipes use a flour or egg to bind the ingredients. The quinoa does a great job here, and it tastes amazing.

Because winter is associated with the Water element, the ocean is the best choice for sourcing your winter dishes, and it’s no coincidence - natural foods from water are amazing for Kidney support, which are the organs associated with winter. These foods - primarily fish and seaweed - are an incredible source of nutrition, and usually contain the proper amounts of naturally occurring salts that we need for optimal human function (without adding salt).

It’s been 13 days since I’ve started carrying out my sentence here in the bed. Thirteen days ago I checked myself in for cavitation surgery and unknowingly paused my entire life. No, it hasn’t all been because of the surgery, but what transpired was nothing I saw coming and it brought me to my knees. Sometimes when life throws you the unexpected, you respond by dealing in unexpected ways.

Fresh winter Rosemary Root Soup - it’s on repeat in my kitchen from November through April and there’s a good reason: it’s simple, it’s abundantly nutritious, it’s seasonal, and it’s nourishing my Kidneys and Yin. This is an actual pot of gold. I forgot to mention that it’s easy to make and requires simple things you probably already have in your kitchen.

I attempted to make this recipe screenshot friendly so that you don’t have to download any files or take multiple screenshots. The photo grid is a step-by-step visual guide of the process to help keep your place if you look away to grab something!

Enjoy!

READ THIS IF YOU’VE EVER HAD YOUR WISDOM TEETH REMOVED.

Did you know that more than 85% of people who have had their wisdom teeth, or third molars, extracted never grew back the bone in the area of the extractions? Meaning: there’s a big gaping hole (or holes) in your jaw if you’ve had this done, and it could possibly explain a lot about your immune burden.

Upon thinking more deeply about the concept of self-care, it dawned on me that the whole idea is an opinion based on the individual’s perspective of life . I began to think about self-care in my own life, and what that might look like. The truth is, it has to be perceived relative to one’s lifestyle. Self-care is going to look different for everyone.

We can start with one simple question: what is the common denominator of most individuals’ lifestyles today? In my practice as a functional nutrition counselor and thermographer, I’ve never encountered a client who scores low for stress on an initial assessment. One thing we have achieved as a human society is total stress across every demographic. The obvious truth is that we all participate in a fast-paced, high-demand, always-on carousel of lifestyle.

This being said, I think there are some basic tenants of the principle of self-care that would apply to most people who might be reading this.