This is a more personal post; probably more for myself, or those close to me, than for an educational read. To get to know me better, I wanted to identify ten things that I hold at my core and also express my “why.” These are in no particular order. As I’ve mentioned before, this is not to say I embody this 24/7. Simply, I have found much value in these absolutes and will (hopefully) take them with me throughout my life. And I think you should too.

So if you’re curious, read on.

1. Real food & eating for Nourishment

Let me just be upfront by saying this is not my strong-suit. When it comes to eating, I’m the opposite of eating for nourishment. I’m all about the good food, the fun experience, and sometimes eating to nourish yourself isn’t as exciting. But it can be. I think for most of us, eating healthy foods always meant being forced to get your veggies in. However, eating protein-heavy (a whole post about this later) is more crucial. There’s a correlation between protein and muscle mass and sugar that’s really fascinating to me. Stay tuned for when I expand on that in the future – sorry to leave you hanging. In the meantime, focus on consuming more protein. In addition to this, eating more whole foods (foods that are readily available) have more nutritional value that our bodies can process. Food is our fuel, so we should eat to fuel our bodies.

2. Living simply

Some would refer to a practice of minimalism. I would refer to a book that changed my life, one that describes this in much detail: The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry. There’s always so much happening around us, whether it be consumerism, news, notifications, or distractions. Our attention capacity cannot handle everything that is going on around us. Matter of fact, our attention span has lessened over the years. So with all this noise around us, how do we function? Living with less helps to minimize this noise. You’re not constantly cleaning and re-organizing just to manage your stuff. Instead, it becomes easier to pick out an outfit; easier to find those earrings to match when you need them; simpler making meals and cleaning up after. Media has us believing that we need all the tricks and gadgets to get by and make our lives simpler. (And don’t get me wrong, there’s room for some of them.) But maybe, going back to the necessities, simplifying our tools, is more helpful than collecting that new pasta maker.

3. Exercise

For some, the gym is your life; others, you cringe at the thought of working out. I’m the latter. Physical activity, in my opinion, can be monotonous. I loathe the repetition, in every way. I feel so accomplished once I’ve completed my workout or relieved when finishing even one set, but then I become frustrated when it’s already time to start again. That’s why exercise should be thought of as simply moving your body to keep it active. Whether it’s cleaning up the yard, doing some yoga, completing a CrossFit routine, or just having a dance party in your kitchen, find a way to keep your muscles engaged that’s enjoyable for you. We were made to move, and exercise keeps us moving longer. I’m not saying I have this down pat, but it encouraged me when I thought of exercise as moving my body. I’ll dive much deeper into working out and routines later on, but for now, get outside and move!

4. Low-tox products/choices

Practicing non-toxic or low-toxic living has become a trendy topic. The reality of the world we live in today (at least if you’re in the US) is that almost everything we interact with is lined with or made of chemicals. This might be an eye-roll for you, or I might have just freaked you out, but the objective here is awareness. My own personal goal with knowing this is understanding how it affects my body. Many items we use within our homes are known for disrupting hormones as well as affecting us neurologically. As a female with a monthly reminder of my hormonal balance, this has become increasingly obvious. It can be frustrating, but also enlightening, as it challenged me to learn much about how my body functions. Be careful going down these rabbit holes if you think it’ll make you anxious. It’s really defeating to learn about chemicals and manufacturing today, but again, simply knowing is what’s important.

5. Sourdough

Another trending topic: fermenting and baking with sourdough starter seemed to take off in 2020 when everyone was stuck at home, looking for hobbies to keep them busy. New people are picking it up each year since, and it almost seems this is the most popular year yet. Left and right, new uses and simpler bread recipes are appearing. All this to say, a lot of learning and creativity comes with understanding sourdough, but there’s also something really beautiful about it. If you didn’t know, sourdough is mostly a method of fermentation that helps break down gluten and provide enzymes to digest the bread. It offers an incredible resource to help your body function better. Sourdough is so versatile with its many uses for recipes, and what’s not fun about making a gorgeous artisanal loaf with detailed scoring? As I’ve mentioned, I have so much to share about all of these topics, but I will wait for each of their own respective posts.

6. Gardening

Not an expert here, but something I love. I hope one day, probably twenty years from now, I will have a garden so full and diverse that we can make whole meals off of it. That’s a long journey, because each plant is different with its needs and its offerings, but how wonderful is it to thrive off something built by your own hands? Plus, not to mention, the therapeutic relief of running your hands through the dirt. It’s something I look forward to every spring, and who knows? Maybe I’ll share it with you one day.

7. Sewing

Following in the footsteps of my maternal lineage, I decided to take up sewing. My mother runs her own embroidery business; my grandmother has created quilts for her grandchildren; my great-grandmother hand-stitched quilts, and sew on (pun-intended). Sewing has become a sort of creative outlet for me. I enjoy it but it’s also very practical. I find sewing to be very therapeutic (at times) and also rewarding. All the beautiful fabrics, the ability to create something of your own; I’ve found joy in sewing. I’ve even begun selling my creations! Stay tuned for them down the road.

8. Sunlight

Super simple, but a much over-looked resource; sunlight provides a lot of what we need to get through the day. It’s a great aid for sleep, improves our eyesight, and a sufficient (and probably best) source of Vitamin D3. It’s important to get out in the sun as much as you can – even if it’s eating your lunch outside.

9. Living off the Land

This goes hand-in-hand with most of the things I mentioned above; this is just a more simplified term that helps narrow your mindset. I believe this earth is equipped with everything we need physically, and that we can thrive simply on what’s readily available. You might have heard this referred to as ancestral living. (This embodies a lot more than just eating from the land). Food that naturally produces on earth has the sustenance and nutrients to keep us going. The energy we need, the mental clarity, immunity, all of it; I believe it’s already provided from the earth. For me, this will probably play out into a homestead one day, or some version of it. A garden to grow our own food; chickens to supply eggs; canning/pickling to preserve our food; and a cow for milk (a dream).

10. Faith

I might lose you on this one, but my faith is my absolute of all absolutes. I always come back to my faith, and lately, I’ve been learning about the abundance of it. It’s truly life-giving, while also edifying. Your faith is your own to experience and develop, and cannot be forced or even explained by someone else. You have to understand it deeply within your soul to fully believe it. What is believing if someone else tells it for you? Having faith in something, or Someone, much larger, more powerful than yourself is reassuring. There’s a lot outside of our control in this world, but I’m glad to trust in the One who’s sovereign over it all. I’m just encouraging you: it’s life-giving. Do with that what you will.

I could go on and on…

There’s always so much more to add and numerous ways I could expand, but for now, this is where I’ll end off. You can expect individual posts about each of these topics in the future, so stick around if you want to read more. Thanks for stopping by! I hope you found something helpful for your soul.

OG