Saturday morning, Mt Tom farmer’s market in Woodstock, Vermont. I showed up with bags of granola I’d baked the day before, an old kitchen table, and a bowl for people to try.

I didn’t know what to expect. I had conversations I didn’t want to end.

Person after person stopped, tasted, and asked questions. What’s in it? Why is it different? I told them: more nuts and seeds (protein), less sugar, made in small batches at home with love and intention. Not what you find on a supermarket shelf — something that actually nourishes you.

A wonderful couple next to me helped me set up my canopy. Everyone was encouraging in the way that people are when they’re doing something they love and want that for you too.

I’ve been making this granola for a while now, quietly, for people who seek it out. Saturday felt like the first time it went out in the open for everyone to see. And the response was kind.

More markets to come!

Be well,

Sophie🤍

PS: If you want to try it, let me know. I ship across the US 🤸🤸🤸

A pinch here and there. I ignored it. Weeks passed. Then I noticed something during yoga: my balance was off. Poses I had held confidently for years suddenly felt unstable, wobbly. My knee had quietly gotten weaker while I wasn’t looking. And then somehow the pain migrated — the way pain does when you compensate and shift weight and pretend things are fine — up into my hip. A few months into it, the diagnosis came eventually: tendonitis and bursitis. Inflammation in the tendons and the small fluid-filled sacs that cushion my hip joint.

I share this not for sympathy, but because I suspect many of you have your own version of this story. A thing you pushed through, then another, until your body finally said: enough, we are going to have this conversation now.

So here we are, having it.

Our bodies are made to move

Not occasionally. Not in one concentrated hour at the gym. Constantly, in small doses, throughout the day.

Humans evolved as walkers. Hunter-gatherers covered several kilometers daily — not as exercise, but for survival. Sitting for long stretches is a remarkably recent invention, and our bodies have not caught up. The chair, the desk, the car, the long haul flight, the couch — these are novelties that our physiology was not designed to accommodate for hours at a time.

And the science on this is now unambiguous.

Our joints are not self-lubricating at rest — they depend on movement to circulate synovial fluid, the liquid that keeps cartilage cushioned and surfaces gliding smoothly against each other. Sit for long enough, and that fluid stagnates, then decreases, potentially accelerating wear and tear. Our muscles fare no better. Muscle fibers shorten during inactivity, contributing to stiffness, and less hyaluronic acid — a major component of synovial fluid — further compounds joint stiffness. The hip flexors, which spend hours in a contracted position every time we sit, gradually tighten and weaken. The glutes — our largest and most stabilizing muscle group — essentially switch off.

Over time, this creates exactly the kind of vulnerability that leads to what happened to my knee: a joint inadequately supported by the muscles around it, one awkward load away from injury. Joint stiffness from prolonged sitting can also contribute to developing chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis. The body adapts, quietly, until it doesn't.

The circulatory system takes its own hit. When we sit, the large muscles of the legs — our body's most powerful blood pumps — go quiet. Blood pools in the lower limbs rather than circulating efficiently back to the heart. Prolonged sitting-induced blood pooling in the lower legs can increase blood pressure through increased sympathetic nerve activity and peripheral vascular resistance. A 2024 study published in the American Journal of Hypertension found that just three hours of uninterrupted sitting significantly increased blood pressure variability in young, healthy adults — not older adults, not people with existing conditions. Young, healthy adults.

And here is the part that surprised me most: research has shown that sitting is a distinct risk factor, separate from a lack of exercise. You can't simply cancel out eight hours of sitting with a one-hour workout. Exercise and reducing sitting time are two separate health behaviors, and both matter independently. The good news is that the fix is genuinely small — a short walk or a few squats every thirty to forty minutes is enough to interrupt the cascade and get blood moving again. And when we cannot stand up, we can lift our heals to activate our soleus, the muscle located in the back of our leg. Often called the second heart, the soleus pumps blood from our lower extremities to our heart.

There is more. A long-term study found that sitting for extended periods — even in people who exercise daily — can shrink areas of the brain associated with memory and increase the risk of cognitive decline, particularly in adults over 50. Let that land for a moment. Even if you run every morning, once again, what you do with the other 15 or so hours of awake time matters. In a study published by JAMA in 2023, researchers found that people who had been inactive for at least 10 hours per day had a higher risk of dementia (+50% risk) than those who spent more time moving.

The body needs movement — not as a luxury, rather as maintenance, and dare I say like our hunter-gatherer ancestors, as survival?

What movement actually does for your brain

When we move — at a minimum a brisk walk — we trigger the release of a protein called BDNF: Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor. Scientists compare it to fertilizer for our brain. BDNF is a critical exercise-induced modulator of neuroplasticity (the brain’s ability to adapt), including neurogenesis — the process by which our brain grows new neurons. And here is the part I find most remarkable: neurogenesis persists in the human brain as long as we move. In other words, our brain can keep growing new cells into our eighties and nineties, it just needs us to keep moving to do it.

Walking may be enough. A 2025 systematic review highlighted the potential role of moderate- and high-intensity walking as a lifestyle intervention for sustaining brain health — and “lifestyle intervention” is the key phrase. Not a special event. A daily practice woven into how we live.

Add to that some weight-strengthening activities 2 or 3 times a week to maintain muscle mass/strength/power, and some calisthenics using our body weight to especially work the glutes (our primary engine for walking, running, and climbing stairs), and we might be golden. No need for expensive equipment.

The tension I’m living right now: resting vs moving

I’m in it to get rid off this pain. To be able to stand up without limping. To keep moving way into my eighties and nineties, and stay sharp.

Tendonitis and bursitis are both inflammation conditions. They flare. They make me want to stop. And in the acute phase — when pain is sharp and almost constant — rest is genuinely necessary. I read that mild cases typically resolve in two to four weeks with proper rest and treatment, while moderate cases can linger when the root cause isn’t addressed. I am somewhere in between, learning to read what my body is telling me rather than overriding it, which has historically been my default.

You may have heard this before: you rest, you rust.

And here is what the research, and my physical therapist, confirmed: complete rest is not the answer. Improved strength in the surrounding muscles leads to less irritation to the tendons and underlying bursae. In other words, the path through is not stillness — it’s the right kind of movement. Gentle, intentional, targeted. Bridges instead of sitting squats. Flat walks instead of hills. E-bike instead of road bike. Listening instead of pushing. Stretching, more often. Learning about the fascia, the connective tissue that surrounds and supports every muscle, bone, organ, and nerve in our body.

This is the balance I’m trying to find. Some days I get it right. Some days I do too much (like a lovely 2h hike this Sunday, somehow I thought my poles would help 😆) and I feel it during the night and the next morning. Each time, I learn a little more about the difference between discomfort that heals and pain that harms.

Wherever you are

You don’t need to have tendonitis to take this seriously. The invitation is simpler than that — don’t wait to be in pain to move.

Another cute sentence: motion is lotion. Move more than you think you need to. Break up sitting more often — a two-minute walk around your home or office changes your physiology. Walk while you are on the phone. Go up and down the stairs. Do a few squats. Walk outside when you can; the combination of movement, natural light, and varied terrain does things for the brain that a treadmill doesn’t quite replicate. And when injury or pain shows up — as it might, for all of us who stay active long enough — resist the urge to either push through recklessly or stop entirely. Find the middle path. Most importantly, get help navigating it.

Listen when your body is asking for your attention.

My win today is ten minutes of PT strengthening exercises, a few gentle stretches on the floor, and simply standing up and walking to the kitchen after finishing writing a paragraph before starting the next one. All of it counts. All of it adds up — in our muscles, our joints, and quietly, steadily, in our brain.

What is your win? What works to keep your moving juicy and painless?

Be well,

Sophie 🤍

There’s something most of us don’t think about at the grocery store: the produce that keeps us healthy may also be quietly working against us. Fruits and vegetables are (should be) staples in our eating lifestyle — ideally, they represent at least half of our plate, at every meal. We should know that sometimes the chemicals used to grow them can also disrupt our body.

This post is about understanding what’s happening inside so we can make a few simple, smart swaps.

A bit of background

Food consumption and production has grown exponentially as the world population is rising. If you have read The Prophet and The Wizard, by Charles C. Mann, you know how challenging it can be to grow even what we would consider a fundamental, the wheat plant. The book is the tale of 2 scientists who duel in demonstrating how to grow food for an exploding population — one advocating modern agriculture and pesticides, the other focusing on the ecologic impact of abundance (and waste) and promoting moderation (if not restriction). I learned that it is indeed challenging to grow food at scale, given the structure of the soil, the often unexpected or undesired impact of critters, weather, and man power.

For the past six or so decades, pesticides of various varieties have been extensively employed worldwide to improve agricultural product quality and enhance crop yields, resulting in major economic benefits (with unfortunate significant damage to the soil). Before that, there was no such thing as organic versus ‘conventional’. Everything was organic, no label needed. We are not going down the rabbit hole of Big Chemicals’ interest in keeping spraying crops and the impact they have on farming. Rather, let’s become more aware of the choices we have.

What happens when pesticides get in?

Our gut microbiome is home to thousands of species of bacteria — a whole living ecosystem (microbiota) that regulates our digestion, our immune system, our hormones, and yes, our brain too. Think of it as mission control. As we eat fiber-loaded plants, the microbiota produces organic fatty acids called SCFAs (short-chain fatty acids) through fermentation of non-digestible proteins and fibers. SCFAs play a crucial role in energy metabolism, immune modulation, and maintaining gut barrier integrity. PubMed Central

Pesticides disrupt that ecosystem. They alter the diversity and functionality of our gut microbiome, leading to potential acute or chronic health effects, depending on the quantity and ways in which a person is exposed.

It’s not just intuition. A landmark Cambridge study in late 2025, testing over 1,000 chemicals on 22 gut bacteria species, found that 168 contaminants — the majority of them pesticides — were toxic to gut bacteria, and most of those weren’t previously thought to be antibacterial. In other words, pesticide safety testing has not been accounting for the the health of our microbiota. PubMed Central The New Lede

And it doesn’t take a lot. Glyphosate — the world’s most widely used weedkiller — disrupts gut bacteria even at tiny exposure levels. The New Lede

The microbiome-brain connection

Here’s where it gets personal for those of us watching our brain health. Our microbiome and brain are in constant conversation through what scientists call the gut-brain axis. When our gut microbiome is disrupted, that conversation gets scrambled.

Research suggests that long-term, low-dose pesticide exposure may lead to neuronal loss in specific brain regions, resulting in cognitive impairment, decreased memory and attention, and loss of motor function. Multiple meta-analyses have found that pesticide exposure is positively associated with Alzheimer’s disease risk — and people living near chemical-intensive agricultural environments show heightened Alzheimer’s risk relative to the general population. PubMed Central.

This doesn’t mean pesticides cause Alzheimer’s. What it means is that pesticides are one more environmental stressor we can choose to pay attention to and reduce when we can.

A closer look at glyphosate — it’s not just in the produce aisle

Glyphosate is the world’s most widely used herbicide, and most of us know it as the active ingredient in Roundup. What fewer people realize is how far its reach extends. Beyond its use as a weed killer, farmers began spraying glyphosate directly onto crops like wheat, oats, lentils, peas, corn, canola, and potatoes in the weeks just before harvest — not to kill weeds, but to dry the crop faster and make harvesting easier. This practice, called desiccation, involves killing the plant deliberately so it dries down uniformly. The problem: spraying days before harvest leaves almost no time for residues to break down. And there’s no requirement to disclose whether a crop was desiccated this way. No labels. No warnings. So glyphosate residues end up in our morning oatmeal, our whole wheat bread, our lentil soup — foods we think of as healthy. EcoWatch.

What does this mean for our body? Research has shown that glyphosate disrupts gut bacteria even at very low exposure levels — the kind we’d encounter through food, not just garden or farm work. And a 2024 ASU study went further, finding for the first time that even brief contact with glyphosate can cause lasting damage to the brain, with effects linked to Alzheimer’s disease. Research published in 2025 also found that glyphosate-based herbicides can cross the blood-brain barrier and have been correlated with anxiety and fear-related disorders. The New Lede.

If Roundup (or other products containing Roundup) is sitting in your garage for the garden, it’s worth reconsidering (and bringing it to your next hazardous products collection date). The weeds in your yard are far less dangerous than what’s in that bottle — especially the dandelion, which is often seen as the poster ‘weed’ in our perfect green lawn, is actually a superfood! Friends of the Earth.

Three practical wins — starting today

The goal here is not perfection. It’s progress. I would love to suggest to grow your own fruits and vegetables, however it’s not always practical or feasible.

Here’s where to put your attention and energy:

• Know your EWG Dirty Dozen. The 2026 Dirty Dozen — the Environmental Working Group (EWG)’s annual list of most pesticide-retaining produce — found that nearly 96% of samples from these 12 foods contained pesticide residues, with most averaging four or more different pesticides. Spinach, strawberries, peaches, cherries, blueberries, kale, collard and mustard greens, grapes, nectarines, blackberries, apples, pears and potatoes are on the list. EWG also recently added green beans and all peppers. Fore more information: EWG and the full list here.

  Many on the list were also highlighted by Consumer Reports (CR) in the results of their 2025 data analysis from the Department of Agriculture’s pesticide residue monitoring program. CR wrote an excellent companion article comparing conventional to organic produce here.

  Bottom line: When you can, buy those above organic. When you can’t, the next two tips still matter.

• Wash with intention. Running water removes some surface residues. Scrubbing with water is even better. For a deeper clean: soak produce in a baking soda solution — one teaspoon per two cups of water — for 12 to 15 minutes. Soaking with vinegar is proven to further reduce residues — one part vinegar, 3 parts water — for 15-20 minutes. It won’t remove what’s been absorbed into the flesh, but it meaningfully reduces what’s on the surface. EWG

• Lean into the Clean Fifteen. Nearly 60% of Clean Fifteen samples — avocados, pineapple, sweet corn, onions, and others — had no detectable pesticide residues. These are our budget-friendly free pass. Buy conventional without worry and load your plate. EWG

What about peeling?

Yes, peeling can remove a significant amount of pesticides. However it is not always feasible (ever tried to peel a blueberry? 😆) and it removes some of the most nutritious elements of the produce, including most of its fiber (our microbiota’s favorite food).

Think about scrubbing produces with water before you peel them (something I need to do a better job at!!). If you skip this, the peeler can drag chemicals from the outside onto the freshly peeled vegetable. If you do not scrub, rinse your peeled produce before eating or cooking.

The bigger picture

Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is still one of the most protective things we can do for our microbiome and our brain. Thirty different kinds of plants per week remains a minimum. Trust me the number goes up faster than you think. The Dirty Dozen list is not a reason to eat less of them — it’s a reason to shop a little smarter. And remember that frozen organic produce is sometimes cheaper and is as nutritious if not more nutritious than fresh.

Don’t fret. Think one swap at a time.

I would love to learn more about your swaps and your tips to minimize pesticides in your life! Please let me know. Also, please share this with the people you care about 🙏.

Be well,

Sophie 🤍 🌱

This time, I couldn’t unsee it. Plastic on everything. Around everything. And what seems in everything. The packaging, the containers, the coffee cups, the cookware coating, the vegetable tags. It was everywhere. It really hit me as I saw it all at once.

Then I happened to watch the plastic detox series on Netflix. And it made me sad and angry at the same time. We are living in a sea of synthetic materials, and most of us sense it without quite naming it.

To be sure, I’m not here to overwhelm you or stress you out — you already know the problem exists — though may be you have to enter a BJ or Costco to see it with your own eyes!

What I want to write about here is some of what I share with my clients: simple, practical ways to start reducing our exposure without turning our life upside down.

Why it matters for our brain and our body.

Many of the synthetic materials we encounter daily — plastics, PFAS, synthetic fragrances and pesticides — are what scientists call endocrine disruptors. They interfere with our hormonal system, mimicking or blocking the signals our body relies on to regulate metabolism, mood, sleep, and inflammation. Over time, repeated low-level exposure has been linked to hormonal imbalances, thyroid disruption, and increased inflammation — and growing evidence suggests a connection to cognitive decline. For midlife women especially, whose hormonal landscape is already shifting significantly, this is worth paying attention to.

The good news: our body is remarkably resilient, and reducing our daily exposure — even gradually — gives it a real chance to recalibrate.

The guiding principle: focus on frequency, not perfection.

We should not worry about occasional exposure. A plastic fork with takeout or at a birthday party is not the issue. What matters is what touches our food or our body every single day, how we cook or heat up our food regularly, what we may breathe in unknowingly, and what we apply or wear on repeat. Those are the places where small swaps make a real difference over time.

Start with what touches your food.

Plastic leaches out when warmed up. We have no idea where the plastic bottles we buy have been… they may have been sitting in the sun for a while. Why not swapping plastic water bottles (or any drink) for a glass or stainless steel one? This is perhaps the single easiest and highest-impact change. And this might also help us drink more water than we do today!

Another one that’s been on my mind: cans of beans. We eat a lot of beans in our house. A lot. And for years, canned beans have been a convenient safety net — always ready. Most cans today are labeled BPA-free, which sounds reassuring. Yet, BPA-free doesn't mean liner-free. Most cans still have an internal coating, and beans are often cooked directly in the can during processing. I'll be honest — I haven't investigated it deeply — yet I know enough to want to do better. Cooking beans from scratch gives us full control — over the salt, the texture, the quality. And if we have the patience, sprouting them first increases their nutritional value significantly. The good news? This is where Sunday meal prep circles back beautifully. A pot of soaked, simmered chickpeas or lentils costs almost nothing and takes mostly hands-off time. Cans will still show up in my pantry for emergencies — and that's fine. I'm working on making them the backup, not the default.

For cooking, choose stainless steel or cast iron or enameled for everyday use. Lodge makes excellent, affordable cast iron that lasts a lifetime, and some are not as heavy as you might think.

For baking, reach for parchment paper (non coated!), glass, or ceramic sheets instead of non-stick. And when anything is heated — leftovers, soups, sauces — transfer out of plastic before it goes in the microwave or oven. Again, heat accelerates what leaches out.

For groceries, keep a few reusable bags (paper, cotton) in your car or by the door. Better, bring your own containers to refuel products that are in bulk. I promise, it becomes automatic within a few week.

Then look at what touches your body.

Synthetic fabrics — especially those marketed as stain-resistant, wrinkle-free, or moisture-wicking — often contain PFAS or other chemicals that may accumulate with repeated skin contact and when washed, leak into the water. When it’s time to replace something, look for cotton, linen, or hemp fabrics — organic and sustainably grown if you can. Quince is one affordable brand worth knowing — their prices make natural fabrics genuinely accessible.

On fragrance, cosmetics and personal care — it can get murky.

The FDA does not regulate cosmetics. That means what’s on the label is largely up to the brand. My advice: look for transparency. If the ingredient list is long, hard to pronounce, or includes “nature-inspired” or “artificial” or “fragrance” as a catch-all, put it back. Look for third-party certifications — NSF, USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project, Leaping Bunny, EWG Verified, or PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies seal. EWG’s Skin Deep database lets you search any product and see exactly what’s in it.

Synthetic fragrances deserve a special mention. They are in many things if not everything — candles, cleaning sprays, fabric softeners, air fresheners — and they are one of the most common sources of hidden chemical exposure. Swap them for fragrance-free or naturally scented alternatives (a drop of essential oil does wonder), one product at a time.

Take a look under your sink and in your cleaning closet.

Most of us have accumulated a small army of cleaning products — many used once, then stored indefinitely. Conventional cleaners, disinfectants, and air fresheners often contain ammonia, chlorine bleach, synthetic fragrances, and other chemicals that linger in the air and on surfaces long after you’ve finished cleaning. Before buying a new product, it’s worth a quick check on EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning — it rates thousands of products by ingredient safety and transparency.

And before you reach for something new, consider what you likely already have: baking soda and white vinegar are two of the most powerful and safest cleaning agents in existence. Baking soda is a gentle abrasive and natural deodorizer — it scrubs sinks, tubs, and ovens without scratching, neutralizes odors in the fridge and on carpets, and unclogs drains when combined with vinegar. White vinegar cuts through grease, dissolves mineral deposits, disinfects surfaces, and leaves glass streak-free. Add a few drops of essential oil — tea tree for its natural antibacterial properties, lavender for a calming scent, or lemon for a fresh, clean feeling.

• One part water, one part vinegar, a few drops of essential oils, and you have an all-purpose cleaner that costs almost nothing and harms no one.

• When you need a heavier scrub: combine baking soda with water or a small amount of liquid castile soap to form a paste for cleaning tubs, sinks, and ovens.

For products you already own that you know are harmful and no longer want, please don’t pour them down the drain. Most municipalities have household hazardous waste collection days — a quick search will tell you where and when to drop them off safely.

Where to begin if this feels like a lot.

Pick one category. Just one to start.

Your water bottle. Your old cooking pan. Your stained synthetic shirt. Your moisturizer. Your all-purpose cleaner. Pick one.

Start there, make it feel easy, then add the next thing. That’s how lasting change actually happens — not in a weekend overhaul, but in small, frequent choices that quietly add up.

You don’t need to detox your entire home. You just need to make slightly better choices, slightly more often, in the places that matter most.

Share what your first swap is — I’d love to know your win.

Be well,

Sophie 🤍

PS: next time, I’d like to cover pesticide residues on our food… I always cringe when I see people buying conventional berries… more on that soon.

Meal prepping is perhaps the most practical way to make that actually happen, especially when life gets in the way.

What I’ve learned after years of adding more and new plants to my daily meals: the biggest obstacle isn’t motivation. It’s Wednesday at 6pm, staring into the fridge after a long day, with no plan and zero energy.

That’s where meal prepping can change everything.

I’m not talking about Instagram-perfect rows of identical containers. I’m talking about spending a couple of hours during the weekend so that the rest of your week tilts effortlessly toward eating good food — more plants, more color, more variety — without having to think hard about it when you’re rushed, tired or when your meeting ran late.

Start with plants for a good load of fiber.

Most meal prep advice leads with chicken or grains, then veggies last. I would flip that.

Start by roasting a big tray of whatever vegetables are in season or look interesting — diced sweet potatoes, red pepper, carrots, beets, cauliflower, zucchinis, onions, a whole garlic bulb. Roast them together with olive oil, salt, pepper, and your favorite spices. That tray will continue to show up, warm or cold, in bowls, wraps, soups, curries and salads all week long.

Then choose whole grains — farro, brown rice, quinoa, whatever you love — cooked in a big batch. You can mix grains as well. For example, how about cooking mung beans and brown rice or farro together?

These two batches alone, sitting in your fridge, make it surprisingly easy to build a colorful, plant-rich plate in minutes.

On protein — try plants first, then add if you want to.

In the same amount of time, batch-cook a pot of lentils, chickpeas, or black beans at the start of the week — don’t forget to soak them if you cook from scratch. Remember that back up cans of the same are always there to save you! Legumes are endlessly versatile — into the same salads, soups, bowls, or just eaten warm with a drizzle of olive oil.

If you still enjoy animal protein, try combining it with a plant protein for an experiment. Add white beans to salmon. Toss chickpeas into a chicken salad. You maintain familiarity and your plate becomes more diverse — which is exactly what your microbiome is asking for.

A few habits that make it stick:

Prep snacks with the same intention as meals. Wash and cut your fruit and vegetables right when you get home from the market. If they’re ready to eat, you’ll reach for them first. If you bought too much, freeze a batch to use another week.

If you freeze it, label it. Even just the date. It saves you from the mystery-container guessing game and helps you eat freshest first.

And don't underestimate a good sauce. A homemade tahini dressing, a simple lemon-garlic vinaigrette, a spoonful of pesto — these are the quiet heroes of meal prep. The same bowl of roasted vegetables and quinoa tastes completely different depending on what you drizzle over it. A sauce can turn "leftovers" into something you actually look forward to. Make one or two at the start of the week and everything else falls into place. I shared a green goddess sauce recipe below — a great place to start.

Now, mix and match. Choose your components — grains, roasted veg, a sauce or dressing — and combine them differently each day. Same ingredients, different delicious meals.

The real win is ease.

When adding more plants to your life feels effortless, you do more of it. That’s the whole game. Meal prep isn’t about control or optimization. It’s about removing the friction between you and a nourishing plate.

Start small. One tray of roasted vegetables or one batch of overnight oats and chia seeds (if you prefer to focus on breakfast) this coming Sunday. See what it does for your week.

If you want to go deeper — more recipes, a personalized plan, or just a nudge in the right direction — I'm here.

Be well,

Sophie🤍

Oh, and share in the comments what you prepare — I would love to know about your win!

Bonus: Green Goddess Sauce

A creamy, herby sauce that works as a dressing, dip, or drizzle — made entirely from plants.

Ingredients

• 1 ripe avocado

• 1/2 to 1 cup fresh basil leaves, packed (no basil, try arugula, spinach, cilantro, dill, or mint instead)

• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves, packed

• 1/3 cup chives or green onion tops

• 1-2 TBSP pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts or sunflower seeds.

• 1 garlic clove (can be roasted)

• 1 lemon, juiced

• 3 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 TBSP water (as needed, to thin)

• 1/2 tsp sea salt

• Black pepper to taste

Method

1. Blend: Add 1 ripe avocado, basil leaves, parsley leaves, chives or green onion tops, seeds, garlic, lemon juice, extra-virgin olive oil, and water (as needed) to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy.

2. Season and adjust: Add salt and pepper. Taste and adjust — more lemon for brightness or zing, more water to thin, more sea salt to lift the flavors.

3. Store: Transfer to an airtight jar and refrigerate. Keeps well for 4-5 days.

Use it over roasted vegetables, grain bowls, as a dip for raw vegetables, or tossed through a simple salad. It’s also beautiful drizzled over cooked lentils with a squeeze of extra lemon.

Enjoy!

One of my clients has a hard time falling and staying asleep. She admits that she still needs to work on her bedtime routine, nevertheless, she was curious about whether magnesium could help her, or not. After digging into the topic, I realized how important magnesium was — given its many roles — in the health of our body and even in our brain!

Magnesium is rarely in the spotlight, yet it plays a role in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. From sleep and mood to muscle function to brain health, magnesium is quietly working behind the scenes to keep us balanced, resilient, and energized.

Let’s explore why magnesium matters — especially in midlife — and how to make sure you’re getting what your body needs. (BTW, I use a lot of — when I write, this is not ChatGTP 😌)

Why magnesium matters (more than you think)

Magnesium is essential for:

🧠 Brain health & cognition

😌 Mood regulation & stress response

😴 Sleep quality

💪 Muscle function & recovery

🫀 health & blood pressure

🦴 Bone strength

At the cellular level, magnesium helps regulate neurotransmitters — the chemical messengers that influence how we think, feel, sleep, and move, all key pillars of brain health.

The relationship of magnesium and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been studied since the 1990s. Back then, data from human brains of autopsies of AD revealed that patients with AD had lower concentrations of magnesium compared to healthy controls. In addition, scientists realized factors related to lower magnesium availability (malnutrition, inflammation, and sarcopenia) were particularly present in people with AD. (Source)

While causality cannot be proven at this point, a more recent 2014 observational study of 1,450 persons who were followed for 8 years showed that higher magnesium intake was related to a lower risk to develop mild cognitive impairment. Another study suggests that people with higher intake showed less brain shrinkage over time, and potentially a lower risk of cognitive decline — especially in women.

Unfortunately conclusions are not super straightforward with meta analysis as it is really hard to control intake due to the reliance on recall and varied magnesium’s presence in food. Also one key element that these studies were missing in their results is the role of vitamin D.

Magnesium & vitamin D: better together

A recent research article published by ALZ.org, with the aim to evaluate the associations between magnesium intake and cognition in older adults, revealed that magnesium plays a critical role in activating vitamin D in the body. We know that vitamin D has been linked to brain health. The conversion of vitamin D from its storage or inactive form into an active form is dependent on the bioavailability of magnesium. And, there is also evidence that vitamin D also can stimulate intestinal absorption of magnesium, highlighting the importance of an adequate balance of magnesium and vitamin D for success.

This means: taking vitamin D without enough magnesium may limit its effectiveness, and vice versa!

It’s a beautiful example of how nutrients work together — not in isolation.

How much do we actually need?

General guidelines suggest:

• Women: ~310–320 mg/day

• Men: ~400–420 mg/day

Some researchers believe that higher intakes may be beneficial for brain health—though more research is still ongoing.

💡 Before upping your intake, please talk to your doctor as too high level of magnesium can have negative effects on your health.💡

Where to find magnesium (Hint: love your veggies even more 🌿)

Magnesium is widely available in food — unfortunately industrial agricultural practices that prioritize high-yield crops over nutrient density and food processing have reduced how much we actually consume. Packaged and refined foods have lost most of their magnesium. For example, while white flour products contain only a fraction of magnesium (80% is removed in the process).

We must prioritize whole real foods that are rich in magnesium:

• Whole grains such as whole wheat, brown rice, quinoa (118 mg per one cup of cooked quinoa and up to 550 mg/100 g in wheat bran)

• Dark chocolate (yes, really 😊 — keep in mind its sugar content, 70+% cacao is best — ~230mg/100 g)

• Nuts and seeds such as pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds, cashews (130–264 mg/100 g)

• Legumes such as beans, lentils, chickpeas, edamame (80–170 mg/100 g)

• Coffee (80 mg/100 g)

• Leafy greens such as spinach, kale, collard greens (30–60 mg/100 g)

• Avocado (58 mg in one medium avo)

Dried fruit in general, potatoes and animal food (meat, fish, milk and derivatives) are less rich in magnesium (Carnovale and Marletta 2013). (NIH study)

Why scientists believe many of us are low

Magnesium deficiency isn’t always obvious and yet scientists believe many of us aren’t getting enough. Blood tests often don’t detect deficiency until it’s severe, so intake and symptoms matter more than labs alone.

Contributing factors to deficiency include:

• Depleted soil quality → less magnesium in food

• High intake of processed foods

• Certain medications (like diuretics or acid blockers)

• Chronic stress (which depletes magnesium)

• Alcohol consumption

So… should you supplement?

Eat real, whole food first—always. Use the above guidelines to evaluate how much you are able to get through food. And given the co-dependance of magnesium and vitamin D, our vitamin D level (which can be measured easily) can be indicative of our magnesium level.

💡 If you decide to supplement, please check with your doctor first 💡

In some cases, supplementation can help. Even if magnesium is not a magic pill, it is a foundational nutrient that can support better sleep, steadier mood, sharper cognitive functions, stronger bone, and a more resilient nervous system.

Not all magnesium supplements are created equal. Watch for a reliable source, third party tested for unwanted heavy metals and fillers. Here’s a simple guide:

• Magnesium Glycinate → best for sleep, stress, and calm

• Magnesium L-Threonate → supports brain health and memory

• Magnesium Citrate → helpful for constipation

• Magnesium Malate → supports energy and muscle function

• Magnesium Taurate → supports heart health

• Magnesium Oxide → less absorbable, mainly for short-term relief

Your Win of the Day ✨

Before reaching for a supplement, try this simple shift:

👉👉 Add one magnesium-rich food to your day.

A sprinkle of pumpkin seeds.
A handful of almonds.
A side of sautéed greens.
A square of dark chocolate after dinner.

Soon enough, it will be second nature. Small, consistent changes are what truly move the needle because there are sustainable, unlike relying on a supplement which can be costly overtime.

My magnesium win today …

• Breakfast: blackberries, chia pudding and granola (with lots of nuts and seeds)

• Lunch: half an avocado on whole wheat sourdough toast with fermented red cabbage and leafy sprouts

• Dinner: planning butter beans and spinach in a wonderful smokey tomato sauce over quinoa.

👉👉 What will you add to your meals this week? May be try the recipe below!

If you’re curious about your own intake or wondering what’s right for your body, I’m always here to explore this with you.

Be well,
Sophie 🤍

🥗 BONUS RECIPE!! Magnesium Glow Bowl

A delicious, colorful bowl packed with magnesium, fiber, and healthy fats—perfect for steady energy and brain support. Enjoy!

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 1 cup cooked quinoa

• 1 cup cooked chickpeas (or lentils)

• 2 large handfuls fresh spinach or kale

• ½ avocado, diced

• 2 TBSP pumpkin seeds

• 1 small roasted sweet potato (cubed)

• Optional: shredded carrots, cucumber, or fermented red cabbage for crunch

Glow tahini vinaigrette:

• 1-2 TBSP tahini (sesame = magnesium boost!)

• 2-3 TBSP olive oil

• 2-3 TBSP apple cider vinegar

• Salt, pepper and 1/2 tsp turmeric

• Fresh herbs

Preparation

1. Add quinoa and greens to a bowl.

2. Top with chickpeas, sweet potato, avocado, and veggies.

3. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top.

4. Whisk dressing together and drizzle as needed.

Easy swap ideas

• No quinoa? Use brown rice or farro

• No chickpeas? Try cooked lentils or edamame

• Want extra greens? Add arugula and micro-greens

I decided to share what I learned with you.

DASH for lower blood pressure

DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, and is the eating plan recommended to adults with high blood pressure. We know high blood pressure in midlife is one of the 14 modifiable factors for Alzheimer’s and Dementia (AD) according to the famous 2024 Lancet report — so it should not come as a surprise that DASH is high on list to help reduce cognitive decline. DASH is also one of the most evidence-based eating patterns for cardiovascular and metabolic health (meaning how efficiently your body converts food into energy, with optimal weight, blood sugar, fat, and blood pressure, without medication) — all key factors for a healthy brain.

DASH was designed in the 1990s to help lower blood pressure, surprisingly following research showing that people eating a vegan diet often had lower pressure than others. Results were published in 1997, and again in 1999 based on lower sodium with even better results.

For those curious about the original study, scientists studied 459 people in three groups, comparing a control group eating the standard American diet, to a group called ‘fruits/vegetables’, to a group called ‘combined’, eating a combination of the two diets, high in fiber, low on saturated fats and total fats. The group that experienced the biggest drop of blood pressure is the group that ate the combined diet — that became DASH. Note that all three diet had the same amount of sodium (3 gram/day). Scientists studied a reduced sodium version of DASH two years later showing even better results.

What surprised me is that the ‘fruit/vegetables’ group in that study was nowhere close to what I would have thought. When one looks at what the ‘fruits/vegetables’ group was eating, it included more fruits/vegetables and more servings of meat than the control and combined groups, as well as sightly less servings of grain and vegetables than the combined group. Was this intentional? One of the group could have been plant-only, with no animal protein.

Interestingly, subsequent studies have shown that the specific components of the DASH diet that were each associated with decreased blood pressure were plants such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts. The opposite relationship was found, however, with red meat intake.

Since then, several studies have demonstrated that vegan diets were associated with even lower high blood pressure. The first study to compare blood pressure among habitual vegans, lacto-ovo vegetarians (eat dairy and eggs), and non-vegetarians was the Adventist Health Study-2 (AHS-2). Scientists found that vegans and lacto-ovo vegetarians had significantly lower blood pressure, and significantly lower odds of hypertension, when compared to non-vegetarians. More details here.

DASH for lower brain decline

In the more recent 2026 cohort study of close to 160,000 people averaging 44 years old, with over 80% women, scientists compared six healthy dietary patterns: the Alternate Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI-2010), the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH), the Healthful Plant-Based Diet Index (hPDI), the Planetary Health Diet Index (PHDI), and the reversed empirical dietary indices for hyperinsulinemia (rEDIH) and inflammatory pattern (rEDIP).

I did not know all these existed! Why wasn’t MIND included? (more on MIND below)

Among the study participants, higher adherence to all 6 dietary patterns was associated with a lower subjective cognitive decline risk. Those who most closely followed the DASH way of eating had about a 40% lower risk of subjective cognitive decline compared to those who followed it the least. The next best diets were hPDI and rEDIH.

So we know DASH is great for lowering blood pressure (best if you still eat animal proteins) and for lowering brain decline.

Now what? Let’s dig into what DASH means for your palate.

The tenets of DASH focus on nutrient synergy

• High intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts

• Low-fat dairy over full fat

• Low amounts of sodium (2.3 gram/day = 1 teaspoon or less) → reduces fluid pressure in arteries

• Low added sugar

• Low red meats and saturated fats.

• Minerals that regulate vascular function: potassium → helps excrete sodium, magnesium → relaxes blood vessels, calcium → supports vascular tone.

What to Eat

At its heart, DASH is a plant-first, whole-food pattern, high in fiber, moderate in lean animal protein and low in saturated fat and added sugar — making it an ideal eating plan to also lower cholesterol.

• Vegetables: 4–5 servings/day

• Fruits: 4–5 servings/day

• Whole grains: 6–8 servings/day

• Low-fat dairy: <3 servings/day

• Plant or lean protein (legumes, nuts, fish, poultry)

• Healthy fats (vegetable oils, nuts, seeds)

For more specific information, please read Harvard’s DASH diet review.

Key DASH cooking principles

1. Cook with less salt/sodium without losing flavor

• Use garlic, onion, herbs, seaweed, mushrooms, spices, nutritional yeast, citrus, vinegar, low sodium soy sauce instead of salt 🍄‍🟫 This is where cooking becomes creative, not restrictive

• Soak and cook your own beans so you can control salt 🙌 it’s a lot simpler than one think

• Look for no-salt canned food, or rinse food that has been canned with salt

• Avoid brined, cured, or pre-seasoned foods

2. Cook from whole, real ingredients

• Favor fresh or frozen over packaged or canned

• Build meals from scratch

• Think 🥦 vegetables/fruits first + 🌾 whole grain + 🍗/🌱 protein + 🫒 healthy fat + 🌿 flavor boosters

3. Shift fat quality, not just quantity

• Replace butter → 🫒 olive or 🥑avocado oil

• Use nuts, seeds, avocado for richness

What about Mediterranean and MIND?

The Mediterranean eating style originates in the cultures of ancient civilizations which developed around the Mediterranean Basin and is based on the regular consumption of plants (cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, tree nuts, and seeds), the moderate consumption of fish, seafood, and dairy, balanced by a comparatively limited use of meat, and its symbol, olive oil (as the main source of added fat). In the 50s and 70s, the Mediterranean eating style drew the attention of medical professionals by proving extended health benefits. It is still touted for improving heart health, reducing risks of stroke and obesity, and supporting weight loss.

MIND is ‘simply’ a combination of DASH and Mediterranean, specifically designed to include foods scientifically shown to protect and enhance brain health. MIND is the result of 20 years of research by nutritional epidemiologist Dr. Martha Clare Morris at Rush University Medical Center to prevent Alzheimer's and cognitive decline. The study, published in 2015, shared that the MIND diet lowered the risk of AD by as much as 53% in high adherence participants, and by about 35% in those who followed it moderately well.

MIND is the go to eating plan for many AD prevention studies, including Healthy lifestyle and the risk of Alzheimer dementia and the US Pointer.

Wait what? Which is better? MIND or DASH? And what about Mediterranean?

Unfortunately we cannot compare the studies. That would be comparing apples and bananas — studies have different hypothesis and expected metrics: reduction in subjective cognitive decline risk vs AD risk, and different diets criteria.

Funny enough, when Dr Morris subsequently compared the three diets, Mediterranean came with a 54% risk reduction of AD… but deemed harder to strictly adhere to having to eat fish every day, so she stuck to DASH. Hummm… I thought Mediterranean was more of a lifestyle without strict guidelines 🫒

Comparing DASH, Mediterranean and MIND

To help make sense of it all, I drew this high level comparison.

My conclusion

All this to say that we cannot go wrong with any of these plant-first eating lifestyle. These three ways of eating aren’t competing, they’re different entry points towards a better health, a better brain.

🌱 The common denominator: lots of plants, little meat/dairy.

👉 The most important: eating should be enjoyable.

We should be eating with all our senses and beliefs — our plates should be plant-first, colorful, tasty and smelling delicious. A temporary piece of art made from scratch with love and intention.

We should take the time to savor every single bite, for that we know they will support and protect our heart, our brain, our mood and our energy — simultaneously.

Win of the day

You don’t have to choose one.

• Follow DASH for structure, especially with a high blood pressure diagnostic

• Lean into Mediterranean for more freedom

• Layer in MIND for brain protection

• Drop animal protein for conviction

🦄 And build a way of eating that feels both grounded and sustainable.

What is your go-to eating plan these days? How does it make you feel?

Do you need help building an eating plan or cooking style that is right for you? I would love to help you!

Be well,

Sophie🤍

In the process, I learned that we not only hang on to material things, we also hang on to thoughts, ideas, dreams, past events or grudges that no longer serve us.

How it started…

Last year, we spent several days emptying my in-laws house, sorting things out, deciding what is worth keeping, who should be keeping it, what each of the three siblings absolutely wanted, and then giving away or throwing out the rest — typical would you say! My husband and I then vowed that we would avoid the trouble to our three kids, and start sorting things out. Not in one big sweep. Rather a combination of mindset change and learning to ‘let go’.

With my newly found motivation, I went up to our attic with the intent to clean it, clear it and organize it. I took three large black trash bags down and a couple of fans we no longer used, however left behind twenty or so boxes of ‘stuff’. Some of my children (now in their twenties) toys, books, art work and baby clothes, old papers (some we must keep, really), moldy pictures, paintings, Xmas decoration, several boxes of an antique train set (which no longer work), 2 old saddles, and much more. After spending a few hours cleaning, I no longer had the energy to sort it all… where had my motivation gone? Granted, it was winter and close to freezing temps. Excuses, excuses.

A few months after, one of my friends shared with me that she felt totally stuck and was essentially suffocating under the ‘weight’ of her clutter. She was not ready to do a big sweep. She wanted to make space.

I asked her if she wanted help. She immediately said yes. So I decided that I would use my coaching skills and gently support her decluttering journey. I researched the topic, listened to a few podcasts, gathered the tips and systems from well-known influencers in this space.

Why it had not yet worked

Like me, she attempted to declutter many times. She had even read several books on the topic… some dating several decades. She knew what to do. She just could not stick to it.

It was not just the lack of intent nor the time it took. What stopped her were mostly the stories behind each object she kept, the beliefs she had to keep things ‘just in case’, or for a project she wanted to do — eventually. And the fact that her house was acting like storage for many of her children (all out of the house)… she could not clear that out without them. Many things were neatly organized, though she did not always remember what was in the boxes.

Are these good excuses too?

What was missing for her to take action?

Identifying her big WHY and the system that would finally work for her (and her husband) was key. We clarified where she is now and the results she wants, as well as what has been obstacles in the past.

Her why: She desperately wanted space to create, to do art — yet the places she had originally dedicated to making art were no longer available. She wants ease and flow throughout her house.

Her system: She likes the Dana White Decluttering Method, which can be summed up as follow:

• Start in a visible space, like your entryway, not your closet not pantry.

• Touch a thing once.

• Do not make piles.

• Ask yourself 2 questions:

  • If I needed this item, where would I look for it? Take it there now. If no room, identify what item in that space you can rid off to make space.

  • If I needed this item, would it ever occur to me that I already have one? If not, get rid of it now.

• Use a black trash bag. Once something goes in, it does not come back out.

• Always have a ‘donate box’ somewhere, make sure it is ‘donateable’.

Her results: It’s a work in progress. In between family getaways. Slowly and surely.

She identified her bedroom as the space to tackle first. It needs decluttering, rearranging, reorganizing and a coat of paint.

Interestingly, as we were discussing the whole approach, we started talking about the impact this would have on her lifestyle and on her mind. Her goals were not just to find physical space, it was also making space in her mind to take better care of her health and live new experiences with her family.

Applying what I am learning in the process

With parents who lived through WWII, I grew up with the mindset of ‘you never know’. I am not a hoarder. I am pretty frugal. I prefer quality over quantity. Yet, I tend to keep beautiful or practical things, because ‘you never know’. I know I have plenty to declutter.

My obstacles: I really really do not like waste. I do not like throwing out something that is still functioning, that we would need to buy again if needed one day, worse if I am emotionally attached to it. Unless I find the right new owner for it.

My goals: I want a house that has clear space, yet that is lived in and has a soul.

My why: Decluttering our house before my children have to. Make sure everything has a place and is easy to find.

My system: Ha. I am not sure I picked one yet. I started with the Minimalists’ 30 day declutter, only to get stuck on Day 14. For those who do not know it… you get rid of one thing on Day 1, two on Day 2 etc etc… it adds up quickly. Pat in the back, I already threw away or donated 94 items (plus all the things my husband got rid off while I was in Europe that I might never notice😆😆!!).

To continue on my journey:

• One motivation: be proud or excited of what I let go.

• One question that kind of works for me is the following: is this ‘thing’ serving me or am I serving it (by storing, cleaning/dusting, or hiding it)?

• Another I need to test for things with emotional attachment: am I honoring ‘it’ by hiding it in the bottom of a box or back of a closet ?

I will continue my 30 day game, knowing it will take me more like three months to complete: going next through our closet, the washroom, and back where it started in the attic!

Beyond ‘things’

Surprisingly, as I was in decluttering mode, I realized I was applying the process to other parts of my life. I started letting go of: one website I no longer used (saved $196 in renewal fees, woohoo!), digital content such as emails (I usually never hit delete until my storage maxes out), free blog subscriptions I never get to read, bad pictures, duplicates and videos shared in multiples on WhatsApp, old contacts (who the heck is Ann with no last name?), old projects and ideas, even my desire to learn guitar (well the desire is still there, I let go of the guilt for not doing it now) — and I found all of that strangely freeing, like weight off my shoulders.

My win: I am making space in my head for the activities and the thoughts that serve me, that fuel me, letting go of those that make me feel guilty for not being attentive or for not taking the time to truly appreciate them.

Your Win of the Day: Remove one thing. Clear one space. Release one thought.

And if you do, I’d love to hear what shifted for you.

Be well,

Sophie 🤍

I’m writing this somewhere above the Atlantic, flying back to the U.S. after a two-week adventure in Europe.

It was a journey filled with moments that nourish the soul: time with my children in the Netherlands, hiking in France with my childhood friends, and a beautiful pause with my family in Belgium. From an afternoon wandering through the paintings of Van Gogh, to walking the meandering forest paths of La Tête de Faux, to a day trip back to my hometown of Liège — it felt like stopping time. What a gift.

And I’m deeply grateful to my loving husband who held down the fort back home while I disappeared into this pocket of memories and connection.

Last night, and again during my long wait at the airport this morning, we said our goodbyes. We reminisced over the great time spent together and vowed, once again, not to let too much time pass before speaking again.

There is something profoundly nourishing about spending time with the people who have been besides you all your life.

No mask.
No rush.
No expectation.

Just being.

A friendship that spans five decades

I have been taking short trips with two childhood friends for the past four years.

We met in kindergarten, more than fifty years ago! Life, of course, eventually took us in different directions — different universities, careers, even different parts of the world. Some years we only exchanged Christmas cards. Other years we spent an afternoon or evening together. And somehow, every time we reunite, it feels as if we simply pressed pause.

Four years ago we decided to plan an annual trip together — while, and because, we can.

Our first adventure took us to a small cottage near the beach in Biscarrosse, the famous surf beach on the Atlantic coast in France. We walked for hours along the beach, biked through pine forests, and watched gorgeous sunsets melt into the ocean.

Fast forward, this year we stayed in a beautifully restored grange in the Alsace region, in a hamlet called Le Creux d’Argent. Surrounded by lush green fields and budding trees, it felt like a true havre de paix — a haven of peace.

Cats wandered lazily in the sun.
Birds chased one another through the trees.
Bees buzzed busily, gathering their first nectar of spring.

Each morning began slowly, with a long breakfast. Then we set off on the many hiking paths that crisscross the surrounding hills.

We walked and talked. We laughed, a lot.
We remembered our childhoods.
We honored our dear friend we lost too early.
We shared life’s celebrations and many of its challenges.

And sometimes we simply walked in silence — especially when passing through areas that had witnessed fierce battles during the First World War. Those quiet moments felt sacred.

Together, we were doing something deeply restorative: refueling our invisible energy batteries.

Through friendship, movement, and especially with Nature’s help.

Why being in Nature felt so good (Science explains it)

During one of our walks, the three of us reflected on something we all felt instinctively: the incredible healing power of Nature.

After spending a day exploring the beautiful city of Strasbourg, we found ourselves craving the open spaces again — the silence, the fresh air, the changing landscape.

That longing was not accidental.

Spending time in Nature is as essential to our health as whole foods, restful sleep, or regular movement. We are part of Nature, yet we often tend to behave as if we are separate from it. Humans evolved in natural environments, and our nervous system is still wired for them.

One practice that beautifully illustrates this connection comes from Japan: Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. This is not exercise or hiking with a goal. It’s a slow, sensory immersion in a forest environment — engaging our senses with the sounds, scents, textures, and rhythms of the natural world.

And science is increasingly confirming that spending time in forests and natural environments, and being exposed to natural light can:

• Reduce stress: Exposure to Nature has been linked to lower rates of anxiety and depression and higher feelings of well-being. Nature activates the parasympathetic nervous system — lowering cortisol levels, and helping the body relax also by stimulating the release of "feel-good" neurotransmitters like endorphins and serotonin.

• Improve mental clarity: Natural settings help reset attention, improve focus, and stimulate creativity and problem-solving.

• Enhance neuroplasticity: Navigating uneven, natural terrain challenges the brain, fostering neuroplasticity, the ability to form new neural connections, more effectively than walking on a flat, monotonous surface.

• Strengthen immunity: Trees release compounds called phytoncides — antimicrobial molecules that we inhale when walking in forests. These compounds have been shown to increase the activity of our natural killer cells, which help our immune system fight disease.

• Boost our energy: Walking, hiking, or cycling outdoors improves cardiovascular health, lowers blood pressure and boosts energy levels.

Nature truly is powerful medicine.

How to bring more Nature into your life?

You do not need a forest retreat to experience these benefits. Even small moments outside can make a real difference.

Here are a few simple ways to reconnect:

• Daily nature breaks: Even ten minutes in a garden, park, or quiet street lined up with trees can reset your nervous system.

• Plan a Nature escape: A day trip to a forest, lake, mountain, or the ocean can recharge your energy in profound ways.

• Walk mindfully outdoors: Slow down and engage your senses — the sound of leaves on a windy day, the scent of the fresh air after a rain, the feel of the uneven ground under your feet. Walking barefoot (grounding) or breathing deeply deepen the restorative effects.

• Disconnect from technology: Leave your phone behind for a walking meditation. Let Nature be the conversation.

• Find simple outdoor rituals: Gardening, birdwatching, or sitting by flowing water can become powerful daily practices.

Before you move on with your day, take a quiet moment and ask yourself:

When was the last time I felt restored by Nature?

Who are the people in my life who allow me to be fully myself?

What small moment of connection — with Nature or with someone I love — could I create this week?

Sometimes the smallest moments become the ones that nourish us the most.

Your ‘win of the day’

Step outside. Even for just five minutes.

Notice the sky. The air. The trees. The birds around you.

Your brain, your body, and your nervous system will thank you.

And if you can share that moment with someone you love, I promise you, the benefits will multiply.

Be well,

Sophie 🐝

Chocolate. Candlelit dinners. Flowers. All shades of reds and pinks everywhere!

And while celebrating the people we love and deeply care about is beautiful, there’s another relationship worth honoring — the one we have with our brain.

Why? Because our brain (and our body to which it is attached 😆) quietly shapes every relationships and decisions in our life. The way we nourish ourself (I know, I know, proper english requires to write ‘ourselves’… in this case, I want to refer to the ‘royal we’… so ourself it will be😉). The way we move, rest, and care for ourself. The way we challenge ourself. The way we interact with others. The way we speak to ourself too. Self-love starts within.

This Valentine, what would it look like to show love to others — AND most importantly to ourself as well?

To our brain. And to our mind.
To our whole beautifully interconnected human machine.

So this Valentine, why don’t we celebrate our brain, ourself and…

Cook something beautiful

Preparing a delicious, nutritious homemade meal is an act of self-love. It signals to our brain: you are worth it. Cooking can be creative and nurturing. The chopping, stirring, smelling, tasting — these small sensory rituals bring us into the present moment. And when the meal is built (mostly) from whole, plant-based ingredients, our gut microbiome benefits too.

There are so many delicious simple recipes (recipes from MinimalistBaker or PlantYou are easy and fool proof). Go at this with the best of intention. Do tell what you end up creating!

Mix the colors

Color is nutrient for our body. Bright vegetables and fruits — tomatoes, carrots, leafy greens, red cabbage, sweet potatoes, kiwi, raspberries,… — contain different kinds of fibbbberrrr, vitamins, antioxidants, phytonutrients that reduce inflammation, support our gut bacteria diversity and immune system, and help stabilize mood.

A colorful plate can be so pretty and it protects us.

If you’re celebrating with someone, cook together.

Chop vegetables side by side. Experiment. Laugh. Cooking together can be so fun!

You know that connecting with others is an amazing support for brain health. When we share meals, it can further strengthen our bonds and increase our feelings of safety and belonging.

Yes to dark chocolate, it loves you back

If you’re craving something sweet, dark chocolate (70% cocoa or higher) is a great choice. It contains antioxidants and plant compounds that support heart health and blood flow — nourishing your brain while satisfying our taste buds.

Yes, pleasure and nourishment can be friends. If you do not believe me, check the recipe below!!

Slow down. Take a deep breath.

Notice the different textures, the various aromas, the new flavors. Let this meal become a moment. When we eat mindfully, digestion improves. Our brain receives clearer satiety signals. We shift from “rushed consumption” to true nourishment.

Even chocolate tastes better when savored, let it melt in our mouth!

Above all: Enjoy your meal

I always tell my clients that the best meal is the one we enjoy and the one we have with our family and friends. The meal itself can be improvised. It does not have to be perfect to be appreciated. Because it’s about the moment, the experience, the time we spend together. The most important signal we can send to our brain — I love this!

On special days, allow yourself to be flexible. It’s okay to bend the rules once in a while. And remember to speak kindly to yourself. Kind, encouraging words shape our inner experience, which shapes our physiology. This Valentine, no guilt allowed!

Celebrating fully is also self-care. And tomorrow, come back to your journey.

If you’re curious about how nutrition and small daily habits can support your brain resilience, gut health, and overall vitality, I’d love to explore that with you. Sustainable wellbeing is about finding the right choices for your brain, for your body — so they can love you back.

Keep scrolling for the recipe 👇👇👇.

One loving win at a time. Thank you for reading! I appreciate you.

Be well,
Sophie 🤍

No guilt chocolate date

Ingredients (organic if you can):

• 12 dates (pitted), I am obsessed with the Rancho Meladuco dates, I have one or two every night! Did you know there are hundreds of different dates? They are naturally sweet and full of fiber, so good for you!

• Peanut butter, ideally 100% peanuts, home made or store bought… watch for added ingredients! Or really any nut butter you have.

• 3/4 cup dark chocolate chips, ideally 70+% cacao.

• 1 tsp coconut oil, or use 2-3 TBSP coconut or soy milk if you do not have coconut oil.

Super simple approach:

1. To pit the dates, open the top and remove the pit, creating a heart shape in the process. Add some peanut butter inside or on top of the dates (try keeping the heart shape 🤎!) and put them on a parchment-lined platter. Set them into the freezer for 20-30 minutes. (Did you know you can keep the pits, roast them and grind them into a coffee like ground — it’s delish!)

2. Melt the chocolate with the coconut oil in the microwave in 30 seconds increments (it will take approximately 90-120 seconds, less if you use coconut milk). Mix until combined.

3. Dip the dates into the chocolate, one by one, I use a fork. Sprinkle with a little sea salt, totally optional!. Place them into the freezer for another 20-30 minutes to fully set. Enjoy this nutritious deliciousness!!!

   I keep leftovers (if there are any) in a closed container in the freezer, the fridge might be just fine too.

   Cheers!

Thank you for those who recently joined. Hello and welcome! My goal here is to share science-backed insights for women who want to protect their brain, gut, and energy long before problems appear. If you have time, you can read The win of the day, explained, where I share my approach to lasting change. Thank you for being a part of this growing community. 🤩

Before we dive in this week’s topic… let me ask you... did you take the time to notice a few moments of gratitude this past month?

I will share some of my favorite ones with you: our house ‘alive’ with our kids back home, walks together in the snow, doing a really hard puzzle together, eating delicious food, a quiet morning cup of coffee, and reconnecting with a former colleague who decided to become a client — so excited about that — I love working with my clients!

In the new year, many of us set up new goals or rekindle old ones. Unfortunately staying on point is hard. The phenomenon of new gym memberships skyrocketing in January, only to be falling off the cliff in the second week of February is well documented.

Why is that happening? Are our ambitious goals too ambitious? Aren’t we serious enough when we set them up? Is our “why” not real and anchored? Maybe we are too impatient, or too lazy? Gosh, where is our willpower when we need it?? It’s likely all the above.

My take is that we set our goals without thinking about creating the best system that will ensure we follow through. I am certainly guilty of that. We have in mind the outcome (like a finished surprise puzzle) without the willingness to appreciate the journey (getting together around a table, teasing, laughing, sorting pieces, and assembling one small, very unusual, piece at a time.)

Everything that starts as a goal often takes hundreds or sometimes thousands of steps to achieve. That was certainly true of completing our 800 odd pieces puzzle without an image to guide our progress. And also true for famous gymnast Simone Biles who set to win gold in the 2016 Summer Olympics. She devoted years to that goal — thousands of hours in the gym, at competitions, following a regimented lifestyle, practicing mindfulness and focused discipline with minimal distractions. Simone also focused on her "why"—her love for her sport—and she set specific intentions for her training to stay motivated. She also had a whole team of trainers and athletes to support her.

You are not looking to go to the Olympics? It does not matter. Staying motivated isn’t simply about desire or willpower (which is finite) — it’s about designing your goals and the system that supports you so your brain wants to follow through.

Here’s a science-backed, simple and easy approach to try:

1. Anchor goals to your “why”, ask yourself: WHY is it important for me at this time to do X?

Motivation sticks when a goal is emotionally meaningful. Your brain’s reward system (dopamine) responds more to purpose than pressure. Bring clarity into your why.

Instead of “I want to adopt a healthier lifestyle”
👉 Try “I want to nourish my brain and gut so I can have steady energy throughout the day and keep up with my growing garden” 🌾

When motivation dips, reconnect to the emotion and feeling you’re after.

2. Set your goal so that it feels almost too easy

Big goals may trigger the brain’s threat system, leading to unwanted stress. Small goals activate progress and reward. Mood always follows action (I learned that from a good friend). The important is to start, take even a super teeny-tiny action, then observe what happens. Think:

• One new vegetable a week, yes the one you’ve been eyeing at the store 🍠

• 10 minutes of movement 3 days a week, dance in your kitchen while you cook or walk around the block 🤺

• One earlier bedtime per week, notice how you feel in the morning 🤩

Consistency beats intensity — this is universal. Once you have reached consistency, challenge yourself to the next goal.

• Do one push up from a plank once you have mastered 11 push-ups with your knees on the floor.

3. Track daily wins, and CELEBRATE

Your brain loves to see 👀 progress. Each small win releases dopamine (the feel good hormone) and helps build momentum.

Ask yourself daily:

• What did I do today that was more than yesterday?

• What inched me forward?

• What did I do that made me smile?

This will shift your mindset from “I’m not there yet” to “I showed up” or “I am a work in progress.” Write it down, somewhere, anywhere. May be your kitchen calendar.

Finished a walk? Ate a nourishing meal? Went to bed early? Yes, yes and yes. Those count.

Track it. ✅ Celebrate it 🙌, high five a loved one or even yourself in the mirror, just like Mel Robbins.

4. Design your environment to support you

Willpower and motivation can fade, sometimes too fast. Systems last.

What system has supported you in the past? Build on that success. If you cannot think of anything… ask yourself: what needs to happen before I take a step in the right direction? Make it super easy to accomplish that.

For example:

• Keep healthy food visible and ready, on your counter or in clear containers

• Put running/walking clothes in your bathroom and shoes in front of the door

• Leave your favorite book by your bed so you look forward to bedtime

Follow the path of least resistance. Remember this: a consistent action inevitably leads to the birth of a new habit.

5. You know it’s not about perfection. Expect twists and turns — and plan ahead for them

What may get in the way? Going out with a friend, work travel, sleepless night… so many distractions. Succumbing to temptation or losing track isn’t failure… it’s a learning experience. Notice how you feel after a not-so-healthy meal one evening or after missing your morning yoga routine 2 days in a row. Listen to your body.

Stress, fatigue and ‘life’ all affect our decisions. Do not beat yourself up, visualize your success, jump back on the journey, and restart from where you were.

Plan:

• What smallest version of my weight routine can I do when I travel? May be it is simply doing calves pushups under the meeting table or on the plane. Your metabolism will thank you. No gym required.

• I will chose the healthiest meal on the restaurant menu

• How can I fit the time it takes to walk 10 blocks instead of taking a cab?

Being comfortable with imperfections and bumps on the road will keep your nascent and fragile habits alive, and interesting!

A gentle reframe

Your new lifestyle is something you CREATE through clear intention, small actions, self-love, preparedness, determination and as much consistency as possible.

Focus on daily achievements, daily wins.

Enjoy the journey.

You deserve it!

Still struggling? Contact me, I am here to help you one puzzle piece at a time.

Be well,
Sophie 🤍❄️

Thank you for those who recently joined. Hello and welcome! I help women with a family history of Alzheimer’s befriend and nurture their brain and gut to boost their clarity, energy and vitality. My goal here is to share science-backed insights, tips, tricks and recipes for taking better care of our brain — because it’s the only one we have. If you have time, you can read The win of the day, explained, where I share my approach to lasting change. Thank you for being a part of this growing community. 🤩

Ending the year with wins and gratitude…

Three of my biggest wins this year were — starting my own business, meeting amazing people so generous with their time and insights, helping my clients start their journey towards brain resilience, and my family’s good health 🙏. Ha, that’s four!

Have you thought about your biggest wins the past year?

As this year gently comes to a close, I am feeling super grateful — for the conversations we’ve shared — mostly about new habits and becoming intentionally healthier for our brain, and for the curiosity and determination you bring in those conversations. I am also grateful for all what I learned for and from you — these were huge wins, and of course for the time you take to read The Win of the Day. In a world that moves fast and grabs a lot of our precious attention, I appreciate your presence here. Thank you!

It may be a bit cliché, yet it feels right to end the year with a reflection on gratitude — not as a buzzword or a holiday sentiment, but as a practice with real, measurable impact on our brains and our lives. Gratitude is the hidden word behind what my mother used to tell me: “Chérie, pour être heureuse, il faut regarder ce que tu as, pas ce que tu n’as pas” (= in order to be happy, look at what you have, not at what you do not have). I can still hear her voice telling me that — and it is an amazing present that has guided my life through breakups, gaps, financial tightness or other ‘downs’, and the best part it keeps on giving. Also, I think not having ‘it all’ makes us more resilient and astute at finding other ways to cherish what we have.

The science of gratitude (in plain terms)

Gratitude isn’t just a mindset shift. It actually changes the brain.

Research shows that practicing gratitude:

• activates the brain’s reward pathways

• calms the amygdala (our fear and stress center) and helps lower blood pressure and inflammation

• boosts feel-good neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, which in turns helps reduce pain and boost your mood

• strengthens emotional resilience over time

• enhances the neural circuits that support connection and belonging

In short, gratitude helps the brain feel safer, more balanced, and more connected. It’s one of the simplest — and most science-backed — ways to support long-term brain health.

Gratitude has also been linked to better sleep, reduced stress, improved mood, and stronger relationships. And perhaps most beautifully, it creates a ripple effect: when we practice gratitude, we tend to spread it.

Simple ways to practice gratitude

Gratitude doesn’t need to be elaborate or time-consuming. Here are a few gentle ways to weave it into everyday life:

1. A morning moment — Today is going to be a great day
Before the day begins, pause for a few breaths. Notice the warmth of your coffee, the quiet of the morning, the light coming through a window. Simply say out loud: today is going to be a great day.

2. Express appreciation — Thank you
Tell someone you appreciate them. Even if it feels uncomfortable. A short message, a kind word, a bag of cookies, a sincere thank you. These moments strengthen connection — for both of you.

3. Return to the present — I am here
Tune into your senses: what you see, hear, smell, feel. Presence helps the brain slow down and notice what’s good.

4. Mood follows action — Take a step forward
Difficult moments often hold hidden powers. You have heard before that thoughts are not facts. By default, our brain wants to protect us… however this might not always lead to the outcome we expect. When you are stuck with a thought, stop the loop. Take a step forward: breathe, walk, shake your body, do a few sun salutations, or bake something yummy — a few minutes might suffice to reframe your mindset.

5. Share what you’re grateful for — Inspire others
Gratitude grows when it’s shared. Talking about what you are grateful for, perhaps your latest win — even casually — can inspire others and reinforce the habit in your own brain.

A gentle invite for 2026: 30 days of gratitude

As we step into a new year, I invite you to do a simple experiment with me:
For 30 days, let’s practice one small moment of gratitude each day. Not perfect. Not as a performance. Just consistent, small wins.

Notice how it affects your mood, your stress, your relationships — and your ability to feel at ease within yourself. And as you try it, I would love to read your wins and how you feel, what you notice.

Before we turn the page…

I’d also love your input as we move into the second year of The Win of the Day.
What would you like to learn more about — brain health, gut health, small habits, reflections, practical tools, stories?

You can comment on this post or message me directly. Your thoughts will help shape what comes next.

Thank you for being here, for your curiosity, and for the small wins you’re creating — day after day. And please, share this with your friends and family — my goal is to triple the number of subscribers… it should not be that difficult 😆😆😆!

Wishing you a peaceful Holidays and a grounded, hopeful start to 2026, full of love, health and laughter.

Be well,
Sophie 🤍❄️👩‍🍳

Some of the sources:

• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26483740/

• https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2021.04.019

• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12585811/

I hope you had a nourishing Thanksgiving — full of warmth, good food, and moments that felt grounding. Thank you, truly, for taking the time to read The Win of the Day. Your presence here fills up my heart.

As the days grow shorter and colder, I imagine you reading this from a cozy corner — wrapped in layers, perhaps with a warm drink nearby. Winter has a way of quietly inviting us to slow down. Which brings me to today’s win: embracing hygge.

What On Earth Is Hygge?

Hygge (pronounced hoo-gah) is a Danish concept that dates back to the 1800s, and its wisdom feels especially relevant now. It’s more than a word — it’s a way of living that centers on coziness, simplicity, presence, and contentment.

Hygge is the art of pausing. Of stepping out of the rush. Of being together with people you care about — or just as meaningfully, being peacefully alone — with no agenda, nowhere else to be. It’s about savoring small pleasures, allowing conversations to flow where they will, and giving yourself permission to slowdown.

In many ways, hygge is a quiet rebellion against busyness.

How to Invite More Hygge Into Your Winter

You don’t need to rearrange your life to practice hygge. It’s found in the simplest choices:

• A cozy space: Soften your surroundings with pillows, blankets, warm lighting, a wood fire or candles, and soft music. As I write this, it’s snowing outside and my son is playing his guitar behind me — the sound is sooooo soothing.

• Nourishing comfort: Enjoy hearty foods and drinks that warm you from the inside out — a bowl of soup (see recipe below), herbal tea, something homemade, soft and familiar to bring back sweet memories.

• Meaningful connection: Share unhurried time with good friends and loved ones, or give yourself the gift of solitude or silence without distraction — a good time to meditate. When my friends visit, we like to knit or paint or carve linoleum — all quite mesmerizing and calming.

• Mindful presence: Notice the small sensory moments that bring you back in the present: the softness of a blanket, the flicker of a candle, the crackling sound of a fire, or the smell of a comforting freshly baked treat.

Your win: Good For Your Soul, Good For Your Brain

These small acts aren’t indulgent — they’re regulating.

Hygge supports brain resilience as it gently interrupts the chronic stress cycle and helps shift your nervous system into rest-and-repair mode.

Paying attention to small, pleasant moments improves attention and reduces mental rumination. Feeling safe, comfortable, and connected strengthens emotional resilience and reduces anxiety. And if you are struggling to complete a good night sleep, an evening hygge ritual—with dimmed lights, a warming tea, and a calming activity—will support melatonin production and deeper sleep.

Finally, the meaningful, relaxed connections spent with loved ones boost oxytocin, which protects against stress by lowering blood pressure or reducing cortisol and also helps with memory recalls.

In short: hygge creates the conditions your brain needs to recover, reset, and stay resilient over time.

A Small Personal Update

Before I close, I’d love to ask you a favor. I’m currently completing a special certification with The Health Professional Health Academy, which will allow me to take my coaching practice and service to the next level in 2026. As part of this process, I’m inviting 20 people to participate in three customized coaching sessions, offered to my circle at a deeply discounted rate.

These sessions are designed to help you get a head start on your health — gently, intentionally, and without overwhelm — as we look ahead to the year to come.

If you’re curious, please text me at 603-316-9706. I’d love to support you. If you know someone who might be interested, please feel free to share this post.

Share

Thank you. 🥰

As winter settles in, may we allow ourselves many moments of hygge — not as something to add to our to-do list, rather as permission to be, to nurture our self. To pause. To soften. To sit in silence. Sometimes the smallest shifts have the biggest ripples on our health.

Be well,
Sophie ❄️🍵

Recipe: Hygge Lentil & Root Veggies Soup

This soup is warming, grounding, and deeply nourishing—ideal for a hygge moment.

Why it supports brain and gut health: Lentils, root vegetables and spices are rich in fiber, plant protein, A, B and C vitamins. They help stabilize blood sugar, and have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects from compounds like carotenoids.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 carrots, diced

• 1 branch of celery, diced

• 1 parsnip, diced

• 1 sweet potato, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 cup dried lentils (green/Puy or red), rinsed. If using a can of cooked lentil, add only 2 cups of broth.

• 1 tsp ground cumin

• ½ tsp turmeric

• 1/4 tsp minced rosemary leaves

• 4 cups vegetable broth

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast

• Handful of spinach or kale

• Optional: squeeze of lemon, fresh thyme

Instructions

1. Heat olive oil in a pot over medium heat.

2. Sauté onion and garlic until soft and fragrant.

3. Add carrots, celery, parsnip and sweet potato; cook 5 minutes.

4. Stir in lentils and spices.

5. Add broth, bring to a gentle boil, then simmer 15-20 minutes if red lentils, 25–30 minutes if green lentils until tender.

6. Add spinach/kale 2 minutes before the end.

7. Season, nutritional yeast, lemon if desired, and enjoy slowly.

Enjoy with warm whole grain bread, cozy socks, candlelight—and an abundant amount of time.

“Last night was so much fun! I feel very fortunate to live in such a wonderful community. I can’t wait to make these dishes at home and look forward to future events.”

“It was such fun to work together, and the fellowship was heartwarming.”

“Such a fun and educational time! The sense of community was palpable:). The variety of recipes is such a treasure to include in my own tool kit!”

“A similar cooking event should be planned in the future--any ideas?? Maybe during mud season?? Food for thought...”

It’s all about the sides…

The theme of our class was ‘It’s all about the sides’. We wanted everyone to learn new tricks and try something new. Sides really are our main opportunity to explore new foods, create new recipes, and surprise friends and family.

After introducing ourselves and sharing the gist of the recipes for the evening, everyone jumped into action at one of the cooking stations of their choice, and started slicing, chopping, mixing, measuring, frying, roasting, and even cleaning as pots and tools were getting dirty!

Together, we made a feast: three colorful, nutritious and healthy-ish appetizers and five sides — constituting a bountiful meal, that we then shared at a beautifully decorated table. Each dish is a great swap to try or a new twist on the traditional Thanksgiving or Xmas fares. Who needs turkey, seriously?

The Aperitif

• Fresh Cranberry Syrup for a mocktail, we froze cranberries in ice cubes and added a slice of orange and pomegranate as fun deco and toped with seltzer.

• Lucky Nuts, really delicious and nutritious, by Be A Plant-Based Woman Warrior, by Jane Esselstyn and Ann Crile Esselstyn

• Roasted Beet Hummus, earthy and creamy, inspired by Minimalist Baker’s recipe

• Stick Season Lentil Walnut Vegan Pate, absolutely surprisingly delicious and a BIG hit, on Bring It. You will totally fool meat eaters. We used black lentils instead of Puy.

We served the above with two kinds of homemade seeds crackers, a la ‘Top Seedz’.

The Sides

• Stacked Potatoes in Muffin Tin, inspired by The Toasted Pine Nut, this was such a BIG hit, nice and crunchy!

• Double Baked Sweet Potatoes, inspired by Whole and Heavenly Oven, another hit and the combo of apples and cranberries caramelized on top. Note we did cut the sugar by half.

• Creamy Butternut Mac n Cheese, a really nice seasonal twist loved by adults and kids alike, inspired by TeriAnn Carty

• Green Beans with Sesame Crumble, this will give a great kick to your green beans… you could also add the sesame crumble to broccoli, by Be A Plant-Based Woman Warrior

• Salad Fix: A Healthyish Addiction, on Bring It, super refreshing, we added sliced Brussels sprouts and used dried cranberries and fresh pomegranate instead of dates as the original recipe suggested.

For even more inspiration, I suggest you head over to Edie’s Bring It , a treasure trove of tried and truly delicious recipes to make with your friends and family, and where she will soon post more information on the recipes above.

Remember to breathe

We know the Holidays bring unnecessary stress and with that and the many rich foods that are tempting our taste buds, digestive challenges. If you are concerned, Holiday eating doesn’t need to derail your wellbeing — your secret weapon might be tiny swaps. These small shifts help balance blood sugar, reduce inflammation, and support gut and brain health (especially during the busiest, most stressful season).

So for a stress free and light Holiday meals, I hope you try at least one of the recipes shared above.

👉 And one more thing… before you go for seconds and regret it immediately → pause, take a few breaths first or better, go for a walk! No seconds means more leftover the day after! 🤸‍♀️🤸‍♀️🤸‍♀️ And if you eat seconds, don’t beat yourself up!! You may as well ENJOY IT!!

You don’t need perfection — just awareness and a few intentional choices.
Your future self will thank you in January. 🤍

Wishing you Holidays filled with good health and mindful choices,

Be well,

Sophie👩‍🍳

Are you enjoying the return of cozy layers—sweaters, scarves, hats, and all things warm? Here in New Hampshire, the wind has been wild, the leaves are on the ground (do not pick them up from your lawn, just mow them in!), and we even spotted a few flurries yesterday. Sticks season has arrived!

Today’s Win of the Day is about curiosity over tradition—especially when it comes to one of the most debated foods in our kitchens: dairy.

Many of us grew up hearing that milk = strong bones. Dairy has long been praised for calcium, vitamins D and K, and protein. It’s woven into our daily meals—cheese boards, yogurt bowls, lattes, mac and cheese, you name it. And here’s something empowering to know: in adulthood, bone strength relies more on weight-bearing movement—walking, dancing, running, hiking, jumping, rebounding, strength training—than on milk alone. (A win for more movement!) There are other important elements contributing to bone strength: vitamin B12, C, potassium and a healthy weight.

If you’re considering reducing or removing dairy—whether for digestion, skin, ethics, or simply curiosity—you’re not alone. And the good news? There are so many nourishing options available today.

Here Are a Few Things to Consider:

Digestive Dis/Comfort
Have you ever noticed bloating, gas, or discomfort after eating dairy? You’re not imagining it. Lactose intolerance is common (close to two thirds of the global population) and happens when the small intestine doesn’t produce enough of an enzyme called lactase. Lactase is necessary to digest milk sugar, called lactose. The good news is that there are now many brands of lactose-free milks in the dairy area and certain cheeses like cheddar, aged Gouda, Swiss (Gruyere, Emmental), aged Parmesan and even Mozzarella have little to no lactose — the older the better. Goat and sheep milks, yogurt and cheeses are also often better tolerated.

I discovered I was lactose intolerant 12 years ago. I switched to lactose-free milk and felt much better. Though when I moved on from dairy 6 years ago and swapped to plant-based milk and yogurt for ethical reasons, it was a true game-changer for my digestion and wellbeing.

Nutritional Needs
Lactose-free milks have the same nutrients as ‘regular’ milk — so nothing to worry about there. And we have long established that plant-based isn’t code for “missing nutrients.” The much sought after calcium, vitamins D & K, and protein are abundant in fortified plant-based milks, as well as broccoli, leafy greens, bok choy, fermented foods, sardines, soy, tofu, beans, lentils, nuts & seeds, and many more.

A bonus worth noting is that plant-based milks do not have as much saturated fats as cow’s milk. Saturated fat can be pro-inflammatory. While regular cow’s milk (2%) has 3 grams per serving, soy milk has only 0.5 grams per serving — both with a similar amount of protein. One outlier is coconut milk, though its saturated fat content is debated. The good: it contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), which may boost metabolism, promote weight loss and improve cognitive function, as well as lauric acid which has antimicrobial and antiviral properties and may support immune function. The bad: studies suggest coconut oil increases cholesterol, increasing the risk of heart disease. The debated question is whether or not coconut milk’s saturated fat will raise LDL cholesterol levels. My take: in doubt, consume it in moderation.

Bottom line: not all plant-based milks are created equal. I recommend you read the labels before buying plant-based milks, yogurt and cheese. There are often additives (such as added sugar, gums, oils) that are not needed for a healthy nutrition. Look for the fewest ingredients, unsweetened and organic when possible. Better, make your own plant-based milk (see recipe below) — it’s much easier than you think, and you control the additives!

Ethical Choices
Some shift away from dairy because of animal welfare. Our daughter opened our eyes to the harsh realities of factory farming—and once seen, we couldn’t unsee them. In addition, plant-based milks have a much smaller environmental footprint as producing plant-based milks require less land, less water and less energy.

If you do enjoy dairy, choosing milk and cheese from small local farms with ethical care practices can make a meaningful difference, and they do need our support.

Taste & Openness
Keep in mind that taste buds evolve! Do not expect plant-based milks, yogurts, and cheeses to taste like cow’s milk—and that’s the beauty of it. They have their own delicious flavors. There is so much choice: almond, soy, peas, oats, cashews, hemp seeds, rice, … Approach them with curiosity, not comparison. I tried many of them. My two favorites are my own homemade cashew/oat milk combo and Silk’s unsweetened soy milk, especially for the protein and the phytoestrogens that support bones and menopausal health.

Possible Wins You May Notice Without Dairy

You might experience:

• Less bloating and digestive distress

• Weight loss (less sugar and saturated fats)

• Clearer skin or fewer breakouts (dairy can trigger inflammation and hormone responses in some)

• Reduced joint aches, sinus congestion, or chronic mucus (especially if sensitive to casein)

Your Win of the Day

I am not suggesting you give up dairy. Instead, I invite you try one tiny experiment this week:

Swap just one daily dairy item for a plant-based option and notice how you feel.

Maybe it’s oat milk in your morning coffee, coconut yogurt with berries, or a sprinkle of nutritional yeast instead of cheese. That small shift may bring a surprisingly interesting win.

If you’re unsure about what choice is right for you, I’m here to help you explore this with curiosity and without judgment. Our bodies’ needs are unique—and our choices should honor that.

Be well,
Sophie 🤍

Homemade Oat Milk

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup oats

• 2 TBPS hemp seeds

• 1/4 cup coconut flakes

• Sprinkle of sea salt

• 1 pitted date

• 4 to 5 cups water

Method

Blend everything in a high-speed blender for 1 minute, strain using a tea filter or a fine mesh. Note that less water will yield thicker, creamier milk, more will yield thinner milk. Store for 4 to 5 days in the fridge. Best with granola, oatmeal, chia seeds for pudding, smoothies and baked goods.

There are many variations, including using previously soaked cashews or almonds (skin removed). You can also add cacao for a chocolate version.

Enjoy!

Today, we are diving into why fiber is so powerful — and how adding more of it to our meals can transform our health from the inside out.

🌿 Fiber: Food for our Microbiome

The first time I learned about the role of fiber was from the amazing book Fiber Fueled by Dr B. Fiber is found in plant-based foods. It is essentially what some people call prebiotics, the non-digestible part of vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. That’s right, we do not digest fiber. The most astonishing learning was that we do not feed fiber to our ‘body’. We feed fiber to the microbiome in our gut, the trillions of bacteria squatting in your digestive system — it’s their favorite fuel source.

When these bacteria ferment fiber in the colon, they produce short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) — powerful compounds that:

• Produce vitamins (like B vitamins, vitamin K) and bioactive compounds

• Strengthen the gut lining, both membranes and junctions (esp. Butyrate production helps prevent “leaky gut”), which in turn reduce/suppress inflammation spreading throughout the body, protecting us against diseases

• Support our immune system (lowering the risk of getting the flu or colds)

• Help metabolize (and ‘recycle’) hormones like estrogen (important during menopause)

• Activate our satiety hormones, help regulate our metabolism and reduce the risk of obesity, diabetes (type II), and heart disease

• Communicate directly with our brain via the vagus nerve

This last point is key: the gut and the brain are in constant conversation. By feeding our gut microbes, we’re also nourishing our brain — supporting mental clarity, emotional balance, and even neuro-plasticity (our brain’s ability to adapt and grow).

In other words, when we eat for our gut, we also eat for our brain.

The more diverse plants we eat, the more types of fiber we ingest and we help diversify healthy bacteria responsible for better digestion, immune function, and mood stability!

Three wins for our gut:

1. Soluble fiber forms a gel when it combines with water and binds to cholesterol and fat in our food and lowers cholesterol, slows digestion, stabilizes blood sugar.

2. Insoluble fiber adds bulk to our stools to keeps things moving and absorbs toxins and excess hormones, helping detox the body naturally.

3. Fermentable fiber such as kimchi and sauerkraut, contain prebiotics and probiotics—food for good bacteria and more good bacteria—which help promote a healthier gut microbiome.

Two wins for our brain:

1. Fiber and SCFAs enhance the body’s ability to use antioxidants and fight oxidative stress — a key mechanism protecting brain cells, promoting neuro-plasticity and mental clarity, reducing neuro-inflammation and lower the risk of cognitive decline and…

2. They boost our mood, reduce stress and anxiety by lowering cortisol (stress hormone) and increasing serotonin (happy hormone 90% produced in gut)!

Ok, it’s a lot. Let’s recap the many benefits of fiber

1. Digestive health: keeps things moving smoothly and supports a balanced gut microbiome.

2. Weight management: high-fiber foods keep you fuller for longer, naturally helping you eat less without feeling deprived.

3. Heart health: soluble fiber helps lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, protecting your heart.

4. Blood sugar control: when eaten first, fiber slows glucose absorption and stabilizes energy levels — essential for metabolic and cognitive health.

5. Easier menopause transition: smoother digestion, mood stability, weight balance, better sleep.

6. Last but not least — Brain resilience: reduced neuro-inflammation, protecting against cognitive decline and boosting our mood.

Now… the magic power of combining Fiber + Protein

When you combine fiber and protein in a meal, magic happens:

• We feel satisfied longer (goodbye, afternoon crash!)

• Our blood sugar stays stable

• Our energy and focus are steadier

• Our gut bacteria get a balanced meal

Think of this combo as the foundation for sustained vitality — whether your goal is better energy, sharper focus, or balanced hormones.

Are we eating enough fiber?

We need to eat approximately 30 grams of fiber daily. Unfortunately most people are fiber deficient today: Americans consume about 10-15 grams of fiber per day on average and europeans consumer between 15-20 grams per day. Fiber deficiency erases the benefits we mentioned above… it is linked to inflammation, leaky gut, autoimmune issues, metabolic disorders, and poor mental health.

30 grams — is that a lot? To be honest I had never calculated my fiber intake until today. I am intentional about eating a variety of plants every day, and add seeds in my typical complex carbs-based breakfast for protein and omega 3s — Chia especially happens to be high in soluble fiber.

This is a sample of a typical day for me that amounts to, wow, 49.5 grams! Amounts are approximate of course and vary source to source, scant to generous spoons and cups.

• Breakfast: 1/4 cup rolled oats (2gr), 2 tbsp Chia seeds (7gr), 2 tbsp Hemp seeds (2gr), 1/2 cup berries (3gr) —> 14gr

• Lunch: 1 cup leafy greens (3.5gr); 1/2 avocado (6.5gr), 1/4 cup edamame (2gr), 1 apple/pear (skin on!) (5.5gr) —> 17.5gr

• Dinner: 1/2 cup brown rice (2gr), 1/2 cup roasted pumpkin (5gr), 1/2 cup black beans (7.5gr), 2 dates for dessert (3.5gr) —> 18gr

Legumes (beans, lentils, peas, chickpeas, soy, peanuts) are the no regret addition to your meals, as your main source of protein or together with meat. They have the highest amount of fiber and are high in protein and minerals and low in saturated fat and in glycemic load. More about legumes here. These are now eaten daily in our family — I say now, because it was not always the case — it took me a couple of years to infuse legumes into my daily cooking.

Here is a simple fall recipe to help you increase your fiber intake this week.

Autumn Harvest Bowl with Roasted Veggies & Chickpeas

Ingredients (chose the lower end for 2 ppl, higher end for more ppl or leftover):

• 1-2 sweet potatoes, diced (or purple potatoes)

• 1-2 cup Brussels sprouts, halved (or other cruciferous like broccoli)

• 2-4 carrots, sliced

• 1-2 parsnips, sliced

• 1 beet diced

• 1 1/2 -3 cups cooked chickpeas or white beans

• 2-4 tbsp olive oil

• 1-2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2-1 tsp cumin, 1/2-1 tsp turmeric (you can totally vary the spices here, garlic, ginger, curry, chili etc)

• 1-2 cup cooked quinoa

• Salt & pepper to taste

• Handful of arugula or baby spinach or kale

• Drizzle of tahini dressing or vinaigrette

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

2. Toss sweet potatoes, Brussels sprouts, carrots, parsnip and beet with olive oil, paprika, cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper.

3. Roast for 25–35 minutes, until tender and golden.

4. Add the cooked chickpeas for the last 10 minutes to warm through, if you prefer crispy chickpeas, add them at the start.

5. Serve over greens, quinoa and drizzle with tahini dressing or simple vinaigrette.

This bowl is a perfect example of fiber + protein synergy — delicious, colorful, and deeply nourishing for our gut and brain.

A Gentle Reminder

If you’re new to eating more fiber, go slow.
Increase your intake gradually and drink plenty of water to give your body time to adjust.

If you’d like some guidance on how to increase fiber safely and sustainably — so your gut (and brain) can truly thrive — I’d love to help you craft a plan that fits your plate and your palate.

💚 Be well,
Sophie

Sources:

• Dr Bulsiewicz’s book ‘Fiber Fueled’ or start with this article by Dr B on plants and fiber diversity: https://www.futureofpersonalhealth.com/digestive-health/gastroenterologist-and-author-dr-will-bulsiewicz-says-the-key-to-good-gut-health-is-diversity/

• https://zoe.com/learn/what-are-short-chain-fatty-acids

Don’t wait any longer to join, find a walk near you — it’s free to register… and you can donate too of course!

Purple has been the Alzheimer’s Association symbolic color since the 1990s. On their site they share that purple was picked purposely because it’s a mix of red (fiery) and blue (calm). Personally I love all the shades of purple. Purple reminds me of my childhood… it used to be my sister’s favorite color and she would dye everything purple — I mean everything!

So this week, I decide to showcase much purple — wear my purple clothes and cook as much purple food as I can find in support of the cause. As a major win, my friend Edie (check her amazing Substack) reminded me how super healthy purple food can be. Purple foods contain anthocyanins which are a class of polyphenol flavonoids. They are water-soluble pigments found in many fruits and vegetables, giving them their red, purple, and blue hues. You can find anthocyanins in:

• Fruits: Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Strawberries, Cherries, Elderberries, Mulberries, Grapes, and Pomegranates…

• Vegetables: Red Cabbage, Eggplant, Blue Potatoes, Purple Sweet Potatoes, Black Rice, Black Beans, Purple Carrots, Purple Corn, Black Lentils, ...

Anthocyanins may be effective against many adverse health outcomes associated with aging, namely cardio vascular diseases, certain forms of cancer, neurodegenerative disorders (including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s), bone loss and metabolic health. Indeed, anthocyanins seem to protect us against inflammation, improve blood sugar and digestion health (among others).

Yesterday I found a purple cauliflower and blue potatoes at Cedar Circle in Thedford, VT, so last night I made my ‘Purple Sheppard’ recipe. It turned out delicious as always!!

Here is my recipe… this is an excellent source of protein, fiber (prebiotic), complex carbs and anthocyanins. You can replace the lentils by ground meat if you prefer — however you will be missing on fiber and anthocyanins!

• Prep time: ~10-15 min

• Cook time: ~ 30-35 min

• Servings: 4-ish people

Ingredients:

• 1-2 can of lentils (drained, rinsed) or cook 1 cup of Beluga (small black ones) or Puy lentils (small green ones)

• 1 onion, 1 carrot and 1 celery stick

• 1-2 garlic cloves or 1 TBPS garlic chives

• 3-5 blue/purple potatoes

• 3/4 cup milk (of choice, I like soy), more as needed

• 1 tsp garlic powder (or 1-2 cloves to taste)

• 1 purple cauliflower (or white if you cannot find purple)

• ¾ cup cashews, soaked for 20 min in boiled water

• 3/4 cup water

• Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

• Soak the cashews

• Rinse canned lentils or cook dry ones with a little salt and a bay leaf if you have (Beluga for 15-20 min, Puy for 35 -40 min)

• Sauté onion, diced carrot and celery 5-10 min, add cooked lentils, combine, add salt, pepper to taste

• In same time, boil the pealed potatoes for ~20 min, until fork goes through. Mash with 1 cup of milk, a little olive oil if you like, add garlic, salt, pepper

• Boil cauliflower for 10 min, until tender. Blitz rinsed cashews with water, and garlic until creamy. Add to cooked cauli, add salt and pepper to taste

• Layer lentils, cauliflower and mashed potatoes in warm oven dish. Broil in oven for 3-5 min if you like a crusty taste/look.

Voila! The only drawback is that there are too many pots to wash — it’s worth it, I promise! So what are you waiting for to get your purple cauliflower?

Contact me if you want to add more plant-based recipes to your meals or for more ways to nurture your gut and brain. I’d love to help you! I’d love to read your purple foods recipes too — please share them with us!

Be well. 💜

Prioritizing sleep is one of the most powerful health choices we can make to preserve our brain, energy, and vitality as we age.

This past week, with that in mind, I intentionally listened to my body for clues of tiredness. Instead of mindlessly controlling my evening (likely spent watching one more show), I gave in, prepared a hot water bottle to warm my bed and headed upstairs. I read my novel (right now, book 4 of The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley) for a few minutes, and as soon as my eyes were struggling, I turned off the light, took few deep breaths (4-7-8 is my jam) and melted asleep. Staying asleep has been my problem for the past month or so, mostly due to a back pain that I can’t shake off. The past few days, I was pleased to wake up only once during the night, as opposed to the 3-4 times the previous weeks. I am headed in the right direction… I’ll take that as a win.

How was your experience this past week? Whether great, or bad or in the right direction, the good news is:

It’s never too late to learn to sleep more or to sleep better.

First, let’s dive into the 4 pillars of a good night sleep: 1. quantity, 2. quality, 3. consistency and 4. timing.

Quantity

According to the National Sleep Foundation, the appropriate sleep duration is 7 to 9 hours for adults 18-64 years old, and 7 to 8 hours of sleep for 65+ years old (for additional age brackets see here).

This should motivate you to get those hours in: according to the Center for Sleep and Cognition, based at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, for every hour you are awake during the day, you need a full half-hour of sleep time to process the new information you’ve learned (the reverse is also true!).

The minutes we read or toss and turn should not count. And it is interesting to note that both too few hours (less than 6) and too many hours (more than 9) may have negative effects on our body. In doubt, check with your doctor as each of us have different needs.

Quality

As we noted in part 1, good quality sleep positively influences several brain and key body functions, and vice versa: blood sugar regulation, mood regulation, athletic performance, and improved immune system, cognitive and mental function.

How do we know we have quality sleep? Few awakenings throughout the night, little time spent awake after initially falling asleep, and most importantly perhaps how restored and refreshed we feel upon waking up. We can also measure quality of sleep with devices such as the Apple or Google watch, Oura ring or Whoop bracelet by tracking the sleep stages, time asleep, restfulness, body temperature, heart rate, and blood oxygen, among others. I do not at this time — though Mathew Walker thinks there is a future for them to help us get a better night sleep.

Consistency

While quantity of sleep always gets the limelight, consistency, or lack thereof, has been showed to be a better predictor of health outcomes. Ideally, we should be going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, whether a week day or a week-end day, even a vacation day! Scientists report that having a regular bedtime and wake time is important for various body and brain functions. Ancient wisdoms coming from the Chinese and Ayurvedic body clocks were already clear on that hundreds of years ago!

Interestingly, a consistent bedtime routine starts in the morning, when we look at the natural light for a few minutes first thing in the morning (ideally during a 5-10 minutes walk outside), and reset our body’s internal clock, our circadian rhythm.

Keep in mind what can easily disrupt our circadian rhythm: going to bed late one night and early the next, prolonged daylight, time change (Fall back is coming November 2, ugh), bright artificial light, blue light from our electronic devices, jet lag, hard to digest meals, and of course caffeine/energy drinks.

​Timing

Timing is not straightforward.

I had heard a long time ago that the hours before midnight were the best hours to sleep — that is apparently a myth. Most of us have one of 3 chronotypes: Owl (evening), Lark (morning) and Neutral (can adapt), with variations in between. Chronotypes are the natural preferences of the body for wakefulness and sleep, influenced by genetics and circadian rhythms, and thus we should align to our natural chronotype to improve sleep quality.

An early bird growing up, I thought that my chronotype had slowly shifted in my 30s and 40s as I often found a ‘second wind’ in the evening, leading to a more productive work day overall — quieter house, with no kids or emails or pings interruptions. Digging into this, I found that in fact my computer’s blue light had been disrupting my circadian rhythm, stretching my natural cycle into the night. And it’s not good news. A UK cohort study demonstrated that being an evening owl was unfortunately significantly associated with a higher prevalence of all comorbidities, mostly psychological, neurological, gastro/digestive, respiratory and cardiometabolic disorders. Some people argue that it may be due to the poor health choice we make in the evening, when we are more likely to smoke, use drugs and eat poor diets. Others will say that evening owls are living in an early bird world, cutting their night short — not being allowed to sleep as late as they need. Probably both.

Bottom line: listen to your body on a day without artificial lights or other disruptions, and honor your natural sleep-wake cycle by going to bed when your body needs it, at the same time every night. After you get to know your natural cycle, you can then set an alarm for bed time!

10 no-regret, yet no-magic-bullet bedtime routines to try

Now that you understand the importance of setting a consistent bed/wakeup time — your brain and hormones will love this rhythm by the way — what else can you do that may or not work right away? Just try and be patient, and in addition to sleep, observe the impact on your energy, appetite, and mood.

Before bedtime:

1. Dim the lights: Let’s start by the last culprit we identified: artificial light. At sunset, dim your lights to more orange hues, use candles, light a fire.

2. Bye bye blue light: Eliminate the blue light most of our devices emits to keep us awake and engaged in the first place! As hard as it can be, ideally stop looking at a screen at least 30, better 60 minutes, best 2 hours before bedtime. No regret: remove the TV from your bedroom and leave your phone in another room.

3. Exercise and movement: Moving unapologetically during the day will support a good night sleep. However, do not exercise too hard too close to bed time or you risk to have too much energy and disrupt your circadian rhythm. Gentle yoga or stretching is a better choice in the evening.

4. Drinking — what and when:

   1. Water: Start your day with water and make sure you stay hydrated throughout the day. Dehydration can impact the sleep-wake cycle and overall duration of sleep. I always keep a glass of water by my bed, I find a sip helps me fall back asleep faster instead of feeling thirsty.

   2. Caffeine: We all love our coffee or tea to give us a little kick in the morning. Keep in mind that even if we all metabolize caffeine differently, it takes at least 8 hours to wear off fully. It is best to stop all caffeine at least 10 hours before bedtime if you do not want it to challenge your beauty sleep.

   3. As for alcohol… at a high level, it’s a toxin… unfortunately no amount of alcohol is good for us as it affects our microbiome and may lead to cancer. It also affect our REM sleep (remember, when we dream and consolidate our memory). I stopped drinking 3 years ago when a friend told me she found out it disrupted her sleep. Now I noticed that when I drink a glass of wine on occasion, I feel relaxed and sleepy at first, then at around 2 or 3 am I am wide awake… so it became more of a mindful decision.

5. Eat a lighter dinner. Large meals can make us feel too full to sleep comfortably and spicy foods can also contribute to heartburn which is disruptive. In addition, stop eating 2-3 hours before bedtime to ensure proper digestion and minimize sleep disruption. Look for gut and sleep-friendly foods:

   1. Magnesium-rich foods such as avocados, leafy-greens, soy, bananas, black beans, nuts and seeds that help relax muscles and the nervous system.

   2. Melatonin boosters such as eggs, whole grains, nuts, cherries, kiwis, bananas can aid sleep regulation. Great PubMed study here.

6. Minimize/eliminate sugar. Like caffeine and alcohol, sugar does not affect people the same way. Sugar intake often leads to a blood sugar spike and the accompanying insulin boost disrupts key hormones balance such as melatonin, cortisol, and serotonin, likely resulting in fragmented sleep. If you must have desert, try eating it soon after dinner to minimize disruption.

At bedtime:

7. Reduce the temperature: Our body temperature naturally drops during the night, let’s help it stay that way. The bedroom should be colder than during the day, between 65-68°F (18–19°C), with fresh outside air if possible (our bedroom gets much colder and we love it). Adapt your cover/layers accordingly. If too hot keep your hands, arms and or feet outside the cover to help regulate your body temperature. Some will find taking a bath at night helps cool down their body.

8. Calm your senses:

   1. Vision: if you like to read in bed, choose a low reading light with orange hues. Once you are ready to sleep, turn off your light and ensure your bedroom has curtains or shades that block all/most outside artificial light.

   2. Hearing: close the door, put in earplugs and/or add white noise if necessary to block disruptive noise. If your partner snores (and you made sure to check for risk of sleep apnea), consider sleeping in another room. Listen to soft, calming music or to a meditation.

   3. Smell: avoid odors that will keep you alert (food, scented candles), may be add a drop of lavender essential oil on your wrist or pillow.

   4. Touch: ask your partner to give you a massage and chose natural fabric sheets such as cotton (breathable), linen (cooling) or flannel (warming).

   5. Taste: drink a relaxing tisane (e.g., chamomile, lemon balm, lavender, valerian root, ginger) — there are so many variations!

9. Deep breathing: deep breathing has many positive benefits, including turning on our parasympathetic system responsible for rest, repair and digest. Boxed breathing works beautifully (inhale for 4 sec, hold 4 sec, exhale for 4 sec, hold for 4 sec) or (4, 7, 8 — that’s my favorite). If your heart is racing use the Andrew Huberman’s Physiological Sigh technique: inhale, brief hold, inhale again to fill your lungs, then exhale in a loooooong breath through your teeth… I like to make soothing wave sounds as I exhale. More on his breathing approaches here.

10. Worries aside: If your mind races at night, an alternative to breathing is jotting down lingering thoughts, to-dos, worries or even creative ideas. Getting them on paper helps the brain let go — a form of mental decluttering before bed. You can also write down 3 things you’re grateful for or something that went well today. Tell yourself that you are safe and loved, and that with gratitude you receive a good and restful sleep. These simple acts shift the brain from stress and problem-solving to calm and contentment.

And one more thing, check the medications and supplements you take that may disrupt sleep patterns. Talk to your doctor about the potential insomnia side effects of your medications and any interactions with supplements.

If all fails and you cannot fall asleep within 20-30 minutes, it may be best to get out of bed, go into another room and do something calming, like reading, meditating for 15 to 20 minutes or sipping a calming tisane. The anxiety of not being to fall asleep can make it harder for you to actually fall asleep! As soon as you feel sleepy, climb back into bed.

If there’s one thing to remember, it’s this: sleep isn’t a luxury — it’s your body’s most powerful reset.

There’s no perfect formula or instant fix — only small, gentle actions that whisper to your body, you’re safe now, it’s time to rest. Try one or two changes at a time. Dim the lights earlier. Trade your evening glass of wine for a warm tisane. Stretch instead of scroll. Observe what changes, be curious, and give it time.

When you start honoring your body’s rhythm, your brain, hormones, and gut all begin to sync — working together through the night to restore you. Do not let sleep become a battle. Start winding down earlier. Light a candle, put your phone away, take deep breaths, and let yourself soften into the night.

That extra hour of sleep isn’t time lost — it’s time invested. You’ll wake up clearer, calmer, more energized — ready to think better, move better, and simply be better.

All this is easy to do, it’s also easy not to do. If you are struggling, contact me, let me help you. Now it’s time to shutdown my computer… bye bye blue light 😴

Sources:

• Why we sleep, by Matthew Walker, PhD, 2017

• Eat Move Sleep, by Tom Rath, 2013

• https://www.sleepdiplomat.com/what-is-good-sleep

• https://www.thensf.org/how-many-hours-of-sleep-do-you-really-need/

• https://www.sleepfoundation.org/nutrition/hydration-and-sleep

• https://health.clevelandclinic.org/foods-that-help-you-sleep

I used to be one of those people who wished I did not have to sleep — seriously, because during sleep, seemingly paralyzed for 7 to 8 hours, I could not do anything. While awake, I was tackling a demanding full time job, 3 amazing and active children, cherished time with my husband, cooking, meeting friends, riding my horse, caring for a gigantic garden, water coloring, knitting… In fact, during the week I was burning the candle by both ends only to feel in a daze by Friday afternoon, completely deficient. It took me a few years to accept that I needed to prioritize my sleep — even after I had learned that sleep was a pillar of brain health.

In 2020, I forced myself to read the popular yet dense “Why we sleep” by Matthew Walker, PhD — world renowned scientist, sleep expert and professor of neuroscience and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. It helped me understand the why, however it failed to motivate me to take sleep more seriously — what a fool. It took a couple more years for my work to shift and my kids to leave the nest to get into a better sleep routine.

Since I became a health coach last year, I have been relearning about sleep with a much more keen interest. Today I am sharing some of those insights. If you have yet to learn about the importance of sleep or if you have trouble sleeping or simply have a hard time focusing, please read on.

What is sleep anyway?

Such a great question. Sleep is not something that should be seen as getting in the way of our life. When we sleep, our body and mind are not dormant. Our brain during sleep is actually more active than when we are awake. Sleep is our way to reset: clean, repair and recharge our body and our brain. More on that later.

There are 4 stages of sleep, each performing different functions:

• Stage 1 is the lightest stage of sleep and occurs as we first fall asleep. Our heartbeat, breathing, and eye movements slow, and our muscles relax with occasional twitches.

• Stage 2 is when our body relaxes more deeply. Our body temperature drops, muscles relax, and heart and breathing rate slow.

• Stage 3 (or deep sleep) is the deepest and more restorative sleep, allowing our body to repair, recover and grow. It may be difficult to be woken up during this stage.

• Stage 4 (REM, for Rapid Eye Movement, Sleep) is when we dream, our brain activity increases and our body becomes temporarily paralyzed which prevents us from acting out our dreams!

Every 90 minutes, more or less, we go through this 4 stages cycle, each as important as the other. Deep sleep (stage 3) dominates the first half of the night, while REM sleep periods become progressively longer in the second half.

Two internal biological mechanisms—circadian rhythm and homeostasis—work together to regulate when we are awake and when we are asleep. Our body circadian rhythm is based on a 24 hours cycle and controls a variety of functions from daily changes in wakefulness to body temperature, metabolism, and the release of hormones. Homeostasis keeps track of our need for sleep, reminding our body to sleep after a certain time and regulating sleep intensity.

Why we can’t sleep

Today according to the CDC, over one out of three people we know are not getting enough sleep. Why is that? The list is looooong, and as we age — it seems to become longer and longer.

We all have had a terrible night of sleep — whether it’s from staying up way too late scrolling or binging Netflix, meeting a deadline, having had too much to drink, watching over a sick child, waking up through the night drenched in sweat (no thank you menopause), taking an overnight flight, or spending time in a noisy hospital. There are many other culprits: inconsistent bed routine, too much caffeine or food too late in day, too noisy or too hot, restless legs, pain, or medications. Most of the time, bad stress or uncertainty are the reason we cannot sleep. It could also be sleep apnea.

According to the Mayo Clinic, sleep apnea is a potentially serious sleep disorder in which breathing repeatedly stops and starts. If you snore loudly and feel tired even after a full night’s sleep, you might have sleep apnea. Please consider checking with your local sleep clinic for an evaluation if you think you may have sleep apnea — it may save your life.

Last but not least, according to the National Institute for Neurologic Disorder and Stroke, perhaps the greatest influence on our inability to sleep is the exposure to light. Specialized cells in the retinas of our eyes process light and tell our brain whether it is day or night and can advance or delay our sleep-wake cycle. Exposure to light (especially blue light, either from day light or our screens) can make it difficult to fall asleep and get back to sleep if we wake up during the night. What our eyes need are the orange hues to signal our brain that it’s time to wind down, to increase the production of melatonin and that sleep is imminent.

When we do not sleep enough

The day after is always a struggle: we want to eat more (on average 400 more calories 😆), we crave sugar and salty snacks, we feel dizzy, we have a hard time following a conversation let alone make important decisions or concentrate on the road. The impact on our physiological health is significant: increased risk of heart attack, increased risk of coronary calcification, hardening of the blood vessels, weight shifting from loosing muscles to gaining fat 😳, increased risk of diabetes, cognitive impairment and even increased risk of brain atrophy.

It is also impacting our mental health: getting enough or not enough sleep can impact our mental health, and vice versa — mental health conditions can influence how well we sleep. Lack of sleep (esp. sleep apnea) is linked to much higher risk of depression and anxiety, as well as addiction.

Read out loud: ‘My sleep is non-negotiable’

One more time, with conviction.

Simply put, we cannot survive without sleep. It’s not true just for humans, it’s for all species. Sleep is engrained in our biology, it is not-negotiable. Sleep exists first so we can live.

🦠 Our Whole Body Benefits:

• Restoration: Internal organs rest and recover, tissues and cells repair, muscles grow, and protein synthesize primarily during sleep.

• Better metabolism: including blood sugar regulation and improving the body’s cells respond to insulin, thus a reduced risk of diabetes

• Increased energy to make beneficial lifestyle choices (e.g. cooking, movement, self-care, being social, etc.)

• Strengthened immune system to fend off viruses and combat persistent, low-grade inflammation that plays a role in a number of chronic diseases

• Better weight management: Deep sleep releases hormones that help regulate appetite control (increase leptin for satiety, decrease ghrelin for appetite), protecting us against cravings. We also make better decision about what we eat.

• Increased libido and athletic performance (improves movement which in turns contribute to better sleep)

🧠 Our Brain Benefits:

• Brain waste clearance: Deep sleep activates the glymphatic system to clear brain waste, which would otherwise accumulate overtime

• Nutrients distribution: Glucose and lipids — essential for brain function and reduced inflammation — are better absorbed

• Improved mood by reducing cortisol, quieting the sympathetic nervous system thus reducing anxiety, irritability, and mental exhaustion — priming us for heightened cognitive functions such as focus, and creativity

• Memory consolidation occurs, allowing for the formation and storage of new memories, which is essential for learning and retaining new information and making decisions.

• Brain size preservation: REM slows down the atrophy of grey matter.

According to Matthew Walker, sleep has a profound relationship with Alzheimer’s: he notes association, causation, mechanism and treatment.

• Association: People who sleep less than 6 hours a night or have sleep disorder may develop the toxic proteins (beta-amyloid and tau) that underly Alzheimer’s, and thus significantly increase their risk.

• Causation: Sleep depravation induces an increase of beta-amyloid production in the body and brain, at the origin of Alzheimer’s

• Mechanism: The brain’s cleansing system is activated during deep sleep, specifically getting rid of beta-amyloid.

• Treatment: The good news is that sleep is a modifiable factor of Alzheimer’s, reducing the risk of getting Alzheimer’s and increasing people’s healthspan — prioritizing sleep can start at any age!!

In short, sleep is not a waste of time — it’s an investment in your body’s repair, renewal, and resilience. Every hour of quality sleep supports your heart, strengthens your immune system, balances your hormones, sharpens your memory, and even helps clear toxins that, when left unchecked, may contribute to cognitive decline. Prioritizing sleep isn’t indulgent — it’s one of the most powerful health choices we can make to preserve our brain, energy, and vitality as we age.

So this week, give yourself permission to wind down early, dim the lights, put away the screens, and let your body do the remarkable work it’s designed to do. Because when we sleep well, everything else — our mood, focus, creativity, and health — falls into place.

Next week we will cover: What is good sleep? What if you could wake up every morning feeling refreshed, focused, and excited for the day ahead?

Please share this article with a friend or family who you think might need it.

Have a good night!😴

Sources:

• Why we sleep, by Matthew Walker, PhD, 2017

• https://www.sleepfoundation.org/stages-of-sleep;

• https://www.sleepfoundation.org/how-sleep-works/benefits-of-sleep;

• NIH - NISDS: Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep;

• https://www.columbiapsychiatry.org/news/how-sleep-deprivation-affects-your-mental-health;

• https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/sleep-apnea/symptoms-causes/syc-20377631;

Nature has a brilliant way of giving us exactly what we need, exactly when we need it. Plants are receiving optimum levels of sunlight, water, and soil nutrients during their natural growing periods, which means they are richer in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants when harvested and eaten at peak ripeness.

Each harvest season arrives with its own rainbow of fruits and vegetables, perfectly aligned with our bodies’ shifting nutritional needs. Summer’s bounty is cooling, light and also hydrating. Here in the Upper Valley, Summer 2025 didn’t disappoint despite the lack of rain. Farm stands and gardens overflowed with gazillions of berries, cherry and heirloom tomatoes, peppers of every color, zucchinis, eggplants, leafy greens, basil, green onions and cucumbers galore. It has been (still is) a feast of abundance!

Autumn’s harvest, by contrast, now offers grounding, warming — more ‘earthy’ foods — rich in fiber, antioxidants, vitamins C, K, and slow-release energy to prepare us for shorter days and cooler nights. As the leaves are turning yellows and reds, and the days turn crisper, autumn is presenting its own nourishing palette — colorful, hearty, and deeply supportive of brain, gut, and whole-body immune health.

Here are my Autumn favorites:

🍎 Apples + 🍐 Pears

Apples may indeed keep the doctor away… These juicy favorites are packed with fiber (remember, your microbiome’s preferred food!), vitamins and antioxidants such as quercetin, that may reduce inflammation, improve cognitive function and protect against neurodegenerative diseases (among other benefits). As a bonus, I read the pectin in apples binds to cholesterol and helps remove it from the body. Grab one as a snack, slice them into oatmeal, toss into salads, or bake into a simple apple/pear/cranberry crisp (ask me for my favorite recipe!).

🎃 Pumpkins + Butternuts + Winter Squash

Rich in vitamin A, fiber, and complex carbs, pumpkins, butternuts and squash support eye health, immunity, and digestion. They revel in soups, purées, curries, and even baked goods.

I love a smooooooth butternut soup, it’s super simple to make: peel, remove the seeds, cube, add to a sautéing onion, red pepper, garlic, may be ginger, in a large pot, add veggie bouillon— stop 1 inch below the cubes — add turmeric, smoked paprika, salt, pepper, and let simmer for 20-25 mins, blend — enjoy with a dash of cashew cream and toasted sourdough bread. Win of the day: keep the seeds for next planting or roast them for a snack.

🍠 Sweet Potatoes

A true nutrition powerhouse, loaded with vitamins A and C, plus fiber for blood sugar stability. I love sweet potatoes all ways — in soups, mashed, baked in the skin and roasted. Try this — on repeat at ‘Maison Mayo’: slice in fries shape, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle turmeric for a brain boost, salt, and pepper, roast in oven at 400°F for 30–35 min — delish! Win of the day: their natural sweetness satisfies cravings in a nourishing way.

🥦 Broccoli + Cauliflower + Brussels Sprouts

Broccoli (my kids’ all time favorite veggie), cauliflower and Brussels sprouts are part of the cruciferous family, rich in vitamins K and C, essential for bone and immune health. They have high levels of both soluble and insoluble fibers — great for your gut and transit. And a huge bonus — cruciferous vegetables are a rich source of compounds known as glucosinolates, which may help fight cancer. Note that cruciferous vegetables can cause gas or bloating for some people — so watch how much you eat at first.

This fall, try a new variety, for example purple cauliflower — it tastes similar to white cauli, and it is rich in the antioxidant anthocyanin, the same brain boosting compound found in red wine (minus the alcohol!) and in red cabbage. Also here are three ways I learned to like Brussels sprouts: roasted in oven until caramelized, shaved raw into a salad, and sautéed in a veggies rainbow stir-fry.

🧅 Onion and 🧄 Garlic

Onions are loaded with prebiotics, vitamin K and antioxidants such as quercetin (see benefits above, under apples). Garlic on the other hand, thanks to the compound allicin, boosts immunity and has antibacterial and antiviral properties. Win of the day: chop your garlic at least 10 minutes before cooking it for allicin to kick in.

💜 Beets

Earthy, vibrant, and loaded with antioxidants, folate and nitrates, beets support circulation, lower blood pressure, and reduce inflammation — all linked to sharper brain function. Dice them in a salad, roast and blend into a bright purple hummus (see my favorite recipe), or pickle for a tangy twist. Don’t forget the beet greens: they’re nutrient-packed and delicious in a salad or sautéed with olive oil.

🌰 Nuts and Seeds

Last week, we wrote about nuts and seeds as a great source of healthy fats. Fall is harvest time for most nuts and seeds. Fresh walnuts, hazelnuts (if the squirrels do not grab them from you!), chia, flax, hemp seeds are brimming with brain-boosting nutrients like vitamin E, omega-3s, and fiber. Sprinkle on oatmeal, yogurt or salads, or enjoy as a snack. (Remember, because they are hard to properly chew, grind or soak chia and flax seeds ahead of time to unlock their benefits.)

🍁 Eating seasonally isn’t just about taste or tradition, it helps foster a deeper connection to Nature. While we are thankful to be able to eat many fruits and vegetables year-round, eating with the season when we can is better for our overall health, our ability to fight off seasonal viruses, and our digestive strength. And when we shop at our local farm stand, we are not only guaranteed a fresh and ripe produce grown with love and hard work, we’re also supporting our communities and reducing our environmental footprint.

So as autumn settles in, let your plate reflect this warm, colorful, and grounding season. Your body (and brain!) will thank you.

✨ If you, or someone you know, are seeking inspiration for building more seasonal meals — or guidance in tailoring your gut and brain nutrition to your unique needs — I’d love to help.

Be well,
Sophie