These are a few of my favorite things 🧡

This week, I’m getting all Oprah on you and sharing a variety of things I’m loving right now, along with a suggested action item for each. Let’s go!

The first thing I’m loving?

 

Obviously my cat, Sweet Pea.

I can’t believe she’s been in my life for almost 10 years. She is such a love. From the moment we saw each other in the shelter all those years ago, we had a connection. She’s not cuddly or overly lovey, but she has such a sweet and calm presence. I adore this cat and feel so lucky to have her in my life.
Action Item: Go foster or adopt a furry friend or give yours some love.

 

Lifting weights again.

I go to a group class twice a week called Build and Believe at my local gym. It’s a weight lifting class taught by a young (I’m at an age where 30 is young), professional female bodybuilder. The music is annoyingly loud, I am the second oldest person in class, it’s hot, the room is dark with lots of neon lights, and the instructor is the “GO TEAM, GO!!!!” type. I should hate this class. But I weirdly love it. I don’t always want to go (read: never), but once it’s over, I’m stoked to be building strong muscles, protecting my bones, and being a fit badass as I continue to age as vibrantly as I can.
Action Item: Get out of your comfort zone and sign up for a fitness class. Bonus points if weights are involved.

 

Wellbean

What plant-based eater hasn’t told one of their plant-based friends, “We should definitely make a bean bar.” Well, the women who started Wellbean said that and then acted on it! In truth, I didn’t have high hopes for these bean products. I mean, I love beans. I eat a lot of beans. But I don’t necessarily want bean-loaded snacks. I tried an assortment of their bars and something called Muggins—Microwavable Muffin Mix—which came with a single silicone muffin form. The bars weren’t bad for being so healthy, but the microwave muffin? SO GOOD! I was really surprised by how easy it was to make, how well it worked, the texture, and how yummy it was. You just put a bit of the mix into a bowl and add plant-based milk. Then you mix, transfer the batter to the silicone muffin liner or a mug (hence, muggin), and microwave for 90 seconds. Like magic, you have a lightly sweetened whole-food plant-based (and gluten-free!) muffin that kind of tastes like cake. I was a Wellbean fan from my first bite of that muggin. Pro tip: Add a few chocolate chips on top before putting it in the microwave to add some chocolatey goodness.
Action Item: Purchase some Muggins and tell me what you think ASAP! Or use the coupon code CLEANFOODDIRTYG to save a few bucks.

 

Morning walks

I lace up my sneakers and head out the door at 7am every day. I walk for 15 - 45 minutes, depending on my morning. It’s enough to wake up my body and mind and create a launching pad for the rest of the day. I used to dread my walks, but now my body and mind crave them.
Action Item: Tomorrow morning, go for a walk outside. 

 

Souper Cubes

This is an awesome, small company that specializes in handy kitchen stuff. Their Souper Cubes allow you to freeze individual portions of food. Think soups, cheesy sauce, casseroles, etc... Instead of freezing a big container of food only to thaw out the whole thing later for one serving, you can freeze smaller portions and heat up exactly how much you want. This is great for any whole-food plant-based kitchen. But my personal favorite is their No Mess Ladle and No Mess Serving Spoon. I can’t believe no one thought of this sooner. They’re regular ladles and serving spoons, but they have a little dip in the handle so you can hook them on the edge of the pot or pan. I never want to use a regular ladle or serving spoon again.
Action Item: Check out Souper Cubes and add some oomph to your plant-based kitchen (pssst…start with the No Mess Ladle and Souper Cubes!) and then make something from Recipe Club that’s freezer-friendly.
 
  

Complement For Her

Complement Essential is the only vitamin I’ve taken for nearly five years. They are specifically designed for plant-based eaters. They recently came out with a supplement specifically designed for women, with six vitamins and minerals to support longevity, vitality, and hormonal balance. Now, from everything I have learned about healthy plant-based eating, longevity, vitality, and hormonal balance all happen as a result of eating a wide range of whole plant foods, moving your body, getting plenty of sleep, and having an overall healthy lifestyle. But I was still curious, so I tried the new For Her supplement along with the Essential I have always taken. I can’t say I notice that much of a difference, but I will say this. My hair has shed a lot less since I started taking it, and it’s also gotten slightly thicker. I emailed Complement to ask if this was common, and they said they hear this feedback a lot. Is it true? I don’t know, but my hair looks and feels good, and it’s nice not to shed as much. So I’ll keep taking it.
Action Item: If you have female parts, consider taking Complement Essential and For Her. 

 

Love on the Spectrum TV Show

I can’t get enough.
Action Item: Take a break from life and watch this heart-warming show (streaming on Netflix). 

 

Seeing updates from people in Drop It Club, our weight loss program

Seeing people transform their relationships with food, their bodies, their emotions, and their self-worth is a beautiful thing to witness. Yes, people are losing weight in a healthy and sustainable way, but they are also getting confident and strong, feeling their emotions instead of eating them, understanding that “perfection” isn’t helpful, learning from their mistakes, celebrating scale and non-scale wins, getting to know themselves in a whole new way, trusting their bodies to lead, and understanding that doing their best can get them to their goal.
It is such a delight to see these beautiful humans thriving and losing weight for the last time.

One of our Droplets had this to say: “Drop It Club has been a game-changer for me! After 14 years as a vegan, I’d tried everything to lose weight—countless books, dietitians, nutritionists, even a plant-based coach who required real-time photos of every meal—but nothing worked. Then, I found this program. Without drastic effort, I’ve lost 21 pounds—and the benefits go far beyond the scale. My joint pain vanished, my skin cleared up, my energy skyrocketed, and cravings disappeared. Plus, the recipes are so delicious and satisfying.”

I’m not crying, you’re crying!

If you want to get a feel of my style and approach to weight loss, I created a free masterclass where I break down the three biggest reasons weight loss can feel impossible and how to realistically lose weight for the last time.
Action Item: If you want to lose weight, sign up for my free masterclass.

 

Books I’ve really liked lately:

• Finding Your Own North Star by Martha Beck
• The Life Impossible by Matt Haig
• The Choice: Embrace the Possible by Edith Eger

I either check out books at my local library (one of my favorite places) or borrow audio books from Libby, the free audiobook app that works with your library card. Also, did you know you can stream audiobooks from Spotify with a premium membership? How cool is that!
Action Item: Go to your local library or download the Libby app.

 

Skincare

When people switch to a plant-based diet, they often take a closer look at everything else they put in and on their body to make sure it’s the healthiest, kindest option, including skincare. Here is a blog post with all the clean and cruelty-free skincare products I currently use and love.
Action Item: Take a look at your skincare and see if you could use an upgrade.

No matter how lifey life gets, there are always little things we love that bring us pleasure, whether that’s a pet, a face cream, a book, a show, or a kitchen ladle. Find the stuff that brings you little pops of pleasure. It’s important.

Molly