Now think of that same person doing the same experiment, but the person they choose to think about in those two scenarios is you<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They first picture you happy, content, healthy, glowing, energized, radiant, balanced and doing really well in life. And this fills them with joy and gratitude. And then they picture you frazzled, unhappy, unhealthy, weak, sad, discouraged and tired. And this makes their heart heavy and fills them with sadness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s important to hold onto the fact that our loved ones want us to be happy<\/strong>, and seeing us radiant and doing well in life brings them joy. Just like it brings us joy when we see them radiant and doing well in life. Are you with me so far?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s keep going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In order to be happy, content, healthy, glowing, energized, radiant, balanced, and doing really well in life, it is essential<\/em> to take time for yourself and nourish your body, mind, and spirit.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n And being frazzled, unhappy, unhealthy, weak, sad, discouraged, and tired is a direct result of not taking time out for yourself to nourish your body, mind, and spirit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s as easy and predictable as that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And here\u2019s the reality of the situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you aren\u2019t operating at your best, But when you make yourself a priority and nourish your body, mind and spirit, you can easily show up for your loved ones and bring your best self to the table each and every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last weekend I found myself in the situation of driving my sister around at 9:30 at night looking for my 14-year-old nephew because he didn’t check in with his mom, and we didn’t know where he was. Everything turned out fine, and it was merely a miscommunication\/dead cell phone\/teenage boy situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The point is, if this had happened when I was still drinking<\/a>, I would not have been able to be there for my sister and talk her down from a nervous breakdown during our search for her son. I’d have either been asleep and too tired from the wine to answer my phone or in no shape to drive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Okay – I\u2019ve prepped you. It\u2019s time for the fuckery reality check, or as I like to call it the Fuckery Check.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Putting ourselves first and making sure we get what we need to be happy and healthy does NOT mean we don\u2019t love our family or that we\u2019re selfish or self-indulgent. It means that we love our family SO MUCH that we take the time and the necessary steps to make damn sure we’re not only there for them but that we’re operating at our best for them as long as we possibly can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And are you ready for the kicker? Deep down, we KNOW this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Are you ready for the real<\/strong> kicker? Whether we realize it or not, we use putting everyone else first as an excuse to stay stuck in unhealthy patterns and habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Exercise, meditation, and eating super healthy all sound awesome and inspiring when they are IN OUR HEAD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You see how this works? It\u2019s a pretty sneaky move. SO sneaky that we don\u2019t even realize we\u2019re doing it half the time. Until now (you can thank me later).<\/p>\n\n\n\n So at this point, here\u2019s what you now know for sure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n So where do we go from here? Don\u2019t you worry, I’ve got you.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you’ve made the decision that putting yourself first needs to be a priority, changing what, how and why you eat <\/a>is the very best place to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n All of these results and more are beautifully wrapped up in eating more whole plant foods and less of everything else.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n And when you make the decision to do this for yourself, and you get on this path, you quickly realize that your family and loved ones will be okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n They’ll be more than okay because not only do they want to see you happy, healthy, and radiant, but they’ll also benefit from your ah-ha moments and all the new healthy stuff that you’ll be incorporating into your life.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n This is one of the best examples that you can ever set for your family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ve mentioned this recipe in past Love Letters<\/a> and blog posts, but I\u2019ve never featured it alone. Walnut Parm<\/a> is like magic, and it\u2019s ridiculously easy to make. You can sprinkle it on almost anything\u2014salads<\/a>, pasta, bowls, tacos, stews\u2014you name it, it works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
you’ll never be able to give your best to the ones you love – no matter how hard you try.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nYup – in order to help other people with their shit, we have to have our shit together first.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Here\u2019s how that works.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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But in reality, these changes can push us so far out of our comfort zone that we quickly put everyone else first, convince ourselves that it\u2019s selfish to make our needs a priority, and never take a damn second to work our shit out.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Love the food that loves you back<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
This is because no other single thing<\/em> gives you the array of benefits that eating a diet rich in whole plant foods will give you. Guaranteed.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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