Heeeey,
In March, I had a big surgery that gave me answers as to why I’ve been feeling so weird and uncomfortable the past couple years. “Weird” and “uncomfortable” are understatements – I was in pretty bad shape. Yes, there was pain. But I think the hardest part was not recognizing myself anymore. Mentally, I wasn’t as quick and was just really sad and negative all the time. Physically, I went weeks without looking at myself in the mirror. Yes, weeks. I got really good at using this little compact mirror to do my makeup…only having to focus on an eye or a lip at a time and never the whole face. I’ve had bouts of not loving my reflection before, but this felt different. And let me tell you, doing an ALL ZOOM book tour – having to stare at my unrecognizable face for hours at a time – amped up the sadness in ways I was not prepared for.
The trickiest thing was knowing when to really take big action to get help. Because when the whole world feels weird, uncomfortable, and painful…how do you know that what you’re feeling is not just a result of that OR that maybe you just need to suck it up, because people have it far more worse than you?
After a lot of conversations (in my head and with people I love), I scheduled my big surgery. Even then I thought…maybe there’s not actually anything that wrong. Maybe some of it was in my head. But there was something very wrong – some very dark things happening in my body. And if I had let those things linger longer, I’d have had much bigger problems than hating my face on Zoom.
The past six weeks of recovery has meant a lot of TV in bed (next month I’m gonna do a new Nice Show roundup!), mini walks, and getting to know my new self/body. Today I’m officially allowed to workout (back to Lia Bartha!) and lift things (I cannot wait to grab that heavy cast iron pan again). It’s been a bit of roller coaster getting here, and I’m really proud.
I’ve said it 100 times and this will be 101…listen to what your body is telling and showing you. It very rarely lies.
Lots of fun stuff below!!
Love you,
Jessica
Breakfast Cookies from Good For Your Gut Cookbook by Desiree Nielsen
I love Desiree Nielsen so much! She’s a plant-based, gut-health focused registered dietician who knows her stuff. One of her greatest skills is debunking/clarifying/setting you straight on all the nutrition misinformation out there (head to her IG/TikTok to see what I mean). She’s also really good at creating recipes that work for all sorts of tummies (and tummies with issues).
Desiree gave me a sneak peak of her new book, Good For Your Gut, and this book has it all! All of the recipes are plant-based, and it also has lots of low-FODMAP and grain-free recipes for whatever your stomach is going through. My house has already made lots of recipes from the book, and I’ve loved them all.
Especially these cookies! They really helped get my digestion (gently) moving after my surgery. My husband made a batch for me each week, and they were so good to have on hand.
Pre-order Good For Your Gut, and then go check out all of Desiree’s work and practice!
Breakfast Cookies
makes 12-16
1 cup (250 mL) gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup (250 mL) unsweetened shredded coconut
3⁄4 cup (175 mL) almond flour
1⁄2 cup (125 mL) hemp hearts
1⁄4 cup (60 mL) raw pumpkin seeds
3 tablespoons (45 mL) ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon (5 mL) cinnamon
1 teaspoon (5 mL) baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon (2 mL) salt
1⁄4 cup (60 mL) crystallized ginger, finely diced
1⁄4 cup (60 mL) dairy-free dark chocolate chips
1 1⁄3 cups (325 mL) mashed bananas (about 3 medium)
1⁄4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive or avocado oil
2 tablespoons (30 mL) pure maple syrup
Kitchen note: I didn’t have ginger or pumpkin seeds on hand, so skipped them and it still tasted great!
Preheat the oven to 375 ̊F (190 ̊C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the rolled oats, coconut, almond flour, hemp hearts, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the crystallized ginger and chocolate chips.
In a small bowl, mix together the banana, olive oil, and maple syrup until well blended. Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
Working with wet hands so the batter does not stick too much, scoop 1⁄4 cup (60 mL) of the batter and pat into 2-inch (5 cm) circles. Place evenly spaced on the prepared baking sheet. If the batter starts to stick to your hands, simply rinse them off and keep working with wet hands. The cookies will not spread, so you can easily fit them on one baking sheet. Bake until the cookies are golden on the bottom and starting to brown on top, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to fully cool. Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Menstrual Health + Endo Talk With Ninti April 21st!
I am so excited about this talk! I’ll being chatting with the founder of Ninti, Fatoumata Ly (who lives in France), as well as the founder of The Cycle, Padmapria TS (who lives in India). As much as we often complain about “another Zoom,” I am just so amazed that, because of it, I get to join these women from completely different parts of the world to talk about topics that are important. And I promise this talk will be better than “another Zoom.”
There are lots of different time zones happening here, so I suggest signing up and then checking this handy time zone converter so you don’t miss it!
Things That Freaked My Week
A bunch of things I am currently loving…
• Able Appetites • Sabrina (who is part of our newsletter family!) founded Able Appetites to create resources + community for feeding kids with Down syndrome. They help support care givers in transitioning their kids from breast, bottle, or tube-feeding to solid food. Their story highlights (in IG) are packed with information (not just food)! And even if you aren’t in need of these resources…watching videos of babies and kids feeling so proud of themselves is pure joy.
• Cultivate Hawai’i Tea Towels • If there is one perk of getting a big surgery…it’s the care packages from friends. These towels from my friend Katie arrived on a day I needed them most – they’re super bright, bold, vibrant, and just so happy. The art on the towels is created by a Hawaii land-conservation specialist and printed on high quality flour-sack cotton with water-based inks. I love them so much and now want them all.
• Zoe’s Episode on Menopause/Perimenopause • A MUST LISTEN. Like even if you don’t think you need to listen to it, listen anyway. And then share it with a friend. Thank you.
• Below The Belt Movie • My friend Shannon Cohn’s second documentary is about to premiere! Hilary Clinton and Mae Whitman are executive producers…no big deal. The premiere is May 24th at MoMA in NYC, and you can buy tickets and watch the trailer here! This film was a true labor of love for Shannon, and I cannot wait to see it!
You can support this newsletter by buying my books, One Part Plant and Know Your Endo. And if you really love me, please leave an Amazon review! These reviews really do matter in terms of more people finding these books. And you can leave an Amazon review even if you didn’t buy the book from there!
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