Embodied eating for an uncertain 2025 (round I)
How to feed ourselves during times of transition--seasonal, locational, political...
We’re just 2 weeks into the new year and I’m already feeling utterly haggard. Hence, my brief pause in posting here. I think we can all agree it’s a fairly heavy mood at the moment: the devastating fires in LA, the anxiety around next Monday’s presidential inauguration (my stomach’s pit size is increasingly growing), even the astrology outlook for 2025 is a massive mix of big shifts, unprecedented change, growth and culminations. And as I write this, I’m just short of one week back in New York, a big personal transition that has me feeling, well…a little ignited, and a lot, for lack of a better word, “sticky.” (Denmark, I’ll be back for you soon, my dear friend and “other home”). Through all that the year ahead poses for each of us, there’s a core construct that can keep us steady, if we attune ourselves to it…feeding ourselves with intention, awareness and alignment, I’m calling it: EMBODIED EATING. Yes, I’m back to talking about this topic (hopefully only a few if any eye rolls) - here’s a prior post from last summer about it. It feels EXTREMELY timely again given all I mentioned above along with the pile of media stories swirling about ultra-processed foods and their link to higher risks of illness, cancer, obesity and heart disease. Now I myself am eye-rolling because I’ve been talking about this topic for over 2 decades and it’s insane / disappointing / frustrating to me that mass production and marketing, food science and capitalism have taken us down a shitty, absolutely unnecessary spiral…and a huge portion of the global population are at risk for various reasons too long and complicated to dig into.
So instead, I’ll focus on what we CAN do in the present to pause, calm our central nervous systems, tap into our bodies to unlock our own version of Embodied Eating. If we don’t care for ourselves (with good food), we can’t care for those around us. I’ll be writing about this topic in a few posts over the coming weeks, as 1) I’ve got a lot to say and 2) Embodied Eating for me is so nuanced based on the season, weather and light patterns, your personal circumstances, and of course ingredients available. So Embodied Eating in the depth of winter looks and feels quite different for me than it does as the ground starts to thaw and plant life begins to sprout and generate again in early spring.
I’m teaching an Embodied Eating workshop (winter edition) over 3 Sundays starting next month (Feb 9, 16 and March 2) at Good Move Studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn should anyone in the NY local area be intrigued to attend in person. The details and foundations of the workshop include the following:
EMBODIED EATING :: Winter’s Warmth: awakening and attuning your senses and aligning your body with your food
A 3-afternoon course in the art + practice of somatic eating, intuitive connection, seasonal self-care cooking & kitchen rituals
What to expect in the first session:
· Identify individual goals for the course: physical, emotional, culinary, healing etc
· Essence & Expressions: 5 minutes of getting into our bodies - breathwork & floor movement
· Winter’s characteristics when it comes to eating and emotions / mood
· Aligning our mood and seasonal nutritional needs to our eating patterns
· Daily rituals & habits for a gentle internal reset (3-5 goals to continue through the course to help release excess water retention/pent up stress or emotions; balance blood sugar; encourage better sleep and digestion)
· Nourishing foundations: simple building blocks for the course to implement / cook at home; the Embodied Eating Roadmap
· Embodied Eating recipe booklet #1 – nourishing foundations to balance hormone, reset energy flow, release mental fog and aid digestion and sleep patterns. A basic grocery list and outline of a daily meal & ritual /simple self-care plan
· Closing tea ceremony circle / a winter tisane for warmth and immunity
Again, if you’re interested, here’s the link the workshop sign-up. Feel free to contact me with any questions. I’m considering turning this into an online workshop and/or PDF format so anyone anywhere can do it from the leisure of their own environment. Leading up to the first workshop next month, I’ll leave with 3 things you can do TODAY to help ground your energy and eating especially over the next week or so—in anticipation of frigid temperatures (if you’re in North America/the East Coast) and Monday’s inauguration. Expect round II of actionable steps in the next few days…we’re gonna need any/every line of nervous system defense after Monday sets in.
30 seconds to pause, breathe and listen: close your eyes, take 5 deep breaths, connect and listen to your body — how is it feeling, what is it telling you, what is it asking for (in terms of food/hydration/nourishment)? You might be surprised by the feedback you receive.
Cooking something warming and grounding. A simple soup, stew, braised dark leafy greens—wintry goodness in a pot. I typically make a big batch of spiced red lentil & braised winter squash stew in the first few weeks of the new year (see the recipe ust below), a little “reset” that really anchors my energy, boosts my digestion and grounds my emotional constitution.
Start your morning with a cup of hot water and half a lemon squeezed in. It’s the easiest, most economical way to release anything stagnant (emotions, digestion, immune system etc) and brighten your senses.
Spiced Red Lentil & Winter Squash Dal
This dal is a stew I come back to every January as a little “new year reset” after a heavy-hitting December. Inspired by the traditional Ayurvedic dish kitchari, Red lentils (or substitute yellow split peas that are soaked overnight) paired with winter squash, coconut milk and warming spices, come together in a cleansing and energizing dish that can really anchor you through the first few weeks of the year.
Serves 6-8
1 tablespoon coconut oil or rapeseed oil
1 small pumpkin or winter squash (like butternut, kabocha, or kuri) / about 600g deseeded and diced, no need to peel the squash unless you really want to (more fiber in that peel!)
3 carrots, about 200g, diced
1 large yellow onion, about 200g, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 thai bird chili pepper or jalapeno, finely minced
200g / about 1 cup red lentils or yellow split peas (moong dal) - if using the peas, soak them overnight
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 ¾ teaspoons Baharat spice-blend *see note below
1 400g can diced or crushed tomatoes
1 400ml can coconut milk
~1 liter / quart homemade or store-bought chicken or vegetable broth
1 lime, halved
Kosher or sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Garnishes:
Crème fraiche or yogurt
Lime wedge
Cilantro
In a heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, sauté squash, carrots, onion, garlic, and chili pepper/jalapeno in coconut oil or oil over medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes. Add in turmeric and Baharat spice along with lentils and stir to coat vegetables, sauteing for another 1-2 minutes. Add in tomatoes, coconut milk, broth and lime (squeeze its juice and toss the whole lime in while dal is cooking). Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 40-45 minutes stirring every 15 minutes, until lentils are soft and broken down and pumpkin and carrots are very tender.
Remove the whole lime halves about 30-40 minutes into cooking. Season with sea salt and pepper. Bring to a strong simmer, then reduce to low-medium heat. Using a hand-blender or regular blender if desired, blend the stew until lightly chunky.
Serve with a dollop of yogurt or crème fraiche if desired, a lime wedge, and cilantro. For an even heartier meal, serve over top basmati, jasmine or brown rice.
*Baharat is a Middle Eastern blend that varies by region and can be found online, Middle Eastern markets and at many grocery stores. You can also substitute your own spice blend with the following:
½ teaspoon hot paprika, ½ teaspoon coriander, ¼ teaspoon cumin, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves, ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom.