The Nutritious PharmD

02/05/2023

Join us for an afternoon of restorative movement, sharing discussion and nutrition tips and advice on how to Mindfully Manage Perimemopause.

Hope to see you there!

06/01/2023

It has been a long, cold, wet and dark winter.

I have been in deep hibernation mode.

Just like a bear. Sleeping more, moving slower, hanging onto a few more pounds.

In fact as I am posting this I’m cozy in bed with my heating pad on and it’s 4:30pm!

But I have not been giving myself a hard time for it. It’s natural and normal for the season. And I am allowing myself to just “be” without judgement.

Luckily, I have cultivated practices that hold me steady internally even when my external environment is stormy.

Come join me this Saturday 4pm for a gentle yoga practice focusing on supporting digestive health.

If you are feeling a little sluggish this season, craving some movement but not about to go run a marathon, ease into it with me.

A workshop style class to increase the “Digestive Fire”in our bellies and we’ll end sharing some Ayurvedic nutrition tips and tea!

See you there!

14/10/2022

Reflections from a 45 year old.

I have been very uncomfortable in my current existence for a couple of months now.

Feelings of agitation, irritation, restlessness, a dip in my mood got me looking around for answers.

Was it the busier schedule these past few months increasing my stress level? Was it the shift in the seasons with more darkness, less light and colder temperatures dipping me into depression again? Could be, maybe …

I was looking outside of myself for answers, but answers are not found outside of yourself, they are found inside of yourself.

When I finally had the space to explore why I was feeling this way yesterday on my 45th birthday, it was revealed to me that it was because I was bumping up against another growth edge.

Where existing on this side of the edge no longer feels good but to get over to the other edge requires courage, bravery and trust and that feels scary!

And those feelings of restlessness and agitation are the internal signals that in order to continue to grow and evolve as a human being you bump up against the edge of your current existence, feel the discomfort and the fear of what it means to shed your old skin and grow a new one to move into your new existence. What would you lose if that were to happen?

And that’s why we just hang out in our old existence for so long, months, even years because the new version of yourself is unknown, and uncertain. And that is SCARY!

You have no idea if you will be successful in your new self, you cannot predict the outcomes but if you don’t take the leap you will be stuck in this old shell that you are starting to outgrow, it’s too small and it’s making you very uncomfortable to stay stuck in a small shell when you have grown so much bigger.

If you are feeling that restlessness, agitation, irritation that could be the signal to you that your old existence no longer serves you and you are meant to grow into a new and different version of you, what would that look like? Time to explore!

18/09/2022

It’s not so much about the Destination as it is about the Journey of how you get there!

Often times there is a misguided notion that when we get to a certain end point, then we will be happy.

Like “When I get to X number on the scale, then I’ll be OK”

If that is the belief then by default that means you are not OK where you are right now.

What if we changed that belief to “I am OK just as I am” and move towards where you want to go from that place.

How would the journey feel different? Would it feel lighter, less pressured, more easeful? Versus feeling like you are gripping to a certain outcome, resistant and wound up?

What if you can settle into the journey and accept all the lessons the journey has to offer you, even if those lessons are hard, painful and challenging and allowing the outcome to unfold as it is meant to unfold.

I have no idea what my destination is. I have a general idea, a desire, a hope, a wish, but I have no attachment to an outcome because I have no control over it anyways.

All I have control over is how to make myself feel OK right now.

Sleep well, eat well, move my body in ways that feel good, commitment to stress management = feel OK now so that I can fully experience all the lessons both beautiful and challenging.

What can you do today to make yourself feel OK now? Let me know what feels good to you? We can all use some fresh ideas!

(This pic was at a social gathering where I decided not to drink even though wine pairing was a major feature of the experience because I knew it would make me feel OK later but a uncomfortable in the moment because I wasn’t sharing in that experience with everyone. The more you practice feeling the discomfort the easier it becomes each time)

Lean in, even if it’s hard. We can all do hard things. 😘

28/08/2022

Yoga Nidra is sometimes translated as The Yoga of Sleep.

However, Nidra is a destination.

It is a place you can enter where you feel fully and completely relaxed.

It is the mysterious space between consciousness and unconscious.

It is in that space where we can feel completely at ease, connected with our true selves.

Come join me Monday August 29 at 7pm as I guide you in a Yoga Nidra practice to take you to that destination.

You will come out refreshed and renewed and can slip right into bed!

You can even wear your pajamas to class!

05/08/2022

This week was a challenging one for me.

The kids camp schedules had me chauffeuring at 9am, 11am, 1pm and 3pm.

I felt like I was getting nothing done!

In my head I had thoughts like “I SHOULD be getting more work done”

“I SHOULD be able to do more than I am doing”

“I should, I should, I should”

From Oxford Dictionary:

should - used to indicate obligation, duty, or correctness, typically when CRITICIZING someone’s actions

I was criticizing my OWN actions.

And that was actually holding me back.

When I finally shifted my mindset to accept the circumstance that I was in, which was “This week, I simply have less time to work”

It allowed me to release the “SHOULD” and just do what I can with the circumstance I have and FEEL GOOD about what I did get done!

And I got it done!

This was a lesson in the power of words and mindset, which are a big part of how I coach my nutrition clients through the triggers, blocks and patterns that keep them stuck in disempowering eating behaviors.

I coach myself through it EVERY SINGLE DAY.

And as a mother trying to raise conscious human beings, for the sake of the next generation “SHOULD” will no longer be a part of how I communicate with my kids.

Join me and Joseph on this one and let go of your “SHOULD’S” and let me know what shifted for you!

🤯

23/07/2022

From the murky waters of a pond rises the Lotus Flower 🪷

Perfect, unadulterated, innocent in every way.

You have the qualities of the Lotus flower within you my friend.

You have just been swimming in muddy, murky waters for so long that it feels “normal” but it’s not.

Exhaustion, depletion, anxiety and depression - not normal.

Yes, those feelings can ebb and flow but if you are feeling like you are treading mucky waters just to survive and stay afloat - there is a better way.

Imagine letting your radiance, inner light and energy shine through in your actions and your thoughts.

Imagine moving through the world with calm and ease - this is possible for you, it is possible for all of us.

What does this have to do with Nutrition you say?

Really, it’s about choices. Each time you eat something (or not eat something) or do something (or not do something) it is a choice.

Is either a choice that serves you and moves you towards rising up like a 🪷 or is it a choice that keeps your energy low and depleted.

There are always choices you can make to rise up. Small choices like having sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes. Something simple like that to start.

With practice, you will see that choosing the healthier option becomes easy and delicious and you won’t feel like you are missing out on anything!

Imagine that! Having space in your life to fully enjoy and experience the occasional indulgences like champagne and yummy desserts, without guilt or self-criticism - now that is true freedom!

I know it is possible for you because it became possible for me to rise up from the murky waters and bloom - and I am still a deeply flawed human being just like anyone else, but I make the choice to show up and do “the work” EVERY SINGLE DAY!

Join me on the journey to Emotional Eating Freedom by taking the first step.

You can download the free guide that I made to get you started on your own journey, by clicking the 🔗 in my bio.

And if having a guide feels right for you, it’s time to bloom with me my friend!

flower

08/07/2022

It could be as small as eating breakfast every day or as big as climbing a mountain but when you accomplish a goal that you set out for yourself, you will feel more confident and successful and the next goal will feel manageable and doable!

Baby steps! That is the key!

Break the goal down into little steps along the way and the mind and body will develop the innate self-trust that this can be done!

For example, if your goal is to wake up early and exercise.

The first step would be to turn your devices off 30min to 1 hr before you plan to go to bed.

The second step would be to get into bed 30 mins earlier than you normally would.

The third step would be to wake up 30 mins earlier than you normally would. Doesn’t matter what do you yet with that time, but at least you are up!

And the fourth step would be to move your body in a way that feels good to you - you get to pick!

And this could happen slowly over weeks, it takes time and patience to develop new habits.

That is why having a guide along the way can be so helpful in leading you to create your own path, your own journey.

Because ultimately this life is yours to own, to create and step into the life that you want to live in the version of yourself that you want to see.

You know deep down what you want it to feel like, you have just gotten distracted with many detours along the way.

It’s time to return to yourself so you can climb that mountain all the way to the top!

Photo credit: .nudel.design

01/07/2022

Dear Trang,

I want to thank you so very much for all your kindness, wisdom and support.

I have struggled since I was 10 and tried many interventions.

You were the first person who addressed the deep underlying issues and personalized it to me.

I felt supported, seen and heard.

Now making choices is so much easier.

You are so gifted at what you do and I know you will help many people.

I will always be very grateful and wish you all the best.

XXOO Sharon

21/06/2022

03/06/2022

There's Good, and then there's BETTER!

Coffee is good, but Matcha is BETTER!

Raisins are good, but Gogi Berries are BETTER!

Cranberries are good, but Mulberries are BETTER!

One of the funnest parts about my work is I'm always experimenting, trying new foods and figuring out ways to LEVEL UP the nutritional content of dishes and make them BETTER!

It's so fun and yummy! For example, in chia pudding, instead of using maple syrup as a sweetener, which is pretty much just sugar, you can use Gogi Berries and Mulberries as your sweetener instead!

You still get a nice sweetness to the pudding but you are getting so much more nutritional content from the Gogi berries and mulberries. Iron, vitamin C, calcium, vitamin A, even a little bit of protein!

You can Level It Up even more by using ground chis seeds which increases the absorption nutrients such as Omega-3's.

Whatever you are thinking of eating, I bet there is a way to Level Up the nutrition factor, rise to the challenge!

Chia Pudding made Better!

¼ C chia seeds (whole or ground)
¼ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground ginger
¼ tsp ground cardamom
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 TBSP Gogi berries
1 TBSP mulberries
1.5 C unsweetened almond milk

Put all ingredients in a jar, shake it up and let sit overnight, shaking it a few times.

Enjoy with raspberries & blackberries which have the highest fiber content of all the berries, a sprinkle of coconut flakes and cacao nibs for a nice crunch along with a high dose of antioxidants, iron & protein.

Ok, I'll stop now, you get the picture!

27/05/2022

Do you ever feel like you don't belong?

Like you have this feeling in your tummy that you want to be doing something differently than what is happening around you, but it makes you feel uncomfortable, so the easiest thing to do is just to do the thing you don't really want to do because that is easier than having to be uncomfortable.

So you take the drink even though you don't really want it or need it, or you take the food even though you are not really hungry or you do whatever everyone else is doing because belonging FEELS GOOD and feeling uncomfortable DOES NOT!

This is a tough one friends because all humans need to have a sense of BELONGING and so we will behave in ways to create that feeling even if those actions don't serve us.

I've learned to be OK with not "belonging" all the time. I often feel like I'm the only one not eating the cupcake or not having a drink but it's simply because those things just don't make me feel good. And so I choose to be uncomfortable now in order to feel good later.

And honestly, nobody cares. YOU DO YOU, even if it makes you feel uncomfortable or you feel like people are judging you, they probably aren't, and if they are, know that you chose YOU and your sense of Belonging is created within yourself.

This is me feeling a little weird that I left the party at 8:45 because I wanted to be in bed by 9, but I still enjoyed my time with my people while I was there, left with a ton of giggles and felt great the next day because I got the sleep I needed.

What does this have to do with Nutrition you say? It has a lot to do with Nutrition & Wellness because it's all about the choices we make.

I don't nail it every time, I still make bad choices sometimes because the Ego is an incredibly strong force. But each time you nail it, you get more confident that YOU GOT THIS and can navigate any tricky situation that comes your way!