Naturally Laura

It’s already time for a new post in my Monthly Favorites series! Are you ready for some more tips and ideas that may help you in your own health journey? I’m talking about matcha lattes, simple meals, and practices that have improved my emotional health! Here we go.

Matcha Lattes

I gave up caffeine for a few months and stuck to drinking red rooibos lattes, hot apple cider, and cinnamon lattes. Before, I had an obsession with matcha lattes! To name a few benefits – matcha is packed with antioxidants (super for detoxifying), boosts metabolism, gives a caffeine boost without causing jitters and anxiety, improves mood and focus, and promotes heart health.

During the Thanksgiving holiday, I said “Hello again!” to matcha and enjoyed a few mugs. I’ll be sure to post my favorite matcha latte recipe soon so you can enjoy it too. They are super easy to make, way better than coffee, and extremely good for you! Oh yes. And so foamy…

Marshmallows

Cesar and I have been planning our December camping trip. My favorite part to plan is obviously the food! Food tastes 100x better when it is cooked outside in the open air! Ah, the great outdoors! We’re coming for ya!

Since I’m on strict AIP again, I purchased these AIP-compliant marshmallows from Sweet Apricity. I had to try them before camping, so I popped one in my mouth, and – whoa! It’s like a maple syrup fluff ball! That’s my best description, okay. I can’t wait to experiment with roasting them over a campfire. They’re a bit tiny for roasting, in my opinion; but I’m going to try, and will report back.

I’ll be putting together a blog post about AIP camping. Be sure to follow me on Instagram @naturallylaurablog to catch all the camping action in my stories.

For Thanksgiving dinner, I topped the sweet potato casserole with these marshmallows. It was a hit! I used this recipe from Unbound Wellness.

Reading

November has been a month of improving my lifestyle and making healthy changes. Besides beginning the autoimmune protocol again, I’ve begun taking walks every day and spending time reading in the morning. I don’t even give myself a time limit for reading. I make my matcha latte (or other hot drink), grab whatever book I’m currently reading, and head outside to our little IKEA table on the patio. The blue jays and squirrels always come for a visit, which is more funny than annoying. Sometimes I spend an hour or two just reading, being still, praying, and thinking. It’s my favorite time of day. When it’s over and I have to get to work, I anticipate the next day’s reading and quietness outside. It’s helped me a great deal with my emotional and mental health. I am much more relaxed, not anxious, throughout the remainder of the day.

Simple and Nutrient-Dense Meals

The autoimmune protocol tends to consume so much of my time. I’m basically making everything from scratch (except marshmallows, haha! THANK YOU Sweet Apricity!). That means a lot of time – let’s be honest…MOST of the time – I’m in the kitchen cooking. What has helped me most in saving time is making simple meals that are full of nutrients. If I make my meals simple yet packed with nutrients, I believe I’ll not only save time, but I’ll also heal a lot more quickly! My favorite simple meals usually consist of sardines or oysters, leafy greens like arugula or spinach, and a starch like plantain, sweet potato, or butternut squash. This allows me to have dinner ready in less than half an hour.

I hope my November favorites have given you some fresh inspiration, ideas for saving time in the kitchen, and ways you can improve your mood and mental health. Get outside. Take time to be still when reading, praying, just sipping your latte, whatever. Enjoy this new month, my friends! I’m here cheering you on as you pursue a healthy lifestyle and give your body what it needs to function at its best!