Christina's blog

I have worked from home for a long time. Unless traveling, hosting groups; teaching classes and seminars or lecturing, I generally work from my home office (aka, my kitchen), writing and creating recipes.

There’s not one thing I can say that will quiet your fears about the Corona Virus pandemic.

I can tell you how to cook healthy meals now that you’re home with time to cook. I can advise you on the best kinds of ingredients to boost and support your immune function. I can advise you on the best way to clean so that your home is as sanitary as it can be without leaving a chemical trail in the environment to be dealt with when this is all over.

As COVID-19 continues its iron grip on our world and life as we know it continues to change, as it should, I thought I would talk about cleaning.

As you read on, before you all freak out and yell at me, hear me out and then if you still want to yell at me, go ahead. I can take it.

As we buy and buy and buy hand sanitizers, chemical disposable wipes and heaven forbid…bleach, I think about the planet as well as our personal health and wellness. It’s important to stay safe, of course but we must think long term about the impact on our planet.

The novel Corona Virus, best known to us now by its code name, COVID-19 has dug its tentacles into the very fabric of our modern society and left us scared and vulnerable.

But…and I cannot stress this more strongly…now is not the time to lose our minds and completely panic. If you are a person at high risk, then you might want to pay close attention to the recommended guidelines and limit your contact with people and crowded spaces.

I was watching television one night when an ad came on that I simply could not believe I was seeing.

Whoever advised Inspira Health that this concept was a good idea is out of their mind.

Here’s the scene. A woman is peering into her mirror, looking wistfully at her long, gorgeous mane of curly hair. A close-up of her clenched fist shows her inner struggle. She picks up a razor and begins to shave her head. Her hair cascades over her in slow motion, falling around her feet on the floor, in the sink and on the counter as we read:

Sarah chose to take control.

From Christina: I saw this article online and was thrilled to see the statistics. Now all we have to work on jst a little more is the compassion that goes with bailing on eating meat. Being kind to each other is everything as it allows us to live in love. Read on:

How Impossible, Beyond & Nestlé’s plant-based burgers disrupt the meat industry

It’s been a long time since I was in a kitchen full time. Most of my days now are spent testing recipes, writing articles, planning and teaching cooking classes, serving on a number of non-profit boards, traversing the globe teaching and hosting groups.

I consult with restaurants on healthy vegan menu items. On those occasions…in the kitchen, I miss the action of ‘the line.’ I miss the heat, the stress, the camaraderie of the kitchen crew, the ‘family meal’ before service, the gorgeous plates, the decompress after an 18-hour day…all of it. Back in the day, I loved all of it.

Soup making has always been a kind of ritual in my world. I can remember the aromas coming from the bubbling pots on my mom's stove. She had a way of combining the most humble ingredients to make the most delicious soups and stews. See, she understood that the key to really good soup is determined by the quality and freshness of what goes into the pot; never any limp, old veggies for her. I learned well.

It’s that time of year. A time to gather our loved ones around us, enjoy, share and celebrate…everything. A long, cold winter stretches before us. The holidays distract us from the truth of winter, harsh weather (for most of us…), long nights and short days. We feast and party, party and feast.

And we don’t think of health and wellness very much until around January 2 when we face the New Year.

My reason to get out of bed every day is to make a difference.

My mother raised us with the mantra: “If you’re not serving someone or something somehow today, don’t bother going out of the house.” She embedded the idea of making a difference in my DNA.

I confess that it took being diagnosed with terminal cancer for me to discover my mission. Once I had regained my wellness with food, I knew that I had found the purpose of my life: to help guide others to wellness and robust vitality by helping them understand the impact of food on their health.