As I’m working towards becoming spiritually reconnected to the elements (nature), I discovered some really fantastic YouTube channels of likeminded individuals. These videos are so esthetically pleasing, with soothing music and narration. I thought I would share these creators here with you. For those who are on a similar path of healing and spiritual reprieve as I am.
It’s not uncommon to retreat into Hermit mode while you are working on releasing trauma bonds, or letting go of past hurts. Just don’t over do it. It can lead to a serious depression like I hit. I’m turning to other sources of entertainment and using writing and artwork to help me out of this slump.
The Cottage Fairy
Paola Merrill is an artist, teacher and creator also known as The Cottage Fairy. She lives in rural Washington State (think Twilight movies) and makes videos about her daily life. She works with wild flowers, herbs and spends lots of time in her kitchen. She is also an author and works in a bookstore, while running her own Etsy shop.
I love watching her videos later at night when I’m trying to wind down. They are so soothing and her voice will relax you too. She talks a lot about the introverted life and that’s something I can really identify with.
The Green Witch
Annabel Margaret is a what’s known as a Green Witch, someone that works with natural herbs, elements and medicines for healing. She is an aspiring herbalist and many of her videos detail how to work with oils, dried herbs and even how to make wholistic items like candles. As a witch, Annabel also reads tea leaves and shares other divination practices on her channel.
What I love about her videos, is the overall feel and ambience. Her home is lovely and she puts a lot of time into editing her videos and making them look professional. I love her home and her kitchen is such an inspiration. Also, if you love dogs – she has a couple that are featured in some videos!
Jonna Jinton
Jonna is an award winning artist, writer and film maker living in the rural area of northern Sweden. What I love about her videos is the overall vibe, the music which she creates herself, and the amazing Scandinavian scenery. Her channel is quite popular with over 4 million subscribers and she has received prestigious awards for her efforts of chronicling life in Sweden. Her cozy cottage home is something out of a fairy tale and she makes all of her videos feel magical.
She is also a jewelry maker and sells her original creations on her website. You can also follow her blog here https://jonnajintonsweden.com/blog/.
Who are your favorite youtuber or content creators that you’ve discovered in the past year? I’ll be sharing more of my favorite artists in coming weeks. I’m also planning on getting back into reading and will share my books and good reads with you.
Stay tuned as this blog is going through an overhaul and I can’t wait to share this next part of my journey with you.
Thanks for reading and happy new year.
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It’s Monday afternoon and I just finished a protein filled breakfast. Surprisingly, eating healthy and cooking interesting meals has become a bit of a habit. I’m still using MyFitness Pal daily to track my calories and even to use it for meal planning. And other than ordering in pizza once this month, I’ve been pretty good.
Meal prepping is such a great way to plan for healthy eating throughout the week. When I got my groceries on Friday, I made sure to stock up on lots of fresh vegetables, some fruit, and cans of beans and legumes. I have some kale left that I need to use up too.
I try to fill my first meal of the day with protein. This past weekend was a bust as I haven’t been sleeping well at night time. I had a nap last night and so couldn’t fall asleep. Getting up at noon isn’t exactly great when you’re trying to eat three meals a day. So, what I eat for breakfast will fluctuate. I do intermittent fasting a couple of times a week – so today will be a fasting day.
What is intermittent fasting? Don’t worry, I have an article on that too – it’s one of my more popular blog posts .
Here are some ideas for you, if you want to get into healthy meal planning. I find prepping at the beginning of the week to be really useful. I’ve already gone through a dozen eggs where as before, I had to force myself to use up the eggs before they went bad.
I’ll list a few meal ideas for you so you can get an idea of what I eat. I’m eating mostly plant based foods these days, but I do love dairy, breads and meat too.
Breakfast
Oatmeal
There are many ways to eat oatmeal. My favorite is in a protein bar or for a snack. For breakfast, I will mix 1 cup of oats, some milk, applesauce and add a sliced banana to the bowl. Heat it up in the microwave for just 1 minute and you have a breakfast full of fiber and potassium.
Hardboiled Eggs
About once a week, I’ll hard boil about 6 eggs. I try and have at least 1 egg for a protein boost with breakfast and then another one with lunch or dinner. Hardboiled eggs are easy to make, easy to store, and can keep in the fridge for a few days. Great for protein and snacking on the go.
Toast and peanut butter
If I’m really hungry when I wake up, sometimes I’ll have 1 to 2 pieces of whole wheat toast with some peanut butter or jam. This is a higher carb breakfast but it’s filling. I’ll pair it with a side of fruit like grapes or apple slices.
Special K Almond Cereal
I try not to eat too much cereal but sometimes when you aren’t feeling good, cereal is a good option to make sure you eat in the morning. I like Special K cereal and mix it with either a cup of yogurt or milk. I’ll usually eat a piece of fruit on the side like a banana or a handful of berries.
For drinks, I usually have one cup of instant coffee with cream. I switched to instant coffee because I felt like I was wasting so much when I made full pots of coffee. It’s just me – and I can’t drink that much caffeine in a day. So, my coffee is typically the first thing I make. I do add a teaspoon of sugar, and it’s usually the only sugar I add to my foods unless I’m baking or the recipe calls for it.
For more oatmeal meal ideas, check out Clean and Delicious on YouTube. I’ve been following Dani for a while now and enjoy her creative ideas in the kitchen.
Lunch Ideas
For a few months last year, I ate spinach and tuna wraps almost religiously. But eventually, I did get tired of it. This month, I went back to eating things like kale and raw veggies. If I have bread for break, then I try not to eat it the rest of the day. So, lunches are typically low calorie meals filled with plant based foods and fruit. Sometimes I’ll have leftovers from the night before, like the kale bean soup that I made last week. I’ll get my protein from things like eggs, beans, tuna, hummus and leftover chicken from the night before. It really varies from day to day.
Keep in mind, that I’m a single person. If I make a standard recipe for a family of four, that will feed me for days. I’ve been eating my kale bean soup since last Thursday and still have a bit left.
Fried kale and scrambled eggs
Kale bean soup or salad
Brown rice and beans or chickpeas
Quinoa salad with vegetables and dried fruit
Homemade soup with 1 slice of toast
Lettuce wraps – with tuna, eggs or protein filling
Raw vegetables and hummus (celery, carrots, green beans, cucumber)
For drinks, I usually stick to sparkling water or tap water that has been chilled. I usually only have one cup of coffee per day which goes with my first meal of the day. It’s a nice way to “wake up” in the morning.
For more plant based recipe ideas, check out Rainbow Plant Life – it’s my new favorite healthy eating channel on YouTube.
Dinner Ideas
For dinner, this is where I like to get creative. I will often use my new Crockpot and start prepping meals in the afternoon. I love a good slow cooked soup or stew – especially on cold or rainy days. There’s something invigorating about grabbing a cup of soup that you made from scratch. There’s a sense of pride and satisfaction from executing a recipe to perfection.
For dinner meals, I like to eat a balanced meal and try and incorporate the four main food groups – protein, produce, dairy and grains. This is where I get the bulk of my protein for the day. I do allow myself cheat meals, so maybe twice a month I’ll order in pizza or a burger. I think it’s important to allow yourself treats to avoid binge eating.
Also, life is short. So, why not indulge every now and then??
Chicken vegetable stew
Beef and bean chili
Hearty homemade soups
Hearty beef stew
Ham and broccoli casserole
Chicken pot pie or tarts
Butternut squash and chicken soup
Asparagus quiche
You get the idea. If you want to try some of these recipes, just head over to my Food page where I have them sorted out by meal types.
When I get stuck in a food rut, I often turn to Downshiftology for creative ideas. Lisa’s videos are amazing, and she focuses on clean eating for auto-immune disorders and to help reduce inflammation. Her kitchen is also my dream kitchen – I wish I could afford a Vitamix! A lot of my newer recipes were inspired by this channel.
Stay tuned for more recipes!
That’s about it today for meal planning for the week. I have some kale I need to use up. I also got some frozen butternut squash that I’m excited to use in the crockpot. What I’m making – I don’t know yet. I also plan on doing some healthy baking this week if health allows for it. My sleep schedule is off due to the insomnia. I tell you – it’s something new every day living with hypermobility EDS.
I’ve shared with you some of my favorite go to channels for inspiration in the kitchen. This year, my goal is to incorporate more plant based foods and foods that will help reduce inflammation. I suffered from osteoarthritis as well and this is important for joint health.
Charmed Reflections 