When I was at True North earlier this month doing my most recent water fast, I kept getting signs from the universe that I was there for a much bigger reason. True North is a health center that teaches the SOS-free way of life (salt oil sugar free, which you can read about here), and is also where I first learned about SOS-free and started implementing it into my life last May.

As I looked around True North it struck me very clearly that I was the youngest person there for some sort of larger purpose. I went to the cooking classes and the lectures and soaked up as much information as I could, and kept getting filled with this greater knowing that part of my purpose in life and especially part of my purpose in getting sick with Lyme is to help people heal by spreading the SOS-free message to a younger generation. It was a larger series of events that brought me to TN in the first place (I believe guided from above!).

While I was there I was filled with inspiration to create so many recipes when I returned home, and also to write a SOS-free cookbook and guide book for all of the many people out there who are looking to learn more and enhance their life with this anti-inflammatory, disease-friendly way of eating. But I also knew there was more, and I asked the universe to show it to me.

In the middle of my fast I sat on the floor in my room at and meditated for a long while to get clear on what I wanted the universe to bring to me. I was very open, and I said, “Show me the way I’m going to help people heal from chronic disease. Show me how to heal my body from chronic disease so I can help others. Unveil to me what it is I am supposed to be doing because I am filled with such massive inspiration to do it, but I am lost as to what *it* is, so point me in the right direction.”

From there, I let it be. I totally surrendered. I let go of what the response from the universe might look like, or when I would get it. But I wrote it down, continued to meditate on it, and felt very excited for what was to come. Fasts are also a great time to tune into yourself and just BE, outside of your daily routine and distractions from life, so I felt ultra clear on my path and my inspiration.

The Universe Answered //

Fast forward to returning home to Sacramento after the fast, and of course, the most miraculous thing happened. I had been making recipes like crazy and studying all things SOS-free to learn about what I could do to dive deeper and help people. There wasn’t a whole lot out there, but I kept looking. I watched the documentary HEAL (LIFE CHANGING) for the third time because I can’t get enough of it, and I got my parents drinking juices and smoothies every day. It felt so good to be back in the world and I was feeling super in the flow.

Insert the miraculous thing: one of my amazing blog readers Christine (@bluecrushwellness on IG) responded to one of the many SOS-free recipes I was posting and told me that she was in the middle of a health + detox coaching program based on the Gerson therapy, and that she would be happy to help with recipe testing any time if I did end up creating an SOS-free cookbook.

The whole message was amazing, but what most stuck out to me was the program. I said to her, “WAIT! Tell me more about this program!! Send me an email!!”

Christine sent me an email right away full of info and incredible inspiration. The program was EXACTLY what I had been looking for. When she mentioned the woman who started the program, Nicolette Richer, I realized the name sounded super familiar. So I checked my inbox and connected the dots — SO MANY people have pointed me toward Nicolette ever since my chronic Lyme diagnosis. She helps so many people heal. I had never contacted her before because I was receiving SOOO much info about what to do / how to heal / who to contact, etc. etc.

But now the time felt so right. So of course I immediately went onto Nicolette’s website & contacted her. I told her I was interested in the program, I wanted to meet her, I had a podcast that I wanted to have her on, the whole works!

It turns out she was coming to LA that very week from Canada and would be able to come over and be on the podcast! So on Monday of this week I met her, fell even more in love with her message and her knowledge, and simultaneously signed up for her health + detox coaching program, that starts at the end of this month!!!

The serendipities are WILD. The Universe answered.

NOW YOU KNOW WHY I HAVE BEEN JUICING SO MUCH !!

What is the Gerson therapy?! //

The Gerson therapy is a diet and lifestyle that was created by Max Gerson in the 1920s. It aims to rid the body of toxins and to strengthen the immune system to fight disease. It involves an SOS-free plant-based diet full of fruits and veggies from the earth, lots of cold-pressed juices, and whole gluten-free grains. It’s wild because I have been researching the Gerson therapy for years, but I never had a direct tie to it until I got sick myself.

In fact that first time I heard about it I researched it for about a week straight, I was obsessed with it (as I get with things), but ended up moving on from learning about it because at the time I was quite healthy — but I filed it away in my mind for if I ever got sick or anyone I loved got sick.

The Gerson therapy is most known as an alternative treatment for cancer, but it is also used to treat other diseases. Because of its aim to rid the body of toxins and strengthen the immune system, it can truly treat any disease. Nicolette has incredible stories of people who have healed from every disease under the sun — she has been living this lifestyle for 22 years! I cannot wait for you guys to hear those stories on the podcast, which will be out in 2 weeks.

The toxin ridding part of the lifestyle is done through coffee enemas. For people who are sick with chronic disease, this could mean up to 5 enemas a day. I have been doing 2 enemas a day so far and I have already noticed a boost since I began. I used to do one enema a day, as they are GREAT for people with Lyme who have an excess of toxins and trouble detoxing them.

Also for chronically ill patients the aim is to drink between 9-13 cold pressed juices a day (8oz each) to flood the body with nutrients and flush those toxins out. So now you know why I have been juicing an extra amount!!

Also, check out these carrot pulp muffins I made from the pulp from my carrot juice!!! YUM!

Its even crazy that I was watching the documentary HEAL the night before Christine reached out to me, because the Gerson therapy is hinted at in that doc a handful of times. I was telling my mom about Gerson while we watched and how the Gerson therapy is truly the original SOS-free.

I have had an inkling for a while that trying the Gerson therapy would be beneficial in my healing journey, but I also didn’t know the first thing about it. In Nicolette’s program I will be learning everything from the science to the biology to the history of treating disease… it’s going to be intensive in the best way. I will be writing term papers & doing case studies & even taking on clients during this time (stay tuned for that!!).

And the best part is, I will get the opportunity to help my own body heal in the process.

And if I am getting really deep into the spiritual aspect of it, which I totally can with you guys, Charlotte Gerson (Max Gerson’s daughter) passed away last month at the age of 97. I can feel her gently guiding me from the other side as I continue to learn/devour this information about the Gerson lifestyle. I believe she is giving me those gentle nudges when I need them most, and I am so grateful.

ALSO, since then, the Gerson therapy has shown up in my life every day, multiple times a day!!! When I showed up to record this weeks episode of the podcast with Dara Dubinet & Jenna Zoe, Dara quoted Charlotte Gerson within minutes of me walking in her door. “If you cure one disease, you cure all.”

I’m sorry, but I believe there are no coincidences in this life!

More details?! //

If you want to look into the program yourself, you can find it here at Richer Health. This particular program starts at the end of this month, and there is another starting in September. Tell them TBB sent you!

Also, they have offered a generous 20% off code off of their Eat Real to Heal 5-week program — ERTHBLONDE1 — for any of our TBB tribe who would like to join that particular program that they also offer.

Also, how wild that it starts at the end of this month?! When I was looking for something to start as soon as possible?! The synchronicities continue to blow my mind.

The is that disease can be cured by removing toxins from the body, boosting the immune system, and replacing excess salt in the body’s cells with potassium is such a beautiful thing to hear, especially when you’ve been suffering for so long. And it MAKES SENSE. I believe in doing alternative, nutrition-based therapies alongside of whatever it is that you’re doing with your doctor or naturopath to heal disease.

I believe we can all heal as long as we find the right path for us, and as long as we BELIEVE on a deep, cellular level that we will heal.

I mean, have you heard of this book?! If not, you should read it. We can ALL heal. It’s a matter of mindset, nutrition, dedication, community, support, belief, spirituality… it’s a matter of knowing there is something greater out there helping us heal. And it’s a matter of taking our health into our OWN hands.

I am so, so, so excited & humbled for this experience to come. I have been taking my health into my own hands ever since I got diagnosed with Lyme. I have refused to sit back and let Lyme take over my life, or ruin it. This journey has been a huge learning experience for me. I am still in bed 90% of the time — I am writing this post from bed. It has been hard, really f*cking hard. I am not going to sugar coat that.

But if I can take what I have learned and what I have suffered from, from Lyme to babesia to mold poisoning to MCAS to MTFHR to chronic hives/chronic eczema to chronic fatigue to brain fog and more, then I will be happy. I know we are only given what we can handle, and I am SO thrilled to finally have found a program to learn more about the SOS-free nutrition that I believe so deeply in so I can help YOUUU !!!! HEAL !!!

Would love your thoughts below! Let’s hear them! Have you heard of the Gerson therapy? Would you try it? xx

Can we discuss the fact that I have partnered with a raw, cold-pressed juice company called O2living that also has a WELLNESS CENTER in the suburbs of NY?

Westchester to be exact… one of my favorite, super charming little towns — on a street called YELLOW MONKEY. So freakin’ cute.

Even though I’m back to livin’ on the west coast now, I do get to enjoy a little slice of what O2living has to offer, because they sent me their yummy juices so I could experience how they taste and what they are all about!

First of all — you know my stance on full juice cleanses: not my thing.

I mean, if you scroll way back in my blog, you’ll find months and months and months worth of posts where I was on full juice cleanses. This was back in the day when I was raw vegan & had some serious weird things going on with food. (You can read more about all of that in my book, Breaking Vegan, if you have no idea what I am talking about!)

So anyway, I don’t like to do full juice cleanses anymore. If I am going to do any sort of detox, it’s going to be a balanced approach… and will probably include a juice or two a day (low-glycemic, so low on the fruit) along with some healthy, balanced plant-based meals.

I do this sometimes after I go through a “bender” of a weekend (read: lots of alcohol + late nights), after a long vacation full of indulgences, or even if my stomach problems are acting up (which is very often) and I have to go back to the basics.

Also, my Panchakarma really taught me the importance & essence of going back to the basics with kitchari and lots of rest and self-care… so I have a lot of go-to’s in my repertoire when it comes to relaxing + taking a little mini-detox from life!

So, Let’s Get to the Juice //

I know a lot of you are always looking for good juices that you haven’t heard of before and also looking for ways to incorporate “mini detoxes” into your busy schedules. This is definitely an option for you, because these O2living juices are full of nutrients, bursting with goodness, and are obviously made with love and care from the facility!

Oh, and they hit all my staples… raw, cold-pressed, organic, and full of vitamins, nutrients, enzymes and minerals.

My fave of the juices is the Fresh Start — can you be surprised? I love all things lemon + ginger — which is their pH balancer made of lemon, organic apple and organic ginger. I LOVE to add a bit of this to hot water in the morning to start my day with a nice alkalizing tonic that is great for digestion and also for kickstarting metabolism in the morning.

I usually do a lemon tonic like that in the morning, some Bulletproof coffee, a late breakfast, and then if I am doing a “mini detox” sort of day — I will have an afternoon green juice with a salad, and then a light, plant-based dinner.

Delicious, right? I’m not into depriving myself, and I don’t want you guys to be either! Their Green Vitality is a delicious green juice full of so many antioxidants, veggies and goodness.

And with their red beet juice, I like to add this to smoothies and/or oatmeal to give them a gorgeous color and add a yummy, added burst of nutrients & antioxidants! FUN FACT: beets are really, really good for deoxidizing heavy metals out of our system… so if you’re anything like me and have eaten a little too much mercury (TUNA) in your day, then adding beets into your life at least every few days is not a bad idea.

YUM! Thoughts? I am all about this stuff, and couldn’t want to share with you guys. Have you tried it?! Have you BEEN to their amazing wellness center in NY?! If so, do tell! XO 

* Also, a bit more about the wellness center because I am obsessed: it’s full of every single thing that I love and adore. Yoga studios, a day spa, a whole and live food cafe with raw, vegan foods and cold-pressed juice (and cleanses, if you wanted to go that route!) AND an eco-friendly boutique with so many yoga clothes and awesome skincare.

Sorry, just had to rave for a sec. I almost couldn’t believe this oasis was true until I heard more about it! But good thing is — you can try their juices regardless of where you live!

Well… what happens to be on my mind today is the “High Carb Low Fat” (HCLF) raw vegan diet, and the fact that there are so many blogs, YouTube channels, Instagram accounts and websites out there dedicated to it and how it has “changed people’s lives for the better,” etc. I have gotten three emails today ALONE from young girls asking about the HCLF diet and whether it will cure their problems, heal their eating disorders, help them lose weight and guide them toward their greatest state of health happiness.

Let me begin by reminding you that I will never knock someone else’s lifestyle and/or dietary choices if it works for them. The people I am addressing this post to are not the thriving HCLF raw vegans. I am addressing this post to the people (the young girls, specifically) who come across these Instagram accounts/YouTube channels and believe that eating this way, copying these people’s diet and lifestyle choices, will lead them toward their ideal life and health & fitness goals.

For those who are not aware, the HCLF raw vegan lifestyle, otherwise known as the 80/10/10 diet, otherwise known as “fruitarian,” “raw till 4,” “carb yourself up,” etc. is a diet where you get about 80% of your calories from the carbohydrates of fruit (and in the “raw till 4” case, from steamed starches as well), 10% from fats and 10% from protein. A typical HCLF meal consists of a smoothie made of 10 bananas, and it wouldn’t be rare to follow that with another smoothie made from 12 dates and filtered water. People are encouraged to eat upwards of 3,000+ calories per day on this diet.

I feel comfortable addressing this topic because when I was in the midst of my eating disorder, I started eating this way for a period of time. I was enamored by the women on Instagram & YouTube who flaunted their six packs and their extremely active lifestyles, and then posted their HUGE plates of fruit for dinner consisting of more servings of fruit than I’d normally eat in a week. The lifestyle seemed enchanting, and I wanted their glowing skin, tiny physiques and what seemed to be their radiating happiness and confidence.

Now I know that emulating someone’s diet will not give you all of those things, and beyond that I know that eating in a HIGHLY restrictive manner is absolutely the last thing you should do if you have food issues/anxieties or a pre-existing eating disorder. And if you don’t already have an eating disorder, eating that way might lead you toward developing one– because in that lifestyle the amount of foods that are “off limits” and that will make you “unhealthy” are many, many, many things that I believe are truly good for us.

I talk all about my experience on the HCLF raw vegan diet in my book, but for now I will tell you my thoughts on young girl’s wanting to emulate the raw vegan lifestyle because it looks appealing online…

It. Breaks. My. Heart. It breaks my heart to see and hear beautiful, motivated, capable young women being sucked in to an extreme diet and way of life because it has been branded to them as “THE HEALTHIEST WAY TO LIVE” above all else. If anything is claiming to be the #1 healthiest, or the ONLY way to live, then you know you’ve found a problem. No diet should claim to be a cure-all for everyone or everything. Likewise, no diet should claim to give you a particular body type or body style. (For the record, in case you need to hear this, I know many HCLF raw vegans who do not have the six pack tiny frame you see being flaunted on Instagram along with the diet.)

Secondly, if what you want to do is change your lifestyle to live healthier & eat more foods from the earth, there IS a way to do that without being radically extreme and restrictive. You can and should eat plenty of fruits, veggies, nuts, grains and legumes. If you want to be plant-based, COOL. Try it. Labeling any diet is no longer my cup of tea, but if it inspires you to be healthy and you feel good then I will not argue with you. Unless you are trying to heal yourself from a serious illness or disease, I personally don’t see any logical reason to eliminate cooked food (and even animal protein, sue me) from your diet.

Next… if you have digestion issues, this diet will NOT BE YOUR FRIEND. My body trying to absorb and digest a 10-banana smoothie was actually a joke, and eating that way made me catatonically ill for weeks on end. I know that the response from the HCLF vegan community would be that I didn’t eat that way for long enough, or that I “didn’t eat enough fruit,” but my body would not have lasted longer on the diet and I am 100% positive that it was not for me.

I could go on and on and on and ON, but the main point I want to get across here is this… You are beautiful. You are enough. Each and every one of you, no matter what your diet is or what you are struggling with, you are enough. Trying to eat the same way you see other people eating because you want to look like them or feel the way they claim to feel is not good for your soul and psyche, and trust me it is NOT something you need to do.

On a very personal level, many people from the HCLF raw vegan community very much attacked the ish out of me when I transitioned from a vegan diet. Many of the “leaders” in that world who I once looked up to as a picture of health and happiness turned out to be extremely nasty and volatile (and downright insecure) once their ideologies were threatened.

So, if you’re considering changing your diet in an extreme way… please consider my advice– you don’t need to go that extreme. If you are susceptible to an eating disorder especially, this diet is not for you. It might feel like a great fix at first and a way to EAT without being worried about weight gain, etc… but in the long run it is very detrimental for some of us, and I am a living testimony of someone with extended health problems because of trying to eat this way for a period of time.

Don’t compare yourself! And don’t believe every claim you hear about the, “I feel healthier than ever before…” because oftentimes that is a mask for something deeper, and quite usually the opposite of what they are saying.

Thoughts on the HCLF raw vegan lifestyle? Have you ever tried it? Would you be into the idea of me making a YouTube video further discussing my thoughts?