6am

Good morning. I’m a natural early riser and start my day at 6 am. I keep a glass of water by my bed, and when wake up, I add a few drops of silica and iodine with kelp and drink the whole glass. (I like Eidon Ionic Minerals Silica and Vitality Works Iodine with Kelp). After waking I take a spoonful of Skinny Coconut Oil and swish for 20 minutes. I alternate between their peppermint coconut oil and the brands classic oil. I’ve been oil pulling for 4 years now and have noticed a huge difference in the health of my teeth, gums and digestion.

While I am oil pulling I make my bed, do some light stretches on my yoga mat, along with a quick grounding meditation for the day. I imagine a protective white light, a bubble, surrounding me, protecting me from other peoples thoughts, feelings and emotions, so I may flow throughout the day unaffected by other peoples energy. Once I’ve done this, I head into the kitchen and warm up some water and ad a lemon wedge. By then my 20 minutes of oil pulling is up. I rinse out my mouth and sip the lemon water. Depending on my work schedule that day, I’ll take a 10-minute walk around the block, or start getting dressed for work.

7am

I have breakfast about an hour after I get up. I am a creature of habit and have found the following three breakfasts work best for me in the morning. Depending on how hungry I am, and what I feel my body needs, I have one of the three:

1. A smoothie filled with greens, berries, collagen, spirulina, maca, flax, nuts
2. Sautéed greens, avocado, and fermented veggies
3. Greens, half a Japanese or Hannah sweet potato

8am

I’m out the door by 8 am, usually with a green tea in hand. I love loose-leaf green tea and am on a jasmine kick right now.

I’ll spend an hour doing all my grocery shopping for my clients. My clientele tends to be in Newport Beach, so I get to enjoy a nice drive along Pacific Coast Highway in the morning.

I’ll visit up to three different grocery stores, sourcing the best quality produce and ingredients I can find.

9.30am

I arrive at my client’s home between 9:30 and 10 am. I unload, turn on the ovens, and get to work. I make five different entrees for my clients in one day. The menu is fully customized to their food preferences, allergies and dietary requests. A typical day’s menu looks like this:

1. Grilled tofu, summer squash, chimichurri sauce
2. Green Thai coconut soup with beans, bok choy and brown rice
3. Gluten-Free vegan loaf with fingerling potatoes and roasted carrots
4. Summer salad with grilled corn, heirloom tomatoes, and lemon vinaigrette
5. Plant based Walnut Banana Bread

12pm

I take about a 20-minute lunch break. I’ll make my lunch the night before, usually a salad with leftover vegetables and protein on top. To save time, I prepare a big batch of homemade salad dressing on Sunday nights. A good homemade dressing makes every meal taste much more interesting. Right now I am enjoying preserved lemon vinaigrette. The great thing about using homemade preserved lemons in a salad dressing is that it will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a month. Bonus is the prebiotics and the probiotics you get from the dressing thanks to the fermented lemons.

3 PM

I finish work about 3 pm, and then it’s time to work out. I’ll head to the gym and jump on the elliptical or enjoy a long beach walk. I go with what I feel my body needs, but make sure I commit to one or the other for at least 45 minutes. After being in a kitchen and on your feet all day, over the stove and hot grill, it feels so refreshing to get your feet in the sand. The grounding I get from a barefoot beach walk after a day of work really helps me stay balance. As a Natural Foods Chef, making sure I feel my best is crucial in being able to deliver delicious, nourishing meals to my clients. Preparing another person’s food is a huge responsibility, and one I don’t take lightly. It is an honor and a pleasure to share my energy weekly with families.

5:30 PM

I like to eat an early dinner, especially if I didn’t have an afternoon snack. When I’m working as a Personal Chef, my dinners at home are clean, quick and simple. I lean towards warm salads. I’ll cook a protein, sauté vegetables in my cast iron skillet, and enjoy them over a bed of mixed greens with some avocado. If the weather is nice, I’ll eat on the back patio. Eating outside helps me ground and focus on my meal so I don’t over eat. After dinner, I’ll use any leftovers to prep lunch for the next day.

6:30 PM

The work continues. I check emails, return text messages, update Instagram, write blog posts, etc. I catch up on as much work as I can, and make my to-do lists and grocery shopping lists for the next day. Depending on my mood, I’ll make a cup of herbal tea. I find Ron Teagarden’s Spring Dragon Longevity tea or Organic India’s Rose Tulsi tea great for when I’m craving something sweet. If I’m going to have dessert, I go for a little dark chocolate from Loving Earth (I also love the mint). Or I have a date, stuffed with coconut butter and topped with cacao nibs. Both are delicious treats.

8 PM

The evening is relax and self-care time. I try and get off my cell phone by 8 pm every night.  I’ll take a shower, and lather myself in coconut oil or shea butter depending on the dryness of my skin (or how much sun I got that day). If my feet or body are really sore from wearing my chef shoes and standing all day, I’ll do a 20-minute salt bath. I’ll add 1-2 cups of Dead Sea salts to the bath, with a heaping spoonful of Skinny & Co lavender body butter. When I get out of the bath, my skin will be super hydrated and moisturized.

Depending on my mood and energy level I’ll watch a favorite reality show series, a documentary on Netflix or read a book. I’m in bed by 10 pm most nights.