Hi friends!!! How are you? Happy officially fall. I missed ya. I am back in NYC and back to regularly scheduled content. I missed my kitchen!!
Every month I open up a Q&A for paid subscribers to ask questions so I can answer them thoughtfully & in depth. We’ve done over 15 Q&A segments now and they are one of my favorite ways to connect with you!!! Thanks to Labcorp OnDemand, we’re opening up today’s post to be available to view for all, I hope you enjoy!!!
I often get asked where I get my lab work done, and I love Labcorp OnDemand because it makes it so easily accessible to get bloodwork done on your terms. I think getting yearly bloodwork is so important to understanding your health and its trends over time, and with Labcorp OnDemand you can get the results quickly and easily, without having to make a doctor’s appointment.
I just recently did the Women’s Health Test + Micronutrient Test as a baseline. I purchased the tests, made an appointment, got my bloodwork done and got my results within a week. The results were super easy to understand.
If you are someone who doesn’t know where to start with understanding health, I think doing bloodwork is a great place to begin. If you are interested, you can get a 10% discount when you use ELLA at checkout on the site!!! If you have any questions let me know! Really excited to be partnering with Labcorp OnDemand to offer you this discount.
Now let’s get into the questions….
Q: Hi, Ella! What book (health-related) inspired you the most? Or felt like a missing puzzle piece for you? I am trying to read one “fun” book & one health-related book at a time, but there are SO many out there and I don’t know where to start.
Hi! I love that idea. I always have to read a “fun” book next to a non-fiction one as well. I have a few recs for you!
If you are looking for a book about food x health that is a bit more science focused: Deep Nutrition. If you are looking for a book about food x health that contains recipes alongside: Nourishing Traditions. If you are looking for an easily readable book about mindset shifting: The Four Agreements. The two non-fiction books I am currently reading are Braiding Sweetgrass (indigenous wisdom surrounding how plants are our greatest teachers, lots of storytelling. this book is beautiful) & The Body Electric.
I have found that when I read a non-fiction or health book, I read it as if I were studying for a test. I pause, I take notes, I make it a homework assignment and then I kind of take the joy out of it for myself. So something that has helped me a lot is just reading as I would any other book. As a story, for enjoyment. It puts the fun back into it and I am much more easily able to read the book. I can always go back and take notes if I want to later!
Q: Hi Ella! I hope you had an amazing trip, all of your photos were incredible and now I want to go hahah! I have been feeling a bit lost in life lately—not sure which direction to go, not sure what I even love or am passionate about, feeling confused about the next step—is there anything you’d recommend to help combat this? Or is there a practice you’ve found helpful if you’ve ever dealt with this? I am 25 and acknowledge it’s a normal part of this phase of life, but it’s really challenging! Thank you for any insight.
Hi beautiful!! Thank you so much :) Know that you are not alone in feeling this way. I have and do feel this way all the time. First and foremost start here:
Once you have read that, hopefully some of the things on there you can incorporate to help ease your mind a little bit.
Next, Queue Vienna by Billy Joel - “Slowww down you’re doing fine you can’t be everywhere you want to be before your time…” I like to remind myself to slow down, be more present, enjoy the day to day and be proud of my accomplishments. There is no need to rush to the next thing, it will come when it does. THIS video really helped me to put that more into perspective.
We live in an age of social media and comparison. It is easy to fall susceptible to thinking everyone’s doing more or better things than you are. But we are comparing the worst versions of ourselves to the best version of someone else. Comparing yourself to that person is taking away from all of the incredible things that you can be doing for yourself. You have your unique strengths and mindset. It can be really easy to get caught up in all of the success everyone else is having, and feel like you are falling behind. You are not. There is no rush. Everything will happen the way it is supposed to. Stick true to yourself and your values, it will come.
There are a couple practices I’d recommend to you:
Value Defining
Energy Givers vs. Energy Takers
Set some time aside and write down all of the things you value in life. The things you are grateful for. The traits and values that you want to exemplify. Sometimes it’s helpful to think of someone you look up to, and write down some of their traits that you want to show more of. Remind yourself of those traits and values. Now in your daily life, start to make decisions with those values in mind. How would someone who values xyz act in this moment? A simple example: if you value movement, would you spend your break sitting inside and scrolling, or going outside on a walk? This helps me to slow down and just make decisions one step at a time, knowing that by making decisions with my values in mind it will lead me where I want to go, even if I do not know where that is yet.
The next thing you are going to write down in two separate columns is all of the things that give you energy, and all of the things that drain your energy. You can do this throughout the day as you go through your normal routine, taking note of how each action makes you feel. At the end of the day, assess everything. The next day, try to intentionally do more of the things that bring you energy, and weed out the things that drain you. Start with one thing at a time. If there are things that drain your energy that you cannot stop doing, try and pair them with something that gives you energy.
These are two simple practices that ground me. I think in our minds we tend to overcomplicate everything. We overthink and we spiral. When we look back years from now we will say why weren’t we enjoying what was right in front of us? Our health, our friends, our family, nature and our hobbies. The true joys of living. Remind yourself of these things.
OH and one more thing to share with you. This is something I really loved and resonated with. For some reason the culture in the US is all based in we must have a purpose we must have something that drives us, so much to the point it drives us crazy and makes us feel lost when we haven’t defined one thing. We don’t need a career purpose. Our purpose can be to show up kind. To show up humble. To bring joy to people’s lives in every day small moments. To treat nature with care and respect. This article is really great & touches on that:
Q: I have been dealing with eczema patches and am working with my functional practitioner and general physician to get to the root cause. it could be mold, it could also be high cortisol and liver function, not sure. I’ve been navigating anger towards my body. I know it is helping me by telling me something is wrong. I know you just went through navigating your body’s response to the mold in your apartment. what helped you stay present within your body when so much was happening?
First of all, take a deep breath. Seriously right now inhale and take a deep belly breath. Feel the clean air circulating in your lungs, filling up your belly, oxygenating your blood. Exhale. Unslump your shoulders. Relax your jaw. Wiggle your toes. Focus your eyes on the beautiful colors around you. Go outside and listen to the sounds of nature. You are safe. Your body is healthy. Everything is going to be okay. Remind yourself of this every time you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed. Find your grounding practice that disconnects you from all the noise.
Our bodies are smart. They are extremely intelligent systems that respond in ways we don’t always consciously understand when they are either responding to an external factor and/or feeling imbalanced internally.
Finding the cause of our bodies imbalance can feel super frustrating when the answer is not right there in front of us. The internet likes to make it seem like every single thing in our vicinity is toxic to our bodies. There is so much fear circulating. I truly believe the biggest cause of our imbalances is that fear, is that stress, is that feeling of unsafety in our own bodies. The noise that floods our brain and takes away from our intuition and ability to trust in our bodies to heal themselves.
If you are going to go down this path of doctors and searching for the cause, you must first develop a sense of safety in your own mind and body. Disconnect from the identity that you are not optimized and whole. When you strip down to the basics, and tune out the noise, sometimes you find that the answer was right in front of you the whole time.
Do more things that tune out noise. Find ways to show gratitude and appreciation to your body. Find a grounding practice. Do more things that help to regulate your nervous system. Remind yourself that your body has the tools. That you are safe, and you will get through this! I’m sending you all the love and I am here for you along the way if there is anything more you’d like to chat about!
Q: What’s your opinion on eating raw fish? Do you think it can cause gut issues?
No I do not think raw fish inherently causes gut issues. I think if raw fish is indirectly causing you gut issues, there is a deeper imbalance involved. I also really think quality matters. Transparency matters. Know your source. And lastly, we are all different. I have friends who can eat sushi and raw fish every single day and feel amazing. That doesn’t work for me! I am more of an every once and a while type of girl. Listen to your body, because you know best. How does it make YOU feel? Tune out the extra noise because that is all that matters.
Q: What kind of matcha do you use and how much of it do you use in your daily matcha?!!
My favorite matcha ever is Cosmic Cultures (discount is ELLA10)!
When I first tried their matcha the beginning of this year I was stunned at the quality. I connected with the founders and their love for the tradition, the process, the care put into each batch was so special. They source from small growers that honor traditional practices. It is stone-milled to order, farmed beyond organic without toxins, and you will never find one with that grassy-bitter taste. It is fresh.
I don’t measure my matcha I just go by feel, but I’d say the average amount is about 2 tsp! My every day matcha recipe is usually my creamy coconut matcha:
Creamy Coconut Matcha
watch me make it here
Ingredients
1 cup 175°F water
1 tbsp coconut oil
2 tsp maple syrup (or more for sweeter)
1 tsp vanilla extract
matcha matcha (measure w heart — I use Cosmic Cultures my discount is ELLA10. I like the kasumi, haru, MTN & kotobuki for my lattes)
1 scoop collagen
pinch of salt
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup whole milk (I use grass fed, regenerative, organic, low pasteurized non homogenized A2)
Recipe
Froth & heat milk in a milk steamer (or heat it up and hand froth)
Blend together hot water, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla, matcha, salt and collagen
Pour in a large mug and top with frothy milk, enjoy!!!
I love you guys! Hope you enjoyed this month’s Q&A, and if you want to go back to reference other Q&A’s I made a Q&A section where most of them now live.
Let me know if you have any follow ups, and I am also active in the chat (along with everyone else, shoutout to the people who are always offering up their amazing advice. I literally feel like I am in a big groupchat with my besties it is awesome).
Stay tuned next Sunday for my September favorites (travel edition) + I will also soon be sending out a travel guide regarding all of my favorite spots I went to during my month of travel. And lots of fun fall recipes coming too!
As always, so grateful for each and every one of you. This community is truly something so special. Thank you for being here :) XO - Ella
Was at an event last night where we did group discussions on how to find purpose. Seems like the topic is on everyone's mind right now 😅 I concluded for myself that we can have different purposes across life stages and that makes me feel more positive about it!