Better Nutrition September2020

Everyone Wants to Know …
BN: What are some key ways to get practical
with magic in the kitchen?
LV: First, ingredients. So many plants have magical
properties. It’s worth doing a quick search on herbs
and plants that you want to use in your cooking and
just seeing if they have any lore behind them. Basil is a
great herb for abundance, for example, and just knowing
that as you’re cooking with it can be a little magical.
Second, set an intention for your meal. Beyond it being
cooked well and tasting good, your intention could be, “I
want to feel really supported and calm as a result of eating
this dish.” As you prep and stir, think of your intention.
BN: Why is it helpful to embody the four seasons?
How can we do that with food this fall?
LV: Nature is such a good mirror for us. It subtly
prompts us to change our rhythms and get a balance of
everything throughout the year. In the fall, we get foods
that want to be roasted and turned into soups and
stews—we’re being encouraged to warm ourselves from
the inside out as the weather gets colder. As the harvest
comes in and the leaves begin to fall, we’re asked to
turn toward our homes and ourselves a little bit more
and reflect on what we’d like to shed. The grounding,
warming, sweet foods of fall help to steady and support
us as we go through this transitional time of year.
BN: How can the tarot factor into daily self-care?
LV: I use it as a daily check-in. If something’s on my
mind or I’m feeling a little off, I’ll ask the tarot about
it or just come to my deck with an open mind and
pull a card. I journal about whatever comes up. The
tarot is an intuitive tool, but it also helps you get to
know yourself better, which is key to finding self-care
that really nourishes you. You can also ask the cards:
What kind of self-care would best support me today?
How would my mind feel cared for? My body? My heart?
BN: Which high-vibe recipes help ground your
favorite magical rituals?
LV: I love a hearty stew or lentil dish after a breathwork
practice. There’s a specific type of breathwork that
involves deep, continuous breathing for 30 minutes at a
time. The experience is challenging but transformational.
I find that I need something really filling and comforting
to eat afterward to ground down. Breath represents
the air element, and lentils are from the earth, so they
balance each other out nicely. It helps me come back
to Earth and feels cozy.
BN: What goes into The Empress Breakfast?
LV: I love making toast that feels a little fancy. I found
myself doing my daily tarot check-in over breakfast and I
decided to make a meal as a tribute to one of my favorite
cards—The Empress (a tarot card symbolizing abundance,
receptivity, and self-worth). I use fresh ricotta, roasted
squash, basil, olive oil, and pomegranate seeds—which
is the Empress’s signature fruit.
BN: What role does breathwork play in
our healing?
LV: It’s one of our most accessible wellness tools—it’s
free, simple, and holistically cleansing. It can physically
cleanse the body, but it helps emotionally and spiritually
cleanse too. As the parent of a one-year-old, my days
feel busy and a little all over the place. But I can always
make time to breathe. I like to do a six-count inhale and
six-count exhale four times in a row. In a minute I feel
calmer and more connected to myself.
I do longer breathwork sessions (like I mentioned
above) that help with emotional release. Breathwork is
connected to the idea that unprocessed emotions are
stored in the body, and when we engage the breath in a
way that activates the whole body, we’re able to get into
those stuck places and release them. When I find myself
feeling really tense and overwhelmed, I know it’s time to
do a long breathwork practice.
BN: How has embracing the feminine in you
changed your life?
LV: I’m not burnt out all the time, I feel more creative,
and it’s given me the strength to do what I really love
and do it in a way that feels good. We’re so encouraged
to be on, doing, and productive all the time, but that
needs to be balanced by quiet, space, connection, and
softness. It’s an ongoing process, but it’s helped me
balance my nervous system and feel more grounded
throughout my day.
BN: How can eating well help cultivate a kinder
relationship with oneself?
LV: It’s about finding what feels good for you and your
body. I think we get caught up in trying to eat a certain
way or eat certain things because they’re “good” for
us. But I think there’s an element of listening to what
our bodies need and want that’s really important to
our emotional and physical health. Balance is where
the kindness lies—not being too rigid about your food
while also giving yourself everything you need to thrive.
SEPTEMBER 2020 • 13