When we were young, the sport utility vehicle (SUV) was the prototypical example of Western culture’s growing environmental destruction. And the result of this? The iconic Hummer SUV was replaced in many garages by the now iconic and hyper efficient Toyota Prius. And how did we measure this efficiency? We made a new metric for automobile…
Living a Thoughtful Life
2016: lessons in letting go and growing
2016 was one wild year. I spent most of my time and energy helping to build Lighter, a menu planning tool that makes eating a plant-based diet easier, tastier, and way more fun – a job I love so much it hurts. The second half of 2016, I spent more time on the road than…
Is a plant-based diet too extreme?
Our goal for 2016 is to achieve more balance in our lives. Balance, to us, is all about maintaining an even keel – equal parts work and rest, input and output, doing and thinking, science and art – to support steady, continual growth and progress. Who knows what 2016 will bring, but it feels like…
Why You Should Quit
It’s safe to say our culture is squeamish about “quitting”. Most of us don’t even feel comfortable saying the word! We’ve attached a lot of negative meaning to “quitting”- failure, disappointment, weakness, inadequacy, imperfection (to name a few). I think it’s time to reclaim “quitting” as a power move. Quitting is an important piece of…
Retrain Your Taste Buds
The holidays are a time of excess- we eat more, spend more, get more, give more, do more. Over the past two weeks, a few moments brought our hunger for “more” into clear focus: 1) on the eve of Christmas Eve when we found ourselves in the midst of very hostile strip mall traffic; 2)…
Keystone Habits
A few months ago we talked about how to turn a plant-based diet into a habit. We all have bad habits. It seems like we have little self-control as they unfold – they just happen. As it turns out, the same neurological processes that create bad habits can also make good ones unfold just as effortlessly. But not…
How To Create Margin In Your Life
Every Sunday I sit down with my calendar and to-do list and schedule out my week. I pencil in project work time, meetings, exercise, etc. with each task bumped up to the next in iCal. Sometimes I get a little too specific- scheduling everything from when I’ll eat dinner to when I’ll take a shower. When I’m…
How To Start A Gratitude Practice
Science shows us that grateful people are happy people. This seems obvious, but let me reframe it. How often do you believe that everything you need to be happy you already have? How often do you stop and appreciate that you made it to work safely or that your bed is warm and your tummy is full?…
Vegan Southern Stew
What is “soul food”? That little phrase might conjure up images of a southern spread- possibly not-so-healthy dishes like like fried chicken and buttermilk biscuits. Personally, I prefer Caroline Williams‘ interpretation: [pullquote width=”300″ float=”left”]SOUL FOOD: food made with love to nourish both the body and the soul[/pullquote] According to that definition, healthful plant-based food fits right…
The One Thing Millennials Can Do To Change Food
Optimistic. Success-driven. Collaborative. Lifestyle-centered. Inclusive. Determined. Self-reliant. Sound familiar? If you are a Millennial (born between early 80s to early 90s) then these descriptors probably speak to you. They definitely speak to me. [pullquote width=”900″ float=”left”] Although they are better educated, more techno-savvy, and quicker to adapt than those who have come before them, they refuse to blindly conform to traditional…