Since this is the first newsletter of 2025, I feel compelled to tell you Happy New Year. But also, that seems so long ago. I guess I'll tell you Good Day 😉

I do hope your year has started off well. If I'm honest (which is kind of my standard operating procedure), I'm having a hard time getting going this year. You may have noticed my podcast came later than expected; so did this newsletter. I've had some things that needed my attention and getting the ball re-rolling has been a harder push.

Maybe that's you in:

• Creating healthy habits.
• Getting your schedule going.
• Fighting diet culture and not getting sucked into all the January chatter.

If so, may I remind you that we are in this for the long haul. We are looking for equal parts consistency and grace. Sometimes things don't go like we want or expect. It's what we do after that makes the difference. Do we throw in the towel and decide we will work on strength training next year? Cave and try a new "lifestyle plan?" (Another name for diets.) Or do we just take the next right step and keep going, even if it's different than we planned.

Keep taking the next right step, sister. Give yourself some grace. It doesn't have to be perfect.

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One more quick thing...

I'm also asking myself, what kind of relationship do I want with social media? Some people love the creative process of designing posts; me, not so much. If you follow me on Instagram, you haven't seen much of me there since I significantly backed off in July.

Can you do me a quick favor and tell me where you hang out on the socials, if anywhere?

This Week's Friday Five:

1️⃣: Grain & Green Salad

This has been my go-to salad the past few weeks. Every member of my family has loved it, even my more "discerning" eater. I'm sorry I don't have a pic; hopefully you can use your imagination. You'll hear about this salad on an upcoming episode as well. On my Graced Health podcast this Tuesday you'll hear part one of "8 Questions to Ask Yourself in the New Year," and this salad is my answer to "What food nourishes you right now?"

• Lemon/EVOO dressing: 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/3 cup olive oil, plus salt and pepper
• 5 cups chopped kale, stems removed
• 1 cup cooked farro, cooled
• 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese

Add the kale to a large bowl and work in the dressing. Use your preferred amount of dressing (you may want less or more). Massage the dressing into the kale with your hands. This makes all the difference and turns the kale from bitter to tender. Trust me, it's worth getting your hands oily.

Add the cooked farro and parmesan cheese. Mix and enjoy. Leftovers last 2-3 days.

I like to add a protein on the side, typically steelhead trout.

As with all my recipes, customize as you desire.

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2️⃣: Strengthen Your Glutes to Protect Your Knees

Many women I speak with have a hard time doing squats or lunges because of knee pain. Did you know this can often be helped by strengthening your glutes?

If you're just getting started with strength training, do this 6-minute workout 2-3 times a week to help support your knees.

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3️⃣: The Truth

I've been prepping for a speaking event at a high school and this song keeps popping in my head.

Who among us hasn't struggled with body image issues? 🙋‍♀️ Statistically, 91% of us have.

Good songs reach out and touch us in our unique situations and make us feel like "this was written for me!"

This is one of them. I don't know if she meant it for body image but that's how I receive it. What a powerful song and I hope to hear more of Megan Woods soon.

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4️⃣: Faith-Filled Food Freedom

Brittany Braswell, RD is one of my favorite people to point to in helping women find freedom in their food and eating. She's been a guest on Graced Health and I've had the pleasure of joining her discussing sleep. She has renamed her podcast to "Faith-Filled Food Freedom" to better reflects her mission to help Christian women find true food freedom, improve body image, and navigate their relationship with food from a Christ-centered perspective.

She operates from an Intuitive Eating, non-diet approach and I trust her completely. Click on the link to listen to the episode I did with her, and be sure to follow her show.

5️⃣. Beyond Medicine with our Unofficial Official Doctor of the Graced Health Podcast

Dr. Maria Colon-Gonzalez, MD has joined the show twice to educate us on cholesterol and diabetes. She's a functional integrative physician specializing in women's health, metabolic dysfunction and hormone balance.

I'm thrilled to pass along that she has a new podcast of her own. Listen in and find episodes already released covering stress, midlife vitality, trauma recovery, and more.

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Final Thoughts:

I use this newsletter to encourage and equip you in your health. In general I'm a joyful, upbeat person and I try to bring that energy here. But also, I never want to give the illusion that I gloss over the hard things in life.

Lately I've been reflecting on just hard hard things are. In one of my friend groups, collectively our families have dealt with mental health challenges, divorce, suicide, addiction, incarceration, and of course all the daily hard stuff.

Life is life. Over two thousand years ago Jesus told us this will happen: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33) Sometimes that's the only thing that we can make sense of: there is trouble and there is also Jesus.

I can do nothing but hold space for you if you, too, are walking through hard stuff. And of course, I can pray. If you need some extra prayer you can always hit reply and let me know how I can pray for you.

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In love and grace,

Amy

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