Whatever super-early flight or call-time is on the calendar. BUT, for the great majority of mornings, I don’t get up by an alarm, and instead wake up when 1. my last dream ends, 2.  my dog gets cold and burrows into my pillows, or, 3. the blinding California light says “let’s go”!

Cooked quinoa (or rice) and beans, salad-fixings, apples, nut butters, seeds (chia, flax, pumpkin), almond or soy milk, raw cashews (to make cream), Kite Hill yogurt, various nut cheeses, coconut water (for smoothies), plant-based burgers, wine and beer. I also have my favorite condiments like sriracha, non-dairy Ranch dressing, eggless mayo, Braggs amino acids, and ketchup.

Clean Protein. Just like we are moving away from problematic oil and gas to Clean Energy, I think we need to also move toward better sources of protein - for our health, for the sustainability of our planet, and for our collective soul that is shocked by how animals are treated as they become food..   We Americans are obsessed with protein, but there are different things to consider when choosing what kind of protein to consume.  For instance, how much cholesterol goes along with the protein, and is that particular kind of protein inflammatory to the body? How many pathogens or antibiotics might be lurking within the tissue?  What kind of damage did the making of that protein do to our country’s land or water; did the processing of it pollute the air that we breathe? Just because a food is chock full of protein doesn’t mean it’s “clean” – either for the body or for our planet.  

The single biggest mistake people make is that they focus on protein grams rather than how many grams of fiber are in the food.  Fiber acts like a scrub brush; it pushes the gunk and toxicity out of your body. It’s kind of a miracle that keeps your weight down, your belly feeling full, and your blood sugar steady and healthful.  So if your protein is devoid of fiber, it’s not clean. And as nature would have it, proteins that are devoid of fiber are also usually loaded with fat and cholesterol. HINT: Beans and lentils have tons of protein, and also a ton of fiber.  Chicken has zero fiber, but lots of fat and cholesterol.

Moving away from animal foods and embracing plant-based protein - either in whole foods like grains and beans or in meat alternatives like veggie sausage or burgers - is a win-win all around.

The Blue Zones of Happiness, written by Dan Buettner, who happens to be my life-partner. Dan is a National Geographic Explorer who found the longest living and happiest people in the world, and then drilled down to figure out why they are the way they are.  (Cliff Notes: they eat a mostly plant-based diet, drink wine daily, and have meaningful social connections.)

To have a glass of wine at the end of the day with someone I feel really comfortable with.  Just downloading what’s on my (or their) mind and having some kind of meaningful conversation  makes me feel plugged into life and love, and there’s nothing better than good old-fashioned human connection.  (Subtext: digital connection does not suffice.)

Read. If I want to get inspired, I read good literature or an interesting biography or a thoughtful op-ed or magazine piece; someone else’s well-expressed (emotional or academic) intelligence always stimulates me to think more clearly and be creative about how to express myself.

The  Ba+S Eye Contour Serum Concentrate, because 1. It’s cruelty-free, and 2. It feels like a surge of moisture plumping out my skin.