Let's talk about the elephant in the room---detox. It seems like half of the qualified nutritionists I know HATE the word detox. I get it. It feels a bit sensational and overused.

But the reality is that it's a necessary and healthy part of our body's processes and I wouldn't want to be without my detoxifying organs.

Your kidneys, liver and GI system handle the elimination in your body. Kidneys make urine and your liver is a filter for chemicals, alcohol and any of the stuff that your body says, "Whoa nelly! We didn't need that in here!"

That's probably why I get grossed out about eating animal liver because I think about the liver's function in the human body. Let's just let that sink in for a hot second so you can be as grossed out as I am about what might be going through a cow's liver these days.....
#itsnotallgrassandrainbows

So yes, take care of your naturally detoxifying organs. There's times where we put "stuff" in (oh, HELLOOOOO bottle of wine!) and it puts a little...

A couple years ago I became addicted to the granola that occasionally came on my food co-op's truck. Everyone in my house loved it, which meant a $10 bag was gone pretty quickly and there was typically a long wait for the next batch delivered.

I found this recipe I adapted & it's been great for breakfast, snacks, and to give as a gift.

The problem? Sometimes when I made it, I'd stand over the cooled pan of granola, eat a whole bunch and get an oatmeal gut ache. So when I saw this Grain-free pumpkin spice granola from my Oh She Glows app, I tried it. Total success. Can't believe how much it tastes just like the tried and true oat variety.

Granola is basically just a mixture of oats and nuts (and maybe seeds and dried fruit!) and seasonings, covered in wet sticky stuff and baked.
This recipe is really no different.

Below is my simplified adaptation of the original recipe. 

Who says pumpkin spice can't be enjoyed all year??!

Delicious Grain-free Pumpkin Spiced Granola

Despite our BEST efforts to avoid the mid-afternoon crash, sometimes it happens anyway. And sometimes you just need a shot of caffeine to power through that pile of to-dos you've been putting off for a month.

Enter matcha tea lattes.

Have you heard of all the buzz around matcha yet? Literally meaning "powdered tea", matcha boasts the benefits of green tea we've been hearing about for decades. Except it has the potential to deliver a more powerful punch than the leaf varieties.

When I was in college, the nutrition department head from China mocked American green tea, saying it was the watered-down version of the real deal. Very generally, matcha has gained popularity because of its super-punch of beneficial antioxidants called polyphenols. Basically, any food-sourced antioxidant is known for its powerful disease preventative effects. Probably even more enticing to some is that's it's associated with weight loss. But I digress. Let's get back to making matcha taste...