One of the things I love most about living in France is how truly seasonal the food is. In the U.S., it can feel luxurious or convenient to have access to strawberries in January or asparagus in October, but the magic of food gets lost in that endless availability.

Have you ever had a pineapple in Hawaii? That juicy, super sweet, tender and not-acidic delight? It tastes like an entirely different fruit than anything you’d find in the isles of a California grocery store.

When you pause to think about it, that out-of-season produce had to travel an astonishing distance just to land on your plate. Strawberries in January might come from Mexico, Guatemala, or even Chile. Asparagus in the fall often flies in from Peru.

That means planes, ships, and trucks working around the clock, burning through fossil fuels while the produce itself is picked too early and sometimes frozen to survive the journey. And by the time it arrives? It rarely tastes like much at all. When you think about it, that kind of convenience doesn’t feel or taste so sweet.

What I’ve found from my local markets and restaurants in France is that, more often than not, food follows the rhythm of the earth. While in today’s global world meeting customer demands, it is nearly impossible not to import some foods. But the French seem to pay attention to this and make an effort to eat locally, and seasonally.

I’ve come to love the beauty in the temporal nature of the cycle: a fruit or vegetable arrives, we savor and celebrate it while it lasts, and then we say au revoir until next year.

If it’s leek season, you’ll see leeks prepared ten different ways on restaurant menus. And if it’s not peach season? You simply won’t find peaches. It’s that simple. Yes, I’ve had to accept giving up kale, and some of my favorite fruits, during certain months of the year. But what I do eat is more full of flavor and nutrients.

What I love most: there’s no “I don’t eat that vegetable” mindset. Truly! My French friends seem to enjoy what’s here, following some unspoken national understanding that what grows now is what our bodies need now. They don’t question whether they do or don’t like a vegetable; they just eat it.

When I head to the organic section (“bio” in French) of the market, I know I’m getting the clearest picture of what’s truly in season.

Here’s what’s filling my basket this autumn:

See what my seasonal & local market has fresh for me — and the stories about these special foods! Plus, a delicious fall pumpkin soup that I’ve served to thousands of people over the years. It’s always been a hit. :)

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Welcome to Modern Women’s Nutrition!

Not only recipes, but the science, stories, and rituals that keep you feeling steady, strong, and alive at every stage of womanhood. With a French twist.

👉🏼 Skip to this week’s recipe, Roasted Fall Sheet Pan Veggies, by clicking here.

So, here’s a strangely specific subject I’ve found fascinatingly controversial over the years in my chef and home-cook world: cutting boards.

This was brought to my attention when we had friends staying at our house a few months ago, and one of them asked my thoughts on wood, since they had just switched to metal.

Metal cutting boards. Oof.

Walk into almost any French kitchen in today’s modern world, and you’ll still see a heavy, scarred, well-loved wooden cutting board holding court on the counter. No plastic, no glass, no metal, no fancy antimicrobial gadgets. Just a hunk of wood.

So simple. So straightforward. So controversial.

In the U.S., there’s a serious cutting board debate raging amongst the people. Is plastic ok? Is bamboo better? Should we all switch to glass, steel, or some futuristic surface recommended by the latest study?

Science isn’t pointing to a clear winner. Plastic and wood can both feed bacteria if they’re neglected. Sure, some studies nudge people toward metal, tempered glass, or titanium. But in a real, working kitchen those options are clunky and brutal on your knives. Which is why the French are loyal to wood. Always.

• Knife-friendly. Wood has just enough give to protect the blade, so you’re not constantly sharpening (or replacing) your knives.
  

• Self-healing. Small cuts in the surface close up over time, which prevents bacteria from digging in deep. Wood is alive!
  

• Durable. A good wooden board can last for decades, and even centuries, if you oil and clean it well.
  

• So beautiful. So enjoyable to use. Let’s be real, a wood board just looks and feels so much better.

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Like many things (leaving butter on the counter instead of the fridge, having a glass of wine with lunch on a Tuesday) the French don’t overthink their boards. There’s no obsession with sanitizing, no endless swapping between surfaces. They simply trust in a natural material that has been working for centuries.

And it’s not just at home. Walk into any French butcher shop and you’ll see enormous wooden blocks being used all day long for cutting all kinds of meat. The butchers simply wipe them down between orders and keep going.

Again, this is a system that has been working for ages, so why change it now?

A wooden cutting board isn’t just a tool, it’s a kitchen companion. Treat it well and it will serve you for decades, developing that beautiful patina and character you see in every French kitchen. Here’s how to help yours go the distance …

But first, check out this old wooden butcher block transformed into a bar!:

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How to Care for Your Cutting Board

Like the French & professional chefs do

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Before we dive in — I welcome you to joi…

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Welcome to Modern Women’s Nutrition!

Empowering the busy modern woman to understand her hormone & metabolic health, and how to eat to thrive at every step of her journey—from fertility to menopause and beyond.

Hey friends,

I recently connected with , who is passionate about PCOS health. Along with my focus and research in blood sugar health over the past few years, I’ve been presented with more people and friends who have PCOS than I ever could have imagined! Fran is doing amazing work, so I’m extremely excited to collaborate with her on this special post.

One of the most time-tested, research-backed, non-restrictive ways to support your hormone health is the Mediterranean diet. And I’m sure it’s not the first time you’ve heard this.

If you’ve ever been told to cut carbs, count macros, go keto, fast till noon, or give up fruit in the name of hormone health … this post is for you.

Sure, Mediterranean eating is often mentioned in conversations about heart health or blood sugar. And yes, it’s commonly recommended for women navigating hormone health struggles such as PCOS, irregular cycles, or other hormone-driven symptoms. But Mediterranean-style eating isn’t just a low-GI buzzword or another anti-inflammatory trend. It’s a deeply nourishing, sustainable foundation for hormone health.

Especially for women who are burned out on extremes.

The Mediterranean Diet (and to be clear, when I say “Mediterranean Diet” I mean the real way of eating Mediterranean, not the pretend Mediterranean of greasy French fries and soggy-sauced white pita gyros) has been connected to a really impressive list of hormonal benefits including:

• More regular ovulation and healthier cycles

• Increased fertility

• Easier blood sugar regulation

• Reduced PMS and mood swings

• Fewer perimenopausal symptoms (like hot flashes + sleep challenges)

• Reduced inflammation

• Improved metabolic markers in PCOS

• Healthier estrogen detox and less estrogen dominance

• Improved cognitive and cardiovascular health in menopause

I’m such a big fan of eating this way because it doesn’t require perfection or food tracking. There’s no moralizing, no demonizing of carbs or sugar. Instead, it’s about building your plate around what helps your body function better, not just in the short-term, but for the long haul. And, perhaps most importantly, it’s delicious!

Here’s why Mediterranean eating works so well:

1. It’s about adding, not restricting — not your typical “diet”

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Empowering the busy modern woman to understand her hormone & metabolic health, and how to eat to thrive at every step of her journey—from fertility to menopause and beyond.

→ Jump to Recipe: Summer Zucchini & Tomato Salad

This week’s newsletter is a little different than normal. I had the joy of being interviewed by who also has her own newsletter, that is one of my go-to weekly reads.

We first bonded over our shared love for real food, simple living, and the fact that we both live close by here in Europe (she’s in Barcelona, but is originally American). Her approach to food and hormones feel like a breath of fresh air, and are right in line with my findings. I was so honored to be someone she deemed worthy of her interview series and a spotlight on her newsletter. Thank you Karina!!

Enjoy this interview!

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If you’re ready to reconnect with food that supports your energy and joy, while still tasting delicious, this Q&A is for you.

I met Anja Lee Hall when I first discovered the Blood Sugar Method— a program she co-created with Beth Bollinger, and one I’ve shared here before because I truly believe in its mission. We instantly connected. Not just over blood sugar and real food (though we could talk about that for hours), but over the way we both see health: not as something to obsess over, but as something to come back home to.

We also happened to live not too far from each other (me in Spain, her in southern France), and quickly bonded over our shared love of slow, seasonal living in Europe, along with our favorite spots in northern Spain and France.

Anja wears many hats — chef, entrepreneur, educator — and through it all, she helps women reconnect with food in a way that supports their hormones, energy, and joy. But more than that, she’s a truly warm and authentic person. Her story is full of heart, and I think you’ll feel that in every answer.

Let’s dive in.

Q: Anja, welcome! You’ve worn many hats throughout your journey so far — chef, author, educator, founder. Can you share a little about your story and what led you to the work you’re doing today?

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Empowering the busy modern woman to understand her hormone & metabolic health, and how to eat to thrive at every step of her journey—from fertility to menopause and beyond.

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Welcome to Modern Women’s Nutrition!

Empowering the busy modern woman to understand her hormone & metabolic health, and how to eat to thrive at every step of her journey—from fertility to menopause and beyond.

→ Jump to Recipe: Whitney’s Amalfi Salt Crusted Fish

Hey friends,

Let’s talk about something that rarely makes it into wellness headlines, but might be behind your 3pm crash, your restless nights, your fragile moods, and your nagging sense that something’s off.

Minerals.

Not the flashy kind you’ll find in a beauty supplement (which are everywhere these days). I’m talking about the foundational minerals your cells depend on to do everything, from creating energy to regulating essential hormones to helping you stay steady in the face of stress.

I’m currently in a moment of healing. I recently tore a muscle, and while the couch has become my good friend, I’ve put a lot of effort and focus into rejuvenating my muscles and healing my body.

What I’ve come to realize during a lot of this reflection, research and moment with all sorts of advice from others, is that minerals play a massive role in everyday healing. When we move our body and test it, or we put a lot of psychological stress on it, this leads to micro-tears in our system.

And how do these everyday tears, large or small, repair? Minerals.

What I see often—when talking to friends, in studies, and when making The Blood Sugar Method course—is that minerals are too often ignored. And even when we think we are doing everything right: clean food, fancy adaptogens, filtered water, high-quality supplements, all the things, we can still felt frayed and not heal entirely. We’re wired and tired, like we are surviving each day on fumes.

Let’s take a closer look: We might just be depleted in the basics.
No amount of turmeric lattes can help if you’re running on empty.

Stress burns through your minerals.

So do caffeine, alcohol, and skipping meals.

Here’s the part most women aren’t told: burnout isn’t always about doing too much. Sometimes it’s about not having what you need to meet the moment.

Modern life is demanding and every demand pulls from your mineral stores.
Every stressor—emotional, physical, even positive ones like exercise—requires minerals for your body to mount a response (source).

Caffeine? It gives you a short-term boost by stimulating your adrenals, but it also encourages magnesium and potassium loss–which are minerals.

Alcohol? It’s a diuretic that flushes out your sodium and zinc–both minerals.

If you are low-carb or intermittent fasting (required dietary adjustments for many) you’re experiencing natural mineral loss through urine and sweat, but without proper nutrition, you’re not replenishing them.

This depletion doesn’t show up overnight. It builds slowly and it often hides itself in the things we say to ourselves:

• I guess I’m just getting older

• Maybe I need to cut back on carbs even more

• I must need a stronger probiotic or hormone support

When what your body might really be screaming is: I need minerals!

Let’s get specific.

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Welcome to Modern Women’s Nutrition!

Empowering the busy modern woman to understand her hormone & metabolic health, and how to eat to thrive at every step of her journey—from fertility to menopause and beyond.

→ Jump to Recipe: Three Favorite Warming, Hormone-Health Drinks

Hi friends,

It was 72 degrees on the sunny beaches of Basque Country.
The sun was gold. The sky was silk. The water glistening turquoise. The women at the café wore loose linen dresses and sandals.

And I? I was in a cardigan, curled around a mug of tea, wondering (again) why my hands felt like ice.

This isn’t new. I have Raynaud’s, my circulation gets cranky, no matter what the temperature outside. But it’s more than that. I know the signs now: Low warmth. Feet feel like I’m walking on ice. Teeth chattering. Fingers drained of blood. Low mood. Low resilience.

I opened my Oura app and there it was: my body temp had dropped just after my period, right on schedule. But instead of brushing it off, I made lunch. A warm one. Lentils, olive oil, a runny egg, something green. I took a walk instead of pushing through a workout.

Because living here, watching how French women feed themselves, move through the seasons, and never shame the need for softness, I’m learning that cold isn’t just weather. It’s a whisper.

I’m not saying that they don’t have their own hots and colds with moods and circulation. But they tend to listen.

Cold in the Body = Slowed Fire Inside

If you constantly feel cold or low-energy (and this might not be you—even better), especially when others seem fine, it may not be your imagination. It may be your metabolism, your thyroid, or even your nervous system asking for help.

For paid readers: Here is where we dig deep into how your hormones, thyroid, fatigue, and metabolism play a role in feeling low energy, and sometimes cold with poor blood circulation. Plus, plenty of kitchen and eating tips, as well as everyday hacks, to improve this for your own body.

When you’re under stress, under-eating, or in a hormone dip, your body conserves energy by slowing down metabolism, and that means less internal heat (source).

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MWN!

Modern Women’s Nutrition just had it’s 1 year birthday!!! And my heart is so full. I could not be one year in, sharing all of my research and recipes, without your time reading, commenting, liking and supporting my work. Thank you so, so much, from the bottom of my heart. I’d love to give back by offering 1 free month to new subscribers — available for 1 week only.

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Welcome to Modern Women’s Nutrition!

Empowering the busy modern woman to understand her hormone & metabolic health, and how to eat to thrive at every step of her journey—from fertility to menopause and beyond.

→ Jump to Recipe: Fleur de Sel Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Hi friends,

It’s early Summer in South-Western France – Biarritz, to be exact..

Large, orange, yellow and red heirloom tomato slices pop against my plate nestled beside torn mozzarella, basil leaves, and a few oil-cured olives. A drizzle of green-gold olive oil shimmers across everything.The sun is lingering, the rosé is chilled, and I reach across the table for the little pinch bowl filled with salt; not a shaker, but a pile of glistening crystals. Salies-de-Béarn fleur de sel, plucked from the marshes just a few miles away.

The sprinkle hits the tomato and glows. Each bite offers a whisper of the sea and of minerals, perfect for enriching all of these natural delicious elements on my tongue. The whole dish awakens.

In France, salt isn’t a vice, it’s a finishing touch. A way of enhancing the innate flavors of the foods we eat, not numbing them. Salt is something natural, of the earth, and a holistic part of our body’s wellbeing.

So when I hear women say, Ugh, I’m craving salt all the time, what’s wrong with me?
My answer is: Maybe your body is speaking to you in the only language it has.

Salt cravings often get dismissed as a bad habit, but they can actually be a biological cue, especially for women dealing with adrenal dysregulation or low blood pressure.

There is a distinction between reliance on salt in processed foods, which is a cheaper version of salt stripped of many of it’s important nutrients, and often added to packed goods in excess. Distinct from beautiful, flaky, mineral-rich salt that our bodies need.

When your body is under stress, whether it’s emotional stress, lack of sleep, overexercising, under-eating, or even chronic inflammation, your adrenal glands can take a hit. One key hormone they produce is aldosterone, which helps you retain sodium and regulate blood pressure.

When aldosterone levels drop, your body starts dumping salt through urine. That’s when you might notice the signs: dizziness when you stand up, intense cravings for chips, olives, or pickles, constant thirst, or exhaustion that doesn’t lift, even after a full night’s sleep.

When you’re stressed, your adrenal glands can become sluggish, affecting production of aldosterone, the hormone that helps you retain sodium and regulate blood pressure. If aldosterone is low, your body can start dumping salt, and you’ll feel it in one or more ways: lightheadedness, cravings for chips, olives, or pickles, constant thirst, or exhaustion that doesn’t lift with sleep.

Research backs this up:

Studies show that low sodium levels can activate your body’s internal stress system—the RAAS (renin-angiotensin-aldosterone) system—which works to help you conserve salt and maintain blood pressure. This system is meant to kick in temporarily, like when you’re dehydrated or sweating heavily, but when it’s constantly activated, from chronic low sodium intake, prolonged stress, or adrenal dysfunction, it can leave you feeling wiped out, wired-but-tired, anxious, or emotionally spent (source).

And when looking to maintain healthy sodium levels, it’s important to remember that not all salts are created equal: processed table salt is stripped and often laced with additives, while natural salts like sea salt and pink Himalayan salt contain trace minerals your body actually needs to support adrenal function and overall balance. Let’s just say you shouldn’t need to add iodine…

Grab a pinch of your everyday salt.

• If it feels like dust and disappears instantly it’s highly refined

• If it’s slightly moist, clumpy, or glistens, you’ve got minerals

Real salt has texture. It clumps. It tastes layered and alive. If your salt pours perfectly from a shaker and never cakes, it’s probably been bleached and stripped.

Here in France, salt is beautiful, not scary.

It’s thoughtfully used, never dumped on, never banned. No salt shakers on the table. Just perfect pinchesof flaky salt on top of our food, harvested from regions like Guérande in Brittany or Noirmoutier, where seawater is channeled into marshes and slowly evaporated by sun and wind, leaving behind mineral-rich crystals.

Traditional salts like fleur de sel and gris de sel are full of trace minerals like magnesium, calcium, and potassium. They haven’t been bleached, stripped, or refined. When you eat them, your body notices.

Before we go further, let’s take a closer look at electrolytes.

Electrolytes are essential minerals—sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium—that carry an electrical charge. That charge helps your body do everything from contract muscles to balance fluids to fire up your brain.

You lose electrolytes through sweat, stress, and even just breathing (yes, really! it’s called “insensible water loss,” which refers to the fluid your body loses through the water vapor expelled when breathing and through your skin.)

We’ve been conditioned to associate electrolyte replacement with sweaty athletes and neon sports drinks. But electrolyte imbalance can happen even when you’re living a normal life. And it can hit especially hard for women dealing with burnout, hormone shifts, postpartum depletion, or chronic stress.

If you’re going through big natural hormone and cycle changes in your life, like perimenopause or are looking for ways to lose stubborn belly fat or feel better, salt can be a big factor. We cover this deeply in The Blood Sugar Method, along with easy actionable items for you to improve your health and salt intake.

If your body is losing sodium and potassium faster than it can replace them (from adrenal dysfunction or low aldosterone) you may not feel simply thirsty, you may experience a range of symptoms like feeling:

• Fuzzy-headed

• Irritable

• Constantly parched, even with lots of water

• Exhausted even after rest

Yet most women I know are scared to add salt to their food, but consume chips and morning cereals loaded with added processed salt, and in turn they are undernourished from the natural minerals that help that water get absorbed by the body. Effective hydration is not just about water, it’s about what’s in your food that complements water.

If your hydration routine doesn’t include minerals, your cells can’t actually hold onto the water you drink. This is why adding a pinch of quality salt—think fleur de sel and pink Himalayan salt— is so much more than just a pop of flavor. It’s not just for digestion, but for cellular nourishment.

And with my reflection on living in France, I find that restaurants offer sparkling water that tastes better, and feels naturally better too. When I take a look at the label on these waters at a local French market, I see: magnesium, bicarbonate. sodium, potassium. Nature’s original electrolyte blend.

Not All Salt Is Created Equal

Let’s break down four types of salt!

If you’re always a little tired, always a little thirsty, always craving salt, you’re not alone. And you’re not broken.

In this section, I share exactly how I support electrolyte balance with real food, not formulas or flashy drinks.

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Welcome to Modern Women’s Nutrition!

Empowering the busy modern woman to understand her hormone & metabolic health, and how to eat to thrive at every step of her journey—from fertility to menopause and beyond.

→ Jump to Recipe: No-Cook Lime Coconut Tart

This post is an extra extra extra special one.

It’s full of love and celebration of one of my absolute favorite people in the world, who is now watching over us and is sending us even more comfort, joy and love from above. Every time I have some good luck now, I look up at the clouds and thank her. 💗

We met about eight years ago with giggles and curiosity. She was 78, myself 25, and we both were in a totally different season of life but somehow felt like that didn’t matter at all.

She was the person I would call on my afternoon walks almost everyday. We’d talk about anything and nothing, and she’d somehow make me laugh over and over. She was the friend who responded to every message, within minutes, always with extra hearts, colors, and emojis, like she was painting joy into the digital world one reply at a time. 💙🩷🧡💛💚💜

These responses took her a lot of time to write, but she prioritized bringing joy to my life, just like she did for others incessantly.

Once, when I thought my car was stolen (don’t worry, I found it!), I called her nervously at two in the morning. My husband was out of town, and she picked up the phone. Of course she did! She always did. She helped me face it like an adventure instead of a fear, and she was with me the whole way through—driving through San Francisco seeing if we could find my car that wild night, at 2:30am, even though she was almost 80!!

She was sharp as a tack, full of life, spirit and joy. Her life, to the very end, was luminous. Her magic was in how she lived, how she lit up with curiosity and tried new things even into her golden years.

One time we went to breakfast together and she ordered oatmeal—not because she liked it (she sure didn’t)—but because she said, “This is my one new thing for the day. I am going to try eating like you, Anja! I want to challenge myself.”

There’s real science behind what she knew instinctively.

Staying mentally engaged, especially by doing new things, helps preserve cognitive function as we age.

It’s so easy for us to get stuck in our ways, always eat the same, follow the same rhythm, go to sleep at the same time…but when this happens, it can affect our long-term brain health more than we know.

Studies show that novelty stimulates brain plasticity, encouraging new neural pathways and boosting memory and resilience. One study in Psychological Science found that older adults who engaged in unfamiliar activities, like learning digital photography or quilting, showed improvements in memory and cognitive performance within just a few months (source).

Yet, I don’t think she ever made a decision without joy, and there’s a good chance that joy is the most powerful nutrient of all.

If you’re lucky enough to be alive today, please try something new. For her, and for me.

Send the heart emoji, even if it feels silly. Text your friend back quickly, even when you’re busy. Order the scary healthy-sounding-thing on the menu even if you’re convinced you won’t like it. Say yes to something just because it’s different.

And when someone you love calls you at 2 a.m., pick up. Even if you're deeply asleep. Especially if you're deeply asleep. And ride the journey with them, whole-heartedly.

This is the life we get. How we show up in the ordinary moments, the tiny, unremarkable ones, is what shapes our brains, fills our hearts and connects us more deeply to the people who get to love us for just a little longer.

That’s how my BFF lived. Not perfectly. But fully. With sparkle and curiosity and tenderness. I can hear her giggling now…

And maybe that’s the most powerful brain food of all.

To continue reading (paid subscribers only):

5 Ways to Support a Bright, Long Life (Starting in Your Kitchen)

If you’re like me, you want your people to stick around. And they want the same for you. Not just live longer, but live well, with clarity, energy, and sparkle in their eyes, until the bitter end. Just like my beautiful friend.

And the great news is that what we consume can have a serious influence on our health and longevity. And since healing through food is my happy place, there were times when I found myself wishing that my beloved friend would have understood better the affects on brain health when it came to what we eat and drink.

In honor of her, I reviewed all that I know about using food to support brain health and came up with 5 simple ways to boost cognitive function. You’ll find those in the paid subscriber section below, plus a recipe I developed to celebrate the beauty of friendship. I hope you enjoy!

👉 Become a paid subscriber to access the rest of this week’s newsletter — designed to support you, your brain health, and your continued joy.

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Welcome to Modern Women’s Nutrition!

Empowering the busy modern woman to understand her hormone & metabolic health, and how to eat to thrive at every step of her journey—from fertility to menopause and beyond.

→ Jump to Recipe: Pear Pecan Chia Pudding

Hi friends,

I hope your weekend is full of smiles and fun.

I went for a beautiful hike yesterday for a friend’s birthday! It was festive, unique and full of joy.

However, when we stopped for lunch at the top, it started to rain and got chilly, and my light head cold turned into chills and a knock-out deep-in-the-lungs cold quickly. UGH! I’ve been on the couch since. And I’ve heard from many friends and family this week that they somehow got hit with a cold, too.

So, naturally I’ve been cooking up healing foods for myself the last 24 hours, and thought I’d share with you the scrumptious anti-inflammatory breakfast recipe, Pear Pecan Chia Pudding, that I just made. It’s tasty and is a regular in my routine.

Now, for the theme of the week, let’s talk about mornings.

Specifically, that moment when you open your eyes and should feel like you’re ready to meet the day, but instead, you feel groggy, heavy, and maybe even anxious.

Sound familiar?

There’s a physiological reason you might feel that way, and it’s not just that you didn’t sleep enough or need another shot of espresso.

It has to do with something called your cortisol awakening response, or CAR. This is your body’s natural way of helping you feel alert and energized after sleep, like an internal cappuccino for your hormones. Luckily, it’s something you can support, gently and naturally, starting as soon as tomorrow morning.

To continue reading (paid subscribers only):
- learn about CAR and how it applies to your life
- get tips on how to help your cortisol awakening response thrive
- grab 8 of my favorite breakfast recipes — these are what I actually eat in the morning to support my cortisol rhythm, blood sugar, and brain
- the featured recipe of the week, Pear Pecan Chia Pudding

👉 Become a paid subscriber to access the rest of this week’s newsletter — designed to support you, your metabolic health, and your everyday happiness.

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Cortisol often gets labeled the “stress hormone,” but that’s only part of the story.

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Welcome to Modern Women’s Nutrition!

Empowering the busy modern woman to understand her hormone & metabolic health, and how to eat to thrive at every step of her journey—from fertility to menopause and beyond.

→ Jump to Recipe: Avocado, White Bean & Fresh Herb Salad

Hey gals!

Last Saturday, I was standing in line at the local farmer’s market (Les Halles) behind a woman in her seventies. She wore a soft linen dress, no visible makeup, and carried a woven basket lined with a cloth napkin. Her hair was silver and swept back loosely, her posture relaxed, her presence… luminous.

I scoped out her goodies—she had leeks, tomatoes, goat cheese, cantaloupe, a baguette, a bunch of tulips. Nothing trendy. Just beautiful food and flowers. And the way she moved, chatting with the vendor, choosing produce thoughtfully, it was like she had nowhere else to be.

I thought about how different her basket looked from the grocery carts I used to see (and fill) in the States. There were no protein powders. No wellness bars. No “skin glow” elixirs or magnesium chews or shelf-stable smoothies in plastic bottles. Just real food. And not a rushed, errand-running vibe, but one of in-the-moment pleasure.

I’ve lived in France long enough now to see this is not the exception. It’s the culture—for all ages. Here, beauty is less about control and more about care. Health isn’t a project, it’s a rhythm. And aging isn’t something to fight, it’s something to nourish.

This post is an homage to what I’ve learned from French women about food, beauty, and the art of living and aging well. And why I’ve let go of the relentless pursuit of wellness in favor of something softer, more sustainable, and infinitely more satisfying.

Beauty and Health Aren’t Optimized—They’re Nourished

When I first moved to France, I noticed a quiet kind of glow among older women. Not the kind that comes from fillers or procedures, but the kind that makes you lean in wonder, how does she do it?

It took me a while to understand: they weren’t trying to look young. They were simply caring for themselves thoughtfully.

Their skin was soft and hydrated. Their gait was relaxed and easy. When spotted in the wild their days seemed to be marked by an easy rhythm, coffee with friends, a stroll through the market, lunch at a well-set table. Their plates were rich in bright veggies and good fats. It looked like health wasn’t something to manage or upgrade. It was just how they lived.

A recent study in Nature Medicine backs this up: women who ate diets centered around fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—without tracking or restricting—had higher odds of what researchers called “healthy longevity” later in life (source).

In my first few months here, I went looking for a paleo or keto granola. No luck. I asked a woman in my strength training class if she knew of any good ones. She smiled and said, “Pourquoi?”

“Why?”

I laughed at the time. But I’ve come to understand just how deeply wise, and radically different, that answer is.

Meals here are made from what’s in season, and what fits the season. Lentils, eggs, cheese, vegetables, yogurt. A pot of soup. A salad of grated carrots. A slice of bread with sardines. And for morning granola, it’s simple and wholesome, and not too much – made with nuts, seeds, buckwheat groats and some oats, with a dash of sugar or honey. There are no macros, no barcodes, and very few supplements. And it works.

Many so-called “wellness” foods—bars, powders, drinks—all over the world are highly processed. Even when they’re low in sugar or “functional,” they’re often stripped of the natural, varied, and synergistic qualities of whole foods—things like fiber, healthy fats, diverse micronutrients, and phytonutrients, things your body actually needs to regulate hunger, blood sugar, hormones, and mood.

Even my friend’s protein-focused food company offers peanut butter as the protein-forward-fuel. Just peanut butter with some salt; no highly refined extracts and supplements with fake sugars mixed in.

Everywhere I look, the French eat with attention. Whether it’s a small plate of radishes with butter, a tartine of bread with a few beautiful toppings, or a heartier chicken dish with potatoes and leeks, there are always real plates and real cutlery, even if simple.

And no screens. No to-go containers. No walking and eating.

Today, I planned to eat lunch in front of the computer, and my friend Clemence was disappointed! She took her lunch up to the rooftop to enjoy the sunshine and take in the view. She’s someone I am learning from.

There’s pleasure in the food and in the pause. Meals feel like small rituals, a chance to reset, reconnect, regulate.

It’s contagious!

I’ve found that I’ve stopped rushing through lunch. I make eye contact with my plate, even if I have to do it in front of the computer here and there. I look up and chew. And I’m full, satisfied, at the end. Not just physically, but emotionally.

This way of eating is about nourishment, but also about self-respect. The kind that seeps into how you digest, how you feel, and how you move through your day.

I didn’t realize how much pressure I carried around food until it was gone. In the States, every meal was a decision tree. Should I eat this? What’s the macro breakdown? Am I being “good” today?

Here, I’m more relaxed. Meals follow the seasons, not a spreadsheet. I don’t track, I taste, and I trust that eating well most of the time is enough. A brookie at a gal’s night? Yes please!

That shift alone has changed my body: less bloating, fewer headaches, deeper sleep, steadier energy. And my wrinkles on my face have decreased, truly! No botox needed. Not because of a specific diet, but because I’m finally not stressed about eating and living.

There’s solid evidence to support this: mindful eating and lower perceived stress are linked to improved digestion, blood sugar control, skin clarity and even immune function (source).

When I arrived, I kept a stash of protein bars in my computer bag. I’d gotten used to thinking of them as essential: for blood sugar, for convenience, for health. But once I started eating like the French: real food, real meals, less snacking, I noticed I didn’t need them.

In fact, I felt better without them. My digestion improved. My cravings faded. I wasn’t constantly grazing. My energy got steadier.

A recent meta-analysis confirms what I experienced. Researchers found that people with the highest intake of ultra processed foods had a 15% higher risk of all-cause mortality compared to those who ate the least—regardless of calorie count or marketing claims (source).

Many protein bars, adaptogen lattes, and functional snacks fall into this category. So while they may look like health, they’re often contributing to the very issues we’re trying to solve.

Aging isn’t something to be “solved” here.

It’s a stage of life to be lived—and the women I’ve met live it well. They eat good fats. They walk. They drink wine. They are always careful not to overeat (the men too), but they don’t apologize for their laugh lines or speak about their bodies with shame. There’s no panic about cortisol or collagen. There’s trust in the body. A reverence, even.

And it shows up in the way they eat. They purchase what’s recommended at the market due to seasonability and quality, not solely just buying greens constantly and eating the same thing everyday.

They meet at a cafe for a cup of loose leaf tea or espresso to sip, not overdoing it. They fold bursting blackberries into rustic tarts and slice apples and radish into their salads. They aren’t picky. They eat what’s fresh. It’s natural. It’s pleasurable.

And it might be powerful, too.

A 2023 study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that women who regularly consumed flavonoid-rich foods, like berries, apples, teas, and leafy greens, had a significantly lower risk of frailty, along with better physical and mental health in later life. (source)

The very foods these women reach for out of instinct and tradition are the same ones that science now links to longevity.

For Paid Subscribers: 6 Shifts to Nourish Like the French

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Welcome to Modern Women’s Nutrition!

Empowering the busy modern woman to understand her hormone & metabolic health, and how to eat to thrive at every step of her journey—from fertility to menopause and beyond.

→ Jump to Recipe: 3 Easy Snack Recipes for the WFH Woman

Hi gals,

I work from home. I love it. I’ve been doing so for…wow…over 10 years now! I’ve had to carve my corner spot into cafes and convince them to let me hang out there for hours everyday, and find my cocktail-hour friends (Judith, Chrissie & Eddie! 💜) while all of my other friends were at work happy hours.

But I’ve learned the hard way that it can blur every boundary, between meals and meetings, rest and hustle, nourishment and mindless snacking.

There was a stretch a couple of years ago when I found myself skipping lunch, then grazing on granola, Luna bars and “healthy cookies” from 3 to 6 p.m. The fatigue would hit mid-afternoon, followed by cravings: for sugar, salt…insatiable. I wasn’t being undisciplined. I was underfed. And overstimulated.

The solution wasn’t more willpower, it was food. Thoughtful, steadying food. Conscious eating. A consistent schedule. And a few intentional shifts in how I structured my kitchen and my day.

So…after reflection, deep research learning about women’s hormones and balanced blood sugar, I’ve reset. My bloating has gone down, my energy fueled, and my mind more focused and clear to get the job done efficiently.

These are the WFH eating strategies I offer to all the women who are breaking glass ceilings from their home office (you go girls!)—and that I practice everyday from the Modern Women’s Nutrition headquarters (see below). I know firsthand that following these guidelines leads to greater clarity, calm, and real energy, from the inside out.

Caffeine on an empty stomach is one of the most common habits I see in high-functioning women, and one of the most overlooked energy disruptors. I’m a green tea gal, and this is the same for me and tea.

Here’s what’s going on: Cortisol, your main stress hormone, naturally peaks in the early morning to help you feel awake. Adding caffeine to the mix, especially without food, can overstimulate your system and flatten your energy curve later on.

A 2005 study published in Psychosomatic Medicine found that caffeine significantly increased cortisol secretion across the day, particularly in women who consumed it without food (source). Elevated cortisol can worsen blood sugar crashes, disrupt mood regulation, and trigger cravings later. All it takes is a little nibble before it to balance it out.

What to do instead: Drink water, lemon water, or herbal tea first if you need that hot bev, then enjoy a real breakfast with coffee and caff tea after. Eat first, then caffeinate. It’s a small shift that can change everything. (You can still get your caffeine, just slightly later.)

What you eat first sets the tone for your entire day.

A protein-rich breakfast helps stabilize blood sugar, supports dopamine production (which drives mood and motivation), and reduces the likelihood of reactive snacking later on, hello leftover bag of tortilla chips from last night’s Mexican dinner.

In a 2013 randomized controlled trial published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers found that participants who consumed a high-protein whole food breakfast (35g+) had increased feelings of fullness, were more easily able to resist a post-dinner sweet treat, and experienced reduced evening snacking compared to those who skipped breakfast or consumed a normal meal with less protein (source).

What this looks like at home:

• Eggs with cheese, sautéed greens, and avocado along with some nuts and/or seeds on toast, or perhaps some egg muffins

• Greek yogurt with berries, chia seeds, snickerdoodle granola and cinnamon

• Leftover soup or breakfast soup, roasted salmon and veggies, or stir-fry from dinner

• A green smoothie with nut butter, Greek yogurt and flax seeds (see our smoothie guide & recipes in The Blood Sugar Method)

Let’s talk about the snack spiral. Working from home makes it incredibly easy to reach for ultra-processed foods: a protein bar at 9, a chai latte at 11, crackers at 2, chips at 3, something sweet at 4.

Sometimes we reach for snacks because we’re truly hungry. But often, it’s about something else: breaking up the monotony of back-to-back Zoom meetings, soothing the stress of a tedious task, or adding a little joy to an otherwise unremarkable day. Food becomes a transition tool. A quick fix. A way to feel something different.

The problem is, most grab-and-go options spike blood sugar fast, then drop it just as quickly, leaving you foggy, fatigued, and more likely to snack again an hour later.

In a 2019 study published in Cell Metabolism, participants following an ultra-processed diet consumed around 500 more calories per day than those on a whole-food diet, despite reporting the same level of fullness. They also gained weight and experienced more blood sugar instability (source).

If it comes in a shiny package and says “energy bar,” it probably isn’t giving your brain or hormones what they actually need. Reach for real food, and when you feel the itch to snack out of habit or boredom, try one of the resets below instead.

Snack Reset Checklist

Before you grab a snack, pause for a moment and ask yourself: Is it hunger, or something else?

Try one of these simple resets to shift your energy:

• Drink a full glass of water - dehydration can often feel like hunger

  

• Step outside for fresh air, even just for 2 minutes - fresh air refreshes your brain

• Take a quick walk around the block or your home - movement stimulates more energy

• Put on a favorite song and stretch or move your body - a perfect way to feel a joyful hit of dopamine

• Jot down what’s feeling tedious or overwhelming—it can break the boredom or anxiety loop - and writing it down can help with tackling problems one at a time, and perhaps delegating, too

  

• Light a candle or re-set your desk to upgrade the vibe - are you facing a window? Give it a try!

• Use a grounding essential oil (peppermint, citrus, rosemary) - I love eucalyptus

• Call or voice note a friend for a dose of connection - and bonus: do it while walking around the block!

Still hungry? Great. Now reach for something real: protein, fiber, healthy fats. Your body (and your brain) will thank you. Not sure what that might be?

Reset Your Kitchen and Rewire Your Day

Most of the women I work with don’t need more discipline. They need better design. A few strategic shifts in your kitchen can reduce decision fatigue, curb cravings, and help you stay focused between meals…

Paid subscribers: Get my Work-From-Home Energy Reset Toolkit below, a step-by-step guide to fueling focus, balancing blood sugar, and feeling steady all day long. No recipes required: just some structure.

Plus, 3 delectable, satisfying snack recipes designed specifically for WFH women.

👉 Become a paid subscriber to access the rest of this guide—designed specifically for the modern woman balancing wellness, work, and real life.

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Welcome to Modern Women’s Nutrition!

Empowering the busy modern woman to understand her hormone & metabolic health, and how to eat to thrive at every step of her journey—from fertility to menopause and beyond.

→ Jump to Recipe: Thai-Inspired Cauliflower Flatbread

Hello lovely ladies!

Hope you’re all doing well this week and have a fun Saturday planned.

We’re heading to a wedding (yay!) for our friends Regan and Bix in the countryside of Basque Country. There’s nothing better (in my humble opinion) than knowing the food and wine will be supreme, since it’s a wedding in France.

Life has calmed down a bit since returning home from my time in San Francisco, but yet it still feels like it has been full-speed getting back into my rhythm: Meetings throughout the day, strict deadlines for my cooking classes, errands galore for apartment upkeep and grocery shopping, and on top of all of that, a recent business launch (see: The Blood Sugar Method)!

It feels like my to-do list is endless. Before I knew it, it was Friday again and it was like I'd barely had a chance to breathe, let alone prioritize my health. Getting in a quick workout and eating healthy is always a non-negotiable for me…but even then, it can sometimes feel like A LOT.

At bedtime on Friday, it often seems to be that same feeling, "Ahh, if only I'd had a little more time this week…". And my husband and I look at each other, cross-eyed. Where did the time go??

But it struck me yesterday: Slow is fast.

Wellness doesn’t have to mean hour-long morning and evening routines or complicated meal plans. If I step back, breathe, and slow down, I will find that it's the small habits, just five minutes, that add up to big results. We all know that life throws curveballs, big exciting (or daunting) changes to our routines, and new challenges pretty consistently, so it may be unrealistic to commit to these time-consuming goals ALL the time.

Similarly to slowing things down, simplifying our systems and doing what we can with short bursts of time is also super effective.

So…Let’s take a moment to rethink our habits, and work in new little ones that will make a big difference in our everyday–no matter how jam-packed.

Inspired by my own busy-but-determined-to-be-healthy weeks, I’m sharing my five favorite quick-and-easy quick win wellness strategies. Whether you’re pressed for time, energy, or motivation, each of these mini-habits will nudge you a little closer to your health goals, without overwhelming you or your calendar!

Prep "Grab-and-Go" Smoothie Bags

Set yourself up for breakfast success!

The Struggle:
How many mornings have you skipped breakfast simply because you're rushing out the door and haven’t prepared something to eat the night before? We've all been there, grabbing a coffee and a baked good and calling it breakfast, only to crash mid-morning with a gurgling stomach and hunger pangs. Unsurprisingly, this is one of the leading reasons for people making poor nutrition decisions throughout the day.

The 5-Minute Fix:
Spend just five minutes, once a week prepping smoothie bags:

• In reusable freezer-safe bags (or ideally these glass containers — BPA free and environmentally friendly!), portion out frozen fruit (berries, banana slices, fresh spinach and kale, celery sticks, cucumber chunks, avocado) and a protein boost (chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds, and a big scoop of almond butter).

• In the morning, pour the contents into your blender, add almond milk or water, a scoop of plain Greek yogurt, and blend!
  

Why It Helps:
Smoothies with protein, fiber, and healthy fats provide steady, lasting energy and stable blood sugar. Protein boosts satiety and prevents mid-morning cravings. Fiber supports gut health and prolongs fullness, and healthy fats balance hormones, reduce inflammation, and enhance nutrient absorption.

This quick habit ensures balanced mornings and sustained energy, reducing blood sugar fluctuations and preventing energy slumps.

Hot tip: Try this amazing Green Smoothie recipe full of protein rich seeds and packed full of B6!

Hot tip #2: Want more smoothie recipes? We share TONS in The Blood Sugar Method course, plus how to make them blood sugar friendly and metabolically healthy.

The 5-Minute Superfood Sprinkle

A tasty boost for daily nutrition.

The Struggle:
Consistently getting enough nutrient-dense foods can feel exhausting, especially when you're juggling work, life, and everything in between. Without these, you might notice brain fog, mood swings, or fatigue creeping in.

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Welcome to Modern Women’s Nutrition!

Empowering the busy modern woman to understand her hormone & metabolic health, and how to eat to thrive at every step of her journey—from fertility to menopause and beyond.

→ Jump to Recipe: Almond Cake with Cherries & Red Walnuts & Coconut Glaze

Hi gals,

I was in the states for a few meetings last week and found myself standing in the deli section of a fancy Bay Area grocery store. I was hungry, short on time, and looking to grab something healthy. I spotted a little plastic bowl labeled Mediterranean Power Bowl and thought, Boom. Lunch.

Here’s what was inside: a scoop of hummus (made with canola oil—yuck), grilled chicken (overcooked, coated in a sugary sauce that has ingredients I didn’t recognize), white rice, a tired cucumber wedge, a few triangles of stale pita, and an aggressively orange dressing. And…a bit of arugula.

In a hurry, I ate it, while picking around the pieces that looked extra questionable. Thirty minutes later, I had a headache and, while feeling bloated, was also still kind of hungry and unsatisfied.

I started thinking about an ongoing theme I am noticing: the popularity of “a Mediterranean diet”, and yet what it means to label something “Mediterranean”.

What is the current state of the once touted Mediterranean Diet, anyway?

For starters, it seems that The Mediterranean Diet has become a catch-all category for any food or foods remotely connected to countries set against the Mediterranean Sea, including Southern Europe, North Africa, and parts of the Middle East. These days the moniker is tossed around casually, completely detached from its founding principles, encompassing everything from pizza and pasta to mayo-based dips, white flour breads and pita, white rice, and greasy fries.

Somewhere between the Instagram bowls and bottled dressings, the Med Diet has lost the plot.

But when you look back at what the diet actually was—what people in post-war Crete, Calabria, and Ikaria were eating—you find something else entirely: meals built from plants, legumes, broth, garlic, and herbs. Cold-pressed olive oil poured generously over everything, with a sprinkle of thick flaky sea salt. Food grown in gardens, cooked slowly, and consumed in good company. Not gourmet, not “clean,” not packed in a plastic to-go container X days beforehand. Just real.

So, let’s dig into what the Mediterranean diet really is, what it was never meant to be, and how we can bring the OG version—deeply healing, hormone-supportive, and blood-sugar-steadying foods—back to our modern kitchens.

The Mediterranean Diet originally followed these eating guidelines with plates that included:

• Bitter greens, legumes, alliums (garlic & onion), herbs

• Fermented sourdough made with the whole what grain (including the fiberous husk) or whole barley bread

• Freshly caught fish or creamy tangy sheep’s milk cheese

• Generous use of extra virgin olive oil

• Zero ultra-processed foods

What it wasn’t:

• White flour-laden pizzas and pastas, stripped of all fiber in the flour

• Store-bought hummus with preservatives

• Seed oils from who-knows-where

• Greasy fried foods

• “Power bowls” built on white rice and heavy sauces

• Packaged snacks labeled “Mediterranean” to catch your eye

And the original Mediterranean diet wasn’t just about what you ate, it was about how you ate. Slowness, seasonality, home cooking, and connection were built into the rhythm. That’s what made it effective, and joyful!

Several large-scale studies now show that even in Mediterranean countries, the classic, enriching diet is slipping away, and chronic illness is rising in response.

• A 2022 systematic review found that adherence to the Mediterranean diet is declining across Europe, including in Italy, Spain, and Greece—especially among younger generations (Martínez-González et al., Nutrients, 2022).
  

• The ZOOM8 study of 40,000+ Italian schoolchildren found that only 5% had high adherence to the diet, while nearly 33% had poor adherence (Bianchi et al., Public Health Nutrition, 2014).
  

• Childhood obesity in southern Italy now exceeds 43% in children ages 8–9, with nearly 19% classified as obese—driven by increased consumption of processed snacks and sugary drinks (WHO Europe, 2022).
  

• And according to a 2024 study published in American Journal of Preventive Medicine, for every 10% increase in ultra-processed food intake, there’s a 2.7% increase in all-cause mortality. The same study linked these foods to 124,000 premature deaths annually in the U.S. (Wang et al., 2024)

In short: the further we drift from simple, real food, the more disease we see.

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The original Mediterranean diet is one of the most studied dietary patterns for longevity, hormone regulation, fertility, mental clarity, and metabolic health.

It’s rich in:

• Anti-inflammatory fats (especially omega-3s)

• Fiber to support blood sugar and estrogen metabolism

• B vitamins and minerals that regulate cortisol

• Gut-friendly, brain-supportive polyphenols

For women navigating perimenopause, postpartum depletion, blood sugar instability, or just the relentless stress of our overflowing lives, it’s not just “a healthy diet.” It’s a therapeutic one.

The good news? You can bring it back without relocating to a Greek island (though that sounds amazing) or giving up pleasurable eating.

So how do you reclaim the real Mediterranean magic in a real-life kitchen?

You start here.

Paid subscribers: Get my 5 top tips for real Mediterranean eating + the delicious recipe of the week: Coconut Almond Cake with Cherries & Red Walnuts & Coconut Glaze.

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Empowering the busy modern woman to understand her hormone & metabolic health, and how to eat to thrive at every step of her journey—from fertility to perimenopause and beyond.

Read more

Welcome to Modern Women’s Nutrition!

Empowering the busy modern woman to understand her hormone & metabolic health, and how to eat to thrive at every step of her journey—from fertility to menopause and beyond.

Before I begin — quick HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY to my love, Spencer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also a short shameless self-promo: I want to introduce you, my Substack VIPs, to a very special 8-week Blood Sugar Method Course I’ve created with holistic nutritionist .

If you’ve been loving my recipes and want help with…

• Balancing your blood sugar naturally

• Reclaiming your energy and mental clarity

• Ending cravings and hunger swings for good

• Making delicious, real food a sustainable lifestyle

…this might be a good option for you!

This week only, you’ll get an early bird special: $50 OFF the self-paced, 6-week Blood Sugar Method Course, PLUS access to our monthly membership, where you'll get direct access to our team of experts, receive monthly recipes + menus, join the support group, and so much more.

This isn't just another diet program, it’s a game-changer for folks who want ongoing wellness support, 5-star recipes, and access to experts.

Use code EARLYACCESS50 for $50 off The Course + Membership Bundle!!

Get the Blood Sugar Bundle!

Discount expires April 30th at midnight.

→ Jump to Recipe: Wildflower Focaccia

Hi gals,

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how moving to France helped me break the cycle of overeating and restriction that I’d lived with for most of my adult life. Your response was incredible!! I am so grateful to have heard from so many of you about how this topic resonated, and how you felt about it. Thank you for your emails, comments, likes and texts, it means so much more than you know. 💜

As I discussed, when moving to France, there was no magic fix. No big breakthrough. Just a quiet, daily recalibration. It was all about a slower pace, eating real meals mindfully and intentionally, and sinking into a food culture that is designed to work with the body, not fight it.

Which brings me to this week’s French lesson: It starts with a baguette.

Not just any loaf, but a crusty, chewy-in-all-the-right-ways, fresh-from-the-oven French baguette. That baguette that you see the older man down the street carrying home every morning, fresh from the market, in a wicker basket, with his class béret hat on.

It wasn’t long after we moved to France—I was standing in our local boulangerie, baguette tucked under my arm. I don’t usually buy bread, but it just smelled so good. I’d already ripped off the end, impatient, peckish, when I turned to the baker behind the counter and I asked what was in it.

He blinked at me like I’d asked how many ingredients are in a glass of water.

Farine, eau, sel, levure, he said, already moving on to the next customer.

Flour. Water. Salt. Yeast.
C’est tout. That’s all.

Meanwhile, in the U.S., a loaf of “healthy” bread often contains 15… 20… sometimes 40 ingredients. Wait, what?

That is not an exaggeration. That’s on the label — go take a look!

And it got me thinking:
Why does French bread have four ingredients—and ours has forty? Does this have to do with country-by-country laws, or is it simply by choice? Or both?

In France, a baguette is more than bread, it’s a protected cultural artifact.

Seriously. In 1993, the French government passed a law governing traditional baguettes. The Décret n°93-1074, also known as the “Décret Pain”, was issued by the French government on September 13, 1993, to protect the integrity of the baguette de tradition française. It’s a regulation that legally defines what can—and cannot—go into a traditional baguette. The real thing is made with only wheat flour, water, salt, and yeast. No preservatives. No additives. No bells and whistles.

Baguettes must also be made on-site at the bakery where they’re sold. Never factory made or frozen. That’s why the corner boulangerie always smells like warm, just-out-of-the-oven bread. It’s baked, bought, and eaten, usually within the same day.

This isn’t just tradition, it’s science-backed policy.

In the EU, food regulation follows the precautionary principle: if there’s reason to believe an ingredient might be harmful, it’s pulled or restricted until it’s shown to be safe.

In the U.S., the opposite tends to be true: if it hasn’t been definitively proven harmful, it’s allowed, often for decades.

That’s why ingredients like titanium dioxide, banned in the EU due to DNA damage risk, still appear in U.S. products (source).

In the States, even basic foods—like sandwich bread, chocolate bars, or nut milk—often contain a cocktail of additives: preservatives, colorants, dough conditioners, flavor enhancers, and emulsifiers.

Emulsifiers are a big one! They’re used to keep food smooth, stable, and shelf-ready, but most of us have no idea we're consuming them. Emulsifiers are found in the majority of foods consumed in the U.S., and the FDA has approved a staggering 171 of them (source), compared to just 63 in the UK (source).

Disturbingly, many emulsifiers haven’t been thoroughly tested in humans, especially not for long-term or cumulative effects. Yet animal studies have linked some emulsifiers to gut microbiome disruption, inflammation, and even increased risk of metabolic syndrome (source).

And … if that’s not enough, further research indicates that emulsifiers may alter gut microbiota composition and promote chronic intestinal inflammation (source).
And if that isn’t enough, a large-scale French study recently tied emulsifier intake to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease (source). Yikes.

These are some of the other questionable ingredients still widely used in the U.S.:

Potassium Bromate

Used to strengthen dough, it’s classified as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” by the IARC due to tumor development in lab animals (source).

BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole)

A common preservative in chips, cereals, and chewing gum, BHA is “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen,” according to the U.S. National Toxicology Program (source).

BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene)

Used similarly to BHA, BHT has shown possible tumor-promoting effects in animals. The EU allows it in regulated cosmetic concentrations, but notes potential endocrine disruption – yes, directly disrupting our hormones, which regulate everything our body does (source).

Titanium Dioxide (E171)

This whitening agent, used in candies and baked goods, has been shown to cause DNA damage in animal cells, prompting the EU to ban it in 2021 (source).

FYI – white is so faux-pas, look for color in your food.

My message from all of this: We’ve been taught to look the other way, to say: “But how else am I supposed to eat?”, and therefore to be lazy. I hear and see this all day long.

Realistically, it doesn’t take that much effort to find other foods to eat that don’t give you cancerous carcinogens, DNA damage and hormone disrupters.

And that’s why I write these newsletters – to provide you with realistic alternatives that help you thrive. And encourage you to cook more often, too.

The unfortunate truth is that the U.S. food system wasn’t designed with your long-term health in mind. It was designed for shelf life, profit margins, convenience, and scale.

We want to be able to shop at Costco once every two weeks and not have to return to the grocery store. But sadly, there’s a massive health price to pay in this case.

You don’t need to look any further than GRAS to see this in action. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration allows manufacturers to self-certify new ingredients as “Generally Recognized as Safe” (GRAS), a designation that bypasses independent testing or FDA approval.

“Generally”??? What is “generally” when we’re talking about the safety of our families??

On top of that, a 2010 Government Accountability Office report notes that companies aren’t even required to notify the FDA when they introduce a new GRAS substance (source). They can just quietly add it to our food supply (yikes!).

This means you may be consuming ingredients that have not been thoroughly studied in humans. Or ingredients that were deemed “safe” decades ago, before we understood their effects on the gut, hormones, or growing children.

So, it’s not just about what could be harmful, it’s about how much you don’t know about the food that you’re eating. If you want to make food choices that protect your body (and your family) it’s necessary to get informed. If you decide to look away, you could be shortening your lifespan, and that of your children, too.

Knowledge is power.

When I look at the food laws here in France, I feel a little more protected.

And it makes me wonder:

• What if our food system was actually designed to keep us safe?

• What if fewer ingredients meant more trust in the people who are making our food, not less?

• What if clean, safe food wasn’t the exception, but the expectation?

I don’t have all the answers. But I do know this: Since moving here, my digestion has calmed, my skin looks clearer, my energy feels more even, my weight is more steady, and I’m sleeping through the night more often than not.

It’s not because I’ve overhauled my routine or started some perfect wellness protocol. It’s not even because I’ve intentionally made changes in my diet and habits. I actually “splurge” quite a bit — eating all of the beautiful indulgent foods and going out to dinner multiple times per week.

It has to do with the food and the way of eating it. I know that I can trust what’s in the markets, at the restaurants, and on my plate.

Paid subscribers: Want to eat more like the French, without moving across the Atlantic? Here are 10 easy-to-implement, research-informed tips to help you eat cleaner, simpler, and smarter, even inside a broken food system. Get the tips + the delicious recipe of the week: Wildflower Focaccia (a rare white-flour experience—upgraded with vibrant veggies for fiber, nutrients, and color!).

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