Hi. I hope you are taking care of yourself, cooking something good, and finding joy amongst the love and grief of it all.
If you are dreading the usual January barrage of "wellness to-dos," don't worry—that is not my style. The "should do" media rampage can be awful and exhausting. Instead, I want to offer a gentle, supportive space. For those new to Botanical Kitchen, welcome! And for those who have been with me for a while, hello again.
Here we go, 2026. Buckle up. I wanted to share some of my thoughts, concerns, inspiration, and musings with you, along with this week's functional nutrition insights and a gorgeous free recipe to get you started.
Your Food Choices are Powerful Healthcare Tools
Happy New Year! I like to say "Cheers with a fork" because our food and food choices are among the few things we can truly control in the chaos of the world. They are also among the most powerful tools in our personal healthcare. You are smart; you know. When embracing food as medicine, you are eating to reduce inflammation, support your health, and take charge of how you feel every day.
But it is not only money that costs us. Our time and energy are our most valuable resources. This year, I am getting granular on the energy bit. I am looking closely at what and who I am investing in and spending on, measuring my return in joy and learning. It is an interesting exercise in self-care, and I encourage you to try it. Ask yourself: Does this activity or purchase feed my energy or drain it?
Exploring the Gut-Brain Connection
My learning journey never stops. Lately, I am diving deeper into mental health, the gut-brain-mood-food connection, and menopause. It is fascinating to see how our food choices truly affect our mental health long-term.
I am also learning about micro-dosing mushrooms to reset patterns and forge new neural pathways. The Institute of Functional Medicine has a great podcast on this, if you are curious. I recently taught a cooking class on everyday food as medicine. It was a small, private class and great fun. It reignited a fire in me to get organised and offer online and in-person classes this year. If you are interested in a class or a particular topic, let me know. I am listening!
Real-Life Anti-Inflammatory Eating
What I am eating is a moving target. Just because I know all the food as medicine principles doesn't mean I have magical powers that make it easy to make the best choices all day, every day. Living by myself I can happily snack on crackers and crunchy, salty things, but that's not going to support my health, strength or long-term goals to be a fit and fiesty old lady. So, getting myself on track means focusing on making complete meals with a decent amount of protein, which is something I have to put conscious effort into thinking about and actioning.
Practical Tips for Easy Healthy Meals
Here is what is working for me right now:
Member Menu — Foods for Balancing Cold & Dry
In the herbal and holistic medicine world, winter vegetables are considered grounding and warming foods. They help counter cold, dry conditions while supporting digestion, vitality, and seasonal immune resilience.
This week's recipes feature squash, carrots, celeriac, cabbage, celery, kale, radishes, garlic, parsley, and rosemary. These are all nourishing and well-suited to the colder months. They offer:
Simple foods like bananas, citrus, and frozen berries offer a natural sweetness with a healthy dose of vitamins, bringing fresh, bright flavours to the table just when we need a welcome lift during the darker months.
Ingredient Spotlight: Purple Napa Cabbage
I discovered a head of purple napa cabbage at the co-op last week. It is not something I see too often, so I bought it, and gosh, it is gorgeous. Unlike classic purple cabbage, it is much lighter, almost lettuce-like, and much easier on the digestive system to eat raw.
Tip: If you are prone to cabbage "affecting you" or causing bloating, try Napa cabbage if you see it. It is often gentler on the system.