A recurring question I see while working in the mindful health realm is where to even start when you are ready to get healthy and start taking better care of yourself.

When I’m working with a client one on one it is much easier to figure out what is the best next step for them but you must take a look at the individual and there is no one size fits all.

In a perfect world, I would say starting with mindfulness would be my recommendation.  Adding in some form of meditation or hypnosis helps everything else flow so much easier.  But often it’s the path of least resistance that is the best option.  My own health journey started with an excitement to learn more about nutrition and healthy eating.  I was drawn towards making recipes healthier which felt the most natural when I was starting to open my eyes to the fact that how I was living was not benefiting my health.  I was in culinary school at the time and so I was already cooking a ton anyways.

For you it may be adding in mediation or hypnosis, focusing on sleep hygiene, adding in some form of movement to your routine, working to balance your blood sugar or maybe you, like me, will start with making simple swaps in the kitchen and let that be a jumping off point.

Creating healthier versions of recipes is one of my favorite things to do.  BUT I’ve always had trouble sharing them because I’m more of a throw everything into a pan or bowl kind of gal.  And ingredient amounts are based on gut feeling and taste tests.  Not ideal for sharing so others can grow to love my healthy creations.

Lately, I’ve been taking the time to measure more and write down my recipes.  This is one of my favorite new recipes and it’s the perfect time to share it since fall officially began on Saturday.  It is based off of a recipe I wrote in the spring for a Zucchini Chocolate Chip Banana Bread that me and my family were making weekly, even on vacation, but since my spring and summer plans changed so drastically I never got it out there.  If you’d like me to share that recipe too, reply and let me know!

That brings me to today’s recipe: Pumpkin Banana Bread.  This recipe is gluten free, no added sugar, full of healthy fats and absolutely delicious, if I do say so myself.  I’ve made it both with chocolate chips and without and they are both great so you can choose your own adventure.  This version is perfect as a midday snack or even breakfast topped with a smear of butter or almond butter.