Embracing HYGGE this winter

 Embracing HYGGE this winter

Entering my third winter residing in South Lake Tahoe, I am reminded that living at 6,200 feet is not an easy task. Cold days filled with shoveling snow will soon become our everyday life. However, there is something about our little mountain town that is charming, warm and cozy.

I believe this is cultivated by a community that understands there is more to Tahoe than just a weekend ski trip. That is why when I came across the word Hygge, (pronounced hue-guh), I knew this was the perfect way to embrace winter this year!

Cultivating a healthy and happy holiday season

Cultivating a healthy and happy holiday season

Here at Elevate we have been embracing all things Hygge since we lost that afternoon hour of light and the first snows started appearing on the forecast.

Hygge (pronounced Hoo-Ga) is all about cultivating cosiness, creating warmth, embracing intimacy and most of all, learning to slow down and have gratitude for the simple things in life. Foodwise, it's all soups and stews and cake and coffee. It is hot tea drinking, cocoa making, and creating slow cooked, hearty food surrounded by good people having great conversation.

Herbs for winter wellness

 Herbs for winter wellness

Hopefully you are starting to downshift gears and transition into the winter as we reach mid-December. This is a very restorative time of year: In Chinese medicine winter is associated with the kidneys, which are our energetic store house; our savings account.

From a western physiological perspective the adrenal glands assume a very similar role. They help support us through all of life's stressors and demands including psychological and physiological. The goal is to rebuild and reserve our energy versus spend it.

Setting intentions, not resolutions

Setting intentions, not resolutions

The advent of the new year is traditionally a time to undertake some self reflection on all that the past year has dealt us, and to consider our goals and dreams for the next.

How often do you begin the new year setting resolutions that may be unrealistic, unachievable or difficult to implement – that may end up causing you more stress and frustration than is worth the end result? Around 80-90 percent of resolutions fail because of overambitious goal setting, pressure from your peers and lack of time. What if, before you set your resolution in stone, you asked yourself a few questions?

Developing a self-care practice

Developing a self-care practice

I recently came across a TED Talk by a lady called Bonnie Feldman. It's called "The Single Most Valuable Legacy We Can Pass On" and during the course of the talk, she discusses the importance of developing self-care practices, not just for ourselves but for our children and our grandchildren.

Here at Elevate, we know we're not alone in feeling the need to expand on the subject of self care. We want to play a part in bringing it into everyday conversation, making people aware that it's a valid subject to discuss with their friends, their primary care providers and their community. Something that we can share with others: our practices, our mantras, our nutrition and wellness advice.

Eating with the seasons for optimal health

Eating with the seasons for optimal health

Growing up on the outskirts of a tiny village in the hills of Wales with a mother who loved to garden meant I was lucky to be brought up eating in line with the seasons.

We harvested apples and blackberries in early autumn; we picked elderflowers in the spring for cordials, we waited for the berries at the end of summer to make syrup. We had plums and cherries and damsons that we packed into the deep freeze to keep us in supply of pies and cobblers during the cold months.

Going caffeine free? Here are some options

It seems like you can't go anywhere these days without hearing all the latest buzzwords in the wellness field. Mushroom this, Reishi that, Adaptogenic Tonics and Golden Milk, Dandelion and MCT… Most of these ingredients center around research and recipes into replacements for that old favorite of ours, the delightful cup of coffee.

Herbal aphrodisiacs to supercharge your sex drive

We've all heard about the power of oysters, the rousing benefits of nibbling on dark chocolate, and the surprising advantages of creating a meal with the delectable and ever-sexy asparagus, but how many of you knew that some of the most basic herbs and spices in your kitchen have aphrodisiac benefits?

Bringing in the Chinese New Year

This past Friday marked the beginning of the Year of the Earth Dog.

Chinese New Year, a festival that lasts around 15 days, is the most important holiday in China and traditionally marked a time to honor household and ancestors by bringing everyone together to feast. The celebration is an ancient festival that has thousands of years worth of history and is celebrated throughout countless Asian cultures, and all around the world, too.