Come, Come, Whoever You Are...

Solstice Light - 2021

December 20th, 2021 |Solstice Edition

Warming Black Bean and Butternut Squash Soup

(Brand new recipe from my husband, who is quite the cook, below!)

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My Winter Cleanse begins January 10th - Registration Now Open!

Special focus on this Cleanse is eating for a healthy gut biome to:

(1) optimize a healthy weight

(2) create a robust immune system

Plus, we'll of course have all the other Cleanse goodness you've come to expect!

Early Bird good through Dec 31st. Or Bring A Friend for an even bigger discount

Walk Through Grief with Grace Podcast

While the holidays can be a time for joyous celebration, for many they are also reminders of those we've lost.

If you're in need of some extra support this holiday season, please tune in to my recent podcast interview, where I share a story of deep love, tragic loss, and redemption, healing and magic. (on apple podcasts - link above - my episode is #6)

May these words inspire new hope in your being! (this link above takes you directly to the podcast on spotify)

Come, Come, Whoever you are…

As I’ve been pondering what I wanted to write to you for solstice/yuletide this year, I keep being called back to a very specific memory.

Here’s The Scene:

I’m in my car, way up in the Blue Ridge mountains outside of Asheville, NC, wending my way through the many curves and switchbacks, volume turned up all the way, listening over and over again on repeat to that gorgeous song of redemption and renewal, “Come, Come, Whoever You Are…”.

You know the one, right? The one that reminds us that “This is not a Caravan of Despair”

I would sing along until tears would start to stream down my face. And then, again, I’d hit repeat to play it just one more time.

Why is this memory coming back to me just now?

Perhaps it’s because I’m intuiting in the very cells of my body the return of the light (in the Northern Hemisphere)…that precious moment every year where the scales tip back towards rebirth, renewal and beginning again, after the long dark nights and times of introspection that the waning light had called us in to.

For many months now, whether aware of it or not, we’ve been turning inwards along with the plants and trees who have long ago dropped their leaves, and the animals who are nestled in their burrows.

We’ve been in a process of composting and alchemizing the past year; letting go of what no longer serves, and gaining strength and inspiration from the lessons learned.

And just ahead now, is the New Year! 2022!

What do you envision for this next year ahead for you?

What might you want to bring with you as you re-emerge from the darkness in order to rebirth yourself anew with the returning light?

Does Rumi’s message of redemption speak to you, like it is speaking to me?

If so, how?

Come, come, whoever you are

Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving

And come, come, whoever you are

This isn’t a caravan of despair

Come, come, whoever you are

Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving

And come, come, whoever you are

This isn’t a caravan of despair

'Cause it doesn’t matter

If you’ve broken your vows

A thousand times before

And yet again

Come again, come

And yet again, come

Come, whoever you are

Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving

And come, come, whoever you are

This isn’t a caravan of despair

The line that always touches my heart most deeply is the reminder that: “it doesn’t matter if you’ve broken your vows a thousand times before.”

One of the most challenging struggles I see my clients go through is with the demon of shame/guilt/self recrimination.

There seems to be an idea in our culture that if we’ve “done something wrong” in the past (and who hasn’t!!), then we need to hold on to that guilt forever, and keep ever so subtly (or perhaps even not so subtly) whipping ourselves for it. Ouch!

Shame and guilt can be quite devious emotions, and even if we think we’ve eradicated them, they will still find a way to emerge time and again, causing us to constrict, shut down, and doubt ourselves.

And in my experience, when it comes to food and diet related “trespasses”, the burden of guilt and shame can weigh quite heavy.

If there is one thing I’ve tried to do in the last 13 years of offering nutritional counseling to my clients, it is to help them to offload any shame/guilt or sense of “I’m wrong”/“I’m bad”.

How can we be guilty or wrong for just existing? It makes no sense to me…and yet the burden often doesn’t fall easily from the shoulders.

These sorts of emotions or beliefs are some of the most constricting and contracting emotions we can experience.

And here’s the thing...We just simply can’t heal when hunched over, contracted, and bound up in shame!

So, whaddya say!?

Is it time to put down any heavy burdens you may have been carrying (whether emotional or physical), and stretch your arms up and out, wide, to the returning sun?!?

Can you let the light of the sun beam down into your heart, and remind you of who you really are?

Here in the depths of darkness it can be hard to remember the wisdom of humble sunflowers, and yet we can emulate them and turn our bodies towards the light, following the sun’s trajectory through the day, in just the same way.

So I say, BRING IN THE LIGHT!! It’s time to allow radiance to touch into those dark places, forgive ourselves for our trespasses, whatever they may be, and start again.

My purpose in life, or one of them at least, is to help folks to do what they came here to do with a little more ease. When we’re able to be vibrantly healthy in our physical bodies, EVERYTHING becomes easier.

Having been in a very deep process myself these past 3 years of the manifestation of a chronic illness that had been sitting relatively dormant since childhood (combined with a heavy hit from Long COVID), I now have a visceral and lived experience of what is lost when we don’t feel well, and what joy there is when the cells start functioning fully again, light and energy and nutrition begins to flow fully through the body, and the joys of this incredible gift of life can be lived fully!

I wish for you, with the returning light of the sun, the gifts of renewal, expansion, and open-hearted joy.

And if you feel that there is a heaviness you are currently unable to shift off yourself, whether that be physical, emotional or a combo of the two, please do join me for my Gentle Healing Winter Cleanse. The cleanse theme this year will be to bring in the “Light”, in all the definitions and manifestations of that word.

Whether it’s physical pounds to shed, heavy outdated addictive eating patterns that you're ready to lay down, difficult physical ailments that are causing constriction or dis-ease, or if you’re actually feeling pretty good, but would like to be in a supportive container to reset and renew and take that next step with your health, I’d love to support you in 2022!

In many ways my Winter Cleanse is the biggest event of my year, and I prepare for it energetically for a few months, if not more, in the lead up.

I’ve been thinking long and hard about the best ways to be of service to you and your health in these times of instability in our world.

This time around I’m going to be offering the normal Guided Cleanse journey that you may have come to expect, with all the support including daily emails, the Cleanse Forum, private guidance from me once a week, AND:

Weekly educational deep dives on the topic of the microbiome and what foods and activities we can do that will help to build the healthiest gut microbiome for optimal weight and a strong and robust immune system (thank you to those who took the survey I offered in November - these were the top two winners!)
A special focus (optional) on Histamine Intolerance, including what I’ve done to heal this condition in myself, for anyone who needs this support (read here to see if you might benefit from this support).
Access to healing superfoods and protocols for gentle intermittent fasting as an optional addition to your Cleanse.
More chances to connect with other cleansers in a live online format.
A surprise sharing at the end of the Cleanse that I’m very excited about but can’t say a word about just yet!
And much much more…

If you’ve cleansed with me before, you know that the main reason for success that so many experience is because the cleanse container is held in that most healing of frequencies - LOVE.

It is my absolute joy and honor to hold this space of love and acceptance combined with VERY PRACTICAL GUIDANCE once again for any who seek healing and renewal!

So please, Come, Come. Do not Despair. All is welcome and I will be honored to be your guide in the process of opening to the Light of your very own being, as you release the burdens, habits, patterns, and stories that you don’t need to take with you into this next year ahead.

Happy return of the light, and the merriest and joyous of holidays to you, however and whatever you celebrate!

With the deepest of care and abundant gratitude to you for being in my life,

Ellen

p.s. Did you know that you can shift the microbiome in your gut to a more beneficial state in JUST 24 HOURS by eating different foods? It’s amazing how quickly we can heal! This Cleanse I’ll be doing things a little differently by sharing a few specific recipes to incorporate each week (after the educational Zoom calls I’ll host once a week) to encourage folks to experiment with new foods and see the direct results on their gut microbiome! These recipes will be in addition to the standard Cleanse Recipes Booklet and the Gut Healing Recipes which I shared for the first time on the Winter Cleanse last year.

Evolutionary Wellness

"A butterfly must struggle to break out of its cocoon. But the struggle to emerge from the cocoon forces the fluid from the butterfly's body into its wings - a necessary process for enabling it to fly."

- Charles C. Manz

My Evolutionary Wellness Mentorship Program

A personalized one-on-one mentorship program designed to support you in realizing the next level of your health and wellness.

This program is designed for the person who is truly ready to heal.

I am committed to your success and will be bringing out every tool I have in my toolkit to support you in your evolution.

The sessions are a combination of:

Nutritional recommendations/support/ guidance.
Energy clearing sessions to remove the blocks that we identify together are in the way of your success.
Spiritual and nature-based guidance/direction (if desired).

This program is for you if you are interested in having breakthroughs in not only your physical health, but if you are also committed to evolving your overall consciousness to a place of true balance - mind, body, spirit.

This Program is designed for those who are ready to be sovereign in their life and align with their higher self/highest truth. There is no time like the present to wake up to the fullness of who we are and create the life we want to be living.

Contact me on email to schedule an introductory consult. Or read more about my programs and offerings here.

"When I began counseling with Ellen my thyroid was unmanageable, my cholesterol was too high, I was overweight and lacked the energy to get through my day. Only 7 weeks into her program, my bloodwork results astounded me. For the first time in years my thyroid was balanced and my cholesterol and lipid profiles were right on target. I knew my energy was higher and that my focus and stamina throughout the day had improved but the bloodwork was much more than I could have hoped for in such a short time.

If you are willing to do the work, Ellen offers a no-fail program. Her knowledge base extends far and wide. I was particularly impressed with the preparation she did prior to each meeting, picking up on details so often ignored by medical professionals.

She was able to prescribe a program that allowed me to loose twenty pounds and learn a new way of eating that will keep me healthy, happy and feeling good in the years to come and I am finding very enjoyable. Her pleasant manner put me at ease, making learning easy, she challenged me while providing encouragement when needed.

To walk away after these sessions, with bloodwork that was excellent and twenty pounds lighter was great, but the improvement in my energy and mood has been delightful.

I recommend Ellen without any reservation, simply put, she is the best!" - Matty Maccaro, Maryland

Warming Black Bean and Butternut Squash Soup

SPECIAL NOTE: I've asked my husband Dan to share his recipes with us on the upcoming Cleanse. With his background in ayurvedic nutrition, and his innate capacity to balance just the right flavors and spices to create very healing and seasonally appropriate meals, I'm really looking forward to what he'll be sharing!

This is what we had for dinner last night!

Warming Black Bean and Butternut Squash Soup

by Dan Leak

Serves: Two generous portions

Ingredients:

Two TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

One medium onion (red or white), chopped

2 cloves garlic, sliced finely

1/2 inch nub of ginger, chopped finely

1 pepper (yellow or red), chopped

1 generous tsp paprika

1/2 tsp salt

a few grinds of fresh black pepper

pinch cumin

generous teaspoon zaatar

2 to 3 celery stalks, chopped

1 1/2 to 2 cubs peeled butternut squash, chopped into cubes

1 small to medium zucchini (courgette), diced

1 gluten-free/yeast-free vegetarian stock cube

1 1/2 cups water

1 can black beans (or soak and cook ahead of time if possible, rather than using canned). I can = approx 1 1/2 cups

Instructions:

Add olive oil to a medium sized stainless steel pan on medium heathen add onions and cook till translucent.
Add onions, garlic, ginger, pepper, celery, cumin, paprika, salt, black pepper, and vegetarian stock cube. Cook on medium heat until onions are translucent and all other vegetables have softened.
Next add butternut squash, zucchini and stock cube. Sautee for a couple minutes.
Pour in 2 cups water.
Simmer until butternut squash has cooked through.
Add 1 can black beans, and cook until they are warmed through.
Divide off 1/2 to 1/3 of the soup, and blend.
Add blended soup back into pot and fold in to rest of the soup.
Add salt and pepper to taste
Enjoy with a fresh salad, diced fresh tomato, avocado, and cilantro, and perhaps a few organic corn chips for some crunch (or whatever else calls your fancy).

Alternatives: If you prefer, make with sweet potato instead of butternut squash.