Some of the most powerful things we can do for our skin are the simplest — no fancy tools, no long ingredient lists, just real food that nourishes from the inside out.

This raw carrot salad has become one of my quiet daily rituals when I want to support brightness, hydration, and that soft, alive glow we all crave as we age gracefully. Carrots bring beta-carotene (a gentle precursor to vitamin A) to help with skin repair and even tone, while the additions make it even more glow-supporting:

• Splash of tangerine vinegar or rice vinegar — bright acidity that aids digestion (happy gut = clearer skin) and adds a refreshing lift
• ½ chopped apple — natural sweetness + pectin (a prebiotic fiber) to feed your gut microbiome for better skin clarity
• Handful of dried goji berries — loaded with vitamin C, zeaxanthin, and polysaccharides to brighten, protect against free radicals, and support collagen resilience
• Raw walnuts — excellent source of omega-3s and vitamin E to nourish the skin barrier, calm inflammation, and keep skin supple and hydrated

The result? Crisp, juicy, satisfying — and a little bowl of spring renewal you can feel working from the inside.

Raw Carrot Salad (Serves 1–2)

Ingredients

• 1–2 large organic carrots
• ½ apple (crisp variety like Honeycrisp or Granny Smith), chopped
• Handful of dried goji berries (about 2 Tbsp)
• Small handful of raw walnuts (8–10 halves), roughly chopped
• 1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil 
• Juice of ½ lime or lemon (about 1–2 Tbsp)
• Splash of tangerine vinegar or rice vinegar (about 1 tsp)
• Drizzle of raw honey
• Pinch of sea salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Wash and grate the carrots (peel optional if organic — I often leave it for extra nutrients). Place in a medium bowl.
2. Add chopped apple, goji berries, and walnuts.
3. Drizzle with olive oil, honey, lime/lemon juice, and the splash of vinegar.
4. Toss gently to coat everything evenly. Add a tiny pinch of sea salt if you like.
5. Let it sit 5–10 minutes — the goji berries soften slightly, the apple releases its juices, and the flavors bloom.
6. Enjoy fresh — best right away for maximum crunch and vibrancy.

This little salad is light yet deeply satisfying — a perfect side, snack, or standalone moment of care. Your skin will thank you for the inside-out glow.

Love + Eat Well,

by natalie

Creamy Cauliflower, Potato & Parsnip Soup with crunchy chickpeas and kale to top!
Oh, and remember that basil pesto recipe I just shared with you…..I used a bit of that on a piece of sourdough bread to dunk in the soup. Delish! You can even take a scoop of the pesto and twirl into your soup to really pack in flavor.

Here’s the ingredients: 

5 small potatoes
10oz cauliflower
1 parsnip
1/2 med onion about 1/2 chopped
3 cloves garlic
4 oz uncured pancetta
1 tbls evoo
2 tbls butter
1.5 Qts Broth
1 can (13.5 oz)Coconut milk
S+P
Garlic and onion powder
1/4 tsp Celery seed

Brown the pancetta in a tbl of evoo and remove from stock pot. Next I added the onion and garlic and sauté a few. Little seasoning and then layer in the veggies and butter, toss and cook a few. Next add the broth and milk, season again. Seasoning as you go really builds the soups flavor!
Coverer and simmer on low until all veg is fork tender. Use an immersion blender and blended all until creamy.

Optional
Top with crispy chickpeas flavored with cumin, curry, s+p, coconut oil.
Kale chips flavored with coconut oil, nutritional yeast, acv, s+p.
Placed both a dehydrator at 118 for several hrs until crispy. Kale can be removed long before the chickpeas. You could use an oven on a low setting or air fryer but the dehydrator is our fave.

Remember that pancetta? Used that as a topper too!

We made this for family during the holidays and was loved by all so we thought you guys might enjoy too! Let me know if you make it.

Love + Eat Well,
By Natalie