• Asparagus: Loaded with vitamin E, this spring gem protects your skin from damage and supports cell regeneration for a youthful glow.
• Strawberries: Bursting with vitamin C, strawberries boost collagen production, helping your skin stay firm and radiant while fighting free radicals.
• Zucchini: With its high water content, zucchini hydrates your skin from the inside, keeping it plump and supple.
• Carrots: Rich in beta-carotene, carrots promote skin repair and give you that natural, sun-kissed radiance.
• Spinach: Packed with antioxidants and iron, spinach reduces inflammation and supports healthy blood flow for a vibrant complexion.

Some meals feel like a quiet celebration of the season — bright, grounding, and full of life. This Sumo Orange & Beet Salad is exactly that: a colorful, nourishing bowl that supports your skin from the inside while tasting like pure spring renewal.

Beets bring betalains and folate to help with detoxification and circulation (hello, natural flush and even tone). Sumo oranges (or any sweet, juicy orange) deliver vitamin C and antioxidants to brighten and support collagen. Walnuts add omega-3s for barrier repair and hydration, goat cheese offers gentle protein and probiotics, and the greens provide chlorophyll and minerals for that deep, alive glow.

It’s light yet satisfying — perfect for lunch, a side, or a standalone moment of self-care.

Sumo Orange & Beet Salad

(Serves 2–3)

Ingredients

For the salad

• 3–4 small to medium beets (roasted or boiled, cooled, and sliced or cubed)
• 1 large Sumo orange (or Cara Cara/navel oranges), peeled and sliced into rounds or supremes
• ½ small red onion, thinly sliced
• 4–5 cups mixed greens (arugula, baby spinach, or spring mix)
• ⅓ cup raw or toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
• 3–4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

Optional topping

• A sprinkle of your favorite granola for crunch and extra texture

For the dressing

• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp honey (raw preferred)
• Pinch of sea salt
• Fresh black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Prepare the beets (if not already done): Roast at 400°F for 45–60 minutes until tender (or boil 30–40 minutes). Let cool, peel, and slice or cube.
2. Make the dressing: In a small jar or bowl, whisk together Dijon mustard, olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper until smooth and emulsified. Taste and adjust seasoning.
3. Assemble the salad: On a large platter or individual plates, layer the greens as the base. Arrange beet slices, orange rounds, red onion, walnuts, and crumbled goat cheese on top.
4. Dress and finish: Drizzle generously with the dressing. Toss lightly if desired, or leave artfully arranged.
5. Optional: Sprinkle a little granola over the top for added crunch and a satisfying contrast.

Serve immediately while the colors are vivid and the textures are perfect.

Why this is a glow food

• Beets — Betalains fight inflammation and support liver detox for clearer, brighter skin
• Sumo oranges — High in vitamin C to boost collagen production and protect against free radicals
• Walnuts — Omega-3s and vitamin E nourish the skin barrier and calm redness
• Goat cheese — Gentle protein + probiotics for gut-skin connection and hydration
• Greens — Chlorophyll and minerals help oxygenate and alkalize for that inner radiance
• Olive oil — Healthy fats enhance absorption of fat-soluble nutrients and lock in moisture

This salad isn’t just food — it’s a love note to your body. Eat slowly, savor every bite, and let your skin reflect the care you’re giving it.

Love + Eat Well,

by natalie

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 or ribbon 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