In this solo episode of Mona-Vated, I dive deep into one of my favorite topics: food as medicine. Whether I'm dealing with uncomfortable bloating, inflammation, or fatigue, I love finding ways to nourish and heal myself with simple whole foods and creative strategies. From soaking and pressure-cooking beans to increase digestibility, to preparing mineral-rich water with leftover veggies, to syncing meals with your menstrual cycle using wisdom from traditional Iranian, Chinese, and Ayurvedic medicine — there are a lot of simple steps you can take in your everyday life that can have a big effect on how you feel in your body. In this episode, I really nerd-out and share my personal food strategies to support gut health, reduce inflammation, and optimize energy. Plus, I go into my unexpected prep list for blood draws and why I keeps seaweed snacks in the fridge. This is a shorter episode, so if there are any health challenges you're facing right now that you'd like to tackle holistically— let us know, and I'll try to share what's worked for me and other holistic strategies you can try!