And please don’t feel like you need to replace everything at once! I think the easiest way to do this is to use what you have and slowly make swaps as you run out.

from kitchen staples to bathroom products

PAIGES PICKS:

My overall favorite cleaning system- BRANCH BASICS

Dish Soap- DIRTY LABS

Dishwasher Pods- MOLLYS SUDS or PURACY

Laundry Detergent- BIOKLEEN

Shower head- JOLIE

All My Kitchen Favs- HERE

Body Self Tan- BEAUTY BY EARTH

Face Self Tan- BEAUTY BY EARTH

Face Cleanser- ACURE

Face oil / moisturizer- BEAUTY BY EARTH

Fragrance- MORNING SUN SKIN ;)

This entire category is actually part of WHY I started Morning Sun. I wanted something that gave me that delicious, long-lasting fragrance experience I love while also being something I felt good about putting all over my body. I’m launching with Salted Sun + Vanilla Sun, and I genuinely cannot wait for you guys to smell them!

Clean Toothpaste- BOKA

Dry Shampoo- PRIMALLY PURE

Fav tinted lip balm- TOWER28

Fav Blush- TOWER28

Period Care- THIS IS L

Home Fragrance Spray- REALM (santal is my favorite scent)

You do not need to live a perfectly “non-toxic” life, I certainly don’t. For me, it’s about looking at the things I’m exposed to every single day and making better choices where it’s realistic. And I think that’s the part of the wellness world that sometimes gets lost.

You don’t have to be perfect for a swap to be worthwhile. Eat takeout out of the plastic container sometimes. Forget your glass water bottle and drink out of a plastic one. You’re going to be okay. I just like knowing that the products I use over and over and over again are products I’ve intentionally chosen!

And more importantly, clean doesn’t get a free pass for being bad! My mascara still needs to make my lashes look good. My laundry detergent needs to actually clean my clothes. My pans need to cook my eggs without ruining my morning. And my perfume needs to make me smell amazing.

These are the products that have actually made the cut for me. I’ll keep this list updated whenever I find something new I love!

xx Paige

I always love reading these from other people because it’s how I end up finding so many random little things that become part of my everyday life.

So I thought I’d share a few things I’ve genuinely been loving lately! from products to little habits that have been making my days feel a little better!

1. My SURI toothbrush

I know this is an interesting one to kick off a favorites list, but hear me out!

When I moved into my apartment in June, I realized my bathroom barely has any counter space, it basically just has one big sink.

So I started looking for an electric toothbrush that didn’t take up a ton of room, and that’s when I started using the SURI toothbrush. It’s one of those products that just makes my routine feel more elevated. It’s sleek, lightweight, gives such a good clean, and doesn’t take up my entire bathroom counter.

What I especially love is the travel case. It has built-in UV-C cleaning and the brush has up to 4 weeks battery life, so I can throw it in my suitcase without worrying about my toothbrush just floating around in my toiletry bag. If you’ve been wanting to upgrade your toothbrush, you can use my code PAIGE for 15% off using the link below!

SURI Toothbrush

2. homemade matcha concentrate

This has been saving me soooo much time. Instead of whisking matcha every morning, I’ve been making a few days’ worth at once and keeping it in the fridge. Every morning I just pour some over ice, add almond milk and a splash of creamer, and it’s done in 30 seconds. It’s also been saving me so much money because I’m not running out to buy matcha nearly as often! I don’t think I’ll ever go back

3. phone-in-pocket walks

I’ve been trying to leave my phone in my bag for at least part of my walk. No podcast. No music. No checking notifications. Just the ocean, sunshine, and letting my brain wander for a bit. Highly recommend

4. testing Morning Sun fragrances

This has honestly become my favorite part of building Morning Sun! We’ve gone through so many versions of each scent to get them exactly right. It’s crazy how one tiny adjustment can completely change the fragrance, so it’s been really fun (and surprisingly technical) working with the lab to perfect everything. I seriously cannot wait for you guys to smell Salted Sun and Vanilla Sun!!!

5. my breakfast

Lately it’s been two eggs, chicken apple sausage, and whatever fruit I pick up from the farmers market almost every morning. Nothing fancy, just simple, protein-forward!

6. books before bed

I’ve been trying to swap 20 minutes of scrolling for reading before I fall asleep. I feel like I’ve been saying I wanted to do this forever, but I’m finally making it a habit. I’m definitely not perfect at it, but on the nights I read instead of scroll, I sleep better and wake up feeling way less overstimulated.

My favorite books so far have been The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Malibu Rising, and This Summer Will Be Different! If you have any book recommendations, send them my way because I’m trying to keep this habit going!!

I would loveeee to hear what you’ve all been loving lately! It can be a product, a recipe, a habit, a book, literally anything! I always end up finding some of my favorite things from other people’s recommendations!!

Have the best week!
xx Paige

Morning sunlight. Breathwork. Meditation. Journaling. Cold plunges. No phone for the first hour of the day. A 12-step nighttime routine. All amazing things!!! But sometimes the thought of doing all the things that are supposed to make me less stressed… stresses me out lol.

Over the years, I’ve realized that supporting my nervous system doesn’t have to mean completely restructuring my life. A lot of the things that make the biggest difference for me take literally a few minutes (or happen while I’m doing something else anyway).

So these are my lazy-girl nervous system tricks !

Not a perfect routine. Not a checklist I force myself to finish every day. Just little things I come back to when I notice I’m feeling overstimulated, anxious, wired, exhausted, or just off.

1. Legs up the wall

If you know me, you knew this was going to be on here. This might be the highest reward-to-effort ratio wellness habit ever because you quite literally just… lie there.

I’ll put my legs up the wall or over the back of my couch for 5–10 minutes, especially after a long day or when I feel like I’ve been running around nonstop.

Sometimes I scroll. Sometimes I put on a podcast. Sometimes I actually close my eyes and relax like the wellness queen I pretend to be.

But either way, it creates this little forced pause in my day where my body gets the message that we are no longer running from a tiger.

Lazy girl rating: 10/10.

2. The physiological sigh

This is my favorite breathing trick because I don’t have the patience to count my breathing for 15 minutes.

Take one inhale through your nose, take a second little inhale on top of it, and then do one long, slow exhale through your mouth. That’s it!

I usually do a few rounds when I notice myself getting worked up, before a stressful conversation, sitting in traffic, or when my brain has 37 tabs open at once.

It takes less than a minute, which means I will actually do it.

3. Humming

This one sounds so stupid until you try it. Sometimes in the car I’ll literally hum along to a song instead of singing it. Humming naturally makes you extend your exhale, and the vibration around your throat can feel incredibly calming. You don’t need to sit cross-legged in silence and hum “ommmm” (although you absolutely can)

I personally prefer doing it to Sabrina Carpenter haha

4. Making my mornings less aggressive

I used to think a productive morning meant immediately getting up, checking everything, answering everyone, working out, getting caffeine in my system and GOING. Now I really try not to make the first 10 minutes of my day feel like an emergency. Open the blinds, drink some water, stand outside for a minute, make my matcha. THEN enter society.

I’m not perfect about staying off my phone in the morning, and I’m not even going try to pretend I am. But even delaying the immediate influx of emails, texts, Instagram, TikTok and approximately 600 people’s thoughts by a few minutes makes a difference

5. Walking without making it a workout

One of the best things I’ve done for myself is stop believing every walk needs to be optimized. Sometimes I don’t track it, sometimes I walk slowly, sometimes it’s literally 10 minutes. Sometimes I call my mom or a friend and suddenly I’ve walked for 45 minutes without realizing it.

Movement doesn’t always need to be about burning calories or hitting 10,000 steps. Sometimes I just need to move my body and get out of my own head

6. Eating before I become a different person

I cannot emphasize this enough lol. There is a very specific point where “I’m a little hungry” turns into me feeling shaky, irritated, overwhelmed and like every minor inconvenience is suddenly a personal attack. I try to avoid getting there. For me, keeping meals balanced with protein, carbs, fats and fiber helps me feel much more steady throughout the day.

And I alwaysssss have snacks around.

Because sometimes nervous system support is deep breathing, and sometimes it is eating a turkey roll-up before you start crying over an email.

just posted this 15 mins dinner I can’t stop craving HERE

7. The 10-minute floor reset

This is exactly what it sounds like. When I’m overstimulated and don’t know what I need, I lie on the floor. No yoga sequence, no meditation. Just floor!

Sometimes I put my feet on the couch, sometimes I stretch, sometimes I stare at the ceiling.

I don’t know why lying on the floor feels approximately 400% more therapeutic than lying in bed, but it does.

If you’re having one of those days where everything feels like too much, try floor.

8. Shaking out the weird energy

This one makes you look insane, so I recommend doing it in your bedroom lol

But if I’ve been sitting at my computer forever or I feel that weird restless energy in my body, I’ll literally stand up and shake out my arms and legs for 30 seconds.

Think dog getting out of the ocean haha, that’s the technique!

I feel ridiculous every single time and noticeably better afterward. I imagine shaking out alllll that doesn’t serve it’s purpose in me anymore

9. Making my environment feel safe

This is probably the least “wellness” thing on this list and maybe one of the most important! Dim the lights, clean up the pile that’s been bothering me, turn on a lamp instead of the overhead light, put my phone on DND. Light a candle (non-toxic of course). Turn the TV off if I’m not actually watching it, put on music!

Our brains are taking in SO much information all day long, and sometimes I don’t realize how overstimulated I am until I remove some of it.

You don’t always need another supplement, sometimes you just need to turn the big light off

10. Not trying to “fix” myself every time I feel bad

This has probably been the biggest one for me.

I’m someone who LOVES wellness. I love learning about my body, I love figuring out why I feel a certain way! But that can also turn into constantly scanning yourself. Why am I tired, why am I anxious, why do I feel weird?

Is it my hormones? My cortisol? My thyroid? My blood sugar? Did I sleep badly? Do I need magnesium? Am I deficient in something???

And suddenly a normal off day has become an investigation! Sometimes I have to remind myself that I am allowed to just have a weird day. I don’t have to immediately optimize it.

I can eat dinner, take a shower, go to bed early and see how I feel tomorrow. And weirdly, giving myself permission to not fix it often makes me feel better faster.

I think that’s the biggest thing I’ve learned about nervous system support in general: It shouldn’t become another thing you’re failing at.

Your nervous system is responding to tiny signals all day long. A slower breath, food when you’re hungry, sun on your face, a walk around the block, putting your phone down, calling someone who makes you feel safe, turning off the freaking overhead light… Those things count!

And personally, I think the best wellness habits are the ones that are easy enough to actually become part of your life !

hope this helped & HAPPY HUMP DAY (:

see ya on Sunday

xx Paige

Then my doctor prescribed me progesterone cream! Not a pill, a cream.

I remember thinking, Wait... you’re telling me if I rub this on my skin, it can change my hormone levels?

That was honestly the moment everything clicked for me. Because if my body could absorb something beneficial through my skin, what else was I putting on it every single day?

That question sent me down a rabbit hole that completely changed how I looked at skincare!

Most of us spend so much time thinking about what we put in our bodies. We read nutrition labels, prioritize protein, buy filtered water, take supplements, and try to eat more whole foods. But until that moment, I had never really stopped to think about what I was putting on my body.

Your skin is your largest organ, and while it’s incredibly good at protecting us, it can also absorb certain ingredients. That’s why medications like hormone creams, nicotine patches, pain patches, and estrogen patches work in the first place. Not everything you apply gets absorbed to the same degree, but it made me realize that what we use every single day is worth paying attention to.

As I started learning more, I kept coming across research on endocrine-disrupting chemicals. These are ingredients that are being studied for their potential to interfere with our endocrine system, the network of glands and hormones that helps regulate things like our menstrual cycle, thyroid function, fertility, metabolism, mood, sleep, and more.

One thing that especially caught my attention was fragrance! If you’ve ever looked at the back of a body lotion or perfume, you’ve probably seen the word “fragrance” listed as a single ingredient. The interesting part is that fragrance isn’t actually one ingredient, it’s a catch-all term for a proprietary blend that can contain many different components, and companies generally aren’t required to disclose exactly what’s inside that blend.

I decided that I wanted to be much more intentional about the products I was using every day, especially the ones that stayed on my skin for hours.

Products that smelled amazing weren’t made with the kinds of ingredients I personally wanted to use. And products marketed as “clean” usually smelled good for about ten minutes before completely disappearing. I wanted something that did both

Something that felt elevated, made my skin look glowy, smelled amazing all day, and was created with ingredients I personally felt good about putting on my body.

So... I decided to make it !! For the past year and a half, I’ve been quietly building Morning Sun Skin

I had the opportunity to work alongside an incredible lab to create fragrances that smelled luxurious while meeting the ingredient standards that were important to me. Let me tell you... that was not easy lol. We went through sample after sample, tweaking every little detail until everything felt just right.

After what felt like endless rounds of testing, we landed on two scents that I created and am completely obsessed with: Salted Sun & Vanilla Sun.

It’s a project that’s become so much bigger than just a body oil. It’s really the product I couldn’t find anywhere else, the one I kept wishing existed!

Over the next few months, I’m going to take you behind the scenes of everything: the formulation process, why I chose a body oil over a lotion, the scent development, packaging, ingredients, and all the little details that went into creating it. I’m soooo excited to share it with you because I’ve been learning so much myself!

this is a video of my applying one of the first samples after a beach day!

If you’d like to be the first to know when Morning Sun Skin launches (and get a few fun surprises along the way), you can join the waitlist here!

morningsunskin.com

I have a feeling you’re going to looooove what’s coming. :)

xx,
Paige

Don’t get me wrong, some of these things absolutely have a place! I loveeeee experimenting with new wellness products and habits. I’m definitely someone who gets excited to try something new

But if I’m being completely honest, none of them are the reason I feel healthier today than I did a few years ago.

Ironically, the biggest changes came from the things that are honestly kind of boring. The habits no one wants to make a TikTok about because it probably won’t go viral

If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by wellness lately, consider this your reminder that you probably don’t need to do more. You might just need to do the basics really, really well

if I had to start my health journey over tomorrow...

these are the habits I’d prioritize before buying another supplement or trying another trend

1. eat enough protein before noon

This one changed everything for me!!!

When I started consistently eating a high-protein breakfast, I noticed my energy became steadier, my cravings got a lottt quieter, and I stopped thinking about food all day. Instead of constantly reaching for snacks, I actually felt satisfied. This is because I’m setting my blood sugar up for success first thing in the morning instead of riding the blood sugar roller coaster all day.

I aim for around 30 grams in the morning, and it’s one of the simplest habits that’s had the biggest payoff. It doesn’t have to be perfect either. Some mornings it’s eggs and chicken sausage, some mornings it’s a Greek yogurt bowl, some mornings it’s leftovers from dinner, sometimes it’s just a protein bar. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s consistency

I loveee these egg muffins from my cookbook

2. get outside before opening your laptop (ideally your phone too)

5 or 10 minutes of morning sunlight sounds way too simple, but it’s one of the best things you can do for your circadian rhythm, energy, and sleep

I try to step outside before checking emails whenever I can. Sometimes it’s just me, my matcha, and no phone. It’s such a small habit, but it changes the tone of my whole day

I think we’ve normalized waking up and immediately consuming everyone else’s thoughts before we’ve even had one of our own. Giving yourself even 5 quiet minutes outside before the notifications start is honestly one of the best forms of self-care

3. walk more.

Not because it burns calories. Because it helps digestion, lowers stress, supports blood sugar, and somehow helps me solve every problem after a 20-minute walk.

Some of my best ideas have come while walking on the beach, not sitting at my computer staring at a screen trying to force inspiration.

Walking is one of those habits that almost feels too simple to “count,” but I genuinely think it’s one of the most underrated things you can do for your health. If you’re overwhelmed by where to start, start with a walk

4. question every wellness purchase

before I buy something new, I always ask myself:

“Am I trying to solve a problem that could be improved by eating enough protein, getting outside, walking more, managing my stress, or sleeping a little more?”

sometimes the answer is no, and the product is worth trying. but honestly, lot of the time, the answer is yes!

the wellness industry is incredible in sooooo many ways, but it’s also really good at convincing us that the next purchase is going to change our lives

most of the habits that have genuinely changed mine are either free or cost very little

5. stop trying to optimize every second of your life.

Somewhere along the way, wellness became another competition. We’re tracking our sleep, our steps, our macros, our workouts, our HRV, our water intake, our fasting window... and before we know it, we’re stressing ourselves out trying to be healthy

Health isn’t about squeezing every ounce of optimization out of your day. Sometimes it’s ordering dinner with friends instead of stressing over the “perfect” meal. Sometimes it’s staying up a little later because you’re laughing so hard you lose track of time. Sometimes it’s skipping the workout because your body genuinely needs a slower day. Your health should support your life, not become your life !

Each year that goes by, the more I realize that wellness isn’t about doing the most. It’s about doing the right things consistently. I still loveeee trying new wellness products. I’ll probably always be the girl testing the newest matcha, supplement, or healthy recipe because it’s fun (and honestly, it’s part of my job) But if I had to strip everything away and start over tomorrow, these are the habits I’d build first :)

Happy Monday!! Talk sooooon

xx Paige

But I didn’t feel normal. And I know so many of you have lived this exact moment, sitting in a paper gown, holding a printout that says you’re fine, wondering if it’s all in your head.

It’s not in your head. Let’s diveee in

“normal” is not the same as “optimal”

Here’s the thing nobody explains to you in that appointment: most lab reference ranges are built from averages across a huge population, including people who aren’t feeling their best either. So “normal” often just means “you’re not in a danger zone.”

Not in a danger zone is not the same as thriving.

You can be inside the reference range and still be running on empty. You can be “fine” on paper and still be waking up at 3am, crashing every afternoon, and crying on a Tuesday for no reason.

Your symptoms are data too. Fatigue is data. Cycle changes are data. Skin, sleep, mood, cravings... all of it is your body communicating with you. A lab printout is one snapshot; your lived experience is the whole movie.

why you can feel off with “perfect” labs

So much of what makes us feel off lives in the patterns a single blood draw can’t capture:

Blood sugar swings. Your fasting glucose can look great while you’re still riding a rollercoaster all day: spike at breakfast, crash at 3pm, wired at night. (If you read the first hour, you already know this is foundation #1!)

Cortisol rhythm. Cortisol is supposed to follow a daily curve, higher in the morning and gently tapering at night. When that rhythm flips (hello, wired-but-tired), you feel it everywhere, even when a one-time reading looks fine.

Your cycle. Hormones shift across the month, so when you test matters so much. A “normal” result on day 3 doesn’t tell the whole story of what’s happening on day 21.

Your nervous system. You know I’m going to say it: the nervous system runs the show. There is no lab value for “I’ve been in fight-or-flight for six months.” But your body knows.

what I wish someone had told me

This is the part I want you to screenshot:

You are allowed to keep asking questions about your own body.

A normal lab result is not a door closing. It’s just one clue. Here’s what actually moved the needle for me, and what I’d gently offer to any of you in the messy middle right now:

1. Start tracking, not tricking. Before changing anything, just notice for two weeks. Energy, mood, sleep, cravings, where you are in your cycle. Patterns will emerge, I promise. This becomes GOLD to bring to your next appointment

2. Bring symptoms, not just vibes. “I feel off” is easy to dismiss. “I crash every day between 2–4pm, I wake at 3am four nights a week, and my PMS has doubled in the last six months” is a pattern a good practitioner can work with

3. Ask what was actually tested. “Normal labs” often means a basic panel. It’s completely okay to ask: what did we test, when in my cycle, and what else could we look at? You’re not being difficult. You’re being your own advocate

4. Find someone who listens. If a provider makes you feel crazy for having symptoms, that’s information. It took me a few tries to find people who took the full picture seriously, and it was worth every awkward “I’d like a second opinion”

5. Build the foundation while you investigate. Protein-forward mornings, morning sunlight, walks, real rest, meals that love your blood sugar back. None of this requires a diagnosis to start, and all of it creates the internal safety your body needs to heal. Healing happens when your body feels safe. Always has, always will!

you know your body best

If I had accepted “your labs are normal” as the final answer, there would be no Back to Balance. No Sync & Savor. None of this. My “normal” labs were the beginning of my health journey, not the end of it!

So if you’re in that in-between place right now (printout says fine, body says otherwise), please hear me: you are not dramatic, you are not broken, and you are definitely not alone. There are over 11,000 of us in here who get it!

if this post put words to something you’ve been feeling, forward it to the friend who needs to hear “it’s not in your head” today. That’s how this community grows: one woman telling another woman she’s not crazy

You deserve to feel amazing, not just “normal”!!

xx Paige

Every newsletter that disappears for 2.5 weeks is legally required to open with an apology and a vague excuse, so here’s mine: life got loud, my drafts folder got full, and every time I sat down to write, I didn’t know what to say. Which is, of course, how the silence gets longer. But we’re so back, consider the seal broken

I fell down a rabbit hole I want to share, because it changedddd how I cook this summer: salting things earlier than feels reasonable. Not more salt, earlier salt! Tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, chicken, all of it. Salt pulls water out, seasons deeply instead of just on the surface, and turns “fine” into “why is this so good.” The tomato salad at the bottom of this post is basically a delivery vehicle for this one idea. Ten minutes of sitting time and the tomatoes go from grocery-store polite to genuinely juicy. It costs nothing. It’s the closest thing cooking has to a cheat code

things I loved this month

a kitchen thing: frozen grapes. a heat wave dessert that requires zero skill. every July I rediscover them like an archaeologist

a habit thing: I started writing a “done list” instead of a to-do list at the end of the day. same info, completely different emotional experience. the to-do list says “you failed to do 11 things.” the done list says “look at you, you called the dentist AND made dinner.” highly recommend for anyone whose brain keeps score unfairly!

okay, we need to talk about the parasite

(great sentence to type in a food newsletter)

If you’ve seen headlines about a “diarrhea parasite” and are scared to eat your salad, here’s the actual situation, minus the panic. There’s a genuinely large outbreak of cyclosporiasis happening right now, a gut illness caused by a microscopic parasite called Cyclospora that hitches a ride on fresh produce. Thousands of cases across dozens of states, heavily concentrated in the Midwest, and investigators currently suspect lettuce and salad greens as a likely source.

Here’s the thing nobody’s saying loudly enough: the official advice is not “avoid fruits and vegetables.” It’s wash everything under running water (yes, even the prewashed stuff), and know that cooking kills this thing completely! Outbreaks like this have traced back to a pretty short list: leafy greens, raspberries, basil, cilantro, snow peas. So the practical move right now isn’t fear, it’s a temporary pivot: go easy on raw leafy greens and delicate fresh herbs for a bit, and shift your produce love toward things that are cooked, peeled, or just not on the suspect list.

As a holistic nutritionist, my biggest worry isn’t the parasite, it’s people quietly dropping their fiber intake to zero because salad suddenly feels scary! Your gut still needs the fiber. So here’s how to keep it fed without a single raw leaf:

• Cooked vegetables are still vegetables. Roasted broccoli, sautéed zucchini, braised greens, blistered green beans, caramelized cabbage. Cooking doesn’t “kill” fiber, it’s heat-stable

• Legumes are the fiber MVPs anyway. A cup of lentils or black beans out-fibers most salads by a comfortable margin. Beans, chickpeas, split peas- all cooked by definition, all gut-flora gold!

• Whole grains and seeds carry serious weight. Oats, barley, farro, brown rice. A tablespoon or 2 of chia in your yogurt or ground flax in your oatmeal adds fiber plus omega-3s without a vegetable in sight!

• Peelable and thick-skinned fruit is your friend. Bananas, oranges, melon, mango, avocado, anything where you remove the outside is a lower-risk way to keep fruit in rotation.

Quick meal ideas while we ride this out: lentil soup with cumin and lemon; a roasted-everything sheet pan (sweet potato, broccoli, chickpeas) over quinoa; black bean tacos with cooked salsa instead of pico; overnight oats with chia, banana, and peanut butter. You’ll notice the recipes below already lean this direction… that wasn’t an accident

Okay. Recipes. You’ve earned them:

Recipe #1: The Tomato Salad That Justified This Whole Post

The early-salting thing, in action. This is barely a recipe and that’s the point.

You need: 2 lbs of the best tomatoes you can find (mixed sizes and colors if you’re feeling fancy), 1 tsp flaky salt, 2 tbsp good olive oil, 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, 1 small shallot sliced paper-thin, a big handful of torn basil, black pepper, and optionally some torn crusty gluten free sourdough

Do this: Cut the tomatoes into fat, irregular chunks. Salt them, toss gently, and walk away for 10–15 minutes. When you come back there will be juice pooling at the bottom of the bowl, that’s the good stuff, do not drain it. Add the shallot, oil, and vinegar, toss, then the basil (but maybe avoid this right now) and a lot of black pepper. If using bread, add it last and let it soak up the juices for a couple minutes. Eat immediately, ideally standing over the counter.

Recipe #2: Lazy Person’s Crispy Chickpea Bowl

For the nights when cooking feels like a personal attack but takeout feels like giving up. Also, not coincidentally, a poster child for outbreak-proof fiber: everything here is cooked, canned, or peelable, and two cans of chickpeas quietly out-fiber a week of sad desk salads.

You need: 2 cans chickpeas (drained, patted very dry), 3 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp cumin, ½ tsp garlic powder, salt. Plus whatever bowl-adjacent things you have: rice or couscous, yogurt, a cucumber, a lemon, hot sauce.

Do this: Toss the chickpeas with oil, spices, and salt. Roast at 425°F for 25–30 minutes, shaking the pan once, until they’re crackly and some have burst open (the burst ones are the best ones). Pile onto rice, add a mound of yogurt seasoned with lemon and salt, chopped cucumber, and hot sauce with an irresponsible hand. Peel the cucumber if you’re being extra careful this month. The chickpeas stay crunchy for about an hour, which is exactly how long leftovers of this survive anyway.

Recipe #3: Two-Ingredient Emergency Dessert

You need: Good vanilla ice cream and olive oil. Trust the process. (Flaky salt makes it three ingredients and makes it perfect.)

Do this: Scoop the ice cream. Drizzle generously with your fruitiest, most peppery olive oil. Pinch of flaky salt on top

That’s it. That’s the comeback post. Just me, back in your inbox, telling you to salt your tomatoes earlier

BRB back to business (beach & cooking):

xx Paige

Hi friendssss!

I want to tell you about a part of your body that is quietly running your hormones and almost nobody talks about when talking about hormone health!

Your gut.

And specifically, the part of your gut that decides whether your estrogen leaves your body… or gets recycled back into it.

Stay with me, because once you understand this, about six different symptoms you’ve been blaming on bad luck make suddenly make sense.

estrogen doesn’t just disappear

Here’s the thing nobody explained to me for years: your body doesn’t only make estrogen, it also has to get rid of it. Every month you build estrogen up, use it, and then you have to clear the leftovers out. That clearing-out is just as important as the making, and honestly it’s the part that goes wrong for most of us.

The cleanup happens in three steps:

1. Your liver packages up the used estrogen so it’s ready to leave (this is the part most wellness people obsess over)

2. The packaged estrogen gets dumped into your gut via bile

3. Your gut walks it out the door when you… go to the bathroom

That third step is the one we never discuss, and it’s the one breaking down all over the place.

Living in your gut is a specific community of bacteria whose entire job is metabolizing estrogen. When your gut is happy and balanced, it lets that packaged-up estrogen leave like it’s supposed to. Smooth exit. See ya next month.

But when your gut is out of balance, or when you’re constipated and things just aren’t moving, something annoying happens: certain bacteria produce an enzyme that essentially un-packages the estrogen your liver worked so hard to wrap up, and that freed estrogen gets reabsorbed straight back into your bloodstream.

So now you’re walking around with last month’s estrogen plus this month’s. Circulating, building up, with nowhere to go.

This is the quiet engine behind so much of what gets dismissed as “just PMS.”

Here’s the symptom-stack (you know I love a symptom-stack). If estrogen isn’t clearing well, this is what it tends to look like:

• Constipated the week before your period? Estrogen’s not exiting. It’s sitting there getting reabsorbed

• Breakouts that show up like clockwork on your chin and jaw? Hormonal, and made worse by recirculating estrogen

• Breast tenderness so bad you can’t sleep on your stomach? Classic too-much-estrogen

• Periods getting heavier or more painful with the years? Same story

• Bloating, water retention, the “I gained 4 lbs overnight” thing? Estrogen holds onto water

• Mood swings, irritability, the rage that arrives like a weather system? Estrogen and your mood are deeply linked, and the swing gets worse when it’s not clearing cleanly

And here’s the part I really want you to hear: this is sooo fixable. It’s not your hormones being “broken.” It’s a traffic jam at the exit. We just have to open the door.

the “open the door” protocol

None of this is about restricting (that’s not how we do things here.) It’s about adding in the things that help estrogen actually leave. Four moves:

1. Fiber, and a lot more than you think. Fiber literally binds to estrogen in your gut and escorts it out before it can be reabsorbed. It also feeds your good estrobolome bacteria. Most women are eating maybe 12g a day and we want to be closer to 25–30g. The easiest wins: ground flaxseed (a tablespoon on yogurt, oatmeal, in a smoothie, anywhere), beans, lentils, chia, berries, kiwis, and leaving the skins ON your fruit and veg.

2. Cruciferous vegetables, on repeat. Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, arugula. These contain a compound that directly supports the liver side of estrogen clearance (step 1). Cabbage and broccoli are your MVPs. Aim for some form of cruciferous most days, it’s genuinely one of the highest-leverage foods for women.

3. Fermented foods, a spoonful most days. Sauerkraut, kimchi, plain yogurt, kefir, miso. These diversify your gut microbiome so the right bacteria are running the show. A forkful of kraut on the side of dinner counts. You don’t need a fancy 30-strain probiotic

4. Actually… go to the bathroom. Daily. I’m going to be the friend who says it: if you are not having a daily bowel movement, your estrogen has nowhere to go. Hydrate like it’s your job, get the fiber above, walk after meals, and if you need a nudge, magnesium glycinate or citrate at night helps a lot of women here (and supports sleep and PMS while it’s at it, my forever favorite mineral)

That’s it. Add fiber, eat the cruciferous, spoon the ferments, keep things moving. The exit opens!

a meal that does all four at once

I built this one specifically for this newsletter and it hits every single move above in one bowl. It’s become my actual lunch on repeat.

Roasted Broccoli & Crispy Chickpea Bowls with Flaxy-Miso Tahini

Why it works: broccoli (cruciferous, liver support) + chickpeas and quinoa (fiber + protein for blood sugar) + a dressing built on ground flax and miso (lignans, and fermented) + a pile of kraut on top (estrobolome love). This is basically an estrogen-clearing machine that happens to taste incredible.

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the bowls:

• 2 large heads broccoli, cut into florets

• 2 (15-oz) cans chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted very dry

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1½ cups quinoa, rinsed

• 3 cups broth or water

• Salt, pepper

• Sauerkraut or kimchi, to top

• Avocado, to serve

For the flaxy-miso tahini:

• ⅓ cup tahini

• 2 tablespoons white miso paste

• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed

• Juice of 1 lemon

• 1 garlic clove, grated

• 1–2 teaspoons maple syrup

• Warm water to thin

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Spread broccoli and chickpeas on a sheet pan (use two if it’s crowded, crowding = steaming, and we want crisp). Toss with olive oil, smoked paprika, cumin, a big pinch of salt, and pepper.

2. Roast 25–30 minutes, tossing once, until the broccoli edges are charred and the chickpeas are crispy.

3. Meanwhile, combine quinoa and broth in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

4. Whisk all the dressing ingredients together, adding warm water a tablespoon at a time until it’s pourable and silky. Taste, adjust salt and lemon.

5. Build: quinoa base, big pile of roasted broccoli and chickpeas, sliced avocado, a generous forkful of kraut or kimchi on the side. Drizzle the whole thing in the dressing. Don’t be shy with it.

6. Eat slowly. Go for a little walk after if you can. Your gut will literally thank you.

small things i’m loving while we’re here

• Ground flaxseed in literally everything (keep it in the fridge so it doesn’t go rancid!)

• A short walk after dinner instead of straight to the couch, it’s the most underrated digestion + blood sugar hack there is

• Magnesium glycinate at night, my desert-island supplement

• Castor oil packs over my lower belly on slow luteal evenings (cozy, and lovely for digestion)

• A really good body oil after the shower, the 90-second ritual that softens my whole evening 🌞

• Cherries. They’re everywhere right now and I’m not being normal about it

what to do this week

I’m not going to ask you to overhaul anything. Just this:

• One tablespoon of ground flax, every day

• Something cruciferous most days (roast a tray of broccoli, you’re done)

• A forkful of something fermented with dinner

• Water like it’s your job, and notice if things are moving

Give it two weeks and pay attention to your next luteal phase. The breast tenderness, the bloat, the mood, the breakouts, watch them get quieter. This is the kind of shift you feel.

ps, if this connected some dots for you, forward it to one woman in your life who’s been told her brutal PMS is “just normal”! It is so common, but it does not have to be your normal. We’re getting this into as many hands as we can :)

xx Paige

Twice a year, my DMs become a mix of “what’s actually worth buying?” and “please save me from spending money on random Amazon things.” So instead of sharing 500 products I don’t actually use, I pulled together the items I genuinely reach for over and over again. And since Prime Day officially kicked off today and runs through June 26, I thought it would be a good time to share

You can shop my full list here: My Prime Day Favorites List

In my storefront you’ll find non-toxic beauty products I use daily, the kitchen staples in my house, the clean pots & pans I use that are on sale, the air purifier I think is worth investing in, my fav shower head filter, the supplements I love, and some other wellness goodies!

My Prime Day Rule

Before I buy anything, I ask: “Will I still be using this six months from now?”

If the answer is no, it stays in the cart. If the answer is yes, and it’s on sale, Prime Day is usually when I stock up!

I use these sales less as an excuse to buy more and more as an opportunity to restock things I already know I love!

Happy Prime Day shoppinggggg

My Prime Day Favorites List

xx Paige

What I am interested in is this: my body wants different things in different parts of the month, and once I started actually listening, food got easier. I stopped fighting the cravings. I stopped trying to live on the same lunch year-round. I stopped pretending I wanted a salad during the week I clearly wanted a stew!

So here’s the practical version. Four phases, four meals I’ve actually been making in this cycle, with full recipes you can cook from. None of them are bound to one phase- you can have any of these any time! But these are the ones I keep returning to in each window because they meet my body where it’s at!

Welcome to Sunday Sync, my weekly series! Pour the matcha!

1. Menstrual phase: the soup week

(Days 1–5ish- your period)

Your body just dropped its hormones to baseline and is doing real, measurable physical work down there. You’ve probably also lost iron. What you need: warmth, iron, magnesium, easy digestion, and an absolute pass on doing anything strenuous. This is the week you make a big pot of something and eat it for three days

Slow-Cooked Beef & Mushroom Stew

Why it works: bone broth, red meat, and dark mushrooms together are basically an iron bath. The slow-cooked vegetables are gentle on a tender system. And it’s warm, which your uterus has strong opinions about!!

Ingredients (serves 4–6)

• 2 lbs stewing beef (chuck), cut into 2-inch cubes

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 2 yellow onions, diced

• 6 garlic cloves, smashed

• 3 carrots, cut into chunks

• 2 parsnips, cut into chunks

• 1 lb cremini or mixed mushrooms, halved

• 1 quart bone broth

• 4 sprigs fresh thyme

• 1 parmesan rind (optional but not really)

• 2 tablespoons miso paste (white or red)

• Salt, pepper, flaky salt to finish

Method

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Pat beef dry and season generously with salt and pepper

2. Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high. Brown beef in batches until deeply caramelized on all sides! Transfer to a plate

3. In the same pot, add onions and garlic. Cook 5 minutes until soft. Add carrots, parsnips, and mushrooms. Cook another 5

4. Return the beef and any juices. Add bone broth, thyme, and the parmesan rind. Bring to a gentle simmer

5. Cover and transfer to the oven. Cook 2.5–3 hours, until beef is fork-tender

6. Remove from oven. Stir in miso paste. Taste and adjust salt

7. Serve in big bowls with flaky salt, a drizzle of olive oil, and crusty bread if you have it. Take a nap after….

2. Follicular phase: the bright week

(Days 6–13ish- after your period, before ovulation)

Estrogen is climbing. You’re emerging. Your energy is returning, your skin is getting better, your brain is faster. Your body wants lighter, brighter, more energizing food- and it can handle it now.

Lemony Chicken & Quinoa Bowls with Herby Yogurt

Why it works: lean protein, complex carbs, a lot of herbs and acid, and a tangle of pickled crunch. Follicular phase tolerates this combination beautifully.

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the chicken:

• 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or 1.5 lbs boneless)

• Zest and juice of 2 lemons

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano (or 2 tsp dried)

• Salt, pepper

For the quinoa:

• 1½ cups quinoa, rinsed

• 3 cups chicken broth

• 1 bay leaf

• Pinch of salt

For the herby yogurt:

• 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt

• Juice of ½ lemon

• 1 garlic clove, grated

• 2 tablespoons chopped dill

• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

• Salt to taste

For the quick-pickled red onions:

• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced

• ⅓ cup red wine vinegar

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Toss chicken with lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, oregano, and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Arrange skin-side up on a sheet pan. Roast 30–35 minutes until golden and cooked through

2. While chicken roasts: combine red onion with vinegar, salt, and sugar in a small bowl. Let sit 20 minutes minimum

3. Combine quinoa, broth, bay leaf, and a pinch of salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 15 minutes. Fluff

4. Stir all yogurt ingredients together

5. Build bowls: quinoa base, chicken on top, generous dollop of yogurt, pile of pickled onions. Finish with extra fresh herbs and a drizzle of olive oil

3. Ovulation: the big-energy week

(Days 14–16ish- your peak)

This is your three-day window. Energy is highest, social capacity is highest, skin is having its main character moment. Your body can handle lighter, rawer, more cleansing food because everything is humming. Your liver is also working harder to clear out estrogen- feed it!

Roasted Salmon Over Crunchy Cabbage, Fennel & Radish

Why it works: lots of cruciferous and raw vegetables (cabbage especially) help your liver clear out the excess estrogen that just spiked. Salmon delivers the omega-3s your hormones are now grateful for. The dressing is bright and a little spicy, which suits this phase’s whole vibe

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the salmon:

• 4 6-oz salmon fillets, skin-on

• Olive oil

• Salt

• Lemon wedges, to serve

For the slaw:

• ½ small green cabbage, thinly shredded

• 1 small fennel bulb, thinly sliced

• 4 radishes, thinly sliced

• 1 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

• ½ cup mint, roughly chopped

• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

• ¼ cup toasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds

For the dressing:

• 3 tablespoons coconut aminos

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil

• Juice of 2 limes

• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup

• 1 small piece fresh ginger, grated

• 1 garlic clove, grated

• 1 teaspoon chili crisp (optional but recommended)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Pat salmon dry, brush with olive oil, and season with salt. Place skin-side down on a parchment-lined sheet pan

2. Roast 8–12 minutes, depending on thickness, until just opaque in the middle. (Pull it slightly under- it keeps cooking)

3. Toss all slaw ingredients in a big bowl. Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small one

4. Dress the slaw and toss generously

5. Pile slaw on plates. Flake salmon over the top. Finish with extra lime, more chili crisp if you want heat, and a small pile of fresh herbs

4. Luteal phase: the soft week

(Days 17–28ish- after ovulation, before your next period)

This is the inward turn. Progesterone is climbing. Estrogen is dropping. You are not the same woman you were last week. You need more sleep, more carbs, more fat, more solitude. You’ve entered a different season!

Crispy Chicken Thighs Over Creamy White Beans

Why it works: this phase wants comfort food and it actually needs the complex carbs (your serotonin is doing battle with PMS- carbs help)! White beans give you fiber, B vitamins, magnesium, and protein in one cozy pile. Chicken thighs are easier to digest than chicken breast in this phase. The chili crisp is for joy. Joy is a hormone modulator. (Made that up but it’s possibly true)

Ingredients (serves 4)

For the chicken:

• 4–6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs

• Olive oil

• 1 lemon, halved

• 2 sprigs rosemary

• Salt, pepper

For the beans:

• 2 (15-oz) cans cannellini or great northern beans (with their liquid)

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 5 garlic cloves, smashed

• 2 sprigs rosemary

• 1 parmesan rind + ¼ cup grated parmesan

• ¼ cup heavy cream (or full-fat coconut cream)

• 1 cup chicken broth

• Salt, pepper, red pepper flakes

To serve:

• Chili crisp

• Flaky salt

• Lemon wedges

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Pat chicken thighs very dry- this is the whole game for crispy skin. Season generously with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil

2. Arrange skin-side up on a sheet pan, with lemon halves and rosemary tucked around them. Roast 30–35 minutes until skin is crispy

3. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a wide skillet over medium. Add garlic, rosemary, and red pepper flakes. Cook 1–2 minutes until fragrant- don’t let it burn!

4. Add beans (with their canning liquid), parmesan rind, and chicken broth. Simmer 10 minutes, mashing some of the beans against the side of the pan to thicken

5. Stir in cream and grated parmesan. Taste, adjust salt. Remove parmesan rind

6. Pile beans in wide shallow bowls. Top with crispy chicken thighs. Drizzle with chili crisp. Finish with flaky salt and a squeeze of the roasted lemon. Eat in a robe!

The point of this isn’t to do it perfectly- it’s to start noticing! This is the version of eating with your cycle I can actually maintain. I hope it gives you permission to try the same!

If you want the long version of all of this- every meal mapped across the cycle, the framework I actually use, and a real plan instead of four standalone recipes- that’s exactly what my book Sync & Savor is! Same approach, 85 meals, way more recipes than I can fit in a Sunday newsletter! Linked here or grab it wherever you get your book! If you cook from it, send me a photo, it genuinely makes my week!!!

Forward this to a friend who’s been fighting her cycle, we’re building this together!!

xx Paige

I want to talk about something I’ve been meaning to write about for months but kept putting off because I wanted to really live it before I told you to do it. I’ve now lived it for almost a year and I can say without hesitation: this is the single biggest shift I’ve made to my health, my hormones, my mood, and my energy.

It’s about the first hour of your day

And specifically, two things you have to do in it, together, not separately. They’re each powerful on their own, but the magic is in the pairing!

the two things

1. Eat 20-30g of protein within 60 minutes of waking up. 2. Get 10 minutes of direct sunlight on your face within that same window.

That’s it. That’s the whole protocol. No cold plunge. No celery juice. No 14-step routine. Just protein + sun, in the first hour.

I know it sounds almost too simple to matter. Hear me out.

why protein in the first hour

When you wake up, your cortisol is high (that’s normal, it’s what wakes you up) and your blood sugar is at its baseline for the day. Whatever you put in your body first is going to set the trajectory for the next 12 hours~

If your first input is coffee on an empty stomach, or a smoothie made mostly of fruit, or “I’ll just eat later” - you’re spiking cortisol higher, then crashing your blood sugar, then chasing that crash with more caffeine or sugar all day. This is the cycle that’s wrecking so many women’s hormones without them realizing it. It’s also the #1 driver of the 3pm slump, the afternoon sweet craving, and the “why am I gaining weight when nothing has changed” panic.

30g of protein in the first hour does the opposite. It stabilizes blood sugar. It tells your body “we are safe, we are fed, we don’t need to panic-store anything.” It gives your liver and your hormones the building blocks they need to actually function. It blunts cortisol instead of feeding it!

You will feel the difference within the week, I promise.

What 20- 30g looks like (none of this requires cooking if you don’t want to cook):

• 2 eggs + 1 cup of cottage cheese on toast

• Greek yogurt bowl with 1 scoop protein powder + nuts + berries

• 2 eggs + 2 chicken sausages + avocado

• Smoothie: 1 scoop protein, almond milk, frozen banana, almond butter, chia seeds

• Leftover dinner… There’s no rule that breakfast has to be “breakfast food”

If you’ve been eating an oat milk latte and calling it breakfast, I love you, but no (:

why sunlight in the first hour

This is the one almost nobody talks about and it might be even more important than the protein.

Direct sunlight on your face within the first hour of waking up sets your circadian rhythm for the next 24 hours. It tells your brain what time it is. Which tells your cortisol when to rise and fall. Which tells your melatonin when to show up that night. Which tells your hormones the whole rest of the schedule.

When you skip morning sunlight, you’re essentially telling your body “we have no idea what time it is” and then we wonder why we’re tired at 10am and wired at 11pm.

Ten minutes is enough! Through a window does NOT count (glass blocks the wavelengths that matter). It has to be outside, no sunglasses for the first few minutes if you can, your eyes need the light too, even just indirectly.

I do mine on the balcony with my matcha. If you have a dog, walking them counts. If you have a kid, stroller walk counts. If you have a commute, park further and walk in. Sit outside on your front step. Anything! Just get outside, in actual daylight, in the first hour

why the pairing is the magic

Here’s what nobody connects: protein stabilizes your blood sugar, and sunlight stabilizes your circadian rhythm, and together they fix the two underlying systems that almost every “I just feel off” symptom traces back to.

PMS that’s getting worse? Blood sugar + circadian. Wired-but-tired at night? Blood sugar + circadian. Afternoon crashes? Blood sugar + circadian. Skin breaking out around your period? Blood sugar + circadian. Mood that swings for no reason? Blood sugar + circadian.

When I tell you this is the foundation, I mean it. Every other thing I do for my health (cycle syncing, supplements, workouts, the body oil rituals, all of it) is sitting on top of this base. Without these two things, nothing else really lands

what to do this week

Try it for 7 days, that’s all I’m asking

• 30g protein within 60 min of waking

• 10 min of outside sunlight in that same window

• Track nothing. Just notice.

By day 4 or 5 you’re going to feel a shift you can’t quite put words to. Reply and tell me what you noticed (I read every single one and these emails are my favorite part of the week)!

small things i’m loving while we’re here

• Cold-brewed matcha (4 hours in the fridge, smoother than anything)

• LMNT in the afternoon instead of a second matcha or coffee

• Sitting outside with bare feet on the ground (grounding is real, the research is there)

• A really good body oil after the shower, 90 seconds, slow, the whole day softens (more on this soon 🌞)

• Peaches. So many peaches.

That’s all for today! Love ya guys

ps if this email helped you, will you forward it to one woman in your life who’s been feeling off? I want to get this in as many hands as possible. It’s too simple to keep to ourselves!

xx Paige

But home is different. Home is the one environment we get full say over. It’s the one place where we get to choose what comes in, what stays out, and what we surround ourselves with every day. And considering we spend the majority of our lives indoors, it’s arguably one of the biggest inputs into our overall health.

So I protect it! Not perfectly, just intentionally! Also just posted a reel on this if you want to see what all these look like in my home!

HEPA Air Purifiers

This is non-negotiable for me after getting sick from mold. I keep an air purifier in every main room of my house. Indoor air is often more polluted than outdoor air, and a good purifier helps remove dust, allergens, mold spores, smoke particles, and the off-gassing compounds you can’t see

The air purifiers I personally use and trust are:

• Barnakl Air purifing pads (on my fan)

• Windmill Air Purifier (best looking purifiers I’ve found)

• AirDoctor Pro (pricey but worth it)

Non-Toxic Cookware

I ditched conventional nonstick cookware years ago! Many traditional nonstick coatings can release unwanted compounds when heated, especially at higher temperatures. Instead, I swapped to ceramic-coated cookware that I feel much better about using daily.

I use the brands Our Place & Caraway

• Our Place Pan

• Our Place air fryer/ wonder oven

• Caraway rice cooker

Non-Toxic Fragrance

This is one of the biggest hidden sources of chemical exposure in most homes!

Many conventional candles, plug-ins, and room sprays contain fragrance blends that can legally hide dozens of undisclosed ingredients. I still want my home to smell incredible, I just want cleaner options! The fragrance products I currently use are from Realm (loveeee this scent)!

Non-Toxic Cleaning Products

You’re spraying these onto every surface you touch and then breathing them in for hours. Switching to cleaner cleaning products was one of the easiest changes I made. I mainly use the brand Branch Basics for cleaning & laundry!

Food Storage

Another simple swap: glass over plastic whenever possible (especially for hot foods)! This Caraway set is pricey but it has been the best investment, I love it so much!

Otherwise, store leftovers in glass containers and try to avoid heating food in plastic. Again, not perfection… just reducing exposure where it’s easy!

Water Filtration

One of the easiest upgrades I made was adding a shower filter! It’s a simple swap that supports cleaner water exposure every single day. I use the Jolie shower filter & I really notice a difference in my hair and skin health!

And Then There Are the Free Habits

Honestly, some of the most powerful things I do don’t cost anything.

Open the Windows

Every single day! Even for ten minutes, even when it’s cold. Fresh air in, stale air out! It’s probably the cheapest air purifier you’ll ever own.

Minimize Dust

Dust is where so many unwanted things settle: pollutants, allergens, pet dander, and even microplastics. Unfortunately, daily vacuuming and wiping surfaces down really does help

Fight Mold Before It Starts

Run the bathroom fan, keep humidity under control, dry wet areas quickly, don’t leave damp towels or laundry sitting around.

Mold is one of the sneakiest things affecting people’s health, and many people have no idea it’s there!

Leave Your Shoes at the Door

One of the simplest habits with a surprisingly big impact! Everything from pesticides to dirt to bacteria gets tracked inside on the bottom of our shoes. Leave them at the door and your floors stay cleaner automatically.

The Goal Isn’t Perfection

You don’t have to do all of this at once, I certainly didn’t!

This has been years of learning, experimenting, and four different moves of slowly figuring out what actually matters.

Start with the air you breathe, then the surfaces you touch every day. Build from there. Health isn’t created by one perfect product, it’s created by hundreds of small choices that make your environment work for you instead of against you!

xx Paige

Tonight we get a blue moon- the second full moon in a single month, which doesn’t happen often (hence “once in a blue moon”). It’s also the smallest full moon of the entire year! Small, quiet, and somehow still the brightest thing in the sky, I can’t think of a more fitting way to close out May

The month already had its full moon weeks ago, and yet here’s another one, like the universe saying one more chance to let it go before we begin again. and god, did i need that this week.

I’ll be honest with you, because that’s the whole point of this little corner of the internet: this was one of the most emotionally charged weeks I’ve had in a longggggg time. A lot of grieving, not even just grieving people or things, grieving possibilities. the versions of my life I thought I was supposed to be living. the doors I kept propping open because closing them felt like failure, when really they were just draining me from the inside out.

I closed some of those doors this week, and it hurt in the way that healing usually does.

Here’s the thing I finally understood, sitting in the quiet of it all: if nothing changes, nothing changes. I know it sounds almost too simple to be profound, but it cracked something open in me. I had been choosing the discomfort I knew over the discomfort I didn’t, telling myself that staying put was the “safe” option. But staying somewhere that doesn’t serve you isn’t safe... it’s just slow

The unknown is scarier than staying. That’s exactly why we have to walk into it! Nothing new, no growth, no joy, no version of yourself you haven’t met yet- lives inside the place you’ve already outgrown! You have to get in the unknown

So that’s what i’m releasing tonight. the maybes, the someday-ifs, the doors. I’m protecting my peace like it’s the most valuable thing I own, because lately I’m pretty sure it is.

speaking of new doors… i moved. again.

If you’ve been here a while, you know this is my fourth move in four years. I’ve basically made a personality out of bubble wrap and brown boxes

But this one feels different. For the first time in a long time, I walked into a space and didn’t immediately start imagining the next one. Because this finally feels like a place to stay, I’m being so intentional about how I build it. Which brings me to the thing I get asked about more than anything else: how I make a non-toxic home!

I’m currently writing tomorrows substack, where I’ll share how important our home is for our health and all my tried and true products (with links) that I think would be worth investing in for your home!

before ya go

there’s a thread running through all of this, and I don’t think I noticed it until I started writing tonight: releasing and protecting are the same act. When you close a door that drains you, you’re protecting your peace. When you choose what comes into your home, you’re protecting your body. When you walk into the unknown, you’re protecting the version of you that’s still waiting to grow.

It’s all the same muscle, and this week, I used it more than I ever have!

so here’s my invitation for you under this blue moon: write down one thing you’re ready to release: one door, one habit, one “someday” that’s quietly weighing you down. and then let the moon take it! tomorrow is a new month, and you get to walk into it lighter!

if nothing changes, nothing changes, so let’s make the space to allow some change!

xx Paige

Here’s the move:

Blend 1 cup of cottage cheese with a splash of pasta water, lemon zest, a clove of garlic, salt, and olive oil until silky. It should look like a creamy sauce- no cottage cheese lumps, fully smooth. Set aside!

Then brown half a pound of ground beef in a pan with olive oil. When it’s halfway cooked, push it to one side and add a tablespoon of tomato paste to the empty side. Let the tomato paste caramelize for 30 seconds (it’ll darken and smell sweet), then stir it into the beef. Cook until fully browned.

Lastly, cook 8oz of pasta in well-salted water. Reserve some pasta water. Drain.

Toss the pasta with the cottage cheese sauce until every piece is coated. Fold in the beef. Pile into bowls. Top with a big handful of arugula, parmesan, a squeeze of lemon, cracked pepper, and a slow drizzle of olive oil!

four things I’m into this week

→ morning walks before phone. ten minutes outside in natural light before I touch a screen (most of the time). It’s the single best mood regulator I’ve found and it’s free! The science is real (sunlight in your eyes within an hour of waking helps regulate cortisol, melatonin, and serotonin), but you don’t even need to know that, you’ll feel the difference within a week

→ applying body oil instead of lotion. There’s something about the ritual- the slowness, the way it sinks in, the scent, the way your skin looks after (that lotion can never). More on this soon 🌞

→ the song “Mexico Honey” by kacey musgraves. Have listened to over 200 times this week

→ the cherry tomato situation at the farmers market. if you live somewhere with summer tomatoes, this is the two-week window where you don’t even need a recipe. olive oil, salt, sit on the counter and eat them whole. That’s it, that’s the post.

sync & savor giveaway!

thank you guys SO much for loving Sync & Savor!! this past month of seeing you all make the recipes from the book has truly been the coolest of my life! I want to thank you guys with a giveaway. Reviews are everything for new cookbooks and yours genuinely make a difference. If you guys leave an Amazon review HERE for the book and respond back to this email, I’ll enter you in the giveaway below! alllll my fav wellness finds:

a small behind-the-scenes

I’ll be vague on purpose. but I’ve been working on something for over a year that’s launching in november and this week brought me one step closer to it being real. It’s something I use every single day, it’s something I’ve been dreaming about for soooo long that I genuinely cannot believe it’s actually happening. And you, this newsletter community, will be the first to know everything!! before instagram, before tiktok, before anyone (you guys are my favorite).

That’s it for today! Go drink water, apply something to your skin slowly, eat the pasta, let yourself do less!

xx Paige

A lot of the wellness advice that’s being sold to women right now, (the stuff flooding your TikTok, your Pinterest boards, your favorite influencer’s page) is actively making your hormones worse. I know. Coming from a nutritionist with a hormone health newsletter, that’s a lot. But stay with me.

the “more is more” trap

When I was deep in my own hormonal chaos, struggling with PCOS and Hashimotos, I did everythinggggg “right.”

I cut out gluten, eliminated dairy, worked out six days a week, meal prepped, took a cabinet full of supplements, and I tracked everything.

Yet I almost felt like I was getting worse, not better.

What nobody told me was that all of that doing was a massive stressor on my nervous system and my adrenals. The relentless optimization that wellness culture celebrates? It reads as threat to your body. And a body that feels threatened does not regulate hormones well. It just doesn’t.

Cortisol goes up. Progesterone goes down. Your thyroid slows. Your cycle gets weird. And then you think you need to do more to fix it, so the cycle continues.

the specific advice I’d push back on

“Eat less, move more.” This is the one that makes me the most frustrated. For women with hormonal imbalances, undereating and overexercising is often the root cause, not the solution. Restriction spikes cortisol. Cortisol suppresses progesterone. Low progesterone means estrogen dominance. Estrogen dominance means weight fluctuations, mood issues, irregular cycles. The very things women are trying to fix by eating less and moving more.

“Cut out everything inflammatory.” An elimination diet can be genuinely useful as a short-term diagnostic tool. But I’ve watched so many women turn it into a permanent, fearful relationship with food, and chronic food fear is its own form of stress. Stress inflames. The restrictive diet meant to reduce inflammation can end up perpetuating it.

“You just need to optimize your morning routine.” Cold plunges, 5am workouts, intermittent fasting, hours of fasted cardio, a lot of this advice was developed on male physiology. Men operate on a 24-hour hormonal cycle. Women operate on a 28-ish day one. What’s “biohacking” for a man can be a hormonal stressor for a woman, especially if you’re doing it in phases of your cycle when your body is literally asking for warmth, rest, and nourishment.

what actually moved the needle for me

Eating more. Genuinely, I had to get over the fear of eating enough.

Exercising less intensely, more intuitively.

Sleeping like it was my job.

Reducing the number of supplements I was taking, and being strategic about the ones I kept.

And maybe the hardest one: tolerating not being perfectly “healthy” every single day. The obsession with wellness was its own dysfunction.

why I’m telling you this

Because I see it in your DMs constantly. You’re doing all the things and still not feeling well. You’re exhausted and inflamed and your period is all over the place and you feel like you must be doing something wrong.

You’re probably not doing something wrong. You might be doing too much of the right things, in the wrong way, at the wrong time in your cycle.

The most hormonal thing I ever did was slow down. Stop optimizing. Trust my body more than I trusted an algorithm.

That’s what Back to Balance actually means to me. Not perfect. Not optimized. Just, back to the signals your body is already sending you, if you get quiet enough to hear them.

xx Paige

I had a conversation on the plane yesterday that honestly kind of shifted something in my brain. We started talking about wellness, social media, girls, health, all of it. And he said something along the lines of “it’s not really about the recipes you post. It’s about the journey you experienced.”

And I haven’t stopped thinking about it. Because for a long time, I thought the goal was to figure out the perfect routine, the perfect supplement stack, the perfect diet, the perfect morning routine, the perfect workout split, the perfect “healthy girl” formula.

But I think what most women are actually looking for is to feel like themselves again. I know that’s what I was looking for. There were sooooooo many years where my life looked completely good from the outside. Living near the beach, great friends, building a career online, going to events, posting recipes, and trying to make the most out of my twenties.

And still… there were days I could barely get out of bed. Days where I felt so disconnected from myself physically and mentally that I genuinely started wondering if I was just lazy, dramatic, or weak.

I think a lot of women quietly feel this way, honestly. And what makes it harder is that so many of us still keep functioning while feeling terrible. We go to work, answer texts, show up to dinner, smile in photos, post the Instagram story. Meanwhile internally we’re exhausted, inflamed, anxious, overwhelmed, hormonal, disconnected, or just not okay.

I wish more people talked about that part. Not in a “everything is terrible” way. But in a real way. Because healing, at least for me, has not been one magical fix.

It wasn’t just food.
It wasn’t just hormones.
It wasn’t just supplements.
It wasn’t just therapy.
It wasn’t just sleep.

It’s been learning how to support myself as a whole person.

Food matters, obviously. I’ll always love creating recipes and sharing things that genuinely make people feel good. But over the years I’ve realized food is only one ingredient.

Feeling healthy is also:
sleeping enough
having people around you who make you feel safe
learning how to calm your nervous system
getting outside
finding purpose
laughing more
eating enough
having boundaries
moving your body because you love it, not because you hate it
learning how to trust yourself again

I think that’s the version of wellness I care about now. Not perfection, not optimization, not becoming the “best” woman in the world. Just feeling like myself again.

Anyways, that’s what’s been on my mind this morning!

And because I always like leaving you guys with something tangible too, here are a few things helping me lately while traveling and feeling slightly all over the place:

NYC wellness non-negotiables lately:

• electrolytes first thing in the morning

• protein within an hour of waking up

• walking everywhere instead of stressing about workouts

• magnesium at night

• taking 10 quiet minutes before bed without my phone

• not trying to “earn” rest

I think that’s all for today! Still figuring a lot of this out in real time, but maybe that’s the point :)

xx Paige

May is quiet, it’s that in-between where things are actually starting to happen, and you can still shift them. So if things feel a little off, a little unclear, a little “i thought i’d be further by now”… good, this is the window!

This is when you get insanelyyyy specific. Not “i want to feel better” or “i want to eat healthier.” those don’t move anything. I mean specific to the point where it almost feels ridiculous. Because right now you’re not guessing, you’re deciding. And the more detailed you are, the easier it is to actually align your habits, your energy, and your decisions with that version of you.

So here’s what i would do today: open your notes app or journal and write: “by june 30, my life looks like this:” and then fill in:

• exactly what your mornings look like (time you wake up, what you eat, how you feel)

• what you’re eating daily (not perfectly, but consistently)

• how your body feels (energy, digestion, mood)

• your work/output (specific numbers or actions)

• your social life (how often, what kind of plans)

• your relationship dynamic (even if it’s just how you’re treated)

This isn’t delusional, it’s about being intentional enough that your day-to-day actually reflects something!

ok. now for some spring recipes I’ve been making! All high-protein, gluten-free, and actually easy.

1. whipped cottage cheese + strawberry basil toast
   best for: follicular phase (light, fresh, rebuilding)

blend cottage cheese with lemon zest + a little honey until smooth. spread on toasted gluten-free bread, top with sliced strawberries, fresh basil, flaky salt, and a drizzle of olive oil.

it tastes like summer and has 20g+ protein.

—

2. lemony chicken + shaved asparagus salad
   best for: ovulatory phase (bright, social, high energy)

grilled or pan-seared chicken, shaved raw asparagus, arugula, parmesan, and a lemon dijon dressing (lemon juice, olive oil, dijon, maple syrup)

—

3. coconut chia protein pudding with mango
   best for: follicular & ovulatory

chia seeds + coconut milk + vanilla protein powder. let sit overnight. top with mango (or orange) + toasted coconut.

sweet but stable blood sugar.

—

4. zucchini noodle pesto bowl with crispy salmon
   best for: luteal phase

zoodles tossed in pesto, cherry tomatoes, and crispy-skinned salmon on top.

light but still satisfying.

5. warm blueberry almond butter crumble bowl
   best for: luteal phase (comfort without the crash)

warm blueberries in a pan with cinnamon. top with almond butter + crushed gluten-free granola.

this is what you make when you want dessert every night.

—

6. herby turkey + cucumber lettuce wraps
   best for: ovulatory phase

ground turkey with garlic, herbs, and a little tamari. spoon into butter lettuce with cucumber, avocado, and a sesame drizzle.

high protein, super refreshing.

—

7. iced matcha protein shake with vanilla + sea salt
   best for: menstrual phase (low energy, easy nutrition)

matcha, vanilla protein, almond milk, ice, pinch of sea salt.

when you don’t feel like eating but need some fuel.

—

8. roasted carrot + whipped feta bowl with hot honey
   best for: luteal phase (grounding, cozy)

roasted carrots, whipped feta, arugula, drizzle of hot honey + olive oil.

sweet, salty, and actually filling.

—

You don’t need to overhaul everything, you just need a few meals that you rotate and actually enjoy. Same with your life! You don’t need a full reset, you need clarity on what you’re actually moving toward. So write it down, make it specific, make it a little bold, and then let May do what it does best!

ALSO I wanted to thank you guys so much for all the support on my book, seeing you guys make my recipes and hearing what you think is surreal to me. If you ordered it, leaving a review would mean the world to me SYNC & SAVOR !!!!

Ily guys! See ya Sunday

xx Paige

I’ll feel weirdly tired but also wired, hungry but nothing sounds good, qanting to post, but also not wanting to be perceived.

It’s not burnout exactly and it’s not stress in the obvious way. It’s more like my brain just has too many tabs open at all times. And I think a lot of us are living like this without realizing it.

We’re consuming so much in a day: short videos, texts, notifications, podcasts, background noise.

Even when we’re “relaxing,” we’re still taking things in. There’s almost no space where nothing is happening and I really believe your body feels that!

I started paying attention to how I feel in moments where there’s less going on. Not a full detox, nothing extreme. Just small pockets like: driving without music, making breakfast without a podcast, walking without my phone, sitting for a second before opening an app.

I don’t think the goal is to cut everything out- that’s not realistic, and honestly I like being online, it’s part of my life and my work! But I do think we’re missing the balance. We’ve normalized constant input to the point where silence feels weird, when really, that silence is where you process, regulate, and come back to yourself.

Something I’ve been trying this week has been to create small “no input” moments throughout the day.

• Not scrolling while I eat.

• Not reaching for my phone the second I wake up.

• Letting myself be a little bored.

It sounds simple, but it’s been one of the biggest shifts in how I feel day to day.

I don’t think we need another routine or more things to add, if anything, we probably need less! Less noise, less input, less constant stimulation. Just enough space to actually hear ourselves think again!

Let me know if this resonates with you guys!

xx Paige

Sync & Savor officially launched on Tuesday! This book has lived in my head (and my kitchen) for the past two and a half years, so the fact that it is finally here is surreal to me!

It all started as me trying to figure out my own hormones, my own energy, my own body… and turned into something I now get to share with all of you!

If you’re new here or haven’t preordered yet, Sync & Savor is my cycle aligned cookbook! It’s built around the idea that your body isn’t the same every day of the month, so your food, routines, and expectations shouldn’t be either.

It walks you through the four phases of your cycle with:

• 85+ simple, actually doable recipes

• how to support your hormones through food

• realistic day-to-day structure (not overwhelming wellness rules)

It’s not about being perfect. It’s about feeling better, having more energy, and finally understanding what your body needs instead of fighting it.

This week has literally been the best of my life celebrating the book! I went on KTLA to talk about the book on live TV which was sooo much fun. We did a little Pilates launch event with my friends at The Pilates Cave. Then we had a dinner / happy hour moment with my family and neighbors and it made me emotional in a way I didn’t expect. Like these are the people who have watched this whole process up close… the mess, the stress, the random recipe testing, everything!

I’ve always said I want to build something that makes you feel seen, understood, and taken care of… and this book feels like the first real version of that. So thank you for preordering it, for sharing it, for cooking from it, for trusting me, for being here. I just feel really grateful. I know everyone says that during launches, but I actually mean it in a very real way. You guys are the reason this book exists!

If you have the book already, cook something from it this weekend and tag me. I want to see everything. And if you don’t have it yet… it’s finally yours now :)

xx Paige

I’ve never experienced FOMO like that in my life.… ever. I was horizontal in on my couch, fully locked into the livestream, eyes glued, emotionally spiraling with everyone else on the internet. There’s something so fun about collective energy like that- everyone watching the same thing, texting their friends, posting, freaking out in real time. it almost doesn’t matter where you are, you still feel part of it!

Anyways, shifting gears from bieber-induced emotional instability to something that feels just as surreal in a very different way

My cookbook launches in 2 days!!!

I keep having these moments where it hits me out of nowhere, in between emails or making breakfast or going on a walk, that something I’ve been working on for 2.5 years is about to exist in the real world!

It’s not just a project anymore, it’s something you guys can hold, cook from, bookmark, spill things on, bring into your routines, and that’s honestly the part i’m most excited about! Not the “launch” or the numbers or the logistics, but the idea of you in your kitchen, making a recipe from Sync & Savor, maybe not even thinking twice about it, just letting it become part of your life. That’s the goal! Simple, grounding, actually doable meals that make you feel good in your body without overthinking it!

So in the spirit of that, I’m attaching a few recipes from the book if you want to cook from it today! Like a little unofficial pre-launch moment. Nothing fancy, just recipes I genuinely love and come back to, the kind that feel good now and later!

See ya Tuesday!

xx Paige