Holiday Traditions Reimagined: Nourishing Recipes for a Wheat-Free, Dairy-Free, Low-Sugar Season
I’ve always loved the tradition of the holidays — the familiar aromas, the recipes passed down from my mom, and the comforting meals we crave year after year. But as I discovered my wheat and dairy allergies and shifted toward lowering sugar and eating more intentionally, I had to reimagine the holiday dishes I loved most. These updated recipes — my Heritage Stuffing, Spinach Madeleine, Fresh Cranberry–Orange Jam, and Candida-Friendly Parsnip & Sweet Potato Mash — honor tradition while supporting my body through the Vata and Kapha seasons. With Ayurvedic spices, gluten-free swaps, and dairy-free options, these dishes are nourishing enough for everyday winter meals and festive enough for your holiday table.
Candida-Friendly Holiday Mash (Parsnip, White Sweet Potato & Yukon Gold Blend)
These mashed potatoes are my holiday staple when I want something creamy, comforting, and low in sugar. Instead of relying solely on Yukon golds, I blend parsnips and white sweet potatoes for a lighter, cleaner mash that still tastes rich and decadent. Grass-fed butter and coconut milk create the perfect smooth texture, while a touch of cinnamon or clove brings in warm holiday flavor. This candida-friendly mash pairs beautifully with turkey, stuffing, and cranberry jam — and no one ever realizes it’s healthier.
Fresh Cranberry–Orange Jam with Apple, Ginger & Cinnamon
This cranberry jam is my upgraded version of classic cranberry sauce — fresh, bright, and lightly sweet with oranges, apples, ginger, and cinnamon. The apple adds natural pectin, and a spoonful of Collagelatin gives the jam a beautiful, spoonable texture without tons of sugar. It’s the perfect balance of tart and cozy, and tastes incredible on turkey, gluten-free bread, muffins, crackers, or even swirled into yogurt. Simple, clean ingredients with so much holiday flavor.
Lisa’s Heritage Stuffing (Gluten-Free, CCF-Spiced, Optional Sausage or Oysters)
This is the stuffing that has become the heart of my Thanksgiving table — a blend of my mom’s classic recipe and the Ayurvedic wisdom I’ve woven into my cooking over the years. With fresh fennel, cumin, and coriander creating a natural CCF digestive blend, and grounding root vegetables that bring warmth and texture, this gluten-free stuffing is deeply nourishing and endlessly customizable. Whether you make it with sage sausage, oysters, or keep it vegetarian, this dish brings comfort, balance, and tradition to the holiday table.
Why I Love Bestqool Red Light Therapy: Gentle Light for Deep Cellular Healing
Red light therapy entered my healing journey like dawn—subtle, warm, and quietly transformative. Bestqool has become the panel I trust for mitochondrial repair, mold recovery, emotional resilience, and hormone support. Its combination of clinical wavelengths, accessible pricing, and nervous-system-safe design makes it an essential tool for modern, Ayurvedic-aligned healing. This article shares how red light therapy supports the deeper layers of detoxification, trauma, and feminine vitality.
Why I Trust Sunlighten Saunas: A Feminine, Nervous-System–Restoring Path to Detoxification
There are seasons in healing when the body needs something deeper than supplements or mindfulness — it needs warmth. Not the harsh heat that overwhelms, but a gentle, intelligent warmth that soothes the nervous system and supports detoxification from the inside out. Sunlighten’s infrared saunas have become one of my most trusted tools for mold recovery, hormone balance, emotional release, and Ayurvedic alignment. This article shares why their technology continues to be a pillar in my personal and professional healing work.
The Shakti Lineage: Returning to Ayurveda Through the Feminine Body
Ayurveda isn't something I learned — it’s something I remembered. The Shakti School is one of the few places that teaches Ayurveda the way women actually heal: somatically, cyclically, and through the wisdom of the nervous system. In my conversation with founder Katie Silcox, we explored anger, parasites, trauma, and the feminine lineage that lives inside each of us. This article is a love letter to that path — and an invitation to dive deeper into your own.
Rebirth: The Sword Becomes Light
Honor the Spring Equinox through yoga, Ayurveda, and mindful ritual. Find balance, renewal, and light with this integrative guide for practitioners.
Twenty Years of Light
Lisa M. Gunshore reflects on twenty years of awakening—from grief to illumination—exploring integration, devotion, and the sacred art of living in light.
The Ayurvedic Art of Rest: Healing Through Rhythmic Stillness
Discover the Ayurvedic wisdom of rest as medicine. Learn how rhythmic stillness restores Ojas, balances Vata and Kapha, and heals the nervous system during winter’s quiet season.
Prana & Immunity: The Subtle Science of Breath and Vitality
Discover how conscious breathing and Ayurvedic insight strengthen winter immunity and restore balance to body and mind. Learn to build Ojas and vitality through the healing rhythm of Prana.
Agni in Winter: Igniting Digestive Fire in the Season of Stillness
Discover how to balance Kapha and Vata this winter through Ayurvedic rituals that strengthen digestion, immunity, and spiritual fire. Learn how to nurture Agni—the inner flame of transformation—with warming foods, daily rhythm, and mindful rest.
The Perimenopause Roadmap: A Gen X Woman’s Guide
Our generation was told we could do it all — careers, caregiving, relationships — often while ignoring our bodies. Perimenopause reminds us we can’t push forever. It asks us to slow down, listen, and create new rhythms that honor who we are becoming.
For me, researching and writing this roadmap has been part of reclaiming my own body and preparing for this new season. My hope is that it helps you feel less alone, more empowered, and deeply supported.
Embracing the Shadow: A Fall Contemplative Practice
Fall is a season of transition—trees shed their leaves, daylight wanes, and we naturally turn inward. In Ayurveda, this is Vata season, a time when dryness, instability, and anxiety can surface. Spiritually, autumn mirrors the work of shadow integration: acknowledging the unseen, the hidden, and the unexpressed within ourselves.
Shadow work can feel intimidating, but it is one of the most powerful practices for healing and renewal. Just as the earth pulls energy inward to prepare for winter, we too can honor this rhythm by facing our inner shadows with compassion.
Meditation and Contemplation for Fall: Cultivating Stillness in Vata Season
As autumn unfolds with its crisp air and golden leaves, the energy of Vata dosha becomes dominant. Vata is light, airy, and mobile—qualities that can inspire creativity and movement, but when imbalanced, they may lead to restlessness, anxiety, or difficulty focusing. This makes fall the perfect season to anchor your daily routine with meditation and contemplative practices.
Movement for Fall: Yoga & Exercise to Balance Vata
As autumn arrives, nature shifts into a season of wind, dryness, and change. Ayurveda calls this Vata season—a time when our bodies and minds can feel light, erratic, and ungrounded. While movement is always important for health, the way we move in fall can either bring balance or deepen imbalance.
Autumn Foods: Nourishing Balance in Vata Season
As the air turns crisp and the leaves surrender their vibrant colors to the earth, our bodies, too, feel the shift of autumn. In Ayurveda, fall is governed by Vata dosha, marked by qualities of dryness, lightness, coldness, and movement. To stay grounded and resilient in this season of transition, we must look to foods that bring warmth, moisture, stability, and nourishment.
This is the wisdom of autumn eating: aligning with the season so your body feels supported, not depleted.
Understanding Vata in Fall: Balancing Body, Mind, and Spirit
As autumn descends in the Northern Hemisphere, nature begins its graceful shift. The air turns crisp, the leaves fall in fiery hues, and the rhythm of the season becomes lighter, drier, and cooler. In Ayurveda, these qualities reflect the Vata dosha—comprised of air (vayu) and ether (akasha).
Vata governs movement: the flow of breath, circulation, elimination, and even the movement of thoughts across the mind. When in balance, it is the force of creativity, adaptability, and inspiration. When out of balance, it becomes the root cause of instability—manifesting as anxiety, dryness, exhaustion, and weakened immunity.
Understanding Periodontal Disease: Physical and Metaphysical Perspectives
Periodontal disease is more than a physical condition; it’s an invitation to explore the deeper layers of our well-being. By addressing both the tangible and intangible aspects of health, we can transform not just our smiles but also our emotional and spiritual alignment. Whether through diligent oral care or introspective practices, healing gum disease can become a journey toward greater balance and self-discovery.
Harmonizing Holistic Cleansing: Ayurvedic, Yogic, and Psychological Insight
Ayurveda, the ancient system of medicine originating from the Indian subcontinent, offers comprehensive guidance on cleansing and purifying the body, mind, and spirit. Central to Ayurveda's approach is the belief that optimal health and well-being can only be achieved when there is harmony and balance among the body, mind, and spirit.