Getting Out Of A Funk + Healing Mung Bean Soup

Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought, “Wow, WHO the F are you?” I’m not talking about having too much tequila and getting all weird and reflective in bathroom mirror at a bar. I’m talking totally sober on a Tuesday morning in your bathrobe, getting ready for work. You look at yourself and you just don’t see the you that you’re used to seeing. The bags under your eyes are on swol, your skin isn’t as glowy, your hair’s not as shiny, and you feel like a real chub-muffin (even though your weight is exactly the same). 

I went through one of these phases last month. I didn’t feel great about myself.  I hated my hair, my clothes, my skin, and felt like a real chub-monster (that’s even more extreme than a chub muffin). When I shared this with a couple friends, the first thing they said was “But you have a new baby, it’s ok to feel this way.” But I can’t blame my little babe for this one. I’m blaming someone else. 

Me. Ok, maybe it wasn’t all me. Mother Nature was a real bitch to me this winter, and I give her some of the blame. But I am taking full responsibility for not exactly taking care of myself the best I could. Yes, I took my vitamin D. Yes, I kept up the planty eating. But I didn’t exactly make time to truly take care of myself. I’d choose to edit a podcast instead of working out (I really had time to do both). I’d choose to just have a scoop of almond butter instead of making a proper lunch (Again, I had time to do both). I made excuses because of the weather. Or being tired. I just got into a weird funk of not doing the things that my body and mind really needed.

Now, it’s not always easy to identify exactly what your body and mind needs all the time. Feeling-good triggers are different for everyone. Maybe you don’t feel your best when you hang with a certain Negative Nelly friend. Or maybe every time you eat loads of junk food, your reflection isn’t the one you most like to see. Changing these behaviors isn’t always easy – but being able to sit down and identify why you aren’t feeling your best is an incredible start. Because when you finally are ready, you can do something about it. 

I’m happy to report that I’m doing something about it. I’m making proper lunches again (this soup being one of them), and I’m making more time to workout (even if it’s just a yoga class I find on YouTube). But the biggest thing I want to report is that I’ve come away from this knowing that it’s ok to have a “Wow, WHO the F are you?” month every once in awhile. Shit pops up. New habits can form without you even knowing it. Unexpected situations come into our lives. Or maybe you’re just obsessed with Empire, and it sounds way more fun to watch that than go to the gym. And that’s ok. 

So, what can you do today to break out of your funk? Maybe today, you can at least identity the funk starters in your life. And if you’re having trouble even doing that, how about starting with some good food? I swear that good food makes everything at least a little bit better. And this Healing Mung Bean Soup from Eat Clean Live Well (by Terry Walters) is pretty much perfect in the good-food department. 

A lot of healing, cleansing, and detoxifying soups have over 20 ingredients. And that usually includes lots of herbs and spices that you don’t normally already have on hand. Now, I know all those herbs and spices are great – but when you’re just getting started on that journey back to feeling like you, you just want things to be simple. This recipe has 10 ingredients (ones you probably already have). It’s also super easy to make. Leaving you time to make this soup, take care of you, and then sit on your ass and watch a million episodes of whatever you damn well please. 

{ Healing Mung Bean Soup } 
  from Eat Clean Live Well / Terry Walters

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 cup dried mung beans (you can find these in the bulk section)
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
4 cups water or vegetable stock 
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon ume plum vinegar (optional, if you can’t find it)

Melt coconut oil in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes. Add celery, carrots, and turmeric and sauté until just about soft. Stir in mung beans, tomatoes, and water or stock. Submerge bay leaves, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 45 minutes. Remove from heat and discard bay leaves. Stir in cilantro and ume plum vinegar, season to taste with pepper and serve. 

If you want to make your own veggie stock, here’s Bryant Terry’s recipe that we talked about on the podcast! 

And one last thing!!
I am doing my girl Claire Ragozzino’s Spring Renewal Holistic Cleanse, starting April 4th. It’s two weeks of getting to your most awesome self – with tons of yummy recipes, personalized email support to keep you going, a 20-minute call with Claire after your cleanse, and tons more. And it’s all online, so you can do it at home. You can read all about it here. 

She is offering a little discount to all my dudes here. Just go here and enter the code OPP5.
Hope to see you there! I’m so excited to get started. It’s such a good way to shake off the winter and start feeling good as hell for spring.