Marybeth Wells - LivingWells, LLC

Just a gal and her late spring bounty
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The other day I was editing video footage taken for a small business client, and the BTS audio was just me passionately explaining what fennel is and how to use and prepare it. Nothing gets me excited quite like people saying they’ve never heard of a vegetable 😂

What could you talk forever about?

Some others for me are books and the state of healthcare/the healthcare industry in the US. I’m a blast at parties 💃🏼

These mini frozen cranberry “salads” are typically a holiday treat in my family, but this is your official permission to turn them into a late spring / summer treat 👀

they’re refreshing, tangy, sweet, and have the perfect combo of flavors thanks to pineapple and pecans.

https://livingwells.co/cranberry-frozen-salad

(Linked in my bio)

The end of a week is something that for many of us triggers feelings of “didn’t get enough done” or not enough-ness in terms of productivity.

Time and time again as a coach I’ve worked with humans who immediately try to turn new habits and routines into nothing more than another box to check (it’s largely our conditioning in this society that productivity = worth).

Overcoming that conditioning to dive into core values, the why behind our routines, rituals, and habits is an important piece in transforming things from an item in a list to the actions that ultimately build our dream life.

I love a to-do list, a schedule, a map of where I’m going with aligned action each day and week as much as anyone else - but this is a cue to check in with the worth you’re attributing to checking off the boxes, and how they align with what you’re feeling deeply.

So let’s check in:

- how are you feeling, physically, mentally, emotionally?

- when was the last time you did something to get out of your head and have an embodied experience (movement, a body sensing meditation, etc.)?

- what kind of worth are you attaching to your productivit, and can you allow yourself to release it and show yourself love and support regardless of what the tally shows this week?

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Last week, I stayed in and photographed this sweet lil' off-grid cabin for - this week I wrote all about it (what to pack, my itenerary, what I ate) on the blog, which is linked in my bio or on the home page of livingwells.co/blog)
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If you enjoy the blog, please consider leaving a lil' comment 😌 and as always, if you have a specific question you can let me know below
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Slides descriptions:
- enjoying the campfire with a good book & cup of tea
- the porch has a porch swing perfect for bird-watching
- the front of the cabin in what little sunlight I got
- wood stove & lots of extra wood
- coming down from the sleeping loft
- kitchen with a Berkey filter and stove
- making a little morning pour-over in my with freshly ground beans and a reusable v60 filter from my friends over at
- the creek directly behind the cabin 🦫

📍: Staunton, VA
🏕️: Meadow Cabin

https://livingwells.co/my-stay-in-a-cozy-off-grid-cabin-in-staunton-va/

for whoever needs to hear this: that easy TikTok pasta that went viral with feta and tomatoes is still really good.

Meals do not always have to be something new or fancy 👀 but sometimes it’s nice if they are.

I’m gearing up to teach this month’s virtual cooking class this afternoon - and cannot wait to walk people through what I hope are new and exciting recipes with the potential to become staples for them: easy white bean bruschetta, cashew cream that can be used on almost anything, creamy kale & pistachio pesto pasta, and more 👩🏼‍🍳 💋

If you’re interested in joining in for a future class, head to LivingWells.co/cooking-classes

~ VIRTUAL COOKING CLASSES ~ are officially back 🥳
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Next Thursday (2/28/23) will be the soft launch of what I plan to be monthly virtual cooking classes. If you want all the details, extended FAQ, and registration you can head to:
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livingwells.co/cooking-classes or the link in my bio and scroll down a bit.
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Our menu this month is:
- Rosemary Grapefruit Mocktails
- Warming Turmeric, Lentil, & Veggie Soup with Roasted Garlic Chickpeas
- Orange Cacao Energy Bites
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Essentially, we're sipping on a mocktail while we make a satisfying entree and making something sweet that doubles as a quick pre-workout or snack for later in the week 💋 👩🏼‍🍳
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These virtual classes are included for my current 1:1 clients, and are open to everyone else for a $55 registration fee.
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As a Life Coach, Medic, NFPT Certified Personal Trainer, and 200RYT who believes in an anti-diet, Health At Every Size approach - I deeply believe in repairing and restoring our relationship with food, cooking, and nutrition outside of restriction. Food and cooking should be enjoyable, or at the very least not dreadful.
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All classes are aimed at building confidence as a home cook, cultivating creativity with seasonal ingredients, and reducing food waste through ingredient prep for the week ahead.
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Cooking classes are a fun, laid-back experience, and are the perfect way to do something with friends who don't live nearby or just have a fun solo weekend activity.
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Let me know below if you have any questions!
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(I know this is an old-ish photo of in-person teaching days, but it felt like this info needed a spot on my feed/an actual post. So here we are until I have updated photos taken 🤣)

What I read in January:
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1. Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano. This was a witty, entertaining, faced-paced mystery full of twists and turns. Highly recommend it if you like chaotic characters and prefer thrillers with little to no gore.
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2. Show Your Work by Austin Kleon. For me, this was very "meh", and read as regurgitated productivity and hustle culture tweets by someone who probably loves Elon Musk 🥲.
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3. Jewels of The Sun by Nora Roberts. This was our book club read at - I wanted something that was comforting and atmospheric to ease us into the new year, and Nora Roberts always delivers when it comes to that. This is the first in a series set in a small village in coastal Ireland. More detailed review, coming soon 🥰
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4. The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff. This one was a DNF (did not finish) for me, only because I couldn't quite get into it. It seems great, so it's one that I will likely revisit later.
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5. Tears of The Moon by Nora Roberts. The sequel to Jewels of The Sun. Charming, easy to read, and atmospheric. There's something comforting about reading books that were written prior to mobile phones and all that they bring, ya know?
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not pictured: a few cookbooks and interior design books, none of which I loved enough to write a review on or mention.
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What have you been reading? 🤓

A photo from when I regularly taught cooking classes in person 🥰. While I don't have a desire to teach in person all the time currently, I can most certainly see it being something that I do online regularly.
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Why?
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I love connecting with others through food, while helping them connect with their own creativity and joy.
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I believe strongly that food and cooking should be an enjoyable topic and process - so anything I can do to help folks have a more positive relationship with food feels like a major sweet spot, for me.
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Lastly, creating with food feels natural and easy to me - so why wouldn't I share that gift with others?
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If you're interested in a public online cooking workshop with me in the future, let me know below what kind of topics you'd be into 👇🏻
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In the past, the most requested were:
- ingredient prep (my alternative to meal-prepping)
- pantry stocking, staples & shopping
- easy dressings, sauces, and soups
- smoothies and smoothie bowls
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The best way to stay in the loop about events, workshops, and resources is to join my newsletter community (sign up in my bio or on my website www.livingwells.co ) ✨
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📸:

a little last-minute Christmas recipe for you all 😍: ​​​​​​​​
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Frozen Cranberry Salad. ​​​​​​​​
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This is a family recipe from my Grammy who was very much southern, but the thought of having a "salad" that is not only sweet but frozen seems decidedly mid-western (my mid western friends agree). ​​​​​​​​
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Regardless of your affiliation with things called salads that aren't salads in a traditional sense - I highly recommend these as a make ahead dessert, or something to enjoy on a holiday morning with your coffee. They're tangy, creamy, and a little crunchy all at the same time.​​​​​​​​
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the full recipe is linked below 😌 ​​​​​​​​
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https://livingwells.co/cranberry-frozen-salad/

It's never appropriate to comment on someone else's body, bodyweight, or what's on their plate. Period.​​​​​​​​
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Even what might seem like a positive comment of “wow! have you lost weight?” can be incredibly damaging to someone recovering from disordered eating, or going through an illness you don't even know about. ​​​​​​​​
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Outside of that, it's still not appropriate and is the worlds most boring "compliment" 😴.​​​​​​​​
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Why isn't it appropriate?​​​​​​​​
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Because the comment itself implies that the most important and prized thing in life is thinness and an aspiration to constantly shrink and mold ourselves to an ideal and, quite frankly, unattainable “beauty”. ​​​​​​​​
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Honestly, f**k that.​​​​​​​​
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in last week's newsletter we explored this with a few writing prompts to see what kind of boundaries we might be able to set in advance to set ourselves up for holiday cheer sans the fat phobic remarks 💕 if you're a subscriber - check your inbox. ​​​​​​​​
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If you'd like to subscribe to receive future newsletters, check the link in my bio.

A very important question:​​​​​​​​
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pancakes or waffles?

This salad has been on my mind lately 🤌🏻✨ so I wrote a blog with the full recipe. It's the perfect mix of textures and flavors, with an easy little make-ahead dressing.
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How to find the full recipe:
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- head to LivingWells.co/blog and search for “salad”
- visit the link in my bio 😌
- www.livingwells.co/massaged-kale-salad