If you happened to notice I dropped a hint regarding an upcoming announcement in last week’s email, I can finally share the news! …

Wholesome has officially added a new team member! 

I couldn’t be more thrilled to introduce you to not only Wholesome’s new team member, but my best friend, partner in crime, and twin sister–Lauren. In fact, I’ll let her introduce herself to you.

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Hi Wholesome Readers! 

I am honored to be a new Wholesome team member! To get started on the right foot, I thought I would share a little about myself…

When I was in high school and college, I thought I was living a healthy lifestyle. I was a college athlete (Women’s Track & Field) and post-college, I attempted to keep myself active with sprint triathlons, half-marathons and fitness classes. Unfortunately, in 2013 I discovered I was not as healthy as I thought. I was diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus, also known as lupus.

I had just turned 25 years old and my body was turning against me. (You can read more details about my story here.)

Once I was diagnosed, I did everything I was supposed to do to fight lupus. I went to the doctor, I took the proper medications and tried to listen to my body. But it wasn’t enough.

I hated taking the medications. I hated the medication side effects. I hated the “controlled”, yet continuous lupus symptoms I was living with every day. And after a year and a half I told myself there had to be something else I could do.

With Alison’s amazing research and motivation to help me, together, we switched to a plant-based diet. It took time, but each step closer to living a 100% plant-based lifestyle, the better I felt. I started going weeks, then months without a lupus flare. I found new energy. I started working out at the gym with my long-time strength trainer again. And most importantly, I started feeling like Lauren again.

Lupus is not my life, but it is the reason why I decided to join Wholesome. The Wholesome, plant-based lifestyle saved my life. And while there are many non-believers and critics out there, they are not the ones who had/have to experience the pain and emotions of lupus.

Unfortunately, everyone is going through something. It could be autoimmune diseases,  infertility, diabetes, cancer, or even mental health issues. With Alison’s nutrition expertise and my personal journey, I hope we encourage others to live a more balanced, healthy, Wholesome lifestyle even if it means you don’t follow a 100% plant-based lifestyle.

Currently, I live with my amazing husband in Southeastern Wisconsin. Outside of Wholesome, I run a digital marketing business I started in 2014. While we hope one day to have a family, we wake up living the life God has blessed us with, no matter what He has in store.

Together, Alison and I are thrilled to be on this journey together to help others live a more Wholesome life. The Wholesome lifestyle has been an amazing journey for both of us between infertility and lupus, in addition to countless patients improving their lifestyle related to cancers, autoimmune diseases, heart disease, migraines, obesity, and everything in between.

Here, we seek to provide you the most up-to-date research related to nutrition and disease in addition to recipes and tips for incorporating the Wholesome lifestyle into your life.

With that, it seems only right to share with you one of our favorite ways to make oatmeal Wholesome easy, simple, and tasty in only a matter of minutes.

Simple Overnight Oats.

Seriously, cooking steel cut oats couldn’t be any easier.

SIMPLE OVERNIGHT OATS

Serves: 2

ingredients

Oats:

½ cup steel cut oats

1 cup water

Topping Suggestions:

Dried fruit (i.e. raisins, craisins), preferably unsweetened

Nuts & Seeds (i.e. pepitas, walnuts, almonds, chia seeds)

Ground flaxseed

Date crumbles (Our favorite: Bob’s Red Mill)

Fresh or frozen fruit, especially berries

Non-dairy milk (i.e. unsweetened almond milk)

Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Apple or Pumpkin Pie Spice, etc.

How We Top It, per serving:

1 tablespoon dried cranberries

1 teaspoon pepitas

1 tablespoon walnut pieces (or, about 4 whole)

1 teaspoon ground flaxseed

1 tablespoon date crumbles

Sprinkle of cinnamon

directions

The night before*, in a small saucepan, add ½ cup steel cut oats and 1 cup water. Bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, turn off the heat. Cover. Go to bed! [Yes, it is that simple and safe to leave out overnight.]

The next morning, simply reheat the oatmeal in the same saucepan and add a little water or non-dairy milk, if the mixture is too tough or dry for you. When warmed, scoop into a bowl and add desired toppings!

Alternately, you can scoop your oatmeal into a bowl or to-go dish, reheat in the microwave, and add desired toppings! Often, we will already have the desired toppings in a to-go container so all we have to do is scoop the oatmeal into the dish & re-heat.

*This dish doesn’t need to be made overnight. You can make them the morning of if you have some time. Simply follow the stove-top cooking directions on the container, add toppings, and enjoy!