Ingredients:

• Sourdough bread (naturally ferments most of the gluten out so is gentle on the stomach)

• Hummus (My favorites are Cedar's balsamic caramelized onion and Ithaca's Lemon Garlic or Everything)

• Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

• s&p

• optional basil, roughly chopped

Instructions:

Toast your bread, spread on the hummus then add your sliced tomatoes. Top with salt & pepper and optional basil and enjoy!

I want to live in a world where moms fuel and nourish themselves with healthy anti-inflammatory food. A world where we cure diseases and symptoms on our own instead of managing them with prescriptions. A world where we give our bodies the tools to heal so they can thrive all on their own.

In the China Study (the most comprehensive study of nutrition ever conducted), Dr. Campbell breaks down how even when the facts are right in front of the medical industry, it can take decades for doctors to adapt and adopt to the findings.

So as moms, most of us don't have the time to eat healthy let alone the information to inspire us to do so.

Moms eat last. We wait until the toys are picked up, the counter tops are clean, the laundry is away, and everyone is either fed or sleeping to realize oh ya, we are out-of-our-mind starving.

The chances after all that we are taking the time to chop or cook a healthy meal or snack for ourselves? Very slim. We're just too exhausted for it.

But even then, I still like to remind myself that in order to be a happy mom I need to feel good. I need to feel nourished and energized. I need the mental satisfaction that I am not eating junk all day.

I need a way to consume anti-inflammatory plant foods that doesn't require a culinary degree.

Carbs get a bad rap, but they are designed for an instant boost. They transform almost instantly to energy. And if they are minimally processed, the body loves them.

This is why I love sourdough. Slowly fermented to naturally take almost out of the gluten out- making it minimally processed and easy to digest.

A canvas for spreads. A place to pile "the good stuff." A happier more satisfying way to consume veggies.

This tomato toast is one of my favorite ways (among these many others):

• Mashed avocado w/ strawberries, red onion, s&p

• Mashed avocado w/ greens, and everything-but-the-bagel seasoning

• Vegan cream cheese w/ cucumber, dill, s&p

• Peanut butter w/ banana and hemp seeds

• Peanut or almond butter w/ blueberries and hemp seeds

• Hummus w/ chopped bell peppers, s&p

And if you are a tomato lover you can take comfort in knowing that tomatoes contain lycopene, a powerful antioxidant that our eyes naturally are drawn to because of the red pigment. Lycopene is loved by the liver and helps keep the gallbladder healthy. Something that needs special attention, especially since up to 30% of postpartum moms will experience gall bladder sludge or stones due to the dramatic shift in hormones.

So the next time you skip a meal to wash dishes, make sure to remind yourself that your self care journey starts with nutrition.