Broccoli Gratin is an excellent vegetable side dish recipe!

If you’re planning a special meal where you were hoping to serve broccoli along with it, consider this Broccoli Gratin. The broccoli is coated lightly with a creamy mustard sauce, and it’s baked with plenty of mustard-infused toasted breadcrumbs on top. I like to call this a good side dish for a Sunday night dinner, and it’s perfect for holiday meals too.

How to make Broccoli Gratin:

The first step is making the breadcrumbs. Don’t use store-bought breadcrumbs for this recipe as it just won’t be the same. Making fresh breadcrumbs is important to the delicious outcome. You’ll toast fresh breadcrumbs in a skillet with butter, onion and garlic. Dijon, dry mustard, salt and pepper are added in for flavor.

How to make fresh breadcrumbs:

You can use any type of bread to make fresh breadcrumbs, but I like to use sourdough for this recipe. Remove the crusts from the bread. Tear the bread into pieces and put them in a food processor fitted with a blade. Pulse the bread in bursts until you have breadcrumbs the size you want. 

The best way to cook broccoli:

Cut the broccoli into florets, and drop into boiling water. Cook for just 3-minutes, until crisp-tender. Alternately, you can steam the broccoli in a steamer basket. Remove the broccoli from heat and cool on paper towels. 

If you have the time and energy, you can plunge the cooked broccoli into a bath of ice water before moving to paper towels. This will ensure that the broccoli cools off quickly and doesn’t continue to cook and become mushier than you want it to be.

If you enjoy the taste of the breadcrumbs in this recipe, consider using them as a topping the next time you make macaroni and cheese! Try this same recipe using cauliflower florets too. Either way, you’ll have a delicious vegetable side dish to serve with your dinner.

Here are a few more broccoli side dish recipes you might like to try:

• Broccoli with Toasted Garlic Crumbs
• Broccoli with Hot Bacon Dressing
• Sautéed Broccoli with Carrots and Pecans
• Broccoli with Cheddar Cheese Dunk
• Roasted Broccoli
• Broccoli with Two Cheese Sauce
• Lemon Butter Broccoli
• Broccoli with Black Olives, Garlic and Lemon

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Broccoli Gratin

This broccoli side dish recipe is topped with delicious mustard- cheese breadcrumbs.

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Keyword brococli gratin

Prep Time 25 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 10 servings

Calories 266kcal

Author RecipeGirl.com (adapted slightly from Bon Appetit)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1/3 cup minced onion
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided
• 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (see recipe notes below)
• 3 ounces (1 cup packed) Parmesan cheese, divided
• 12 cups broccoli florets (about 3 pounds full crowns)
• 3/4 cup whipping cream

Instructions

• In a large nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic; sauté until the onion is soft, about 4 minutes. Stir in the dry mustard, then 2 tablespoons of the Dijon, blending well. Add the breadcrumbs; sauté until the crumbs are crisp and golden, stirring and pressing with the back of a fork to separate, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; cool completely. Mix in 3/4 cup of the cheese.
• Cook the broccoli florets in large pot of boiling and generously salted water until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Drain. Transfer to paper towels; cool. (Streusel & broccoli can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.) It's important that you don't over-cook the broccoli- you don't want mushy broccoli!
• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 13x9-inch glass baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the whipping cream, remaining 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, and 1/4 cup cheese. Place the cooked broccoli in a large bowl, and add the cream mixture; toss to coat evenly. Arrange the broccoli in the prepared dish. Sprinkle the breadcrumb streusel over the broccoli. Bake until the broccoli is heated through and the streusel is browned, about 30 minutes.

Notes

• To make fresh breadcrumbs: I like to use sourdough for this recipe. Remove the crusts from the bread. Tear the bread into pieces and put them in a food processor fitted with a blade. Pulse the bread in bursts until you have breadcrumbs the size you want. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 42mg | Sodium: 446mg | Potassium: 425mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1151IU | Vitamin C: 98mg | Calcium: 210mg | Iron: 2mg

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There’s a lot they don’t tell you when you get pregnant. We hear a lot about the lack of sleep, the stretch marks, and the infinite loss of personal space. We’re prepared for birthing classes and diaper changing, we hear whispers of the terrible twos, and some of us can even sing “Rockabye Baby” in three-part harmonies by the time the kid arrives. But there’s other things, things people don’t tell you about, and that’s the kind of stuff that keeps me up at night.

People don’t mention legs cramps and night sweats and that weird upper lip discoloration that looks like a mustache. They don’t tell you that everything, even your little pinkies and nose, will swell, or that postpartum hair loss might leave you looking a little like Danny DeVito. There is a very real dying to self in motherhood, and there’s very little that can prepare you for the inner draining and temporary identity confusion that can ensue post-baby. Some of the most terrifying unmentionables are the ones surrounding nursing. Just brace yourself for the mystery there.

If you’ve ever nursed a child, you’ve heard of lactation cookies. There’s something about subjecting yourself to be a human chew toy that will send you deep into a black hole of the internet to read anything that will make that process easier. For some, milk production is an easy feat that flows in abundance, but for others it’s a daily struggle that can be incredibly stressful (as if we needed more of that, right?) I made these oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (aka, lactation cookies that don’t suck) for the baby mamas who need their sweets to be dual-purpose: delicious and healthyish. These lactation cookies are loaded with the stuff that encourages milk production in nursing Mamas but has enough of the goodness (read: butter, sugar, and chocolate chips) to make them not taste like garbage. If you’ve ever made lactation cookies before, forget that recipe and keep this one forever. These lactation cookies are the actual bomb.com and will be the only one you’ll want for yourself and your gal pals with kiddos.

So what’s so healthyish about these cookies? The star ingredients here are chia seeds, flaxseed meal, brewer’s yeast, and oats. All of these have milk producing properties that will help spur on that Vitamin D. More good news: MEN CAN EAT THESE TOO. Would you believe these are actually some of Brett’s *Favorite* cookies? No, your guy won’t start leaking if he eats these, but you have my full support in telling him that they will. After all, the nursing mom shouldn’t have to share these with anyone. (Sidebar: I know most of the guys have already stopped reading by now. I’m sorry that you’ve somehow made it this far, but to be fair there’s only, like, 2 of you anyways.)

Now I know someone is going to write me and tell me these aren’t healthy because of the processed sugar or all-purpose flour or yada yada yada. I hear you, but that is not how we’re rolling, okay? I tested a million versions of this cookie, and this is the one my heart desires. Feel free to bypass this for some other cookie that may or may not (read: will not) taste as good.

Next week we will get back to posting everyday recipes that won’t feel totally weird for everyone. Just be glad I didn’t get into any uncomfortable boob talk, okay? Make these lactation cookies for yourself or any of your nursing friends and let me know what you think! Happy baking and happy lactating!

If you like these lactation cookies you should try:

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Almost-Paleo Coconut Almond Chocolate Cookies
Flaxseed Bread
Morning Glory Muffins
Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins

Lactation Cookies

These lactation cookies are healthy oatmeal chocolate chip cookies containing ingredients that help stimulate milk production!

• Author: Kate Wood
• Prep Time: 5
• Cook Time: 15
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 48
• Category: Dessert

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brewer’s yeast
• 2 tablespoons flaxseed meal
• 2 tablespoons chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat on low to combine. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the flour, yeast, flaxseed meal, chia seeds, baking soda, and salt, stirring on low just until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl again and add the oats and chocolate chips. Scoop 1-1/2 tablespoon sized balls of dough (I use a medium cookie scoop) onto the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Bake for about 11 minutes or until the edges of the cookie are golden and the centers are set. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes and then remove them to a cooling rack to cool completely. 

Notes

• If you prefer an even healthier cookie, these can be prepared with 1/2 cup LESS granulated sugar and 1/2 cup LESS chocolate chips. The Brewer’s yeast has a strong flavor, so I prefer to cover it up a bit. 🙂

What do you get when you mix tangy, spicy Korean kimchi into an ultra creamy, white cheddar mac and cheese? A downright delicious dinner, that’s what!

Mac ‘n cheese aficionados: this one’s for you! Quite possibly the creamiest mac and cheese EVER (thanks to a super secret sciency ingredient), we’ve added spicy kimchi for a unique take on a comfort food classic.

Kimchi mac and cheese.

Mac and kim-cheese.

Get it?

I crack myself up sometimes.

But this pun-derful recipe is more than just a clever name. While it may have originated there, when we made our first test batch we were blown away by the combination of tangy, spicy kimchi and creamy white cheddar cheese. It’s simply unreal.

That said, this recipe did not come together easily.

I have a thing about texture, and especially when it comes to mac ‘n cheese, the texture is paramount to my ultimate enjoyment.

Most mac ‘n cheese recipes start out with a flour roux; this is how I’ve always made it (and indeed my past mac ‘n cheese recipes have done just that) but for whatever reason this time I just wasn’t satisfied.

Roux-based cheese sauces have a tendency to get somewhat pasty, a texture that really isn’t ideal when you’re craving an ultra creamy mac ‘n cheese.

I tried changing proportions of flour and cheese. I tried different kinds of cheeses. I compared baked vs stovetop versions. Either I’d have a thick cheese sauce that maybe stayed creamy for 5 minutes before going pasty, or a thin and watery one; there was no perfectly creamy middle ground.

Then I discovered a secret ingredient that is nothing short of magic.

(more…)

Chili chili chili, can’t you see? Sometimes your ways just hypnotize me and even when you’re made without meat?!

Yes, that’s right. I’d like to introduce to you a really good, really “meaty” and satisfying vegetarian chili that, in fact, does not have meat in it at all.

Let’s Talk Vegetarian Chili “Meat”

This vegetarian chili features a hearty mixture of walnuts, mushrooms, and carrots that can beautifully stand in place of your ground beef and absorbs the big flavors of sautéed onion and garlic, diced green chiles, and all those spices. When scooped and topped with some avocado or cheese, sour cream or tortilla chips, it’s just warming and so satisfying in that chili-specific way. And, bonus, it’s totally meatless.

I have some requirements for my vegetarian chili and the first is that I want it to be really on-point texturally. I want it to scoop like a real chili. I don’t want soup, okay? I want a thick and meaty-like chili texture. The “meat” mixture in this recipe is going to ensure that texture.

My second requirement for my veg chili is equally as important: LOW-TO-NO BEANS. I love beans as much as the next person, but sometimes I feel like they are overused in vegetarian lookalike recipes (like vegetarian chili, for example) where we could easily use vegetables more creatively instead of defaulting to 27 types of beans as the base of the recipe.

I don’t know, I have opinions, okay?

Here’s What’s to Love

This vegetarian chili is all the good things that I’m looking for:

• thick and hearty and “meaty”, like a standard chili texture
• beans optional – add if you like them, leave out if you don’t
• big, big, big happy flavor
• packed with a variety of veggies
• easy to make
• makes awesome leftovers
• meatless!

If you’re vegan, don’t you worry – this is also a VEGAN chili if you just watch your toppings. Avocado, pickled red onion, radishes, tortilla chips… we got you, vegans. Also: see our Instant Pot Pumpkin Walnut Chili recipe – it’s real good.

I am not a vegetarian or vegan but I hope it’s obvious that I think creative plant-based cooking is so fun and I love the positive impact it has on our bodies and the earth. ♡ You can be all kinds of everything (vegan, vegetarian, or none, IMHO) and 100% enjoy this.

Goals for the rest of the month: more vegetables, and more chili nights!

Check out our video for how to make Vegetarian Chili:

Vegetarian Chili

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• Author: Lindsay
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
• Yield: 5-6
• Diet: Vegetarian

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Description

Vegetarian Chili that’s “meaty” and satisfying – without the meat! A hearty mixture of walnuts, mushrooms, and carrots as your base, with big flavors of onion, garlic, green chiles and spices. SO GOOD.

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Ingredients

The “Meat:”

• 1 cup walnuts
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, washed, stems removed
• 4 medium carrots, cut into chunks

The Chili:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 6-ounce can diced green chiles (or fresh minced jalapeños)
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2–3 tablespoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1–2 teaspoons salt (more or less to taste)
• 2 14-ounce cans diced or crushed tomatoes (with juices)
• 1 14-ounce can beans of choice (optional, see notes)
• 1 cup water

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Video

Instructions

1. Make the “meat” – pulse all ingredients in a food processor until broken down into a chunky paste-like texture. Set aside.
2. Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and garlic. Sauté for 5-10 minutes until very soft.
3. Add green chiles, tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, and soy sauce. HELLO FLAVOR.
4. Add your “meat” to the pan – once it mixes in and starts cooking, it should start to resemble chili meat. Let the “meat” cook for 10 minutes or so to soften the vegetables. Season with salt.
5. Add tomatoes, beans if you want, and water to get the consistency right. Let it simmer for about 45 minutes to soften the vegetables, thicken it up, and let the flavors come together.
6. Serve with your favorite chili toppings, and there it is! VEGETARIAN CHILI! You did it.

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Notes

Beans: A lot of vegetarian chili recipes are based around beans, and I wanted this recipe to be bean-optional for people who don’t like or can’t have beans. So if you want to skip the beans altogether, no problem! That being said, I like black beans in this vegetarian chili, but kidney beans, white beans, or pinto beans would all be great.

Toppings: For vegetarian chili – sour cream and cheddar or queso fresco. For vegan chili – cilantro, avocado, pickled onion or jalapeno, radishes, tortilla chips.

• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American

Keywords: vegetarian chili, vegan chili, chili recipe, healthy chili, vegetarian comfort food

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Seven Layer Dip

These individual seven layer dip cups are almost too cute to eat! They are loaded with all your favorite dips in one individual cup. These seven layer dip cups are perfect for a game day or a fun party that makes it easy on guests. Individual seven layer dip cups are always a hit at the party! They are so easy to make, mess free for everyone and simple to store. It takes minutes to assemble and again look so fun and cute in the individual cups. They are perfect for all ages and make double dipping out of site.

Make these individual seven layer dip cups as easy or homemade as you like. Spice up the refried beans and sour cream with my homemade taco seasoning. Guacamole and salsa can be made homemade or store bought making this seven layer dip quick and easy. Simply layer each individual cup with refried beans, guacamole, sour cream and salsa or pico de Gallo. Top with black olives and green onions with some chips and garnish the seven layers with cilantro. It is the best dip and tastes amazing layer by layer or all together.

Seven Layer Dip Ingredients:

• Refried beans: Mix refried beans with taco seasoning making this stand out in flavor.
• Taco Seasoning: My homemade taco seasoning is best and simple to make.
• Guacamole: Homemade guacamole is thick and creamy but store bought is just as great. Pick your favorite. 
• Sour Cream: Pick your favorite brand of sour cream for a light creamy sour cream that cools down the dip. 
• Salsa or Pico De Gallo: A thick chunked salsa is always tasty or try pico de Gallo instead.
• Cheddar Cheese: Shredded cheese sprinkled on top. Even the Mexican blend of shredded cheese will work too.
• Tomatoes: Chop fresh tomatoes up to fit in the individual cups. 
• Green Onions: Onions are not everyones favorite but dicing them small will help and add a great crunchy texture.
• Black Olives: Drain the black olives from the can and slices them each olive.
• Plastic Tumblers: Smaller cups that are see through are best. It shows the layers as well as gives each individual just the right amount of dip.
• Tortilla Chips: A salty and thick  tortilla chip is best for dipping.
• Cilantro: garnish on top for color and flavor.

How to Layer Seven Layer Dip in Individual Cups:

These individual cups are perfect for layering and seeing the colorful ingredients all come to life in the plastic cups. It is best to start with the thick refried beans on bottom giving it a base to start then adding guacamole that also holds strong. Sour cream to balance it out and salsa to get that hint of spice. Fresh tomatoes and olives give it texture and flavor. All dipped with tortilla chips making this dip irroestiable!

Starting with the bottom going to the top:

1. Refried Beans
2. Guacamole 
3. Sour Cream
4. Salsa or Pico De Gallo
5. Shredded Cheddar Cheese 
6. Diced Tomatoes 
7. Diced Green Onions
8. Sliced Black Olives
9. Tortilla Chips
10. Cilantro for garnish

How to Make Seven Layer Dip:

1. Mix refried beans and sour cream: In a small bowl mix taco seasoning with refried beans. If you want to use the other half of the taco seasoning, mix it with the sour cream.
2. Layer the individual cups: Layer the dip in each cup with a small spoon. I found it best to layer in this order. Refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, olives, and green onions. Garnish with cilantro if desired.
3. Serve immediately or store: Store in the refrigerator until serving and serve with chips.

How to Make Homemade Taco Seasoning:

This is such a simple recipe and it all comes together quick and easy for you to make several recipes out of this taco seasoning! This recipe can easily be doubled and use more or less to taste.

1. Mix spices together. Combine all the seasonings together in a bowl.
2. Store. Place In an airtight container.

Tips for Filling the Individual Seven Layer Dip Cups:

• Refried beans: To make them extra creamy add in milk or sour cream and stir together.
• Salsa: If the salsa is runny, simply drain the extra liquid before adding to the cups. This will help keep the layers solid on top of each other and won’t blend together in the cups.
• Filling the individual cups: For the refried beans, sour cream and guacamole place them in their individual ziplock bag and push the ingredients towards the bottom of a corner. Cut the corner of the plastic bag and use like a piping bag to add the wet ingredients easier and more evenly in the individual cups.
• Type of cups: To make dipping easier purchase short and wide cups that are clear plastic to see the individual layers of dip.
• Don’t have cups: Layer the seven layers in a 8×8, 9×9 or 12×14 glass pan. Adding more ingredients with each layer to fill the whole pan.
• Make individual cups ahead of time: These individual cups are best served right away because of the fresh ingredients inside them. They are simple to make and don’t take long assembling the layers in the individual cups.

More Delicious Dip Recipes:

• Must Try Jalapeño Artichoke Dip Recipe
• Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
• Insanely Delicious Hot Crab Dip
• The Best Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Chicken Alfredo Dip

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Individual Seven Layer Dip

Individual Seven Layer Dip cups are perfect for layering refried beans, fresh guacamole, creamy sour cream, fresh salsa, chopped fresh tomatoes and garnished with black olives, a single chip and scallions. These are ALWAYS a hit at parties!

Course Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword Layer Dip, Seven Layer Dip

Prep Time 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 12 Cups

Calories 124kcal

Author Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

• 1 16 ounce can refried beans
• 1/2 Package Taco seasoning
• 2 cups guacamole
• 1 8 ounce container sour cream
• 2 cups salsa or pico de gallo
• 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
• 2 to Tomatoes diced
• 1/2 bunch of green onions sliced
• 1 2.25 ounce can of sliced olives, drained
• 9 ounce plastic tumblers
• tortilla chips
• cilantro for garnish if desired

Instructions

• In a small bowl mix taco seasoning with refried beans. If you want to use the other half of the taco seasoning, mix it with the sour cream.
• Layer the dip in each cup with a small spoon. I found it best to layer in this order. Refried beans, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, olives, and green onions. Garnish with cilantro if desired.
• Store in the refrigerator until serving and serve with chips.

Video

Notes

If you wanted to, you could use the same amount of ingredients and spread it out in a 9x11" pan to make one large seven layer dip.Posted on February 26, 2020Original Post on June 13, 2012

Nutrition

Calories: 124kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 488mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 676IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1mg

Last year’s NEDA week theme was “come as you are.” It was an important and overdue celebration of diversity and representation within the recovery community and the treatment field. It also got me thinking about the unique perspectives that we bring to our recoveries, the fact that no two healing processes look alike, which is something I wrote about in this post.

The theme is being repeated this year, and I’m thinking about it in a new light. “Come as you are” is an invitation to show up as our unique selves, yes. But I think it might also be greeted as an invitation to show up for recovery exactly as we are in the present moment—whether we’re ready or ambivalent or frightened or encouraged.

This idea is close to my heart, because showing up for recovery took me a really, really long time. My eating disorder began young and involved two relapses. Even between relapses, my relationship with food was vexed and often tormented. It took about thirteen years for me to recovery fully, and the first decade of recovery has shown me that the process is always unfolding.

During my eating disorder, I experienced periods of intense denial about the fact that anything was wrong. This was especially true during my final relapse, in my early twenties, which was dominated by orthorexia. I was convinced that all of my avoidances were justified for health reasons, which is part of why that relapse was as difficult to unravel as it was.

At many other points in my process, I was aware of the fact that I had an illness and would not have the fullness of life that I wanted unless I recovered from it. I knew things needed to change, but I avoided that change, sometimes intentionally and sometimes passively, through stalling and procrastination. Why?

I think a lot of it had to do with my underlying anxiety, which is something I’ve only been able to see with time and perspective. Today, I’m conscious of my anxiety and take efforts to manage it proactively with therapy. As a young person with an eating disorder, I couldn’t identify or name the anxiety that had probably always been there. I only knew that I was often frightened, uncomfortable, or overwhelmed, and that I felt much better when I controlled my food intake.

I often thought about changing my approach to eating: expanding my diet, increasing portions, eating fear foods, saying yes to more restaurant meals. I didn’t need anyone to tell me that these were necessary steps in developing a better relationship with food; I knew it intuitively, in my gut. I’d wake up in the morning with every intention of doing something, anything, differently.

But then something would happen—a conflict, a stressful academic assignment or deadline, a physical symptom that triggered my tendency toward hypochondria—and my anxiety would flare up. And I was so afraid, not only of the stuff making me anxious but also of the anxiety itself, which was miserable, that I’d think, “not today.”

I’d tell myself that tomorrow, when I’d had a chance to settle down, I’d be in the right mindset to challenge my food behaviors. But you can probably guess what happened next: I’d wake up on the following day, get anxious about something new, and the process would repeat itself. This went on for days, weeks, and ultimately for years.

What I probably knew all along, but didn’t want to acknowledge, was that there was never going to be a day, let alone a string of many days at a time, when I had nothing to feel anxious about. In order to recover, I’d need to feel triggered and still muster up the courage to change my eating habits, even if doing so felt like an additional threat.

Years later, I’ve come to believe that there’s never really a “right” moment for doing the things we fear. Big professional undertakings, new experiences, personal growth, leaping into the unknown with another person: it’s difficult to be ready for things like this, where so much is at stake. And if you live with anxiety, the unpleasant truth is that your life will probably never be free of triggers.

There’s something to be said for pre-contemplation, of course. We all deserve some time and space to prepare. But when it comes to frightening undertakings that might also be life-saving, like eating disorder recovery, the right moment is now. No matter how terrified, ill-equipped, or resistant you feel.

I don’t beat myself up about how long recovery took me. It takes as long as it takes, and there are reasons why my process was as slow and stubborn as it was. But if I had an opportunity to encourage my younger self to take the leap sooner, I would. Life is time, and the time we have is precious.

If you’ve been thinking about recovery for a while, know that it’s normal to feel as though you’re not ready and never will be. Fear is normal. Resentment and resistance are normal. It’s all OK. You’re not supposed to wake up one morning with supernatural amounts of readiness: if it worked like that, it wouldn’t take so many of us so long.

Know that it’s OK—in fact, it’s nothing short of amazing—to show up for recovery with all of the ambivalence you feel. With all of your resistance and anger and shame and fear. It’s OK to come as you are, with all of your stuff and your suffering. You don’t have to be ready or certain that it’s what you want. You simply have to be willing: willing to try a different way of being, willing to step into the unknown, willing to stumble as you go.

Willingness is easier said than done, I know. But it’s a lot more accessible than the readiness or enthusiasm we fantasize about, and it isn’t mutually exclusive with any of your fears. You can be willing and fearful at the same time. Or, to repeat a quote I recently read, “it’s courage and fear, not courage or fear.”

For this NEDA week, I encourage anyone who is thinking about recovery to show up now, exactly as you are, trusting that the strength you need will reveal itself to you as you move forward. I promise that you’re stronger and more resilient than you believe you are. That’s just how it is with people: we’re almost always more capable than we give ourselves credit for, and our fears are usually worse than the reality of what we fear. Recovery was really hard—one of the hardest things I’ve ever done—but it wasn’t quite as horrible as I thought it would be. And life on the other side has been sweeter and more surprising than I could have predicted.

What needs healing changes as our lives progress, but my experience has been that all healing is connected. My ED recovery has given me a point of reference for other healing processes, many of which I’m still working through, with all of my old fears and worries and ambivalence still in play.

Today, as I encourage those in recovery to take the proverbial leap, I’m also encouraging myself to be more fearless in my efforts to challenge anxiety and let go of control. I’m reminding myself that now is the best time to try new approaches and that I’m much better at change than I give myself credit for. I’ve proven that already. I can do it again.

Those are my thoughts for this NEDA week 2020, but I’ll be sharing much more on Instagram as this week continues. I always welcome you to engage or share (or quietly observe) in that space.

Thank you, friends, for reading and for making space for this topic year after year. Take care of your beautiful bodies and spirits, now and always.

xo

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