Welcome to a new series on Sweet Potato Soul: Beyond the Kitchen with me, Jenné. Every couple of weeks I will take you behind the scenes and into my world beyond the kitchen. There are so many new and exciting things coming to Sweet Potato Soul, like my new cookbook, but I’d like to use this monthly chronicle to share more of who I am, beyond the kitchen. In the following paragraphs you will find updates on my personal life, links to products I’m loving, helpful tips for living your best life, podcast recommendations, and the recipes I cannot get enough of. I’d love it if you’d leave a comment so we can make this a conversation. I’d love to hear what’s making you happy these days too! Thanks for being here 🙂
What’s New
As we begin the roll out of my new cookbook, Vegan Vibes (February 2025), I’ve been balancing out my busy days by spending time with my daughter, affectionately called Baby J, playing tennis, and practicing yoga.
I just started playing tennis in February 2024, and now I play ladies doubles on a beginner team. This is my first time seriously playing a sport, and I happen to be crushing it. We’ve won our last two matches!!
Recipes I’m loving
At 37 years old, spiritually, mentally, and physically I am feeling great. I can’t help but contribute my overall health with my healthy vegan diet, daily fitness, prayer, and great sleep. The recipes above are two that I’m loving right now: High Protein Edamame Salad, Mediterranean Pasta Salad, Sweet Potato Latte, and Air Fryer Broccolini. The top two are perfect for meal prep. The bottom two are best made right before enjoying. But all are a cinch to make!
Wellness Tip
Start your mornings with at least 10 minutes of unobstructed exposure to the sun. According to studies, exposure to sunlight first thing in the morning helps to regulate your circadian rhythm for the day, which will help you sleep better. This works on cloudy days too. If you start your day before sunrise, go outside for 10 minutes when the sun does rise. This may be difficult to accomplish on cold winter mornings, but an indoor full spectrum light therapy lamp could help too. Check out this episode of the Huberman Lab podcast to learn more about the importance of sun exposure for sleep, mood, and overall health.
Work These Days
Earlier this week I had the pleasure and honor of speaking on a panel at Ad Week in NYC about the importance of human creators in a world of AI. That’s Suzy of The Mediterranean Dish next to me!! My experience on this panel was the inspiration to start this Beyond the Kitchen series. Attending in-person panels and events really reminds me how important human connection is in our digital world. I think AI can be an amazing tool for making life and work easier, not a replacement for humans. What do you think about AI’s entrance into the world of food? Have you used it for finding recipes? Leave a comment below.
Products I’m Loving
Do you have an Instant Pot? If you still haven’t invested in one, let this be your sign that now is the time! I love my Instant Pot (IP) all year, but I use it even more in the fall. With it you can make the most amazing soups (like the Coconut Black Bean Soup pictured above), stews, whole grains, beans, pasta dishes, and veggies. Even better, food cooks much faster in the IP than on the stove. I recommend any 6 or 8 quart Instant Pot (Amazon PRIME DAY DEAL). This machine is a work horse, and will make your life easier and more delicious. Tap here for a round up of my favorite vegan Instant Pot recipes,.
Closing thoughts
Last week I was in Maryland for my grandfather’s funeral. It was heartbreaking to lose my Granddad, and to witness my family’s grief. But it was a black funeral, which means there was also tons of laughter, so much love, reuniting with kin, meeting new family, and celebrating my grandfather’s long life.
As our parents and grandparents age, I’ve been spending a lot more time dealing with the American medical system. All I have to say here is: TREAT YOUR BODY RIGHT. While Western Medicine is incredible for extending life, health starts at home with the food we eat and lifestyle we choose.
Western Medicine is great at prescribing pills and procedures, and keeping us alive for a long time. But these do not fix the root cause and, as I’ve witnessed, create other problems along the way. For most, diet, exercise, good sleep, stress reduction, time in nature, and community promote health. I’m so grateful for Western Medicine keeping my parents and grandparents alive, but I can see that these diseases, called lifestyle disease for a reason, could have been avoided with a healthy lifestyle. But I get it; life is busy and it’s so hard. And it’s especially difficult to make a massive change when everyone around you is doing something else.
I don’t seek to convince anyone, even my own parents, to make big lifestyle changes. I won’t tell someone else what to do. But for those in this Sweet Potato Soul community, who are seeking to achieve and maintain lifelong health, it is my goal to inspire and demonstrate that there is another way.
Listen to this podcast
I love Dr. Casey Means who speaks about the way our food system is destroying our health. She was recently a guest on the Joe Rogan Podcast. Listen here or anywhere you get your podcasts.
What’s Eating You?
As we continue to improve recipes, video content, and offerings here on Sweet Potato Soul, I’d love to hear from you. What challenges do you have around eating well? Are there any recipes you’d love to see on my blog? Is there another type of content you’re craving? Here’s a little secret: I’m developing on a health and nutrition podcast. I’d love to know what topics you’d like to learn more about. Please leave a comment for me below!
