Dona's Nourished Life

What I actually eat

Many people are surprised to learn that most of what I eat are plants. Especially green leafy plants. In fact, many days I have no animal protein at all. “Wait, I thought you were Keto,” they typically say with a confused expression. Well, yes and no. What I practice is a high fat, low NET […]

by donawinger

How to stay motivated without boring your friends

Getting healthy is lonely work. The menus, food prepping, time at the studio or gym, hours on the treadmill, finding time to meditate, fixing your sleep cycle…you’re working incredibly hard. And no one cares. It might take a monolithic act of willpower and self-motivation to get your butt to the gym or to choose veggies […]

by donawinger

A note excusing my absence

Dear reader, Please excuse my absence during my unplanned extended sabbatical. I didn’t mean to be gone so long. I fully intended to take December off to reconnect and spend time with my family, but the extra time ended up being necessary to reconnect with my soul. This time off has allowed me to reflect […]

by donawinger

Holiday stress busters for maximum cheer

Christmas is by far my favorite time of year. Why? Because it’s a time of year where the whole world has decided they’re going to allow themselves to feel joyful even though it’s literally the coldest, darkest time of year. If I had to guess, that’s exactly why so many cultures have massive mid-winter celebrations. […]

by donawinger

Shoulding on the holidays, part 3: Comparison

I got sucked into it just this morning. I was looking at one of the piles of catalogs and store ads that come in the mail this time of year, and there was a picture of a well-dressed couple in an embrace looking so utterly happy. It wasn’t so much a conscious thought as it […]

by donawinger

Shoulding on the holidays, part 2: Expectations

I look forward to the holidays every year. Just the other day we took our annual trip into the hills to go tree hunting. It was a snowy day with big, fat snowflakes and being out in the woods was so quiet and beautiful it was like being inside a snowglobe. Every branch and blade […]

by donawinger

‘Shoulding’ on the holidays part 1: Guilt

Welcome to the holiday season! I absolutely love this time of year. I love the festive feeling, the events, decorating the tree, Christmas music, buying gifts, wrapping gifts, turkey dinner…I could go on. I even like dealing with the Elf on the Shelf. Having a little girl in the house makes everything that much better. […]