Sunny Grove Wellness - Paivi Grogan

09/18/2026

When did you last take a break without picking up your phone? 😊

Try this with me. Think of somewhere you feel at ease. A beach, a warm cabin, a good memory. What can you hear? What does it feel like to be there?

That’s a simple form of guided imagery. Research suggests it can help you relax. This video gives you a little taste of the practice.

As a nutrition therapist, I want to know what’s on your plate, but also what your days are like. What wears you out? What helps you unwind? Eating more kale won’t make your stress disappear.

So, where did your mind take you?

Research shown in the video:�https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8272667/

09/11/2026

Something happens in the body when you slow down enough to actually notice what's around you. Presence is associated with lower cortisol and a shift toward the parasympathetic nervous system, the 'rest and digest' state that runs opposite to fight-or-flight. That's the state where the body has more room for repair. It's part of why holistic nutrition looks at the whole picture, mind and body together. Feeling better involves more than what's on the plate. 🦋🌸

09/09/2026

I’m a Nutrition Therapist, so playing with food sometimes comes with the territory. 👩‍🍳

These yellow summer squash medallions were already roasting when I decided they needed a little something. So I blitzed some Simple Mills almond flour crackers and pecorino romano in my mini blender, scattered the crumbs over the squash, and put them back in the oven.

Soft inside. Crispy, nutty, salty on top. I nearly ate half the pan myself!

Nutritious. Easy to cook. A little too easy to eat. 😅

09/04/2026

Some mornings the ingredients pick the recipe. 🥔🧅🍳

I had one cooked potato, a red onion, olive oil, and a couple of eggs. That's it. And somehow my brain went straight back almost 30 years, to a kitchen in Ireland where my roommate from Spain made us a Spanish omelette one morning. I still remember how good it was.

So I chopped, cubed, and into the hot pan they went. Paprika, salt, pepper, onion powder. Eggs... plop. Lid on, heat low, let the magic happen.

I was hoping for feta. No such luck. Pecorino romano went in instead. 🧀 Authentic? Probably not. Delicious? Yes!

You eat with your eyes too, so I added a little greenery, cherry tomatoes, some leftover bolognese, and a dollop of cottage cheese with pumpkin seeds. 🌱

It filled me up so well I almost forgot to have lunch. Almost. 😄

What’s the best meal you’ve made from random leftovers?

09/01/2026

Should women in midlife start eating less protein?

Before anyone puts down the eggs 🍳 , I should probably explain.

I came across a TIME headline suggesting that eating less protein might help us age better and live longer. Since I have spent years encouraging women in midlife to eat enough protein, I went looking for the paper behind the headline.

It was a thick read. And, as is often the case with nutrition headlines, the real story was far more specific than the headline made it sound.

So, does this change what a woman in midlife should eat?

I wrote about what I found on the blog.

https://www.sunnygrovewellness.com/post/should-women-in-midlife-be-eating-less-protein

A headline claiming that eating less protein could help us live longer caught my attention. So I read the research behind it to find out what it actually means for women in midlife.

08/28/2026

Three of my four breakfasts this week were eaten sitting in my car.

My son had High School tryouts every morning, so I drove him over, walked a couple of miles around the school while I waited, did a little stretching, and eventually climbed back into the car very ready for breakfast.

And it was great!

I took pictures because these four mornings ended up being a pretty good example of how I think about food.

I don't typically track everything I eat, but I ran the nutrition numbers afterward because I was curious. Despite being four quite different meals, they all landed between about 25 and 32 grams of protein.

There was no elaborate meal prep involved. One breakfast was made from dinner leftovers. Another included five apple slices my son hadn't eaten. I relied more than once on eggs I'd already cooked and had waiting in the fridge.

That's much closer to how I think good nutrition works in real life.

Have a few anchors. Understand what you're trying to accomplish. Then work with the food you have and the life you're actually living.

For breakfast, protein is usually my first anchor. From there, I build a meal that satisfies me and brings in fiber, plants, healthy fats and plenty of flavor.

Swipe through and you'll see exactly what I ate, along with the nutrition numbers for each.

I don't need breakfast to look perfect. I need it to do its job.

08/09/2026

Some mornings the eggs just get it.

Ramsackled but still cooking. 🍳💛

07/19/2026

The best tomatoes in my garden this year are the ones I never planted. 🍅

They came up on their own, from seeds that went into the compost last winter. No plan, no trellis, not much attention from me. They got decent soil and full sun, and that was enough.�
I think about this a lot in my work. Much of midlife health advice asks women to do more. More tracking, more rules, more willpower.

Much of midlife health advice asks women to do more. More tracking, more rules, more willpower. In my experience, the bigger shifts come from tending conditions: steady meals with enough protein, morning light, sleep you protect, movement you can actually repeat.

When those are in place, energy and clearer thinking often start returning on their own. So does something harder to measure: waking up with interest in the day, having something left in the tank at 7 pm, clothes that fit the way you expect them to.

You can't force a tomato to ripen. You can feed the soil. 🌱

(And yes, the bed I planned, planted, and weeded all spring is doing fine. The compost volunteers are still winning.)

07/15/2026

There are two basils, and this is the one you won't find on a pizza. Holy basil, or tulsi, is a separate plant from the sweet basil in your pesto, and in India it's treated with real reverence.

Ayurveda calls it "The Queen of Herbs," it's considered sacred, and it's often grown in home courtyards and tended daily. The name tulsi means "the incomparable one."

Tulsi is classified as an adaptogen, a plant traditionally used to help the body steady itself under stress.

Modern research is catching up: a systematic review and several trials connect tulsi to lower stress and better mood and sleep, along with modest improvements in fasting blood sugar and lipids. That's a useful cluster for midlife, when stress, sleep, and blood sugar often shift at the same time.

Tulsi is more of a sip than a seasoning, most often enjoyed as a tea, which makes it an easy, calming afternoon or evening ritual.

One gentle note: tulsi may lower blood sugar, so if you take medication for it, check with your provider before making it a daily habit.

This week: brew a cup of tulsi tea and treat it as your signal to slow down. The one I keep on hand is Organic India’s.

Clear thinking starts with daily choices 💛

Paivi Grogan, NTM, INHC Holistic Nutrition Therapist | Sunny Grove Wellness sunnygrovewellness.com

07/14/2026

If you've never cooked with fenugreek, consider this your nudge to try it. These little golden seeds are a backbone of good curry powder, and here's the lovely part: toast them for a few seconds in a dry pan and your kitchen fills with a warm, almost maple-like aroma.

That sweet, nutty scent comes from the same natural compound that gives real maple syrup its smell.

The seeds start out a little bitter, so toast them lightly and stop before they darken. Fenugreek also shows up as a leafy green.

Fresh "methi" leaves are the tender greens of the same plant, cooked much like spinach, and "kasuri methi" is simply those leaves dried, crumbled in at the end of cooking for a gentle, herby note.

It has earned some research attention too. Small trials link standardized fenugreek extract to fewer hot flashes and some help with blood sugar in midlife, though those used concentrated doses, so cooking with it stays a flavorful, feel-good habit.

One practical caution: fenugreek is a legume closely related to peanuts, so if peanuts are an allergen for you, go carefully or skip it.

This week: toast and grind the seeds into a curry blend, stir a spoonful into a pot of dal, sauté fresh methi greens with potatoes, or crumble kasuri methi over roasted vegetables.

Clear thinking starts with daily choices 💛

Paivi Grogan, NTM, INHC Holistic Nutrition Therapist | Sunny Grove Wellness sunnygrovewellness.com