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Leaky gut diet plan and recipe inspiration
Explore the symptoms of leaky gut and how you can use whole foods to help your digestive system heal.
Digestive issues, food sensitivities, and brain fog can all make it tough for you to get through your day. For some people, these symptoms can be caused by leaky gut syndrome. Normally, your intestines serve as a barrier that only allows select nutrients to enter the bloodstream. When leaky gut syndrome develops, unwanted substances can pass through this barrier, leading to a variety of chronic health issues. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to heal gut health issues.
Here, we'll explore more about leaky gut, why it's so important to pay attention to gut health, and foods and recipes that can help restore your gut's ability to serve as an effective barrier between your digestive system and your bloodstream.
What is leaky gut?
Also known as increased intestinal permeability, leaky gut is a condition that occurs when the lining of the small intestine becomes damaged, allowing undigested food particles, toxins, and bacteria to enter into the bloodstream. A healthy intestinal system works as a selectively permeable barrier, allowing certain materials to pass through to the bloodstream while blocking harmful substances.
When the intestinal barrier is compromised, harmful materials can make it through the intestinal walls to the bloodstream, triggering a body-wide immune system response that can lead to inflammation and other issues related to a variety of health conditions.
Symptoms of leaky gut syndrome can differ from person to person and may include:
- Digestive issues like bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation
- Food sensitivities, including an increased sensitivity to gluten, dairy, soy, and other common food allergens
- Fatigue and brain fog
- Inflammation
- Joint pain
- Skin conditions including eczema and acne
- Autoimmune disorders like Hashimoto's thyroiditis or rheumatoid arthritis
An important note: While medical professionals agree that increased intestinal permeability is real, the term "leaky gut" is not yet a recognized diagnosis. If you're experiencing symptoms of leaky gut syndrome, it's a good idea to talk with your healthcare professional to rule out underlying issues.
What causes leaky gut?
The lining of your intestines is made up of a layer of cells that are tightly connected. This layer is responsible for helping nutrients and other helpful materials pass through to your bloodstream, while retaining and eventually getting rid of harmful materials. Sometimes, certain issues cause this barrier to become less effective. Chronic stress, alcohol consumption, certain infections, excessive use of certain medications, and a diet that relies heavily on processed foods and refined sugar can weaken the connections between the cells that make up the intestinal lining, causing leaky gut symptoms.
Why fixing leaky gut matters
Leaky gut syndrome can have a serious impact on overall health and well-being. If you think you may be suffering from a leaky gut, adding foods that support gut health to your nutrition plan can help you get back to feeling your best.
Some of the benefits of healing leaky gut syndrome can include:
- Better digestion: The wide range of digestive issues associated with leaky gut syndrome can make it hard to get the energy, nutrients, and minerals you need from food. Restoring gut health can help to alleviate symptoms like constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, acid reflux, bloating, and gas.
- Enhanced mental health: Researchers are still working to understand the connection between gut health and mental health. A compromised gut can inhibit your body's ability to produce serotonin, which may lead to a number of mental health issues like mood swings, anxiety, and depression. Taking steps to heal leaky gut syndrome may help to alleviate these issues.
- Strengthened immune system: Much of the body's immune system resides in the gut, and a healthy digestive system is key for fighting off viruses and bacteria. Healing leaky gut syndrome supports a healthy immune system and can help your body fight acute, chronic, and autoimmune conditions.
- Reduced inflammation: When toxins and bacteria enter the bloodstream through the intestinal wall, the body tries to protect itself by creating an inflammatory response. Over time, chronic inflammation can lead to cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and other serious health conditions. Healing leaky gut can reduce inflammation and help alleviate and/or heal related long-term health conditions.
Foods that can help heal leaky gut
Healing leaky gut requires a multifaceted approach. As you work to heal your gut, it's important to eat foods that reduce inflammation throughout the body, restore beneficial bacteria to the gut, and repair intestinal tissue.
Foods that can help to support the leaky gut healing process include:
- Bone broth: Whether you choose to make bone broth at home or buy a shelf-stable version at the grocery store, this gut-healing powerhouse is loaded with collagen, gelatin, and amino acids that can help repair your digestive lining while also reducing inflammation throughout the body.
- Fermented foods: Rich in probiotics, fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi can all add helpful bacteria to the gut to restore your microbiome and aid in the healing process.
- Fiber-rich foods: Fiber works as a prebiotic, feeding the good bacteria in your gut. While fiber supplements can be helpful if you struggle to get enough fiber, it's best to hit your daily fiber goals using whole foods. Adding a variety of fruits, vegetables, legumes, and seeds to your diet can help.
- Omega-3 fatty acids: Found in fish, flaxseeds, and chia seeds, omega-3 fatty acids can help to support healing in your digestive system.
- Coconut oil: Medium-chain triglycerides are abundant in coconut oil, making this plant-based fat a smart choice to help your body fight harmful bacteria and restore a healthy gut microbiome.
- Ginger and turmeric: Both spices are powerful anti-inflammatories that can reduce inflammation in the gut and promote healing.
Leaky gut recipes
Healing leaky gut syndrome can be a delicious adventure that pushes you to try new foods that help you feel your best. These are some of our favorite recipes that help support digestive health.
Ginger-carrot soup with bone broth and turmeric
Sourced from Dr. Michael Ruscio, DC
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp turmeric powder
- 4 cups chicken bone broth
- 4 cups carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 can coconut milk
- Sea salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Heat coconut oil in a large Dutch oven. Add chopped onion, fresh ginger, turmeric, and garlic. Sauté until soft.
- Add bone broth and chopped carrots. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook until carrots are very soft.
- Turn off heat and add coconut milk. Blend with an immersion blender or cool and process in batches in a regular blender.
- Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
Gut-Healing Smoothie
Sourced from Dr. Josh Axe, DC, DNM, CN
Ingredients
- 2 cups full-fat coconut milk or almond milk
- 2 cups kale
- 2 cups spinach
- 1/2 avocado
- 2 frozen bananas, cut into chunks
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1/2 tablespoon chia or flax seeds
- 1/2 tablespoon bee pollen
- 1 tablespoon hemp hearts
- 1 tablespoon raw honey or Manuka honey
- 2 tablespoons collagen protein or whey protein
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender, and blend on high until smooth (about 2–3 minutes).
- Serve over ice.
Baked Sweet Potato Chips
Sourced from Beyer Functional Wellness
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- Salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside. Use a mandolin slicer to cut the sweet potatoes into paper-thin rounds. Pile all the sweet potato rounds into a large bowl and pour the olive oil over the top. Gently toss to coat every piece with oil. Then lay the sweet potato rounds out on the baking sheets in a single layer.
Sprinkle the chips lightly with salt. Bake for 20–25 minutes until crisp and golden around the edges. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheets. Then move the chips to a bowl, or plastic bag to store. If you happen to find a few chips with soft centers, pop them back in the oven for about 5 minutes.
Sweet potato chips go from perfect to burned very quickly. Start watching each batch at the 20-minute mark and remove them the moment they look 90% crispy. They will continue to crisp up as they cool.
Healthy Chicken Cauliflower Fried Rice
Sourced from Beyer Functional Wellness
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil divided
- 2 chicken breasts boneless and skinless; cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 onion, yellow or white, diced
- 2 carrots diced; three small or two medium
- 3-4 garlic cloves chopped
- 4 cups cauliflower rice frozen
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 2-3 green onions sliced
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Instructions
Heat half of the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the chicken breast and arrange in a single layer.
Cook undisturbed until almost all pieces are no longer pink. Sprinkle it with cumin, turmeric, salt, and pepper and stir. Continue to cook for 3–4 minutes more, or until cooked through and golden. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.
To the same skillet, add the remaining oil. Sauté the onion and carrots until they begin to soften. Stir in the garlic and cauliflower rice.
Cook, stirring frequently, until the cauliflower rice is tender, around 5–7 minutes.
Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and stir with the cauliflower rice.
Top with green onions and sesame seeds.
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Adopting a Cat is Good for You, Your Community, and the Cat!
Adopting a cat (or two!) doesn’t just help the animal, it helps our communities and ecosystem too. And studies show that we are healthier, happier, and live better when we share our homes with pets.
June is National Adopt a Cat Month!
Thousands of kittens are born each year, and many of them end up in shelters. In fact, an article on humanpro.org reports that over 3.2 million cats end up in shelters each year. And 27% end up euthanized. Many others end up living out their lives in shelters, never adopted.
And while cat adoption rates in the US are going up in recent years, there are still so many left without homes.
Even more never find their way to shelters, and instead roam communities as feral strays. The impact of this is severe, and not just for the cats.
A 2018 article addressing the disastrous impact feral cats have on communities and the environment reported that,
“Feral, free-roaming cats have been documented by dozens of studies to be indiscriminate killers of wildlife and the cause of at least 63 species extinctions, according to a 2016 analysis of invasive species impacts.”
Adopting a cat (or two!) doesn’t just help the animal, it helps our communities and ecosystem too. And studies show that we are healthier, happier, and live better when we share our homes with pets.
Health Benefits of Having a Cat
According to a study by the University of Indiana, just watching videos of cats,
“does more than simply entertain; it boosts viewers’ energy and positive emotions and decreases negative feelings.”
If seeing a cat video online can do so much for our mental health, just imagine the benefits of snuggling up with a cat or two of your own!
And cats aren’t the only pets to provide health benefits. Studies show that there are numerous physical and mental health benefits to sharing our homes with pets.
According to a CDC article on pets and people,
“Studies have shown that the bond between people and their pets can increase fitness, lower stress, and bring happiness to their owners. Some of the health benefits of having a pet include:
Decreased blood pressure
Decreased cholesterol levels
Decreased triglyceride levels
Decreased feelings of loneliness
Increased opportunities for exercise and outdoor activities
Increased opportunities for socialization”
And a study from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases found that children that grow up in homes with pets are less likely to develop allergic diseases.
In the news release summarizing the study, the chief of the allergic mechanisms section at NIAID states,
“This new finding changes the way scientists think about pet exposure; scientists must now figure out how pet exposure causes a general shift of the immune system away from an allergic response.”
With increased rates of allergies and autoimmune disorders in recent years, early exposure to animals could potentially mean a HUGE health benefit!
Where to Adopt
The best way to adopt a cat (or any pet) is by visiting your local animal shelter. The following resources are great search tools to help you find one near you!
And, if you need some guidance or more information before bringing home your new addition to the family, this checklist from American Humane is an excellent resource.
Member Insights
We’re excited about Adopt a Cat Month and about the many health benefits of having a pet.
And we wanted to know how many of our Evidation Members currently have pets. So, we asked.
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Out of the 19,118 individuals who answered the question, 13,451 currently share their home with a pet.
That’s over 70% percent!
Next time, we’ll have to find out what types of pets Evidation Members prefer!
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Oxtails with Gravy — Soul Food and A Story
In honor of National Soul Food Month, this recipe and its story come from Solomon, one of our team members.
Did you know that June is National Soul Food Month?
You’re probably familiar with the term “Soul Food,” after all it has become a common culinary term in recent decades. But it’s important we take the time to recognize what, exactly, soul food is and acknowledge why it holds a special place in the lives of so many people.
What is “Soul Food”?
The cuisine recognized today as soul food originated in the southern United States.
Infused with the flavors of numerous African cultures and made with the few, “unwanted” ingredients available to enslaved peoples, soul food became a part of the traditions and culture of generations of Americans.
The term “soul food” was first seen in print during the Black Pride movement of the 1960s. Some of the earliest references are in Malcolm X’s 1965 autobiography and the essay, “Soul Food” by author and activist Amiri Baraka.
It’s critical that we recognize the distinction between soul food and other southern cuisine.
Soul food specifically refers to the distinct culinary traditions of African Americans in the southern United States.
The cuisine is unique because of its complicated origins and its significance to the cultural traditions of Black and African Americans.
In an article on the history of soul food on Blackfoodie.co Vanessa Hayford says,
“Soul food has a rich and important history that ties Black culture to its African roots, and that history is deeply reflected in the staple recipes and techniques.”
Recipe
In honor of National Soul Food Month, this recipe and its story come from Solomon, one of our Evidation team members.
Solomon, thank you for sharing your story and your recipe!
Solomon’s Oxtails with Gravy!
“My family Oxtails with gravy recipe was handed down to me for 3 generations starting with my great great grandmother. This oxtail recipe is a hybrid of Caribbean oxtails made with southern comfort spin. Growing up, oxtails were the ultimate comfort food that my grandmother would make whenever we had a hard day and could use a feel-good boost. It was a tradition that one Sunday out of every month, my younger brothers and I would help my grandmother make oxtails, and it became a family bonding meal. Even today, when my daughters and I could use a little boost of feel-good energy and comfort, we head to the kitchen and make oxtails as it is my goal to keep the family recipe and intention strong for many generations to come!” — Solomon Howard, Evidation
Ingredients:
For the Oxtails:
2 lbs of Oxtails
1 clove of garlic
1 chopped onion
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 tablespoon greek seasoning
1 teaspoon season salt
1 can of Campbell’s mushroom gravy
1 teaspoon Garlic Powder to taste
For the Gravy:
3 tablespoons flour (more as needed)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Plug in a slow cooker (any slow cooker will do)
- Place the temperature to “low”
- Mix all of the ingredients into a bowl ensuring that all ingredients are mixed thoroughly and the oxtails are evenly covered
- Pour the thoroughly mixed oxtails and ingredients into the slow cooker
- Cover the slow cooker with its lid
- Set a timer or the cooking time to 12 hours
- And let the goodness begin to cook :)
Gravy Recipe:
After the oxtails have cooked for 12 hours:
- Grab a large frying pan and place it on medium heat
- Transfer 2 smaller pieces of oxtails into the pan with a half cup of the juices from the slow cooker
- Add 3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour into the pan and stir until flour mixes and turns into a gravy
- Add more flour to thicken the gravy to the desired thickness.
- Add salt and pepper to taste
- Once the gravy is at the desired thickness, transfer the remaining oxtails from the slow cooker to the gravy (be sure to strain to not add too much of the broth from the slow cooker)
Modifications:
Any gravy recipe or premade gravy can work in place of the gravy recipe listed above.


Men’s Health Matters — During International Men’s Health Week and Beyond
International Men’s Health Week is celebrated every year the week before Father’s Day. The focus of the event is on men’s health, wellness, and prevention — which is critical to lowering risk factors for disease.
Men’s Health Matters — During International Men’s Health Week and Beyond
International Men’s Health Week is celebrated every year the week before Father’s Day. The focus of the event is on men’s health, wellness, and prevention — which is critical to lowering risk factors for disease.
Statistically, men tend to avoid routine medical care and avoid seeking medical care until much later than other genders.
A 2019 survey from the Cleveland Clinic’s MENtion it campaign highlights some of these statistics.
Why?
According to the Cleveland Clinic Survey, stereotypes and social conditioning surrounding gender play a large part.
“Why do men avoid the doctor? Stereotypes taught at a young age may be to blame. Two-fifths (41%) of men were told as children that men don’t complain about health issues.”
International Men’s Health week is an opportunity to focus on the specific health concerns men face, and a way to say, “Hey, guys, your health is important!”
It’s a great time to schedule events, have informed conversations, and raise awareness around men’s health and wellness.
But, the importance of men’s health doesn’t stop at the end of the week. It’s critical that we continue to focus on men’s health throughout the year and remind the men in our lives that they matter and that their health matters!
Regardless of gender, we can all play a part in helping men to feel confident seeking health care!
Luckily, today more than ever, there are many resources focused on the issue of men’s health! We’ve included a short list of resources below. And we encourage all men, everywhere, to remember that their health matters!
Resources
- MENtion it
- Men’s Health Month
- Talking About Men’s Health
- Men’sHealth
- The Good Men Project
- Men’s Health Resource Center

Honoring Juneteenth
We celebrate the connection between identity and whole person health. In this spirit, we honor Juneteenth (short for “June 19th”) which marks the end of slavery in the United States.
Honoring Juneteenth
At Evidation, we celebrate the connection between identity and whole person health. In this spirit, we honor Juneteenth (short for “June 19th”) which marks the end of slavery in the United States.
What is Juneteenth
While Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1st, 1863, only a tiny number of people were actually freed at that point.
In Texas, the last enslaved African Americans were declared free two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation and two long months after the fall of the city of Richmond.
Juneteenth, which commemorates the anniversary of that historical event, June 19th, 1865, has been observed and celebrated ever since.
Juneteenth is not just a pivotal landmark in American history for many Black Americans, but a representation of independence, freedom, and hope. A moment in time where the road to equality seemed more visible than it had ever been. Some of the most impactful pioneers in the history of civil rights were born from the breath of life that June 19th generated.
History of Juneteenth Celebrations
Juneteenth festivals could be observed extending from one state to another as formerly enslaved individuals relocated throughout the country.
Juneteenth celebrations commonly included singing, dancing, and coming together over food and fellowship.
Some of the first sightings of Black fashion have been connected to Juneteenth celebrations as clothing was a vital part of these festivities.
One way for formerly enslaved people to celebrate their emancipation was by wearing bright and vivid attire that they were unable to wear while enslaved. There are significant connections between those early festivities and modern-day Juneteenth gatherings that exist today.
Juneteenth Inspires
While we celebrate Juneteenth this weekend, let’s use this as an opportunity to remember that the fight for equality and liberty for Black Americans is not yet finished. Many injustices persist, and we must reflect on their impact on health and identity.
Today we fight to bridge the gap to access essential resources, education, healthcare, and equal opportunities, and representation that one day will be celebrated in ways that Juneteenth has paved the way for.
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Are you a Morning Lark or a Night Owl?
Discover your sleep type plus 5 tips for better sleep.
Some of us naturally go to bed early and wake up early feeling refreshed and ready for the day. Others feel best when they are up late and wake later in the day.
And while much of the way our work life and society is structured seems to favor the early risers, the tendency toward one pattern or the other is entirely normal, natural, and individual.
Whether we are more inclined to be morning larks or night owls is based on our biology!
Our circadian rhythms to be exact.
According to the National Institutes of Health,
“Circadian rhythms direct a wide variety of functions from daily fluctuations in wakefulness to body temperature, metabolism, and the release of hormones. They control your timing of sleep and cause you to be sleepy at night and your tendency to wake in the morning without an alarm. Your body’s biological clock, which is based on a roughly 24-hour day, controls most circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms synchronize with environmental cues (light, temperature) about the actual time of day, but they continue even in the absence of cues.”
Scientists call this tendency toward thriving in the morning or at night our chronotype.
Your chronotype score is determined by looking at your mid-sleep time (the exact midway point between when you fall asleep and when you wake up) and adjusting based on differences in your sleep habits between your free days and non-free days.
You can learn more about chronotypes and how our genes affect this aspect of our lives with this master class preview from Professor of Neuroscience, Matthew Walker.
Where do Evidation Members Fall?
Thanks to wearable health devices and sleep tracking apps, we’re now able to really see what our sleep patterns and chronotypes are.
Turns out many of our current members are morning larks!
How did we determine this?
We compared sleep data on non-free (work/school) days to sleep data on free days.
Why?
Because social obligations like work and school can interfere with our natural preference for morning or night.
So, in order to know where we truly fall, we need to look at how we behave when we have the freedom to follow our natural habits.
Specifically, we looked at when individuals fell asleep, when they woke up, and their mid-sleep times.
On average, the members whose sleep data we looked at, had mid-sleep times of around 2:50 am.
But to determine chronotype score, we need to look at the difference in total hours slept between free days and non-free days because people often sleep more on free days.
On non-free days, the average mid-sleep time was 2:35am. And on free days, it was 3:21am.
This tells us that while people did tend to go to bed later (and sleep in a little later) on their free days, it wasn’t much later.
So, how do we determine whether someone is a morning lark or a night owl?
We compare their chronotype score to the average (median) chronotype score of other Achievers.
What we found is that many of the members we looked at tended to be early risers.
This graph represents the distribution of recorded mid-sleep times (chronotypes).
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If you’re interested in learning more about sleep chronotypes, this paper from Current Biology is an excellent resource.
Tips for Better Sleep
Whatever your chronotype, there are things you can do to help improve the quality of your sleep — and good sleep is important for so many reasons!
According to the Division of Sleep Medicine at Harvard Medical School,
“sleep plays a critical role in immune function, metabolism, memory, learning, and other vital functions.”
That means that how you sleep directly affects your health, your mood, your weight, your ability to function and work or school, even the success of your interpersonal relationships.
And it’s one of those areas where quality is even more important than quantity.
Here’s our top 5 tips for getting better sleep!
- Unplug. Step away from your electronics for a good hour or more before going to bed. We know it’s hard to resist the pre-bedtime scroll — so much of our lives are connected to our devices! But it will help you sleep better.
- Maintain a regular sleep schedule! This one is critical. While our circadian rhythms are largely determined by biology, environment plays a HUGE role as well. Irregular sleep schedules interfere with our natural rhythms and can make it difficult for us to sleep.
- Get regular exercise. Even a small amount of exercise helps our bodies maintain balance, and that’s great for healthy sleep. Just be sure to exercise at least several hours before you plan to go to bed. Exercise gets our endorphins going and can keep you awake if too close to bedtime.
- Manage any anxieties or tasks before bed. This is especially important if you’re one of those individuals who lies in bed thinking about all the things you need to do. Make a list before bed and then set it aside until the next day.
- Create a restful space for yourself. Usually that means a space that is organized or free of clutter, dark, cool, and quiet. White noise like a fan can help for some.
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Why is Mental Health Self Care So Important?
Studies show that mental health is just as important as physical health. And little things like taking time for self care can make a huge impact. check out these tips for working mental health into your daily routine.
Why is Mental Health Self Care So Important?
The importance of mental health self care
We all know the importance of taking care of our bodies. When we neglect them, we become ill. Eating right, getting adequate rest and exercise, managing any chronic conditions — these are critical to maintaining good physical health.
But what about mental health?
Studies show that mental health is just as important as physical health. And little things like taking time for self care can make a huge impact.
So why do so many of us neglect this aspect of our wellbeing?
We asked Achievement users how often they made time for mental health self care, what types of activities they typically did, and what keeps them from practicing self care as often as they’d like.
What did we learn? That while many of our users do practice regular self care, the majority of them don’t do it as often as they’d like.
Why?
The most common responses (in order) were:
- Not enough time
- Pressures of daily life
- Financial burdens
We also discovered that while many of those who responded said that self care was very important to them (almost 75%), and almost 70% said they would like to practice self care daily, only 27% do.
So, in honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we’d like to share some quick, easy, free ways to practice regular mental health self care!
10 tips for working mental health self care into your daily routine
- Take a quick (5–10 minute) walk or bike ride
- Download a free meditation app — most have practices as quick as 1–2 minutes!
- Look in the mirror and tell yourself one thing you like about yourself
- Reach out to someone who helps you feel good about yourself
- Sing your favorite song
- Draw or color something
- Go to bed 10 minutes earlier than usual
- Close your eyes and focus on your breath for 1 minute
- Hug someone
- Write down 5 things you are grateful for
These are just examples of some of the ways you can practice mental health self care daily. We encourage you to find ways that work for YOU!
Mental Health Resources
While taking the time for mental health self care can improve overall wellbeing and keep us feeling good, sometimes we need more.
The following resources are available to you or anyone you know who may be struggling.
Crisis Resources
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline
OK2Talk Helpline Teen Helpline
Help Finding Treatment
American Psychological Association
SAMSHA’s Behavioral Health Treatment Services Locator
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Psychiatric Association Foundation
Additional Resources

Honoring ALL Who’ve Fallen this Memorial Day
For many of us, memorial day is the unofficial start of summer. It’s the day the neighborhood pool opens. The day the parks, beaches, and amusement areas start filling up. The day the BBQs, picnics, and beach parties begin. But while we enjoy these freedoms, we should also take the time to remember why we honor memorial day in the first place.
The True Meaning of Memorial Day
For many of us, memorial day is the unofficial start of summer. It’s the day the neighborhood pool opens. The day the parks, beaches, and amusement areas start filling up. The day the BBQs, picnics, and beach parties begin.
And it’s good that we enjoy these things. After all, it’s for these things that our service members fight.
But while we enjoy these freedoms, we should also take the time to remember why we honor memorial day in the first place.
History.com defines Memorial Day as,
“an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military.”
Unlike Veteran’s Day, which honors all of our service members, Memorial Day is special in that it is a day of remembrance.
And for our veterans and for the families and loved-ones of fallen service members, Memorial Day is often a day of honor and pain. A day of remembering. A day of visiting graves and paying tribute to fallen friends and loved-ones.
History of Memorial Day
Memorial Day (formally Decoration Day) was declared a national holiday in 1971 but has been observed since the end of the American Civil War.
And while the tradition of visiting the graves of fallen soldiers began sometime during the civil war, the first recognized formal observance was held in May 1868 and annually after that.
The first recorded observance, however, actually occurred three years earlier, just after the end of the war. It was held by freed slaves in Charleston, South Carolina in honor of fallen union soldiers.
If you’re interested in learning more, this post from History.com is an excellent resource.
Memorial Day, Mental Health, and Veteran Suicide
While memorial day traditionally focuses on those who’ve given their lives while in active duty, it’s important that we not lose sight of those who’ve given all in service, whether their sacrifice occurred during active duty or after their service has ended.
Rates of mental health problems and suicide among vets and active duty service members are staggering and and have increased in recent years. Many sources indicate a rate of around 20 suicides per day.
According to an article by Militarytimes on the latest report on veteran suicide rates,
“The rate of suicide among veterans ticked upwards in recent years despite increased public attention and funding on the problem.”
It’s important to note that while this report was released in November 2020, the numbers reflect rates from 2015–2018. Data suggests that these rates have continued to increase and have escalated even more during the Covid-19 pandemic.
So, since May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, we’d like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to those who’ve lost their lives in service to this country — both on the battlefield and at home — and we’d like to remember those who are still with us but struggling.
Thank you. And thank you to the families of those we’ve lost. Your sacrifice is not forgotten.
Resources
Honoring The Fallen On Memorial Day
Nonprofits Supporting Veteran & Military Families
- America’s Gold Star Families
- Highly-Rated Nonprofits Dedicated to Veterans and Military Service Members
Veteran Mental Health & Suicide Prevention

Creamy Asparagus Soup
This rich, creamy asparagus soup is one of those go-to comfort meals. It will easily satisfy your want for flavor, and the best part…it’s super healthy. So you get all of the glut with none of the guilt!
This rich, creamy asparagus soup is one of those go-to comfort meals. It will easily satisfy your want for flavor, and the best part…it’s super healthy. So you get all of the glut with none of the guilt!
It’s naturally gluten free, vegetarian, and keto — and with one simple swap it can be vegan and paleo too!
Food is such an integral part of our daily lives, and while we know that eating healthy is important to our overall well being, it can sometimes seem difficult to find delicious meals that are good for you.
So we’ve decided to create a place to share these gems.
This is just the first of many healthy, tasty recipes we’ll be sharing with our Achievement community. Each of these recipes will come from Achievement team members or Achievement users like you!
We’ll also tell you a little about the recipe author and the dish. Because sharing a meal is about so much more than the food. It’s about coming together.
The Story
I love asparagus! And it just so happens, that May is National Asparagus Month! And since it’s also Celiac Awareness Month, I knew I had to share this recipe.
I’m a sucker for cream soups, but I have celiac disease which can make it almost impossible for me to find safe soup in a restaurant or out of a package. Most cream soups start with a roux to ensure that rich, creamy texture.
Now, I could get that with a gluten-free flour, but I try to keep things as simple and healthy as possible.
So creating a thick creamy soup without the need for thickeners was top priority for me!
Luckily, I love to cook.
This soup gets it’s texture by using the parts of the asparagus stalk that you would normally toss out. Which also means it helps reduce food waste — which is a big win!
And the best part…it’s full of good-for-you nutrients and easily aligns with many dietary needs and preferences.
Ingredients:
2 pounds fresh asparagus
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
4 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
1 cup heavy cream
Pinch of fresh ground nutmeg (pre ground will work too!)
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
- Trim woody ends of asparagus and place in a large pot — reserve the rest for later! ***If there are very thick, hard parts at the bottom, remove and discard.
- Cover with broth and heat to boiling.
- When the broth reaches a full boil, reduce to simmer, cover, and cook until stalks are tender. 20–40 minutes, depending on the toughness of the asparagus stalks.
- Remove any stalks that have remained too hard or woody (that won’t puree nicely).
- Chop onion and garlic and remaining asparagus. Add to the pot. These can be rough chopped as it will all be pureed later.
- Return to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg. ***You can leave the nutmeg out if you don’t like it or are unsure. The idea is not to taste it, just to add a depth of flavor to the soup.
- Cook until veggies are tender.
- Remove from heat and puree using an immersion blender, or allow to cool and transfer to a standing blender in batches and then return to the pan.
- Reheat until warmed through and add in cream. Allow to heat through, but do not boil.
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Modifications:
This dish is already gluten free, vegetarian, and keto-friendly (trust me, you won’t know it — it’s so rich and delicious!). But you can easily make it Vegan and Paleo as well by substituting the heavy cream with full-fat coconut cream.
If you’re not familiar with coconut cream, it’s the solid part of a can of coconut milk (before you mix it up). So, if you can’t find canned coconut cream, you can use the solid cream part of a can of coconut milk.
It does change the flavor a bit, but I’ve done it plenty of times and it is still very tasty!
Tips:
- I save the woody ends of asparagus throughout the year and freeze them. Then, when I want to make this soup, I pull them out of the freezer and cook them down with the rest. This gives the soup a much deeper flavor. And it means less food waste!
- Use chicken bone broth instead of vegetable broth for added nutrition and a dose of gut-healing collagen!

The Women who Inspire our Evidation Members
Meet the women who inspire us to be our best selves! In honor on National Women's month, take some time to honor the inspiring women in your life.
Last month was Women’s History Month and later this month we celebrate one special group of women in our lives — the group of women we call mothers.
We know that Mother’s Day can be difficult for many, and we recognize that the word “mother” means many things.
With that in mind, we want to share the love and inspiration that comes from the women in our lives, whoever they are.
Some of these women have given birth, some have raised us, taught us, picked us up when we’ve been knocked down. Others have been friends, sisters, aunts, lovers. Some, we have lost.
But each of them have inspired us in one way or another.
And inspiration is something we appreciate here at Evidation.
So, we’d like to highlight the women who’ve inspired our community of members!
We recently asked Evidation Members about the women who inspire them, and the response was amazing!
Over 19,000 members sent us inspiring stories of the women in their lives.
It took us a while to get through the many heartfelt submissions, and while we’d love to share them all, we’ve chosen to highlight a few here in honor of women everywhere.
Meet our members and the women who inspire them
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“Ms. Thomas was my first African American female teacher in the third grade; also my only till I reached college. We instantly bonded and have a relationship to this day. She was such a smart and powerful woman and I think she is one of the many people that have encouraged and supported me to become the woman I am today. I could not imagine what my school experience would have been without her. She was always there to offer me extra support outside of class time and continued to help when I was no longer in her class. I can say that I love this woman and am so glad that she is a part of my life.” — Brieanna, Lexington
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“My friend Michelle inspires me in many ways. She is a retired firefighter/paramedic. She has been a competitive bodybuilder. Is a yoga instructor, painter, quilter and end of life doula. When she turned 50 she walked the Camino de Santiago and hiked the Kalalau in Kauai, both in a skirt. (Because, you know, year of the skirt). She is a wife, mother, and grandmother. She loves life and encourages others to love themselves and their life too.” — Karen, Las Vegas
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“My Lola (grandmother in Tagalog) is a truly inspiring woman. She originally graduated at the top of her class in accounting, then when she was in her 40s, she fought ageism and attended medical school to become an ophthalmologist. Not only is she brilliant, she is also a wonderful mother to 7 children, and Lola to her 13 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren. She was also one of the first female drivers in the Philippines. While my mom’s classmates were being picked up by their drivers, my Lola decided to learn how to drive a car so she could pick up her children herself. At 94 years old today, she is still brilliant, witty and going strong.” — Mariella, Toledo

“Nhu is a very dear friend of mine and she came to USA around 1980. She became USA citizens and is very much a good person. She has had her struggles along the way as she lives here in the USA and had always been a positive person no matter what happened to her as far as people treat her, she has always look to a more positive attitude towards them as she goes on with her life, she appreciate being here from where she came from she is a refugee from Vietnam and I can only imagine what her life was before her life here! To be so patient and positive about things takes a lot of patience and I love and dearly respect her for that. She has inspired me to look at things in a more patient and kind away in my life. She is a very dear and precious friend to have.” — Sher, Tacoma

“She has been my head principal for 10 years, and she continually inspires teachers, students, staff, parents, and the community to do and be their best. She never accepts excuses, and is continually looking for solutions to problems that make our high school awesome. She also treats everyone equally, which I never experienced until she came. She even helped our band to get funding for new marching band uniforms which we haven’t had in a few decades. I’m just sad to see her retire at the end of this school year, but wish her the best in her next chapter. I’m very grateful for knowing because she has made me a better teacher. I’ll never forget her.” — Charles, West Jordan
Give back by supporting woman-friendly charities
Evidation Members can donate the money they earn in app to a variety of charities. Some of the charities that are supportive of women and woman-related issues are:
- Black Girls Code
- Black Women’s Health Alliance
- Girls who Code
- Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
- Tides Foundation
- Loveland Foundation
Want to learn more about Evidation? Click here!