#26 and 26 things.

And saying goodbye or rather I'll see you when I see you. :)

I had to laugh as I started writing this and looked to see what number newsletter this is. It’s #26. Although I’ve been sending newsletters for 4.5 years - it’s #26 in Substack. I feel it’s fitting for this new 2026 year and also what I have decided to be my last newsletter. I’ve decided to close this her healthy style chapter. Well, closing it in the form of trying to make it a small business.

I set out with a 2 year goal to hopefully turn her healthy style into a small business through affiliate sales while giving out loads of free recipes and information. Well, I doubled that time and it still didn’t turn into what I had hoped. In all honesty, I probably should have listened to my gut a year ago. That’s okay though, it clearly wasn’t time yet. We learn from all. Failure of something not working out how we had hoped is just a door that shuts so another one can open. Or maybe it’s as simple as we learned what we needed from it and now it’s time to move on. Either way, “failure” doesn’t have to be a negative thing. I feel a big sense of relief and ease with this decision, so I know its the right one.

When I started, I planned on my website and Pinterest being my main forms of pulling online traffic/income. I prefer to write or be in actual person vs spending lots of time on social media. However, shortly into it I realized I needed to do both and still pretty pictures on Instagram were no longer cutting it. I had to learn how to do reels and schpeels. The first 3 years I truly worked my buns off and poured my all into it morning, noon, and night. I was doing 4-5 blog posts a week, pinning, doing Instagram posts nonstop, creating new recipes, researching, finding cleaner swaps for favorites, doing juice videos (I’m still going to keep my YouTube juice videos going for now as that does make me $), newsletters (my favorite as I felt the most connected energy here), replying to lots of DM’s, having Mark help me out with the technical side of the website on his days off…it was a lot. I eventually hit a point where I realized there was not a positive enough give and take from it. I slowly started doing less and less while trying out different ways to see if anything else would take.

To those of you that kept me going by liking, supporting my content, and purchasing through my links, thank you. You know who you are. I will never forget your support here. It meant more than you know. I do feel like I’m letting you down which is so hard, but I hope you understand.

THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for joining me on this journey, liking, sharing, supporting, buying through my links, letting me know you’ve made a recipe or were inspired in some form to make healthy changes in your own life. I’m not completely ending this era as I’m still going to keep my blog up for now. If I continue to get some purchases through links, I’ll keep paying to keep the site up. If there is enough traffic, I’ll add ShopMy links as I try new products or edit what I use with time. Maybe I’ll even add a recipe here and there to the blog if it’s something I make and don’t want to forget myself. TBD.

I could have a pity party due to all of the time “waisted,” but I’m choosing to move on and not live in regret. You don’t know unless you try. Plus, I believe everything happens for a reason. I started this blog after I had just sold my business of 10 years. I found myself at home with my fur baby Bentley who was on his last few months and realized there were a lot of life changes happening for me. This blog/venture was an outlet I needed at that time. Without it I may have been more lost. So in that sense, it more than served it’s purpose. I’ve also learned and grown so much in the last 4 years. Thank you for allowing me to learn and grow alongside you. I’ll be turning 43 next month and I feel such an ease into my 40’s. I’m grateful for where I’m at and look forward to all of the unknown to come.

What will I do with all of my spare time now? For starters, clean out my phone of endless food pictures and videos and toss my million notes of things to make, share, update. etc. It’s always never ending, so that alone will feel like a breath of fresh air. Continue to make delicious meals, learn, read, make home feel like one of the most wonderful places to be, make mine and Mark’s life a little fuller, live more mindfully, in the present, enjoy the “little things,” create in new ways, let myself wonder more, explore more, just be more. I’ve read that a creative person is never bored and this certainly holds true for me. I could always use more time in a day. I also plan on putting my headspace in a new area to manifest. This doesn’t mean I’m throwing healthy living out of the way. Not a chance. Living a healthy lifestyle makes me thrive, it’s part of me. I only have one body and I want to do all I can to keep it as healthy as possible. In mind, body, and spirit. Oh, I’m walking and babysitting more dogs now too. :) And of course taking care of our WI rental cottage during rental season.

Never be afraid to be yourself. Never stop learning, growing, and evolving. Continue to make changes (even when their hard) and dive into & explore the unknown you keep thinking about even if it doesn’t turn out as planned. It rarely does. I’ve grown with this blog and I thank you for riding with me on this bumpy journey. If I’ve instilled anything, I hope it’s that you live authentically and in alignment with who you are today. Knowing that what’s in alignment with you today might look a bit different a year from now. That it’s okay to change your mind. That kindness, love, respect, and being non-judgmental has the best positive trickle effect. To always do you.

I want to end with 26 things to live by in this last newsletter. As always take what resonates, and leave what does not. :)

1. Have way more fun. Maybe work a little less. Perhaps be more, instead of doing more. We are human being’s, not human do’ers. If we knew we would die tomorrow or in a short time, I bet we would prioritize and spend our time a tad differently.

2. Live more joyfully and grateful to the core. Even on a rough day, there is always something to be grateful for.

3. Stay humble and kind.

4. Stay open-minded and less judgmental. We can agree to disagree. We all have different life experiences, so our perspectives will be different. Be a cheerleader for others no matter what.

5. You don’t know what you don’t know. When we know better, we do better.

6. It’s okay to change your mind.

7. Don’t be afraid of change. In regards to diet, this year I’ve changed my diet the most I have in a very long time. I still eat plant-based, but I’ve tweaked so much due to various reasons. I pay more attention to blood sugar. I’ve tweaked things due to gut health. I’ve lowered my carbs. I’m still not super low carb by any means, but much lower than I was in the past. I eat way more vegetables than I ever have, especially cruciferous. I’ve upped my healthy fats. I’ve lowered my natural sugars. I’ve always been the biggest fan of leafy greens and continue to make those a priority. I will continue to tweak with time and never be afraid of changing and trying out new ways to see what’s best for my body. Bodies change with age so it’s inevitable to tweak and change as we go. Remember every single body is different so don’t aim to be exactly like someone else. Continue to learn about your own body. Figure out what foods you thrive with and which ones you do not.

8. Don’t worry about the label. Carnivore, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Plant-Based, Keto, Pescatarian, etc.. After experience, time, and so much deep diving into learning more and more these past years, I truly believe QUALITY WHOLE FOODS WITHOUT THE PROCESSED is where it is at. However you choose to eat, be cut throat with the quality. Be a Qualitarian. :) That is truly what I care about the most and getting in lots of fiber. If you eat meat, aim for highest quality grass finished when you can help it. For fish I prefer wild-caught salmon the majority of time. If you eat eggs, the last time I checked Vital Farms had the best eggs for wide-spread availability (there might be a better brand now - I haven’t checked). If you live in an area with sustainable, organic local farms by you, go chat with them and see how the chickens and animals are roaming and what they are fed. Quality local food is always going to be better. If you eat almond butter, buy the raw almond butter without the sunflower oil, sugar, and whatever else they sneak in the nut butters. Read the ingredients on every packaged item. Buy the organic produce or at least prioritize buying organic leafy greens, berries, and the dirty dozen (the ones with the most pesticides).

9. Find healthier swaps for all of your favorites so you don’t feel like you’re cutting everything you love out, but rather adding in. Add in better, quality swaps with cleaner whole food ingredients. Your taste buds change with time, so you’ll actually prefer the healthier swaps. The more processed we eat, the more processed our tastebuds want. The cleaner we eat, the cleaner our tastebuds want.

10. Make the majority of your meals at home so you know exactly what’s in them and can avoid the inflammatory oils. However, when you do go out to eat or are on vacation, ENJOY IT!! Don’t stress over the less than. Stress is more inflammatory than most things. When it’s the minority it’s not going to make a dent in the majority.

11. Build small attainable habits one at a time. Changing too much at once is not sustainable.

12. Switch it up sometimes. Change is good.. in many areas.

13. Nothing changes if nothing changes.

14. Don’t compare yourself or your journey to others. The only person to compare yourself to is that of your younger self.

15. I don’t believe one wellness expert has all the answers. While 80% might be great, you may get burned a bit in the long run by following someone’s teachings 100%. I have. Continue to educate yourself and learn for yourself. Try things out and see what works for your body and what does not. We have to take responsibility for our own health.

16. You don’t have to overexplain yourself to anyone.

17. Have structure, but don’t be so rigid that you don’t allow flexibility. Easefulness creates less stress. Flow a bit more.

18. Get stuck on consistency, not on perfection.

19. When in doubt, sit in more stillness, more quietness, more peace. You tend to think clearer.

20. Prioritize your peace and time.

21. Don’t be afraid to stick out, be different, be the minority, be the change. Those that might not understand you now are sometimes the ones that look to you later as their role model.

22. Don’t forget to move. Find a form of workout that you enjoy. And if you fall off, just pick yourself back up and start again. Over and over again.

23. Don’t forget to hydrate, sweat, and rest.

24. When in doubt, get outside. Fresh air, sunlight, and nature helps most things.

25. Always do you. Live authentically and in alignment with who you are, knowing that what’s in alignment with you today might look a bit different a year from now. Life ebbs and flows. Keep flowing with it.

26. You don’t have to know what you’re doing in life. You figure it out as you go. And if you do make plans, go with the flow when plans change. Something greater is probably on the other side. What’s meant for you won’t get by you.

Thank you SO much for joining me here on this journey! I am cheering you on in life. I hope you have a really nice weekend.

With so much love and gratitude, Xx Riane

I don’t plan on sharing this to Instagram for now as I still plan on posting randomly when I feel like it (I think anyway); it just won’t be the same as it was. It will turn into a more personal Instagram instead of just food/wellness. I figure if you are one of my loyal followers, you read my newsletters. You are the ones I want to relate this message to now. Xx