Welcome! I am so happy you chose to gather around my table. My name is Mia Swinehart and I am a registered dietitian with a passion for simple healthy recipes, women's hormonal health, and overall wellness!
My mornings are so sacred to me! It sets the tone for my entire day, and I just think there is something to be said about a simple ritual as an act of self-care.
While I am not extremely rigid in anything that I do, I do tend to stick to these habits for the most part in the morning. I’ve created a little routine that makes me feel great and gets me ready to tackle the day 🙂
Wake up, hydrate.
This step is super important. Your body has not had water in roughly 8 hours while you were asleep, so we need to replenish our fluids first thing for basic bodily functions. I keep my water bottle at my bed side and take my thyroid medication with it, and then I head to the kitchen to make my warm lemon water and take my probiotic. After doing this, I check in with my daily planner to start thinking about what I need to get done that day.
Not all probiotics are the same, but this one that I take daily is best taken on an empty stomach (lemon water is fine).
I feel the lemon helps to sort of wake my sensitive digestive system up. Mostly, I do just love it for the ritual aspect :). I drink 8-12oz of warm water with 1/2 of a lemon.
Morning movement.
For me, a morning work out is best. It gives me energy for the rest of the day, and I also am just not someone who can typically have the energy later in the day to exercise. This is personal preference! If an evening work out works best for your schedule, then always do what is best for you!
If I need a bite to eat before exercising, I opt for my bliss balls or a bowl of fruit.
As for what my favorite exercises are, I tend to change it up! I use ClassPass for booking HIIT, yoga, or pilates classes. However, I also love to do my own thing at the gym in my building- whether that’s some strength training, a ride on the Peloton, or a gentle treadmill walk. I check in with my body and go with what it needs for that day.
And yes, there are of course days where I skip my work out if I’m not feeling it!
Breakfast.
After working out I fuel my body with a nutrient-dense and satisfying meal. Lately, that’s been a smoothie and avocado toast. The recipe for my salted caramel chocolate chip smoothie is below; I also love to do a combo of berries, cherries, and spinach with protein and nut butter. I use vegan protein- either pea protein, hemp protein, or brown rice protein (or a blend of those). Organic is best if possible, and even better if you can find a sprouted protein (easier on digestion).
I’m currently on a quest to perfect my own gluten free sourdough; my first loaf is pictured in these photos 🙂 It definitely needs some work to get more of a rise and perfect the bake time, but I am super hopeful! I can’t wait to share more on this with you when I perfect it- stay tuned!
I load my toast up with 1/2 of an avocado, lemon, red pepper flakes, and sea salt and pepper.
Finally, below is the recipe for the smoothie I am currently obsessed with! There’s a hidden veggie in there- and I promise you’d never know it! It’s vegan and refined sugar free. The flavor is out of this world.
Hot tip: add a splash of cold brew to replace some of the dairy free milk for a coffee flavor!
I hope you enjoyed a little glimpse into my morning. xo
Did you make this recipe? Be sure to tag @gatherednutrition on INstagram so I can see what you made! Leaving a rating and review on the site is a huge help too!
