I’m still getting used to not “going to work” after closing my practice however I am providing treatments at The Beauty Lounge in Paso Robles multiple days per week. 

 

This month’s topic: Self Love.   You take care of everyone else, let’s talk about taking care of YOU!

 

In honor of this month’s topic, I am sharing a decadent chocolate cake, an awesome book and a few helpful tips to help show yourself some love. 

 

My goal with this newsletter is to share all I can so that we can live with abundant health, mind, body, beauty and spirit! 

 

“Self-love” means having a healthy respect for yourself — your body, your mind, your feelings — and treating yourself with the same kindness, patience, and care that you would offer someone you care about.

 

It’s not about arrogance or selfishness.

It’s about:

 

In health and beauty, self-love can show up as:

 

Choosing nourishing foods and movement because you care about how you feel.

 

Caring for your skin, body, and mind not out of vanity, but out of respect for yourself.

 

Recognizing that you’re already worthy — not because of your weight, your appearance, your achievements — but because you are.

 

 

Social media can be a wonderful way to stay connected—but it also has a way of making us feel like we’re constantly behind, not good enough, or missing out. It can quietly chip away at our self-worth, leaving our minds overstimulated and our emotions tangled in comparison. 

 

Taking a break—even for just a few days—can give your brain space, your spirit rest, and your emotions room to reset.

 

Some of us might think a social media break sounds impossible, but it’s easier than you think—and the clarity and peace that come with it might surprise you.

 

Here’s how to make it happen:

 

 

 

 

 

Notice how you feel
At the end of your break and assess your situation. Has your mood shifted? Has your sleep improved? You might find yourself rethinking your social media habits going forward.

 

One of the most powerful acts of self-love during menopause is accepting that change is part of the journey. Hormones shift, energy levels fluctuate, bodies transform—and it’s easy to grieve the version of yourself you once knew. 

 

But holding onto that past version can keep you from fully embracing the strength, wisdom, and confidence that come with this new phase.

Menopause isn’t the end of youth—it’s the beginning of a deeper, more self-aware chapter.

 

Here are a few ways to practice acceptance:

 

Name what’s changed—without judgment.
Whether it’s sleep, weight, libido, or mood, noticing and naming the changes with honesty (not criticism) is a first step toward peace.

 

Remind yourself: You are not your symptoms.
Hot flashes or brain fog aren’t your identity—they’re just temporary experiences, not definitions of who you are.

 

Speak kindly to your reflection.
Aging is not failure. Practice looking in the mirror and finding one thing to compliment each day—even if it’s just your resilience.

 

Release the idea of “getting back” to something.
Instead of trying to reclaim your past self, focus on supporting who you are now and becoming who you want to be next.

 

Celebrate what you’ve gained.
Perspective. Clarity. Boundaries. A stronger voice. These aren’t losses—they’re gifts menopause can bring if you’re open to them.

 

Each day we face a barrage of images and messages from society and the media telling us who, what, and how we should be. We are led to believe that if we could only look perfect and lead perfect lives, we’d no longer feel inadequate. 

 

So most of us perform, please, and perfect, all the while thinking, What if I can’t keep all of these balls in the air? Why isn’t everyone else working harder and living up to my expectations? What will people think if I fail or give up? When can I stop proving myself?

In The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown, PhD, a leading expert on shame, authenticity and belonging, shares what she’s learned from a decade of research on the power of Wholehearted Living–a way of engaging with the world from a place of worthiness.

 

This top-selling, 3-product gut health supplement system helps weed, seed, and feed your microbiome and get it into balance so you can thrive from the inside out! Designed to balance the gut microbiome, this powerful trio works to support overall well-being.

 

The Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe from Handle the Heat is a rich, fudgy dessert that’s surprisingly simple to make. It’s perfect for chocolate lovers and those seeking a gluten-free treat.

 

 

A cross between a brownie, cake, mousse, and truffle. 

Made with semisweet chocolate chips, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, eggs, Dutch-process cocoa powder, and optional espresso powder for enhanced chocolate flavor. 

Naturally flourless, making it suitable for gluten-sensitive individuals. 

For the cake:

 

1 ¼ cups (213 grams) semisweet chocolate chips

1 stick (113 grams) unsalted butter

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, optional

1/4 teaspoon fine salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs plus 1 egg yolk

1/2 cup (43 grams) Dutch-process cocoa

½ cup (120 grams) heavy cream, chilled

 

For the topping:

 

Powdered sugar

Freshly whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or 1:1 ganache (chocolate ganache recipe here)

Fresh strawberries or raspberries

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a light colored 8-inch round 3-inch deep cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.* Place a parchment round on the bottom of the pan and spray again.

 

In a large microwave-safe bowl, heat the chocolate chips and butter in 30-second increments, stirring between each, until just barely melted. Stir until smooth. Whisk in the sugar, espresso powder, salt, and vanilla. Let cool.

 

Add in the eggs and yolk all at once, vigorously whisking until smooth. Whisk in the cocoa powder until just combined. Batter will be thick.

 

In a small but deep bowl or measuring cup, use an electric mixer or immersion blender fitted with a whisk attachment to beat the heavy cream to medium peaks. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whipped cream into the batter until combined.

 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

 

Bake the cake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake has puffed up, the edges are set but the center is still slightly wobbly, and the center is at least 200°F using an instant-read thermometer.

 

Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. The cake will deflate slightly as it cools. Loosen the edges of the still-warm cake from the pan with a thin flexible knife or offset spatula so it unmolds easier when ready to serve. Let cool completely in the pan. Once cool, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours but preferably overnight. At this point, the cake can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 3 days as well as any leftovers.

 

This cake is best served chilled. When ready to serve, remove the cake to a serving plate. Use a sharp knife to cut into slices, running the knife under hot water and wiping off the blade between slices. Place a spoonful of powdered sugar in a small fine mesh strainer and dust over each slice. Top with whipped cream or a scoop of ice cream and a few berries. Serve.

 

Note:  I found Pam nonstick spray to work the best for this cake. Sprays like Baker’s Joy didn’t allow the cake to grip to the sides of the pan, resulting in the edges folding over a bit.

May’s Masterpiece of the month is Young Woman Drawing” by Marie-Denise Villers

 

A woman looks up from her drawing, perhaps better to study us. The simple interior may represent a studio in the Louvre. The broken windowpane framing the distant couple, an unsettling detail, demonstrates the artist’s technical skill. Villers was the sister of the painter Marie Victorine Lemoine and a pupil of Anne Louis Girodet-Trioson, Jacques Louis David’s student. 

 

Taking advantage of newly open submission procedures for women painters at the Salon, she exhibited this work publicly in 1801 under her name, but it was soon incorrectly ascribed to David—a misidentification perpetuated until the 1950s. Due in part to this history, the painting appeared on the cover of a 1971 issue of Artnews that featured a watershed call to reevaluate art history, Linda Nochlin’s “Why Have There Been No Great Women Artists?”.