It was 10 years ago, while sitting in a circle in my local AlAnon group, I learned for the first time how to truly accept.

After each of us took our obligatory turn passing or sharing about being powerless over the addict in our lives, we all recited the Serenity Prayer before heading home for the night.

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference".

...Accept the things I cannot change.

Ok so, like:

1. Some people will not like me

2. My dad's an addict

3. I can't change my husband 

4. My house will never be perfect

5. I will never be perfect

6. My legs are curvy and muscular

7. I have a bump on my nose

8. My sister moved away

9. My basketball skills were/are not starter-worthy

10. Dairy is inflammatory and makes me sick

Since 1-9 provide enough content for a book, today I'll focus on sharing my basil pesto recipe and how the Serenity Prayer can help you on your healthy living journey, or let's be honest, in all aspects of life! 

As a coach, I find many, if not most, clients have a hard time accepting the fact that consuming dairy could be making them sick, crave sugar, and/or working against their quest to reach health goals.

Guess what?  Anything is possible my friends.  If my dad, an addict for over 30 years, was able to get and stay sober, you can crowd out dairy!

Before my Alanon days I lived in stuckness, which I believe is the exact opposite of acceptance.  While I knew my dad was an addict, I couldn't accept the fact that I could not change him, no matter how hard I tried.

Stuckness showed up as control, enabling, anxiety, panic, illness, fear of failure, blame, shame, and gulit.  

The day I was told to stop eating dairy because it was making me sick was intense, just as the first day I sat in the Alanon circle and admitted I was stuck.  

I had to replace negative beliefs and stuckness with acceptance or would never begin to get well.

Good thing I chose "courage to change the things I can" which got my ass in the kitchen, analyzing recipes, swapping ingredients, and healing my body all at the same time.

If dairy keeps you stuck and you are craving rich and satisfying flavor, make this pesto.

Please!

Use it to spread on toast, on top of an egg, as a pizza or pasta sauce, stirred into garbanzo beans and tossed in a salad, as the oil in a dressing, or heck, as a dip with veggies or seed crackers!

I can't wait to hear what's on your list of ten!

Dairy-free Basil Pesto

By: Audrey Byker, Health Coach

-1 cup, lightly packed fresh basil

-3-4 Tbls. roasted pine nuts or sunflower seeds

-1-2 cloves garlic

-2 Tbls. lemon juice, fresh squeezed

-1/4 tsp. sea salt

-1/4 cup olive oil

-Fresh ground black pepper

-A sprinkle of nutritional yeast(optional for cheesy flavor)

Pulse all ingredients in a food processor until chunky-smooth.  Make large batches and freeze in ice cube trays then transfer to freezer bags to enjoy year-long.  Good for 1 week chilled.