Meet Meryl Pritchard of Kore Kitchen. Meryl is a Personal Chef and Holistic Nutritionist from Boulder, Colorado and currently based in Los Angeles. Through her plant-based food service she focuses on nourishing the mind, body, and spirit from the inside out, while weaving in ancient Ayurvedic lifestyle practices. Kore Kitchen does not focus on calories, and believes that when it comes to food, quality is more important than quantity. When you are eating high quality, nutrient dense foods, you don’t need to consume as much because your body is able to utilize everything it’s digesting. 

Aside from delivering sustainable, delicious and wholesome meals, Meryl is equally conscious about our environment and keeps sustainability top-of-mind in everything that she does. Dive in as we learn more about how Meryl is inspiring us all to mitigate our carbon footprint and balance it all with such grace.

How do you practice sustainability? 

Sustainability is at the core of everything I do, and something I factor into every step of my daily routine. I refuse that which I do not need, I reduce the amount of overall items I consume and own, I reuse and repair my things before buying new, I recycle packaging and wear recycled clothing, and whatever I can’t recycle I rot (in my compost).  

What are your favorite Eco-Friendly Products? 

I have many products that help me prevent waste. Here are a few of my favorite brands:
–Fat & The Moon – I use their deodorant, face exfoliant, and lip balm. All of their products are vegan, cruelty-free, organic, non-toxic, and comes sustainable packaging like aluminum or glass which you can recycle easily or reuse. 
–Reformation – I try to buy a majority of my clothing used. However, there are certain things like that I sometimes like to get new but from companies who have strong ethics and take responsibility for their waste. Reformation is one of those companies. They use fabrics that would have otherwise gone to waste, and try to reduce carbon emissions, and water usage. You actually get a full report on how exactly your purchases saved the planet. 
–Package Free Shop – this online shop was started by my friend Lauren Singer. Lauren was the one who inspired me to shift to a zero waste lifestyle. Package Free is an online and physical shop in Brooklyn, NY that carries pretty much any item you can think of to help you live a zero waste lifestyle. Bamboo toothbrushes to sustainable condoms, she carries it. I recommend following both her and the store on IG for lots of tips, facts, and resources. 
–Plaine Products – shampoo, conditioner, and body wash. Not only are their products vegan, cruelty-free, non-toxic, they have a great business model where you can ship back your empty containers so that no recycling is necessary – even better! You can request a free shipping label and box that you can ship your items back to them in. They encourage you to purchase the pump once, and hold onto it for all of your refills.
–Pela Case – phone cases made from plants
–Leaf Shave – zero waste razors 
–RMS Beauty – clean zero waste make-up (comes in glass pots which can be recycled)
–Christy Dawn – sustainable and ethical clothing company based in Los Angeles
–Modest Mylk – sometimes you don’t have enough time to soak nuts for homemade nut milk so Modest Mylk makes a great easily blendable organic paste that you just have to mix with water and viola – nut milk! P.s. it comes in a glass jar.

What does wellness mean to you?

Wellness to me means treating yourself (mind, body, spirit) with respect. 

Any advice for people wanting to make the switch towards a more mindful existence (increased wellness) but who are not sure where to start?

You don’t have to do everything at once. Start with one thing, whether that’s committing to a reusable water bottle or taking a walk every day, every little bit does make a difference. Small, personal choices have unsuspected transformational power. It’s all about doing that one thing consistently and over time you will see a change. Some of the things we think that are so easy to do, are also so easy NOT to do. Creating a daily routine is the key to success.

What are your go-to daily beauty products and why?

My beauty routine is very simple which saves me a lot of time and makes my life easier and more efficient. I use an overnight hydrating mask that I can rinse off in the morning and then warm some Everyday Oil in my hands to moisturize my face. If I think I will be in the sun, then I’ll also add a non-toxic SPF for extra protection. My tinted moisturizer is by Vapor beauty and comes in a glass bottle. I use Vapor blush and bronzer as well which come in aluminum. I’ll use a little RMS concealer under my eyes, and their Lip-to-Cheek for a tinted lip. And last but not least, a light layer of brow tint mascara. That’s it! I usually choose products that are chemical free, come in sustainable packaging, and don’t change the way I look or coat my face, but rather lightly highlight my natural features. 

Why is clean beauty important for you?

Your skin is your largest organ and absorbs whatever you put directly onto it. It’s surprising how little we are taught about the harmful chemicals that are included in most mainstream brand skin care and make-up. They contain endocrine disruptors which can mess with your hormones, and heavy metals that can get stored in your brain. To me, whatever you put on your body should be just as clean as what you would put in your body. You should also be able to find most of your skin care and make-up ingredients in your kitchen or your garden. 

How do you de-stress?

I don’t have one solution that takes stress away, it is part of my everyday life as an entrepreneur and generally as a human being on Earth. Deep breathing can be really helpful in the moment. It allows you to pause and bring more oxygen to your brain so that you can think more clearly. Sleep does wonders for the body, and allows you to function at a more optimal level so that you don’t get so stressed out. Getting some sunshine and going for a walk around the block also helps me reset when I need it. All of these are free resources and really work! Lastly, CBD has been a great supplement for me. I like to microdose it throughout the day to help combat and tackle my stress in a more manageable way, and I also take a larger dose at night for a nice deep sleep! 

Favorite mood-boosting meal?

My favorite mood-boosting meal is a smoothie. This is the first thing I started doing when I started my journey to living a more healthy lifestyle. I didn’t change anything except just adding one smoothie to my diet every day. This was the easiest way for me to get all of my vitamins and minerals into my diet via superfoods. I also include healthy fats (nut butter, coconut, or cacao butter) , fiber (chia, hemp, flax) , and protein (my favorite is EPIC protein by Sprout Living). They always look beautiful, taste yummy, are easy to make, quick to eat, and make you feel awesome.

What is your daily mantra?

“Simplify, simplify, simplify” -Henry David Thoreau. This is one of my favorite mantras to repeat because we tend to complicate our lives more than we need to.