Julie Rake Integrative Medicine

12/02/2025

12/01/2025

QUINOA BAKE
INGREDIENTS:
* 3 cups pre-cooked quinoa
* 1 15 oz can of drained black beans
* 1 15 oz can of diced tomato and chilis
* 1/2 a cup of organic frozen corn
* 3 scallions sliced thinly plus more for garnish
* 1 cup of 0% Greek yogurt
* 1/4 cup of white wine
* 3 tbsp + 1/2 cup shredded Mexican cheese
* 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
* Preheat oven to 425-degrees F.
* Place quinoa, black beans, canned tomatoes, corn and scallions into an oven proof dish. Make sure it is deep enough to mix all the ingredients together.
* Combine Greek yogurt, white wine & 3 tbsp cheese until well combined & Greek Yogurt has thinned out. If necessary to thin out further, add a few more splashes of wine.
* Pour into the quinoa mixture and combine so everything is equally distributed.
* Cover with remaining cheese and place into the oven uncovered for 15-20 minutes until cheese is bubbly and the inside is warmed through* Feel free to run it under the broiler for a bit to brown up the cheese a bit.
* Sprinkle with cilantro and serve. Recipe by, “Girl & the Kitchen”

12/01/2025

Nobody’s got time for bad news. Here’s some good news for a Monday Morning! 💫

The heart knows no species boundary. Hati is a Siberian husky/German shepherd mix who forged an unexpectedly bond with a school of koi.

Owner Lynsey said she never expected her dog’s best friends would be fish! The relationship is more than a cute one-off. Lynsey said, “Hati has a deep fascination and infatuation for the koi. Nothing gives him more joy than hanging out with them.” What makes the bond even more compelling is the fish’s reciprocal trust. When Hati visits the pond, the koi “all gather around him to greet him and spend time together.”

Hati’s playful bops wity his snout with creatures so different from him are a sweet reminder that connection can be found in the most unexpected places and real love transcends all the divisions we humans create. 🐟 🐕 Story by ~ The Epoch Bright.

12/01/2025

Cheers to a new day! ☀️ It’s not just another Monday ~ it's a fresh canvas. This sunrise offers new perspectives, second chances, and endless possibilities. Shake off yesterday's shadows, and sip your morning coffee ☕️ with gratitude. Good morning, have a Magnificent Monday! 💛

11/30/2025

This photo was taken around 8 years ago. I was helping facilitate a veteran group called SPARTA. This was “ropes course” day. It was decided that I would be participating in this particularly terrifying event, “The Leap of Faith.” You climb a pole (35 feet) and once upright the task is to jump & catch the trapeze. I was frozen in fear.

As I stood up there before the daunting task, I thought about the men standing beneath me. I remembered why I was there. Our guardians had risked everything in service to our country. Returning, they carry unimaginable invisible wars within: mental anguish, paranoia, night terrors... Then, often are betrayed by a system that cheers the hero but forgets the human.

As they all looked up at me, I “stood on their shoulders.” They carried me, even while carrying their own severe trauma and suicidal ideation.

I remember thinking that I had to do this for them. It was non negotiable. I took “myself” completely out of it. I fixed my eyes on the trapeze, squatted down, and hurled myself into the air. I grabbed the trapeze! The ground below me erupted in hollers and tears spilled down my face.

This memory reminds me of my gratitude for our service men and women. And also of wise words by the philosopher/poet Lao Tzu: Being loved deeply gives you strength, while loving deeply gives you courage. Have a Serene Sunday.💙🌏

11/29/2025

💫🌟🌈

11/28/2025

GRILLED TURKEY, CRANBERRY, BRIE
INGREDIENTS:
* 1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
* 2 slices bread
* 2 ounces brie, sliced thinly
* 4 oz roast turkey sliced or shredded
* 1 tbsp. Cranberry sauce
* 2 slices crispy cooked bacon
* 1/4 avocado, sliced
DIRECTIONS:
* Butter one side of each slice of bread, spread half of the cheese onto the unbuttered side of one slice of bread followed by the turkey, cranberry sauce, bacon, avocado, the remaining cheese and finally top with the remaining slice of bread with the buttered side up.
* Grill over medium heat until golden & cheese has melted, 2-3 minutes per side. Recipe by, “Closet Cooking.”

11/28/2025

Good morning! Grab that coffee, chase a sunset, and let joy refill your cup. Have a Happy Friday 🌞

11/27/2025

The heart of Thanksgiving is gratitude: simple joys, shared laughter, friends and family ~ our richest blessings. Here are some words by Carl Sagan that encompass all of us:

“Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. There is nowhere else, at least in the near future, to which our species could migrate. Like it or not, for the moment the Earth is where we make our stand. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another, and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known."

Today I am grateful for everything in my life and for all of you here too. Together we make the world a “wee bit better” as my Scottish friend says. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours! 🍁🍽 🧡

11/26/2025

There is so much talk about “healing work.” But embarking on it can feel terrifying. Some people feel as if “opening that door” might bring a tsunami that will drown them. Others don’t think they can navigate the fear, pain, shame, or grief.

Healing doesn’t have to be a massive undertaking. One can navigate little by little.

🌟 Notice when triggered. Look at the “story:” When triggered I felt “ignored, neglected, invalidated, disrespected….” Triggers show us where we’re unhealed. What a person says is a reflection of them ~ not you. When words sting there’s usually an underlying “wound.”

🌟 Start recognizing when you “run to the babysitter.” Whats that!? That’s when you’ve been triggered or have had a bad day and you say, “I need a drink” or you run towards some other distraction to ease the discomfort. Instead, sit with the discomfort for just 10 minutes. We begin getting comfortable with the discomfort.

🌟 Spend some time quieting the mind. Old emotional debris will rise to the surface. Your task: feel it WITHOUT creating a story around it. If it’s sadness, simply feel the sadness.

🌟 Emotional tears contain stress hormones, and flush them from the body. This cathartic release also spikes oxytocin & endorphins: nature's analgesics, easing emotional pain. Crying is our body's elegant biochemistry for healing the heart.

Of course if the trauma/pain is overwhelming call your doc/therapist to discuss a plan of action. The point is that there are small ways to “move the needle” towards more peace of mind and joy. The truth is, you are a force of unyielding strength. Every time you “meet yourself” and every tear you shed is healing work. Have some compassion for yourself. Life is hard. You are loved. Many blessing to you. 💐

11/25/2025

How’s everyone doing!? Lots happening ~ the never ending news stream, the holidays, duties, responsibilities….. Here’s a livestream of me 😂

Just a lreminder to “go with the flow” & keep your head above water. We’re all in this boat together. Happy Tuesday. 🚣🏻‍♀️

11/24/2025

ROASTED CARROTS WITH WHIPPED RICOTTA
INGREDIENTS:
* 2 bunches carrots, tops trimmed & cleaned
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* Salt and pepper, as needed
* 6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into ½” cubes
* 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* ½ teaspoon paprika
* 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
* 1 tablespoon maple syrup
DIRECTIONS:
* Heat oven to 400ºF. Cut any large carrots in half lengthwise if needed. Arrange carrots in a single layer on a sheet pan and toss in olive oil. Season with salt & pepper and roast until tender & slightly browned, about 25 minutes.
* Heat a small saucepan over medium heat, add the butter and allow to melt. Add the pepper and paprika and lower the heat to medium-low. Simmer until the butter is fragrant, about 1 minute.
* Remove and strain butter through a fine mesh strainer. Set the butter aside.
* Add ricotta and maple syrup to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment (or a mixing bowl & whisk by hand) pulse until smooth, about 1 minute.
* Use a spatula to spread the ricotta on a serving dish & top with the carrots. Drizzle the chili butter over the top and garnish with additional salt and pepper. Serve warm. Recipe by, “Cooking with Cocktail Rings.”