Women Who Quarantine - Rachel's Story

Women Who Quarantine - The stories of women warriors from around the world doing their part to fight this deadly pandemic. ​

Welcome to our next interview for "Women Who Quarantine" with Rachel Lisle!

I still remember the first time I heard of Rachel, a Family Nurse Practitioner from Coppell, TX. A friend of mine had just been in to see her for a wellness check-up and  wanted my take on the protocol she was given. I was so impressed by what I saw due to the fact that in many ways she works similarly to the excellent holistic doctors I refer clients to. It is often unusual to find a FNP practicing in this way. Now, a year later, I have the privilege of calling her both my sweet friend and colleague! : )

Rachel lives with her husband, Hunter and two children, Emma and Harrison, while working on the front lines to fight COVID-19 inside of her practice.  

Rachel's Story:

Profession: Integrative Family Nurse Practitioner and Mother
Location:  Dallas, Texas 
@rlisle_integrativemedical
website: Integrativemedical.com 


How is your heart doing during this uncharted time?
My heart is overall doing great due the freedom and extra quality time we have with each other! I feel so much more relaxed not having to worry about the next place we need to be. As a result, our days are far less structured than usual!

What has been most challenging about being home/at work?
Trying to spend one-on-one time with each family member. My two children are both hungry for alone time with each parent. It has taken over 4 weeks for us to learn, but we are utilizing new tools to accomplish this need. One night a week, my daughter Emma and I will have a movie night, special dinner, and sleepover. During that time, my husband spends alone time with our little one, Harrison. Another day of the week, my husband will take Emma on a long bike ride/go fishing, while I build a train station or legos with Harrison.

What is the good you have seen come out of this?
I've truly seen so much good come from this shelter-in-place order, while not minimizing the sadness and severity of the situation. People are outside a lot, which is beneficial to one's health, mood, and energy. Every dog is literally living their best life -  getting loved on by family and going on daily walks! Families are spending more quality time with each other without the business. They are eating dinners together, while getting creative on how they spend their time.

I'm also finding that individuals are using this quieter period to focus on improving their health, which is great! I've seen an increase at my practice of patients motivated to tackle chronic health conditions, optimize their overall health, focus on prevention, and/or commit to a weight loss plan. This time has allowed for people to truly focus on their health, while seeing the benefit of prevention firsthand. 

Is there any advise you would give to other women that you have found helpful or wish you knew before entering quarantine?
As much as I have loved spending every waking moment with my family, my neighbor gave me a great piece of advice. She and her husband take at least 10 minutes per day  to go outside by themselves. This allows a few minutes of peace and quiet to reset, which helps promote mind-fullness. Communicate with your partner and/or your children, and claim a few minutes for yourself each day! 

Is there something special you are doing to take care of yourself during this time?
I did a cleanse with Marie the first few weeks of quarantine, which was a true gift to myself. I had a wonderful increase in energy, clarity, and overall health that gave me a great boost as we entered quarantine. 

What is your favorite book and/or movie that you’ve watched or read this week?
We recently watched the new 'Call of the Wild' and 'Emma' movie. I absolutely love classic literature and have re-read 'Call of the Wild' with a new appreciation, especially since I am spending so much time with my dog. Jane Austen is also my favorite author, so I am starting to re-read Emma as well.

Go-to healthy *family-friendly* quarantine recipe: Paleo Chicken Pot Pie
Taken from: Nesting with Gracee

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped and peeled sweet potatoes
• 1 cup frozen peas
• 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil or olive oil
• 1/2 cup blanched almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground sage
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 3/4 cup almond milk

Paleo Pot Pie Crust:

• 2 cups almond flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground sage
• 2 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 egg

Instructions:

1. Sauté veggies excluding peas in coconut oil or olive oil over medium heat.
2. Add in spices. Cook until veggies are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes.
3. Coat vegetables in almond flour.
4. Stir in chicken broth and almond milk. Bring to a boil then simmer until the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. If you like your filling thinner, you can skip this part or if your filling seems great skip this- Take out 1/4 cup of the broth and stir in tapioca flour (or corn starch if not making it Paleo) to make a rue and slowly stir in the mixture to thicken up the broth.
5. Stir in the peas and the chicken and turn off heat.

Pot Pie Crust:

1. Mix all the crust ingredients together with a fork until it is crumbly. The coconut oil does not need to be melted. Press half of the mixture to the base and up the sides of the pie pan with your fingers. 
2. Pour filling onto the crust.
3. With the other half of the crust press down with your fingers onto your counter (making it thin and about the size of the top of the crust). Use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes for the top of the filling. Use a spatula to pick up the shapes, they fall apart easily. And then place shapes on top of the filling. 
4. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Lower the oven to 350 for 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown.

Notes:
*I would recommend using blanched almond flour if you can easily get it, blanched is lighter in color and lighter in taste.

*You will start to adapt it and use what veggies you have on hand.

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Sending you lots of love and joy,
Marie