Happy October! Even though it’s still summer weather here in the Netherlands, there’s nothing I love more than fall vibes 🍁 Cozy sweaters, golden leaves, all things pumpkin spice and everything nice… Plus, it’s my birthday in November, which is always one of my favorite moments to reflect on how far I’ve come! (For all my spiritual friends: I’m turning 27 and I’ve been feeling those 🪐 Saturn return 🪐  vibes for a while now – and I totally manifested my new living space which is number 27 in my DREAM location and I’m legit moving in January 1st 2027 😭🙏💫)

Anyways, I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who responded to my newsletter last week. (In case you missed it, I’ve posted it on the blog here.) I was so positively overwhelmed by all the responses to my vulnerability about taking a break from the business (aside from 1-1 coaching and writing, of course!) and choosing to slow down. As I wrote there, we’re all on a lifelong discovery journey. That journey isn’t easy for anyone, but it can be especially challenging when you feel like an alien trapped in a human body costume…

Yet if it weren’t for this existential earthly experience, I wouldn’t be connected with you right now. Choosing to write that newsletter last week – and subsequently receiving all those beautiful & heartfelt responses – has unlocked a FLOOD of new creative energy!! One of the ways this energy wants to channel itself is to share more “snapshots” of my life.

Something I’m often asked is “What does full recovery even look like for an autistic person?” It’s actually the title of the final chapter of my book Anorexia Autistica, which I’ve slowly been chipping away at! It’s taking muuuuuch longer than anticipated, but if these past two “existential transformation years” have taught me anything, it's that anything worth doing takes time. So thank you for being patient with me :)

I’m honestly not even going to attempt answering the above question in a single newsletter, post, or podcast episode, because it’s far too nuanced to be captured in such a short piece of content. I mean, there’s a reason it’s the LAST chapter of a book that’s already over 100,000 words 😂 Besides, what “full recovery” (or rather, infinite discovery) looks like for ME will always look different for YOU. So until the book is out, I’d rather “show not tell” you through snapshots of my ongoing discovery journey!

What kept coming up in my meditations and reflections over the past few months is wanting to move away from always posting “ED recovery” content. I’ve created a completely new identity outside of my eating adaptation and frankly, my soul wants to move on. I personally feel like that’s a really healthy and meaningful evolution. After all, the POINT of recovery/discovery is to have freedom of choice in what you share and who you share it with!

So the idea of sharing more raw, behind-the-scenes content of what my ever-evolving journey looks like truly has my soul jumping on trampolines inside of my body (that’s the best way to explain it, okay?)! I also think we are ALL craving more authentic, HUMAN content with all the AI slop out there.

As I trust fall into this new era, I don’t know EXACTLY what the next steps are gonna be. There are still so many moving pieces, and I’m really confronting the existential/creativity void every day anew! But what I’ve been thinking about starting for a while is a series called “Discovery Favorites”!

What are Discovery Favorites? 🤔

Whenever I feel like it (because I’m not about to create a recipe for PDA, lol), I’ll share my current favorite anything: routines, products, songs, books, foods… There are gonna be no rules and no restrictions (very fitting, if I must say so myself) and my favorites are obviously going to adapt right along with me! Sure, the infinitude of options will probably give me a bit of an existential crisis once in a while, but perhaps that’s the fun part! By sharing some of my “favorites” I also hope to inspire you to try new things, and I would loveee to hear some of YOUR favorites if you ever feel so inclined!

So without further ado, here are my current five favorites👇

Favorite #1: Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman

This book is DEFINITELY going in my “most profound books I’ve ever read” pile. A huge contributor to my recent burnout has been my constant chase to do more in an attempt to outrun the fact that I can’t possibly ever materialize every creative idea I have. This has led to extreme existential claustrophobia and feeling strangled by the hands of the clock – which I’ve openly shared about on the Liv Label Free Podcast. Obviously, constantly trying to “be ahead” of time is not sustainable!

A few months ago, I reached such a breaking point that I found myself googling “books to help me make peace with feeling like I never have enough time.” The synopsis of Four Thousand Weeks intrigued me, so I grabbed a copy on Audible! Just a few minutes in, I knew this book was going to change my life.

Burkeman starts by validating the claustrophobic awareness that you’ll never be able to achieve everything you want. He talks about how trying to do more only keeps us running on the productivity hamster wheel, causing us to feel increasingly “behind.” The antidote? (Time) freedom is created when we stop resisting our finitude and instead use it to choose what matters most. Just like embracing my embodiment is what allows me to connect with you, embracing my finitude is what allows me to choose what’s most important. My biggest takeaway (and one that I’m experiencing in real time) is that fulfillment isn’t found by trying to do more – it’s created by committing fully to what matters MOST to you.

Burkeman narrates the book himself and it’s absolutely BRILLIANT, so I recommend listening to the audiobook if that’s your thing!

Favorite #2: My morning writing routine ☕️✍️

Speaking of committing fully to what matters most, nothing makes me feel more euphoric than sipping my SUPER STRONG moka pot espresso while working on my current creative project. In fact, it makes me feel even more euphoric than the dopamine high anorexia used to give me…which is a topic I’ll save for a future newsletter!

What matters most to me right now is writing & DEEP connection – and the two are intertwined in every way possible! After all, writing is one of the most profound ways I connect to myself & others. I can’t even begin to tell you how many of my clients have found me through my books.

Favorite #3: Pumpkin!

Yes, pumpkin is officially getting a spot on this list! 🎃 Pumpkin bread, pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin breakfast bowls, pumpkin cookie dough, pumpkin lasagna…I could go on!

Taking a break from the biz has freed up space for me to have more fun in the kitchen, so I’ve been making loads of recipes from my cookbook Nourishing Neurodiversity. Pictured below are my Pumpkin Protein Oatmeal, Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Bowl, Pumpkin Lasagna, and Spiced Chickpea Pumpkin Curry!

Above: Pumpkin Protein Oatmeal on the left and Pumpkin Pie Breakfast Bowl (made with green-skinned kabocha!) on the right

Below: Pumpkin Lasagna on the left and Spiced Chickpea Pumpkin Curry on the right

Because chronic health conditions are so common among neurodivergent folks, I designed every recipe to be as accessible as possible: plant-based, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, and nut-free, with alternative ingredients wherever I can. You can grab your copy HERE.

Favorite #4: Nuzest Protein Powder

If you’ve been around Liv Label Free for a while, you know I’ve literally been using Nuzest protein powder since 2018! I have a SUPER sensitive body and many animal proteins give me horrible digestive issues. Unfortunately, many popular plant-based protein powders have added sweeteners, gums, and fillers which can also irritate sensitive stomachs.

What I love about Nuzest is that their ingredients are pure + simple. But the simplicity doesn’t sacrifice on flavor, because Nuzest has loads of amazing flavors AND the texture is so silky-smooth that it truly makes any recipe taste that much better! Nuzest is available worldwide, and you can get 20% off with my discount code here.

(And yes, you may have noticed that two of my five favorites are food. That’s kinda the point: food is now just one of my favorite things, not what my entire life revolves around.)

Favorite #5: More public speaking 🎤

My final favorite is the fact that I’m doing way more public speaking! This month I'm speaking at two different events: I’ll be presenting my Adaptive Eating Spectrum model at the British Dietetic Association (BDA) and I’m also speaking on “The Existential Connection Between Autism and Eating Disorders” at IAEDP (International Association of Eating Disorders Professionals).

Both of the above events are private, but you CAN access my first Discovery Talk “Compulsive” Exercise or Adaptive Exercise? now available on demand! In this 60-minute virtual experience, you’ll learn how to create your unique version of movement freedom without forcing yourself to rest, taking "opposite action," "surfing the urges," or following other blanket recovery advice that doesn't accommodate neurodivergence.

And that’s a wrap for my first round of Discovery Favorites! Now, I’d love to hear some of YOUR current favorites, so feel free to contact me and fire away 🔥 (I read every single one, even if I can't always respond.)

With love, gratitude, and cozy vibes,

XO Liv

P.S. After a bit of a hiatus, I’m choosing to focus more deeply on 1-1 coaching. Time and time again, I’ve witnessed the deepest transformation when we embark on a 100% individualized discovery journey with YOUR experiences, challenges, and goals. You can apply for 1-1 coaching here. Big changes are also coming to the Autistically ED-Free Academy, and I’ll share details as soon as I’m ready!

P.P.S. Some links in this post are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only ever share things I genuinely use, because like many autistic people, I’m super suspicious of sleazy marketing tactics and can smell BS from lightyears away 😅