My name is:
Evangelynn Honegger
I’m a:
I’m an Integrative naturopathic primary care physician and acupuncturist focusing on family medicine, pediatrics, women’s health, and preventative wellness.
My non-negotiable wellness habits are:
For my mind:
Gratitude: a gratitude practice in the morning. I recently found a podcast episode that made me realize how powerful this simple act is because it filters my day through the lens of positivity.
For my body:
Hydration: Before caffeinated beverages, I start each morning with lemon water, ginger, and a pinch of salt. Hydration is non-negotiable, and I love focusing on functional fluids throughout the day by adding electrolytes, green veggie juices, nutritive herbal teas, and enhancing the water I drink to level up my energy throughout the day.
For optimizing wellness:
Sleep: Vitamin S (i.e., sleep) is my biggest non-negotiable. Everyone needs a bedtime, and I have always stuck to having a kindergarten bedtime. ( :
Diet: Prioritize healthy fat and protein at every meal or snack.
Exercise: Some form of movement daily - choosing activities that I love (walking, trail running, swimming, hiking, kayaking) - even better when I can get outside in momma nature.
My morning routine looks like this:
On clinic days, it involves walking or running my pup, making a balanced blood sugar breakfast to help front load my day with nutrients to keep me going, and then I’m out the door. On my days off, I try to make my mornings mindful with a slower start before diving into the tasks ahead. I try to add in some mindful pauses - extra movement, breathwork, a longer walk, rain or shine, reading a favorite book, or nerding out on a medical journal. I also love to listen to a podcast or catch up with a close friend to help recalibrate my mind and body.
Coffee or tea?
Both! We have some amazing coffee in the Pacific Northwest, but these days I love an organic herbal black tea or antioxidant jasmine pearl green tea if I need an extra boost… or three to my day!
My diet is primarily:
Flexitarian, whole-food, gluten-free, and dairy-free. Plants rule my plate, but I add high-quality meat proteins on occasion.
It is so easy to get caught up in the do's and don'ts of eating, but I'm determined not to let structure infringe on a harmonized relationship with whole foods in abundance and choosing joy in abundance with my diet and nutrition. Food should be both delicious and bring joy, along with community and feeling nourished.
I tend to gravitate toward foods that pack a nutritional punch but also those that are kinder to our environment, and always try to stay mindful of the food choices we practice and their impact on our planet.
In my fridge, I always have:
Firefly Kitchens’ Yin Yang Carrots (fermented), veggies, and salad fixings, including fresh herbs (basil, dill, and cilantro), and quick energy bites that double as seed-cycling protein bars.
In my pantry, you’ll always find:
Lots of dry goods like beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds. Walnuts, hemp seeds, and pumpkin seeds are my favorite toppers for everything or to munch by themselves or with a piece of fruit.
I always have…
Chickpeas - I sprinkle them on salads, soups, and stir-fries, and yes, I even put them in my smoothies. Chickpeas require few resources to grow and are packed with protein and fiber.
Seaweed - nori sprinkles - Love these underrated rockstars. They are also recognized as zero-input food sources since they require no land or extra resources to grow aside from their environment. Plus, they are huge in mineral-rich nutrients. (I sprinkle these on roasted veggies or in my salads.)
Go-to breakfast:
It’s a toss-up - Pasture-raised egg, avocado, sprouted toast sprinkled with black sesame seeds or a power green smoothie (greens, lemon, frozen mango, cucumber, celery, cilantro, with protein and collagen powder.) Always a hefty serving of greens.
Lunch is normally:
Basically, I like to pack an adult charcuterie board of whatever veggies and fruits are in season, hummus, almonds or walnuts, and nut butter. Often leftovers from the night before are usually a protein and lots of veggies.
Favorite snacks:
Rainbow carrots with hummus or nut butter
½ avocado sprinkled with salt or nori flakes.
Cocojune yogurt with berries and hemp or chia seeds.
Once Upon A Farm Wild Rumpus Flavor Pouch - who says those are just for kiddos?
Dark Chocolate >70% chocolate square, hands down.
Dinner is often:
Roasted or sauteed veggies with legumes or quinoa with salmon or chicken and sometimes more plant-based. Fresh veggie or quinoa salad with lots of herbs for extra flavor.
My favorite way to get my sweat on and move my body is:
Hiking and trail running are my two favorite ways to get back in my body and mind. To ground me even when everything seems to be moving around me.
For me, self-care means:
Stillness. It’s a hard one and a muscle I have to work on practicing every day. But stillness is medicinal, and we can weave into our days in the simplest ways - breathing with a longer-than-expected exhale - for nervous system regulating, going on a walk without a meeting or podcast in your ears, and planning your favorite meal. Playful and intentional pauses throughout the day - such as gratitude or body check-ins, or breathwork - are constant reminders everyone’s body needs.
Self-care also means taking the time to care for myself - getting annual wellness lab work, scheduling bodywork and acupuncture, daily movement, and carving out time to nourish relationships.
Supplements I can’t live without:
Adrenal Support
Magnesium Glycinate
Electrolytes
On a Friday night, you can find me:
Relaxing after a hike or a balanced catch-up day, taking time to prepare a yummy dinner that includes leftovers to take to work the next day, wrapping the day by indulging in an adventure film, or often prepping for my weekend of patients ahead.
Words to live by/life philosophy:
“I will never have this version of me again. Let me slow down and be with her.”
-Rupi Kaur
Constantly pursuing balance over busy. Progress over perfection.
If I had known then what I know now, I would tell my younger self:
Get more rest. Rest is just as important as moving. Without rest and reset, we have no energy to move.
More about Dr. Evangelynn Honneger:
Dr. Evangelynn Honegger completed her doctoral and undergraduate training at Bastyr University in Seattle. She holds a Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine and a Masters in Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine and is a board-certified naturopathic primary care physician and licensed acupuncturist. Dr. Honegger also completed a one-year CNME-accredited residency at a pediatric and family medicine practice. She founded TRUEcare Integrative Medicine in 2019.
Thank you Dr. Honneger for sharing your wellness routines, tips and habits!