Pantry Stalker: Alli Bradley
One of our favorite wellness queens shares the recipe she can't stop making, the almond butter she can't stop eating, and the morning bevy routine she can't live without
Shaky Ground is a little plot in Internet Land where you’ll find musings on wellness and babies and motherhood, recipes (including faves from REAP Mini Mart), interviews with friends in the wellness space, recommendations, and more. For the full experience, if you’re into it, upgrade to a paid subscription <3 xoxo, Adjua
When I was 23, in the heyday of blogging, I bought the domain pantrystalker.com on GoDaddy (what a time!) with the intentions of getting to peek into the pantries of all my favorite people to see what they were eating and cooking with. What kind of water filter did they have?! A Berkey? Faaaaancy! What sauces did they keep next to their stove for easy access?! What recipes did they cook over and over again?
This is the kind of voyeurism I’m into, and while I never once published a piece on that domain (I am a gemini after all! We are constantly onto the next idea, before finishing the first), the concept is finally having its moment here on Shaky Ground. (In the wise words of Stormi, paaaaaatience.)
In this series, we get an inside look at the kitchens of our friends in the wellness and food space. We’re starting with Alli Bradley, the lovely owner of Sanctuary Wellness Studio and all-around wellness queen. Take a peek into her pantry below!
First off, tell us a bit more about who you are and how you developed an interest in food
Hi there! I’m Alli, a wellness enthusiast who refuses to skip dessert and loves a good glass of pinot noir. I’m a Pilates teacher, a meditation coach and a health coach! I own a Pilates and Yoga studio just outside of the city (Philly) and my studio is now 11 years old (I opened the doors of it at 23!).
Even though my studio is mainly movement-based, a lot of my lifestyle is focused on what I eat and how it all makes me feel. When I first graduated high school I got a job as a cashier at a local mom-and-pop organic grocery store. It didn’t take long working there for me to learn all about the difference between organic and non-organic, GMOs, inflammatory foods and the horrible truths behind factory farming. I soon became a vegan for a year, then a vegetarian for six more and a pescatarian for four after that. That job taught me so much and really pulled the lid off of our food industry here in America and it showed me that the way you feed yourself impacts so much more than how you look.
I then began working full-time as a nanny and it was part of my job to cook dinner for the family, and they were vegetarian! I learned so much while I got to pick out daily recipes and pick up groceries at the local co-op grocery store and farmers markets. I went from living with a single dad and little brother where no one knew how to use anything besides a microwave, to cooking butternut squash risotto, three-bean chili, frittatas, endless stir-fries and all kinds of nutrient-packed vegetarian dishes with protein.
While nannying, I opened my studio. My relationship with food then morphed into a fuel: I needed to teach 14 classes a week while nannying full-time. Throughout the years (and now after graduating from IIN’s Health Coaching Program), my affinity for curating a lifestyle around the food I eat has endlessly evolved. Food truly is the cornerstone of my life, from how I connect to others, to how I support and show love to myself.
What’s your personal philosophy around food, in a few words?
Never skip dessert, or your daily dose of greens.
What does your morning bevy routine look like?
I wake up and I chug the (room temp, always) water on my nightstand and then I come into my kitchen and make a matcha (I always go for 2.5 teaspoons because I love to be a caffeinated queen) with frothed Malk cashew milk. I sip it while I meditate. It is hands-down one of my favorite morning rituals.
Then I walk my dog, eat my breakfast and make a double shot of espresso with frothed cashew (or almond) Malk. I usually add some electrolytes (LMNT) to my water bottle and hightail it to the studio for a class.
What condiments are you currently using non-stop?
1.MaraNatha Organic Almond Butter on my banana in the morning, in a smoothie, in my yogurt bowl — you get the gist. It really is the best almond butter, for texture and flavor, I’ve discovered. Smooth and not dry or clumpy.
2. Mother In Law’s Gochujang Paste on every single chicken or salmon dish and especially in all stir-fries!
3. Manukora Raw Manuka Honey
Manuka honey has up to 3x the amount of antioxidants as regular honey. It is beneficial as a prebiotic to our digestive system, supports our immune system and is anti-inflammatory due to its heavy load of antioxidants. Also, it’s richer than regular honey and tastes so pure. Add it to yogurt, cottage cheese, in your almond butter or to any dish and not only is it serving nutrients, but so much flavor.
Your go-to supplements right now:
1. PURE MAGNESIUM GLYCINATE, always
Being as deficient as we are in magnesium as a society, I truly notice when I take it (before bed). I’m more relaxed, I sleep better and my digestion feels more regulated.
2. Cymbiotika's Liposomal Glutathione (Psst: We sell this at REAP Mini Mart)
My functional health doctor suggested this to help with my melasma and honestly, it’s almost gone. Glutathione is an incredibly strong antioxidant, and in liposomal (gel) form, it’s really easy for our bodies to digest and access. It helps with inflammation and maintaining healthy cellular function, but the real benefit is what it does for your skin! It can help reduce redness, fine lines and brighten your complexion.
3. Fatty15
I just started taking this new(ish) supplement that was discovered by a veterinary epidemiologist who studied a concentrated group of dolphins who lived the longest with far less aging-related conditions than other dolphins. The difference was in the type of fish they were eating, and more importantly, the dolphins living longer and with far better health were consuming a fatty acid in a certain fish called C15:0 (aka FA15™). They created a supplement of this same odd-chain saturated fatty acid that is more pure and higher performing than any omega-3. It strengthens our cell membranes to protect us against aging (aka cellular degeneration) and inflammation, and it activates receptors in our body that regulate metabolism, immunity, mood, sleep and appetite. I’m so excited to see the benefits after I finish my first 3 month supply!
What Instagram or TikTok can you not stop stalking and why?
Maxi’s Kitchen on instagram for healthy, easy recipes — many are Asian-inspired and so delish. I’m also always a Half-Baked Harvest girlie but I modify everything to make it gluten-free and healthier. I also love Devin Brugman’s (of Monday Swimwear) instagram highlight on her cooking, because girlfriend makes a mean salmon bowl and honey mustard chicken.
By far my new favorite subscription is to New York Times cooking app. You can find a recipe for literally anything, and I always love to make things my own and modify ingredients to fit my own preferences (weeknights I’m gluten-free, lighter on dairy and don’t go too carb-heavy since it disrupts my sleep).
What’s a recent meal you can’t stop thinking about?
The Spicy Miso Chicken Katsu Ramen by Half Baked Harvest. I use rice flour noodles to make it gluten-free and half the time I forgo the chicken and add lots of spinach and mushrooms for more nutrients. The broth is 100/10 unreal. Make it!
What’s does your dream food day look like?
I live in the Philly suburbs so sometimes good, clean food can be hard to come by unless I make it myself but in my dream world: I’d wake up and go get a foamy almond milk latte at Char and Stave in Chestnut Hill, followed by a breakfast sandwich (bacon, runny egg and cheese with avocado on a fluffy roll) at Wake Coffee in Ambler. Then I’d bop over to Cake in Chestnut Hill for lunch and I’d get one of their many fresh chopped salads (probably the lemon chicken cobb) with their sea salt chocolate chip cookie for dessert. For dinner, I’d go to Alessandro’s Wood Fired on the Main Line (Wayne) and get their roasted beet salad (dreaming about it every night) and penne alla vodka (best vodka sauce) with a glass of pinot noir. Afterward, I’d come home to the chocolate chip tahini cookies from P.S. & Co. stored in my fridge for dessert with some peppermint tea.
Go-to post-workout meal?
A custom smoothie from a spot down the street from my studio called Aloha Smoothie Co: spinach, raw peanut butter, almond milk, banana, unflavored Truvani protein powder, cacao and a splash of cold brew. It’s currently my go-to favorite and the protein and pb fill me up!
A snack you keep in your bag?
Currently Chomps beef jerky, the jalapeno flavor only.
Favorite recent health-food discovery?
I’m obsessed with castelvetrano olives and I love making myself a random plate of those, macadamia nuts, soft-boiled egg, and whatever else is lying around thats higher in fat because I truly notice a difference when I get more fat and protein in daily. I’m so much more focused and satiated with more steady energy.
Leave us with a couple of recipes you can’t wait to make!
I can’t wait to make fresh shrimp and veggie spring rolls! I’ve been watching videos and in the past I screwed up the wrappers, but I’m ready to give it another go. I also want to make egg bite muffins with veggies for mornings (savory breakfasts keep our blood sugar from spiking!) and I would love to start making my own almond and cashew milk.