#44: Lauren Alice Avery

"To Thine Own Self Be True."

Feb 23, 2025

#44: Lauren Alice Avery

Welcome to Health Gossip. Today’s guest is Lauren Alice Avery, the enigmatic LA it girl-turned-mother whose moody images you’ve likely encountered online. I’ve been wanting to have her on the newsletter for awhile and was pleasantly surprised when she said yes… ♥

Location: My 1860s ranch house in California

Astrology: Sagittarius Sun, (Top Secret Moon), Aquarius Rising

@alice.ann.ave

How would you describe your current lifestyle?

A Mother’s Life, Beautiful and Heart-Wrenching.

I wake up nursing and fall asleep nursing, in between I’m still nursing and there is no end. I’m in the trenches.

What does health, or being healthy, mean to you?

Reader Beware: I’m incredibly postpartum so everything I say is jaded.

My big answer is good sleep. These days I feel like a million bucks when I’ve had even just 6 hours, it’s the true magic elixir. Before I had children I was a well known 10-12 hour sleeping girl. Those days are long gone for me although I remember them fondly. I had an emergency cesarian delivery with my baby and the recovery from that surgery is terribly painful (layers of internal stitches/spinal fluid pressure). I still feel like I’m recovering and sleep has been crucial for healing physically and emotionally. If I don’t get horizontal a few times a day I just can’t function. So right now in this very particular postpartum time, my health is measured by sleep and my ability to perform my most beloved duties as a mother.

Was there a specific moment when your relationship to your health changed?

My mother went through a phase where she used to padlock our fridge at night. Beyond that, pregnancy was the biggest shift for me. My first pregnancy I dreamt about smoking cigarettes every single night. I’m clean as a whistle now and it seems like everything in my home comes from some type of biodynamic farm or sourced from an ancient mineral bed. I’ve become very discerning about what I put in my body because I developed strange allergies after the birth of my first child. I have to eat strategically otherwise I’ll get red rashes all over.

What's your relationship to self-healing?

It depends on the day — oftentimes I believe I can heal through simple prayer alone but I have also been known to call an ambulance for myself. One time I called the ambulance to someone's wedding as they were reciting vows, although I don't think anyone saw me leave. I thought I had been poisoned. I don't think I'm dramatic I think I'm just very sensitive. Understanding my true sensitive nature and honoring that changed my relationship to how I approach my healthcare and general wellness. I do much better with naturopathic/homeopathic treatments, which is funny because I've had two C-sections. God is always laughing, I guess.

Do you work with any practitioners on a regular basis?

I see a traditional acupuncturist, a medically trained lymphatic drainage massage therapist, and a past life regression hypnotist who specializes in quantum healing. The midwives I worked with have also been a great council for me through this postpartum time. I’m kind of scared of them though, they remind me of witches.

When I have spare time at home I use my bio mat and the sauna. I also drink water delivered from an untouched miracle spring just like the Edwardians. I work with my dreams and have kept a diary since I was seven.

What practices do you rely on when feeling ungrounded, unsettled, or “unhealthy,” per your definition above?

There is this built in cure-all for mothers and it’s the smell of your baby’s head. Smelling your baby’s head releases oxytocin and lowers cortisol levels and basically gets you high. I do that all day long, it’s heaven, it’s divine.

Are there any principles or mantras that guide your day-to-day?

To Thine Own Self Be True.

Do you have a favorite meal?

Favorite meal lately is Chinese confinement porridge called yuè zi zhōu to strengthen your Qi. Right now my pantry is full of medicinal-based ingredients aimed to build back my blood. I also make a large batch of this bovine gelatin every week for good aminos and glycine. I mix it with organic grape juice which feels sinister. I tend to make a lot of stews/soups and mostly warming foods for vigor.