The holiday season is a time for hope, but we understand it can also bring added challenges for those living with ME/CFS and Long COVID. At Open Medicine Foundation, we want you to know that you are not alone. This season, we are inspired by the courage and resilience of the patient community—and fueled by the hope that unites us all.
- Hope for better diagnostics.
- Hope for effective treatments.
- Hope for a cure.
In the spirit of the season, we’d like to offer resources from the OMF-Supported Medical Education Resource Center (MERC) at Bateman Horne Center that may help navigate the holidays:
Chronic Illness: What I Want You to Know: A guide to help communicate your needs and boundaries with loved ones, fostering understanding and connection.
Crash Survival Guide: Practical advice for managing ME/CFS crashes and strategies for prevention, created for patients, caregivers, and medical providers.
We invite you to continue your generous support and join other supporters in empowering OMF’s critical work.
This holiday season, let’s all remember to pace ourselves and hold on to hope, supporting one another with care and compassion.
Warmest wishes for a healthier New Year ahead,
OMF Team
Celebrate the season with Rachel’s rich, luxurious truffles:
Rachel Riggs’ long-awaited cookbook, In Good Health, is here for food lovers who crave simple, flavorful, and nutrient-rich cooking. Free from gluten, dairy, refined sugar, soy, legumes, and nightshades, the recipes range from smoothies and salads to vegetable soups made creamy and luxurious with coconut milk, dips, and easy everyday cakes made with almond flour and maple syrup. Drawing on 20 years of living with ME/CFS and a background as a specialty food shop owner, Rachel makes cooking uncomplicated, vibrant, and deeply satisfying. The first year’s proceeds from the book will go to the Open Medicine Foundation.
In Good Health is perfect for holiday gifting too!
Find Rachel here: https://www.rachriggs.com/cookbook
Dark Chocolate Tahini Truffles Recipe
MAKES 24 TRUFFLES
6 oz (170 g) 100% unsweetened chocolate, chopped (see Note)
3 tablespoons virgin coconut oil
3/4 teaspoon pink salt
1 cup (240 g) well-stirred tahini (see Note)
2/3 cup (210 g) pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons Valrhona cocoa powder (divided; see Note)
Bring a small saucepan filled with an inch of water to a gentle simmer. Combine chocolate, coconut oil, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl, then set it over the saucepan. Whisk periodically until the chocolate has melted—don’t let any water come in contact with the chocolate or it will seize.
Move the bowl to a work surface lined with a kitchen towel. Whisk in the tahini, maple syrup, and 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder until well incorporated. Cover and refrigerate mixture for at least 4 hours or overnight, until firm enough to scoop.
Line a small rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Use a medium (size 40) cookie scoop to portion mixture, and roll into balls. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate, uncovered, for 1 hour, until very firm. Transfer the chilled balls to an airtight container. Add 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder to the container, close it, and give it a quick shake to coat all the truffles at once. Store in the fridge—they will hold up beautifully for weeks.
NOTES
Guittard 100% cacao unsweetened baking bars come in a 6-oz (170-g) box and work perfectly in this recipe. For the best flavor, look for a tahini that’s made with toasted sesame seeds rather than raw seeds. Valrhona cocoa is my cocoa powder of choice for its rich flavor and deep, velvety hue.
Excerpted from In Good Health: Uncomplicated, Allergen-Aware Recipes for a Nourished Life © 2025 by Rachel Riggs.
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