How did you enjoy Step 5 in our Create Your Life series?
Are you feeling great after dedicating some time to regular home spa rituals?
This week we look at STEP 6: THE POWER OF FOOD
I believe that food is one of the single, most powerful game changing wellbeing tools there is!
I have felt the power of this in my life personally, so much so that I dedicated almost one third of my book iKOU- Energise Your Life to recipes, meal planning, and food heroes.
The impacts of being tired or time poor often creates a cycle of not nourishing our bodies with food that fuels our energy.
How many times have you picked up takeaway or bought convenience foods simply because you were “too tired to cook”.
The irony is, while these foods save you from cooking, they often make us feel more tired!
Want to break the cycle and get your food on track?
MEAL PLANNING FOUNDATIONS:
I base my meal planning on “foundations”, which I prepare on Sundays so I start the week ahead of the game and don’t have to start cooking from scratch each meal.
My book includes the actual recipes that I form my foundations on: with 4 key areas that are on rotation, making multiple batches of energy balls, smoothie bags, lentil patties and breakfast basics.
Each Sunday I make 2 weeks supply of 2 of these foundations so I always have them on rotation in my freezer or pantry.
Then I mix and match the way I use them for quick inspiration when I don’t have much time.
Here’s what I have on hand ready for this week:
- Cooked quinoa
- Salad greens and fresh kale & baby spinach
- A delicious chickpea hummus
- Roast sweet potato cubes
- nuts and seeds
- spiralised veggies like carrot/ raw beetroot
- lentil patties
- leftover dhal
- fresh berries
- breakfast muesli and granola
- energy balls
- frozen green smoothie bags
(This week I also made a raw cashew and coriander blended sauce to pour over my bowls- I love making home made sauces to change flavours!)
I love choosing foods by colour to ensure I’m getting a broad variety of nutrients, and I can easily grab scoops of each to mix and match these things for quick and delicious “power bowls”.
GIVE FOOD ORGANISATION PRIORITY:
Whenever I know I am going to have a busy week ahead I make food organisation a priority in the lead up. It is the greatest gift I can give myself when I have full days.
I know that making nourishing choices will not only sustain my stamina and resilience, but also have a flow on effect to other areas of my life because I’ll have more energy.
The food we consistently consume becomes the sum of much of our energy.
We get good energy from good quality fuel.
In my book "Energise Your Life" I recommend ways to give your pantry and fridge an overhaul so they inspire positive nutritional choices.
Have a detox of the foods you keep in the house, and get rid of anything that doesn’t support you in your health and wellbeing goals; you can’t eat garbage if you don’t have it!
Put healthful foods front and centre, and organise them in a way that inspires you to use them in your meals.
SUNDAYS ARE THE KEY:
Leverage your Sundays!
By getting organised on Sundays, you’ll go into Monday well prepared to feed yourself with food that boosts your energy and keeps your body healthy.
My tradition is to get myself organised for food on a Sunday early afternoon, then reward myself with “Sunday Spa Day”- an hour of home spa to relax and restore.
I hope this inspires you to add another wellness tool to your life this week.
Remember, consistency is the key.
The more steps you take on a regular basis, the more in flow and connected with energy and calm you will feel.
I’m cheering you on to success!
x Naomi
Naomi Whitfeld is the Founder of iKOU and author of the book "Energise your life".
Her passion for inspiring others to live a life of wellness & joy shines through in everything she does.
As an intuitive Aromatherapist, Naomi incorporates mind & body benefits into all she creates, believing we respond best when we treat as a 'whole".
Winner of the Telstra Business Women's Award for "Entrepreneur of the Year", Naomi has a particular interest in supporting busy women to enjoy rituals of self-care on a daily basis.