Having embraced intuitive eating over the last few years and reached a stable and comfortable Food Freedom Lifestyle, I was curious (and a little nervous) to see how I would do on my most recent extended holiday. My fiancé and I were heading to England for a month, with a little jaunt to Scotland as well.

Some of the foods I ate on this trip:

• Fish and chips
• Ice cream
• Roast dinner
• SO MUCH CHEESE
• Pie
• Mashed potatoes
• Pasta
• Spanish tapas
• Middle eastern food
• candy
• Full English breakfast

How many workouts I did on this trip:

• One 15-minute ab video on YouTube

Previously in my life, the lack of working out and the foods eaten would have left me with an awful sense of shame and dread. I would have said terrible things to myself in the mirror and I would have been battling between restriction and bingeing.

I am overjoyed to say that this time around my whole trip was an experience of moderation. I tried all the foods I wanted to without guilt. Each day I found movement in the form of walking or the odd bike ride and that was good enough for me! There were some days I overate and felt uncomfortably full (you can’t go to the town of Cheddar and not eat your bodyweight in cheese!) but I still ate my next meal instead of restricting myself and everything was fine. This whole experience was new and profound for me. My trip was so much more enjoyable when I allowed my focus to be on enjoying myself and not obsessing over food.

It is possible to shut off that nasty little voice in your head and to start an anti-diet revolution within yourself. Remember that your worth is not based on your weight. You are so amazing just as you are!

If you are curious about intuitive eating and the Food Freedom Lifestyle, check out my program here.

Some of you may know that Fraser and I are obsessed with seafood platters. I think we may have tried every single one this city has to offer. So… for Fraser’s birthday recently, I took a stab at making one myself! I was pressed for time and Daily Catch Seafood on Commercial Drive made it so easy. I preordered a cooked 2lb Dungeness crab and some cocktail prawns as well as a lobster tail. These all came frozen so after pickup I thawed them out. The lobster tail needed cooking and the crab just a quick steam. As it turns out, the lobster needed about 8 minutes to cook, and the crab about 8 minutes to heat up – perfect! Instead of steaming in plain salty water, I added some Pilsner, lemon and orange for flavour. I made some garlic butter for dipping while this was happening with a little squeeze of lemon juice, as well. 

I bought a few pieces of tuna sashimi from a local sushi restaurant and mixed up a little dressing using sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, sriracha, garlic, ginger and scallions. Lastly, I toasted up some bread in the oven to have with olive oil and vinegar. This really all came together quickly and was significantly cheaper than getting a seafood platter at a restaurant. Plus…. The restaurants never give you an ENTIRE crab. Or crab AND lobster. We got the best of everything at home! 

Sometimes… you’ve just got to have breakfast for dinner!

“Breakfast for dinner” is a super fun dinner party theme! The PJs are a must (for the food coma to come)   This is an easy tofu scramble recipe for any time of day and it’s sure to please vegans, vegetarians and omnivores alike. You can switch up the spices and herbs but I always leave the turmeric in for that nice yellow colour.

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Tofu Scramble

Author Koko

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• Half a medium onion diced
• Half a bell pepper diced
• 1 block extra firm tofu
• 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
• 3 tbsp oat milk
• fresh chives and fresh parsley

Instructions

• In a pan over medium heat medium heat, drizzle half a tbsp of olive oil and add peppers and onions. Cook for a few minutes until softened, stirring occasionally.
• In a food processor, add tofu, nutritional yeast, salt, garlic powder, turmeric and smoked paprika. Pulse mixture together until it is a finely crumbly texture. Do not puree!
• Stir in oat milk, remaining 1/2 tbsp of olive oil and add to the onion/pepper mixture, heating through for a few minutes.
• Stir in some chives and parsley, add a pinch of black pepper and adjust salt if needed.

I slow roast tomatoes all Summer long. Generally I freeze them so I can experience a burst of Summer flavour in the deep of Winter. However, many of them must be enjoyed fresh at the time of cooking! The perfect way to do this (in my mind) is to pair them with burrata and a nice toasted baguette.

With this recipe you can make as few or as many tomatoes as you like. If you make a whole tray full, freeze some for later if you don’t need them all at once.

When you roast the tomatoes at a low temperature over an ample amount of time, the sugars caramelize so beautifully and the flavour really pops. I like to add some garlic during the roasting process for the mellow, sweet added touch of flavour. If you have fresh basil on hand, toss that in at the end. There are no rules here.

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Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes with Burrata

Author Koko

Ingredients

• 1 ball burrata drained and room temperature
• 1 punnet cherry tomatoes halved
• 3 cloves garlic unpeeled
• olive oil
• few leaves fresh basil torn
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 baguette

Instructions

Tomatoes

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees F
• Place halved tomatoes on sheet tray
• Drizzle with olive oil
• Generously sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper
• Roast for approximately 2-2.5 hours, until some tomatoes are caramelized, checking on the garlic part way through. Remove if necessary and set aside.
• Remove tomatoes from oven and let cool or can be used right away.
• If using right away, toss in fresh basil and serve with burrata.
• If using later, gently reheat tomatoes, add basil and serve with burrata.

Baguette

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
• Slice baguette and drizzle with olive oil
• Toast for 5-7 minutes, flipping once halfway through

This is a lazy day honey raisin cake – it’s simple to make, requires only a few ingredients and then you can forget about it for an hour while it bakes. Do your Sunday chores, start a movie, whatever! When it comes out of the oven, enjoy it with a nice cup of tea

Wishing you all a smooth transition out of Summer mode and into Autumn

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Simple Honey Raisin Cake

A simple cake recipe for a tea time snack.

Keyword baking, cake, honey, raisin

Author Koko

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup honey
• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract *Can also use a pinch of vanilla bean powder
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup raisins

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 F
• Grease and line a 6 or 7" cake pan
• Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside
• Cream together honey and butter until smooth
• Add vanilla
• Mix in eggs one at a time, alternating with sifted flour mixture, mixing until just combined after each addition.
• Toss raisins in a bit of flour
• Stir raisins into cake batter until just combined.
• Pour batter into prepared pan
• Bake for 65-75 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean
• Turn out on a wire rack and let cool completely
• Enjoy with a drizzle of honey

Leading up to:

• you’re exhausted
• you’ve had hours or days of restricting foods
• you’re triggered emotionally or are depleted of any emotional resources or physical energy from restricting
• you start to get a craving for a restricted food

During:

• you may start with a different “healthier” food than what you are craving
• soon this leads to another type of food to fill the void
• eventually you give in and eat the food you’ve been craving all along and then continue with more foods

After:

• you feel ashamed of yourself
• you feel guilty
• you attempt to cope by over exercising/purging/setting new food rules

What you *need* to do after a binge:

• forget the guilt and show yourself some compassion – what’s done is done and it is a part of the process. Try to let it go whatever way you can whether through deep breathing, a self-love meditation, a gentle walk around the block, getting lost in a book or TV show.
• have your next meal or snack as usual. Do not try to compensate and under eat or skip your next meal. This will only perpetuate the cycle.

How to stop the cycle:

• intuitive eating

Intuitive eating uses a blend of intuition and rational thinking to help you understand and listen to the needs of your body. You are allowed (and encouraged) to forget about food rules. There is no restriction in this lifestyle. When you stop restricting, you will not be consumed with thoughts of food every waking minute. You will also not have to feel guilty when you eat. Of course, this is a process that will take time. It can be hard to let go of food rules if you have been dieting for a long time. It may feel strange to “allow” yourself to eat the things that you have been witholding for so long. At first, you may overeat a little bit but as time goes on and you continue to explore the foods that you have been restricting, they will become less special. You will come to know what the right amount is for you and you will be able to consume what is satisfying for your body without bingeing.

Something wonderful occurred to me a couple of months ago after indulging in a most delicious “snack” and eating more than I intended.

My boyfriend and I ate an entire ball of burrata with the better half of a baguette. It was SO GOOD! My old self would have FREAKED OUT and felt guilty, yucky, and full of self-hate.

“But dairy and carbs are fattening!”

“I’m going to have to workout for hours to make up for this!”

“I better not eat at all tomorrow!”

But that day, I felt none of that. My intuitive-eating, self-love journey has brought me to a place where yes, I did eat more than I intended to but big deal. IT WAS SO GOOD! I loved it! And then I continued on with my evening and didn’t think about it again.

It’s hard to believe the amount of time and energy that being stuck in a diet mindset can take out of your life.

What is your strategy when stuck in the cycle of restricting and bingeing? Do you obsess over food and experience guilt when eating? How do you tackle the aftermath?

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What I Ordered:

Mango Mezcal margarita

Aguacate onion rings (avocado stuffed onion rings!)

Camarón taco (Battered prawns, guacamole, pico de gallo and pasilla-tamarind sauce on flour tortilla)

Nopal taco (Pan fried Nopal (cactus), served with onions, tomato and cilantro)

Pescado Burrito (Battered cod burrito)

Delicious Mexican fare in a fun atmosphere. Big tacos! Great drinks!

Miku – 200 Granville St #70, Vancouver, BC V6C 1S4

Gourmet Japanese cuisine with a Westcoast flair.

A bit on the pricier side but great for a celebration or special date night!

What I ordered: Ebi fritters, red tuna sashimi, salmon oshi sushi, shiitake nigiri, unagi nigiri

Happy New Year!!

I hope that 2022 holds many beautiful moments for you.

When it comes to planning the year ahead and manifesting all that you desire, goal setting and journalling can be such a helpful tool.

I have a few tips and tricks to keep a healthy mindset (free of diet culture mentality) when it comes to dreaming up the year ahead.

I like to create two lists. List one is a realistic look at the year ahead and includes things to do with my work, my house, my relationships, etc. List two is a list of my absolute fucking wildest dreams.

Starting with list one, it is important to release any number-specific weight goals or calorie goals from your list. When approaching goals related to fitness and health, focus your intentions on how you want to feel and not on how you want to look.

For example, instead of writing “I want to lose 20 pounds by May” try saying “I want to feel energized and comfortable in my body this year”.

Instead of working out and dieting like crazy to lose 20 pounds, there are so many things you can do to feel increased energy and comfort in your body. You can break down the goal into steps that encompass physical, mental, emotional and spiritual elements.

Goal: I want to feel energized and comfortable in my body this year

Steps to achieve this:

• get adequate sleep, aiming for 8 hours per night
• increase my water intake (buy a cute new water bottle!)
• name something I love about myself every day upon waking
• unfollow social media accounts that promote diet culture
• join a dance class because that is the type of movement I enjoy most
• Set up a weekly walk with a friend to catch up while getting some time outdoors

When writing your list, notice anything that triggers a diet culture thought or pressure on you. Find a way to let go of that narrative and create a new one from a foundation of love.

When it comes to the second list, this is where you can go crazy. I’m talking mansions on a private island, your dream lover, million dollar cheques, eight pet dogs, the best and drama-free friendships you can imagine. Pour it all out and let yourself vibe in the way these things make you feel. I don’t mean long for them, but really visualize that you have it all already and feel how you would feel if you really did. That is the vibration you want to find yourself living in. Watch the magic happen!

1. Be prepared 

Listen to your body’s hunger cues throughout the day. If you are headed to a party and find yourself worrying about what food options might be available, avoid the unknown by having a snack or meal that makes you feel good before you go.

2. Don’t “save yourself” until mealtime

If you’re stuck in diet mentality, I’m sure you have done it….gone hungry because you have a big Christmas meal coming up. This is really a form of restriction and bingeing and it perpetuates diet mentality. There is no reason to starve yourself or go hungry in order to eat at a later time. Eat intuitively throughout the day and you will be able to enjoy and savour the big holiday meal without guilt and without feeling sick from overeating when the time finally comes.

3. Don’t overexercise in order to counteract eating

Finding ways to keep moving that you actually enjoy is so important. If you can run, dance, kickbox, walk or hit the yoga mat over the holiday season, good for you! However, if you find yourself moving only to “work off” something you’ve eaten or are about to eat, it’s just not a healthy mindset to get stuck in. Movement should be something that makes you feel good! Exercising away guilty feelings or calories consumed is a surefire way to stay stuck in diet mentality and maybe even lead to injury down the road from overexercising. Try to re-frame your mindset and place emphasis on the positive aspects of doing a form of movement you love.

“I’m going to go for a run today and I won’t stop until I have burnt off at least 300 calories. I shouldn’t have eaten that extra helping yesterday.”

versus

“I’m going for a jog today to get some fresh air and feel good endorphins. I feel a bit sluggish after yesterday and I know that this will help. It will be a great way to see the decorations in the neighbourhood as well!”

4. Set boundaries

When seeing friends and family over the holidays, don’t be afraid to set healthy boundaries. For whatever reason, people seem to think it’s okay to comment on other peoples bodies or what they are eating. Don’t allow your long lost aunt or your drunk brother-in-law to comment on your body if it makes you uncomfortable. Say, “I don’t appreciate comments about my body” or walk away from the situation. In the same way, if someone comments on what you’re eating or on how much of something you’re eating, set a boundary.

Another important boundary to set is how much you can commit to. Don’t feel obligated to attend every event you’re invited to if it feels like too much.

Setting any kind of boundary can be scary but this is for your peace of mind and you deserve it.

5. Don’t throw it all away until January 1st

Setting goals and resolutions can be great for personal growth. However, don’t “let it all go” until January 1st. You know when you’re dieting and you have a “cheat” food and then throw it all away and give up for the day? Well don’t treat your life like that! Keep focused on honouring your needs and respecting your body’s cues every day. Enjoy the holidays and don’t let everything ride on January 1st. An intuitive lifestyle is the little choices you make every day – not something you set in motion on a certain date.

6. Be kind to yourself

Acknowledge that this season is a time of celebration and you are allowed to experience that through food and drink and socializing without guilt. Let yourself enjoy and savour your favourite foods and activities. And as above, you don’t need to feel obligated to attend EVERYTHING you are invited to and you don’t need to feel guilty about that either. If you need to rest and recharge, listen to your body and do so.