Each of us is unique in our own ways. How is this so? We have each lived thus far experiencing certain situations, making distinct decisions, and creating the exact life we are in at this moment.
Since we are where we are, do we expect to change things? There may be things in your life that you would like to change: what you are eating, how you are dressed, where you live, etc. Though we cannot change the past, we can, in fact, change the direction of our future. This is through mindful daily decisions; such as waking up earlier to create a morning routine, spending a couple of hours a week meal prepping, or getting involved with other like-minded individuals, or hiring a coach. Where does it all start? It starts with knowing your purpose. Purpose gives our life meaning, it gives us a reason to wake up in the morning, to see every day as a fresh slate!
Instead of saying, “I need to find my purpose,” because our purpose isn’t some far off thing that we lost like our keys, it is something that is truly near… as close to you as your nail bed is to your fingertip. With a little exploration, you may live your life with purpose. When you know your purpose, you feel a certain way, a little excited, butterflies in your stomach, action in your steps, a zest for life, and a reason to live fully. I encourage you to explore your heart to see what is your purpose.
What does nutrition have to do with purpose? When we are fully aligned in our purpose-driven life, then we eat according to the needs of our bodies, not restricting but limiting the foods that are toxic to our systems. My passion for nutrition is foundational around eating intuitively. We must first understand that food is for fuel. Imagine a cup of water gets filled at the start of your day, and all throughout you take a little water out at a time . A fourth of a cup goes to your day job, an eighth to exercise, a fourth to your children’s needs, another eighth to prepping meals, and your last fourth to the fun things you like to do. In order to give your best every day, you must fuel your body with whole foods to nourish and supply the best water for all that energy you expend!
How do you fuel your body with the absolute best? This is my list of ways I eat by the Human Design:
- Eat fresh, whole foods.
Shaping your meals around fresh ingredients will increase your supply of energy. The best being fresh fruits, leafy greens, and vegetables of variety: broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, sprouts, carrots, and onions… the list goes on. Energy is expressed as ATP (adenosine triphosphate). The body uses food to replenish the ATP in your body, which means it is vital to use the best ingredients to increase your energy!
- Being prepared.
The absolute best thing I can do for myself is to be prepared every day. I do this by looking at the items in my kitchen and deciding what I am going to eat the next day. When I use this tool personally, it has helped free up brain space to do other things throughout my day. Use a journal to prep the night before, writing down what you will eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Also, make certain to Include all your snacks. Everything is documented. As time progresses, it will get easier to eat with intuition; however, for now, following this style helps connect the brain with your desire for change. You are creating a new habit.
- Choosing the highest quality ingredients.
I’m all for enjoying occasional treats, so I make homemade treats with the highest quality ingredients. Trading out refined/processed ingredients, and using ones that are healing. This would include replacing white flour with coconut or almond flour and replacing cane sugar with coconut sugar or honey. I recommend this transition to anyone wanting to cut back on their sugar intake, or overall feel better about eating sweet treats.
Anytime you make lifelong changes towards a purposeful life, it’s going to feel exciting at first. After a couple of weeks, you may feel the desire to go back to your old habits; however, I encourage you to stick to the things you desire to create long-term changes in order to become the best version of yourself. One way to achieve that is to have things that you do when you feel unmotivated to pick you back up. Here are a few things I do to inspire me: take a warm bath with soothing essential oils, call a friend who is on my level to chat with, read a book that awakens my senses like books by Dr. Joe Dispenza, making some fresh juice like apple-cucumber or celery, invite a friend over and cook for them. You know the things that spark joy in your life, make a list of them and put that list somewhere you can return to when not feeling up to your daily rituals.
Passion is the outcome of finding your purpose, it is the zest of life. Those uncontrollable emotions that you feel when you find something pleasurable and make life worth living. For me, passion comes from an innate desire to help others live vibrantly through healing their relationship to food. This, too, means our relationship to foods being pleasurable, like enjoying something sweet. Here’s a fun recipe I’ve made for birthdays that ranks at the top of my list for just enough richness. I hope you enjoy it!
Chocolate Cake with Fudge Topping
Ingredients
¼ cup coconut flour
½ cup cacao powder
¾ cup of coconut sugar
¼ tsp sea salt
½ cup of coconut oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tbsp vanilla extract
8 large eggs, room temperature
Fudge Topping:
¾ cup vegan chocolate chips
3 tbsp organic coconut milk
Optional Topping:
Vanilla Bean ice cream
Chopped strawberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a 10 inch cast iron skillet, melt the ½ cup coconut oil and let it slightly cool while also coating the pan.
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, sugar, coconut oil, vanilla, and salt.
In a separate bowl sift cacao powder, coconut flour, and baking powder removing any clumps.
Stir in the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well.
Pour batter into the cast iron pan and place into the oven.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the center begins to firm up. Remove from the oven and set aside.
While the cake begins to cool make the topping; in a small saucepan over very low heat add the chocolate chips and coconut milk and melt stirring continually until smooth, then add to the top of the cake.
By, Hali Benson, Certified Holistic Nutrition and Wellness Practitioner & Owner Blossom Services.
