Whole Woman Nourishment

Whole Woman Nourishment

From how it started to how it’s going

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(photo taken by Author)

Recycled Writing

I stumbled on a write up that I shared on an old Instagram account that I once called “Wild Child Creative Nourishment”, and while I have a new account now called “Whole Woman Nourishment”, the same values and mission applies in regards to what I consider, “nourishing”.

I forgot that on that page, I had shared a write up about my journey to “whole nourishment”, for before I found this more balanced rhythm with self care and eating habits, I was on quite the roller coaster.

My Nourishment Journey

I recently had some words come to mind that feel right to come through my hands in regards to what this nourishment page is all about.

part 1

Sometimes I wonder if it’s appropriate to call my page “nourishing” when I see all the cookie recipes and treats I’ve shared over this last year, and I want to shine some light on that.

I’ll start by mentioning that at one point, I had success gaining many followers and a couple affiliate opportunities as a vegan recipe developer and blogger, during a time when my partner and I were committed to not eating meat.

Somehow, during that time, in many ways, I felt the most unhealthy than I ever did..

..I looked like this..

showing off my Zumba choreo and strawberry infused water

..but I felt like shit.

I was ADDICTED to making content that all my health and wellness followers would love, but what I was creating didn’t come natural to me, and it consumed a lot of my time and mental real estate.

I remember trying to use everything I ate as an excuse to post something.

Dinner with my partner became a two hour project; I don’t recall enjoying a lot of the meals I made, not because they weren’t good, but because I was rarely present with my food, and rarely really making it for me.

I remember making vegan treats that looked amazing, but my lack of skill for vegan recipe development could really only do just that.

(this is a turmeric crepe topped with a “superfood, green powder” ice cream that I made; it really didn’t taste great to me, and I honestly couldn’t tell you what is even sprinkled on top of it; probably another “superfood” that was trending at the time).

Even with all the fruits and veggies and whole foods I was eating, I felt so not nourished.

part 2

I grew so tired of trying to fit into wellness behaviors with food and lifestyle that just didn’t seem to fit me.

I tried to force myself into this mega healthy character that I didn’t have fun with. I had weird intentions with health that weren’t really true to who I am and what I like, and, I cared more about being seen as healthy on social media, than actually embodying what healthy felt like to me.

I learned really fast that being healthy isn’t just eating whole foods, and being thin.

So, I dropped everything; deleted the blog (it was called “Health Indulgence”), stopped recipe development, and ended my meatless diet.

I started eating what I loved again, and I didn’t run to social media to talk about what I was eating. I just ate.

(beets and brie cheese piled high on a mini everything bagel)

(a cheesy egg sandwich on a blueberry waffle with bacon; made with love)

I started enjoying present experiences for myself. I started weaving in more self care routines in my day-to-day life.

I allowed myself to make the cookies that I enjoyed with my Grandma growing up, loaded with sugar and butter. Baking is my thing, my favorite craft in the kitchen, and I love to enjoy the treats I make with a cup of coffee or tea.

I still enjoy vegan treats too of corse- ones that someone else made, or ones I made following someone else’s recipe.

I’m stoked to have found ways to enjoy making recipes with a little bit of everything;

why not put dates in a sugar cookie?

Why not make peanut butter cups with fruit?

Why not add some almond meal to Buttery Honey Sage Cookies for texture and flavor?

Why not just create recipes that don’t have to fit into a box?

Why not create recipes that just have to be fun to make, and taste good?

Most of my recipes are made with whatever I have on hand; I don’t go to the store all of the time to get specific ingredients to make a specific thing, I have more fun getting creative with whatever I’ve got.

I understand that people have personal reasons for why they don’t want to/can’t eat sugar or meat or dairy or bread, and I understand that my recipes are not fitting for them; I love knowing there are many accounts out there creating masterpieces to accommodate their own unique needs.

part 3

My intentions with what I make and do have allowed me to weave together everything I enjoyed as a little girl, with everything I enjoy now.

I made a promise to myself that I would welcome treats alongside my favorite veggies with moderation and pleasure, not shame.

Although aiming for sustainable options and ingredients is a big goal of mine, I also don’t beat myself up for not radically reversing my kitchen/lifestyle; homesteading is a big dream that lives gently within me, but I also still buy cheap processed food in moderation.

I learned that nourishment isn’t just what we eat and what we do, it’s also how we do these things. I think it’s crucial to have intentions to be fully preset with our nourishing experiences of choice, to really soak them in.

some of my favorite nourishing moments

I’ve experienced many nourishing moments ever since I stopped immediately posting everything I eat, and gave up being a neurotic perfectionist about what I eat.

I just started doing things like this:

•baking cookies while listening to music and dancing in between bakes

•enjoying cookies with a cup of coffee or tea

•cooking meals and playing video games with my partner

•holding colorful cards up to my daughter’s face and watching her facial expressions change

•movie nights with popcorn and candy;

•making crazy salads loaded with toppings and my favorite dressing

•starting my day with a self check-in at my alter

•gardening, getting my hands dirty, observing new growth in my plants every day.

I stopped worrying if society saw me as healthy or not healthy based on what I was eating or doing.

closing

With the right intentions and intuition, nourishment can really happen at any moment with anything we eat or do. I love eating cake, and I love eating salad; without labeling one healthy and one not healthy, they both just nourish me in different ways.

I hope to inspire folks to “live deliciously” (as @florencegiven would say) in their own beautiful ways.

I like making and sharing memes/posts that embody my definition of nourishment, and I share recipes with others that I genuinely enjoy myself.

Coming (eventually) to my site- Ebooks with creative nourishment inspiration🤓

May you always find creative ways to nourish yourself..

.. your whole self.

(just a whole woman watching tv with her daughter after dinner).