Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD: Nourishment On and Beyond The Plate

In this week’s intention episode, Nicki reflects on a recent retreat in Ireland and the reminder that joy, creativity, and play are not frivolous—they’re essential. In a world that can feel heavy and overwhelming, play becomes a way to reconnect to ourselves, access deeper wisdom, and return to a sense of lightness.

This episode is an invitation to loosen the grip, step out of survival mode, and bring more curiosity and creativity into everyday life—especially in the kitchen.

In this episode, we explore:

* Why play is a powerful tool for shifting out of overwhelm

* The connection between joy, creativity, and intuition

* How lightness can help us reconnect to our purpose

* Bringing more playfulness into cooking and daily rituals

* Letting go of perfection and embracing experimentation

* A simple cookie ritual from Mind, Body, Spirit, Food

LINKS AND RESOURCES

* Subscribe to the Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/

* Order Nicki's book, Mind, Body, Spirit, Food: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/

* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore

In this week’s episode, I sit down with registered dietitian and functional medicine practitioner Samantha Rigoli for a grounded, empowering conversation about perimenopause, menopause, and how to support ourselves through this season of change with more nourishment and less dogma.

We explore the common—and often overlooked—symptoms of perimenopause, how shifting hormones can impact mood, sleep, stress, and energy, and why so many women feel like their bodies suddenly stop responding the way they once did.

Sam shares practical insights on blood sugar balance, protein, fiber, movement, nervous system support, supplements, and the powerful role of consistency in helping us feel more steady and well. We also talk about the emotional side of this transition, and how this phase of life can become an invitation into deeper self-trust, strength, and connection.

Links and resources

* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/

* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/

* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore

* Samantha’s website: healthytothecorenyc.com

* Samantha’s free CORE Reset Method (Perimenopause Nutrition Program): https://healthytothecorenyc.com/core-reset-method

* Find Sam on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/healthytothecorenyc/

What does it really mean to nourish yourself?

In this episode, I sit down with chef, food stylist, and author Melina Hammer (A Year at Catbird Cottage) for a thoughtful conversation on food, self-care, and living with more intention.

Together, we explore how to create simple, nourishing meals using seasonal ingredients, find inspiration in spring cooking and foraging (including garlic mustard and field garlic), and elevate everyday dishes with ease.

We also reflect on the deeper side of nourishment—how food connects to mindfulness, gentleness, and self-care—and what it looks like to move away from extremes and toward a more balanced, intuitive way of eating and living. A grounding and inspiring conversation on cooking, creativity, and what it means to truly nourish yourself.

Links:

* Episode Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/melina-hammer

* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/

* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/

* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore

* Melina’s book, A Year at Catbird Cottage: https://bookshop.org/a/114665/9781984859709

* Melina’s newsletter: https://catbirdcottage.substack.com/

* Melina’s website: https://www.melinahammer.com/

* Find Melina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melinahammer/

* My Substack Live with Melina: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/edible-holiday-gifts

* Nicki’s podcast episode with Ashley Neese, Permission to Rest: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/ashley-neese

* Nicki’s podcast episode about moving one step at a time: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/intention-11-one-step-at-a-time

This week’s intention is: I will get curious.

Building on last week’s practice of moving one step at a time, this episode explores how curiosity can help us move through overwhelm and reconnect with play. When we let go of the need for a perfect outcome, we open ourselves to creativity, discovery, and growth—in the kitchen and beyond.

Tune in for a simple shift that can bring more ease, experimentation, and delight into your everyday life.

Links and resources

* Last week's Intention Episode (I will move one step at a time): https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/intention-11-one-step-at-a-time

* Subscribe to the Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/

* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/

* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore

In this episode, I’m joined by Marije Vogelzang, a pioneering Dutch food designer who uses food as a medium to explore human connection, emotion, and experience.

While we often think of food as flavor or nutrition, Marije invites us to see it as something much deeper—a way to access memory, create meaning, and reconnect with ourselves and each other. This conversation explores food as ritual, as play, and as a powerful tool for presence.

We also dive into the parts of food we often avoid—the connection to death, transformation, and the unseen processes that make nourishment possible—and how embracing these realities can deepen our gratitude and sense of aliveness.

Toward the end, Marije shares a simple, playful way to make your meals more meaningful—something you can try at your own table tonight.

Links and Resources

* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/

* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/

* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore

* Marije’s website: www.marijevogelzang.nl

* Food Design Playground: www.fooddesignplayground.nl

* Find Marije on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marije_vogelzang/

Feeling the surge of spring energy—the ideas, the momentum, the urge to do it all at once?

In this week’s intention episode, I’m sharing a gentle reminder: we don’t have to rush to the finish line. Just like seeds in the garden, growth happens step by step.

In this episode, we explore:

*Why this season of “activation” can feel both exciting and overwhelming

*The wisdom of slowing down and trusting the process

*How moving step by step can bring more ease and joy into your days

*A simple way to practice this in the kitchen (even on a busy schedule) plus a spring entertaining menu

*How missteps and “failures” often lead to something even better

This is an invitation to soften, surrender, and remember: the transformation happens in the making—not just the end result. Be sure to head over to the newsletter, where I share the spring menu!

LINKS

* This week's newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/intention-11-one-step-at-a-time

* Subscribe to the Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/

* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/

* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore

What if cooking felt less like following rules—and more like freedom?

In this episode, I’m joined by intuitive cooking coach Katerina Pavlakis to explore how we can move beyond rigid recipes and reconnect with our senses in the kitchen. We talk about building confidence, cooking with creativity, and finding joy in everyday meals.

Katerina shares how to think in patterns instead of recipes, layer flavor with ease, and trust your instincts so cooking becomes simple, nourishing, and even fun.

In this episode:

* What intuitive cooking really means

* How to trust your senses in the kitchen

* Why recipes can feel limiting—and how to use them as inspiration

* Simple ways to build flavor and add contrast

* A more flexible, non-restrictive approach to healthy eating

LINKS & RESOURCES

* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/

* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/

* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore

* Katerina's website: https://www.theintuitivecook.co.uk/

* Find Katerina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/intuitive.cook/

What if the smallest moments of your day held the potential to shift everything?

In this short episode, Nicki explores the idea of making each moment sacred—not in a perfect or lofty way, but through simple, real-life awareness.

Inspired by her recent conversation with Tamar Adler, this episode dives into what “sacred” actually feels like in the body, and how everyday acts like cooking, eating, or doing the dishes can become opportunities for presence, gratitude, and connection.

She shares a real-life story about completely forgetting this intention… and why that’s actually the point.

This episode is a gentle reminder that the practice isn’t about getting it right—it’s about remembering, again and again.

LINKS

* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/

* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/

* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore

* Nicki's episode with Tamar Adler: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/tamar-adler

* Nicki's episode with Bella Lively: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/bella-lively

* Good Things cookbook, by Samin Nosrat: https://bookshop.org/a/114665/9781984857781

In this episode, Nicki sits down with Tamar Adler, the James Beard and IACP Award–winning author of An Everlasting Meal, Something Old, Something New, and the bestselling The Everlasting Meal Cookbook. Her newest book, Feast on Your Life, explores how everyday cooking can become a practice of attention, care, and delight.

Together they discuss why cooking still matters, how noticing with our senses can transform the kitchen experience, and why letting go of perfectionism can bring more freedom and joy to home cooking. Tamar also shares her thoughts on cooking for children, simple rituals around the table, and a powerful reframe: focusing less on making the perfect meal and more on the experience of gathering and being fed.

This conversation is an invitation to slow down, cook with presence, and rediscover the meaning and pleasure in everyday meals.

LINKS & RESOURCES

* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/

* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/

* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore

* Tamar’s newsletter, The Kitchen Shrink: https://tamaradler.substack.com/

* Find Tamar on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamar.e.adler/

* Tamar’s new book, Feast on Your Life: https://bookshop.org/a/114665/9781668078020

In this week’s intention episode, Nicki reflects on the power of connection—both with ourselves and with others.

After several weeks of book tour events and retreats, meeting listeners and readers in person reminded her how nourishing it can be to share our stories and experiences. But true connection doesn’t begin with other people—it begins within.

Nicki explores how real connection doesn't come from people-pleasing, resentment, enmeshment, or obligation, but rather from a place of grounding. When we're rooted in ourselves our relationships become freer, more creative, and more nourishing. She also reflects on how we can bring this into the kitchen.

This week’s intention:I will connect to others.

LINKS AND RESOURCES:

* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/

* Order Nicki's new book: https://fromscratchfast.com/nicki-sizemore/

* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore

* Sunday’s newsletter, all about connection (with a cake recipe!): https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/almond-coconut-cake

* Podcast episode mentioned with Meggan Watterson: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/meggan-watterson

* The Girl Who Baptized Herself, by Meggan Watterson: https://bookshop.org/a/114665/9780593595008

* My Substack Live with Ellie Krieger: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/from-chore-to-choice-reclaiming-joy