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

Today’s episode is filled with so many deep nuggets of wisdom—I think everyone listening is going to have at least one aha moment. I speak with Abigail Rose Clarke, who is a writer, somatic educator and artist. She’s been teaching somatics internationally since 2011. Her book, Returning Home to the Body: Reimagining the Relationship Between our Bodies and the World will be released in January 2024. 

Abigail and I discuss what it means to be in relationship, not just with other people, but with our bodies, with the foods we eat, and with the world around us. As Abigail explains, relationships are a reciprocal give and take, where we’re being changed by the other, but also by the relationship itself. She describes how when we “return to the body,” developing a deeper relationship with ourselves, we open the door to curiosity. Instead of feeling like we need to control our bodies or the foods we eat (through things like yoga, meditation, workouts, diets, cleanses, etc), we instead ask ourselves what we authentically need right now, in this moment, without judgement. We also discuss pleasure, change, grief, the role of food in comforting us, and so much more. 

Links and resources mentioned in the show:

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

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

* Abigail’s website: www.abigailroseclarke.com

* Find Abigail on Instagram: www.instagram.com/abigail.rose.clarke

* Pre-Order Abigail’s book, Returning Home to Our Bodies: https://amzn.to/46W0yNj

* Pleasure Activism, by Adrienne Maree Brown: https://amzn.to/3rXqv02

* Uses of the Erotic: The Erotic as Power, by Audre Lorde: https://amzn.to/46YrPP2

Today I speak with Zoe Adjonyoh, who is a pioneer in bringing West African flavors to a wider audience. She’s the author of the acclaimed cookbook, Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen and is the founder of the spice company by the same name. Zoe describes her background as half Irish and half Ghanaian, and how she used food to connect her to her Ghanaian roots as well as to her father. Zoe describes some of the iconic dishes and flavors of Ghanaian cuisine and explains how Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen, which started as a pop-up restaurant, went hand-in-hand with her spiritual awakening, when she uncovered and embraced her authenticity and autonomy. We also talk about the downfalls of the hospitality industry, and we get into sustainability, consciousness, and more. 

A note about today’s audio. Zoe and I had a very “mercury in retrograde” experience when recording this episode in August, and you’ll notice that her sound occasionally dims out. I therefore recommend wearing headphones or ear buds when listening if you can, which will help (although I relistened in my car and could still understand her audio).

Links and resources mentioned in the episode:

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

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

* Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen: https://www.zoesghanakitchen.com/

* Zoe’s Ghana Kitchen cookbook: https://amzn.to/45kgqYA

* Podcast episode with Liz Carlisle (Regenerative Farming, Climate Change, Racism, Food & Pleasure): https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/regenerative-farming-climate-change#details

* Karen Washington: https://www.karenthefarmer.com/about

* Soul Fire Farm: https://www.soulfirefarm.org/

Today I speak with writer and editor Rebecca May Johnson, author of the book, Small Fires: An Epic in the Kitchen (Pushkin Press, 2022). Small Fires blew me away when I first read it. It’s unlike any other food book I’ve ever read—part memoir, part manifesto, part poetry, and It was such a pleasure to speak with Rebecca in person, exploring what it means to cook, and why we cook. 

We discuss gender roles in the kitchen, and how women especially are pressured into a "performance of joy." Rebecca also describes how recipes can be valuable forms of information and knowledge. In her book she “elevates the domestic to the level of an epic,” as she says, which I love. Because cooking is indeed a journey, and there’s so much we can learn in the kitchen, not only about food itself, but also about other people and about ourselves. 

Stay tuned to the end because Rebecca describes some recipes she’s been making lately, and I’ve included links in the show notes to some of the dishes she describes, including a blueberry custard tart that I’m dying to try. 

Links and resources mentioned in the episode:

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

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

* Rebecca’s Book (Small Fires, An Epic in the Kitchen): https://amzn.to/48r22R6

* Find Rebecca on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rebeccamayjohnson/

* Blueberry Custard Tart by Rick Stein: https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/bilberry_tart_tarteaux_08943

* Stanley Tucci’s TikTok video about soup: https://www.tiktok.com/@stanley.tucci/video/7252312414006349083

* Chez Panisse Fruit Apricot Galette: https://nymag.com/restaurants/articles/recipes/galetteapricot.htm

Today’s podcast is a really fun one. I discuss food and sex with Cat Meyer, founder of the brand, Head South, and host of Head South Radio, a podcast devoted inclusive, comprehensive sex education for all stages of life. The podcast is devoted to removing the stigma and shame around conversations about sex and sexual health. 

In the episode, Cat shares how food impacts our libido and sexual health, and she shares some foods that can help support our sexual health. We also talk about timing and sex (spoiler alert: it’s okay if you don’t feel like having sex after a big, heavy meal!), and Cat shares how food can be a powerful tool to help us tap into our own pleasure—through understanding our pleasure through the lens of food, we can better understand what brings us pleasure in the bedroom. I had a huge awakening moment near the end of our conversation relating my own mindfulness practice of Intentional Eating to the bedroom.

Finally, at the start of the episode, Cat describes her Filipino background, and we get into Filipino food and her mother’s cooking. Stay tuned, because I’ll be sharing Cat’s favorite chicken adobo recipe in Friday’s newsletter! 

Links and resources mentioned in the show:

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

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

* Intentional Eating Podcast: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/intentional-eating#details

* Intentional Eating Newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/grilled-wedge-steak-salad

* Find Cat on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kittycatmeyer/

* Head South’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/headsouth.world/

* Head South Podcast: https://headsouthradio.com/

* Head South Products: https://headsouth.world/

In this episode I speak with Edward Espe Brown, a Zen priest, chef, acclaimed cookbook author and teacher. He’s the author of the best-selling Tassajara Bread Book which was published in 1970, as well as No Recipe: Cooking as a Spiritual Practice, among others. Edward talks about the importance of finding your own way in the kitchen as a cook and as an eater—and how you can develop trust in yourself. Edward teaches us what it means to taste food—to really experience it. We talk about the importance of connection—not just with the foods we eat, but also with our bodies, our senses and the people around us—and how connection requires vulnerability. Edward also discusses the importance of enjoying our food, and how enjoyment differs from excitement or greed. 

There are so many nuggets of wisdom in this episode, as well as plenty of stories and laughter. I hope you’ll give your attention to it, as Edward says, taking the time to absorb his teachings. And I hope that you’ll leave empowered to find your own way, accepting what shows up for you. 

Links and resources mentioned in the show:

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

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

* Find Edward online: https://peacefulseasangha.org/

* No Recipe: Cooking as a Spiritual Practice: https://amzn.to/3KXSL91

* Tassajara Bread Book: https://amzn.to/3Pc46oz

* The Power of Vulnerability, by Brené Brown: https://amzn.to/3PaNNIK

Welcome to season two of the podcast!! Today I speak with Liz Carlisle, author of Healing Grounds: Climate, Justice, and the Deep Roots of Regenerative Farming (2022). Liz describes how she became passionate about regenerative farming, which she defines as “a way of growing food that gives back to land and community rather than just extracting from land and community.” She discusses how soil is such an important part of that exchange, and how soil directly relates to climate change. She also explains how our current agricultural industry has been built on structures of colonialism and racism, and how these structures not only persist today but also contribute to the current climate crisis. 

Liz and I also talk about the joy and pleasure that goes into feeding ourselves, and how this joy can manifest into something bigger for the betterment of not only our own lives, but also for the earth and our communities.

Links and Resources Mentioned in the Podcast:

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

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

* Liz’s website: https://www.lizcarlisle.com/

* Healing Grounds: Climate, Justice, and the Deep Roots of Regenerative Farming, by Liz Carlisle (Island Press, 2022): https://amzn.to/45kLJTD

* Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California’s Natural Resources, by M. Kat Anderson (University of California Press, 2013): https://amzn.to/3KwNSnp

* Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants, by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Milkweed Editions, 2015): https://amzn.to/3s8msO1

* Transformative Farm Bill Campaign: https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/food-and-farm-bill and https://healfoodalliance.org/heal-food-alliance-shows-up-big-dc-for-a-transformative-farm-bill/

* National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC): https://sustainableagriculture.net/publications/2023-farm-bill-platform/

Today I have a solo episode for you! I’m opening up, sharing more of my journey in the kitchen as well as my intentional eating practice. I’ve talked a lot about intentional eating in the newsletter, but today I go deeper, explaining why I developed the practice and how it can influence our behavior not only in the kitchen, but also in our broader lives.

Links and Resources Mentioned in this Episode

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

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

* Intentional Eating Overview and BESTT Handout: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/grilled-wedge-steak-salad

* My story (1st podcast): https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/my-history-with-food-its-complicated#details

* How we’re conditioned around food (newsletter): https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/veggie-reubens-how-were-conditioned

* Grace (newsletter): https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/chili-crisp-shrimp-bowls-redefining

* Podcast with Samantha Fulton: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/our-nervous-systems-and-food#details

* Podcast with Jasmine Nnenna: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/human-design-food-and-digestion#details

* No-Recipe: Cooking as a Spiritual Practice, by Edward Espe Brown: https://amzn.to/42OngV3

Today I speak with Ellie Krieger, who’s a New York Times bestselling and two-time James Beard Foundation award winning author of 7 cookbooks. She’s also well known from her Food Network show “Healthy Appetite” and her Public Television series “Ellie’s Real Good Food.” 

Ellie shares how she developed her love for food growing up in New York City and why she decided to become a registered dietician nutritionist. She opens up about her own struggles with food and body image as a kid and young adult, and how she found balance and freedom around food. 

We discuss the term “healthy” which can be a confusing and even problematic word in many ways, but Ellie offers so much clarity around how what’s healthy is so contextual. She shares what healthy means to her and why she uses the word. 

And finally, we have some fun. Ellie and I share our favorite flavor-packed but low-effort ways that you can use summer produce. We cover tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, corn, herbs and more, and you’re going to leave with easy recipe ideas and tons of inspiration. Pop over to the newsletter to get links to many of the recipes we discuss: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/p/easy-summer-recipe-ideas

LINKS

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

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

* Ellie’s Website: https://www.elliekrieger.com/

* Ellie’s Newsletter: https://elliekrieger.substack.com/

* Find Ellie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_krieger/

Today I speak with a spiritual philosopher & the founder of Erah Society. Jas is a practitioner of Human Design, Astrology & the Gene Keys, and she supports creatives, entrepreneurs and renaissance humans in understanding themselves more holistically. She is also the host of the globally celebrated podcast, Counter Culture. 

In today’s episode Jas and I explore human design and how it relates to food and digestion. Jas explains that human design is the study of our unique selves. She believes that through understanding how our bodies and minds best function, we can gain more authority and sovereignty over our lives. 

Jas discusses the determination/digestion variable in human design, which refers to the ways in which we best take in, process and absorb not only food, but also information and energy. She explains how when we feed ourselves—physically, emotionally and spiritually—in a way that best supports our design, we can better access our full potential.

This conversation is so expanding, whether you’re familiar with human design or not.  You’ll leave with a new perspective on how we are all so unique, and how we can gain more authority over our lives by better understanding (and honoring) our unique selves.

*Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/human-design-food-and-digestion

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

* Find Jas on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/erahsociety/ , https://www.instagram.com/jasnnenna/

* Erah Society Newsletter: https://erahsociety.substack.com/

* Discover your own human design with a Soul Map: https://erahsociety.com/soulmap

* German New Medicine: https://learninggnm.com/

* Counter Culture podcast: https://www.jasmoon.space/podcast

* Vaness Henry (Human Design): https://www.instagram.com/vanesshenry/

In this episode I speak with Samantha Seneviratne, James Beard Award–nominated cookbook author and host of the television series Everyday Cooking on Magnolia Network. The topic is all about baking, and if you think baking is just for the cooler months, you are mistaken.

Sam describes how she found her passion for baking as a kid, and how it led her into a flourishing career as a writer, food stylist and television host. Sam shares how she finds inspiration for her recipes, and we talk about her favorite baked goods (spoiler alert: we discuss what makes the best chocolate chip cookie, and take warning—you’re going to be craving a warm cookie after listening!). 

Sam shares easy but mouthwatering ways to incorporate some of her favorite seasonal fruits into baked goods and shares tips for how to become a more experimental baker. We also discuss the emotional aspect of baking, and how baking—and feeding ourselves consciously—can be a delicious form of self care. 

You’re going to leave this conversation inspired to go turn on your oven and bake something for the sheer pleasure of the process.

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

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

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

*Sam's Website: https://www.samanthaseneviratne.com/