Easy Batch Cooking and the Basic 8 with Kelsey Cohrt
I’m so excited to have Kelsey Cohrt joining me on this episode of the podcast where we will be discussing how to effectively meal prep. Kelsey is the creator of Northwest Health Coaching which helps teach busy people how to get healthier food into their belly and incorporate healthy eating habits so they start feeling good. We talk about how you can feed yourself, and of course, prepare meals in a straightforward manner. Kelsey also shares her own food experience, the challenges, and her wins while on this journey.
I’m so excited to have Kelsey Cohrt joining me on this episode of the podcast where we will be discussing how to effectively meal prep. Kelsey is the creator of Northwest Health Coaching. Through her 1:1 health coaching program, her Gut Health Group, creating specialized weekly meal plans for clients, along with her Batch Cooking Framework Course coming out on May 6th, Kelsey’s goals have always been to help teach busy people how to get healthier food into their belly and incorporate healthy eating habits so they start feeling good.
We talk about how you can feed yourself, and of course, prepare meals in a straightforward manner. Kelsey also shares her own food experience, the challenges, and her wins while on this journey.
This is such a very important topic to discuss especially now when we are all asked to stay at home. Many of us may feel like we have more time to prepare our meals, but it may not always be that way. Why not use this time to build new healthy habits, right? Tune into this episode for easy-to-follow tips, and get to know Kelsey and her business.
LISTEN BELOW (AND DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE SO YOU'LL NEVER MISS OUT!)
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SHOW NOTES:
0:00 Intro
2:55 - Get to know Kelsey Cohrt
How The Healing Effects of Food taught her a new way of looking at food
Real food + healthy habits + gut support = body will feel way better
9:03 - Challenges that most people have when it comes to prepping meals
Limited time
Struggle with keeping something fresh all week
Dislike eating the same meal over and over
13:23 - Main components of the Basic 8:
1 batch of grains
1 batch of veggies
Greens
Protein
Ready-to-eat fruit
Sauce or dressings
Toppings
Mid-week meal
19:24 - What meal prep looks like for Kelsey IRL
29:53 - The advantage of doing the Basic 8
Save time
Save money
Getting real food in your body
32:37 - On getting stuck and feeling overwhelmed
34:00 - Resources
37:40 - Where to find Kelsey
Kelsey’s website: Northwesthealthcoaching.com
How to get a free grocery shopping checklist
38:47 - Final thoughts and comments
If you loved this episode, I'd be honored for you to give me a rating on iTunes. This helps me to get content out to others who are interested in getting control of their health through diet, lifestyle shifts and personal empowerment.
If we haven't met before, I'm Christina Tidwell and I'm so excited that you're here! I am a RN & Functional Nutrition Practitioner that helps those with autoimmune disease, hormone imbalance and gut issues heal without overwhelm so you can feel better in your body in a way that honors your unique needs and feels sustainable for the rest of your life.
If you suffer from:
Fatigue and energy crashes
Brain fog
Poor digestion
Painful periods and PMS
Symptoms of autoimmunity
Stress and overwhelm
...and aren't getting the support you need, I’m here to help guide you! My job is to clear the overwhelm, help you put the pieces of the puzzle together and co-create a sustainable path forward to help you reach your goals and feel better in your amazing body. When we work together you can’t fail.
In my health & nutrition coaching programs I support you in the quest to get back into balance by listening to your story, understanding your needs, getting to the roots of imbalance in the body and co-creating a sustainable path to healing together. These sessions weave together functional nutrition and science, lived experience, mindset shifts, and intuitive guidance for a unique and full-spectrum approach to nutrition counseling and holistic health.
I always offer free 20-minute discovery sessions to get clear on your major health concerns and identify what’s standing in your way. Click the button below to set up your free consultation and we can create a plan of action specifically for you.
![Gluten-Free Seed Bread [Recipe]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/573cbf27c2ea51f428cb5132/1586823741584-ASDY3MO5AV3TJSIBS713/photo3.jpg)
Gluten-Free Seed Bread [Recipe]
The nuts and seeds in this gluten-free bread provide great vitamins and nutrients combined with fiber to support a healthy digestive system so it’s a real upgrade from a piece of bread high in refined carbohydrates. It’s all held together without flour with the magic of psyllium seed husks! Psyllium seed husks contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. The soluble fiber dissolves in water and soothes the digestive tract with its mucilaginous properties, while the insoluble fiber acts like a broom to sweep the the colon. My family loves this bread and I make a loaf every 1-2 weeks to have on hand! I really hope you enjoy it!
I’ve been eating a gluten-free diet for a few years now and it’s honestly become so routine to me now that I hardly notice or remember what it was like to have gluten in my diet. It wasn’t always this way though, and I experimented many times over the years with taking gluten out, bringing it back in, thinking it made a huge difference, not being convinced that it really did anything etc. It’s been about a 15 year journey with chronic illness and autoimmunity for me and I’ve learned A LOT about my body and what works for it in the process as I’m sure anyone reading can relate to!
Changing our diets or any habit in our lives can feel challenging at first. This is normal! When coaching clients through dietary shifts, one of the first pieces is trying to find substitutes or “upgrades” for things you know and love already. This seed bread (based on the Adventure Bread recipe from David Lebovitz) is an amazing substitute for a regular piece of toast and great to top with avocado, turkey slices, honestly….anything you want!
The nuts and seeds provide great vitamins and nutrients combined with fiber to support a healthy digestive system so it’s a real upgrade from a piece of bread high in refined carbohydrates. It’s all held together without flour with the magic of psyllium seed husks! Psyllium seed husks contain both soluble and insoluble fiber. The soluble fiber dissolves in water and soothes the digestive tract with its mucilaginous properties, while the insoluble fiber acts like a broom to sweep the the colon.
My family loves this bread and I make a loaf every 1-2 weeks to have on hand! I really hope you enjoy it!
Gluten free seed bread
Dry Ingredients
2 1/4 cups rolled oats*
1 cup sunflower seeds, hulled (optional to toast)
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds, hulled (optional to toast)
3/4 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional to toast)
3/4 cup flax seeds
1/3 cup psyllium seed husks
3 tablespoons chia seeds
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
1/4 cup olive oil
2 1/2 cups water
*I have made a version of this bread without the oats before and it’s a lot more dense but really delicious! You may have to adjust the amount of liquid you use for the “dough” if omitting the oats.
Directions
It’s optional to toast the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and walnuts to add more flavor to your bread. To do this preheat your oven to 350ºF (180ºC.) Spread the sunflower and pumpkin seeds and walnuts on a baking sheet and toast until they start to brown (about 10-15 minutes).
Mix together all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
Stir in the maple syrup or honey, olive oil and water. (I have made loaves before without syrup or honey and they turned out great as well!)
Use your hands to work the “dough” you’ve created to make sure everything is combined.
Line a loaf pan with baking paper. Spoon your dough into the loaf pan and smooth out the top.
Place this in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Remove the bread from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature. Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400ºF (200ºC.) Bake the bread for 1 hour. Take it out and let cool on a cooling rack for at least 2 hours. It will be temping to cut into it but allowing it to fully cool and settle before cutting into it makes it a lot better and more formed!
Slice and toast bread. Top it with grass-fed butter, avocado, turkey meat, hummus, honestly, you NAME it!
Enjoy and leave me a comment about how you liked it!
If we haven't met before, I'm Christina Tidwell and I'm so excited that you're here! I am a RN & Functional Nutrition Practitioner that helps those with autoimmune disease, hormone imbalance and gut issues heal without overwhelm so you can feel better in your body in a way that honors your unique needs and feels sustainable for the rest of your life.
If you suffer from:
Fatigue and energy crashes
Brain fog
Poor digestion
Painful periods and PMS
Symptoms of autoimmunity
Stress and overwhelm
...and aren't getting the support you need, I’m here to help guide you! My job is to clear the overwhelm, help you put the pieces of the puzzle together and co-create a sustainable path forward to help you reach your goals and feel better in your amazing body. When we work together you can’t fail.
In my health & nutrition coaching programs I support you in the quest to get back into balance by listening to your story, understanding your needs, getting to the roots of imbalance in the body and co-creating a sustainable path to healing together. These sessions weave together functional nutrition and science, lived experience, mindset shifts, and intuitive guidance for a unique and full-spectrum approach to nutrition counseling and holistic health.
I always offer free 20-minute discovery sessions to get clear on your major health concerns and identify what’s standing in your way. Click the button below to set up your free consultation and we can create a plan of action specifically for you.
Reclaim Your Morning to Reduce Stress
How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? Rested? Content? Anxious? Stressed? Overwhelmed? Reclaiming the morning and deciding how you currently feel and how you WANT to feel before anyone else gets to tell you is the best practice I know for reducing stress and coming into the present moment. Check out this short video for tips on how to reclaim your morning to reduce your stress!
Reclaim Your Morning To Reduce Stress
How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? Rested? Content? Anxious? Stressed? Overwhelmed?
The morning is our golden opportunity to tune into where we are at in the present moment and consciously decide how we want to feel that day. One of my mentors calls it “deciding which bus to get on” in the morning that’s going to take you down a certain path in your day.
Reclaiming the morning and deciding how you currently feel and how you WANT to feel before anyone else gets to tell you is the best practice I know for reducing stress and coming into the present moment.
Tune in to the short video below for tips on how to reclaim your morning to reduce your stress!
PREFER TO LISTEN? TUNE INTO THE LIVE WELL PODCAST BELOW (AND DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE SO YOU'LL NEVER MISS OUT!)
Click here to listen in iTunes
Click here to listen in Stitcher
If we haven't met before, I'm Christina Tidwell and I'm so excited that you're here! I am a RN & Functional Nutrition Practitioner that helps those with autoimmune disease, hormone imbalance and gut issues heal without overwhelm so you can feel better in your body in a way that honors your unique needs and feels sustainable for the rest of your life.
If you suffer from:
Fatigue and energy crashes
Brain fog
Poor digestion
Painful periods and PMS
Symptoms of autoimmunity
Stress and overwhelm
...and aren't getting the support you need, I’m here to help guide you! My job is to clear the overwhelm, help you put the pieces of the puzzle together and co-create a sustainable path forward to help you reach your goals and feel better in your amazing body. When we work together you can’t fail.
In my health & nutrition coaching programs I support you in the quest to get back into balance by listening to your story, understanding your needs, getting to the roots of imbalance in the body and co-creating a sustainable path to healing together. These sessions weave together functional nutrition and science, lived experience, mindset shifts, and intuitive guidance for a unique and full-spectrum approach to nutrition counseling and holistic health.
I always offer free 20-minute discovery sessions to get clear on your major health concerns and identify what’s standing in your way. Click the button below to set up your free consultation and we can create a plan of action specifically for you.
3 Questions to Help You Tune Into Your Body
In order to cultivate sustainability in our healing journey, what we really need to do is become experts at listening to what our bodies are telling us. Instead of constantly searching and looking outside of ourselves for the answers, I'll share tips on how to look within to figure out what works best for you and your beautiful body, and three simple but very powerful questions to help you tune into your body.
3 Questions to Help You Tune Into Your Body
Have you ever found yourself following a diet plan or a protocol only to get bored or only last a few weeks before you “fall off the wagon” or revert back to your old way of doing things? Do you feel like you do ok when you’re on a strict guideline but the minute life happens and you travel, go out to eat or have a stressful day you fall back into old habits? Does it feel like you’re really black and white about your health and like you’re either being “good” and adhering to a plan or you’re being “bad” and doing whatever you want?
It can feel like a really frustrating cycle of trying something, falling off, trying something, and falling off. If you’re felt this way you’re certainly not alone!
Many of us do well with protocols where someone tells us what to do and we follow that plan. But this means that when we stop doing the protocol or veer off track, we feel lost.
When the focus is on diet plans or protocols that we must follow, we rely on this external cue to tell us what to eat, how much to eat, what to do, etc. While it can be helpful to have guidelines and a plan when we are trying to accomplish a goal or improve health, solely relying on these external guides can have the unintended effect of disconnecting us from what our body is trying to tell us about what it needs.
If we follow a plan that restricts calories, for example, we rely on that caloric number to tell us how much more we are “allowed” to eat. The signals we get from our bodies like hunger and fullness cues, energy levels, digestion, etc. take second place to this external guideline.
Even in the case of a healing diet or supplement protocol from a doctor, if we get a list of things we need to do on a daily basis without connecting to how those things are actually affecting our body, we continue to rely solely on these external guidelines for how to care for ourselves. When this protocol or plan is over, or if it didn’t have the intended effects we wanted, we don’t have any information about where to go next and we’re left going back to square one.
Sometimes we need specific protocols to support us during different phases of our healing journey, but in order to cultivate sustainability in our healing journey, what we really need to do is become experts at listening to what our bodies are telling us and turning inwards.
“Listen to your body” might be an annoying phrase that you can’t quite wrap your head around. It’s in the same family as, “reduce your stress” or “self-care” or other phrases that sound so nice and simple, but can be hard to pin down when you’re actually trying to achieve them.
Listening to our bodies has become a vague and somewhat challenging task because we've gotten so used to looking outside of ourselves for information and guidance on how to feel better.
Instead of constantly searching and looking outside of ourselves for the answers, I want to talk about how to look within as the only way to really figure out what works best for you and your beautiful body.
Here are 3 questions to start this process of tuning into the body
1. How do I feel?
This question can also be expanded a little more. You might also ask: Where am I holding tension? What are my symptoms? What is my energy level? To feel into the answer to this question, you may need to pause, stop, take inventory and breathe.
2. What do I need?
Based on the answer that you get by asking yourself “How do I feel?” you can then ask yourself what you need based on this? Answers that come up for you when you ask yourself what you need might be things like: rest, something to eat, letting out your emotions, a long walk. When you answer this question of what you need based on how you feel, you’ll get a very different answer than “I should”. Be careful of “shoulds”, and if they do come up when you ask yourself what you need, then come back to these two key questions.
3. Can I give myself that?
This is where the dynamic comes into play where we might feel the “shoulds” or conflicting emotions. When you ask yourself this question, take the responses that you got when you really tuned in and try to really honor your body, what you’re feeling, and your needs. See if you can start developing a practice of saying yes when you ask yourself this question of “Can I give myself that?”.
Other tools that can help you tune in
5-second body scans. Before meals to ask yourself these questions to help you continue the process of strengthening this connection.
Getting quiet. Silence isn’t empty. It's full of answers. Breathing and meditating allows us to clear mental clutter so we can more fully listen to the signs and signals our bodies are trying to give us. I like the apps Calm or Insight for introductory meditation, or I practice my favorite 4-7-8 breathing technique.
Complete a 5-day food/symptom journal. This is a great way to start the process of noticing how what you put in your body makes you feel. You can download it by going to: http://www.christinatidwell.com/blog/symptomjournal
These 3 questions might sound simple, but they are SO powerful. This is a process, and it's like strengthening a muscle, so be patient with yourself! Let me know in the comments where you're at with this process of tuning in. What do you notice right now if you do a 5-second body scan? What comes up? If you complete your 5-day food journal and come up with some interesting insights, let me know!
PREFER TO LISTEN? TUNE INTO THE LIVE WELL PODCAST BELOW (AND DON'T FORGET TO SUBSCRIBE SO YOU'LL NEVER MISS OUT!)
Click here to listen in iTunes
Click here to listen in Stitcher
If we haven't met before, I'm Christina Tidwell and I'm so excited that you're here! I am a RN & Functional Nutrition Practitioner that helps those with autoimmune disease, hormone imbalance and gut issues heal without overwhelm so you can feel better in your body in a way that honors your unique needs and feels sustainable for the rest of your life.
If you suffer from:
Fatigue and energy crashes
Brain fog
Poor digestion
Painful periods and PMS
Symptoms of autoimmunity
Stress and overwhelm
...and aren't getting the support you need, I’m here to help guide you! My job is to clear the overwhelm, help you put the pieces of the puzzle together and co-create a sustainable path forward to help you reach your goals and feel better in your amazing body. When we work together you can’t fail.
In my health & nutrition coaching programs I support you in the quest to get back into balance by listening to your story, understanding your needs, getting to the roots of imbalance in the body and co-creating a sustainable path to healing together. These sessions weave together functional nutrition and science, lived experience, mindset shifts, and intuitive guidance for a unique and full-spectrum approach to nutrition counseling and holistic health.
I always offer free 20-minute discovery sessions to get clear on your major health concerns and identify what’s standing in your way. Click the button below to set up your free consultation and we can create a plan of action specifically for you.
