Happy Monday friend,
Hope the weekend has been good to you and you've been able to get some much needed rest!
What I am eating right now
Obviously oatmeal is my go-to staple breakfast for the majority of the time, but right now I've been jazzing it up in a new way - by topping it with fruits stewed in a bit of coconut oil, maple syrup + various spices.
Pear + cardamom is one of my recent finds; apple and cinnamon is a classic staple I've done before – and another recent combination is stewing ripe plums along with star anise and cinnamon for a sharp, sweet and warming flavour.
This is one of the reasons I'll never stop diving into oats: their versatility is unmatched - you can literally do anything with them.
Stewed fruits are actually really great for gut health as they are pretty gentle on digestion, and contain a lot of soluble fibre which can slow down digestion, relieve constipation and feed beneficial bacteria in the gut.
I'll be making some oatmeal recipes with stewed fruit soon and sharing them on Instagram, so keep an eye out.
Another thing I've been making is my own pesto.
You really don't need to buy it from the store to make; it's so easy to do at home. And recently I've been making my own sundried tomato pesto.
It's simple - add 1 cup of sundried tomatoes, 2 tbsp of pine nuts, 2 cloves of garlic, olive oil and salt to a food processor and blitz until smooth.
Goes amazing with pasta (of course) and even with sourdough.
Try not to eat the whole lot at once!
What I am reading
Aside from aiming to spend more time in my Bible, a book I've picked up and put down sporadically is a book called Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life.
It focuses on the concept of Ikigai which in Japanese culture means 'a reason for being'. It focuses on the importance of community, purpose, physical health and wellbeing and more in the quest to live a life of purpose.
Now while I think many of the personal development and self-help books have many concepts that are repackaged Biblical wisdom, this doesn't in any way negate the beneficial and often life-changing information you can find in many of them.
Ikigai is easy to read, accessible, and has plenty of nuggets of wisdom that will help you see life in a new way and aim to live it purposefully. Definitely recommend you give this a read.
What I am loving
Life is really busy at the moment for me but I have to say – one thing that I am really loving and appreciating every minute of is fatherhood.
I always knew it would be an incredible time of my life that would see me learn, grow and shape every decision that I make but I didn't think it would be as rewarding as it has been.
My daughter is nearly 6 months (where has the time gone) and is developing an amazing personality: she's fun, she is very chatty and also enjoys her food!
My wife and I have been introducing a wide variety of foods to her (she's not vegan) but she's been loving different pureés made of broccoli, carrot, sweet potato and more (with added chicken and fish).
(She also LOVES her oats blended with blueberry and banana - but that was obvious considering who her Dad is 😄)
So it's been truly a blessing to be her Dad and watch her grow – and in many ways it continues to inspire me to live as health-focused a life as possible in order to give my best self to her, and eventually have our habits as a family rub off on her.
Hope you found this email useful – shoot me a reply and let me know what your thoughts are on this (and previous emails)!
I always am appreciative and thankful of your replies – I read them all and always respond.
Have a great week!
Stay healthy,
Jeff