Holistic by Steph

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Holistic by Steph

Holistic Health Coach. Sharing a love for healthy food

19/05/2026

You’ve probably seen the Ikigai diagram (I posted it a while back 👀). The Japanese concept of what is your true purpose.

It translates to “a reason for being,” to find it you answer these key questions -> What you love + What you’re good at + What the world needs + What you can be paid for

Finding your purpose isn’t a mental exercise — it’s a somatic one.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, each organ system holds an emotion AND a virtue: — The Heart holds joy and governs your spirit (shen) — The Kidneys hold your will and life purpose (zhi) — The Liver holds your vision — literally the capacity to plan and move forward

When any of these are out of balance, your sense of purpose gets cloudy. You might know what you should want — but feel nothing.

Ayurveda adds another layer: your dosha shapes how you express your purpose. A Vata person’s ikigai often involves creativity and connection. Pitta’s involves leadership and impact. Kapha’s involves nurturing and steadiness.

Purpose isn’t one-size-fits-all. And it’s not found in your head — it’s found by listening to your whole system.

This is a simple prompt, what is your ikigai?

13/05/2026

Nobody told us that ignoring our body was a slow kind of self-betrayal. 🌿

And yet here we are. Tired. Wired. Running on coffee and willpower.

“In each moment of everyday, we make the choices that Affirm — or Deny — Life in our bodies.” — Gregg Braden

TCM and Ayurveda have said this for thousands of years — Your body is not failing you. It’s responding to you.

The skipped meals. The broken sleep. The way you talk to yourself when no one’s watching.
Every single one of those is a choice that your body registers. Silently. Faithfully. Without judgment.
The exhaustion isn’t weakness. It’s your body finally saying — enough.

And the good news? It responds just as faithfully when you start choosing differently.

One slow meal. One deep breath. One moment of “I am enough.”
That’s where healing actually starts. Not in a supplement. Not in a programme. In the moment.

💛 Save this for the day you need the reminder. ➕ Follow for more holistic health truths your body has been waiting to hear.

06/05/2026

Singing and sighing audibly also helps sooth your nervous system.

As we know most of our nervous systems today are chronically switched the fight & flight even when we’re not in stressful situations, to help redirect your nervous system to rest & digest you can simply hum, sing or sigh loudly.

Even better do it while you take a walk in nature and heard bird song and leaves rustle in the wind.

06/05/2026

Roasted tomato & bell pepper sauce spiked with bone broth

There’s something almost ceremonial about slow-roasting tomatoes. The way the heat transforms them — concentrating their sweetness, deepening their colour, unlocking everything they have to give.

This one started as leftover tomatoes and a quiet craving for something deeply nourishing. And it became exactly that.
Roasted tomatoes and red bell pepper to move stagnation and build the blood. Bone broth to strengthen Jing and support the gut lining. Spring onion to lift and circulate Qi. Fresh basil to bring the Liver back into ease.

In TCM, food isn’t just fuel — it’s information. Every ingredient carries a temperature, a flavour, an organ system it speaks to. This sauce speaks to your Spleen, your Liver, your whole being. 🌿
Food as medicine looks like this. Unhurried. Intentional. Deeply satisfying.
Save this for the days you need comfort that also heals. 🍅✨

04/05/2026

Last week I shared how discovering my Vata dosha changed the way I understand my body — the bloating, the constipation, the scattered nervous system that never seemed to rest.

Today I’m breaking it down for all three doshas — because stress doesn’t look the same in every body.

Swipe to see how your dosha type affects:
→ Weight gain & where you carry it
→ Cravings under pressure
→ Circulation & how your body moves energy
→ Digestion & what goes wrong

Whether you’re Vata, Pitta or Kapha — or a blend of two — this is your map for understanding what your body is actually asking for when life gets hard.

Save this one. It’s a reference you’ll come back to.

👇 Drop your dosha below — I’d love to know which one resonates most.

30/04/2026

For the longest time, I thought bloating, constipation and a mind that never seemed to switch off were just… me.

I’d tried the things. The cold plunges. The raw smoothie bowls. The intermittent fasting. All the wellness trends that were supposed to fix everything. And I kept feeling worse.

What nobody tells you is that not every health trend works for every body. Or every gender. Most of them are built around one type of physiology — and if that’s not yours, you’re left wondering why you’re the only one not thriving.

The turning point for me was discovering Ayurveda. Specifically, learning that I’m Vata dominant.

Vata is air and ether — creative, quick, always moving. But under stress, that same energy turns scattered, dry and erratic. Your nervous system runs hot. Your gut pays the price.

Suddenly the bloating made sense. The constipation made sense. The anxious, racing mind that couldn’t settle — it all made sense.

I wasn’t broken. I just needed a different map.

Soon I’ll be sharing a full breakdown of how each dosha responds to stress — weight, cravings, digestion, circulation.

And tell me — have you ever followed all the “right” advice and still felt off? 👇

Photo by

06/04/2026

Here it is - a crispy, sesame infused gluten free pie crust. Believe me you will be making quiche and pie way more once you’ve tried it - it’s just so good!

This recipe was given to me by my Swedish aunt, and every time I make it I am reminded of how scrumptious a savory pie or quiche is, and since this crust is gluten free it feels a lot less heavy and dense.

Savory pie fillings are endless; classic quiche Lorraine with bacon and cheese with some chives or smoked salmon and spinach or asparagus & peas.

I’ve been dreaming of trying this out for a sweet filling, if you want to try it if go apples & cinnamon or you could add some cacaos powder to the crust and fill with a chocolate ganache with a sprinkle of sea salt.

30/03/2026

Stop a Cold in Its Tracks 🌿

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the very first signs of a cold—slight chills, scratchy throat, low energy—are seen as an external “wind-cold” invasion. 
Acting early is everything. This is your window to push it out before it settles deeper in the body.

This is the exact shot I use at that stage: ginger, lemon juice, garlic, and olive oil.

Each ingredient works with intention:
* Ginger → warming + helps release cold from the body
* Garlic → antimicrobial + supports the body’s defense response
* Lemon → gently clears + supports fluids
* Olive oil → coats + helps deliver these compounds

Important step: Garlic must be crushed and left to sit for 5–10 minutes before using 🧄 
This activates allicin, its key medicinal compound, making it far more potent.

-> Caution: Do not use if you suffer from acid reflux, heart burn or you take blood thinners. Also not reccomended while pregnant or nursing.

15/03/2026

Health is closely linked to our mental state.
How we feel when we eat can influence digestion and how our body responds to food. Joy is often the elements that falls to the wayside when we focus on eating “healthy” but it really doesn’t have to be.

I’m not saying pancakes should be an everyday breakfast…
but this combination actually includes a lot of nourishing elements.

By pairing fat + fiber + protein, it helps slow down how quickly sugars are absorbed — which can soften the blood sugar spike maple syrup might otherwise cause.

In this batch of gf buckwheat pancakes I added:

• carrots = fiber + natural sweetness
• oat flour = fiber for sustained energy
• buckwheat = fiber + plant protein
• cinnamon = may help support blood sugar balance
• walnuts = healthy fats, protein & fiber

Toppings

• raw cacao nibs = fiber, minerals & polyphenols
• coconut yoghurt = live cultures (if fermented)
• nut butter–maple–olive oil–miso syrup = healthy fats, minerals & fermented depth of flavour

I’m hoping this gives you some tools to enjoy food in a more playful and joyful way!

Ps recipe for the pancakes on my website 👉 recipes tab. (I have several other pancakes recipes too that don’t require overnight soaking of buckwheat grouts).

08/03/2026

Doing less will give you more.

For most of my life I’ve been a proud multitasker. I thrive on long to-do lists and the satisfaction of ticking things off throughout the day. I have a lot of energy and determination, and I’ve often taken pride in how much I can accomplish.

But over time I’ve also experienced the other side of that drive — burnout, depletion, and frustration.

I’ve noticed a pattern in myself: when I feel uncertain or things are out of my control, I throw myself into doing. More tasks, more effort, more pushing forward.

Yet the irony is that the clarity, inspiration and restorative energy I’m looking for almost never come from adding more. They come in the moments where I pause.

In today’s world there’s a constant undercurrent telling us to keep doing, producing and achieving. And yet I believe many of us are quietly craving the opposite — space, stillness, and permission to slow down.

At the same time we are flooded with information about how to feel better. Health tips. Wellness routines. Nervous system regulation techniques. Morning rituals. Breathwork. Cold plunges. Supplements.

Sometimes even rest starts to feel like another thing to optimise.

On International Women’s Day, it feels like a good moment to reflect on that. So many women carry, hold and do so much.

Maybe part of honouring ourselves is remembering that we don’t always have to do more. And by doing less we actually help ourselves come back into a more regulated, rested, centered place.

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