A few years back, I was attending a Universal Medicine course and was sharing accommodation with some fellow students.
One of the students was eating what looked like very tasty soup and I asked her where she bought it.
She told me she brought it with her from home. I looked at her quizzically and asked, “You travelled with soup?” “Yes,” she replied. She told me she always has some in her freezer and travels with it so that when she’s at her destination, she can eat something that is home-cooked and nourishing.
Well, you could you have knocked me down with a feather. I thought that was pretty strange. But when I thought about it a bit more, I could see the benefits of doing that as I have found myself at the mercy of what food is available nearby, and sometimes that’s only been a basic takeaway store or a 24/7 convenience store, where the food may not suit my dietary needs – or be a nourishing meal! And if truth be known, I have often used that excuse to eat food that I know is not good for me.
So I took that idea and when I next made soup, I prepared extra portions and had them in the freezer ready to take with me next time I travelled. When the time came to travel again I was prepared and I travelled with my frozen soup.
I thought I was pretty nifty. And my body thought I was pretty nifty too, as it liked my soup – it always felt good after eating it, like it had been taken care of. It did a little dance after eating it – almost imperceptible to the untrained eye, but it was there.
Little did I know that travelling with frozen soup would just be the beginning of my home-away-from-home food adventures.
A friend was attending a conference in Cairns and came to stay for two nights. When he arrived I saw that he had brought all of his meals to eat at home and at the conference. They were ready-made frozen meals with combinations of fish or lamb and vegies. I was again surprised at what someone was travelling with and whilst impressed, I was not sure that I was quite ready to make that kind of commitment. I still liked to eat out as well.
Another friend travels away for work, and was sharing with me that she had recently taken her stick-blender with her so she could have her smoothies for breakfast. It was another one of those moments where I was like – you travelled with what?
So when it came time for me to travel for a conference, I was not quite ready to travel with whole pre-prepared meals, but was up for travelling with my stick blender – my new companion. It felt good to pack it, like I was travelling with a good friend who knows how to look after me. Away we went and when we checked into the apartment, I unpacked my old companion – frozen soup – and my new one, the stick blender. I had checked that a supermarket was nearby before I left (loving the pre-travel care I was undertaking!), and went off to the supermarket to buy smoothie ingredients.
In the morning I made my smoothie. My body did another little dance – it liked these smoothies. My mind was a bit miffed as it wanted to eat the pork and eggs downstairs at the café but my body was going … oh yeah, I like those smoothies. I felt light, looked after, and ready for the day!
At the conference for lunch there was a mix-up with my pre-arranged dietary requirements, and I did not get what I ordered. I picked the bits I could eat, and left the rest. I felt no nourishment from what I ate and it left me feeling a bit tired.
That night I called into the supermarket and bought some lunch ingredients and made up a yummy lunch for the following day, plus enough for the plane trip on the way home – so I would not be limited by the food choices available at the airport food halls.
I really enjoyed eating my lunch, both at the conference and on the plane ride home, as not only was my lunch tasty and nourishing, it gave me an opportunity to take greater care of myself and to appreciate this moment of self-care.
I find travelling away from home can be a bit stressful, and so can attending conferences. I’ve often found the food at these events involves lots of carbs like sandwiches, muffins and sugary cakes, often leaving people really heavy and tired after eating them. Plus the venue often does not have natural light and can pack the delegates in, which can make me feel quite drained and exhausted.
I saw so clearly that bringing soup, making smoothies and preparing my food supported me in those environments to stay steady and clear so I could take in what was being presented, and also be present when engaging with my colleagues (and not slip into a food coma after eating – you know the one when you have eaten too much and cannot move or think!).
In all my previous travels, I have never taken this kind of care nor this level of responsibility before. I had always used the excuse that it’s too hard, or complicated, or I’m too busy (before or during the conference) to look after myself in this manner and so allowing myself to be at the mercy of what is being served around me. But the truth of the matter is that it is not that hard after all.
All it took was me being open to the inspiration that was around me, and taking a few steps to make it happen – like making sure I had prepped extra portions, that there was a small fridge and microwave/stove in the accommodation, letting the conference people know I will cater for myself, checking out where the local supermarket was, and most importantly packing my stick blender!
There have been a few trips since then, and I continue to look at how I can deepen my care for myself when I am away. It makes the world of difference to me – I feel much steadier, supported and ready for what is needed.
By Sarah Flenley, Woman and keen observer of life, Cairns, far north Queensland, Australia
Related Reading:
What’s all the Fuss about Self-Care?
When it Comes to Food – Let Your Body Speak
The Truth about Serge Benhayon 
I loved the simplicity of this blog and how taking care of ourselves whilst travelling is very important. I totally agree that conferences, workshops etc, just don’t cut it with food, as far as I’m concerned they often serve stodge and I still cannot understand why they do this either.
Isn’t it amazing how a little consideration towards caring for yourself, goes a long way. If I’m travelling anywhere especially when I’m doing a respite visit to another state, I ensure the accomodation has a kitchenette so that I can cook my own food. I just love home cooked food, I know the ingredients that has gone in it and the most important one is the love and care for nourishing the body. Now that is self-care.
Perhaps there should be a conference on how to care and nurture our bodies when travelling or away from home ….. oh yes, there already is, Serge Benhayon has many times presented on the importance of lovingly preparing nurturing food.
I love this new level of love and care you took for yourself … and also the little body dance (very cute).
The little dance was very cute, ‘my body thought I was pretty nifty too, as it liked my soup – it always felt good after eating it, like it had been taken care of. It did a little dance after eating it – almost imperceptible to the untrained eye, but it was there.’
Maybe we could entertain the idea that when we travel that we could fast and drink only water?
Thanks Sarah, I have really enjoyed reading this and loved the inspiration from other people on new ways to bring more self care to our diet. I have to admit travelling by plane interstate with pumpkin and veggies from a shop where the produce was very fresh and nourishing for my body, it helped me with feeling cared for and sustained when I was away. I’m currently looking at establishing a veggie garden (including a wall garden) so my body can benefit from freshly picked veggies and herbs. The difference is very much felt in the body compared to locally bought produce.
Melinda every ingredient we put in to our bodies is so so important. And I get it, home grown herbs, salads etc, beats shop bought produce, a vast difference, as the love and tenderness of home grown tastes so much better, the difference to the mass produced products.
When we commit to taking loving care of ourselves the foundation we build becomes very strong.
Building a strong foundation of self care and nurturing makes so much sense, ‘not only was my lunch tasty and nourishing, it gave me an opportunity to take greater care of myself and to appreciate this moment of self-care.’
One of the things I like to travel with wherever I go is a simple can of tuna. For me this is a practical thing to have with me if we have to go out to eat (with my food sensitivities), I can still request a simple salad and then just add the tuna for some protein and this satisfies me well. So I have a small can of tuna in my bag most times so that I am ready for a nourishing meal no matter what…And the bonus is that the small cans of tuna are small enough to take on long haul flights too so you do not have to eat airplane food!
Sarah, this is GOLD and true of many self care aspects: “I had always used the excuse that it’s too hard, or complicated, or I’m too busy (before or during the conference) to look after myself in this manner and so allowing myself to be at the mercy of what is being served around me. But the truth of the matter is that it is not that hard after all.”
No, it is not that hard, ‘All it took was me being open to the inspiration that was around me, and taking a few steps to make it happen’.
Sarah, I love what you have shared here in your blog and it has been my experience too in a very similar way. I had never envisaged travelling with prepared meals but now I do it as a normal and love it as it supports me superbly wherever I go! Food and what we eat has such an effect that it is well worth the effort.
I’m also a traveller who is accompanied by frozen meals, all lovingly prepared for my next destination. And of course, when flying, there is always the nourishing meal for eating on the way. I had to smile on one flight when a couple of the flight attendants gazed longingly at what I was eating and finally commented that it looked much nicer than what they were going to be eating. Maybe that was just the inspiration they needed to begin to change the way they live – and fly!
Spot on Ingrid, and just like Sarah shared in her blog above, sometimes us doing those simple things can inspire another to take deeper care of themselves.
I love having soup in the fridge or freezer, I feel prepared as I know I have something quick nourishing to eat when work is busy which means I don’t reach for something which I know will make me feel heavy and tired.
The more we support our bodies with the foods that work for us, the simpler it becomes to be prepared with food, even though it may seem like to could be more complicated.
Super, simple, and nourishing foods, seems to satisfy the taste bud enormously.
Nice to read this today and appreciate the level of self-care I am bringing to myself.
And how much better you and your body feel as a result, ‘I feel much steadier, supported and ready for what is needed.’
This is an example of living one life, taking care with the same level for oneself while travelling as while at home. No difference.
It is good to prepare for your travelling and support yourself as best as possible as travelling does brings some major changes to the body, especially for long distance travelling when not prepared could possibly lead to physical problems like a jet-lag or stiff and disabled body because of the long sitting.
‘Frozen Soup & Stick Blenders… What they Taught Me about Self-Care’ While reading the title of your blog I had thoughts of splashing soup because of using your stick blender with not enough attention and the self care in that being not in rush but present so this splashing would not occur. Nothing of this all only the ‘weird thing’ of carrying a stick blender in your luggage and how your body responded with love as you had been willing to not go with what is normal but putting the support for your body first.
No matter what our minds tell us how good the food is afterwards the body will give its verdict and often we then realise it’s not worth it.
That’s right Julie – what we can eat with our eyes is a different experience to what our body wants to eat.
It is bringing these little attention to details that brings a whole new element when we travel.
Being prepared is such an enormous support for the body, and for whatever is called for for us to do.
Being prepared for travelling is not any different from being prepared for just another day of work.
This is very true and a great point Nico. If we are truly always prepared, we are basically prepared for anything.
Going beyond the thoughts that says ‘it’s too hard/complicated. I have no time for that’ to do something for myself feels extremely nurturing, it makes me feel very special, and I am that special person who is very much worth being loved and cared for by me.
And it is great fun to be aware that it is not only for ourselves we do make those self-caring choices, but that in that choice we also live it in all that we are which then becomes a vibration that can be felt by everyone we are with.
When you think about it, it is so easy to prepare beforehand and in that way you don’t get caught out when a venue forgets or mixes up your dietary requirements, and to know exactly the quality of food you are getting really helps.
“In all my previous travels, I have never taken this kind of care nor this level of responsibility before. I had always used the excuse that it’s too hard, or complicated, or I’m too busy…”
I recently watched a Women In Livingness workshop, presented by Natalie Benhayon, and she talked about the ‘fob off’ when we get a niggle to do something that is good for us and we ‘fob it off’. And above is just one of my fob offs, and really this blog exposes that is not too hard or you are really never too busy. And it is good to listen to these nudges that we get from our body and what excuses we give ourselves not to do it.
What you say rings true with me Sarah how many times do we get a nudge to do something but then just ‘fob’ the thought off because we think it is too complicated or just plain cannot be bothered.
As well as really loving being prepared with food to self cater, I am also discovering the joys of not having any anxiety about holding back about what I do and don’t eat when I am in a restaurant or visiting a friend. Being open and willing to share about the way and what we eat allows for a deeper and richer communication, connection and understanding, no matter where we are.
I absolutely love and appreciate that I am at the stage where I don’t hold back sharing about what I eat and don’t eat, and am always delighted at the response my honesty receives. People mightn’t understand the why, but are always open to being very supportive, even when eating out. A far cry from the days when I would debate, silently with myself, as to whether I shared or not, and then sometimes eating things that I knew wouldn’t agree with me, just to be polite. Oh, how I am not missing those days!
Yes I found too that conference food is really not supportive as it is often sweets, little snacks, cakes, juices and a lot of alcohol. We might need to consider that the kind of food that is served at a conference does affect the people being at the conference. When we want the conference to be truly efficient and taken in to the most possible, considering the food we serve is a big part of that.
It is beautiful to feel the beauty of when we take care of ourselves. It is like spotting us caressing ourselves. We recognize ourselves when we do this confirming us deeply. It is a multi-layer action.
It’s interesting that you use the word food coma which people can slip into after eating certain starchy or sugary foods, we know this is what happens so I do wonder why when at sales meetings or conferences there is such an abundance of it as you would think that people would want to keep their minds and bodies clear.
Upping the self-care is a daily offering and one that I don’t always pay attention to. But last night, I decided to and upped the self-care in which I put myself to bed. I turned off the screens, had a warm shower, lovingly put some cream on, put an audio to support me being in my body, and then lay myself to sleep. Quite a stark difference to being on screen right up until the last second, turning it off, and laying my head on the pillow and passing out which has become my norm of late.
I agree Sarah, a pre-bedtime ritual is a deeply nourishing and enriching experience.
Yes, I’ve noticed how vastly different it feels when I turn off screens before bed and actually spend some time with me preparing myself for sleep. It makes me laugh that I’m so suprised each time because I know precisely how to support me, I just choose not to most of the time.
Being prepared with food is such a support on so many levels, and when we can appreciate that the time taken to prepare it is all part of the process and not a ‘waste of time’, this changes everything.
Preparation is key in life, to prepare for each day really lays the foundation of the day ahead to run smoothly and flow. And if there are any hic-cups, they are easily resolved and not a big drama.
I loved to be prepared especially when it comes to food. And all that loving care around my food, and always having batches and freezing, for those days that are full on, is also in itself, very nurturing!
When we start on our journey of self-care, it constantly refines and changes as we become more aware of what truly nourishes our body, and what doesn’t.
I recently went on an overnight stay and went thoroughly unprepared in regard to food preparation, clothing and luggage equipment. Beneath my annoyance and wanting to blame the situation, was a sadness that I wasn’t treating myself with the love I have allowed myself feel I deserve. I’m embracing the live and learn element and am now investing in a lovely new suitcase that’s not too big, has good reviews and has compartments that will suit my requirements. I’ll also research hotels more and make sure they have tea making facilities. I’ll also look into how I can transport food safely and heat it up where needed. It feels very loving, like going out on a cold day with a coat you know will keep you snug.
Love the honest sharing Karin. When we feel the outcome of going somewhere unprepared, its a great learning for future trips away and then making adjustments, like all the things you are now doing in advance, and in preparation for any further trips away.
Sarah – I just cracked up laughing at that question ” you travel with soup?” It is as if it was the weirdest thing you had ever heard and that is really how the world in general sees self care, that is that it is weird and not normal when in fact it could not be more normal.
There was a time when I would have thought having a bowl of green soup for my evening meal would, a. be very boring and tasteless and b. would not be enough to fill me up. Amazing how things can change. As I have learnt to listen to my body and feel what does not support it, the more interesting, tasty and nourishing my meals have become, and how much I realise I had been overeating. And one of the main components in my now weekly menu is green soup!
Same here Sandra, I make a pot of green soup weekly, and always make enough to pop some in the freezer. I feel how much my home made soup nourishes and warms my body.
And there a million different ways you can make green soup with just as many flavours and toppings, it doesn’t have to be boring at all
I travel overseas frequently in my work, and for the past 2 years I have travelled with the majority of home-made meals, and love that I can nourish and support my body in this way.
I never imagined that I would be someone who would either travel with food that I had prepared earlier, or have certain items with me so that I could easily prepare something when I reached my destination. But have experienced how much this forward planning supports me, it is simply something that I now do as part of my preparations when going away.
I agree Sarah, fast food can sometimes also cause a fast reaction in our body…
I love how those around you offered such supportive life lessons and how you were open to experimenting for yourself. I have found this is the way others inspire me. They don’t need to preach or try to convert me to their way of living but simply get on with the way they choose to live and leave it up to me as to whether I test drive their way, or not.
” It was another one of those moments where I was like – you travelled with what? ”
Well people who are attached to the Royal family bring their own chef and food with them when they travel.
I love having a freezer full of portions that I can call on anytime.
Great idea Suse, Thanks for the tip.
Preparing for busy weeks is just as important as preparing for travelling as well I have appreciated this week. I am having a super busy time at the moment, and so appreciated having frozen meals in my freezer that are nutritious and easy and I also cooked up a big batch of veges which made a quick and easy meal when I got home.
It is amazing what a difference it makes on trips when we take the time to plan ahead and take care of our bodies on the trip. I have certainly noticed this for myself when I travel away on holidays or business trips.
As long as we keep on doing what we know feels right for our bodies, without making a big deal out of it, then others have the opportunity to be naturally inspired simply by what they are observing and feeling, even if they are not fully aware of that fact.
It feels best to provide one’s own meals when travelling; even when labelled gluten and dairy free, most offerings are loaded with sugar, additives and other fillers that make the body feel heavy and unsupported.
A little bit of care and foreward planning goes such along way. I was away recently for a weekend and had to plan what I was going to eat. Although I found the planning a bit of a challenge, it felt brilliant to have done so when the time came as my body didnt have to deal with anything unexpected that I may otherwise have subjected it to.
Self-care = a steady foundation. The deeper the self-care, the deeper the foundation.
Wise words Sarah that will be used to occaisionally flash up onto my computer screen as a reminder 🙂
My food processor broke down recently and the motor needs to be repaired and I’ve noticed how the quality of food I am eating has been far less nourishing. I love my food processor and being able to produce such a wide variety of nutritious meals.
Recognising the ripple effects of how I care for myself makes me more committed to it – like feeling the steadiness and vitality that you mention and ability to be more truly engaged and connected with others.
Is it not amazing how uncaring we are to ourselves and we do not even know it . This writing is a great example of the law of reflection and how it works and you for sharing.
Oh yes .. ❤️ it … law of reflection … how when someone takes that extra care and love for themselves it inspires another ✨ very cool.
I have found it interesting how others respond to me and my food choices when I am away from home. Some accept effortlessly but others have resisted which has made me feel that there was something wrong with me! But what I have come to realise is that they are not resisting me personally but the self care and love I am willing to give to myself. It is very true… we can either be inspired by another or we resist and consider what is there on offer that will support us in our evolution.
It makes so much sense to make larger portions of food when we are cooking that we then freeze rather than running out all the time. It was my daughter who pointed this out to me recently saying ‘mummy, why don’t you make two batches and we can just put one batch in the freezer for another time’ and I thought that’s such a good point – why don’t I?
How crazy is it that in our world today we have become so conditioned to not be loving with ourselves and all those around us, that to living in a truly loving and nourishing way, seems quite hard and a lot of work when in fact it is super simple and super rewarding?
It’s almost like the norm is not to take care of our selves, and when we do nurture and love ourselves it can be seen as different.
‘I continue to look at how I can deepen my care for myself when I am away. It makes the world of difference to me – I feel much steadier, supported and ready for what is needed.’
The support we can give ourselves by bringing our own food and planning ahead is huge. Something I always bring is my own pillow, to give my head the support it needs.
I also like to or will ask a member of my family to get some soup or minced lamb already cooked our of the freezer to thaw in the fridge ready for when I come home after being away. It feels super lovely and supportive to come home after traveling to my own food that is already prepared. There is always a way to lovingly support our bodies – we just have to be open and willing to receive it.
There is always a way to lovingly support our bodies – we just have to be open and willing to receive the impulses, and keep going deeper with this cherishing and loving.
I have been taking my own food around with me for a while now and agree how well this works Sarah. I recently moved house, bringing my food with me to go in the new fridge which was being delivered that morning. Unfortunately it was not delivered and it was a heat wave day. I just had to get the food into someone else’s freezer at the last moment. My house mate and myself ended up getting some take-away and, although this restaurant had been recommended by friends, our stomachs ended up feeling pretty dire. I was so appreciative of the food we normally have and cook ourselves, and carry around with us.
It makes life much simpler to take food that supports us when travelling rather than be at the mercy of what food is available nearby.
Looking after ourselves whilst travelling is super important. I usually take salads but a frozen soup – to be reheated at a later date is a great idea.
Yes, I find salads easier to transport, I am concerned about soups spilling or leaking as they thaw.
Hey LJ, when I travel with them I put them in a little insulated carry bag and carry as part of my hand luggage and touch wood 🙂 I never had an issue with leaking…
Prepare the food that your body needs may feel pretty inconvenient. But, it is much more convenient than relying upon convenience stores.
I love how this is something that you developed over time and can keep refining according to new inspiration, experimentation and learning!
I love how you were inspired by those around you, and so brought in more self-loving choices, ‘as not only was my lunch tasty and nourishing, it gave me an opportunity to take greater care of myself and to appreciate this moment of self-care.’
I always have frozen broths with broccoli in the freezer to support my gut when needed, so when a friend was recently admitted to hospital for gut issues it was ready for her without any time delay or effort… so simple and easy to do.
I’ve never thought to add broccoli to my broths, that would make such a nourishing meal.
There are so many great tips in this blog and the comments offering a range of food opportunities that can be pre-pared, precooked and frozen if needed. Thanks Toni – may experiment with green beans in broth too!
When we let go what is or seems ‘normal’ it opens a whole new world and it is so simple, to take care when we listen to our wise body.
It’s really worth taking care like this to be inspired by others and experiment with new things seeing how and if they feel true to us and help us to be more truly engaged and connected with what we’re doing and whoever we’re in touch with during the day.
Wow.. This is very inspiring Sarah, and so simple indeed! Taking care of ourselves is much more easy than sometimes we can imagine.
It’s so simple isn’t it!… Travelling with a stick blender can change our whole work experience when we travel… Now how can I fit my wok and gas burner into my suitcase!
This is super cool Sarah, I use to think that cooking your own food while you travelled was boring and that I wanted the excuse to constantly eat out. Honestly though, once you brake down this belief system you are free to enjoy both eating out and preparing your own meals. I remember when I went to Italy when I was in my early 20’s, we stayed in an apartment that had a kitchen, we had spent weeks trying to find good pizza and pasta at the restaurants and were really disappointed. Whilst staying at this apartment, we had access to a home kitchen, we shopped at the locally farmers markets and small supermarket and made the most amazing meal that we ate in Italy! I am not joking, the ingredients were so fresh, the meal was just stunning.
A great example of it being the little things that make big differences ; )
I have been coming home late from work these past few weeks. When I get home I’m tired and cooking can feel like another thing to do, so this past weekend I cooked four meals and put them in the freezer. It feels very supportive to come home and know me or who evers turn it is to cook only has to prepare some veg to go with our dinner.
I will prepare some food for me before I go out knowing I may not have the energy to do so later.
Beautifully supportive Sarah, and what comes from truly listening to the body.
Being prepared with food ready to take away travelling or for a simple car picnic feels great and is so supportive.
Love your blog, Sarah – it made me smile as I was on a day trip last week with the Managing Director of the company I work for, having been invited to make a presentation at a conference one of our clients was holding at a hotel. I had made a dairy and gluten free lunch request, but as usual, also packed some food of my own, just in case….! The hotel did indeed provide my requested lunch – sandwiches made with very plain gluten free bread and a slice of roast beef surrounded by limp looking lettuce and a sliced tomato (this was a 4* hotel). I haven’t eaten bread, gluten free or otherwise, for more than 10 years. I wouldn’t have found it as amusing as I did had I not taken the time and care to pack and bring my own lunch.
This blog is a great example of how we can learn loads from each other if we are open to the reflection.
Food is fuel, but it is not about filling our vehicle (our body) with what ever we want, the quality of that fuel matters. We can say when we are away, on the road lets have a fast food break, or a blow out on Friday night, but all of these choices stack up and our vehicle feels them. It copes with many of our selfish and indulgent choices but does it thrive and flourish which is a very different way of being. How we eat in all our days matters and that is why it is so lovely to provide supportive food, whether on the road or not that is nourishing and offers your body true care and support.
A beautiful reflection and inspiration of taking care of yourself and your body in so many simple and loving ways and what a difference it makes. It can change how we feel about ourselves having taken care and the clarity of not eating whatever is on offer noting the lack of goodness and energy it comes with. If we all took food with us prepared lovingly with a clarity of what we are eating the difference it makes by reflection and the new normal way of being it would make is amazing to feel and could really make a difference to world health .
I love being prepared especially when it comes to food and my body loves it too. I leave in the morning with my lunch bag and bottle of water ( and my teabags), and I know I am ready for all that the day will bring. Yesterday, I worked a 14 hour shift, and this morning I was still up at my usual time, (4ish) and without an alarm clock. Nourishing food lovingly prepared at home is an amazing support we can give to ourselves.
The other day I had this situation too Sarah. Inspired by your words I prepared some yummy soup for my travels for work. Only when it came to the end I forgot I needed to freeze it – and so arrived at my destination with 6 tubs of off brocolli soup! I investigated cafes and nearby restaraunts but none of them offered food I felt that I needed. So I headed to the supermarket and with a few essential purchases (hello olive oil) whipped up a quick dish. I enjoyed it so much and so much more than any take away food, simply because I listened to my body and honoured it with what it likes to eat. So thank you Sarah for the inspiration here to give yourself that extra care, in a way that goes way beyond the food that we eat.
It comes down to the simplest things in our lives that support us the most. Whether it is with food being prepared in advance, having clothes on hand that will either keep us warm or dry, a tube of hand cream in our bag to soften dry hands or a glass or bottle of water always available. Being prepared for any eventuality that could potentially affect the immediate needs of our physical body means that we always feel supported energetically and are therefore more able to deal with situations that may come our way.
‘That night I called into the supermarket and bought some lunch ingredients and made up a yummy lunch for the following day, plus enough for the plane trip on the way home – so I would not be limited by the food choices available at the airport food halls’. Very good idea Sarah! A couple of years ago I was going down to Sydney to visit my daughter and leaving at 4pm. I knew that I would be there in time for a delicious dinner and so was only carrying water and a few nuts with me. The plane was delayed because of a huge weather thing coming and we were in the airport until 10pm that night and then shipped off to a hotel in town an hour’s drive away for 4 hours slept before coming back to get a plane. There was nothing in the airport I could eat, and nor could you get anyone to rustle up even an omelette with spinach because all the food was pre-cooked before it came into the cafes! Finally at the hotel the kitchen was closed, but I got onto room service and ordered tow poached eggs and spinach – I really enjoyed that. Needless to say I am more prepared now.
I love that Lyndy. Not that you were caught without food, but that you were shown a whole new level of preparation! Then regardless of what happens, we know we are ready. A beautiful reminder – thank you.
This blog to me expresses the joy in supporting ourselves through the day in a world that doesn’t usually reflect loving yourself to the ninth degree. So whilst there are posters advertising all sorts of health related and beauty products they do so on the basis of improving oneself or finding a solution to an ailment whilst not communicating we are already amazing and this amazingness can be supported by simple things – like going for a walk at lunchtimes (taking a break at lunch time even to reconnect to oneself) and eating something nourishing. I’m not so hot on the food side of things but one thing is to not eat in front of the computer at work. Eating food I’ve prepared at home with a loving supporting energy reminds me of this being love during my day and not being distracted by all that goes on around me.
Yes, Sarah, taking those few extra steps to ensure that we feel supported and nurtured while travelling make all the difference, not in a controlling way, but with a joy that simply reflects to the world that love will not be compromised, no matter what the situation.
As you say Sarah – the body just loves it when we stop and feel into what will support us. Your blog is a wonderful wake up call as I have been putting off getting back on track with my diet using all kinds of excuses to delay. No more time for delay – simply enjoying each moment with my body.
Reflecting the beauty of self-care and nurturing – gorgeous Sarah, and very powerful in the world.
We can be so inspired by how others live and move through life, especially how they self care.
What a great point Jennym. You made me realise how so many of the things I eat, wear, the way I do my home, my hair, the way I write or work is all based upon inspiration from others! In that moment that I read your comment the whole world of interconnectedness was so alive and vibrating in my body. There is no individuality. What a myth that is!
I wonder how often we blame the day for how we are feeling rather than the food we are eating. I can relate to the food coma you mention Sarah where we suddenly feel heavier and bloated and the mind is not as clear, but we don’t always relate it to the food we eat because there is often a delay between when we eat it and the heaviness we feel. Food plays a huge part in how we are during the day so it makes sense to take care and listen to the body and not over ride it for the sake of what we may see at the time as being convenient and less hassle.
Thank you Sarah, I can really see the value in having these kind of food adventures, where there is opportunity to learn and develop stronger practices of self-care that can deeply support ones desired quality of everyday life.
Taking this level of care to prepare food for our day can seem daunting or too time consuming at first but once you try it even once you are likely to feel just how much it supports the flow of your day as well as your body.
I went away recently and approached this trip with your blog and the inspiration of your friends in mind. I took frozen soup I had made specifically for this reason and when I was at my destination simply added a couple of ingredients to it as support. The difference in my body was astounding. It was such a support. Food was waiting for me at the end of my day, I had breakfast if I felt like it and lunch ready without any stress. Well worth having a go with!
Preparation creates simplicity and our body just loves simple.
Complication for me creates a sense and level of anxiousness and overwhelm in my body. I find the simpler I keep things I end up doing so much more than I set out to.
And the quality, focus and attention to detail remain steady when things are kept simple.
Nothing is ever lost or discounted. I also find that every detail is considered and no openings, or very few, are left for future problems to come in.
So what is normal? I know I have thought things strange and now I happily choose them, there are too many to mention. But some would be eating egg white omelettes, broccoli for breakfast, or not drinking alcohol…However I know if we are open to life we are open to change our habits, and our normal can very easily become a new normal. This is a great reminder to be open and not closed minded to other ways of living…they may just suit us better.
It is so great to break out of the bondage of what is touted as ‘normal’ and do what is true and works!
I could not agree more Lyndy – so much of my life I have spent trying to do what is normal and be normal I lost sense of what I knew was true and also got extremely frustrated by life. It feels so much freer simply doing what you sense is true.
While it may initially feel like a chore to be prepared in this way, it actually sets us up for a smoother ride and eliminates a whole host of complication that can enter when we are caught ‘off guard’ and then are at the whim of all that plays out when we have not laid a solid foundation upon which to move.
‘… I continue to look at how I can deepen my care for myself when I am away. It makes the world of difference to me – I feel much steadier, supported and ready for what is needed.’
This feels huge. Supporting oneself so one is ready for what is next feels so steady and full of integrity. It’s also very inspiring as I drop the remnants of wanting to be rescued by another or God. This is clearly about what I bring to myself through the love that I can align to within which is always there.
Lovely how you say ‘your body did a dance’, this is a great way to relate to our body and how it feels when we support it. There is a feeling of joy that is undeniable the more we care and honour our body.
Yes Samantha! I loved that bit too about the body doing a little dance. It is so great to feel the joy in that.
Our level of self-care is reflective of a great deal… our sense of self worth for starters. If we don’t feel worth looking after, then why bother with the details of care for ourselves that say ‘I matter’. The transformations seen throughout the Universal Medicine (UM) student body are directly a result of this. Everything about UM supports and confirms the fact that we are equal Sons of God and once known and claimed, it is impossible to not take increasingly deeper care of ourselves.
“as not only was my lunch tasty and nourishing, it gave me an opportunity to take greater care of myself and to appreciate this moment of self-care”, thank you for sharing something I am working on at the moment, as I can get caught trusting the venues will prepare for the food, but like you say often they don’t getting right leaving us feeling a big heavy and less vitality in our body.
Honoring the details of what and how we feel to eat makes a huge difference to how we feel and approach each day.
I love the ripple effect of inspiration – I wonder how long it will take for people all over the world to be preparing their meals and taking stick blenders with them and preparing and caring for their health – that’s super cool.
It’s amazing how much there is to learn from other people when we are open to it!
I agree I have learnt a lot from this blog how to support my nourishment and vitality or a more deeper level by planning and preparing food for all journeys. What I am also feeling that the way we cook, and the energy the food has cooked also plays apart in the nourishment.
The fun and enjoyment we cook and eat with accompanied with the experiments of what supports our bodies to be happy is an amazing experiment to have daily, we can live to eat rather than eat to live, it is really possible! When I have to eat according to my head and the restrictions I create for myself, everything already feels like a chore, but food then controls all my thoughts and affects my body and my mood, it really feels not worth it to traumatize ourselves this way.
What you have shared Sarah is so true, as we evolve so does our eating habits for you it has been a stick blender that has been part of the process. As I recall our first meals when traveling were with raps, which then became gluten free raps, and then became Nori rolls, so I have found our body shares what is required if we are only prepared to listen.
This is great to hear, as our body evolves, we begin to prepare is what our body needs, so the more we listen the more we find tune each time what our body lovely requires.
So true Amita, it was some 25 years ago that I first started to get an understanding of listening to my body and this was also the start to the end of my sweet tooth. As I increasingly felt what sugar felt like in my body and how it was a false energy I slow weaned myself off all sugars, sweet fruits and then carbs that turned to sugars.
What this great blog so beautifully shows, along with the messages about self-care, is that if one person takes the step to do something loving, it is very inspiring to all around – and in this case your friend Sarah was the one ‘blending their walk’ (alluding to another current blog, ‘Talking his walk’.)
Sarah, I love your honest and hilarous way of sharing about your food experiences. I too have had some similar experiences in gradually learning how to care so much more for myself by travelling with food. In fact I recall laughing one time thinking how half my luggage was food (not really half but it felt like a very large portion!). I have also learned to travel and pack airplane food for long haul flights which can be very tricky given the many restrictions and all, but these days I would consider myself a pro-food-traveller too! Thanks for the reminder in appreciating this foundation, for those little steps that consider oursleves deeply have profound effects in the long run!
It feels very loving to prepare nourishing food for a long trip. I find it is definitely worth it because I find catered food tend to be loaded with sugar and salt.
I love the reminder here of how important self-care is and to continue to appreciate all those little things we do to do this. Quite often I can forget to appreciate the steps I have taken to care for myself since they have become so normal!
. So true Sarah – it great to eat food that supports the body so that one doesn’t slip into a food coma after lunch, especially when there are important decisions and productive communications to be made.
I love to treat myself with very fresh ingredients and make a large batch of delicious soup, so there’s some to put in the freezer for when I’m busy at work. It feels a delight to have it prepared and waiting knowing how yummy it was. And I too have travelled with it frozen; it keeps the food next to it cool too, and saves needing an ice pack!
“You travelled with soup?” “Yes,” she replied. She told me she always has some in her freezer and travels with it so that when she’s at her destination, she can eat something that is home-cooked and nourishing.” – isn’t self-love so beautifully simple?!
The foresight in preparing food or packing the right clothes, if travelling, ahead of time is certainly a ‘Welcome home’ moment when you reach that point of using what you have prepared for yourself.
It actually takes a lot of care for oneself to prepare meals and not be at the mercy of whatever take-away is available. I never used to prepare food for myself. I didn’t care enough about how food would affect me and to be honest it was probably an opportunity to have a treat (my definition of treat never meant something that was nutritionally a treat). Now I almost always take my own food. I realised care is like having a toddler and taking spare food, water, clothes etc but for me. This makes a huge difference to the way I feel at the end of the day and my body registers the care I have taken.
Self-Care takes Care of Everything.
I love sharing recipes and having discussions about food and taking my own lunches to work has always been a simple and easy way for this to happen without imposing my own ways, as well caring for myself at the same time. It is always joyful when others start making changes without really noticing they have made them!
Ah – I have been caught out, I thought I had the perfect excuse when I travelled to eat as I liked, making food choices I wouldn’t normally make and that i know are not supportive because ‘there isn’t anything else’ and ‘i want to try something new’ or ‘im on holiday so its okay’. But in truth, there is always a loving option on offer, its up to us to make it our choice – I am always deeply inspired by my mum who is a world traveller and is so dedicated to sticking with what she knows supports her to eat even when she is travelling – it takes more time and effort at times but the support it offers her is undeniable
I have made choices around food that I would not normally eat when “I’m on holiday, or I am away”! I have felt the effect immediately, but chosen to ignore it. It’s like I have the mentality that ‘I deserve a break’ but this is when I need to be more ‘on it’ rather than letting things slide. Being firm and saying no to food I wouldn’t otherwise eat is equally as loving as preparing my own meals for travelling and arriving at my destination.
I agree – isn’t it interesting how we have made being unloving, even abusive to our bodies as synonymous to ‘taking a break’ because we ‘deserve it’
Thanks, Sarah. I love the idea of your body doing a little dance…I will be watching out for that in myself when I make loving and supportive choices with food and exercise!
When we treat ourselves with love it is no surprise every particle in our body would start dancing. So much fun and joy.
I’d die without my stick blender and garlic crusher.
There was a time when I would have thought that taking my own food with me when I was travelling would be way too much hassle and a bit crazy, but now it has simply become part of what I do. To know that I have food that will support me and that I won’t get any physical symptoms from eating something that doesn’t agree with me, is like having a lovely companion by my side. The extra care and preparation taken is worth its weight in gold.
I agree, Sandra. Having just been on a long journey, I had the best meal on the plane and could tell my neighbours were looking at it with great envy! It feels so natural and joyful to care for ourselves to the nth degree!
I love the level of care you share here, its super amazing and very inspiring, we’re going away soon and I’m already packing the pans and cooking utensils.
I always notice the difference in how I feel when I have taken the time to prepare my food lovingly. The nourishment I get from it supports me beautifully and I feel vibrant, light and alive. When I throw food together it does not have the same effect and my body feels bloated or sluggish. The energy in which we prepare food is everything.
Rather than comparing myself unkindly to others, I am beginning to appreciate my qualities, build my self-worth and am therefore open to be inspired by others rather than jealous of them. And yes this is totally changing my relationships…
My husband and I talked recently about food and how we can more deeply support ourselves and each other when we travel. We also have a young toddler so it is no longer as simple as going to restaurants. And we can also feel how no matter how good the taste of the food may be, we always feel more drained when we eat out than if it is our own food. Its been a great marker for me to say ‘how do I want to feel long term’ – and make more loving choices from there.
There are so many things that we can do to keep ourselves tuned in rather than simply tuning out
It is very inspiring to read the care and attention so many people put into their preparation which no doubt in turn looks after us/them. Very cost effective too. In the days when I use to drink coffee it added an additional $30 a week to the food bill, and that was just for one cup a day.
Quite a few years ago when I was traveling through Asia, I met a couple of brothers who were back packing around with their juicer/ blender. At the time I thought this was hysterical given the size and weight of it though it ended up really supporting them. Not so funny after all. 🙂
I love how what was once a surprised response to self-loving choices now becomes ones normal way of looking after oneself.
The flavour that comes across in what you share here Sarah is that it’s not about the soup or the specific things we do, but the openness in us to consider what we truly need. Every moment of every day, we have an opportunity to go deeper with the tenderness and care we deserve. It’s not enough to go through the motions of repeating what we usually do. There’s always more and a deeper level we can go to.
I have come to realise and really appreciate the details of what I prepare for myself when I travel. What can seem like a big deal to pack, can turn out to be such a blessing to have considered. The more we care for ourselves with such details, the more we get to feel the importance of doing so.
I just love what the reflection your friends brought you. Some of my most inspired moments have come from similar revelations when someone has presented a completely different way of doing something. I love that we can choose to be inspired by people around us which naturally enriches our lives and relationships, or we can choose to be jealous, or make fun of others etc for their quirky little ways, which will often just lead to a whole heap of discomfort and a surefire way to separate ourselves further from others.
I am very ready for my travels today – frozen soup at the ready and just making a decision on the blender…yes, in fact, it has to come! I can feel the support of looking after myself in this way – thank you for the inspiration and reminders.
These days I just cant eat food that I know is not good for me, or if is a certain food I have dropped from my diet. And so for that reason I am always super organised with my food, for work, for travelling, when I go to stay with my mother for a few days, I cook for both of us. It is just part of my daily routine now. And mostly I love to prepare my food for the day in the wee early hours of the morning.
Sarah, I really enjoyed reading this article, I can very much relate to what you have written; I feel an absolute joy preparing nourishing food for myself and my family if we are about to travel and it feels very loving and supportive when we get to eat it.
‘It felt good to pack it, like I was travelling with a good friend who knows how to look after me.’ Hilarious and very cute. It is little details like these that make a big difference in our lives.
There is a sweetness and respect in this relationship with your body, Elizabeth, that is very inspiring, and I love the simplicity of honouring our bodies and accepting that they deserve great care.
Love and responsibility – I am inspired by what you have written, Sarah, questioning the excuses we use not to take care of ourselves and bring the most we can be to our days.
What a great confirmation your body gave you as it danced with appreciation of the loving care you brought to yourself. Our bodies respond so quickly to love.
I love how very practical steps support us to remain connected to ourselves and the communication from our bodies.
Great sharing Sarah, thank you. Since attending Universal Medicine workshops and events I have increasingly taken more and more care of myself in many different ways and in doing so my vitality and general wellbeing has been greatly enhanced. This is an evolving and deepening process.
A great sharing Sarah thank you, especially since I am about to prepare food for a coming event, I often feel a bit stressed at doing this but after reading your article I realise how loving and self caring preparing food for me for the upcoming event can be.
It feels deeply nurturing when we take the time to nourish our bodies and the ‘little dance’ our body does in recognition of this brings its own joy.
I have various dietary requirements and so eating out is very challenging if not impossible at times. If I go out for the day without food I know that it has been a decision to set myself up so that I’m left with no choice. But my choice was back at home that I already made when I chose not to prepare.
The availability of food from 24/7 retail has probably made us more lazy in thinking ahead in ways of preparing and taking care of what foods we will nourish our body with.
This all feels so nurturing, and as you say ‘All it took was me being open to the inspiration that was around me, and taking a few steps to make it happen’.
There is something about being open to support that can change our lives isn’t there Abbyhinchcliffe? This blog will no doubt have shared that inspiration with so many others and therefore the nurturing spreads like the most wanted communicable disease!
Totally Lucy Dahill. True change always starts with an open heart.
When you have allergies or particular dietary requirements there is still so much you can experiment with in cooking, and actually letting restaurants know what you can eat and love to eat or simply bringing food on the plane etc. is a great way to look after yourself rather than stressing about there not being any eatable meals.
The loving care and self nourishing moments we create begin a new way of living what is not so called normal but really is very normal and simply honouring all we are and brings a very beautiful feeling inside of how we care for ourselves and thus others and is a great reflection for normalising self appreciation and care for all and our food is an amazing place to start.
Food is not only an amazing tool to use to support ourselves, but one that is very personal to us and should not be looked upon outwardly to gauge our “success or failure” with it.
I am always learning from others about self care and loving the constant reflections to self love that are happening all the time when we are open to receiving them.
Our bodies can sing and move in a way that is totally joy and appreciation full when they feel honoured. Whatever it is we choose that confirms back to ourselves that we are listening and will to respond with a loving choice frees up the body to offer back vitality and well-being because it’s not overloaded from lack of care and respect.
Preparation in all areas of life enabled us to feel more vital, steady and at ease as things occur. Be it our food, how we are feeling, our clothes, going to sleep for the next day: how we prepare, even close the door as we leave the house can change everything.
Such great tips with how to look after ourself food wise when we are travelling. Simple and not complicated at all.
Taking the time to check to see if there is a supermarket nearby where you are staying, is not just a practical task it is so much more; for its an essential twig in the self love nest that we can support ourselves with in everyday, in every situation.
I agree and if we then appreciate these loving choices we make we build a foundation that becomes a solid basis for the way we choose to live.
Someone recently share with me an analogy of self care being like riding on a surfboard, in that we have to constantly feel and adjust our movements according to what the situation (wave) is and what is needed to support us.
Yes, I agree Janet I love that analogy and find that a constant refining of care for ourselves includes the environment that is there to support us. It’s all well and good if I bring care to myself but if I dismiss my environment as not important then am I really caring for myself. It feels like my environment is in fact a great reflection of where I am at with me, if I have been caring for myself the space around me is naturally more ordered than when care has slipped and clutter / mess creep in around me.
Love the analogy Janet and yes we do have to constantly adjust/refine all our movements, and when we do, this brings more awareness.
Hello Sarah, I love feeling the new joy that you have found in preparing your meals for when you travel. I also do this when I am not travelling. I have the perfect little esky that I take with me during summer when I know I will be out for the whole day. And in winter I have varying sizes of thermos containers for soups and other meals. So I find myself having little picnics in the most unusual places, often sitting in my car. I love it!Thank you for sharing.
Reading through some of the comments of people who have worked in the food industry and getting a behind the scenes look of how much food is pre-packaged and processed, is another reason to BYO!
Yes, the commercialism of pre-packaged foods, be it convenient, is missing that home grown attentiveness towards yourself that goes into preparing a meal ahead of time.
Yes, I agree, it is a great confirmation that what our bodies say to us about food and how it makes us feel is spot on when we realise the ingredients and processing.
It feels so deeply nurturing and nourishing when we look after ourselves with so much care.
What I have noticed is how often the convenience buying of lunches in the work place is often considered the norm but how often do we stop to register the impact on the body, productivity and our relationship with others till the end of the day.
Reading your comment I think of school lunches and canteen food and how from a young age we are trained to eat rubbish and unsupportive foods.
There is a different quality in food when it is prepared with love. If food is prepared in a frenetic environment and without care, the energy the food comes with is not so pleasant to digest.
I know exactly what you mean Sarah. I am staying in an apartment this evening and I brought my food with me. It feels very supportive. I often take food on the plane also when traveling. Love the lightness in the way you write 🙂
So cool to hear that other people are doing this and not just because of allergies or stuff like that but because they value how they feel and how much fun it is to live and work in a body that is feeling good.
Let’s not do life on our own, let us be inspired by others, everyone of us has something to share. Be it a recipe, a way of living, a wise word a way of moving the possibilities are endless. I have learnt so much through being open to what other people share.
Beautiful, Samantha. Yes, Sarah has shown us that being open to others and to learning can turn out to be life-changing.
Love to hear how your body dances Sarah, a sure confirmation of the extra mile that you are taking for yourself, by nature of this appreciation the home – away – from home food preparation becomes infinitely more simple and purposeful.
How many situations in life do we feel we are at the mercy of what is there on offer and we have to make a choice we would not do in other circumstances?
Food and travelling is one such issue. Taking care of ourselves in a way that remove ourselves from such kind of situations is a choice; one that empowers us and nurtures us.
I have also for years taken food on long flights. The interesting thing is the scanners you have to send everything you take on the plane through are real smart now, and different things are different colours, anything organic shows up orange, this is the same colour as explosives. I have not yet, ever been questioned about my colourful hand luggage.
A wonderful sharing! Very timely for me to read as I am refining my diet a little more at present and needed some inspiration!
Since realising that my diet needed to change to match where I was heading, I have discovered the joys of the freezer. All my life I only cooked fresh food, cooked everything from scratch (even chickpeas for felafel) and would never have dreamt of using frozen ingredients or freezing anything to eat later. I realise that this was a bit of a mind set (though obviously there are certain delicate things that do not bear freezing). Now I really appreciate my freezer now and make large quantities of beautiful soup or buy fresh fish and freeze it and there is always something nourishing available so that there is no temptation to go an buy any fast food.
A successful future is determined by our present and steady steps. – ‘we reap what we sow’.
That is a quote of the day, Liane. A beautiful call to the true love that responsibility is.
It is so important to look after ourselves, the little gestures and commitments to care and nurture ourselves make the hugest difference to how we feel in life, these choices can not be underestimated.
And the beauty is Samantha that all these choices also accumulate to collectively support us too.
After bringing a nourishing cooked meal to my work for lunch every day for over 6 years I have noticed that many of the co-workers I eat with have changed their diets away from fast food and vending machine processed food towards prepared meals that are more gluten,dairy, and sugar free. The cool thing is how this has occurred many times without me saying a word, and also after they have asked me about my food choices after seeing how healthy I am. This shows how by simply committing to nurturing ourselves and building a foundation of support with our food, it can inspire others to do the same.
I work in an office with eight others and there is almost not a day that is not missed where there is; cakes, biscuits, doughnuts and anything made with wheat, butter and loads of sugar on the table to be grazed on. My occasional contribution is fruit, of some sort… and it always disappears faster than the other offerings.
I just couldn’t believe it when I met people who packed their lunch. I used to love eating out, especially at Malaysian or Singaporean or Vietnamese restaurants in Sydney. The food was simple and delicious, basically gluten free dairy free and extremely affordable. I still miss having the occasional dinner out sitting around the table having a good conversation. But I have come to be a reasonable lunch packer and certainly enjoy the freshness and nourishment of the simple food I cook. Not sure yet how I would cope with an overseas trip but I am inspired by you Sarah!
How gorgeous to bring nourishing soup with you wherever you go! The love in the preparation of this is outstanding.
It is pretty insane the lack of care that humanity takes with what they put into their body. It always intrigues me when I go to the petrol pump and see all these premium fuels or special performance enhancing oils – it seems like we more prepared to spend those extra pennies or give the extra attention to the fuel in our cars than we are to the fuel in our bodies. Would we put canal water into our petrol tanks? No – of course not, it would break the car. Yet look at what we put into our bodies.
Great observation Otto. With such discrepancy between the care with which we consider what goes into our cars and what we put into our bodies, there is little wonder that the bar for what we accept as ‘normal’ in health and vitality has been dropping enormously over the years.
I have often justified such lack of care by the busy and mobile daily life most of us live, and the lack of easy access to healthy and nutritious food. This blog and the comments are a great invitation and inspiration to bring greater level of care and playfulness with us wherever we are.
We happily accept our cars ‘resting’ in the garage for two days…and yet we fight giving ourselves even two minutes of rest.
Sarah, I really enjoy reading this article, I love yiur playfulness and openness to experiment with taking frozen food and a stick blender away with you. Myself and my family love to travel with things that support as such as pre-made salads, pots of herbs and spices, limes and lemons and the tea we enjoy, this feels so nourishing and makes a huge difference to how we feel when we are away, this list seems to be expanding, this time having been inspired by your article we even bought our stick blender away with us.
It is so true that the sweetest parts of self-care can be in the smallest details, details that simply are the delicate choices we can make about what will happen to ourselves all throughout the day.
I loved reading this Sarah!!! I also love those realisations of how simple things can be. We go about life like everything is a hassle, but then we get the reflection from someone else about just how simple looking after ourselves can be.
What stands out for me is that the meals and location for those big events like conferences are so unsupportive. If it is not supportive for you to feel clear and settled it probably is the same for many others.
I have at times travelled to other countries for work with a suitcase packed full of food including frozen soups. I would come home from work to my hotel room and have a lovely meal, supplemented by food from the hotel. This might sound excessive, but my commitment to caring for myself was such that this was an easy and loving choice.
Thanks for all these tips Sarah. To travel and be aware of these details is a beautiful way to bring a deeper level of true nurturing to our body.
Nurturing and loving care in every way possible – love it.
What you show here Sarah is, that taking care of ourselves is actually something we all deserve and it doesn’t take much to do so. We put a lot of effort into our ‘bad’ habits (i.e. would go for miles to get our coffee in the morning), so why not planning a little ahead and putting loving care into something that we know will truly support us?
Looking after ourselves ought to be second nature but for most people this is not the case. It is great then if we have people in our life who can reflect another way to care for ourselves.
A few months ago I was at the airport and although I had eaten lunch earlier, I was still feeling peckish. I walked around looking to see what I could have. There was nothing that was nourishing for my body, the choice was an apple or a banana! It really does pay to travel with your own food.
We can learn so much from each other if we are open to the reflection.
It is deeply beautiful to take this level of care when travelling Sarah. It means your choice IS your choice and you are not at the ‘mercy ‘of outside forces as far as your food goes. I can remember arriving at Coolangatta airport one Christmas Eve to go to Sydney to see my daughter and granddaughter and a huge storm stopped planes from leaving and I was there for 5 hours before being shipped off to a hotel where you could not get any food – it was too late at night by then. All I had with me was a small container of nuts! I looked around myself at the airport and was surrounded by fast food – none of which was my food of choice. I trued to get someone to make me something simple but found out that all the food is ready made and brought in – no one actually cooks there!
The kind of relationship that we have with ourself and others can very much impact on how we take care our ourself practically and in my experience too is something very worthwhile building more awareness of and commitment to.
When we make self-care a value preparing and taking the food that suits you best will be the normal and common sense thing to do. It will probably the end to the plethora of fast food take away shops.
Developing rhythms that provide a supportive foundation like pre preparing food is a wonderful unfolding process.
You say it is not normal that we take this kind of care and attention to food, which is actually very interesting, as there is a lot of attention and importance about food in our life, but the focus is on the taste, the look, the extraordinary, the diversity, the skilfulness in preparing food and so on but never about truly nurturing and nourishing ourselves.
What a beautiful support we can offer ourselves by taking the time and care to truly prepare our food when travelling and eating both out and about and at home first of all. The quality we do things in makes all the difference to our stability and presence and how we feel and are with ourselves and every one around us and our reflection really can inspire others.
Preparing our food in advance whenever we are travelling is one of the most loving things we can do for ourselves and our bodies. When we do not do this, and we find ourselves caught short, ie not enough food with us, there are so many temptations out there to choose the wrong food that does not nourish our body.
What I have found amazing is the willingness to share these foods often has others asking for recipes and sharing how simple it can be.
We love preparing for the week too. More family time in the evenings.
There is a large bar/restaurant chain here in the UK that has daily specials for dinner. The only cooking device in the kitchen is a bank of microwave ovens. They even have a steak night. Everything comes in tubs, boxes and bags. Forty years ago I worked in an international Pizza restaurant that also everything was frozen, boxed or bagged. The dough came in a pre-measured bag that needed hot water from a special hot water tap that was the right temperature and all that was required as to fill the special cup that had lines for each type and then turn on the big floor mixer that was also timed. Has eating out become an assembly line.
Unfortunately this is also true of many restaurants that you may expect cook everything from scratch. Very often seasonings, sauces and marinades are bought in, even soups, chips, burgers and so on. It’s only when you start to ask about the ingredients in certain foods that you understand how much has come out of a packet. I love discovering small local restaurants where the produce is fresh, the meals are simple and the quality superb. A particular restaurant in Ibiza springs to mind, where the queue is 10 -15 people long and the meals are in the main simple grilled fish, lemon garlic and salad.
For many years I have stuck to the commitment of making my lunch and bringing them wherever I went due to my dietary requirements. As my job involved a lot of travelling around the city and there was no fixed place I was to be every day, looking for a microwave or keeping food hygienic has been a fun exploration. No matter how the food tasted when I ate it–sometimes too cold, sometimes near the verge of becoming bad, no matter how the situation of eating this food was like, sometimes having to stand and eat on the busy streets, my lunch box spiced with the exhaust from cars, I persisted. Persistence was never a problem for me. But what I have discovered was neither did this commitment nor my food truly nourished me, as in the commitment of fulfilling this picture of bringing lunch, I have left myself out of the equation! The purpose of food and the act of eating is to nourish ourselves and that has to be the energy we eat from–the true care for ourselves. It is not what we eat or what we don’t eat, it is not what everyone is doing or not doing, it is not limiting ourselves or being scared of certain foods, neither is it about being completely oblivious and negligent in indulging. But it is about US. It is about whether we truly care about US. When the care for our bodies is our first and foremost focus, we would simply stop doing what is unwise.
How many of us eat lunch, just because, it’s lunchtime? Does our body need what we are eating? When we don’t have time to eat, did the body show us it was not required? Whether we bring our food or find an eatery that supports what the body requires, we should honour what our body needs rather than what our mouth wants.
Spot on Steve, our body will always tell us when we are truly hungry and what foods work for us if we are only prepared to listen and then honour those feelings, which as you say are not to be dictated by ‘our mouth’.
I love this Sarah, going with what your body feels it needs to nourish itself, by not being tempted by the mind. I too find it most supportive when I take into consideration what foods to provide myself when away from my usual surroundings, never thought of taking a stick blender though.
What a great support! We can so easily find inspiration from others in situations like this. I made my own meals for an overseas flight last year and found I did not have any jetlag as a result and was able to work from the moment I landed. On one flight I didn’t eat anything, just drank lots of water, my body loved it, my mind settled and I actually slept so much more. We have so much to learn about what our individual bodies need for sustenance.
What you serve up to us here Sarah is a clear example that life is not really about the things that we eat, what we do or even where we work, but the quality of care we share with ourselves. Being hard on our faults and forcing our body into stress and duress is something that is extremely difficult to digest. Whatever I do today, I am inspired to deeply consider what I need and is supportive to me.
“At the conference for lunch there was a mix-up with my pre-arranged dietary requirements, and I did not get what I ordered. I picked the bits I could eat, and left the rest. I felt no nourishment from what I ate and it left me feeling a bit tired” – classic Sarah, i’ve experienced this too many times, the feel of lack of nourishment and love in the food feels awful…and more and more confirms how much i really no longer enjoy ‘eating out’ something in the past i used to think was quite a treat.
Today I became aware of how much I take on from people at work. For me this is a new level of self-care. Never before have I considered not taking on energies / emotions from others as part of taking care of myself. Which in fact actually makes a lot of sense!
What a difference it can make to a trip or a journey when all the details are lovingly prepared!
This highlights to me just how in a rut I can be at home, with all of our kitchen and any foods from the shops I can still make choices out of convenience rather than of what is truly nourishing.
This is just amazing Sarah, how you chose to prepare and take your meals with you. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
My mum is an international traveller and it has been amazing to watch her relationship with food and preparation for her journeys change – and what is equally amazing is how this impacts those she visits and sees on her business trips – they get inspired by her delicious and creative lunches that are prepared with love and care about what she will eat and the impact on her day.
Thank you for sharing how the details of your self-care when travelling are ever deepening and you are inspiring me to look again at how much I am prepared to support myself when in unfamiliar surroundings.
Choices and behaviours around food and eating are very revealing of the relationship we have with ourselves and life, how we deal emotionally with things, the way we are affected by others etc Adjusting one´s food to what is truly supporting is a process that involves much more than what we may expect and so are the effects of the changes we make, rippling into other areas of our life.
Well said Alex and yes I have noticed the effects when I follow an impulse to refine my diet, that is to drop a certain food that my body is communicating that I no longer need. Simply put, my awareness increases and I remain open to futher guidance from my body.
I love what you have said here Alex. The daily reflection we get is an absolute gift.
Reading this has actually taught me a little big lesson in deepening my self-love. Thanks Sarah!
Well I can relate to much of what you say – so often I give into temptation and eat stuff that leaves me heavy when I’m travelling. Interestingly, travelling with a little one has helped me to prepare food beforehand – and I’ve even prepared some for myself. Frozen soup though, great idea!
This morning I was at a friends house and observed the ease as she prepared herself for work. She had little individual portions of frozen dishes ready in her freezer to pick up and take with her along with a salad in the fridge. It took her 2 minutes and she was out the door.
I always carry teabags with me these days so that if I want a hot drink I have a caffeine free alternative to coffee. I don’t even think about it any more, I just have them in my handbag regardless.
Same here Fiona, I too always take my own teabags especially when I am travelling as I have found when I am at the airport, they never have something I fancy. So now I ask for a cup of hot water, and make my own tea which I can drink along with the break-fast that I have prepared for myself. I love being organised in this way, feels so very loving.
This may seem really small but I hate eating without utensils. So not picking up salad leaves with my hands from the bag if I’ve not prepared my lunch and have a lunch box. So setting out lunch into a lunch box or plate and eating with fork or spoon really reminds me that my space and how I am in that space is what matters.
It feels important to observe how deep there is to go in self care.I have made it about certain rhythms or rituals I do in my day to build an awareness, which is a great start but I know now there is much more to this. It goes much deeper, for example with negative thoughts and self bashing, we are having very unloving un-self caring thoughts, or reacting to emotions of others, this hurts us. There is a lot more to this than would initially appear.
It is these little details that make you feel more at home when you are away.
Love it Sarah. Through observation we learn so much. We are often taking in much more than we can even imagine. It’s even better when what we are taking notice of is actually supporting our well-being.
Preparing food in advance for our trips away is a great way to support our bodies, for we deserve to eat according to our own evolution and not compromise in anyway that which allows us to deeply to connect to our soul.
Self Love is many things and sometimes it is the very practical choices we make that are the most loving.
Yes it is always a challenge to find nourishing foods when we are out of our home environment, especially if we need something warm to eat. Some people are able to skip meals but for me I am still attached to the three-meals-a-day routine. Creating something before going out helps and when I’ve attended conferences, I’ve often taken my own food.
I like the description of your body doing a little dance when you had your smoothie. I can identify with that feeling when I have chosen something to eat that feels supportive.
Yes, Sarah, it feels really beautiful to prepare in advance for what is needed to support me, whether it is with food, travel arrangements, or any little detail that helps me to stay with the flow. I paid an extra £30 recently for a meet and greet service at the airport, and it feels great because it will allow me to get home and settle after a long flight.
Wow, I didn’t know this was an option but can see this makes such a difference to how you can settle after a long flight.
‘home-away-from-home food adventures’ – I love this phrase. For a lot of people, going away can be a very stressful experience and it’s so easy to compromise our rhythms, but actually as you’ve shared it’s an adventure to see just how revitalised and cared-for we can feel on holidays, work trips and events, so we come back feeling great.
I recently went to China for 10 days and quite a large portion of my suitcase was food. With no gluten and no dairy as dietary requirements it can be hard even in English speaking countries to eat out, so I knew in China this could potentially be impossible. I also don’t like to eat salt, sugar or ginger all of which I knew feature heavily in Chinese cuisine. So I packed plenty of food – homemade seed crackers, cans of tuna and sardines, nori as well as chilli sauce. My travel companion and I would have such a feast each night with the addition of eggs and salad from the hotel. It felt awesome to travel in such a way and my body was definitely happy with this kind of arrangement.
I find it so ironic that there are now so many eateries everywhere when as a child there were hardly any in comparison and to eat out was a rarity and a treat yet now it is a treat to eat at home or at a friend’s.
‘if truth be known, I have often used that excuse to eat food that I know is not good for me’ …. loving your honesty here, Sarah. It’s amazing how tricky we can be, the choice to waver in our food choices may be made before we even leave on a trip, if we haven’t put the effort into checking out the food options at the other end and what may support us best. Energetically, we’re leaving an opening where the pull to eat food that will negatively impact on us may appear to be too strong, when in truth, the choice may well have been made before we left.
So true, I remember growing up, my birthday present from my grandparents was being taken out to lunch and I always ordered the same thing year after year, chicken and chips. Unfortunately, the rise in fast food take aways and the ease with which we can eat a huge variety of foods, almost instantly, has led to the decline in the balanced and nutritious home cooked meal and the rise in obesity and diabetes.
I had not thought of this jstewart51. As a child I have only one memory of eating out. Now its the norm, with cooking a meal from scratch becoming a rarity in some households. Why is it in this age of mod-cons and technological advances that we feel so time poor?
Just recently I have been really noticing how much there is to learn from observing others and how important it is for me to stay open to these reflections and learnings and observations as they very supportive for me to break old patterns of behaviour that I do not want to keep repeating. We really can support each other in this process if we allow it and don’t go into comparison or competition with others.
Sarah, I love this article, it is beautiful how much you care for yourself with making sure you have nourishing food while you are away, I too do this with salads made up as I find it can be challenging to buy fresh, healthy food while out and about and that if I do eat out I rarely feel great after eating as there maybe some ingredients that I don’t usually have at home and so to have my on meals where I know exactly what is in them and it is exactly what my body likes to eat feels amazing and truly supportive and loving.
I love the way your body appreciates being fed nourishing food, mine does too. The way your friends have inspired you to take greater care of your self in my book proves that this is what true friendship is all about, sharing how to take deeper care of our selves and thereby allowing our bodies to join in the dance!
It can be so easy today in society to eat out all the time, the huge rise in food wherever you go would make that simple, yet in all of that their is a desert of true nourishing and supportive foods. To me this makes the question quite simple, do I want to honour, celebrate and care for my body or do I want the quick tasty fix in my mouth? Frozen soups and stick blenders takes time and is certainly something that requires effort but the reward is priceless in how you can feel in your body.
I also find travelling can be stressful, it seems funny that the time of most stress often provides us with the least nourishing food. All the more reason to invest in the health choice of a stick blender and some homemade food. A hearty, heart-warming sharing Sarah.
Yes I find that to be true too Stephen – that the times of most stress provide us with the least nourishing food, but also, probably the food we most crave to not feel the stress!! A bit of supply and demand?
The time and care we take to prepare our food whether it is for going away or eating at home is always reflected in how the food is when we actually come to eat it, and consequently how we feel once we have eaten it.
Yes and it tastes different too!
I am inspired by the way that your care went beyond the plate of bowl food in front of you and stretched all the way to the location of your accommodation, to the items in your accommodation, to the communication with the conference staff. Every little detail was taken care of and not in a controlling – I must have this – kind of way, but in a sensitive quiet and self-assured way that does not feel imposing on others but is just rather sweet and simple and caring.
Most people do a weekly shop for our meals we plan for that week, so why does that stop when we go away?
Thanks Sarah, I have packed vegetables before for plane trips when I’m unsure of the quality of food available at my destination. I had a huge chunk of pumpkin once in my handbag on a plane! Once I know what my body needs I like to make sure I deliver it. Having the right nourishment for the body makes a world of different to everyday – home or away.
I love how you recognise that your body does a little dance inwardly when you do something that supports it because that is exactly how I experience it as well. The body responds so well to true care and nurturing.
I know what you mean about that feeling of the little dance inwardly, I often feel this when I step away from my rush and busyness and take the time for a bath, or a walk or just to lie down on the floor and stretch. When I do this, its like my muscles and body are rejoicing with the fact that I finally gave them some time.
I love eating out but I have almost stopped eating out because of how I feel afterwards? It leaves me feeling awful and after a few times of being aware of this, I realise it is more loving to bring my own food when I am out and about. The preparation is so worth it because I feel nourished and not feeling exhausted like I used to.
Caring deeply for ourselves dissolves any need we may have for others to take care of us and provides us with the true ability to be able to care for others.
Love the soup recipe play Jane!
It is neither supportive nor nourishing when we have to rely on what is on offer in convenience stores. Eating out is fun but then again, there’s nothing like a home-cooked yummy offering.
Inspiration that is from a self-loving act of another is such a beautiful thing!
Love it Sarah, this Blog and comments could become the Travellers Guide to The Universe with loads of adaptations and recipes that will serve humanity in many ways. We think we have to do all this ourselves but the truth is we are in constant connection with other so we are never without a ‘companion’. When opened up to our divine connection there is a full-ness that is felt in the heart and when this is maintained we become re-connected (religious) with the Soul and this is a complete lack of emptiness. So food can be used to fill an emptiness, and on our journey back to Soul, stick blended soup can be very heart warming and light on the body, as you have shared Sarah.
It is definitely well worth considering every possible way in which we may support ourselves and not be at the mercy of what is available around us or offered to us as the way…we can always make our way true and supportive.
It is the feedback from our bodies that confirms the changes we make and brings that knowing and understanding that this is our new way. I went on a low fructose diet for 2 weeks and felt so amazing in my body theres no way I would go back – its that lovely light feeling of my body that I wont sacrifice by eating food anywhere that doesn’t honour that.
I love preparing my food to take to work or to take on a journey. I know this way that I will have what I need to look after my body and allow me to feel nourished, nurtured and cared for.
Discovered some left over lamb curry deep in the freezer this evening – OMG it was a reminder of how simple things can be, and what an awesome cook I am!
🙂
To the average person, they would probably be thinking, what’s the big deal, so you made yourself some lunch, but the amount of loving detail you can go to with that pre-packed lunch is a healing in itself, and a confirmation that you are absolutely worth it so you not only get nourished by the food that supports you but also by being with you when you eat your food.
Looks like there is a whole army of stick blenders, snack carrying, freezers folk out there – we are starting a food revolution! The self-care revolution. Coming to an office near you!
ha ha yes very cool and very cost effective too.
It is how we live – in the day to day – that people observe so much. And the question to ask ourselves is – what kind of reflection to we want to be in this world?
This is great inspiration Sarah. I can relate to not preparing and then supposedly being ‘at the mercy’ of what is being offered when really it’s a sneaky way and very deliberate choice to sabotage myself.
I love this – I had been told several years ago how I would be eating ow and the way in which I would consider it I would not have believed what I was told, and yet now it is totally natural. Just goes to show how far we can become ingrained in behaviour to the point that we stop considering alternatives until we see a new way.
Starting to travel with home food made made an incredible difference to all that then happened on my trip. It was another layer of care I said yes to. It was a yes to supporting myself and in this those around me. It closed yet another opening that I had willingly left open in the past, an opening that allowed an energy to enter that was not of love.
Very humorous blog Sarah, thank you 🙂
Self-care soup – a recipe for a truly nourishing life. I’m going away later this week – I shall take some with me.
Have you noticed that when your travel the food you have made for these occasions always seems to taste extra yummy when you eat it? Does to me, probably because the body loves the true nourishment.
Indeed Mary-Louise, it is the love dance of true nourishment.
I agree Sarah true nourishment wins hands down every time.
When I travel I always take with me food I know I can eat as being hungry and perhaps having to eat what doesn’t suit can feel very unloving. I know there is much more I can do to support myself with food but a moment to appreciate having a cool box and ice blocks on hot days when I’m out of the office is also very loving.
I LOVE your openness to learning, Sarah, and your awesome sense of humour as you describe such simple aspects of life and yet show how the magic of love can be present in every little detail.
Thank you Janet, yes the magic of love can be present in every little detail. Even typing that I felt my body and realised that how I was sitting was not very supportive, so I moved to support it. The magic of love in every detail.
It is a very beautiful feeling to take the time to prepare for our day, our trip – nurturing and nourishing.
There are wonderful reflections around us offering ‘little things and tips’ that just might inspire us to be a little more loving and caring towards ourselves. Going back about 20 years I used to watch a girl friend place her clothes out on the bed in a very careful way before she showered. I didn’t understand the purpose of this at the time, it was very different to my approach of opening the wardrobe and dressing straight off the hanger, in fact I thought it was all a bit fussy and time wasting. Time is a wonderful revealer if we allow it space without judgment, because over the past few years I have now developed my own understanding and deep appreciation for this loving moment to honour myself as I dress. We are worth taking a few moments to prepare with care and connection.
Nice on Sandra. I agree. I watched someone clean a house and saw the presence and care that they took over cleaning the dishwashing liquid bottle and it really struck me that moment and now when I clean I remember that and it brings me to clean with much more presence and care.
Cleaning can transform I’ve discovered. More recently I have developed a love for cleaning glass and mirrors. The reflection they offer is amazing, I can see where I’ve been and clean leaving of reflection of light and transparency.
Life is easy when we take these steps to look after ourselves, and in this case there can be no panic or stress when we go away if we prepare and keep our quality of food the same as at home. Even if it’s not bringing preprepared meals, there is no reason to compromise.
This is true Susie. I used to panic when I was hungry and would eat without truly discerning if my choices is loving and supportive. Now, when I am hungry and haven’t prepared my own food when I am out, I don’t feel the need to fill my hunger with junk food anymore because I don’t panic like I used to due to making loving choices instead.
So true, Susie. Taking that care to look after myself, like preparing meals to take with me, initially seemed yet another thing to do and add to the already full day and thereby complicate things. However, having established that rhythm and deepening that care so I find that life increaseingy flows with ease and simplicity.
Very simple and practical tips here Sarah, can feel the care and support inviting me to go a bit deeper with my own preparations in this way. Food we prepare ourselves is hard to beat as we know the ingredients and the quality we prepared it in. That in itself is a massive support when travelling.
It’s amazing how self-care constantly develops. Our body will tell us naturally so what it needs and what it doesn’t. It’s an amazing process that will never stop. I love it! I can clearly feel that the more Love I choose – that is, the more loving choices I make – the less food my body needs. Our vehicle of expression as our 24/7 teacher. How Graceful is this?
I have always preferred my own cooking than any food from a take away place or fast food outlet and what I have also realised is that my cooking is a lot better than most restaurants too and only a fraction of the price.
I find that a lot of restaurants these days use pre made sauces and packaged foods that are highly preserved in salt and sugar and if I do eat them, I am left feeling really thirsty and not so good after.
I work in a large building that has many different restaurants and get to see what is delivered to them. A few of the expensive ones have more fresh food but the others are just heating up processed food from boxes and tubs into single servings. There is one shop that sells a foot long hot dog, that and a coke for £6, their actual cost is £0.43. It, fills the hole of being hungry, but at what cost to the body?
Yes you have to question, it may be saving when you buy the food and it fills you but the expense is what you are doing to your body as it will all add up and being sick isn’t cheap. There really isn’t any good reason to put a hot dog or a coke into your body and it really shouldn’t be classified as ‘food’.
I have worked at a mexican takeaway, which you would think is pretty fresh but all their chicken came pre cooked and packaged as did a lot of sauces etc. Nothing fresh about it.
I’ve always felt the same Rosie, I have often felt rather peeved at paying restaurant prices for food that I can cook better at home.
Working in London it has always amazed me the cost of a simple salad, for the same money you can buy the same ingredients for a salad, for the week and make it yourself.
Yes and then I cook at home and think geez, I should be a chef and teach the chefs in Restaurants how to do it….
It feels so lovely Sarah, how you got the reflection from your friends who showed you a way you could support yourself more easily and you are sharing this with us all to learn to support ourselves more too.
I love the light hearted way you share this learning. I have a long way to go with self care on the good front and find this playfulness a much needed antidote to my resistance.
Oh isn’t it just Vanessa….I so hear you. When I start to get too serious (which I can do often), playfulness is the best antidote ever!
So many wonderful tips in this blog and comments. I am inspired to up my game.
What is interesting to note here is how food is the topic of this blog but how different would it be to the levels of care we take to pack our clothes for the trip and all the various items that support us for the stay away from home.
I travel a lot and the consideration, planning and implementation of both are just as important to support us in our travels .
I travel now with prepared meals, or if I am in the car with a cooler bag and all the raw ingredients needed so that I can cook on my destination. I love it and so does my stomach!
It was quite a step for me to learn that being practical and keeping it easy is not the end of taking care but just a basic start. Honouring what truly supports one´s body and wellbeing can continuously be refined and adjusted so that it suits exactly where I am at and what I need now instead of holding onto what has always worked (somehow).
“It makes the world of difference to me – I feel much steadier, supported and ready for what is needed.” – Taking care of ourself really is worth it – it makes a difference not just to us but to everyone we meet, work and live with as well….
I love this, how beautiful is it to always look for the next level in how we can bring more care to ourselves and others. My latest is wollen socks in winter, they make me feel so much warmer especially when I am working in air conditioning.
this is so great Sarah loved your delicate sharing of soup making and travelling with them. When make things with love and care for ourselves, this is nourishing us before we even take a bite! And yes the food choices that are supplied at conferences and even food places around some areas aren’t as supportive as our home meals, they leave us feeling tired!
Being open to the possibility for change is what allows change to occur.
I love doing exactly the same thing Sarah. Observing how people travel with food and the detail that people go to in their preparations. I follow some ideas and not others. I also really love seeing what people eat and ask how to prepare it, so I get new ideas for cooking and preparation. The interesting thing is that none of this is hard. It is very simple way that we can support our bodies so that they stay alert and even vibrant during days such as conferences.
I love the small details we can go to in taking care of ourselves. These things make a huge difference.
You make a very good point, that these venues from the food, the air ventilation, the lack of natural light and the number of people, they do not support us and can be very draining, so supporting ourselves with food, layers of clothes, and perhaps a walk
It does feel great to look after yourself when travelling I agree Sarah, it’s very easy to drop all bars when it comes to food quality, type, when we’d eat and feel lousy as a result. It’s already hard enough to be staying in places that are not your own home and feel as good as we normally do, so this is great support for that.
I have found eating out often gives me ‘food coma’, it starts with an instant head ache and then feeling really tired, leaving me almost dysfunctional. Now, I am very careful and selective as to what I eat which means nostly I prepare my own meals when I go out. Otherwise if I eat foods for convenience this leaves me feeIing disconnected and awful which is not fun for me or the people around me.
This is so inspiring. I still tend to get by on what I can find in the fridge without first preparing options in advance to support what I need. I kid myself that I’m too busy to provide the time for this, but perhaps there is another way. I will experiment.
Although it seems like a lot of extra effort, there is great benefit in ensuring that we nourish our selves properly, at home and away. When our bodies are properly fed we can apply our selves in full to the day ahead and that alone is excuse enough to lug the contents of our fridge, complete with stick blenders wherever necessary.
One addition to this is something that I also feel is really important. Because of my work hours, I am often having to eat whilst at work. Preparing my food (rather than eating what I can pick up along the way) is a brilliant way to support this, but there is another part of it. How I eat? With my food in tupperwares, or with work going on all around me, it is all to easy to just wolf it down without true presence and care. Thus I am now learning to stop, take the time to plate it up and step out of the work environment for ten minutes to really be with myself whilst I eat. This is just as important as the quality of the foods itself.
This is great Otto. I too am looking at how I eat. I can rush my food and end up with indigestion because its hardly been chewed. I’m taking a leaf out of my dads book, because he always takes his time when eating. Last night I finished my dinner after him which is no mean feat for me : )
I love that you have your Dad to inspire you. Me; I have my daughter. The way she eats is an absolute masterclass in presence, space and self care. It’s also extremely cute, as she will work through whatever is on her plate in reverse order of favourite tastes – leaving the best till last. It’s divine. As to food preparation and table laying – I have my son to observe – another master. Such a blessing to surrounded by such teachers.
A great point Otto. When we eat our meals, and if having spent the time to lovingly prepare them, we can support ourselves to really connect and stay present. I often find that when I eat I check out and so your comment here has really reminded me to not just put the 50% of commitment into the food I prepare but take it to the 100% and commit to the quality which I eat it in.
100% not just 50%. Great point and one that we can take to everything.
This is a great point Otto – do we eat when we are away from home in the same way as we eat at home? I know I often put care and attention to how I am eating and how I prepare food in my own home and it is great to consider doing the same when away from home rather than slipping into other habits of eating and preparing food.
Being prepared in this way takes so much pressure off having to find something that we can eat that will really support the body rather than compromise it. A bit of forward planning can make such a vast difference.
Preparing my food for the day is a simple but very powerful way of saying; I matter and everything I do today matters.
So true Otto, and every time we do that we leave a ‘marker’ in our bodies which cannot be undone. Even if the next day you act like you don’t matter, you do, and it has been felt in the body.
I could so easily eat from local supermarket salads etc. at work but the details are missed. In saying I matter and giving myself space to be, by preparing lunch, is so supportive- a marker that, even if lunchtimes are eaten up by what’s deemed more pressing,that marker never gets erased.
This leads me to consider other markers I can lovingly put in my day that don’t get removed, like how I prepare for my day,how I dress etc.
Thank you Sarah. Reading your lovely blog I had a moment of appreciation for my own pre-travel self care planning which is miles from the chaos I used to live. There is a joy in planning ahead whether it is food, the details of the travel arrangements, or what we choose to take with us as we can feel the loving support that will be there throughout our time away from home.
The love is in the detail… taking care of ourselves means taking care of every little detail to support us in our daily life whether we are at home or away from home.
I love preparing and being organised with my food when I am traveling because this feels truly loving for my body. Even when I am flying, I normally prepare two medium size tubs of food. One to eat for breakfast when I am at the airport (on an early flight) and the other for a little bite of lunch when I arrive at my destination, because most times there is a car drive for an hour after landing. This avoids any stress around food when I am travelling.
It is true that eating on the road so to speak when we are travelling somewhere can be difficult and unsupportive as the choice I find is very limited in terms of eating healthy food. I have also started taking meals cooked at home with me when I travel if I can because I started noticing how my body felt when I ate whatever I could find when travelling rather than what really supports me.
I remember well many years ago a presentation by Serge Benhayon on ‘preparation’, that set me on my way to planning ahead in a way that supports me when working, traveling or on days out. Now it’s second nature to do so: cook and freeze or take salads with me. And even though food is included, I still bring my own and buy foods that best support me.
Sarah, I love this level of self care that you now have when you travel, this is very beautiful and sounds like it makes a huge difference to how you feel. I often take food for my family when we travel such as made up salads, ring pull tins of tuna and homemade crackers so that when we are hungry we can have something nourishing, but these only last one meal, I had not considered travelling with frozen foods and a blender, I love this extra level of self care and would like to experiment with this, thank you.
Putting time into caring for ourselves by preparing food for the week ahead or to take on a journey when we have the space to do so at home is so lovely as when we come to eat it is like a gift that reminds us that we are worth caring for.
I find that having a supportive rhythm that I can ‘take with me’ when I go away is crucial to maintaining the vitality I have when at home. Wherever possible this is based on food, sleep and self-expression. And taking a moment to stop and connect with my breath when I feel the need.
It makes such a difference taking prepared meals when we feel we need something. Otherwise I find I end up snacking or eating something my body really doesnt want but say its better than this or that but still not truly loving and supportive. The difference as you say is huge when we eat what our body needs rather than whatever we can find out of convenience.
I have always stayed in apartments when I go away making sure there are cooking facilities so that I can eat food that I know will support me. This Friday I will be staying in a Hotel and I have made sure they can cater for us. I know we will have to be more aware of what we eat without being too precious. Usually some riddled fish and vegetables or salad works really well.
The bodies energy levels do seem to drop depending on what foods we eat, and nothing supports us better than taking your own food.
If we do not adequately prepare for the journey ahead right down to the smallest detail, we are in effect saying that we cannot be bothered to afford ourselves the true care we deserve and thus we open ourselves right up to an ill energy that seeks to enter (eg. eating poor quality food because it is all that is available) when we do not hold true to who we are. Truly caring for ourselves seals the cracks through which such a force would otherwise enter because it is our lack of care, our disregard, that is the ‘yes’ for this pollution.
The ill energy being in this case the bludgeoning that we feel when eating foods that do not support our vitality and clarity and thus as mentioned here, leaves us feeling in a vastly reduced state (the ‘food coma’), unable to bring the fullness of who we are into the situation we are in. I am sure we can all relate to this and it is a work in progress for a lot of us and as we are all learning, it is not about food at all, but about our awareness and how much we let ourselves shine our light divine or how much we choose to dull it down.
I have to admit I spend a lot of time on the road between jobs and I have found it is better not to eat at all than to eat food that is obviously not going to sit right, but this blog reminds me that with a little more effort and forward planning we can give the old body exactly what it needs.
When we take our home prepared food with us we take the energy of our routine and rhythm with us in every mouthful.
Of course we do Mary, never thought about it like that. How gorgeous is that!
I wonder how much, if we really and truly paid attention, our bodies are calling for us to take such care – in the quality of what we eat, the amount, the time, the preparation… all of it. Dare we actually acknowledge how monumental a difference this can make not only to our own personal well-being, clarity and vitality, but also to the quality of interaction we then bring to others…?
So much ‘food for thought’ (and deep pondering) here – sorry… could help use the phrase!
Hi Victoria, I am only starting to truly realise how much it is all connected. I never thought about the way I eat, and the way I feel afterwards, actually has an impact on the world around me. It is fascinating science to delve into – much food for thought! 🙂
This is awesome Sarah – both in your attention to the detail of what truly honours you, and the absolute Joy in the undertaking. As it should be – brilliant!
Sarah I too love to be prepared with my own food when I am traveling. It is one of the greatest joy to eat it and to allow my body to make this little dance – it seems that our bodies love to dance after having delicious food . . . and sometimes people are watching me eating – perhaps they got inspired to prepare their own food too.
Actually it is very normal that you take the food with you that nourish you best, especially in the nowadays fast food culture, where there is no true care to what is being served other than that it must look and taste nice but not about nourishing and truly supporting the body.
There is an absolute joy in your article –– I love what you have shared with us all, Sarah, and feel inspired to take more care with my own food preparation in future.
I find it so supportive to take some time on the weekend to prepare my weekly meals and also I enjoy cutting up my vegetables and placing them in containers for the week too. Opening the fridge is a joy because I can see the love, support and care I have taken to nourish my body and to also allow for more space during the week to rest because the food is already prepared and ready to go, particularly when I work late.
I really enjoyed reading about your growing awareness and willingness to develop self caring ways, and as a result the progression, deepening your relationship with yourself. Any choice that allows you to feel steady and supported in life, ready for whatever is needed, is well worth the effort.
When I lived on my own I would often cook enough for four meals and freeze three of them ready for work lunch breaks or, as you say, travel. When it comes to long haul flights, up until this year I have always managed to get airplane food that suited my dietary requirements, but this year it was not possible so I prepared some fish and vegetables that I could eat on the way and was able to supplement the foods I was served with nourishing food I’d prepared myself. I was amazed at the difference in how I felt.
A very beautiful blog to read Sarah; I am inspired by your level of self care and your trips for travelling .Thank you for so honestly sharing your experiences and your wisdom.
A great way to avoid the “graveyard shift” feeling after eating a heavy lunch, when we prepare our own food and consider eating to stay feeling light it makes for a much more enjoyable day. Always better when these decisions are in our own hands. The treat of someone else catering isn’t such a treat if it makes us feel heavy or bloated.
Gorgeous Sarah, feeling prepared is one of the best feelings isn’t it, and appreciating that we are prepared is settling and steadying as well as nourishing…no wonder our body does a little (internal) dance : )
It really is as simple as honouring ourselves and preparing ahead of time which doesnt have to be a big deal – making a bigger quantity, or freezing half of what you make, creates many extra meals.
There are so many ideals and beliefs around food, but when we honour what our bodies tell us about the food we eat, there is no denying what food is true for us and what is not. We don’t need to have a million varieties of food in our diet – food is simply there to nourish us, not to satisfy our minds and what we think we ‘should’ or ‘have to’ eat – at the expense of our bodies. Our minds become so attached to certain foods whereas our bodies are constantly letting us know what food they require at any given time – or that we don’t need food at that time!
Awesome Sarah… it is often all the thinking and procrastinating that we do that creates the complexity and makes something too ‘hard’, whereas when we simply do what we feel there is a flow and harmony that takes no time, and in fact totally supports us.
Recently I’ve noticed that I haven’t made food preparation a priority which has meant I’ve ‘had’ to eat out more often. The food I chose always tasted great but left me feeling flat. In the past week I’ve started to make myself some very yummy and nourishing lunches and these have made a big difference to my day.
It’s great to watch that Leonne isn’t it? I did the same as I wanted to eat out and took myself to dinner, I loved the date like aspect of taking myself out to dinner, but the food left me feeling flat for sure.
Great blog Sarah, taking prepared meals with you when you go away is the most nourishing thing you can do for your body. When I travel on a plane I take my own cup, tea and sometimes my own tea pot… – having a cup of tea using your own cup is very lovely (it raises a few eyebrows from the flight crew but they think its a great idea) and, eating your own prepared food on the plane when you want it rather than having it at the pre fixed time.
Yes Sarah, it can seem odd at first that people go to this extent. Some aquiantances take this personally, as if you’re saying the food they could offer you is not good enough. But this is not it at all, but that it’s the energy of taking time to consider our body and ourselves, of setting aside something with care, that has a much more substantial effect than any nutrients we eat. For the truth is much greater than the things we do it’s the quality we choose that truly nurtures me and you.
I make quite a lot of soups and used to use a very good, but heavy glass blender and then I discovered the stick blender and my life changed for ever. I love the ease with which I can quickly turn my melange of yummy ingredients into a silky smooth soup, without having to take it out of the saucepan! I am appreciating all the small things I can change in the way I cook that truly supports my body to cook with gentleness and not have to push to get out heavy cumbersome equipment.
Very cool Sarah! This is the only way to travel. I had been always been this way myself as a young mother with four children when traveling as we always had particular dietary requirements and it was never worth exposing them to the high salt and sugar content of take away food at any time but especially when traveling long distances in a car! But when it was about taking care of my needs I would simply go without and that is not a self loving thing to do. Now as an elder woman I am at last much more loving with myself and I feel into what maybe suitable and prepare it in advance.
People always comment on my food at work and marvel at how delicious it looks, because it is. However, the secret ingredient is LOVE – not only the time devoted to preparing a nurturing meal, but the quality it’s prepared in – all this is energetically felt by others, whether they are aware of it or not.
Absolutely wonderful practical article Sarah. I am inspired greatly. I haven’t done much travelling lately, only down to Sydney to see my daughter and granddaughter in a situation where beautiful nourishing food is there for me. So I will remember all that you have shared here in case I get to go on a longer trip where there is a food desert or indeed abundant food dessert!
I love this Sarah, and in fact it’s not as much work as we often think to prepare and it’s so gorgeous to feel the care we take with ourselves and the rewards we reap from doing so. Often it’s just a matter of allowing ourselves to take that level of care, and getting over older engrained habits where we make do and settle rather than feeling what is truly needed and supportive.
Long ago there was a young family who believed there was no choice but to travel for hours to visit relatives on Christmas day – after all, that was tradition wasn’t it. It was expected, it was their duty indeed not only to visit many family members within a 5 hour time frame, but to sit and eat the copious meal prepared for breakfast including hot buttered pancakes, toast, and an enormous fare of heavy duty food to get you through to lunch time where it was deemed that the competition would waver in comparison – there but to eat full cold-weather food of a selection of roast potatoes and other vegetables, huge cuts of pork, beef etc. not forgetting the Christmas pudding with money coins in it, all served up with custard and lashings of thick country cream. Barely able to move and feeling bloated and tired the return journey would be one of discomfort and extreme weariness. One has to ask where was the joy in that believed expression of love. Thank God and Serge Benhayon for showing us it doesn’t have to be like this – we do have a choice – and if we lovingly choose to take our own food, marinated spatchcock lamb, or carry a stick blender surely an opportunity to reflect on the new found self-loving choice of self awareness and care. My we have traveled far – and much appreciation is ours.
A famous architect once said ‘God is in the details’. God seems certainly in the details you describe Sarah.
What I have found to be very supportive when I choose foods that take me away from being with me, is to not then go into negative thought patterns about it, which in effect equally take me away from me. Refining what I eat is a gentle ongoing process and not one that I am going to ‘get right over night’.
The support or lack of that we can get from food is colossal, as you have so rightly documented Sarah. Food can either help us to remain who we are or it can wipe us our completely. Getting to examine and then refine our food and drink choices is a gradual and never ending process but one that supports us beyond measure.
I am with you on this one Sarah. My husband and I never travel without something homemade, a salad, lamb patties or fish cakes, always something nourishing to eat in the midst a world of body dulling carbs. A stick blender is definitely the next item on the travelling agenda, superb idea especially when booking the self catering holiday accommodation. Thanks for the inspiration!
I have used travelling and being away from home as an excuse to compromise in the way I take care of myself. Sure, it will look different depending on where I might be and all that, but the love that is being afforded (or not) is always felt by the body.
When we listen to what the body is asking for and say no to the temptations to all the delicious foods that are out there that are not so supportive and at times destructive to the body, our bodies absolutely are doing a dance of joy. Then we give the body an opportunity to have the space to communicate on other levels we didn’t even realise existed because we had shut them down by dulling the body.
Beautiful Natalie, how many people feel ‘a dance of joy’ in their bodies and are aware food choices can open or close communication on other levels. Very few I feel.
Its great what you share Sarah, it just take time to plan with self care in mind. No matter if its a small road trip or a flight trip. We know whats supportive for our body, so its best to prepare our own meals so we know what we are getting, than leaving it up to someone else.
I haven’t always prepared my food when I travel but have been doing so for the last few years and it makes such a difference and often the people at the conference or anywhere I have gone to have food envy because mine looks so good compared to what is on offer. It is so good to take care of what you put into your body. You don’t want to put diesel in a petrol car and the same goes for our bodies. Put the right fuel in and get the vitality and vibrancy rather than the food coma and sluggishness.
For sometime now I have prepared food for my daughter and myself when we travel especially when flying and other people often comment how good our food looks, it’s not surprising when so much of what is on offer is lacking in nutrition or any inspiration especially onboard the flights
Gorgeous to read through the comments and see how others are taking care of themselves too. I see a rise in apartment bookings in the future as the self-care rises!
Yes Sarah I find myself these days booking self catering always when I travel so I have the option to cook or reheat the food I want or have brought with me, rather than rely on what is around – it makes a big difference to my trip and how I feel when I return and often means I can hit the ground running when I get back rather than in the past when I would have needed some recovery days or weeks!
What a great article to read and experience. It wasn’t at this stage about the topic but more about the way it was written. The read was very real and funny and I found myself smiling the whole way through. It was almost like I was actually right there with the author as she made her travels. I love reading things like this they seem to freshen you up no matter what time of day it is and I’m still smiling.
Conferences and travel are the perfect time to keep any self-caring choices going, as often the environment is poorly lit, crowded and the food very carby. It was lovely reading this blog as I do a lot of the things you have talked about but not done them with so much appreciation. Thanks for the reminder that this level of care isn’t normal or to be taken for granted.
Yes, your body knows exactly what it is getting and you don’t have the afternoon blues or the late morning heaviness or the getting-out-of-bed lethargy.
Fiona, I just made a comment exactly about it before reading your comment – APPRECIATION! Super inspiring for me as well as it has been my normal to prepare my own food for such a long time!
For a number of years now I have packed my own meal for work and felt so much brighter and alert and supported to continue working rather than falling asleep. However in starting a new job I had dropped this and relied on staff food. I found my mood changed, energy levels dipped and I was eating more than I would if it where my own food. Returning to my home cooked meals felt amazing! As if it’s the best meal I ever tasted. Having that dip has made me appreciate the care I bring to preparing for work much more now.
Great that you have returned to your good habit of preparing your own food for lunch Leigh. As it is not only good for you but that what you reflect to you colleagues by doing such, deeply taking care for yourself by bringing your home made lunch, you are an inspiration for them for the possibility to take better care for themselves too.
That’s super cool Leigh that yoh are now appreciating the care and dedication that you apply to preparing your own food – we so often take for granted the things we do, especially when they feel ao natural ans normal for us.
It’s true because when we let it slide and re-introduce it it’s like ‘where have you been!?’ But now I am learning that appreciation keeps it consistent because when I don’t it drops.
I can so relate to this- in particular when you make choices to not support yourself and just eat whatever is there- the draining and lethargy that I feel after lunch is intense and at times a little embarrassing as I struggle to stay awake.
I used to travel for work as well and also chose to prepare and pack what was necessary and supportive. When eating foods that don’t agree the body doesn’t have the opportunity to do the lovely little dance you mention.
I find that as I have dietary requests that it is much easier where possible to travel with my own food or to get some provisions from the supermarket. Its a way of taking care of myself and ensuring that I support my body and energy levels as much as I can as often as you pointed out there are either limited choices or food mix ups that lead to you having to make do or eat things that don’t really work for your body. Thankfully though if you are resourceful and planned ahead you can provide yourself with whats needed – you just have to be willing to think outside the box.
Even though our tastebuds might like the sweets and other snacks but I agree definitely my body loves at home prepared food, it really is supportive, especially in intense environments like my work or a conference. Eating the wrong foods there can really knock you out so to speak.
Breaking the patterns and exposing the limiting pictures of what one considers to be ‘caring’, how much effort is reasonable, what seems to be too much etc is as much beneficial as the resulting changed behaviour.
Patterns around food can be huge Alex – it is a great point to raise and bring up. I find there can be so many ideals and beliefs saying I should eat this or that, or not eat this or that if I do not stya with what I am feeling from my body it can get overwhelming. I have started asked myself what will truly nourish and support my body and then I know pretty much exactly what to eat.
I love your blog Sarah – I am also travelling with food when I go to places, although I have not managed to make it for more than a couple of days. I have not taken a stick blender yet but a kettle for hot drinks, the stick blender is now on the list 😉
I fly to the UK twice a year. I never eat the plane food, I pack a couple of meals in plastic containers and put these in a small lunch box. When I get on each flight I ask the attendant to refrigerate my lunch box, which they do willingly. They warm the food up when I am ready to eat and I get to enjoy my home cooked meal. This supports me on these long flights and is one of the reasons why I land feeling ready for the day ahead with out any jet lag.
That’s a lovely tip about using the fridge and asking the attendants to heat the food when you are ready to eat it. I always take a plastic container of food, which I really enjoy as it feels so supportive but I’ve never thought to ask if I could get it heated.
Fiona, there are some thermal containers as well (the ones we usually use for soups) that keep the food warm for hours.
This is great what you share, how your own meals support you through your long journey and you are still fresh and ready to start your day head. Preparing and planning for your journey is the greatest support one can do.
That feels truly loving and supportive Mary-Louise. I too always take food on the plane with me, but have not thought to ask them pop it in the fridge for me or to heat it up. Great idea.
Love it! Great tip – thank you!
This is great to know Mary-Louise… I didnt know this was possible to get the attendants to refrigerate and microwave our food – its fabulous – thanks for the tip.
The best thing about preparing your own food is you know exactly what goes into it including the energy it was prepared in.
Spot on Kev.
A great example if not the perfect one on what it means to build self-care.
I love making full use of my freezer, pre-prepared food from my freezer has come in handy so many times.
Last year, when I was travelling to Italy, I was wondering how I could transport some lamb with me that would stay fresh. Not that I wouldn’t be able to buy lamb but I knew it would be very expensive and hard to come by. Off I went to my local butcher to explain my dilemma, I needed something that could be cooked on a BBQ as it was going to be hot and I would be staying on a smallish boat so we wouldn’t want to heat it up by using the stove. The butcher suggested I bought some prepacked lamb but I wanted it to be marinated so he suggested a spatchcock of lamb and offered to marinate it for me if I gave him my own herbs. So I brought him a pot with my lovingly prepared marinade to cover over the lamb before he prepared it and popped it in vacuumed packet. It felt so lovely to bring my parents a lovingly prepared meal that we could all share and for me to have taken the care to support myself with the food I knew my body would appreciate. I’m going to do the same this year as it was so simple to do and delicious and lovely to have it cooked on the BBQ outside on the back of the boat.
I can’t quite imagine ever being this organised! But it sure sounds super caring and loving so will keep open and look at where I can practically bring more love and care into travelling.
For some years now my wife and I take our own food with us when we travel. It is just part of the preparation for travel and is so supportive.
Love the description of the ‘food coma’ – familiar to most of us I am sure. I am amazed at the difference it makes when we take care over what we eat and how we prepare food. This is something well worth exploring in my experience.
I’ve experienced this also Jane, we love options, and when a workplace only has one option that may be sweets and take-away, seeing someone prepare and bring their own healthy meals then this gets noticed. I have observed people I work with, after seeing what I prepare for myself, go from buying canteen food for 10+ years everyday to preparing their own homemade nutritious lunches everyday.
It does make a world of difference Sarah, it stops any outside influences, especially when we are tired after a big day to pull us out of the caring way we usually look after ourselves. It’s interesting what we can go for to eat when we are away or a little off or tired after a big day of taking a lot in. I make up all my meals for the week on a Sunday which nurtures and supports my body to no end. I really feel it if I drop my routine of making meals on the weekend and need to buy lunch, what I go for when I’m hungry or have been busy is very different to if I was choosing a meal I had prepared earlier.
Interesting how the food offered at conferences and other events tend to be foods that do not support the body at all. And even if they are “healthy” they are not generally prepared with Love and care of who is going to eat it. It makes me wonder whether the way we use food in general is to avoid ourselves and others in the process and not to truly nourish and nurture our bodies.
The extra attention to the detail of how we care for ourself really is worthwhile. It’s great getting inspiration from others, where we might realise there’s things we can be doing that we’d not even considered before.
Thanks for sharing Sarah – I seem to be doing more and more travelling, and my husband and I were talking about this very topic the other day – how we know that eating out does not support the work we are doing. And so we have started to consider staying in serviced apartments so we can cook rather than eat out and look for ways to bring our food with us. It is brilliant to see the difference this makes and to actually set ourselves up in advance to support our bodies.
I find planning and lovingly preparing what I would like to eat makes a world of difference, and this is especially significant when I know I will be having a challenging day and the type of food available is unlikely to suit what my body will actually want to eat. Recently I had a few days at hospital where the food was not quite up to the standard I would want, and friends supported me by preparing and bringing in what I needed.
Thankfully for me there is a very good Health store 5 minutes walk from the hotel we all stay in to attend the Annual sales meeting. One year I went to the store bought all my food ready for the next few days, after the first day I left everything in the fridge at the office assured no one would eat my food. The next day it was all gone! But whoever got to eat my meals would have felt the love and care in which they were prepared and that was enough for me. Back out to the store that night for more supplies.
I love how you can feel in your body Sarah, how your body loved the extra care and attention with the little dance feeling you get inside. The body just adores being nurtured.
You raise a great point here, where we actually put ourselves in a place where we have the excuse to eat food that is not true for you – I don’t prepare so I can eat what I want when I am away, I can choose restaurants that are a half way arrangement – the food is something I want to indulge in but without being completely out of my diet – so where I would normally not eat something at home, I eat it when I am out because I can. This is very sneaky and shows up the level to which we are really willing to care.
We are forever supported and offered inspiration by others and the world around us.
It feels very supportive when we look after ourselves in that way and are not dependent on the things that go under the label of ‘food’ in a lot of places – sticky concoctions drowned in cheese and cream, loaded with carbs, salt and glucose and heavy as a ton of bricks.
We learn so much from each other when we are open to receiving.
Yes, yes, yes, Sarah! It is so joyfully loving to be prepared for work or travelling with sumptuous meals. I often find the people I am with are curious and sometimes a bit envious of my delicious packed lunch, which has so obviously been made with great care.
Ditto Janet the more love and care I take with myself and my food the greater the inspiration for others, even the food choices show a level of care that is “not normal” in a world of KFC and McDonalds.
I used to travel for work and loved taking my little cooker with me, so I could prepare the meals that really supported me.
I’ve never heard of a portable cooker, I’m going to have to google this now.
Funnily enough the more I take care of myself the less I find I seem to need to eat so that also makes it all very simple!
It really does become much simpler when our lives do not revolve around food.
I know have found that as well – a very cool benefit!
I find it very supportive to have my own lovingly cooked food when at conferences and travelling. In relation to the pre packed meals, it is really simple when cooking to make extra and freeze it for when needed. I find that much easier to travel with than something liquid. If I am going on a long journey then the frozen food (very well wrapped in plastic bags) gradually defrosts keeping its cool when travelling and is just perfect to eat when needed.
That is a great idea – putting it frozen into containers to let it defrost slowly , another new thing learnt thank you Nicola.
I am constantly learning that the only obstacle to caring for myself in a full and loving way is my own self limiting thoughts. The moment that I open up and say there must be a way to be able to care for myself in this situation, immediately there is the guidance in how to do so.
Excellent point Leigh and I can relate to that too. Once I was working on a place where there was no microwave and what was a ‘concern’ at some point was easily overcome by some thermal containers! I find that too, once we commit to care for self, we get inspired – many of my favourite recipes came from moments like this.
I love this Sarah. It makes me appreciate the choices I’ve made over the years around self-care. Until now I didn’t really appreciate all the choices I’ve made over the last 15 years. I love the celebration and honour of yourself in the way you’re writing. Very inspiring and light-hearted. Thank you dearly.
I have discovered too that the meals I bring with me when travelling are the most supportive for me. When I stay with my mum i always take a lot of pre-prepared food and do most of the cooking. I find that most people love the meals I cook and i get to feel well nourished and supported as well.
Love it! I would love to know what you put in your smoothie?
Hi Vicky, it was green smoothies at the time…1/2 green apple, 1/2 – 1 avo, bunch of greens – baby spinach, kale, what ever you like, cucumber, herbs – parsley and coridander were my two, water, chia seeds, tumeric, pepper, chilli and then blend blend blend!
Thank you Sarah – I look forwards to experimenting with this recipe!
Sarah, I love this blog – it has brought laughter and joy on reading about your inner dance as you appreciate and celebrate your new travelling companions – frozen food and a stick blender!
Me too – totally love it – such a celebration of learning and trying out something that fully supports us , awesome!
I find this blog really reflective of a commitment to self care and nurturing and I did so enjoy reading it. Suffice to say, I have never taken a stick blender away with me before – but I can see the loving benefits of this. Wow!!
Blogs that are practical are so supportive in showing us the tangibly realistic steps to self care and support ourselves. Very neeeded in today’s world.
Agree Johanna and I also enjoyed reading some comments with ofher practical tips and experiences.
Yes Roberta, I was quite surprised as well. I love the inspiration you can get when you open your eyes to the magic that is around you.
Very cool Sarah – how awesome to be going to new levels of self-care! It certainly sounds like you are really enjoying yourself and really appreciating yourself too. A beautiful reminder to take care of the details which then feed you back (pun not really intended)!
Yes super cool.
Hi Sarah. Nothing beats a nourishing home cooked meal – I can see why you wouldn’t want to give this up when you travel.
Another great point you mentioned in your sharing Sarah is how the food provided at courses and conferences mostly come packed with sugar and caffeine which I can say for me, they do not support me to be present and attentive to the presentation. What I am noticing with myself as well is that, even the home food I take on these occasions need to be adjusted as well. In my experience on a course this past week for example, I had to adjust the amount of food as I noticed I felt a bit sleepy after lunch!
I love what you are sharing here Priscilla as I find that carbohydrates, sugar and caffeine all make me tired which was quite a revelation to feel that coffee actually did the opposite of what we are led to believe. In the past I needed the stimulation to get me through the day because I was exhausted but the more I address the exhaustion with self care, early nights and the way I am with myself and others during the day the less I need foods or drinks that stimulate me.
Love it Sarah! I too have been taking my own food on airplanes, courses and conferences. This past week I was on a very long course which included also practical physical practice. I took home cooked food with me. Just yesterday I noticed how strong I was throughout the course and how supportive the food preparation was. Even one of the organisers of the course mentioned to me how ‘fresh’ I looked after a full intense day of activities.
What a lovely confirmation, Priscila.
There’s nothing like truly, absolutely dedicating yourself to self-care and the joy that comes from being organised to support yourself. It’s every inch as detailed and delicious as you have outlined here Sarah – thank you for sharing.
You are welcome Victoria! x
This is is great Sarah, especially the honesty that sometimes we avoid going to a level of self care with our food because we actually want to eat food that doesn’t support us.
And when I do that at times, my body lets me know pretty quick that I have not been with me truly when I have chosen to eat something that is not supporting me on all levels…
Yes it is great to be aware of that Leonne and to get really honest about it.
There is a lot to prepare when travelling, that it can be easy to over look what we are going to eat and end up eating things we would not normally eat. I find it inspiring that you take so much care and prepare your food before hand. I have found that if it is not possible to take my own food, if I search for a restaurant before hand and then talk to the chef they can usually cater for me if I keep it simple like some fish and a few vegetables or salad.
It’s also amazing how many possible avenues there are when we think about it and want to prepare for ourselves. Packing food is no different really to packing supportive clothes. One nourishes the body from the outside and the other nourishes the body from the inside.
Thank you Sarah, I am loving what you have shared especially the tips. The change in my diet has been incredibly loving and my body is loving it but like you I am still working out my diet while travelling as purchased food does not support people who choose a loving diet free from processed foods, sugar, gluten and saturated dairy. The moment we have the experience of light and clear food and the celebration and appreciation from our body we know there is no going back. The diet many choose to eat through fast food and anything quick and processed serves a purpose of weighing down, blocking and slowing a person’s ability to feel vital and loving – it does bring up the question about what is abusive and is it self abusive to accept and eat the foods that harm us?
Lovely story Sarah, my family had a similar experience recently where two of the group went to the trouble of bringing a picnic to eat, we all thought it was too much trouble but when it came to it, it was actually magical to feel the care and love in doing that. How we can prepare and eat beautiful meals wherever we are, and need never be at the whim of catering that doesn’t always suit your needs.
And making these choices leaves us not at the mercy of what is out there in the place we are at. Very supportive for self and others also from the respect that the body does not get tainted and remains clear so we can be in the fullness of ourselves and enjoy the relationship quality that that brings.
I have found choices like these do make such a difference – my body feels lighter and I feel clearer and more energised. For taking care in our preparation we are always richly rewarded.
We are so much rewarded Jane, so I get curious on the days that I don’t choose that and ask myself – lovingly – why? What is going on for me that day that I choose foods that make me feel dull. A loving work in progress.
Taking the time to prepare for going away makes a real difference to how we feel when we are there.. every detail of care that we take is like a message back to ourselves that says I’ve got your back, and you’re worth this level of care and detail.
And this is also so inspiring to others. I find people often enquire or become interested in what I am eating – conversation starters.
Absolutely Johanna. I often share food recipes with my work colleagues and learn some recipes from them too.
Hi Sarah, I know that little dance your body does in celebration of you nourishing it – mine does it too! It also smiles from the inside a thank you of appreciation.
And no food comes close to this feeling. Yet I notice when this feeling drops perhaps through me not staying with the present of my movements or not reading and being aware of all that has happened around me or not confirming and honouring my beauty and feelings then after a challenging day or big day at work or home then the foods I crave are from a pick me up and to relieve the tension or tiredness but not from a place of truly nourishing my body. It is in these moments when it is important to be honest and still know there is a choice to come back and support myself that makes all the difference. Sometimes this choice is easier than other times but every choice provides a learning that my body shared with me.
What a beautiful example of the power of self-care and how what you have shared is actually really easy, all you need to do is plan. I too travel with frozen meals and sometimes with a blender and even though it might sound like hard work to some it is a loving consideration that I bring to my life that pays off in many ways.
I love what you share here Sarah, it is the daily practicalities that we so often dismiss or deem as too complicated that make our day and truly support us, and are in the end very simple and easy to apply and, as you share, a lot of fun.
I can relate to how different the body feels when it has eaten food prepared by someone outside of the family, and even if it is something I would usually eat, it still does not agree with me. This was also the case when I was younger and would refuse to eat anyone else’s cooking except for that of my parents.
Thank you Sarah, what is shared here is so valuable for many reasons but the main one I can see today is how it breaks down the belief that we should just eat what is given or is available to us at the time. This way pays no attention to our own body’s needs. It actually asks us to disconnect and disregard what we feel is the most supportive for us. And what supports us in different situations can vary so there is no fixed way. However it is a standard that many catered for events present lots of carbs so bread/pastry options, cakes and caffeine based drinks. Yes these are easy but is it partly also because these foods are demanded as maybe it is the only way the attendees think they get through these events? I know many, many years ago when I attended work events/courses I looked forward to these kind of lunches. It made the day ‘worthwhile’ and how I felt during and at the end ie. tired, drained, fuzzy headed etc. was put down to being inside all day and because ‘I was on a course!’ Now when I attend work courses I approach them in the same way I would any other day and prepare for my food in way you describe here. It makes a big difference to how my body feels throughout and at the end of the day.
Sarah I love what you share here as this is something myself and my partner have been going through, in fact we’ve recently cancelled all our hotel bookings and changed them for apartment hotels so we have a full kitchen where we can prepare meals each day for the day ahead. As we travel 3-4 months of the year this is going to be deeply supportive for our bodies as it allows us to prepare nourishing meals that support out bodies.
Yes this is what I do too – apartments or somewhere where I can cater for myself too, as this is so much more supportive for my body and all that comes with it.
Being inspired by others is awesome to be open to, we have reflections everyday from everyone we encounter, do we feel inspired, do we learn something or do we walk away ignoring what is there, or going into a comparison. Being open to see how others live and what works, supports us to return to a more caring and harmonious way of living.
Yes Samantha, I love the inspiration that others can offer us.
I also often have to work late – as I am currently. So the weekends will always involve a big cook up (or often I just cook more than the family will eat) and then it’s curry time!! Then bagging it up for the week ahead. A frozen curry is perfect because it will keep frozen for the journey to work, then I pop it in the fridge for the day, along with a couple of lettuces. This means that I can eat a light meal at my preferred time of 5 or 6 o’clock rather than when I get home from work as late as 9 or 10pm. Simple. Fun. Very supportive.
Good old curry – many left overs get loved a second time around in our house, thanks to the curry. They, along with pasta dishes and soups, offer such a brilliant platform for ensuring that nothing goes to waste.
I remember well, feeling I was at the mercy of food retailers and restaurants when travelling or working. What a revelation to find I could take control and walk with my own home prepared lunch boxes. It made a huge difference to how I felt and took away the anxiety of finding food I could eat. There’s freedom in no longer expecting venues to provide me with a special plate of food reflecting my dietary preferences. I either walk with my own and or carry a bottle of water – as my body changes, I now eat less during the day.
Aah yes I love preparing my weekly lunches and portioning my meals and snacks accordingly to how I feel. I always carry my trusty water bottle and have food and or snacks prepared when I am travelling anywhere, so i know my body will be supported and nourished every step of the way. A great blog thank you Sarah.
Love this blog. I too have become a mini-master at travelling with food. I spend a lot of time on long haul flights, in hotels and the like and absolutely love bringing my food with me, pre-cooked and prepared and along the way have become a deep connoisseur of tupperware, wooden cutlery and freezer bags!
Check. I love checking out new ways to store/eat/freeze/organise!
I too love taking my own frozen soup when I go away, its very supportive to the body and I make sure I have enough for every morning I am there. Then on the last day, cook up the night before enough for lunch and/or a meal on the way home. So much nicer than bought food and made with love and care.
This is true self care where we take responsibility for our bodies and what we consume 24/7, rather than leave it to chance. As you’ve discovered Sarah it’s an adventure finding new ways to nourish and support ourselves.
An inspiring post Sarah. I’ve been away from home for a few nights recently and when eating out recognise the ‘excuse to eat food that I know is not good for me.’ And of course my body displays the results big time. The nice taste in the mouth for all of a few seconds is not worth the result in my body.
No it’s not Sue, but a lesson I keep having to learn apparently 🙂
Sarah, this is so inspiring. Being pro-active and prepared makes all the difference. I love the care that you are now taking, and how your body does a little dance!