Joyful Eating

We’ve all been told that whole grains are the gold standard of healthy eating, right? Well, today I want to challenge that conventional wisdom, especially if you’re navigating midlife like me. Before you close this tab thinking I’ve lost the plot, hear me out. The more I’ve been diving into gut health research, the more I’m questioning whether those “healthy whole grains” are actually doing us any favors – particularly when we hit our forties, fifties, and beyond. Want to eat better so you feel better in your body, brain and gut? I’d love you to join us in Joyful Cooking for Natural Vitality. It’s my six-month coaching program that walks you through my easy, proven process. You’ll learn to cook without recipes while building good food habits and reprogramming bad habits —supporting you to be the healthiest you can be in your body, brain, and gut. Through gentle repetition over six spacious months, these habits become second nature as you naturally look and feel great for your age Learn more here.

A few months ago, went on a blind date… I interviewed Dr. Betsy Greenleaf, a specialist in helping people navigate menopause with vitality. She said something that completely stopped me in my tracks: when you get your gut health right, your body handles hormonal changes so much better. That lightbulb moment came at the perfect time. I’d been experiencing some constipation. So I decided to go all-in on improving my gut health. The results? Mind-blowing. In just a few months, I’ve noticed huge improvements in my mental health – my mind feels calmer and clearer, my hormonal anxiety has decreased, and I just feel… better. Like, “I want more of this” better. Want to eat better so you feel better in your body, brain and gut? I’d love you to join us in Joyful Cooking for Natural Vitality. It’s my six-month coaching program that walks you through my easy, proven process. You’ll learn to cook without recipes while building good food habits and reprogramming bad habits —supporting you to be the healthiest you can be in your body, brain, and gut. Through gentle repetition over six spacious months, these habits become second nature as you naturally look and feel great for your age Learn more here.

One of my clients in the Naturally Healthy Club posted in the group saying she felt like she sabotaged herself. She ate really well during the week, then on the weekend she’d overeat and eat “crap.” It got me thinking about this idea of self-sabotage, and actually, I don’t believe in it. In this episode: Why I Don’t Believe in Self-Sabotage. It’s Just Conflicting Desires Why “Habit” is More Empowering Than “Sabotage” How to Change These Habits The Power of Small Experiments Ready to decide to make 2026 your year of health? I’d love you to join us in Joyful Cooking for Natural Vitality. It’s my six-month coaching program that walks you through my easy, proven process. You’ll learn to cook without recipes while building good food habits and reprogramming bad habits —supporting you to be the healthiest you can be in your body, brain, and gut. Through gentle repetition over six spacious months, these habits become second nature as you naturally look and feel great for your age. Learn more here.

It’s that time of year when resolutions are on our minds. But here’s the thing: most resolutions aren’t actually resolutions at all. They’re wishes. And there’s a huge difference. The word “resolution” comes from “resolve”—to decide firmly on a course of action. Not maybe. Not hopefully. Firmly. Ready to decide to make 2026 your year of health? I’d love you to join us in Joyful Cooking for Natural Vitality. It’s my six-month coaching program that walks you through my easy, proven process. You’ll learn to cook without recipes while building good food habits and reprogramming those unhelpful ones—supporting you to be the healthiest you can be in your body, brain, and gut. Through gentle repetition over six spacious months, these habits become second nature as you naturally enjoy youthful vitality. Ready to look and feel great for your age? Learn more here.

This year, I set one simple intention: to feel content. Not constantly chasing the next thing, not wishing for different circumstances, but genuinely appreciating where I am in whatever moment that is. And here’s the thing—it worked. So many things felt really good to me this year. Of course there were struggles and hard things (that’s life, right?), but overall? I can honestly say this has been my best year ever. So I wanted to share the six resources that helped me get here.   6 RECOURCES 1. Teux Deux2. Zen Habits3. Gentle by Courtney Carver4. Brain Tap Meditation App5. Rich as F *** by Amanda Frances6. Making Moves Podcast on Apple oe Spotify You’re Invited If you want to make 2026 your best year ever from. health perspective – come and join us in Joyful Cooking for Natural Vitality. It’s my un 6-month coaching program that walks you through my easy proven process for cooking WITHOUT recipes, building good food habits (and breaking bad ones) to support a healthy body, brain and gut. You’ll embed tiny sustainable habits to become a naturally healthy intuitive cook who enjoys more delicious protein and veggie-rich meals with less effort. Through gentle repetition, these habits become second nature – so you naturally enjoy youthful vitality AND improve ALL areas of your health now. Plus you’ll minimize disease risk for decades to come. After 6-months you’ll: Look and feel good for your age (thicker hair, clearer skin). Pull together quick nourishing meals WITHOUT recipes (so your waistline and your brain feels better) Actually WANT to cook healthy meals (even after terrible days) Use what’s already in your fridge (less waste, more savings) Balance your hormones and improve mood. Clear brain fog (so when you walk into a room you remember why you went there) Reduce cravings. Strengthen your immunity Improve your sleep. Have tiny habits that support lifelong vitality (so you take good care of yourself even when life gets busy). Feel better in your body and brain. Feel proud of yourself for taking care of your health. All he details are here.

It’s the season for feasting! And if you want to discover how I navigate Christmas day (or any big feast) so I get al the enjoyment and minimise the regret this week I’m sharing my secrets!

It’s one of the worst feelings in the world – waking up at 2.33am with your mind racing and no hope of getting back to sleep. But recently I learned a magic trick that has quite literally changed my ability to get back to sleep. Even when my mind is racing, Even when I’m having hormonal symptoms. This week I’m so excited to share this magic trick with you.   If you want to check out Clotilde’s work (and practice your French!) checkout her Podcast Change Ma Vie. She’s absolutely brilliant, and every time I tune in, I learn something new.

It was 20-years ago today (well almost) and while Sargent Pepper was teaching the band to play… I was embarking on a new experiment of creating a food blog. Yes in December 2005 I published m first blog posts on Stonesoup! To celebrate I thought it would be fun to share 20 lessons I’ve learned over my blogging and coaching career.   Celebrate 20 Years with Something Special To mark this incredible milestone, I’m doing something I’ve never done before – offering lifetime access to my Joyful Cooking for Natural Vitality program. But here’s the once-in-20-years bonus: when you join, you don’t just get access for yourself. You get THREE additional lifetime memberships to share with your nearest and dearest. Why? Because we are more likely to follow through when we do it together. Remember lesson #7 – knowledge alone doesn’t create change. That’s why this program includes not just the knowledge piece, but also mindset work, habit change, and the repetition you need to enjoy lasting vitality. With lifetime access, you’ll have support for as long as you need it. Real, lasting change that sticks. This once-in-20-years celebration offer is only available for a limited time Learn more about Joyful Cooking for Natural Vitality. Here’s to the next 20 years of discovery, growth, and really good food.

What if there was just one tiny daily habit that can mean the difference between gaining weight over the holidays OR starting January the same as you are now? The goods news is there is! Tune in to Joyful Eating this week to discover how this 6-second habit will help you enjoy the holidays without the usual regret.  So you start the new year feeling good in your clothes.   Next week I’m going to be sharing an announcement about a very special celebration that is happening at Stonesoup headquarters. Make sure you signup to me email list to be the first to know. Oh and when you signup you’ll also get a copy of my Worlds Easiest 5-Ingredient Meal plan. Learn more here: https://stonesoup.lpages.co/app/

When I’m feeling like nothings working and I’m never going to change or just anxious, fearful and doubting myself I have a protocol that I follow to so I don’t have to think - I just switch into my fear and doubt busting protocol.

Feasting time is just around the corner and if part of your is dreading the over-indulgence I have good news! Tune in to discover how you can actually make this your most enjoyable holiday season from a food perspective all while avoiding that bellyache.   Check out my On-Demand FREE Workshop My free 24-minute workshop reveals the secret to eating what you want while feeling good in your body (even if you’ve tried and failed before.) You’ll discover: + The 3 essential skills for a healthy relationship with food so you eat what you want AND feel good in your clothes + Why your past attempts failed and what to do differently this time + My counter-intuitive nutrition approach that cuts through conflicting information and leaves you empowered + The easiest first step to transform your relationship with food so you get MORE enjoyment without feeling deprived and without your pants feeling too tight. This works for food lovers navigating menopause-related body changes and all dietary requirements. [ Get instant access here ]

As Ive been simplifying my life one of the most powerful concepts is the idea that it’s what we stop doing that can help us even more than what we add in. So this week I’m sharing 21 things I didn’t do to reach my ideal weight in my 40s- many of which go against the grain of conventional weight loss strategies. Check out my On-Demand FREE Workshop My free 24-minute workshop reveals the secret to eating what you want while feeling good in your body (even if you’ve tried and failed before.) You’ll discover: + The 3 essential skills for a healthy relationship with food so you eat what you want AND feel good in your clothes + Why your past attempts failed and what to do differently this time + My counter-intuitive nutrition approach that cuts through conflicting information and leaves you empowered + The easiest first step to transform your relationship with food so you get MORE enjoyment without feeling deprived and without your pants feeling too tight. This works for food lovers navigating menopause-related body changes and all dietary requirements. [ Get instant access here ]

Oscar Wild said “I can resist everything except temptation.” and as anyone with a human brain knows.. resistance doesn’t work. So this week on Joyful Eating for Menopause I’m sharing how I handle temptations. It’s soo effective that I can’t remember the last time I actually felt any sort of temptation. Check out my On-Demand FREE Workshop My free 24-minute workshop reveals the secret to eating what you want while feeling good in your body (even if you’ve tried and failed before.) You’ll discover: + The 3 essential skills for a healthy relationship with food so you eat what you want AND feel good in your clothes + Why your past attempts failed and what to do differently this time + My counter-intuitive nutrition approach that cuts through conflicting information and leaves you empowered + The easiest first step to transform your relationship with food so you get MORE enjoyment without feeling deprived and without your pants feeling too tight. This works for food lovers navigating menopause-related body changes and all dietary requirements. [ Get instant access here ]

As she was prescribing HRT My doctor actually said to me “You can expect to gain a few kilos around the waistline.“I’m nodding. But it in my head I’m thinking ‘not going to happen lady.’ Listen on to discover why weight loss is harder in peri-menopause and why I’d be very surprised if I do gain weight as I navigate this fascinating time of life. My free 24-minute workshop reveals the secret to eating what you want while feeling good in your body (even if you’ve tried and failed before.) You’ll discover: + The 3 essential skills for a healthy relationship with food so you eat what you want AND feel good in your clothes + Why your past attempts failed and what to do differently this time + My counter-intuitive nutrition approach that cuts through conflicting information and leaves you empowered + The easiest first step to transform your relationship with food so you get MORE enjoyment without feeling deprived and without your pants feeling too tight. This works for food lovers navigating menopause-related body changes and all dietary requirements. [ Get instant access here ]

I was chatting to my friend Miish the other day and she asked me, Jules, how do you get enough protein?’ I was like excellent question Miish. And so here’s what I told her.   Resources 5 Day Challenge: The Secret to Healthy Meals WITHOUT RecipesReliable Boiled Eggs

This week I went on a podcast blind date. I got an email with the subject line “Jules, I’m Dr. Betsy Greenleaf – let’s talk midlife vitality w/ your listeners”. Normally my assistant Caroline would just delete things like this but she was on leave and I was intrigued and so I ended up having an eye-opening chat with Dr Betsy Definitely worth your time!   Resources Dr Betsy Greenleaf’s website: https://pelvicfloorstore.com(Get 10% discount with code JOYFUL)Dr Betsey Greenleaf on Instagram

I’m not trying to be a bragger but I have a belt which I bought around the time my mum died in 2007 and i needs a new smaller hole punched in it. Listen on to discover my 3 easy principles of eating that have meant my waistline has been shrinking even though I’m 53 and have type 2 diabetes.   Your Invited If you’d like more support to to simplify eating well as you age so you feel good in your clothes your body and your brain. Come and signup for my new Stonesoup for Menopause Substack. Click here to go to my Stonesoup for Menupause Subtrack.    

Feel like you’re the only one in your household who does ALL THE WORK? This week on joyful eating for menopause you’ll learn how to create a more equitable division of unpaid labor in your house.   Your Invited If you’d like to empower your kids to learn to pull together healthy meals without recipes AND use child labour to make your life easier then come and play with us in Joyful Cooking for Kids and Teens. Check out the link in the show notes to learn more. When you sign up you’ll get instant access to the bonus lessons including my 1. “Kitchen Harmony Blueprint: (end resentment & share the load)” – Feel like you’re the only one in your household who does ALL THE WORK? Learn how to create a more equitable division of unpaid labor in your house. 2. “Peaceful Plate Solution: (transform picky eaters without power struggles)” – Stop feeling defeated when your kids, grandkids (or adult family members) aren’t excited about meals when you do put in a bunch of effort. Your Invited If you’d like to empower your kids to learn to pull together healthy meals without recipes AND use child labour to make your life easier then come and play with us in Joyful Cooking for Kids and Teens. Check out the link in the show notes to learn more. When you sign up you’ll get instant access to the bonus lessons including my 1. “Kitchen Harmony Blueprint: (end resentment & share the load)” – Feel like you’re the only one in your household who does ALL THE WORK? Learn how to create a more equitable division of unpaid labor in your house. 2. “Peaceful Plate Solution: (transform picky eaters without power struggles)” – Stop feeling defeated when your kids, grandkids (or adult family members) aren’t excited about meals when you do put in a bunch of effort. Check out the link here to learn more: https://lp.thestonesoup.com/jc4k/

If you have kids or grandkids in your life that you’d love to grow up to have a healthy relationship with food and their bodies this episode is for you! Tune in to discover the weird and sometimes gross techniques I’m experimenting with to raise healthy eaters. Your Invited If you’d like to empower your kids to learn to pull together healthy meals without recipes AND use child labour to make your life easier then come and play with us in Joyful Cooking for Kids. Check out the link here to learn more: https://lp.thestonesoup.com/jc4k/

Did you know that anxiety can be a symptom of peri-menopause? I certainly didn’t’ until it happened to me. This week I’m sharing my experience of hormonal anxiety so you can learn from my mistakes.   Your Invited If you’d like more support to to simplify eating well as you age so you feel good in your clothes your body and your brain. Come and signup for my new Stonesoup for Menopause Substack. Click here to go to my Stonesoup for Menupause Subtrack.